#and they get sidetracked into killing him. which is how we get the trial and the tai w gun nat crying scene

[pelorsdyke]

mari pitgirl truthers 🤝 mari isn’t pitgirl truthers

“this trailer proves we’re right”

[venus-is-thinking]

DRDT Chapter 2 Episode 13: Initial Thoughts

We're back again! I'm probably just gonna do one of these for every new episode this chapter at least, just because there's so much to talk about in all of them!

Basically, I'm going to run through my not-live-but-sort-of-live-thoughts of the episode, then at the end I'll give my thoughts on any more overarching theories/conversations that are relevant.

SPOILER WARNING FOR DRDT CH 2 PART 2!

T/W: Murder, suicide, hanging

The Reactions

Knowing where Levi's explanation is going now that I'm rewatching, it makes sense that this is the first thing he'd think of in regards to the secret. It's not about the lives lost or his status of being a "murderer," it's the real, concrete consequences of his actions-- AKA, the law.

Just, like, 'cause, or...?

Honestly, this adds a really interesting flavor to when Levi does threaten Ace. He's like, "do you think I don't have limits to my patience?" The fact that there was any amount of patience in the first place is honestly pretty cool for Ace.

Also, I don't really have a good place to screenshot this, so I'll just mention it: the clock motif in the backing track is really cool!! Has that been there before and I haven't noticed, or is it new? I also definitely find it personally suspicious that we're getting clock sound effects while Levi is talking about murder (Eden killer/Levi accomplice moment??) but that's probably just my confirmation bias talking. It could also definitely be something about wasting time in the Trial, which a point is definitely made out of. It takes them a long time to start talking about the method, and Levi even mentions that he's sidetracking before he starts on this monologue.

Extremely funny reaction from Eden if they ARE in on this together btw. "Wait... you've killed, like, more people?? This isn't soul-crushingly deviating from the norm for you?????"

I get that this is the point, but lmao, Levi's really just saying these things like they're normal. Forget the murder charges, did you get in legal trouble for any of this stuff???

Oh Hope's Peak, always the shadiest people with absolutely terrible priorities. I feel like you could tell me Hope's Peak did, like, literally anything morally dubious in a fangan and I'd be like, "yeah, checks."

Shoutout to this anon for slam dunking it! The phrasing Levi used in the other scene makes more sense to me now that we know how Levi feels about all of this. The dialogue didn't imply any different feelings to Levi's father than the other members of his family because the fact that Levi killed him means, like, nothing to him.

Still, I wonder what actually prompted Levi killing his dad. Like, I feel like he must've been provoked, at least. Hopefully we'll learn why someday.

This episode had more of J being more vocally anti-murder than most. I still don't know if that's just because she's one of few characters who's both loud and has morals, or if it ties into some specific aspect of her character.

"I can't forget about the fact that Felicity died because of me under any circumstances ever!"

I hope Arturo and Levi talk more about their secrets in depth at some point. Totally get why they're opposites on the narrative foils thing.

"I mean, we all know why I tried to kill Ace."

Unlike Arei lmao /j /lh

(To be honest, though, I think David at minimum is upset about Arei dying though. More on that later. Eden too, possibly even if she did kill her.)

This is such an interesting thing to learn as a Levi accomplice theory truther. 'Cause like, on the one hand, it makes it more believable that Levi would do some thing that wild; if the other people don't really matter, it's easier to justify killing all of them. But, at the same time, if he doesn't care about Eden, either, why the hell is he helping her?

I'm gonna need to rewatch this episode once I know who this Trial's culprit is, because I am incapable of reading the Levi/Eden interactions as anything BUT horribly suspicious.

(Also, god, the good person jumpscare counter this episode was wilding.)

Nice to get a confirmation that Levi is still trying to be a good person, even if he doesn't understand what that means.

Wow. Didn't realize Ace was gonna throw some emotional vulnerability (???) into his fuck you Levi speech. Or that he actually genuinely believed they had more of a connection than he let on! Like I said to Accirax, he's such a tsundere that I didn't even realize he was a tsundere.

me believing you

*squints in Ace is canonically gay*

I hope we'll get to learn more about this guy at some point. I'd expect we will, if nothing else in the bonus episode that correlates with Ace's death (or in the main story, if he lives long enough to be a survivor). "His memory" definitely makes it sound like he's dead, though. Sad.

Shoutout to the AceVi shippers, though. This episode must've been a WILD ride for you.

Thanks for clarifying, Veronika! It's nice to have a character who likes to psychoanalyze the cast so that the writer can basically use her to clarify what other people are thinking. Useful writing tip.

This does provide some interesting context to that early scene where Arei manipulates and kinda makes fun of Levi, though. He really could've just decked her ass if he wanted to.

Oh my god. Has no one actually said that David isn't behaving like a good person anymore? Is Levi still following David's example???

If so, it's a really good example of how little Levi understands about other people. Like, damn. You can't even tell with David??

To be fair, maybe all the stuff about ending the killing game confused him. Teruko and David are arguing about whether or not Xander was a good person. If everyone else can't even decide, how is Levi supposed to know?

Ban her? I'm not a forum moderator, dude. Also, I hardly even know her.

(Idk if that was meant to be a reference or not but. Whit brainrot go brrrrr)

Thanks for the confirmation, queen!

okay I'm Running Out of Images so from here on out I'm including stuff as indented text and only doing pictures when I think the picture itself is relevant

Veronika: After all, my own so-called secret isn't even the worst thing I've done. Isn't that so utterly disappointing of the motive?

What have you done. Tell me.

I do wonder if this is somehow character commentary on Veronika. Like, let's say Veronika has also murdered somebody or something. Would this imply that this is something she'd be more concerned with others knowing, possibly because it's more personal?

I'm not really sure. It could just be that Veronika doesn't really have any secret she fears at all, so they were at kind of a loss.

David: Achoo! Ah-- Bless me!

what is he so funny for

David: Teruko. Own up to your goddamn secret already. You are the last person to do so.

I so think David knows Teruko's real secret. Like, there's no way.

Interestingly, though, I read Teruko's hesitation towards answering David as her trying to figure out which secret belongs to Min. It's easier for everyone involved if Teruko and Xander's are backwards rather than it being a triangle scenario.

Yay!!! Even if I still think it's partially wrong!

Eden: W... wait! Before we move on! I have to know. David... What happened between you and Arei?

I'm still inclined to read this as Eden having not believed Arei back when she declared she wanted to be friends. Eden is still trying to get at the truth of the matter, because she can't just have killed Arei without knowing how badly she fucked up.

There's definitely still an innocent reading out there, too, though.

Arei: If even a perfect inspirational speaker like you turns out to be an asshole, then there's no such thing as a "good person."

This was a really interesting direction to take this conversation, for both Arei and David's characters. It's true that they both lie about their personality often to get their way; Arei's lie is just WAY easier to see through. It makes sense that it's something they could bond over.

However, the INSANE thing is that this means that David probably actually cares about Arei. Like, to a meaningful extent. Maybe it's just the Kazui vibes, but I feel like if anyone actually understands David enough to see through him, that would be really impactful to him.

Also, the vibes on this scene were wild. The Arvid (????????) shippers sure could have a field day with this one.

But, of course, we can't forget:

...WHAT????

Okay, so first of all, I have no idea if David actually knows/remembers this or if it's just meant for the audience. But, either way, this thing is crazy.

The first thing I noticed was definitely the fork; is that the same fork that we see in the opening sequence?? The one commonly thought to be of when Xander lost his eye?

I know there's some LGI stuff with the fork too, but I'm not going to dive into that right now. I think Accirax is touching on this more strongly in hers.

The other thing is, I have NO idea what this says about Eden culprit theory. I definitely still think it's possible that this is a level of lore that's gonna follow Eden to her death and give her a reason to haunt the narrative, but this could also be something that we're going to explore later.

The main reason why I think this could lead into her death is because as far as we know, Eden doesn't remember anything included in this flashback. If Eden doesn't know about the lore, it's sort of weird if we, the audience, have this vague piece of knowledge about her that she doesn't. It's not a death sentence or anything, but I think it could still be in line.

I'll leave the speculation as to what exactly this means for another post/another theorist. Right now, my guess is that there might've been some kind of other killing game with this class before, or something. But, I'm DEFINITELY both alarmed and intrigued.

Arei: Even she must've made a mistake she couldn't take back.

The inclusion of "mistake" in this section is really interesting to me. Is that referring to whatever we see here? Was it a mistake she later came to regret?

Or, I also think this could actually be a reference to Arei. Not the image itself, but the mistake. If Eden genuinely believed Arei wouldn't change and killed her, only to realize Arei was being sincere, that's a mistake she couldn't take back.

I wonder if this is going to be Arei's last voice line (in the main series, I'd expect she'll talk in the bonus episodes).

If so, I think it's a nice way to end her character arc. Not only is she trying to be friends with Eden to be better, she's also able to reach out to someone like her and help them, too.

David: ...Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I didn't say anything to her, and she didn't have much to say to me either.

This was CRAZY. I was expecting we were all gonna have to play the "to what extent is David lying" game again, but instead, it seems like it all MUST'VE been real, because it came straight from his mind because he didn't even say it!!

It's funny to me that he says he didn't say anything to her, because from what we saw, that was... accurate, maybe?? Was David really just standing there bluescreening that entire time? Like, man loves his elipses, but goddamn, don't leave her hanging! /j /ref

It's also interesting that David is keeping this from the class, and more specifically, from Eden, who Arei clearly liked. Is it because the moment is personal, and he doesn't want to share it? Or, does he have suspicions about who her killer might be or how to catch him that would interfere with him sharing?

Anyways. Wild.

David: One hundred and one percent, I promise. Ace overheard everything, and what he told you all was the entire truth. Does that satisfy you?

I wonder if Ace stopped listening for real, or if there's a chance he heard all of this. If so, I wonder why he's not calling David out. Is he still coping too hard over the Levi thing?

Whit: Dang, we really got hung up on those secrets, didn't we? I thought you all would be on those for years. MonoTV: Years indeed. Some people had to wait one year and five months for you to get this far.

I KNEW MonoTV and/or Whit would make a joke about the time gap! Hope that one doesn't get lost in translation for the people who join the fandom after the hiatus, lol.

Teruko: They filled those jugs up with water and used them to increase Arei's weight.

Oh hell yeah.

Veronika: I'm not an expert, of course, but my intuition tells me that jumping off the top of the swing set isn't enough to break Arei's neck.

Whit: The way hanging normally works is that the victim is put in a noose with enough slack in the rope that they're unharmed. It's only when the victim falls from a high location to a low location that the rope becomes tight, and the noose strangles them.

Very interesting to have Veronika call attention to the fact that she's not an expert shortly before Whit goes into a long explanation of the mechanics of hanging, including with bolded words for emphasis/added ethos. I definitely think we're supposed to notice that he knows this for... some reason.

I know Accirax's theory is that Whit's mom might have hung herself, which is... dark, if true. Like, that means that after the fact, Whit probably hyper-researched how hanging works. Yikes.

Also, I honestly didn't get why people were saying Whit was so sus before the hiatus, but I feel like it's been cranked up afterwards??? Whit are you the mastermind I thought you were chill??????

Whit: It's not like you can grab the rope when she's falling to stop it at the right time. If she's moving at a speed fast enough to snap her neck, I'm sure trying to stop it would shred your hands.

Caught between "yeah that's why they used the stopper rope" and "IS THE USING THE GLOVE TO STOP THE THING STILL REAL???"

YEAHHHHH

Tape truthers rise up!

Teruko joins the murder diagram contingent!!!

Incredibly real though. You simply can't figure out what the hell happens in this thing and how it works without being able to See It.

Teruko: Now that we've actually discussed the mechanism of murder, I realize that I've seen this murder method before. Eden: You have? Teruko: That's right. And so have you.

Funny you remind us of that, Teruko.

YES! GYM MURDER METHOD ANSWERS! PLEASE TELL US WHAT HAPPENED THERE!

Wow. What an episode. We truly learned so much.

Theory Update/Analysis

Okay, so I already yapped about most of the character stuff for a while in here. Similarly, I don't think all too much changed for my murder theory.

I'm still tentatively on Levi accomplice, but firmly on Eden culprit. The way I see this going is towards a Nico bait that goes nowhere because they have an alibi, then eventually causing the class to realize the culprit has to be one of the people who saw Nico's original murder method (who doesn't have an alibi)-- Eden, Ace or Teruko.

From there, they can discuss the Arei murder method more thoroughly, eventually circling back to the fish. That confuses the time of death more than anything.

Eventually, the tape can be the damning evidence. Or that could happen before the fish, not sure.

In summary, I liked this episode a lot! It's exciting that we're finally starting to get answers to the murder method that we all went so insane over.

This was. A short theory update section. If you have any questions please feel free to send in an ask! I like talking to people :)

[missizzy]

A Game Novice's Baldur's Gate Log, 161 Hours In: In which I let a failure stand

Masterpost

(Note: this will definitely contain spoilers for all I've played through, and probably quite of a bit of the later stuff I've also seen.)

They say when you play D&D, failure can make for a more interesting story than success. I'm not sure how my own experience with it bears that out. Meanwhile, it seems that in Baldur's Gate III, failure, if it doesn't involve everyone getting killed, either makes the game harder (which is, admittedly, interesting) and/or cuts you off from possible quests. For which reason, for the most part, I've reloaded out of it. There was one point in Moonrise Towers, when I got most of the prisoners killed, that I considered living with that, but ultimately I redid and saved them all instead.

This week, however, for the first time, I had what was likewise a mixed success-where I failed at the most important part of it, and ultimately ended up letting that stand. It did get me to write another fic, though.

I'm certainly much more used to silly fumbling, where there was also plenty of this week, starting immediately. I'd just saved Volo from the mob, and he'd promptly walked out of my sight, so I went back to the tavern to see if he was there, didn't find him, but figured Sara would shrug and just go to bed. One long rest later, I resumed my exploration of that area of the docks, and discovered he'd just walked down to the pier, and could quickly be sent back to tavern by talking with him.

After talking with some other people and providing money to help a whole family escape, I got to the Water Queen's house. I'd known that to be there already, and that there was a quest attached with a robe as reward that I'd plenty of screenshots of Gale in, though I really do kind of like him in his current one. The place itself was kind of intriguing, the sailors leaving respectful tributes on the altars a bit of a contrast to the waveservants, whom I suspect the city's inhabitants (Sara very much included), must see as a little kooky.

Still, Sara has also talked to the fishermen and heard about the water being contaminated, so at that point she was very willing to go kill whoever was responsible. I had also already found the way into Flymm's Cargo through the sewers after clearing our the Temple of Bhaal, so we went down into them. And then got a little sidetracked, locating both Kith'rak Voss, who I decided I'd come back and talk to sometime later, and Arabella, who showed Sara a stone she failed the arcana check on and then left. I was a actually little disappointed Halsin didn't try to talk to her, since he was in the party at this point, but maybe next time she shows up.

