#and she goes (ITS NOT CHEATING IF ITS AN INNATE ABILITY!!!!!)

[musubiki]

i think another one of the little friendship bonding moments for limochi is that young lime would bring a lot of multiplayer games over to mochis house because he had no one else to play them with and this habit continues for the rest of their friendship

[ranger-report]

Review: AMONG US (2018)

I emerge onto the spaceship, a list of tasks and busywork given to me so that I can do my part to get the ship underway again. Briefly, the ten-person crew stand around the central table of the cafeteria before we spread out, roaming the halls on our various missions. Tension fills the air; someone among us isn’t who they say they are, but we can’t know for sure yet who it is. I scan myself in medbay to be sure -- yep, still me, medically confirmed. As I step off the scanner a green-hued spacesuit approaches me for their turn. We cross paths. They pause just a little too long for comfort. A moment of panic rises because we’re alone here, so chances are higher they could kill me if they’re the imposter. The moment passes as we do and I gleefully make my way down to the reactor, thanking my lucky stars that Green is not the imposter, or if they are, they’ve given me space to not suspect them.

That’s when I find the body: torn in half, one single bone sticking out as it lies on its side. I don’t hesitate. I hit the report button and the alarm goes out:

BODY FOUND

Speculation. Inquisition. Accusation. Who is sus, who isn’t. Back and forth we talk, but three people are already dead out of ten. The imposter is making short work of us. We need to vote, because if we skip voting, this one could make even shorter work between now and the next body found. But who to vote for? Green was acting kind of sus now that I think about it: they’d come from the direction of the body I found, they’d lingered a little too long in medbay, perhaps weighing if they could get away with killing me. I present my evidence. Green denies it. Everyone concludes that my argument is pretty strong. We vote; Green is voted the most suspicious and is tossed out into the cruel void of space.

Green was not the imposter.

Quite possibly the most damning line in the entire game is “[color] was not the imposter.” Venting someone into space is harsh as it is, but to get it wrong? That’s a shitty feel and also a terrifying reminder that some people are really good at hiding and lying. Every single time the imposters win, I lose faith in humanity just a little bit more. That is, until I get to be the imposter, which is ridiculous fun. I got to kill my brother and my daughter during one amazing imposter experience, which had me cackling to the point that my partner informed me that she would now always know whenever I’m up to something.

Among Us is a very simple premise: John Carpenter’s The Thing meets Secret Hitler meets Survivor. Run around, someone dies, people have a minute and a half to discuss and vote during a meeting, and someone either gets ejected or voting comes to a draw and no one gets ejected. The game lets you know if you got it right or not, and if not, you’re expected to get back on those tasks. Fix the ship, you beat the imposter. Correctly vote out the imposter, you beat the imposter. But if you can’t narrow it down to who it is or incite your fellow crewfolk to task up, the imposter can lie, cheat, manipulate, and sneak their way to victory. Those victories can be incredible; they hold weight. Sometimes, there can be more than one imposter among the crew -- up to three out of ten crew could be an imposter! Fortunately, the game lets you know up front. And there’s no talking between meetings, so it’s entirely up to your negotiating skills to save the day. Then again, most chat room style meetings lead with “where” (where’s the body?) and end in “sus” (suspicious).

I can’t even begin to get into how addictive this is. Among Us is available on PC via Steam and on mobile (but only for Android users; suck it, Apple), supporting cross-play. Sometimes when it’s slow at work I bust out my phone and play a quick round or two. Servers are hopping, games are happening all the time. I’m going to do that right now while I’m writing this. I died twice (each time feeling like a betrayal), and both times the killer was eventually found out. However, in the first game, the imposters left the game as soon as they were discovered; rude shit indeed, creating sore losers and games over far too quickly. Addictive doesn’t even begin to describe the mad scramble to get tasks done (involving a variety of simple interactive games, from a Simon Says segment to connecting wires) -- even when you’re dead, you still exist in the game as a ghost, only able to talk to other ghosts during meeting time, but you still have the opportunity to finish your tasks. Capitalism exists even beyond the grave! But in games with multiple imposters, dead imposters also turn into ghosts, and while they can’t kill, they can still perform a task unique to the imposter role: sabotage. Sabotage turns off important ship functions, such as the reactor or the oxygen or the lights, and crew need to get their asses down to the right sections to fix these issues within a certain amount of time or everyone dies. Imposters can also crawl through the vents of the ship to move around faster, and quick-eyed crew can catch them in action and point it out during meetings. Simplicity is the name of the game, as it’s always the same setup of Task, Body, Meet, Vote. Or, if you’re the imposter, Kill, Meet, Vote.

Friendships crumble. Betrayal is everywhere. Hilarity ensues. Somehow, developer InnerSloth have conjured magic. And there’s only three people who worked on creating this game! And it also came out TWO YEARS AGO! That’s right, this little gem caught online fire over the last couple months after two years of being online. And it’s caught so much fire that plans for a sequel were canceled so that InnerSloth could make this game even better instead. Which is great, and timely, as hackers and cheaters galore threaten the structure of the game systems. Popularity breeds success which breeds people who want to cheat. It’s unfortunate and insidious, but also a sign that the game is on to something grand. No one cheats at shitty games.

If the basic setup of this very basic game doesn’t pull you in, then nothing will. Cartoonish graphics belie very complex gameplay, relying on people’s innate ability to fuck over their fellow humans in hilarious and terrifying ways. By making the game about the unpredictable nature of human beings, the game becomes unpredictable. Just because you have to run around and do the same tasks over and over doesn’t make it banal in the slightest; you have no idea how many of those tasks you’re even going to get through. And turning to become the Hercule Poirot of Among Us could potentially backfire, putting more suspicion on you, leading people more likely to vote you out. How do you keep one eye on everyone while simultaneously focusing on doing your work? I’m not sure yet. But when rounds can last anywhere between five and fifteen minutes, I’m going to keep trying and keep playing until I can find that sweet, sweet balance and note who’s sus and who isn’t. At least until someone stabs me in the back again.

Final Score: 9/10

[hbostolemysoul]

Band of Brothers fluff alphabet: Carwood Lipton

A = Attractive (What do they find attractive about the other?)

The Army was a rough place, even if you weren’t a woman. You had met some genuine a-holes (*cough Sobel*). So seeing how Lipton treated the men was a breath of fresh air, Winters was a saint too, but there was something about Carwood specifically that drew you to him. He was stern when he needed to be (heaven forbid there was rust on anything), but he also had this sixth sense when it came to supporting the men of Easy. You almost felt bad for paying so much attention to a married man, but you figured a small crush that you kept hidden from literally everyone (yes, that includes you Luz) wouldn’t hurt anybody.

Lipton hadn’t noticed you for the first week of training at Toccoa, in his defense none of the other men realized there was a girl amongst their ranks until Sink inquired about your wellbeing to Winters. Safe to say the men were shocked, you had this uncanny talent when it came to flying under the radar. After that day Car couldn’t help but to notice you. Sure you were quiet, but you were determined and never complained. You took Sobel’s shit better than some of the guys, and if nothing else that was admirable. You also had this innate ability when it came to lifting the guys spirits, seeing you smile and laugh with them warmed something in his heart.

B = Baby (Do they want a family? Why/Why not?)

When Carwood enlisted he had caved to the pressures of home and married his long-time girlfriend. It seemed proper as he was going off to war and should anything happen it was only right to make sure that she was taken care of. It was funny, he thought that being away from her would be harder, but he felt relief. As the war went on the guys would occasionally rag on him about his wife, and about him being married. This happened often when he would accompany them to one of the bars on rare weekends where they could keep their passes. It had never really bothered him until you became a permanent blip on his radar. Keeping his head down and you at arms length seemed to be the safest option.

It was in Bastogne that he received a letter from his wife. She was pregnant, which under any other circumstance would have been exciting to him. Except he had been gone for well…years. The divorce papers were signed through overseas lawyers. His marriage had dissolved, but he couldn’t find it within himself to take the ring off. It weighed his hand down like led, the cold metal itching his finger. It wasn’t that he was attached to the thing, or even to his ex-wife, but taking it off would bring about questions from the men and while his marriage ending hurt, he couldn’t take it upon himself to share something else unpleasant with the men. They deserved better than that. Regardless of how he was feeling making sure the men were in a good headspace was important. Making sure you were in a good headspace was important. It was in that moment he realized for the first time that his thoughts of you were not accompanied by the stinging guilt he was used to feeling.

You stumbled upon him not long after, sliding down into the fox hole next to him you asked if be was okay. Simply nodding he looked at you, and without thinking he told you about his wife…ex-wife, the baby, the divorce. You sat silently and listened. When he looked into your eyes there was a silent fury )how dare she cheat on someone as amazing, kind, thoughtful, selfless and selfless as Carwood). He placed a hand on your shoulder, breaking you from your thoughts. A small smile crossed his face, and that marked a shift in your relationship.

You had both managed to somehow keep your feelings hidden until Austria. Upon receiving news that the war was over a massive weight was lifted from everyone’s shoulders. The boys were running around the baseball field laughing and roughhousing, your eyes found Carwood’s smiling shyly you nodded at him before Bull picked you up and spun you around like a doll.

That night Carwood found you sitting outside your billet, looking up at the stars. He found a seat next to you, and like many other nights you two sat in companionable silence. His hand accidentally brushed yours and you both jolted then shared a laugh. You took the next step and placed your hand in his, instead of the possible rejection you were expecting his hand tightened its grasp on yours.  

You had been sent back to the States at different times but had managed to keep in touch through letters. Eventually you found yourself in Huntington, Virginia. A ring on your finger with a mother in law who adored you.

You found out you were pregnant around the time Carwood had finished his engineering degree at Marshall University. It hadn’t been much of a of surprise, well maybe less for you than him.

You two had talked about having children, and he had expressed some concern over his ‘ability’, the scar on his thigh a painful reminder of his insecurities. With some encouragement from you, he agreed to start trying. It had taken about a year of trying (not that either of you were complaining) but it was more than worth the wait to see the smile Lipton gave you when you shared the news.

On a cold January morning, you gave birth to baby Lipton. They were born on their due date, and in a staggering 9 hours start to finish.

(Baby Lipton was punctual AF)

C = Cuddle (How do they cuddle?)

Lazy Sunday mornings are probably your favourite time to cuddle. There is no urgency when it comes to waking up, you two can just hold each other as your slowly wake.

There is something so beautiful about seeing Carwood in the morning light.

D = Dates (What are dates with them like?)

You two like to see movies together. During the war it was one of the things you both looked forward to the most, and while its not quite the same without Luz shouting the dialogue in the background, you both still enjoy getting lost in the on-screen story.

E = Everything (You are my __ (e.g. my life, my world…))

“When I say I love you, I don’t say it casually. I say it to remind you that you are my everything. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me in this life”

F = Feelings (When did they know they were in love?)

Carwood knew he had feelings for you back in Toccoa, but they had been easy enough to brush to the side. His promise to his wife, and his duty to the men a motivating factor in trying to keep his head in the right space. These were sentiments you shared. You had been given conditions in which you had to follow strictly, for you to continue to train as an enlisted man.

Starting a relationship with an NCO was not an option. Not for either of you.

Things between you two didn’t change until Bastogne. While you had a good working relationship with Lip, you two tried your hardest to avoid any personal talk. It was easier that way.

When he opened up to you about his ex-wife, and the circumstances surrounding his divorce your body filled with white hot fury. Carwood was probably the best man you had ever had the pleasure of knowing, and the mere idea that someone would betray him in such a manner had you hating her almost as much as you hated the damned Krauts. His hand coming to rest on your shoulder, and the soft look he gave you reaffirmed the fact that in this moment you were so screwed.

You felt like the wall you had been building over the past few years finally broke open, there was no going back.

G = Gentle (Are they gentle? If so, how?)

Carwood is a fairly big guy, he has a lot of power behind his movements should he choose to use it. But he would never hurt you.

When your relationship is new Carwood is almost hesitant when touching you, almost as if he is afraid the force he is used to exerting while fighting will somehow come through and hurt you.

It’s something that you were worried about too. You had gotten into some unfortunate situations throughout the war and had to use your bayonet and fists to fight for your life a few times.

It was a learning curve for the both of you, going from using your hands to love versus survive.

But you both got there eventually.  

H = Hands (How do they like to hold hands?)

Both your hands are calloused and rough from the war. Holding his hand for that first time under the moonlight in Austria felt right, familiar.

The roughness and warmth of his hand in yours soothing every harsh memory and thought that had ever crossed your mind.

As time goes on your hands slowly begin to lose their roughness, as do Carwood’s to some extent. Although there is one particularly rough patch along his thumb that you find your fingers running along from time to time.

I = Impression (What was their first impression?)

He was surprised as hell to learn about a woman in Easy company. But in his defense literally every other member of the 101st had been surprised as hell.

He had been worried until he saw you building comradery with the men, and the way you blazed through training. You were a determined little thing, and he felt something akin to pride the first time you hit a home run in a game the companies played against each other back in Toccoa. Dog company had been angry as hell, but when he looks back on the memory with more focus he thinks that Captain Speirs may have given a proud grin, briefly of course.

J = Jealousy (Do they get jealous?)

Jealous isn’t the right word, envious maybe. Carwood mostly felt this way during the war. Seeing you laugh and bond with the men brought him some degree of comfort in knowing that you had found your place among them. It also made him sad that he had to keep his distance, there was something truly beautiful about being the one to make you smile.

K = Kiss (How do they kiss? Who initiated the first kiss?)

You did. The men were stepping into the jeeps to be taken to the dock. Carwood and the other NCO’s and officers were there as well. Wishing each of the men all the best on the journey home. You were pretty sure Major Winters had steadily been passing out his mailing address in order to keep in touch with the men.

You had been saying your farewell to Captain Speirs when Carwood approached, Speirs shot you a knowing look before stepping aside to (scare the shit out of) say goodbye to Luz.

He gave you a shy smile, you two talked for a few moments until someone in one of the jeeps laid on the horn, the steady screech causing you and Lipton to jump briefly.  

Saying goodbye had been hard, and well if the look in your eyes matched Carwood’s then this was not the goodbye either of you wanted.

Grasping the strap on your duffle bag a bit closer you cleared your throat,

“Seeing as this is the last time I will see you as my First Sergeant would it be alright if I…kissed you sir?”,

A quick flush covered both of your cheeks, he gave you a shy smile before nodding.

“I think out of all the times in the past that I wanted to kiss you, now seems most appropriate Y/L/N”,

With a grin you stood on your tip toes pulling Carwood into a gentle kiss. The moment would have been perfect had the entire company not started cat calling the both of you a mere second later.

You both laughed and rolled your eyes as Carwood pulled you close to his chest. Peering over his shoulder you saw a peculiar exchange. In which you mean you saw a smug Speirs collecting cash from a grumpy Welsh and sputtering Nixon. Winters just shaking his head and laughing next to them.

Maybe the moment was perfect after all.

L = Love (Who says ‘I love you’ first?)

He does. On his way home, his train happened to pass close to where you lived, he had figured this out a month or so in advance and you two had been able to work out that he would come visit you for a few days before catching his next train home.

Walking off that train and seeing you waiting there for him was one of the most beautiful moments from the last few years. Within moments you were in his arms, pressing soft kisses to his face as he held you tight.

The words flowed so easily from his mouth it almost didn’t feel like he had spoken at all,

“I love you, I’ve always loved you”.

M = Memory (What’s their favourite memory together?)

He has many. One of his favourite memories though has to be when you berated Speirs for cutting his hand on some, “stupid Nazi flower pot”. Speirs had muttered under his breath about “calling an officer sir”, all of which came to an end when you shot him a look nearly identical to the one Doc used when he was pissed. Carwood hadn’t seen anything phase the infamous Speirs up until that moment.

He was damned proud, and thoroughly amused.

N = Nickel (Do they spoil? Do they buy the person they love everything?)

In the colder months Carwood’s cough comes back with a vengeance, and while the doctors don’t seem to be too concerned unless he spikes a fever, you are still plagued with the memories of almost losing him.

During these months you seem to collect or brew all manner of teas that are said to help ease a troublesome cough. While Carwood finds it amusing to see you, hair mused, trying to decipher a deeper meaning from the remedies Eugene has sent you, he feels touched that you care so much.

He is a lucky man.

O = Orange (What colour reminds them of their other half?)

You remind him of fireworks, something he find incredibly beautiful, but that at one point scared him based on the intensity of his emotions.

You are the brightest, most beautiful thing that has ever entered his life.

P = Pet names (What pet names do they use?)

Carwood calls you Hun, from time to time. It took you some time to adjust to being called something other than your rank or former last name, but Hun seemed to suit you just fine.

Q = Quaint (What is their favourite non-modern thing?)

Carwood had these old cufflinks of his dads. He has never worn them, but he keeps them in this small box inside your jewelry box.

He doesn’t have many memories of his dad, as the accident happened when he was still so young. But sometimes when your children ask about their grandpa, he will pull them out and share what little bits of memory his still has about his father with them.  

R = Rainy Day (What do they like to do on a rainy day?)

When it is just the two of you, you try to bake together. Granted neither of you are natural cooks, so more times than not the recipes turn out to be a disaster, but you have lots of fun regardless.

Once your family grows you two begin to bake with your children, but as your oldest grows they begin to teach you and Car how to do things proper. It is a pleasant surprise to have an up and coming chef in your house.

S = Sad (How do they cheer themselves/others up?)

Neither your or Carwood like to dwell on being sad, so you two often brew some coffee or tea and try and talk. Most of the time will be spent leaning into the other, the comforting presence of the person you love helping to heal those old wounds you both still carry with you.

T = Talking (What do they like to talk about?)

