#Quest for Justice and Peace ( IC )

[m-neuvillette]

5.3 ARCHON QUEST SPOILERS

Don’t read under the cut if you haven’t done the new archon quest!!

I literally can’t stop crying. The entire last part with Capitano the tears kept pouring down my face. Yes I’m happy he got what he’s been longing for (his whole speech about being affected hurt) BUT IM SO SAD!!! 😭 (I did it last night and after sleeping I’m still sad)

But him getting praised as a hero LITERALLY MAKES ME SO HAPPY BUT CRY EVEN MORE. (The fatui at memorial and Ororon always talking about him with admiration AND how Capitano went to Ororon to help him find everyone🥹)

I also still have hope he’s going to be playable someday. Since they didn’t kill him, I feel like it’s going to come up when Xbalanque comes in and gets introduced. Because in all logic and honesty there’s still gotta be something coming up in the future where he is still needed since again they didn’t kill him. I also feel like when we met Guthred in the night kingdom and when he attacked with a big ice attack, that can be used or be similar for Capitano.

I am happy Capitano got his goal achieved and helped all the souls he wanted (also the part of his face we saw WAS BEAUTIFUL, the clip moved too fast for me to take a screenshot but Ik I’ll be getting edits and pictures on my feed so I’m not too worried) his heart was literally souls he wanted to save, he is so selfless.

Capitano is the definition of a honorable and respectful man. Like him asking the Tsaritsa to let him not collect the gnosis because it didn’t fit with his ideals and sense of justice??? HES SO PERFECT I CANT-

ALSO him going off about how he basically found a loop hole in the system with his immortality. Then telling Mauvika she deserves to live in the peaceful world she created and her saying she lost “this battle”

I love you Capitano and I can’t wait till you’re playable. Thank you for being the best part of Natlan for me🩵

Feel free to talk to me about him🫶🏼

[ecoterrorist-katara]

Hey bestie any zutara fic recs. I feel like I’ve read all the classics.

Hello anon! Oh boy have you come to the right place because I have read several million words of these two dorks falling in love and though I plan to read several million more, I am always down to screech about talented fanfic writers!!! Here are most of my faves, some of which you’ve probably read but my enthusiasm simply needs an outlet. No WIPs to minimize heartbreak.

In the spirit of not recommending too many classics, I’m not including anything from the first page of the Katara/Zuko tag on AO3 sorted by kudos, with one exception. Same rule does not apply to FF.net because nobody visits that site anymore, yet we mustn’t forget our roots!!! 

TL;DR of my Zutara Fic Recs: 

Half Asleep for a Miyazaki-esque adventure romance 

Southern Lights for a sweeping epic where A Song of Ice and Fire meets Middlemarch

Refraction for a swoon-worthy post-war political romance ft. Katara learning how to politick in a patriarchal world 

Stormbenders for a fun undercover romance that is a ZK classic for a very good reason 

Another Word for Alchemy and The Slow Path for hilarious yet emotionally compelling adventures with found family themes 

The Undying Fire for world-building, more Gaang shenanigans, and super satisfying slow canon divergence 

Katara Alone for our fave girl’s post-war Bildungsroman/travelogue/heroic tour

Simple Misunderstanding for a hilarious rendition of Ponytail Zuko capturing Katara and trying to not be a creep

Clothe Me in Seasons, Dress Me in Snow for a mostly canon-compliant (so, v angsty) story about the different ways that love can evolve 

And some one-shots and modern AUs I feel like deserve some more love 

Summaries, reviews, and general fangirling under the cut because holy shit this post is long lmao 

Long fics / series: 

Half Asleep, by crushinator | Rating: T | Word Count: 82,335

Summary: Five years after the Hundred-Year War, Fire Lord Zuko is hit with an assassin's dart, and falls into a coma from which he cannot wake. A week passes, and his prognosis is grim. But Katara could swear she hears him in her dreams.

My thoughts: this fic, in many ways, is novel quality. The pacing? Immaculate. The action scenes? Exciting and interesting yet super easy to visualize. The characterization? On point. Katara is peak Miyazaki heroine in this, setting out on a quest to the Spirit World to save her boy (who’s not really her boy) from whichever Eldritch horror has him in its clutches. I love the little glimpses we have of the mutual pining between Katara and Zuko, and there are no words to describe how much I love the resolution of Katara and Aang’s relationship in this story. And oh boy, is the climax of the fic super romantic. This is just a really well written, emotionally compelling, tight fic. Deserves to be a fandom classic. 

Southern Lights, by colourwhirled | Rating: M | Word Count: 769,274

Summary: A world where the Avatar has disappeared from memory. Where Sozin’s Conquest was successful. Where the unsteady order of the empire is threatened as members of the royal family are picked off one by one and lines are slowly drawn in the sand One last chance for peace forces an unlikely alliance between a homesick waterbender, a carefree Air Nomad, a runaway Earth Kingdom heiress, and the fire lord's inscrutable son. Together they must learn to shed old enmities and become the balance they seek to restore to the world.

OR:

The avatar has four heads.

My thoughts: Is it a Bildungsroman? Is it a war story? Is it a politics story? Is it a love story? Is it a friendship story? Is it a story about colonial violence and well-meaning complicity and finding justice in a world where it simply doesn’t seem to exist? Yes to all of the above, because at 700k+ words YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL. You know how Virginia Woolf once said that Middlemarch is one of the few novels written for grownups? Well, Southern Lights feels adult, not because of violence or sex or general grimness (looking at you, HBO), but because it’s fundamentally about having the courage to make choices, live with the consequences, and make more choices, and repeat that over and over again. If Katara is a Miyazaki heroine in Half Asleep, she is full on Daenarys (pre-character assassination) in Southern Lights, a heroine who gets put through her paces yet retains her unwavering resilience to find her place in the world. Katara can be pretty frustrating in this and I know a lot of the commenters on this fic wanted to smack her up the head halfway through, but I support women’s rights and women’s wrongs and her decisions make sense to me even when I also want to smack her for them, and isn’t that a symptom of good writing? I count my lucky stars that I joined the ATLA fandom after this fic is finished (which was only last year!) because I got to binge it in a few days and I have not been the same person since. Deserves classic status. 

Refraction, by caroe3725 | Rating: E | Word Count: 215,249

Summary: Making choices after the war was supposed to be the easy part. Her future decided and neatly packaged based on what everyone else wanted for her, what she should want, too. But Katara’s destiny had a funny way of being exactly what she wanted to run from. (As if anyone needed another Zutara post-finale slow burn after 15 years.)

My thoughts: YES WE DEFINITELY NEEDED ANOTHER POST-WAR ZK SLOWBURN OF SUCH IMMACULATE QUALITY. Both Katara and Zuko’s internal monologues are excellent in this, but I particularly love Zuko’s. The writer is so good at capturing his resolve, his earnestness, and his awkwardness. This is a very restrained fic — no great histrionics — but also incredibly romantic. The first kiss scene made me want to both sigh and screech. I’m also just a huge sucker for “Katara learns politics” which this fic has in spades, with a bonus of very thoughtful gender dynamics. Anyway, if you liked AJ Lenoire’s The Summit or andromeda13’s such selfish prayers, you’d probably like Refraction. Zuko and Katara are very much dumb teens in the beginning portions of this fic, which I personally like because it makes me nostalgic. Oh, and Katara is low key chaotic good in this, which is super in-character and hilarious.

Stormbenders, by Fandomme | Rating: T | Word Count: 171,000+ 

Summary: S3 AU from FBM. Deep in the Fire Nation jungle, the Gaang meets a group of rogue water ninja who send Zuko and Katara on a mission to retrieve Ozai's secret battle plans.

My thoughts: I’m aware that if you asked the average ZK shipper ten years ago what the ship classics are, the answers are probably Stormbenders, His Majesty Prefers Blue, and the Sparrowkeet series. The other classics are good (classics for a reason!), but Stormbenders remains my favourite. It’s funny. It’s exciting. It’s WELL PACED. The ZK relationship grows so organically, which is a huge feat considering this fic was started before we even got The Southern Raiders. The events are a little more adult than the show, but the tone remains very ATLA. There’s a lovely little animatic of the beginning of the scene on YouTube to show you exactly what I mean about the tone and the humour. I am always weak for a well-structured adventure romance, and Stormbenders stands the test of time because it’s just such a well-written fic. 

The Undying Fire, by Boogum | Rating: T | Word Count: 534,665

Summary: "He has the eyes, Princess Ursa." They were half-forgotten words, a whisper of fears never explained. Zuko had dismissed it all as nothing to worry about—until he somehow healed the Avatar. Fire healers weren't meant to exist, except he did. He'd saved the kid's life. Naturally, he wanted answers. Too bad finding them wasn't so simple...

My thoughts: This fic is mostly Gen, and Zutara shows up in the latter half of the series. Despite being a ZK shipper I like plenty of Gen fics too, and The Undying Fire gives me the best of both worlds. I love the world building, the humour, and the slow ramp up of the Gaang friendships. I absolutely love how the canon divergence is so subtle at first and gradually unfurls into something super different, yet retains much of its ATLA charm. Boogum’s written some other bangers too, and I have to give honorable mention to Zuko’s Tiny Dilemma (where a spirit transforms ponytail Zuko into his six-year-old self, and Uncle into a teapot, and somehow it becomes an emotionally compelling 100k word saga) and Following Blue (season 2 canon divergent Bluetara with a bigger focus on romance). 

Katara Alone & associated fics by cablesscutie | Rating: T | Word Count: 86,890

Summary: The war is over, and with it goes the only life she has ever known. In this era of love and peace, the world is becoming new, and Katara is unsure of her place in it. That's okay though. Katara has rebuilt her life from scratch before, and she will do it again.

My thoughts: I love post-war “Katara sets out to find herself and also finds Zuko” fics. Katara Alone is a fabulous coming-of-age story with some good old fashioned letter flirting during Katara’s solo travels. The sequel, Lady of the Tides, has some very thoughtful depictions of Katara’s place within the post-war Fire Nation, and the accompanying story from Zuko’s POV, The Fire Lord at Home, hits all my buttons. Like…Zuko is Fire Lord Good Boy! He passes legislation! There is political optimism! Swoon. 

Another Word for Alchemy, by FanPanda 13 | Rating: T | Word Count: 108,000+ 

Summary: Five years have passed since the Avatar defeated Fire Lord Ozai, and the members of the Gaang have all gone in their own direction. But when Aang invites them all to a Peace Summit at the North Pole and tells them of his new project, for which he will need their support, the group comes together again for adventure, fun and romance. AU. Zutara. COMPLETE.

My thoughts: Now this is a fic that thoroughly crept up on me. The first 3/4 is good old fashioned fluffy, funny, fourth wall-breaking Gaang shenanigans with plenty of Zutara. But the last quarter? Oh boy does it come right at you and slam you in the solar plexus with the platonic love and found family feels and the complexities of those feelings when you’re a teenager. The impact of Aang’s loss of the Air Nomads is treated very thoughtfully here, way more so than in the show. 

