#and like. ??????? yes that is exactly the point! it is a legitimate and intricate relationship!

[ranvwoop]

There is discourse and I am unfortunately putting my hat in the ring bc... I feel like the actual point is not necessarily what's being discussed

1) QPRs are defined by the individual and can be, like, whatever. This is True.

2) QPRs, no matter what comprises it, are no less important than other forms of relationships. This is Also True.

3) There was, at least at one time, genuinely a problem with [something with romantic framing] /p /p /p it's not against their boundaries they r buddies it's ok!!!! Early c!beeduo marriage comes to mind. I see this less now, which is cool, but I think it's still relevant to the conversation at least as an example.

If characters were solely fictional, this would be all well and good, even the third point, despite how I think that downplays QPRs. But people have the right to dictate rules for how we play with their self insert OCs! QPR shipping is putting a character into a non-canon relationship with non-canon deep feelings, and imo it's still important to try to apply what we Do know about the ccs boundaries and apply them to QPRs, because I don't think many CCs are educated enough on what a qpr is to even know that this is a thing going on lol.

I will use beeduo as an example though beeduo is not necessarily the focus, because they're one that can go either way and it's good! They have consented to their characters being in A Deep Relationship, because that much is canon. Their relationship being a qpr is great! (Their relationship being romantic is also good.)

It is Not Cool when people do the old, "they have to be in a qpr because it's lesser than a romantic relationship, therefore it's the Safe Option and I can do this without breaking their boundaries". Nnno. People did this a lot in early c!beeduo. This is where the /p Cause Boundaries comes in, not necessarily actual QPRs for the sake of writing QPRs (beeduo qpr community now is very lovely as things became clearer and disingenuous people have moved on :D).

Using that mentality as a sort of framework brings us to other characters, though. If they haven't consented to their characters being in a deep relationship, then putting them in one is Sorta Ehhh, because it's on the same footing as other sort of relationship that is stated to be boundary breaking and disliked by the ccs.

QPRs are legitimate, difficult to define relationships that can consist of a lot of different things, and that feels like it goes hand in hand with "and maybe we shouldn't place this on characters if their writers aren't explicitly comfortable with it".

[pearlgrayrose]

All right so I’ve finished reading King of Fools by Amanda Foody, and as far as I’m aware, this is a relatively small fandom so idk if anyone will even see this, but:  I need to scream about this book and I don’t want to spoil it for anyone, so!!  My long, incoherent, and very spoilery thoughts are below the line!

JAC NOOOO!!  I’m so upset, Jac was an amazing and really intricate character and now...gone.  The stupid fucking omerta.  Yes, I knew that logically, an important character would have to die over the course of this series.  But I did not want it to be him  :(

On that note, I had been seriously concerned that he would get back on Lullaby over the course of this book.  So I’m at least happy that it didn’t end up happening, but Charles Torren was awful and deserved what he got

In spite of all the other amazing characters, Enne continues to be my favorite.  She just has so much depth to her, and she’s come so far from first arriving in New Reynes.  She is definitely a Sinner now and I love it.  The literal first thing she does at that meeting is threaten Jonas - Jonas!  Scavenger!  The Scar Lord! - and you HAVE to respect that

Sophia is such an interesting character and I love reading about her.  Can’t wait for her POV in Queen of Volts!

JONAS MACCABEES what the fuck.  This character.  He is the most confusing person ever written about.  Okay maybe not, but you get my point.  One moment he’s saving Jac’s life, the next moment he’s being a really frustrating person, then the next he’s being hilariously relatable, and then he’s betraying everyone and then being really noble and then disappearing and then WTF JONAS

The Jonas and Harrison thing.  I.  What.

“There are cats everywhere named after murderers”  I love this

Throughout the entire book, I kept thinking to myself, “What the fuck is going on with Bryce Balfour?”  And it took until the end of the book (and reading the online prologue to Queen of Volts) but now that I know what the fuck is going on with Bryce Balfour, he is an even creepier and more chilling character than before

Also now at least I know why Rebecca was acting like that

Levi’s relationship with Narinder was very interesting and fun to read about but I’m glad it’s over - and yeah, for Levi’s sake, but much more so for Narinder’s.  The poor guy, honestly.  He had no bad intentions or ambitions:  he just wanted to run his club and keep himself and his sister safe, and suddenly he has gangs overflowing in the Catacombs and Tock keeps risking herself and blowing shit up all the time.  Don’t get me wrong, I love Levi, but he does make mistakes and Narinder was completely right in saying that he was doing all the listening/giving and Levi was doing all the talking/taking.  Narinder literally just wanted to run the Catacombs and be left alone

Lola had better get her job as a librarian at the end of this.  Lola Sanguick deserves the world

The Spirits are all so cool, and having Enne as a streetlord makes them ten times better.  It’s just...so refreshing to see so many characters who embrace femininity without being ashamed of it, you know?  (And that scene where Enne is watching over Roy, her hostage, with a gun while reading a tabloid magazine with an article about the gang and she gives her own wanted poster a kiss?  Perfection)

I absolutely adore the friendship between Lola and Jac.  They are amazing and the support they have for each other is so awesome to see!!  They’ll bicker and tease each other, but when it comes down to it, they have each other’s backs and they’re the ones that the other goes to when they really need it.  It’s great.  Plus she calls him Polka Dots because of that one cravat that he didn’t even buy, which is hilarious

Grace’s existence.  She’s an assassin and a financial expert who just hangs around reading romance novels and whose sole life purpose is to torment Roy.  What more can I say?

LOLA AND TOCK

Another bullet point for Lola and Tock because they are sooo cute!!  Lola blushing when Tock flirts with her at the party?  Lola acting all flustered when Jac is trying to ask her about the date?  Tock sleeping on the couch with her head resting on Lola’s shoulder?  alskjdflskjfsldkfjslfjslfjsd

This is getting long but idc.  Vianca is such an interesting villain:  a terrible person but a great antagonist.  You can tell exactly why she does the things she does and why she reacts this way, but you still hate her for it because she’s a monster and oh my god

It boggles my mind how Prescott could just...be killed, and the election would still go through.  And people would call it fair.  Like, no shit Harrison got elected.  The opposition is LITERALLY DEAD

Harvey!  He’s done a lot of messed up things, but I honestly feel bad for him, especially after reading the prologue for Queen of Volts.  I’m excited to read more about him

Mansi leaving the Irons and joining the Scarhands...it didn’t affect me as much as I thought it was supposed to?  Idk.  I didn’t exactly expect that she’d swear to Jonas, but as for leaving the Irons, I kind of saw it coming.  It definitely seemed likely, at least

Levi has so much character growth in this book.  It’s amazing.  Between what Narinder tells him and his argument with Jac (and now, Jac’s death), he’s really growing up and learning to prioritize the things that are really important over the things that he simply wants.  Because, as Jac and he both say in this book, he wants everything.  But not really anymore

Yessss Lackluster burned

There is no way that Ivory’s actually gone for good

I get the feeling that there’s more happening with Rebecca than just “she’s sick and Bryce can’t find anything else to cure her.”  Like, clearly that’s the case, but I find it hard to believe that Rebecca (someone who has made it very obvious that she has legitimate feelings for Bryce) would be comfortable with him trying to sell his soul to the Bargainer in exchange for a cure for her

As a final note, this book was AMAZING and there were so many twists and turns and I just....asldkfjslkfjsdfls.  Still bitter about Jac, but I’m so excited for Queen of Fools to come out so I can see what happens!!!

[darksunrising]

Sola Gratia (2/?)

Masterlist

Rating / Warnings : General Audiences, no warning.

Fandom : Bram Stoker’s Dracula, BBC’s Dracula, various Dracula and vampire lore.

Part 2/? (2452 words)

Author’s notes : Here’s part two ! I also updated part one to be a bit better, don’t hesitate to check it out ! (taglist at the end !)

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“I always thought it was a disputable likeness.”

“JE-sus FUCK-”, I spat out as I turned over, stumbling back from shock. How in the hell- I didn’t even hear a goddamn thing, which was concerning given how close he was standing behind me. An eyebrow elegantly arched at my profanity, he seemed to study my figure. I was suddenly very aware of how absolutely dreadful I probably looked.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think- I didn’t mean to break in- The door-”, I stammered, somehow unable to find any decent words.

A twinkle of amusement brightened his dark eyes, and he didn’t do me the mercy of saying anything to put me out of my misery. I took a deep breath, and awkwardly held out my hand for him to shake.

“I am Eris Cetero. I got caught in the storm, and saw light. I didn’t know where else to go. I would be eternally grateful for your hospitality, sir.”

A bit dazed that I was able to align so many coherent words, I didn’t even have the time to react when the man gently took my hand in his, and planted a light kiss on my knucles.

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Doamna Cetero. I am Count Vlad Balaur, and welcome you into my home.”

