#Mighty Party Guide

[creativecuquilu]

🎃Halloween Party 2k24 Day 19🎃 - Killer -

Jaime finds Cersei completely pale sitting on a rocking chair. She has two small marks on her neck, those of…Picard. Wiping his mouth, he lunges at him, but Kelly launches a garlic collar at him before he can sink his teeth on him. Little did she know, Picard was just as hungry as Jon was…

Anderson drills into Patrick’s heart with his swiss army knife. Then he drives it into Uhura’s throat. Afterwards, he shoves the can opener into Amy’s skull.

Wanda gets decapitated by Chris. Then he hammers Zack’s head, axes Ford to a pulp and opens up Gomez’s guts. Luckily, he doesn’t need to kill Michael nor Brett - they’ve been killed already.

Baker attempts to contact the police in order to investigate who offed Uhura, just for Data to strangle him with the phone cord. Then he stabs Jason into a wall. Anderson, apparently, dislikes his ways of killing when he sees him, now on the ground. They have little to no imagination.

Peter bites Jamie’s arm, who then bites Victoria’s leg, and later both of them follow Ned. He locks himself inside the basement with Mitch, his heart pounding. It’s quite a good thing a shark didn’t eat you. - Mitch tries to say over the loud thumping of Ned’s heart. - They have more teeth and stronger jaws, you know! Too bad. Quill has entered the basement, and his brains are spilling on the floor!

[helimir]

This sequence of episodes (Vergesson heist and its aftermath) are also a testament to the sheer determination of the mighty nein, both in the narrative and on a meta level.

When Trent shows up in Vergesson, Matt makes it clear that Ikithon wants to talk. He makes no actual attack on the PCs, and Matt openly expresses surprise when Caleb starts immediately casting offensive spells. They very easily could have been caught there, they only make it out because of Caleb’s nat 20 counterspell.

Then again in Nicodranas, Trent just wants to talk! He’s just curious! And he backs them into a corner that there really should be no way out of… but then they come up with a way. A crazy genius way that Matt could not have predicted.

In a situation where it would have been so easy to let the DM’s expectations combined with the mechanics of the situation guide them into a particular course of action… the mighty nein said ‘fuck that, it’s bad, we’re running’.

Ikithon’s manipulation and Matt’s signaling that a conversation is a viable story path is no match for Caleb’s abject fear and the Mighty Nein’s ride or die attitude. Caleb really said ‘this is the scariest man in the world and I’ll burn down anything including myself before I let him touch your families’ and the Mighty Nein said ‘we’re with you.’ This is the same party that walked across the continent to save part of their family, and it shows.

[occidentalavian]

Despite Calianna Mordsson appearing in only one episode, we actually know quite a bit about what she did after parting ways with the Mighty Nein.

First, Mark Hulmes originally posted a short story titled "Home" on reddit, though the link is now broken. All I can recall of it is that Calianna traveled back to Othe, to home of her adopted guardians, the dwarven couple Grim and Magda Mordsson. There she told them aboud the new friends that she had made.

Second, the Explorer's Guide to Wildemount includes an adventure hook featuring Calianna, "A Friend in Need", set in the Felderwin Tillage. In it, Cali had been captured by the Cult of the Caustic Heart and the player characters inadvertently interrupted their ritual to sacrifice her to Tiamat. This hook leads Cali to ask the party to help her vanquish the cult for good.

Finally, described in a tweet by Hulmes, Cali learned that Cirisa had captured a young gold dragon named Goldheart to be sacrificed to Tiamat. Cali went with a group of friends to stop her. In the battle Cali faltered, but received a vision from Bahamut to encourage her and help her overcome her shame of her draconic nature, granting her the Gift of the Metallic Dragon feat.

After Calianna and her friends successfully saved Goldheart, the dragon stayed with Cali in humanoid form. They became close and entered a relationship. Eventually the couple wed and had twin half-dragon children with gold and black scales, a boy named Jest and a girl named Calea, clearly named after the two members of the Mighty Nein that left the strongest impression on her.

Included with the tweet were two (well, one and a half lol) pieces of art by Mark, of Calianna after gaining self confidence, and of Goldheart's humanoid form.

[blorbologist]

Y'know, I think I figured out why the Hells still feel like a new low-level party to me, even though they're level 13 and almost 100 episodes in.

I don't quite think it's the lack of conversations, or the fact half the party's plot hooks are big ties to past campaigns - though that definitely plays a part.

... Bell's Hells still primarily rely on quest givers.

Most of their goals are given to them and do not feel organic to the party, and constantly remind us that the Hells are pretty much never the most powerful people in the room. Which is usually something you see with a low-level party.

NPCs offering jobs is not a bad thing; it's a very common plot hook. Matt has been extremely skilled with using NPC quest givers in those two campaigns. Not only do they provide an obvious plot thread, but they can put the party in the path of others (say, the Nein running into the Iron Shepherds while doing a job for the Gentleman and everything that came of that). And the Hells had a solid start with it too - Eshteross was an excellent quest giver!

The problem is that Bell's Hells have never really not had a quest giver.

Maybe it's a byproduct of the more plot-heavy structure of this campaign? But while prior parties have felt like they decided on their course of action and what they prioritized, Bell's Hells feels less like level 13 (13! Level 13!) experienced adventurers and more like an MMO group clicking on the exclamation point over an NPC's head. Where does the plot demand we go next? Who do we report back to?

They're level 13.

At level 13, Vox Machina had just defeated a necromantic city-state to clear their name and Percy's conscience. And, you know, the Conclave just destroyed Emon. No one was explicitly telling the group to gather Vestiges and save the world (though Matt guided them there), and they were usually among the most powerful people in the room. They chose which Vestiges to prioritize, which dragons to tackle when, even if the over-all plot was pretty clear.

At level 13, the Mighty Nein were celebrating Traveler Con (another PC goal, I'll note) after brokering peace between two nations, accidentally becoming pirates and heroes of the Dynasty. The Nein regularly chose what to do based on personal goals, not grand ones. Though definitely smaller fish than Vox Machina at this level, they were very independent and gaining solid political clout.

While we're at it: level 13 is one level lower than the Ring of Brass, who had a huge amount of sway over Avalir. They ended the world, and also saved it, while in the grand scheme of things being only a smidge more powerful than Bell's Hells are now.

Can you really see the Hells wielding that amount of influence, when they're constantly being told what to do next?

The god-eater might be unleashed, so Bell's Hells have no time to do anything but what is asked of them. No time for therapy unless stolen from Feywild time, no travel on foot and late-night watches. They haven't even had time to grieve FCG. Percy was grieved in the middle of the Conclave arc. Molly was grieved when half the party was still in irons.

Matt is in the very unfortunate spot of not being able to give the Hells the same agency as the other two parties. Not only because of the world-ending plot introduced so early on; they are surrounded by characters they know (and the cast knows) are stronger and wiser than them - the familiarity of the past PCs and NPCs is to their disadvantage.