During the war you and Carwood would talk about the men, shitty weather, how Luz needed a haircut, war tactics, how Luz needed a babysitter, how Carwood was Luz’s babysitter, oh shit where was Luz?

After you two have settled into your life together your conversations turn more to mundane everyday things, how was work, are the kids doing alright, did you hear Luz is getting married?, Oh shit really?, she must be a patient woman, what do you mean Speirs is coming to visit next week?, wait why is half of Easy company going to be at our house on Saturday, you do realize I don’t have nearly enough pillows for all of them, shit we need to go and get more pillow. Like I said, normal, every day, mundane things.

U = Unencumbered (What helps them relax?)

Carwood likes to sit down with your children and do honestly whatever, board games, puzzles, homework. He just enjoys spending time with your children, giving them the memories, he didn’t get with his own father.

V = Vaunt (What do they like to show off? What are they proud of?)

Carwood is not a flashy man, unlike Nixon who is the embodiment of a human peacock, Carwood is content with being humble. He is just thankful that he gets to come home to his family everyday.

W = Wedding (When, how, where do they propose?)

His proposal came shortly after you came to visit him in Huntington for the first time. You had both discussed getting married and had come to the realization that it would happen soon. So, when he pulled out a ring and got on one knee you were as ready as you could be, even though happy tears stung your eyes.

You wedding happened to be a lager affair. With Carwood’s fanbase consisting of the entirety of Easy company, having a small wedding was nearly impossible. it also didn’t help that a majority of that ‘fanbase’ had been rooting for the two of you to get together since Aldbourne.

While you and Carwood exchanged vows, the men of Easy shed more tears that the both of you, Speirs would never admit it, but he may or may not have…had to tell the men to pull their shit together, tears were for the weak (before he turns away and rapidly blinks back his watery eyes. He knew he should have had his tear ducts removed during the war).  

X = Xylophone (What’s their song?)

Found - Trenton

Y = Yes (Do they ever think of getting married/proposing?)

Yes, Carwood has definitely thought about marrying you. He has been married before, and unlike last time he wants to make sure he does it right. That it is a day that both of you will remember and cherish. He doesn’t want it to be a rushed affair like it was the last time. You deserve more than that.

Although in your defence you would marry him in a muddy field if that was what he wanted.

Z = Zebra (If they wanted a pet, what would they get?)

You two end up getting a dog, a neighbour of yours had a litter of puppies, and the way your two-year-old child giggled and wrapped themselves around the patient puppy kind of sealed the deal for the two of you.

(I think this is the longest fluff alphabet yet – 7 pages 3344 words- I have a problem)

[i-am-my-opheliac]

Phanfic Finder List

Finally managed to complete my list. I was a bit short of time and not in the best mood, so I ended up throwing in a couple of new stories in between my favourites, and all in all I really love every single fic on this list. 

1. Age Difference: hard times, baby by @queerofcups (12k, E)

As soon as I saw this tag I knew I would have to recommend this fic. Admittedly this is more than just age difference, it’s a beautiful combination of time travel and smut and an approach to the 2009x201x trope that I’m just a sucker for. 

 2. Snow in London: fulsome by @queerofcups (500, G)

So maybe I’m just a Dann fan account, but their writing always has that innate quality in it to be so damn deep and I’m amazed that a story so short can pack so much introspection and character growth in it, so many implications of fears and wish to feel free. I especially love that it’s straightforward with no dialogue, the descrption of the first day of snow feels poetic and the way it is, plain back text on white background with no decorations around it just goes so perfectly with it. It’s a small gem in my collection. 

3. Chance Meetings: The One Star Review by @jestbee (20k, M)

This tag was probably the hardest one for me. There are a lot of stories that start with an accidental meeting and develop from there, so many gorgeous AU built on made-up worlds. So I decided to make my life easier and choose one that I already know and love, just so other people can know and love it too. And maybe I’m biased because I did beta read this story, and saw how much thought went into it, but I just love the idea of it, I love picturing Phil in the kitchen and I can totally see the snobby way Dan loves and talks about food. It’s just perfect, and there’s a vibe to this story that reminds me of a rom-com, all autumn colors and the smell of spices. 

4. Road Trip:  my heart will howl (till you pull it off the ground) by islet (21k, T)

This is one of those stories that just stay with you the moment you stop reading them, those stories that come back to you in a flash when you least expect it, stories that leave you with a itch to know more of the universe where they’re set. There’s something poetic about it, and I adore the way the road trip is not only a physical trip but also a metaphor for the growth of these characters, both as people and as a couple. It’s beautiful in its pain, you feel every emotion Phil is going through so deeply and the ending leaves you without a breath.I highly recommend this story and the sequel, because there is something about it that just makes it vivid in the mind. 

5. Radio show: The Pianist Everyone Is Talking About... Is My Husband by natigail (25k, T)

Surprisingly enough, there aren’t as many stories that focus on Dan and Phil working at the radio show as I thought they would be, and this one technically isn’t a radio show story per se, but Phil does work at the radio show, and I love the office vibes that just surround the whole story. I love Phil’s reactions and I’m a sucker for Phil being the radio host for a chance. And if it also works into it a somewhat twist of Phil being the “fanboy” rather than Dan, well that’s just a plus. There’s dan and phil and there’s radio setting, I’m not cheating! 

6. Skype sex (2009/2010): read between the lines (i will if you will) by @phanbliss (72k, M) 

There are hundreds of fics on ao3 that explore the sexual relationship building in 2009/2010, and admittedly this story is so much more than that, but I can’t help myself, whenever I think about a story set on Skype in that time, this is the one that comes to mind. It’s not only beautifully written, but the build up is in my opinion so realistic, portraying the insecurities and the desires of two people getting more and more into each other. I love that it focuses on the build up and lets the readers connect the dots with what we know of their history once they met, because we know that story, but it’s how it came to be that is up for interpretation and I love how right this one feels.  

7. Vegas Trip: Roll the Dice and Swear by @ramonaspeaks -  (15k, E)

I think this author and this story in particular needs no presentation, and that’s probably why it’s so vivid in my mind. I love that the premise of it is so simple and seemingly purely sexual and yet there’s a character exploration that feels so real, especially when you think about the age they’re supposed to be in. 

8.Sexuality Crisis: a new blue by @watergator (6k, T)

This is a really lovely take on the build up to Dan meeting Phil, his relationship with his previous girlfriend and what it might have been like questioning his sexuality with the onslaught of confusing feelings. It captures perfectly what it feels like to have a relationship at that age, spanning from high school to university, and questioning if that’s what you really want, who you really are, if it’s just because everyone else is doing it. 

9.Sexual Roleplay: イカ - by @phandomsub  (2.8k, E)

There were so many options for this tag that I almost found myself defeated in trying to choose one, which is why I ended up rereading one of my old time favourites, because why not. And if this is a twist that also involve some really incredible tentacle porn, well, you can’t blame me. I love the dark atmosphere of this piece, it makes you feel tense and trapped with the onslaught of feelings and the revelation at the end is a breath of relief, almost knocked over by the last two sentences. There’s a particular dark nuance that is often found in tentacle play but it’s played so so well. 

10. AU inolving a hospital: grey’s (ph)anatomy by @alittledizzy (1k, T)

Mandy has the ability to really insert Dan and Phil into whatever universe she’s picturing for them and fill it with such specific details that you are left there thinking “oh, of course, of course this is how it go. They were born to be this.” This specific AU is probably one of my favourite, it involves one of my guilty pleasure tv show and it just works. There’s a whole universe described in something relatively so short, and it’s just a scene of their lives and yet it says so much, of who they are, who they’ve been and who they’re going to become. And I wish I had more of it, but it lives perfectly on its own.  

[mxsinistir]

The Violinist (Eurus x Reader)

Pairing: Eurus Holmes x Fem!Reader (I wrote this with a Female in mind but it  can be gender neutral)

Summary: The reader is a violinist who lives in 221C, and is friends with both of the Holmes brothers, yet is unlike them in that she is considered ‘overly emotional’. Mycroft, knowing her violin skills and emotional intelligence, asks her to play for his secret sister in Sherrinford. 

Timing: Doesn’t really matter, but takes place before the fall. Also, for the sake of the story, there is still glass in Eurus’ cell. 

Warnings: N/A

You were sitting on your counter, dinner on the stove, plucking the strings of your violin with cut, calloused fingers, as the recent, uncontrollable atmosphere brought on by London's weather had ruined any hard work you had spent trying to tune it over the previous days.

       Over the sharp noises of your instrument and the boiling of the pasta water to your right, you heard stern knocking on the door and smiled, setting down your violin for a moment while you walked over to unlock your door.

       When you've moved into 221C, you'd expected everything that a flat usually brought with it. Cross landlords or ladies that begrudgingly made tea,  noisy neighbours, etcetera. You've been unfortunate enough to receive both and more.

       "Hey, Sherl-" You opened the door for your neighbours, whom you'd invited over for dinner since they never seemed to have any of their own, and it was Mrs. Hudson's night off anyway. You were surprised to find not Mr. Holmes the younger, but rather the British Government. "Mycroft, what a surprise."

               You'd known both Holmes boys for years now, having gone to university with Sherlock for all four very interesting years of it. Both Holmes, while agreeing that you were not ordinary, could not put their finger onto why. Despite being classified as intelligent, you were not a genius. You couldn't look at someone and tell them that their wife was cheating on them with the mayor that you'd seen on the street that day.

       Mycroft had eventually decided that it was because of your emotions. Not the lack of them, as was the case with him and Sherlock, but rather the abundance of them.

       Sherlock theorized it was simply your violin playing. That your emotions, while annoying to reason with, drained straight into your bow when you played. That you could tug heartstrings and remind him that he had any at all.

       But they'd both seen it. The way you could look right at someone, and while you could not tell them who else their wife was sleeping with, you could see the wife and tell that she did not love her husband. Emotions, no matter how deeply buried, revealed themselves to you. You could see them, use them, though you yourself never had the will to abuse them.

       In the minds of both Holmes, your musical emotions did not make you ordinary as they did to everybody else. They made you extraordinary.

       "I have a favour to ask you," He said, and you heard the pain in his voice. "Close your doors and windows, may I come in?"

       Nervously, you stepped out of his way, noting that Anthea was not with him, and even after you locked every single one of your doors and entrances, he continued to shake them obsessively, securing them again and again.

       "What's the favour?" You asked your friend. The politician stared at his hands, avoiding eye contact.

       "I know you're not a therapist, but you're the only one I trust with this." You expected him to start venting his emotions or something. Like friends do. You were wrong. "There's a prison off the east coast, on a remote island. It's called Sherrinford." He muttered the last word like a curse. "I know this sounds out of the blue, but there's a prisoner there, and I . . . I want you to play your violin to her."

       You coughed out a laugh, "You're kidding, right, Mycroft?" You knew the Holmes were bad at jokes, but a remote island? A secret prison? A prisoner that needs to hear her violin playing of all things?

       She soon realized that Mycroft wasn't laughing. The Holmes brothers were still bad at jokes, but he was not joking this time.

       "Her name is Eurus, and she . . . she is my sister." He said, and you had the common sense to not make any sort of reactionary noise to this statement, though your heart was kicking in your chest. "And you cannot tell Sherlock about this."

       Your head reeled from the story that Mycroft had told you. Uncle Rudy, the fire, the secret sister. How were you not supposed to tell Sherlock? It felt immoral.

       Your head ached, and despite telling yourself to pull yourself together, your fingers shook, making it increasingly difficult to tune your violin. You realized that out of sheer anxiety, tears had started to roll down your already flushed face. When Mycroft had asked, concern less hidden in his voice than usual, you'd simply said the wind from the helicopter had irritated your eyes. He knew you were lying as soon as Anthea asked the same thing, and you responded with something about your allergies to the dust in the stone cold room.

       "She will try and manipulate you," Mycroft instructed. "Don't talk if you don't have to. Don't introduce yourself. She will try and turn your emotions against you, and if you need to . . ." Mycroft extended a pair of noise-cancelling headphones.

       "I can't play with these on."

       "You'll have to try, or else you'll just have to walk out." Mycroft explained, "Just take them with you, at the very least. And I know this is all very intimidating to an ordinary person, but please, don't be frightened while you're with her. She'll sense it."

       "She's like me, then." You didn't know why the words slipped out, and frankly, you didn't know what they meant. But her innate ability to feel people's emotions with a glance, or with a conversation . . . the thing you could do that the Holmes could not. Being able to read people's struggles and feelings beyond the chemistry and the hormones of it.

       "Yes, I suppose she is," Came Mycroft's response. Hesitant, and now, terrified of her as well.

       "Relax, you'll have cameras on me if anything goes wrong, right?"        

       He coughed, resetting his mannerisms, "Yes, of course." He turned towards the man he called Governor. "Well, can she go?" He looked more anxious than Mycroft did.

       "You've banned any sort of psychiatric tests or attempts at therapy . . . why them, Mycroft?"'      

       "Because I believe (y/n) can reach Eurus," He said solemnly, "On a level, we do not understand." The Governor sighed, opening the door and muttering something that you thought could have perhaps been 'good luck' until you realized that he was praying.

       Anthea led you down a winding corridor, handing the bulky headphones to you. You hung them around the base of your neck with one hand while the other - the one holding your violin case- tightened around the black handle.

       "Stay safe, (y/n)," Anthea muttered. You gulped as she left you to walk through the last, narrow hall, loaded with guards who all donned noise-cancelling headphones of their own around their neck. Mycroft must have instructed them not to wear them while she was inside just so they could hear if anything went on.

       "She doesn't know you're here," One of the guards said, "You can still turn back."

       "A lot of people have told me that today," You hummed, "Thank you for your input." After all these years, there was admittedly a little bit of Sherlock in you.

       You walked past him, opening the door to finally see her.

       Her dark hair tumbled in coils past her waist, contrasting the stark white gown that hung loosely around a sickly figure. She did not turn when she entered, and immediately, your instinct was to call out to her, though it died on your tongue.

       Don't introduce yourself. Mycroft's pep-talk still rung in your head, so wordlessly, you picked up your violin from its case, hoping it was tuned after all the effort you'd put it through, and you lifted it to your chin, unsure of what to play.

       Bach? A more modern song? One of your own songs?

       You decided on a lounging jazz dance song from the nineteen-thirties that Mycroft was always requesting for you to play. A song with low, jazz-like notes that you'd listen to on a snowed-in holiday by a hearth with a cold scotch and warm family.

       "No," Eurus' voice scared you into silence, and the romantic notes cut off with a momentary shriek. "That's not you. That's somebody else that you're playing for."

       Don't talk to her. There were Mycroft's instructions again.

       "What do you want me to play?" You asked defiantly. She turned her cold blue eyes a mirror to Sherlock's. To Mycroft's.

       You'd written and sold dozens of songs, all of which had parts of you, but to find something that was untouched, uninfluenced. . . to find the piece that was you and nothing else.

       Your mind went to half a piece. Half a note. Half a song. The other half was held by Sherlock. The two of you would play the ballad through the thin walls of your flat, asking questions with a pull of your bow and playing notes in response. A finished song, unable to be completed by only one without the other.

       But that half . . . that half was all you and nothing else. Your heart and soul, asking questions, memorized down to the core of the music.

       So you played the whole of your emotions into half of a song. Without the other part, you'd expected it to feel empty, and compared to the duet you were used to, it was. But the solo was not empty at all; your thoughts and heart and emotions all ebbed through it. Your life on the strings. You on the Violin.

       Eurus heard this and turned, picking up her own violin with careful moments. And though Mycroft told you not to, you looked her dead in the eye and kept playing as she lifted her instrument.

       Her response was different from Sherlock's. Darker, ignorant but not innocent. Tired and intelligent and imperfect. And sad, very, very, sad. Anger found its way onto the sheet music as it always did. But not like sadness. The utter depression as deep as a well.

       The songs, when connected, only vaguely resembled the Ballad of Sherlock and (Y/n). It was not a remix or a shadow, but not quite an unfamiliar new song.

       A reprise of Sherlock Holmes.

       "You're lonely," You could not help but say, "Aren't you?"

       She stopped playing as well, "Are you here to try and deduce me? Like Mycroft does?" She was obviously tired of it. Every crack in her voice told you that she was desperate and tired of it. You shook your head.

       "I came to play violin with you." You answered honestly, "Because of you . . . you're like me."

       "You're ordinary," She sneered, offended.

       "I'm emotional," You admitted, "And so are you. You're not like your brothers. You know that caring is an advantage. It's why you're different from them."

       "They're idiots. Sherlock used to be smart, but Mycroft took away what made him smart."

       "Took away his feelings, right?" You guessed.

       "Mycroft's wrong about you. He thinks you're an idiot." Eurus said, "But you're smarter than he is."

       "He's terrified of you," You said, walking forward with your violin clutched in your hand, pressing your toes right against the line of the floor. STAY THREE FEET AWAY FROM THE GLASS. "Because he knows you're the smart one."

       "Step forward, Touch the glass."

       "No,"

       "Why? Are you scared of me too?"

       "Yes,"

       "I won't hurt you . . ." Eurus said, "If you're scared, you can cry. I can help you cry."

       "No,"

       "Will you come back?"

       You hesitated. Would Mycroft bring you back? What if this was a single attempt thing.

       "I don't know," You said, "I want to."

       "What's your name?"

       Don't introduce yourself.

       "(Y/n)," You gave her only half a name. Only half of you. Only half a song. Names were power, and God knows that this was a woman who needed no more power than she already had.

       "(Y/n)," She repeated, "I hope Mycroft sends you back. You're better than the other therapists he sent. They were all bad at their jobs. They studied all those years, and still did not understand them as we do."