I managed to thank him, by God knows what miracle. From the moment our eyes met, he had not moved his gaze, nor did I see him blink, now that I thought about it. A shiver ran down my spine, making me shudder.

“My, you must be freezing. Come, sit by the fire. Do you have anything dry to wear ?”

I shook my head as he led me to one of the sofas facing the hearth, a hand barely hovering over my back.

“My bag is in a sorrier state than I am”, I sheepishly admitted.

“Well, I might be able to find something for you”, he told me with a gentle smile.

“I couldn’t, really, I don’t want to impose-”, I started, but he dismissed my protest with a flick of the hand.

“Nonsense, I will have no one die of pneumonia in this house. Wait for me here, I will soon be back.”

He left the room in long paces, and I followed his tall silhouette as it disappeared into the halls. Whatever I was expecting, it wasn’t that. He did look somewhat close to the portrait, however. I looked up to study it further. The figure was certainly recognizable, tall, some form of nobility in the posture. He was a Count, after all. His hair was neatly laid in elegant black waves across his broad shoulders, so dark it was almost lost to the background. He was obviously younger in the portrait, but still carried as much poise as he did then.

The crackling of the fire almost covered the sound of the rain. A log broke in half in a flurry of embers. The flames licked at the charred wood, and I started to follow their ethereal dance in the darkness. Hugging my knees closer to my chest, I wondered if I shouldn’t drip somewhere else than the Count’s expensive-looking antique sofa. Found myself unable to move, anyway.

My curious host stepped back into the room, dragging me from my drowsiness. He had a pile of neatly folded clothes in hand, and what I assumed was a towel. He was still smiling, which, for some reason, made me a bit uneasy. I shook off the feeling. I mean, he was just an old eccentric man. A little weird at times, but who isn’t?

“I’m afraid you might find the style a bit dated, however, it’s warm and dry, which is what we are looking for, aren’t we?”

He laid the pile next to me, and took his leave, respectfully closing the door behind him. Unsure about what I should do, I still took a look at what he brought. The fabrics were soft, and felt luxurious. Dated indeed. A long wool skirt I just could have worn as a poncho, a thin linen shirt closed by a series of pearl buttons, and a jacket, matching the skirt both in style and warmth. after a sigh, I decided to peel my own clothing off my body. Cold water ran down my back as I slipped my shirt over my shoulders. I decided to keep my underwear, for legitimate and obvious reasons, and put on the outfit the count prepared for me. He even had thrown in a pair of socks and boots, which, curiously, were exactly my size. As I stood up and patted down the skirt, I caught my reflection in a window. There, I was ready to leave for the suffragette rally, whilst my husband slaves away at the vintage car factory. I spun around, and the skirt flared in a very satisfactory manner.

“Are you dressed ? May I come in ?”

The sudden knock on the door nearly made me lose my footing. I caught myself on the back of the sofa, and approved the request. The Count entered, pushing the door with his foot as the carried a wodden tray, holding a steaming kettle and delicate cups. He laid it on a small side table, and turned back towards me, clasping his hands together.

“Aren’t you feeling a tad better now ?”

“Much better, thank you. If I may ask, out of curiosity, where does this dress come from? It’s not very often people have that sort of clothing at home.”

“Well”, he started as he poured tea into a cup. “It is a family home, and I must admit I do not know everyone who ever lived here. It may have been my grandmother’s, or her mother’s.”

He invited me to sit, and handed me a cup, which I accepted gladly. It had a subtle, comforting cinnamon aroma The warmth of the cup was doing wonders for my almost purple hands, slowly regaining a human-like color.

“Eris…”, the Count enunciated, slightly rolling the ‘r’, almost to himself. “What an unusual name. You must have terribly interesting parents.”

“Oh, far worse. Historians”, I scoffed.

“Greek, dare I venture ?”

“Yes. They’re kind fo the reason I am here right now, in a way.”

“Please, indulge an old man.”

He seemed genuinely interested. I guess living in a mountain surrounded by huge “KEEP OUT” signs was bound to make anyone feel starved for any distraction. It was a bit of a challenge not sounding demented as I told him about my family. Strict, absent parents, very demanding concerning school work, insisting on me keeping up with their research. As they were interested in the Classical Greek world, I shifted my interest to the Balkans, which was shocking enough, and became almost disowning when I started a masters in medieval studies. I became a bit estranged to them after that terrible offense.

“Do you still study that field ?”

“Well”, I sighed. “I should hope so. I’m in my second year of doctorate on ‘Archaeological evidence for the conflictual relationships of Balkanic regions and the Ottoman Empire during the 15th century AD’.”

It had him laughing softly.

“That sound like quite some work”, he commented, a strange glimmer in his eye.

“It is. That’s why I had to take a break, coming here. I told myself I’d take advantage of it and work, maybe visit Targoviste. Turns out, I’d rather risk death by the mighty elements than do that.”

I tried to smile, but the weight in my chest started to come back. It lifted while I was running high on adrenaline, trying to escape my doom during the storm, but now that I was out of danger, it sure as hell was back. The Count had a strange look on his face, almost as he was trying to read my mind through my eyes.

“I’m sorry, I just-”

“You must be tired, after such an eventful day”, he softly told me. “Let’s prepare a guest room, shall we?”

He was right, by all accounts. I took a deep breath, and handed him my empty cup as he held out his hand for it. His fingers brushed against mine, just a second, yet long enough that it didn’t feel unintentional. He did nothing of it, and placed the cups back on the tray, before escorting me into the halls. As we left, he took hold of a small candelabra and had it lit over the fire.

We made our way through the lenghthy corridors, and I started undertanding just how huge the place was. Confusing. Labyrinthic, almost. I wondered how I would ever find my way without breadcrumbs, or a trusty ball of yarn. I started taking mental notes of some reference points. A weird cat in a painting here, a knight fighting a giant snail in the corner of a tapestry there, that sort of thing.

“Are you also interested in art, Lady Cetero ?”, the Count asked, semingly noticing my interest.

“A little. I’m afraid I connect better with pieces of armor and war apparatus in general, though. A bit of an influence from my thesis, I think”, I admitted.

“Ah, in this case, I have something I am fairly certain you will enjoy”, he announced, before taking a right into another corridor.

We passed a few doors, and stopped in front of a slightly larger one. He slipped a large iron ring out of his jacket’s pocket, holding dozens of different keys, some oranate, some rougher. Without much hesitation, which was impressive considering the sheer ammount of choice he had, he unlocked the door, and pushed it open, gallantly leaving me to enter.

The room was dark, yest I discerned a faint glimmer across the walls. As the Count stepped in, and lit torches on the walls, I almost couldn’t contain a squeal of excitement. On the wall opposite the door, a suit of armor was displayed on a mannequin. Intricately worked in gilted vegetal arabesque, the darkened iron still suffered indents and scrapes, and the golden sheen had flaked in some places. I ventured that whoever had worn this had very little understanding of the crime it was to ever put such incredible crafstmanship at risk on the battlefield. It was very reminiscent of the kind of battle gear I had studied in my first year, but I never saw a complete one, least of all in such an incredible state of conservation. The suit was surrounded by weapons of the same make, still bright and shiny, the incrustations of stones and pearls seeming almost alive in the flickering light of the flames. The other walls were all covered in an almost artistic display of a large variety of other weapons, which it seemed spanned across centuries and all the surrounding regions of the Balkans.

“This is...Absolutely incredible”, I managed to breathe out. “How did you come to have such a collection ? Even the museum in Bucharest doesn’t compete !”

“I am very interested in history, you see. Some of the pieces here were there before I was born”, he told me, stepping closer to the central figure of the room. “This armor has been in my family for generations.”

He looked somewhat nostalgic, eyes drifting along the glistening metal. He stood tall, and I couldn’t help but picture him in it, his silver hair back to the dark waves of his youth, sword in hand, covered in blood and dust, leading his men into battle against roaring, bloodthirsty waves of ennemies.

“I would love to take a better look at them tomorrow, if you don’t mind”, I asked, trying not to look so eager as I felt.

“It would be my pleasure, however, I will have to take most of the day to attend some... Urgent matters.”

I nodded along, and we left the room, me with a last longing look as the Count extinguished the torches, and locked the door. He then led me along a stone staircase, set in what I assumed to ba a small tower, as I glanced outside through the narrow windows. On the second story, the floors was made of dark wood, which looked a bit dull. I figured if he lived alone, he didn’t have much time to varnish the whole castle. As we walked, the boards creaked in a sinister way, that reverberated through the halls. I couldn’t help but shudder, and though I head a soft laughter from the Count, walking ahead of me.

He stopped to open a door, and entered before I did. It was a fairly large room, with a high ceiling, supported by large wodden beams. An iron chandelier hanged at Mid-height, which was still half a dozen feet above my head. A large fireplace was carved into the wall, which my host had somehow lit as I studied the rest of the room. Behind wooden pannels, a large canopy bed was set near one of the three windows that pierced the wall, opening to a view of the wind-swept valley.

