#and the rest of his new team and cliff gives him advice on how he can live with their shared problems

[nanzyn]

vibrating with energy thinking about my ocs and realizing parallels I can make between them

[seeking-the-stars]

⭐ TFP Starscream and RID2015 Starscream! ⭐

What if RID Starscream escaped prison and built a time machine (and other gadgets, like a device that will mess up Soundwave’s cameras and recordings) to travel back to the beginning TFP to get revenge on everyone? (Since RID Starscream has nothing left to lose, he also allows himself to be corrupted by Unicron’s power, so the changes in the timeline won’t make him cease to exist!)

*Imagine TFP Starscream (let’s call him Star) finding RID Starscream (let’s call him Nebula) after Star killed Cliffjumper.

*Imagine Nebula explaining to Star who he is and using the patch to show his memories as proof.

*Imagine the anger, fear, sadness and betrayal Star feels when he sees that everyone abandoned him, even Megatron and Optimus.

*Imagine Nebula telling Star his plan to make everyone suffer for what they did and will do and Star happily agreeing... at first.

*Imagine Star being braver around Megatron cause Star knows he’ll get revenge soon.

*Imagine Star giving Knockout the cold shoulder and refusing to talk with the medic other then about work, cause Knockout would’ve happily betrayed him in the future and Breakdown would’ve happily followed Knockout, if he survived.

*Imagine Knockout and Breakdown being confused and nervous by Star’s sudden coldness.

*Imagine Nebula wanting to kill Megatron so badly in his coma, but knows that he can’t cause of Soundwave and Laserbeak.

*Imagine Nebula tells Star to wake up Skyquake so Bumblebee can kill him, cause Nebula hates Skyquake and his brother, Dreadwing.

*Imagine Star being uncomfortable with this, since he believes that Skyquake’s death isn’t necessary for their revenge and they should leave him alone. 

*Imagine Nebula justifying it by saying if they spare Skyquake, he might ruin their plans.

*Imagine the sadistic joy Nebula feels seeing Skyquake die again, while Star feels empty.

*Imagine the cold and judgmental glares Star gives Optimus when he sees the Prime again, after Nebula told him that Optimus was more willing to give Megatron a chance then him.

*Imagine Optimus and the rest of the Autobots confused with how cold and quiet Star has become.

*Imagine Nebula convincing Star to trick Knockout into getting captured by MECH with Breakdown.

*Imagine Star feeling somewhat guilty for Knockout and Breakdown losing one of their optics each, but Nebula convinces him that they deserve it.

*Imagine after Megatron waking up, Nebula tells Star to humbly reject his rank of SIC, saying that Star will have to go neutral soon.

*Imagine Star not wanting to at first, but then Nebula tells Star that needs to go neutral for the plan to work and Megatron never respected him as his SIC anyway.

*Imagine Megatron and Soundwave being shocked and suspicious with Star wanting to give up his rank.

*Imagine Airachnid bragging to Starscream about being the new SIC, but Star just smirks and says: “I don’t know why your bragging about becoming an eventual punching bag, but I won’t judge.”

*Imagine Star and Airachnid out on their mission and Airachnid tries to make Star tell her why he was so willing to give up the rank he once loved.

*Imagine Star telling her that being SIC was gonna kill him, but now it will kill her and Nebula on a cliff, shooting Airachnid in the head with a sniper.

*Imagine Star being captured by Autobots and Optimus trying to understand the seeker.

*Imagine Arcee asking Star if he killed Airachnid. Star says yes. It’s technically not a lie.

*Imagine Optimus offering Star a chance to be an autobot, but Star angrily rejecting it, remembering Nebula’s words and memories.

*Imagine when the Autobots leave Star with Arcee, Arcee talks about Airachnid killing her partner and Star wisely stayed quiet when he remembered the advice Nebula screamed at him: “When Arcee talks about her dead partners... don’t... say... anything! She can’t know you killed Cliffjumper!...Yet.”

*Imagine Star and Arcee getting along until Nebula returns.

*Imagine Nebula (with a mask) rescuing Star from Arcee and Nebula piercing her chest with his claws, nearly killing her. (She survives, but they don’t know that.)

*Imagine Star actually feeling guilty, seeing Arcee dying in a similar way to how Cliffjumper died.

*Imagine Nebula telling Star that Arcee only liked talking to him cause she thinks Star killed Airachnid and she would hate him if she knew Star killed Cliffjumper. 

*Imagine Star’s mental health becoming more poor as he is stuck with the emotionally manipulative and vengeful Nebula in the Harbinger for a long time.

* Nebula: “Remember Starscream, nobody else cares about you and they will all leave you. I am your only friend. You need me to get revenge. You want revenge. Let’s make them all suffer.” 

*Imagine Star being scared of the possiblity that Unicron destroying the planet while on it, but Nebula calmly tells him that Optimus and Megatron will the chaos before it eaches that point.

*Nebula: “After all, Optimus is more willing to team up with Megatron, then give us a second chance...”

*Imagine once Unicron is defeated and Optimus becomes Orion, Nebula tells Star that the silver seeker will have the honor of killing Optimus, while the colored seeker steals more energon for their supplies.

*Imagine Star not being able to kill Orion/Optimus and not understanding why.

*Imagine Star helping Orion escape and get his memories back.

*Imagine Optimus being grateful and offering Star a chance to join the Autobots.

*Star says yes, seeing this as a way to get away from Nebula.

*Imagine Nebula being shocked, confused and enraged at these events.

*Nebula: “Why...Why are they all so willing to accept him as an Autobot, but not me?!?”

*Imagine this being the moment Nebula starts to become crazier then Megatron and now wants to destroy the Autobots and Decpeticons more then ever!

[bigskydreaming]

The really great thing about allowing Dick and Jason to have a good relationship before A Death in the Family IMO, is that it opens up sooooo many more possibilities for AFTER Jason’s return.

For example:

Imagine a scenario where Bruce is gone for a week or so, the ever so useful “there was an offworld mission or something” excuse will do. And during that time, Dick and Jason are patrolling and working together....and they have an encounter with a particularly nasty villain or serial killer or whatever you want to go with. The bottom line is something happens during that particular adventure of theirs that leaves them shaken enough that they agree not to tell Bruce about it (believing the guy is dead or something), and then they try and put it behind them and never speak of it again.

Except then cut to a few years later, after Jason has come back but before he’s reconciled with the family, things are still strained and tense when their paths so much as cross, but with added angst because an actual brotherly bond torn asunder by death, trauma and lots of changes gives you way more fodder to work with IMO than the singular facet of Dick feeling guilty for not knowing Jason better - I mean, you have to at least admit that does limit your options considerably, in terms of their interactions, BUT I DIGRESS.

But anyway, Jason doesn’t have anything against Dick in the way he does against Bruce, other than accepting Tim into the fold (which he does understand in a way, because its not all that different from when Dick accepted him into the family and Robin role despite having plenty of legitimate reasons to be a lot more reticent about that).....but they avoid each other because its just kinda painful, the fact that they don’t KNOW each other anymore, not the way they used to understand each other in ways even Bruce couldn’t always follow or understand. Plus Jason’s attack on Tim, even leaning on the Pit madness as an altered state of mind mitigating circumstance....like, that’s still a hard thing to get past, one brother being like “Hey, lets do movie night tomorrow and totes just skip over the awkwardness of me just coming from hanging out with Tim who still has bandages on account of you trying to kill him the other day”.....its not the easiest thing to navigate, yeah? 

And the fact that while Jason does understand its not fair to expect Dick to have like, iced out this kid he didn’t go seeking out or anything, just for the sake of Jason’s memory.....that understanding comes and goes with how rational or not he’s feeling any particular day, because he GETS it, but that doesn’t mean he has to like it and he is after all only nineteen, and capable of bouts of pettiness, lol.

So even without Dick barely knowing Jason or Jason hating or resenting Dick, there’s still plenty of roadblocks in the way of an easy brotherly reunion, plenty of understandable and valid emotions and priorities and choices that make everything a confusing mess and create conflicts of interest and just a general miasma of uncertainty where its like, even though they miss each other and would love to get back their sibling bond, they don’t even know where to begin trying to go about that, you know? And throw in the state of affairs between Bruce and Jason still, which can be summed up as picture the Cold War, but now when you picture ‘Cold’ think ‘Ice Age’ and you’re almost there.

Like. That is the Mt. Saint Helens of roadblocks right there. A big ass volcano sitting in the middle of the road and just cuz its dormant now doesn’t mean that it couldn’t at any minute erupt and blow its top and destroy everything within a several hundred mile radius, and that’s just before Bruce and Jason REALLY get steamed, like, that’s just their warm-up.

So. Y’know. Difficulties. They abound.

But now throw in secrets from the time before Jason died that only the two of them know and they never told anyone else, and adventures they had when it was just the two of them, Jason visiting Dick in Bludhaven or Dick enabling Jason in playing hooky in Gotham because at that time Dick rotates methods of pissing Bruce off and that’s his go-to move for Tuesdays, and crimes they solved together like Dick was working on an investigation and let Jason weigh in to practice his deductive reasoning without Bruce and thus impress him with how much he’s improved. 

(My personal headcanon of brotherly advice Dick imparts to Jason on how to deal with Bruce is him telling Jason “when dealing with a man who thinks holding impossible expectations IS taking it easy on someone, he doesn’t understand the question, can you repeat it please....like, in that case there’s no shame in stacking the deck a little, whenever that’s possible.’)

Anyway, point being.....all you really need is one singular bad guy that only Dick and Jason faced, together, when they were younger. Someone particularly nasty or sadistic, enough to disturb even them despite how much they’ve seen and lived. And who for whatever reason, both of them believed to be gone for good, maybe they thought he fell off a cliff into a conveniently placed body of water where no body could be found or blah blah blah look you’re smart cookies, you get it.

Take those few simple ingredients, chuck them in a metaphorical bowl and stir them all together and then leave on low heat to simmer.....

And voila. Just like that, you have a ready-made situation that forces Dick and Jason, specifically, to work together despite how tense and fractured things are between them, and needing to find a way to repair their brotherly bond and figure out how to work together the way they used to.......thanks to everyone’s favorite Tropey McTroperson wherein a villain most foul, long believed dead, seems to be back and up to his old villainy.....and only those two who faced him before know how to stop him.....and despite all the reasons they come up with in their heads for why teaming up together now is just a recipe for disaster and doomed to failure, this is on them. 

They were the ones who stopped this guy before, they were the ones who mistakenly believed he was dead and the threat he posed was gone for good.....which makes his dastardly return....dun dun dun.....unfinished business for them. Its personal. 

All the completely valid, well-reasoned and justifiable arguments for why its absolutely bonkers for them to try and make like the Dukes of Hazzard on this case as if they’re not at least a little bit miffed at each other for various things involving killing certain people and not killing certain people and trying to kill certain people and being totally unreasonable about the trying to kill certain people.....none of that is enough to get in the way of them doing their best to put all that aside for now and team up to stop this guy for good, the way they should have the first time.

Because let’s face it. One of the definitive areas of common ground that Dick and Jason share is when things are personal....they take it VERY personally. And when they feel responsible for something, like, you could get God on the phone to personally deliver absolution and assure them it wasn’t their fault, and they’d still be like “LOL yeah, okay, that’s a good one ‘God.’ Didn’t know all-knowing deities could be super hella wrong about things but hey, everyone’s allowed an off day I guess.”

Anyway.

Two brothers estranged due to extreme circumstances, trauma, loss, grief, blame, the completely unreasonable and frankly just rude passage of time, and assorted other reasons ranging from “you stole my favorite weapon-Bruce-definitely-didnt-know-I-had-and-kept-as-a-souvenir when I was fourteen and you STILL haven’t given it back” to “you can’t just shoot someone as your way of ending an uncomfortable conversation, Jason”......

But force them together via external situations or shared goals, and you have the perfect excuse to sidestep a lot of the more impossible to navigate conflicts born of comic book writers who don’t freaking know how to CHILL when piling on the family dysfunction......and engineer a situation where they pretty much HAVE to retrace previous footsteps, comb their memories for every detail they can recall about that case and in the process remember how close they were then, fall back into old patterns and rhythms while working together....and various other things that give you everything you need to transplant them mentally and emotionally to a time before all those conflicts and problems created by other people, not them, when things were....better. 

While through the mere fact they’re successfully able to fall back into old habits and patterns of working together at all.....you can put them face to face with evidence that despite how much they’ve both changed and everything that’s come between them, they are still fundamentally the same people they always were, and the shared experiences and common ground and all of that which enabled them to become brothers in the first place....its all still there, still able to be brought back out and dusted off and then used to forge a new brother bond that takes into account the ways they’ve changed since they last truly knew each other.

And none of that erases or solves the various complications and conflicts and issues that do still exist in the present, because of everything that’s happened in the past few years and the things they’ve all done.....BUT, it allows for Dick and Jason at least to rebuild or find a new, sturdy foundation on which to stand and plant themselves before wading back into all of that.....so at least now they do so with firmer footing, and with a clear direction and goal in mind.....navigating the emotional minefield from their respect opposing sides.....and aiming to meet somewhere in the middle.

And then with one family bond rejuvenated, revitalized and consciously reaffirmed by both of them......then its that much easier to turn their attentions to the rest of the family, one by one, and repair or forge those bonds through a concerted effort....not just Jason on the outside looking in, or members of the family on the inside looking out at him like he’s a poor, lost soul they need to save (I can’t help but picture Jason upchucking at the very thought, eww, how dare they)......but rather, a mix of both. Jason making his way back into the family via walking side by side with an ally on the inside who is still keeping pace with him so they can present a united front while they work towards a common goal they both want.....a family that acts like a family instead of like.....idk, y’know, that thing they act like in the comics that’s called ‘a family’ but also, they all hate each other and wish everyone else would die except for the times when they forget the others even exist at all.

Anyway. That of course, is just one angle that can be taken with them, out of the many possibilities that arise just from letting them have a good relationship before Jason died.....and all the shared history, in-jokes, secrets, camaraderie, grief, etc that comes with that.

My point is just.....I talk a lot rant a lot about the fanon and fic tendency to paint them as having barely known each other back then and with it largely blamed on Dick having been a stand-offish asshole because he has a chip on his shoulder named Bruce and its not a chip at all its actually Mt. Everest, yup, the whole dang mountain, yetis and all.......

And then I kinda just....keep it there on that and how much it bugs, because, y’know. It bugs.

BUT.

In keeping tunnel-vision locked on that and nothing else, I’ve never really expanded on the other byproduct of this fanon tendency that I think is worth considering:

And that’s the fact that this angle, this story? The one where Dick was a douche and Jason doesn’t really like him because of that until Dick apologizes for being a douche back then and begs for a second chance to do better, etc, etc? Its been told. Literally hundreds of fic writers have written that story by this point, and in the process limited...confined themselves, to this one singular possible dynamic between Dick and Jason when the thing is, like....that’s pretty much the ONLY story and angle that can result from Dick and Jason barely having a relationship before he died.....basically just various executions of acknowledging their previous lack of a relationship, assigning blame, making apologies and granting forgiveness, and then from there building a relationship from scratch. 

Obviously, people come up with unique spins on this all the time, I’m not saying the stories that do this are all exactly the same....just that there’s an innate ceiling to that particular premise, because when that specific dynamic of ‘no relationship really existed before’ is your one and only starting point......there’s only so many places you can go from that, and wind up in the present where you then proceed to have them make a relationship for the first time.

BUT. But but but but but.

The second you allow for the possibility that Dick and Jason DID have a relationship before ADITF, and it just happened largely ‘offscreen’ due to the fact that no solo Nightwing or Robin titles existed back then so there was nowhere to showcase just the two of them together......

You open up like.....so many more possibilities and angles and avenues and directions.

Because the thing is, y’know how so many people in fandom pride themselves on not feeling constrained by canon, or better yet, speak fondly about the idea of just taking a flamethrower to the whole damn thing and cackling maniacally while shouting “This one’s for Bruce/Dick/Jason/Tim/Cass/whomever your fave fam member of choice might be”?

Well. I mean. *spreads hands*

The second you flip the switch from “Dick and Jason barely knew each other and mostly didn’t like each other, this is the only canon that exists despite the fact that we just made it up because we could and canon can suck it”.....to.....”Dick and Jason did have a relationship and were close before Jason’s death, its just we never saw it develop on the page due to logistical constraints”......

Suddenly.....you have THREE WHOLE YEARS of possible interaction that you can literally cram full of WHATEVER YOU WANT, and canon can’t say a damn thing about it because its Schrodinger’s Adventures of Nightwing and Little Wing......without any canon viewing point set up to observe these interactions and thus force them into a singular form that you either like or you hate and set on fire.....those Adventures can look like aaaaaaaaaaaanything you want, and canon can kiss your patootie if it doesn’t like it!

Its three whole years of “lost family history” just waiting to be mined for all kinds of treasure, and you can unlock it in any number of ways once Jason returns, to any number of potential end points.

