#Portabella Pirkko

[valiant-portabella-pirkko]

every now and then I just get myself thinking about the different mirror reflection moments between Flourish and Regrowth AU, and the layers they both add to each other through fresh context.

in both AUs, Pirkko sustains a severe facial injury during the battle for Orr-- in Flourish it's on the right, and in Regrowth, the left.

however, in Regrowth she adamantly refuses to leave the battlefield in spite of her wound because she knows that the Pact has no substitute for her; if she falls back, they all get overrun. she keeps fighting and fighting until no Risen remain, and by then... the damage can't be repaired even by their finest menders. she loses her left eye, which is later replaced with a mechanical prototype implant. to the casual observer it looks like some sort of high-tech monocle, but no. she was just lucky to have such gifted doctors at her side.

in Flourish, though? when Pirkko tries to insist that they need her there, that she can't afford to pull out-- Saoirse and Ceara take the lead, reminding her that she doesn't have to take it all on alone. they're a team, and they have her back-- no matter what. they promise to hold the front while she gets medical attention... so she does.

as a result, her wound is actually repaired in time by the menders, and she doesn't lose her eye-- though she does have some visible scarring around it. at first Pirkko's a bit insecure about how noticeable it is, but with time... she comes to wear the scar proudly.

that battle was the conflict that cemented their roles as a team.

and that scar is a reminder of it; a lasting symbol of their unity.

but when you add the two together, that's where you get the full story of what this event is all about; in Regrowth, Pirkko shoulders every burden, every conflict, every battle, no matter how badly it damages her in the process. she hides her pain and buries it deep; the world needs her more than she needs it, she reasons. just as the 'monocle' hides the far more severe injury she sustained, Pirkko keeps her true nature that much more hidden-- not because she's ashamed of it, but because she doesn't want anyone to worry. she's the hero who protects Tyria, not the other way around. she'll keep going and going and going until she breaks, because no one else can.

but in Flourish there are others who can. she isn't alone. she doesn't have to shoulder all these burdens and struggles entirely on her own. that's the way it was meant to be, but Regrowth Pirkko will never know this. she has no idea that she wasn't built to withstand this much pressure, and no understanding for how badly it's breaking her. Flourish Pirkko wears this scar as a symbol because she's not afraid of who she is, and she's not afraid of the world seeing her, either. she's proud to have faced this much adversity and made it through.

in Flourish it's the first step towards their cohesion as a team.

but in Regrowth it's her first step towards closing everyone out.

[rosewoodroad]

Art dump of rat college days (ft. @valiant-portabella-pirkko's Ruju to the right with the kitty nose 😻)

Smaller segments and tiny wysma lore below!

Wys is ~15 here, running on the assumption that Asuran college = highschool years (Taimi was 13ish when she began studying)

We don't get a lot of insight into college culture, but if it's full of teenagers, it's full of teenage drama. Wysma doesn't learn how to be assertive- or confident- until much later, so he gets pushed around a bit 😌

[brax-was-here]

Tagged by @herald-of-aurene

Challenge: make a poll with five of your all-time favourite characters, and then tag five people to do the same. See which character is everyone's favourite.

The first four were guaranteed, the fifth spot was a nightmare to choose. So many characters.

Tagging @legendaryskyscale, @valiant-portabella-pirkko, @a-blue-tree-man, @luckstergal, @just-eyris-things

[clemmykins]

tagged by @valiant-portabella-pirkko ! omg this is the first time i've gotten tagged in one of these, thank you! :o

last song I listened to:  'Pedro' by Jaxomy, Agatino Romero

favourite colour: literally CMY and K, as well as Barbie pink and teal, with some deep violets

currently watching: car detailing youtube tutorials

sweet/savoury/spicy?: I love sweet and savoury together!

relationship status: Taken! <333

last thing you googled: ‘ELVIS POWER ARMOR’

current obsession(s): Godzilla, Fallout (yet again), Pokemon, Guild Wars 2 (always), car detailing, Minecraft…

tagging: @ziinnias , @sand-through-glass , @roamwood , @liquidferret <333

[valiant-portabella-pirkko]

There was an awkward exchange between three sylvari at the far end of the table. One was ‘Portabella’ Pirkko herself, who promptly snatched a shot off the table and downed it before peering at her odd pair of companions expectantly. It was impossible to tell Saoirse’s expression for certain behind her magitech visor, but she seemed almost offended by the implication.