The Count carefully removed the large bedspread, which had probably been collecting dust for a while, revealing divinely comfortable-looking covers and fluffy pillows. To be fair, I was so exhausted I would have slept on the floor with no second thought, had that been necessary.

“Make yourself at home. You will probably find something to change in the wardrobe, if you want. I will leave you this for tomorrow, should you wish to explore”, he told me as pulled the key-ring out of his pocket, and laid it on a large desk. “Have a restful night, Lady Cetero.”

Bowing his head slightly, he exited the room, leaving me alone if it weren’t for the presence still lingering inside. I figured there was a slight possibility that I really were deep into hypothermia, and hallucinating, or, more likely yet, that he was a ghost. I slipped into a nightgown, still feeling a bit like a gothic novel heroine. I wondered a second how I could ever find sleep with all the wonder, excitement and slight feeling of dread that filled my mind. However, as soon as I let the heavy blankets over me, sinking into the matress, everything went quiet, the faint sound of the rain and rumbling thunder slowly lulling me to sleep.

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Taglist : @carydorse @angelicdestieldemon @bloodhon3yx @thewondernanazombie @battocar @moony691 @mjlock

Don’t hesitate to ask if you wanna be tagged !

[sonicrainicorn]

Made of Love, Chapter 12

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Table of Contents

Ship(s): Logicality, (platonic) Prinxiety

All Characters: Thomas, Virgil, Roman, Logan, Patton, Dr. Picani, Joan, Talyn, and Deceit

Synopsis: Humans Roman and Virgil get wrapped up in some serious magic business without meaning to. Their other companions aren’t exactly as they seem, either. Together they all must defeat a great threat for the safety of humanity.

Chapter Desc.: After an interesting training session; Thomas, Roman, and Virgil discover an old photo in a bookshelf.

TW: Cursing

Prefer to read it on Ao3? Click here!

Despite their better judgment, both Roman and Virgil continued to keep their promise to Logan. It was stupid and careless, but they could never bring it up. They each tried to find a way to tell Patton with each time ending in failure. Anytime they worked up the courage, he just gave them his usual bright smile and then suddenly they couldn’t do it anymore. Maybe Logan had a point. Breaking that joy would have been cruel.

But it wasn’t fair to either of them. Patton had a right to know and Logan needed the help. Who knew what would happen the longer this went unchecked.

Then Virgil found out that Thomas had no idea, either. He didn’t even know it was going on at all until Virgil accidentally mentioned it in front of him. And boy, oh boy, did it make him feel terrible denying to explain it. It's Logan’s story to tell, he insisted, go bother him about it.

All in all, it was a rather rough few days.

Patton and Logan started to teach Roman and Virgil the basics of weapon fighting. How to hold said weapon(s) and the general way to use them. For the most part, Logan and Roman were together and Virgil and Patton were together. Rarely were all four of them in one place. Thomas would drop by either of their sessions every once in a while, but even his presence became scarce.

After two days, Patton had Virgil’s daggers enchanted. The day Patton came out holding two pens is the day Virgil became terrified of a writing utensil.

As promised, they worked very much like Percy Jackson’s Riptide. Well, the film version. But no one wanted to say it out loud. All Virgil had to do was click the pens and then they shifted into his daggers. To get them back to pens, he had to tap the end of the handles. It felt weird to be able to do it. This was something legitimately out of a fantasy novel happening in real life. Now Virgil understood what Roman meant.

He carried them in his pockets -- one on each side -- and made it his habit to have them there before leaving the house. Part of him was still cautious to have them so close to him. Weapons were meant to hurt and do damage -- why should they be anywhere near him? But there was something about them that he couldn’t quite place. Something that made him stick with them despite every other instinct telling him otherwise.

Many times Virgil found himself staring down at the pens as if they held the world’s secrets.

“Hello? Earth to Virgil?” Thomas waved a hand in front of Virgil’s face. “Come in, Virgil.”

Virgil pocketed the pens and looked up. “What?” He didn’t know how long he had been spacing out. Something about staring at magical pens made him lose track of time.

“I was gonna go watch Roman get his butt handed to him --”

“Thanks for the motivation,” Roman grumbled as he walked out the back door.

“-- and I wanted to know if you were gonna join.” He ended with a smile.

Virgil considered his options for a moment; stay inside and do nothing, or watch Logan totally school Roman the second he gets too cocky. “Yeah, alright.”

The two walked outside together.

Their relationship hadn’t mended all the way or anything, but Thomas still felt comfortable around Virgil. Neither of them liked to think about the incident, so they never brought it up again. Virgil continued to feel guilty about it, though. He could tell how much it still affected Thomas. Imagine if someone demanded you, a child, to spill your life’s secrets. You probably wouldn’t look at that person the same way again. Virgil wouldn’t.

But they were working around that. As long as Virgil didn’t fuck up more than he already had, then maybe they could return to how they once were. He was kind of getting tired of Thomas hesitantly telling him things.

Once the two reached the training grounds, they spotted Patton standing off to the side while Logan and Roman talked. Interesting. Patton didn’t show up to watch Roman get his butt kicked as often as Virgil and Thomas did. Why would he show up now?

“Patton?” Thomas decided to speak up Virgil’s questions. “What are you doing here?”

“Well jeez, if you don’t want to see me you can just say so.” He crossed his arms and smirked. “I’m here as a first-aid kit. And also to kinda do some magic stuff.”

“First-aid kit?” Virgil questioned.

“Magic stuff?” Thomas’s excitement overshadowed Virgil’s concern.

Patton smiled at Thomas’s enthusiasm. “It’s not as exciting as it sounds. Once Logan’s done then you’ll see.”

Thomas and Virgil sat on the usual log to wait. Eventually, Logan stopped talking to Roman and turned to Patton with a soft smile. Virgil wanted to vomit at the amount of love they looked at each other with. Even in short little glances, the two always looked like they were gazing at the stars. It was sickening.

“Are you ready?” Logan asked.

Patton shrugged. “As I'll ever be.”  He patted Logan's head as he moved past him to the center of the clearing. After slight visible hesitation, he placed his knees on the ground and put his hands over the dying grass. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, with a rustle of leaves and grass, nearby twigs began to move. They tumbled and rolled together until they started to stack up. Twigs wove themselves around each other in a similar manner to how Patton formed a staff many days ago. Instead of braids, they formed a thicker more intricate system. Twigs, branches, and other leftover vegetation continued to add and grow until two solid forms could be made out. Two humanoid forms, that is.

“Okay.” Patton stood up from the ground with a sigh. Virgil noticed that the patch of grass that had once been dead now flourished. “It's not mimicry or anything, but it's the best I can do.” He smiled at his two plant people. They were both of average height with no discernible features; a head, a body, two arms, and two legs.  Test dummies. “They'll respond to commands so just say ‘startup’ if you want them to activate and ‘objective complete’ when you're done.” They crumbled back to a pile of sticks. Patton chuckled nervously. “They're a little sensitive.”

“It’s perfect, Patton, thank you.” Logan gave him a swift peck on the lips.

Virgil and Thomas gagged in response.

“You two need to learn about love,” Roman sighed at them.

Shortly after, the training session had begun. This would be the first time Roman used his katana against something. Before, he had been learning with a wooden sword (and then getting his ass handed to him by a more skilled Logan) so this might have been considered a step up. In addition to that, this would be his first time sword fighting against someone that wasn’t Logan. Or, in this case, something.

One of the dummies created its own sword. It extended out more like an extension of its arm rather than an object it would hold in its hand. Its movements were slow enough for Roman to block and follow. If it got hit, it would crumple for a few seconds then regain its form. Level one, basically.

“Roman, are you scared of it?” Logan asked with a slight smirk. He had been walking around to examine how Roman did.

“W-what? No.” Roman laughed a bit to play it off. “I would never.” Despite his words, his actions were timid. He had a clear shot and gently took it, the sword sticking into the wood a little bit. The dummy fell into a pile of sticks.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of, Roman,” Patton said from beside Thomas on the log. “It’ll only go as hard as you do.”

Roman pouted. “I’m not afraid --” He squealed when the pile sprung to life and fell back on his butt.

“That’s believable,” Virgil scoffed.

“Why don't you show him how to do it, Logan?” Thomas suggested with a smile. “You're really good at this stuff.”

“Yeah, show him up.” Virgil smirked at Roman's glare.

Logan hesitated. “I don't know. I'm not really --”

“You can do it, Lo.” Patton beamed. “You set your own difficulty.”

With a sigh, Logan relented. He brought out the pommel which the rest of the sword appeared out of.

Roman pushed his bracelet down and his katana disappeared from his hand. He sent Virgil an annoyed scowl before sitting down in the grass. Virgil flicked the back of his head in retaliation. If he didn’t want to get hit, he shouldn’t have sat so close.

