#Learn the rules so you can then break the rules with PANACHE | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

sometimesiwrite · 4 years ago

Text

Steady As She Goes

Part 1

Fandom: The Witcher

Characters: Essi Daven/Lambert

Summary: Lambert begrudgingly insists on escorting Essi through Velen on her way to Novigrad. On their three days' journey, an unexpected bond is formed as the unlikely traveling companions encounter one another in new light. But will they get through unscathed?

Warnings: Lambert-typical language; pragmatic killing of a small animal (not a pet, for food); sexual assault (groping, not Lambert); reference to gore, head trauma; lethal self-defence; shock/trauma response, adrenaline crash; cliffhanger

A/N: A little while ago, I wrote a little letter to Lambert (you can read it here if you’re so inclined—mind the TW). I wanted to thank him, but more importantly, I wanted to offer him a place in my heart and my brain along with his brothers. This story started from a small prompt and has since turned into a 12+k proper-ass Story. This is part 1. Please join me in joyfully welcoming Lambert to the ranks with a wordcount he deserves with a character who has also become very dear to me.

MASTERLIST

@morethangeraskier

Essi eyed the back of her travelling companion with curiosity as they rode North toward Crow’s Perch: the tight swing of his hips still keeping tempo with his horse’s cadence; the sharp alertness at the nape of his neck as his eyes scanned their surroundings; the subtle forward tuck of his shoulders; and every muscle in his body fine-tuned and ready for action in the blink of an eye. Even his silence seemed to radiate a low buzz that tingled the air around him and made Essi wonder how many thoughts and calculations were crammed inside his head at once. She’d found it charming rather than off-putting how irritatedly he’d suggested accompanying her through Velen. There was a genuineness about his prickly outward demeanor—she felt like a detail worthy of practical consideration rather than a damsel on the road and she appreciated it. Better than most alternatives.

The fact was, Lambert had insisted. Not because she was attractive (yeah, yeah, big blue eyes, blonde hair, yadda-yadda, who cares), not because she seemed helpless (there was something keen behind those big blue eyes, and he’d known better than to ignore it), but because it seemed like the right thing to do. She’d explained she was an experienced traveller, knew the roads well, had good relationships with the innkeepers along the way. She would be fine, and didn’t want to take him out of his way.

“Sorry. Not happening. I’m coming with you.” Why? “Bandits.”

He would know. He’d spent the last few days doing nothing but clearing out Nekker nests and trashing bandit camps all over Velen, and the last thing he needed was the innocent blood of some wide-eyed woman-bard on his hands. “Back to fucking Novigrad,” he’d grumbled, turning his horse back North. He sighed heavily and waited for Essi to catch up, “Fuck me, I need a drink—alright, stay close on my tail for the next little while. We’re taking a shortcut.” As they rode, Lambert gave his new companion a rundown of “ The Rules”.

“No chit-chat, I’ve gotta keep focused, plus I don’t like excess noise. If I say ‘duck’ you duck. And I mean get the fuck down and stay silent. If I say run, run and don’t look back. I’ll find you later. Do your best not to panic or freeze up on me, I need you to listen carefully and do exactly as I say.”

Essi nodded earnestly beside him, her big blue eye fixed on his lips, taking in every word. He wasn’t used to actually being listened to. It was nice. A little off-putting the way she stared, but it was... nice.

On that topic, “One last thing,” he said, turning away to watch the road and check their sides, “Don’t get any ideas. I’m only doing this because no one deserves to die at the hands of heartless assholes except other heartless assholes. I am not Prince Charming, I am not a knight in shining armour, and I absolutely have no intentions of sweeping anyone off their feet. Capisce, bard?”

Essi smiled elusively, turning her own eyes back to the road. “Good. I’m no princess or damsel, and I’m hardly looking to be swept off my feet. As far as I’m concerned, we’re merely travelling in the same direction at the same pace.”

An agreeable grunt from Lambert signalled the end of the conversation and the beginning of “quiet time” which Essi did her best to honour. It was difficult at first. The poet was accustomed to conversation with strangers she met on the road—where they were headed, where they were coming from, how their journey had been. But Lambert was a witcher. Her usual litany of questions were either already answered or were none of her business to be asking in the first place. She was more or less quite content to travel in silence on an average day. But this was not an average day and her mind was bursting with curiosity, which made for a restless start to their journey.

“What’s your horse’s name?” Essi finally asked as they stopped briefly at a stream for water. She decided it was an innocent enough question with a short enough answer to risk breaking the rules.

Lambert gave her a disapproving look, a scolding reminder about ‘no chit-chat’ perched on the tip of his tongue. To her credit, she'd surpassed Lambert’s expectations for what he’d learned to expect from bards in the category of Not Talking. She’d only hummed a little and only then when she was lost in thought, large blue eye staring into the distance. She was an odd one, this woman, with her deep eyes that blinked too slowly sometimes. But his medallion was still and he didn’t have that gut feeling that usually told him when something was off. It was a harmless enough question, anyway…

“Royal,” he said, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. “Never met a noble that wasn’t a horse’s ass.”

Essi let out snicker, flashing her pearly teeth with an open grin. He was abrasive, sure, this witcher, but he was quickly proving himself to be animated and clever. She also believed him to be kind, despite his best efforts to prove otherwise. Whether or not Essi would earn a glimpse of his full capacity remained to be seen, but regardless she found his particular brand of panache refreshing.

"Yours?" he asked with a nod back at the small Icelandic gelding currently occupied with nibbling at some honeysuckle.

"Ginger," Essi replied, kneeling to take her turn at the stream, refilling her waterskin and drinking from her cupped hands. She stared at her saddlebag. “Wait here,” she said, striding to her horse and extracting a bundle of fabric.

“Whoa, hey, where’re you going?”

“It’s alright, I’ll only be a minute,” she assured him as she headed for a thicket.

“Nuh-uh, can’t let you just wander off and get yourself killed before we even reach the first signpost. What’s the plan, Goldilocks?”

“I’m just…”

“Just…?” Lambert gestured impatiently.

Essi squared her shoulders to him, “Going to change my dress. It’s too hot, and I would like to feel Just Right.”

Her sharp-witted comeback earned her a raised eyebrow. It was rather warm, the witcher had to admit. Early summer’s heat glared down with the midday sun, tempered only by an occasional cool breeze from the West. Lambert himself had pulled off his gauntlets, opened his jerkin, and tied a damp kerchief around his neck—witchers were less susceptible to heat stroke or hypothermia, but they were no less vulnerable to discomfort. It was only fair to allot his companion the same opportunity.

Lambert did a quick sweep of the area. Looks fine, sounds fine, smells fine… “Fine. Three minutes.”

He stood guard in front of the only gap in the dense bushes and waited for the sounds of rustling fabric to subside. After two and a half minutes, Essi emerged, hitching up her linen sleeves. She returned her former dress to her saddlebag and extracted two slender, ornately-carved whale bone sticks which she used to scoop her long, thick hair off the back of her neck and secure it in a twist.

Essi squatted back down beside the little brook and let the cool water trace over the tender undersides of her wrists, cooling her veins and refreshing her as the breeze fluttered the light fabric against her skin. Much better, she thought, glancing up at Lambert. This new garment was more loosely-fitting, he noticed, save for the cinch that tied around her waist.

She looked nice—comfortable. She looked comfortable. The dress looked comfortable.

Essi smiled up at Lambert as she stood, pressing her damp hands to the sides of her neck and ooooh it felt nice. She thought she caught the smallest hint of a smile as the breeze wafted a bit of honeysuckle their way. He still looked tired, but he seemed lighter. Something new had come into his rugged, sun-tanned face. Boyish, maybe?

“Better?” Lambert asked. He barely waited for her to answer before he continued, “Let’s get moving, I want to make tracks before we lose our light.” Essi mounted without protest and they were on their way again, quietly riding single-file until they reached an acceptable spot to settle down for the night. Lambert left the travelling poet to make camp while he hunted for some dinner. Essi went about setting things up. She dug a small fire pit with a trowel she kept on hand, gathered kindling, and stacked it neatly to the side where it could be easily reached. Finally, she dragged two logs from the underbrush and placed them on either side of the small hole. It was, perhaps, a little domestic, but the witcher still seemed tired, and he was going out of his way to give her a safe escort through dangerous territory. She’d wondered earlier about offering him some coin for his trouble, especially seeing as he was doubling back and wouldn’t have any opportunity for new contracts. Then again, she’d thought, perhaps that might insult him, make him feel like a hired bodyguard. In the end, the very least she could do was help make the experience a little nicer. She could ask about payment when they arrived in Novigrad.

A loud whistle caught Essi’s attention and she turned to find Lambert approaching with what looked like a squirming ball of fur. Upon closer inspection, it was a rather fat grey squirrel. “Dinner,” Lambert announced, looking pleased with himself. He held the creature toward her, “Care to do the honours?” He waggled his eyebrows facetiously. The witcher had always prided himself on his capacity to read people, to pick up on the little things that others might miss, second-guess, or excuse away. So far, after nearly five hours on the road with Essi Daven, Lambert still couldn’t get a clear read on her, and he decided (for whatever reason) the quickest way was to hand her a small animal.

Essi looked down at the wriggling creature cupped in Lambert’s hand, her eyes devoid of any specific expression. The poet could have been feeling anything: shock and horror, stony rage, remorse, awe… casual hesitation. In fact, the only feeling that wasn’t in the running was glee, and while Lambert hadn’t expected it in the first place, it was still a relief to know he wasn’t sharing his camp with a psychopath. But what was she going to do with it, this wide-eyed, innocent-faced, prim young traveler? Probably some tree-hugger shit like let it go.

Essi lowered her eyes to the wriggling rodent. It had been a while since she’d had to procure a live meal. She could have declined, easily, graciously, and her witcher companion would probably have shrugged and thought ‘no surprise there’. But she knew a schoolboy’s smart-assery when she saw it—the audacious victory behind his bright citrine eyes told her everything she needed to know about what he was expecting from this brief-but-loaded exchange. A shriek, a gasp in horror, perhaps a distressed stomp of her feet and fitful shake of her gilded head?

Essi reached a slow, dainty hand towards the squirrel, enveloping the soft, furry body as Lambert mentally prepared himself to go set another snare. There was no way this bard would ever be the type to—

Crunch.

—Lambert’s face went slack as the now-very-limp squirrel was handed back to him.

“I wouldn’t’ve thought a witcher would be so squeamish,” Essi remarked, casually wiping her hands on her skirt. Lambert said nothing but stared at her with a look of defeated befuddlement. She fired again, her sweet, melodic voice dripping with offhanded superiority, “Was that all? Or do you need me to clean it, too?” She blinked blankly once again as Lambert gaped, even less sure what to make of the young woman who had just snapped a rodent’s neck.

“No,” he answered petulantly. “I can do it.” He pulled his buck knife from its sheath on his thigh and went about his business. He was quiet and brief with her for the rest of the evening, and she was beginning to feel her own irritation mount. She had half a mind to bite back the next time he snapped at her for asking a simple question. Though, she admitted, he didn’t seem the type to back down easily. If she prodded at him, he might decide to leave her, and they were on a different route, completely unfamiliar to her. She’d be as good bear food without his directions.

No, she decided, it was best not to go digging and let whatever it was that was eating at him subside on its own. With no assurance of peaceful conversation and nothing but the crackling of their small fire to drown out the distant howls of wolves, Essi asked if she could play quietly on her lute—not too loudly, she promised, remembering what all she knew about a witcher’s senses, how sensitive they are. She’d asked in her usual straightforward way, her big blue eyes blinking slowly at him from across the fire. A simple request, and one that he couldn’t very well deny at the risk of being a Grade A Jackass.

Ordinarily, he would have jumped at the opportunity to claim that title, but Essi didn’t deserve that. Stranger or no, she’d been quiet and courteous, and had shown herself to be witty and good-humoured to boot, laughing at even his crassest jokes. So what could he do but bob his head from side to side and relent, reserving the right to end it if he deemed it necessary. He’d met enough bards in his time to know that his and their definitions of “quietly” were rarely on the same page of the dictionary.

But Essi kept her word, and took up a slow, gentle melody that drifted airily through the fading twilight. The witcher might even have called it pleasant, as the dusky grey shifted to darker and darker shades of nighttime. Lambert took out his whetstone and, after a few strokes along his dulled steel blade, found his mind wandering. The poet’s voice was captivating without demanding attention—sometimes clear and bright, but never piercing or imposing; occasionally breathy, but always expressive. His eye drifted to the instrument in her hands, no longer content to merely hear the music, but wanting to watch its creation. The taut catgut strings pressed divots into thick calluses on her left hand as she fingered the fretboard, her hands flexing no differently than if she were playing at full volume. But how was she strumming so quietly? Shit, gotta keep focused. Stay on task. The whetstone once again returned to steel as Lambert pulled his mind back from its daze.

It wasn’t long before curiosity got the better of him and he glanced back to the instrument cradled against the musician’s midriff. It looked delicate. Like something that could shatter if he held it wrong. Glancing to the hand nearest him, he could now see she was using the soft pad of her thumb to strum rather than her fingernails, which were long and carefully-shaped; well-honed in that sense, Lambert mused. He’d never paid attention to a musician this closely. They always drew crowds in the cities and experience had taught him that performers on the road were just as likely to pick a man’s pocket as they were to put on a show. But this was different. Essi wasn’t performing—on the contrary, she almost seemed to be in some kind of trance. She wasn’t even looking at her hands most of the time, and from the lyrics, Lambert began to wonder whether she was making it up as she went along. It was impressive, the way she knew her instrument so well. Despite his previous feelings of irritation at having had his ass handed to him, he couldn’t deny skill when he saw it, and Essi was clearly a master of her craft.