       "Understand what?" Those blue, Holmes eyes pierced you.

       "Emotions,"

Word Count: 2083

Quotev link: https://www.quotev.com/story/11117878/Eurus-Holmes-One-Shots

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Six Shots OCs

Set in an alternate timeline where superpowers are a thing and the United States government has a department of superpowered mercenaries who work to either recruit or terminate the most dangerous superpowered individuals around, the empathic gunman Eric Madden is tasked with taking down a superpowered serial killer known as “The Jersey Devil;” however, his dark and troubled past rears its head and complicates matters.

Keep in mind all of this is WIP and some stuff may change. Questions, comments, and feedback is appreciated. First up, though, here’s some trivia about the actual story itself:

The story actually has this working title due to originally being a story about assassins that was abandoned a couple years ago. It was changed due to too many fantastic elements creeping in, so it ended up being retooled to have superpowers and accommodate abandoned OCs.

That original idea actually spun off from original ideas for a different one of my stories.

HEROES

Eric Madden

Born and raised in the town of Bedlam, Maine, Eric had a rather uneventful childhood until the age of 16, when his hometown was razed and burned down in a horrible incident that left him an orphan. Taken in by the DOSI team that arrived to clean up the mess, it was soon understood he had the extremely useful powers of empathic reading and heightened senses; after training him for years, he became one of their most useful field agents.

He is 27 years old.

He has a dirty blonde hair, is 5’11”, and has blue eyes.

His power in more specific terms is that he is able to sense the emotions and intent behind them in people, thereby making him something of a living lie detector. He also has heightened senses that allow him to react incredibly quickly to anything his opponents may do, making him incredibly good at dodging hits.

He is a trained dancer, and did theater when he was in high school. He often utilizes the flexibility and movements learned from dancing in battle.

He wears special prescription glasses that allow him to focus his eyes better without straining himself.

He is a bit arrogant and cocky, and often goes on missions listening to music on an MP3 player, trusting his innate abilities to keep him safe.

He has trust issues which stem from a traumatic event from his youth.

He is ambidextrous.

He is bisexual with a preference for women.

He is engaged to Emmy.

He really thinks the Beatles should have disbanded in 1998, as he feels their post-80s work to be incredibly subpar.

His name is a holdover from the original concept for the story, in which he was part of a Seven Deadly Sins-themed hitman group in which he represented Wrath, thus the last name “Madden.”

His favorite song is “Pussy Control” by Prince.

Emmy O’Riley

Emmy O’Riley spent much of her childhood dreaming of excitement and adventure; at the age of 15 she got her wish, when she was swept up in a conflict where British agents were tracking down a superpowered refugee. Using her innate abilities she was able to drive them off, which attracted the attention of a local gang of rebels who fought back against British agents who came to Ireland. Befriending one of the members, one Primrose Cluain, she and Prim spent the next few years fighting off the British before they were swept up by DOSI after being framed for a terrorist attack in London to protect them. Emmy became a valued agent, and met and fell in love with Eric Madden.

Her hair is naturally black but she dyes a green streak into it.

Her power allows her to, for an hour at a time, cause any one small object to be able to infinitely replicate in her hand even if it somehow leaves it, essentially giving her infinite ammunition. For example, her preferred weapon of choice is throwing knives; with her ability, after she tosses the knife a new one will appear in her hand. There are limits, however; she can only give this ability to items she can hold in her hands, and only up to ten at a time (which allows her to use smaller throwing knives and shurikens in multiples). The original item and all copies also dissolve after some time. This ability also only works on inanimate objects and cannot work on living things, nor does it work on food.

She is 5’7”.

Her eyes are green.

Her favorite movie is The Green Mile.

She has a scar on the back of her left shoulder from a British agent stabbing her.

She is heterosexual.

She is 28 years old.

She is engaged to Eric Madden.

She’s totally into the punk style.

Her favorite band is the Ramones, followed closely by the Sex Pistols (the only British band she really likes).

Scarlet Love

Unlike many of her coworkers, Scarlet does not have a tragic backstory or a rough childhood. Raised by loving adoptive parents, after she was contacted by DOSI after her powers developed she jumped at the call.

She has the ability to control the flight path of projectiles she fires so long as they remain in her line of sight.

She favors the use of revolvers over any other type of gun.

Scarlet Love is not actually her real name, but a name she took during childhood.

Despite not even being from the West, she absolutely loves dressing like a cowboy.

She is extremely hyper, energetic, and cocky.

She is unabashedly gay.

She is engaged to Primrose.

She is almost always the Agent of the Month.

She is 5’7”, has greenish-gray eyes, and dyes her hair pink.

As a character she is primarily inspired by Hol Horse from Stardust Crusaders and to a lesser extent by Revolver Ocelot from the Metal Gear series.

Primrose Cluain

For much of her life, Prim just wanted to stay low and avoid confrontation. She didn’t want to be a hero, she didn’t want to fight the British. But then came the day her parents were nearly killed with a car bomb, and all bets were off. As mentioned in Emmy’s bio up there, she fought for years before joining up with DOSI to escape terrorist charges falsified by British agents.

She has the power to create illusions, though the bigger the illusion the more strain it puts on her. She usually teams up with Scarlet to cover her weaknesses, as she can create illusory Scarlet’s so that she can get into a position where she can redirect her bullets unimpeded.

She has a rather soft voice.

She prefers to go by “Prim.”

She is a lesbian and is engaged to Scarlet.

She favors wearing black dresses, no matter the weather.

Despite absolutely hating the British, she is a big fan of The Cure. She hates The Beatles though.

She’s also a big fan of My Bloody Valentine, with Loveless being her overall favorite album. She also likes Nirvana, especially their seventh album.

She absolutely is into the Goth style.

She’s 5’9” and has black hair and blue eyes.

Alexis McDowell

From a young age, Alexis was on the run from British authorities due to her powers manifesting early. At the age of eight her parents were struck down by British agents in front of her, and she only barely managed to escape. From there, she spent much of hear early life lying, cheating, and stealing to survive, eventually joining a street gang and rising through the ranks until she took over. Nowadays she harbors superpowered individuals and fights back against the authorities, all the while trying to make Britain a better place for her infant children to grow up in.

Her power is extreme durability. She has incredible stamina, speed, and very tough skin, making her very hard to bring down in a fight. 

She does not do well in cold, and it seems to be her kryptonite, so to speak, though it doesn’t weaken her skin.

She is 32 years old.

She has dark red hair.

She is 5’5”.

She has a tic where she’ll throw the word “right” at the end of her sentences. This was something she picked up from her father, as opposed to most of the rest of the way she talks which she picked up from the thugs she hung around with on the street.

She has two children, Lyn and Caleb, ages 4 and 3.

Nadia Rosemont

Nadia was the older daughter of Dario and Poppy Rosemont. From birth they knew Nadia was different and special, and tried to help nurture her and make sure she stayed on the right path. She was especially helped by her younger sister, Dahlia, but when Nadia was disaster struck and, in a freak accident, Dahlia drowned in the lake outside their home. Nadia’s power, which was until now mostly kept in check, lashed out, and she accidentally killed her parents as they came to see what happened. Horrified, Nadia fled. While she never turned herself in, she lived with the guilt and became more tense and anxious as the years went on, desperately wanting to just live a quiet, peaceful life and not hurt anyone anymore.

Nadia’s power is an extremely powerful form of psychic energy attack. Typically activating when she is under great stress, it manifests as semi-visible pink tendrils of psychic energy emanating from her back that are razor sharp and can cut through flesh with ease. They have an effective range of 20 meters. However, while they can cut through flesh, they are not capable of any feats of strength and are rather unwieldy when it comes to grasping or picking up things. This is because her powers are not fully realized to the stress and trauma stemming from her childhood.

Nadia’s hair is white, not from her trauma but because she was born with it.

Nadia has brown skin, inherited from her mother’s side. Her sister Dahlia was white.

Nadia has some form of autism, though certainly a very high-functioning form. She does not like making eye contact, is not good at social interactions, and so on. This is explicitly based on myself, so if this does not seem to apply to you, that’s why.

Her favorite food is key lime pie.

Col. Richard Freeman

The guy that Eric, Scarlet, Prim, and Emmy answer to. He has been working at DOSI for thirty years, and has seen a lot in his time.

He has no powers himself. However, his mother did, which inspired him to join DOSI to help people like her find a place in the world where they can make a difference.

He is 65 years old.

ANTAGONISTS

Valentine Leeds

Born the thirteenth child to an alcoholic father and a long-suffering mother, Valentine was often subject to his father’s ire and his sibling’s torment growing up. His mother was his only support, and she taught him that no matter what, he should always smile through it and put on a happy face. His mother eventually killed herself, and with her gone, his last bit of self-restraint went with her. At the age of thirteen, Valentine used his power and killed his father and siblings before falling off the grid and blending into normal society. Over the years he would continue killing people, earning the moniker “The Jersey Devil” in reports but never being apprehended due to his power’s unique properties allowing him to avoid detection. His sweet and cheerful personality belies a completely insane murderer.

His power is an extremely strange and deadly one. When activated on himself, it gives him an incredible boost to his strength, speed, stamina, and durability, allowing him to do things like climb walls and effortlessly tear people in half. His power’s secondary ability lets him call forth a physical manifestation of his powers from his shadow, rendering him seemingly powerless. This has allowed him to avoid having to register and to avoid detection at all, as he merely needs to detach his power whenever he is in danger of being detected and hee will slip beneath notice. This physical manifestation is an embodiment of his hatred and rage that has been repressed all of his life.

He is 21 years old.

He is black.

He is not dishonest, and his happiness is always genuine.

He really doesn’t like to swear all that much, at most using mild language.

He dresses a lot like Michael Jackson in the “Thriller” music video; at the very least, his signature look is that stylish red jacket.

It is very rare to see Valentine without some sort of smile on his face.

He is in part inspired by the character CB from Starlight Express, at least in terms of being a seemingly innocent and cheerful young man who is actually a completely insane serial killer.

His first name is a reference to the villain of Kingsman: The Secret Service.

His last name is, of course, a reference to the legends of the Jersey Devil.

His power function similarly to Stands from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.

The monster he can summon as a manifestation of his power is named “Loveless.” This is a reference to the album of the same name by My Bloody Valentine.

His favorite song is “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson. Jackson is also his favorite artist.

Roxanne

Roxanne had a rather troubled childhood. Her mother died giving birth to her, which led to her father being emotionally distant to her, which ultimately led to Roxanne attempting suicide. The attempt failed, but the attempt left her permanently blind. During her stay in the hospital after this, no one visited her, which led to her completely cutting ties with her father and the rest of her family. She would go on to become a serial killer who targeted happy families, killing at least one person to make them miserable. 

Roxanne’s power is electrical elemental abilities. In particular, she has perfected the use of her electric abilities to paralyze her opponents, something she uses to keep her victims from struggling too much.

Roxanne has specially made red-tinted sunglasses that allow her to see, as they are hooked into her optic nerves. However, she can only see everything in red-tinted colors or infrared.

She always wears a scarf at all times to cover the scars from her attempted suicide.

She is 6’ tall and rather slim.

She is a redhead.

She is named after “Roxanne” by The Police.

She is a bit irritable.

Yuriko Himura

Moving with her mother out of Japan to get away from her father at the age of 6, Yuriko would soon find a new home in the town of Bedlam, Maine. A shy and nervous young girl, she soon found a friend in a young Eric Madden and the two became inseparable for much of their childhood.

Then her father found her.

Her father was a member of a cult known as The Faces of Death, and when she was 6 he managed to catch up with her and attempted to initiate her into the cult. Whatever he did, it ended up awakening her repressed powers and drove her mad, leading to the destruction of the town of Bedlam and Yuriko’s descent into constantly seeking more powerful enemies to kill.

Yuriko’s inherent power is shadow manipulation. She can teleport using shadows, though the shadow has to be big enough to fit her (she can’t hide in the shadow cast by a toaster, for instance). However, she also has the ability to control and manipulate any shadow into attacking at her command.

Yuriko has a secondary power that is inherent in the katana she wields. The katana has the ability to absorb portions of the strength of any person she kills with it, and so as long as she holds the sword she has the raw strength of all these she has slain with it. It is unknown who forged it with this ability, but it is known the Faces of Death cult had it in their possession for a long time. Whenever the current wielder is killed, the power entirely resets.

Yuriko practices a sort of ritualistic necrophilia. If she views someone she kills as particularly honorable, she has sex with their corpse. This was likely instilled in her when her father initiated her into the Faces of Death, as the cult has a history of necrophilic practices.

Yuriko is 5’7” tall, has black hair, and dark brown eyes.

As a child, she was rather infatuated with Eric.

She has a tattoo of a serpentine dragon on her back, which she got during her initiation.

ANTAGONISTS: ENIGMA

Kristoph Hollenfeuer

Kristoph Hollenfeuer is the end result of a Nazi breeding experiment from WWII to produce the perfect superpowered soldier. Unfortunately, he was forced into cryostasis until the late 80s, when he was awakened and trained to use his powers. From there he took over as the head of the Secret Nazi organization known as Enigma, and has since been working on ways to subtly undermine democracy ever since as well as create the ultimate superhuman lifeform.

His power is the ability to generate flames, though due to the eugenics and Nazi science involved in his birth he’s a lot stronger than your average fire-wielder.

He is 44 years old, not counting the decades in cryostasis.

He is 6’2” and is naturally blonde-haired and blue eyed.

Hannah Schonheit

Enigma’s top scientist and the most trusted compatriot of Hollenfeuer. She has an absolutely brilliant mind and is responsible for many of their scientific breakthroughs in modern times.

Her power allows her to split off a copy of herself that has incredible strength but limited intelligence. She can only have one copy at a time.

She is 5′7″ with dark hair and light blue eyes.

She wears red-rimmed circular glasses.

She is secretly disdainful of Enigma’s ideology but she sees no escape without being killed for knowing too much.

She is 33 years old.

Fritz “The Mad Gasser” Bohnen

The only surviving child of a previous attempt at breeding a supersoldier. While he is incredibly powerful, he is also extremely dangerous.

His power allows him to emanate a variety of dangerous gasses or smoke from his hands; when he emits his gas, a hole in his palm opens and expels it. He favors paralyzing gas and tear gas but can do much more toxic gasses. 

He wears a gas mask at all times

He is 6′.

He is 27 years old.

He is actually rather talkative and outgoing, with an easygoing and friendly personality.

MINOR CHARACTERS & FAMOUS FIGURES

Tara Holyfield

A younger member of DOSI. She spends most of her time in the garden.

She has the power to easily dig through dirt, rocks, and the like. 

She likes to eat dirt. She has no idea if this is a side effect of her power, but she enjoys the taste.

She is always extremely happy and is perpetually upbeat.

She is 5′4″, with light brown hair and sparkly green eyes.

She is 20 years old.

Kevin Kilgore, Sr.

A legendary soldier from WWII. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest soldiers who ever lived, and he helped inspire the founding of DOSI.

His power caused all of his natural abilities to be amplified. He was faster, stronger, and more flexible than a lot of his fellow soldiers, and smarter as well.

Despite the above, Kilgore was extremely humble and never tried to lord over his fellow soldiers, believing them all to be in this Hell together.

He frequently fought against Enigma; they considered him their archenemy.

He is said to be the inspiration for Captain America.

He took the death of his son very hard; his son was killed in an ambush by German forces.

After the war, it’s said he adopted children who lost their parents in the war.

He lived to the age of 88.

He has a statue in DOSI headquarters.

Joshua Thorne

A US politician and a renowned philanthropist and enviromentalist. He generally acts as a correspondent between the White House and DOSI, though on some occasions people attempt to go behinds his back.

He has the power to control plants, a la Poison Ivy,

He is gay.

He is one of the very few openly superpowered politicians in America.

His hair is gren, which may be a side effect of his powers.

He was born into a wealthy family, but was taught to use his wealth to help others by his parents. He spent much of his youth doing chrity work and volunteering.

He is 35 years old.

He is very pleasant, happy, and genuine, which most people admire in a politician. 

Joanne MacMahon

A popular masked wrestler who goes by “The Dominator.”

She has the ability to control the elasticity of her kin, and can make herself incredibly hard or incredibly rubbery, allowing her to tank hits or bounce about. Aside from this, she is just naturally very strong.

She is 5′8″.

She is almost never seen without her mask on.

She is very kind towards her fans and often shows up to kids birthday parties.

She has recently attempted to start an acting career.

Chef Rusty

A celebrity chef. Real name Kaipo Mahi’ai.

He has the power to enhance the flavor of anything he cooks so that it is palatable to even those who would not normally eat it.

He is rather plump and is well known for his big walrus mustache.

He is rather plump.

He is 55 years old.

He is one of the most popular chefs on TV, and is a beloved figure in his native Hawaii. 

He earned his nickname during childhood when he tried to make soup in an old pot he bought at a thrift store. The soup he ended up making was filled with rust from the old pot.

Iris Ravencroft

See here.

THE THIEF AND THE SAMURAI CHARACTERS

See here.

SPOILER CHARACTERS

Lilith Crowley

Scarlet’s long-lost sister, the two were seperated at birth. Lilith has gone on to live a relatively pleasant life as a hitman.

She has the power to harness wind and create razor-sharp air blades.

She has white hair, which may be from some unknown trauma in her childhood.

She is almost identical to Scarlet. The only noticeable difference is their hair and eye color.

She is bisexual.

She is a big fan of the band Styx.

She really enjoys Pringles.

She is very particular in the cases she takes, and has a strong sense of justice, often doing jobs for lowered rates so she can enact karma on the wicked.

Sofia Kilgrave

Lilith’s partner and girlfriend.