They could have faced villains together just by themselves during that time, they could have teamed up on investigations. They could have had sleepovers, Dick could have helped him cram for tests or covered for him when he just needed to take a mental health day because dealing with Gotham’s upper class can be exhausting and he doesn’t know how to explain that to Bruce in a way that won’t just lead to Bruce saying “I know, I get it, I hate it too” even though the ways in which its exhausting to Bruce and the ways its exhausting to Jason are not the same and not interchangeable.....but he doesn’t have to explain that to Dick, because Dick is closer to an understanding of it, he’s been there for a version of that himself, and they were assholes to him because of his lower class and unorthodox upbringing too.

You could have Jason tagging along on various official or unofficial Titans missions or just meet-ups, the way Jason teamed up with them for the Brother Blood story without Bruce ever knowing. Dick’s kid brother that nobody minded him bringing because they all adored him, and thus just by having him and Dick get along, you open the door to Jason having established dynamics and history with any number of Dick’s friends, allowing for a wide range of potential reactions to Jason and his Red Hood persona after he comes back.

You could have Jason being really invested in his brother’s relationship in Kori because he thinks Kori is just the fucking coolest, or you can have Jason secretly shipping his brother and Babs and thinking they’d be a much better match but keeping quiet about his opinion as long as Dick’s happy with Kori. You could have Jason panicked and turning to Dick for help and advice the first time he asks a date to one of his school’s formal dances, because he’s pretty sure he’d be able to provide actual proof that spontaneous human combustion IS possible, if he had to ask Bruce for romantic advice, like, aside from the fact that he’s seen flies trapped in amber whose relationships appear to advance at a faster pace than Bruce’s does with Selina, that’s his DAD, eww, he can’t ask his DAD to fill him in on what’s normal to expect and likely to be expected of him on this kind of/level of dating, but Dick? He can go to Dick for that, and imagine the adorbs potential. 

And the likelihood of various Titans coming up with the flimsiest of excuses to keep popping into the room in order to spy on the adorbs-ness, and the literal natural disaster that is the combination of Wally, Roy, Garth, Gar and Joey all trying to be ‘helpful’ and offer their own dating tips to Jason, while Donna and Lilith kick back with some popcorn while taking shots at the various boys’ expertise and credentials in this matter, if they’re gonna be offering advice to an impressionable young teen who doesn’t deserve to be saddled with having to learn from THEIR mistakes.

And on and on and on. Three whole years you can fill with any manner of adventures, secrets, shared stories, confessed ambitions and hopes and dreams for the future, commiserating on the parts of growing up in the spotlight in Gotham that Bruce just can’t relate to, sharing things from their pasts that they’ve never even told Bruce about purely because there are some things that are just easier to tell or talk about with a sibling close to your age than to your father.

But you see what I’m saying? Rounding Dick and Jason’s early relationship down to the barest bones until its practically being non-existent......that makes for a paragraph or at most a chapter dedicated to covering that ground, something that everyone pretty much expects to pop up in a story in order to address that history they have, or lack there of. And thus its never really a surprise to see it, there’s not a ton to take away from it, and it oftentimes ends up kinda just being filler despite even the best writers’ best attempts to make it engaging.....because there’s just not a lot to say about a relationship whose defining aspect is it didn’t really exist, and I’m pretty sure most writers would love to simply skip past that entirely and not even bother addressing it because it FEELS like writing filler a lot of times, I imagine. But at the same time, you kinda HAVE to include it and can’t really come up with a way to just leave it out entirely, without having a gaping hole in the meat of your actual story that explains how Dick and Jason got from there to here. Its a part of the story that everybody already knows, or expects.....but still demands being included, because canon just skipped over that entirely so there’s nothing from canon to even reference when shifting Dick and Jason into the kind of dynamic you want them to have or grow after his return.

And so its a paragraph or two paragraphs or a whole chapter that nobody really ever wants to write, because there’s not a whole lot of new ground to cover with it, and its kinda a cause for resentment, being stuck having to include it in every story covering Jason’s return anyway, even though there’s only limited ways you can stretch and exercise your creativity and expand on that particular angle.

But with Dick and Jason having an actual relationship pre-ADITF that is filled with nothing but whatever you choose to fill it with, whenever you feel like delving into it or dusting off an old memory or vacation or want to reveal some long-buried secret only the two of them know.....the sky’s the limit. Instead of that standard stock paragraph/chapter rehashing the take on that particular story that everyone already knows but narrative structure forces everyone to shoehorn in somewhere anyway.....there’s more than enough in those three lost/secret years of family history, especially specific to Dick and Jason, to serve as the basis for entire fics exploring that time, digging up secrets or mysteries that originated in that time, reminiscing about that time or diving back into existing dynamics with people Jason met through Dick during that time without having to write Jason meeting them or only getting to know them for the first time as an adult.

(Omggggggg, imagine a story that’s just Dick and Jason and Uncle Clark, or Dick and Jason and Aunt Diana, and like, Bruce is like I GO OUT OF TOWN FOR ONE NIGHT AND YOU SOMEHOW END UP WITH MY KIDS HELPING YOU FIGHT AN ALIEN/DEMON INVASION ON SOME OTHER PLANET/DIMENSION??? WHAT THE HELL!)

In conclusion, you hate canon and how much it fucks with the Batfamily? Totally with you. But this is the one period in these characters’ lives where canon doesn’t actually weigh you down or cage you in if you don’t want it to....instead it gives you the gift of being whatever the hell you want it to be, just so long as you make sure everyone ends where they need to be by the time ADITF happens. (Assuming you don’t just end up going full AU by that point since there’s no law saying Jason HAS to die or else the DC universe will destabilize and implode in upon itself).

Anyway, I’ve waxed poetic about this long enough, I think, and without a single line of poetry to show for it, but that’s for the best. Me to poetry is like a butcher to a carcass, but only if this particular butcher is very bad at his job and always makes a mess everywhere, and it just never ends well for anybody.

And now, as usual, I end an overly long post that exhausted my brain cells and made me sputter to a stop just before I come up with an ending to the post that actually makes sense and isn’t just me going, hey you know what, maybe there is something to be said after all for the Sopranos’ sty - 

[themuzzleofnemesis]

2-Memory of the Forest; Scene 6

The Muzzle of Nemesis, pages 58-70

Mr. Ziz looked more comfortable in the open sea than the underground lake after all.

He was moving around in the water unusually actively. Dite had asked if he was going to run away, but I replied that I wasn’t worried about that.

The remaining members of our group waited for Narcissus and the others to return at Elphegort’s western coast. Once the small transport boat returned, we had to pack all of the gold inside it into our car. The car was also something we had been lent to us by Kandi, but Helio had taken a liking to it, and so quickly learned how to operate it.

Before long it was about time for the crew to be escaping from the S.S. Titanis. The transport vessel’s exterior was made up to look like it belonged to the World Police (--Or rather, it seemed like it actually was a real World Police transport vehicle, and Racle had been extremely interested in how Kandi had gotten his hands on it), so as long as they didn’t reveal their true identity and didn’t get spotted at the scene of the crime the approach and retreat should have been relatively simple.

“Oh—That’s it, isn’t it?” Nike pointed across the water.

I could see that there was indeed a large vessel moving towards port. That must have been the S.S. Titanis.

“We’d never be able to ride on such a gaudy ship even if it took us the rest of our lives,” Dite murmured seriously. “It’s real strange. It’s hard to find work for Elphe people like us in Aceid.”

What she spoke was an undeniable truth, and there was a reason for it.

About seventy percent of all the business conducted in Aceid was under the thumb of the foreign-made Freezis Conglomerate, and as they had a policy of prioritizing non-Elphes in their employment practices, this resulted in the reversed situation of native Elphe people being unable to get jobs in their own country.

The Yarera Zusco Conglomerate headed by an Elphe as its chairman was strengthening their authority when looking at the country of Elphegort as a whole, but their chief areas of business were mostly localized, and the capital city of Aceid was still the domain of the Freezises.

The town of Aceid, having been somewhat taken over by foreigners, had become difficult to live in for Elphe people. “Zeus” was a team comprised of Elphe children who had been forced into poverty.

Only, strictly speaking I wasn’t a pure-blooded Elphe. At the very least my mother’s hair color differed from mine, as it wasn’t the vivid green that Elphe people were known for. So perhaps my father had been an Elphe, and I inherited more from his side. I was grateful that my friends accepted me in spite of that.

--I could see a boat coming this way. Not the S.S. Titanis. It was much smaller…There was no doubt about it. That was the small transport vessel carrying the gold and Narcissus’ team.

“Yahoo!” Helio cheered.

They were a little later than expected, but the break-in crew had returned.

Everyone gathered around the ship as it arrived on the shore. We were a little worried as the door didn’t open right away, but it did eventually, and first to come out were Narcissus and Gai.

--In that moment, I had an ominous feeling. Maybe it was the same with everyone else.

Gai came out dragging his leg, leaning on Narcissus’ shoulder for support.

“What happened?” Dite ran up to Narcissus and the others. I and Nike followed behind.

I could see Pan, Racle, and Ilei on the other side of the door.

And gold, piled high.

Yet in spite of that all of their expressions were dark.

And—Remes was nowhere in sight.

“They killed Remes,” Narcissus murmured sourly.

“…Huh?” Dite was in shock, not seeming to grasp what he had just said.

“Midas’ bodyguards. They fired at us without hesitation…”

“That can’t be…” Dite covered her face with her hands, and began to sob.

“What…happened to Midas?” I asked; Narcissus shook his head regretfully.

“It all went wrong. He’s still alive, and worse, he saw our faces. We couldn’t collect Remes’ body either…It’s all over. Once the S.S. Titanis reaches land we’ll all either be handed over to the police or killed by Midas and his goons.”

“—Then let’s run away, right now!”

“Run? Where would we run to? Even if we leave Aceid they’re sure to follow us.”

“Then maybe we could ask Mr. Kandi for help…”

“We can’t.  He’ll cut us loose, now that it’s turned out like this. He might even come after us to get rid of the evidence. …That might be the worst outcome for us right now.”

“Who is he? This Kandi.”

“…He’s a higher-up of the Freezis Conglomerate. More than that, I don’t know.”

“--!?”

“Whatever the case, it’s all over for us…for Zeus.”

Zeus, over—maybe this sounds foolish, but until yesterday I had never thought such a thing could happen.

Maybe we shouldn’t have been punching above our weight class. Despite how cocky we were with running the slums, we were just kids after all…Even so, we’d convinced ourselves there was nothing we couldn’t do.

--There was no use in regretting it now. I had to do something about this situation, and now.

If I didn’t, I would lose the sense of belonging I had only just managed to obtain.

I—didn’t want that.

.

Give it over

Give over everything to your feelings

.

…I felt as though I could hear a woman's voice.

"Did you say something?" I asked Nike, but she shook her head, puzzled.

Dite was still crying as she had been. It likely wasn’t her either.

So then who was it?

.

Give it over

Give over everything to your feelings

.

Again.

This time I could tell clearly that this voice was merely echoing inside my mind.

.

Give it over

Give over everything to your feelings

.

There was no mistaking it.

That was none other than my own voice.

And yet, it was somehow almost pleasant--

.

Give it over

Give over everything to your feelings

.

--That was exactly it.

There was no need to hesitate.

I…would do as I wanted to.

To save everyone.

To save myself.

I would remove anything that got in the way of that.

I—could do it.

.

Before I knew it, I was standing on a cliff near the shoreline.

Directly below me I could see the transport vessel and my friends.

And across the sea—from here I could clearly see the figure of the S.S. Titanis.

There wasn’t a lot of time left until it reached the port.

…Mr. Ziz.

I spoke to him where he was within the water with my mind.

Even without words, I could reach out to him.

--Obeying my orders, Mr. Ziz rapidly headed towards the S.S. Titanis.

All the while his body steadily grew bigger.

At a speed I had never seen before today.

The people onboard the S.S. Titanis were likely in a frenzy at seeing such a huge octopus drawing closer to them.

But that was temporary.

.

Midas and the other passengers onboard the ship would sink into the ocean.

.

When he had grown as big as he could, Mr. Ziz’ tentacle closed around the S.S. Titanis.

He began to shake the ship as though he were a child with a toy.

One by one his tentacles began to seize the ship—until at least it was completely covered by them.

--All in all, it took maybe several minutes to transpire.

When Mr. Ziz pulled his tentacles away and once more sank into the sea…

The S.S. Titanis was nowhere to be seen.

.

How many people were aboard that ship?

I didn't know, but it had to be a lot.

I had all too quickly stolen their lives.

I was aware that I had done something unthinkable.

Yet, for some reason it was extremely funny—

And before I knew it, I was smiling.

.

When I returned to the coast, my friends appeared to have noticed what happened with the Titanis.

They were aware that I could control Mr. Ziz.

Naturally, they knew who had sunk the ship.

“…”

No one said a word.

--I had done it on my own.

I hadn’t been wanting them to thank me.

…But you guys, at the very least.

Don’t look at me like that.

Like you’re gazing upon some frightening thing.

“…Let’s go.” The first to break the silence was Narcissus. “Get the gold bars into the car. Before someone comes.”

At those words, everyone moved into action at once.

We carried the gold from the boat and packed them into the automobile’s luggage compartment.

Midway through the work, Pan quietly whispered to me from nearby, “—Thank you.”

I stared at him, without meaning to.

“If you and Mr. Ziz hadn’t done that, we’d have been done for.”

“…”

“Everyone knows it. We were going to commit murder from the get-go. …It’s just that the number’s changed a bit.”

“I…guess.”

“And everyone aboard that ship was rich—the kind who would normally be sneering at poor people like us. You shouldn’t worry about a pack like that dying from getting caught up in this. …Oh, look.” Pan pointed to the sea. “Mr. Ziz is coming back. You should go get him.”

Following his advice, I walked away from the car and headed towards Mr. Ziz.

He looked extremely worn out when he popped up from the water. That was understandable.

“…You did well.”

I pulled him into my arms.

When I did, something fell down to the sand from between his tentacles.

“…?”

I scooped it up.

…It looked like a doll.

A small doll designed to look like an Elphe girl.

“What are you doing with this…?”

It was filthy, but I couldn’t find much damage on it considering it had been submerged in the water.

Maybe this had belonged to someone riding on the S.S. Titanis.

“…”

I didn’t mean for it to be any sort of atonement, but if this was a belonging of one of the deceased, I couldn’t bring myself to throw it away.

And…I had heard that some dolls could sell for extremely high prices.

I would take it home with me.

By the time the car laden with gold reached Aceid, the sun had already set.

From there the car raced towards our hideout.

I was in the luggage compartment with my other friends. It had a canopy over the top, so neither us nor the gold was visible from the outside.

The interior of this car that Kandi had lent us was extremely luxurious, and it had a radio installed in it.

Today’s news broadcast through the speaker.

“—At noon today the passenger ship S.S. Titanis sank in the Hark Sea as it was returning to port. The World Police are still investigating into the cause at present. The exact number of deaths among the passengers and crew is unknown, but it looks fairly hopeless from the current situation. …Just now we have received a list of the names of the passengers who met with this unfortunate accident. I will read them in order. –Midas Touch, Robert Thayne, Ellie Thayne, Wise Rogzé, Mira Marlon, Michelle Marlon—"

<<prev------directory------next>>

[xianglingslesbian]

ewbts - my top moments

no i will never stop laughing at that abbreviation it’s beautiful. buckle in because this is gonna be long, and probably don’t read it unless you’ve watched/read kuroko’s basketball and like izuki lmaoooo

chapter 1: hatchling, awaken

Izuki swallows. “Why do you all think I can do this?”

Then Kiyoshi turns to him with steel in his eyes (that must be how he got nicknamed Iron Heart - he seriously never backs down!) and asks him very clearly, “Why don’t you?”

Why don’t I think I can be captain?

“Because nobody thought I could be until now.”

aka “ceru is a masochist”, exhibit 1/???. anyway lets hear it for insecurities!!

chapter 2: liftoff

Predictably, Kuroko drags him aside at practice the next day and says, “I have something to tell you, Izuki-senpai.”

Izuki smiles at him. “Is it about your five evil exes?”

Kuroko looks horrified. “My what?!”

i think im funny

chapter 3: crash landing

As Izuki walks off the court, he looks for flashing glasses and grey eyes.

He curses himself for the heavy sadness that falls over him like a blanket when he doesn’t spot them.

yay for “ceru is a masochist” exhibit 2!

Oh, he [Izuki] watched videos of Aomine, came up with strategy after strategy to corner him, but videos and strategies can only go so far. Aomine in real life is something else entirely, a flash of lightning setting the court on fire with the sheer elegance of his crazy street basketball. All one can do is sit back and watch, awed beyond belief. Nothing can curb the wild madness that is Aomine Daiki – unrestrained, gleeful insanity dancing across the court like it’s his playground.

i also rlly like this line, it has some pretty imagery and we all know im a slut for pretty imagery~

chapter 4: a broken bone grows back stronger

“All right,” Koganei says to himself, moving to stand in front of the hoop. “One more time.”