The whetstone had been silent for close to a full verse when Essi looked up, wondering if perhaps the witcher was growing tired of the noise. She found Lambert closely examining the hone of his blade, and so, thinking nothing of it, went back to her playing. It took him longer than usual to sharpen his swords. Longer still to replenish his potions and oils. He should’ve made quick work of it. Would have, too, if it wasn’t for the fact that he found the music so… pleasant. It was difficult to meditate. Not because he couldn’t relax, but because he didn’t want to stop listening. He just—there was something about… It didn’t matter. It wasn’t important. Get the shit together for tomorrow, go to bed, get up, and hope you don’t have any trouble on the road.

Lambert laid out his bed roll and the music silenced abruptly. “Oh, are you turning in? I’ll stop now,” Essi gently lay down her lute next to her saddle bags and started to get her own sleeping mat. It was thin, Lambert noticed, as he watched her set up. His long, tired body stretched out, hands beneath his head, as he stared up through the dense oak canopy above them.

“Thank you,” Essi said, now standing by his head.

Lambert craned his neck to try and see her properly and resorted to propping up on an elbow. “Yeah? What for?”

“For finding us food and for letting me play a little,” she said with that same matter-of-factness that made Lambert feel both comfortable and uneasy.

“Yeah, well,” Lambert flopped back down on his bedroll, “Don’t worry about it. Get some sleep, we gotta keep moving in the morning. I don’t want to be out here longer than we have to.” He waved a dismissive hand in Essi’s direction, and she took that as her cue to leave him alone and be quiet.

“Goodnight, Lambert,” she murmured softly before turning and crossing back to the other side of the fire. She settled under her blankets and, after some drawn-out negotiations with a few poorly-located lumps in the ground, she was able to lie still and close her eyes. The insides of her eyelids flickered orange with the fire as it danced beside her. Before sleep took her, she heard a muffled voice from across the flames.

“G’night, Essi.” ---- Essi rose early, but not early enough for her travelling companion. The fire had already been doused and buried, and Lambert’s things were all neatly packed away and ready to be loaded onto Royal. Both horses were still hitched, and sleepily nibbling on some dewy crabgrass as the grey mists of early morning lingered. The sun hadn’t risen high enough yet to burn away the moisture, and Essi bundled her blanket around her shoulders against the chill. Lambert, she presumed, was off doing something witcher-y—taking a leak more like, she wagered as her own bladder complained. The moment he returned, Essi shot up from her log and headed into the trees.

“Just where do you think yo—”

“I have to piss!” she called back over her shoulder as she traipsed into the dense wood.

“Heh, good morning to you, too!” Lambert scrubbed his hand through his scruffy brown hair and ambled back to the fireside to begin packing and saddling the horse. When he arrived, he saw Essi’s things were also neatly packed away and stacked by her own mount. He offered a brief nod of approval before stowing his things, making quick work of the well-practiced process. By the time Essi returned, not only was Royal fully-prepared and Lambert armed and armoured, but Ginger was also mostly packed with the exception of one bag and the lute, which was cradled in the witcher’s hands as he crouched near the ground. She paused a little distance away and waited, observing as she listened to the faint sound of strings being delicately plucked.

Lambert looked up, embarrassed. “I uh… sorry.”

“What for?”

Lambert stood carefully as Essi approached and dropped his gaze, holding out the fragile instrument for it to be angrily snatched back. The musician paused for a moment, observing this gesture of cowed humility. It was a habit, she suspected, born from decades of harsh punishment without explanation, frivolous harm without justification. Essi could sense the shame as it rolled off his shoulders, the prickly-heat of defense building under his skin. She took the lute and a swell of sadness washed through at the stark evidence of the world’s cruelty—that a man should be ashamed for a little harmless curiosity only told one story: pleasure’s not for you.

Lambert looked up to find Essi still standing there, staring at the lute in her hands. “Did… did I…?” he pointed to the instrument.

“No,” she smiled softly, “not at all. And I’m not bothered that you looked at it. If you like, you can look at it again. I can even show you a chord or two?”

“Ah,” the witcher scratched the top of his head, “that’s okay. It’s, uh… I mean it seems like it’s good—well-made. Never seen one up-close like that.” There was a lull in conversation as Lambert ran out of things to say. But Essi just stood where she was, smiling her little enigmatic smile and blinking at him. He turned back to the horses, and motioned for Essi to do the same, “I, um, packed up your stuff, well most of it.”

Essi took the hint and followed suit, strapping the few remaining things to Ginger before mounting. After a brief survey of the area to make sure they hadn’t forgotten anything, the two were off, Essi following behind as Lambert continued on his shortcut through what mainly seemed to be wilderness for the first several miles. They finally emerged at a small footpath, though, and Essi finally got her bearings. They were back in familiar territory, at least for the time being, and it was proving to be a beautiful morning. Even Lambert seemed to be in a better mood, offering her things to eat along the way, and even starting his own little snippets of conversation.

It was an hour or so after midday that Lambert’s ears pricked at the sound of hooves in the distance. Could be soldiers, could be travellers… could be bandits. After a few minutes, they seemed to fade, and the witcher relaxed a little as the path took them into a wooded area by yet another stream, though this one was deep and flowing quickly. Better keep my ears sharp, Lambert thought as they rode along. Water’s too loud. Can’t hear for shit. They stopped next to the water to stretch their legs and replenish their drinking vessels again. The rest of the journey would take them mostly through high ground without much shade, and swampland. Any water they wanted to have with them, it was now or never until they reached Novigrad the next day.

Lambert relieved himself against a nearby tree while Essi washed her face and, having determined the coast was clear, gave her the go-ahead to have a squat in the underbrush. He was still on the alert. It wasn’t a high-traffic area, so in theory bandits would be less interested in diverting from the main road. On the other hand, a less-trafficked area meant less chance of a hideout being discovered. But it smelled okay, although the wind was coming across the water. And it sounded okay, although the water was so damn loud. And things looked okay, aside from the fact that there was only so far even a witcher could see without trees getting in the way.

A twig snapped in the woods behind him and the hairs on the back of his neck bristled, his hand mechanically finding the grip of his steel sword. He chanced a glance back into the woods—Fuck it, what’s the point of modesty if you’re dead? Another twig, this time from another location beyond the line of trees. There was a flash of golden hair as Essi finished her business and stood up, straightening her skirt. She turned to Lambert, ready to scold him for looking until she saw his hand on his sword. Somewhere in the near-distance, a horse whickered. The witcher lifted his finger to his lips and the poet stood stock-still, her hand slowly reaching for the small dagger at her waist as her heart beat heavily in her chest. Something rustled to Lambert’s left, and he turned, stepping quietly as he stalked in the general direction of the sound. It wasn’t wolves or Endregas, they were too high for Drowners, too woodsy for Nekkers.

Essi watched with interest as the witcher’s body went on full alert, his senses sharpening, his posture shifting, muscles coiling to accommodate any number of reflexes. She scanned the trees in front of them then looked back out to the road, marking the location of her horse in the event Lambert told her to run. A large horse came to a standstill beyond the edge of the woods somewhere and Lambert froze, listening carefully for sounds of footfalls or rustling clothing.The gears started to click a little faster as Lambert entertained the possibility they were being surrounded. He flicked his left hand at Essi in the direction of the road: get out of the woods. Quietly. Without a second thought, she began to carefully make her way back to the road as silently as she could, Lambert following, his eyes still searching.

Just as Essi’s feet met the smooth dirt path, a beefy arm wrapped tightly around her waist. But the brute was foolish enough not to cover her mouth first, and Essi let loose a loud, powerful scream that a witcher would have heard at least a mile away. Lambert abandoned his methodical retreat from the woods and came crashing onto the path, fixing his eye dangerously on his target as he circled his sword around his wrist. The witcher felt a rush of angry heat flare under his skin at the sight of Essi kicking and clawing in the bandit’s sweaty grip. He was large, reeked of booze and the funk of cured meat. Essi fought the urge to gag at the stench of his clothes as she did her best to keep her mind sharp, or else risk becoming collateral damage. Her best bet: keep her eyes on Lambert.

“Hands off the bard and you might keep your head,” the witcher barked as he approached. “Can’t make any promises about your other appendages, though.” He wanted to lunge, run him through, gut him and leave him to the wargs... but it was too risky. He was holding Essi too tightly, and there was no guarantee he wouldn’t snap her neck if Lambert took a wrong step. To make matters worse, the trees were full of footsteps. Eight, maybe ten men. Hmmm.

“Oh-ho-ho, look what we got, lads!” the bandit called to his approaching comrades as they began to filter out from the woods. “Your plaything still any good, witcher? Or have you ruined the fun for the rest of us?” The man grasped roughly at Essi’s breasts and Lambert felt his stomach drop as her eyes met his. He knew the look that was waiting for him behind those eyes, that broken terrified look of “I trusted you.” But the look never came. Those big beautiful blue eyes were steely and determined in spite of the fear he knew was churning in the background and he felt a thrill of triumph. Essi was still with him in whatever this was about to turn into. Not only that, she was thinking something, devising a plan. Lambert hoped to Gods it wasn’t something stupid. What is it, Essi? What are you thinking?

As if in answer to his question, Essi tilted her head, seductively baring her neck to her aggressor as Lambert’s options quickly decreased, the other bandits starting to close in, clearly in no rush, confident that they could easily take one man even if he did have two swords on his back and eyes like a cat. Sure boys, that’s going to go real well for you. He did a quick circle, taking stock of their exact locations before turning back to Essi, watching carefully as her hand traced up the outside of the bandit’s right leg. Yes, Essi, come on, come on, come on…

The man rasped something foul in her ear, but all she could hear was the sound of her ears ringing and her own heart beating out of her chest as she did her best to focus on the task at hand. She barely knew what she was doing, but the witcher was watching her every move intently, and that somehow made whatever she was about to do feel possible. She felt her thumb brush the cool handle of her dagger, and Lambert nodded almost imperceptibly. Do it.

With a swift, fluid movement, she plunged the short blade into the man’s side and he roared in pain as his compatriots mulled around in confusion, their fisstech-addled minds still catching up. Lambert took the opportunity and sliced through the three nearest him with swift, clean strokes, focusing back in on Essi just in time to see her take a right hook to the face. She fell to the ground and blinked heavily, her vision blurry and head spinning. Her fingers found a large rock as a pair of meaty hands grabbed her legs, pulling her across the rough dirt road. She scrambled and turned, bringing the heavy rock squarely to the side of the man’s head with a sickening crack. He fell limply to the ground as the poet found her way to shaky legs, the makeshift weapon falling limply from her hand.

From out of the chaos of grunts and screams and clanging weapons, Essi heard her name, “GET OUT, GO, GO!” It was Lambert. Without a second thought she stumbled the short distance to Ginger and mounted, bolting across the river and holding on for dear life. She rode until the horse slowed, until she wasn’t sure where she was or whether the river she’d stopped beside was the same river or a different one. Essi dismounted and only then noticed that her hands were shaking. Interesting, she thought, as she was overcome with trembling and heaving sobs. I suppose this is what they mean when they say ‘fear catches us later’. She sat on a boulder and listened to the clear water, waiting for Lambert to find her.

#Essi Daven/Lambert #Lambert/Essi #rarepair #thank you Lambert #and I'm sorry #more to come!#Stay tuned #The witcher #Lambert #Essi Daven #Bardcore: dark mode

37 notes · View notes

grailfinders · 4 years ago

Text

Fate and Phantasms #81: Jekyll and Hyde

As we get closer to Thanksgiving, it’s important that we all take a moment and think about what we’re thankful for. Despite this year, I’m thankful I don’t have an alternate personality that wants to kill everyone around me. Jekyll & Hyde will have to think of something else.

Their build’s breakdown is under the cut, or you can check out their character sheet over here!

Next up: Bodybuilding gone wrong! (or right, depending on your point of view.)

Race and Background

Jekyll is a Human, giving him +1 in all ability scores. He’s also the textbook definition of a Haunted One, giving him Arcana and Investigation proficiencies as well as severe trauma.

Ability Scores

Your highest stat will be your Intelligence- you’re smart, if a bit reckless when choosing test subjects. Your Strength comes second, you may be a Victorian Englishman, but half of you is a serial killer, that has to count for something. Third is Dexterity- both versions of you are good with a knife, and you only want your other half dead, so your AC shouldn’t be too low. You’re repressed as hell, but the other half of your is terrifying, so that averages out your Charisma a bit. Your Constitution’s not too great- again, you’re a Victorian Englishman. Finally, dump Wisdom. One half of you tested chemicals on yourself, the other’s a berserker, it’s just not your strong suit.

Class Levels

1. Rogue 1: Jekyll’s an assassin in FGO, and a rogue here. He would be a good fit for a certain hunter of blood subclass, but I like to save the non-canon or technically rule-breaking bits for joke levels, so they can be easily taken out if needed- I’m not building half a character as a blood hunter.

When you pick the class, you get proficiency in Dexterity and Intelligence saves, as well as four skills- Acrobatics and Stealth go to Jekyll, and Deception and Intimidation for Hyde. On top of all those proficiencies, you can double up on that with Expertise in two skills. Let’s buff up Arcana so you can learn how to make that potion already and Deception so no one knows when you’re the other you. You also get a Thieves’ Cant to help you talk to other rogues, and a Sneak Attack which you can use if you have advantage with a finesse weapon, or there’s another ally within 5′ of the target.

2. Barbarian 1: After you get some of that good murder juice, you also become a barbarian. You can go into a Rage, getting advantage on Strength saves and checks, extra damage on strength based attacks, and resistance to physical damage types. Also good to note: sneak attack only requires a finesse weapon- you don’t have to use dexterity on the attacks, so you can rage and sneak at the same time. You also get an Unarmored Defense, giving you an AC based on your Dexterity and Constitution When not wearing armor. It’s not any better than your normal AC, but we’ll work on that.