She has the ability to envenom any object she wishes with a powerful neurotoxin; however, once out of her hands the item loses its poisonous capabilities and the poisoning is cured in her foes. She has control over how sever the poison is, and can do any sort of venom from a mild sickness to paralysis.

She is incredibly flexible.

She dyed her hair white to match Lilith.

She is 5′9″ with yellow eyes.

She is a bit clingy and overprotective.

She is based partially on Copperhead fom Arkham Origins and partially on an OC my fiancee created (I asked her permission before revamping her for here).

Bianca Murphy

A police officer who was mortally wounded during duty. She was reassembled as a cyborg by Ozymandias.

She was previously a police officer in the midwest. She was mortally wounded during a gang bust.

She is based on Robocop, though she’s not cyborgified to near the extent and her face is still visible.

Ozymandias Crowley

An interdimensional traveller, and Lilith’s son from another universe. He seeks out all iterations of his parents in the multiverse to kill. He is apparently from another version of this reality.

His power is an incredible variatian of technopathy, which allows him to control and manipulate machines to his whim. Combined with his brilliant intellect, he was able to figure out how to travel dimensions and fashion his own warship to do so.

He wears a cybernetic bodysuit of his own design, that regulates his body and increses his strength and reflexes by grafting itself to his spine.

He is generally rather even-toned and is most certainly a sociopath.

[sp4c3-0ddity]

Fantasy Bodygauard?

WIP Ask Meme

ha it’s been a while since i touched this one so let’s see...

well, it was a fun exercise in worldbuilding, at least in magic, at first. basically...knowledge that, if you held it and it was bestowed on you willingly by someone else who “held” it, it granted you some innate ability for magic (although “magic” was a learned skill so anyone - except Lance and his family until Circumstances happen, for reasons - could do it...but the Real Strong Stuff is not accessible to everyone) 

the Guardian Spirits (you know, Lions) “guarded” the world and protected it from the Rift, but when the danger abated they went to sleep (except for Green, who lived among humans for a time before sleeping...and so Pidge is actually a descendant of Green’s which contributes to her near-prodigious ability for some branches of magic...and except for Black, which is more...Significant ha). but the longer they sleep the more their influence over the world fades...

i forgot how much thought i put into the worldbuilding in this...even the Blades and Krolia have roles

and now for some PLOT

Pidge and Lance are on the run after Lance is under suspicion of killing Blaytz, a distant relative of his (Important and Significant) and a friend of King Alfor’s. incidentally, Alfor is well-aware Lance Did Not Do It, but he was put under arrest anyway for his own protection since...well, Blaytz gave Lance some Magic Knowledge (knowledge is literally power) about something Very Important (the Lions, basically) which kind of made him a target too

enter Pidge, the Bodyguard with an agenda of her own, who decides to break Lance free because she suspects that the reason he came to the capital (he’s from a minor noble family and their lands have been dying and dead for generations) is the same reason as her father and brother disappeared. common line??

the Galra are coming!! but also...there’s some dark magic nature corruption things that may or may not have been inspired by the Blight in Wheel of Time going on

anyway they travel in that direction disguised as a bard and his apprentice (which Pidge resents but goes with it anyway) while being chased by Keith and Shiro (on orders of the king since Lance is technically an escapee) as well as a suspicious warlock (Sendak)...

so here, have the entire first (and very unrefined since i never edited it properly...and displays my very bad habit of abandoning fics) chapter!! oh shoot it’s ~3500 words

Lance shuffled the deck of cards betweenhis hands, the hiss of paper filling the otherwise silent and too-emptybarroom. Even the bartender froze, the rag with which he’dbeen cleaning a glass hanging limp from his fingers as he watched.

Pidgecouldn’thelp scoffing from her place near the entry. It was only a paltry card trick,one she’d seen more times than she could count. It fascinated her the first fewtimes, but once she puzzled out the method, she learned to spot it as nothing morethan sleight of hand.

Itwasn’treal magic, anymore than Lance was a realsorcerer. But he could play the part, almost as well as Pidge played hers.

“Is this your card?” Lance asked the burly,bearded man sitting across the table from him. He brandished the queen ofhearts, an expectant smirk on his face

Theman, a lone mercenary Pidge guessed by his rugged appearance and the “sword”hanging from his belt, gaped at Lance. “How did you do that?” he demanded.

“Ah, but a magician never reveals hissecrets.” Lance tucked the card back into the deck, then collected the coinsthe man had offered as a bet - that Lance would be the one duped.

Pidgerolled her eyes. Didn’t they know any better?

Thebearded man stood, grumbling under his breath as he trooped past Pidge and outthe tavern door. Meanwhile a few other occupants eyed Lance - or, more likely,the growing pile of coins at his elbow.

“How about another game?” Lance asked theroom at large. He smiled disarmingly and gestured to the seat opposite him. “Winnertakes the pot.”

Pidgetapped her foot, irritated and tempted to interrupt the game. The way many ofthe tavern’srough denizens eyed that money sent a shiver of foreboding up her spine, andshe didn’t like how emptythe tavern was, how eager thebartender was for business that he would let Lance so openly hustle hiscustomers.

“No one?” Lance glanced around the room,meeting the eyes of a tall man wearing an eye patch. “Maybe you have a chance at this gold.”

(Likeany of this tavern’s patrons could afford to throw gold coins into fake magictricks…)

Theman in the eye patch smiled…though the menacing look of it chilledPidge, her hand wandering to the hilt of the knife at her belt almost of itsown accord. “Maybe I do,” said the man.

“Lance…” Pidge muttered as the new playertook the seat Lance offered him.

Lance,too far to hear her, dealt three cards face up on the table. “Getthree, take the pot,” he explained, “and if you lose three, I keep the pot. Deal?”He extended his hand to the man.

Theman’ssmile didn’t falter as he shook Lance’s hand - and Pidge couldn’t help noticinghow his larger hand almost engulfed Lance’s. “Deal.”

“Now track the ace,” Lance said, pointingto it and grinning. Then his hands moved, shuffling the three cards on thetable. “Pick the ace.”

Theplayer tapped a card, and Lance turned it over to reveal the ace.

“Think you can get one more?” he wondered.

Theplayer flashed his teeth, the canines pointier than a human’sshould be, as he sneered. “Shuffle them again.”

Lanceraised an eyebrow at the command and said, “All right, whatever you say, sir.”

“Not a ‘sir’,” the man pointed out as Lanceswitched the three cards around. “Only a man trying to do good by his king.”

“Aren’t we all,” Lance mumblednoncommittally.

Pidgesnorted and grumbled, “You’re not.”

Lanceglanced up as soon as those words escaped her mouth, almost as if he heard her.Their eyes met, and he nodded his head at the man in front of him.

Pidgenarrowed her eyes at him, uncertain what he was telling her, but before shecould take a cautious step towards them, the player selected a card.

“Oh, but you’ve found the queen,” Lance announced with a smile thatapproximated regret. “Try again, if you wish.”

Pidgecrept closer, for she’d seen thisparticular hustle countless times and knew that its victims, robbed of coin,often swore violence. Though they rarely resorted to it, something about thisman and the menace in his smile made her wary.

“Without shuffling?” he said.

“I’m feeling generous,” Lance told himcheerfully.

Theman hummed thoughtfully and poked the middle card.

Lanceturned it over and grimaced when it revealed a king. “I’msorry to say that you lose.” He collected the cards already facing up.

Theplayer flipped the final card to show off a jack. “Youcheated,” he accused Lance.

“Huh, that is curious,” Lance agreed,prodding the jack. “I swear by the Guardian Spirits I thought I laid an ace.”

Pidgebit her lip and wished, not for the first time, that their limited income didn’trely on blatant cons.

“Well,” he continued as if the player’ssingle eye didn’t twitch with frustration or worse, “I am a man of my word, soI must take my winnings.” Lance shoveled the small pile of coins into a pouch,then made to grab the card.

Theplayer stuck a knife through it, pinning it to the table. “Ithink not.”

Ahush fell over the tavern, the air filling with tension. The patrons’attention instantly changed from curious and wondering to wary.

Pidgelurched forward, casting a dizzying spell at him as she stepped between him andLance. Without looking she nudged Lance behind her while the man reeled away,clutching his head.

“Is there a problem?” she demanded when herecovered.

“You need a child to protect you?” the mansneered, staring at Lance over Pidge’s shoulder.

“I’m a wizard, not a child,” Pidge fired back while she glared up athim. But her heart pounded in her chest, because from this proximity she could smell the magic on the man - corrupted magic, something hot and acridlike fresh smoke. And if he threatened Lance - or her - with all his power,Pidge would be forced to draw on all of hers.

Somuch for subtlety. She could killLance for this.

“All right, let’s settle down.” Lance resteda hand on Pidge’s shoulder, stepping around her. “You needn’t overreact, kindsir. It was just a simple card game.”

“You hustled me,” the man accused almostnonchalantly.

Pidgeeyed Lance sideways and said, “Get behind me.”

“I can handle this,” he retorted under hisbreath. “Trust me.”

“Last time you said that we spent twonights in—” At his sharp glare, she growled but fell silent. Well, if hesucceeded, she’d have no need to expose herself. 

Heflashed her a grin, one that, absurdly, made her heart pound just a bit faster.Then his attention returned to the angry man still standing before them. “Sir,I know who you’ve mistaken us as,” he said, “and for that I apologize, for weare not them.”

Theplayer rested a hand on the hilt of his sword. “You mean you are not the Arusian wantedfor the murder of the Duke of Nalquod”—his eyes swiveled towards Pidge andnarrowed—”and his accomplice?”

Pidgestiffened, questing for the reservoir of magic barely out of her reach. Itswarmth only just touched her, ready and welcoming and so tempting…but she had to trust Lance.

Lancelaughed, though to Pidge’s knowing ears it sounded forced. “Ofcourse not!” he said, waving a hand dismissively. “Would it not be awfullyblatant of a wanted killer to parade around hustling cards?”

“So you admit to hustling?” The man steppedtowards him.

Pidgewas faster, flipping her knife into her hand and pressing the tip against hischest. “Iwouldn’t if I were you,” she said, voice low. Her whole body tensed, ready tospring, and the green magic filled her, its heat mirroring her frustration.

Theman stared down at her for a long beat before he threw his head back and laughed. “Oh, little wizard,” he said as he withdrewa step and his hand fell from his sword hilt, “I can see I must be mistakennow. What murderer needs his accomplice’s fierceprotection?”

Pidgegaped at him, her mind slow to process what was happening. Then heat rushed toher cheeks; she recognized mockery for what it was.

“Yes, that’s how it is,” Lance declared,already putting himself between the offended player and Pidge, who was toostunned and humiliated to resist. “I’m a bard, you see, and, uh, he isactually my devoted apprentice.” His fingers curled around Pidge’s arm, pullingher towards him. “Today’s lesson was sleight of hand, though maybe I could’vechosen a less frightening victim.” He smiled hopefully at him.

Pidgeforced herself to play along and nodded; it was a reasonable cover story,though one that chafed her.

“I am but a poor man though and need everypenny I can get,” Lance continued. He sniffed, wiping a tear - where in thename of the Guardian Spirits did that even comefrom? - from under his eye. “Alas, I must support myself and myprotective apprentice while we travel, and in these trying times so few donateto hear me spin my tales.”

Pidgepinched her lips together and decided that tonightshe would finally wash her hands of him and see him dead for this.

“Then please,” the man said, clasping hishands together politely, “accept those winnings as charity.”

Pidgecouldn’thelp snorting at that, earning her an elbow to the arm from Lance, but shestill said, “Thank you for giving us money that already belongs to us.”

Theirgenerous player glared at her. “Perhapsadd a lesson about manners to your plans, bard.”

Lanceshot a reproachful look at Pidge. “I will take that under consideration.” Hebowed his head to the man, who saluted him with a lazy gesture beforeshouldering his bag and leaving the tavern.

Asthe door swung shut behind him and the tavern erupted into excitedconversation, Lance rounded on Pidge and said, “We need to go now.”

“You think?” Pidge retorted. “What kind oftale was that?”

“A good one,” Lance insisted, “and I can’tbelieve it worked.” He grinned, looking more proud than smug, and for a momentPidge’s chest felt warm.

Untilshe remembered the man’s initial accusation.

“Lance,” Pidge said, “he said you killed—”

“Later,” Lance muttered. He collected hisfew belongings, stuffing money pouch and cards into his bag, before seeming toreconsider. He untied the money pouch and dropped a few coins onto the table. “Nextround of drinks are on me!” he announced to the tavern.

Thefew patrons left cheered, and Lance waved as Pidge grabbed his wrist anddragged him outside.

Thoughshe couldn’trelax, Pidge pushed the green magic away. Its heat gave way to the chill of theevening, and Pidge pulled her hood over her head to shield herself from thewind.

“Could just use a warming spell,” Lance pointedout. “It’s simple enough, right?”

Pidgenodded, but when she noticed him shiver she smirked. “Whydon’t you then?”

Lancescowled at her. “Youknow I’m useless at magic.”

“I’ve offered to teach you a few spells,”Pidge said, “and I reallythink you should let me.” She narrowed her eyes at him, then warilyscanned their surroundings and the way no town folk lingered to chat with theirneighbors despite the early evening. “A protective one, at least.”

“Are you already tired of me, Pidge?” Lancewondered, his tone teasing.

“Sometimes,” she admitted, then stood infront of him, crossing her arms and forcing him to a halt, “especially when you draw attention to yourself likethat.”

Lancerolled his eyes and tugged his cloak tighter around himself. “Itworked this time, didn’t it?”

“But it hasn’t always!” Pidge said,throwing her arms up. “The only foolproof way to make sure no one notices youis to keepyour head down. For the Spirits’sake, Lance, you’re wanted for murdering a duke!” She breathed heavily right as a gust ofwind blew her hood off her head. She growled and pushed it back up, resortingto a small adhesion spell to stick it in place.

Lancestared at her. “Youdon’t actually believe that, do you?”

“No, I don’t,” she said, “but I believethat other people can believe that, including the king.”

“The king himself acquitted me!” Lanceargued.

“Maybe he changed his mind,” Pidge said. “Maybeyour escape made him suspicious, or maybe your true crime made him vindictive.”She spun on her heel and continued on her way down the road. “Maybe the taleabout the Duke’s murder got twisted in the telling.”

Lancedidn’timmediately reply, perhaps contemplating her words as he kept pace with her.

Shesighed, the exhaustion from travel finally catching up to her, and asked, “Canwe at least use some of that coin to buy a room at an inn tonight? I’d give myleft arm to sleep in a bed…”

ThenPidge remembered something else from the tavern, and her thoughts of a warmnight’ssleep fled. She rounded on Lance and said, “You were trying to tell mesomething about that man while you were hustling him. What was it?”

Lanceglanced at her and laughed. “I’m not sure it matters anymore since Italked us out of that.”

“Still,” she said as she tugged on hissleeve insistently, “it might be important.”

“Fair,” he agreed, but then he frowned andsaid, “I saw an insignia I recognized from home.”

Pidgeblinked at him in surprise. “Can you describe it?”

“I’ll do you one better,” Lance promised. “Soonas we get to an inn, I’ll draw it.”

Pidgesmiled, cheered by that despite the strange sense of foreboding propagated bythe village’satmosphere…at least until the memory of the corrupted magic the player trailedthrough the tavern. Her nose twitched, and she imagined she could smell smokeon the cold breeze.

Besideher, Lance shivered, and Pidge asked, “Do youwant a warming spell?”

Lanceturned to her. “Please.”

Shelaughed and pressed a fingertip to his forehead.

Heclosed his eyes and shuddered as she cast the spell. “Magicfeels weird,” he said once he opened his eyes again.

“It wouldn’t feel so weird if you’d learnsome,” Pidge said with a shrug. “And it’ll be easier for you than you thinksince—”

“Oh, look, an inn!” Lance interrupted,changing direction and heading towards a door left wide open despite the cold.

Pidgescowled at his back before following him into the well-lit and warm common roomof an inn. “Whatwas the point of asking for a warming spell?”she hissed at him.

Lanceignored her, his focus captured by a realtraveling bard that sat in the corner. She strummed the strings of a lute, ateasing smile on her face as she spun a story for the few guests in the commonroom, most of whom paid their meals more attention than they did her.

“Lance?” Pidge prodded.

Theinnkeeper - marked by the guild insignia embroidered onto a chest pocket -approached, a hopeful smile on her face. “You here for a room?” Her eyes moved overto Lance. “You think Nyma’s good? We’re lucky to have a bard, of all things,especially with how bad business has been.”

“Huh?” Lance recognized someone spoke tohim and turned to the innkeeper. “Yes, one room.” He glanced at Pidge. “Twobeds.”

Andthen he went back to ogling the pretty blonde bard.

Pidgerolled her eyes when the innkeeper held out an expectant hand. “Howmuch?” When she told her, she passed over a few coins - pulled from her ownpouch since Lance was still busy- and said, “We’dalso like a meal.”

“Take a seat,” said the innkeeper,gesturing around the nearly empty common room. “I’ll bring your key to yousoon.”

Pidgetook Lance’sarm and, when he finally looked at her, said, “I bought dinner and a room. Youowe me now.”

“Please, Pidge,” Lance retorted as hesettled onto a bench, “what’s mine is yours. I do owe you my life.”

Pidgestared at him, wondering how that statement could please and irritate her atthe same time. But she bit her lip and retorted, “What good does the money in your bag do meif I can’t reach it?”

“Better that I keep it than you spend it onan arcane magic book,” he said with a shrug.

“That was one time!”

“One time too many,” he said. He smiledslightly and rested his chin in his hand. “Have you even opened that book yet?”