The Slow Path, by TazmainianDevil | Rating: T | Word Count: 125,723 

Summary: Eight years after the fall of Ozai, Aang returns to the friends he left behind.

My thoughts: This is actually a Taang story with a great ZK subplot. But what I love about it is that the whole Gaang (including Suki ALWAYS INCLUDING SUKI) is superbly characterized. The ZK banter is top notch. I could actually hear their voices in my head in some of the scenes. Their relationship is playful but has plenty of emotional heft. And the plot is exciting and well-developed. My favourite thing, though, is how the author treats Toph’s POV: it’s very thoughtfully written, with consideration towards how she perceives the world.

Simple Misunderstanding, by ShamelessLiar | Rating: T | Word Count: 80,965 

Summary: Katara was captured by Zuko, but there was a lapse in communication. Takes place after The Fortuneteller. Fierce Katara, honorable Zuko, and meddlesome Iroh. Also, music night

My thoughts: Generally I don’t love fics where Katara gets captured, especially by Zuko (just a personal preference, not here to judge). But! I love this one, because…well, the circumstances of Katara’s capture by Ponytail Zuko are simply hilarious. Katara is suspicious and stubborn; Zuko has a one-track mind and doesn’t understand why Iroh is treating his prisoner so nicely; oh, and Aang gets into an amazing side quest with some spiritual animals. The only thing about this story is that it ends a little abruptly since the author was considering a sequel, but it still reads as a standalone fic. The author also wrote His Majesty Prefers Blue and Call Me Katto, two ZK classics, but Simple Misunderstanding is far and away my favourite work. 

Clothe Me in Seasons, Dress Me in Snow, by sadladybug | Rating: T | Word Count: 62,026

Summary: It is not the memorial she deserves, nor the one she would want. But it can't be helped. He owns no property in the other nations, and he needed to keep her close. Closer than she was in life, anyway. Zuko's reflections on a life lived and a life that could have been.

Review: sadladybug lives up to the username by creating a sadness so contagious that I have yet to recover from it, and I cope by recommending this fic to other Zutara shippers so that more may suffer like I did. (Stop the cycle? No.) Look — I think there’s something extremely beautiful and poetic about a love that changes in nature and form and expression, but not in intensity and devotion, and that’s what this fic is about. Loved it. Never reading it again. 

One shots: 

There’s a category of canon-compliant Zutara one-shots that are all extremely painful, and I cannot get enough of them: in the next life by we-were-angels, taking place right before Katara’s wedding to Aang; water can heal, water can break by crazyache, about why Katara didn’t attend Yakone’s trial. 

To combat the above, here’s a few funny, fluffy ones that make me cackle: i am older now by ama (who wrote the banger that is The Blackfish and the Dragon), an old!ZK fic that I read to counteract the emotional damage inflicted by psychedelic_aya’s we hold our hearts in silence; all good things start with tea by yodalorian, where Zuko’s hapless Disney sidekick-esque advisors try to get him a wife; And Half at One Another’s Throats by songofhopeandhonor (whose account is deleted), about Zuko’s harebrained proposals to Katara; The Dragon of the West’s Guide to Flirting by bluesunflower44, which is exactly what it says on the tin and the awkward disaster you’d expect. Waiting on a Steady Sun, by nire, is a long version of my favourite tropes: fake marriage + idiots to lovers ft. pining for your spouse. 

I generally don’t love modern AUs, but akaiiko’s talk is cheap (and i’ve got expensive taste), where Katara meets Zuko at a frat party, is a whole damn delight; my old aches become new again by jamesstruttingpotter is a wonderfully indulgent modern AU based on Our Beloved Summer. 

And finally, some season 3 character studies: don’t tell me how to feel by paintingcranes, ft Katara at the Western Air Temple being increasingly incensed at both Zuko trying to be helpful and how other people react to his helpfulness; the other side of mercy by crazyache, where Sokka calls Katara “high-strung and crazy” and that really makes Zuko think; The Silent Garden by romilley (whose WIP The Horizon is also fabulous), where Katara and Zuko avoid their feelings through a reluctant-allies-with-benefits arrangement (ft a way of depicting intimacy and sex that makes me think of Normal People); a deep delight of the blood by eruthros, where Zuko asks Katara to practice bloodbending on him out of pragmatism but also a little bit of guilt (it’s unrated, but that “Kink Without Sex” tag is there for a reason). 

Thank you for asking me for my recs, anon, because I needed an outlet to rave about fanfiction and my irl friends have heard enough. Feel free to ask me questions about specific fics that aren’t on this list: I always love talking to people about fic and I’m always looking for new ones to read!

[searchingforserendipity25]

‘there was horror beyond horror. and yet we would not be the quendi, if we were blind to beauty even in the darkness. when we skated on the thin, thin black ice, and all the stars reflected upon it such we seemed to walk among the heavens. and the ice made such a singing -’

fingon did not continue, and maedhros did not reply.

fever-bound, too hot to touch, too bright to look upon, he was all mislaid spirit and striving flesh. his eyes moved under his lids restlessly; if he heard him at all, he gave no sign at all. 

fingon had not known maedhros had stood aside at losgar until he heard the healers speak of it. it was good to be able to wash his face and neck and wound without hatred, but hatred had been easier.

he had bought a great deal at the price of an impossible deed and a lost hand, peace above all, this uneasy truce and this uneasy becalming, the long recovery. but the hatred, too, had been left to rot with morgoth's chains.

he could not be sorry for it - but he did feel its lack, no less than maedhros, who thrashed in stilted movements, expecting to be constrained.

fingon knew him. he had hated him for years and years. it had kept him alive, warm within, his urge for justice; and now it was guttered in him, watching maedhros burn inside himself. 

and yet. he heard it still. that sweet, high sound, the warnings of the helcaraxë. danger, danger in every step, and no safe place to tread, a layer of ice as fine as a sword’s fine edge between going forward and sinking wholly. maedhros had stood aside at losgar, but not in alqualondë, and not in tirion. even if he kneeled to fingolfin, and was faithful, and made peace.

a traitor will always turn again, turgon had told him, pale with fury, when he came to visit from across the lake to demand news of what passed after the landing of the eagle; and turgon was wiser at times than his brother - if not wise enough not to come to his brother’s aid, amidst the kinslaying by the sea.

maedhros’s breathing was ragged, greedy, his chapped mouth drinking in the herb-scented air. he had such a will to live in him, and such despair. fingon could feel it even now, a dark thing moving underneath, the coals that fed the brightness of his spirit. fingon knew himself in battle with it, custodian over his quest-prize till he woke. 

‘i will tell you of it when you wake,’ fingon promised, and wrung the cloth. it would be says yet before maedhros woke, and not love alone kept him to his side. 

[localguy2]

Suddenly got the craziest fucking idea I've thought of yet:

Zane was originally going to be made to help the elemental alliance in the serpentine wars, per the alliance requesting Julien for something so technologically advanced it'll end the war.

and so Julien started working on Zane during the conflict, and with the elemental alliance providing him with the necessary recourses to create Zane. (metal, wires, screws, schematics and blueprints and other small supplies, a suspiciously powerful and most definitely magical power source, etc).

But the war ends, and the serpentine are sealed away.

So now Julien is left with a half finished robot that wouldn't even have a purpose if it were to be alive, but Julien decides he's going to give it a new purpose.

"If it's not going to be a weapon of war, than it's going to be a weapon of peace."

So he stars reprogramming Zane, from "Mostly human machine designed to fight." to "Almost human machine made to protect those who cannot protect themselves".

He starts adding in extra features for Zane, stuff like breathing, blinking, eating, so he comes off as more human.

he codes in what would be the nindroid equivalent of someone developing a new hobby and getting good at it.

Such as cooking, or perhaps making ice sculptures or even learning how to ride a snowboard considering how he lives in a frozen forest (last one was from Quest For the Lost Powers book).

But he also adds in other stuff to help Zane out in his purpose of protecting, such as a battle ram mode to bust down doors, a lamp head mode to help light out dark areas, being able to shoot out cold air from his hands to cool stuff down without the usage of ice powers (last one was from the start of season 3).

And eventually, he gets so attached to this project of his, that he starts viewing it as more than a machine made to prolong the peace, and by the time he actives Zane for the first time ever, he can't feel but view Zane as a son.

Zane was Julien's life work, "Machine" doesn't do the nindroid enough justice, it doesn't feel right, and it isn't right.

So, even his plans of making Zane a weapon of peace change, and now he views Zane as a son, and as his own person.

Look, I don't care if this headcanon/idea breaks Canon, fuck if I care, but the opportunity is too great, it would would give us an answer to a good number of questions.

one of them being: What was Zane's old power source?

[shinyzango]

Ok OP, tell me all about your OCs. Those little dudes running in your head/( positive joking)

*crashes through the window*

YES HELLO I WILL TALK ABOUT MY BABIES NOW--

(apologies for taking this long lots has happened in these days)

Most of my OCs exist within their own universe, so I'll try to group them up. Also some images are just sketch as I don't have any recent drawing of them in color. Something I need to fix soon...

ANYWAYS LET'S GO.

~-~{}~-~

🐲 KEHO

A strong, stoic wanderer with an ancient blood coursing through his veins, commonly known as Dragon Blood, that causes the host to constantly fight against the powerful instincts of a dragon from feeding on their emotions and overtake them. Normally cold and easily irritable, but will show signs of affections after digging deep in his hard shell. Keho was exhiled from his home village when he was little after succombing to his Blood and destroyed half the village as a result of seeing his whole family murdered by a hunter. Since that day, he has lived on his own and away from society in fear of being rejected again or hunted down. This fear eventually turned in coldness and mistrust towards anyone and anything. That is until one day he saves an elven sorceress from a dangerous beast and escorts her through the area, eventually warming up to her and deciding to join her in her travels.

🧙‍♀️ ZANGO MAJICANA

An optimistic, cheerful elven sorceress traveling the world on a journey for knowledge of myths, legends and any forms of magic. Easily excitable by new things and always seeing the bright side of everything. She was born in a renowed village of magic-users, and started her journey at a young age as part of her studies. Great mastery over elemental magic. She's also trying to learn potion brewing, but she's not too skilled with it. Zango always had a great fascination over myths and legends, loving to learn about forgotten stories and mythical things inhabiting the world. One day she ventured in an unfamiliar area after being tricked by a false map and is saved from a dangerous beast by a stranger. She asks if he can escort her out of the area. In that time she tries to talk with him with little result, but eventually she manages to get through his hard shell, and eventually he decides to join her in her travels.

--- As time goes on, Zango and Keho grow closer, leading to Keho opening up about his past and himself for the first time since his exhile, and Zango wanting to learn more about the Dragon Blood in order to help him find a way to control it better.

~-~{}~-~

🎶 TEMPO

Carefree and charismatic, Tempo is a young man wandering the world in a quest to discover all kinds and forms of music. Innate talent with music, he's capable of learning any instrument or dance incredibly fast. He always carries his backpack, carrying his trustworthy staff, a couple instruments to play on the fly and even a formal attire for special events or for the occasional dance session.