3. Rogue 2: Second level rogues can make Cunning Actions, letting you dash, disengage, or hide as a bonus action. You’re not one for fighting, until you suddenly are.

4. Barbarian 2: At this level, Hyde can make Reckless Attacks, getting advantage on all attacks this turn in exchange for enemies having advantage on him until his next turn. He also gets a Danger Sense, giving him advantage on dexterity saves from effects he can see.

5. Rogue 3: We’re making Jekyll a Swashbuckler rogue this level. It’s admittedly a strange subclass, but you could say this is part of Hyde’s intimidation tactics leaking into your normal way of doing things. When you take the subclass, you gain Fancy Footwork, preventing creatures you attack from making opportunity attacks against you for the turn. You also have Rakish Audacity, adding your charisma modifier to initiative rolls. You can also use your sneak attack if you and your target are the only creatures within 5′ of each other. Speaking of your sneak attack, it increases to 2d6 at this level.

6. Barbarian 3: At this level Hyde becomes a Berserker. I mean, he was one already, but now he’s one in D&D too. This lets him go into a Frenzy when he rages, letting him make a weapon attack as a bonus action at the cost of gaining a level of exhaustion after the frenzy ends. Thankfully Frenzy is optional, and you probably shouldn’t use it.

7. Rogue 4: Use your first Ability Score Improvement to become an Actor, increasing your Charisma by one and getting advantage on Deception checks to pose as your other self. You can also mimic other creatures you’ve heard for at least a minute requiring an insight check contested against you deception to see through it.

8. Barbarian 4: Use your next ASI to round out your Strength and Constitution scores for better brawling.

9. Rogue 5: Fifth level rogues can make an Uncanny Dodge as a reaction, halving incoming damage from one attack. Combine this with your rage resistances, and you can eat up a lot of damage. Also, your sneak attack deals 3d6 this level.

10. Barbarian 5: Fifth level barbarians get an Extra Attack with each attack action, letting you make two attacks per turn (or three if you really want to w/ Frenzy). You also get Fast Movement, giving you an extra 10′ of movement speed.

11. Rogue 6: At sixth level, rogues get another round of Expertise. Pick Intimidation for Hyde, and Stealth for Jekyll.

12. Barbarian 6: Sixth level berserkers can go into a Mindless Rage, preventing you from being charmed or frightened for the duration of your rages. If you’re charmed when going into a rage, you’ll still be charmed when you come out. Be careful though, just because Hyde isn’t charmed doesn’t mean he won’t stab you.

13. Rogue 7: Seventh level rogues learn Evasion, so you take half damage on failed dex saves, and no damage on successes. When combined with your proficiency, Danger Sense, and good dex score, fireballs won’t be an issue for you. Also, you deal 4d6 when you sneak attack.

14. Barbarian 7: Seventh level barbarians have a Feral Instinct that gives you advantage on initiative rolls, and you can ignore being surprised by raging. Hyde’s always waiting for a chance to break free, and a good shock might be enough to do it.

15. Rogue 8: Use this ASI for more Strength, giving you stronger and more accurate attacks.

16. Barbarian 8: Also bump up your Dexterity with your next ASI for a better AC and stealth.

17. Rogue 9: Ninth level swashbucklers get Panache, letting you make a Persuasion check against a creature’s Insight check to either make you the focus of their fighting or charm them for a minute. It’s unfortunate that you can’t use Intimidation for this instead, but that’s for homebrew to decide. Also, your sneak attack goes up to 5d6.

18. Barbarian 9: Ninth level barbarians get a Brutal Critical, letting you add an extra die to critical hits. That’s not much for you, considering you’re already throwing 10d6 onto your crits, but every bit helps.

19. Rogue 10: Use your last ASI to bump up your Constitution for more health and a better AC.

20. Barbarian 10: Your capstone level nets you the berserker feature Intimidating Presence, letting you frighten a creature as an action. If it fails a wisdom save based on your charisma, it’s frightened until the end of your next turn. However, you can use your action each turn to extend the effect without needing another saving throw.

Pros:

Unless you’re super into RP (or into playing half-level characters), you’re not going to be playing Jekyll or Hyde completely separate from each other. And that’s great, because Barbarians and Rogues mix very well. Rages and Danger Sense mix with Uncanny Dodges Evasion, respectively, to make you very hard to damage, even when your AC makes you easier to hit than a standard tank. Plus, barbarians love to deal crits, and rogues love it too, so you’ll be dealing tons of damage thanks to Sneak Attacks mixed with Extra and Reckless Attacks

You’re an expert in impersonation and stealth, so you’re great at getting the drop on people, a useful skill for serial killers.

Combining Fast Movement with Fancy Footwork and Uncanny Actions can make you very mobile on the battlefield, dealing damage while keeping yourself in a good position.

Cons:

The way we set up this build isn’t the most graceful way to level up a character, shoving all your ASIs into the same general area means you’ll be weaker than the rest of the party in the levels immediately before them. Also, you’re waiting until level 5 just to get your subclass features.

Your Low Wisdom means you’re very easy to charm and fool. Your rages can keep you from fighting the rest of the party (more than usual), but they can’t help against illusions.

Your main source of damage is still a regular Dagger, so flying enemies or ones that resist nonmagical damage can be a pain. But you’re just as much of a pain to kill, so it’s only fair.

#D&D 5e #Fate Grand Order #FGO #Jekyll and Hyde #Fate and Phantasms

28 notes · View notes

thezodiaczone · 4 years ago

Text

Aquarius Compatibility

AQUARIUS + ARIES (MARCH 21 - APRIL 19) ♥♥♥♥ You're laugh-a-minute friends who make a fine comedic duo, but the romance isn't as hearty as your side-splitting guffaws. You're amazed by how quickly the other delivers a hilarious comeback or a clever opinion, and it turns you on. Banter leads you to the bedroom fast, where the sex is playful and experimental (though not heavy on the emotional connection). It's as though you've met your twin; and alas, you may soon feel more like siblings than lovers. After a couple weeks, the Bickersons sideshow routine gets old, especially for Aries, and you run out of things to talk about. While casual Aquarius likes to keep the conversation light, Aries has intense, brooding spells that demand way too much emotional attention. For Aquarius, problems are solved with steely logic or left alone, but Aries is unable to curb obsessive thinking, which drives Aquarius mad. Your styles of affection are different, too. Cool Aquarius gets overwhelmed by the Ram's passion and physicality—there's way too much touching, grabbing and kissing for the airy Aquarian temperament. If you're determined to be together, push yourselves to go beyond platonic borders by traveling, taking classes, even performing on stage together. Closeness breeds more ennui than affection. Cultivate mystery through time apart. Your independent signs need to develop your own lives, then reunite with thrilling tales from the road.

AQUARIUS + TAURUS (APRIL 20 - MAY 20) Your signs have so little in common, it's hard to make a go of this. Old-fashioned Taurus craves tradition, order and security. Rebel Aquarius is an oddball who lives to defy rules and convention. Taurus is an Earth sign who plants deep roots; Air sign Aquarius is an adventurous nomad who goes wherever the wind blows. While you may start out fascinated by each other, the magic ends faster than you can say "pixie dust." Taurus will quickly offend Aquarius with his heavy-handed opinions and staunch political views. Free-spirited Aquarius will flee from the Bull's possessive grip, which only clenches tighter the more Aquarius flits about. Then there's the matter of your social circles, which rarely overlap. Aquarius habitually befriends the most eccentric people—the corner wino who's solved the string theory, the local fortune teller, his bus driver. While Taurus may humor these characters in passing, all hell breaks loose when Aquarius invites his tribe of wayward souls to spend the weekend, or to sleep on the couch "until they get their act together." Not on Taurus' leather club chair and alpaca throw pillows! You can try to compromise, but you'll only end up short-changing your natural gifts. Aquarius rules the zodiac's eleventh house of friends and society; he's the unofficial mayor wherever he goes, and is meant to spread himself among the people. Homebody Taurus has much more earthbound goals. Neither of you will get the satisfaction you crave unless you work hard to compromise.

AQUARIUS + GEMINI (MAY 21 - JUNE 20) ♥♥♥♥ This match of compatible Air signs can feel a bit like high school romance—teasing, texting, movie dates with jumbo popcorn and licentious groping during the previews. You bring out each other's breezy, buoyant spirits, and that's a plus. You'll bond over TV shows, favorite sci-fi novels and superheroes, obscure philosophers, music. With your clever comebacks and verbal repartee, you could take a comedy act on the road. Although you can both be overly cerebral at times, you prefer laughter and light conversation to emotional melodrama. Eventually, though, you need to get out of the shallow end of the pool. Intimacy is a challenge for your signs. We're talking true intimacy—being caught with your pants down and no clue how to get them back up. Telling each other your entire life stories in monologue form (which could have happened on the first date) doesn't count. You must soldier through the post-infatuation "awkward phase," or you'll end up feeling like buddies. That would be a shame, as you can make excellent life partners and playmates. The biggie: you'll both need to give up fibs and lies—particularly lies of omission. You're excellent storytellers and politicos, gifted at crafting a spin to fit your agenda. However, the naked truth is the only way out of the Matrix. Though it may topple your PR-friendly public image, it's a necessary risk you must take to build the character and depth of a lasting commitment.

AQUARIUS + CANCER (JUNE 21 - JULY 22) This oddball match is as fascinating and perplexing as a Proenza Schouler pump—and like the highbrow fashion house, few understand its power. Here we have Cancer, sentimental and family-oriented, possessive, anchored by deep roots and tradition. Mix in Aquarius, the sci-fi nomad, a butterfly escaping the net of convention, laughing with you and at you all at once. How on earth…? This is a coupling that doesn't happen often, and for good reason. Cool Aquarius doesn't need much affection, and Cancer withers without physical touch. The Crab clutches his loved ones in powerful pincers, and scuttles after Aquarius, practically begging for love. Naturally, free-spirited Aquarius feels smothered and trapped by these demands for intimacy, and constructs little trap doors everywhere—a basketball team, a drama class, a post on city council. Yet, when wounded Cancer withdraws into his shell, Aquarius is suddenly intrigued. Where did my lifeline go? What Aquarius takes for granted is Cancer's loyalty, which can resemble a mother's love for her troubled teen. The Crab can see the vulnerable child underneath the surly bravado. Beyond that, you owe each other a karmic debt so profound, you can't even articulate it. Explains one Aquarius, who's been with her Cancer mate for 35 years: "I've learned that sometimes you have to do what the other person likes, even if you don't like it." In other words, if you want to stay together, eat your broccoli. You'll certainly grow in spirit and character. Sometimes, your soul needs a challenge more than a smoothly-paved road.

AQUARIUS + LEO (JULY 23 - AUGUST 22) These opposite signs can be volatile match. Leo is the sign of the self, a born star and showstopper who commands attention wherever he goes. Aquarius rules the zodiac's eleventh house of groups and society—he's both the class president and its rabble-rousing radical. You're competitive spotlight-grabbers who can fight dirty, especially as you jostle to outdo each other. Case in point: Leo Whitney Houston and Aquarius Bobby Brown. Their destructive, drug-addled marriage brought Whitney's singing career to its knees. Yet, Leo is a hopeless romantic filled with haughty pride, standing loyally by a mate, fiddling while Rome burns. You both spark each other's jealousy, Leo by flirting with everyone in sight, Aquarius by treating his bazillion friends as though they're on equal par with Leo (they are). Leo is needy, demanding constant attention, but cool-headed Aquarius feels smothered by too much affection and togetherness. Aquarius will listen patiently to Leo's dramas, but only to a point. Leo must keep a stable of supportive friends on hand, and not turn the relationship into an exhausting soap opera script. Aquarius will need to show a little more emotion (besides anger) and tenderness, stepping aside to allow Leo's star to shine.

AQUARIUS + VIRGO (AUGUST 23 - SEPTEMBER 22) To say you're an odd couple is an understatement—and there certainly will be odds to beat. Just figuring each other out could take years, and it might not end well. (Remember tabloid train-wrecks Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards, or Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley?) Judgmental Virgo is an introverted Earth sign with a habit of thinking too much. Breezy Aquarius, a carefree Air sign, is the unofficial town mayor, best friend to everyone from the street sweeper to the CEO. While you complement each other in some ways, your lifestyles are very different. Virgo likes time alone with his books and thoughts, while social Aquarius rarely misses a party and can't be bothered to take life as seriously as Virgo does. Where can you come together? You both like to help people in need, and you're passionate about social change, especially through responsible business practices. Saving the planet is a particular passion for your environmentalist signs. You're as likely to meet at a drum circle as you are at a conference on climate control, or volunteering in the Peace Corps. In fact, this relationship is most likely to succeed if you have a larger common vision. Why not funnel your ideals into a successful enterprise? Go start an eco-village, or open a raw juice bar in an up-and-coming neighborhood—Virgo can grow organic produce in a backyard plot. It will stop Virgo from nagging and nosing into Aquarius's affairs, and will keep restless Aquarius from feeling smothered.