Eventually I reoriented myself and got into the cargo house. Having gone in already, I'd already looted the place and killed the worgs, so this time I just spent way too long wandering around the first floor trying to find any secret entrances to anything, before looking it up and being directed back to the basement. Which I'd also explored the first time around, but I quickly discovered there was a door I'd forgotten to go through.

I suppose I might have gone to the Iron Throne earlier, and might have even done so unspoiled. But I'm not sorry I only found Redhammer and his submersible then. I'm definitely not sorry that I had by then learned that the Duke along with Omeluum was in the prison, and that it was a trial of speed, since that meant I knew to go back to the tavern and get Astarion and Wyll. Hells, I might have had Sara just killed Redhammer then otherwise, and then of course everyone in that prison would've died, though he did make one comment about not being there by choice that gave her pause.

I could also feel her hesitate, when Gortash contacted her and threatened to kill everyone in the prison if she docked. But I now think she must have realized quickly enough he was likely to eventually kill them all anyway. Besides, it felt good to have her say "Fuck you" to that asshole.

When I first took in the three corridors of the prison at the start of the fight, I initially sent Astarion and Wyll down to where the Duke was, Gale over to the watery area I figured he'd need to teleport over, and Sara down the third passage. I ultimately would get the Duke and all the Gondians out of their cells, but when Mizora showed up, forced the Duke to his knees, and threw spiders around him, my attempts to get him to maneuver around them and the guards before they killed him failed.

Meanwhile, Gale got two more prisoners out, then I nearly panicked when the game wouldn't let him teleport them over the water. Then they just ran through it, though the guards ended up killing Santoria as she ran. And then I saw Omeluum was further down. I hastily dashed Gale into his open cell and freed it, but the guards were all crowding on them, and I was down to two turns before the prison flooded completely, and couldn't even get anyone else down to help in time. I might have accepted losing the Duke that first time, and I might have even seen if Withers could bring Gale back, but I found myself more reluctant to lose Omeluum, and definitely wasn't willing to lose them both. I reloaded.

Now knowing where Omeluum was, and that the water could just been waded through, I sent Astarion down that passage instead. Which I'm afraid doomed both the other prisoners down there, as with the guards also present, I couldn't help but think he would figure there was no way they'd get to the submersible alive anyway, and dashed him right past them. At that moment, I did have hope if he brought Omeluum back that way, and they were both there to fight the guards, he might try to free them then.

It was an especially good thing I'd sent him down there, since this time the cell door was locked, and it was only his crazy bonuses that got him to make that check. He freed Omeluum, got into a fight with too many guards, and then I took a closer look at Omeluum's action bar, and discovered that he actually had the ability to teleport them both straight to the submersible. If I'd seen that the first time around, I might not have reloaded.

But I'm not sorry I did it the second time either. The Duke had by now died again, this time with Sara and Wyll present to see it, as I discerned too late the spiders were actually set around him to explode. But at least I can say I made an extra attempt to save him. Had I known some of the effects on what happens next I've since learned about, I might have reloaded, maybe taken Gale down there instead, and focused on getting rid of said spiders. Or I might have done it if I thought of the various specific ways since thought of I could've saved him, although some of them might have required going back further to bring Shadowheart in instead.

But in the moment, I just rushed everyone back to the submersible, including the other prisoners Gale had freed. One of them didn't make it there in time, and I didn't have time to get the two prisoners Astarion had run past either, but I saved everyone else. And when I had the conversation with Wyll right afterwards in which he stoically tries to deal with his grief for his father (seriously, kudos to Theo Solomon for his performance there), and left off for the day feeling like I'd just watched a TV episode where someone important died, there was just such a feeling of finality to it, I knew I wasn't going to try it over, that this was going to be the way this story went.

Also, by then an idea for a fic had also formed in my head, which I spent the back half of the week writing. Note there's some very mild sexual content in it.

I actually felt rather irked when Sara emerged from the submersible, and promptly found herself confronted by the angry waveservants, demanding she give Redhammer up to them. After failing to save Wyll's father like that, my poor party really should not have had to deal with that. Especially because Sara very badly didn't want to fight them. But her code of honor and general feelings are such that after Redhammer had taken them to the prison and so been a part of that rescue like that, she simply could not turn on him, no matter what she thought of him in general.

So we had to kill them, and there will be no Wavemother robe for anybody, and Redhammer got to walk off scot-free for his part in Gortash's deeds. Though at least with the prison no longer there, it's possible enough he might decide the better part of valor might involve him taking himself and his polluting submersible somewhere far away from the Gate and its surrounding waters. Sara's definitely telling herself that.

With Gortash now having it out for us, and the Gondians requesting we get to their kin in the Steel Watch Foundry, that very obviously seemed our next destination. A long rest later, I rather poetically put Wyll and Karlach both in that party alongside Gale, and did inventory management until I could load them and Sara up with the smokepowder barrels, thinking they might use them to blow it up. I've since wondered if maybe I should've brought in Astarion and/or Shadowheart instead. After we teleported past the fence to the Foundry door, Wyll was very lucky to be able to lockpick and fend the guards off in the former's place, and the latter might have kept more of the Gondians alive in the two fights in the Foundry I've done so far.

A game malfunction when I initially stepped onto the Foundry floor didn't help either. I didn't quite realize what the motivators were or what they were doing before they'd blown all the Gondians up. The second time I tried that fight, the cut scene that established the need to deactivate them actually played, and we managed to save most of them. Then I wandered around the Foundry floor, pulled the wrong lever, found myself in an unwanted battle with a Steel Watch bot, and realized only then I'd forgotten to quicksave after the fight. At least that made us aware of the robots' ability to blow themselves up. And I did, at least, have an autosave to go back to when shortly after Gale somehow fell into a chasm while we were in the security office. (Still not even sure how that one happened).

Even more well placed was the autosave that happened when we went down the stairs and into another battle between the Gondians and the guards where I really struggled to win it without them all getting killed. There was one time where I actually thought I was going to do it-and then three motivators got activated in two different locations, and there wasn't really any way I was going to deactivate all three in time. I don't know if I would have even persisted as hard, except that with one big failure this week, I stubbornly wanted to save at least the majority of the Gondians.

After multiple reloads, I did finally manage to again save most of them. Even the successful time probably only succeeded when something (didn't quite catch what) switched Karlach's wild magic rage side effect and enabled her to teleport just after one too far off motivator got activated. I left off after that last night, and I hope there aren't too many more big fights in the Foundry. My party's started to run low on resources, and I have very much noticed we can't fast-travel at the moment...

[steve0discusses]

Yugioh S5 Ep 36 Part 2: It took like 100+ Episodes, but We Finally Found Seto’s Dead Wife

For April Fools I decided to actually make an update on this blog in a timely matter from the last update. Consider yourself Pranked.

So Shada and Seto are having a bit of a fight about how Seto’s just kind of throwing everyone into prison and we’re running out of essential workers. Not that much of a surprise that Shada and Seto don’t like eachother, but it does make you wonder--does anyone in the cult even like Seto other than Aknadin (which...that’s stuff we will get to later at the end of this episode) honestly, it’s kind of hard to tell.

Oh and PS they’re being carried on one of those hand held chariots which makes this whole segment just a lot more funny.

(Even in the past, Seto largely is being used for a ride).

Anyway, he exits the roller coaster and is like “For your information, I’m NOT a mass murderer, SHADA.” In front of like allll these people standing behind him within earshot. To which Shada was like “but you can calm down, youknow? Like can you ever calm down? A little bit? Maybe?”

It was a conversation that does not matter because Shada decided to go along with it anyway, and is now going to help Seto for the rest of this episode just slurping up soul demons, as you do.

Freakin Shadi, man. To think he was just always like this. Helping people one moment, screwing people the next...whatever Shadi, you do you.

(read more under the cut)

During this Episode, Bakura did a lot of artsy shots for the commercials, just shooting his own music video, doing things that really had like...eh no bearing on the plot but I’m sure they looked cool for the trailer.

Here he got really wet and then was like “Time to go kill everyone else, I guess” and then exited the scene.

That’s it, that’s the whole scene, and I’m glad that the creators of this show knows what the fans of their show want: wet Bakura with little reason as to why.

So Seto decides to do some public trials with Shada just square in the middle of the street. A very Monty Python “bring out your dead!” moment because I’m sure everyone just started chucking their neighbors onto the pyre. Like I have this neighbor who has this brand new lawn mulch and bushes they put in because it’s a freakin drought, and they stuck a bunch of signs on it that say “Do Not Poop Or Pee. Be Respectful.” with a picture of a dog with an X over it and also a picture of the police and also a picture of a security camera (which I guess they will hand over to the police? Not sure). That guy would hand over like half the town in a heartbeat.

Really want to know what “disrespect the pharaoh” means in this context, especially since their current Pharaoh has been Pharaoh for 5 minutes and has already burned down the town once and then the next day put the entire city under martial law.

Right about the time Seto was about to give up and go home with just a single dumbass clown in his arsenal, Season 2 happened.

Some footage for your AMVs. Yugioh knew what teens wanted in 2003.

Speaking of over-done fx and what teens wanted in 2003, did you hear that the Avatar the Last Airbender live action Netflix remake cost 15 million dollars an episode to make? :) :) :) :) :) :) Only a matter of time before it gets cancelled and we’re one adaptation closer to an absolutely terrible Yugioh one, you know it’s going to happen. :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

Anyway it’s been five minutes and Joey ran out of snacks.

(right after I made this post PS, I went onto twitter and saw a tweet that said “You ever open a TinTin from the 80′s that looks like it was drawn in 1870?” so like apparently I was being way more gracious than I thought.)

I figured I’ve used enough TW’s for one Yugioh blog, lets just crop out his entire face, because that’s funnier. Honestly the worst part of him is his accent, and thankfully that can’t be truly expressed with written words.

Besides, we gotta get sidetracked from the genie and meet the wife, who is getting literally stoned to death.

Kind of a lot of whiplash this episode, huh!? But it wouldn’t be an anime without whiplash, would it?

Joey remarks “oh, that’s why the rocks aren’t hurting me like at all.” And it was like...Joey.

Anyway, welcome to Seto’s girlfriend. From what I can gather this episode, this girl is constantly in a state of distress. Like honestly I don’t know much about her, but I dunno if there’s been a single moment in this girl’s entire life where she isn’t in the process of getting killed or being killed, except when Seto is around or when she is a Dragon.

I get that her having the worst monster around means no one likes her, but also...she should just eat them. Like I can see why people like this ship--I don’t want to sound like a ship hater--because she lacks security and he can give her security, and that’s very much part of writing a romantic lead. You have to have two people that lack something that the other person can give them for the audience to fall for it.

But this is very much the token girlfriend that you fall in love with because she needs to be saved by a powerful man, however, she’s already the most powerful monster besides the God Cards. Like she’s freaking buffed as hell, man. So...maybe it made more sense on paper. Maybe it’ll make more sense next episode.

Overall, Yugioh ain’t great at writing girls (or romance) and that is nothing new. They had SO MANY EPISODES of building up this girl, too. But my expectations were low, and they were met.

Anyway Seto arrives and is like “oh crap I know this girl from my childhood oh crap.” and suddenly has a moment of “should I steal her soul demon like I said I would, although no one actually wants me to do that at all, or do I...not?”

Remember that like 10 minutes earlier Aknadin and Shadi and basically everyone was like “just stop taking the demons for five seconds you have enough monsters in your obelisk” but like...Seto promised to do this, because in Seto’s mind, he’s doing this soul stealing to help the Pharaoh, after all--the Pharaoh who is Yami and absolutely doesn’t need him to steal a damn thing because he already has God Cards.

Bro was like “Seto might be ripped but look at the bricks behind him” and yeah. Basically everyone in Egypt lifts in their spare time. Life before the internet, man.

That’s also what I assume everyone in the 1980′s was doing too, instead of sitting around writing Yugioh blog posts and eating these offbrand thin mints.

(You wouldn’t believe it but I drove all the way to Safeway in This Economy and not only is Girl Scout season over, but all of the Keebler grasshopper cookies were gone, so I had to get the Safeway storebrand of the offbrand thin mint and it’s fine. It’s a fine cookie, but it has an aftertaste that is very weird.)

And so Seto whisks away this girl while Shada just kinda lets it happen, because Shada just does whatever.

Not sure why he needed to keep it a secret from Pharaoh though. Was he worried that Yami would be like “No saving dying girls in this house, Seto!” Because while everyone else seems to know about Yami’s personality and overall willingness to save dying human beings--Seto seems dubious.

But Seto is a sort of paranoid person anyway so that tracks.

Next time we find out more about dragon girlfriend and if she ever had a good day in her entire life and you already know, she has not.

Anyway, here’s the list of each episode in chrono order for you if you want to read these from the beginning:

https://steve0discusses.tumblr.com/tagged/yugioh/chrono

[lunarrwolf]

masterlist

coffee over boys: a college au

chapter(s)

☕️ 06: it isn’t a date, right?

☕️ previous

☕️ next

taglist

@minninugget @chai-tea-isnt-real @speedmetalqueen @the-fandoms-georgie @cheesecakes-randomshitz @theunicornnamedearl

chapter(s)

a study group that just wasn’t meant to study, and someone gets asked out on a date.. or do they?

you watched in as much exasperation as your face allowed you to show as tetsutetsu was, once again, making you all watch him play detroit: become human. there was always a point in the game where the silver haired twenty year old got stuck on an action scene, and after minutes of vigorous back-and-forth you would take the control and make it through with such ease. the mashing of combinations you had to do all blurred together somewhere around four months ago when he first replayed it to get a new outcome. he was more determined than ever to receive every ending but the ones that included ‘red connor’, and if he ever accidentally got the android killed he would cry. ‘the bestest boy should never have to be shot in the head’, he would sob.

when it came time to meet the creator of cyberlife for the sixth time, the dialogue was drowned out by a whine so high pitched it would heed the attention of the dogs in the pet dorms. the pause menu appeared and three heads looked over to find the blonde man splayed across the floor, face buried in a pillow he grabbed earlier. feeling the stares, he lifted his head just enough to look each of you in the eye before motioning towards the television. “how is this happening?! he always gets us sidetracked before we even start, and we all have tests in a few days. i swear to all might—”

“it would actually be ‘swear to endeavor’ since he’s been the new number one for a while.. but okay.”

shinso’s deadpan expression met with monoma’s glare, which earned a shrug before the mauve boy went back to his textbook. the only one that ever got actual work done when you all studied together. he was much better at blocking out distractions than anyone else you knew.

hopefully it would carry on seeing as on top of pre-thanksgiving tests, amajiki still wasn’t back from the mission. it had been a couple of days and he kept in constant contact but it just gave you a weird feeling. mostly because, depending on how he felt that day, you always waited a few hours or a day or so before receiving a response. studying was important, of course. and there wasn’t any reason to think something else was going on when you weren’t even an actual pro hero. you got the license but you chose to fully focus on school and saving up for a place to live on your own.