Why would the party reasonably ignore Keyleth's task that will help save the world and go off on a romp? Why would the cast when they know well Keyleth has to be sensible and with the best intentions in mind? The stakes are just too high.

It means that the Hells still feel like they're running errands instead of pursuing their own destiny. Their accomplishments are diminished as just being parts of a to-do list, and any stakes feel padded by several level 20 PCs/NPCs standing 5 steps away ready to catch them.

This isn't Bell's Hell's fault, nor is it Matt's. It could be amended, I think, if the Hells are really left to their own devices for a long period of time without support and shortcuts (like during the party split)... which would be really tricky to pull off at this point in the campaign.

They're level 13. They're big fish, but they're stuck in a pond full of friendly sharks, so they don't feel big at all.

[sanktjosiah]

So with the upcoming Mighty Nein animated series I thought I'd compose a list of moments I'd like to see in the show. These do not include Big Emotional Moments or Important Plot Points because then the list would be way too long and those moments should have a list of their own if anything, this is really just a collection of my personal favorite smaller moments that I find funny, cool or endearing.

My wishlist of The Mighty Nein moments for the animated series in no particular order (spoilers for the whole campaign):

- Sprinkle being shown surviving in the background of M9's shenanigans Scrat from Ice Age style

- Jester's Sendings having the exact same style, tone and energy as they had in the campaign

- also getting to actually see the reactions of the people on the other side

- The Ring of Fire Resistance

- that moment when Beau gets swallowed by the remorhaz and Jester kills it with a ✨flavored✨ Guiding Bolt

- The M9 actually getting to meet Verin this time

- Yasha using Skingorger as a snowboard

- that moment when the M9 teleports to Rosohna in bathrobes and Caleb later uses Seeming to make it look like everyone but Fjord is wearing their normal clothes

- that moment when they're trying to water ski to get within spellcasting range of the dragon turtle and Caleb slips and bounces off of the water like a skipping stone

- The Bone Flute

- Caleb wearing octopus-Frumpkin on his head during the entire tense conversation with Fjord in Dashilla's lair

- Sheepleb

- Caleb turning into a T-Rex on a boat

- Capeleb grabbing Essek and showing him in the clerics' faces like a broken doll demanding him to be fixed

- Caduceus bitchslapping the boat

- Molly's "plan" on infiltrating the hospital

-Jester's hamster unicorn Spirit Guardians getting more and more buff as she levels up

- The Bad Luck Bandits

- Fjord nearly getting killed by a turtle

- Allura calling Yussa a fool after he gets trapped in the Happy Fun Ball

- M9 asking Halas if he has a sex golem

- that moment in the Cognouza fight when Jester hits Lucien with a giant egg dick that she wills into existence

- "Marius, have you killed anyone yet?"

- the M9 girls getting drunk and tattooed while the boys are just chilling and eating fish and chips

- Essek's stress hot whisky cocoa

- *sigh* "Do you have a bucket?"

- also Caduceus peer pressuring Astrid and Eadwulf into gardening

- the M9 discussing illegal shit in front of Bryce

- Veth and Ottis tetris folding themselves trying to hide behind Fjord

- Beau dumping drugs in the monster baby's stomach

- Beau being trailed by the zhelezo while trying to be inconspicuous with a cart full of fireworks

- Tracy

- Tusk Love both being given by Jester to various people to read or just randomly popping up throughout the show in unexpected places

- Yasha "casting" Message to talk to Veth

- the fey cats getting progressively more and more exasperated at Caleb's elaborate requests

- that one dragonborn who risked blowing up his cover and went to a party because he was bored in his exile

- The Gentleman franticaly cleaning up and hiding the illegal shit in his hideout before Marion shows up

- Yasha being sucked into the upside-down waterfall at Rumblecusp and jettisoned into the air Looney Tunes style

- The Chair™

- Fluffernutter

- not a single one of Essek's jokes landing

- Essek bringing up his fists at the frost giants while slowly backing up into a corner

- Beau punching Artagan in the face

- Fjord trying to intimidate a forest and getting eaten by a plant immediately afterwards

Feel free to add your own!

[amphitriteswife]

Next level

Tagging: @yue-yolk

Warnings: Nsfw

Note: shit post

Pairing: Jaegyeon na x reader

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Jaegyeon gripped his steering wheel tightly. It was late in the night, yet no sign of the city dying down. That’s Incheon for you, always busy and full in swing. He drove along side the busy streets, flashy bright lights along the roads and the sight of the night clubs coming out from their hiding spit emerged in his vision. He sighs. He hated you, has he ever told you that? You’re so irresponsible. You always act to high and mighty around the other kings. You fight so well and conquer every city you can. You can have it all yet you chose not to just because it takes too much work? And what do you do instead? Party. You party and drink, you meet some guy and flirt, or not. Jaegyeon parked his car far away from the busy red light streets. He doesn’t want anything to happen to Initial N after all. His hand twirling the keys around his fingers while he walked up the street. He doesn’t even know these clubs. They’re probably all boring anyway. Why do you go to these places? You can do so much better. He let out another sigh before walking down the stairs to the club. The hostess by the stand already pointing to your booth. His steps feel heavy. The dim light and loud atmosphere is making him a little irritated. He could see your silhouette from the distance. Lace dress, high heels, make up, loose hair. You’re always so different than when you fight. You’re cold, mean, strong and business like. But now, seeing you in a booth with other girls and boys, laughing while you drink some cheap alcohol one of those randoms bought you, the way you laugh at them. It seems so strange. Yet it���s not new to him no matter how many times he has seen it before. It’s always the same old song with you.

He looks at you, then your table, then the others at the table and back at you. You tell them you have to go and the people in your booth all whine, telling you you can stay a little longer, have another drink, it’s all fun. You tell them no in a half joking voice and grab Jeagyeon by the arm. You cling to his side and he guides you to his car. He talks to you once again. His hands on your frame to keep you from stumbling, you flirt with him, forgetting that the two of you hate each other’s guts. You say you’re cold and lean into his body, your hands brushing over his chest and shoulders. Your sweet voice fills his ears telling him everything he wants to hear from you. You tell him a bunch of lies. Well, maybe half lies. He tries to get you to sit in the car and buckled your seatbelt then walks to the driver’s seat, after Jaegyeon takes his own seat he already noticed that yours is off again, he watched you comes closer to him and sit in his lap. He sighs for the 3rd time that day. He holds you by the hips again and tells you no. You lean into his face and kiss him, he lets you kiss him. He lets you suck and lick his lips. He lets you open up his mouth to let your tongue slide in. He allows it and kissed you back, he knows he shouldn’t, but he’s still doing it. You grab his shirt and pull it off his body, he breaks the kiss and lets you sit in his lap while he drives you to the nearest yet best hotel he knows. He once again books the same room, same floor, same number, same service he always gets when he’s with you. He guides you to the room, you pull him into the bed, he obligates and pulls up your dress. You undo his pants and let it fall to the ground, he gets on top of you and you giggle. It’s always the same. The same thing you have been doing for some years. He kissed you once again. You kiss him back. The bed creeks. The voices are loud. The time is forgotten, the hate is not there. His breath is ragged. Your hair is disheveled. It’s not love making. It’s far from it. It’s just something the both of you do. You’re not lovers. Not even friends. Just some fuck buddy. You call, he picks up, you kiss, he kisses back. You tell him to go faster, he picks up his pace. He doesn’t remember how many times he did it with you, nor the positions. All he remembers is him fucking you and you fucking him. He remembers the way you kiss him and the way you kiss back, the taste of your spit intertwining with his. Him pressing you against the mattress, he puts up your legs and pounds into you for the millionth time while he moans out your name. He fucks you like you’re his girlfriend, but that’s not what you are. And you kiss him like he’s you’re boyfriend, which isn’t what he is.