~-~{}~-~

💂‍♂️ HANS DROSSELMEYER

A shy, yet gold-hearted young man cursed into a Nutcracker Doll and needing to journey through his homeworld to break the curse. Skilled clockmaker, he's now forced to fight for his life and protect his companion against the mice. He's very nervous and insecure about his own capabilities, but he still holds a strong sense of justice, always ready to help those in need.

🧵 CLARA STAHLBAUM

A kind young woman who has been shrunk in size by the Mouse King and now has to journey through the Nutcracker Doll's homeworld to help him break their curses. Training in ice skating and practical in sewing thanks to her hobby of fixing dolls, she tries her best to be of help to her companion despite not having means to defend herself early on. Compassionate and gentle at heart, she always prefers trying to find peaceful solutions by talking things down instead of resorting to drastic actions.

--- You can learn more about Hans and Clara, as well as the other characters in their story, by checking the #TheLastNutcracker tag!

~-~{}~-~

🐱 RENKA

Fearful, extremely shy cat girl who's been living with a human after being rescued from a life of starvation and slavery. She belongs to a seemingly extinct species of feline-human hybrids. Having grown as a slave and being treated like an animal her entire life, she is greatly scared of anyone getting close to her aside from her rescuer and his friends.

💉 MELONY

A serious medic who owns a clinic in a small country town. She happily attends to all the townfolks, making sure everyone is healthy. While doing so, she is also secretely developing a formula able to fully heal and reinvigorate anyone with little to no side effects. She's content of her calm life until an outsider arrives at her clinic requesting medical attention. Her life becomes more chaotic the more visits she receives from this mercenary, especially after he brings her a cat person on the brink of death by starvation, agreeing to help her learn about her species.

~-~{}~-~

And that's p much it! Most of them are greatly summarized to not go too in details, while others I've not yet developed their character and/or story too much. Despite that however, I still love each one of them very dearly 💝

[boston-babies]

Is your character named after sharon carter?

So here’s a little overview of my character Sharon☺️ “In an alternate universe where Captain America was never frozen in ice at the end of World War II, Steve Rogers and Allied resistance fighter Agent Peggy Carter helped win the great conflict and celebrated V-Day with a private marriage ceremony. Shortly after their honeymoon, when Peggy was assigned to South Korea as part of a S.H.I.E.L.D. peace-keeping task force, the couple relocated and one year later welcomed the birth of their daughter Sharon. Decades later, when her father and mother retired from active service, Sharon took up her parents' quest for peace and justice. Highly trained in martial arts, and espionage, and equipped with a blaster lance and energy absorbing shield, Sharon battles evil and tyrants around the world as Captain America!”-Dani

[weatheredpileoftomes]

a stone's throw from justice

For FFXIVWrite Day 3, a free day. I spent the free day itself starting my second-last alt concept, to not miss out on the 10th anniversary things, so have a snippet of her msq so far. Linza, early A Realm Reborn, ~1000 words. Canon-typical xenophobia/discrimination, canon-typical violence. A few lines have been taken from the lv 9 main scenario quest “Way Down in the Hole”.

Ice to halt corruption, fire to cleanse, lightning to expel sin: it would be simpler if those could be used on Ul’dah.

Wystan has the right idea.

Linza has had years of practice keeping her face neutral, and people who don’t know Au Ra have mentioned that her scales distract the eye and make her hard to read besides. She looks politely interested while Zuzumeda babbles on about Wystan’s audacity.

She would call it audacious.

She’d left Gelen’s Dint to try to bring change, but it’s taking time, and more than time it’s taking dozens of odd jobs, trying to curry favor with people who maybe haven’t ever spent much time in person with an Au Ra and think she’s a fun novelty. They don’t question her accent: after all, it’s what they’re used to hearing, isn’t it? And they give her work that they might not have, if she looked Ala Mhigan, because give one refugee fair pay and you’ll have to give them all fair pay.

“Thank you,” she says, inclining her head to Zuzumeda. “I’d appreciate the work.”

Zuzumeda waves her off, and she makes her way south. It’s a mild day, this early in the morning. As she walks she tries to remember if she knows Wystan at all, but more likely it’ll be a question of him remembering her.

Still. An Ala Mhigan-owned and -operated business, and moreover that business being a mine of rich ore? That’s the shortcut Linza hasn’t had the luck to find. It’s fitting, maybe, that it’s underneath the ruins of Sil’dih. She hopes the spirits of the Sil’dihns are at peace, but if they’re not, she likes to think that perhaps this is their blessing.

She does recognize Wystan, actually. Huge spectacles and an earnest face; he’s come by Gelen’s Dint a time or two, once to tell them about a school that a friend of his had started in Stonesthrow. Linza and a few of the others were too old for it, by then, but the younglings had been able to spend more time with other children their own age, and it had freed Master Keene and Mistress Stark up from teaching.

Wystan’s face brightens when he sees her. “Good day, uh—I’m sorry. Linda? Liza?”

It’s damn close, for a man who’s spoken to her perhaps three times, and not within the last six months. “Linza,” she says.

He nods. “Did you come to join the venture? I’m sorry, but you’re too late.”

“You’ve got enough people already?” It had better not be her size, or his chivalry. She might be a fulm shorter than him, but her staff isn’t just for walking, or even hitting people with in a pinch.

Wystan grins. “Some Brass Blades looking for extra coin volunteered.”

She doesn’t, particularly, trust the Brass Blades, but Wystan has had more dealings with them than she has, and he’s had those dealings while much more obviously a refugee and not a traveler. “Well. All right.”

“But if you’re here you must be looking for coin,” he says, the grin falling off his face. “I wish—are things all right?”

Linza gestures around. The Coffer and Coffin would probably be considered a dive most other places, but it has four wooden walls and a real floor. It has a door and windows, and a second story, and it’s big enough that even someone as tall as Jofrid could lie down with all his limbs spread out and not even come close to hitting a wall with any of them. “Same as always,” she says.

“Not for long,” Wystan says, lighting up again. “They say with enough money you can change the laws here, so I’m going to make a fortune and do just that.”

“You’ve had the Spinner’s own luck.” Linza doesn’t begrudge him: she’s just pointing it out.

He nods. “It’s the blessing we’ve needed for so long—honest work for our people, and fair pay to go with it, and then no child will ever have to grow up in Stonesthrow again.”

She bows with her hand over her heart. “I won’t keep you from your mine, then.”

“You should—”

A man in a Brass Blade’s mail bursts in, shouting triumphantly about the mine.

“Come with me!” Wystan says. “It’s history in the making.”

The Brass Blade looks over Linza, top to toe. He’s twice her size, probably, and she can see the moment he dismisses her.

Half a bell later, that’s his mistake. The Brass Blades turn on Wystan, because his coin wasn’t enough to get them to betray their lords and masters in the Syndicate. They beat him, and taunt him, and knock him bruised and bleeding into Soot Creek.

Linza had her staff out already, but she’d been using it to walk with, not expecting an ambush, and aether crawls when she’s using it for destruction. Wystan is already sobbing for breath in the shallow, muddy water when the first lightning bolt cracks down out of the cloudless sky.

Syndicate, hells. Wystan’s plan had been a good one. It was gentle, it was restrained. It would have let everything continue as it was, except with Ul’dah a better place for the people who live in it. In the long term, it’s probably even the right plan. Linza still believes it.

In the short term, thunder booms off the walls of the canyon, the echoes bouncing from wall to wall and setting even the air in Linza’s lungs to rattling. There are scorch marks on the ancient stone. Wystan sits up, haltingly and pained.

“Let’s get out of here,” Linza says, switching her grip on her staff and hammering down the rage. Stone beneath her, water beside her—the flow of gentler elements, nourishing ones.

That’s when the black-robed figure shows up again.

Linza draws in a deep breath, water and wind slipping away from her again, and lets the fire bloom.

[ontariocoldcasesthepodcast]

(via A Cold Night in London - Jacqueline Dunleavy (Trailer) | Patreon)

A Cold Night in London - Jacqueline Dunleavy (Trailer)

Coming This Sunday, January 5th

Ontario Cold Cases: Canada’s True Crime Podcast presents a chilling episode that takes you back to a frigid winter night in 1968.

She was a bright, ambitious 16-year-old… working hard, dreaming big, and walking home on a cold January evening. But Jacqueline Dunleavy never made it to her front door.

Found lifeless near a deserted school, her brutal murder shocked the peaceful streets of London, Ontario. Decades later, her killer remains free, and the questions still haunt a community.

Who was Jacqueline Dunleavy? What happened on that fateful night? And how has her case stayed ice-cold for more than half a century?

Join us as we: * Reconstruct her life and the tragic hours before her disappearance. * Delve into the evidence, the chilling theories, and the investigative missteps. * Speak to experts, community members, and cold case specialists who refuse to let her memory fade.

This isn’t just a story about an unsolved crime. It’s a story about hope… about a family’s quest for justice… and about a case that could still be solved.

This Sunday, January 5th, uncover the mystery. Uncover the truth.

Tune in to Ontario Cold Cases: Canada’s True Crime Podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts.

Because justice may be delayed… but it’s never forgotten.

Mark your calendar: January 5th. You won’t want to miss it.

Follow us for updates and more: @OntarioColdCases

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[ravenloftian]

Ghostly Bard of Drakenheim: Ailard the Melodious

January 23, Y357 Game Session 6/28/2024

In Vallaki, Daciana manages to convince a farmer to part with his pack animal for an ungodly sum of gold and she purchases a mule she names "Sorry." Let us hope that Sorry doesn't meet the same sorry fate as "Eclipse."

After resupplying their rations, the party departs Vallaki once more and head out on the Old Svalich Road. An ice storm has coated the woods in crystalline splendor and the sun manages to peek through the gray clouds. Even the fog is not as thick as it usually is and the journey goes uneventfully.

At dusk they arrive in Drakenheim, a quaint, snow-covered village nestled within the dark, mist-shrouded lands of Barovia. The village is built around a central square, with a mix of wooden and stone buildings. Despite the foreboding atmosphere, the village exudes a rustic charm with its warmly lit windows and smoke curling from chimneys.

The group stables their horses in the stables of The Black Wolf Tavern and settle in for the night. The tavern is a two-story building with a thatched roof and a large stone fireplace. Inside, they are greeted by innkeeper Vaelora, a middle-aged and handsome woman who is glad for the company. The roast "meat" they discover is wolf meat cooked to perfection. Gray discovers that the locally wine is exceptional and buys several bottles.

During the meal, they are greeted by a an older balding man dressed in woolen priest robes bearing the symbol of the Morninglord. He introduces himself as Father Anton and bids them stop by the church before departing.

Later in the evening, Gray picks up his guitar and begins to play. During the song, he begins to hear a strange accompanying melody. Val and Cedric hear the music, along with many of the other patrons, but Daciana and Percival do not.

As Gray changes the tune, he realizes that the melody becomes concordant. And when he stops playing, the music continues–albeit in his head.