“Haven’t had the time,” Pidge grumbledright as the innkeeper came to their table with two bowls and a key. Shepocketed the key - labeled with their room number - and picked up a spoon. Herstomach growled at the scent of tomato and oregano, a reminder of home.

“Why did you want it then?” Lance wonderedafter dragging his own bowl towards him.

Pidgerested a protective hand on her bag. “It’s about…green magic,” she explained. “Irecognized the title from some of my father’s research.”

“Green magic?” Lance frowned. “Magic hascolors?”

Pidgeshrugged and said, “Not exactly. It’s kind of hard to describe, actually, but”—shesmirked at him—”I’ll definitely tell you all about it when you let me teach yousome spells.”

Lancescowled at her. “That’snot going to happen.”

“Why not?”she demanded, growing frustrated again. “It’s useful!”

“I knowthat, Pidge,”he said, “but it’s not something I canuse, all right?”

“How do you know that?” she wondered. “Becauseyou won’t know until you try.”

“How do you know I didn’ttry?”Lance shot back.

Pidge’sbreath caught at the glare he leveled at her. She put her fork down as shamefilled her stomach instead of food, but she still quietly pressed, “Maybe it’schanged now.”

Lancesighed. “Maybe,”he said, though he didn’t sound like he believed it.

Theydescended into an uncomfortable silence. The common room’snoise - the bard on her lute and the patrons’ voices - washed over her butfailed to drown out the chaos of her thoughts. She sought for a new subject,anything to avoid leaving their conversation hanging like that, but Lance beather to it.

“You wanted to see the insignia?”

Pidgestared at him uncomprehendingly for a beat…until she remembered. “Oh, yes.” Shereached into her bag and pulled out her journal, a jar of ink, and a pen beforepassing them to him. “Just the best sketch that you can make.”

Lancepushed his half-empty plate aside and uncapped the ink. He hummed, the soundbarely audible over the common room’s, and drew a symbol onto a page at theback of her journal.

Hishand moved quickly, the pen sitting comfortably in his hand and the motionalmost mesmerizing. But before it could draw her in, Lance turned the journalaround and nudged it back to her.

Hereyes widened at the sight of the symbol on the paper, and she cursed under herbreath.

“You recognize it?” Lance asked.

Pidgenodded. Her heart pounded and palms dampened with newfound understanding anddread. “Wecan’t stay here,” she said, slamming the journal shut and stuffing it and theink and pen back into her bag.

“What?” Lance said, staring at her. “Whynot? I thought you wanted to sleep in a—”

“Lance,” Pidge cut him off once she stood, “theman you hustled is Galra.”

“A-are you sure?” Lance said. “Because I’venever seen a Galra soldier wear an insignia like that.”

“Yes,” she said, “and there could be others. Now let’s gobefore he comes back. I could smell the magic on him.”

Lancestood and rounded the table until he was beside her. “Youcan smell magic?”

“Only corrupted,” she replied. “Just…actnaturally. Do notdraw attention.”She glared sideways at him and walked towards the drawer, forcing herself to doso slowly.

“Leaving so soon?” The innkeeper appearedat her other side, a frown on her face. “Surely you’d rather spend the nightwhere it’s safe and warm.”

“I don’t think that’s here,” Pidge toldher. She pulled the key from her pocket and returned it to the innkeeper. “Butthank you for your hospitality. You can keep the payment.”

“No, you—”

Shecut Lance off with an elbow to his side and led the way out of the inn and backinto the night…

…only for the man from the tavern to standin their path, the familiar and insidious symbol of crossed daggers stitched in deepviolet thread on his satchel.

“Warlock,” Pidge realized when the stenchof burning greeted her.

“Sorcerer,” he said, identifying her inturn. Then his gaze fell on Lance, and his lips twisted into an ugly smirk. “Murderer.”

[machimachilegends]

Suki (Lightning x Yin Synthesis) vs Mirai (3rd Reservoir)

ROUND ONE // SPEED + REFLEXES

When it comes to raw speed, Suki practically goes unmatched when pit against foes lacking blood ties or blatant power. On some occasions managing to leave few serious battles without--so much as the enemy getting a single clean shot in. Given her Release Speed and natural affinity for lightning, she cancels attacks like no tomorrow, and attacks with her entire body leaving little room to breathe.

Though the situation is similar for Mirai, the cause barely has anything to do with speed. Rather Mirai’s Reaction Time makes up what she lacks in agility against speedsters akin to the other, which plays its part with Cast Time, where a single snap of the finger is needed to utilize most spells. With her short Cast Time she’s allowed to fight like normal, keeping her ability to capitalize on hits repeatedly.

ROUND TWO // BODY + STRENGTH

When it comes to Suki’s body she falls under the category of a normal human by her universe’s standards, granted, through extensive training and her birthright as an upper-branch Xchiyu, she’s well-versed in traditional combat--her body having a natural kink for helping adapt to the enemy’s attack chain either to evade or counter. This adeptness gives Suki so much insight on the battle at hand that her body tends to store the memory so she may call on certain experiences to further herself on a whim, though this ability may be attributed to her merits under the Transformation Type.

Regarding Suki’s innate strength, she can flip toss and tear through enemies more than one-hundred times her size via Physical Attacks and bust through metals even denser than neutron stars without much trouble. She’s endured plenty of Special Attacks capable of destroying everything from stars to the universe itself, even contesting such forces with her fists in her civilian form. And it’s not like she gives out easy, acting as a testament to her great speed, she possesses a lot of stamina too. It’s rare to ever see her stay winded for long, which tends to make some mistake her as alien at times.

Similarly enough, Mirai, too has withstood the tests of time tanking a Time-bomb the size of a small country capable of rewriting the universe, at least, had she not dulled its effects prior to detonating. Nonetheless the explosion ended up bringing Suki and Mirai together, and their universes in a critical state, only giving a hint at how durable she is even nowadays, but that’s not where the madness ends as she’s able to keep fighting even when she’s overextended her time tapping into the 1st and 2nd Reservoir of magic.

Reminds me--about Mirai’s body. As a magi, Mirai too is classified as a human by her universe’s standards. Instead of focusing on chi and its physical applications, her universe focused on its sister power magic, leading to a different evolution among mortals where they can naturally store magic in the body. Add in her incredible self-awareness and adjustment to greater magical forces like the fragmented Dawn Stone and Claire Text and she basically has an abundance of magic to spare by default with even greater reserves in the back to continuously cast spell after spell. Factor that even when she’s at zero units her physical strength goes unhindered.

ROUND THREE // EXPERIENCE + TACTICS

Suki has only ever trained under one mentor outside of school and family, whom goes by the name Fuu, a goddess. While there meeting wasn’t random, Suki definitely had to go through a lot before even getting to chance to learn under Fuu--ignoring the fact she only got to cause of Fuu’s attraction to her fusion with Damian and her general interest in their Yin Yang accessibility and imbalance, Suki still had to kill Fuu’s father (The Strongest Man) with assistance. At that point in time Suki had done battle with the supernatural, espers, demons, lesser gods, angels, and androids over the span of a good four years, each one capable of throwing the entire universe for a loop had they succeeded their devious acts. Yet, despite this, Saikuru (Fuu’s father) managed to dwarf Suki and allies capable of similar feats without even trying, yet it was Suki and Damian’s Yin Yang Fissue that put him down face of everything.

Obviously, once Suki was ready for the next step in her training, Fuu gave Suki the task to acquire and hone the Hyper Hare ability into her arsenal to make her greatest strengths overshadow her habitual weaknesses as a warrior, that being her speed and Energy Control.

Over the course of the next five to six years, Suki took the various lessons she’s learned over the years to control her fate and do battle with similarly experienced mortals whether genetic monstrosities from the future, body snatching immortals, conceptual identities taking physical form, summoners from entirely different sets of universes, god slayers, or even those who absorb death flags and the very future--heck even herself, Suki has managed to weasel her way into the winner’s circle using her wit and skill as an expert in Lightning, Yin, and Celestial Releases even going as far as to synchronize highly incompatible attributes and create the very form Synthesis when branching beyond the god-class. Her performance in tournaments tending to lack near the end compared her accomplishments.

Suki has also kept her cool when venturing into the depths of Oblivion, a dark and wonky world with a low atmosphere, the mental and spiritual beat-down of limbo, and gravity hundreds times that of Earth. Suki has also trained on Weak-point Mountain, a place that weighs on the spirit so much it’s almost impossible to release energy, which is remarked a danger zone due to the giant creatures that roam the button and the carnivorous beasts at the top. Additionally, Suki has gone to Netherworld once and has managed to evade the wildlife there while looking for the Garden of Eden.

When it comes to strategy, while Suki can be a little slow at times, once she has an ideal how a technique works, it’s basically a wrap. The only people Suki’s faced that could counter and deny her victory without interference were god slayers called Nina and Fusae, which left Suki on the cups of Double Taming Lightning every time as her only out. Otherwise, she tends to gauge the strength of her opponents using her speed before assessing how quickly she can deal with them, tending to use any spare time to setup attacks using needles, magnetism, paralysis, wires, spiritual severance, and on some occasions bladed weapons to trip up the opponent before overwhelming them with gigantic attacks when simple gashes aren’t enough. Suki also has the ability to purify or seal enemies when necessary, albeit she barely brings the right tools to seal her opponents.

As for Mirai, while her history isn’t well-known by many, nor as expansive as Suki’s, Mirai has had her fair share of battles against the very same espers and god slayers, managing to even put up an even fight at times when it was thought impossible. However, it should be clear she’s done battle against armies worth of esper before she even met Suki, warded off ghosts in the city of Asgard, and even scared off demon gods to protect her own world, if her battles against other high level sorceresses like her mother Sasara means nothing to you.

Each of the Guild Masters she’s crossed in her universe during her rebellion not seeming to even slow her any when she was gunning for Asgard at an adolescent age. Sure that was before she looked through the Claire Text but at the same, old age barely affected the outcome of their battle unlike the Grand Elder’s found in Suki’s universe, whether the conflict was physical or spiritual, she outsmarted each and everyone of them using nothing but the spells she learned during her time as a magical girl at the academia, only revealing her strongest spell--Dragonic Revolver against her closest friend Serena.

Again all of this being before she even got her hand of the Claire Text, participated in war with espers, stop the Psychic Time-bomb, enter Universe 9 unregistered, compete in the Magic Games, train under Fuu, face the demon-gods, and fight the god slayers. No wonder she was at the top of her class, cause she’s straight dominating the rank scene before even mellowing out enough to be seen as cold and mature to outsiders.

Unknown to many, Mirai’s familiar is actually a small black cat she has rarely called on other than a means of shielding herself from a fatal attack or harshly drawing magic straight out of her (Luminous). She also uses her twisted imagination to call on the aide of an entity she calls Hiei, a purple and black blob of magic that momentarily shifts between hydra, serpentine, and dragon with the power to seep into the shadows, tending to move at speeds around ten times that of Mirai’s Dragonic Revolver linearly. Hiei is Mirai’s main means of dealing with anyone she deems fodder or too inexperienced by beat her. Generally speaking, Mirai tends to overpower her enemies using a plethora of range focused and spread attacks while aiming to deal internal damage when unarmed.

Mirai tends to use smoke bombs, shuriken, kunai, and the legendary weapon Entropy she stole on her ventures throughout the galaxy to lay the pressure thick by storing energy and reflecting attacks, and has found ways to combine preset Substitution with the vastly untapped 3rd Reservoir’s magic to essentially cheat death and send its sensation towards those she has cursed to build advantage where tethers of magic would be thought pointless. Mirai turned Luminous into a pair of cat ears on her head and has trained with Hiei to use it to extend from her arm and maw on foes as solid chaos. Mirai also possesses the ability to use telekinesis and heal, although her ability to heal people is laughably poor.

LIGHTNING ROUND // UPRISING + THE BIG THREE

Suki and Mirai both have birthright, drive, skill, and innate talent as warriors. Suki, the heiress of her adept clan forced to learn the forgotten aspects of battle to ensure her victory and meet the remnants of her clan and learn the truth about what happened “that night”, all while balancing bonds with training for the ultimate goal of bettering herself in the back. As the only Xchiyu to make it so far, why not continue and prove there’s something more to being a warrior than meets the eye.

And Mirai, the girl whose father left her in the shadow of her superior mother and sister as a low class reject who went rogue with the magic passed down by the very person she hates to make a name for herself, diligently training for nothing else but to uncover the secrets about magic they couldn’t dare to find themselves. As the only one Magica other than her mother to take an active role in war, Mirai intends to show while power isn’t the be all end all to a fight, it’s a necessary evil.

When it comes to Mind, Mirai definitely takes it with all the study, tactical use of prep-time, her ever-growing affinity for magic, self-awareness, and serious attitude there’s far too much Mirai knows about herself and the world that would ever let her get blinded by anger so easily. There’s also the pressing matter she rarely needs to reflect or justify her wants or needs, and even when she does can already accept the flaws in her way of thinking, only changing when she feels it’s a necessity akin to those who’ve come before her. Whereas Suki is a touch more emotional than Mirai and has her visions skewed more than once.

When it comes to Spirit, Suki takes the cake. Despite Mirai’s tendency to use magic, it’s not the first time she’s budded heads with Mirai, and she proves to have the stronger soul by canceling out Mirai’s World Ending Slash with her very own Giga Swipe. Sure, Mirai is strong, but when Suki can use the lightning attribute, which is in the 2nd to lowest tier of Special Attacks ever against a a crackling blade of raw chaos which is categorized in the 2nd strongest tier of Special Attacks with the added ability to splice through enemies in other dimensions with a blade of lightning that solely draws power from the user, it’s clear Suki can easily tango with Mirai.

As for Heart, believe it or not, both Mirai and Suki have incredible strong hearts after the Slayers Saga where they kept surpassing each other in sheer ability time and time against the toughest of foes. While it took Suki longer to get herself straight due to how spiteful she was becoming with Aile and the intense rivalry that came from it, Mirai’s lack of emotional attachment to her allies left her relatively weak until Aile got through to her and made her reanalyze their mission’s purpose. Only then did they both care enough about the humanity behind their actions did they have that extra push they were missing to get back their Limpid Prism fragments to defeat Eri the Summoner and Daichi the Slayer Reject along all they saved on their ventures throughout the multiverse they’re assigned to.

CONCLUSION // RULINGS + TECHNICALITIES

In the end, they both would use up all their energy trying to best one another, but Suki would either tie or be victorious by a hair, despite all of Mirai’s advantages.

Mirai wouldn’t be able to keep using the 3rd Reservoir of magic she unlocked due to how exceptionally fast Suki would be when racking up hit, especially with all that energy disruption going on with Mirai, and since they’re “friends” trying to make Suki kill her would be insanely difficult with all the times they joined bodies. Suki knows Mirai’s tricks, and Mirai knows Suki’s decision-making procedures. Knowing this, Mirai would stray from melee as much as possible so she could keep generating more magic than she tends to use.

While Mirai would have Suki beat in power using her 5th World Ending Slash/World Ending Inferno and variants of the spell due to the vast revisions made to it, and how quick Mirai can escape harms way nowadays, Suki would have a very hard time using anything from her Laceration Series of techniques, forcing Suki to play tactically and using a plethora of celestial-attributed attacks, which have always taken a lot of energy for Suki to use opposed to how easily she can apply the yin attribute the her attacks, but keeping those shadows down is the only way Suki’s going to get close without using too much stamina. Spamming won’t help too much.

When it comes to defense, Mirai uses spherical barriers, while Suki uses an aura cloak, so by default, Suki’s Release is faster than Mirai’s Cast Time. However, Mirai has a much easier time using her barrier like a lens than Suki does erupting energy from such a cloak especially with how little time it actually lasts. Plus, ever since Mirai faced a blatant user of Anti-magic she’s been more concerned about how she layers her barriers and projectiles to fend off opponents. This means, Suki’s usual trick of rippling the energy holding the barriers up gets countered by the 2nd layer’s inclusion. Suki would be lucky to evade a blast right after its revelation.

The only reason Suki would manage to get Mirai back into her civilian form and keep it that way would be to use a whip of lightning to change the angle which they fight and tag Mirai’s Shadow Magic so she can bypass the visual flood and close distance with the fruits of mastering Hyper Hare so once they’re both in their normal states and Mirai’s low on magic but physically stronger, she can countered with one final rupture of lightning to outrun Mirai’s resistances and close the battle out with a body slam. Mirai wouldn’t expect Suki to manage tagging the very shadows she can use to Shadow Tag her enemies for curses.

It should be noted Yin is stronger than Chaos, so Suki technically has her means of damaging Mirai even if she directly coats herself in space-time fabric, but with how easy Mirai could trade herself in or a clone could be used, it’s not too viable akin to how Suki knows Mirai can see through her afterimages but wouldn’t best her when it comes to slice affinity. So Entropy would only help so much, and it would take way too much time to try Spell-bounding Suki with magic.

[infinitehearts]

16 // 12

|masterpost| word count: 3349

                The thing is, they don’t know how this has happened. The castle’s healer is on the case, but she looks frail as well… and then she drops too. Inky fluid in both of their veins, bubbled up from under the skin. Grey skin, puckered up and too loose all at once.

                Yakov doesn’t want to let the boy see. After all, that’s really all Viktor is. He’s never been allowed out of the palace for anything more than necessary, to keep the future Tsar safe. To keep him with his court, the children of the nobles. The grounds are certainly big enough to keep them from feeling trapped, but he can see it in those crystalline eyes that poor Viktor feels trapped nonetheless.