He jumps, raising the ball to just above his face and releasing it. It misses, and he lets out a cry of frustration.

Can he even do this? Is it worth the time?

Koganei bites back the wave of guilt that washes over him at the thought. Izuki, Kiyoshi, Tsuchida, Rinnosuke, Kagami, Kuroko – he’d be letting them down if he didn’t give this his best shot. They’re all so dedicated to basketball that they each have a special skill honed from years of practice and love for the sport. If he can’t bring anything of his own to the table, what will he mean to this team? Seirin makes him want to be a team player, to add his skills to theirs rather than shining on his own. The change is good, yes, but he doesn’t want to stop there – he doesn’t want to be useless.

He will not be useless.

a bit of context: in this fic, since hyuuga did not return, koga became the SG for seirin :D i think my favorite character to develop, apart from izuki, was koganei - it was so fun to imagine all the ways he could have gone!

chapter 5: spreading new wings

All too soon, the day of judgment arrives, and Seirin convenes in the gym one last time before they head off to the Winter Cup building. No one says anything; not Kagami, fresh from his training trip to America, not Izuki, not Kiyoshi or Riko. They simply stand there, breathing in the scent of cleaner and leather and something else that’s so entirely Seirin, and knowing that no matter what happens this Winter Cup, they will return to the gym different people than they were before.

Different, and better.

Then they head out and off to the opening ceremony of the Winter Cup, not looking back once as they do.

yay for more pretty words!!!

“Oh, no worries. The actual motivational part is coming. Anyway, as I was saying – Tōō was just better than us that day. It’s hard to admit, I know: far easier to blame yourself, say you didn’t give it your all, but you know; we all know. It was their day to shine, not ours. But I think we’ve worked hard enough and are in a good enough mindset to change that, today. We aren’t scared or apprehensive about Tōō and Aomine, because we’ve faced them before. We know what attitude they’ll walk into our game with, and that’s what we’re going to exploit!”

“You’re going to exploit,” corrects Tsuchida. “Unlike you, the rest of us aren’t manipulative bastards.”

That raises a bunch of cackles, which quiet down when Izuki gives his team a glare. It doesn’t work on Riko, however, who sniggers under her breath and smirks at him.

izuki highkey sucks at pep talks lmao

chapter 6: ride the storm

Kagami and Aomine were made for each other. Made for this rivalry, this intense competition that will push them to their very limits and carry them onto a plane that no ordinary human can reach. Neither can defeat the other per se - they’re destined to stand neck and neck forever. However, one has a trump card on his side; and that trump card can make all the difference in the world.

Aomine Daiki may be strong, but Kagami Taiga is just as good. And damn him if the power of Kagami’s determination coupled with Kuroko’s unshakeable support won’t overwhelm the undisputed king of basketball.

Move aside, light bulb, Izuki thinks vindictively. The tube light is here to replace you.

pretty words. gay words. i love them (aokaga + izuki being a salt man lmao).

chapter 7: eagle versus aegis

“So bitter,” he [Izuki] reflects aloud, answering Himuro’s question.

That’s the emotion in his eyes. That’s what I might have become, if I had let my anger grow.

And suddenly he isn’t seeing Himuro Tatsuya anymore, but a version of himself, a version with darkened eyes and a mocking smile and pain and rage bubbling below the surface. Immensely talented, but not able to break the last barrier. Because he’s an ordinary man, and it’s as much as an ordinary man can do.

Strong, so strong. But also so terribly, heartbreakingly weak. Weak in a way that today’s Izuki Shun will never be.

GOD where do i even start w/this scene its literally everything i’ve ever wanted to write ksjfhsfj

chapter 8: clawing through mirages

Izuki’s taken aback for a millisecond before he continues his mad dash towards Murasakibara, letting out a war cry as the center makes to simply toss the ball into the hoop.

“It wasn’t their intention,” says a quiet but familiar voice. “But, this is the result of Kiyoshi-senpai and the other upperclassmen’s tenacity.”

Izuki grins, feeling new strength fill him up.

Together, huh? Okay. Together.

“This is where it ends for you!” shouts the voice, becoming stronger.

Not one, but two hands knock the ball out of Murasakibara’s hands and onto the ground. Kuroko shimmers into vision, smiling at Izuki with all the happiness in the world, just as the final buzzer rings.

i loved writing this match tbh, yousen is super underrated!

chapter 9: catch the updraft

21 - 22, in their favour at long last. Izuki grins at Kasamatsu, who shakes his head wearily.

“Using my own advice against me. What a terrible student you are,” he says, affecting an old man’s voice.

“The true student is the one who beats the master at his own game,” Izuki says quickly, sliding back into their familiar banter. “I swore to myself, my drive would beat your drive today, kitakore.”

“When did you get so wise?” asks Kasamatsu with a sigh, ignoring his pun and receiving the ball from Kobori, who was quick to grab it once Koga scored. Izuki just laughs, not bothering to reply and instead focusing carefully on Kasamatsu’s movements.

Kasamatsu shifts his weight right, left, then right again. Izuki narrows his eyes, trying to figure out what the hell his upperclassman is doing—

But it’s far too late, as Kasamatsu successfully passes through his defence in his moment of distraction, ball clutched tightly in hand. The sound of the scoring whistle is shrill and unpleasant to Izuki’s ears, and his chest stings at the loss.

“What was that about the main course?” Kasamatsu teases, wearing an enormous grin as he comes forward to guard Izuki once more. 

izuki + kasamatsu banter is so so fun to write y’all have no idea

chapter 10: headwinds

This is your fault. If you’d been a better captain, a better point guard, a better everything, none of this would’ve happened. Seirin would have been well in the lead and controlling the game—

Izuki shakes his head violently, trying to get rid of his intrusive thoughts. He knows he’s a good captain, and doing this to himself will do no good for the rest of the team. He has to be strong for them. He has to lead them to victory, he can’t be a weak person overwhelmed by emotion. But it’s so hard to breathe, suddenly, and Izuki’s about to sink when—

“Don’t worry, Captain. I’ll take care of this match today,” says a confident and familiar voice, and a hand claps down on Izuki’s shoulder. He turns, a little surprised by the sudden contact, to find Koganei’s cat mouth set in a determined frown. “You can rest your hopes on me. I’ll be Seirin’s wings for as long as you need me to.”

kogazuki brotp feels man. kogazuki brotp feels.

chapter 11: cliff edge

Riko nods, sobering up a little. “I do know. And… I have to admit, I was a little harsh on you in the early days… I kept comparing you to Hyūga-kun.” She looks at the ground briefly, then raises her head to continue, meeting Izuki’s eyes with no hint of doubt in her own brown irises. “But then I saw how different you were. How you were never willing to give up, even if you were the worst player in the world. That’s what… that’s what made me truly believe in you.” She swallows thickly, taking a deep breath, but not averting her gaze from his.

The honesty and trust in her eyes is what shatters Izuki’s calm.

He steps forward, and she rises too, opening her arms. Then he hugs her tightly, murmuring, “Thank you for having faith in me.”

The “Of course. You’re family,” that she whispers back fills Izuki’s already overflowing heart even further.

Eventually, he lets her go, and she drops lightly to the ground, straightening her sweater and skirt.

“We never speak of this,” Izuki warns her, moving towards the door of the room.

Riko nods, back to her usual haughty demeanour. “Of course. No one can know we’re actually big softies who care a lot for each other.”

“To them, we’re just sarcastic jerks,” Izuki agrees. “And that’s the way it stays.”

anyone said izuriko brotp???? this fic is just platonic feels tbh

chapter 12: overcast skies

What should I do? Someone tell me! the voice cries out in Izuki’s head, a voice he hasn’t heard since the loss to Tōō. It is the same voice that whispers all his insecurities in his ear in the dead of night when no one is around to reassure him, the same voice that gave rise to all his fears and worries. It is the voice of the vulnerable and weak part of Izuki, the one that needs someone to guide him with a gentle hand, and he hates it.

It is a voice that, frankly, he never thought he would hear again. Yet, here it is, crying out for attention, screaming for someone to help.

He thought he had left it behind. It turns out he was wrong.

Izuki shoves it deep into his heart with more effort than he’s exerted all game, breathing a heavy sigh when he succeeds in locking it behind the glass wall that keeps his emotions away.

let’s hear it for “ceru is a masochist” exhibit 3~

chapter 13: nosedive

“I don’t know who you are,” Koganei completes his little speech, anger brimming in every part of his being. “But I know that my captain is Izuki Shun, not Akashi Seijūrō. The coach can bench you if she likes; we can fight without our captain, because we know he wants us to win for his sake. We’ve been fighting without him all the match, and we can continue doing so. We don’t need a player that can’t play with the same passion as us!”

Izuki looks at the ground and doesn’t respond. Somewhere within, something is stirring at Koganei’s words. Something that cries out to fill the gap inside him.

Next to speak is Kiyoshi, standing up and executing much the same move as Koga had by yanking Izuki up by his collar. However, Kiyoshi pulls Izuki into a standing position so that Izuki is half-leaning against him.

Brown eyes meet black, and Kiyoshi simply states, “I didn’t expect this from you, Shun.”

Then he rears his fist backwards and punches Izuki in the jaw.

“ceru is a masochist” exhibit 4!

chapter 14: bird of prey

“I just… I didn’t think you’d give up so easily.”

Koganei’s head shoots up. There’s fury in his eyes, and his face is white. His hands are shaking.

Izuki continues, calm and careless as he always is, “Really… after you gave me all that talk at halftime? I don’t believe this is you.”

Koganei’s jaw clenches, and he cries, “But I have done everything I can! He’s just too good—”

“And when has that ever stopped you?” Izuki keeps his voice quiet and even, but it has the gravity he intended it to - Koga falls silent immediately, eyes wide and riveted on him. “When have you ever backed down from fighting? You don’t know the meaning of giving up. You’ve never cared about whether someone’s better than you. I knew a shooting guard once, just like you, and he had the potential to be the greatest in the world. He was held back because he cared that he was worse than others. But you? You never blinked at it, just practised and practised until you could do the impossible.”

His words are getting louder with pride; he’s unable to keep it steady with the outpouring of emotion in his speech.

“Tell me, who can master Ray Allen’s form in one and a half years? Who can be such a rookie at basketball, yet be able to fight an Uncrowned King and respond to a shot that has left all its previous victims unable to move?!” Izuki leans forward and jabs a finger into Koganei’s chest demandingly. “Tell me, who the hell was that?!”

“Me,” Koga whispers timidly, looking down.

ahhhh yay for more platonic comfort and bonding. *izuki voice* yelling is the way to get ur team to get their shit tgt

chapter 15: born to soar

Izuki finds himself moving, barely thinking as he grabs the ball and bawls for an attack. He’s running faster than he ever has, flying up the court like there are wings on his legs. No one follows at his pace - they’re all too far behind.

No one but Kiyoshi.

The rhythm beats louder than ever, a heavy pulse in Izuki’s head and heart. He can feel Akashi on his heels and knows he needs to do something.

One second left—

Izuki’s hands move on their own, passing the ball to the one person he knows that he will always find.

Kiyoshi catches it and jumps.

Fortyfivethirtyfivetwentyfivefifteen—

The ball leaves his hands.

Fivezero—

The whistle blows to end the game. Kiyoshi’s shot hits the backboard and drops straight into the basket. Time stops as a shrill sound screeches into the air and the ref shouts, “124 to 123, Seirin High wins the Winter Cup!”

there we go. the most heartwrenching scene of this chapter ahhhhh

chapter 16: final flight

“We should go. Don’t want to keep them waiting too long,” Kiyoshi says, staring daggers at Hyūga, who to his credit doesn’t flinch but merely stares back.

“Let’s go, then,” Izuki agrees. He looks straight at Hyūga and allows a small, formal smile to play on his lips. Hyūga just nods, accepting the answer.

Izuki nods back, then turns around and starts walking away. But even as he moves toward the exit, something weighs heavily in his tired chest. For the first time in a long time, he isn’t confident in his decision.

Acting on impulse, he turns on his heel and yells out, “Call sometime, maybe!” before walking backwards out the door that Kiyoshi holds for him.

It’s an open-ended suggestion. Hyūga can choose to wallow and ignore it, or he can choose to pick up the phone. Izuki isn’t going to do so either way - he’ll be happy if Hyūga makes that call, but he won’t be terribly sad if he doesn't.

This time, he’s going to be the one that walks forward without looking back.

ahhh okay so this scene means a hella lot to me personally because... i had to grow, the way izuki grew. izuki’s now strong enough to sort of put the olive branch out and say, “take it or leave it,” and if it’s left he’s not gonna be upset. that’s something i really learned with a lot of difficulty and i think that that growth - in both me and him - is a lovely thing.

and there we have it! my favorite moments from each chapter of this story. *cries in a corner* god i can’t believe it’s over...

THANK YOU FOR THE JOURNEY!

[deadendtabletop]

Dungeons & Dragons 4: ReDo (or, movies from the multiverse)

This is a hypothetical outline for a D&D movie that will never be, largely put together for shits and giggles.

Elevator pitch version: After a disastrous first 3 campaigns, the group asks Steve, their previous GM, to stand down, while Dave, a newer player, tries to run a game for them. His campaign far exceeds Steve’s previous failures, resulting in Steve trying to derail Dave’s game out of spite.

Dungeons & Dragons 4: ReDo is a sequel in the hypothetical gaming universe that the first 3 D&D movies occupy. However, the purpose of ReDo is not to tell a ‘fantasy’ story, but to instead tell a gaming story. With that in mind, here are a few principles to keep in mind.

This is primarily a gaming narrative: taking a page directly from the legendary KoDT strip and the movie Gamers, ReDo is made up of the real-world round the table interpersonal narrative and the fantasy story. However, these are not separate worlds. Out of game chicanery and revamps affect the game world and inconsistencies aboung.

All previous D&D movies are canon, even the ones that contradict themselves: as this is a gaming narrative, the idea is not to create a ‘cohesive’ fantasy setting. Instead, it’s the tale of a gaming group with their own dramas and meltdowns, pretending to have an epic quest.

The conflict in the gaming table affects the fantasy and vice versa: D&D and tabletop gaming a primarily social experiences. Drama in the real world can derail the game and crappy in-game behavior can result in squabbles. A negative experience for the DM can also reflect itself in the game and this has to be part of the movie.

The setting is recognizable but secondary: the story takes place during the Tomb of Horrors adventure, with its setpieces and challenges used as a backdrop for the tabletop real world drama.

With those things in mind, here is the pitch for the movie that will never be…

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS 4: ReDo

Cast of Characters:

Steve: The group’s previous DM, Steve has strongarmed himself into being a ‘forever DM’, running the players through the plots of the first 3 movies. He is jealous of Dave’s superior work and will try to derail the game.

Dave: The new DM of the group, Dave was always Steve’s biggest fan, learning from Steve’s mistakes. He initially treats Steve’s plotting and sabotage as a bit of disruptive gaming, before finally snapping.

Kev: The “chad” of the group, Kev began gaming back in the 00’s in secret with the rest of the party, before coming out as an obnoxious normie as soon as D&D became mainstream. Plays the obnoxious Paladin of the group, capable of great deeds but also of great rule abuse.

Kiesha: The rules lawyer, Kiesha has always been a power creep and the party’s wizard, content to optimize everyone’s builds to pretty much win the game. Secretly into Kev, enabling his worst in-game behavior and one time Steve’s ex, her reluctance allows Steve to derail the campaign.

Doug: Having discovered the game in his 60’s following a very messy divorce, Doug fell into D&D and he fell hard. Finding solace in his role as a cleric, Doug has put too much emotional stock into the game, making the derailing apocalyptic.

Mags: The newbie of the group, Mags is one of Steve’s mom’s friends, who got into the game after stumbling into one of Dave’s sessions. Playing the party Barbarian, Mags is the one that gives Dave the backbone to fight back against Steve when the campaigns tarts getting derailed.

Levi: The quiet Jewish kid that just wants some company, Levi plays the rogue and the monk of the party, mostly content to roll dice. His quiet demeanor will result in him resolving the crisis that Steve causes, saving the campaign.

Qu’atan: a distant island kingdom set at the edge of the Empire of Izmer, Qu’atan is the setting of the game’s world, challenged by the lich Vuceras, worshipper of the dread Azag’Tot, god of Annihilation. It’s not really that important to the story.

Story Synopsis:

After years of gaming with Steve, the group decides to let Dave give it a shot. The result is an introduction to a sweeping, sprawling world with epic stakes. Steve immediately realizes that the group enjoys the game much more than they did his campaigns and slowly starts to try and give Dave bum advice. Dave manages to make the most out of Steve’s bad advice, coming out on top as the group navigates the Tomb of Horrors, searching for the lost phylactery of Vuceras. They fail, resulting in the lich escaping with its phylactery, free to terrorize the world, thanks to Steve’s intentional sabotage.

During the many months that the campaign takes place, the group finds out more about Dave’s sprawling world, even as Steve desperately tries to find ways to ruin it for everyone, while Mags constantly thwarts him, mostly pushing his characters off cliffs.

