#This dragons idle animation is also a front flip

[biirdex]

Qsmp Eggs as Dragonvale dragons; #1 Juanaflippa

[granny-griffin]

tumbling forward we spin on 2/4

Avariya broke the window of her father's apartment with a loose brick she'd found in the courtyard. After climbing gingerly over the broken glass she went to the kitchen and rummaged around for the junk drawer. They were there. She snatched up the scissors, marched straight to the bathroom, and began cutting her hair off at the scalp.

There were five memories from her time alone that would stick out. No matter how faded her childhood grew in her old age, these five scenes stayed vivid. She couldn't have told you why. But this moment—standing alone in front of the mirror, chopping piece after piece until her head was bare except for a vague white fuzz—this moment would become the first of them.

[This is part two—read part one first. Thanks @masterfuldoodler for teaching me how to put links in posts.]

The second occurred a few weeks later. She had been scrounging dinner from the other apartments on the compound. One night she ran into somebody else who had the same idea. Frightened out of her wits, Avariya scampered out of the compound, down the street, and in the door of the first building that wasn't locked. It was a museum. For a moment she thought she was safe, and then she heard footsteps. A whole band of marauders was prowling through the halls, probably attracted by the various treasures which had been suddenly abandoned. Avariya grabbed a short sword from a nearby display and huddled behind a giant stone sarcophagus with weird runes scratched all over it. Somehow she knew that she was just like all the things on display. If someone were to come and steal her, there wouldn't be anything she could do about it, sword or no sword.

She crouched there all night. Nobody noticed her.

The third was in winter. It didn't snow, but the rain was coming down in sheets. By then she knew to stay away from buildings when she could. Where there were buildings there were people. But it was cold and wet, so she did the stupid thing and ducked into a doorway that looked relatively nonthreatening. Inside she found a nice spot to sit and drip water onto the floor. She was hungry, but she couldn't think of anything she could do to get food. Huddled there against the stone was she looked up and saw them—rows and rows of books.

Shakily, Avariya got to her feet and began to walk along the rows. She moved faster and faster until she was running from shelf to shelf, reading the labels on the ends of the aisles. Action Adventure, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Romance...these were all fictional. She turned and ran to the other side of the library. There were other categories here; Biography, Book Reviews, Encyclopedias, Guides—she skidded to a halt. This had to be it. She walked down the Guides aisle and began skimming the book titles. Methods for Tidying up Your Life, Tips on Making Friends and Being Popular, How to Read Books—and then she saw it, just above her eye level, thick and faded. An Adventurer's Guide to Survival in the British Countryside. She snatched it off the shelf and flipped through the pages. There were sections on edible plants, simple traps, field dressing game, shelter construction, and so many more. Avariya slid to the floor and started to cry. This was it—this was how she was going to survive.

The next moment was months later. She'd gathered up enough confidence to start raiding buildings again. This one had already collapsed in on itself, so she didn't need to worry about it collapsing while she was inside. She had found some pretty useful things in the rubble (three cans of tuna, a sash she could hang her sword off of, and a spool of thread she could use to mend her clothes and pack) when she lifted up a loose board and saw a handheld radio.

It was a cool gadget, but it wasn't useful anymore. Nobody was broadcasting anything these days. She picked it up anyway and began fiddling with the dials. Suddenly she heard a voice. She dropped the radio and spun around—who was here? She'd thought she was alone.

When the voice came again, this time from her feet, she knew it was the radio.

That night she found a nice spot by the Thames, turned the radio on, and listened until the dawn was pink in the sky. There was only one station—the city of London's official broadcast. England may have fallen, but the city of London had a power structure that had been around since time immemorial and it wasn't planning on going anywhere anytime soon. In the time since the ships had left they'd set up a militia force to guard the farms.

It took Avariya a bit to figure that one out. Around midnight, someone named Linda got on the air and explained—so many people from the British Isles had left Earth that the whole infrastructure gone down. Which meant nobody was supplying the supermarkets. Linda had packed her bags and used the rest of the gas in her car to high tail it out of town. She stopped at the nearest abandoned farm and began to care for the stray animals roaming the area. She now had 38 chickens, 29 ducks, 3 cows, 10 cats, an herb garden, and a goat. Things had been tough for a while what with the raiders and all, but now that the city of London had sent out the militia force to make sure that the food raised by people like her stayed not stolen long enough to make it to a market, she wasn't having any trouble bringing in an income. Now she just needed to figure out how to keep the goat from eating the rosemary. 

Avariya laid her head back on the grass. She could see the stars so much better now that the power was out most places. The radio droned on. It was nice to hear so many voices—each of them telling a story. She hadn't realized how lonely she was. And now she had a secret between her and the stars. All the unwanted ones were here—they were still here—still living like nothing had happened. Maybe it was hard, but it was good. Despite everything, there was still good in the world.

She went to London that autumn. She'd heard adds on the radio—there was a blacksmith there who wanted some particular kinds of scrap metal—bits of electronics too. Avariya had found them and she was ready to collect the reward. And to have a conversation. She hadn't been around people in over a year. 

The outer city was still—buses stood idle and there were no pedestrians to speak of. Even the birds seemed to have disappeared. It was beautiful in an eerie sort of way. Then she rounded a corner and saw it—just down the street in front of her was a statue of a dragon, marking the entrance to London proper. Behind that was life. There were people walking around between booths and street-side shops. Lanterns were strung up on wires that zig-zagged between the alley walls, and a smell of spice hung in the crispness of the air. She walked down the street in a daze. She hadn't known a city could feel so warm. It was like a fairy world come true. Just then she glanced up and saw another of the dragon statues guarding the border of the city, perched on the ledge of a building.

It moved.

Avariya looked away, blinked a few times, and looked back at the dragon statue. It was staring at her. She felt her heart thump harder and harder as it jumped down into the street before her. Now that it was in the light, she could see that it wasn't grey or silver or gold like a statue should be, but bright orangish red. Avariya stood as if she had been the statue as the creature hopped onto a nearby crate of vegetables, took a big bite of the nearest one, and immediately spit it out. This might have been comical—except the spit was on fire, and the fire caught onto the crates.

Somebody, probably the vegetable vendor, bumped Avariya's shoulder as he ran past with a water bottle and immediately poured it onto the crates. This didn't help particularly, and it got the creature all wet. Enraged, it reached up and bit the vegetable vendor on the hand. 

A gun went off behind her. Startled out of her trance, Avariya spun around. The first creature had been the size of a small dog—the one standing in the road behind her was at least as tall as a horse—it should have been bright red, but parts of it were all covered in a strange green liquid which made it look sort of brown. A militia member stood a few yards off with his rifle trained on the larger creature. It growled—a deep, unearthly noise—and spat flame at the gunman. It missed the man and hit the building behind him, which also caught on fire.

Avariya turned and ran. She probably should have a long time ago. Nobody was milling about on the street anymore, and there were strange shadows dancing on the ground, as if a thousand different kinds of birds were swooping around above the city. Avariya didn't look up to see what was casting them.

Suddenly her foot caught on something and she hit the ground hard. A hand grabbed her shoulder and flipped her onto her back. Standing over her was yet another creature, this one a deep purpley black, with eyes that shone white like a spotlight. Without thinking, Avariya drew her sword and held it out at the creature with as much menace as she could muster. Shockingly, it stepped back. Keeping the sword pointed at the creature, Avariya slowly got to her feet. The creature just stood there, blinking its unnaturally bright eyes. She stepped backwards slowly until she was at a somewhat safe distance, then she turned and ran again. 

She ran down the first underground entrance she saw. None of the trains were running, so she jumped down onto the track and kept running. The sky couldn't reach her here, and she was too terrified to realize that it was creepy down here, alone in the dark. 