“hey, y/n. do you have the notes from our last english class?”

you blinked, ceasing the tapping of your pencil’s eraser as you looked over at shinso, who hasn’t once looked up from his own scribbles. “yeah, i have them.” you reached into the bag leaning against the leg of the bed frame, pulling out the binder used for said class. when the pages flipped to the last lecture, you handed him the notebook, turning back to your own materials.

there was comfortable silence as everyone surprisingly forgot about the video game long enough to focus on what they had to remember. not only were the general classes having exams but aizawa shouta let you all know that he was holding a physical. that meant everyone needed to be on their game with quirks and ultimate moves. eraserhead’s trials were quarterly. since most of the ua high school graduates chose being a full-time student over splitting it between education and hero work, he made each one tougher to keep you all on your toes. “do you guys think aizawa-sensei will let us deal with actual villains this time?”

“i doubt it. he always uses the sports arena for them.” monoma stated, barely glancing at tetsu.

“maybe if shinso talks to him.” you suggested, knowing full well the young man was already narrowing his eyes your way.

“just because he trained me a bit in high school doesn’t mean i have an advantage in asking pointless questions.”

“he basically raised you during school hours but whatever helps you sleep at night.” tetsu countered. he was practically hugging the textbook before him as he flipped through chapters of computer terminology and artificial intelligence. with how much he joked around it was sometimes hard to remember what his major was.

monoma sighed with the usual dramatic flare, aimlessly going through his own notebook so he could put effort into the conversation. “y/n just wants to see that redhead from high school go all rock-man again.”

a beat of silence occurred as you mulled things over. shutting the book with one hand keeping the pages open, you gazed upon your best friends in bewilderment. “i do not—”

“you met him barely two weeks ago and you’re already clowning over his hero persona because of one video.” shinso pointed out, albeit bluntly.

“...i just admire his skill set. i can’t do close combat like that with my quirk.”

“okay.” they all spoke in unison, only gaining the return of exasperation. about to snap back with a statement of your own, it was prematurely disrupted by the buzzing of a cellphone. your phone.

“hey, i just got a text from kirishima about a festival that’s happening before fall break. are any of you going?”

“too many people.”

“if they’re selling any crowns, i might go for that.”

you laughed at the other friends’ responses, shaking your head a bit and nodding your head at the steel quirked boy. “i was invited to join the others, so i think so. it would be a great way to relax after all the work we’ve been doing already.”

“then it’s settled!” he stood up suddenly, books that were on his lap now splayed out on the floor after the spontaneous fall. “we’ll go, buy crowns for mono if they have some, and get you a real date with my intern brother—”

“i don’t date—”

“and beat everyone at everything because we’re the best!!”

“...someone please come with us.”

“no.” and with the way the two who always bickered like a married couple coming to that instant agreement, you knew it you’d be on your own to babysit the fourth person in your quad. and maybe silently fawn over a certain someone.

[bagadew]

The Great Ace Attorney Playthrough: The Case of the Unbreakable Speckled Band (Part 2b)

Last Time: It turned out that my man Hosonaga hadn’t been kidding when he said he’d lay his life on the line for us, and was beaten up by the killer captain for letting us have a look around first class. As if that wasn’t enough, he then stood before us looking like the Knights of Ni, and gave us Kazuma’s autopsy report, revealing that Kazuma died of a broken neck. Now I (Ryunosuke) get ready to inveterate, and I (Eleanor) get ready to take the captain out!

OVER MY DEAD BODY YOU WILL!

So it shall be.

Susato’s pointing out that it might be a while before we’re all back in Japan, to which I say: It will happen, I can wait

Now on with the actual investigation.

Out in the corridor Biff Strogenov the 1 ton sailor has finally left his post, meaning that we’re free to look for cute animals investigate my beloved Kazuma’s death in cabin number 2!

Wait, that voice? Could it be? Has he returned to us?

Yeah boy!

Oh... he’s not in our immediate vicinity and we actually do have to go in cabin number 2, so I guess we’ll see him again later!

THE CASE OPEN!!! THE PET!!! GONE!!!

Ok game, I get it! I have to remember why we’re really here and not get immediately sidetracked by the faintest wiff of an animal.

Wait...... does she finally believe in us?

:D

WHOO LETS GO TEAM!!!

Right we’ve got a saucer on the floor, meaning that whatever Nikolina keeps as a pet eats off of it. This seems to make my snake theory less likely, but it does back up the idea that the ‘speckled band’ Kazuma saw could have been the tail of something like a tabby cat.

The books in the bookshelf have toppled over, just like they had in Kazuma’s cabin. I wonder if the ship made an emergency stop to let Nikolina onboard and that’s why they were all thrown to the left?

Again Susato, I’m pretty sure Strogenov realised Nikolina had a pet with her the second he helped her on the ship and saw her suitcase wiggling.

Everybody comes for Ryunosuke...

Hang about... the bolt pulls to the left, the same direction the books fell in!

If someone new Nikolina was coming on board (*cough*The Captain*cough*) they could have killed Kazuma and left the door unbolted, safe in the knowledge that when the ship stopped the bolt would slide into place!

(This is how I felt when Kazuma bought up Curare in the last trial.)

Ok, due to my being a bad influence on Susato, she gave the cabin bell pull a good tug, but fortunately it seems that none of them work (which is very odd).

Finaly both the teapot and bin are empty, which could mean anything or nothing at all, you never can tell with Ace Attorney.

Other than that, I think that’s it for the cabin. I was expecting to be interrupted or something, but I’m pretty sure I’ve looked at everything. Now let’s go into the corridor and see if there are any Himbo Detectives knocking about out there!

Hell yeah!

I agree Ryunosuke, the man’s a glorious Jack in the Box!

:D

Go an tap his back Ryousuke, I want to see if he jumps!

Come on everybody, clap along!

TAP HIM RYUNOSUKE!!!

HE FELL OVER!!!

(Editor’s Note: AND I MISSED  SCREENSHOTTING IT!)

So tell me Susato, hows that image of the Great Detective holding up?

Because mine’s doing great!

Looks like Herlock’s been looking at the Ships log, and he’s picked up on the fact that it’s practically blank from 2am onwards, which interestingly is just after the time Kazuma’s diary says he was killed. I’d also imagine this is when Nikolina arrived onboard.

Also Ryunosuk actually payed Herlock a complement!

Something’s happening? What’s happening???

HE WAS DRUGGED TO!!!

(Though I don’t know why I’m surprised. I already guessed the rest of the ship was drugged so they wouldn’t see Nikolina while she was being smuggled onboard)

Has Susato realised too?

And off he goes! Singing all the way!

What a wonderous man you are Herlock

I think she’s worked it out!

As expected of the daughter of the Professor of Pathology!

You know I don’t know if I’ve ever really taken the time to appreciate the level of detail Ace Attorney has sometimes. Like this is exactly how I’d describe the sort of headache you get after being knocked out by drugs.

Susato’s left it for now, and I can’t work out if she’s already worked it out, or if she’s still puzzling it out. Either way, I think she’s got this.

(Ok, I’ve clearly missed something here...)

Or no, I haven’t!

The alarm’s going off!!!

ANOTHER SHIP!?!

DAMN NIKOLINA THE BALET COMPANY ARE SERIOUS HUH!??!

(Clinging to each other Susato and I (Ryunosuke) managed to not die when the ship crashed to a halt.)

Now’s the time to see if the bolts slide closed though!

YES YES!!! LOOK IT’S SHUT!!!

LOCKED ROOM MYSTERY SOLVED BABY!!!

HERLOCK SHOLMES EAT YOUR HEART OUT!!! THERE’S A NEW GREATEST DETECTIVE IN TOWN!!!

(I’m talking about me, not Batman)

Shit! We’ve been rumbled!

HOSONAGA!!!

Hosonaga cares for us so much

I care for you to Hosonaga!

(Honestly I’m surprised the sound of me lowering a crown onto my own head didn’t somehow reach the game world.)

Yeah Naruhodo-san, let Hosonaga in so I can show him my unbearably smug face!

That’s not a very nice way to talk about Hosonaga Ryousuke!

(Sorry I couldn’t resist that joke)

So we have indeed been rumbled lads, and with at least one more part of this case to go it’s not going to be plain sailing

(I’ll see myself out...)

[autumnslance]

Character breakdown, hard mode: Anduin Wrynn

Give me a character and I’ll break them down:

Only "hard mode" is cuz I haven't played WoW in like 3 and a half years :p

How I feel about this character:

My King, my Young Lion, my Shining Light. Anduin's my boy; we watched him grow up, deal with weird magical nonsense and political machinations that left his father a mess. Watched him decide to follow the Light instead of a warrior's path, stand up to his dad, forgive his dad, try to stand up to/help Garrosh and nearly get killed for it--and then tried to help the man again anyway.

He came into his crown in the worst way possible, though he always expected it would be this way, with the world's greatest warrior for a father, a king who led his people from the front lines. I loved how complicated and terrible and then how good and strong their relationship ended up once they came out the other side of Varian's long-held prejudices and magical mental damage.

Anduin is a battle priest, but a man of peace. He is an idealist in a cynical world trapped in cycles of violence, and he never stops trying to find ways to break those cycles.

He is not his father. He is not his grandfather. He is Anduin, his own man, his own king. There's a lot of people who needed time to realize that--including himself. He's getting there.

Blizzard is going to do terrible things to him and I don't want to see it so he's going to continue to live in my brain as my young king and everything is fine. I'll eyeroll at their story choices later.

All the people I ship romantically with this character:

Sorta Tess but in a QPR way. Wrathion in some ways. If I met Taelia maybe, as I have a suspicion there's plot ideas for that anyway.

Either way, he's likely gonna need to wed just for an heir of the Wrynn bloodline or some nonsense. Genn's already made noises about it.

Assuming Anduin survives Shadowlands, anyway.

My non-romantic OTP for this character:

I like the student-teacher relationship with Velen. His aunt-nephew relationships with Jaina and Valeera. His nascent almost-friendship with Baine that keeps getting sidetracked due to their roles as leaders of frenemy factions.

The above romantic relationships also all work as platonic friendships cuz Light knows the boy just needs friends at all. Not advisors. Not retainers. Just, people his age to pal with.

He's always been so lonely.

My unpopular opinion about this character:

I dunno; I don't know or care about the popular and unpopular opinions at this point.

Though I do think folks are going to have to make peace with the disappointment of Christie Golden stating Anduin's straight and he and Wrathion are just friends, and Blizzard's likely gonna go with that. I expected some kind of Word of God on it and am not surprised despite the advent of FairShaw. But hey, we've always got fanfic.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon:

That the writers took his chronic pain and disabilities from the Bell incident more seriously and consistently. He had every bone in his body broken at once. I think the most we've gotten is some mention in the novels that his connection to the Light makes the pain wax and wane depending on various circumstances, like a magical barometer. Also depends who's doing the writing.

He shouldn't be wearing full plate and wielding Dad's sword in combat; he's a priest, not Varian 2.0, nor a paladin/"Arthas but if he was a Hero". Their own dang fault for making more than half of the Alliance leaders also religious leaders, which could be a cool angle and keep that council different from the Horde's but the faiths of the various races are just window dressing and not actually anything taken seriously or as integral to the world building of those cultures outside of distinct aesthetics.

That the writers had properly set up the Trials of the High King for Varian instead of giving us a couple lackluster scenarios, suddenly he's the leader and then...Anduin inherits High King of the Alliance when Dad dies? Anduin needs to come into his own as the Alliance's primary leader, not just the default human choice; let another leader shine for a bit while the kid gets his life together. But that would mean Blizzard would have to treat Gnomes and Dwarves like people instead of punchlines, and not have the women leaders go crazy bitchmode and then forgotten about, and the old men would have to stop trying to tell Anduin what they think he should do to manage things themselves.

[ishouldreallybeelsewhere]

okay so that loki video essay thing was going well, and then like a day into writing it i lost the hyperfixation so it's never gonna be finished. i still think it's alright, completely unedited, entirely a train of thought, i hope you like commas and pacific rim, it's only 2.8k

btw if something doesn't make sense, i was writing this while watching some video essays, and also haven't read it

Introduction

Loki is a show, well you know that, but a show that does everything right, until it doesn’t (crazy, I know). If you’re here, I assume you’ll already know a fair bit about it, but if you don’t, here’s a quick refresher. Spoilers for everything MCU.

Loki begins in 2012, technically, just after the Avengers go back through time from Endgame to meet themselves and grab the infinity stones. Unfortunately, the plan goes awri, and Loki ends up in possession of the Tesseract, the mind stone. With this, he teleports to a desert in [a place] and is quickly arrested and apprehended by the Time Keepers for ‘Crimes Against the Sacred Timeline.’ Sounds a bit cult-y if you ask me, and given that you’re stuck here, you will ask me. Essentially, his actions (taking the tesseract) were not supposed to happen. They created a branch, a new timeline, and, according to the TVA, if left unchecked, the timeline could cause a multiversal war that would result in the end of time. This is, to put it simply, a very interesting premise, and the first two episodes do a wonderful job of exploring the TVA and searching for the mysterious Loki variant who causes chaos and mischief, all while evading the time cops.

What is the TVA? Well, it’s the Time Variance Authority, which clears up nothing to those who haven’t seen the show. I would let a clip explaining it play, but I think I’d get a copyright strike, even though I’m fairly sure it’s within fair use. Regardless, the TVA is an organisation supposedly created by the Time Keepers, space lizards who brought together all of time into a singular sacred timeline. Had they not done this, time itself would have ended, how they did this is unexplained, and likely either impossible, or they are greater than gods in their power. Loki is immediately doubtful, but can’t deny that they must hold some power, because not only does his magic not work in the TVA, but infinity stones are useless too. Time is also stranger there too, more an idea as opposed to a set part of their reality. Many theorise that they reside within the quantum realm, which makes sense, as that is how one travels through time, at least in the marvel universe, but we can’t be sure until we get an explanation. Of course, I’m writing this long before I’ll see the finale, so who knows, perhaps I’ll have to rewrite it.