Enraged, Steve manages to get access into Dave’s notes on a shared drive, destroying his epic campaign and forcing him to improvise as he goes. Using his moment of weakness, he feeds him bogus, discarded ideas which make everything turn for the worse in game. On Dave’s moment of greatest depression, Steve offers to take over. Dave hands him the DM screen, hoping that maybe his mentor can save the game.

In the apocalyptic final shitshow of a battle, the team has to fight against Steve’s bullshit re-statted lich and his cult, facing impossible odds. Steve, of course, tries to cheat to get his way and it is Levi’s discovery of Steve meddling with Dave’s game that causes everything to come to a head. The battle against Vuceras is abandoned, as the group leaves Steve alone and friendless.

Years later, Dave meets Steve at a convention, trying (and failing) to run the Tomb of Horrors for a group. They have their final discussion about how things turned out, ending with Steve asking Dave for advice on being a less crappy DM.

As the final shot pans out from the two going over campaign notes, we can see a multitude of worlds blossoming over table all around them, as the game goes on, forever

[tahnex]

Return to Graduation Part 3!

Chapter 3, Return to School Life!

Having helped Ruby back to their room Weiss decided that, in the current state of post-sugar rush, which for Ruby was a little similar to a drunk at the end of the night, Ruby was not going to be much help for anything, so rather than struggle to get her into her own bed, Weiss opted for the simpler and easier route. She put Ruby into her bed, and, with only a little coaxing, convinced her to take her boots off and slide under the covers. Ruby smiled wildly as Weiss tucked her in, “You’re the best partner ever Weiss.” The declaration caused Weiss’ cheeks to burn slightly and a faint flutter in her stomach to start.

 The feeling was ruined by a certain blonde huntress saying “Wow Weiss, don’t you think getting my sister in your bed whilst she’s on a sugar crash is a little opportunistic? Didn’t think you had it in you Ice Queen.”

 Weiss spun around with an ice-cold glare on her face that would have frozen lava “Don’t you dare insinuate that I’d take advantage of Ruby like that!”

 Yang immediately raised her hands up in surrender but still smirking, “Whoa! Okay, okay, chill out.”

 Blake stood up quickly “Hey Yang, how about that walk around campus you mentioned earlier?” Blake hoped her partner would agree and they could vanish, she didn’t want Weiss pushed too far, after all they hadn’t even been back for an entire day.

 Yang slid off her bed, Weiss shooting ice daggers at her the whole time, and sauntered to the door “Sure thing Blake, let’s leave Weiss and Ruby alone here…although I expect my sister to still have her innocence when we get back.” She smirked at Weiss, wagging her finger in a mock scolding, ducking quickly out the door as Weiss grabbed for something to throw at her, Blake in a quick power walk after Yang.

 Weiss glared at the door frame for a few moments before getting up and slamming it shut. “Insufferable interfering idiot.” She muttered to herself as she walked back to her desk on one side of the dorm and started arranging some books and paper that she’d brought with her, hoping the organisation would calm her down.

 An hour or two later, there was a soft knock at the door. Weiss placed the book she was reading down and got up from her desk to open the door, hearing Ruby stir behind her. 

 “Penny? What’s wrong?” 

 Standing in the doorway was the usually energetic redhead, Penny, looking pretty down. “Hello Weiss. Is Ruby there? I would like some advice.” 

 Weiss turned her head to see Ruby get up from the bed and walk towards them both, rubbing her eyes. “Hey Penny, how...” her sentence was interrupted by a fairly large yawn, “how can I help?” 

 Penny looked at Weiss who shrugged and stepped aside, letting her enter and closing the door behind him before going back to her desk. “Can I ask you for some advice please? I don’t know what to do.” 

 “Sure Penny, what’s up?” 

 “Well, Professor Goodwitch told Jaune, Ren, and Nora that if they wanted to graduate, they need four people in their team. Since Pyrrha isn’t here anymore they need a fourth member, and she said that I should be that person.” 

 Ruby nodded “Yeah, Ren mentioned it earlier.” 

 “I think Jaune is not happy about me being part of the team. When I ask my teammates, they don’t explain. I want to be a good team member, so what can I do?” 

 Ruby sighed, “There’s not really anything you CAN do Penny, they...they lost their previous teammate. It’s going to take some time for them all to get used to it.” Ruby put a hand on her upper arm comfortingly. 

 “If that is the case, then why is it only Jaune who seems annoyed with me?” 

 “Because Ren and Nora have each other. They still have their partner.” They both looked at Weiss, who had turned to face them. “Whereas Jaune doesn’t, he has to try and deal with the fact that you’re his new partner and will be for the next two years. I don’t know how I’d react if someone replaced Ruby as my partner...” Weiss shuddered at the thought. 

 Penny seemed confused, “But I’m not replacing his previous partner, I’m only part of the team so I can fit in easier for my mission from General Schnee and so they can graduate.” 

 “Nobody is saying you’re replacing Pyrrha Penny, you’re someone different, but it might take Jaune some time to get used to it. Give him a bit of time and space and he’ll be okay.” Ruby smiled at Penny. 

 “Thank you, Ruby, I knew I could count on you for advice!” Penny hugged Ruby tightly. Letting her go she turned to Weiss, “and thank you too Weiss. I will give him some space and be patient.” Smiling more brightly than when she came in, she left their room. 

 Yang was still giggling to herself when Blake caught up to her, “Oh the look on her face was priceless! Weiss is SO easy to tease.” Turning to find Blake beside her, “This is going to be so much fun.” 

 Blake smiled back, “You need to be careful though, you don’t want Ruby to hear you joking about her ‘innocence’ like that.”

 “Oh, it’ll be fine, I’ll just make sure to do it when Ruby isn’t there or listening.”

 Blake shook her head and chuckled. Strolling side by side they headed out the main entrance and started to walk around the edge of the building in a long loop. Reaching a part of the gardens that overlooked the city they stopped to sit down and admire the view, the entire city stretched out before them, reaching from the base of the cliff Beacon was built on all the way to the docks on the far side. Yang spoke softly, “It’s been a long time since I last saw Vale, I actually missed it to be honest, especially looking at it from up here. It’s beautiful.” 

 Blake smiled at her partner, despite the way she seemed to a lot of people, a flirtatious joker living her best life, she had a romantic, and possibly even artistic, streak hidden that she rarely let out. Blake was fairly certain that she was the only person who knew about it other than maybe Ruby and their dad, and it was something that she loved about the blonde sat next to her.

 Wait, loved about her? Blake blinked a couple of times, Well saying you love something about someone is normal, you can just say that about a friend, can’t you? After all Yang had told her that she loved it when she was feisty, and that had been over two years ago, so it was definitely a normal thing to say about one of your friends. Blake smiled and leaned towards Yang automatically, closing her eyes, There are definitely quite a few things I love about her, her endless energy, the way she always keeps an eye on Ruby, ready to help, but makes sure to stay far enough back so that Ruby can handle things on her own, her puns, not that I will EVER tell her, the way she scratches my ears to get my attention, like she is now...

 Blake’s internal thought process was interrupted by the realisation that Yang had been scratching her ears for at least a minute. She jumped slightly and stopped leaning against her partner, cheeks starting to burn up. Yang was grinning “Oh did you want me to stop? I thought you were having a purr-fect time?” If Blake’s cheeks were pink before, they were now a violent shade of red. “Don’t worry kitten, if you’re embarrassed, I’ll take a quick cat-nap and just pretend it was all a dream.” Yang smirked at Blake, winked, and then pretended to fall asleep, snoring loudly.

 Blake, despite the heat that was still rising to her cheeks, saw a perfect opportunity for revenge. “I know you’re not really sleeping Yang, that’s not what it sounds like when you snore.”

 “Of course, I’m not asleep, that was obviously a fake sno...” halfway through her reply Yang realised what Blake has said, “Wait, what do you mean that’s not what my snoring sounds like? I don’t snore!”

 Blake grinned and got up, sauntering away.

 “I don’t snore! I do NOT snore.” Yang got up and followed Blake, still protesting.

 “Whatever you say Snoring Beauty.” Oh god, Yang was rubbing off on her.

 “Ok that was a good one, if I snored. Which I don’t. I don’t snore!”

 When Yang and Blake returned to the room, Yang winked at Weiss who huffed loudly and turned her back on her, diving into her book.

 The next week passed by with the two teams getting used to being back at Beacon and watching out for the new, and old, arrivals at the school. 

 The fourth-year students were the first to arrive, and RWBY were happy to see that CFVY had returned. CFVY also passed on a message from Sun that he’d keep an eye on Cardin for them, as apparently team CRDL preferred the laxer attitude of Shade Academy and were transferring for the rest of their training. “No loss there” said Coco, “Means I don’t have to spend my time keeping an eye on him and kicking his ass to Haven and back every time he’s a racist piece of...” Coco cut off as she noticed Velvet giving her a death glare. “What? He is though! Got no sense of fashion either...”

 “If I wasn’t blind, I’d roll my eyes.” Fox muttered, “Later.” He shouldered his bag and walked off to the dorm building. Yatsuhashi nodded to each of team RWBY in turn and followed after him.

 “Sorry about Fox, he’s not the best on long airship journeys, especially when he’s tired.” Velvet apologised as her and Coco followed their teammates, “I’ll see you later, ok Blake?”

 “I’m a little surprised at you Yang, normally you and Coco flirt incessantly. Have you finally started to grow up?” Weiss was looking at Yang and smiling out the corner of her mouth.

 “I grew up a long time ago Weiss, that’s why I’m taller than you.” Weiss’ indignant noises were cut off by Yang continuing, “And no, I wouldn’t flirt with Coco at the minute. For one, she normally starts it and she didn’t today, but the main reason is that I have a feeling she has her eye on a certain rabbit Faunus, who may just have an eye on her too...” Yang was staring at Coco and Velvet and how close they were walking.

 “I agree with you, the way Velvet kept looking at Coco, and how she smiled at her, I’m fairly certain that if they’re not together already, it won’t be long until they are. I’ll need to ask Velvet about it later.” Blake was also watching the two girls from team CFVY.

 The third years arrived next, and they said hi to other friends they recognised, then the second years the following day, before finally the first years arrived. Their initiation was the next day, and the whole academy was in the hall watching overhead views on the screens, little dots moving around the Emerald Forest as they got partners, selected chess pieces, and headed back. Ruby was secretly very glad that if the whole academy was watching that there was no sound, and hopefully it was that way with her initiation too...

 Teams were set up, Professor Goodwitch dealing with the announcements, and introducing them to the whole academy. Team FIOR were first, a mix of three Faunus and one human, split evenly between guys and girls, and they were led by one of the male Faunus, Finn Jenkins. Followed by Team BLBD, all human girls, led by Bianca Barossa. Next up were team GAIA, a group of two Faunus and two humans, all girls, led by Garnet Garis. Finally, there was team SEIA, a group of all human guys, led by Saturn Gale.

 Normality resumed.

 Or so they thought, as on their first morning of the school year officially starting, whilst Weiss was berating Ruby about insisting on wearing her cloak over her uniform, AGAIN, a flyer was slipped under the door. 

 Blake noticed it first and picked it up. “Huh. I’d forgotten about that.” The other three turned to look at her, Yang stopped brushing her hair and wandered over. Blake turned the flyer around so the room could see, “The Vytal Tournament is back.”

 Author’s notes:

Writing that walk between Blake and Yang was a lot harder than I thought it would be. The version that’s up now is the fourth version, the other three were awful, and I even thought about scrapping the walk bit entirely, but decided to give it one last go, as I needed (and wanted) to put in a bit of flirting Yang and Blake.

[scenariosofkonoha]

ehy! some headcanons with kiba? your choice! thank you💕

Hello Clippers! Really anything I want?? *blushes* Well… it’s not a usual topic I suppose. I took somethings that had been rattling around in my head about what Kiba experiences when it comes to his nose. I hope that is okay, if it isn’t I’ll totally fix something else up for you. But I really hope you like it, it was a new and fun experience! ~ Admin Little Lace 🎀

Kiba Scent Headcanons 

The nose of an Inuzuka clan member is as much as blessing as it is a curse. It is wonderful to be able to locate an enemy nin from 100 yards away and all. But it wasn’t wonderful to continuously ‘experience’ someone’s body odor.

From a young age Kiba was taught to center his chakra better so not to be exposed to every scent under the sun. The process of stopping the flow of chakra to his nose is tedious. His efforts never seeming to remove the overwhelming torrent of smells completely. The young Inuzuka often become frustrated.

Sensing his frustration his mother and her companion to to help his training.

“Each scent is different,” Kuromaru’s deep voice rumbled. “Each distinct in its own way,”“The ‘smell’ of something is made up of different scents,” his mother added. Her brash manner softer as she explained. “Don’t think of it as something huge. Break the smell down into individual scents.”

With their advice in mind, little Kiba discovers the full scale of the ability. Odors that once consumed him invited him into soft and strong notes that created them.

If dinner were cooking he could smell the the different vegetables boiling. The aroma of chicken stock and the twinge of char from the meat being over done.

People, in his opinion, were by far the most interesting. Everyone was comprised of so many different scents, he could get lost in them. They are hard to distinguish at first. All of them muddled together. He had never given it much thought before, but people came into contact with so many different scents throughout the day.

It isn’t until he is paired with Akamaru that he is ale to identify the myriad of fragrances within the Leaf.

“Blood,” Akamaru remarked from on top of his head. Kiba tilted his head, as if to look up the pup“Huh?”“Over there,” the youngest Inuzuka felt a paw knead into the right side of his head. Following the feeling, he saw a group of shinobi walking into the village gates. Taking short inhales through his nose the smell grew stronger. A metallic scent, copper kinda, but warm like meat Soon Akamaru wouldn’t have to point it out. A mental note of ninja smelling of blood files away in the boy’s head.

As the partner’s bond, they begin to classify familiar scents. Food is always easy, the aroma of each memorable but they start to recognize the smell of certain medicinal herds, ash of a detonated paper bomb, and various types of woods and metals.

Soon it becomes a game for the partners, the boy and the ninken challenging one another to spot the source of their new discoveries. Seeing this Hana shares wisdom with her brother.

“You can tell a lot about a person from the way they smell.” the older girl tells her juniors one day. “What they do, who their friends are, who they consider an enemy. Even, at times, insecurities and their inner most feelings. Most don’t think about it, worrying only if they stink or not. Because of this, it is a good way to learn about them.”“How do you do that?” Kiba asked skeptically.“Take all the little things, understand the scents and where they come from. Soon it will give you clues, creating a story. Being able to decipher the clues, building the story, is a sign of a good tracker.”

Between Akamaru’s skill of scent isolation and Kiba’s recall, the pair test out the theory. With each person they encounter they register their scent committing each detail to memory.

It is an easy start at first. The Inuzuka share a familial scent. Most clan members share the scent of their companions. An earthy mix of musk and sunshine. But his immediate family have minor differences.

His sister was a hive of small ‘clues’. Being a vet, she often smelled of other ninken, though not as strong as that of her three partners. But each smell was muted under a cover of salve and disinfectant. His mother’s was note as tame, hers was a loud as she was. The smell of Kuromaru only tainted with the coating of blood and metal.

Those had been simple to spot he knew them. His new team members however were all together different. They were not prominent. Hinata’s only barely registering unless he was close to her. Most girl’s in his class smelt of flowers, she was no different. But the Hyuga’s didn’t feel quite right. Her smell seemed trapped like a house with no windows. Kiba would liken it to flowers pressed inside of the pages of an old dusty book. It makes him uncomfortable and a little sad, bring him to invite her out more often.

What he couldn’t figure out though is why she would sometimes smell like ramen…

Shino owned a scent that was oddly neutral. If he weren’t actively looking for him, he won’t notice it. Sometimes he misses it even when he is looking for him.

Akamaru thinks the insect harboring nin smells like herbs and grass. A soft woodsy air like he is outside all the time. After a while, Kiba can tell where his peer has been by what kind of woods he reeks of. If it is of a cleaner sort, he has been by the cliffs. A deeper more earth tone?  He has been by the village gate.

Kurenai is different than most woman in Konoha, in that she doesn’t smell like flowers at all. His sensei is like a breeze of air on a rainy day. The clean sense owning an under current of something headier. Sandalwood perhaps? The two mingled in a ashen bouquet. Like smoke but not from a fire. In his young age, he is not sure why.

His new found skill makes it easier to find his friends around the village. All of them has something that makes them different from their family or they people they were around.  For instance, all the Yamanaka’s smelling of flowers but Ino exclusively of bush clover. And both Lee and Guy-sensei always smelling faintly of sweat (Or maybe the power of youth??) but Guy’s scent being ‘spicier’ for lack of a better term.

Sometimes the jutsu a shinobi uses changes their scent, the Inuzuka would soon discover. Kakashi-sensei often hosts one of warm static and singed fabric. While the genin would learn that Asuma was an overwhelming swarm of ash as if 1,000 paper bombs had gone off. That paired with the cigar smoke finally laid to rest the mystery of his mentor’s fragrance.