When she couldn't run anymore, she walked to the next station and went back up to the surface. She was somewhere in London's suburbs. It was night, but she could still see around her. There was a sort of glow to everything. It was strange. She didn't think the moon was full just now, but she looked around for it anyway. 

Then she saw the sky behind her. Back towards the inner city, beyond the inky black silhouettes of the surrounding buildings, the sky was bright with color. Orange and grey and yellow and white spread out from the ground like a painted sunset. She didn't know it yet, but the image would stick with her forever—the fifth vivid memory of her time alone. London was burning.

[part 3]

[astral-multiverse]

Super Smash Bros. Multiverse: Hat Kid Moveset + Extras

Stage Entrance: Lands on her feet and poses with her arms stretched out before getting into her stance

Alternate Costumes: Default, Mustache Girl colors, Snatcher skin, Blood Moon dye, Nyakuza costume, Double Shades, Forest Critter dye, Bleeding Edge dye

Moves

Neutral Jab/Rapid Jab: Swings umbrella twice, spinning it in front of her for the jab

Side Tilt: Swipes ahead of her with umbrella

Up Tilt: Flips hat above her head, revealing a random object under her hat

Down Tilt: Twirls around on umbrella

Dash Attack: Uses Sprint Hat to tackle opponent

Side Smash: Projectile Badge. Charges up a beam from her umbrella. The longer the charge, the stronger and longer the beam gets

Up Smash: Brewing Hat. Hat Kid mixes some explosive concoctions and the explosion reaches above her for some good damage

Down Smash: Time Piece Slam. Jumps in the air a bit before using a Time Piece to make a shockwave form when she lands

Neutral Air: Uses a move similar to Lilac's Dragon Cyclone, reference to the developer made Lilac's Headpiece mod from A Hat in Time

Forward Air: Swipes ahead with umbrella

Back Air: Backwards headbutt

Up Air: Spins umbrella above her

Down Air: Uses Ice Hat to fall down. Makes a shockwave when she lands on solid ground

Neutral Special: Explosive Concoctions. Uses Brewing Hat to throw explosives. Can be charged and held indefinitely until you release the button

Side Special: Dive/Homing Attack. Dives left or right to gain some horizontal distance and does some decent tackle damage. However when near opponent, a charged attack makes her home into them and bounce off

Up Special: Hookshot Badge. Hat Kid uses her Hookshot to grab onto the ledge and recover, similar to Joker's Grappling Hook. However this is for recovering only, she can't damage anyone but she can also use opponents as a target to bounce off

Down Special: Time Stop Hat. Similar to Bayonetta's Witch Time, but she stays in place and slowed down opponents can only take one attack before the effect wears off. So you better land a good hit

Grab: Uses her hat to trap opponent

Pummel: Tugs hat to hurt opponent

Throws

Forward: Throws opponent forwards

Up: Blasts opponent into sky with hat, which acts like a cannon

Back: Spins opponent around and sends them behind her

Down: Stomps on top of hat and buries opponent into the ground

Final Smash: Time Piece Barrage. Hat Kid summons her Time Pieces for this Final Smash. A few Time Pieces fall around her before she throws a huge ball of them into the ground for a finishing explosion

Extras

Taunts:

Up- Peace and Tranquility dance. Lasts until another button is pressed. Even plays music after a few seconds

Down- Balances and juggles umbrella on one finger

Side- Rubs hands together and says either "Peck!" Or "Murrrrrrderrrrr!"

Idle Animations-

Regular- Stands as she swings arms back and forth slightly

1- Jumps a few times while pumping her fists in the air

2- Plays with her dolls, making them kiss before she looks around and puts them away

3- Flips hat a few times, showing a few random objects under her hat

Victory Theme- Time Piece Get song from AHIT

Victory Poses:

1- Hat Kid runs around with her Sprint Hat before she just poses on one foot and her arms outstretched

2- Grabs Time Piece and poses with it in her hands

3- Dances with a smug look on her face

Boxing Ring Title: Hat Wearing Alien Child

Crowd Cheer: You Go Kid!!

[553butterfly553]