Jaegyeon lost his interest in other women a long time ago, but he doesn’t know if the same goes for you. It’s all just raw, passionate and quick sex. It’s not boring, it’s fun. It’s amazing. He loves it. But that’s because it’s with you. Even now when he’s laying beneath you, his hands behind his head while you sit on top of him, your back against his legs and touching his body. Your hands touching his abs and then his chest. He still feels the same way as 4 years ago.

‘Don’t you ever want to be more than just this?’

Is what he asks. You laugh and don’t really give an answer, the two of you fall asleep, then you wake up, then you kiss once again. Then it’s turns into something more before he checks out the hotel and drives you home. The next time he meets you is with the other kings and it’s all back to normal. No word of it or what happened. Back to two people who can’t stand each other and back to two people who stil haven’t confessed only to be stuck in one big cycle.

[2222bad]

SIMPLE AND SWEET

(kissing michael headcanons) | 700+ words

WARNINGS: mature themes , sweetness , describing kissing , genderless reader!

[1977]

you’re family friends, maybe

grown up around each other

…the type to have gotten teased all the time because everyone knew you liked him. even your mother noticed you’d gotten shyer around all the brothers, but especially, especially michael

oh he’d gotten so tall and fine…

you remarked every new thing about him when he’d gotten back from tour. his face forming strong, his body full of energy and tambour, his spirit like a drumbeat that kept time all through the night

and despite all that change, he was still like the sweet boy you’d grown to blush under the gaze of.

the jacksons always had these family parties and whenever you could, you’d often need to find a quiet place for the two of you to occupy within the mighty full house

a lot of the time you’d settle in the backseat of your daddy’s car and talk. it was always unlocked and in the shade of the street. you appreciated the privacy.

he’d tell you stories for what felt like hours, your faces incredibly close in the darkness. sight dodging from lips to jaw to the light still left in your eyes.

you remembered them all.

but, most notably, you remember learning how to kiss.

have you ever kissed before? michael’s hands stayed crossed in his lap. though you couldn’t see them, you just knew.

you shook your head.

never? he giggled, as if he had any more experience than you did. and his gaze fell, thoughts trailing around in his mind: do you wanna try?

leaning into him, the leather of the seats creaking, you found his lips in the shadows. he inhaled sharply.

it started with some kisses on closed mouths. one. two. three. your hearts racing, you pull back to breathe.

was that okay?

yeah…

your hands would find his cheeks and you’d kiss. pillowy soft and slow like pouring molasses, not quite sure you were doing it right, but you knew you liked it. the way your lips felt. mouths opening and closing, sighing into each other.

your other senses washed over you then.

your lips quietly smacking with each kiss

the noise from his house echoing faintly behind; floating from a world somehow ages and ages away from where you were then

your fingers run along his full cheekbones, glide along the little bumps and ridges in his skin. he’d take your hand, sensitivities arising, and guide it over to his shoulder, the fabric there starched and ironed.

his hands spread, with elongated fingers, like butter along your blouse.

and his lips, smooth like satin, tasted of mint balm. sometimes, you felt bold enough to try his neck. kissing over stubble and the sting of sweat.

your nose filled with the purity of shea, boys’ nerves, and sweet, sweet spritzes of his brother’s cologne trapped inside the threads of his clothes.

he welcomed it happily, your devouring love.

soon you practically begged for parties. any chance you got to kiss michael, you’d take

you’d be gone for a long while

kissing, hands all over each other, sweet hums and gusts of breath coming quick enough to fog the windows

you’re like heaven, baby he’d whisper, his lips rubbing against the lobe of your ear. probably something he heard one of his brothers say, but it sent shivers right through you all the same

walking back to the house, you’d try not to steal kisses, but the addiction was rampant in you by now. let you tell it, you needed it to live.

a jackson would come stumbling out of the party for air or a smoke sneering, ooooo mike what were yall doin’ out here……..

we were just talkin’ he’d blush, clasping your hand tight like he’d gotten caught with it in the cookie jar

you didn’t have the width to string together an alibi. not with his lips still lingering all over, as real and heavy as the pulse in your veins

so you simply smiled down at your feet, squeezing his culprit fingers in tandem

as you get a bit older, you find your kisses to be quite serendipitous. harmonious with each other.

standing outside your place, you kiss each other nice and long, holding both his hands by your sides in case he might try to slip away too quickly.

looking up at him, his eyes flutter open, the regained breath from his lips reminding him he was in fact down on earth.

tilting your head, you smile. see you tonight?

that same boyish grin would find you, smiling back. yeah…

simple and sweet.

[shadamyheadcanons]

Headcanon #298

Cross-posted on AO3.

Sonic and his friends started a band when they were young. Sonic played guitar and sang lead, Knuckles was on drums, and Tails filled in the gaps on his keyboard. They put on performances here and there, entertaining other Mobians and any small animals who passed by.

The odd one out was, of course, Amy. Sonic hadn’t stopped running from her, and the others followed along, ensuring she never had a place. It was bad enough with just the main three keeping her out, but when Sonic welcomed Mighty and Ray to join in with bass and backup vocals while she was still locked out, the pain was too much.

Amy avoided music for years after that. Even after the others stopped leaving her in the dust, she never felt there was room for her in the band.

She was watching them rehearse one day, keeping quiet and feeling bad for herself. Her dejection was visible enough to draw Shadow’s attention. When he asked, she sheepishly explained the problem while the band obliviously played on.

She’d never forget Shadow’s reaction.

It was far from the first time she’d seen him seethe and glare up at Sonic with rage in his eyes, teeth gritted and jaw clenched.

When his gaze fell upon her, however, his muscles relaxed instead. He stepped closer and lowered his voice to mutter in her ear, telling her he wanted to show her something. She agreed, and he teleported her away. The others didn’t notice.

The two of them reappeared in Shadow’s room with a flash. After peeking out of his door to make sure they were alone, he reached into his closet and retrieved two violins, both old but carefully maintained. He placed one in her hands and started demonstrating with the other without explanation, teaching her how to play by example. She was baffled at first, but his low, relaxing voice complimented the higher pitches of the instruments, and his fingers were gentle as he manually guided hers on the fingerboard. Even when he flinched from the occasional stray squeak of her bow, he provided her with nothing but patience.