While few Kiba would come into contact with owned a “quiet” or “muted scents” like that of his team, a trait for sensory types he supposed. Others were “loud” and “Overbearing”. Now that wasn’t a bad thing in the case of Ayame and Teuchi, it was a pleasure to smell the best ramen in the land of fire on them. It was not the case with Naruto.

Kiba does not like they way Naruto smells. Not that the boy stinks per se. He and Akamaru can only describe it as…much. However possible, whether it be by clones or sheer effort, the blonde-nin smells of the entire Village.

Ichiraku Ramen, grass, flowers, ash, metal, static, medical herbs, bath house water, static, cup ramen, ninken and Kami only knew what else. You name it, somehow the shinobi reeked of it. It is overwhelming. Unable to explain it, and unwilling to deal with it, Kiba generally shuts the chakra away from his nose when interacting with Naruto. Even with the plethora of scents, his friend is so distinctive he can find him anywhere.

Over time new scents were added to the hidden leaf. Jiraya’s foggy essences of bath house and water lily, Tsunade’s fusion of medicine and sake. Even Captain Yamato’s torrent of fresh lumbered trees and Sai, whose could only be described as ink spilled on paper.

The shinobi’s sister had not lied when she said someone’s smell could tell who they were friends with. Over time he began to notice patterns. Shikamaru some days smelt of BBQ pork. Those were the days he trained with Choji. While others, he shared the ash and tobacco, the days he played shogi with Asuma.

Sometimes Ino smelled of cherry blossoms, while Lee and Neji smelled shared a sent of metal like that of kunai. Speaking of the elder Hyuga, he gained a small whiff of a familiar closed off smile. The change brought a smile to the Inuzuka’s face.

But not all scents brought happiness. The human body gave off different hormonal responses to emotion and instinct. As well as a scent. These were the basics that were taught from almost birth. Kiba was always aware he could smell them, his first interaction with them smelling fear coming off his father. It was a gift his mother often played on, the talent gaining her the title of the Hidden Leaf’s scariest Kunoichi.

Saddness, on the other hand, had a scent all it’s own. Generally smelt of warm salt water. A fact he had learned the day of Lord 3rd’s funeral. But he had also come to know that it was different for everyone.

Tears on Tsunade was often followed by that of sake…a lot of it. If his sister lost a patient, her scent was void of disinfectant.

The smell did not discriminate. Almost everyone in the village owned it at one time or another. Sometimes it surprised the nin. Catching it on Kakashi-sensei once, also brought the stench of copious amounts of hand soap. More that he had experienced on even a medical nin.

Now sadness and loss are very much alike. But loss manifested a little differently. When someone is gone, it is as if the origin of a scent is wiped off the planet. The day Jiraya’s smell of water lily did not return to the village, it was almost as if it left no trace. He could no longer sense it on Lady Tsunade, as sake took it’s place. Naruto’s was different.

Kiba can’t catch a scent of something if it is frozen. It’s almost as if the smell is locked inside ice as well. So he is unfamiliar with the the sickly sweet fruit-like smell on Naruto’s hands. It was almost like he had spilled a drink or something. After a while this new scent stays on the knucklehead ninja.

“There,” Akamaru points, his snout messing something something under a park bench. Taking a sniff of the air himself, Kiba caught whiff of the familiar complicated scent. Naruto. But also the sticky almost artificial smell. Kneeling slightly, the boy notices two sticks swimming in a puddle of blue. That was the day Kiba know what a Popsicle smelled like. Mentally adding the smell to the list that was his friend.

But some smells don’t go away after the origin is gone. No sometimes they linger like a familiar friend. When Asuma passed, Kurenai continued to smell like him. Kiba found it interesting. That even after months of only ever smelling sadness on her, that it had not changed. Pregnant woman gain a new layer to their smell while they are carrying their child. Kiba had learned that from his clan, it happened with Ninken as well.

But his Sensei’s essence of ash only grew stronger during the time. At one point even covering her scent of wood and rain. The Inuzuka had imagined that once she had her child that it might go away, like all the others did. But it hadn’t. The woman would forever hold the scent of her fallen lover even after Mirai came into the world. The little bundle holding the tell-tale whiff of Sarutobi ash.

As she grew, Kiba supposed, the little girl’s scent would change as well. Just as those in the village had. Hinata’s closed off smell had shed the more confident she became. It blossomed into a blend of wild flowers…with that ever present touch of ramen…

She was not the only one, all of his friends’ in the village would evolve. The flowers of the girl’s in his class would be fused in with new scents. Some familiar like ink and bush flowers. Others no so much, like potato chips and mountain air. The strange intermix, mirroring that of his sensei’s.

One day Kiba himself would find a scent that was intriguing. It was softer and not quite like flowers. But it reminded him of lazy days in the sun, and running home in the rain, with just a hint of blood. The smell would be wonderful but for some reason he will want to cover it with his own, the fusion of Akamaru and fresh linen melding well with it.

Though they are unable to experience it as he does, he can’t help but smile when cuddled into him his lover says:

“Hmmm…you smell nice.”

[sol1056]

lance somehow feels like more of a dick after his supposed maturation than beforehand and i don't know why. it feels like a lot of things and i can't fully articulate any of them.

I think it’s because there was enough of a glimpse of the character he could’ve grown into, and it’s only worse because the reason behind his regression just isn’t convincing to me. Like Allura – who went from close-minded to working on it to snapping right back to zero – Lance’s dickish behavior was for the sake of generating conflict. Except unlike Allura, Lance’s generated conflict stuck around, until it became a punchline.  

Behind the cut: handling timeskips in S3 and S5, how Lance got bastardized, and why. 

handling timeskips

If a timeskip starts with closure, then you start with a new obstacle, new arc. If the timeskip starts on a cliff-hanger, you need to explain why it’s been however long yet this shit’s still not resolved. And if it’s not resolved, then you’ve basically robbed your audience of closure by skipping half that process.  

Remember, the creators did the same at the start of S3, where enough time has passed the team seems to be over losing Shiro. S3′s opening arc revolves around Keith’s unwillingness to move on. For whatever reason, the end of S2 was treated as though it was closure. The post-timeskip story’s conflict is not, “where is Shiro?” but “why won’t Keith get with the program?”  

S5 is pulling the same stunt. Except in S5, the players who might provide some character-driven obstacle against Lotor aren’t even present. No Keith, no Marmora, no rebels. The story, once again, is treating the cliffhanger as closure, except this time, the only players onscreen are generally fine with the new status quo. 

And that means we need a new obstacle for the new arc, something to give us conflict and tension. The problem lies in how VLD does that.

bastardizing Lance

The first is the timeskip shows the team using Lotor’s advice, which means the expected character-driven reaction – “you do remember this guy tried to kill us, right?” – has supposedly been resolved (or else why would they trust his word). The only one who got ‘Lotor at all costs’ groundwork – that we’d expect to distrust Lotor’s motives – was Keith, and Keith’s not around. So we have a team that’s getting along great, getting things done, and… have no tension. 

If Lance had been as obsessed with Lotor as Keith, his extreme distrust would make sense. But since he wasn’t, it doesn’t, and with the rest of the team seeing this as mostly great for them, Lance’s reaction ends up framed as romantic jealousy. Worse, the lack of pre-S5 groundwork means Lance has no solid motivations – so he comes across as making a mountain out of a molehill. Guaranteed to gut the tension.

The second is that while S3 invested time getting Keith to accept the new reality, Lance suffers no similar consequences in S5. The closest we get is Shiro telling Lance to stfu, and that’s not even remotely the same thing. Without consequences, the character (and the audience) is deprived of character growth. 

The third is that Lance’s distrust/dislike is carried so far, his characterization becomes a joke. Because his early-S5 motivation is so shallow (lacking groundwork or foreshadowing), he comes across as over-reacting for no reason. Because he stays in that rut while the rest of the team moves on, Lance comes across as self-centered and petty. Because no one addresses his behavior, he becomes an unimportant after-thought. 

why would you even

I didn’t enjoy watching a grieving character get shoved forward, but at least Keith was seen as crucial enough to the team that his participation was required. S5 doesn’t even grant Lance that much respect. 

Truth is, I don’t think a character (or person) like Lance is necessarily a jerk, really. Has some growing up to do, but also has potential to be a crucial part of a team. I do think Lance acts like an entitled Nice Guy in S5, but I can also see the threads that got pulled to make that happen. The EPs/writers needed tension, couldn’t write well enough to make it organic, so they put Lance in the  box. Once their need was gone, they kept Lance in the box -- and told us to laugh at him for it. 

I could put up with a character acting like a jerk if the character’s got a good reason for it. Lance became a jerk because the creators took the easy way out. I don’t like who Lance was in S5, but in the end, I like the writers even less.   

[thegoodgayshit]

Marvel Runaways/Pokemon AU

Chapter Three is here! 

Or of course, you can always read it below! Enjoy!

“No. Absolutely not. No way!” Gert exclaimed.

“Honestly Gert, I’m going to battle her anyway regardless of if you say no or yes.” Nico deadpanned.

“Nico I swear to god, if you hurt my sister-“

“Gert, relax. I’m not going to go easy on her if that’s what you’re demanding. You need to calm down. Molly really wants to battle, why are you so insistent she can’t?” Nico groaned, doing her best to assert her dominance, even though the purple haired girl was staring her down hard.

“Molly is way younger than us!” Gert hissed back.

“I don’t know if you could call two and a half years way younger. Besides, you know the five of us were sneaking off to train together when we were fifteen.” Nico reasoned.

“She’s not as strong we were!” Gert didn’t miss a beat with her next excuse. Nico perked an eyebrow. “Actually, I think she’s twice as strong as we were.” Nico stated. She was thinking out loud as Gert argued, and seeing the issue from Molly’s point of view was really eye opening. The five older runaways actually had no reason to stop Molly from battling if she wanted too. “We only had Eevee’s at the time, and she has Eevee and Budew. She’s also been battling Chase in her off time, and I know she’s secretly been training behind your back.”

“She’s been what?” Gert was looking rather trapped now, realizing that her excuses were running thin.

Nico slid in for the kill. “Gert, honestly why are you so insistent she can’t battle. Be honest. She’s a tough kid, and she really wants the chance to do what Alex and I are doing. What’s the problem with that? It’s not like we don’t have the time. Why is it fair to let Molly waste this chance by not going for gym badges when that’s all she wants to do?”

Gert looked like she was about to explode. Or start crying. Nico knew the girl had bad anxiety, maybe she had pushed her just a little too hard. Just as Nico was going to apologize though, Gert took a shaky exhale, and slowly responded.

“I just feel bad for her. She’s so young to be living on the run. We’re adults, we can deal with it, but she’s still a kid. I just want her to stay a kid for as long as she can.”

Nico deflated. Of course that’s what it was. Gert was just looking out for her sister, but not the way Nico had thought. Gert knew she wasn’t worried about Molly getting hurt. She didn’t want Molly to grow up.

“Gert, that’s really sweet of you. Your heart is in the right place, but you have to remember that we are the exception to a normality. We never got the chance to live like most kids. We never got the chance to adventure and raise Pokémon when we were younger. Give Molly that chance now.”

Gert sighed, and gave Nico a sideways smile. “You’re right. I need to encourage her. If Chase says she’s a good battler, I believe him.”

“Hold on, did you just say you believe Chase Stein?” Nico was definitely taken aback now. Gert having faith in Molly she could believe, but Chase? The same guy Gert referred to as Protein Powder?

Gert flushed, her whole face going red. “I- I think he’s a smart battler! If he says he’s good then he must be!”

Nico didn’t want anything to do with Gert and her massive crush on Chase. Honestly, it couldn’t have been more obvious. As a matter of fact, Nico was wondering when Gert was going to accidentally slip up and reveal her secret to the rest of the group. Not like they didn’t already know.

Nico just hummed. “Ok, whatever. I’m going to go get Molly now.”

“You do that.” Gert said, she paused for another moment, her face retracting it’s previous red colour. “But I’m going to say it again, if you beat her up too badly I will kick your ass.”

“I’d like to see you try.” Nico teased, giving her a lopsided smile before walking off to get Molly.

The girl was with Alex, going over a map they had snagged from the Pokémon Centre in the last town they had been. Right now they were looking around the clearing they had settled in temporarily.

“I don’t know if we should keep to the forest.” Alex said, “there are some weird rumours about that place at night.”

“I think we should go up that little trail towards the cliffs.” Molly interjected, pointing to some location on the map, “I bet there are little caves we can sleep in. The forecast in the town said it was going to rain for a few days.”

Nico interrupted their little chat, walking over and placing her hands on her hips. “Ok, enough with the maps. Let’s battle.”

“Right now Nico?” Alex looked a little annoyed, “we just trained earlier, why would we do it again?”

Nico rolled her eyes, “not you Alex. Molly.”

Alex raised a brow, but Molly squealed and leapt up from where she was sitting. Her eyes shone with excitement. “Really? Right now? Awesome!”

“Did you talk to Gert about this?” Alex said warily, “I don’t want Old Lace eating whatever is left of you for dinner tonight if you didn’t.”

“Oh stop Alex, of course I talked to her.” Nico waved him off. She turned back to Molly, who looked like she was about to squeal again. Holding up one hand to keep her clam, she continued.

“So we’re going to have a one on one battle. One of my Pokémon needs a little more training, so I’m taking this as an opportunity to practise. You can use Eevee or Budew, it doesn’t matter to me.” Nico said, and then gestured to the clearing behind them. “Be ready to go in twenty minutes. Chase and Karolina should be back from gathering food then. Everyone is going to be watching.”

Molly bounced on her heels. “Ok! I’ll be ready!”

“Excellent.”

Chase and Karolina quickly returned, and when they did, Molly immediately ran to them and told them the news. Nico could see her mouth running a mile a minute, and as she made her way over to the two stunned looking runaways, she could make out the conversation.

“-and now Gert’s letting me battle, and Nico’s going to battle me! Can you believe it?” She finished, and Chase still looked a little shocked, but Karolina’s mouth split into a smile.

“Molly that’s great! I’m so happy for you!” The girl had her hands full, holding four or five buckets of food, but she didn’t move to put them with the supplies like Chase did. When Karolina spoke to someone, she gave them her full attention.

“Here, let me help you,” Nico murmured, the load from her. Karolina nodded thanks, while Nico placed the buckets down by the rest of the supplies. Molly and Karolina kept up their conversation, Molly asking for battling tips while Karolina gave out thoughtful replies.

When the buckets were organized, Chased looked over at Nico with a lopsided smile. “So where’s Gert’s body? You obviously must have killed her if you’re battling Molly.”

“Actually she’s over there.” Nico gestured over to the edge of the clearing, where Gert was sitting and talking to Old Lace, clearly getting out some of her anxieties. Chase let out a small hum of understanding.

“Are you going to use Umbreon?” Chase asked, and Nico laughed.

“No way. No offence, but if Molly can’t beat you and Flareon, she doesn’t have a chance against Umbreon and I.”

“I’ll try not to let that one offend me.” Chase said, but his eyes betrayed him. He was definitely offended.

“Oh come on Chase, we all know you’re more into the technology than the actual battling.” Nico reasoned, “how are those Pokeball magnets coming along?”

Chase broke out into a grin, he was always excited to talk about his new inventions. “Really well! See, there’s the slightest piece of iron inside every Pokeball, so by changing the dynamic of the actual magnet, it resets the whole magnetic force!”

“I don’t know what any of that means.” Nico deadpanned.

Chase chuckled, “I actually took the idea from Karolina’s appeal. Think of it like this: if the force inside the Stealth Rock changed the attributes of the area to have space like qualities, I can try and mimic it by reversing the magnetic field in the magnet to draw in Pokeball’s. Now, if Team Pride tries to take any of our Pokémon, I’ll be able to suck them right back to us with the magnet! ”

“That’s actually impressive.” Nico said, and she was telling the truth. This would relieve a lot of tension when fighting Team Pride goons. The goons seemed to always be after their Pokeball’s, like their parents would think they were powerless without them. “Does it work?”

“See that’s the issue.” Chase sighed, shaking his head. “Neither Jolteon, Luxio, or Mareep can generate a strong enough electrical current to reboot the magnetic field. That’s been a roadblock in my advancements. Jolteon can product over 100000 volts according to my Pokedex, which should be more than enough power!” He tapped his belt, where the blue dex was attached. “I think I need a different kind of energy. I don’t know what though.” He seemed stumped, and Nico wished she could offer some advice, but she really had no idea what to do.

“You’ll figure it out Chase. You always do.” Nico encouraged, and he just shrugged.

“I guess.”

“Nico! Can we start now?” Molly interrupted the conversation between her and Chase. Nico turned to look at the fifteen year old with amusement.

“Yeah Molly, sure. Let’s head over to the clearing.”