When questioned, Vaelora admits the music has been a problem for a while. Some have gone quite mad from it and wandered into the forest. The music has been going on for many years and no one knows its origin.

The party members who hear the music cannot stop hearing it and sleep becomes nigh impossible as it becomes louder and louder. Val and Cedric are so infuriated by the sound that they rush out in the middle of the night and enter the forest to try to "kill" the music.

Their confused companions follow.

Deep in the woods they come upon the source of the beautiful and haunting music.

The ghostly figure of Ailard the Melodious stands tall amidst the Circle of Stones, his ethereal form flickering with a ghostly light. His eyes, once filled with sorrow and longing, now blaze with a fierce determination as the paladins approach. He raises a spectral hand, silencing the rustling wind and whispering trees.

"Brave knights, heed my plea!" Ailard's voice echoes with a haunting melody, reverberating through the ancient stones. "You tread upon hallowed ground, where blood was spilled and dreams were shattered. I am Ailard the Melodious, bard of old, slain by treachery and deceit in this very circle."

He pauses, his eyes scanning the faces of the paladins, searching for understanding. "Long have I been bound to this place, a restless spirit seeking justice and peace. My murder was not an act of war or vengeance, but a cowardly strike born of jealousy and fear. I ask not for your pity, but for your aid."

Ailard's voice grows softer, tinged with a desperate hope. "Find the one who bears the blood of my killer. Right the wrong that was done. And complete the song that I could not. Only then will my soul find rest, and this place be free of its sorrow."

He lowers his hand, the light in his eyes dimming slightly. "Will you, noble warriors, take up this quest? Will you help a fallen bard find peace at last?"

After an exchange of words it becomes clear that swords will answer the plea and a battle ensues.

Daciana and Gray arrive to find Cedric, Percival, and Val engaged with the ghostly spectre. Daciana has heard of the bard before in long forgotten history books and attempts once more to reason with him. She learns of the terrible evils that someone named Gethen inflicted on him, sacrificing him and stealing his soul on the very spot they stand on.

But the dialog does not last long after Gray proceeds to taunt him and call him "stupid." The infuriated ghost focuses his anger on Gray leaving him stupefied with fear.

Moments later, it is all over as Val delivers the killing blow. The bard disappears as does the music, but has his haunting ended? Impossible to tell.

A mother and daughter have been drawn to the music and arrive at the clearing, terrified for their lives. The group escorts them back to Drakenheim along with Cedric who has severely maimed his sword arm from a bad swing.

In town, they go directly to the chapel and wake Father Anton. After much prayer and the laying of hands, Cedric's arm is restored, but not to its fullest. He will bear the scar for the rest of his days.

Priestess Daciana then tells what she recalls about Ailard the Melodious.

History of Ailard the Melodious

Ailard the Melodious was a celebrated bard from a time long before the current age, renowned for his exceptional talent in music and storytelling. Born in a small village near the ancient city of Carrowkeep, Ailard was gifted with an extraordinary voice and an innate ability to weave tales that captivated all who heard them.

Ailard's early life was marked by poverty, but his natural gifts soon attracted the attention of a traveling minstrel, who took him under his wing. Under the minstrel's guidance, Ailard honed his skills, learning the secrets of music, poetry, and performance. By the age of fifteen, Ailard had already composed numerous songs that became popular across the region.

As Ailard matured, his fame grew. He traveled from village to village, castle to castle, earning the patronage of nobles and kings. His performances were not merely entertainment; they were experiences that left audiences spellbound. His most famous work, "The Ballad of the Lost King," told the tale of a noble ruler's tragic fall and ultimate redemption, a song that resonated deeply with listeners.

Despite his success, Ailard's life was not without its challenges. His fame attracted jealousy and envy, particularly from a rival bard named Gethan. Gethan, consumed by spite, plotted against Ailard, seeking to end his rival's career and life.

The climax of this rivalry occurred at the Circle of Stones, an ancient and mystical site believed to hold great power. Ailard was invited to perform a special concert there, an honor that Gethan could not bear. On the night of the performance, Gethan ambushed Ailard, striking him down in cold blood. The murder was swift and brutal, ending the life of the beloved bard.

In the years following his death, Ailard's spirit remained bound to the Circle of Stones, unable to find peace. His unfinished work and the injustice of his murder tethered his soul to the mortal realm. Over time, legends grew around the haunted circle, with many claiming to hear the sorrowful strains of Ailard's final song on moonlit nights.

XP for this session is 600. Ailard appears to have been vanquished, but only time will tell.

[iron-immolate]

My battery is low and it's getting dark. 

Goodbye. 

[coryphaeusgrieving]

cutemoniic replied to your post “I coaxed Fang to come over. She’s sleeping on me. She looked straight...”

Please, let her rest. This is becoming too much. Any talking can be done later, but please let her rest.

I am. All this ‘demonic hunting’ is taking a toll on her. I think it’s best she stayed away from that library for a while. 

I’ll have Fang stay in this timeline, one of the royal side homes by the sea. 

Your hospitality means a lot and I am thankful for giving her a home. I’m just worried that exposing the living to such demonic forces has opened a very grim doorway.

[tigerkirby215]

5e Kayle, the Righteous build (League of Legends)

(Artwork by Jessica “OwleyCat” Oyhenart and Victor “3rdColossus” Maury. Made for Riot Games.)

You know I find it funny that I haven’t made a build for Kayle yet, given that I made Morgana awhile ago sort of as a spur of the moment thing. Despite the fact that I main support I really don’t play Morgana (can’t hit skill shots omegalul), but meanwhile I really like Kayle. She was one of the first champions I played along with Sona since I was told she was very similar to Terrorblade who was one of my favorite carries in DOTA 2. I dropped her for a bit after her rework but I picked her up again and she’s still super fun! I mean, shame she’s kinda trash in the meta.

Anyways it’s about time I make a build for her since Morgana was alone for so long, especially since she’s coming back along with Pentakill! Kayle’s probably the perfect character to play if you want to go Lawful Stupid, but out of respect for everyone else please don’t play her Lawful Stupid.

GOALS

On wings of fire, hope ascends - It’s the quest of all champions to eventually transcend mortals. Hopefully we’ll at least be able to fly after this.

Fire reveals truth - Kayle is also well-known for her Zealous attack speed, so we’ll need to be able to get out as much DPS as possible.

The worthy survive! - A little bit of Divine Judgement goes a long way. An explosion of flaming swords helps too.

RACE

This may come as a surprise to you but Kayle is an Aasimar. More specifically a Protector Aasimar, which is rather fitting seeing as she’s seen as The Protector in Demacia. As an Aasimar your Charisma increases by 2, but I’m going to increase your Constitution instead of the typical Wisdom increase from Protector Aasimar, for a bit more lane sustain.

You have Celestial Resistance to both your own Radiant damage and your sister’s Necrotic damage, have the Light Bearer feature for the Light cantrip, and can give yourself or an ally a Celestial Blessing thanks to Healing Hands. It only heals up to your level but it certainly helps!

You also get Darkvision and the Celestial language, and Radiant Soul at level 3 thanks to your Protector subrace, We’ll discuss that when we get to level 3.

ABILITY SCORES

15; CHARISMA - League of Legends body types, am I right? Sure you have a bit of an “evil must be purged” personality, but D&D Paladins like that a lot.

14; DEXTERITY - Something something medium armor. I would call what you wear Half Plate, which means that for once the choice of Medium Armor is accurate!

13; STRENGTH - This feels strangely familiar...

12; CONSTITUTION - Kayle is very squishy in League but I like not dying so...

10; INTELLIGENCE - You may have lived through history but most of that time was spent up in the stars. Basically we need everything else more.

8; WISDOM - Yeah I didn’t increase Wisdom with your racial increase because I was planning to dump it. Kayle’s fatal flaw is that she’s blinded by her sense of justice, which is a sign of poor Wisdom and critical decision making.

BACKGROUND

There isn’t a great background for “Half of the Aspect of Justice” but Celebrity Adventurer’s Scion works fairly well. You get proficiency with Perception as well as Performance (you were in Pentakill, after all!), a Disguise Kit (but I’d maybe replace that with something else or ditch it entirely), and two languages of your choice. (Pick your poison.)

Your background feature Name Dropping lets you tell people that your mom was actually a god. You might be able to find people who knew your mom (or more realistically worshiped her before... you know... you became half of her?) and folk might recognize that you’re... half a god, and give you free stuff.

(Artwork by Alvin Lee and Kan Liu. Made for Riot Games.)

THE BUILD

LEVEL 1 - SORCERER 1

Starting off as a Sorcerer because Kayle is about as useless as a level 1 Sorcerer at level 1. (Also because CON saves are nice.) But you can also grab proficiency with Religion (you are a god, after all) and Intimidation. (Because you aren’t exactly nice.)

Sorcerers get to choose their Sorcerous Origin at level 1 and Divine Soul is like being a Cleric but you get to dump your Wisdom because you’re blind to morality. You get one free spell from your Divine Magic and I guess Bless makes sense since its attached to Law? Honestly there are other spells I’d recommend (Protection from Evil and Good would be helpful, and you can’t go wrong with either Healing Word or Guiding Bolt) but it’s honestly easier to just take Bless and call it there.

But of course since you get Divine Magic that means you get Spellcasting! You learn 4 cantrips from the Sorcerer list at level 1 such as Firebolt to smite the wicked, Sacred Flame for enemies with a lot of armor (but hopefully bad Dexterity), Thaumaturgy to make sure your words are heard, and Guidance because it’s good to provide aid to those who need it.

You also learn two spells from the Sorcerer list: we’ll be taking Mage Armor for the same reason you buy Doran’s Shield as a top laner (because laning phase sucks and you’re weak as hell at level 1), and we’ll also grab Healing Word for your Celestial Blessing. As a treat.

You are also Favored by the Gods, so if you miss an attack roll or fail a saving throw you can add 2d4 to the roll to potentially turn it into a success. Given that you’ll likely be making a lot of attack rolls later in this build it’s very useful to be able to give yourself some insurance.

LEVEL 2 - SORCERER 2

Second level Sorcerers get a Font of Magic for Sorcery Points equal to your Sorcerer level. For now all you can really do with them is get one of your spell slots back, but they’ll be more useful later on.

For something that’s useful right now take Ice Knife for the AoE burst of your Starfire Spellblade. Yes it does Cold damage, but you also shouldn’t have an AoE E by level 2. Hell you technically shouldn’t even be a ranged champion yet. We have to make compromises here.

If you want a single target Starfire Spellblade Guiding Bolt is a decent choice I suppose.

LEVEL 3 - SORCERER 3

Third level Sorcerers gain the power of the Aspects thanks to Metamagic. You learn two Metamagic options to change your spells in various ways: Quickened Spell will let you increase your attack speed to slay the unjust with Zealous fervor, and while it’s perhaps not the most practical choice Transmuted Spell will let you wield holy fire, instead of holy ice or whatever other damage type you pick up.

If you don’t care about doing specifically fire damage than Empowered Spell is a good choice to more effectively maximize damage.