Now I’ve said all that without explaining what the TVA actually does. It’s pretty simple, similar to Stephen Hawking’s (???) ideas of the multiverse, every decision you make has the ability to make another timeline, one that is not part of the sacred way of time, and therefore must be pruned by the TVA before it grows enough to cause another multiversal war, despite multiverses being well-established in the MCU, but I know that’s different. Or perhaps the Time Keepers are lying (spoiler, they are, just not exactly in that way). Anyway, when someone makes a decision or takes an action that creates a new timeline, the TVA arrives. Minutemen arrest the ‘Variant’ responsible, despite their lack of intentional crime, and prune the new timeline, which we are told destroys it. Then Variants must stand trial for their crimes, in which they can either plead guilty or not, but really, that doesn’t make much difference, as they’re unable to make a case, let alone get away as innocent. Before they reach the court, however, Variants are dressed in TVA jumpsuits, have to sign off every word they’ve ever said, and a snapshot of their temporal aura is taken, for some reason. Yeah, it’s not really ever explained why they have to go through all that, like, why don’t they just prune them all, or just send them straight to court. It seems like they’re putting on a big show for nothing. Of course, if you have to go through all that, you probably won’t have time to think about the whys of your situation, which I’m sure the TVA uses to their advantage.

Now, we’re heading into real spoiler-y stuff, just in case anyone here hasn't watched episode three. If you haven’t, why are you here? Go, finish the whole series, and then come back. Alrighty. Now that everyone’s seen it all (apart from me at this point) we can continue.

Everyone working at the TVA is a Variant, and they don’t know it. The Time Keepers are said to have created everything within the TVA, every analyst, Minuteman, and whatever the other roles are. But that’s not true. They’re all variants who’ve been taken from their own timelines and had their memories wiped. This gives an explanation for the courtrooms, and the process to get into them. Robots will be melted from the inside out if they go through the temporal aura machine thingy, and I have a feeling it’s harder to reset a robot’s memories. Living beings are let through, and their actions in the courtroom could give a good overview of their strengths and intelligence, so it can be decided whether they’ll be pruned or ‘reset’ which we are told is killed, but with the information of them all being variants now available, is more likely having all their memories hidden, replaced with the idea that they’ve been at the TVA their whole lives, and that they were created by the timekeepers. Though why would space lizards create workers in the image of humans instead of like their own lizard-y selves. The TVA as a whole, as we are introduced to it, feels very cult-y. Things such as the videos Variants are shown upon being arrested, the whole ‘Sacred Timeline’ thing, the Time Keepers being viewed as almost gods, and that when one of the TVA’s own minutemen is told the truth (C-20) she is, well, removed. The TVA views Variants as criminals of the highest order. How dare they violate the sacred timeline?!!? Only, no variant knew that what they were doing was wrong, or that it even mattered, but if you’re late to work on a day where you weren’t supposed to be, then you’re removed from your timeline and charged. The sentence? Essentially death, or removal of all your memories and being lied to about everything, which might be worse depending on your stance on that kind of thing.

Anyway, the minutemen themselves are another issue that the TVA has. They respond with violence at every available opportunity, like when a young french child from the 1500s walks into a church, the first thing a minuteman does is reach for his weapon. This is also the scene where we’re introduced to my favourite character, Mobius, but more on him later. For now, I need to stay on track and keep in mind this part of the view has to remain consistent. All I can think of are the nerds I split. It seems I have an inability to stay on topic, however, I’m gonna try so you have fun keeping up with that.

Loki stood trial for crimes against the Sacred Timeline and, like any logical person may in that situation, relentlessly questions the validity of his conviction. The answers he’s provided with he just,, kind of,, disagrees with, which is fair. The concept of the TVA and the sacred timeline as a whole is absurd to him, as who would a god serve?

Part one: Glorious Purpose

Loki, in his own words, it ‘Burdened With Glorious Purpose.’ I’m so glad no one but me is gonna read this draft cuz I managed to spell many of those words wrong. His glorious purpose, in his eyes, is becoming the ruler of all, removing free will and choice from those beneath him, in a twisted attempt to make it easy for all living things. He believes in free will, at least, the free will of himself, and also believes that, out of everyone in the universe, he is the one who is right, the one who can make the world better, that is his burden. Now, you may look at that and think, ‘hey, for a god of mischief, that doesn’t seem very mischievous,’ and you’d be right. It isn’t. He’s evil, like, without a doubt, an evil person in his ideals and views of the universe, however, the change from mischief to villainy was rapid, as it’s shown that he was D.B. Cooper, and, when asked, said it was because he was ‘young and lost a bet to Thor’, which, like, okay, but that was the 60s or something. 50 years aren’t a lot in the face of 1,500, but a lot can happen then

Part something: ethics

So, as you’ve probably gathered by now, I’m a pretentious asshole, and with that comes three years of philosophy classes and a superiority complex, though perhaps that comes from the whole leftist thing. Anyway, as per usual, I got sidetracked. I’m watching a really good video atm, so lots of things are happening in my head right now. Back to being pretentious, I’m going to be talking about ethics, fun, and how that relates to the TVA, the sacred timeline, Kang, sorry, he who remains. Regarding the whole Kang thing, I haven’t read a single Marvel comic since I was a member of the comic book club 4(???) years ago. Gods, I’m so old. Yup Percy Jackson took up too much of my childhood. Sidetracked again! I apologise, anyway, everything I know about Kang the Conqueror comes from Tumblr, so I’m not going to spend any time talking about any parts of the character that aren’t shown in the show. I really want to be writing about Doctor Who right now but I have my notes up so I’m gonna do this. Okay, right. Ethics. I hope I don’t go into free will right now because I will never stop going on about that. Anyway, let's look at the TVA, ignoring Kang, not for simplicity, but to see if the ends do in fact justify the means as Mobius said. And by that I mean, if what employees of the TVA think is true, are their actions justified? Finally got to the point, after how many words? Too many, anyway, let’s start from the start (kinda).

In an actual, proper, organised essay, I think that whole last paragraph was supposed to be 1 (one) sentence long, maybe. I have been writing year nine level essays for many years, despite not being in year nine for many, many years, so, be glad you’re reading something I’m interested in. Back to the topic at hand, please. Sorry I just got distracted again. I shouldn’t have Tumblr open atm. Anyway, what are the TVA’s means? So, I’ve already explained what the TVA is, and what it does, but let’s use a fun example to show what they really do. Imagine you’re a kid (or maybe you are a kid, so imagine you’re a younger one) and you just got home from school. You just made an awesome new friend who believes in you and loves your art. This sparks your interest in art, leading to countless pieces, days and days spent drawing and painting and having a great time. Your art begins to take hold on the world, speaking to people, letting them believe in themselves, thousands upon thousands of people inspired to start their own art, to rebel against the system of capitalism and teach people that there’s more to life than a job. This begins the global radicalisation of the working class, and with that, rebellion and the downfall of capitalism. I’m in a good mood rn, feeling optimistic, so don’t worry about what’s happening. Anyway, with the downfall of human exploitation and eradication of poverty comes a branch in the Sacred Timeline, and as the root of it is you as a child making a friend, your 5-year-old self just committed a crime that, according to the TVA, is worthy of what they believe to be actual death, like, being pruned.

Now, this was a very umm, off-the-top-of-my-head example, and entirely makes no sense, but give me two seconds and I’ll remember my original point. Right. The risk of allowing the downfall of capitalism is the end of all time. Always. Maybe? But, in the eyes of the TVA, kidnapping a 5-year-old, putting them through a dehumanising process to be shoved in a courtroom and being accused of crimes against the sacred timeline, and what was the crime? Making a goddamn friend. As a child. Being supported in art. Doing what you enjoy, destroying oppressive systems that will eventually be the downfall of us all and so entwined with all the problems in the world that any chance of saving it revolves around its deconstruction. I’ve been hunched over too long and my back is really starting to hurt, but the essay must go on. And remember, the domino effect of that friendship never actually happened. The timeline was pruned before it could happen, so the crime is literally making a friend. Very extreme example sorry, but shock makes your point go across faster, and also sparks outrage, which I don’t want to happen, but with doing literally anything comes backlash, like stepping on the wrong leaf, or a butterfly. I hope you guys know that this is unplanned and probably unedited. Okay I need to watch Pacific Rim again. Okay imagine now they kill the child. Right. That’s likely what would happen. Children are weak (usually, Sylvie is just on another level of awesome) [author’s note, Crimson Peak is a horror movie and I’m very upset by that cuz now I won’t be able to watch it]. Alright, so, kill a child, or destroy all of time. Always. Maybe. The way we see the TVA in the first two episodes is through Loki’s eyes, as a cult-like lie with a cool retro/futuristic aesthetic (like Doctor Who, but more on that later). I have been sitting here for 4 hours and I can confidently say my cat is an asshole whose sole purpose in life is to want to come in right when I’m in the middle of a point only to not want to come in but allow me to lose exactly what I was about to say, meaning I’ve gotten next to nothing done. Hi, I'm back. I got distracted by My Little Pony and Pacific Rim. And checkers. Issues with pacing? I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Okay, so, I’m going to say something possibly controversial. When the stakes are the endings of the entirety of time, it’s okay to let a child die, and technically they might not die they’d just be sent to be either devoured the void or saved by a ragtag team of loki variants. Which is not great. That might sound like I agree with the TVA, but trust me, I do not. Not in the slightest. I hate the slimy bastards. (I do love every single character though, like all of them are awesome) The prickly pricks will bury us all!!! I don’t agree with them because I think there is a better way to handle the multiversal problem and the issue that arises regarding the particular cause of the multiversal war. That made no sense. You’re really just gonna have to guess at this point, however, for the solution, we must look into the finale and the reasoning behind He Who Remains’ plan. I said I wasn’t going to talk about him, but I lied (rule number one). Basically, from what I understood of his plan (which wasn’t much, I’m pretty stupid) was that there were two options; option number one was to leave him there, looking over all of time, preventing free will, so that the infinite variants of him that would come from timelines wouldn’t once again attempt to conquer all of the timelines (though if there are infinite ones, how would that work? Just kidding, you’re not allowed to question this). He dictates all. There’s no such thing as free will, and if you dare veer off the path, you will be pruned, and your timeline destroyed. His plan is to hand that power over to Loki and Sylvie, because he’s getting old and has lived long enough. The other option (and the one that’s taken in the show) is to allow Sylvie to kill He Who Remains and let the multiverse unfold, allow free will and chaos to reign, with the possibility and established likelihood of the destruction of time itself. Now, just putting this out here, what if there was a third option? My proposition is based of knowing next to nothing and not having seen Loki in a while, and that is,

[echoes-of-the-clockwork]

Book Four: War (Gladiolus x Reader) Chapter Ten

From the ledge with the campsite, the path ahead is a ramp running up the face of the cliffside. It appears to be made of wood that has long-since rotted, but is able to still support their weight. Using the wooden ramps, they ascended the cliffside. While proceeding up the ramps, Gladio questioned the marshal. "How long has it been since you undertook the Trial? Thirty years or so?"

"Give or take. I was a lot younger than you are-and far less experienced. It's a wonder I even made it out alive," Cor said.

"This place look familiar to you?"

"Vaguely. The younger me had little mind for taking in the sights."

Before long, Gladio, (Y/n), and Cor reach additional wooden pathways, which they follow to a stone path along the cliffside. From there, they reach the entrance to another cavern within the cliff wall. However, the path was blocked by a flock of wyverns and a few bulettes. The marshal and War readied their weapons, leaping into battle.

The Horseman noticed the shield had yet to summon his greatsword and went to question him, but she watched in stunned silence as he walked over to a destroyed cement pillar and picked it up. She lowered her blade the moment Gladio swung the cement column at the bulette she was fighting against. She shook her head with a sigh. "Show off..."

"Heard that," Gladio chortled slightly, going after another cement column.

After disposing of the creatures, the trio proceed into the cavern. Not far into the cave, they came across another talisman and a wall similar to the one from earlier. Gladio recognized the layout. "Another trial chamber."

"And another chance for the warriors to impart their wisdom," Cor added. "It won't come easy, though-you'll have to earn it."

(Y/n) shrugged her shoulders. "Eh, I'm sure you can handle whatever's inside. Just make sure you come back in one piece."

"You worried about me, firecracker?" Gladio asked with a smug expression.

She folded her arms across her chest with a glower. "Just get your ass moving..."

Gladio knew it was still difficult for the Horseman to speak her true feelings and opted to drop the subject. He proceeds to the new trial chamber in the same manner as the previous one, leaving Cor and (Y/n) behind. The two watched the shield cross a stone bridge spanning the divide of the Taelpar Crag. Once taking a few steps onto the bridge, they noticed a fiery winged creature target him.

Cor watched closely as the enkidu targeted Gladio. (Y/n) did the same, but her attention was drawn away from the fight when they heard the voices of souls echo around them.

"How many moons has it been?" One soul asked.

"Since our last visitor? Far more than I can count," another soul replied.

"Let us see how our latest challenger will fare."

War's attention was drawn away from the fight when she sensed an all-too-familiar presence nearby. She looked around, trying to locate the only being that reeked of rotting flesh. She remained where she stood, knowing she couldn't enter the trial chamber until Gladio dealt with the enkidu. She didn't want to risk him losing his chance to obtain the power he desperately seeks.

Cor noticed her tense form and grave expression. Unlike her, he couldn't sense the dullahan's presence or smell the foul odor it emitted. "What seems to be the problem?"

"The dullahan..." She looked around the area. "It's nearby." Remaining where she was, she continued to search for the monster while Gladio fought his own battle.

Eventually, Gladio defeats the enkidu and proceeds across the bridge. He climbs through a fissure in the cliff wall to enter a stone chamber housing the next power shrine. Akin in design to the first, Gladio proceeds to acquire the power within the second shrine.

"Venture forth, Young Warrior, bearing our hopes and dreams," a soul said, addressing the brute. The shrine vanishes in the same fashion as the first, and the wall beyond it likewise splits and slides open as before. "Look ahead, for the Shield of the King must safeguard our future."

"Leave it to me," Gladio replied.

Cor and (Y/n) rejoin him and they proceed on ahead, battling more spirits dwelling in Taelpar Crag. During their fight, another soul spoke to the shield. "The skills shared by these souls have been passed down for generations. The Shield of the King would do well to put them to good use."

Moving forward, they reached a dead end. More souls appeared, standing against the trio. They struggled against the barrage of enemies, combining their attacks to take them down.

After defeating all the enemies in the room, an exit back to the cliffside is revealed as part of the wall splits and slides open. Before they continued down the path, Gladio glanced at the Horseman. "You're tenser than usual. What's the problem?"

(Y/n) was silent for a few seconds before answering. "The dullahan's somewhere in the area. I never expected it to be down here since no humans live here."

"Can you think of any other reason why it would be down here?" Cor questioned.

"I can think of a couple. One possibility is this is where it's hidden its head. The other is it wishes to harvest the power dwelling here."

"And how would it do that?" Gladio inquired.

"By consuming Gilgamesh."

"Impossible," the marshal denied.

"It may be, but that won't stop it from trying."

"And what if it succeeds?" The shield wondered.

"It'll be even more of a pain in the ass to defeat," she sighed. "Worst case, it will be my downfall."

"Then we better stop it before it reaches Gilgamesh."