The last, however, just shrugged slightly. She, too, proved mostly unreadable underneath her hood, but one might catch the slightest glint of teeth from the eldest sylvari’s cool smile. She settled back into her seat with a hum.

“My cooking might not be fancy,” Saoirse stated firmly. “But I’m not that bad. I only set my enemies on fire. And sometimes houses with owners I don’t like.”

“It doesn’t count if you set your work on fire intentionally,” declared the mysterious figure with a flourish, “So I think I’m quite exempt from this one, dearie.” Pirkko was absolutely 100% certain that the question hadn’t specified intent, but didn’t feel like arguing the point. This particular ‘friend’ probably shouldn’t be trusted to consume mind-altering substances anyway.

Pirkko pinched the bridge of her nose. She might be the youngest one of the three, but apparently she’s also the only responsible adult............. Again.

“Disregarding the fact that one of you just confessed to arson in front of a former Pact official,” Pirkko sighed, “I’d better pick a question to keep things moving.”

“Oh please do,” chuckled the hooded sylvari with a clap. “But you’d better be careful. Pick something too juicy, and I just might have to add it to my blackmail stash. Not that I’d ever actually use it, of course; that’d violate the terms of my parole, just like everything else even moderately entertaining.” Pirkko pointedly ignored her.

“Alright, let’s see...” Pirkko pondered a moment before snapping her fingers in victory. “I’ve got it. Never have I ever gotten food poisoning.”

“That’s definitely cheating,” remarked Saoirse. “You drink omnonmberry juice every morning instead of coffee and forage rotten carcasses when you want a snack. Instead of making you sick, it somehow makes you even stronger. I’m not sure you even can get food poisoning.”

“The statement stands. Never have I ever gotten food poisoning.”

Open Character Game! (For GW2) Never Have I Ever Edition

Let's get some character interactions going between people! This could be a fun way to get to know other people's OC's by letting yours and theirs interact.

Please note - this will likely contain mature content so participate at your own discretion. If your answers will be mature please put them under a Read More! But otherwise go hog wild, I'm not going to make this be family friendly.

Rules:

-The post you reblog is the question one of your OC's has to answer, then that OC can come up with another question for the next person to answer.

I'll post a few questions at the end of this post for people to start from!

-If your character *has* done the prompt in question (ex: Valens has been caught singing in the shower using soap as a microphone) that character gets to either: down a shot of alcohol or do pushups.

-If your first character *has not* done the prompt in question the question may go to the others that you have chosen from your roster.

-Please limit yourself to only using 3 characters for this game! Many of us have a ton of OC's but to keep with the theme of getting to know a few better, pick up to 3 you'd like to have 'join' the game. Interactions between your own chosen characters is fine though! (ex: if Valens is doing pushups and Sigilis was chosen as another character, she would be giving Valens lots of flak about it)

There are no winners/losers, the only elimination is what you think is funny or in character for an OC being drunk or tired and unable to keep playing. Have fun with it this not a contest, it's a way to get to know others OC's and be silly.

Starting questions:

A) Never have I ever fallen asleep during a meeting or important gathering.

B) Never have I ever gotten blackout drunk in public.

C) Never have I ever laughed at the news of someones death.

[moth-tea-merchant]

footage from @valiant-portabella-pirkko post I cant add vids to a reblog so I'll upload it raw, anyways this cracked me up and I knew exactly what music needed to be added

[fireskarr]

Tag 9 people you’d like to get to know better!