AQUARIUS + LIBRA (SEPTEMBER 23 - OCTOBER 22) ♥♥♥♥ You're one of the zodiac's easiest matches: just two carefree Air signs breezing through life with a full roster of friends, travels and adventures. Together, it's twice the fun. Although Libra is more the dashing diva/dandy and Aquarius the quirky Bohemian, your sunny social dispositions pair well. Every stranger is greeted by your hail-fellow-well-met embrace, and you collect friends wherever you go. Indeed, you may meet while chatting at the cheese counter, lounging poolside on the Riviera, or in a dog park scene reminiscent of an Ephron rom-com (picture Aquarius' retriever pouncing on Libra's dainty teacup terrier—what a metaphor). Your conversational chemistry guarantees a great first date, even if the prevailing vibe is platonic. If you hit it off, you'll host lavish parties with an eclectic mix of Aquarius' artsy, leftist comrades and Libra's highbrow circle, bringing them all together with panache. Caution: your casual natures can impede intimacy. In private, you can both be moody, making pouty, indirect plays for affection and sex. Aquarius is also far less romantic than Libra, at least in the traditional sense. That humanitarian bent will clash with Libra's caviar wishes (animal cruelty!) and fondness of bling (blood diamonds!). Most days, you take those differences in stride. Having a lifelong playmate is worth it.

AQUARIUS + SCORPIO (OCTOBER 23 - NOVEMBER 21) Years after their modern-day Mrs. Robinson relationship ricocheted the term "cougar" into cliché-dom, the Scorpio-Aquarius pairing of Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher can still baffle the naked eye. Scorpio is an intense, seductive creature with ruthless ambition, eagle instincts and a complicated psyche. Aquarius is a silly prankster and a cold-souled nomad who avoids emotion, then releases it in embarrassing blurts of sloppy sentiment. You're certainly an odd couple, down to your values, style and interests. Then there's the power issue to settle. Scorpio wants ultimate control over everything, while rebel Aquarius chafes at any restraint. While Aquarius is happy to hand rulership of the household to Scorpio, any breach of personal freedom will be an instant deal-breaker. Possessive Scorpio must accept that Aquarius is a social creature with friends from all walks of life, and curb the jealousy. Aquarius will need to cut off a few friends (the ex you met at a strip club, the swingers "who are actually really cool") and adopt a few of Scorpio's interests, like Kaballah for Ashton. So where's the click? Different as you are, you both prefer a mate who's hard to figure out: it staves off boredom. To keep this strong, borrow each other's strengths. Aquarius needs Scorpio's depth, and Scorpio lightens up from Aquarius' outrageous jokes and impersonations.

AQUARIUS + SAGITTARIUS (NOVEMBER 22 - DECEMBER 21) ♥♥♥♥ Sagittarius and Aquarius are two of the most free-spirited signs, whose joie de vivre and starry-eyed idealism make you perfect playmates. The "best friends with benefits" label was practically invented for you. Finally, someone who cherishes independence as much as you do! Like Sagittarius Brad Pitt and Aquarius Jennifer Aniston (who shared a hair colorist), you may even look like siblings. It's all so beautiful—until one of you messes up the party by demanding a commitment. Strangely enough, you remain loyal while the terms of the relationship are vague, sneaking out of work for mid-afternoon trysts and leaving with carpet burn. You both love the feeling of "getting away with something," the adventure of the unexpected. Yet, once it becomes an obligation rather than a choice, your libido nosedives. You've now killed off the very thing that attracted you to each other: no-strings attached excitement. Instead of trysting the night away, you're hosting Scrabble tournaments and turning in early. Boring. Because you're so alike, you'll need to work hard to keep each other interested for the long haul. Mix it up by developing separate friends, hobbies and interests—then come back and share your adventurous tales with each other.

AQUARIUS + CAPRICORN (DECEMBER 22 - JANUARY 19) This is the match of the traditionalist and the rebel, the rule-maker and the rule-breaker. Capricorn is the guardian of history, and Aquarius is an innovator who has little regard for the past. If you can meet somewhere in the present, it's sure to be interesting. Disciplined Capricorn can teach Aquarius the value of structure, and Aquarius can help Cap think outside the box. You're both competitive and controlling in your own ways, and few signs can rival your work shared work ethic. The wheeler-dealer light never switches off in either of you—you'll hand out business cards at a funeral. Still, you might be better off as professional partners, since your bedside manner is so different. Lusty Capricorn may be aloof in public, but this sensual Earth sign is a bona fide freak in the sheets. Although Aquarius may love to shock people in public, behind closed doors your interest in sex can be tepid at best. (As the ruler of electricity, gadgets may be preferable.) Socially, Capricorn can be cold or snobbish, choosing friends based on status. Popular Aquarius befriends everyone—don't be surprised if the Chinese food delivery guy ends up at the dinner table sharing your Hunan chicken. Still, Capricorn can be an important grounding force for Air-sign Aquarius, preventing you from floating off into the ether. Life is never dull with an unpredictable Aquarian.

AQUARIUS + AQUARIUS (JANUARY 20 - FEBRUARY 18) Aquarius is the sign of friendship, which would be perfect if you were looking for a platonic pal. But…you're not. Which means you're both going to have to get pretty damn uncomfortable to pass Go and enter the spine-chilling waters of commitment. Intimacy is not your strong suit, and heavy emotions make you break out in hives. Although you may have your own personal guru and swami, spirituality is just an escape hatch—a way of convincing yourself that you're "above" all those petty feelings that mere mortals have. Rather than connect deeply, you compensate with charm, impish pranks or your Obama-watt smile (he's got an Aquarius rising). Trouble is, the funny-guy shtick doesn't work with each other. There are better matches, to be sure—at least ten or eleven of them. Your only hope is working together on a shared humanitarian vision. Love could bloom as you defend labor union picket lines, toss paint on fur-wearing fashionistas, or grow your own medicinal marijuana. At least you'll have something to talk about instead of your feelings. Then…only then…you might just give this piece a chance.

AQUARIUS + PISCES (FEBRUARY 19 - MARCH 20) Old and new come together in an interesting combination. Pisces is an ancient velvet boudoir with dripping candles and fainting couches; Aquarius is a modern, steel-and-glass construction heated by solar panel. Yet, this strange match can work if it's built around a shared cause or passion. You're both die-hard humanitarians, and if you share a common vision, you'll stay together for life. Pisces is a Water sign, more emotional and complex in nature than Aquarius. Contrary to myth, Aquarius is an Air sign (not Water), though it's symbolized by the water-bearer holding an urn. The lighter Aquarian touch lifts Pisces out of the murky, depressive swamp, while enchanting Pisces adds tassels and trim to Aquarius' cold, clinical reality. You both morbidly fear being trapped in a boring, conventional commitment. Since you can never really figure each other out, the attraction stays strong. A little mystery will keep you fascinated, though too much (ahem, Pisces) will make the relationship way too much work for Aquarius.

#aquarius #compatibility #astrology #zodiac #love #relationships #aquarius compatibility

26 notes · View notes

cautelous · 4 years ago

Text

There’s a clean sort of symmetry to it. The game started, truly started, in Demacia. Now, with this, the game will start anew - so what better place than here?

The Sheriff isn’t in town, yet. He’s quite sure that he’d feel it if she were, feel her eyes on his back. But everything’s changed so much in a half-decade. Perhaps she is here, has been here - ahead of schedule - and he’s simply unawares of her laying low. Yes, that must be it… She’s always punctual, after all, and so the idea of her being late is unconscionable. She appreciates a good routine, and his cards provide them to an observant eye.

He’d felt so much pride when she’d cracked his code entirely, years ago, even though it made his job harder. But the challenge is the point. He walks down the wide boulevards of the city dressed as any other Demacian would be, a smile playing across his lips. It’s a beautiful city, even though its people are tightly wound to say the least, and he lets the rhythm of footsteps and carriage-wheels on cobblestones wash over him. (He’s been here for a few days, playing local and sightseer and everything in-between.) It’s a beautiful city, and he has such big plans for it.

He has to wonder what she’s doing at this moment, hidden so far out of sight that he can’t even feel her presence. Trying to divine where he’ll strike, he imagines. She’s always been sharp when it comes to that. But he’s always been a few steps ahead, and always will be… until the day he isn’t, he supposes. That day won’t be today, though. Ideally, it never comes.

The sun will be setting soon. The show’s about to start.

—

One of the first things that someone learns about thieving is this: people are not very observant. Even when they’re supposed to be on high alert, people miss things. For example, they miss that the night shift for security at the Royal Library has one additional member. (Even if they hadn’t missed that fact, he has all the right documentation tucked away. In another life, he’d have made an excellent forger-for-hire.) People under stress are suspicious, yes, but they’re also worried about themselves - what if we don’t catch him? - and that leaves them blind. They’re looking for style, for panache, for a catburglar to cut through one of the stained-glass windows. (As if he would ever destroy something so beautiful!) They aren’t looking amongst their own ranks, they aren’t looking for the guard who’s watching how his compatriots move and memorizing their paths.

Oh, if the Sheriff were here… she’d see through his disguise in an instant, he’s certain. He’s reusing an old method that she’s quite familiar with. But she isn’t just yet, for whatever reason, and so he breaks from his patrol and ducks into the back rooms. Everyone else is keeping to their schedules, and so he keeps to his. No one should see him, unless they break from routine or he’s slow. (Neither seems particularly likely. They’re Demacian, after all, and he’s not completely out-of-practice.)

What he’s looking for is here, taken off display to be restored. He’s still rather surprised that the place has no alarms, but that’s Demacia for you. Confident in their people and moral righteousness. (And, oh, what they do to thieves! He wouldn’t want to get caught here. He wouldn’t want to get caught anywhere, if it isn’t by her.) He sweeps the beam of his handheld light across table after table as he walks through the darkened preservation rooms, looking for…

There it is. The manuscript is loosely bound in dyed leather, the pages made of vellum. He pulls his gloves on and picks it up with reverence. The founding text of a nation. The cornerstone of Demacia’s devotion to duty.

The Measured Tread.

He has no bag to slip it into, which pains him so. But he leaves a card in its place, as is his custom, and grins. Now comes the hard part. There’s a plethora of guards stationed outside. There will be some on the roof - the Sheriff knows his tricks. He shrugs off his jacket - it’s the genuine article, filched from a particularly careless security guard earlier in the day - and tucks the manuscript into the pocket he’s sewn into the inside lining. It’ll hang oddly off his shoulders, if anyone is observant enough to notice, but that hardly matters. He doesn’t expect to be making conversation.

—

It’d taken slightly longer than he expected to locate his prize, but he walks back to his patrol casually. There’s a slight dejection to his posture, just in case…

A beam of light shines directly onto his chest, and then his face. He squints into it, lips peeling back into a mild scowl - a genuine reflex. It’s bright, after all, and would annoy even the most honest guard. It certainly annoys him. Broken routine and slow. No matter, he can play it off.

“What were you doing back there?” Demacian accents are always so… blunt. Blunter still when the question is asked with suspicion.

He looks up at the other guard and blinks a few times, shielding his eyes against the light. There’s a difference in the man’s uniform. Demacians love their hierarchies. He doesn’t love his luck at the moment.

“I thought I heard something, sir,” it’s all a matter of his own voice, accent sanded away to something duller. He casts his gaze downwards, thoroughly chastised. “But no one was there. I’m sorry, sir, for having gone off my route.”

“Look at me when I’m speaking to you,” ah, and there’s that military rigor - he lifts his head up, expression worried, “...You’re not one of my men.”

“No, sir. I’m one of the supplemental guards. I have my written orders, if you’d permit me to get them.”

The man’s face relaxes, just a hair. “Permission granted.”

He takes the papers from his jacket’s pocket, making sure to keep his back angled away, and hands them over. There’s no fear on his face. Perhaps a little unrest - being dressed down by a superior is never pleasant, after all, and one doesn’t get used to it even after their years of conscription are over - but nothing more. He waits as the other man looks over the letter, with its official seals and signatures. (He’s quite proud of that. It’s excellent work.)

The other guard sighs and hands back the letter. “You can never be too careful. Especially in these times.”

“Indeed, sir,” he nods solemnly, waiting to be dismissed.

“Now: get back to your patrol. We’ve got a thief to catch.”

He gives one final “yes, sir” and turns his back on the guard in order to leave. His heart pounds in his chest. But there’s no shout of alarm, or even a noise of confusion. So he returns to his patrol, walking the beat for a half-hour longer, and eventually ducks out of the main entrance when its guards peel away to investigate a noise. (He’d have waited until shift change, if necessary. This is just convenient - and who expects a thief to use the front door?)

The manuscript feels like a caress against him.

—

He leaves the city via carriage. The theft hasn’t been publicized yet. (He hasn’t seen hide nor hair of the Sheriff, which is unlike her… but this is a return to form after years of silence. It’s reasonable for her to lag a step or two further behind than usual. Isn’t it?) His luggage is searched, but not well enough, and his person is left mercifully alone. There’s a few others, of course, even at this early hour, and he spends some time guessing at their pasts and presents. But his thoughts turn to The Measured Tread eventually, and he pulls it from his bag.

Oh, not the original! Gods no, does he look like an idiot? But every good Demacian (and they are all good Demacians, paragons of moral virtue, et cetera) has their own copy. Half of them have vast swathes of it memorized. He supposes that his current persona is in the other half. He flips to one of the dog-eared pages.

“A true Demacian’s heart is with his or her country. This land has birthed us. Our fields sustain our bodies and our wilderness sustains our minds. Our nation is sustained by the unbreakable bonds of brother- and sisterhood and by the fearlessness and wisdom of our rulers. To die for our cause, our nation is a high honor; to live for it is higher still.

Your countrymen are an honest lot, just as you are. They have spent their days under the same bright sun as you, their nights at the same hearths. To show devotion and love to them is to show your fealty to Demacia.”

They’re nearly at fifteen years. Five of them had been spent, regrettably, on hiatus - for her sake, for the city’s sake - but he is back now. It had been his mistake to ever leave. He’d nearly forgotten how high his heart can soar. He’d nearly forgotten how electric it feels in his mind as a plan unfolds and completes. Gods, he’d been contenting himself with nothing. (All for her, of course, all for her.)