As a Protector Aasimar your Radiant Soul lets you sprout wings as an action. For 1 minute you have a 30 foot flying speed and can add your Charisma modifier as Radiant damage to one target whenever you deal damage. It might not be much at level 3 but the extra damage from Starfire Spellblade adds up when you get more AP! Oh and to top it off you can also learn another spell like Misty Step, for Flash.

LEVEL 4 - SORCERER 4

4th level Sorcerers get the first of many Ability Score Improvements. Increase your uneven Charisma score as well as your Constitution score for nice, even, Lawful stats.

You can also learn another cantrip like Message to keep in team chat, as well as a leveled spell like Spiritual Weapon. Kayle summons hundreds of swords for her ultimate so I think it’s fine if you summon one sword for some more DPS.

LEVEL 5 - SORCERER 5

Normally I wouldn’t go out of my way to get 5th level spells but we kinda need Fly more than once per Long Rest. Sprout those wings or grant the gift of angelic ascension to an ally!

The bad witch Tasha also gave Sorcerers Magical Guidance, letting you spend a Sorcerery Point to reroll a failed ability check.

(Artwork by Zeen Chin. Made for Riot Games.)

LEVEL 6 - PALADIN 1

I swear it wasn’t my intention to make two casters with Paladin levels one after another, but we’re doing it anyways because it’s not like Kayle wouldn’t be a Paladin. First level Paladins get Divine Sense to know of any villains who need justice, and Lay on Hands to save the righteous.

LEVEL 7 - PALADIN 2

Second level Paladins get to choose their Fighting Style. Normally I’d take Blessed Warrior for a character who’s more-or-less a pure caster but you kinda get too many Cleric cantrips as is, so we’ll settle for good ol’ Defense because you can’t go wrong with +1 AC.

Protection and Interception are also fine to help your friends if you’re willing to hold onto a shield (no reason not to), and if you want to do a funny joke you can take Blind Fighting because Justice is Blind.

But of course what we’re mostly here for is Spellcasting: sure you got the entire Cleric list at your disposal but Sorcerer spells known is very limited, so take the following from the Paladin list:

Command to force evildoers to grovel at your feet.

Detect Evil and Good to... detect evil and good.

Protection from Evil and Good to... yeah this is fairly obvious too.

Heroism to empower heroes.

Shield of Faith to protect the righteous.

You also get Divine Smite, which sure would be nice if you used your sword as a melee weapon. I mean if you want to hit someone in melee you can turn a spell slot into damage but I kinda have to wonder why would you.

LEVEL 8 - PALADIN 3

Third level Paladins get to choose their Sacred Oath. Honestly just about any Paladin Oath would work for Kayle, but an Oath of Redemption would probably be best after you failed to upkeep justice the first time. Along with adding Sanctuary and Sleep to your spell list you also get two Channel Divinity options: if you go for Emissary of Peace you can add a flat +5 to all your Persuasion checks for 10 minutes. But Rebuke the Violent works great as a recreation of Divine Judgment’s damaging effect! When a creature within 30 feet of you damages someone other than you they must make a Wisdom saving throw after you use this reaction. If they fail they will take the same amount of damage they dealt as Radiant damage, and if they succeed they will take half. This has no maximum limit so you can use it when an enemy nukes your allies to have them experience retribution!��"Drown in holy fire!"

The vial witch Tasha also lets you Harness Divine Power with your Channel Divinity to regain a spell slot equal to half your proficiency bonus once per Long Rest. And finally you get Divine Health, because justice doesn’t take sick days.

(Artwork by John Yucedag. Made for Riot Games.)

LEVEL 9 - PALADIN 4

4th level Paladins get another Ability Score Improvement so cap off that Charisma modifier, because we’re building AP in this build. Maxed out Charisma also means more prepared spells, but we’re going to wait for...

LEVEL 10 - PALADIN 5

5th level Paladins get an Extra Attack which sure would matter if you were actually swinging that sword instead of shooting Fire Bolts and Sacred Flames.

But what does matter is that you get second level Paladin spells! Along with Hold Person and Calm Emotions from the Redemption spell list (you should perhaps cast Calm Emotions on yourself at some point?) you can prepare spells like Aid to boost yourself and your allies, and Warding Bond (Tasha’s work once again) to take some damage for an ally. (Which is almost like making them immune to damage?)

LEVEL 11 - PALADIN 6

The only reason to multiclass into Paladin as a caster would be for Aura of Protection. Seeing as your Charisma modifier is maxed out already that means that you (and your allies within 10 feet) can add +5 to all their saving throws! I really don’t think I need to explain why that’s useful: your Constitution saves are now a +11 (meaning that if you take 22 damage or less you automatically succeed the Concentration check) and even your lowest save is still a +4!

You can also prepare one last spell but I’m actually going to take this time to remind you that Paladins are prepared spellcasters. Even though you have a relatively limited amount of Paladin spells be sure to swap them around to whatever’s the most useful for your task at hand. But if you must pick up a spell Detect Magic is never bad to have?

(Artwork by Alex “alexplank” Flores. Made for Riot Games.)

LEVEL 12 - SORCERER 6

Now that the obligatory Paladin levels are done it’s time to go back to Sorcerer. Hope your party didn’t expect you to be the support because you’re only now getting Empowered Healing to spend a Sorcery point and reroll any healing that you or an ally within 5 feet performs. I mean by total level 12 healing numbers will actually get pretty big, so this becomes a lot more useful!

But speaking of healing we’ll be getting not that but Haste instead. While you can’t use it too well (can only use it to make a weapon Attack, Dash, Disengage, Hide, or Use an Object) you can turn your allies into an avenging angel! As long as you can keep your Concentration which I mean... you have a +11 to your CON save.

LEVEL 13 - SORCERER 7

Unfortunately there’s no spell to make someone completely immune to damage for one round (while also still letting them move as normal except the 9th level spell Invulnerability that you can only cast on yourself) so we’ll just have to settle for Death Ward keeping the target you cast this on alive after reaching 0 HP. No rain of holy swords either unfortunately.

LEVEL 14 - SORCERER 8

8th level Sorcerers get an Ability Score Improvement and I think it’s about time for us to grab Metamagic Adept for 2 more Sorcery points to use on your Metamagic options like Twinned Spell to spread your wrath amongst all, and Careful Spell to avoid hurting those allied to your cause.

Speaking of AoE damage Vitriolic Sphere may do Acid damage but it’s a great recreation of the AoE damage of a high level Starfire Spellblade.

LEVEL 15 - SORCERER 9

Behold the might of 5th level spells! Remember how I was a little disappointed that you didn’t have the ability to make flaming swords rain down from the sky? Here you go: Flame Strike! Sure it basically does the damage of Fireball (and hey feel free to grab Fireball if you’re so inclined) but it has the holy flair that’s to be expected of Kayle.

If you want something more interesting than “Radiant damage Fireball” Dawn is also a good spell choice.

LEVEL 16 - SORCERER 10

10th level Sorcerers get another Metamagic option! Seeing as weve already got plenty thanks to Metamagic Adept one of the few options left is Heightened Spell to make sure your foes tremble beneath your might! You can also grab another cantrip like Prestidigitation for more generalized divine power.

And finally there’s also plenty of great spells you can take but Dispel Evil and Good probably fits Kayle the best. Now is a great time to remind everyone that you’re more than welcome to make your own Kayle, and while what I take may be “accurate” it’s not even necessarily what I’d build if I was making the character.

(Artwork by West Studio. Made for Riot Games.)

LEVEL 17 - SORCERER 11

11th level Sorcerers can finally ascend! I hope you kept your Paladin weapons because it’s time for Tasha’s Otherworldly Guise! Calling upon the power of the Upper Planes (or lower planes too I guess if you’re awful) you get:

Resistance to Radiant and Necrotic damage (which you already have. Oops.) (I mean Lower Planes would make you immune to Fire and Poison damage...)

Immunity to the Charmed condition.

A 40 foot flying speed.

+2 AC

The ability to use your Charisma to attack, meaning that you can finally swing a sword well!

And the ability to attack twice, which you already have.

And the cool part is that unlike Tenser’s Transformation you can cast spells and don’t Exhaust yourself after using this spell! If you want to finally use your Paladin levels to bright the fight to your opponents you finally have the power to do so!

LEVEL 18 - SORCERER 12

12th level Sorcerers get another Ability Score or Feat and I’m simply going to suggest the Tough feat. Even if Kayle doesn’t usually build health in League you can, and d6 hit die suck when it comes to actually surviving.

What? Did you expect another spell known? Nah fuck you lmao WoTC says no to Sorcerers having spells.

LEVEL 19 - SORCERER 13

13th level Sorcerers can learn 7th level spells and while this may seem like a copout I have none that I really want for Kayle. Pick whatever you think would be the coolest since you can make your own choices by level 19. (My personal vote for Kayle would be Fire Storm but you are kinda loading up on AoE spells.)

LEVEL 20 - SORCERER 14

Our final level is the 14th level of Divine Soul Sorcerer to finally ascend. You have Otherworldly Wings for a permanent 30 foot flying speed! You did it! You reached max level as Kayle! You’re now unstoppable!

FINAL BUILD

PROS

Kneel before the light! - Your spells known go up to 7th level, and your spell slots go up to 9th. I really don’t think I have to explain that a full leveled caster is extremely powerful.

What is dark in me, I will illuminate - Even your non-spellcasting has great utility. Both your Channel Divinity options are extremely useful, and a little bit of Lay on Hands healing never hurt anyone. Not to mention your Aasimar transformation providing a flat +20 to damage every turn while it’s active!

I am your salvation! - Even if you aren’t running up in melee range Paladin levels do help a ton for staying alive. +5 to all saves is no joke, especially when it means that your Concentration save sits at a whopping +13! (You have to take more than 26 damage to even have a chance at failing your Concentration check!)

CONS

Why have we wings, sister, if not to fly? - You’d think a high Charisma would at least make you good at socializing but... no you’re not even that. Proficiency in the “mean” Charisma skills and mediocre ability scores in everything other than Charisma means you’ll contribute very little other than divine wrath.

Wings of Immortal Flame, lift me from mortal temptation! - How much flight is too much flight? Between your Radiant Soul, Tasha’s Otherworldly Guise, and you know... the Fly spell you have quite a lot of ways to take to the skies which all become near-completely redundant by level 20.

Celestial justice, guide my blade - Ironically enough one of the biggest issues with this build is how long it takes to get online. The Paladin dip may keep you safe but it’s not making you stronger, and I doubt you’ll be sitting beside your friends like a support. If you don’t mind praying to darker powers Genie Warlock is actually a great choice to get considerably more damage (and “attack speed!”) with Eldritch Blast and easily accessible flight by level 6 in Warlock. (Celestial Warlock also exists if you want more healing utility and want to stay in flavor.)

Of course weakness is something to shed as you come closer to divinity, but remember that even if mortality makes you weak mortals are not. Your allies will fight by your side and its your duty to protect them, as they shall no doubt protect you. Treat them with respect and vanquish evil together! Because no one likes a lawful stupid top laner.