Tagged by @purplehaired-revenant and i’m late i know

1. Three ships:

I don’t really do the shipping thing most of the time, but eh Sam/Jack (Stargate SG-1) Harrow/Gideon (The Locked Tomb series. I’m only about halfway through the first book but I feel this is gonna be a thing) Reiga/Tasia (GW2 ocs)

2. Last song:

Zombies Ate My Pirate Ship by Alestorm. So I recently learned that pirate metal is a thing? Also this band don’t take themselves too seriously and they’re kinda fun :D

3. Last movie:

I think it was Detective Pikachu? Or something else from around Christmas time

4. Currently reading:

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir. I saw someone describe it as ‘lesbian necromancers in space’ and I was intrigued. I easily get lost when a story has a lot of characters, but i’m into this one

5. Currently watching:

I like watching Twitch streams/vods of people playing GW2 for the first time

6. Currently consuming:

Cheesy pizza!

7. Currently craving:

Sleeeep (i’m always tired)

I tag: i’m pretty sure most people have already been tagged by this so feel free to ignore if you want @valiant-portabella-pirkko @brax-was-here @bookahlogy @eisbee & anyone else who wants to do this (i’m feeling lazy)

[hedjblogr]

spider-man meme goes here

feat the scarlets of @skeleshits and @valiant-portabella-pirkko

[valiant-portabella-pirkko]

I never talk about Commander Pirkko so y’know what. I think I’ll talk about Pirkko for once. She needs it she deserves it.

While the Commander has always been known for her bravery on the battlefield, only those that have fought alongside her know just how intense that loyalty gets. She never gives up, never backs down, never leaves a soldier behind-- no matter how impossible the odds. She’ll charge into an army of Risen all on her own if she has to, slicing through the horrors with a brutal ferocity that even gives her own comrades chills. Every time they see it, they thank whatever forces of nature they believe in that this monster is on their side.

But, while that recklessness usually has few consequences due to an unusually rapid healing rate and high tolerance for toxic substances, she certainly isn’t immortal. It doesn’t always end quite as well as she intends.

The result is that despite her drastically increased healing speed... Pirkko has sustained a fair number of injuries over the years, some more obvious than others. The most visible is the loss of one eye; Pact veterans still tell tales of the encounter, in which she still insisted on fighting on even after sustaining the wound. Pirkko refused to retreat until she was certain all of her remaining soldiers had made it back safely, no matter the cost to herself.

Her lost eye was replaced with an experimental mechanical implant, but it does mean she has significantly reduced peripheral vision on her left side and has to perform regular maintenance on the hardware to keep it in working order. She also keeps in contact with a medical engineer from the Pact, who helps with any adjustments she can’t do on her own. Occasionally she experiences phantom pains from it as well, particularly when there are environmental pressure fluctuations. Most aren’t really aware of that, though; she doesn’t talk about it, and they don’t ask.

EMPs and ley energy tend to interfere with it too, resulting in a wide array of malfunctions. In more extreme circumstances it may cease operations entirely.

Not everything about it is awful though; there are some unique features to the device, including enhanced focusing abilities, night vision, and an optional UI that displays useful information such as temperature and energy readings, status checks for her equipment, and remote interfacing technology. Some of it was the handiwork of her asura friend, and some of it was her own idea.

Pirkko’s other equipment has a particular source as well; her main armor was actually fashioned from repurposed Molten Alliance machinery mixed with her own personal tweaks, and includes their signature fire magic channeled through custom conduits to fuel her holosmith weapons. It’s a volatile mix, but extremely potent in a pinch-- and with her careful calibrations, it’s kept fairly under control. So long as she doesn’t let the holoforge overheat, that is...