After a few sessions, she coaxed out the reason for his behavior. Maria had always loved the sound of the violins from the records Gerald brought from Earth. He initially brought one up just for Maria, but she insisted that Shadow should get one, too. Gerald brushed it off for a few weeks, but she stubbornly put her foot down, refusing to learn until he could, too. Gerald had no choice.

Shadow picked it up quickly, but Maria struggled. He wished she could have had more time to learn and enjoy it.

If she hadn’t waited for him, she would have.

In less than a month, the massacre took Maria from them, leaving only Shadow, Gerald, and the violins behind.

Fifty years later, Shadow retrieved them from the ARK and continued learning in her memory, but he hadn’t felt comfortable sharing his talents until Amy was by his side. Touched by the story, she eagerly learned everything she could from him.

Amy felt none of the hesitation Shadow did and finally stepped up, confidently showing Sonic and the others what she’d learned. They happily invited her to play with them this time, encouraging her to take her place whenever strings were called for. When Sonic asked her how she’d learned to play so well, though, she playfully dodged the question, keeping Shadow’s secret at his request.

Although Amy loved joining in with the band from then on, she loved playing duets with Shadow in private even more. The two of them fell for each other with romantic music as the backdrop--all strings attached.

--

((From an ad for the Sonic Symphony:

...and “Play! Violin,” one of the Party Mode games from Sonic and the Secret Rings:

Every character can play it, but I think it suits Shadow best.))

[distant--shadow]

Okay, I have three (3) thoughts about the state of cr's talkback shows atm and I've decided to write them in your ask box. Feel free to ignore:

I think the quality of the questions in the fireside chat was strongly linked to 4sd and, mainly, the tower of inquiry. As much as I like the idea of having a section where evergreen questions can be asked, they really lean towards the “what if the world was made of pudding?” genre of questions and I think that - combined with the attention that gets drawn to the questions by the Jenga game and the milque-toast-ness of the other questions on 4sd - has encouraged the fandom to discuss and focus on those questions more than we used to.

I also really miss the fact that talk machina had a presenter (who, for the sake of clarity, was fired for obvious reasons and I’m not, in any way, advocating for him to come back). The fact that both the presenter of 4sd and order of questions in the tower of inquiry and deep dive sections are random, means that whether the cast elaborate on their answers is up to chance. I feel like, with the cast being more detached from the fanbase than they used to (for good reason) there really should be someone on screen who knows what questions were answered in the past and can guide the conversation so that they don’t spend 10 minutes discussing “think about this AU” questions and then only give in-depth character analysis a single sentence before being distracted by a joke or running out of time. To be clear, this isn’t a criticism of the cast at all, you can’t both give really good, in-depth answers to questions while also coming up with your own follow-up questions and staying engaged in and shaping the discussion as a whole. I’d say Dani is the obvious pick for a presenter but I think her interests are more in the shippy/fanon side (which is fine, I’m not trying to police how anyone interacts with the show) so I’d prefer her questions to be interjections rather than the whole thing.

This campaign has had a significant percentage of it’s talkback shows taken up by overlap with other stuff (party splits, vox machina and the mighty nein getting their own eps, overlap with calamity and downfall etc.) and, in an ideal world, I’d want them to do separate that stuff out and do extra shows about that, rather than letting it eat into valuable question answering time for bells hells.

All this to say: if cr wants to make a talkback show specifically tailored to me, I'm down with them flying me out to America so I can host my new talkback show called “AU? No thank you!” where we exclusively talk about bells hells and all hypotheticals are banned. Nobody but me would enjoy it but I'm the main character of my story so...

appreciate you engaging and putting your thoughts out there via my inbox!

I agree with most of this, I can respect what they were trying with 4sd but yeah it did not deliver the meat that talks did, and I would love to have a simple discussion show like that back (at one point I would have suggested dani as host too, but if anything these fireside and 4sd eps have proven that she is way too fanon-brained/shipping inclined and I personally, can't stand when she interjects without being asked for an answer (though correcting lore is a different case and pretty much always appreciated))

I can deal with a little amount of what if the world was pudding type questions, but ultimately yeah, it does come across as "so what if we got a different story than the one you chose to give us?" there are cases when yeah maybe it wasn't as conscious as a decision or another factor where yeah, I would like to know the alternative, but i agree with ya there.

I will also say that yes, I do think the shape of the questions selected is in part to match the more laid back and goofy vibes of 4sd, the evergreen questions and such really are not a good choice and absolutely there wa sso much going on during this campaign that reaaaallly broke up the momentum (momentum which still managed to feel oppressive), but i would say I do also think an amount of it is just how modern fandom is, to sound like an old guy yelling at a cloud. so many things come into play here, parasocial stuff, attention spans, isolation and selfishness, populatiry contests within fandoms and how that births popular works/notions from fanon being perceived as canon law, etc etc.

as I keep saying, I want people to make, I want people to have fun, but it's a yeowch from me when that feeds back into the source material, or at least spin offs of it. I do think it is a case of both parties being somewhat guilty, ask baby questions get baby answers, if people engage with fanservice and it gets views then they're gonna cater to that because they need eyes on them to exist as a company. I'm really not the person to be doing the write ups about this, but i do think it's important to share my opinions on my most beloved piece of media, in some ways especially because I create so much "content" for it.

I've pretty much always felt like an outsider within fandom space, and whether that's because of what I want out of it, what I want to see for my favourite characters, or my behaviour, or my work - I don't know, but i do know that for years of watching this show I kept well away from the fandom space or even sharing my drawings caus I didn't want it to hinder my experience and enjoyment of watching, and when the stuff I've been trying to avoid is seeping it's way into the actual shows then yeah, it is something I wanna speak out on.

[maiko-san]

TRUE DECEPTION (1/?)

[Prologue]

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Synopsis : You were created not by Primus but by Unicron himself. You were forged with rumours as your weapon, you don’t need brute strength or otherworldly power to make everyone tremble in fear. Your whispers of lies alone can bring down the greatest of might.

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Chapter 1 : A Fallen Star That Screams

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A faint sound.

SNAP.

One of the chains—shatters.

That snaps— it stirs you awake from your deep slumber.

Oh? What is this? Are the shackles....breaking? Who might that be? You couldn't help but squeal in delight. The shackle formed by Prima has shattered? Oh, the mighty have fallen~

SNAP. SNAP. SNAP!

One by one, they all snap and shatter like glass. All Thirteen of them. They are falling down like dominos, all at the same time.

Then, you see it— a vision. Megatronus Prime, tearing down his fellow brothers and sister with his blades coated in their energon.

Oh, Unicorn. They didn't invite you to the party? Rude. -sigh- What a bummer, you missed a good drama. Oh well—

But there is one problem. The Matrix. It activates itself the moment the shackles are broken and making sure that you don't escape your prison.

That pure light is so blinding and it makes you sick to the core.

It seems you have to wait until the right time comes.

---

After eons of waiting. Something interesting happens.

The Matrix of Leadership. It trembles.

Hm? Is something happening?