The group makes their way down the path and step out onto a ledge within the gorge. Locating a wooden ramp leading around the cliffside, another soul speaks to Gladio. "Thousands set foot on these grounds, all of them fools unprepared for the dangers lurking within. They all meet with the same fate-as will you."

"I don't think so," Gladio retorts.

"Think what you may, but I know otherwise. The Lucis you call home is nothing like the Lucis I once served. Your age has forgotten the horrors of war, coddled by the king and drunk off the complacency of peace. No Shield worthy of defending the True King could be born from such depravity."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," he remarked sarcastically.

"Look at the bright side: everyone loves an underdog," Cor said.

The trio proceed across the wooden path, then down another series of wooden ramps, eventually coming to a second stone bridge spanning the chasm. Several large creatures are on the bridge, one being a bandersnatch.

Gladio summoned his greatsword. "Aww. A warm welcome, just for me."

(Y/n) conjured her sword and set her sights on the bandersnatch. Gladio and Cor dealt with the other enemies before helping the Horseman. With their combined strengths, they were able to handle the immense beast.

With the bridge now clear, they could proceed forth. However, the redhead froze when the rancid odor of the dullahan was much stronger than before. The moment she turned around, she spotted the monster as it rode across the bridge. She quickly summoned her crimson-bladed sword, but she was shocked when it rode past her. It was targeting Gladio.

Acting quickly, she tossed her blade and warped, appearing right next to the shield. Using her entire body, she pushed him out of harm's way just as the dullahan used its whip. She swung her sword, deflecting it before it could wrap around her neck. While the dullahan retracted its whip, (Y/n) addresses her companions. "I'll keep it occupied. Go on ahead without me."

"No way in hell you're facing that thing by yourself," Gladio hissed. "Remember what happened last time?"

"I won't let this thing be the reason you fail the trials," she snapped back. "Get moving, Gladio."

Before the shield could retort, Cor spoke up. "Your fight is elsewhere, Gladio. Remember why you're here."

"I know why I'm here," he snarled.

"Then don't get sidetracked."

Just then, the dullahan charged toward Gladio a second time. It used its whip to try and decapitate him, but (Y/n) jumped in front of him. The whip impaled her in the abdomen, causing her to shriek out in pain. She grabbed the spine whip with gritted teeth and used all her strength to yank the monster off its horse. Unfortunately, her actions not only caused it to fall off its steed but also the bridge.

Because of the whip's sharp tip lodged through her gut, she was dragged off the bridge alongside the dullahan. She heard Gladio shout her name as she plummeted deeper into Taelpar Crag. She removed the whip from her abdomen, kicking the dullahan in the chest at the same time. Using her armiger, she attacked the monster and managed to pin it to the cliffside with numerous of swords and javelins. Using a few more weapons, she made sure it couldn't move a muscle. Knowing she couldn't kill it without its head, she could only keep it trapped for a short time.

Detecting the summoning orb in Gladio's possession, (Y/n) dispelled the armiger and teleported. The dullahan screeched out as her body vanished, its cry echoing throughout Taelpar Crag.

Teleporting to the campsite located at the Steps of Solace, the Horseman pressed a hand against her bleeding abdomen. Gladio rushes to her aid when noticing the blood seeping through her fingers. He offered her one of the potions he found earlier, but she pushed it away. "No, keep it. You might need it later."

"I can spare one," he said. Crushing the bottle, he watched as her body radiated with a pale green light. He looked down at her wound and saw it was healed. "How're you feeling?"

"Fine. Thanks," she stated.

Cor stood up and approached the two. "It seems you were right, War. The dullahan is after power."

"Not surprised. Since Gilgamesh is a more difficult target to deal with, its decided to go after Gladio," (Y/n) explained. "But I've managed to get it off our trail for a short while."

"If that's the case, we should get moving."

Gladio placed a hand on the girl's back. "You ready?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Let's go."

From the campsite, Gladio, (Y/n), and Cor enter another cavern passageway within the cliff face. Deeper into the cavern, they heard the soul's voice again. "He who protects the king...must boast muscle and mettle, both finely tempered. Should he lack either, the Shield will shatter."

Shortly thereafter, the trio came to a wall upon which a demon-like entity manifests. Known as an inannaduru, it was accompanied by soul of fortitude enemies. Cor and (Y/n) focused their efforts on the smaller enemies while Gladio targeted the inannaduru.

Within minutes, all the adversaries were dead. Once the inannaduru is defeated, its body discorporated and the wall it had been bonded to shatters. "The penultimate trial awaits. Prove to them you're prepared to serve as the Shield of the Chosen King," Cor said.

Soon thereafter, the trio locate the next trial chamber. Gladio unseals the third trial chamber and enters. Like with the previous chambers, (Y/n) and Cor remained behind. The redhead crouched down, feeling slightly weak from the blood loss earlier. The marshal noticed her slightly pale complexion. "So that was the dullahan you mentioned. Never have I've seen such a creature."

"I would be more surprised if you had. Dullahans are only found in the Inner Sanctum. They're a pain in the ass to deal with. Luckily, only one escaped," she said. "Let's just hope Gladio finishes with these trials before it breaks free."

"You think Gladio couldn't handle the dullahan himself?"

"If he survives the encounter with Gilgamesh, I'm sure he could. But for now, I refuse to let any mortal face that monster even with me at their side."

Cor stared into her (e/c) eyes. "Now I understand."

Her brows knitted together. "You understand what?"

"It's not that you don't trust mortals. You don't trust yourself to protect them when in fact you have the power to do so. Why's that?"

She sorrowfully looked away. "I, myself, couldn't protect my own people. Truth be told, my hands are tainted with the blood of the innocent and I no longer trust myself to protect anyone. What right do I have to protect someone with my bloodied past?"

"You learn from the mistakes you made in the past. It's how one grows and changes. From what I can tell, you have changed which means you've learned from some of your mistakes. Keep that up and you'll be able to trust yourself once again."

She lifted her head. "Have you been talking to my sisters?"

"Not recently," Cor answered.

"I see..."

"Why do you ask?"

"Nothing in particular."

Once Gladio completed the third trial, Cor and (Y/n) rejoined him just in time to see the wall located behind the shrine split and slide open. "Nice work," Cor complimented. "Maybe you've got what it takes after all."

"Maybe, but it ain't for you or me to decide," Gladio responded.

"True-and the Blademaster is a more formidable foe than any you've faced thus far."

Venturing through the new opening, the group finds another campsite. (Y/n) held out her hand, igniting the wood that was located in the campfire. While Gladio and Cor rested, she ventured a little ways away from the campsite. Sniffing the air, she could no longer smell the dullahan's presence. She wondered if it had escaped, knowing it wouldn't be able to gain the power it seeks, or if it was waiting to ambush them later on.

After spending some time prowling the area, she returned to the campsite to see Gladio and Cor were ready to move on. They made their way down another series of wooden ramps and heard more souls talking to Gladio. "Come here to die, have you?"

"You looking to die again?" The shield sneered confidently.

"You amuse but do not impress. You lack his conviction," the soul said.

"Whose?"

"He who traversed these caves some thirty years ago. Turning a deaf ear to our wails and wishes, he proceeded unfazed, eyes ever forward. Yet he proved powerless before the general, cast out in defeat. If even he could not succeed, I see no hope for you."

"That guy must've left quite an impression...when he landed flat on his face," Cor said.

"Even the most graceful have small hiccups here and there," (Y/n) stated.

"Indeed, they do."

Making their way down to yet one more ledge, Gladio, War, and Cor soon find themselves at a sealed wall in the cliff face. Unlike previous trial chambers, this one is sealed with rock growth. The marshal stands before the wall and raises his katana. He unsheathes the blade slightly and the rock growth barring the entrance dissipates. Cor sheathes his katana once more and lowers the weapon. He speaks to Gladio without turning to look at him. "Clarus would've tried to stop you, you know-just like he tried to stop me all those years ago."

"How come?" He inquired.

"Because one aspiring to the role of King's Shield can stake his life for none but his liege-not even for himself." The marshal turns to face the brute. ""Do you dare risk all for naught in return?" His words stayed with me. And he was right: I barely made it back with nothing to show for it."

"So, you gonna stop me?"

Cor shook his head. "No, I won't. But I will warn you one last time of the danger you're about to face-just like your father warned me. Once you set foot through that door, there's no turning back-and no one to help you if you fall. One false step, and it may prove your last."

Gladio takes a couple of steps forward. "I'll be fine. Maybe I'll come back with a souvenir." He then turns towards (Y/n). "You're unusually quiet, firecracker. You worried about me?"

"I'm a pretty good actor, you know. Pay me a thousand gil and I'll pretend to be worried about you," she retorts with a grin. It then morphed into a gentle smile, which was a rare sight to behold. She strolled up to him and playfully punched his arm. "In all seriousness, I know you'll be fine. You made it this far. I know you can do this."

Gladio smiled back at her. He placed his hand on top of her head. "Y'know, you should smile more often. It really does make you a hundred more times beautiful."

War was taken aback at the compliment. Although caught off guard, she couldn't help but laugh. "You're seriously flirting at a time like this?"

"I call it "telling the truth," not flirting."

"Uh-huh, sure." The Horseman places her hand on his bare chest, providing him with one last healing incantation. "You've quite the adversary ahead. It'd be rude to keep him waiting."

"Thanks for the healing." Gladio removes his hand from her head. "Wait for me, (Y/n)."

"I'll be right here when you come back."

With one final smile, Gladio enters the chamber to face Gilgamesh. "Just come back alive. Be safe, Gladio," Cor said before the shield was gone.

Even when Gladio was out of sight, War kept her gaze focused in the direction he vanished. "He will, Marshal."

[ugdigital]

DEE ROZE: A RESURGENCE LIKE NO OTHER

Depending on who you ask, many will agree that R&B music has been at a disadvantage for quite some time. A lot of the formula many had grown used to throughout the years has been lost in the process. Most will agree that you just don’t get a lot of the same quality anymore when it comes to the new projects we see. Surely, a lot of that has much to do with the “microwave society” that has resulted within the music industry. It no longer takes as much work to put together a project and get it out to music fans. Most artists are handling the entire process of recording, producing, so on and so forth, so they don’t have producers and engineers and A&R in their ears, saying this is good and this is bad. It’s mostly up to the artist now to make all the decisions when it comes to what the fans get, and unfortunately, the industry has suffered as a whole. 

It’s always a joy when I come across an artist who actually gets it, and lives by the process that existed some time ago and we had all become used to. With this feature, we’re thrilled to introduce you R&B Singer & Songwriter Dee Roze. He’s worked steady over the past few years at building a solid reputation and following for himself as a new artist. His recently collaboration with the ladies of June’s Diary has definitely broadened his reach with music fans, and many are now anticipating music from him. Currently working on his debut album, he’s tiding fans over with his remake of R. Kelly’s classic album 12 Play. We recently had some time to talk about that undertaking, as well as the process of recording and organizing his official debut to the world. 

Dee Roze: I wanted to say it’s a privilege to be on the call with you brother. I really appreciate it. 

James: No problem at all. As I listened to your music, and listened to some of the songs you’ve remade, like R. Kelly’s and Part Time Lover from H-Town. You make mention of the people who have come before you. Who were some of the people you came up listening to when building your own style?  

Dee Roze: I go back as far as James Brown, Luther, Donnie Hathaway, and down the line to Stevie, R. Kelly, and Babyface. I pattern my writing after them because they had a blueprint of what works. That genre of music - I’ve been on tour with those guys and I see the money that comes in from it. People get sidetracked with the rap because that’s what gets pushed to the commercial outlets, but R&B and Soul makes a lot of money. You and I see that these guys are selling out. 

James: I think the reason this genre good, especially artists like Keith Sweat, and so on, they offered so much substance. You can see the difference when yo stand it up against what comes out today. It’s not to put anyone down, but the facts are there to see. There was a song you were doing on YouTube, and while I can’t remember the name of it, I could hear the passion in your voice. You remind me of the greats of the nineties like K-Ci and JoJo. It’s a good thing that you have more of an old soul. What goes into putting together your music?

Dee Roze: I definitely like to piggyback off K-Ci, because he’s my closest brother in this industry, and Fantasia would be my closest sister in this. He’s a king for allowing me to do that. In my process, I don’t write down anything. I turn the music on and it just pours out. I’ll reveal it all when we start moving around more. Music speaks to me in a different language. Just like on one of June’s Diary’s songs, I didn’t write. Sometimes I don’t even have a track - I just go. 

James: I certainly get it man. I think there’s a lot of people like you and I who just get it. For a lot of artists, this is all just a hustle, versus it being “life” for you. It’s in your heart. Where does your inspiration come from?

Dee Roze: I think Kristal and I have talked about it. I had to come to the conclusion and be humble that I was chosen for this. And God is using me as a vessel. It’s my purpose. It’s what I was put here to do. I don’t go through infidelity or drama, but I can look at everyone else’s life and put it out like I’m actually going through it. I have to be able to display that. It’s just like the song “Black Man”, I wasn’t even going to do it. I did a project called “12 Play Again”, which was based on R. Kelly’s album. Bad Man was not going to be remade, but there was a kid who was killed in Philly by the police. That night, I was recording something else. Kristal came in and told me about that, and it just came to me to rewrite Bad Man and we did the video the next day. I always allow God to use me. To people’s defense, if they’re not on that beat, they don’t understand what’s going on, or how this dude sound this good. I’m sure the greats like Marvin Gaye went through their trials, but I keep going and trusting God. Don’t get it wrong, I am a street guy, but I roll with God. 

James: I get it man. A lot of us have both sides to offer, and it just shows who you are. The track stood out to me vocally. Obviously you’re still growing, but I felt the track was good. On the YouTube video, you were explaining how you specifically wanted to do twenty-one tracks for your album. Why was that?

Dee Roze: I wanted like a two-sided album. I wanted up-tempos, the club joints, and then the more old school side. I put certain R&B joints on there with hip-hop joints. 

James: I think it’s good to have your album in this way, especially when it allows you to perform it LIVE with a band. What’s the album timeline?

Dee Roze: I have a few songs that’s out. Right now, considering I was in a group for a while, I’m building a brand as a solo artist. Thank God my cousin Cam came along. He really hit the ground running with building my brand. Thank God I received the placement with June’s Diary. I have a few other collaborations that will be coming out. I’m just building my brand. 

James: This is great man. You’re humble, and you’re doing the groundwork. The placement with June’s Diary is perfect because your journey mirrors there. You both have worked hard to get to where you are. 

Dee Roze: Right. I’ve never been the type to piggyback off my wife. I get a lot of throwback saying I’m holding her back, and so forth. I stay out of her business, but when she rings that bell, I show up and show out for my baby. Kristal is a bold lady. She can stand on her own. She handles her business, and we have a mutual agreement of trust and honor in our relationship. 

James: I think you’re doing amazing things. You have a great product. In the past I’ve been pretty critical with rising artists, and I can see where you’ve put in the work. I think you’ll go very far. What do you want people to get from your album?