Likewise, her rifle is exactly what it looks like, too. She took Scarlet’s Kiss from the Breachmaker after defeating its owner, but not for the reasons one would expect. Pirkko was all too aware of what was happening to her ex-nemesis, and took her weapon to finish what Scarlet had started. Maybe the crazed sylvari wouldn’t live to see her draconic tormentor fall with her own two eyes, but Pirkko would make sure her weapon helped bring it to an end. That goal, at least, was something the two engineers had in common.

Eventually a certain rather unexpected reunion would result in Scarlet learning what had become of her beloved boomstick, but by then... Circumstances between them were just a little bit different. And, in the end, she’d agree that it suited the Commander well.

... But that’s a story for another day.

[valiant-portabella-pirkko]

new computer new art program let’s go

[valiant-portabella-pirkko]

every time Peitha cracks another joke(?) about eating the Wayfinder, all I can imagine is Pirkko just asking, 100% deadpan, 'do you want to die?' to which Peitha responds, 'oooh, is that a threat?'

'no.' Pirkko promptly pulls out a ready-made instructional pamphlet on the amanita phalloides mushroom, hands it to her, and walks off to leave an extremely dumbfounded Kryptis in her wake. Peitha, meanwhile, is too incredulous to inform her that she does not have even the slightest clue how to read New Tyrian.

oh well. at least the depictions of Tyrian fungi are interesting. hey, those kinda look like the one on Pirkko's head... that's a coincidence, probably. and the skulls drawn all around it are a nice touch.

[dumb-dumb-mander]

@valiant-portabella-pirkko said :

Honestly, I feel that. After the initial ‘timeskip’ cutscene in-game I went and watched a full-length compilation of LW1 on youtube to properly catch up on the story and... Man. There’s a lot of important information that just wasn’t there. And even then, it’s just not the same as experiencing it. That said, the feel of LW1 is definitely a bit off at times, comparatively; if they bring it back in some form, I really hope they overhaul the writing using what they’ve learned since then.

Really need to change that divider

Oh I did it too watch this video for how much I was confuse !

But I have a problem with the narration of the game (I don't know why, maybe it's because I'm too used to the consoles' games narration?) and it's almost arrived to the end of the video that I realized I zooned out for almost all of it.

Even by playing the game I sometime get confuse and lost, so watching a video of 3h is even worse. Hell, I even managed to pass through story to have mounts without paying attention because "nha, i'm not into it yet, I focus on it later". So a 3h video of a narration I need to focus on? I tried, but no surprise I couldn't. But for what I catched, yes, there are a lot we missed, if this is only by the interaction between characters !

I think they could do it, the big change would be the old Lion's Arch, but they do have the old map somewhere since it's used in some Story Instance. Now if they do bring it back, I doubt they would change anything. They are some bugs, out of "bounds" possible in old map and everything and they don't do anything. Kinda.

But even if they don't change anything, I still would want to experience it, even if that's mean I would rant about how they wrote it xD

Just a lil' rant before I go to sleep (maybe I'll delete this post tomorrow)

But

I do understand the intention to had make Living World 1 accessible during the time it is happening and nothing more. A piece of Hystory of Tyria with a big H. I do understand that.

But when you're a player that arrive after this and didn't play LW1, it can be difficult to connect with the story after what you missed.

It's not like it was a character playing that part of the story and that's it. It was our Commander.

I have a problem to follow the Story (the problem is coming from me) and the resume that gave the game doesn't help me.

How can I care about that Scarlet that I never met? How can I care about that tiny asura who look close to that titty norn I never saw before or I forgot because not important before? What do you mean I'm not really Commander anymore what. Who are these 2 lovebirds who flirt in front of me, a stranger?

All that to say that I began LW2 and I have the sensation to arrive in the middle of a conversation between friends that I never met before and try to include me like if I always been there when I actually wasn't.

[valiant-portabella-pirkko]

Attended Tyria Pride from the start through Snowden Drifts, so here’s some shots of the walk-- featuring Portabella Pirkko(and sometimes a jar of bees)! I didn’t catch names, so let me know if you spot your character in any of these.

Happy Pride!