The Sheriff’s accepted his invitation - or should he call it a proposal? - he knows she has, regardless of whether or not he’s seen her.

He wants to see her, again, once more, a thousand times more. He wants to meet her. He can hardly remember a time where he didn’t want those things. (It’s been over a third of his life, and they can both appreciate threes - all good things come in them. Lenses and letters of the alphabet and the rule of thirds and everything, everything, everything.) He has, already, many times - seeing, at the least, not meeting. Always in the guise of others.

They hadn’t spoken until he’d worn one of his oldest masks. (He’d picked his last name from a theatre marquee, back when he’d first needed one.) He, for once, wasn’t the instigator. It was by virtue of his very first name, best-forgotten thing that it was, that she’d found him. Closing old missing persons cases, she’d told him, and she’d promised to mark his as resolved.

I don’t intend to leave too much undone.

Why admit that to a stranger? (He wonders if something compelled her, just as he has been for all these years.) She doesn’t know who he is. They went out dancing on the weekends, once, twice, thrice, a few more times. He held her hands in his. He led, she followed. He’d kept his expression as that of a lovesick-lonely man (the best performances…!) and never overstepped. He’d been a fool to think it’d be enough. To think that she’d settle for a normal man, after another had stolen her heart. She needs him, all of him. Look at where she’s ended up without him.

He can’t meet her as himself, though. Perhaps once, if she’d never tracked down the unchosen name of an unwanted man, they could have truly met. But she knows his face now, and… Well. He knows how it would end. He’d gotten too close for their rules. (He supposes he has to add ‘rulebreaker’ to his list of epithets.)

The carriage hits a rough patch in the dirt road and he’s jolted out of his thoughts. There’s really no point in speculating on what could have been. It’s his fault, after all, for assuming he knew best and leaving her. He looks to The Measured Tread, rereads the line that means the most, and shuts the book.

He considers his plans. Mountaineering season starts in a month or two. He’s been preparing.

He considers his future. Their future.

He thinks he’ll buy himself a ring.

#Writing ∵ ( woven with words. )#Event ∵ ( return to form. )#Caitlyn ∵ ( see me. )

2 notes · View notes

annecoulmanross · 6 years ago

Photo

~Personal Moodboard Tag~

Tagged by my darling @princess-of-france!

Rules: Post a moodboard with 9-12 images that reflect your personal aesthetic, then share 3 details about your choices.

I’ll explain the images that require sourcing because they’re paintings or text:

1. Top left = crop from Paolo Barbotti’s painting “Cicero discovering the tomb of Archimedes” (1853)

Buckle up, there’s a fair bit of Cicero in this aesthetic board (surprising no one). This particular painting shows a young Marcus Tullius Cicero as a Roman provincial administrator in Sicily in the year 75 BCE (making him 31 years old). Apparently, during a visit to the city of Syracuse on the eastern coast of Sicily, Cicero rediscovered the lost tomb of the mathematician Archimedes (Tusculan Disputations 5.64-66). Though you have to take this self-reported story with several grains of salt, I’ve always liked how proud Cicero sounds of his youthful detective abilities, finding the tomb amongst over-grown brambles in the ancient city cemetery.

Syracuse was also one of my favorite places I visited when I was last in Italy, three years ago, and I gave a lecture standing on the cliffside above where Cicero apparently located this tomb. I can’t help but see some connection there, thinking of the a-little-bit-overbearing young Cicero eagerly explaining this archaeological discovery (perhaps to some wise, old citizens of Syracuse who know exactly whose tomb they’ve found, but are willing to humor this enthusiastic foreigner).

2. Middle = quote from De contemptu mundi by Bernard of Cluny

A short break from Cicero – this is my favorite medieval Latin quote, and one of the earliest Latin quotes that I figured out how to read, before I formally learned the language. The text reads “stat rosa pristina nomine; nomina nuda tenemus,” which translates to something like “yesterday's rose stands only in name, we hold only empty names,” and it refers to the idea that, by giving an object multiple symbolic meanings, we are eventually left with only the altered memory of that object, and that the name given to an object is not inherent to that object. This is part of the same semiotic thought process – and rose meta-symbolism – behind the line “What's in a name? That which we call a rose / By any other word would smell as sweet” which Shakespeare gives to Juliet Capulet in Romeo & Juliet (act II, scene ii).

I first encountered this quote as the source for the title of the medieval monk murder mystery novel The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco. However, after Eco had named his book, a different manuscript tradition for the text of De contemptu mundi revealed that the original writing would have read: “stat Roma pristina nomine; nomina nuda tenemus,” or “the original Rome stands only in name, we hold only empty names.” So this quote always reminds me of the meanings that we lose to history, and the stories that we may eventually gain back from times past.

3. Bottom right = crop from Cesare Maccari’s painting “Cicero denouncing Catiline” (1888)

This painting is one of the best-known images of Cicero, and I love it despite its inaccuracies. Cicero, standing to the far left of the frame, with his arms up in an emphatic gesture, looks far too old – the scene takes place during Cicero’s time as consul (read: president) of Rome in 63 BCE, when Cicero was only 43 years old, and the curved seating of this supposed ‘senate hall’ doesn’t look anything like the rectangular temple of Jupiter where this speech was actually delivered.

That being said, Cicero’s sense of drama and panache here is exactly right, and I love the balance of colors and light framing the speaker. This is Cicero the mature orator, who knows exactly how to draw in an audience with his words, his hands, his face. And moreover, this is the colorful, antagonistic grandeur of republican Rome, the world I’ve chosen to study: as of this Friday, I’m officially going to grad school for classics (and to study this man and his beautiful performative eloquence).

Thank you, dear Hal – this was so fun and very reflective/nostalgic! To anyone who would like to make one of these: I tag you, and tag me back so I can see yours!

#about me #stat roma pristina nomine #cicero #marcus tullius cicero #classics #lingua latina

3 notes · View notes

missanthropicprinciple · 3 years ago

Text

Old review of The Mrs. Bradley Mysteries from the late epinions site: “Thoroughly Modern Millie meets Miss Marple!” Aug 04 '03

SPOILER ALERT:

“Author's Product Rating

Product Rating: 5.0

Pros Diana Rigg. Great sets & costumes. Enormous fun!

Cons Is this a trick question?

The Bottom Line: Diana Rigg scores another triumph in a set of elegant, swellegant mysteries. She plays the wry, sophisticated Mrs. Bradley to perfection in 4 wonderful cases. Great entertainment!

Full Review: Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot. The bad news is that the notation of "Set 1" here is apparently a misnomer. There will likely not be a "Set 2". These 4 episodes were filmed in 1999, and I can find no indication that any more were ever made.

The good news is everything else. Rigg introduces each episode, Rigg stars in each episode -- the whole thing is Rigged! There is also a pilot episode from 1998, "Speedy Death", that is not included in this set but was issued separately at the usual excessive price. Based on the ad that aired with the series, this set should have all 4 episodes -- the listing doesn't yet provide any details about exactly what "set 1" contains. Check before buying!

Diana Rigg is superb (like we're surprised?) as Adela Bradley, an educated, liberated, and enlightened (and very wealthy) widow who has great success as an amateur detective in the 1920s. This was a time when most women were still house slaves. It's interesting that the series doesn't show men being particular upset by her successful flaunting of convention (when told, "This is a respectable hotel", she retorts, "Is it? Too bad."). In any event Rigg plays the role with great panache, wittily engaging the camera in brief monologues from time to time (cf. Ian Richardson in "House of Cards" and its sequels). It should be observed that Rigg isn't really the right physical type for this role (Mrs. B. is described as "birdlike" and "frail"); but she makes the role utterly her own, so who cares?

Seconding Mrs. Bradley, Watson to her Holmes, is her chauffeur and probable lover, George Moody, played with solid reliability by Neil Dudgeon. Her is her seriously dedicated, almost dour, very observant, and extremely handy man. Dudgeon is simply marvelous in the role, with a subtly controlled (almost disguised) sense of humor. He's a splendid foil for Rigg's la-de-da approach.

Seen on some episodes is Inspector Christmas, played by Peter Davison. Christmas is a businesslike cop who seems to relish Mrs. Bradley's assistance. Davison plays him in an almost curiously deferential manner ... until the 4th episode, when he's nice enough but seems less than pleased to see Mrs. Bradley when she first shows up.

There are a variety of other actors, varying from episode to episode. They are all solid and convincing in their roles. Every production is elegantly presented with a literate script, attractive and interesting settings, and dedicated performances. Rigg's outfits are stunning. The realization is widescreen...very nice.

In the 1999 season the episodes are:

1. Death at the Opera. Mrs. is invited to speak to the girls at a finishing school ("where girls go to be finished, which they will be if they believe all the twaddle...") that she attended long before. Before her speech, a murder occurs during a (hilariously inept) performance of The Mikado. One of the great charms of this series is its use of period jazz ... as in this case, when the opening music is "Just a Japanese Sandman". The investigation of the crime is typically labyrinthine ... at one point Mrs. B. volunteers Moody to model for a life class ... she's always volunteering him to do degrading little chores ... but by the same token he's nicely nosey and always finds valuable clues. For the first time Mrs. B. meets Inspector Christmas, who is very charming and Moody goes all ... well, moody. There is a delightfully kinky array of red herrings, and a second murder, as we find is usual in these affairs. The final break in the case comes through hypnosis.

2. The Rising of the Moon. Inspector Christmas, all bustle and enthusiasm, calls Mrs. B. in on a perplexing case of a fatal stabbing at a mostly Romany circus ... the partner of the knife-thrower, who of course quickly comes under suspicion. It's a clear case of cherchez l'homme, since la femme is the victim and gypsies don't have butlers. In this episode, Mrs.B. volunteers Moody to have knives thrown at him. "Scratches on the back indicate a passionate relationship, which is why my late husband remained totally unscathed." You gotta love this lady. The actor to watch here is Kenneth Colley as the red-headed Mr. Burlington. He's got a well-known face on British telly, and he uses it most wonderfully expressively here. Also Janine Duvitski, ditzily hilarious as Jane in "Waiting for God", and equally expressive, as one of the townspeople who don't cotton much to ousiders -- unless, in her case, they wear pants. In the music there's even a bit of Gershwin..."Walking the Dog" when Mrs. B. is striding along, and Richard Rodgers' "Slaughter on 10th Avenue" as the murderer is confessing.. Then we have the usual 2nd murder, and numerous cases of local people making pratts of themselves. And then Burlington tells Moody ... ah, well, you'll need to watch it then, won't you? Watch the pot on the stove. We get "Blue Moon" and "You're the Cream in My Coffee" at the end. Very nice.

3. Laurels Are Poison. Mrs. B. visits a haunted house in the country (always best for murders), to visit a friend. We get a bit of what must be her theme song, "Anything Goes". What fun ... you get to learn what a ha-ha is. "Anything Goes" includes a gift of Lady Chatterley's Lover, then banned in Britain, to her friend -- who is alas, rather elderly and up-tight. The place is crawling with secrets and subjects not to be discussed right from the beginning, especially regarding events of World War I. Shades of "Gosford Park", says I. However, since the old master of the house is already dead, the cook buys it instead. The gardener, otherwise gorgeous, is a nasty bit of work. Red herrings abound. Moody is also experiencing a bit of tension because the new master of the house, the old master's son-in-law, was his commanding officer in the War and they have unfinished business. The second death is a little late, and (alas) only a suicide. And then the guilty little secrets multiply like rabbits, but the ending is mostly happier than one might have expected.

4. The Worsted Viper. Mrs. B. pops off to a seashore town to present an award to local resident Inspector Christmas, whose welcoming smile is something of a grimace. Moody's daughter also lives there and is getting married. Her intended, Ronald Quincy (Eddie Marsan), who looks a bit of twit, is with her when she greets her father and they break the news to him. He's the son of the local hotel owner, a lady of delightful uptightness. A familiar face in the production is John Bowe, who portrays Reverend Baines ... who also writes a local newspaper column secretly under the name of "Miss Behavior". It's a name Mrs. B. can't help but love. The first murder victim shows up almost immediately, the Reverend's elder daughter Chastity, strangled with a worsted viper ("some sort of woolen snake" Moody calls it) and her hair cut off. Mrs. B. immediately suspects a connection with a case of multiple ritual murders she had solved years ago. Again, there's a whole school of red herrings. "My belief in god is roughly on a par with my belief in the tooth fairy," Mrs. B. observes at one point, apropos of the prevalent churchy atmosphere. Moody this time is volunteered to wait tables at the hotel. He looks vaguely as if he'd rather be back with the nude modeling. Mrs. B. contemplates children and observes: "There are 3 golden rules for bringing up children. Alas, nobody knows what they are." It helps the case a whole lot that Temperence, the Reverend's other (very young) daughter, has remarkably beautiful penmanship. Really. The second murder doesn't come off, despite a game attempt. There's a whirlwind ending that hinges on whether a third murder attempt will succeed. The solution of the case hinges on a big surprise and you won't hear it from me. Mrs. B. gives her advise on marriage whilst walking under a ladder ... "I'd advise patience, tolerance, -- and above all, separate bathrooms." ((Young love will overcome a deficiency in the last department for a time, as I can attest ... but within 8 months we got a place with 2 facilities. We live there still -- and now it has 3. Old love demands convenience.))

As you can imagine, I recommend these mysteries very highly. If you were unable to record them when broadcast, and assuming your local PBS station is like mine, not very forthcoming with repeats, you can always buy the commercially recorded version. The only problem is that the people who sell these seem always to want 2-3 times what they should. Alas, it's precisely this sort of thing that hardly ever shows up used.