Nico sauntered off to take position in the field the runaways were using to train. As she turned, she was pretty sure she heard Chase tell Molly to kick her ass, but she ignored it. This was training for both her and Molly, and while Nico knew she had an advantage, she wasn’t going to let anything distract her regardless. She took the same place she had stood earlier that morning to battle Alex, rolling her wrists which slightly lifted the sleeves of her leather jacket.

Molly, who was now looking excited, but also a little nervous, headed over to Alex’s place. By now, all the other older runaways had gathered near the sidelines to watch.

“I can referee if you’d like,” Alex called out to them, and Nico and Molly both nodded.

“Thanks Alex!” Nico called back, and as he headed over to stand near the center of the field, Nico casted a little glance at the other runaways. Gert was looking stony, her anxiety gone and instead replaced with a hazy look that Nico recognized as dissociation. She shook her head lightly. That girl just couldn’t cope sometimes.  

She noticed Karolina, (although, recently she seemed to be asking herself when she wasn’t noticing Karolina. Ever since that orbiting Electroball appeal, Nico found herself casting glances at the blond occasionally. She didn’t let herself dwell on why.) and realized the girl was sitting and giggling at Chase, who she imagined was saying the most ridiculous things to try and get Gert’s attention. Chase always did things like that whenever Gert was feeling particularly dissociative.

She felt a swirling in the pit of her stomach and ignored it.

Nico turned her attention back to the issue at hand. She was about to battle. She couldn’t be distracted.

“Alright you two, you know the rules. One Pokémon each, and the last Pokémon standing wins.” Alex called, casting glances at both Nico and Molly, “are you ready?”

Nico nodded once, “you know it!”

Molly’s nervousness had faded, instead to be replaced with steely determination. “Ready to go!”

Alex nodded, “alright! Release your Pokémon!”

Molly got to her Pokeball first, probably out of sheer jitters. Clicking a ball off her belt, she tossed it into the air. “Let’s show them what we got Eevee!”

The cute brown Pokémon landed gracefully one the ground with a flash of white, ambitious eyes shining. “Evee!”

Nico picked up the third Pokeball on her belt, and released her newest Pokémon. “Alright, let’s go Houndour!”

The canine Pokémon appeared in a flash of white, howling. Nico had to admit, while she loved the way Houndour battled hard and was fiercely loyal, she had been shallow when she caught him for her team. She had wanted to train him purely because of his looks.

I mean come on, Houndour was a Pokémon that just matched Nico’s aesthetic. She wasn’t going to pass up a Pokémon that was so damn cool.

“You can have the first move Nico.” Molly offered, and Nico raised her eyebrows, she had a feeling that the murmuring she heard from the sidelines meant that the runaways were shocked too.

Well, Molly wasn’t going to learn to guard an attack by starting first. Nico might as well have the first move.

“Ok, Houndour kick this off with bite!”

The canine Pokémon outmatched Eevee in many ways, his bite was stronger, his fire fang was hotter, and his endurance was way higher. Nico assumed she was going to win, but the second Houndour tried to land a move, the quicker and sleeker Eevee would dodge, roll, and dash out of the way. When Houndour’s attack clamed over air, Molly called out for Quick Attack, and the fox Pokémon spun into Houndour faster than any Pokémon Nico had seen. Houndour had no chance, and went spinning into the dust.

“Woah.” Nico breathed, utterly amazed at Eevee’s speed. Umbreon certainly hadn’t been that fast as an Eevee. It was time to think of a new tactic.

So, Nico tried holding out until Molly called an attack, and mirroring Molly’s own strategy of dodging and attacking. Houndour did his best, but Eevee was just too quick.

“Gotta try something better than that Nico!” Molly teased, and the other runaways laughed. Nico flushed bright red. She was not about to get outplayed by Molly, no matter how much of a natural battler she was.

“Houndour, use howl!”

The canine Pokémon reared back and let out a howl that stretched across the whole clearing. When the Pokémon relaxed, he looked much more confident, as though he had physically gotten stronger. Eevee’s confidence, on the other hand, was slightly altered. She looked a little more nervous than before.

“Fire fang!”

This time Molly was caught off guard, not expecting another attack so quickly. Apparently, Eevee was shocked too, because Houndour’s fangs landed on Eevee, and the little Pokémon shrieked in pain and hit the floor. Flames erupted along Eevee’s little body, and Nico realized the attack had doubled in intensity.

“Eevee, are you alright?” Molly gasped, and the little Pokémon struggled to her feet. The Pokémon looked singed, and Nico’s eyebrows lifted slightly.

“The attack left Eevee burned.” She mumbled to herself. The runaways had stopped laughing now, and Gert looked like she was about to bite her fingernails off.

Eevee was still struggling to get up, and Houndour was watching her with concern. As much as Houndour loved to battle, Nico knew he was feeling guilty. The two Pokémon were friends after all.

Alex looked like he wanted to call off the battle, but before he could Molly’s eyes narrowed in determination.

“Eevee, I know your hurt, but I know you can keep battling! You’re the toughest Pokémon I know, and I know you’re not done yet!”

The little fox Pokémon seemed to perk up with the encouragement, and struggled to lift herself again. When the burn still seemed to singe her, she struggled again, but Molly was grinning with appreciation.

“That’s it Eevee! Keep that up! You got this!”

As though exerting all of her energy, Eevee’s eyes glinted, and she stood up quickly. Her whole body started to illuminate a bright white light, and Molly let out a little gasp of shock. Nico and the other runaways however, looked thoroughly excited. Eevee was evolving.

The Pokémon glowed for another few moments, before it settled enough to see.  Instead of Eevee, there was a cream coloured Pokémon with pink feet, a pink tail, and pink ears. The Pokémon had ribbons floating around her body, with a pink bow on her head. When the bright light completely faded, the Pokémon blinked its sparkling blue eyes.

Nico’s eyebrow raised. That was the girliest fucking Pokémon she had ever seen.

Molly however, looked completely ecstatic, whipping out her pink Pokedex. Nico pulled out her black one to see what she was now up against.

Sylveon, the Intertwining Pokémon and an evolved form of Eevee. Sylveon affectionately wraps its ribbon-like feelers around its Trainer's arm as they walk together.

“This is SO awesome!” Molly cried, pumping a fist into the air. “Sylveon is so cool!”

“Actually I think she’s pretty cute.” Nico shrugged.

“Don’t underestimate Sylveon Nico,” Karolina called from the sidelines, “Houndour is a dark type, which means his moves are not going to be very effective.”

Nico grit her teeth. This was going to be harder than she thought. Of all her strategies, she didn’t know if she had one for in-battle evolution.

Just as Nico was contemplating this, Sylveon suddenly reared back and stamped her paw, and a large gust of wind appeared out of nowhere, a magical essence attached to it. The sharp wind blew into Houndour, who yelped and flew backwards.

“Ok seriously, now what?” Nico grumbled, very annoyed. Her black Pokedex spoke back to her in a very practical voice.

“Fairy wind is a fairy type Pokémon move that subjects opponents to sharp shards of win, powerful enough to throw the Pokémon backwards.”

“Thanks dex, but the question was rhetorical.” She hissed, slamming the black device back into her belt.

It turned out that Karolina was right, Sylveon was tough. Tougher than Nico anticipated, and she wasn’t underestimating her. The Pokémon was like a tank, every attack Nico hit her with, she just bounced back up. Eventually, with one last strong Fairy Wind, Houndour was down for the count, so exhausted he couldn’t get back up.

“Houndour is unable to battle! Molly Is the winner!” Alex said, a little smile forming on his lips.

Nico ducked her head and sighed, while the runaways cheered.

“Way to go Molly!” Chase exclaimed, running up and giving her a high five.

“You and Sylveon were awesome Molly.” Gert grinned, embracing her sister in a hug. “I’m sorry I couldn’t see it before. You’re really talented!”

Molly’s grip tightened around her sister, when she pulled back, Sylveon was rubbing against her leg. Molly smiled and picked up the pink Pokémon, giving her an appreciative hug. “Does that mean Sylveon and I can battle more often?”

Gert gave her sister a lopsided smile, “yeah, you can. Bring in the money Molly!”

Nico was walking over to Houndour, sitting down and giving him a gentle rub on the back. The canine Pokémon looked upset, but Nico just smiled.

“You did amazing Houndour! We’ll be ready for something like that next time ok?”

The canine barked in agreement, and Nico took out his Pokeball. “Excellent. For now just rest.”

When the Pokémon faded into the ball, Nico looked up and saw Karolina watching her with a sympathetic smile. “It must suck loosing huh?”

Nico just shrugged. “It’s really not a big deal. I definitely learned something though. Isn’t that the point?”

Karolina tilted her head, watching the Goth with an unreadable expression. “I thought you were going to boast honestly. Say you let her win.”

This threw Nico off. “Really? Why would you think that?”

“I dunno.” Karolina said, extending a hand for Nico to take. With her help, Nico pulled herself to her feet. “Probably because everybody here thought you were going to win.”

“Well I guess I can be surprising occasionally.” Nico chuckled. Karolina smiled back.

“Yeah I guess.”

Nico just kept staring at Karolina. Her blue eyes were still clouded with that unreadable expression. Before Nico could ask about it however, she was interrupted.

“Hey Nico! Thanks for the awesome battle!” Molly raced over with Sylveon at her heels, and gave Nico the biggest smile she had ever seen.

Nico just nodded. “Of course, you did an incredible job. I guess in a few days you’ll be taking on the gym with Alex and I?”

Molly clenched one fist, looking thoroughly prepared. “You’re damn right! And I’m not leaving that town until I get a badge!”

[phobictony]

1. He respects his father.

2. After their mother passed and they left the alliance, the twins only had each other to rely on until the initiative.

3. My Ryder would be an terrible director. Simply awful. Still better than tann though.

4. Custom N7 Hurricane pistol with tracking plasma rounds and an old fashioned heat sink (the kind that vents instead of reloading)

5. Sentinel with lance and backlash (with a remnant VI), though also switched between long range engineer and short range adept.

6. No. Barely. He's a goddamn bro and deserves happiness. She's a Krogan queen.

7. Driving is a loose term for what Finn does.

8. Anything that a surveyor team could do, like scanning plants and rocks.

9. The tempest, the vaults, the crew, Dracks cooking, the views you get out the window of the nomad when you're falling off a cliff, Dracks cooking, Learning anagram social norms and behaviour, discussing AI with sam and helping him understand organic concepts and last but not least DRACKS GODDAMN COOKING.

10. Dad was dedicated, not to one particular thing really but not to everything either. He was just dedicated to doing what he felt needed doing.

11. Sam is kind of like an uncle but at the same time a younger sibling, yknow. He's intelligent and analytical, but sometimes things go right over his head as if he were a little kid talking to an adult. It's Finns job to help Sam understand the world from a human perspective, and it's Sams job to provide an AI's analysis of the immediate world.

12. There's this one spot on the nexus, it's not as astounding or awe inspiring as havarl or voeld, but it's the perfect place to kick back and take a nap, or share a drink with friends. And as long as the deck stays unused by the rest of the nexus, it'll be the closest thing Finn has to a home.

13. Finn would probably give vetra the lamp she's looking for, but failing that he'd give her any mods or weapons she needed, anything she could trade or use. He's like to get her something more personal but he hasn't had the guts to ask Sid or Kandros for advice.

14. Neither of them are right or wrong specifically. But since they can't realise it themselves all changes to Tempest systems require approval by Finn. If the change improves the ship, it happens. If it would cause any issues with other ship systems, Gil and Kallo both have to say their piece (quietly) before Ryder makes a decision.

15. Finn had only heard about the commander through the news, same as most marines. They seemed so different to their father in terms of being an N7. Shepard came across as optimistic yet cunning and reliable on the vids, I guess that makes them sound similar but Shepard seemed like someone easier to interact with.

16. Finn loves hanging out with Avitus when they're both off duty, Sarissa is all business and kind of aggravating to talk to most days, Raeka is always ready for the next scientific debate or theoretical discussion over various aspects of andromeda.

17. You can't deal with everything by yourself. Finn will never forget the cannibal gang on kadara. He'll also never forget how vetra was there for him after they came back to the port, drenched in blood, smelling of death. That day broke something in him. But it also made room for a new resolve, andromeda would not be allowed to descend into a lawless shithole. Not on his watch.

18. Watch Vetra's face when Sid was held hostage before them. The way her mandibles moved and faceplates shifted is still something he finds himself scarred by. He never wants to see that look of devastation on her face again. He was thankfully spared seeing it when Sam stopped his heart. It still didn't stop him from feeling guilty that he'd caused her to feel that way.

19. Ryder has run up to Kett bases screaming "oh shit waddup its dat boi" before unleashing a hellstorm of bullets upon the bastards. (Oh my god this draft is so old, that meme is so outdated I guess the alternative now would be YEET)

20. Finn could be represented by a whole playlist, but when he's in his armour, fighting for everyone depending on him, the best song for that part of his life is "Lydia" - Highly Suspect. (I should add more songs, but listen to Highly Suspects first two albums they’re really good, the latest album leans further into pop than the others while maintaining their signature sound)

Ryder Appreciation Week Meme

Can be reblogged and filled or used as answers to asks! :)

1. Does your Ryder like their father? 2. How does your Ryder feel about their sibling? 3. If given the chance, do you think your Ryder would be a good Nexus Director? 4. What’s your Ryder’s favorite weapon? 5. What’s your Ryder’s fighting style/class? (biotic sniper can be a thing now!) 6. Does your Ryder get along well with Tann, Addison, Kandros or Kesh? 7. Is your Ryder good at driving the Nomad? 8. What is the one Pathfinder task that your Ryder hates? 9. What does your Ryder enjoy about being a Pathfinder? 10. How does your Ryder feel about the memories they unlocked? 11. Does your Ryder consider SAM a friend/sibling/…? 12. What’s your Ryder’s favorite location in Andromeda? 13. If your Ryder could give one gift to their LI (if there is one!), what would they give? 14. How does your Ryder feel about the fight between Kallo and Gil? 15. What does your Ryder think about Shepard? 16. Does your Ryder like the other Pathfinders? 17. What is the one lesson your Ryder learned in Andromeda? 18. What is the hardest thing your Ryder had to do in their life? 19. Does your Ryder like memes? 20. Which song would represent your Ryder well?

[deztinywarriors]

ES Spectre 2.0 Chapter 12-3

[thehikingviking]

Mount Thielsen via West Ridge

Mt Thielsen had been on my radar ever since I noticed its pointy summit from Crater Lake several years back. I was afraid to attempt it, mostly because of the mixed reports on the climbing difficulty. Some trip reports rate the peak as class 5, while others report class 3. While climbing ratings are subjective, I believe Jobe Wymore best summarized the difficulty to me stating, “The climb is class 3. If things get weird, look left or right because you are probably off route.” To be safe, Asaka and I brought our climbing shoes, our harnesses and a rope. While I am very green in my climbing experience, I felt that in the worst case, I could set up a rappel, since climbing down is more difficult than climbing up.

Since the drive from the Bay Area to the Mt Thielsen Trailhead is long, I decided to break it up with a trip up South Yolla Bolly Mountain. This peak is west of Red Bluff and is only about 1.5 miles from trailhead to summit. After stopping for lunch in Corning, we headed west along forest roads to the Ides Cove Trailhead. We followed the ridgeline all the way to the summit.

It was very hot and dry that day. I expected only a minimal effort, but was soaked in sweat by the time we reached the summit. Mt Shasta was visible to the north.

To the west were the rugged coastal ranges.

I checked the time and realized it was getting late and we still had 6 hours of driving to the Mt Thielsen Trailhead. I underestimated the driving time from Highway 5 to the trailhead and back. While I took a break from driving, Asaka expressed concern as I watched some “How to rappel” Youtube videos, and even went so far as to say she wouldn’t join me if roped climbing was necessary. I assured her that we probably wouldn’t need the rope, but it would be better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. We pulled up to the Mt Thielsen Trailhead parking lot where we intended to spend the night in the back of the Jeep. This was a poor place to sleep. A combination of noise from the nearby freeway and a rambunctious group of campers made for a unpleasant night.

The next morning we started off a little after 8am. I had to pay for parking, which had me running back and forth between my car and the payment station. The trail climbed gradually through the forest up the western slopes of the extinct volcano.

Mt Thielsen came into view not so long after starting out, but the sun rising behind the peak impaired our views.

We took a short break where the trail intersects the PCT. There were several backpackers here making their ways north. It was hard to envision an easy route to the top.

Down below were Diamond Lake and Mt Bailey.

From the junction, the maintained trail ended and we followed a series of parallel use trail along the top of the west ridge.

There were several other parties on the mountain who all appeared to have different levels of experience. Some people were having trouble simply hiking up the talus field while others had the latest climbing gear and an air of confidence about them. 