After taking a deep breath, Logan swung his sword. Right off the bat, the dummy blocked it. It matched Logan’s speed and skill almost instantly. Every parry, every swing had a reaction from both parties. Unlike Roman, Logan knew what he was doing. He could handle woven sticks. And he could handle them a lot better than Roman. As if to add insult to injury, once the opportunity arose, Logan sliced clean through the dummy’s torso -- splitting it in half. Whereas Roman only dared to poke it a little bit.

It fell into a pile and Logan twisted the pommel to retract his sword. Thomas cheered to celebrate the victory, making Virgil smile a bit.

“You went easy on it,” Patton commented, almost as if he were suspicious of something.

Logan rubbed his wrist. “Yes, well, I didn’t want to further damage Roman’s pride.” He gave a small smile that immediately felt off to Virgil.

Patton frowned as he eyed Logan’s wrist. Virgil had to physically restrain himself from saying anything. In fact, he ended up squeezing Roman’s shoulder with how badly he wanted to speak up. Why did he insist on keeping his promise to Logan?

Regardless, the session continued as normal. Logan made sure that Roman put a little more effort into his fighting and further emphasized that there was nothing to worry about. The dummy wouldn’t kill him or anything. His sword wasn’t anything to fear, either. He had control over it. It couldn’t do anything that he didn’t want it to.

Things went a lot better after that.

Unlike Logan, Roman ended up with a few injuries by the end of it. Minor cuts from where the dummy managed to hit him. No big deal. They were easily fixed by Patton, anyway.

“You did so well, Roman,” Patton cheered and Thomas agreed.

“Yeah, you didn’t get totally creamed today,” Virgil added with his usual sarcasm lacing every word.

“I always appreciate your input, Virgil,” Roman muttered.

Virgil responded with a silent thumbs up.

“For your first try, it wasn’t a complete failure.” Logan had similar styles of wording as Virgil did; if he meant something positive he usually didn’t make it sound that way. “You still have a lot to work on, but nothing that can’t be fixed.”

Roman gasped and put a hand to his chest. “That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

The rest of the day went by without much incident. Though, perhaps Virgil missed a good portion of the day due to a four-hour nap. In his defense, no loud noises woke him up. He depended on those so as to not oversleep. Most of the time they were yells from Roman and Thomas because some form of “betrayal” took place. Other times they were Logan and Roman getting into an argument. A few times Roman barged in and demanded something. Alright, so most of them were Roman. The dude was dramatic.

Once Virgil stepped out of his room, however, he got dragged into the beginning of an argument. Not one he wanted to take part in, but one he had to be involved with since Logan and Patton weren’t going to deal with it.

Thomas insisted that creatures like dragons and unicorns had gone extinct centuries ago. Roman, being the stubborn fantasy nerd that he is, refused to acknowledge the possibility of that ever happening. Why he wouldn’t take the word of someone who grew up with magic since the day he was born was beyond Virgil. Denial, possibly. Maybe he couldn’t handle learning that magic is real only to find out he’d never get to see some of the most cliche magical creatures.

Virgil didn’t care. Logan and Patton acted like they didn’t know the argument was even going on at all. They were trying to torture him, weren’t they? Ugh, if he knew they were going to be petty he would have second-guessed ever getting mad at Thomas.

Eventually, Thomas had enough of the bullshit and dragged both Virgil and Roman downstairs. The whole way down, the three continued to speak over one another. With Thomas and Roman arguing their main points and Virgil trying to get them to see reason (and maybe shut up).

The room Thomas led them into wasn’t bare like the weapons’ room. This one had bookcases along the walls. Posters and maps rolled up in a safe place or displayed on available walls. There was a desk in between two small bookcases with several scraps of papers and a notebook resting on it. An office space -- or even a research room.

Virgil decided to ignore the two in favor of looking around. There were a few pictures hanging up. Some black and white polaroids with a tiny grinning Thomas, a frame with washed out colors of Thomas and a girl, and then one that made Virgil stop. A grainy-looking photo in an old frame. Black and white like many of the others, but this one appeared much older. It depicted three people standing in front of a background of flowers. The one in the middle took Virgil a minute to recognize. Picani. He looked to be around Thomas’s physical age but still just as tall. He seemed happy. A man and a woman stood on either side of him. The woman had long hair that must have been falling out of its updo with the way she was handling it. The man seemed as if he was in the middle of holding back a laugh. All three of them kind of looked like that, actually.

Wait a minute… Virgil recognized that facial expression. It’s something he had seen many times since first moving into this house. Something that happened whenever Roman tried to start a fight or Virgil made a snarky remark he probably shouldn’t have. Whenever Logan gave a sardonic retort that Patton didn’t approve of. Because that was a face Thomas made for all of those. When he wanted to laugh but shouldn’t.

Were these Thomas’s parents?

“Here it is. Roman, stop moving your mouth, I’m about to prove you wrong.” Thomas reached up to the top of one of the bookcases. He had just enough height to grab a specific book. As he brought it down, something ended up fluttering to the floor. “I -- what is this?”

Virgil spared one last glance at the picture before walking over to the other two. Maybe he should hold onto that observation for another time.

Thomas picked up the object to reveal it as a polaroid -- like the ones on the wall. Instead of a young Thomas, this one had two people. One of them was Picani, once again looking to be around Thomas’s physical age. In this one, he seemed more shy, giving an almost bashful smile. Perhaps it had to do with the more eccentric person next to him. A teenage boy with aviator sunglasses and a wide grin.

“Who’s that?” Roman asked, pointing to the unknown boy.

“I…” Thomas furrowed his brows. “I don’t know.”

Virgil noted how close the two in the picture were sitting. It almost looked like they weren't expecting to get photographed. Picani had a book in his lap, his round frames sliding down his nose. The other boy had his legs crossed and an arm slung over the bench behind Picani's shoulders.

“We could ask Patton and Logan,” Roman suggested.

“I just -- why don’t I know him?” Thomas almost looked distressed at this.

“It’s fine, Thomas,” Virgil tried to sooth. “You don’t have to know.”

Thomas didn’t take his eyes off the picture. “But -- but this is the fifties. I was with him. I was almost always with him. How can there be someone I haven’t met from this time period?”

“Let’s just go up and ask Patton and Logan. They’ll tell us who he is and you can ask why you never met him.”

“I guess.” Thomas still didn’t take his eyes off the picture.

Virgil frowned. He tried to take it, but Thomas yanked his arm back and held it to his chest. Like a wild animal that had been cornered. Virgil held his hands up in defense. “Alright. Keep it.”

“It’s okay, Thomas. I’m sure there’s an easy explanation for this,” Roman said. “Maybe you were just never properly introduced -- there were times when you weren’t with Picani, right?”

“Yeah. When he’d go to school or work.”

“So that’s at least two times a day you wouldn’t have seen him. They must have met during one of those times and you just never had an opportunity to see him.”

“But I --” Thomas shook his head. “That makes sense, I guess. Let’s just go ask them.” He shoved the book back on the top shelf.

The whole way up, Thomas didn’t take his eyes off the picture. It made Roman and Virgil share a concerned glance. They didn’t know why this was such a big deal to him. It shouldn't have mattered so much. He didn’t need to know everything about Picani.

Once they got back up to the second floor, Thomas hurried down the hall to the living room. “Patton. Logan.”

There was a squeak and a thump as Patton fell off the couch. Logan sat up, face flushed. “What? Nothing was happening.”

“I’m gonna pretend I believe you for a second because I have a question to ask about this photo.” He pointed at it.

Patton’s head peeked up over the coffee table. “What photo?”

Thomas turned it around.

Immediately, both Patton and Logan tensed up. They stared at it with wide eyes -- as if they never expected to see it again. Patton stood up and gently took it from Thomas’s hand. Logan came around to look at it as well. They didn’t say anything as they studied it. A piece of their history captured in one tiny square.

“Where did you find this?” Patton asked softly.

“It was in one of the bookshelves.” Thomas shared a glimpse of uncertainty with Roman and Virgil. “Who is he?”

“No one.”

“A friend.”

Patton and Logan stopped to give each other a look. For the first time ever, they didn’t say the same thing when they spoke at the same time. It caused uneasiness to settle about the room. “We can’t just ignore that he ever existed,” Patton continued.

“It’s not like we haven’t tried,” Logan muttered, bitter.

Patton frowned. “That doesn’t make it okay to. It isn’t fair. Not for us -- and definitely not for him.”

“What happened to him?” Thomas interrupted tentatively.

“He was human.” Logan snatched the photo from Patton’s hands. Virgil felt his heart drop. “I’m going to put this somewhere safe. We’ll discuss this later, Patton.” He gave Patton one final look before walking away.

Patton watched him go with an indescribable emotion on his features.