I have said these are suitable for children from age 13 ... not that they are sophisticated enough to be interested. Few indeed are the teenagers who would be attracted to a quality British mystery with quality American (and British) period music.

Recommended Yes

Viewing Format: VHS Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older” [x]

#review #archive #opinion #Diana Rigg #Neil Dudgeon #Mrs. Bradley Mysteries #mrs bradey mysteries #the mrs. bradley mysteries #the mrs bradley mysteries

1 note · View note

aresmarked · 7 years ago

Note

what are some tips you have for slay the spire? i've been playing it and i've found that i'm... bad at it. i enjoy it!! but i'm awful at that game

okay, first of all, a disclaimer and assurance:

(that’s 13 victories and 193 deaths btw, if you have difficulty with images. in about 85 hours of gameplay.)it’s a hard game! there’s a bunch of rng to work around and with! so don’t feel bad about having difficulties ascending the spire. it took me a while to actually win as ironclad--i beat the spire as the silent first. so let’s talk about some key points... which really all amounts to planning, and minimising/acting around the randomness. So discussions under the read more

Planning the Path: The game lets you see the floors. Use this accordingly. Try to hit up shops if you’ve got at least 50 gold (I’d double mark this one, since it’ll give you, essentially, a floor you won’t lose any health on--and there’s always a chance for that sweet sweet Apotheosis, which is usually around 200 gold), elites, question marks (depending on you, but I love seeing if I can get some helpful event), avoid ‘basic’ fights when you can. Consider carefully what health you have before the potential choice of a boss fight. and if youre around 50-75% health at campfires (lean to more if it’s the section’s boss) consider smithing a key card, or whatever activities your relics offer you that run.

Know Your Enemy: This is one, really, that can only come with fighting and maybe (often) dying. The enemies have patterns to attacking. sometimes it’s increasing their strength and blocking, before a bigger hit. other times it’s smacking you with a debuff that’ll add dazed cards to your drawpile if you use skills. still other times is forcing you to not attack a turn-unless you kill them first. as you grow more familiar with the enemies, you’ll be able to weigh the risks and rewards of particular actions better. especially important if you’ve got cards that set up the next turn. Keeping in mind the final boss of each section when deciding may also save your ass.

Pick a Card (��nd a Relic too): there’s only so much you can plan for your deck and what relics you’ll be able to pick up, but again as you get more cards and learn their effects, you’ll learn which cards synergise well with each other, and with which relics. You might have mixed decks which use bits and pieces of different categories. A few general ‘rules’: smaller decks increase the stability of each turn’s hand, larger decks run greater risk of not pulling a card you’ll need right then. Even if a card greatly benefits you, if your deck’s ‘shape’ is already set and it doesn’t fit well, consider just bypassing that choice of cards.

Consider carefully the order which you play cards, and which ones. It’s easy to get pulled along in the ‘flow’ only to realise you could have amplified your damage or your block if you’d done x first. Speeding through fights can come with time. And try to remove the basic defends and strikes. They’ll eventually be outstripped, so they’re best transformed or removed. Unless you’re aiming for the Bite event, or using Perfected Strike. But we’ll talk about exceptions after.

Some general deck types (which you’ve probably had in some shape or form, but it’s good to go over):

For the Ironclad:

Exhaust. Basically rewards you for burning those cards. Bit of a risk in longer fights, but works surprisingly well with the right cards and relics. Good cards include Corruption, Feel No Pain, Sever Soul, Second Wind, Dark Embrace, Fiend Fire, Immolate (with Evolve and Power Through especially, or an otherwise cursed deck). Getting exhaust-related relics will just increase stability.

Strength. Fairly straightforward, build up that extra attack power to deal massive damage. Demon Form is expensive but if you’re willing to burn a turn for it/got the extra energy for it, it really ramps over time. Flex gives a bit extra oomph in a turn, and more if you can get Limit Break (even more with upgraded, since it won’t exhaust). Heavy Blade becomes monstrous, especially when upgraded.

Block builds. I’d argue these are the most stable, barring being hit with the Frail debuff. Cards that will give this type of deck the most are Barricade (do upgrade it, it’s expensive), Entrench, and upgraded Body Slams to turn all that sweet, sweet defense into almighty offense. Of course you gotta build up that defense, so pick your blocks as you please. I like Flame Barrier myself, Power Through if also exhaust/Evolve is on.

There are also cards that reward burning HP to deal damage/give Strength, but you’d have to be very measured about it, to not accidentally kill yourself. Bringing in healing and block so enemies don’t hurt you too much is wise.

For the Silent:

Poison. Honestly one of my fave builds, meshes well with a Block-heavy deck. You sit happily behind your shields while their health gets eaten away. Noxious Fumes, Envenom, and Bouncing Flask are all big players, and if you can get Catalyst and upgrade it, it will triple any poison a enemy has.

Shiv: Getting in a handful of essentially free attacks every turn is delicious. Meets the poison build well with Envenom, but by itself: Accuracy, Blade Dance, Infinite Blades+ (to have it always at the start). A Thousand Cuts and Afterimage also work especially well with this build, since every card played will deal extra damage/get extra block, respectively. Panache too, though it’s not a Silent-specific card. Storm of Steel is wonderful if you’ve pulled a few extra cards first.

Draw and Discard: the Silent is a planner; there are several cards that encourage such, some giving you energy now or next turn, increasing draws... Secret Technique, Secret Weapon, and Thinking Ahead will further improve this. Special note goes to Masterful Stab and Grand Finale. It might be difficult to actually use those two, but they reward you for careful draws and discards.

Keep in mind! You don’t have to get all those cards to make the deck types work, they just benefit greatly. And of course there are the cards that are technically of a ‘family’ of cards, but benefit other deck types too. And cards that don’t really belong to any. And cards that benefit defying the usual (looking at you, Mind Blast).

Just keep in mind what you already have in terms of cards and relics. Someone on steam has a general guide to relics, and it’s worth looking at to get a general sense of relics do, even if you don’t necessarily agree with all the ratings (the Lizard Tail has saved my ass more than once, and allowed me to win).

But again: this is a roguelike! It’s hard! And sometimes things just aren’t in your favour. But it’s okay, just think about where things might’ve gone differently. and maybe where you need to defy the general rules. The most success I’ve personally had, is with relatively bulky decks. Which goes against the small deck logic. So experiment, try the challenges. Eventually, after a long time, you’ll get a win. And it will be oh so satisfying.

#i went on so long lol #i hope this helps anon #slay the spire #Anonymous

10 notes · View notes

natashasilvakoof-blog · 5 years ago

Text

Mastering Blue Suit Combinations

Discover best ways to mastering blue suit combinations to look sharp and stylish for every occasion with our ultimate guide to wear a Blue Suit.

Are you the one who bought a brand new blue suit for a family wedding, it fits you flawlessly, but you never got it into day’s light after that wedding occasion? Have you explored any other blue suit combinations that might work for your overall style statement? Let’s ask a more interesting question. Have you ever imagined of pulling off that seldom blue suit for more occasions than a formal one? If not, then probably your life has been missing the sartorial panache quotient lately. In the contemporary lifestyle, ‘Blue’ is the new black. It is synonymous to versatile.

A colour that can be dressed up or down, whether it is summer or winter, it impeccably covers you for every occasion. Since we aren’t talking solely about the blue suit and we are looking at suit combination ideas, your playground for exploring newer and better styles becomes way more creative and expansive! There are several shirts for blue suits that are available for the picking! Explore your options, right here!

The Timeless Appeal of a blue suit outfit-

A blue suit can’t easily be mistaken for a basic black number anymore. It stands out! Menswear apparel today, is obsessed with the contemporarily bold, a well-tailored suit - in Blue. We need not mention, the color conveniently goes with most of the pairs, plus it’s slimming. This season, a plethora of men are working around blue suit combinations - from the office, to weddings, to an important first date, blue certainly is worth a try when deciding to go for an elemental & sophisticated look. It becomes a surefire way to looking sophisticatedly chic. Especially, when paired with perfect elements. Thus, this suit combination becomes an impactful one. Dark blue suit combinations have been around for quite some time now!

Building a sharp wardrobe is one of the impactful investments that one makes. Like any other significant investment, your major wardrobe purchases involve good research & planning. So in this post, we have put together a game plan & pulled out a detailed guide of styling tips for blue suit combinations that will accentuate your overall look. So in this post, we have some ideas for you to style up blue suit combination for any occasion. There are stylish shirts for blue suits which you need to know about. To accessorize and pull off a dapper look, read up on our tie with blue suit ideas. What’s going to be your favorite combo, then?

Blue suit styling tips - Details that matter.

Yes, details matter for a lot! Learning about blue suit combinations entails catching up with styling elements that you can make your appearance stand out in the crowd. An outfit is incomplete without well selected components all along the board. There is a whole range to try out- accessories, shirts, colors, ties and anything that would give your blue suit the necessary fillip. We have pulled out a few simple rules of styling a blue suit. Here you go-

1. Trendy Shirts for Blue Suits You’ll Love- What’s your pick!

By now, you may have gathered that the blue suit acts as the perfect add-on. The larger issue that remains is what to wear underneath this powerful staple. The options are plenty actually! If you’re thinking of pairing a shirt with blue suit, you’re on the right track. Every shirt has distinctive features- colors, style elements and silhouettes will always differ. What we mean is that when you’re browsing through shirts for blue suits, look at various aspects of the shirt apart from color. Here are some shirts you could definitely try out, and we’re sure these will embolden your blue suit.

When in doubt, stick to a crisp white shirt, or to the lighter shades of pinks and blues. These colors serve as a great contrast and let your blue suit pop!

(A) Blue Suit With White Shirt

For dark blue suit combinations, a white shirt would be a great accompaniment. The blue suit with white shirt goes supremely well when it is teamed with the right style elements. Pull over an impeccable blue suit over a white shirt and trousers of the same color. Button up and for a classic touch, opt for spotless white sneakers for a clean appearance. This blue suit combination is pretty amazing because of the possibilities attached to it. A navy blue shirt with white shirt would be a great pick for a bright sunny day at the workplace. After you’ve ascertained which blue suit white shirt look would work in your favor, your last step would be to reach out for the perfect tie for blue suit with white shirt. Try red, burgundy, blues, blacks and more. Later on, in this piece we’ll tell you exactly how to pick the perfect tie for your blue suit combination. Pair your blue suit with a white shirt, with a bow tie or a long tie in woven silk.

For a smart casual look, swap the button-up casual shirts for a t shirts in summer or a polo neck sweater in winter. Remember to keep the inner layer piece’s tones subtle. For example, white, beige, lighter shades of blue. For a twist, keep the patterns tasteful - think contemporary geometric mosaic or a breton stripe.

(B) Blue Suit With Pink Shirt

Think of a blue suit with a pink shirt for an element of playfulness to your attire.

2. What Color Tie to wear with a Blue Suit?

What’s the best tie for blue suit? Men can try out so much with a tie. Ties are essential to menswear because a single tie can reinvent your blue suit look’s appeal. Here are some blue suit and tie combinations that might work for you. These are some colors in ties that you could get incorporated in casual and formal looks. Check this out-

(A) Blue Suit Pink Tie Combination

Trying a tie for blue suit? A pop of pink can do wonders to your overall appearance. The blue suit pink tie look is impeccable when done right. Pull on a blue suit over your favored white or black shirt, and add a pink tie to make this otherwise sedate combination a little bright.

(B) Blue Suit Red Tie Combination

The search is still on for the best tie for blue suit? You won’t have to look very far. Tried the blue suit red tie combo? Team your dark blue suit with a pair of smart trousers. Probably add a waistcoat to this look and add an amazing red tie to make this look a success. Blue suit with red tie is a combination that can prove to be a very sophisticated pick.

( C) Blue Suit Black Tie Combination

While closing in on the perfect tie with blue suit, you can try black on black! Black on black works beautifully and comes off as a great selection for your formals. Your blue suit black tie look will shine if you are able to ace this style. Try this tie for blue suit, because a black suit enhanced by the boldness of a black tie is a rare sight.

(D) Blue Suit Blue Tie Combination

What’s the best combination with blue suit, when choosing a tie? Faced with this question, already? We don’t blame you. Your options are quite a few. If an all-blue look is what you really want, a navy blue suit shirt and tie combination is a winner among all blues. Among blue suit and tie combinations, this one is a must try! Your blue suit against a white shirt punched up by the awesome blue suit, is such a beauty!

3. The Two Evergreen Shoes to wear with a Blue Suit-

You can’t go wrong with these two color combinations! Here is how you can style your blue suit look with brown and black shoes-

(A) Blue Suit Brown Shoes Combination -

Blue suit and brown shoes certainly go together. Pick a smart checkered shirt to wear underneath the blue suit and team it up with a smart pair of brown oxfords. While this may work for a formal occasion, if you’re looking out for a more casual appeal, try jeans or other trousers for lowers. The perfect shoes to go with a blue suit with jeans look would be a pair of sneakers or casual loafers.

(B) Blue Suit Black Shoes Combination

The blue suit can look supremely stunning when paired with a black formal shirt and dapper black shoes. These shoes could be gleaming black dress shoes. You could try blue suit black shoes with a black crew neck t-shirt underneath.

4. Blue suit combinations for different occasions

There is a perfect time for everything! You can take your dapper suit to places you wouldn’t thought of before reading this post! Look like your best in your favorite blue suit on these occasions-

(A) Blue suit combinations for formal occasions:

In the 21st century, blue is the most sought after shade in the corporate & business world. The style arena has given the regular black number a break, giving navy blue suit combinations a wide acceptance.

Navy Blue suit and Crisp White Shirt - Look Sharp!