                Court is all he knows, and thus so it is the bane of his existence. Nothing less is to be expected from the dramatic teenager, still trying to figure out who he is, and who he plans on being. Even though he’s accepted it over time, Yakov still remembers how growing up felt like a trap. How he hit a point where things started going downhill, when he moved out of the court and into the position of royal advisor to Tsarina Vasiliya Aleksandrovna Nikiforova. It was a dream in the beginning, out of the madness and planning and demands of court, and he never bored of the work. It was taxing, for a while, when he was young and foolhardy, putting more into his duties than his marriage, but Lilia was more understanding then too. After all, she hadn’t been born to the same kind of lives that he and the queen had. The Bolshoi Ballet was her life then. She had been not only a prima ballerina, but the resident principle danseur. He still couldn’t help but wonder if he was the reason that she gave up the last of her prime years there. Then again, Vasiliya had always told him he put too much of himself into aiding her, and in the end, he’d driven Lilia away.

                In some way, maybe that was why he was always so hard on Viktor, because he saw his younger self and his mistakes.

                Viktor, as stubborn as he is, manages to fight his way into being allowed to see his mother. It’s not in person, but it sates him. Seeing her, one last time, even at her worst, is enough. He does, however, notice the amount of guards around her chambers triple. They shuffle aside so Georgi has room to put the viewing poultice on the wall for Viktor to look in.

                He might not have any presented magical ability, but he can feel the magic in her room, even though he’s not inside of it. It feels spoiled, sour, and rotten. It’s no wonder that their healer passed too. The magic, because there’s no wound or illness that does this to a person, so it must be magic, is going to take weeks to flush out of the castle safely.

                Viktor knows no pain like the loss of his mother, since he never knew the last Tsar. He aspires to be like his father, nonetheless. He wants to be able to do anything his country needs from him. Yakov tries to talk him out of this sole devotion, but he doesn’t have anyone but his people. He’s all alone, and maybe, just maybe, this way he’ll feel less alone.

~*~

                As it turns out, Viktor only knows how to surprise people. The morning of his birthday, the morning after his mother’s death, he wakes up to walls covered in ice. He doesn’t know when it happened, or what caused it, but as much as he pretends it doesn’t mean a thing, it secretly delights him. He’s just now sixteen. Not a child, and not a man. He has no idea of how to rule a country, let alone an empire. And really, Rieva is an empire compared to other nations.

                The fact that law states he must show mastery over magic, if presented, to ascend to the throne, is a bit of a saving grace. It grants him time. Not much, because he’s always been a quick learner, but time, nonetheless.

                It’s kind of useless, anyways. Rieva cannot survive without a tsar. Even though none of the other nations will acknowledge his ascension until Mila Babicheva, the youngest member of his presiding court, comes of age. He likes Mila, even if she’s just nine and still asks lots of questions that he doesn’t always like answering. She and Georgi are the closest things he’s ever known to siblings, after all. They’re like his little brother and sister, even if the only thing that holds them together is the fact they make up the nobility. He’d never wish his situation onto her, never trade places with her, even if everything would be so much easier that way.

                He’ll take his place on the throne, to keep the interests of the people on the throne, and to keep a piece of his family close.

                There is nothing more terrifying. Time will run out, eventually, and he will unofficially ascend to the throne.

                He’s already been informed that the normal coronation procedures will not be carried out at this time, because of the circumstances. The crown cannot be bestowed until all of his court is of age, as the process is what officiates the United Nations to certify his position as tsar and allow other nations to recognize him by his newfound title.

                Yakov assures him that the ceremony in the works will be enough to satisfy the needs of the Rievan people and secure his throne. Viktor can only hope Lilia and Yakov can pull it off, because while he trusts them both with all his heart, he’s not as much of an idiot as they sometimes think he is. He can hear his mother’s court, what will be his temporary court, through the walls of the Throne Chamber when he passes by. He knows that they don’t believe he’s fit to rule, both from his age and his personality.

                Whatever it takes, he plans on proving them wrong. He’s already lost enough, as it is. He refuses to lose his throne too.

~*~

                The pond freezes in the winter, sometimes. He could escape, of course, but the onsen is the only place he feels like he has a little privacy.

                It’s certainly ironic, considering the onsen sees people at their most natural, but Yuuri knows that’s the drawbacks of being the shinnō. He wishes that the laws were more set in stone, that it was settled if he or Mari would rule when the time came to it, but he knows that he shouldn’t be worrying about that at the moment either.

                All he needs to worry about is if Minako-sensei has figured out where he is yet.

                His lessons are lovely, especially his dance lessons, and he thinks that no one could possibly ask for a better tutor, but the truth of the matter is, it’s her fault that she showed him the pond.

                The ice is like his emotions, fragile and delicate. And when he knows that it’s frozen over, he can’t help putting on his skates and reminding himself that he can persist. Just like the ice as he lets the blades carve into it, over and over again.

                Because he knows. No matter how hard they work to disguise the look, Yuuri has learned. The look is all their hopes and dreams. The fact that both his mother and father wish for him to take over, as tradition would dictate. Not because Mari isn’t wonderfully capable of being the ruler, but because they expect Yuuri would be better. A strong man, for Kaichiyama to look up to.

                The castle has never truly felt like home in the way the public onsen does. In the castle, Yuuri has to be important. Yuuri has to be the shinō. Yuuri is a representation of his country, and he is weak. He will be pushed around, molded and shaped into the leader they will need in the future to stay afloat in negotiations with Rieva and Amambocha. To forgo the oppression that Chengyi faces in their own markets.

                His skates cut too far down in his frustration, and he throws himself face first onto the ice. He’d bother to get up, but the fresh powder crunches softly, and Yuuri knows Minako has tracked him down.

                “It figures that I’d find you out here.”

                “Minako-sensei. My lessons can wait a bit longer, yes?”

                Yuuri rarely asks for these things, usually dedicated himself fully to the lessons at hand, but today’s the only day where the ice is fresh, free of marks from his blades fully by the design of the weather, and not the simple spell that Minako taught him when he was first learning to skate, so he could resurface his own ice. That spell feels like cheating in a way.

                He supposes he should be lucky. Not everyone takes to spells so quickly, even though everyone has the ability to cast the simple ones. His mind’s eye spell is by far his worst, because its hard to hold onto the focus for very long. His own mind gets in the way, pushes him out by separating his feelings from the target’s feelings.

                “Yuuri, today’s the last day of lessons for a bit. We can practice out here if that would make you more comfortable, but we still have things to do before my trip.”

                Minako is polite enough, but he’s noticed she’s also very forward at all times. Sometimes, he wonders if it’s the fact that his mother asked her to do this and give up ballet that makes her this way. Other times, well, he’s pretty sure it’s just who she is.

                When the talk of politics is over, she lets Yuuri back on the ice. It’s not his dance classes, the ones he’s supposed to be having this very minute, but the knowing smirk on Minako’s face tells him that there were never plans for him to dance today.

                She took him to meet Yuuko and learn how to skate, and she realizes how special the fresh ice is to him. After the snow fell so heavily, there was no way the pond wouldn’t have been frozen.

                Minako has always been his favorite aunt, even if they technically are of no blood relation.

                When she’s gone the next morning, he wishes he knew where she was going.

                His life proceeds as if she never left, save for the fact he now studies alone.

                It’s nearly a week later when he decides that he can’t wait any longer to know, and if Minako-sensei won’t call, he’ll just have to figure it out himself.

                Nobody’s supposed to do spells alone, just in case something goes wrong. Spells pull magic from the atmosphere, unlike innate magic where the magic comes from another realm, specifically at the beck and call of the person.

                But mind’s eye is such a small spell, Yuuri thinks that it won’t matter just this once.  Mari is just down the hall, anyways, and they’re hiding in the onsen where the walls are paper thin. If something starts going wrong, he can just yell, and she’s come. Mari always comes to help when Yuuri is in trouble, and it makes her quite the big sister, in his opinion.

                He sits down, folding his legs together on the floor.

                Mind’s eye has no words, just concentration.

                Yuuri’s not even sure that he can figure out how to find Minako when she’s so far away, considering he has trouble when she’s barely ten meters away from him.

                Deep breath in, deep breath out, eyes fluttering shut.

                He can do this.

                In, out, in, out.

                The sensation is dizzying. He’s not sure where he is, and the room is blurry, but loud. It clears up within seconds, and Minako is humming in the way that she does when he’s done something right. Maybe, maybe this was something Yuuri had needed to do on his own.

                He can feel her coaxing him to stay and share her eyes, to watch with her.

                He still doesn’t know where she is… where they are.

                He watches anyway.

~*~

                Viktor Mikhailovich Nikiforov is going to be a living legend. He knows this, preparing for his coronation. He is a child, but he will pretend he is a man until the difference blurs even in his own mind. He is the Tsar of Rieva, no matter how unofficial that title will be for the next seven years, until Mila comes of age. Until then, Georgi will be there for him. They will navigate the rough waters of his temporary court, of the people his mother’s age who doubt his ability to rule, together.

                He already feels alone, even if he’s not technically.

                Lilia Baranovskaya couldn’t break him, of course, but he took her advice to heart. She knew what the court was capable of, knew that what happened to his mother could happen to him in an instant. He was far too young to die.

                Carefully, he had traversed the less traveled path of learning how she had been before the world had turned her heart to stone, simply by watching how she interacted with Minako Okuwaka. He hadn’t known, at first, why Kaichiyama would send anyone to this ceremony, how they even knew of it. But he can see in Lilia’s eyes as they speak, no less formally than she ever seems to be, that this hurts her to do.

                Viktor supposes that’s an appropriate response. Lilia has always felt like a second mother to him, and Yakov has been the only father figure he has ever known, considering the fact his own father lost his life before Viktor was ever born.

                Maybe Minako Okuwaka understands Lilia in a way Viktor has yet to.

                He hopes that maybe Minako can ease Lilia’s pain, because the ceremony must commence.

                There is no quiver in his body as he enters the throne room, where everyone who could show is gathered. Rieva is a large country. Everyone is watching. He can feel it, through the cameras, through their spells, through the eyes in the room.

                Viktor makes his way towards his mother’s… his throne.

                Yakov is standing there waiting for him, on Viktor’s right, the cloak his mother wore draped over his arms. He doesn’t know the other man, who’s to the left, off of the top of his head, but he’s sure he was part of his mother’s presiding court. No matter how much he doesn’t want to do this, doesn’t want to put his life in the hands of someone he doesn’t trust, he has no choice.

                If he can’t trust his people, how will they ever be able to trust him?

                He stops in front of the throne and turns to face the Rievan people, his people.

                The entire room falls silent. Yakov’s voice feels distant.

                “Now presenting Viktor Mikhailovich Nikiforov, heir to the throne of Rieva.”

~*~

                Yuuri isn’t having trouble staying in Minako’s head, oddly enough. Perhaps it’s his curiosity that holds him still.

                Viktor looks so young, but it’s obvious, that in some form, this is a crowning ceremony. Yuuri wonders what happened to the Tsarina of Rieva. Wonders why Minako, of all people, went to a crowning ceremony where no UN officials are around to legitimize the crowning.

                He concludes something has recently gone terribly wrong, and Viktor must be too young. Or at least his presiding court must be.

                The ceremony stills his mind. He watches attentively through Minako’s eyes as Viktor kneels down on one knee. Some of the ceremony is in old Rievan, and he can’t quite understand it all, but the formality is reminiscent of an oath. Yuuri welcomes the fact that he understands Rievan quite well for the rest of the ceremony.

                Yuuri admires Viktor Nikiforov, watching this coronation. He finds him attractive, in ways that he’s never thought of anyone before.

                It shocks Yuuri to the core as the man to Viktor’s left steps up behind him with a pair of swords. Viktor tilts his head forwards. His silver hair flows freely down his back. And then the other man swings the swords. Yuuri bites down on his panic, because he wants to see how this plays out. He can’t let his feelings push him out of Minako’s head.

                A collective gasp erupts from the throne room as the swords rise again.

                Everyone waits to see if Viktor will rise again.

                When Viktor rises, it’s without the length of his hair. The other man drapes the cloak over his shoulders.

                Yuuri is still biting back his feelings. Viktor does a good job of hiding his disappointment, but Yuuri can still see hints of it in his eyes.

                “Now presenting Tsar of Rieva, His Highness Viktor Mikhailovich Nikiforov.”

                Yuuri can’t hold on to mind’s eye any longer.

                Rieva slips away.

                Yuuri sits up, off of Minako’s ballet room floor. The windows are broken.

                He’ll have to tell her when she gets back.

                But for now, he lets out a quiet sob.

                He shouldn’t forget that he doesn’t know Viktor. But it seems that everyone knows of Viktor. This, this much only Yuuri and those watching know. But he doubts they paid attention to Viktor, rather than the show that Viktor gave.

                When he was much younger, he remembers being told that the prince of Rieva was going to grow into a strong, ruthless ruler that would guide their country back into the days of greatness. He remembers looking at one picture of Viktor, and knowing that no matter what they said, he didn’t want to be that ruler. That Viktor would only do what was best for his people.

                Yuuri could even see that now.

                Maybe this is why his mother still thought that he’d be an empath, even though he’d never shown any signs of that kind of magic before and couldn’t always do his spells.

                Although he wondered if that same late bloom was what had happened with Viktor, if it was why Minako had left in the middle of Spring, rather than back in the winter, in late December, right after Viktor’s birthday.

                Yuuri doesn’t know what he’d do if he had to assume the throne in only four short years. He can’t imagine being sixteen and in charge. He didn’t even know that was allowed, anyways. Perhaps he should study up on the policies of other countries.

                He expects that’s coming soon enough, anyways, that he’ll just have a head start on not being able to keep all the information straight.

                Except he’s kept everything he’s learned about Viktor straight in his mind for over four years. Can remember Rievan well enough to understand almost anything, although most other languages throw him for a major loop.

                Yuuri’s tears have yet to slow down, and until they do, he can’t leave. The glass of the windows glints all across the floor of Minako’s ballet studio, to which he only had a key because he was responsible. How they all shattered, he still doesn’t know.

                What he does know is that Viktor Nikiforov doesn’t deserve to have to spend his entire life with the weight of the world settling in on his shoulders and sad too.

                But he’s still a child, and there’s nothing he can do. Even if he were older, there wouldn’t be anything that he could do.

                He’d probably just cause a war by trying.

                So he wiped his eyes and got to his feet, to make his way through the glass.

                There was a path to the door, already clear, from what looked like the very spot Yuuri had sat in to try and do the mind’s eye spell.

                He really hoped Minako would be back soon.

                If there was anyone who could help him figure out what was going on, it would be her.

<< | >>

[kalinara]

Rip - honour. Rip - intelligence. Rip - savvy. Rip - interactions. Rip - groups. Rip - pride, hubris, arrogance. Rip - resiliency. Rip - attraction. Rip - relationships (any/all kinds). Rip -privacy. Rip - secrets (both keeping them and being out of the loop). Rip - touch. Rip - respect. Rip - love (all of them). Rip - disaster. Rip - loneliness. Rip - leadership. Rip - ever be ready/willing to have a relationship again? Rip - relaxation. Rip - nemesis.

Rip - honour. 

Hah, that’s an interesting prompt because my gut instinct is that he is an honorable person…for the most part.

And for a certain definition of “honor”.  (Sorry, American.  I have no time for an extra “u”.)

I think he tries to follow a code of honor when he deals with the team, as much as possible.  He lies to them, yes.  But he also tends to be very open with the risks and their chances of success.  For example, when he recruited them against Vandal Savage, he might not have told them the whole truth, but he never let them believe it was anything but a nearly-impossible quest.  He always offered to take them home, and when Mick and Snart took him up on it, he didn’t make any attempt to stop them.

But at the same time, I think that he’s used to working on a bit more of a grand scale, with stakes that make honor and fair play a bit less of a priority.

Certainly, as we’ve seen, he isn’t inclined to a fair fight.  He’s got that stunner for a reason.  And while he’s a good hand-to-hand fighter, he does his best work via sneakiness and ambush.  But he’s a scrawny man with no superpowers, so it’s debatable as to how fair some of these fights would be anyway, if he didn’t cheat.  :-P

In the end, I think he’s a pragmatist who wants to be honorable, and tries to be honorable to an extent, but is willing to push that honor aside when the stakes are high enough.

Rip - intelligence

I think Rip has a lot of ingrained assumptions and prejudices with regard to intelligence and/or education.  I think that it’s a quality that he values very highly.  And I think we can see that in the way he initially responds to the crew.

He seems to immediately find a common ground with Martin.  They clash at times, but there was an immediate mutual respect.  As bad as he often was as a leader, he was usually pretty decent at managing Ray.  (And for that matter, in Fellowship, he seemed to be even a little better at keeping Nate in line than Sara usually is.)  He seems to have a lot more patience with the kind of accidental insubordination of distracted geeks than he does with other folk.

He gets along reasonably well with folks like Sara and Jax, who may not have the fancy degrees, but have a lot of natural intelligence.  He respects, although distrusts, Snart.

And it probably, subconsciously, fed into his issues with Mick at first.  Mick is not stupid at all, but his intelligence is on a social/emotional level that the Time Masters aren’t likely to value or even recognize.  And I think Rip’s personal history adds some interesting layers to it.

Rip spent the first formative years of his life starving on the streets.  We don’t know much about that time, but I’m inclined to think that if he’s so quick to stab an adult when feeling threatened, it probably wasn’t particularly pleasant.  I think we can probably hazard a guess that there wasn’t much in the way of educational opportunities there either.

But that changed when he got recruited to the Time Masters.  Suddenly, he was in this warm, safe, place, where he could eat his fill and no one could hurt him.   It must have felt like a completely different world.  And of course, the Time Masters didn’t just give their orphans housing and an upbringing, but an education as well.  (and a healthy dose of indoctrination).