“Patton,” Thomas said and wiped a stray tear that left his eye. It made Virgil aware of his own tears streaming down his face.

“Oh!” Patton snapped out of his daze. “Sorry. I’m not used to controlling that anymore.” As soon as the words left his mouth, Virgil felt the tightness in his chest ease up. He could breathe again.

“Why does that happen?” Roman asked as he rubbed the last of the tears out of his eyes.

“I guess you can call me an empath.” Patton shrugged. “I can know what others feel, but more often than not I end up sending out my own emotions. Whether or not that’s apart of my healing abilities is up for debate.” He looked down at his hands. “I’m not really aware of it half the time. And Picani doesn’t have that ability so I’m kind of getting used to having them again.”

Virgil wiped his face. “Maybe don’t send out such harsh vibes next time.”

Patton gave a half smile. “It’s not always that simple. I can keep all my normal emotions in check, but I kind of lose control over the big ones. If I get too worked up over something then I project those feelings without meaning to. Usually, they’re low enough to not be detected, but you two are humans. There’s no magic protecting you.”

“Ugh, you’re like Blue Diamond.” Roman ran his hands down his face. “I don’t think I’ve ever cried so many tears in such a short amount of time.”

“Sorry. I’ll work on that.”

Thomas frowned a bit. “If he was so important to you -- important enough to cause this --” he motioned to Roman and Virgil, whose eyes were still glossy with tears -- “why don’t I know anything about him?”

Patton paused -- as if he needed to process the words -- before letting out a sad smile. “You never wanted to.”

Thomas froze, surprise and disbelief all over his features. “What?” The word came out so quiet -- like a silent breath rolling over his lips.

Though Patton didn’t acknowledge this.  His gaze was trained out toward the hall. “I should probably talk to Logan before he starts going over the ‘what ifs’ in his head again.” He silently excused himself.

No one decided to ask any further questions.

(Next)

[thirstyfortom]

How would do the RFA +V + Unknown react to MC being an journal keeper, she's been writing down her thoughts and the day's happenings in her journal. This happened since she was very young so there a huge stack of journals in her room. And her new journal entries is almost most of the time about her feelings for them, their sweet moments together and how much she loves and treasures them. Plus MC writes like a true novelist.

Such an interesting request! I hope I did justice to it! ^^

RFA + Saeran and V react to MC being a journalkeeper

TW: Mentions of LGBTQphobia and depression

Zen

When you moved in together, you brought this huge box filled with notebooks

Noticing his curiosity, you tell him these are your old journals, you have one for each year of your life since you’re 10.

He thinks it’s adorable, and he’s so curious! How were you like during your teenage years?

You’re so embarrassed to show him, so you pick the ones you consider slightly decent, when you were 18 and the hormones weren’t taking control of your mind anymore

When he starts reading, he’s shocked: did an 18 years old girl really write this? It sounds like those really good monologues he’s only seen on cult theatre pieces.

Seriously, just say the word and he’ll introduce you to producers and make all your thoughts turn into a musical, a TV show, maybe a movie! Easy there, Zen…

And if he wasn’t impressed enough, he sees the most recent journal, and it’s filled with sweet things about him, like, not even himself could think of this kind of sweet things to tell you.

The way you describe him, not only his looks, but all of his features, even the ones that aren’t that good… it’s so passionate, yet so honest.  Not even a narcissist like him sees himself as highly as you do.

He doesn’t understand why you would keep these sweet words only to yourself, but won’t pressure you, he knows you are really good at showing your affection, as it is vividly described on that page you tell about the first time you two made love.

Yoosung

He tried keeping journals, but they all ended forgotten somewhere

So he really admires your care for your journals, he wish he could be like that

He’s a little curious about your high school crushes, he would love to see the way you describe them, he would feel a little jealous, but he really wants to meet you as a teenager in love.

But when you show him… he feels… futile? Because it’s all so deep and meaningful, and it’s filled with intricate thoughts about your relationship with your parents, things he could never think by himself…

There’s a brief mention about a guy you dated, but he feels how meaningless it was and how he was clearly not that into you by the way you describe it, and now he hates this guy so much!

When it comes to him, he’s legitimately crying for the way you write him. He thought he was in despair when he hurt his eye? Now he knows your agony, and it’s so… painful.

And when he reads about your first date, he’s giggling so much, as if he is reading some comic book about another person, like he wasn’t even there.

Also, he feels a little stupid for not understanding some passages, like this one you wrote a couple of weeks ago. He shyly asks and shyly he stays when you explain you’re describing an orgasm. “Seriously…? I… I… did all this to your body? Whoa…”

Jaehee

She thought about having journals, she had so much to express! However, so little time to actually do it…

So she’s impressed about your diligence, since, generally, you’re not that organized about things (and that’s just one of the things you hate in yourself, but she freaking loves it!)

She knows how personal these things can be, and it’s totally okay if you don’t want her to read. When you say you don’t really mind, she can hold back her enthusiasm…  yes, she really wanted this, she just wouldn’t admit it.

The one with your last year of high school draws her attention immediately, since it looks like is the one with most written pages.

And she quickly understands why when she starts reading it. So much worries about the future, not even her was so concerned about her own future like you sounded there.

Thoughts that almost every young person has, but the way you describe it makes it feel like it’s something so different, as if your doubts and insecurities were so unique…

She cries when she gets to the part you tell how you were dragged out of the closet as bisexual when a girl you trusted told the whole neighborhood about it.

And then it comes to when you met, the way you describe every chat you had on the app, every thought you had beneath every word you send… she knew how much it meant for both of you, but this was on a whole another level now.

She blushes reading the way you describe her and touches you, but what really makes her heart flutter is the description about the first time you tasted a cup of coffee made by her… seriously, it’s just… too much!

She feels so inspired after that. Maybe now she has a lot more of free time, she could start writing her own journal? There’s a lot about you she needs to learn how to put in words…

Jumin

Well, a journal could be a great help for him during all those years, now he knows that.

So he’s glad at least you didn’t have to struggle so much like he did

He won’t say it loud, but he’s curious! Soooooo curious! You can see it on his eyes, so you allow him to take a look, his soft smile giving away how much he wanted you to allow it…

He loves it, he wants to take all the journals out of the box and put them on his personal library.

He also wants to introduce you to publishers and editors, he’ll do whatever it takes for you to be a best-seller. Jumin, please chill

If he had tangled knots inside his heart, you were apparently trapped on thick ropes of problems. The way you describe your parent’s divorce and how it affected most of your teenage years make him ache deep inside. You’ve come a long way…

He’s afraid of reading about himself, especially those long and confusing three days he locked you up in his penthouse…

And yes, you’re very honest about how scared you were, but only because you knew that confused and anxious guy wasn’t the man you’ve fallen in love with, and the way you describe your love for him… he had no idea it was this overwhelming.

He loves the way you write your interactions with Elizabeth the 3rd, and can’t hold back a grin when he reads your description about the first time you had sex.

Now everytime you two start getting heated, he tells you he’ll give you enough material for your journal…

Saeyoung

He dug all he could during your background check, except for that private blog (which wasn’t private for him if he didn’t want to)

He knew how personal it was, so he wouldn’t dare to dig on that. No… if he knows something, is about letting some thoughts only to yourself.

But when you tell him he can read if he wants, he quickly changes his mind. This is the closest he ever gonna get to hack into you.

He wants to print everything and turns into books he can hang at his personal library, “The Expert Playboy” would gain such a more refined and delicate company in that shelf.

Or make this public and monetize it somehow, because you deserve earning money on this, it’s… all… so… good!

The funny parts are HILARIOUS, your writing is so on point about embarrassing situations, he feels as if it happened to him. You should write scripts for sitcoms, you have this amazing ability to turn trivial situations into witty jokes, the type of jokes he would never be able to think of it.

And the sad things, your mother’s death… he never could care about his mother the way you did for yours, but somehow… he feels extremely sympathetic.

When it comes to him… he’s blushing. Your description about his hair and eyes… god, it’s basically a thesis on why it’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen.

And he feels guilty all over again reading about the way he pushed you away, but then again… you turned this into a bittersweet kind of thing, mixing comedy and tragedy in a way only someone like you could do it.

He cries when you describe the moment he found Saeran, he wasn’t this thrilled not even when the actual thing happened back then.

He’s blushing so much when you compare the first orgasm he gave you to the mixture of salty and sweet taste of Honey Budha Chips and Dr. Pepper… because he feels exactly the same way.

Saeran

He actually is keeping one because of therapy, so he asks you for help.

But he had no idea how in love you are for this, you’re more excited than him about his own journal.

He’s not sure if he really wants to read your teenage girl whining about boys and prom, but he really wants to know how to do this!

When he starts reading it… he’s addicted to it. You catch him binge reading all of them all the time.