We’ve touched upon navy blue suit combinations, but there is still plenty to work around with. A navy blue suit with white shirt looks groovy when you’re not feeling up to wearing dark, intense colors for a formal dinner or to work. Try to ace the blue suit white shirt combination, by choosing a cool, white shirt underneath a sleek, navy blue suit.

Blue Suit with black shirt Combination - Blue Can Be Bold!

This combination is not very common, but has great potential. Try your blue suit with black shirt of your choice, and you’ll see that this look can wonders on you. This can actually come off as the best combination with blue.

Coin a crisp statement by looking your best in a well-tailored blue suit teamed with a bold black shirt underneath. This could be topped off with a black tie as well. Since we’re looking at options with ties, you could also see if a blue suit with red tie could work with the black shirt. As a pop-up style accessory, the red tie might really be eye-catching!

STYLE NOTES-

Crisp white shirt - Go for a 100% cotton, crisp white shirt with blue suit, or go with light patterns like a pinpoint weave shirt or a herringbone weave shirt.

Silk necktie – Go for a silk tie with a blue suit, preferably in the shades of indigo blue, deeper red or a sophisticated grey. Because, a navy blue suit shirt and a tie combination speaks volumes. In case you are opting for patterned pieces, make sure the designs are not too sharp or overpowering.

Footwear – Switch between the options of brown whole cut shoes or oxford cap toe shoes with minimal details for a classic feel. Opt for a blue or black pair of socks depending on the shoe that is worn. A blue suit, brown shoes speaks for itself!

Wanna know how you could amp up your outfit with the correct shoes?

We can help you with that too, There's a correct pair of formal shoes for every suit.

Wearing your navy suit in this way is best suited for formal environments.

(B) Blue suit combinations for a business occasion

As mentioned earlier, the blue color is widely accepted in the business & corporate world. It has the ability of communicating a contemporary tone with a classic flair. Blue is a great color generally to be worn at corporate meetings and other formal events. Blue suit combinations for the work place

Style Notes:

Pair it with a patterned shirt e.g., herringbone, gingham prints, etc. A textured/ patterned shirt accentuates the look

Skip the tie

Footwear - Brown shoes or semi brogue oxford shoes paired with navy blue or patterned socks

Ever considered blue suit combinations for weddings over a classic black tuxedo? You should, because the blue suit ensemble really makes things hot at the altar! Well, that’s if the ensemble is donned by the groom himself. Btw do you know how the two are different,we can put this tuxedo vs suit question to rest for you once and for all.

If you’re the groom, you should consider royal blue combinations for your big day. Looking like royalty would not be an overstatement on D-Day for sure!

Your blue suit wedding look can comprise of a royal blue suit and trousers of the same color. To make your look appropriate for the occasion, try wearing a waistcoat underneath the blue suit. The last stellar touch would obviously be the tie. This tie could be black or if you want to wish to be a bit bold on that day, a red tie might not be a bad idea.

Add some magic to your overall appearance by placing a pocket square. Let the celebrations begin!

Style Tips for the best man or the wedding guests:

On the other side of the altar? Don’t sweat just yet. We have style tips for you too. If you’re the best man or the wedding guest, you’ll obviously play it down a notch.

Here is what you can do:

From wedding suit color combinations, navy blue for someone other than the groom could be effective. Add the perfect accessories to your blue suit look and wear smart derby shoes.

You could lose the waistcoat and add a sartorial punch to your outfit by opting for a light blue tie or black tie, so that I would compliment your attire. You don’t have to be entirely sober. Your accessories can do the talking.

(5) Blue suit combination as a separate:

One must not overlook the benefits of a blue suit as a separate. Play around with the following looks depending on the occasion. The best combination with blue suit could be worked with maroon trousers if you wish to be experimental.

Apart from this, wearing the blue suit with t-shirts might be an effective add-on. Here are some style notes that might help-

Style Notes-

Wear it as a separate with denims or trousers.

Blue pants as separates to be paired with another jacket

Shoes: Cap toe oxfords, semi brogues etc. with navy blue or black socks

Some Rules To Follow Before You Style Up The Blue Suit -

Pair your blue suit with a white shirt, with a bow tie or a long tie in woven silk or think of a blue suit with a pink shirt for a touch of element.

A dark blue suit combination can look slick and sharp, especially for your sartorial evenings. Start by contrasting the textures between individual pieces, spiking definition & creating depth. For example, textured tie & a lighter colored shirt combinations.

For the corporate guy, pair with a thin striped light blue shirt or a plain blue shirt with dark chestnut oxford shoe.

Learn how to wear cufflinks for men with your beloved blue suit. For a wedding guest look, play around with accessories - silver tie pins, a lapel pin in rose gold or a pearl cufflink to speak sophistication and vintage charm. These elements will be the game changing fixtures adding warmth to the monochrome palette.

For a smart casual look, swap the button-up casual shirt for a t-shirt in summer or a polo neck sweater in winter. Remember to keep the inner layer piece’s tones subtle. For example, white, beige, lighter shades of blue. For a twist, keep the patterns tasteful - think contemporary geometric mosaic or a breton stripe.

For the perfect summer spring vibe, pair your blue suit with polo necks andsneakers or lace ups, loafers work well.

Finish your formal blue suit combination with a smart pair of brown shoes or a more rocking outfit with chelsea boots. Look forward to a black suede cap-toe for a tonal match, which will add some texture to your outfit too!

If in doubt, stick to a crisp white shirt, or to the lighter shades of pinks and blues. These colors brew a little contrast letting your blue suit pop.

Grab your formal edge off a two-piece by splitting the suit into separates and pairing the jacket with a pair of denims or slim grey trousers.

Blue tends to show up the spilled red wine. So be sure to do the once-over with a damp cloth to rid the gear of stains, if any. Dry clean, not before every two to three months, or only when necessary.

The blue spectrum, ranging from lighter hues to midnight blues can effortlessly bring back the charm to your regular outfit.

Blue suit ideas are versatile. It is perfect for a corporate meeting, evening business party, a wedding occasion, or a social soiree. The countless styling options that a blue suit brings to you, makes it a staple wardrobe piece to own.

A blue suit can be your happy place. Your seasonal special. Your coolest tailored piece, literally.

Blue, is a shade of confidence, so wear it like you mean it.

P.S. Don’t forget to follow our guide for a triple win!

#t-shirts #shirt #formal shirts for men #suits

0 notes

grailfinders · 4 years ago

Text

Fate and Phantasms #66: Anne Bonny & Mary Read

Today on Fate and Phantasms, we’re making the legendary pirate duo, Bonny and Read! (Bonny’s the tall one.) You might think making two characters fit on one sheet would be difficult. One might even call it... a wilde proposition.

Check out the breakdown below the cut, or the build sheet over here!

Race and Background

Despite her height, Mary Read is a Human, and we’re going straight to the point with the variant rules. This gives you two points to put into stats of your choice- put it all on Dexterity. You also get an extra skill proficiency -Deception will help you talk your way into more treasure- and a feat. The Sharpshooter feat lets you ignore all but full cover on ranged attacks, and you can attack at long distance without disadvantage. The big draw is that you can subtract 5 from your attack roll to add 10 to the damage. Your rifle is bigger than you are, so it’s gotta pack a punch.

The two of you are, of course, Pirates, giving you proficiency with Athletics, Perception, Navigator’s Tools, and Water Vehicles. You’re not able to control the weather like Drake, but you’re no slouch at the wheel.

Stats

Dexterity is your highest score-your damage comes from there, your AC comes from there, your multiclassing minimum is there, it’s a good ability. Your Constitution is next-you don’t get seasick easily. Third is Charisma-you’re not that big, but everyone’s scary when they’re pointing a sword at your throat and a gun at your head. Your Wisdom isn’t bad-you need to be able to see the land before you run into it. We don’t need Intelligence and we really don’t need Strength, so they’re lowest.

Class Levels

1. Fighter 1: We’re starting with fighter instead of rogue to grab our best weapons and to get Bonny into the build as fast as possible. At first level, you get proficiency in Strength and Constitution saves, as well as two fighter skills. You’re a part of History, and you don’t play nice, so pick up Intimidation as well.

First level fighters get a Fighting Style, we spent our starting feat on Bonny, so now it’s Read’s turn. Grab Dueling to add 2 to all one-handed weapon damage rolls when you’re only wielding that weapon. You can also use your bonus action on a Second Wind, healing 1d10+your fighter level. You’re covered, so don’t worry about taking a break.

Mary’s got a Scimitar, while Anne is wielding at Heavy Crossbow. Feel free to use either one for now, your friend’s not showing up for a couple levels.

2. Fighter 2: At second level you get an Action Surge, giving you an extra action once per short rest. You’re two people, you should have two actions.

3. Fighter 3: For your subclass, we’re going with Wildemount’s premier fighter class, Echo Knight. As an echo knight, you can Manifest Echo as a bonus action. Echoes are translucent copies of yourself, but feel free to make it a little taller. You can move the echo up to 30′ on your turn without using an action, but you have to end the turn with it within 30′ of you or it gets destroyed. When you attack, you can replace your attack with the echo’s, and you can make attacks of opportunity from the echo’s space with your reaction. Also, as a bonus action you can switch places with your echo for 15′ of movement.

Echo Knights can also Unleash Incarnation- when you take the attack action, your echo can make a free melee attack a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier per long rest. For this build, Mary Read is the character and Anne Bonny is the echo, but feel free to swap it up if you want to use this feature.

4. Fighter 4: Use your first ASI to become Resilient, rounding up your Dexterity and becoming proficient in dexterity saves.

5. Fighter 5: Now that you have an Extra Attack, the two of you can each attack once per turn without using your Action Surge. With the action surge, Read can attack three times, and Bonny once.

6. Rogue 1: We’re switching over to rogue now for some proper piracy. When you multiclass into rogue, you get proficiency in one rogue skill- Sleight of Hand is easy when you always have a partner to distract the mark.

First level rogues also get Expertise in two skills, doubling your proficiency bonus in Perception and Sleight of Hand. Two pairs of eyes are better than one, after all. You also learn how to make a Sneak Attack, letting you add 1d6 to a damage roll if the attack is made with a finesse or ranged weapon (look at that, both of your weapons fit), and you have advantage or another friendly creature next to the target. I’m not sure if you being next to a creature would count for Bonny’s shot RAW, but I’d count it. As one last bonus, all rogues know Thieves’ Cant, a secret language of rogues.

7. Rogue 2: You can now use a Cunning Action, hiding, disengaging, or dashing with your bonus action. You’re wearing padded leather at best- don’t push your luck with big enemies.

8. Rogue 3: At third level, you become a Swashbuckler. Your Fancy Footwork lets you prevent attacks of opportunity from creatures you’ve attacked with a melee weapon. Your Rakish Audacity adds your charisma modifier to your initiative, and you can make sneak attacks against any creature if you’re fighting them one on one in melee range. If they’re within melee range you can also just shoot them, but the additional option is nice. Speaking of, your sneak attack increases to 2d6.

9. Rogue 4: Use this ASI to max out your Dexterity for the best aim, damage, and AC you can get.

10. Rogue 5: Fifth level rogues get an Uncanny Dodge, reacting to halve an attack’s damage. Bonny only has 1 HP, but you’ve got more- protect it. Your sneak attack also become 3d6.

11. Rogue 6: Use your second round of Expertise to work with your Thieves’ Tools and Athletics for stronger sea legs.

12. Rogue 7: You and Bonny now have Evasion. When either of you make a dexterity save to half an effect’s damage, you take none of it on a success and half on a failure. Considering one of you has 1 HP, that’s a big relief.

13. Fighter 6: Use your next ASI to bump up your Wisdom for better spell saves.

14. Fighter 7: Seventh level echo knights can make Echo Avatars, spending an action to see and hear through your echo’s senses instead of your own. This lasts up to 10 minutes, and they can move up to 1,000′ away while this is active. You may act like you’re attached to the hip, but you’re technically two separate people.

15. Rogue 8: Use your next ASI to bump up your charisma for a bigger initiative boost and better panache next level.

16. Rogue 9: Ninth level swashbucklers get that Panache thing I was talking about last level, letting you spend a bonus action to make a contested persuasion check versus another creature’s insight check. If they fail and are hostile, they have disadvantage on attacking creatures that aren’t you, and can’t make attacks of opportunity against you. This lasts one minute, or until your duel is interrupted. If they’re not hostile, they’re charmed for up to a minute or until they’re harmed by your allies. Also, your sneak attack hits the highest it’s going to get at 5d6.

17. Fighter 8: Bump up your Constitution using your last ASI for a lot of health. Remember, constitution applies to health retroactively, so you’re getting an extra 17 HP here.

18. Fighter 9: Ninth level fighters are Indomitable, letting you reroll a failed save once per long rest. I’d save this for death saves, but Bonny’s dexterity saves are life or death for her, so just follow your gut.

19. Fighter 10: Tenth level echo knights can make a Shadow Martyr out of their echo. If Bonny is within 5′ of another creature getting attacked, you can use your reaction to direct the attack at her instead, once per short rest. Her AC is 20 at this point, so she’s probably a better tank than some of the squishier party members. Also it’s way cheaper to revive her.

20. Fighter 11: With our capstone level, you get another Extra Attack. Now you can attack three to six times per turn! Just remember Bonny’s gun still has the loading property, so you’ll have to do the heavy lifting here. Though if you really wanted that extra shot for whatever reason, you might be able to fire once, then make another Bonny to replace the old one and fire again with your new rifle.

Pros:

Being two people is really useful, especially if you use it to eke out sneak attacks you couldn’t get otherwise.

One of the echo knight’s biggest weaknesses is area of effect spells like fireball, since their echo is guaranteed to take damage. Mixing it up with a rogue’s Evasion negates that weakness, and make Bonny a much stronger echo.