I crossed paths with a guy who said, “Almost there,” in a very friendly manner. I replied saying that I could see that, which came out somewhat rude, so I went out of the way to befriend him. He had been up the mountain multiple times and this time he was taking his son to the summit. He had a rope and looked to know what he was doing. We hiked around the summit pinnacle and approached the start of the climbing route where we found a team already rapelling off the summit. One lady kicked rocks the whole way down. I looked on in disgust, happy that we had our helmets on. This group appeared to me as a group that thought they knew what they were doing, but actually didn’t. We gave distance until the lady finished, then the group invited us up. They offered to let us climb in between rappels, which we thanked them for and accepted. The route above looked steep but manageable.

We began climbing while the group advised us where to go. I started to question their advice as things became a little “weird.” We continued up what I would call class 3+ steps, while a ledge to our left appeared to be a much easier route. I didn’t want to be rude so I went along with it. There were some awkward moves, but we made it to the top. The last member of their party rapelled off the peak as we finished the scramble, giving us the popular summit to ourselves. To the south were Mt McLaughlin, Mt Scott and Crater Lake.

More details were visible with a zoomed in shot.

To the west were Diamond Lake and Mt Bailey.

To the north were Diamond Peak, Middle Sister, South Sister, Broken Top and Mt Bachelor.

Once again, more detail can be seen with a zoomed in photo.

To the east was the Great Basin.

The vertical drop to the north off the summit cliff was exceptionally vertical.

The weather was perfect on the summit. The gentleman from earlier joined us, explaining that he was setting up the rope for his son who was still on his way. He had climbed most of the Cascade Volcanoes and we exchanged stories of our past adventures. When we felt it was time, we decided to simply down climb the pitch. Since we had our shoes, we decided to put them on to give us a little extra grip. Some of the rocks had been worn smooth from the high amount of climbers. We carefully descended and both Asaka and I made it down without any issues. The guy rapped down, tied in his son and then belayed him up. We chatted with a few people as we changed back into our hiking boots. I carried my harness and rope for no reason after all, but I was glad we didn’t need to use it.

There was another steep drop off on the eastern side. A spring source was visible at the base of the porous volcanic sediment.

We said goodbye to our new friends and began our hike down the rubble pile back to the trail.

Access to the start of the class 3 route is on the right (eastern) side of the summit pinnacle.

The color of the volcanic rock was enchanting.

As the sun moved overhead, the peak became easier to look at. 

The hike out to the car was a mindless march through the forest. I really had to go to the bathroom, and the toilet at the trailhead was all I focused on.

We considered continuing north to South Sister, however the long drive home the following day did not sound appealing. Instead we drove to Diamond Lake where we jumped in the water and enjoyed the views.

We settled on climbing Craggy Mountain the next day, an obscure coastal peak near Yreka. We watched the sunset over the Northern Pacific Ranges and slept in the car at the trailhead.

We slept on a remote saddle miles from the nearest human. It was a bit spooky, but quiet. I slept peacefully through the night.

The next morning we woke up less than a mile from the peak.

We followed the ridgeline until we reached a series of craggy pinnacles. Who would have thought that Craggy Mountain is adequately named?

There was some mild bushwhacking until we found ourselves between two challenger pinnacles. We ascended via a keyhole to a higher rock, then I climbed the easier of the two points. The rocks to the west appeared slightly taller, so I made my way over.

There was one class 4 move with really good holds that got me onto the summit.

I found a register left by Bob Burd. I looked back at Asaka who was on the lower crag and told her to come join me.

To the northeast was Mt McLaughlin.

To the east was Mt Shasta.

Down climbing the class 4 summit block was a little tricky but we made it down safely. We enjoyed the rest of our Saturday by climbing the nearby China Peak and later drove most of the way up Dog Creek Mountain near Lake Shasta, which was pretty much a dud. It was an action packed road trip for sure.

[memoirsofratasum]

Protector Tarnn: All or Nothing

We should have known it was all going to go hell, all the pieces were wrong from the very start.

It all started with the call to Thunderhead Keep, the massive dwarven fortress high in the Shiverpeaks. The entirety of the Pact was tasked with mobilizing and manning the fort in an effort that should have taken months. We were only given a few days. What was once a place occupied by a few teams of Priory archaeologists became a hotbed of Pact activity.

It was for the commander it was said. They were on some sort of vision quest and we had to be prepared for their arrival. Ogden seemed to know the most, not that he was willing to share much, only vague mentions that the time was foretold and that we needed to move quickly.

The Thunderhead Peaks sit at an even higher altitude than the Priory. Even those of us used to the mountain air had to be careful while we adjusted and Sanna spent a lot of time the first few days treating those who passed out in the snow or in the long stone hallways. And that just compounded the dangers from the branded that prowled the slopes. Yes, Kralkatorrik had been here too and his minions did not seem to suffer from altitude sickness.

But despite all that, airships full of troops and supplies arrived in a steady stream at all hours. Dolyaks and golems hauled sledges of barrels to the Deldrimor Cellars. It was an impressive sight, seeing everything towering above. But that just lead to another wrong piece being forced into the puzzle.

The quartermaster of this entire get-up wasn’t an experienced Pact member, but an asura I only saw glimpses of back in Kourna and Jahai. His name was Gorrik and it was clear from day one that he was in over his head. He had a knack for numbers, I’ll give him that. But numbers are only a small part of the job. He had no idea how to interact with the troops, was completely clueless as to handling moral, and most frustratingly was at odds with the medics. Sanna relayed me stories after hours about Gorrik thinking that “don’t get hurt” was good advice or how she spent more hours arguing with him over what supplies they needed than seeing to the injured. She’s not often pushed to her limits but Gorrik was making her spit fire. I heard rumors that he was put in this position to distract him from his brother’s death, whoever made that choice should be court marshalled. That is the worst reason to put an inexperienced civilian in charge of such a large and important outfit! Hell, even an experienced quartermaster would have been relieved of duty after such a loss. This was bad and I can’t believe Marshall Thackery turned a blind eye to it.

I only fared slightly better in my duties. As an experienced blacksmith I was placed under Forge Master Hilina with some of the other blacksmiths and zephyrites to work in shifts to craft the dragonsblood spears. It was hot work, standing right over the Forge’s lava, but it was definitely important. It took a few days to clean the Forge, place the mold in its setting, aligning the crystal, and make sure it was heating evenly. But it was inevitable that we hit a snag that put a stop to the whole procedure.

We were able to use branded crystals, there was plenty to go around, to form the spears, but they run hot and need to be cooled carefully. The necessary oil for quenching was locked behind the local dredge. We attempted to negotiate for oil but while we waited to hear back we experimented with other options. Different mixes of oils all resulted in the spears shattering and Gorrik quickly cut us off for “wasting” inventory. As if anything for the war effort could be wasted. But Hilina didn’t wanted to argue the point and said we should wait for the dredge oil.

I don’t know how long we would have waited if it wasn’t for the commander’s arrival. It’s possible nothing would have gotten done. The commander not only got us the oil but a replacement spear mold after the first had cracked. What Hilina failed to mention to the commander was that the mold didn’t crack due to age or mishandling. Being underground it wasn’t surprising that we’d be subject to “seismic activity”. But, and I’m no earth elementalist, the shake that dislodged the old mold from its setting and caused it to snap in half didn’t seem normal. Hilina quickly requested a new mold while whispering about the shake to Taimi. At about the same time ghosts started appearing. They weren’t hostile, in fact they were part of the war effort. They were part of Glint’s army in the Mists and needed to speak with our commander right away.

I don’t know exactly what happened in The Auditorium, I wasn’t there. But there were plenty of rumors about Aurene and Caithe and branding. What happened to Caithe didn’t look like any type of branding I’ve ever seen. Some saw it as a symbol of hope, but others were less sure and saw it as Aurene being no better than Kralkatorrik. Obviously a ridiculous notion, but that didn’t stop the whispers around the mess hall.

The plan, the Big Plan, they didn’t share with us right away. The news was broken to us in a less than ideal fashion. I was working my shift at the Forge making spears. A lot of adventurers were drawn to the heat so there was always a sizable crowd, I never paid them much mind as long as they stayed out of the way. But an angry roar from a charr was enough to silence the entire room and grab everyone’s attention.

A big charr I vaguely recognized was arguing with the commander by the windows to the Auditorium. He was someone I had met a long time ago, a druid associated with a warband I know, he had spent years wandering Tyria as a cartographer. And now he was here and throwing accusations of incompetence in the commander’s face. From what I could gather, the druid had presented maps of potential staging grounds to face Kralkatorrik, places where we could be fortified and gain an advantage against the dragon. But the commander had rejected all of them in favor of...pulling Kralkatorrik into Thunderhead.

I don’t think I can describe the communal chill that lanced through the room at that. Here? The safest place we’ve been to in Tyria and the commander was going to invite an elder dragon inside of it? There had to have been more to the story than that, but the damage was done. We had all heard it from the mouth of someone who was offering another choice.

The druid didn’t stay after that. In a fury he called for his raptor and immediately left the fortress. Headed south I heard, towards the Labyrinthine Cliffs. Even if he didn’t make it there in time it wouldn’t be difficult for a ranger of his caliber to survive out in that wilderness.

The commander worked double time to rally the Pact after that blow of confidence. They ran around the Grotto talking personally to the soldiers, fetching water for the builders, and helping with the medics. A show of goodwill and a chance to talk can go a long way. But would any amount of good will be enough to justify bringing the crystal dragon through our front door?

Things suddenly started moving a lot faster than they had before. Too fast. I was in Orr. I was in Maguuma. The campaigns against Zhaitan and Mordremoth were organized and deliberate. And most importantly they took time to formulate. Certainly longer than a couple days. But we had our orders and we had to follow them. Sanna was kept back at the Observation Deck to watch over the outer medic station, perhaps as punishment for fighting with Gorrik so much. She was sore about being kept away from where she thought she needed to be but secretly I wasn’t complaining. I was also kept away from the front lines, I was to assist in the continual forging of the spears. We didn’t have the time to stockpile enough so we had to keep making more throughout the battle and just hope we could get them to the front.

The morning arrived and I prepared for a day of standing over lava. Dozens of barrels of new spears were already filled by the time the first of the soldiers started to file into the Auditorium and set the final preparations. Despite knowing how important my job was, I still felt a twinge of guilt for not being on the front lines with the rest. But deep down I also felt a small sense of relief. I wasn’t feeling good about this plan. Kralkatorrik could bring the entire mountain down around our heads even before the branding starts, dwarven architecture or no. I wish I had gotten a look at those druid’s maps.

It was hard to tell what happened first. There was a surge of magic and the whole mountain shook accompanied by deafening roar. The windows to the Auditorium were sparking violently with purple magic and Hilina had to called back those who had abandoned their work to see Kralkatorrik with their own eyes.

It became difficult to work. Every thrash of the dragon caused the entire Observation Deck to quake and Hilina was terrified that we’d lose another mold. My eyes though were on the grating above the lava, wary of any splashback and warping metal as the ground shook. We still did what we could, sending spears by the armfull down the halls to the fight.

But we weren’t able to keep up the supply train. It wasn’t long before the couriers were running back, undelivered spears still underarm. It was hard to hear their shouting over the roars of an angry dragon, but the purple glow at their heels told enough. The hallways were being blocked by branded crystals. The offensive was cut off from both help and retreat!

We didn’t have a contingency plan in case we got cut off, there hadn’t been enough time to form one. There were questions on if we should fall back deeper into the mountains, others asked each other if they knew of some alternative paths into the Auditorium. Most though had taken up their weapons and stood ready for any branded minions that would come through those doorways.

But the only thing that hit us was another earthquake, hard enough to send us to our feet, and a roar that is still ringing in my ears.

And then…

It was quiet.

We all looked up and could see through the slatted windows a giant form of purple crystal and hardened stone pulling back, as if trying to dislodge itself, and a giant purple eye blazing with anger and pain. I don’t know if Kralkatorrik saw us, the eye was not focused in our direction but at something in front of him. Another shakes of the mountain and the dragon was gone, seemingly having freed himself from the hastily laid trap.

The disappearance of Kralkatorrik released the building tension, like a breath being collectively exhaled. The immediate source of danger was gone. We didn’t know who was still alive and who was dead, but what we did know was that we were in a safer position than we had been moments ago.

Hilina took charge, ordering that the dragonsblood spears we still had to be passed around and to use them to break through the crystals blocking our way to our allies. Sanna roused the medics left in the Grotto to follow us through the newly crystalline hallways, pull out everyone they found, alive and dead alike, and carrying them back to the familiar warmth of the Forge.

It was slow work, shattering pieces of crystal and then the spear breaking in our hands. We salvaged intact spear barrels to keep pressing forward while the couriers resumed their old job and brought us even more spears. Let me tell you, the dwarves certainly knew how to build a maze. I had little sense of location and orientation, just that there were was the crying of the wounded ahead of us and the crystal was barring our way.

I don’t know how long we were in those twisting and turning tunnels, could have been hours could have been minutes. I nearly stumbled when a crystal broke and a gush of wintery air blasted at us. We had reached the Auditorium at last. It was in a much worse state than we could have ever guessed from windows at the Observation Deck. There was almost nothing to see but rubble and purple crystal. But once my eyes adjusted I could make out the faint figures and shapes on the platforms, only some of them were moving. But what really struck me was how little sound there was. There was faint crying and sounds of pain, but not enough to fill such a vast space.

The near silence was shattered by Sanna’s barking orders to the medics, directing them with a fire more akin to a sergeant. Her gentle bedside manner could wait, they needed to get the wounded out and they needed them out now. The medics wasted no time in searching the rubble, finding the dead, triaging the living, getting those better off back on their feet and pressing them into helping those worse off back to the Forge.

It was when I was picking over the rubble, looking for more survivors that I saw something I had missed in when we first broke in.

There at the far end, almost glowing from all the crystal reflections, was Aurene. Or what was left of her. Her body was twisted unnaturally and pieced with crystals not unlike the spears I had been forging. She had to have been what Kralkatorrik had been staring at when he withdrew from the mountain, his anger and pain focused on her form. What had she done to him?

A whimper by a crystal drew my attention away from the dragon. A zephyrite, a member of the choir, was huddled under a brand crystal but his wide eyes were focused on Aurene. I had to work to get his attention on me instead of Aurene’s still form, but when he realized I was there he found his voice again. He went on and on about Aurene to me, about how she was the light, the very hope of this world. But now she was dead. There was no more light. What could we possibly do now without that hope?

I barely listened as I checked him over using my healing magic, just enough to see that he wasn’t seriously hurt. All he had were some cuts and bruises that could heal on their own, some people fared better than others during the battle it seemed. But something about his last comment, asking what could we possibly do without hope, sparked a fuse in me.

I grabbed his shoulders and pointed him away from Aurene and toward the medics, couriers, and my fellow smiths who were trying their damnedest to save the lives of every soldier they came across. That’s what we do when we have no hope. We try to save as many as we can because to give up is to sentence the survivors to death. And not a single person here will leave others to their fate just because we merely lost some hope. And after that? You dig your heels in and keep going forward if only because you don’t know how to stop, defiant until the end. If he didn’t believe me he just needed to ask the closest sunspear.

I then hauled him to his feet and told him that since he wasn’t hurt it was his job to help those that were. I don’t know how much he absorbed, and I’m sure the mourning for all of us will come eventually, but right now it is time to focus on the living.  

In that focus I did not turn to face Aurene again.

[theuchihaoftheshadows]

Matchmaking

Sakura Haruno was not to be trifled with. Sakura Haruno knew how to get into a person's head and pull out their spleen through their eyeballs. Don't ask how. Just accept it. Sakura Haruno was just that good. Naruto didn't make up the rules. He just accepted them for what they were. The truth. So one early spring morning when he went to meet up with Team 7, he was unsurprised to see that usual plotting look on her face and when she turned to look at him, he knew he had just been dragged into this without any say.

The things he did for friendship.

Sakura herself was unsure how exactly she came up with the plot. She had awoken early and gone out to enjoy the sunrise over the treetops when she had spotted them. First she recognized her sensei. Kakashi was not an easy man to miss. His ridiculous hair and mask and that lazy body language was recognizable anywhere. He was standing at the ledge of the cliff, hands in pockets, watching the sunrise. It was such a Kakashi thing to do and Sakura should have figured that he enjoyed watching sunrises. However the person he was standing with stumped Sakura for a moment. Then she realized that the other person was Itachi. His hair was in the normal ponytail, but there was something softer about him in this moment. He was relaxed.

It still surprised Sakura how Sasuke-kun and Itachi could look so similar yet so different. She had watched the pair with keen eyes. Kakashi had said something to Itachi who smiled lightly at him and just like that, it was clear in Sakura's mind. The sun came up and all she could see was hearts and sunshine and romance. They would be prefect together. Sakura could see it already. Kakashi flirting and being his usual lazy self, but with a new spring in his step and Itachi smiling more and not so busy with missions and family. They needed each other and Sakura would help them see it.

"Naruto," Sakura began with a sweet tone once Naruto finally arrived at their meeting place. "We're going to be matchmakers."

"For who?" Naruto asked with squinting eyes. He slouched against the side of the bridge while Sakura bemoaned the lack of romance.

"Sensei and Itachi-san! Don't you see how they look at each other?" She asked and Naruto made a face.