You’re so sarcastic! Everything in your life seemed so bittersweet, he’s rooting for you to ditch the asshole you were dating and find happiness on yourself, because you’re so great! And he celebrates when finds you actually did!

He’s reading this and imagining as if it was a TV show… a very cliché one, but still, the kind of cliché you can’t take your eyes off!

He wishes he could deal with his problems the way you did, you were so screwed when your found about your father’s second family, yet… here you are, this amazingly sweet and bright person dealing with struggle with so much fierceness and kindness

When you told him that you were never scared of him, he didn’t believe it. Reading on the journal, he starts to believe.

He’s embarrassed when he reads about himself, you portray him as this adorable anti-hero, and he doesn’t think he deserves it, your description about his eyes makes him shiver…

Feels really good about the way you describe sex with him, and when you wrote it’s like all the flavors of ice cream combined, he’s gone!

V

I guess he has sight for this one

He used to have a dream journal, and stopped when most of the dreams were about Rika

He admires your commitment to write every day, even when apparently nothing special happened.

But when he gets to read it, he understands: your writing make every day sound special and amazing.

He gets more and more mesmerized at every page, he pictures the scenes on his mind, putting himself at your place. It takes a lot of talent to transport people to your own universe with just some words well put together, and you have this talent!

Personally, your descriptions about first times are the most impressive ones, the first time you saw snow, your first date with your first boyfriend, the first time you touched yourself…  he almost can feel what you felt.

And the struggles and self-loathing, dealing with depression with a family who doesn’t seem to understand you were sick… he feels your pain on his own skin and mind.

He’s so flattered about the way you see him. Is his voice that soothing? His eyes that beautiful? He wishes he could see the world through your eyes, his photos would be even better with such a unique and sweet vision like yours.

He was impressed about the first time you touched yourself, just imagine when he got to the part about sex with him. Your words seem like little magic spells, hypnotizing more and more.

[mystech-master]

Zaun Q&A Tidbits

Piltover one here

Piltover got a reddit Q&A, now it’s Zaun’s turn.

link here

question asked by fan

answer from rioter

Q: What made you decide to join Zaun and Piltover into one super-city and what inspired this direction? 

A. This had been in the works for a long while. I know early discussions on the two cities idea were meant to emphasize the differences and similarities of the two cities, while ramping up that connection and conflict through being so close together. They have no choice but be aware of each other every day, and it allows us to delve into ideas about what a symbiotic relationship looks like when not everyone is happy about it. It felt different to all of our other regions, it heightened possibilities for conflict (and therefore drama), and meant we could play very different Champs off each other pretty easily. Regions need to have natural hooks for storytelling and provide opportunities that other places don't. After all, if your new city just does the same as another on the other side of the world, why does the story world need it?

Q. Is Twitch still a resident/champion of Zaun? 

A. Yes!  He will eventually be getting some bio and story love too

Q. I recall some concerns about Zac's parents being deceased in the new lore; what made the team decide to "Uncle Ben" them?

I feel really bad about it; they were cool people who did the right thing, and raised Zac responsibly and lovingly. Those teasers with their scribbled notes on them were really sweet; there's one where they call him cute that makes me smile. Them getting killed in the lore update really guts me, honestly.

At the least I wish one of Zac's parents lived, to be his Aunt May rooting for him. Does Zac really have to be Batman, and not Spiderman?

I do like Ekko's lore, where he explicitly isn't an orphan, so I can't complain that everyone has dead or missing parents, but still, I feel so bad about Zac's plight.

A. Hi, the thinking behind that was that with them still alive, teaching Zac right from wrong, he didn't really have anywhere to go as a character. Was him being good a product of their guidance or something coming from him and what he'd learned? Now he has to embody the goodness he wants for himself by himself, and that's a much more interesting story space... 

Q. Any pre-existing characters served as inspiration for Viktor? Parallels with Doctor Doom are plenty in my mind.

How far has he progressed in terms of his evolution? Does he still need to breathe/eat, has he augmented his cognitive abilities?

It's strongly hinted that he does still have shreds of humanity about him. Is there any part of him that holds any regrets on where he is and how he got there? Or is he completely satisfied with his current existence?

How do you think he feels about Zaun? Characters like Ekko/Blitz/Zac/WW seem almost inseparable from the city, what does Viktor think about it?

Edit: Can he remove his mask? There are mentions of smiles in his story but all we see in the game is his mask. Is it removeable or grafted into his skin?

A. I was inspired by the real-life scientists who worked on developing local anesthesia. Some of them experimented on their own bodies to see if the anesthesia worked before trying their techniques on patients during operations. That mentality felt very much true for Viktor, who wants to make humanity better and would never intentionally hurt someone - he would absolutely test a new method on himself if he thought it might be dangerous or hurtful.

Viktor has performed many modifications to his own mind and body, but neither his body nor mind are entirely machine - right now he is a hybrid, though he is constantly upgrading and tweaking his mechanical parts.

I don't think he feels regret - what would be the point? I'm sure like anyone he has made decisions that he would have changed in hindsight, but he doesn't dwell on these. He uses the knowledge he gains from each experience to move forward and do better in the future. I do think Viktor is happy with his current levels of mechanical modifications, and has eliminated many problems from his life through his experimentation.

Like many of the characters from Zaun, Viktor is very much a product of his society. He has been able to use the ingenuity, freedom, and boundless resources of the city in order to create progress and experiment in ways beyond what anyone had yet accomplished. He is not limited to the rules and regulations that held him back in Piltover - here in Zaun, he can do what no one thought possible.

I've always seen the mask as something he can remove and put back on as needed (i.e., to take a sip of sweetmilk).

Q. I love what you did for Viktor. He's oddly enough "human" and despite augmenting himself with cold steel he's surprisingly warm. He's very sympathetic despite his methods being rather questionable at times. 

A. Glad you liked the Viktor story! :D I had fun trying to imagine what it's like to have have such a strange, logical distance from emotions. And yeah, I definitely don't see him as cold - he can still empathize with others, but he isn't swayed by what he sees as unnecessary emotions like fear. 

Q. Can i ask do you think Viktor is a scientist before a machine herald because he shows signs of sympathy 

A. Interesting question. I would say he is both; they are not mutually exclusive. Viktor very much values science and the scientific method - he teaches Naph to ask questions that dig deeper into a rumor, and to value primary sources as evidence above hearsay. Viktor also believes humans have certain weaknesses of spirit that machines do not have, so he's still very much a "machine herald". Through augmentations, Viktor has done his best to rid himself of what he sees as useless and harmful emotions, but he still has empathy for others (as is hopefully evident in this story). 

Q. Is Zaun's design and style based off of any real cities? 

A. Not wholesale, but all of our work is derived from a lot of real-life references mixed in a particular combination (that will feel like Zaun if you get a sort of rough formula down). There's plenty of Victoriana and Art Deco references, but we don't tend to reference the entire art movement, because that can be too broad. For Zaun's case, we specifically looked at the industrial design in that era and took design cues from it and translated that to architecture instead.

We also kinda think of things like symbolism and how shapes 'feel' to people. For instance, Zaun has a lot of struts and vertical elements. Narratively, we can explain that by saying it's bare metal, it's rough, unpolished, it's the Zaunites' way of building sturdy platforms out from rock. But visually, having struts and vertical elements brings us to a specific industrial era and sets the visual tone of the place as well. So we try and capitalize on these feelings and associations to create the mood of the faction as well.

Response to ^: So Zaun is 1930s New Jersey but in a big canyon?

Response to ^: That's a really good description. We'll go with that. :) It also has strange mechanically augmented people and mutant rats

Q. Would Warwick ever attempt to hunt down Dr.Mundo? How would it go?

So, since Viktor is a misunderstood "Villain", would you say Jayce is a misunderstood hero? It seems like he's really arrogant and only cares about the glory.

A: Ooh. That's an interesting idea.

I'd like to think that Jayce has legitimate heroism within him, but he just needs to stop thinking he's better than everyone else and start focusing on how to work with people.

Q. I have to know, in Viktor's colour story, did he choose to assist Naph solely out of a desire to test and see the results of his fear-suppressing chip mixed with an expectation of a future evolution; or was it derived as well from his lingering human impulses to uplift and grant agency to the downtrodden?

I'm honestly not sure what to, or even what I want to believe of him. The candid nature of Viktor both in his bio and Emberflit Alley really caught me off guard.

A. This isn't the first time Viktor has used the fear-suppressor - he's certainly not using Naph as a test subject. I think Viktor witnessed an inequity when he saw Naph bullied outside his door, knew exactly how that he could help, and fixed the problem. The whole reason Viktor developed all his mechanical augmentations is not just science for science's sake - he genuinely wants to help people and make the world a better place. 

Q. to the artist: how did you make sure that each others style matches and do you guys have a end picture in mind or start and see where it takes you? 