Dee Roze: I want people to love again, make love, and start a new generation of a different thought process. I want people to be in love and have joy. My music is for everybody. I haven’t even gotten into the process of what it’s going to be. I listen to Bruno Mars; I listen to The Weeknd, but you hit it dead on the nail on the head with R. Kelly. It took me redoing 12 Play to realize I wasn’t tripping. I was re-recording the greatest artist of all times. I saw the LIVE show for two years and we started building a relationship. We had the same manager, and then we started playing ball together. We were going to the studio together until everything started happening. I’m praying for that brother and everybody involved. 

James: I think it’s great again man. Where can people find you online?

Dee Roze: Well again, my name is Dee Roze. If you just google my name, my music is on all platforms. I also have a website that’s being worked on, and it’ll be back up in a few weeks, and I’m on Instagram. Cam is great. He literally left his house in North Carolina and came to Atlanta with me. 

James: I get it man. It’s all part of the hustle and the journey. Not many people will do that, so it’s great you have him. He was willing to take that leap, and honestly those are usually the ones who make it first. He’s taking that sacrifice, and it’ll definitely help your career. You have the perfect persona for this industry and I believe you’ll do well. I’m so appreciative for you guys. Are there any type of final comments?

Dee Roze: Please continue to support my beautiful wife Kristal and her group June’s Diary, my uncle Frank, who has given me a lifeline of opportunity, and I’m blessed to help these ladies continue fulfilling their dreams. We’re off to the races man! It’s a blessing!

[another-stupid-writing-blog]

Area 5 – The Monster Queen’s Court

Ronan leads you through the village, and you see monsterfolk of various shape, size, and species, each running away as you turn to look at them.  

RONAN: Don’t worry about them. Let’s just focus on the trial for now.  

Eventually, he brings you to a large circle of humanoid trees rooted to the ground, each towering over you, and each with features of various animals. Ronan gestures for you to stay at the southernmost part, while he goes to the west. To the eastern corner, you see an ant-woman staring at you, with Xoknath behind her. In the northernmost part, you see the biggest of the dryads, bearing a face you find all too familiar.

Yitrie. You had met her before, when you fled from the city, and had talked with her after the whole incident. She, High Elder of the Monsters, is usually so kind in appearance, but right now she’s staring down at you with such contempt and disappointment.  

YITRIE: [Hello, Alexis.]  

…You say hello.  

YITRIE: [Is everyone ready to begin?]  

ANT: [The prosecution is ready, Your Wisdom.]  

RONAN: [The defense is ready, Your Wisdom.]  

YITRIE: [Well, then. Let us begin. Today marks the trial of Alexis, leader of the human rebels, who is accused of trespassing, assault of a guard, assault with a deadly weapon, and breaking of a signed treaty. How does the defense plea?]  

RONAN: [The defense pleads guilty, Your Wisdom.]  

YITRIE: [Interesting. The court acknowledges the defendant’s honesty as a show of good faith. Given her reputation, we had expected a fight.]  

Yitrie chuckles at her own joke, followed by all the dryads in the circle. The ant-woman also joins in, and you see Ronan pretend to laugh too, though he makes no sound, and you can sense the fear coming off of him. Yitrie raises a hand and the laughter stops.  

YITRIE: [Regardless, the court accepts this plea. Is there a bargain currently in place?]  

ANT: [No, Your Wisdom, there is not.]  

YITRIE: [Then let us discuss this situation, starting with the defendant’s motive.]  

RONAN: [Your Wisdom, my client was contacted by a human spirit, whose description matches that of the zombie that attacked our village just yesterday. He had told her, much like he told many of us a few days ago, that unless she made her way eastward to the tower of a wizard, said wizard would conquer the human kingdom, followed by our village. When Xoknath interfered, as per his duty, she did not believe she could communicate her reasons for passing through. The fact that Xoknath is new to the English language, and the fact that we’d remained neutral about this threat so far, may have contributed to this line of thought. In an act of desperation, she struggled against him using the tools she had on-hand, thinking it was in our best interest.]  

ANT: [With all due respect, Your Wisdom, this is a very weak motive. Even if we know now that the human spirit may have spoken the truth, there is no way she could have known this at the time. Mere speculation does not justify a crime this severe, nor does it explain how quickly she resorted to said crime. May I call Xoknath to the stand?]  

YITRIE: [You may.]  

Xoknath steps forward.  

ANT: [Xoknath, Guard of the Border, can you please describe what happened during the incident with Alexis?]  

XOKNATH: [OF COURSE. EARLY MORNING, I WAS PATROLING THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE FOREST, ACCORDING TO SCHEDULE. THEN, I SAW THE HUMAN CROSS INTO MONSTERFOLK TERRITORY. I DID NOT RECOGNIZE HER AS THE FOUNDER OF THE WESTERN CAMP, SO I STOPPED HER AND GAVE HER THE STANDARD LECTURE, AS BEST AS I KNEW IT… SAYING NOTHING, SHE IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE IRON SPEAR SHE HAD WITH HER, AND DROVE IT TOWARDS MY CHEST. I BELIEVE I WOULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY MAIMED, OR EVEN KILLED, HAD I NOT BEEN WEARING ARMOR. I TOOK MY OWN SPIRIT CRYSTAL WEAPONS AND USED THEM TO DEFEND MYSELF, TRYING AS HARD AS I COULD TO GO MAINLY FOR THE LIMBS. EVENTUALLY, SHE WENT DOWN, AND I TOOK HER INTO CUSTODY.]  

ANT: [Thank you, Xoknath.]  

ANT: [You see, Your Wisdom? Immediately. Centre-mass. Bladed, iron weapon! A stable individual would not resort to such measures without at least attempting discussion or retreat, and yet she did. Clearly, she had come prepared to do something of this nature, and we should not overlook this in the slightest.]  

YITRIE: [Agreed. I personally believe she had reasonable things at stake to do what she did, but the way she conducted herself does give the impression that she had been waiting for an excuse to kill someone anyway, which is horrid. I personally have died many times before, and while it may not be permanent, one’s first few deaths can be extremely painful and frightening, to the point where they affect one’s outlook for all of eternity. This should not be ignored.]  

An uneasy atmosphere fills the room.  

YITRIE: [Even still, not many of our own populace willing to risk leaving the village to deal with this wizard issue, even though it affects all of us. She should definitely face punishment, but it does feel a tad wasteful to let her courage go unused. Perhaps if, during punishment, we got her to change her tactics to focus more on communication, and to use less lethal force when battle is unavoidable, she might be less of a threat. Then, perhaps, we could permit her to continue her quest.]

ANT: [Your wisdom, how could we possibly re-train her in such a way? She is a lunatic!]

YITRIE: [Well, since we are already killing two birds with one stone, why don’t we make it three birds? The goblins still need our assistance with the undead human, and we just so happen to have someone who’s shown willingness to approach danger. If we sentence Alexis to community service, I can send her to the goblin caves to retrieve the zombie, alive and bound. If she complies, we can send her on her way. If she kills him, or becomes infected, we’ll keep her in custody. In any case, at least it won’t be us.]  

ANT: [But how can we be sure she won’t attack the civilians?]

YITRIE: […We’ll send a chaperone to watch her every move, and we’ll only let her use less-than-lethal weapons. If she becomes a problem, the chaperone can step in and deal with her. If she is unable to complete the task, they can take care of the zombie as well. Otherwise, their main goal will be to watch from a distance. All in favor?] About three quarters of the dryads raise an arm-like branch.

DRYADS: [Aye!]  

The dryad next to Yitrie leans in towards her.

DRYAD: [Wait! Who should we appoint?]  

YITRIE: [That’s a good question. We need someone very attentive and cautious, who will watch her like a hawk, but they also need to be strong enough to intervene, should things go awry. With both his suspicion towards Alexis, and the strength of body and spirit he has proven recently, it seems Xoknath would be the ideal candidate.]

You see Xoknath lean forward and open his mouth as if to yell something, but then his posture sinks. He subtly clenches his fist and begins to speak through grit teeth.  

XOKNATH: [I WILL COMPLY WITH THESE ORDERS, YOUR WISDOM.]

YITRIE: [Perfect! Now, without any further ado, we sentence Alexis to community service, and mandate a follow-up trial for when she is finished!]

Yitrie claps once. The other dryads then each bring their hands together into one harmonious clap. The ant-woman exits to the south, while a weaselfolk man appears from the north, carrying a burlap sack.

WEASEL: [Here are your belongings, Miss Alexis. Uh, well, some of them, anyway. We had to throw out any food that had spoiled and confiscate any bladed weapons, so your spear is now a staff. We apologize for the inconvenience.]  

You recovered your LOST ITEMS!

The weasel-man exits as well. Xoknath approaches.  

*

Xoknath joins the party! You can now CRAFT and DECRAFT items, including animals, as well as speak Monster Pidgin and HOGSPEECH while Xoknath is alive.  

*  

XOKNATH: XOKNATH NO LIKE YOU, UNDERSTAND?  

Perfectly clear.

XOKNATH: XOKNATH WORK WITH YOU. YOU NO BE BAD.

You have no intention of getting sidetracked more than you have already.

RONAN: Well, uh, since Xoknath here already knows some English, will you be okay without me? I can take you through the village if you want, but I really don’t wanna leave this safe zone if possible.  

Yes, having him come with you will be helpful for now, (you’re not really thrilled to spend time alone with Xoknath), but you’ll be fine if he doesn’t want to leave the city. You thank him for his work defending you.  

RONAN: You’re welcome. I’m sorry things got as crazy as they did. If there’s anything more you’d like from me, just say so.  

You nod.

XOKNATH: UGH. [DOUBLE-CROSSING SHITFUCK! OKAY,] XOKNATH KNOW WAY, GO FIRST. YOU FOLLOW.  

With that, Xoknath begins leading the way back through the village, and you and Ronan follow.  

Area 6 - The Woods

Link to First Page

[knuxfan24]

Sonic ‘06 - Greenflower Zone Mod Technical Write Up

On April 27th of 2020 I released the Version 1.1 update for my Greenflower Zone mod for Sonic ‘06, a few days before release, I got the idea to do a technical write up on the process that I went through making this mod, as it is a strange one that has morphed over the span of almost a year, evolving and growing with the ‘06 Modding Scene itself.

Original Proof of Concept

Back in May of 2019, I started toying around with some old Sonic ‘06 tools, thanks to my interest in modding the game rising following improvements in Xenia which made the game more playable within it. As I’d previously done Greenflower Zone Act 1 for Shadow The Hedgehog in February of the same year, I decided to use it as an experiment for importing stage terrain into ‘06; as I already knew the rough process for converting a model to an XNO thanks to me trying to put one of my Sonic Forces Avatars over Sonic. However, we didn’t have a way to do collision at this point, so my initial plan was to use the common_stopplayercollision object to kind of fake the collision so I would at least be able to walk around it. Unfortunately, the character doesn’t treat that object as ground, so they just float above it. Yet I still decided to place some objects around by manually typing in coordinates based off the object placements I’d previously done for the Shadow port.

Initial Collision Experiments

Shortly afterwards, Melpontro offered to convert a collision mesh for me, while we didn’t have surface tags on it, it was a good enough job to let me experiment more with the stage, which I did by continuing to copy and paste object coordinates from the Shadow port, again, all in plain text XML files. As a result, objects weren’t rotated correctly due to Quaternion Rotation being literal satan and I would have to check an object in game to even see if it was close to being correct.

SonicGLVL

At some point, I hit upon the idea of using SonicGLVL (the Sonic Generations Level Editor) to visualise the object placements. This mostly came about due to me remembering that object rotations in Generations SET Files are also Quaternions, so I could copy and paste their values to get the rotations correct. While I was still hand typing everything, this made it easier to determine object placements, especially considering Shadow The Hedgehog could spawn multiple Rings from one Ring object, a feature ‘06 lacks, as a result, I had to guess the right coordinates for the other Rings with no way to visually check it without booting up the game.

Surface Properties and Sticky Walls

A few days after I’d done more SET work, I sent Melpontro a version of the collision with various meshes tagged by type, allowing him to create collision with various Surface Properties, resulting in proper footstep sounds for surfaces. However, this also led to an issue caused by ‘06′s unusual tagging system for collision meshes.

Walls in ‘06 need to be tagged as such, resulting in quite a bit of trial and error until we got it mostly working. With Act 1 done to a good enough state for a proper work in progress, it was time to move on to Act 2.

WinForms and HedgeLib

Around the time of working on Act 2, I decided to start cobbling together various small C# programs using HedgeLib to try and help me with the process, while I was roughly familiar with bits and pieces of the ‘06 SET Format thanks to my previous work on the Sonic ‘06 Randomiser there was still a lot of things I didn’t know.

One of the first things I wrote was something that would load a SET File and allow me to see all the parameter values of the objects within the SET. This allowed me to document what I thought the parameters for certain objects do (while also discovering a frustrating quirk in HedgeLib). As time passed, work continued on Act 2, while I also started creating an original layout for Shadow, designed under the mindset of playing the stage backwards. Before I got sidetracked working on something else.

The Mod Manager’s early beginnings

Over time, I gradually became frustrated with having multiple copies of ‘06 and accidentally cross contaminating them with various mods thanks to me copying them to the wrong install. While Hyper had a GitHub page for a Sonic ‘06 Mod Manager, it didn’t actually work, leading to me to write a small C# Command Line application to copy and remove the Greenflower files for me. This eventually led to me creating a small GUI for it with the ability to load multiple mods together, which would soon be expanded upon.

Around the same time, I also experimented with Melpontro’s old Emerald Coast stage mod, managing to get it running on Xenia, while also figuring out how ‘06 handles volume objects such as camera volumes. I also brought back a joke Sonic Forces mod at this point, Chair The Sonic, which would evolve into Furniture Adventure 3 before I killed the joke thanks to it going far enough to become unfunny.

Greenflower did take a backseat at this point, only really being used to test Vertex Colours for underwater colouring, as well as experimentation with the game’s dynamic lighting system. Though it would soon be used as a testing ground for something.

The GLVL Converter

On the 2nd of June, I posted this image to my Twitter, based on the wording of my tweet, it sounded like I already had a system in place to convert Generations objects to ‘06. However, I would have still had to do all the parameters manually in an XML. This process seeked to change that, with me manually creating GLVL Templates for objects as I needed them and writing code to auto convert them (shamelessly ripping off the GensToForcesSETConverter in the process). At a future point, I wrote a tool that would autogenerate the templates for me, although the object parameters were just labelled as Parameter1, Parameter2 and so on.

Throughout the process of experimenting with and understanding objects, Greenflower was used as my test bed, as I was too lazy to make a proper test stage for myself at the time and didn’t really have easy access to the unused test level recreations.