[brax-was-here]

Got tagged by @legendaryskyscale. Thank you for tagging me.

last song I listened to: Drift Away by Uncle Cracka.

favourite colour: Blues, esp hues like royal blue.

currently watching: Fallout

sweet/savoury/spicy?: sweet

relationship status: have a girlfriend

last thing you googled: Aurora Borealis

current obsession(s): My Scarlet Briar AU, installing new closet doors in the master bedroom of my house, playing GW2, toy collecting (Star Wars Vintage Collection, Marvel Legends, GI Joe: Classified, Transformers Legacy/Studio Series), making sure the squirrels that live in the trees in my yard are properly fed.

Again, thank you for tagging me. It's very rare that it happens.

Tagging @just-eyris-things. @valiant-portabella-pirkko, @inkberrry, @idrawtoomuch-gw2, @a-blue-tree-man, @legavo

[valiant-portabella-pirkko]

Timey’s Great Big Pinned Post of Everything

[   she/her | writer/artist | 29 | IGN (NA) Timey.6853  ]

just another friendly local aro-ace salad enthusiast

Hi yes hello, welcome to Timey’s Guild Wars 2 blog where I post about Guild Wars 2 and basically nothing else. Expect a lot of salads, a lot of Living World 1, and especially a lot of Scarlet Briar. Sometimes I draw or write things, too. Mostly I just yell my meta commentary of questionable sanity into the void, though. Y’know how it is. Scarlet stole my last remaining brain cell and adamantly refuses to give it back.

I’m always happy to chatter with folks! Feel free to drop by anytime; I can be a little slow to respond at times, but I really love exchanging theories and ideas and hearing about obscure or interesting details people have found! Give me ALL of the lore. Tell me about your favorite characters. Ramble about OCs. For real, I love to hear all the things okay; don’t worry about being mutuals, either!

DISCLAIMER: This isn’t a place for bigotry, drama, or rudeness though; nobody’s got time for that. Terfs, racists, ableists, and all such things get blocked on sight out here. Hate of any form will never be welcome, period.

With that out of the way, I’ll include some helpful navigation links and summaries of my various AU projects below the cut! Feel free to take a peek if you want. I’ll gradually add more stuff over time, too.

The Handy Dandy List of Links

My Posts

Reblogs

My Art

My Fics

Regrowth AU

Portabella Pirkko - Tag

Harbinger Saoirse - Tag

“Lost But Not Forgotten”

“A Garden of Memories”

Flourish AU

Ceara the Defiant - Tag

Dragonheart Pirkko - Tag

Saoirse the Flame - Tag

Pact Admiral Mai Trin - Tag

Tideturners AU

The Sidewinder - Page | Tag

Grand High Sovereign Ruju - Tag

       1: “Red Alert”

Timey’s AU Collection, in Summary

Regrowth AU: What Would You Do For a Second Chance?

Even Elder Dragons have limits. And as it happens, a being whose power relies on life has no hold on the realm of the dead. In the Domain of the Lost, a spirit awakens for the first time in many years. For a time, she spends her penance leading those that her actions sent to their graves too early-- but that would never be enough to satisfy Scarlet Briar. It’s too slow. Too tedious... Too boring. And she isn’t prepared to spend all of eternity tending to spirits who hate her for choices she never would have made of her own volition.

So when a stranger reaches through the Mists seeking her guidance and her power in a new alliance, Scarlet accepts-- and finds her spirit anchored to a rather unconventional ex-mordrem revenant. But the world has changed a great deal in her absence, and thanks to their new goal... It’s about to change a whole lot more. They’re both going to make quite sure of that.

Tyria isn’t the only thing that’s going to change, though. Ceara hasn’t been herself in a long, long time... And now, without the dragon’s influence crushing her sense of self, she’s finally free to rediscover the person she should have been. Maybe there’s still time to reclaim her legacy after all.

If she can avoid almost destroying the world (again), that is...

Flourish AU: What If One Choice Could Change the World?