So I tend to think somewhere in the unconscious part of Rip’s mind, he associates education/intelligence with all of the good things like food, comfort, safety.  Basically civilization. Whereas the lack of education/intelligence ends up associated with the fear, cold, terror, hunger of his very early past. 

I don’t really think it’s the key reason he didn’t like Mick at first.  But I think it’s tied up in all sorts of other issues.  Mick is a criminal.  Mick is brutal.  Mick is angry and uncontrollable and violent.  Mick is uneducated.  Somewhere in the back of Rip’s mind, Mick basically is associated with everything that Rip has been raised to hate about his pre-Time Master past.  And of course, the odds are that street-kid Rip would have met people that, on surface level, seemed a lot like Mick.  And those likely would not have been fun or positive experiences.

None of this, of course, is fair to Mick.  (Fortunately, Rip seemed to realize that after the Chronos debacle, and their dynamic shifts significantly and positively in the second half of the season.)

Rip - savvy. 

Okay, so I was going to type a lot about how I think Rip values shrewdness and practical knowledge, but that’s boring and I just typed a lot about intelligence anyway.  So instead, I will talk about pirates.

I think that Rip is secretly a big fan of pirate type media, and may have, at some point during rebellious adolescence considered running away and becoming a time pirate himself.

Gideon was always a little sad that he never followed through with it.  His pirate dreams were a lot of fun, and she always thought she’d make a good pirate ship.

Rip - interactions. 

I think Rip has no idea how to interact with people on a normal, person-to-person basis, without some sort of great goal or mission in mind.

I mean, can you imagine the poor guy trying to engage in small talk?

Rip - groups

So, the most interesting thing about the JSA/Spear reveal in season two, to me (as a single-minded Rip fan) was that it showed that Rip has actually worked with a group before.  And surprisingly enough, seemed to be really effective at it.

I suspect a lot of it comes from the fact that by the time Rip recruited the JSA, they’d been working together for more than a decade.  And even back in 1942, they were pretty calm, focused and disciplined.  So it would have been pretty easy for Rip to present his case to them, and once they’d agreed to help, they would have devoted that calm, focused, discipline to the pursuit of their mutual goals.

But as we’ve seen: Time Masters tend to work alone.  So I doubt he had any real appreciation of the work that goes into creating a team like that.  Recruiting the Legends would have been a nasty surprise.

 Rip - pride, hubris, arrogance

I think that Rip does tend toward a certain arrogance.  I hesitate to call it hubris though, because I don’t think he tends toward “excessive” pride.  (I think Rip’s deadly sin is more wrath than pride, honestly.)

Rip’s arrogance comes from his abilities and experiences.  He’s a Time Master and he’s a damn good one.  He’s Captained the Waverider for twelve years.  He’s feared by time pirates.  He has a shit ton of skills and training to back that up.

I don’t however think he’s a snob.  I don’t think he has an innate sense of aristocracy, or the belief that he’s better than other people.  He was pretty quick to treat his team as his equals.  He respected Martin’s ability to use time equations, Jax’s ability as ship’s engineer, Sara’s ability to fight and to lead.  I think that his initial issues with the Rogues weren’t so much feeling as though he was better than them, as they reminded him of an origin/life that he very much wanted to forget.  There’s an interesting distinction there that might fuel its own blog post one day.

Rip’s secret keeping probably does have an element of pride, but I think it’s less about an inflated ego, and more a sense of “this is MY responsibility, I can’t put this on someone else’s shoulders.”  

Now the Time Masters on a whole?  The epitome of hubris.  There’s a reason that I think of them as the time-space Order of Hermes.  They scheme, they manipulate, they control, and they tell themselves that it’s for the best.  That they’re the best people to make these decisions.  And in the end, their machinations led to their own destruction.

Rip - resiliency

Rip is a survivor.  He kind of has to be.  We’ve seen the trauma list.  But I wonder if maybe his resiliency hasn’t met its match.  Rip’s been different since Land of the Lost.   More shaken, less certain.  And I don’t think it’s entirely about confusion over his place in the group.  

I’ve described Rip as a festering knot of rage and sarcasm wrapped in a duster (a description that I am rightfully proud of), but we haven’t seen any of that rage since Rip woke up.  Even when the poor guy was face to face with Eobard, all he managed was a tired sounding “in the brig”.  It’s worrisome.

Rip - attraction

Okay, so I mentioned before that I officially claim Rip Hunter as an asexual character.  Dude fell in love with a disembodied AI, whose only visual image is a floating blue head.  He’s one of us.

That said, it’s clear that he has romantic attraction.  We see that with Miranda, Jonah, and Gideon.  It’s not a very large sample size, I’ll grant you.  But what can you do.

But based on those, I would say that Rip seems to be drawn toward passionate, somewhat domineering personalities (Gideon’s subtler about it, but it’s definitely there), with strong convictions.  And he seems to especially like beings with a wild or uncontrollable streak.  

So this is where I reiterate the headcanon that Rip is romantically in love with his entire damn team.

(I suspect he also may have a bit of an oedipal/electra complex.)

(Bonus, slightly disturbing thought: if you look at Jonah Hex and then you look at Mick Rory, then it starts to be possible that there may have been yet another element involved in Rip’s initial difficulty in dealing with Mick.  Just saying.)

 Rip - relationships (any/all kind)

Hm.  Well.  For a Time Master, whose ethos specifically forbids most types of attachments, Rip seems to have collected a lot of them.

Miranda and Jonas are obvious, of course.

But there’s also the team, who he loves so much that even when he’s amnesiac he’s trying to save them.

There’s mentor/father figure, Druce.  Mary Xavier.  There’s Gideon.  The JSA (at least Heywood and McNider.  Courtney seemed more distant.)  Jonah.

There’s even that fucked up obsessed villain dynamic that he has with both Vandal Savage and Eobard Thawne.

I mean, really?  That’s a lot of fucking relationships.  He’s really bad at the no-attachment thing, isn’t he?

(Awkward crossover AU idea: Rip Hunter in the old Jedi Order.  or possibly  Rip Hunter, the galaxy’s worst accidental Sith ever.)

 Rip -privacy and  Rip - secrets (both keeping them and being out of the loop)

I think privacy among the Time Masters must be a really interesting concept.  They have AIs that monitor dreams.  Councils that regulate romantic relationships.  Devices to literally invade people’s minds.

That’s not a society that puts a lot of stock in privacy.

But I’m reminded of something I read about Japan, when I was much younger, which discussed how even though physical personal space was very different there than in the United States (as anyone who’s ever been crammed into a Japanese subway can attest), many Japanese people had other ways to establish personal boundaries and maintain some measure of distance from one another psychologically, even if it can’t always happen physically.

And it makes me wonder if the Time Masters don’t have their own ways of psychologically creating some measure of privacy for themselves.

It may explain why Rip finds it so difficult to open up to his crew.  What do you keep for yourself in a society where even your dreams are monitored?

That said, to Rip’s credit, he isn’t prone toward hypocrisy.  He doesn’t seem to have much of an issue when the crew keeps secrets from him too.  (He was concerned about Sara’s bloodlust, but he didn’t seem to be upset that she didn’t tell him about it, for example.)

Rip - touch

I think this is one of the ways that the Time Masters really fucked Rip up royally from day one.  Because Rip is so standoffish most of the time, so rigid and closed off, that he pretty much breathes “don’t touch me” vibes.

But as has been pointed out and illustrated in lovely gifsets, Rip is remarkably touchy-feely when people are injured.  Shoulder pats.  Face holding.  Hand holding.  And it’s not a matter of him tolerating their need for comfort.  He’s the one who reaches out.

He’s the one that, as soon as he’s freed from the brig in his mind, immediately clings to Gideon (though when it came to the kiss, she pretty much jumped up to meet him half way.  But that’s a different bit of meta.)

And then there was that weird sort of lean/not-lean into Jonah Hex’s space when they’re bantering about laser guns.

I think ultimately that Rip is not touch-averse at all.  He’s touch-starved.  He wants to reach out to people.  He wants to offer comfort and receive it.   He’d actually really enjoy a shoulder pat or a hand-shake, or a god-damned real, corporeal hug.  But he doesn’t know how to ask for it.

He gives “don’t touch me” vibes because he doesn’t know how not to.  And that’s so very sad.

Rip - respect

Okay, this one is more tangential.  But I always find myself wondering about Magister Druce.  I mean, specifically, his role in young Rip’s life.  Because Rip respects him and trusts him so damn much for most of season one.  EVEN after being lead into an ambush.  EVEN after knowing about Chronos.  EVEN after he issues the Omega Protocol.

And has that actor EVER played a good guy?  Ever?

But Rip’s utter shock when he learns the depths of Druce’s betrayal is unmistakable.

And the thing is, I’m not sure that the regard is entirely one-sided.  I’ve mentioned before that the entire Oculus reveal was basically unnecessary.  Rip was captured and likely to be executed, exiled, or just imprisoned for life.  Druce had no reason to remove him from his cell and explain everything.  Unless he seriously thought something would be gained by it.  I wonder, if Rip had given into despair and surrendered, if Druce wouldn’t have actually brought him back into the fold.  I kind of think that was the intention.  (Especially given the parallel cuts to Mick’s re-brainwashing.)

It’s pretty clear that they were mentor and student at one time.  But it seems like a little more than that.  This isn’t just a student’s respect and trust for a mentor.  It’s bigger, blinder, more unconditional than that.  It’s a child’s trust, and as we’ve seen, Rip isn’t particularly good at trusting anyone.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Druce had been grooming him from a very young age.  He might have even been the one who initially found little Michael on the streets and brought him in.  It would explain a lot.  Particularly the level of self-loathing that Rip has for his younger self.  Mary Xavier wouldn’t have encouraged that, and instead seemed gently tolerant of Michael’s issues.  Druce, however, may have.

And of course, then it leads to more speculation.  Rip may not have trusted the Time Masters, but he trusted Druce.  How much did he trust him?  Did Vandal Savage know how to find Miranda and Jonas because Rip told Druce where they were?

Rip - love (all of them). 

All of the types of love or all of the characters?  

Okay, so, this is another “I blame the Time Masters” bit, but I suspect that eros and philia are really easily mixed up in Rip’s brain.  It’s what comes of a society that stigmatizes normal human connections the way it does.  

I’ve mentioned before that I imagine Rip sees gestures of romance in the same way that we look at overtly sexual acts, and I stand by that.  In a lot of ways, I think he’d be more comfortable seeing sexual acts, as that’s just primitive biology.  Romance and friendship, concepts that prize connections between people, that prioritize certain people over others or even the world…  those are truly dangerous for a Time Master.

And considering that Rip did help break time specifically for his team, the Time Masters may have had a bit of a point.

But anyway, this is yet another chance to state my sincere belief that Rip Hunter is deeply in love with his entire team.  Even Martin.  Even Mick.  And of course, Gideon.  And he has no idea how to begin to parse out these emotions or what to do with them.

I think the Time Masters probably have a really interesting stance on storge.  There are certain implications that it’s frowned upon as well.  Certainly Jonas was a problem.  And I suspect there’s a reason Rip had to cross his own timeline in order to seek his mother’s help.

The one storge type of relationship that seems to be tolerated is Rip’s regard for Zaman Druce.  But perhaps that makes a lot of sense.  If the young Time Masters’ are only allowed one outlet for human connection, they will likely be very dependent on it, and therefore more easily influenced.

Agape is probably the love most favored by the Time Masters.  But I think it’s the love that Rip is least suited to.  Agape requires a level of emotional distance that I don’t really think Rip has.  Rip goes all in.

Rip - disaster. 

I feel like that dash should be an equal sign.  And that pretty much says it all.  :-)

Rip - loneliness

One very consistent character trait of Rip’s is that, in the end, he really needs to have people around him.  We’ve seen what he does when he’s alone: he either ends up succumbing to despair or engaging in tremendously bad, self-destructive ideas.

The truly depressing part about Rip’s story so far, however, is that he starts out as a man who is (except for Gideon, to be fair) completely alone with his grief, rage and guilt.  He ends up gathering a makeshift family of misfits and assholes.  But he still ends up suffering alone.  

Rip - leadership

Wisecracks aside, I don’t actually think that Rip is THAT bad as a leader.  As we’ve seen in the Spear flashbacks and  in Fellowship: when there’s a clear goal, with a clear direction, with a team that’s willing to listen, he does fine.

Furthermore, there are a number of really good decisions that he made in season one that he never really gets credit for: 

For example, naming Jax as ship’s mechanic.  This wasn’t just a lucky spur of the moment decision.  It was a decision made in the context of a growing issue.

If you recall, the relationship between Martin and Jax was a pretty important arc in the beginning of season one.  Martin had kidnapped Jax to bring him along, to begin with, while Jax had expressed doubts that he’d be any use on this kind of team.  They were also dealing with Martin being overprotective and domineering toward Jax, as a result of dealing with Ronnie’s death.  Martin had to learn to trust and back off of Jax.

So looking at that, then we can see why naming Jax as the ship’s mechanic was actually a legitimately brilliant management decision.

Jax didn’t initially have a lot of self-confidence.  He saw himself as the normal guy.  An ordinary mechanic surrounded by super geniuses and assassins and so on. (Not that there is anything wrong with being a mechanic.)

But Jax was a mechanic and a very good one.  And he was much smarter than he gave himself credit for.  This made him an ideal choice.  (And since he’s patient and mature, he’s far better suited than Ray, who while brilliant and mechanically inclined, is a bit too erratic for this kind of job.)

So Jax discovers that he has it in him to be an awesome Chief Engineer.  Instant boost of confidence.

It also has nothing to do with Martin or Firestorm.  As we’ve seen with Ray, when you have powers or cool tech, it can be very easy to put all your self-worth into one specific role.  And when you’re partnered with someone who can be a little overbearing, like Martin, then that can be a lot of added stress or a recipe for co-dependence.

But this way, Jax has something that proves that he has value as a teammate besides just being Martin’s partner.  It’s something that’s all his.  And it gives him more of a way to argue on equal footing.

And it gives him a way to seek privacy and vent if he needs to.  Need some time alone?  Important repairs.

Another good decision that Rip made was to pair Kendra and Sara in White Knights.  This was, if you recall, right after the episode where Sara had revealed her issues with bloodlust.  And of course, we learn that Kendra’s having a great deal of difficulty managing her Hawk powers and memories.

Neither woman would have likely sought the other out on their own.  As we saw, both had a considerable amount of distrust for each other at the time.  Furthermore, Sara’s used to suffering in silence, while Kendra was understandably overwhelmed with the changes in her life.

They’re both good people though and even though they’re not likely to ask for help for themselves, both women were inclined to try to help someone else.

So Rip pairs them up, points out to each how she’s uniquely qualified to understand what the other is going through.   And voila, both women are able to help each other, and then embark on a lasting friendship.

I don’t point this out to give Rip credit for either Jax’s achievements or Sara and Kendra’s.  He is certainly not the reason that Jax was a good mechanic or the girls became friends.

But in both cases, he was the one to recognize the potential that these characters had, and pushed them into a position to discover that for themselves.

And that’s pretty good!

In the end, Rip’s biggest obstacle as a leader is, I think, a measure of confidence.  He doesn’t have the confidence to open up to his team.  He doesn’t have the confidence to exert authority over his team.  So he is never able to quite direct or control them successfully.

Rip - ever be ready/willing to have a relationship again?

That’s a hard question.  I think at some point in the distant future, he would be ready/willing to have a relationship, but honestly, he’s nowhere near that point right now.  He’s not quite the jagged chasm of despair that he was in season one, thank goodness, but I think he’s still a bit too fragile.

One of the reasons that I ship Time Hex is that I think it’s the only relationship that I could see actually working right now, because all the groundwork was laid a long time ago.  Even if you don’t think they had something going on then, there was still a level of trust and camaraderie that predates Rip’s current fragility.

Prior to Turncoat, I thought Time Canary had a chance to work too.  He’s still kind of broken, but she’s kind of broken too, so I thought they might be in a place that they could help each other.  But then there was evil Rip.  And even though I think Sara’s already forgiven him, and had basically as soon as they saved him if not sooner, Rip isn’t anywhere near ready to forgive himself.  

And really, I don’t think Sara would pursue it either right now, even assuming she’s interested.  She has some idea of how lost and fragile he is right now, and how hard he’s trying to adjust to the changes of the crew, his role and hers.  Pursuing a relationship right then and there would probably feel like a potential abuse of power.  And I think Sara is someone who is always very conscious of that kind of thing.

Oddly, I also don’t think Rip is ready for Time Ship at this juncture, and I kind of wonder if that wasn’t maybe some subconscious push for him to leave the ship.  Because he and Gideon have been partners for a very long time.  She’s a rock and a sole point of stability for him.  But suddenly, thanks to his own impulsive gesture, there’s something new and chaotic in the mix.  I don’t think he’s remotely ready to process that.

Rip - relaxation. 

I’m not sure that I believe Rip is able to relax.  Even before his family died.  He just seems like the sort of person who is constantly focused on a goal or idea.

I’ve mentioned that I don’t see Rip as much of a chess player.  I think of him more as someone who would be putting together a giant 5 billion piece puzzle, or making something.  Basically solitary and creative pursuits.

Rip - nemesis.

Hmm.  Well, so far we had Vandal Savage and Eobard Thawne?  I admit though, I’d love to see the introduction of some rival ex-Time Masters or something.

But really, I want the return of Zaman Druce.  He was such a great villain.  I’d love to see him cross swords with Rip again.  (Also, Leonard Snart would be back too.  I know a lot of folk would enjoy that.  :-P)

[lettucecocreative-blog]

Baldur’s Gate – Exploration of the Highest Cheatin’ Degree

Chapter One - Candlekeep Chicanery

I’ve replayed the games in this series so many times I’ve lost count, and I love it. But sometimes, I just want to explore and not actually take the game too seriously, or see what else I can find out after all these years. So, I’ve decided to do a game break playthrough.