(Artwork by Atey Ghailan. Made for Riot Games.)

[dreamerhideout]

enhypen genshin impact!au hcs

characters: enhypen

word count: ~200 words each

warnings: mentions of alcohol for jay’s part, lore inaccuracies (i haven’t caught up on dragonspine event lore yet), spoilers for mondstadt + liyue main quest

a/n: i’m supposed to be working on something else but this brainrot got to me first... anyways, i’m assigning their visions + weapons based off a few fan theories i’ve read~ please enjoy my word dump! :D

more under the cut!

jungwon

okay so we’re starting off with our leader! hmm... i’d say that he has a geo vision

why? idk, i’m half sure it’s based off how calm and composed he is; i do kinda think jungwon is a picture of maturity and elegance (he literally has to take care of six children wdym)

it was kinda hard for me to choose a weapon because i kept going back-and-forth from sword to polearm, but my final pick for him would be polearm

yes this would mean that he is zhongli

a polearm would probably suit him because i see him as the kind to want some kind of control over his weapon (not saying he can’t control a sword). at the same time i feel like he’d want something lightweight which won’t bring him down

i think he’d work with the knights of favonius. working with the liyue qixing could also work for him, but considering the tension between the adepti and the qixing + the social climate of liyue makes me think that he’d want somewhere more calm

acting grandmaster jungwon? i’m down for it

spends time near the mondstadt church; he likes the peace and quiet of it

heeseung

from the get-go i knew he’d have a hydro vision

this one theory i’ve read says that hydro vision users have a strong sense of morality and justice (i guess i also interpreted it as balance) and heeseung seems like the kind of person who does

for weapon, i think he’d prefer to use a sword. we see that he’s good in a lot of areas when it comes to being an idol, so he’d perhaps want that versatility in the weapon he uses as well

hello xingqiu (wait i kinda think this fits)

i don’t see him particularly associating himself to any organization, so i think he’d simply be a wanderer. he goes from country to country as a vagabond, battling monsters along the way in order to perfect his skills

at the same time, i also see him making a lot of friends and having a bunch of connections from just about any corner of the land (more to acquaintances i suppose? heeseung doesn’t seem like the kind to let people in very quickly)

is probably very curious on elemental reactions and might be studious in a way; he would want to learn alchemy

likes stopping by mondstadt’s library when he needs to look up on something. probably keeps in contact with alchemists too

jay

oh man this is going to probably be very stereotypical

pyro vision, hands down. i was considering an electro vision for him at first but the amount of passion he has in doing the things he loves (primarily hip-hop) screams pyro to me

he would also have a claymore because let’s be real, he’d want something to get the job done quick; claymores are literally the weapon that causes the most damage

yeah he’d be diluc. or xinyan. whatever your pick is

bonks monsters for fun, fight me on this

association... i think he’d be a part of the adventurer’s guild. he strikes me as the kind of person who’d want some kind of reward for something he does for fun (in this case, mora. and a bunch of other items you can get from katheryne once you complete your daily commissions)

this is probably how he meets all his friends. if he wasn’t a part of any association, i don’t think he’d have many (not saying that he’s unable to make friends, he’d choose not to unless necessary)

strives to be a well-known adventurer, probably takes up more commissions than the average one

likes spending time in places with good ambience, food, and booze. probably is a regular at angel’s share and liyue’s street food stalls on days he comes to town

jake

i think he’d have an electro vision. it’s something about the way he fiercely cares for other people that makes me think that this suits him best

okay hear me out but i think he’d be amazing with a bow and arrow. he seems to have the tenacity and upper body strength for it, and i don’t think he’d particularly want something that could do a quick kill, like a sword or claymore per se

uhh... yeah he’d be fischl, i suppose. idk this realization was a bit weird to me but it doesn’t seem so far off from happening

sometimes uses his skills to shoot at fruit from trees; it’s a pretty good party trick

association-wise i don’t think he’d wanna join any, tbh. he’d be an “everyone’s friend” kinda guy. unlike heeseung who’d have acquaintances from all around, jake would generally want to befriend different kinds of people (helps around wangshu inn sometimes because of this)

still though, i think he hangs with members of the adventurer’s guild a lot

don’t be surprised if you catch him befriending a member of the fatui-

i also see him really immersing himself in the culture of each country he visits

he’s the guy who pets all the animals, especially the dogs

also seems like the kind to purchase or collect raw meat just to give to the stray animals he meets on his travels

sunghoon

oh boy am i excited for this one

okay so i know this is stereotypical but... cryo vision. honestly, having a geo vision would also be possible but remember that one time childe said something around the lines of the goddess of cryo having such a warm heart and she loved so much to the point it froze? yeah i think i’m basing him off the tsaritsa-

weapon would be a sword. i considered choosing a polearm for him but i think he’d want something slightly heavier that would get the job done, but not necessarily a claymore. do i think he has the capacity to use a claymore if he wanted to, though? sure why not

hello kaeya (or qiqi, if you’d wish)

okay okay this is where it gets fun... imagine sunghoon as a member of the fatui

mmm villain!sunghoon we love to see it

he’d honestly probably be on the road to becoming a harbinger? like, we see how he works very hard at ice skating and idol training, who’s to say that he won’t climb up the ranks real quick?

yes jakehoon brotp agenda is still on so they would be friends (though honestly their friendship is kinda uncanny)

when i thought of stuff to write for him i kinda think that he’d like liyue a lot; the tradition and order feel like home to him. this also fits lore because there’s more fatui appearances in liyue compared to mondstadt

also seems like the kind to wander around the city when things start to calm down for the day; if he’s not being tasked on a mission, he sometimes likes to head out to huaguang stone forest

sunoo

sunshine baby

okay i think he’d have an anemo vision (and this is not because he reminds me of venti). there was another theory that said that anemo vision-holders are hard workers who sometimes don’t give themselves enough rest, and sunoo seems to make the cut. he’s crazy hardworking at things he know he’s lacking at and strives to improve

i think he’d have a catalyst (yes!! we need male catalyst characters!!); i can see him absolutely fascinated by the way catalysts work like... “there’s no solid object engineering the attacks so... what is that? it seems so cool!” 

so yeah he’d be sucrose, hello

i also think he’d want to be a part of the adventurer’s guild! it keeps him busy plus he likes helping people :D

would then be introduced to jay (and possibly jake) when he’s assigned to do a commission with him. honestly he’d prefer doing commissions with others rather than doing them alone

has a hard time killing monsters because he finds them cute (especially slimes). i think he’d also empathize with hilichurls to a degree

i see him residing in mondstadt most of the time; he’d also like talking to the locals a lot (has a high rep because of this)

loves trying out local cuisine, some of his favorite dishes include sweet madame and zhongyuan chop suey!

ni-ki

oh i’m also kinda excited for his too

so i initially thought he’d have a pyro vision, but after some time i figured he’d have an electro vision instead. i think it’s this weird sentiment i feel that he’d protect his passions with his life (in this case, dancing; he’s literally inseparable from it), so there’s that

totally looks like the kind to have a polearm. he definitely would want something lightweight that he could lowkey flex with

sadly he doesn’t have a genshin character twin yet :(

would also not have any affiliation whatsoever; he just traverses the land like the free spirit he is

occasionally would tag along with some adventurer’s guild members, but doesn’t like the idea of people telling him what to do; he creates his own adventures instead

am i the only one here who thinks that he’d honestly run really fast here (hehe speedy boi)

he’d love dashing through mondstadt’s plains (particularly springvale), sometimes slashing monsters left and right (he likes liyue’s scenery but the terrain is way too mountainous for him)

one thing he does like about liyue though is playing with the kids in the harbor. he’d get them toys with the extra mora he receives when helping people (big brother ni-ki agenda hmm)

[the-nordic-ways]

Younger Futhark - An overview for rune reading

fé - wealth/cattle (f)

Rune of movable power in the world and the self. Can predict: wealth, conflict, a new beginning in life, greed

úr - drizzle (u, o, v)

Rune of the vital energy of life and the power that organizes and binds life. Can predict: the pursuit of inner goals or of helping others, strength of will, striving for freedom and independency, weakness, obsession

thurs - giant (th, dh)

Thurse is a force of nature, the force of rivalry in the world. Can predict: Outer forces work against you, that you might not be aware of, an upcoming crisis that might be a trigger for change

áss - deity (a)

Odins rune. Odin is the ancestor of the divine and independent conscious mind of humanity. Can predict: the answer that you seek can be found in inspiration and intuition, but requires an intellectual quest, misconception

reidh - riding (r)

Reidh is the pattern of the rhythmic movement and the rune of the journey of life. Can predict: rationality, justice and organized growth are present on your path of life. In bad terms it can predict crisis, stagnation, injustice or irrationality

kaun - grief (klg, ng)

Kaun is the power of fire, to break apart things into their components, to analyse them. Can predict: Tendency to degeneration, disease or decay. Positive aspects could be skill, creativity, transformation, eventually regeneration (regeneration requires degeneration first). The rune advises you to find relaxation and rest.

hagall - hail (h)

Hagall is the icy seed in the beginning of all things. Can predict: change that follows trauma or crisis, the need to change the current situation

naudh - distress (n)

The naudh rune reflects the principle of resistance and friction in the world. Can predict: friction or resistance, that might come from inside. Requires original and innovative solutions

íss - ice (i, e, j)

Ice is the principle of contraction that comes from Niflheim. Can predict: a concentration in the ego or the self in a damaging way, often predicts stagnation to a certain degree

ár- good year (a)

The rune of the eternal resurgence in line with the cycle of nature and the metaphysical realm. Can predict: peace and rest as a reward for deeds in the past. If upside down it can predict poverty or conflict.

sól - sun (s)

The rune of sustaining life and nurturing power. Can predict: Guidance and hope, promising success. Advises to set goals and to stick to them.

týr - Tyr (t, d, nd)

Rune of Tyr, the god of law and order in the cosmos. Can predict: loyality and justice in life. Might require to sacrifice something of your own interest for it (time, effort,...) The situation should be analysed carefully. In bad terms it can predict injustice and over-analysing

bjarkan - birch twig (b, p, mb)

Bjarkan is the rune of transformation and becoming. It rules over the process of birth-life-death-rebirth in the nature and beyond. It can predict: a new beginning and transformation. Natural transition, spiritual growth, understanding the principle of wyrd (”fate”). In bad terms it can predict blur, becoming aware of stagnation in growth.

madhr - human (m)

The rune of humanity and a symbol for their secret: the only other being in the cosmos with a divine conscience shared with the gods. Can predict: the presence of a divine structure of consciousness and the presence of the gods. It promotes intelligence, self-awareness and the ability to judge the own situation in life. Negative aspects can be depression and self-deception.

lögr - water (l)

The rune of the ancient water that flows from the depths of Niflheim. Lögr is the rune of the water of life. It can predict: upcoming challenges, the presence of the power of organic life. The realm of the unknown is close. Growth and possibilities. In bad terms it can predict waning force of life, being a victim of your own fears

ýr - yew (taxus baccata) (-r)

The rune of the cosmic span between the eternal world above us and the eternal world beneath us, between Asgard and Hel, between life and death. Can predict: potential energy that wants to be released. The need to be one with the earth and nature. In bad terms it can predict: obstacles, illusions, trial

The Nordic Ways on Instagram, Patreon and Redbubble

[lawlearned]

― he is fine lines & crisp collars, everything in place & nothing amiss. bruises & beskar are in his blood, and they wear it well, legacy buried in their bones and ancient language on the tongue. no kyber hangs at his side, but he wears the jedi lineage in another way, ring adorned with a reminder of the woman who raised him, white streaked through with wisps of lavender & violet for the father he never met but whose name left a legacy of power & greatness no one man could hope to fulfill ( but they will certainly try ).