Sometimes all it takes is a few words in the right place at the right time... A moment of solidarity that by all rights, never should have happened. But the Dream works in mysterious ways, and as echoes rippled across the Mists from distant worlds, it learned of a different future and an unexpected outcome. All it took was a single, subtle nudge to set the ball rolling, and so it did.

On that fateful day in the Grove, Caithe never would have thought to ask the inquisitive sylvari what she was working on. But, just this once, the Dream did.

Curiosity was repaid in kind. A repaired healing device was left in the infirmary, its Secondborn donator unspoken but well-known. Beginning to recognize the value of Ceara’s peculiar research, others began to quietly peek at the budding scientist as she worked. And while she might never have been a social butterfly, the acceptance warmed her heart of ice into something far softer. She didn’t have to choose between her dream and the Dream. And even if she left the Grove far behind... Perhaps she didn’t have to cut it off entirely.

And that was all she’d ever truly needed; the opportunity of choice.

Ceara never left the Dream, not entirely. She listened to its advice, following when it suited her and forging a unique path all her own. She became not an engineer, but a thief, following in the footsteps of her new mentor. When Saoirse needed her advice, she was still in the Grove to provide it. The world changed, slowly but surely, one altered life at a time.

The Dream’s grand design came to pass. Three champions would rise like stars, facing the dragons together. Heart, Mind, and Soul... Pirkko, Ceara, and Saoirse, from the Priory, Whispers, and Vigil. A bold new future awaited-- a future where the horrors of Scarlet’s Alliance would never be known, for there had never even been a Scarlet Briar to lead it.

But the greater their success, the lusher their world...

And the higher the flames would burn when it all ignited.

Tideturners AU: What Happens When There is No Hero?

Mai Trin wasn’t born to be a hero. That was supposed to be Ruju’s job. He was the one who would become the Commander, leading unlikely alliances to victory time and time again to save his world from the draconic plight. He was strong, and relentless, and brave, and intelligent. He was always meant to be a leader.

But his heart was just as cold and dead as the biomechanical minions he commanded in battle, and the future he would create was not a kind one.

He was invited aboard Scarlet’s Alliance, but this would prove a deadly error; Commander Ruju made no differentiation between a willing dragon minion and a rebelling one. Scarlet Briar was claimed by his blade in the dead of night, and the rest were left with a brutal choice: fall in line, or share her fate. Mai, realizing this was no longer the alliance she had once believed in, took her Aetherblades and fled into the Mists.

But the Grand High Sovereign’s rampage did not end. He blazed a devastating trail of bloodshed across the Tyrian continent, wiping away all that dared stand in his path. With every fallen foe, his army only continued to grow. Dragons were crushed by brute force, and magic poured into the increasingly unstable fabric of reality. With every passing day there was less left to save.

Mai Trin wasn’t born to be a hero. She never would have chosen that role for herself-- and whether that was what she became would be debated by many. But she was meant to be a leader, and if Ruju would not be the one her Tyria needed, she was the only one left who could. Alliances were forged, civilians were evacuated, and a mask was donned; she was no longer Mai Trin. She was the Sidewinder, and their hidden Turnabout deep in the Mists would offer a second chance to those who had nowhere else left to go. As the years passed, it became the stuff of legend, a tale of hope and renewal even in the face of impossible odds.

Their world is long-gone now, nothing but haunted memories in the minds of those precious few who escaped alive. But the Tideturners remain, one last refuge against a Commander who decided the world wasn’t worth saving. He won’t save them, so they’ll save themselves instead.

“We're the Tideturners, and we won’t be washed away.”

[valiant-portabella-pirkko]

character pics below the cut!

Harbinger Saoirse - Portabella Pirkko - Dragonheart Pirkko

Saoirse the Flame - Ceara the Defiant - High Sovereign Ruju

Ruju the Spitfire - Explorer Sylffa - Dreamer Seren

Frida Banes