Oh, oh my~

Is Cybertron....dying?

Beyond your realm, you see it. War.

A war between two factions with different ideals. Both are fighting to rule, for what it's right in their minds. Cybertron. A planet, once vibrant with life and unity, torn asunder by war. The stream of energon that flows throughout Cybertron— it stopped.

Then, you hear it.

The heartbeat. The planet's core.

It's dying.

You couldn't help but giggle at the sound of it. A sinister yet gleeful grin etches its way on your lips. It seems your Master's plan is working its magic~ hah!

"Hehehe~ it seems I don't have to do anything at all. Primus's own creations are turning against him!"

All of a sudden.

The Matrix's light— It begins flickering, unsure, unstable. Its guiding light trembles by everything around it. Too many destruction, too much death. And its light dimming, it let out quiet whimpers like a star collapsing into itself— yet it still trying to remain strong to keep you at bay.

Ah, yes— yes! This is it! This is your moment! The moment the light went dim just for a second— you escaped.

You are free!

You're finally free...At last.

Wait—a minute! You can't let Primus's children steal the spotlight from you. They're tearing each others apart like animals! That's not a show— no, no, no!

You have to keep the readers entertained! Or they will leave out of boredom. You can't have that happening!

You have to set a stage!

But before that.

You need someone as the main character of your theater.

You need a main character.

A star.

What is a show without the star?

.

.

.

.

Who to choose?

That is the first question.

You drift through the void like a forgotten breeze, brushing against sparks, sliding through servers, tickling the backs of minds too numb to notice. So many souls. So many stories.

But you… you are searching for the right one.

Someone with a crack already in their armor. Someone raw. Bitter. Desperate. Loud. Ambitious.

And then—ah. You hear it. A voice.

High. Piercing. Frustrated. Arrogant.

“I was meant to lead!” it screams.

There he is.

A brilliant thing once, all sleek wings and sharpened ambition. The Seeker. The traitor. The fool.

Starscream

A fitting name for someone who shines so bright yet never escapes the pull of gravity. A star that screams as it falls, always reaching for the sky even as it burns.

He once followed Megatron with adoration, didn’t he? Like a spark-starved protoform desperate for purpose. But now? Now he spits that name like acid. The Decepticons mock him. The Autobots laugh at him. Even the universe itself seems to hold its breath when he speaks—only to exhale in disappointment.

You watch him from the shadows of his mind, coiled like a serpent around a flickering flame.

He sulks.

He schemes.

He monologues to empty hangars and shattered windows.

Oh, he's perfect.

And so, you whisper.

Soft. Silken. Dripping with sweetness and secrets.

“Poor little star… so bright, yet so alone. No one is there for him, not even the universe itself”

His helm twitches. He brushes it off.

“They don’t understand you, do they? All that brilliance. All that potential… wasted.”

He grits his denta and snarls at nothing.

“You could lead them all, if they only listened.”

He spins, blasters drawn, but no one’s there.

“You were born to rule, Starscream.”

A pause.

Just a flicker of silence. That’s all it takes.

You can feel his doubt twitching like a caught wire.

“Who are you?” he hisses to the empty air.

“SHOW YOURSELF, COWARD!”

“Oh, I’m no coward,” you croon, your voice echoing from the shadows like a song. “I’ve seen tyrants rise. Watched empires fall. But you… you’re something special, aren’t you?”

He scoffs. “I don’t make deals with ghosts.”

“No… but you do talk to them, apparently.”

He hurls a blast of null rays at the darkness. You dodge effortlessly.

“I’m not offering chains. I’m offering freedom. Influence. Power. The kind even Megatron couldn't dream of.”

He glares at the empty room, spark pulsing hot with suspicion.

“No,” he spits. “I don’t need you. I don’t need anyone.” he hiss.

“Mmm,” you hum, delighted. “Pride. My favorite flavor.”

You retreat—for now.

But you could see the way his optics flickers by your words. Ah, it seems a seed has been planted. A little idea blooming in the soil of his ego, created by your words.

He won’t accept you.

Not yet.

But you'll be there, nurturing that seed with your potent venom until it blooms into something beautiful—

No, something dangerous.

Something sinister.

.

.

.

.

[ End ]

[physalian]

Juggling Multiple POVS (Writing Like A Movie)

At one point in a WIP, I had one character being held captive, two characters on a quest to bust them out, two characters racing to join the jailbreakers, four with no idea any of this is going on because they think they’re all dead, and then of those four, two split off on a side quest, and the remaining two also split off on various other tasks.

If you’re keeping track, that meant I had a book rotating between 6 different subplots and about 9 POVS at the absolute worst, and then about 4 subplots once characters finally reunited with each other.

It was… a lot.

Now this was never published so I don’t know how well it would have been received but it was a sequel and its predecessors received good feedback so I think I know what I’m doing.

—

When you’re committing to a book with Multiple POV, you’ve generally got two roads you can go down: predetermined narrators or ~cinematic~.

You can select a set number of characters to narrate regardless of how many exist in your ensemble cast, and no matter how many split off on their own subplots, those predetermined narrators will be keeping up with the story. These types of books tend to have shorter chapters and single narrators for chunks of chapters at a time with no cutting in between and fairly long breaks in between a character’s chunks of POV. Or, they have entire sections of book dedicated to them with clear markers between POVS.

The easy example here is Heroes of Olympus that I believe had up to 4 narrators per book despite a main cast of about 8 characters depending on the book. The first two were 3-POV, for each of the 3 questers, and then once the whole party was together the POVS were determined by who split off into which groups. Rather infamously, in my opinion, the last book of the series did not give a POV to the two legacy characters and the former protagonist of the first series, which was… a choice. I think the point was that Riordan gave them their spotlight in book 4 and was passing the torch to the new batch for book 5, but for many of us, who had no idea we’d never get a POV of these two again, it was mighty disappointing.

These books also had no chapter titles and instead had banner-style chapters where you had NICO or PIPER in massive banners over the start of each chapter, which was also a choice as going without chapter titles (or even numbers, they’re in roman numerals) makes it a lot harder to search things up in books 500+ pages long.

Who narrates when is less determined by who the most important character of the chapter is, for the most part. It might be Hazel’s moment, but she’s not a narrator of this book, so it’s in Piper POV (or Nico’s forced coming out moment in Jason POV which I will never forgive Riordan for). It’s just a dice roll of whoever it lands on which can lead to some moments, like the Nico incident, that really should have been in Nico POV, but the structure of the story demanded otherwise.

I don’t really love this style of multiple POV. Personally, I think it’s rather inflexible and doesn’t take full advantage of what MPOV can do. But that’s personal opinion so here’s some strengths:

It doesn’t jump around as much and with a minimal set of narrators, it’s more streamlined. You know what to expect going in with no surprises

It forces the author to get creative within the bounds of the POV they’re stuck in

The extra time with a single narrator can be a solid guide rail through a complicated plot piece

—

Or, you can write a more ~cinematic~ MPOV. I don’t know the proper term for this, if it exists, but this style of MPOV is when you basically free-for-all. Anyone can narrate whenever the scene demands and this either grants you a book with short chapters, but one narrator per short chapter, or multiple narrators within a single chapter, as you’d film a movie or an episode of TV with multiple perspectives per set piece.