A. Great question! The team has a central idea of what each faction feels like and we try to boil it down to key phrases and also key shapes. We used words like "Industrial", "Claustrophobic", "Pipework", among others, for Zaun. We spend a lot of time gathering reference and trying out different shapes until we hit upon a palette that represents Zaun. Circles, curves, repetitive struts, holes punched in metal. This way, any artist who works on Zaun has a body of research and a database of sorts to work from.Generally, I don't think we have an end picture in mind that's very clear. We have this general idea of how it should feel like, but we don't really know what it'll end up looking like until we go through an iterative process and finally land an image that 'clicks' and excites everyone. 

A2. In addition to what u/riotwhren said about structures, In term of style itself you can compare Piltover and Zaun : in the case of Piltover, a lot of the architecture and shapes tend to be geometrical and symmetrical , a bit like American Art Deco style, Whereas in Zaun, their ability and craft of metal enables them to do a lot of round shapes, tubes, and intricate flowing shapes quite reminiscent of the Art Nouveau metro gates in Paris.:)

Q. What were your inspirations for Zaun?  What was the in-house sorta guidelines for what made Zaun?  Also, incredible work on the stories - Zaun feels like a living, breathing place and it makes me feel a lot more connected to the champions and proud of Ekko for fighting for it. 

A. Hmmmm, I think the key thing we kept repeating over and over again in meetings, both narratively and visually, was... "We need to make it livable. It can't be too dire with no hope whatsoever, it's gotta feel like someone might actually want to visit it".

And of course, the color green. Before we really delved into exploring the visuals, all the green in Zaun was conceptually all from goo and toxic poisons. But we wanted to make it more livable, so eventually the idea emerged that we could represent the green with the cultivairs, and also moss on bricks and stuff instead of neon goo. That way we kept the green but also made Zaun feel more livable.

Q. will  you keep making lore in perspectives of citizens/people who aren't the actual champions?

A. Most certainly, yeah. It's fun for us (and hopefully for you) to see the world of Runeterra through the eyes of people who aren't mega-badasses. Like how reading Tales of the Mos Eisley Cantina made the Star Wars trilogy feel much bigger and deeper. 

Stories about characters who aren't champions allows us to delve into the world in ways the champions can't (or don't often). It broadens the world and keeps it from feeling 'small' by virtue of so many champs all being involved in the everyday lives of people. 

Q. Hello! I am a lore aficionado, and have read and loved every champion's lore, and would like to know more about Warwick, and why you decided to remove Soraka from his lore when she was a very prominent part of his two previous lores. His new lore is still excellent, but it hurts to see such a major player in his lore tragically torn from her spot in his story and character. :(Sincerely, A Warwick main.

A. Partly it was so we can make Soraka her own woman/celestial, partly to give Singed and Warwick's relationship a bit more focus and dynamism. Though we like to include relationships in the origins of our Champs, it's best to do so when those relationships amplify the core of who the Champ is. Personally, I think it was a good move for all three Champs.

Q. Why are u trying to blur some champions identities if u don't have an exact idea of what they are? I'm talking about Janna (also happened to Amumu and Rammus in the past) I mean we are supposed to know exactly what they are, what s up with this ambiguity? 

A. Personally, I don't find Janna's identity all that ambiguous -- she's got some mystery, sure (as magical things should in order to feel properly magical, in my opinion), but she's assuredly a physical manifestation of faith and hope from sailors who prayed for fair winds. Which is why her superpowers are summoning wind and hugging sad gay boys.

Q.--- If you'll indulge me a little further, Noxus's "Conquer and patriate" seems very similar to the Roman Empire's way of running things. Would you say that Noxus's control over Valoran is roughly equivalent to the Roman Empire's control over Europe? And furthermore, does Demacia actually pose much of a threat to Noxus, or do they function more as a "stubbornly unconquerable defender" rather than a political rival?

A. Yep!  Noxus is similar to an ancient Rome or ancient Persia.  And "stubbornly unconquerable defender" is an accurate assessment for Demacia!

Q. A question to help better visualize the city: what sort of fashion do Zaunites wear? What are the differences between each societal class in their dress (i.e. what do the rich vs. poor wear?) And lastly, is there any sort of 'people of Zaun' type concepts anywhere? As I recall, there was at least one concept image for Piltover's people! Thanks! 

A. We do have people concepts, but I'm not sure when we're getting them on Universe. In terms of fashion, there are definitely differences between the classes -- among the lower and middle classes, lots of rolled-up sleeves, layers, and various mechanisms to keep the toxins out and your feet dry. Among the upper classes, brighter, vibrant colors (because $$$), and there's less need to have protective elements in your clothes, so more refined patterns and cuts. In fact, I'd say the rich chem barons would pride themselves on looking nicely presented when riding one of the lush elevators up and down the city.

Q. Does Blitzcrank have any hextech going on in him, or is he entirely steam powered? 

A. Blitzcrank does not have any hextech within his core - he's made from a bunch of discarded golem parts originally powered by steam, but Blitz reconfigured his own mechanics in order to help others. So you might say that he's fueled by the power of LOVE. <removes tinfoil hat>

Q. Has Ryze, in his travels throughout the years, ever been involved with Zaun in some way? 

A. I'm sure he's passed through at some point...

Q. Is there any form of police or anything of the sort in Zaun? half of these guys hunt people at night just for the lulz 

A. The Chem-barons are the kind of unofficial law down there, keeping their patches secure and keeping things - more or less - safe. It's not good for business when things get too out of hand, but it can. And when it does, the retribution is swift and brutal. Also, if things get too out of hand down there, the Pilties might come down... 

(Also if you look on the reddit page there is a huge discussion, too huge for this post, where the Rioters actually ask why people liked the Journal of Justice so much and why they got rid of it. Go check it out if you’re one of those butt hurt people who hate the new lore).

Q. Why the change for Mundo? Why change him from being a scientist who became twisted from his own experiments to being 'lol idk he's purple'?

A. Because his original lore had a massive amount of crossover with Singed both in terms of narrative detail and tonal space. It also just didn't really mesh with his personality ingame, which is much more jovial and darkly comic.

Q. So Blitzcrank is a self-learning AI, but do computers exist in Valoran? if not, is hextech magic enough to this kind of processing?

A. Piltover and Zaun does not have mass production or the factory system - everything they create is made by a talented craftsperson who has studied for years. So all creations are unique, one-of-a-kind bespoke creations, meaning no computers. Blitzcrank doesn't have hextech within his core, he's a steam-powered golem who modified his own mechanics and became sentient in order to make a greater difference in Zaun.

Q. why zaun is full of criminals ? was it a good place in another time ?

A. Not everyone is a criminal, there's a lot of awesome people in Zaun, but harsh times can lead to harsh responses from some.

Q. What exactly is the relationship between Jinx and Ekko?

A. It's complicated.

Q. And what's the relationship between Taliyah and Ekko?

A. I'm not aware there is one...? Though the kid from Shurima might have passed through Zaun in her travels and I suspect they'd have found kindred spirits in one another.

Q. Is Mundo's tongue purple or blue?

A. The blue in the splash is from the potion he drank. 

Q. What kind of relationship do Zaun and Noxus have? Does Zaun regularly supply weapons to Noxus, or does it try to refrain from getting involved in that age-old Demacia/Noxus conflict?

A. Zaun/Piltover trade with Noxus and it's an amicable (as far as any relation with Noxus goes) but the empire is now beginning to see that maybe, just maybe, there's something to this new-fangled technology that's coming out of these two cities.

Q. Does Viktor know about Orianna and if so, what does he think of her?

A. I'd be surprised if he didn't know about her, and he likely thinks of her as some inventor's folly, not yet realizing that there's more to her than a simple clockwork automaton. 

Q. How did Zaun become so toxic and poisoned, it was a normal City like Demacia before anything, wasn't it? :D

A. There was a catastrophe in Zaun's past that sank it into canyons and cliffs that ripped through the landscape, which together with the chem-tech researches that have happened since...well, that's not a good mix.

Q. Any chance of Zaun being completely free from all the gas and poisonous filth? :D

A. I suspect their are chem-alchemists working on that very thing right now.

Q. Were there any inspirations you guys drew upon in the making of Janna's new backstory? I've always wanted a Miss Peregrine-type character in League, so I couldn't be more happy with her new lore, personally <3

A. Kiiiiiind of? We mainly just beat our heads against a wall for a couple weeks until we came up with something that we all liked. We sort of realized after the fact that she's slightly Neil Gaiman-y -- a god who was forgotten and then came back as more people started believing in her again.

[blschaos3000-blog]

Its 1:56 am cold/dark/leftovers

  Welcome to “8 Questions with…….”

Yeooooow has my November lethargy been a wicked pisser this year. I am so far behind on everything but I’m going to catch up,I promise!! 