LEWIS TAN // have you met VANER SHAN yet? HE/THEY is a THIRTY-THREE year old DEMIMAN HUMAN. they’re originally from REKKIAD CORUSCANT and now show loyalty to THE NEW REPUBLIC. they are best known for being a SENATOR, and i hear they’re pretty CHARISMATIC yet also ONE-TRACK MINDED at times; i hope he survives the galactic civil war.

the past ; a young child born to mandalorian parents and a fractured clan on the ice world of rekkiad in the year 3954 bby, he learned loss at an age too young to remember, family line struck down that same year on a quest to reclaim their legacy. veela ordo had been determined, but now she was dead, followers bodies buried in outer rim snow, blaster bolts through two young pilots who would never hear their child cry again. the force had other plans for their progeny, however; upon canderous ordo the preserver's return with mandalore's mask & yearning to reform his broken people, the new life was brought with clan ordo to the jungle moon of dxun.

but the battlefield is no place for a babe, no matter their bloodline. at less than three years old, the child gained a new name - vaner - and a new home, taken far from the jungles of dxun and in by former jedi knight & friend of the mand'alor, bastila shan. on coruscant he would grow, aging with an increasingly dangerous galaxy. although they bore the shan name with pride, their family network ensured they were much more, half-raised by the ebon hawk crew in all their eclecticness. he trained in combat with canderous, studied military tactics under carth, learned a variety of illegal skills ( much to bastila's disapproval ) alongside mission & zaalbar, and spun stories fireside with jolee. the lesson that would stick the most, however, came from the cathar jedi juhani, who spoke of rampant injustice & suffering throughout the galaxy. the force-insensitive boy could not hope to make peace with a lightsaber in hand like the stories of his found parents, so he turned to politics, forging a path of their own unique to those that had raised him.

by the time they turned twenty-six, they had won their first race, becoming one of several coruscanti senators. with youth comes v i g o r & p a s s i o n, and his name quickly became known within the ranks of galactic politics. perhaps he would be chancellor one day, but the boy - now a man of thirty-three, a seasoned senator with nearly three terms to their credit - would not remain to find out. one moment he was emerging from his office on his way to a session, and the next they were stepping into the abandoned and unfamiliar hallway of the galactic senate nearly four-thousand years later.

the present ; finding themselves in the year 6 aby, vaner quickly united with the new republic's reforming political system, at first as a volunteer & advisor but then once again as a senator, serving a unique population of those displaced & those native to the time and place. they are beginning to make a name for themselves in this time as they did in the past, fighting in the vein of senators like padme amidala for equity, justice, and a return to democracy.

[dwaynepride]

staring out at the setting sun

summary: dwayne sees how close reader is getting to hamilton, and it worries him.

words: 3,845

warnings: spoilers for 3x11 and 3x24

tags: @stanathanxoox​ @pageofultron​ @6adb0y​ @thegoodlonelydalek​ @consultingdoctorwholock​ @starryrevelations​ @thebeckyjolene​ @diaryofafan17​ @specialagentlokitty​

a/n: this is part 1 of a 2-part fic. both parts are based off of ‘setting sun’ by lord huron

PART 2

I been waiting for you to come,   Staring out at the setting sun     You been running around again       With that boy you call your friend.

As the music thumps against the walls, Dwayne struggles to move through the crowd of people. Tonight is probably the most busy he’s seen it in a long while, and even the team is having trouble dancing and getting refills on their drinks.

Figures the crowd would hit after wrapping up a case.

Finally, Dwayne reaches the bar and comes around the side. And you hadn’t noticed him yet - you were much too busy pouring drinks and giving people their food. So as Dwayne gets behind the bar, he thinks for a moment that he’ll be able to slip in and lend a hand before you can notice. Pass out a couple beers and prove that his help is needed.

His plan doesn’t quite work out, though. “Dwayne? Why’re you here?” You shout at him over the music.

He winces lightly at getting caught, but there’s no use stalking around now. Dwayne quickly pulls a beer from the ice and hands it to a man while taking his money. “It’s boomin’, tonight! Figured you’d need some help up here.”

And Dwayne already knows what you’re going to say. Still, it pulls a smirk to his lips to hear you say it, anyway. “You worked all day. You deserve to have some fun, not work even more.” You move past him to grab a couple more glasses, but when he looks over, Dwayne can see your smile.

It only emboldens him.

“Nah, I’m happy to help!”

“Dwayne...”

“Don’t forget, it’s my bar. I can always order you to let me help.”

Even over the music, he can hear your snort of laughter. But you finally give in, letting Dwayne handle one side of the bar while you work the other. And Dwayne was being honest, he really did want to help. But maybe he had a hidden agenda. Maybe he just wanted to spend some time with you, even if that means working your asses off.

You and him haven’t had much chance together, lately. Maybe that’s on him.

And yeah, he’s tired. Was almost half-tempted to stay behind in the office and catch up on some sleep, but Dwayne’s glad he decided against it. Working with you again, side by side - it was nice. Sometimes, you both brush up against each other running back and forth, trying to fill out orders and keep the bar patrons happy. Once in a while, someone from the team comes up and Dwayne notices you chatting with them, yelling over the music.

Though, Dwayne needs to be conscious of how fast he’s working. It’s not truly his fault if he gets carried away in looking at you - he just glances over at all the perfect moments. Your hair’s a bit crazy and you’re only dressed in simple jeans and a t-shirt, but it’s more than enough to make him lose his focus.

Strangely, Dwayne can’t recall when he’s been this happy, recently.

It just seems like everything’s been so rough, as of late. Brody leaving the team, dealing with the FBI, learning how to work with Gregorio. And yet, none of that affects him, right now.

The rush lasts for a good few hours until the time winds down to midnight. The music is slower, the team had gone home, and it seems like the people of New Orleans were finally giving Dwayne chance to slow down and really appreciate being in your company.

He comes over to the far side of the bar, where you’re organizing the bills. “You’re doin’ a great job tonight,” Dwayne praises with a big smile. You jump a little, twist your head around, and immediately mimic his smile.

“Thanks,” you reply. “You really didn’t have to help out. I know you probably would’ve wanted to have fun with your friends.”

Dwayne just gives a light scoff at that. “Well, maybe I am having fun with a friend,” he says. You give him a teasing look and go back to counting the bills, but Dwayne really had meant that.

And he knows this isn’t the first time he made a impulsive decision to do whatever it takes to spend time with you. To try and fully understand why he gets such fierce butterflies in his stomach for the bartender he hired only months ago. And the thought of maybe trying to move things to another level....

Well, Dwayne’s much too afraid of losing a friend. And a damn good bartender.

“Chris was trying to telling me something earlier. Apparently Sebastian wants to become a field agent?”

Instantly, your quest elicits a bark of laughter from Dwayne. “Yeah, ‘pparently so,” he answers.

It’s your turn to laugh, head shaking lightly. “It’s hard to imagine him with a gun, fighting bad guys and stuff. What do you think about it?”

Your head turns once again to look at him. Dwayne has to focus on the question in order to speak, and he gives a shrug of his shoulders. “He’s smart. Quick thinker. Don’t see why he can’t be a good agent, with some training.”

“Right,” you reply slowly. And then your smile gets a bit more mischievous. “So, do you think I’d be good agent?”

Dwayne blinks once, and then a little mischievous smile of his own appears. “I don’t know. I don’t wanna be givin’ you any ideas.”

“Ideas?”

“Yep. I’m way too busy to start lookin’ for another bartender.”

Your laughter sounds even sweeter than the slow jazz music from the stage.

Dwayne’s more than happy to revel in it forever, but as the doors of the Tru Tone open up and catches his eye, his easy happiness is instantly sucked away. Leaves a yawning pit in his gut where the warm pleasure had once been.

But that tends to happen whenever Mayor Hamilton is around.

And he doesn’t have to say a word to you. Regrettably, it’s as if you’ve got some kind of radar for the dear Mayor. Always knowing and recognizing his presence in the bar, as rare as it is. Dwayne suspects he only comes here for you (pissing him off is just a bonus.)

It also makes Dwayne wonder just how much time you’re spending with Hamilton to make you so attuned to him.

Dwayne looks to you, noticing how you’ve bounced up on your toes. Trying to keep your excitement underwraps, but Dwayne can see just how pleased you are to see Hamilton. But you don’t move from your spot at the register to greet him. Nor do you call out his name and wave. Because you’re working, and Dwayne knows just how serious you take your job.

For a moment, he thinks about keeping you behind the bar. With him. Away from Douglas Hamilton and his way of poisoning everything he touches. But the notion instantly fills him with guilt - Dwayne can’t just abuse his power, like that.

So, hard as it is, he forces a smile on his face and motions to the Mayor with his head. “Go. You’ve been working hard,” he says.

The way your smile goes wide should’ve made the butterflies worse. This time, it just fills him with dread. “Thanks, Dwayne!”

He tries not to stare when you come out from behind the bar to hug Hamilton.

-

And it’s driving me insane.   Does he make you say his name?     And you can’t get it off your tongue       Little girl, you are not so young

By now, Dwayne should know better than to think he can hide his feelings from Loretta.

She’s able to sniff out the storm cloud over his head in seconds. Always has, and sometimes, it can be a little annoying. Can’t a man brood in peace without being asked if he wants to talk? But today wasn’t one of those days - Dwayne swirling thoughts sometimes makes it hard to breathe.

“What’s wrong, Dwayne?”

That’s all he really needs.

“It’s Y/N,” he says simply. “And Hamilton. She’s been spending a lotta time with him lately, and I really don’t like it.”

His gaze is elsewhere, away from Loretta and the way her brows shoot up in surprise. He misses how she’s nearly smirks, but reigns it in at the last second. And as she steps closer, Dwayne feels her hand on his shoulder. “Have you considered that maybe you want her attention on you, instead of Hamilton?”

The question makes him frown in confusion, and as he looks up to Loretta, he instantly reads her face. And he scoffs at her. “I’m not jealous.” Loretta raises a single brow. “I’m not! I’m worried about her, Loretta. I don’t trust Hamilton as far as I can throw him.”

“Dwayne, she’s an adult. I’m sure she knows what she’s doing,” Loretta says calmly. And her words cause Dwayne to shake his head and look away. “Has it impacted her work at all?”

“....No.”

“Then let her live her life. And if you’re really so worried, keep an eye out for her. Protect her, if you really think it might go that far.”