Hunting Down A Man - Sesshomaru x OC 1

It's been about a week since the group left Kagome's village. They had no set destination in mind, so they ended up aimlessly wandering around. It was beginning to get on Kirai's nerves. She was never one to just walk around without knowing where she was going. “Okay guys,” Kirai began after they set up camp for the night. “Let's figure out where exactly we are going.” “Well, I still think we should hunt down a guy for Safaia,” Rin spoke up instantly, causing the pink-haired Safaia to frown. “Guys really, I am fine without a man.” “I agree with Rin. So sis, do you want a demon or a warlock as your man?” Kirai questioned, ignoring her sister's words. Safaia just sighed to herself. “A demon would be preferable. I don't really trust warlocks anymore.” “Then let's find a demon village. I know there are some nearby.” Kirai then turned to Sesshomaru with a smile on her face. He internally sighed and smelled the air. “There is one just north of our location. We can go there tomorrow.” The tall demon responded simply. He seemed annoyed, to be honest, but that was to be expected. He didn't really like other demons just as much as he didn't like humans. “Thank you, Maru,” Kirai spoke as she smiled at him even more. “Yes, Maru, thank you,” Safaia grumbled, much to the annoyance of Sesshomaru. He glared at the other woman, causing Kirai to laugh. “Now now you two.” Kirai didn't like it when Safaia and Sesshomaru got on each other's nerves, but it was funny sometimes. It didn't happen often, but they were both strong-willed people, which sometimes caused some issues. “We'll go to that village in the morning, right now, it's time to sleep.” Rin's tone gave no arguments. It was clear she wanted everyone to be quiet now, so they all went quiet. She'd been particularly tired that day. So, now that she'd curled up with Ah-Un and fallen asleep, everyone else chose to do the same. Well, not cuddle up with the dragon, but they had their own spots. Kirai was snuggled up with Sesshomaru, who had a protective arm wrapped around the girl. Safaia was sleeping up in the tree Sesshomaru and Kirai was leaning on, laying on a tree branch. She chose one she wouldn't fall off of too easily. Meanwhile, Jaken slept all alone by the fire. ~ Once morning came and everyone had some form of breakfast, they headed out. The village wasn't too far away so it only took an hour to reach it. As soon as they got there and began to walk through the village, the demons of the village all looked at them. It wasn't every day that a powerful demon such as Sesshomaru entered a village of demons. Soon, an older man approached them. He was clearly the village chief. “Hello, travelers. What brings you here to our humble village?” The old man spoke softly to the group. Everyone looked at each other trying to figure out who would talk first. It ended up being Safaia who stepped forward to speak. “We are here to find me a husband. We hoped to get lucky finding a good demon here in your village.” Safaia was almost embarrassed to say such a thing out loud in front of so many demons. “I see. Well, we can round up the single men and you can talk to each of them. We thank you for choosing our village to search in.” With that, the old man waved his hand at two men who'd followed him. They walked off, unassumingly to gather the single male demons of the village. “Come with me, I will show you to where you can stay the night.” The location of their temporary home was the chief's house. It was large with a lot of rooms, meaning each of them could have their own space for the time being if they so chose to. “We thank you for your kindness. I'm sure our request was quite strange.” Kirai spoke as they followed the man around the house. He was taking them to the specific rooms they would be staying in. “Yes, young witch, it was quite strange, but not uncommon. Many witches choose to mate with a demon due to the equally long life of both parties. Is that not what you have done?” The man paused to look at Kirai and then to Sesshomaru. “Oh, no no, Sesshomaru and I aren't mated yet.” “Yet?” “We just... haven't found the time I guess.” Kirai was unsure of herself. It was just not a topic that had come up before. “Hmm.” The man continued to walk a few more feet and then stopped in front of a room. “This is where you can stay. The rooms on either side are also for you. You may choose to separate yourselves as you wish. One of my men will come to get you when the men have assembled.” With that, the old chief wandered off on his own. They all did go off on your own into the three rooms. Rin in one, followed by Jaken against his will. Kirai and Sesshomaru in the room in the middle and then Safaia in the last room. Ah-Un remained in the courtyard, watching over the three rooms. “Sesshomaru, we'll have privacy tonight,” Kirai muttered, hinting at some activities they could do. “Focus on the task at hand, Kirai.” His comment made the girl pout, causing Sesshomaru to smirk. They hadn't gotten any alone time in years, meaning this would be the only time that they had together. However, the demon was right and Kirai knew she needed to focus on the situation. “You're no fun Maru.” “Have I ever been?” “Well, there was that one time. You remember the one, right? We were in that abandoned castle and you put your-” Sesshomaru put his hand over the girl's mouth to silence her. “Enough, I remember.” It was almost like he was embarrassed to be reminded of their last alone time together. Kirai just chuckled and removed his hand from her face. She then kissed it and smiled up at him. “Kirai.” “Sesshomaru.” The two were about to kiss when their door flew open. “Come on, the men have been brought to us... Was I interrupting something?” It was Safaia. She blushed at the sight of the two almost kissing in front of her. “Yes.” Both Kirai and Sesshomaru responded at the same time. They were both irritated, but it quickly faded as they followed the pink-haired girl out of the room. She led them to the courtyard where Ah-Un was and where there were 5 guys. The 5 guys introduced themselves as Jiog, Dol, Jigoku, Yurei, and Ken'o. Jiog is a 300-year-old fox demon with red hair. He had a bad attitude and was quite rude towards Safaia, so she sent him away. Dol is a 600-year-old panther demon with blue hair. He made it very clear that he was already in love with someone, so Safaia, the hopeless romantic, gave him some advice to confess and sent him away. Jigoku and Yurei are twin lizard demons that are 800 years old. They were quite odd and spoke in unison, causing Safaia to get freaked out, so she sent them away. The last man, Ken'o was an 800-year-old dog demon with gray hair. He spoke softly to Safaia and even complimented her on her appearance. He seemed to be a good man, and a gentleman so Safaia let him stay. “So tell me a little about yourself,” Safaia said to the dog demon in front of her. “Well, it might sound weird, but I really like these stones.” He then pulled out two purple crystals. “I love to collect pretty stones like this.” It took every ounce of restraint for Safaia to not flip out. Those were her favorite types of stones. “Well, that isn't weird at all. I'm known as the Crystal Witch. I'm big into stones and crystals as well.” “That's amazing.” “So tell me some more about you.” “I love animals and try my best to not unnecessarily hurt anyone that I don't have to. I also love nature and take long walks frequently.” That was another point for him. Safaia was a big animal lover and adored nature as well. “I like you. You seem like just my type.” He was even taller than her, which was another thing she looked for in a man. Outwardly, he seemed to be everything that Safaia was looking for. “Let's eat lunch together and get to know each other more.” Safaia was all for this man, but Kirai felt something off. She kept her issue to herself but made a mental note to tell Sesshomaru later on when they were alone. “Thank you, Safaia.” Oh, look, another red flag that was thrown up for Kirai. To her knowledge, they hadn't told them Safaia's name or anything yet, but she let that go as well. It was lunchtime and Kirai was hungry. Rin and Jaken came out of their room for lunch and they all ate together in the big room with the chief. Kirai and Sesshomaru sat next to each other, and Safaia and Ken'o sat together. It was a peaceful lunch with some idle chatting. Kirai bothered Sesshomaru about eating human food while Safaia and Ken'o got to know each other better. Once lunch was over, the chief left the room along with Rin and Jaken. Rin wanted to go hang out with Ah-Un and Jaken had to follow her wherever she went, much to his annoyance. “So Safaia, what else are you hungry for today?” Ken'o leaned towards the pink-haired girl as if to imply he wanted a kiss or something. However, Safaia just leaned away and stood up. “I'm sorry. I can't kiss you yet. We just met and I'm waiting for 'the one' to do anything with.” Her words were soft and kind but hid an annoyance deep within. “What? What kind of whore are you?” “Whore? Excuse me, but I'm the opposite of a whore, I've never had sex before.” Safaia was now growing annoyed and she started to feel threatened. Instantly, Sesshomaru was standing right next to her and glared down at the still seated man. “Is there an issue?” Sesshomaru questioned, already knowing full well what was going on. He and Kirai had heard the entire exchange between the two of them. “This whore-” “Get out. She is no whore, she is my sister whom you will not dare to touch or speak to again.” The tall demon glared down at Ken'o causing the slightly shorter demon to scurry off in fear. “Sister, huh?” “Be silent.” Sesshomaru turned to Safaia to glare at her next. “Thank you Sesshomaru, he was starting to seem a

bit...” “A bit, more like a lot of a jackass,” Kirai spoke as she glared at the now open door that he'd fled through. “Yes Kirai, that sentence made sense.” “Shut up Maru.” Kirai smiled at her demon before turning to her sister and putting a hand on her shoulder. “Are you alright?” “Yeah, I'm a little shaken up though. He seemed so nice, I wonder why he turned out to be so rude and disrespectful.” It was clear that Safaia was a little upset about the situation. So, being the somewhat kind big brother he is, Sesshomaru put his hand on her head, as if to comfort her. “Thank you, both of you. I'll be alright.” “Should we kill him?” “What?! No, I just said I'll be okay!” Safaia looked horrified at Sesshomaru's question. To her reaction, Sesshomaru just smirked. “If that was a joke it wasn't funny.” “It kind of was,” Kirai muttered with a smile on her face. She earned a glare from her sister but chose to ignore it. “So what now?” “We leave.” Sesshomaru grumbled clearly wanting to head out. “Just because Ken'o was an asshole doesn't mean anything. We should still accept their hospitality.” Safaia's words left no argument to be had. Sesshomaru just huffed and left the room and headed back to where he'd chosen his room would be. Kirai quickly followed behind him, running to catch up with him. “Maru, is there something on your mind?” Kirai could see through Sesshomaru clearly. “Hmm.” He chose to not talk until both of them were in their room with the door closed. “I believe that demon will cause us more problems.” “Huh? Why?” “He didn't submit to me.” “He ran away though?” “He merely pretended to be afraid of me.” “I see...” The two were on edge, while Safaia was blissfully unaware of the potential danger she was in. However, dinner that night went without any problem, and they slept through the night also without any problem. It was almost too peaceful, which set Sesshomaru on edge further, which caused Kirai to become further on edge as well. “So where are we going next? Another demon village?” Rin questioned hopefully. She was ready for the adventure and was completely unaware of the issues her friend had the previous day with Ken'o. “Excuse me.” Everyone turned around to face Ken'o. “What do you want?” Kirai harshly questioned stepping protectively in front of her sister. “I just wanted to apologize. That's all.” He bowed down and muttered an apology that seemed insincere, and then ran off. “Well, that was kind?” Rin noted hesitantly with a smile on her confused face. “Hmm.” Even if it was kind of the man to apologize, Sesshomaru was still suspicious. He didn't trust Ken'o at all.

[niennavalier]

Tagged by @pheuthe! Thanks!