I met our next guest,the fantastic Wyatt Terwilliger in a rather different manner. He and I met on Facebook in a horror movie group. As many of you know,while I am a huge horror fan,I’m not a torture porn fan and that topic came up in the group. Many “fans” love it is what I discovered in this group and when I politely pointed out that I didn’t,well,many were butt hurt and then I was out of that group….but I wasn’t alone in my stance as Wyatt joined in on my side before I left and after I was “kicked out”,I got a friend request and I accepted Wyatt’s invite.    Since then I discovered that Wyatt is an extremely talented photographer and his pictures and composition is among the best I’ve ever seen. What really caught my attention was despite many of his photos featured beautiful models,they were almost an distraction because of the locations he uses for his shoots and the colors in his backgrounds.  Just breathtaking and beautiful.    The more I saw the stronger the urge was to ask my friend Wyatt if he wouldn’t mind doing this interview and and am quite stoked he said “Yes”.    I do owe Wyatt an apology for this being posted so late and for being so patient. I really hope you really enjoy meeting Wyatt as he answers his 8 Questions…..

  Please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m Wyatt! I’m a Long Island NY photographer interested in creating images that are a little off center of the usual.

 How old were you when you discovered photography? What was the first camera you ever owned?

If we’re talking the FIRST first time I discovered photography; I was 9 or 10, I discovered black and white film existed and became obsessed with shooting black and white and coloring parts in with photo markers.I didn’t really start doing the photo thing legitimately until about 4 years ago.  I had kind of tired of all other creative outlets and had enough creative friends who had modeled in the past, that it made sense to collaborate.

How did you work to improve your technique? Do you perfer shooting with film or digital more and why?

I’m always trying to push beyond what I’ve done and try things I haven’t yet. I try not to let myself get comfortable, which I think forces me to get better.  I study my own stuff a lot and find what I’ve done that I like, and try to fine tune those things. I would LOVE to shoot film but I’m living the starving artist life in a big way.  Film is expensive!  I shoot digital out of necessity. Maybe that’ll change in the future.

 What kind of gear do you currently use? How do you get beautifully colored backgrounds?

I shoot on a Nikon D3200, it’s not a terribly fancy or advanced camera, but it’s getting the job done so far! I have a basic ring light I got off eBay that I use for indoor setups when possible.   The color is all done in editing.  I use photoshop and play with color, I find color to be infinitely fascinating.  It brings so much to the photos. Enhances mood and feel, it changes so much about every image, I’m glad to see that people respond to it.

 Which do you perfer shooting- indoor shots or outdoors? What are some of the pros and cons of each setting?

That’s tough. I love both for different reasons but I do really love being outside and exploring new places, there’s not a TON of variation in scenery on Long Island (where I shoot) but this has helped me find a lot of cool new spots I never would have discovered otherwise!    Shooting outside is great because I also love to use natural light.  Although I also like manipulating light with indoor shoots. I  don’t know that I really enjoy one over the other!

Which is your favorite lense and why?

Currently I’m in love with the Sigma 50mm I’ve been using.  It’s responsible for a lot of my best work.

   You often will use nude models for your shoots. What do you do or say to your models to ensure a safe and comfortable session? Is there anything a model can do to protect herself from a scammer?

Everything is discussed beforehand.  We discuss the shoot in as much detail as possible before getting on set, most importantly comfort levels and boundaries.  This way I know where the model is at and what the shoot is going to entail.   Comfort, trust and respect are absolutely key.  A model should know what a shoot is going to involve long before she steps in front of the camera, and a photographer should know and respect their boundaries.    As far as avoiding negative experiences with photographers, always, ALWAYS get references.  If you do not know a photographer personally (and sometimes even then) speak to models they have shot with previously, ask about their behavior on and off set.  Take a look at their social medias as well, see how they talk about models the shoot with.  These can be good indicators.

Among your photos,which three are your favorites and why?

This is so hard to answer!

An image from a shoot I did with Betsy ( @betsoh ), who is a fantastic model, indoor shoot, very simple setup, just her and a bed with a white sheet.  There’s an overhead shot, her on her stomach with her back to us.  It’s one of my absolute favorites.  The way the shadows fell on her, the contrast of her against the color of the sheet.  The angle I lucked into. I think it’s got a really cool vibe.   I have a shot with Vivian (@vivian_haze95 ) with her draped in a bright red, sheer fabric.  She’s tucked into a vibrant green backdrop of flowers and foliage, it’s such a striking image. The bright red against the green, and her body language is so great.  I’m really proud of that one.    Another I’m really proud of is from a shibari shoot with Niki (@orisha.realness)     The shoot itself was one of the best and coolest I’ve gotten to be a part of.  There was the model, and the man tying the ropes.  I expected to get cool shots of the various ties and knots and harnesses he would be tying, but quickly realized the shoot lied in the process, which was delicate and intricate.  It was also a really cool display and exercise in consent.  The relationship between the two, while binding and being bound, is all about consent and communication.   There is a shot from this shoot, it’s a fairly simple profile portrait, the rigger (person who ties ropes) has his hand on the models chest, there is an orange light that fades into pale blue/grey on the wall behind them, the contrast of their skin tones, Niki also has super cool hair, which adds a little pop of purple to the top left corner of the image.  I think it’s a really powerful shot.  That might be all time favorite image I’ve ever been a part of creating.

Which photographers have influenced you the most in the way you take your pictures?

Right now my biggest influences are Moss Von Faustenberg, who was the first photographer I saw use color in the way that I’m so in love with (and employ myself).  His images are as close to perfect as possible, Every. Single. Time.    Harris Nukem is just absurdly talented and can make absolutely anything infinite’s interesting to look at.  The way he photographs humans is just brilliant.    Christopher McKenney creates images that are simultaneously absolutely gorgeous and haunting all at once.  Wildly talented photographer.     Film is also a MAJOR influence on me and my art. A few films (and their respective directors and cinematographers) that have had the most influence include

Mandy (2018)

The Strange Color of Your Body’s Tears (2013)

Suspiria (1977)

Enter the Void (2009)

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Dredd (2012)

The use of light and color in these films have been highly influential in my photography for sure, and are also pretty great films in general.

What is your greatest motivation in taking your pictures,what do you want to do with your talent?

To create photos that I would like to see in the world.  It’s hard to find artists that are exactly in line with what you’d like to see and what your tastes and interests are. So ultimately I’d like to create that art.  I’m not quite there yet, but that’s the goal!

 What have been the three best horror films you have seen this year?

Oooh, I’m glad you asked!

‘Midsommar’ is right at the top of the list.  That movie is WILD man, it’s absolutely stunning to look at, it’s beautiful, severely dark and foreboding, crushingly heavy. It’s such a trip. Ari Aster is one of the most brilliant filmmakers working today.

‘Dry Blood.’ – It’s not from this year but I saw it this year and WOW, what a movie.  Easily one of if not the best micro budget indie horror film I’ve ever seen.  It’s not without its flaws but it keeps you guessing and trying to figure it out the whole time, and still manages to surprise you in the end…and end which is shocking, heartbreaking, unsettling…it’s great.

And ‘Haunt’ Which just came out.  It’s a horror movie drenched in Halloween atmosphere and is just pure fun.  I also have a fear of pretty much exactly what the movie is about so it hit nicely.    I’m super excited about Doctor Sleep, I’m sure that’ll take a top spot for the year as well!

The new Nitehawk movie theater opened last night December 18, to a large crowd of media and interested parties in Park Slope.

 The cheetah and I flying to watch your latest exhibit but we are a day early and you are now our tour guide,what are we doing?

Ah, pressure!

Well I love a short train ride from NYC, which certainly doesn’t need me to do it any favors…    But, I’m a food guy, it’s pretty much what I do, and between NYC and Brooklyn, there’s pretty much going to be your new favorite place for any kind of food you can imagine. Right now I’m swooning over Federoffs Roast Pork in Brooklyn.  Best sandwiches I’ve ever had, hands down.     The NiteHawk theater in Brooklyn is a super cool movie going experience, they show tons of indie films, older films and have lots of cool horror film screenings. The theater also has a full bar, and has full snack bar/food/drink service AT YOUR SEAT.  Its pretty much guaranteed to ruin all other movie theaters for you.

Movies and food…those are my areas of expertise!

I like to thank Wyatt for taking the time off his schedule to chat with us. If you’re in Long Island,NY and need some world class photos taken,well…..look no further then Wyatt. 

Wyatt has a InstaGram page that showcases his skills which you can find here.

He also has a Facebook page as well in case you don’t use IG.

I like to thank you all for both reading my words but for also supporting the folks I am so fortunate to chat with.  You can read my other interviews by going here. Feel free to drop a comment or two…..

8 Questions with……..professional photographer Wyatt Terwilliger Its 1:56 am cold/dark/leftovers Welcome to "8 Questions with......." Yeooooow has my November lethargy been a wicked pisser this year.