PC will be overtly overpowered, through the magic of EE Keeper

I’ll CTRL+Q anyone with a name into the party to check out what they may be able to offer

Essentially I’m looking for anyone with a class or cool loot

Also, where NPCs are met but can’t join at that time, I want to see what their stats, loot and classes are (it does differ, Imoen at Candlekeep is a mage with 12, 10, 9, 12, 12, 10 stats if you force join her then instead of waiting for her to find you after Gorion’s death)

I’ll be pickpocketing anything with a pulse (or at least a blue ring round its feet) to see what I can get and how that impacts the game (ie. if I pickpocket Gorion’s belt in Candlekeep, I get a second antipode belt after he dies)

And I’ll be just generally breaking shit – like getting into areas that shouldn’t be possible yet.

Now if cheating offends you, obviously, this playthrough isn’t for you. And seriously, relax guy!

Anywho, without further ado, I give you…Tarquinn!

As you can see Tarquinn is a multiclassed Fighter, Mage, Thief and I’ve also given him some cleric spells for good measure too, so he could easily solo this without a problem.

And then I’ve trumped up his innate abilities too.

Oh one note, I’ve set the game to normal (I was originally on storymode but I didn’t like that it altered their strength to 25, and wanted to give a proper showing of their stats, so I redid a bit of this first bit, just general fyi it looks like totally neutral npcs are set with stats of all 9s – ie. Winthrop, the Tutors). And, there’ll be a lot of spoilers too, so yeah, watch out for that.

 So, let’s go about and do some stuff. First off, we’re in Winthrop’s Inn – I’ve already got a set of bolts for Fuller for later, but let’s see what these guys have to offer us.

The locked chest in the downstairs has 18gp, armour and infravision mage scrolls.

No one on this level of the Inn has anything we can pick pocket.

 Winthrop:

No class, and no equipment. No spells or innate abilities either.

Note: As he’s a shopkeeper, I’d recommend not forcejoining him, else you’ll lose the shop, even though his shop sells nothing that impressive, it is a rest option.

 Firebead Elvenhair:

Now we can’t keep this load of the game else we’ll not be able to compare Firebead’s Candlekeep version with his Beregost incarnation, but he has no class so he’s useless to us anyway. He has an unidentified traveler’s robe and a dagger on him.

He is obviously a mage of some description though as he has mage spells in his mage book:

     Level 1 = Magic Missile

     Level 2 = Agannazar’s Scorcher, Horror, Melf’s Acid Arrow

And nothing innate assigned.

Note: If you do forcejoin him you’ll miss a quest in Beregost to retrieve a book for him. And make sure you complete the scroll quest in Candlekeep before forcejoining him too to get the full benefits.

 Tutors:

I forcejoined the two tutors in Winthrop’s Inn, and they had nothing also, but, one was ‘ready to level up’ and one had ‘1250xp’ to go to next level. Although the ready to level one’s level up button wasn’t actually highlighted/working.

NB: I didn’t bother rescreenshotting their stats after restarting the game on normal mode because they would clearly be all 9s.

So I decided to force some XP onto them to see what happens. And it forced a crash. But to be fair, I’m expecting a LOT of crashes.

Nobleman & Noblewoman

These two are classless, all 9s and nothing to steal/on them.

 Time to go upstairs of the Inn. The first locked chest just has a pearl necklace.

The second locked chest has 36gp and a potion of clarity.

The locked chest with the nobleman has 86gp and a flamedance ring.

The fourth locked chest has a star sapphire gem.

And the two nobleman have nothing that you can pickpocket. You will meet a Watcher here if you’ve just picked that chest open in the room with the nobleman, I’ve decided to just kill him and then I’ll go top up my reputation later at the priest quarters, but you could also just CTRL+Y him.

If you CTRL+Q the watcher, he’s very ordinary, has no class (literally!), just has the gear described below on him and that’s it.

For killing the watcher you get 175xp, but lose 5 rep points, and he’ll drop a quarterstaff (you’d think they’d at least get swords), a helmet and a plate armour. I’m going to leave the staff as it’s unsellable, but I’ll flog the rest off to Winthrop downstairs AND he’ll have to clean this up later. MUHAHAHAHAHA I’m so evil!!

NB: One thing to note, if you forcejoin npcs to your party, a lot of the time when you try to remove them they won’t show in the remove party screen, just click on the left most blank space and click remove and they’ll go. Also, don’t forcejoin anyone who is plot pivotal (I’ll note who those npcs are in this playthrough), else it’ll screw up your game royally. If you see an npc you really want, use the CLUA Console to create creature and add them that way (I’ll include instructions where relevant).

And removing the guard before killing him crashed my game, hooray!

Nobleman upstairs

Both are all 9s, no class, no equipment and can’t be pickpocketed for anything.

Tutor outside Winthrop’s

Again, he’s unremarkable – all 9s for stats, no equipment or spells or innate abilities.

Bag of Holding (cheats)

One thing I forgot to do at the start, create a bag of holding. With all my looting I’m going to want to hold it all, plus if I am meticulous about putting things away in the bag, then I can always tell when I’ve successfully pickpocketed, what items I pinched.

When creating these bags, some come with a bunch of times already in them, bag31 is consistently empty across the games, so it’s my go to. You can’t do this unless you’ve enabled cheats in your game (note that now it’s the baldur.lua file not the baldur.ini file you have to edit).

To enable cheats:

Open baldur.lua in notepad (it will usually sit in your C:/)

Add the following line SetPrivateProfileString('Program Options','Debug Mode','1')

Save the file.

NB: My file will look slightly different to yours because I’ve played multiple games on this install, so it’s got all sorts of stuff in it, like me trying to respawn M’Khiin in Siege of Dragonspear when she randomly disappeared from the camp.

Once the cheats are enabled, on a PC you use CTRL+SPACE to get the command bar up, and then enter the code as per below. You need to ensure you have at least one spare spot in your backpack before you create the bag though, else it won’t appear.

To create the bag:

C:CreateItem(“bag31”)

NB: Being pickpocketing anyone, even if you have godlike stats, always do a quick save just in case they go hostile, else you might fudge up your game.

 Phlydia

You can pickpocket this lady, and you’ll get a lynx eye gem for your trouble.

She’s classless, but has a little gear on her – gold necklace, dagger, unidentified robe of fire resistance and of course once you give it back to her, a copy of the history of halruaa.

Although no innate abilities, she does have a few spells in her arsenal – Magic Missile, Melf’s Acid Arrow, Stinking Cloud and Ghost Armour.

 Tutors between Winthrop’s and Dreppin

All unremarkable guys, 9s for stats, no gear, no abilities, no spells, no nothing.

 Watcher near Dreppin

Same old, same old, nothing but the usual armour, helm and staff.

Shank

Inside this building near the cow herder is an assassin named Shank, and he’s our first class assigned npc! Given how quickly he talks/goes hostile, he seems to be unpickpocketable.

Haha, I love this, he has a dagger as his weapon and wait for it…..a dagger in his quick items (which is illegal!), once you remove said dagger from quick items, you can’t put it back.

And, he even has innate abilities – why wouldn’t he use his poison weapon on us at this stage, it’d result in so many more reloads/deaths.

Interestingly enough too, if you kill him, only one dagger is dropped.

If you want Shank:

C:CreateCreature(“shank”)

Note: I’d recommend killing Shank and then after Parda approaches and talks to you, CLUA him in if you want him, else you *might* break the game.

Inside the locked chest is another dagger.

Parda

You have no idea how many reloads I had to do to CTRL+Q this mofo. But I gots him!!

And he’s average, epic sad panda. 9s for stats, no class, no gear, no nothing.

On reload after not forcejoining him, I managed to pickpocket him, and unsurprisingly, nothing.

  Sidenote, you can pickpocket one of the cows (the one closest to Shank’s hideout) but it has nothing, if you try to pickpocket any other cows it just looks like you’re trying to mouthrape them, which is bad mmkay.

Dreppin

No pickpocketing here, not even after you give him the potion for Nessa. He’s unclassed, and has just a staff and the potion on his person.

Priest

We can’t pickpocket the priest, and not just for moral reasons. He has no class, but he does have unique stats, and one spell on hand – hold person. Surely a priest should have lay on hands or cure or something instead right. He has no gear or innate abilities either.

Given we killed that watcher from before, we need to sort out our reputation, but we have bugger all money, so cheating time again.

Using the CLUA Console, I’ll add a cool mill to my coffers, once you hit the CTRL+SPACE to bring up the cheat screen, you can now (in Enhanced Edition) just click Give Gold and add as much as you’d like, before you had to use the command bar with something like C:AddGold(“1000000”).

And having spent 23,600gp (100gp x 1 which did nothing; 1,000gp x 11 two of which did nothing before I realised; and 2,500gp x 5), I’ve got myself up to 17 rep points. Plus I heard a couple of rumours.

NB: It says my journal was updated with information about a festival east of Nashkel, but nothing’s showing.

Tutor near Priest

Nothing. Just nothing. Stats all 9s.

Jondalar & Erik

Ol’ Jonds has a class of mage, whoddathunkit! Just a quarterstaff on his person though. And interestingly enough even though he has no mage spells memorized or learned, his magebook isn’t greyed out like everyone else so far that has had mage spells on hand.

So, Jondalar might be an interesting NPC – let’s level him up and see if he can learn a spell or two.

Yep, all works, I levelled him up from Level 3 to Level 9, and he wrote the Armour and Infravision spells to his book and memorised them like a champ.

If you want Jondalar in your party:

     C:CreateCreature(“jondal”)

Erik on the other hand has no class, but does have a bit of gear – quarterstaff, bow (which apparently he can’t use, and a hidden arrow that doesn’t show up if you right-click or try to move it).

Oh and he’s a super weakling, he’s packing 7lbs of gear and he’s over his limit of 5lbs. But if you’re quick enough, you can pickpocket him for his longbow.

Reevor

Again, classless, but he does have a battle axe and chain mail on him.

So I decided to see what happens when I forcejoin the rats and cats inside Reevor’s storehouse – well cats are straight 9s, rats have 3 str and 9 everything else, but rats do have super cute little paperdolls.

Hull

Nothing to pickpocket. But after you give him his sword, if you try again, you can pickpocket…..his quarterstaff. After you return his sword, he’s got a sword, helmet and plate armour (he’ll have a quarterstaff too if you didn’t pickpocket it). He’s unclassed, no spells or innate abilities.

Keeper of the Portal

Holy shit snacks, ol’ mate is packing 959 hp!! His class is unassigned, but his stats aren’t too shabby. His got a long sword, small shield and plate armour. And he says “I’m not a doormat!” when prodded. But otherwise, he’s not much chop.

So I levelled him up (didn’t break the game), EEKeeper’d a portrait and made him a fighter/thief. But the level up did nothing, so he’s really shiny but not much else. Oh and nothing to pick.

Gatewarden

No class, has a buckler, chain mail and a club. And nothing to steal either.

Priest (inside Clinic)

You can pickpocket this guy for a healing potion. But he has nothing else to offer, except 2 hold person cleric spells memorised. If you talk to this guy he’ll give you a healing potion for free too.

Reader

He has nothing to pickpocket or to offer your party, he’s all 9s.

I decided to forcejoin the three sleepers in the clinic, their inventories are greyed out, they have nothing in terms of actions when you select them and their stats are all 9s.

And the locked drawer has a further healing potion.

Obe

Nothing to steal, but is assigned the mage class.

He’s got no gear, and disappointingly only has level 1 mage spells to offer – Armour, Colour Spray, Identify, Magic Missile and Sleep, with all but Armour memorised.

Note: Even if you forcejoin Obe, he’ll still ask you periodically if you’ve had enough, but if you kick him out, you can’t talk to him to get out of the area, you’ll have to wait til he asks you again.

Arkanis*

Not to be confused with Arkanis Gath. This dwarven fighter comes with a helmet, a medium shield, chain mail, 60 arrows, a battle axe and a longbow

Note: He will appear in the catacombs under Candlekeep to help you when all the dopplegangers attack, so best to CLUA him in rather than use MoveToArea if you want that extra help later.

Canderous*

This human cleric comes with a small shield +1, a helmet, plate armour and a mace.

He also has a couple of level 1 cleric spells ready to go – Bless, Command, Detect Evil and Protection from Evil.

Candy also has Lay on Hands as an innate spell.

Osprey*

NB: Fun fact, I always thought Osprey was the elven sheila for some reason.

This half-elven cleric/mage multiclasser comes with a Wand of the Heavens, medium shield and a war hammer.

She has quite a few level 1 cleric spells available to her (out of shot is the Shilleagh spell) but only has Command and Magical Stone memorised at present. Plus she’s got two whole mage spells to choose from Identify and Magic Missile.

And bonus, she’s also got Invisibility as an innate spell.

Mordaine*

This elven invoker (mage) is carrying 80 darts and a Wand of Magic Missiles.

She’s got three mage spells to her name – Burning Hands, Chromatic Orb and Magic Missile.

And for her innate ability, she’s got Slow Poison.

Deder*

NB: Normally Deder would have a different portrait, but because I took that, the game’s given him Coran’s default portrait.

This Halfling fighter/thief (the default portrait does not say Halfling to me) has on his person a potion of healing, a potion of oil of speed, a short sword and a studded leather armour.

And as expected, Set Snare is his innate ability.

*How to get the NPCs from Obe’s training into your party:

1) CLUA them in:

     C:CreateCreature(“arkani”)

     C:CreateCreature(“cander”)

     C:CreateCreature(“osprey”)

     C:CreateCreature(“mordai”)

     C:CreateCreature(“deder”)

2) Export yourself after all the training you’ve had out of the area via CLUA commands back to Candlekeep (it’ll take you outside the keep, you’ll have to CTRL+J your party back inside the walls):

     C:MoveToArea(“AR2600”)

 The two locked chests in Obe’s training area have nothing in them.

Carbos

Carbos should be called carbon, because he’s a copy of Shank – can be pickpocketed for a dagger, has two daggers on his person, including 1 in the quick items slot and is assigned the assassin class.

Like Shank he also has two innate abilities – Set Snare and Poison Weapon.

If you want Carbos:

     C:CreateCreature(“carbos”)

Note: His death triggers Karan approaching and talking to you, I’d suggest CLUAing him in if you want him, after you’ve spoken with Karan.

Karan

He’s got nothing, all 9s, no gear, no spells, no innates, nothing. Exactly how are these guys meant to protect things in Candlekeep, the Watchers just have ordinary quarterstaff, even the priests don’t memorise cure spells.

Fuller

Even after you give him bolts, he’s got nothing to steal off him. He’s unclassed, and is only carrying 1 bolt (which I gave him), plate armour and a quarterstaff. Nothing else is doing – no innate abilities etc.

Note: Make sure you give him the bolts first if you do decide to forcejoin him, else you’ll miss out potentially on a dagger +1 (if your rep is good).

 The watcher in here has nothing special either.

But, to avoid having to deal with more watchers, I forcejoined the pair of them so no one could ‘notice me’ breaking into the locked chests, and here’s what I found:

#1 – dagger and long sword

#2 – war hammer and a dagger

#3 – battle axe (no, not someone’s mother in law)

#4 – long sword and mace

Imoen

If you forcejoin her now she won’t follow you after Gorion’s death, she’ll be there the whole time and you’ll miss that dialogue part but should be okay from there, however, you’ll be taking her with crappier stats and as a mage not a thief. She also has nothing on her at this point and nothing to pickpocket off her, so you’ll miss getting a wand early on, plus a few potions.

She only has one memorised slot per level (levels 1-8 only). Let’s see what happens if we level her up. I gave her 50k of xp and she’s now got 5 slots for level 1, 4 slots for levels 2 & 3 and 3 slots for level 4 and 2 for level 5.

Oddly she has 0/1 memorised cleric spells for all levels too.

Gorion

If you pickpocket him you’ll get his unidentified Belt of Antipode (you’ll get a second one of it off his corpse too).

He’s unclassed, has an unremovable unidentified (I clicked it and it identified itself) knave’s robe, a dagger and the scroll you find on his corpse. He has no belt because I’ve pickpocketed it off.

No wonder he dies – he’s only got Flame Arrow and Lightning Bolt on hand, and even then, not memorised.

If you want Gorion:

     C:CreateCreature(“gorion”)

Note: He’s pivotal to progressing the story, so if you want him CLUA him in, else you’ll not be able to progress the storyline properly.

Tethoril

You can pickpocket the identify scroll that Firebead quested you to retrieve off him, but you won’t get a second one from him if you do.

He’s unclassed but has massive hit points and looks like he’s begging to be forcejoined and dual classed.

Randomly, he has 0/7 cleric spells memorised for level 5, has flame strike and nothing else.

And, in his quick item it shows the identify scroll if you click him, but if you go into his gear, nothing. And once you click on the quick item slots, it disappears.

Note: He’ll rescue you from prison much later in the game, probably best to leave him be.

Chanters

Nothing to steal from any of them, they all have no class, and are just equipped with quarterstaves. They have varying stats, or at least the chanter has different ones from the voices, but otherwise nothing else to offer.

And that’s everyone currently in Candlekeep!

Fun fact for reading all the way through: Someone on the facebook group I’m part of for the BG series said you can kill Gorion. You can. But it’ll instantly kill you as well. And if you pussy out and send one of your people to go try to kill him for you (someone you’ve CTRL+Q’d) and Gorion kills them, then that autokills your PC too. Killing Gorion nets you 4000xp just before you die.