Combining a Fighter’s HP with a Rogue’s damage avoidance means you’re pretty tough, with almost 200 HP, reactions to halve damage, and the ability to ignore some big spells, you can stay in the fight for a long time.

Cons:

The same can’t be said for Bonny, though. She still only has 1 HP, and eventually an attack is going to get through her AC. Fighters don’t use their Bonus Action that much, but rogues do, so rebuilding Bonny will slow you down a bit.

Also, that big bonus to Bonny’s toughness doesn’t come until level 12, or 10 if you really speed towards it. That’s at the upper end of what most games go to, so you won’t have long to enjoy it.

Ranged fighters don’t want to go into battle. Melee fighters do. You’re both. That means Bonny gets dragged along with you into the thick of things; not an ideal relationship.

Next up: Did somebody call for a white mage?

#D&D 5e #Fate Grand Order #fgo #Anne Bonny #Mary Read #Fate and Phantasms

32 notes · View notes

lynchgirl90 · 8 years ago

Photo

David Lynch thinks your #TwinPeaks theories are 'a beautiful thing'

When Twin Peaks stormed the airwaves 27 years ago, the creation of director David Lynch (hot off Blue Velvet, a cinematic masterpiece) and TV scribe Mark Frost (fresh from Hill Street Blues, a television classic) captivated audiences in novel ways that today are commonplace to the point of cliché. It was a high strange serialized drama and ironic soap opera, lacquered with prestige thanks to its cinematic panache and auteur branding.

The storytelling roamed a spectrum of pitched, singular tones with striking emotional impact. One scene could move you to fanning and maybe some giggling with a hyper-sincere beat of sexy-sweet teen love, beautiful young faces shot in sensual close-ups. The next scene could scare the hell into you: A demonic serial killer enters as if out of the corner of the mind’s eye, sidling in slo-mo from the side of the frame, moving into the dead-center of the screen, huffing and puffing toward the camera, before finally crawling over a couch to get into your face. BOB is going get you, Maddie, BOB is going to get you…

There were also many deadpan jokes about donuts.

One mood ruled them all. Lynch’s favorite mood: mystery.

“Twin Peaks is a mystery that holds other mysteries,” says the filmmaker with his trademark crypto-generic evasiveness when asked to describe the show for those who may know it. ABC marketed the living s—t out of the show’s inaugural, defining mystery, the brutal murder of Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee), a teenage beauty queen found dead, wrapped in plastic, and stuffed with a trove of dark secrets. Twin Peaks was so much more than a whondunit, but the network made the audience believe it was only about this bit of business. The tagline of the ad campaign that launched the show was “Who Killed Laura Palmer?” Lynch’s mesmerizing artistry captured our imagination for the question. We watched for the answer. We even tried to solve it. I certainly did. The son of a homicide detective, an avid consumer of mystery pop, I felt like Twin Peaks was made just for me. I treated the story like a crime scene. I actually took notes during the pilot. I held viewing parties after every episode and made my guests stay and parse the latest developments. By the middle of the sketchy second season, most of my friends had stopped coming over. Maybe I should have served snacks.

I’d later learn I was far from alone. And so Twin Peaks taught us something else, a behavior that’s become a staple part of today’s TV watching experience: theorizing.

Twin Peaks was a phenomenon of bygone TV era. There was no live tweeting, no Reddit, no post-mortems with producers breaking down episodes or discussing some “THAT” scene. What I would have given back for an immediate Q&A with Lynch to explain my #DancingGuyRedRoomDoppelgangerWTF? But there were online services back in 1990. And there were “bulletin boards” where the curious and perplexed gathered to debate and speculate.

Lynch can attest to this. He’ll also tell you he loved it.

“One day I went into the studio where we were shooting and they showed me this stack of papers that was from the internet, this brand new kind of thing. There were no pictures, there was just typing,” he says. ”And the papers they showed me, it was just people talking about the show. People talking, thinking, sharing ideas, being like detectives, seeing what they make of certain things, trying to figure things out and to share ideas. It was a beautiful thing.”

We at EW think talking, wondering, and theorizing about Twin Peaks is a beautiful thing, too. We intend to do a lot of it over the next several months, and hopefully do it well, beginning with our latest podcast launching today, A Twin Peaks Podcast: A Podcast About Twin Peaks. (Listen to the first episode, above). Over the next three weeks, Darren Franich and I will be looking back on and puzzling over the first two seasons of the show and the prequel film, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. Then, beginning May 22, we’ll be posting a podcast recap of each new episode of the revival. We don’t just want to vent and discuss our loopy ideas about the episode – we want to air and celebrate your inspired thinking as well. If you have theories, tweet us at @EWDocJensen and @DarrenFranich, or email us at [email protected]. We look forward to taking the journey with you. Let’s rock!

link (TP)

#Twin Peaks #David Lynch #theories #EW

4 notes · View notes

heywritebetter · 8 years ago

Text

Rules Schmules

Rules rule, fool, so don’t be a tool, just stick to ‘em and you’ll be cool!

I apologize for that outburst, but there’s really no way to say “rules are important” without sounding like a complete loser, so I figured I might as well go all the way, and sell it with the oblivious panache of a high school improv PSA. The reason it sounds so silly, of course, is that it’s obvious. Everyone above the age of twelve (without an encircled “A” carved into their hand with crayon) understands that structure is important. Hell, if you didn’t believe that rules were important to writing, you wouldn’t be here, you’d be out writing poetry, and making the world a worse place for literally everyone. The importance of learning the fundamentals of writing is so obvious, in fact, that it would be stupid to dedicate an entire post to it. Which is why I’m not, you idiot, you goddamn fool. Today we’re talking about the rules of your story.

Beyond the universal rules of writing like show don’t tell, use active voice, and that using semicolons makes you a tool, every story has its own set of rules. They define not what makes for compelling storytelling, but rather the boundaries of the world you’ve created. It’s something you undoubtedly do subconsciously, but failure to maintain awareness of the rules you’ve created can lead not only to breaks in the believability of your story, but also a myriad of missed opportunities for storytelling.

Of course, nothing in writing can be straightforward, and so rules can take many forms. First and most obviously, there are the literal, physical law of your world. Sci-fi writers tend to be good at this, since their code is pretty much just whatever the author remembers from high school physics, but inexperienced fantasy writers are often terrible about this. Look at Tolkien; while he never lays out to the reader in exact terms what wizards, elves, dwarves, etc. can do, there is always a consistency to it, and the character’s actions inform our knowledge of what the rules are. If, in the Two Towers, Gandalf cast a spell which turned a hoard of orcs into a squabbling horde of curmudgeonly emus, the audience would be left wondering why he didn’t use this on the Balrog in the previous book(or movie—it’s okay, no one’s judging). Honestly, you should probably have the bulk of your world’s rules established before you even start on your story, but if you don’t, then you have to take great care to keep note of the rules you’ve already laid out for your audience, by your character’s actions or inactions, and be sure to look out for inconsistencies in subsequent drafts. As well, if you’re borrowing from folklore or real science, take great care to note where your portrayal deviates from common interpretations of the myth. You can have your vampires sparkle in the sun or fire gallons of mayonnaise from their tear ducts when startled, just be sure to make that clear to your audience.

Hey! You, literary writer, snickering in the back! Put away that copy of Infinite Jest you’ve never read and get over here, this shit applies to you to. While the physical rules for your world are predefined for you in more realistic fiction, rules go far deeper than that. Every culture, family, friend group, and hell, every individual person, each has their own set of rules that they have to follow. No women in the workplace, no chocolate after 10PM, no more tazing Uncle Jack whenever he talks about his stupid koi pond. Anywhere that humans go, rules are sure to follow, because to be human is to attempt to apply structure to this cacaphonic nonsense world we live in.

Knowing these rules, any of these rules, all of these rules, is important for a number of reasons. Obviously it’s necessary for consistency and believability, yes, but it goes beyond that. For a clever writer, rules are one of the most valuable tools in creating tension in a story, whatever the genre. Broadly speaking, tension arises when rules are broken. There are only so many ways to do this within the confines of the universal rules of your culture--someone lies about something important, someone steals, someone kills--but when you bring in your own rules, the possibilities increase exponentially. Dr.Evilman unites the scattered pieces of the ancient wand of penile disintegration, Justine spills red wine on Melanie’s yacht shopping dress, someone's laces Uncle Jack’s fish feed with cyanide, the list goes on. Play on rules the audience knows that the characters don’t for irony, play on rules the characters know that the audience doesn’t for shock. Once you bring your own rules into the fold, you have so many more tools for taking your audience where you want them to go. Hell, rules can even get meta: think of the effect of a particularly long or short chapter. Or perhaps the gravity lent to a situation when your pithy narrator stops quipping during an important moment.

Now, with all this in mind, I imagine you’re wondering how to organically communicate all of this to an audience. Well that… frankly, that deserves it’s own post. If you’re reading this archivally, I’ll provide a link to that here once it exists. It doesn’t yet though, so um... Sit tight.

One last thing, I think writing prompts would be fun, yeah? So from now on I’m gonna drop a writing prompt at the end of each post. You better do it to, or my feelings will be hurt deeply, and you don’t want that, do you?

Writing Prompt: Uncle Jack’s stupid fish are dead, and he knows that one of you bastards did it. Easter brunch has become a police lineup, and no one’s allowed to eat until they solve this murder most foul.

#writing #writing prompt #writing problems #plot #worldbuilding

4 notes · View notes

gethealthy18-blog · 6 years ago

Text

Colors For Your Skin Tone: Find Out What Looks Best On You

New Post has been published on http://healingawerness.com/getting-healthy/getting-healthy-women/colors-for-your-skin-tone-find-out-what-looks-best-on-you/

Colors For Your Skin Tone: Find Out What Looks Best On You

Saumya Gaur January 3, 2019

One of the most important factors that can make or break any look is the color of your outfit. All the other fashion rules that you’ve learned can take a back seat. The fact is, if you mess up the color of your outfit, nothing else will matter. No matter how you accessorize it, or how you have structured your outfit, if its color doesn’t work for you, it will never get you the “wow” factor that you’ve been looking for.

Have you ever bought yourself an outfit that looked amazing on someone else, only to find it looking rather drab on you? Well, the fault is not yours. More often than not, it happens because the color of the outfit doesn’t suit your skin tone. But, how do we find the shades that suit our skin tone? Don’t worry, it’s not that intimidating a task as it looks. Here’s your handy guide to finding your perfect shade.

First Identify The Undertones Of Your skin

Shutterstock

It so happens that the descriptor “fair-skinned” or “dark-skinned” isn’t enough to select the perfect shade for someone. You need more information than that. The complexion of our skin is composed of a number of tints and hues, and it’s these tints that actually convey what colors look good on us. These are called undertones. You must’ve heard people referring to themselves as having a warm or cool complexion. Don’t be puzzled by that, they are actually referring to the undertones of their skin.

If we are looking at the surface of our skin, it comes in varied shades such as ivory, tan, or wheatish. When it comes to undertones, we have three — cool, warm, and neutral. In order to find out which undertone you possess, you have to conduct a small test. Observe the color of the veins that lay on the inner side of your wrist. If they are bluish in color, then you have cool undertones. If you find that your wrists are green in color, then you have warm undertones. In case, it’s a combination of the two, then you have neutral undertones.

You can also determine your undertones by noticing how your skin reacts to the sun. If you tend to get sunburnt easily, or if you are left with angry red patches on your skin after you’ve spent some time in the sun, you have cool undertones. However, if you tend to tan easily then you have warm undertones. Now that you’ve identified your undertones, you should also know why they are important.

When you wear a shade that doesn’t complement the undertones of your skin, you run the risk of looking washed out or ashy. In case, the shade that you’ve chosen for yourself is too bright for the undertones in your skin, it might make you look garish. However, a shade that pairs well with the undertones will give you a glowing complexion.

1. The Perfect Shades For Cool Undertones

For all those people who fall under this category, your bold blue undertones go great with the colors of the ocean, i.e white, royal blue, navy, grey, and yes, even black. You can even go for purples, pinks, and lilacs. In fact, you are among the chosen few who can pull off metallic silver and pure white with equal panache and grace.

Shades That Don’t Work:

You need to steer clear of shades such as tomato reds or oranges, as they are going to wash you out. The red undertone in your complexion won’t give you the contrast that you actually need.

You’re In The Company Of These Celebs:

Congrats! You are in the august company of Bollywood divas such as Kareena Kapoor Khan and Tamannah Bhatia.

2. The Perfect Shades For Warm Undertones

For all my warm-toned sisters out there, earthy shades are the best options. Rusty orange, auburn, olive green, sunshine yellow, and brown. In fact, they can even pull off colors like taupe and burgundy. Peaches, corals, and rose gold will make them glow.

Shades That Don’t Work:

People with warm undertones need to avoid wearing cool shades like grey, royal blue, and pure white as they are going to give them an ashy pallor.

You’re In The Company Of These Celebs:

You can bask in the company of glamazons like Chitrangada Singh and Priyanka Chopra!

3. The Perfect Shades For Neutral Undertones

These are the blessed people who can have their wishful pick from the color palette. While they can go for pretty much anything, muted colors like cream and baby pink brighten their complexion.

Shades That Don’t Work:

Despite having the best of both worlds, you have to avoid a few colors like neon shades of royal blue, magenta as they won’t pair well with your balanced complexion.

You’re In The Company Of These Celebs:

You and the chirpy, girl-next-door, Alia Bhatt have this in common.

We hope we were able to help you in finding the perfect shade for you. Just remember to wear colors which helps to enhance your complexion by working with your undertones rather than counteracting them or being assimilated by them. This will ensure that you rock all your outfits like the fashionista we know you are!

The following two tabs change content below.