RULES: Answer all the questions, add one of your own and tag as many people as there are questions

1. COKE OR PEPSI: Pepsi, although I don’t have that much of a preference

2. DISNEY OR DREAMWORKS: Disney

3. COFFEE OR TEA: Tea

4. BOOKS OR MOVIES: Umm...I haven’t had a lot of reading time recently, so...movies?

5. WINDOWS OR MAC: Windows

6. DC OR MARVEL: Both! (Shhh, I’m not cheating the system) Okay, I started more with Marvel but DC has definitely grown on me a lot

7. XBOX OR PLAYSTATION: Never used Playstation

8. DRAGON AGE OR MASS EFFECT: Neither? Haven’t played them

9. NIGHT OWL OR EARLY RISER: Night Owl. No question

10. CARDS OR CHESS: Cards.

11. CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA: Chocolate, but nothing against vanilla

12. VANS OR CONVERSE: Vans. Not a fan of the rubber front thing on Converse, personally

13. LAVELLAN, TREVELYAN, CADASH, OR ADAAR:  I literally had to look these up cause I didn’t know what they were so...none of the above? (I wanna get into gaming more, but just haven’t really gotten around to it)

14. FLUFF OR ANGST: Both. In one fic. Yup. Allll the fluff and angst

15. BEACH OR FOREST: I’ve lived near the ocean, so beach.

16. DOGS OR CATS: Dogs

17. CLEAR SKIES OR RAIN: Clear Skies

18. COOKING OR EATING OUT: I suck at cooking but I prefer the idea of it

19. SPICY OR MILD FOOD: Mild

20. HALLOWEEN/SAMHAIN OR SOLSTICE/YULE/CHRISTMAS: Christmas

21. WOULD YOU RATHER FOREVER BE A LITTLE TOO COLD OR A LITTLE TOO HOT: Umm...is this independent of what you’re wearing? Cause then...cold if I can just bundle up a lot? Even if not...probably still prefer a little cold.

22. IF YOU COULD HAVE A SUPERPOWER WHAT WOULD IT BE: Telekinesis!

23. ANIMATION OR LIVE ACTION: There’s good stuff about both of them? So...I tend to watch more live action, but there’s a lot of great animation I’m super fond of

24. PARAGON OR RENEGADE: Googled this too. That should be answer enough

25. BATH OR SHOWER: I tend to shower a lot more, but a bath sounds super nice...

26. TEAM CAP OR TEAM IRONMAN: Team Cap!

27. FANTASY OR SCI-FI: Like I could ever choose between that

28. DO YOU HAVE 3 OR 4 FAVOURITE QUOTES IF SO WHAT ARE THEY: Not in particular? I’ll latch onto dialogues in movies and such, but I tend not to stick to certain quotes very often

29. YOUTUBE OR NETFLIX: NETFLIX. SO MUCH NETFLIX

30. HARRY POTTER OR PERCY JACKSON: Harry Potter!

32. STAR WARS OR STAR TREK: Hmm...Star Trek. I’m weirdly fond of Next Gen, although tbh I need to watch it more often

33. PAPERBACK BOOKS OR HARDBACK BOOKS: Hardbacks are so pretty

34. FANTASTIC BEASTS OR CURSED CHILD: I actually still haven’t read either yet...

35. ROCK OR POP MUSIC: Rock. Classic rock is where it’s at

36. WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN YOUR LIFE: My family and friends, happiness in general. At the moment, not getting crushed by college, too

37. THE LAST BOOK YOU READ/THE ONE YOU’RE CURRENTLY READING: I’ve been planning to get further into Game of Thrones since forever ago

38: SONG THAT MAKES YOU SMILE/SONG THAT MAKES YOU CRY: Not gonna lie, you can play me anything of an actor I like singing, and I’ll smile. Plus Broadway music - definitely fond of that, especially Phantom and Les Mis and Hamilton

39. SUSHI OR WAN TAN SOUP: Sushi

40. SPRING OR AUTUMN: Autumn. It’s pretty and that nice level of chilly before it gets really cold

41. DRAWING OR WRITING: Writing

42. SINGING OR DANCING: I sing in the car all the time, although to get me to do either in public would be a challence

43. TV SHOW/MOVIE/BOOK THAT’S LIKE YOUR HAPPY PLACE, SOMETHING THAT ALWAYS MAKES YOU SMILE: LOTR. I like flipping to random pages sometimes. Lots of good memories of reading that

44. FIRST GOOD CHILDHOOD MEMORY THAT POPS INTO YOUR HEAD: My parents brought me and my brother to Vegas as kids cause my mom’s friend was doing a show there. The city was just...incredible. All the lights and the big hotel and THE M&M STORE. Yeah, we loved all of that (because that’s all it would’ve been to two small children). Like... the place we stayed had one of those jacuzzi bathtubs and it was literally the coolest thing. Plus, it’s funny in retrospect cause the show was the Producers, which...if you’ve seen the show, there’s a lot of stuff...implied in that show that went totally over our heads. It’s fun when you go back to see it years later and realize that one of the guys is a Neo-Nazi? I mean, probably like 10-ish year old me wouldn’t have understood that. Apparently my parents kinda got shit about that for a while, taking us to see it while we were so young, but if your kids don’t get it, it doesn’t end up being a huge problem?

45. IF YOU COULD VISIT ANY HISTORICAL TIME PERIOD, WHAT WOULD IT BE AND WHY? Not a time period exactly but, I’d totally wanna see the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, all lit by electricity and just...feel what that would’ve been like. (Also Tesla is my fave)

46. FAVOURITE IDLE DAYDREAM? I literally just daydream about fic. That’s it at this point

47. FAVOURITE ARTIST, MODERN OR HISTORICAL? Where’s the cut-off between modern and historical, exactly? I’m fond of Marcel Duchamp cause Dada is literally the most ridiculous thing ever and I enjoy it. I get a good laugh out of it. That’s not a good reason, but it’s the truth.

48. FAVORITE BOARD GAME? I tend toward more card games but...I played Catan for the first time a few months ago and really want another go at it. I’ve also wanted ‘Tsuro’ since at least a few years ago, but cool board games are expensive...

49. DREAM VACATION DESTINATION? New Zealand!

Tagging: @kashinoha @slimysuckers @armiria @nitori-swims-rinstyle @jimmyhowards

[mrauthor3ds]

Smash Musings - Silvally

I might have said that I’d make up a moveset for Silvally, didn’t I? So here’s a moveset that makes use of its RKS System. I even weaved in a detail that harkens to the Pokémon games’ Same Type Attack Bonus for when it’s Normal-type.

Obviously, the lack of dialogue is derived from the fact that...we don’t know if Silvally will get any speaking roles, unless it gets featured in some movie. If it does, who wants to bet it will share the same voice actors as Arceus? Hehehe...

-= Overview =- Surprisingly all-around for its size, but Silvally's true strength lies in its versatility. Certain normal attacks will change its type, which will influence the next use of Multi-Attack. Keep in mind which attack yields what type, and you'll be ready for anything.

-= Specialty: RKS System Certain normal attacks (ground tilts, dash attack, and aerial tilts) will change Silvally's type. Depending on which of these was used last, Multi-Attack will take on different properties. This will also change Silvally's type back to Normal. However, being Normal-type gives a good power bonus to its Normal-type attacks (neutral attack, air neutral, pummel and throws, smash attacks, and the other three specials). Considering this, following a typed Multi-Attack with a Normal-type attack can make for an interesting combo. The color of Silvally's crest and tail will reflect its current type, as will an icon on its HUD.

-= Neutral Attack: Fury Swipes (Normal). Claws forth three times, then headbutts. -= Side Attack: X-Scissor (Bug). Two slashes forward. -= Up Attack: Thunderbolt (Electric). Sends sparks upward. -= Down Attack: Surf (Water). Slides low on a wave of water. -= Dash Attack: Flame Charge (Fire). Rushes forth in a cloak of fire. -= Side Smash: Crush Claw (Normal). Charges forward, striking overhead with a claw. -= Up Smash: Double Hit (Normal). Flip-kicks upward with two hits. -= Down Smash: Roar (Normal). Lets loose a big roar, creating a shockwave around self.