The Mod Manager and Tropical Jungle Extra

While working on the SET Conversion experiments, I continued to work on my Mod Manager alongside it before creating a new experiment to mess around with the DLC system and the converter. I started creating a layout for the third section of Tropical Jungle for Sonic, as he does not normally visit that segment of the stage.

Greenflower took a massive backseat at this point, as most of the focus went into Tropical Jungle Extra, before me and Hyper teamed up to create a better Mod Manager out of both of our work. After releasing Tropical Jungle Extra, I worked on a similar concept for Silver and the first section of Dusty Desert, although this never saw the light of day, nor did my short lived attempt at creating a DLC episode for Knuckles.

Lost in Translation and Camera Experiments

At some point in July, I started tinkering with Greenflower again, rebuilding the SET files from the ground up with our new templates and the GLVL Converter, while also experimenting with using dynamic cameras for some parts, at some point I also inserted the music thanks to our XMA workarounds. However, thanks to me having no ability to experiment with the collision, I drifted away from it again and started working on a new project, messing around with Google Translate’s API. This project became Sonic The Hedgehog: Lost in Translation.

I was still working on the Randomiser at this point, so my attention was very divided, with Greenflower slipping down the priority list. At this point, I was also aware of SRB2 2.2′s intent to redesign the zone from the ground up, which pushed it even further down while I waited for it.

The Collision Converter

Towards the end of the month, I remembered Sajid’s previous attempt to write a Collision Converter for me using LibS06, after requesting that code, Skyth provided me with the line to make it work, which I tested on a shoddy import of the Sonic Adventure 2 version of Green Hill Zone Act 1.

With a Collision Converter in hand, I started experimenting with other stages, creating a version of Westopolis for ‘06, as well as some other experiments that didn’t go very far. Before eventually jumping back into and finishing Lost in Translation.

At this point, Greenflower was still on the backburner, with me only really using it to see how the Sonic Adventure HUD mod would look with it and also putting it into the ‘06 demo for the hell of it.

More focus was placed into the Mod Manager around this time, with us rewriting it (leading to the creation of the Aldi Mod Manager jokes).

Mortar Canyon

For some silly reason, I started messing around with Mortar Canyon from Sonic Forces, there isn’t really much to say about it, other than the fact that I needed to use the Switch terrain, as the PC terrain behaved unusually.

SRB2 Version 2.2

Following the release of Sonic Robo Blast 2 Version 2.2, I tested opening and exporting the Greenflower Act 1 terrain for it from Zone Builder to see if it still worked, and it did. As a result, I started messing with it again, although my priority at the time was on my Tropical Jungle mod for Sonic Forces. Issues with the Zone Builder export also lowered my motivation to work on it, although I continued to experiment in the background, trying to find fixes.

About a week later, I toyed around with the Zone Builder source code, finally managing to correct the issue, which was caused by Zone Builder’s OBJ exporter “optimising” the exported terrain by throwing out certain vertices.

With the source for Zone Builder, I also experimented with having 100% accurate object placement, writing a small hack to export the Thing Placement into a text file which I could then use to write into a SET file with HedgeLib. However, object heights are handled incorrectly in Zone Builder, requiring me to fix certain objects manually.

As I finished up work on Tropical Jungle for Forces, I started working more on Greenflower in the background, while also experimenting with some dumb jokes. However, I soon hit another motivational block, The water and grass edges...

Nonami the Material God

Thanks to poor documentation of the XNO format, we had no clue how to make transparent objects look good or how to make translucent objects at all. As a result, I kinda trailed off for a while. However, on the 2nd of March, Nonami showed an image on the Lost Legacy Discord server of translucent water in their Emerald Coast mod and also told us the byte to hex edit to enable it. A quick test later, and I had translucent water

I soon moved the level over to the Kingdom Valley slot, as I wanted to use the breakable wall object that stage has, which meant I needed that slot for the sound, before following up with creating Vertex Colours for the underwater terrain.

Hyper later took over some work on the Skybox and Grass Edges, experimenting with hex edits and texture upscaling to help smooth out the transparent edges while I worked on creating the SET files for the other characters  He also worked on fixing up the fence collision for me, as the way it exported from Zone Builder caused Sonic to be able to fairly easily clip through them.

Eventually, I decided (with very little thought behind it) to make various elements of the stage grindable, before following it up with (incredibly tedious to make) Light Dash splines.  Eventually, me and Hyper screwed around with it in Multiplayer late into the night, giving us the inspiration to start trying to create a Prop Hunt gamemode for ‘06 too.

With most of the motivational stumbles out of the way, I decided to tackle the flowers and trees by recycling models from Sonic Lost World and Sonic Generations, a process which proved extremely tedious, as the XNO Converter we use only allows for one model at a time. A fact which didn’t help when I needed to export every single flower and tree one by one.

The Act 1 Release

On the 18th of March 2020, I decided to FINALLY release a version of Greenflower, with it soon being updated to correct a few small issues I’d overlooked. After a small break, I started working on Act 2. Thanks to my workflow developed for Act 1, Act 2 went fairly smoothly at first, as I already knew what I needed to do to make the grass edges and water look good. I could also copy the Skybox from Act 1 with no problems, which was nice.

The Act 2 Retargeting Whack-a-Mole

When it comes to level layouts for ‘06, easily the biggest annoyance comes from objects such as Springs. In ‘06, Springs can target other objects by their IDs, which is a really nice feature. However, if the object IDs get changed around, then the target will no longer match up, as a result, I had multiple points where I had to comb over the act to make sure every Spring still targeted the correct object. This was an issue that was much more pronounced in Act 2, due to there being many more Springs in it.

To make matters worse, the object IDs shown in SonicGLVL seem random, so to get the ID of the object I wanted to target, I’d have to convert the SET and look for the object there to get the correct ID. Towards the end of development, I hacked something together that would make the GLVL IDs match the converted ones, making it much easier to handle, if still tedious. My insistence on deleting unneeded objects in the various other character SETs is the primary reason for this headache.

Another problem I noticed a lot in Act 2 were seams in the terrain where Zone Builder didn’t export the terrain correctly, while these were (mostly) easy to fix, it was tedious every time. As it involved the following process.

-Remove the Skin Modifer -Edit the affected meshes so they’d join up correctly -Reapply the Skin Modifier -Export the edited meshes -Import them one at a time -Edit the collision -Export the collision -Convert the collision

Not hard, just tedious, as with a lot of the work that needed to be done on this project.

Specular Mapping

At some point, I toyed with the idea of adding a small specular map on the windows and roofs of the various houses scattered around the zone. After multiple attempts which blew up in my face, Nonami pointed me to a shader that would do what I wanted, creating this nice, actually fairly subtle effect which was also added to Act 1 for consistencies sake.

However, attempting to add this trick to the water did not go well at all...

Developer Time Trial

At some point when working on Version 1.0 of Greenflower, I changed the text for the Hard Mode selection on the stage select to Not This One. Thanks to me not bothering to make a Hard Mode SET thanks to me finding them to be a waste of time.

In Version 1.01, I did sneak a small SET in that would be loaded if you selected the option, but it otherwise served no purpose.

While messing with the Town Mission timer for Prop Hunt, I realised I could use it to create a Developer Time Trial mode, by simply recording my best time and setting it as the Timer’s value. Originally I intended to record runs for all nine characters, but a limitation of the DLC system prevented me from neatly adding them for the amigo characters, so it was cut down to just Sonic, Shadow and Silver.

These also use slightly modified SETs, mostly to remove the Bronze Medals, Starposts and Voice Triggers.

Bronze Medals

When initially importing the SETs, I decided it would be a cute idea to replace the Emblem and Emerald Tokens in SRB2 with the very underused Bronze Medals. As it turns out, ‘06 actually has a counter for these medals that goes unused in the final game, activating the counter was a simple as adding  OpenMedal(_ARG_0_, 15) to the main event in the stage’s Lua file. While the medals serve no purpose in Greenflower, I felt like enabling the counter just to show an unused piece of ‘06 off while also encouraging exploration in the form of Medal Hunting.

Closing Words

While it may not seem like too much on the surface, I personally am actually quite happy with how Greenflower has turned out. Its long development time and various restarts have given it the chance to fully take advantage of our advancements in the Sonic ‘06 modding scene. While there is still a lot left for us to learn, I’m content with this project’s release state and am ready to move on to something new in the future.

Greenflower for ‘06 has being nearly a year in the making, and I’m glad to have been able to see it through. A special thanks goes to the people who helped me in this mod’s creation, it wouldn’t look as good as it does without Nonami’s XNO research and it may not even have gotten finished if Hyper hadn’t helped me test it and thrown some ideas my way.

Here’s hoping we can do some more quality ‘06 mods in the future and realise some of the potential this game never got to show (and maybe do some silly stuff along the way too!).

[kilyra]

Couldn’t Keep Lying

Frank Castle (Punisher) One-Shot from prompt list

A/N: I received a request for a part two of “Going To Have Some Regrets” (the link is in the Masterlist posted in my bio) from @angelophany off List B: Angst/fluff Prompt List: 52 - “I wouldn't change a thing about you” and 66 - “Why me?”.

While waiting for your delivery, the last thing you expect at your door is Pete, the guy who suddenly disappeared on you weeks ago.

Warning: None - Spoilers for S1 only - I haven’t seen S2 yet :) The language is mild. I do refer to him as Pete for most of it though, so hopefully that’s not distracting.

The knock on the door was always an exciting moment. Sure, you already buzzed the pizza guy in and knew damn well he’d be knocking at your apartment door soon, but now food was here. And you were starving.

Throwing the door open, you continued on your way by to grab your purse without glancing up. “What do I owe you?”

“Uh. Nothing,” a deep, gravelly voice replied from the doorway.

Your blood ran cold and your hunger pangs died immediately.

Continuing to face away from the door, you heard heavy boot shuffle as he shifted his weight. If you didn’t turn around, this couldn’t be happening, right?

Reluctantly, you forced yourself to face the voice. Pete. The asshole who ran out on you the first night you went over to his house and hasn’t talked to you since.

Rubbing the back of his neck with one hand, Pete stared towards the floor. Raising his eyebrows, he slowly looked up at you and held out the pizza box. “Hey, Y/n.”

Crossing your arms, you stayed on the far side of the kitchen. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“I..uh…am I interrupting anything? Did you have someone…over?”

“So what if I did? I don’t see how that’d be your business,” you said coldly.

Sighing, he dropped his gaze back to the floor with a nod. “It's not. I just didn't want to get in the way of...anything.”

You weren’t sure if it was his unintentional forlorn look or the fact he didn’t argue that hit you harder. But you felt a small swell of pity in your chest. Which you resented a little. “Is that seriously my pizza? Why do you have my pizza, are you working there now or something?”

Gently chuckling, his lip turned up in a half smile as he gave you a sidelong look. “No, I lucked out and got here when the kid did. You might want to talk to those guys – he just handed it over when I said I was with you.”

Letting out a soft growl, you went back to the door and snatched the box. “Yeah, I imagine he wouldn’t care much as long as someone was paying for it.”

Pete continued to stand empty-handed, in the doorway. Setting the pizza down, you turned and leaned on the counter, rolling your eyes. "Well, you may as well come in. And then explain to me why after bailing, you completely ghost me and then show up at my door with pizza weeks later?"

“Yeah. Yeah, ok that’s fair,” he said as he came inside and closed the door. Pushing back his hood and smoothly pulling off his cap, he stood awkwardly as he curled his hat in his hands.

Never in your time with this man, had you seen him looking so lost. Maybe something was actually wrong. Your wall of anger started to crumble and your shoulder sagged slightly. Pushing yourself off the counter, you nodded towards the living room.

After briefly hesitating, Pete finally followed and sat on the love seat across from you. Focusing on the hat he kept twisting, he cleared his throat. “Y/n, I have to ask…why me?”

“I…what?” Once you got past the shock of seeing him at your door, you didn’t expect you could be floored a second time, but his question was bizarre.

Shifting in his chair, Pete tried again. “I don’t understand why someone like you would be interested in a guy like me. Did Curtis talk me up or something? I just don’t…”

As his voice trailed off, you realized something was wrong.

“No, Curtis didn’t talk you up. I…I don’t know, I wouldn't change a thing about you. I mean, I enjoy talking with you; you're smart and thoughtful. And you're kind. I like being around you. Or at least I did, before you turned into a colossal asshole.”

For a second, his eyebrows drew together before he nodded. “I deserved that. Look, Y/n, I'm sorry for running out like that. I really am. And then not calling? You deserve better than that.”

“Damn right I do.” You agreed so quickly you practically cut him off.

Lightly hitting his cap against his palm, a faint smile played on his lips. “It's just that things were getting serious, and it hasn't been like that for me in a long time. Not since Maria, actually.”

Maria. His late wife. He only spoke about her once, but you still should have connected the dots. What was left of your wall of anger dissolved entirely. “I...I'm sorry if I moved things too fast, I wasn't thinking. But-”

Grabbing his cap in his fist, he finally stopped fidgeting. But he stared at his hands. “No, no, it's not that. There's a lot I need to explain, stuff you need to know before things go any further. If you even still want that.”

Pete had always seemed unshakable, but as he tried to lead into whatever he had to say, he couldn’t keep his gaze in one place. His eyes darted from his hands, to the floor, and off to the side. Anywhere but on you.

And now, the choice was yours. Did you want to hear whatever made him so uncomfortable? Or should you take the out?

Although your anger was wiped away, you were still running on high. That rush of emotion morphed into worry, anxiety, and maybe even a bit of fear.

Ignoring all of that, you leaned forward. “I’m listening.”

For a brief second, his eyes flickered towards you before looking away like he had just stared into the sun. “Okay. Yeah...uh, do you know what a scout sniper is?”

Of course, it would be something about his time serving. It makes sense – you met him through Curtis and knew Pete was part of Curtis' support groups. "No. But I can guess."  

A sad smile briefly crossed his face as he nodded. “Okay, well among other things, it means I’ve killed people. A lot of people. My unit we…there was some stuff that happened over there and I didn’t get out soon enough. When I did…it followed me home.”

Fighting against the churning in your stomach, you stayed silent. He glanced up like he was checking to see if you heard him. You nodded, having no idea what to say.

Swallowing heavily, he let go of his hat with one hand to start gesturing as he spoke. “My supervisors were involved in some bad shit and when they thought I was going to do something about what I knew, my family paid the price.”

What did that mean, exactly? He had been vague about losing his wife and children before but you were left with the impression it was some sort of accident. But you didn't want to interrupt and sidetrack him just yet – he was struggling enough.

You hummed softly.

His words hung in the air as he dropped his hat on the coffee table and ran his hands down his face. Resting his elbows on his knees, he loudly exhaled a long breath of air.  “I didn’t think this would be so…Look, do you uh…do you remember that big trial against a guy named Frank Castle a few years back?”