But Dwayne doesn’t need to be told twice.

If he weren’t already on the Mayor’s ass before, then you just cemented Dwayne’s total focus on him.

-

Ain’t you worried what i’ll do?   And that boy should worry, too     Can you face me for what you’ve done?       Little girl, you are not so young

Eliza’s death should’ve been the only thing that weighed on Dwayne’s heart.

It had to be enough for him that Javier Garcia lost everything he had. It had to be enough that he sacrificed him in order to nail Hamilton. Not truly getting justice for Eliza had to mean something.

But when the news of Javier’s death came in, Dwayne felt more heavy than ever.

He hadn’t told the team - that can wait until tomorrow. They deserve to have a break, but that didn’t mean he could just forget about it. He’d been uncharacteristically quiet; getting lost in his thoughts and going over the suspects in his mind. Somebody who could gain something from Javier’s death.

The one name that kept popping up was Douglas Hamilton.

And every time it did, Dwayne’s gaze finds you. Happy and vibrant as ever, laughing with strangers up by the bar. Completely unknowing of the kind of man that Hamilton really is. What he’s capable of.

He spent the next few hours mulling over what he should say. Ignoring everybody’s prods for him to go back to his room above the office and get some sleep. No, this was way more important than sleep. And for all Dwayne knew, you could be in danger, as well.

He wouldn’t be able to forgive himself if Hamilton hurt you.

You’re the one who’s chatting while the pair of you clean up after the bar closes. Talking about the day - mostly just bitching about how late one of the delivery guys was and you were left waiting for a shipment of beer for two hours. The story really should’ve lightened Dwayne’s heart.

He was just thinking too much about Eliza. And Javier. And Hamilton....

So as you’re leaving that story and melting into a new one, Dwayne finally stops you. A hand grasping your arm, keeping you in place, uncaring around the empty bottles you carry. Your eyes flash up to him, looking confused, and Dwayne reluctantly meets them. “We need to talk,” he says simply.

Slowly, you nod and move to set the empty bottles down on the nearest table. “I noticed you were kinda quiet tonight,” you tell him carefully. And when your eyes come up to meet Dwayne’s once again, careful and troubled, it makes his stomach tight. “What’s wrong?”

Such a loaded question. And even after hours of thinking about it, Dwayne’s not sure where to start.

His hand falls away from your arm, but he stays close. Keeps his eyes locked on yours, hoping to convey how serious this is. “You know the man we’ve been investigating? Javier Garcia? The man who-” Dwayne had a pause and swallow down the lump in his throat. “The man who had Eliza killed?”

He knows you never knew Eliza, but you saw him in the aftermath of her death. A sad and angry and self-pitying Dwayne Pride. Not his proudest moment.

That’s what makes you nod sadly. “He’s dead. Was killed a few hours ago.”

Your eyes blink in surprise, and then shift in confusion. “How? Why?”

“Car bomb,” Dwayne says. “And I reckon he was killed so he couldn’t tell us things. Things that we need to know. That’s the deal we struck with him.”

Dwayne can tell you’re growing more and more confused. Wondering why he was telling you all this. What this all had to do with you. And maybe Dwayne’s just putting off the inevitable. But he takes a breath to brace himself. “I think the person who had him killed was Hamilton.”

Instantly, you pull away from him in a disbelieving shock. Scoffing at his words as if what he told you was completely ridiculous. And maybe to you, it was. “Dwayne, that’s not fucking funny-”

“I’m not tryin’ to be,” he cuts in quickly. “Javier was going to give us information on a lot of bad people. High profile people. And he mentioned Hamilton by name.”

“He’s a criminal, Dwayne! Or was. He’d say anything to keep from going to jail - you should know that.”

“He gave us solid proof. And I can’t think of anyone else who even knew Javier was gonna talk-”

“You’re wrong.” Your voice is hard as steel. Cold in a way that Dwayne’s never heard before, and he’d almost preferred if you started yelling at him. Not watching him with a disappointed look in your eye. “Douglas wouldn’t just have somebody killed. Who the hell do you think he is?”

“I think he’s a man who’s afraid of losing his power,” Dwayne says simply. “A man who will do anything to keep it.”

You’re silent for a moment, taking his words in before scoffing. You take a single step away from him, and Dwayne reigns in his impulse to move closer. “Do you even have any evidence that he had Garcia killed? Or suspects? Anything?” You ask him. Though, it sounds more like a demand.

He hesitates, lips forming a line before he reluctantly shakes his head.

“Then he didn’t do it,” you conclude. “So don’t try to pin this on him.”

With a shake of your head, you finally move to walk past Dwayne, intending to leave. But it’s instinct that has Dwayne reaching out, catching your arm and gripping it tight in his desperation. And he just wishes you’d look him in the eye - make you see how serious he is. Make you see his fear. “Please, just listen. I already just lost somebody very dear to me. And I know this is all very hard to hear. But Douglas is dangerous, and I don’t wanna lose you, too.”

For a moment, you hesitate. And Dwayne thinks that he finally talked some sense into you. Made you see things for how they are.

But then you pull your arm away from him. And Dwayne releases it. “He’s not dangerous, Dwayne. But if you keep accusing my boyfriend of things he hasn’t done, then you will lose me.”

He lets you leave, and even as the doors are slammed shut, Dwayne’s legs don’t seem to want to work. He stands there in his quiet, empty bar. And as much as his motives were selfless and innocent - to keep you safe from Hamilton - Dwayne can help the sharp, piercing pain in the center of his chest at that word.

Boyfriend.

-

I’m fond of living, but I would have given it all   For the girl I loved     Oh, is he ready to die for you, baby?       Now that the deed is done?

As numb as Dwayne’s spirit is, he wishes his body would feel the same.

He can’t focus on too much of anything besides his aches and the events of the last twenty-four hours.

After everything that’s happened - after all the sacrifices Dwayne has made to get here - he was finally able to reveal Hamilton for the person he is. Finally able to bring some justice to all the wrong that man has done. And Dwayne can barely believe it, himself. He thinks he may be dreaming, but the smarting of his muscles and the light burn of his stab wound made sure that he was awake.

Though, if anything, his heart felt a little lighter. The team made sure of that.

And Dwayne was sure that one of the sacrifices he made was you. He’d been so afraid that his attempts to warn you against Hamilton might’ve caused irreparable damage to your relationship. Maybe he hurt you in some way that you can’t forgive.

So seeing you slowly walk through the sorry excuse for the doors of the Tru Tone, Dwayne knows he must be dreaming. Or at least maybe seeing things because he’s lost more blood that he realized.

Even from across the bar, he can tell you’d been crying. Red eyes and swollen cheeks and such withdrawn body language. So different from how he knows you to be, and suddenly. Dwayne’s own aches mean nothing.

You must’ve heard about what happened on the news. Because Dwayne knows for a fact that Hamilton is not man enough to call you himself.

As you approach, your eyes kept falling away from Dwayne. Looking sheepish, as if expecting him to start yelling and demanding you get out of his bar. But Dwayne says nothing; honestly, he doesn’t really know what to say. So you’re the one to speak up first. “Dwayne, I- I heard what happened. With Douglas. After what happened to the bar...” Your eyes float around the room sadly. He knows you loved the place almost as much as he did.

Dwayne does the same, and notices Loretta eyeing the pair of you.

“I didn’t want to believe Douglas had anything to do with it,” you continue lowly. “But then tonight...”

Again, you trail off. And Dwayne finally sets down the gloves he’d been holding. Cleaning the bar can wait. “You wanna talk?” He offers.

Immediately, you nod. And Dwayne leads you over to what’s left of the backroom. It reeks of smoke and he can’t hardly see much, but it’s private. Quiet. And Dwayne’s barely turned around before you’re on him. Arms around his middle, face in his chest, hugging tight as if he’d suddenly be ripped away.

The way his arms come around you - it’s instinct.

He doesn’t even have to think about it.

Holding you feels natural and right. And after today, hell yeah, Dwayne will admit that it feels good.

“I’m so sorry,” you mumble against his chest. To afraid of seeing his face to pull back and say it clearly. “I should’ve listened. I shouldn’t have brushed you off when you were just trying to protect me. I just- I really didn’t want to believe that Douglas- that he could-”

You’re crying again. Dwayne can hear it in the way the hiccups fracture your words. Can feel your jumps in breath. And his hand eventually comes up to cradle the back of your head, letting his fingers card through your hair. He leans his head down, lips brushing your temple. “I understand,” he says. And Dwayne’s voice is just barely above a whisper. As if speaking louder would break this precious moment. “I’m not mad at you, I promise.”

“...You’re not?”

Dwayne has to breathe to keep from getting too emotional. Your voice was so small. So sad. “No, honey. I could never be mad at you. Never.”

And oh, how he wishes you could really, truly understand the depth of that response. How it’s not just something he’s saying to make you feel better. Wondering if you really knew how wrapped around your finger he is. And Dwayne wonders if he really should be angry, but he finds that he can’t. There’s no hot burn in his gut - only the vicious flutter of butterfly wings.

You and resentment just don’t fit in the same sentence together.

Eventually, your tears slow. And you pull back to finally meet his eyes. Dwayne’s still running on instinct - his hand comes up to fit along the curve of your cheek. His other settles on your hip, hoping to keep you close and with him. The sensation sends sparks of electricity up his spine. And he’s barely focused on whether it’s a good idea or not to be touching you, like this. If now’s the right time.

But you’re not pulling away. Surely that’s a good sign.

And it’s hard for him to believe any of this could be wrong. Because with your arms around his waist, fingers spread over a little area of his back, you seem to be drawing even closer to him. Not pulling away, like you had before. Dwayne hardly dares to breathe.

“Dwayne?”

You breathe out his name. It sounds like heaven. “Yeah?”

“When the bar’s back up and running, do I still have a job here?”

And despite his numbing of his spirit and the effect you’re having on him, Dwayne doesn’t even try to hold back his small bout of laughter. Neither do you. “‘Course, you do. Can’t imagine this place without you with me,” he replies easily.

Honestly, those words came out without his consent. A vulnerable look into his true feelings; much too bold and honest to pretend like it was anything else. It nearly scares Dwayne enough to make him break away. To prompt him into some kind of damage control.

But you don’t give him the chance.

You’re on your toes, and you’re kissing him. Soft and slow and sweet, and it’s a gut reaction to kiss you back with the same warm affection. You just feel too good and too gentle after these last few days of being so hard and angry at everything. It feels like he lost a piece of himself in the hunt.

Now, it’s easy to believe that maybe you were just holding that piece for him.

Your fingers press into his back, holding onto him even tighter when Dwayne tilts your head up to kiss you deeper. Faintly, he hears commotion in the other room. Other people might’ve finally showed up to help. Frankly, Dwayne can’t imagine caring, right now. Because you gasp against his lips, exhale a shaky breath, and Dwayne feels like he might die if he lets you go.

For just a few more moments, he can forget about the tears still falling down your cheeks.

I’m just waiting for night   and the fading light     of the setting sun.