-= Grab: Clutches to foe with forepaw. -= Pummel: (Normal) Bites foe. -= Front Throw: (Normal) Headbutts foe forth. -= Back Throw: (Normal) Bites onto foe and hurls him/her behind. -= Up Throw: (Normal) Flip-kicks foe upward. -= Down Throw: (Normal) Pins foe and headbutts him/her into the ground.

-= Air Neutral: Double-Edge (Normal). Spins around twice while curled up, striking with its crest. -= Air Front: Shadow Claw (Ghost). Slashes forth. Wide range. -= Air Back: Dragon Claw (Dragon). Spins around and claws behind self. Short range, but very strong. -= Air Up: Aerial Ace (Flying). Flips crest upward. -= Air Down: Iron Head (Steel). Dive-bombs downward.

-= Standard Special: Multi-Attack: This move changes based on Silvally's current type. Will reset Silvally to Normal-type after use. - Normal: A strong claw attack forth. Hold to charge its power. - Bug: Rushes forth with up to five claw attacks. Can cancel into a grab mid-attack (if used on the ground). - Electric: A fast and wide stunning claw attack. - Water: A claw attack with high launch. Can also reflect projectiles. - Fire: A strong thrusting claw attack. - Ghost: Sprints forth in a weak but evasive claw attack. - Dragon: An incredibly strong (but slow) claw attack. - Flying: Hops upward before clawing downward. Good for recovery. - Steel: A super-armored claw attack that covers a large area. -= Side Special: Tri Attack: (Normal) A chargeable beam. Press special move button during charge to attack, or shield to store charge. Base charge strikes with Fire, secondary charge hits with an Electric stun, and full charge hits with an Ice freeze. -= Up Special: Razor Wind: (Normal) Flip-jumps in a given direction, while launching a wind blade from its crest in the opposite direction. -= Down Special: Explosion: (Normal) Lets energy loose in a wide burst. Strong and super-armored, but damages self in the process. -= Final Smash: RKS Overdrive: Silvally's crest glows in multiple colors as it lets loose a tall, powerful spiral beam around itself. Has a strong vacuum effect with a very wide range. Resets Silvally to Normal-type afterward.

-= Palettes =- Normal Yellow (Shiny) Blue (Cosmog/Cosmoem) Green (Decidueye) Red (Incineroar) Cyan (Primarina) Pink (Porygon) Black (Giratina)

-= Idle Animations =- - Shakes head. (Type: Null idle) - Flexes crest.

-= Taunts =- Up: Stomps a forepaw into ground and roars. (Silvally idle) Side: Hunkers down and snarls. (Silvally angry in Pokémon Refresh) Down: Stands firm, with a proud look on its face. (Silvally happy in Pokémon Refresh)

-= Victory Poses =- - Stands proud and flexes crest out. - Flip-jumps forth and strikes into ground with claws. - Rears up on its hind legs and lets out a proud howl.

[thepimpknight]

The Strangers: Chapter 1

Summary:  They awoke in beds which were not their own. A bit of simple curiosity found them transported to a world foreign, yet familiar. Some unknown force ripped them all from the real world and into the land of Exandria. But they were not to sit idle. A strange man explained they had signed up to be the newest members of the Adventurer's Guild. These newcommers were then split into parties and sent on their way. Forced into service as mercenaries and sellswords, these strangers must fight for survival in a harsh fantasy world made real. Follow a party of five in their desperate struggle to serve the Guild, and maybe find a way home.

For all the world's unthinkable dreams, none compared to this.

His eyes fluttered open. The room was dimly lit, indicating he'd probably woken up sometime in the middle of the night. Typical, really. The day Brian Jeffries got an uninterrupted night's sleep was the day he died. Though unseasonably warm, nothing else seemed out of the ordinary.

The first indication that something was indeed wrong was the torchlight dancing amongst the walls. He didn't remember his New York apartment being lit by torches, but his sleep addled mind was ready to accept it as fact. What he saw next, however, sat him up in bed, in soft white sheet which weren't his own.

There were people everywhere. At least two dozen other beds occupied the space. The people within them stirred just as he. Now that his eyes adjusted to the light, he could see this was not his home at all, but rather a long and narrow structure made mostly from wood with stone corners. The air settled thick with humidity.

"Where am I?" Inquired a loud male voice.

"What happened? Who are you people?" Panicked a young woman.

"Mom? Mommy?" This one a boy, his voice cracking with immaturity.

"Oh God! Oh God, help!" One woman turned to a higher power.

"Everyone stop yelling, shit." This man sounded much more tired than the rest.

Brian searched the room with his eyes, gaze frantic with the confusion he kept to himself. It was too dark to make out much in the way of detail. Even the person next to him was just a vaguely human shape. The person locked eyes with him for a moment, he was pretty sure. Before saying anything, they looked away.

He grabbed the sheets beneath his hands. It felt like some sort of thin cloth, maybe linen, but definitely not silk. Brian extracted his hands to inspect the palms. These were his hands, this was his body, but not his home. At the very least, that ruled out a body swap. Maybe this was a time travel dream?

Perhaps the air provided a hint? It was warm, which ruled out anywhere near his home. Nowhere in New England was hot in the middle of October. It was also humid, even through the several burning fires which lit the place. Florida maybe? The place was certainly rundown enough.

The sound of metal on wood filled the room. More than one person screamed at the sudden disruption. Brian turned to his left and saw a door he hadn't known was there swing open. Daylight shone through, too bright for a glance at what lay beyond.

"What the hell was that?" Called a woman.

"The door opened," a man answered.

"Should we go through it?" The woman again.

"That's probably what they want us to do," said a different male voice.

"Then that's a great reason to stay here," said a man. Brian nodded agreement.

" Who's they?" Inquired a woman.

Though Brian agreed they should stay put, apparently others thought differently. Two figures, both of them men, peered through the new opening. Light silhouetted them. They lingered for a moment, and all the while silence reigned. The one on the right took a half step, hesitated, and then dove into the unknown. A few people gasped, and one called after him.

"No, you idiot!"

Brian held his breath while he waited for the brave soul to return. He didn't have to wonder long, however, as the man poked his head inside a few seconds later.

"The coast is clear, I think," he called into the room. "Just a few guards."

"Guards?" A man wondered aloud.

"You guys should really come see this." With that, the guy outside disappeared again.

To Brian's absolute amazement, people actually listened. Not just some, either. Most of them rose from their seats and began toward the exit. Had these fools never seen a horror movie?

They shuffled in a great procession of clattering feet and shifting cloth. Brian watched them pass by his bed with eyes wide both from shock and a vain attempt to see better. In this light, all he could really tell was that some were taller than others.

" Yeah, fuck that. My ass is staying right here," said a man, one from before.

Despite his protest, the majority continued to move on outside. A few more joined them. The ones closest to the door were already gone, and more trickled out every second.

Brian saw his situation reverse with the continuing departures. If outside into the unknown was a bad place to be, then alone in a dark room with strangers was perhaps even worse. There was power in numbers, safety. His best bet may have been with the bold, rather than the cautious. Using movie logic once again, the ones who stayed behind usually turned up as corpses later. Or, came back at the end to save everyone. Somehow he expected the former.

Bereft of options and admittedly curious, Brian got out of bed. Hesitation put him toward the back of the line. He merged in front of a sorter person who smelled of flowers and cheap chemicals, which meant it was probably a girl. The room was still much too dark for proper vision.

The brightness outside blinded him for a moment. Brian put up a hand to block the sun. When his vision returned, he found himself standing upon a broad stone platform. Around him arrayed a loose congregation of people. They were normal folks just like him. A variety of races, ages, shapes, sizes, and hair styles made up the crowd. There were notably more men than women, but not overwhelmingly so.

Brian didn't inspect this crew for long, though, as below him stretched what could only be described as a medieval town. The building he woke up in sat on a hill just outside the town proper. Making it up were a great assortment of homes shod from wood and stone and thatch. There were residential areas with the structures placed closer together, a commercial district spaced more openly, and a keep of sorts on the far side. A large lake with two islands in the middle bordered the town on the left side. The hints of industry rose up around it.