"They don't really talk at all. I don't think I've ever seen 'em talk."

"That's because you haven't been paying attention." Sakura calmly informed her less than genius teammate. She was so distracted with setting up this romance that she did not even notice when Sasuke angsted onto the bridge. "Mark my words, Naruto. Kakashi-sensei and Itachi-san will see the light and fall in love. We just have to help them realize their feelings. Those two aren't big on that sort of thing. So we need to help them." Sakura hummed and Sasuke stopped mid-brood to stare at the female.

"What are you going on about?" He asked and Sakura started, finally realizing he was there.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun! I was just...uhhh." Sakura began awkwardly.

"She's trying to set sensei and 'Tachi-nii up." Naruto helpfully inserted himself into the conversation. Sakura scowled, eyebrows narrowing as she turned on Naruto. Sasuke however caught her attention with his own displeased glare. That perverted sensei would be getting nowhere near his beloved Aniki. This woman had to be stopped.

"Haruno. I swear if you try to set that pervert up with my brother, I'll-"

"You'll what?" Sakura barked back, arms crossed over her chest. "Glare at me and angst?"

"Oooooooo." Naruto breathed.

"Dammit." Sasuke turned away. She knew too much...pink she devil. Sakura smirked, knowing she had him beat. She held her hands firmly on her hips and regarded the two boys on her team.

"Love will prevail! Either get on my level or get out of my way." She boasted. Naruto and Sasuke shared uneasy glances.

If there was anyone Sakura could trust for romance it would be her one true rival. Ino was many things, and wise in the way of love was one of them...or at least she was better than Sakura. After training that morning, Sakura made a beeline for the flower shop where she knew Ino would be working. She opened the door, hearing the bell jingle overhead and Ino peered from around the counter, lips pulling into a smile as she spotted the other girl.

"Well well, what are you up to Sakura?" Ino asked, slipping from the desk to approach the other girl. The store was mostly empty and Ino had a stack of magazines lined up. She was no doubt looking forward to the conversation. Sakura explained her goal and asked for her wizened advice on the topic of brining people together. Ino hummed, watching as Sakura firmly explained her mission.

"So you've come to me for help?" She asked, eyebrow high.

"Yes. You would understand." Sakura replied with a hopeful look on her face, bright green eyes imploring. Ino nodded sagely, peering out the window.

"Flowers. We can have flowers delivered to Itachi-san from Kakashi-san." Ino looked around the shop and Sakura nearly clapped her hands in excitement. Of course! Flowers were perfect!

"Oh yes!" Sakura gushed. "Maybe these pretty yellow carnations?" She pointed to them, smiling brightly.

"No! no, no no!" Sakura yelped in shock at Ino's explosion. "There is a language to flowers and yellow carnations are rejection! We can't send Itachi rejection flowers!"

"Oh! I didn't know!" Sakura wailed in dismay. A rejection flower? Did those really exist? Ino sighed wearily. Sakura looked around at the flowers, wondering what other secrets she was ignorant to. The blonde reached out and pat Sakura's arm lightly.

"Here, let me make you a bouquet to send." Ino danced around the shop and Sakura watched as she picked several types from different sections of the store. She would eye each with a keen eye before nodding to herself and adding them to the bouquet.

"Here we have variegated tulips. They mean beautiful eyes...and you've seen Itachi-san's eyes. So obviously Kakashi has too. Red camellia, which is burning passion. Gotta have that. Daisies for loyalty and one red rose for love and respect." She held out the colorful arrangement to Sakura who felt fluttery at all the romance. She took the bundle and went to pay for them but Ino waved her off. "Consider it a gift. We need more romance in this village."

"Oh! I couldn't possibly...I-" Sakura babbled out her thanks and Ino slipped a white camellia into Sakura's hair and offered the girl a smile, tapping a slim finger against her nose.

"I'll see you after, okay?" She assured the smaller girl who nodded, thanking Ino.

"It's the oddest thing." Itachi hummed that night as he sat in his room with his brother. Sasuke turned towards him curiously.

"What is?" He asked, watching as his brother continued to tidy up the room.

"I received a bouquet of flowers from Kakashi-senpai. I never took him for the type to send flowers. I wonder what he wants." Itachi pointed to the flowers and Sasuke was on his feet in an instant. He read the tag, noting it was stamped rather than written. No way to trace it back to anyone it seemed. This had Haruno written all over it. He glared out the window, hands curling into fists. The pink she devil would not succeed.

Flowers delivered: check.

Kakashi and Itachi in love: Still working on that.

Sakura was still plotting and Sasuke was still brooding. This left Naruto to his own devices which usually ended with him avoiding his friends. Too much drama for him, you know? Sakura had already set out a mariachi band and Sasuke had responded with cold sharp precision and chased them off. Sakura had then tried to have a live poet follow Kakashi, but Kakashi had assumed they were trying to sell him something and had made himself scarce. Somehow Kiba and Shikamru had gotten wind of the whole fiasco and were making bets on who would win between Sasuke and Sakura. Ino had taken it upon herself to act as wingman to Sakura and Sasuke had used the power of guilt and honor to get Naruto to follow him. It would have been much simpler to let Itachi and Kakashi do as they wished, but that wasn't going to happen.

It finally reached a head when Hinata informed Kiba who told Shikamaru who mentioned to Choji who told Ino who told Naruto who blabbed to Sasuke and Sakura that Itachi and Kakashi were both at the village cafe together. So, naturally there was amad diash for the cafe. Sakura knocking Sasuke out of her way to ensure the meeting did not go interrupted and Sasuke latching onto her ankle, prepared to break up whatever was happening. Naruto trailed behind with the rest of Rookie nine, all taking bets now. Sakura flipped the Uchiha over her head and onto his back, knocking the wind out of him with a triumphant roar. In the background Ino nodded mouth pressed into a firm line. The pair burst through the cafe, nearly taking out Genma who was trying to eat his damn soup in peace. They found the table they were looking for and Itachi looked up, face impassive as Kakashi sighed.

"THEY'RE TRYING TO LET THAT PERVERT DEFILE YOU-"

"GIVE LOVE A CHANCE-"

"CAN YOU PLEASE MAKE THEM STOP?! I HAVEN'T SLEPT IN THREE DAYS!" Naruto wailed from somewhere out of sight.

Kakashi and Itachi were sitting in the cafe. Itachi held a smoothie in one hand, the other was linked with Kakashi's. The two men looked from the pile of children on the floor to each other. Sakura and Sasuke instantly tried speaking over each other, Sasuke shoving Sakura away while the girl took him into a headlock, neither willing to let the other go. Kakashi slowly pulled his hand away from Itachi's and crossed his arms over his chest, studying his squabbling students with a lifted eyebrow.

"You two would be perfect together!" Sakura called out, elbowing Sasuke in the ribs.

"Don't listen to her, Aniki! She's all forehead and no brains!" Sasuke shot back and in the background, Ino rolled up imaginary sleeves until Choji pulled her back.

"Uhh, guys...I don't know how to say this, but Itachi and I are already together." Kakashi piped up.

"Wait what!?" Both Sasuke and Sakura stopped their arguing to turn to their sensei who shifted, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. Ino shifted from where she held her own flowers and Shikamaru sighed. "All this work for nothing." He sighed wearily, and turned walking right out of the cafe.

"Yeah, for like four months now." Kakashi confirmed, nodding his head as Itachi hummed in confirmation, still slurping on the smoothie. Sakura and Sasuke stared. Itachi played footsies with Kakashi under the table, smirking lightly at the whole display.

"It's okay guys, they're already doing each other!" Kiba shouted to the rest of Rookie Nine. There were some cries of glee and dismay. Shino shrugged, over the whole thing and Kiba gave chase of Shikamaru to figure out about the money.

"So, you've been dating?" Sasuke pulled himself to his feet as Naruto helped Sakura up. Rookie nine slowly dispersed, leaving just Ino and Team 7 behind.

"Yes." Itachi replied, still slurping and looking well at ease. Sasuke looked as if Itachi had just said he had slaughtered their whole family just for the lulz. He stepped back, hand over his heart. Naruto lifted his eyes to the ceiling. Damn Uchihas'.

"So it's over then?" He asked. "We're done here? I can go eat now?"

"Yeah, go away." Kakashi waved them off, settling back down to reclaim Itachi's hand. Naruto cheered in glee and grabbed Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke glared at Kakashi as if preparing to kill him. Sakura nearly swooned as she watched the pair hold hands. She was right! They were perfect together!

"Sakura, can we go now? Let them enjoy their date?" Ino nudged the girl's arm and she slowly nodded, tearing her arms away from the wonderful scene in front of her.

"Yeah, let's go." She looked to the blonde who grinned at her, blue eyes dazzling in the cafe lighting.

"Oh thank god." Ino declared and shoved the bouquet of red carnations she had been holding into Sakura's arms.

[jessicakehoe]

Activist, Advocate, Ambassador: Supermodel Cindy Bruna is More Than Meets The Eye

With pandemic restrictions in effect as part of the COVID-19-era new normal, FASHION had to adapt on the fly for our cover shoot with L’Oréal Paris, which was shot in Paris back in July. Our creative and fashion director tuned in virtually from Toronto to oversee the production, and makeup icon Val Garland sketched looks from her London studio, which were later applied to the images of model Cindy Bruna digitally using L’Oréal Paris’s Virtual Try-On tool. Click here to try the looks on yourself and discover the products used to create each of the looks behind the cover image below. 

Top and pants, prices upon request, Arthur Avellano. Ear cuff, $8,530, top necklace, $8,270, and bottom necklace, $64,300, Messika. Stud earrings, Bruna’s own.

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“Have you seen the shots? I’m so excited to see them! I had such a great day,” says an upbeat and endearing Cindy Bruna on the phone from Paris. The French modelling star, who was tapped by L’Oréal Paris as an international spokesperson earlier this year, is talking to me about our unusual cover shoot in partnership with the beauty juggernaut.

Dress, $7,185, and belt, $1,740, Alexander McQueen. Makeup by L’Oréal Paris.

In the face of COVID-19, Bruna posed up inside Paris’s Nolinski hotel for a solid nine-plus hours—all while social distancing from the rest of the tiny team who were allowed on-set. Strict pandemic measures also meant that her makeup was completely digital. But Bruna is no stranger to outside-the-box situations: She has stood on the edge of a cliff, plunged into frigid water and lain in the snow (with not much clothing on).

Ranked a “Money Girl” on Models.com alongside Bella Hadid, Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner, Bruna hit many major milestones early in her career. On her very first job casting, the late legendary couturier Azzedine Alaïa took Bruna under his wing. “He gave me the opportunity to work for him at his showroom; meeting him really made me want to do this job,” says the 25-year-old, who was scouted at the age of 16 in the South of France and made regular trips to Paris with her mother during school holidays.

Jacket, $3,850, pants, $1,250, and shoes, $1,825, Balenciaga. Makeup by L’Oréal Paris.

At 18, Bruna made the big move to the City of Light to pursue modelling full-time and wound up in New York shortly after for her New York Fashion Week debut. The gig: to walk exclusively for Calvin Klein.

In the modelling world, landing an exclusive has been known to put runway newbies on the map. But Bruna’s 2012 booking morphed into something much greater: It marked a watershed moment for diversity in the fashion industry with Bruna becoming the house’s first model of colour to walk exclusively, which meant she couldn’t be booked for any other New York designers that season. “At the time, I didn’t even know that I was the first to get it,” says Bruna. “I just couldn’t believe the opportunity; it was my first time working in New York. Looking back, I didn’t truly realize the weight of it.”

Jacket and scarf, $5,850, Louis Vuitton. Hoop earrings, $12,990, and necklace, $28,210, Messika. Top, Bruna’s own. Makeup by L’Oréal Paris.

The experience launched Bruna into the supermodel stratosphere. “It changed my life and career,” she says. In the span of a few months, Bruna was shot by photographer Steven Meisel for the cover of Italian Vogue and earned her wings as a Victoria’s Secret Angel, which she held on to for a steady six seasons. She also became part of the core group of models that make up Olivier Rousteing’s fierce female posse, known as the Balmain Army.

When asked if any one achievement tops her list of proudest moments, Bruna is quick to say no. “I’m very proud of the whole process,” she says. “When I first started, I was full of doubt. I was scared. I didn’t know that I would have to leave my family to go to Paris and then New York. I didn’t speak English. All of that could have stopped me, but I was like, ‘You know what? Just go for it.’”

Bodysuit, $740, Copurs. Hoop earrings, $640, Balenciaga. Cuff, price upon request, Alexander McQueen. Makeup by L’Oréal Paris.

Overcoming fear can be incredibly tough when navigating an industry that is rife with rejection. “You are constantly judged, compared and not chosen, which can be difficult,” shares Bruna. “I have cried many times about this.” The biggest piece of advice she’d tell her younger self? Don’t take it personally: “Sometimes it just doesn’t work out. You’re not what they’re looking for, and that’s OK. Don’t change. Be yourself. The right job will come.”

That self-appreciation mindset is what makes Bruna such an inspired choice for a megabrand with a “Because I’m worth it” ethos. “It’s really a slogan that talks to everybody,” she says. “In my job, it’s all about embracing you and being proud of yourself. Everybody is special. We all have value.” How does this model tap into her unique self? By fully loving her biracial identity.

Dress, $1,425, Area. Makeup by L’Oréal Paris.

The daughter of an Italian father and Congolese mother, Bruna says that being mixed race is her superpower. “I feel like it’s really a strength to have both cultures that I can learn from and grow from,” she says. “My mom raised me with African values around family and sharing how the world can be difficult for people of colour. I grew up eating African dishes and listening to African music. I share so much of my dad’s respect for others and for nature. I feel like I gained so much from both of them.”

As for joining the L’Oréal Paris family, it’s a gig Bruna does not take lightly. “I realize that it is a responsibility,” she notes. “I want to give not only my face but also my voice to everything we’re doing together.” It’s a voice she’s used time and again as a bridge for others who need one.

Jacket and scarf, $5,850, Louis Vuitton. Hoop Earrings, $12,990, Messika. Stud Earrings, Bruna’s own. Makeup by L’Oréal Paris.

Bruna has used her visibility and social media clout to advocate for the inclusion of more faces of colour on the runways as well as to speak up about the all-too-common hair discrimination that occurs behind the scenes at shows and shoots with afro-textured hair. “To have been the first woman of colour to work on a Calvin Klein exclusive back in 2012 just made me realize how much we have to push to bring change to the industry,” she says. “Yes, things have evolved since then, but we can still do more.” And the needle shouldn’t stop at a colourful array of models on catwalks and in campaigns. “It’s also about walking on-set and seeing people behind the scenes, like stylists and photographers, of different backgrounds.”

Another topic that gets Bruna fired up is domestic violence against women. “One woman is killed every three days in France,” she states. “It’s a crisis that’s happening all over the world, and I really think that we can be part of the solution.”

Three years ago, Bruna joined Solidarité Femmes, a French network of associations specializing in the reception, support and accommodation of women facing abuse, and is quick to concede that she had a lot to learn when she first began. “It took me at least a year to really understand just how diverse domestic abuse is: The violence happens in so many forms,” she says. “I didn’t even talk about Solidarité Femmes on social media or anything at first. I was just visiting shelters in Paris, talking to women and learning about what the associations were doing.”

JACKET, $4,800, TOP, $3,050, AND SHOES, $1,060, SAINT LAURENT BY ANTHONY VACCARELLO. PANTS, PRICE UPON REQUEST, LOUIS VUITTON. DANGLE EARRINGS, $260, HELENE ZUBELDIA. STUD EARRINGS, BRUNA’S OWN. Makeup by L’Oréal Paris.

Now, Bruna’s passion to help end violence against women has seamlessly extended to her new post at L’Oréal Paris, with her joining the advocating team for Stand Up Against Street Harassment, the brand’s training program with the goal of eradicating gender-based street harassment. “L’Oréal Paris has always encouraged women to live according to their own rules, but street harassment goes against that,” says Bruna. “I feel like Stand Up can help people know how to react if they see or experience harassment. It really invites women and men to learn. It’s about educating people—myself included.”

As our phone conversation winds down, I catch myself feeling empowered and inspired by Bruna’s words and conclude that her strong sense of self totally matches the expressions and moods she elegantly delivered in our cover shoot. “She’s a real one,” I say in my head, before thanking her for being so open with me. “No, thank you!” she immediately responds. “I really can’t wait to see the pictures!”

Try on these beauty looks

Learn about all the L’Oréal Paris products that Val Garland used for Bruna’s FASHION cover shoot and virtually try on each makeup look by scanning this QR code.

Art direction by JACQUES BURGA. Styling by MICKAEL CARPIN. Creative direction by GEORGE ANTONOPOULOS. Makeup by VAL GARLAND, L’Oréal Paris global makeup director. Hair by ALEXANDRINE PIEL. Photography assistant: CLAUDIA REVIDAT. Post-production: LUCY LU. Shot on location at the NOLINSKI HOTEL in Paris.

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