This isn’t a random grab-bag of narrators. It demands a lot of restraint. This kind of MPOV is entirely based on who is the most important character of the scene, or who’s POV would be the most interesting to view the scene through.

ENNS is written in cinematic MPOV, with a far smaller rotating cast than the WIP I mentioned at the top of this post. It starts out slow with the protagonist for the first two chapters as the only narrator, then mid-chapter 3, I give a cue that he’s going to be unable to narrate the next bit, and I switch to my deuteragonist. I don’t give banner headings. I don’t give my characters entire chapters because the POV structure demands it. I just start whichever POV with the narrator’s name within the first 1-3 sentences. If that means one character has an entire chapter to themselves, then at this point in the story, their arc is the most important thing to be focusing on.

In the WIP at the top of the post, it was book 3 of a series which gave me some freedom. Namely that most of those 9 POVs were established characters you’d already be familiar with. I wasn’t throwing my audience into the deep end with 9 strangers and demanding they try to keep up with 6 subplots of equally confusing and unknown characters.

Cinematic MPOV should rely less on “who hasn’t narrated in a while let’s give it to them” and more “who would be the most interesting narrator for this moment”. You could have a villain POV, a one-off that might never narrate again, or a tertiary character who isn’t doing the most action in the scene, but has the richest commentary on what’s going on.

It does demand restraint. If anyone can pick up the narrator hat, then you could find yourself splitting off into unnecessary subplots. Not every piece of the story must be told and letting readers imagine what’s going on behind closed doors is sometimes better than detailing it all out. I could give a captive or missing character some POVS, or I could let the audience anxiously stew with the rest of the cast wondering if they’re even still alive.

In some books I’ve read, the deliberate choice to not let readers see into the mind of a character as they make important decisions, left on the outs with their friend or lover or relative, is maddeningly entertaining. They won’t explain themselves to the people who care about them, and they won’t explain themselves to the audience, either.

Or, you can let a side character have the spotlight for a scene or two as we see our favorites through their eyes, possibly in a way they’ve never been depicted before. A’s lover B might describe them as strong and brash. A’s old rival C might describe those same actions completely differently.

—

In terms of who narrates when, like the 9-POV monster I had going, I had key moments of every POV that had to hit the book's physical layout at specific times. Like episodes of TV, I needed certain scenes and moments and reveals to fit within specific chapters, not dangling off on either end.

I had to remember the time scale that all of this was happening on so every scene that was meant to happen simultaneously actually read like it was all going on at once. I had some chapters with the “A” group of narrators, then skipped them for a chapter for the “B” group of narrators for their scenes. Keeping the pacing as frenetic as it needed to be wasn’t easy, but if you can pull it off, I think it can be quite entertaining.

Some things to keep in mind with MPOV:

Don’t retread the same scenes or conversations. I read a fanfic a very long time ago that had I think 10 different takes on one character’s death with the dialogue copy-pasted over and over again and it was exhausting. If you want to have a character reflect on a previous scene, pull the specific lines as they remember them.

Unless messing up the timeline is the point of the story or you make it very clear that a scene happens before the present, don’t let POVs muck up the continuity. If plot happens on a Wednesday and the next scene is more important plot that happens that previous Tuesday, you might confuse your readers on when everything is meant to be happening.

Sometimes not knowing is better. Prequels tend to fail because whatever fans imagined happening is way better than what the writers explicitly show happening. Practice restraint.

Unless your story is paced very slowly, try not to have POVS butt up right against each other every time. In an action set piece, everything happens in sequence with zero black space between them. But a whole book with zero room to breathe can get tiring to read. Books with a single narrator have scene breaks and mini time skips, not every single part of your characters’ day has to be detailed.

If you don’t have banners, make it clear as quickly as possible who the new narrator is. Eventually, if your narration is distinct enough for each character, you can go a paragraph or two and your audience will know who it is anyway just based on how they think.

If these are all unknown characters, try to hop around minimally at first until you establish a clear protagonist, otherwise your readers might get lost on who the focus of the story is meant to be and lose which character is doing or thinking what.

*ETA: I forgot: typically with multiple narrators for a single “group”, like two characters stuck on a side quest together, I try to flip-flop their POVS. For example, if I have D and E with a whole chapter to themselves, the POV structure would go D E D E. To my eyes, it looks better, as they have equal share of the action. I try very hard to not let any one narrator have back-to-back POVS unless the narrative demands otherwise. But that’s just me.

—

This is personal opinion on what I think works. If you’re struggling on maintaining pacing or clarity with your ensemble cast, consider the above points. Hope this helps!

[creativecuquilu]

🎃Halloween Party 2k24 Day 21🎃 - Thriller! -

It is now time to dance. What’s a better track for Halloween than Michael Jackson’s Thriller? - says Quill, pulling out a DVD. - I am wearing his outfit, you know! Better said than done, let’s Thriller! And he inserts the DVD into the boombox. Instantly, he, Paldie, Clara, Fester, Cacofonix, Harry, Hammond, Peter, Wayne, Garth, Zack, Bill, Ted and Elvis begin all to wave their arms and legs, in sync, like the King of Pop’s horde of zombies in the videoclip.

Zaphod, Fred, George and Bran just listen because they are not allowed to dance. That’s unfair! - Zaphod growls. - It’s because I have three arms, isn’t it? Bran groans mournfully.

[ghostbc-headcanons]

GUIDE TO THE GHOULS: NAMES, ELEMENTS, VCs AND MORE

i've been meaning to make a post like this since the beginning of the blog but i put it off so long because i was terribly uncertain of myself lol.

but now that i am not, i am finally pushing myself to make this. it's also pertinent for this blog because a lot of the ghouls (particularly era I/II) are, like. completely disregarded, so i gotta make up my own shit for them.

DISCLAIMER: remember this is a headcanon blog and my portrayals of certain characters may not align with your view of them - i am trying my best! also, information is subject to change (a lot of them straight up don't have voice claims yet but i'm not worried about that).

SO. here is your guide to this blog's interpretation of the ghouls. let's get into it under the cut :)

FIRE GHOULS

ALPHA: Eras I-III, hot-headed, kind of an asshole. Voice claim: Cesare, Bigtop Burger

IFRIT: Era III, rambunctious, won't stop running around the Ministry. Voice claim: Jerma985

DEWDROP: Formerly a Water ghoul during Era III, was converted into a Fire ghoul by Era IV. Angry, short, slightly annoying. Voice claim: Dib Membrane, Invader Zim

WATER GHOULS

CAMBRIAN/"CHAIN": Era I, genuinely doesn't speak, but his gaze packs a punch. Voice claim: Uh. He doesn't talk.

LAGOON: Eras I-II, very brutal, very metal, only a little dumb. Voice claim: TBD...