"Guys," breathed someone, "where the hell are we?"

"The buildings look French, maybe German," said a man with the tone of someone trying to sound smart.

"Alright, so how do I fall asleep in Glasgow, and wake up in Germany? That sounds like a nightmare."

"Now that you mention it, I don't even remember falling asleep."

That revelation rocked through Brian as he realized he also didn't remember falling asleep. If he searched his mind, the last thing he remembered was sitting down with his friends for their weekly Dungeons and Dragons game. It wasn't uncommon for sessions to feel like a blur, but he usually remembered something. This time, try as he might, nothing at all came to mind.

Thinking about his friends made him remember them for the first time. Maybe they had some idea what happened, and even if they didn't, it would be nice to find a familiar face. He scanned the crowd, to no avail. These people were all strangers, no more known to him than the bed he awoke in.

"Excuse me, good sirs," Brian heard someone say. He turned to see an aged Hispanic man attempting to speak with one of the guards, whom he'd forgotten completely about.

The guards wore full plate harnesses, complete with visored helmets flipped up so they could see. The armor itself was simple, grey metal plates molded to fit each man and rivited where necessary. Bits of chain maille filled in gaps at the joints. It seemed the kind of armor made for function, not necessarily firm. Each carried a poleaxe, as well as an arming sword at their sides.

"Citizen," one of them replied.

"I'm sorry, but we appear to be lost. Could you please tell us where we are?" Asked the old man.

"Certainly. You are in the town of Trostenwald, part of the Dwendalian Empire."

"Oh, you must be a Critter, too." The old man smiled and held up the branded lanyard hanging from his pocket.

"Do I look like an animal to you?" The guard menaced through narrow eyes.

"What?" Gasped the old man. "You're serious? Come on, this has to be a joke."

"Look for yourself. Where else would you be the Nine Hells?"

"It might as well be," joked the other guard. They both had a good snicker at that.

Brian looked away. Those two were clearly in on whatever sick prank this was. Then again, the town before him did resemble how Trostenwald was described, from what he could remember. It even had the big lake. What was it called again, Tarrlok? No, wrong show. Furthermore, it didn't look like any sort of trick or special effect. But there's no way they were on Exandria, right? That place didn't exist.

Before he could further contemplate this, a voice addressed them. It was rough and reedy, like sandpaper going over an old piece of bark.

" You must be the new members. Allow me to be the first to welcome you to the Adventurer's Guild."

All eyes at once turned to the voice. It belonged to a man so old his skin was more wrinkle than anything else. What remained of his wispy white hair fell in a thin curtain down his shoulders. A deep purple robe cascaded along his form, lined with golden thread along the collar, cuffs, and hem. He had blue eyes, a long face, and a hooked beak of a nose.

" The what?" Asked a woman behind Brian.

" Who the hell are you, old man?" A bloke took a more confrontational approach.

" My name is Edgar. I am the caretaker of this building, as well as Overseer for the Adventurer's Guild," answered the old man.

" You keep saying that. What is this Adventurer's Guild ?" Finally, someone asked the real question.

" Why, only the most accomplished band of fighters and mercenaries in Wildemount. You all are our newest members." He looked over them for a moment. "I must say, there are a lot of you."

"Wait, you're who, exactly?"

"Do you know what happened?"

"How do we get home?"

The place erupted with questions. Edgar held up his hands in a placating gesture and, to Brian's sheet amazement, everyone actually quieted down.

"Please, I'm sure there is much to discuss, but let's not waste time out here. Come, the Meister is feeling generous today, so he has agreed to let you all pick gear from our armory. We can talk on the way."

Edgar turned and began to leave. A few people stepped toward him. A single voice from the crowd stopped them all.

"No," she denied. "I'm not going anywhere with you. I don't want to be in your guild, or whatever it is. I don't want to be here. I just want to go home. If you can't do that, then I'll find someone who can."

A few years younger than Brian's mid-twenties but quite a bit shorter, she had blonde hair and green eyes. Edgar met her intense glare with one of his own.

"Whether you follow is your choice, but to leave now would be a breach of you contract."

"Contract?" The woman shot right back. "I never signed a contract."

"Oh, but you did." Edgar fished through a robe pocket and extracted a rolled up piece of paper that shouldn't have fit. He unraveled it. "Tiffany Tailor, age 20, height 5'4", weight... well, I'll spare you that. This contract is signed in your blood and sealed with magic. The cut and runes on your palm prove as much. You all signed similar contracts."

Brian, Tiffany, and many others looked at their hands. Sure enough, he had a thick slice running down the width of his left palm. He hadn't seen it in the dark. It was a clean cut, recently scabbed over. A few arcane symbols were scrawled into the corners, carved into his skin. They glowed lowly with a bright purple, pulsing in time with the blood in his veins. He picked at them, just to make sure they were real.

"This seal binds you to service with the Adventurer's Guild for one year. Should you break our pact, you will be hunted, captured, and brought before the Meister for judgment. The maximum punishment for desertion is death, and he is not a merciful man. While you may die in service with the Guild, you most certainly will die if you cross us. If you value your life you will come with me. So, does anyone have a death wish?"

His question lay heavy in the air. The new recruits exchanged glances with each other, but none dared look at Edgar. They were captives, serfs bound to a service they never signed up for. By his sneer, Edgar knew this. Though they all probably felt the same dissent Brian did, none spoke a word of it.

"I thought not. Come with me."

This time when Edgar turned around, no one tried to stop him. There was hesitation, but when the first person followed - a burly fellow who looked to have just walked off the set of Jersey Shore - the rest did as well. Brian's positioning placed him at about the middle of the pack. He caught a glimpse of the girl who had spoken out several spots ahead of him.

"This can't be real," a man behind him said. "I can't be in the game. This has to be a dream. Quick, someone slap me awake!"

"Come 'ere, I'll smack ya," offered the guy from Scotland.

There came a short pause where Brian wondered if either party would go through with it. His quandary was answered by a resounding slap.

"Ow! Fuck! It's real, it's fucking real!"

There were chuckles all around, including from Brian, but nothing more than that. Still, it did his heart some amount of good to have a little laugh. Anything to break the dismal circumstance, really.

"I'm glad you all are so lively," Edgar said, reminding everyone he still existed. "Like I said, the Adventurer's Guild is a band of mercenaries and fighters. In simple terms, we're sellswords, but we think of ourselves as more sophisticated than that."

Edgar led them down a staircase on the left of the building.

"But most of us aren't fighters, I'm pretty sure," a man argued.

"Many aren't when they first come to us. They seek us out for glory, fame, coin, or simple entertainment. No matter the reason, no prior experience is required to do what we do."

"And what exactly do you do?" Asked a woman.

"We accept contracts from paying customers. They give us a job to do, and we do it, mostly stuff the military either can't or won't cover. Everything from exterminating pests, to slaying dragons, and everything in between. If there's coin to be had, you can count on us. Don't worry, though. You'll be starting small. The dragons are saved for our most elite teams."

As if he'd perfectly timed the entire conversation, the moment Edgar finished speaking he reached the bottom step. A grey painted wooden door greeted him there. The others stopped behind him. From the same pocket where he found Tiffany's contract, he pulled out a long silver key. Giving it a twist inside the lock produced a loud thudding click. It swung open, key still in the lock.

"And here we are, the armory. Inside you'll find everything you need to begin your career with us. Therdin, our Quartermaster, will provide you with 200 gold pieces to purchase items. Choose wisely." Edgar stepped aside and ushered them in.

"Oh, and welcome once again to the Adventurer's Guild."

[mrauthor3ds]

Smash Musings - Camilla

Er...alternative to Leo if Smash ever does the Hoshido & Nohr representation thing. What made me consider Camilla more likely is...several reasons. She’s the most popular (non-Corrin) female character in Fates, as a primary reason. She’s one of the first royals to join Corrin in Revelation, alongside Takumi - who is the most popular male character overall, as a bonus. In fact, she and Takumi are the main Fates representatives on Fire Emblem Heroes‘s “cover art”. It would actually make sense for Camilla to represent Nohr, considering all that.

Also, she’s an axe user and a wyvern rider. Pretty sure a good deal of Smash fans would like to see some of that in the Fire Emblem group.

So I copy-pasted the Dragon Vein smash attacks and Xander-based Final Smash that I gave to Leo, but that’s pretty much it. The rest of Camilla’s moveset here still holds to the concept I desired for Leo: a powerhouse that requires strategic use for great rewards in combat. This mostly revolves around her skills as a Malig Knight - axe, magic, and wyvern. Axe of use is the Silver Axe (from her official artwork), and her tome is Mjolnir (as she uses a Thunder tome upon joining in Conquest, and fights off an enemy with some sort of lightning spell at the start of Revelation’s Chapter 15).

-= Overview =- A Malig Knight of Nohr, with great durability and strength, but lackluster mobility. Thankfully, many of her axe and magic attacks cover wide areas, so it's at least safe to poke with them. And her wyvern-riding stance can make up for her lack of speed, but that wyvern can't be ridden forever and will need its rest. Camilla will have to plan her attacks carefully, but if she does, the rewards will be great.

-= Neutral Attack: Slap, axe swing, and axe upper. -= Side Attack: Downward axe swing forth. Meteor smash at the axe's head. -= Up Attack: Upward axe swing. -= Down Attack: Casts a weak Mjolnir along the ground in front in three bursts. -= Dash Attack: Spins axe forth, finishing with a hit behind. -= Side Smash: Earth Dragon Vein summons a spike of rock in front and pointing up above Camilla. Very great damage, but very weak launch. -= Up Smash: Fire Dragon Vein makes a pillar of fire erupt upward. Moderate damage and decent launch. -= Down Smash: Earth Dragon Vein breaks the land around. Very great damage, but very weak launch.

-= Grab: Seizes foe up close by the collar. -= Pummel: Axe slap. -= Front Throw: Kicks foe forward. -= Back Throw: Kicks foe behind. -= Up Throw: Blasts foe upward with Mjolnir. -= Down Throw: Hammers foe into the ground with axe's blunt side.

-= Air Neutral: Swings axe around. One of her faster air attacks. -= Air Front: Chops forth with axe. Meteor smash down low. -= Air Back: Casts Mjolnir behind self. Strongest at the tip. -= Air Up: Casts Mjolnir upward. Strongest at the tip. -= Air Down: Plummets down with axe. Incredibly powerful and stops fall upon impact with foe, but still risks Self-Destruct with its fast plunge.

-= Standard Special: Tomahawk: Throws axe in a small arc. Goes slightly further than Mii Brawler's Shot Put, but is slightly weaker. Hold button to move around slightly before throwing, then release to throw. Can do a long overhead throw or a high underhand throw by tilting forward or backward. -= Side Special: Mjolnir: Hold to charge, then release to cast a long beam of lightning forward. Strongest at the tip of the beam. Charge determines the beam's length and base power. -= Up Special: Wyvern Rider: Summons her wyvern. Can fly around freely in any direction. Press the attack button to have the wyvern perform a dash attack (somewhat similar to Mega Charizard X's), the special move button for Camilla to leap off in a diving axe cleave, or the shield button to quickly dismount. The wyvern will be dismissed if it takes too much damage (which Camilla also takes through hyper armor), if Camilla dismounts via special move or shield button action, or after a small time limit. -= Down Special: Punish Counter: Steps forth slightly in a defensive stance. Will counter an attack with a brutal backhand axe swing. Moves forward a bit on the ground, but is a bit faster in the air. -= Final Smash: Nohrian Trust: Xander appears and catches foe in a wide circular pulse. Struck foes will be caught in a barrage between Xander and Camilla, finished with a cross attack of Siegfried and an electrified axe.

-= Palettes =- Normal Purple (Xander) Red (Selena) Blue (Beruka) Cyan (Arete) Pink (Sakura) Dark-Red (Scarlet) Gray (Garon)

-= Idle Animations =- - Brushes hair back. (cutscene: Vs. Camilla) - Giggles lightly with a hand to her mouth.

-= Taunts =- Up: "Time to play!" Holds up Mjolnir tome, crackling with electricity. Side: "Sorry, darling." Turns back to camera with a flip of her arm. (Sorcerer victory animation) Down: "There, there." Holds arms out as if to hug someone. (cutscene: Vs. Camilla)

-= Victory Poses =- - "Poor thing." Steps forth over camera and leans in. - "You're so cute!" Pets her wyvern. (Malig Knight victory animation) - "I'm here for you." Camilla and Xander strike a pose with their weapons.

[mrauthor3ds]

Smash Musings - Takumi and Leo

Yup, it’s a twofer post! This is me contemplating what it would be like if Takumi and Leo of Fire Emblem Fates were brought into Smash’s roster.

I’m sure the first thing most of you are thinking is “Doesn’t the Fire Emblem group have enough characters??�� Well...yes. But I’m doing more with this series besides naming very likely candidates. But IF* they were to go and add a bit more representation for Fates, who would they add? Azura could work, but she’s more of a support unit, so she might not seem too dependable in a solo battle. (Well, maybe I could work up SOMETHING that’s not strictly for helping allies...)

* ...I swear any puns here were unintended.

Point is, if they were to add Fates characters that aren’t Azura, it would make the most sense to add two - one to represent Hoshido and Birthright, and one to represent Nohr and Conquest. Only fair, since Corrin, with the Omega Yato, best represents Revelation, and in turn Valla. If they do decide to add a bit more from Fates (and it IS pretty popular), then it would thematically be best to do a Hoshidan and a Nohrian.

So with that out of the way, the next thing you wonder is “Why not Ryoma and Xander? They’re the eldest princes of Hoshido and Nohr, and Corrin’s strongest allies!“ And believe me, I tried to figure some way to really make them stand out, but ultimately couldn’t come up with enough unique traits to make them seem like more than just swordfighters. Sure, I could make Ryoma a fast swordfighter, but that’s kinda what characters like Meta Knight and Marth/Lucina are. Xander would definitely be the slow, tough type...like Ike or Cloud. And even if I worked in indirect attacks, which Raijinto and Siegfried can do in-game, it just didn’t feel unique overall. So, for these movesets, I ended up giving them the Chrom treatment, and put them into Takumi and Leo’s Final Smashes.

I mean...okay. Maybe I could also try again with them. A katana is still pretty long. Certainly longer than Galaxia. I could make something work from that. Maybe.

Besides, Takumi and Leo also play big roles in Birthright and Conquest (especially vice-versa), and are quite popular in their own rights. And being an archer and a mage would certainly make them feel like a breath of fresh air for everyone who’s sick of seeing “too many“ sword specialists.

And...let’s face it. The Fire Emblem series is more popular than some people give it credit for, especially with this renaissance that the 3DS games have sparked. Honestly, the Fire Emblem group in Smash has earned its 6-character size already, and the series is getting even bigger with Heroes, Echoes, Warriors, and that brand-new Switch title coming.

Anyway! When making these movesets, I wanted Takumi and Leo to kinda represent the dualities of Fates. The general feel of Birthright and Conquest. What Hoshidan and Nohrian classes are mostly like.