MARSH: Era II, laidback, but cares about his job a lot. A walking contradiction. Voice claim: TBD...

DELTA: Era III, very sweet, constantly looking out for his bandmates. Had a brief stint taking Omega's place, though it didn't last long. Voice claim: TBD...

MIST: Era III, snarky, holds a lot of wit but has a sweet goofy side. Voice claim: Anya Jenkins, Buffy the Vampire Slayer

RAIN: Era IV-V, independent, reliable, presumed shy but he just doesn't talk unless he's got something important to say. Voice claim: Julian Bashir, Star Trek: DS9

QUINTESSENCE GHOULS

OMEGA: Eras I-III, the one literally everyone knows and loves. Sweetie-pie. Voice claim: Snufkin, Moomin Valley

AETHER: Eras III-V, a little self-centered but silly about it so it's okay. Generally also sweet. Voice claim: Dan Avidan

PHANTOM: Era V, clumsy, foolish, VERY self-centered but also still silly about it so he, too, gets a pass. Voice claim: Joxer the Mighty, Xena: Warrior Princess

AIR GHOULS

STRATOSPHERE/ZETA: Eras I-III, very stiff, very proper, does things his way or the highway. Voice claim: TBD...

AIR/"CHAIR": Era III, very enthusiastic! A peppy guy. Voice claim: TBD...

CIRRUS: Eras IV-V, a bit proper, but don't be fooled - she loves a good party. Voice claim: Princess Leia, Star Wars

CUMULUS: Eras IV-V, genuinely the nicest ghoul you will ever know. Mother of the group. Voice claim: Leela, Futurama

EARTH GHOULS

PANGEA: Eras I-II, very scary and also intimidating and he's scary and scary. and . Scary .. Voice claim: TBD...

PEBBLE: Eras II-III, a spitfire (as all short people are) who will kill you. Voice claim: Dan, Dan Vs.

DIATOMITE: Era III, unbothered king. Literally so nonchalant. Voice claim: TBD...

MOUNTAIN: Eras IV-V, very sweet, very tall, gentle giant. Voice claim: Rhys Darby

MULTI-ELEMENT GHOULS

SWISS: Eras IV-V, freak. Will not shut up. Ever. Fire/Air ghoul. Voice claim: Hunter, The Owl House

SUNSHINE: Era V, genuinely a bundle of sunshine, just like her name. Fire/Earth ghoul. Voice claim: Ruby Gloom, Ruby Gloom

AURORA: Era V, chaotic, dorky, tries to keep the group happy. Air/Quintessence ghoul. Voice claim: Penny, Bigtop Burger

OTHER GHOULS

SPECIAL: Spokesman for the band, secretly theorized to be Lucifer in disguise. Voice claim: Tobias Forge (duh?)

COWBELL: Silly guy. Played the cowbell once on stage. Technically an Earth ghoul. Voice claim: TBD...

[robthegoodfellow]

Make Me Feel Mighty Real 1/?

follow up to praise kink soft dom Steve uber sub Billy fic (also on Ao3) from last year's Kinktober event. the boys play around with total power exchange. tagging @gigacat and @makeadealwithdean because i remember you liking the original 💛

no porn yet. pre-porn.

Billy didn’t want him to ask how his last exams went. Didn’t want him to mention his classes at all—a complete erasure of the last few weeks of compulsive flash cards and study guides and late nights at the library. He’d been mumbling psych terminology in his sleep, tossing and turning, and gnawed on so many pencils his desk seemed occupied by a tiny beaver.

Over the past however long since Billy had become his… well, his—his good boy, his baby, his first thought on waking, his to have and to hold in a sense felt more deeply than tying the knot, in a sense that transcended all he’d ever known of how two people could be together and frankly still knocked him breathless when he thought about it too much—anyway, since all that began, Steve had come to view his life as though through this peculiar prism.

Certain facets were as they’d been before, like now: soldiering through the numbers at work, making nice with surrounding cubicles, acting the part of the straight-laced office drone, diligent and dull as dirt. He’d been voted Best Hair at the office Christmas party not just because his hair was objectively magnificent but also because that was all anyone knew about him. By design.

He did his work, got paid, and the moment he left the building, Office Steve shut off. Some people centered their lives around a vocation, and some joined the rat race, scrambling to pull even, pull ahead. Then there were people like his dad, where career success determined your entire worth—your net worth all that mattered.

Steve was none of those things. Swore to himself he never would be.

So Office Steve had already been separate from the rest, from the facets of himself he valued most: the person he was with friends, with family, with girlfriends. The person he was just hanging out at home.

And he’d been content with those facets for so long… until Billy. Until something about Billy turned the prism and a flash of light unveiled a side of himself he’d never known was there, alongside the others, patiently waiting for that beam of recognition at exactly the right angle.

Billy dropping to his knees, face angled up, lashes low, eyes locked where Steve’s cock strained the denim.

Standing there, towering like he’d never towered before—looming, imposing, imperative—Steve had never felt so firmly seated inside himself. In command.

It was hard to explain. He’d been puzzling it through for months, but all he knew was that, these days, with every step he took up the stairwell to their apartment, something in him shifted, bestowed this clarity of need and means, so by the time he reached their door, crossed the threshold, he practically thrummed with it.

That day, knowing what he might find upon entering, the thrum heightened to a subdermal buzz, so intense he had to pause on the Welcome mat, breathe deep and slow. In control.

Billy was inside, would have finished his last exam an hour ago. And last night, as they drifted to sleep, he’d mumbled what he wanted, what Steve had been probing him for—what he wanted to do, how he wanted to celebrate, once exams were over.

Could we do… you in charge?

Like that evening in late summer, he meant, when they’d toyed with total obedience, Steve at the reins of every decision, free to follow any whim—unless Billy signaled yellow, they’d decided. Yellow to slow down. Red to stop.

Me in charge tomorrow night? Steve asked, his blood already rushing at the thought, the memory.

Maybe. Billy had turned, nuzzled into Steve’s side, more snuggly under his arm. And maybe… try for longer? At Steve’s enquiring hum, a teasing lilt, he’d huffed, finally said it straight out: You in charge all day.

Steve hummed again, low rumble in the chest, and trailed fingers up Billy’s spine to hook in his necklace, twine the chain until it hugged his bobbing throat.

Saturday? Steve asked.

Depended on where his head was at, Billy said. If he was up for it, they could start early. Start Friday. And see how it went.

Baby’ll be honest?

Billy nodded—more accurately, rubbed his cheek at Steve’s ribs.

Baby’ll be where he wants? When I get home?

On his knees, if he wanted to start.

Billy nodded.

On the welcome mat, Steve exhaled once more. Unlocked the door.

Billy didn’t move from where he knelt on the floor, facing the couch, his shoulders at ease, hands on his thighs. He was in the same clothes from that morning—jeans and sweater. One of Steve’s.

The TV was on, volume low, a blurred murmur beyond the pulse pounding in his ears.

Steve closed the door behind him. Locked it.