- Most Hoshidan classes favor evasion and accuracy, so they’re usually glass cannons playing by chance to avoid otherwise devastating blows while dealing multiple hits. And Birthright gives you endless chances to train and get stuff with skirmishes. That kind of influenced what I wanted to see in Takumi: lightweight, but mobile with evasive moves and some fast strikes, but otherwise fairly easy to learn.

- Most Nohrian classes are tanky, and often lack speed, so they have to rely on brute force, especially against dodgy Hoshidan foes. And Conquest doesn’t give you skirmishes, so you have to use really good tactics to get everyone through (unless you downloaded Boo Camp). So that influenced this Leo moveset: he’s durable and deals fairly strong but slow attacks, but gets the most out of his strategic moves.

-= TAKUMI =-

This Hoshidan Archer is pretty lightweight, but he's very mobile - moreso than any other Fire Emblem character, in fact. His Fujin Yumi's shots are stronger with distance, but Takumi does have some close-range martial arts as well. His throws and smash attacks aren't very damaging, but boast really great launch power.

-= Neutral Attack: Shoots a quick arrow with Fujin Yumi. Can shoot up to two in succession. The second one can be angled slightly. -= Side Attack: Fast punch, then fast kick. -= Up Attack: Flip-kick upward. -= Down Attack: Sweep kick. Great trip chance. -= Dash Attack: Swings Fujin Yumi forth. -= Side Smash: Wind Dragon Vein summons a hard breeze forth. Low damage, but very high launch. -= Up Smash: Wind Dragon Vein summons a tornado above. Low damage, but very high launch. -= Down Smash: Water Dragon Vein conjures a swirl of water. Very good damage, but low launch.

-= Grab: Seizes foe up close. -= Pummel: Smacks foe with Fujin Yumi's head. -= Front Throw: Shoots foe straight forward with Fujin Yumi. Low damage, high launch. -= Back Throw: Shoots foe behind with Fujin Yumi. Low damage, high launch. -= Up Throw: Shoots foe straight upward with Fujin Yumi. Low damage, high launch. -= Down Throw: Hurls foe into the ground. Lowest launch of throws, but greatest damage.

-= Air Neutral: Spin-kick. -= Air Front: Shoots Fujin Yumi forward. Can tilt during attack to slightly angle shot. -= Air Back: Fast roundhouse kick behind self. -= Air Up: Flip-kick upward. -= Air Down: Shoots Fujin Yumi straight down. Stronger meteor smash at close range.

-= Standard Special: Fujin Ballista: Fires a shot upward. It will explode into three arrows that rain downward at different angles. -= Side Special: Takumi's Shinai: Quickly swings a bamboo sword. If he hits a foe, he'll push himself backward. Deals very little damage, but very high hitstun. -= Up Special: Soaring Kinshi: Glides in any given angle with Fujin Yumi's power. Not an attack, but is super-armored. -= Down Special: Trick Gale: Performs a high dodging leap forward. Input again to deliver a shot at a downward angle (forward or behind, depending on tilt). -= Final Smash: Hoshidan Unity: Ryoma appears and deals a wide electric slash with Raijinto. Struck foes will be barraged on the spot by Ryoma and Takumi, finished with an electrified Fujin Yumi shot.

-= Palettes =- Normal Red (Ryoma) Brown (Hinata) Orange (Oboro) White (Mikoto) Pink (Elise) Green (Shura) Purple (Vallite army)

-= Other =- - Main idle stance is the same one used by Archers and Snipers in Fire Emblem Fates.

-= Idle Animations =- - Stands straight, shoulders relaxed for a moment. - Rotates free arm.

-= Taunts =- Up: "Oh, that's IT!" Conjures an arrow and aims at a 3/4 view to the camera. (cutscene: Vs. Takumi) Side: "Bring it on!" Aggressively gives a "come and get me" gesture with his free hand. Down: "Ready or not!" Holds Fujin Yumi down and throws a fist upward. (Archer victory animation)

-= Victory Poses =- - "How do you like THAT?" Twirls Fujin Yumi and holds an arrow at a 3/4 view. (cutscene: Vs. Takumi) - "Not my fault you're so weak." Swings Fujin Yumi to the side, then turns his back to the camera. (Sniper victory animation) - "Heh. Did you see me out there?" He and Ryoma strike a pose with their weapons.

-= LEO =-

A Dark Knight of Nohr, boasting surprisingly good durability and floating jumps. His mobility and attack speed are a bit lacking, but his attack range and tricky attacks are incredible. His biggest damage options are his earth-based Dragon Vein smashes, though they're not very great for launching. The specials can help Leo get some...pragmatic hits in - lethal, even, if you're willing to take the risk.

-= Neutral Attack: Magic burst, magic burst, then magic spark flurry attack. Finishes with a small tree in front. -= Side Attack: Casts Fimbulvetr in front. Relatively quick and inflicts freezing. -= Up Attack: Sends a Mjolnir spell upward. Has a "critical" sweet spot at its highest point. -= Down Attack: Spreads a Fire spell on the ground in front, covering good distance. -= Dash Attack: Hops back a distance, leaving a burst of magic where he started. -= Side Smash: Earth Dragon Vein summons a spike of rock in front and pointing up above Leo. Very great damage, but very weak launch. -= Up Smash: Fire Dragon Vein makes a pillar of fire erupt upward. Moderate damage and decent launch. -= Down Smash: Earth Dragon Vein breaks the land around. Very great damage, but very weak launch.

-= Grab: Grabs foe over a mid-short range with magic. -= Pummel: Harms foe with magic. -= Front Throw: Flings foe forth with magic. -= Back Throw: Flings foe behind with magic. -= Up Throw: Spikes foe upward with a tree. -= Down Throw: Slams foe into a rose bramble.

-= Air Neutral: Surrounds self in a vortex of magic. -= Air Front: Throws a blast of magic forth, dealing two hits in succession - one at close range, one at mid range. -= Air Back: A magic orb slings behind himself. Deals meteor smash at its farthest point. -= Air Up: Casts a magic blast upward, propelling himself downward. -= Air Down: Casts a long spike of magic downward. Meteor smash at the tip.

-= Standard Special: Brynhildr Growth: Summons a tree a fair distance in front to spike foes upward. In the air, will summon the tree on the nearest spot of floor. -= Side Special: Stone Guard: Summons a wall of stone in front of himself to block attacks. Input again to thrust it forth a fair distance, or just let it hover in place momentarily. -= Up Special: Gravity Inverse: Thrusts himself upward a bit using gravity magic. Deals a strong meteor smash to foes below self, but also strikes foes at his level lightly upward with himself, presenting a bit of a risk. -= Down Special: Ginnungagap: Command grab. Rockets foe or projectile grabbed in one of eight given directions. Not very damaging compared to his normal throws, but its choice of directions and usability in the air give it plenty of tactical uses. -= Final Smash: Nohrian Trust: Xander appears and catches foe in a wide circular pulse. Struck foes will be barraged on the spot by Xander and Leo, finished with a shadowy eruption from Brynhildr.

-= Palettes =- Normal Pink (Forrest) Yellow (Odin) Blue (Niles) Cyan (Arete) Red (Hinoka) White (Izana) Dark-Red (Zola)

-= Idle Animations =- - Scratches chin with a smirk. - Adjusts his collar with a look of disdain.

-= Taunts =- Up: "You can't hide from me!" Holds a hand up as rubble lifts around himself. (cutscene: Vs. Leo) Side: "Pathetic!" Turns back to camera with a flip of his arm. (Sorcerer victory animation) Down: "What a nuisance." Flips through Brynhildr's pages.

-= Victory Poses =- - "That was nothing." Holds a sphere of magic as rubble lifts into the air. (cutscene: Vs. Leo) - "Hmph. Contemptible fool." Brushes Brynhildr and then flips through its pages. (Dark Mage victory animation) - "I'll do what no one else can." Leo and Xander strike a pose with their weapons.