“Look at me,” he said, and Billy did, turning his head, gaze skirting the floor to find Steve’s shoes. Watched as Steve toed off the shoes, as he approached, silent socks on the soft blue carpet.

Steve sank fingers into messy curls, angled the head to see Billy’s face. Thumb brushed beneath his eye, and though the lashes rose, the baby blues were soft and spacey.

“Color.”

Not a question. Billy blinked, slow to process. Steve stroked his hair.

“Green.” He said it quiet, on a breath.

Even unfocused, his boy had this ravenous quality, like his eyes, his ears, his every sense were sponges primed to soak it up, suck in Steve’s smile, the pleased curve, and Steve’s words, just as pleased, and soft.

“Good boy.”

Next

[undyingembers]

Ooh, could I get a kiss 48 for any of your OCs?

48. …out of habit.

Even years after Tristian agreed to stay on Golarion with Katala, he still finds it strange and unbalancing that he is mortal now. Before his fall from grace, he'd watch mortals in the routines, fascinated by their small lives and wondering how they can go every day doing the same things over and over. Of course, a deva didn't require sustenance the same way mortals did; the power of their gods kept them fed, clean, and refreshed.

One of the first things that Tristian was able to appreciate after joining Katala's party was how much work it took to just stay alive. An entire community just to grow, hunt, and prepare food, to find or build shelter, to clean the living spaces, and still find time for art and conversations and music. A deva only needed to worry about the duties bestowed to them by the gods and made music and art to inspire goodness and great deeds. Mortal life seemed so daunting when gazed at from afar, but after practice, most people just don't think about these things anymore.

Now, Tristian has spent fifteen years as a mortal man. He is married with two beautiful children. He is the prince consort who prefers to stand behind the shadow of the throne and guide the kingdom through advice and bureaucracy while his amazing wife stands at the helm. There is always something to do: proposals to review, staff to hire, petitions to hear, and construction to oversee. After all of this, he still finds time to spend with the children. And his home life is also its own set of habits and rituals. The castle has servants to take care of the cooking, cleaning, and maintenance, but Tristian still has to see to it that Iona and Pharosted are clothed and educated.

It is so easy to fall into these routines. Does his wings itch to return to the fray and perform great deeds and carry the mighty burdens his goddess once bestowed upon him? Perhaps. But he knows he also needed this humbling.

There is much that keeps Tristian going as time goes by and this body becomes harder and slower: the bustling of a happy city, the laughter of his children, the scents of the kingdom as he and Katala travel from town to town, pride in his children, and the sleepy dawns waking up beside his incredible queen. Waking up with a kiss, ending each conversation with a kiss, and parting and greeting with a kiss.

[critter-genfic-events]

Gen One Shot Recs!

There are times when you want to get sucked into a series, and then are times when you just want to read something in a single sitting. Check out eleven one shots underneath the cut - from all three of the main campaigns (and Calamity too). And if you like them, don't forget to comment and kudos!

It’s a Process by fraternite (1740,Teen) Warnings: Descriptions of injury Pairings: Caleb Widogast & The Mighty Nein

Caleb is injured after a battle, and healed, but magic can’t fix everything. The Nein help take care of him for the rest.

Reccer says: A really neat concept, I love a good exploration of the limits of healing magic. And the way each of the Nein show their care for Caleb is so sweet, excellent hurt/comfort

Deep dive by JungleJelly (11030,General) Warnings: None Pairings: Yussa Errenis & Essek Thelyss & Allura Vysoren & Caleb Widogast

A four wizards, one braincell Happy Fun Ball expedition

Reccer says: The dynamics are amazing, I love all of these idiots (and Allura)

Separate myself from me by wtgw (6399,Teen) Warnings: None Pairings: Fjord & Eadwulf Grieve

What’s a living magical weapon without a wielder? In the Blooming Grove, Eadwulf Grieve tries to come to terms with making his own choices after 17 years, and Fjord comes to recognize the uncomfortable similarities between them.

Reccer says: Eadwulf as a living weapon my beloved

More Than Glass by R_Black (2297,Teen) Warnings: Pairings:

During their first trip into the Happy Fun Ball, the Mighty Nein are trying to navigate around several rooms. When Fjord touches the weird red circle that leads to the Dragon room, Molly has a bit of a reaction.

Reccer says: It's a fun look into how Molly would have acted if he'd seen the tapestry window with the Cognouza button thing. It's really stuck with me.

path of the traveled sun by mousecookie (6008,General) Warnings: None Pairings: Essek Thelyss & Verin Thelyss

Post-canon, Verin comes to a party at Essek's invitation, curious and hoping to reconnect - and is completely unprepared for how much Essek has changed.

Reccer says: I love how much this feels like a real sibling dynamic, and the complicated feelings about having a brother that wasn't the best but has now become a better person

Syncopation by minutiae (790,General) Warnings: None Pairings: Ashton & Milo, Ashton & Dorian

After a hard battle, still bloody and bruised, Ashton heads back to the Krook house instead of staying at the Spire by Fire. Dorian follows.

Reccer says: Ashton singing in his own language, having a fun, quiet night with his friends.

Benediction by Sandtalon (4961,General) Warnings: None Pairings: Cerrit Agrupnin & Maya Agrupnin

Cerrit and Maya, after the events of Calamity

Reccer says: Exactly what I needed after Calamity - to me, this is canon

Ruidus is Flaring by minutiae (383,Teen) Warnings: Mentions of canon deaths Pairings:

"We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel, but Campaign 3

Reccer says: It's fun to sing

your heart taking root by Demenior (2732,General) Warnings: None Pairings: Fearne Calloway & Orym & Dorian Storm

Orym wakes in the night to clever fingers working the chain around his neck. “That’s from my husband,” he says without opening his eyes, “I’d like to keep it.”

Reccer says: I love this Fearne and Orym dynamic, and the love that's palpable between them

Learning to be lost by Strangestcrows (920,General) Warnings: None Pairings: Caduceus Clay & Eadwulf Grieve

After the battle with Trent at the Blooming Grove, Eadwulf is struggling. Caduceus is a guiding hand as he comes to terms with his relationship with the Raven Queen and what he's done.

Reccer says: I liked it

It Might Sting a Little by CurrieBelle (1957,General) Warnings: None Pairings:

Everyone in Vox Machina must have pierced ears so they can use the magic whisper earrings. Ergo, an ear piercing fic that turned into a Percy character study

Reccer says: I love this look at a Percy who is just starting to fit in with the rest of Vox Machina

This is one of our weekly communally-generated gen rec lists. Every week we announce a new theme and allow anyone to submit a fic recommendation. Please note that the summary and content notes are provided by the reccer, and may be different than what the author has provided. Please assume good intentions all around. <3

And hey, anyone includes you!

We'll be back in December by fics focusing on Imogen, and then character studies, and then fics focusing on Vax in the new year!

Any fics coming to mind? Well, then use this form to submit! If you're looking for some more, check out some fics written in the critter genfic bingo tag, or the older rec lists! Or you can request your own card and join in on the fun!