Like you could forget. The city turned into a three-ring circus just after you moved there. And then things were even worse when he escaped. It was only after everyone thought he died on the docks that things simmered down and the news went back to reporting things other than just the Punisher.

Although, when the New York Bulletin published stories suggesting was trying to get justice for his family…

Your heart stopped. “What does that have to do with you?”

Glancing upward, Pete turned away and clasped his hands together. “Come on, Y/n. Don’t be naive, you’re better than that. You know.”

A rushing flooded your ears. Frank Castle was a monster…who was still at large. But Pete was no monster. You couldn’t wrap your brain around what he was implying.

"I…no. No, I don't know. It doesn't make sense. I mean…you're telling me that you're…you're Frank?"

Facing you, his eyes continued to move between yours back to his hat on the coffee table. When you didn’t say anything, he settled back onto you and his words came out thick and rough. “I am.”

It was too much.

Getting to your feet, you noticed he did the same as you paced away from the living room. Moving back and forth from the living room to the hall, you continued to shake your head. "No, that would…make you a fugitive?"

Spreading his hands apart, he lightly shrugged. “Not exactly. The stuff my superior officers were doing over there and everything that followed was a huge blight for Homeland Security. After the dust settled, they decided to do a sort of witness protection.”

“So you lied to me this entire time?” The anxiety and numbness battled for control of what you were feeling.

“I didn't have a choice. They gave me a chance to have a life but only as Pete Castiglione. And I tried, I did, but when we started getting so close I just…”

Hearing his words hitch in his throat, you turned to face him.  He looked deflated. It stabbed you and, for a second time, your wall of anger fell apart.

He left because he couldn’t keep lying.

“It’s a lot to absorb and I don’t…I don’t know what to say to make it better. I think…I should probably go now, yeah?” He was already leaning over to scoop his hat as he stammered.

That didn't feel right either. Your hands balled up into tight fists as you tried to decide what to do. Keeping his eyes ahead, he crossed the room to move past you.

Throwing your shoulders back, you stepped in front of Pete…Frank…and put your hands on either side of his face. There was no disguising the look of surprise that crossed his features as he froze in your hands. Offering a small smile, you leaned up towards him and gently pressed your lips against his. It took a moment before his hands found their way to your waist and even then, they were almost hovering.

As you pulled away, his eyebrows drew together as he looked deep in your eyes. Silently, he clasped one of his hands over yours, his rough fingers gently caressed your palm. Not breaking eye contact, his furrowed eyebrows arched slightly.

Are you sure? Without using words, he asked you the question all the same.

Finally, you sighed. “I can’t promise anything. This is...a lot. But walking out again isn't going to help. So you’re going to stay right there, eat some of this pizza, and answer some questions. Actually, a lot of questions. Got it?”

For the first time since you opened the door, he smiled. A subdue grin broke out as he bowed his head slightly. “Yes, ma’am.”

[journalxxx]

No Rest for the Wicked (3)

"Hey. Higgsbury."

Wilson woke with a gasp, heart racing and chest heaving as something touched his shoulder. His overwhelmed brain took in his surroundings in a frenzy of disconnected bits: the setting sun, the rough table he was napping on, the spilled ink on his half-finished blueprint, the blood rumbling in his own head, the tiny pins and needles tickling his left arm, the gaunt harasser standing beside him.

"Say, pal. You don't look so good."

Wilson blinked at Maxwell, wondering why he was still alive. Oh, right. Not a dream, this one. Not a dream. He wondered if the other man could hear the gears furiously turning in Wilson's brain to sort through real memories and fleeting visions in an effort to make sense of his current situation. He probably could, it felt like they were very rusty and grind-y.

"Can you please. Never say those specific words to me again. Please."

"Have I caught you at a bad time? It didn't seem like there was much inventing going on at the moment."

Wilson drummed his fingers on the table nervously, still dizzy with adrenaline. He focussed very, very hard on eliminating all thoughts of sadism and murder and assorted violence from his brain, but the sight of Maxwell's nonchalant mug made it exceedingly difficult.

"You always catch me at a bad time. When you want to disturb me, just assume it's a bad time. And then don't do it. What do you want?"

Maxwell regarded him with something unpleasantly akin to amusement. He glanced at the ruined sketch on the table.

"Strange dreams, eh? What was this one about?"

"...You don't want to know."

"I beg to differ."

Wilson squinted at him, rubbing his arm to restore the circulation. Well, if he insisted.

"...I wanted to observe the effects of prolonged consumption of raw monster meat on humans. You were the test subject, but you refused to eat it, so I made an incision in your epigastrium-" He poked at the exact spot on Maxwell's abdomen as he explained, "and created a fistula large enough to introduce the minced meat directly in your stomach from the outside. It made you turn into that half-beast thing you used to scare me with when I was travelling to the throne-" He illustrated that passage too, hunching his back and mimicking claws and fangs with his hands and mouth, "and, since you behaved like a rabid dog, I had to put you down. Via decapitation. Then I dismembered you and put your organs in jars with formalin for later study. I think I was doing something with your liver when you woke me, but I can't remember what."

It was rare for Wilson to manage to reduce Maxwell to silence, but those precious few times were always so deeply worth it.

"...I'll say." He eventually commented, scratching his chin pensively. "I never thought there could be any decent material in that hairy nogging of yours, but it looks like you may have turned out not too disappointing a King, after all."

Wilson groaned, rubbing his hands on his face.

"What do you want, Maxwell?"

"Why do you keep asking me? You said you needed my help with some project of yours, remember?"

"Uh... yes, yes, I do. Give me just a moment." Wilson quickly gathered his tools and cleaned up the mess on the table. "You always have such impeccable timing. I've been sitting here all afternoon, but of course you show up the moment I put my head down for five minutes."

"You said I could come when I was free. Well, I'm free now." Maxwell crossed his arms condescendingly. "If your beauty sleep has the priority, I can come back next week or so."

"You've got a busy schedule, haven't you? I suppose that standing around doing nothing and glancing judgementally at people who are actually working does eat up time." Maxwell was about to reply, but Wilson opted for a strategic retreat. "I'll be right back."

"So, what do you need me for?" Maxwell asked when Wilson came back with an armful of equipment. He watched with silent disapproval as Wilson dropped the items messily on the table, save for one vial filled with transparent liquid, which he carefully placed in a roughly-crafted canister. Wilson didn't miss the brief glimpse of concern that crossed Maxwell's eyes when he opened the case containing the syringe. "...I'm just realizing I should have asked this much sooner."

"You know that weird feeling you get after being revived - the feeling that you are indeed very much alive and well, but not quite as healthy as you were before? And no matter how much you eat or rest or heal, you never seem to regain your top shape?"

"Yes."

"Good. I was sure you would, given how vocally you complained about it when you burst out of my meat statue two months ago." Wilson paused to observe the content of the vial against the light: no suspicious discolorations or sediments. "As it turns out, it's a shared affliction. It happened to me too before... before, and others in the camp have confirmed experiencing the same problem. So I decided to see if anything could be done about it."

"I take that you are concocting some sort of serum. Do you need some specific ingredient or magic boost you think I can provide?"

"A fair assumption, but no. I believe I've already hit on a promising formula, and now I only need a suitable subject to test it."

"Ah. You see, that was my second guess, only because I gave you enough credit to reach on your own the obvious conclusion that I would never agree to that."

"Come on, don't be difficult. I promise you it's perfectly safe."

"Says the man who thought that powdercakes were safe for consumption." Maxwell squinted at the vial, hands clasped behind his back. "What's in there?"

"Oh just, you know... some minerals and... organic material. You needn't concern yourself with the technical details-"

"If you had said snake oil, it would have sounded less fishy. Which minerals? What organic material?"

"Well..." Wilson scratched his chin, pointedly avoiding Maxwell's inquisitive gaze. "Some nitre and ground bee stings. And- you know those funny-looking hyphae that were growing on the eggplants we forgot we had? Well, I thought-"

"You must be joking." Maxwell's face contorted into the most comically over-the-top expression of affronted disgust Wilson had ever seen. "Dirt and mold. You mixed dirt and mold into a bottle and you called that a cure? How did you even come up with such a ridiculous idea?"

"Exactly like I come up with every ridiculous idea I've ever had in this wretched place: by using our ridiculous machines, that's how. Or are you going to claim that there's more scientific merit to grinding flower petals to make dream gasoline, or whatever that foul thing is supposed to be?"

"Well, at least that foul thing isn't supposed to go straight into my veins! Your 'cure' is going to give me lockjaw or bubonic plague, if not both at the same time."

Wilson decided to dedicate a single moment of his life to envisioning how risus sardonicus might look on Maxwell's already grotesque set of facial features. He found that his imagination wasn't yet capable of producing such horrors, and he was ultimately grateful for it.

"I told you it's safe. I've already administered samples to some rabbits and pigmen, and they're all perfectly healthy. I've even had a dose of it myself, and as you can see-"

"You took it yourself?" Maxwell gaped at the scientist in utter shock. "Are you out of your mind?"

"Well, rabbits and pigmen aren't humans. Results obtained on them are only partially reliable to predict the effect the serum might have on actual people. And I didn't think it wise to use a potentially flawed drug on an already debilitated patient. I haven't died yet since we met, so I figured I would be the perfect subject to take note of any relevant side effects or issues. There haven't been any, by the way."

"You're a lunatic." Maxwell's bewilderment almost made Wilson laugh. It seemed like such a simple and straightforward process to him. "A complete, raving madman. That thing could have killed you more painfully than I ever did."

"That's extremely debatable, but let's not get sidetracked." Wilson joined the tips of his fingers, flashing his best ingratiating smile at Maxwell. "Care to assist?"

"No, not really. Besides, I've just finished recovering from that accident with the spider queen, so I may still be a tad too 'debilitated' for-"

"You've been 'just finishing recovering' from those two glorified scratches for at least a week. I don't doubt that that is due to the aforementioned post-resurrection weakness, and it is not even remotely just an excuse for you to be even less productive than usual. However, as the resident physician, I am positive you're at least well enough to withstand a harmless drug trial. Does this quell your fears?"

Maxwell pursed his lips, surprisingly giving some serious thought to the matter. "...Wolfgang has died too, once. And he's certainly fitter than me at any given moment. Why didn't you choose him?"

"To be fair, I did ask him first. But..." Wilson considered his fingertips. The memory of that colossal man mewling in horror and backing away from the raised syringe like a cornered animal would haunt him for the rest of his days. "I think he has a phobia of needles. Among the other things."

"Hm. Hard to blame him on that one. The needle of that syringe is barely smaller than an organ pipe."

"It's the best I could put together with the materials I found. Just be thankful I was able to craft one or I would have to resort to scarification."

"I don't like the sound of that."

"You wouldn't like the feel of that either."

Maxwell scrutinized him and his whole apparatus with blatant hostility. He didn't speak, and eventually Wilson sighed in defeat.

"...I can't force you, of course. But I do mean it when I say it's safe. It has given me no side effects whatsoever, I just need to establish if it's actually effective or not." Wilson tapped his fingers on the table, pensively. "I guess I could try again with Wolfgang. Wickerbottom could help me talk him into it, she’s good at that. After keeping him on a light diet for while. If he threw a fit in his best shape, he'd probably break my neck with an accidental flicker of his-"

"Oh, fine! Stop whining!" Maxwell burst out, throwing his hands to the sky. "And don't you dare say that I never do anything helpful. I'm literally throwing my own health to the wolves for your divertissement here."

"Splendid!" Wilson grinned, immediately filling the syringe with the precious liquid. "Uncover your shoulder. You don't have any allergies, do you?"

"If I said yes, would you reconsider my involvement?"

"I guess that's a no. Sit." Wilson stood up, politely leaving the chair free for his unhappy subject. Who didn't sit. Nor uncovered his shoulder. Wilson rolled his eyes. "What is it now? I swear, all this fussing for a single prick. Next time I'll just knock you out beforehands and save myself half an hour of pointless arguments."

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking that I can simply refuse to sit to foil your brilliant plan altogether. There's little you can do to my shoulder from down there."

"...Wow, a height joke. Haven't heard one of those in a while. You're just desperate to buy time at this point. Sit before I stab this in your rear."

Wilson patiently waited as Maxwell begrudgingly complied and took as long as humanly possible to remove the several layers of clothing hiding his shoulder. Wilson also merrily ignored the constant muttering as he applied some antiseptic on the area.

"Mankind owes me a lot for confining you here and saving any possible future patient of yours from your misguided attempts at- Ow!"

"Yes, I'm sure such a charitable deed completely outweighs the God-knows-how-many unexplained kidnappings you've perpetrated in your whole life."

"Not as many as- Ow! This thing burns!"

"Hardly. I'd like to say you deserve a statue for your past and present heroism, but I think there are already far too many around here."

One last completely unwarranted 'ow' marked the end of the unbearable torture as Wilson pulled out the needle and pressed a patch of silk gauze on Maxwell's shoulder.

"Done. It's going to be just a little sore for-"

"You literally just said no side effects whatsoever!"

"That's not a side effect, it's a completely normal local reaction. It won't last more than a few days anyway."

Wilson put away his tools while Maxwell nursed his achy joint with a scowl. "Fine print and shady semantics are more tools of my trade rather than yours, you know?"

"Maybe, but at least I make a point of rewarding blind faith instead of squashing it. Your contribution towards scientific advancement is highly appreciated." Wilson smiled, producing a life-giving amulet from his pocket and handing it to Maxwell with a flourish and a small bow. "Please accept this for your trouble."

Maxwell froze in the middle of buttoning up his shirt, gaping at the item with sheer horror.

"...Oh God, I am going to die."

"No, no no no, this is just for... extra precaution. Just in case. Just in the remote eventuality that the serum might have some utterly unexpected and yet unobserved contraindication. Which it won't, I'm sure. Do feel free to bring to my attention any malaise that may bother you though."

"I hate you."

"Oh come on, I'm joking. Mostly." Wilson chuckled as Maxwell motioned to take the amulet. He instinctively gripped it harder though, suddenly struck by an unpleasant thought. He met Maxwell's puzzled glance with firm eyes. "By the way, I would dearly appreciate it if you used it as intended, this time."

"...I believe I should be granted the freedom to decide how to employ my payment, shouldn't I?" Maxwell's expression changed as well, subtly but unmistakably. Wilson already regretted breaching the subject, but he had no intention of backing down from his request.

"I'm serious. If this ends up like the last one, I'm not going to trust you with another again. They're far too precious to be wasted."

"Wasted, uh?" Maxwell scoffed, letting go of the amulet and standing fully straight to look down on Wilson. Wilson hated how easy it was for the man to look effectively imposing. "Maybe you should give this to someone else then. God forbid I should ever use it to look after myself in the way I see fit."

"You did nothing of the sort. You broke it. You took a resurrection tool, a literal life-saver, and disassembled it.” Wilson clenched his fists without even noticing, the argument from a few months before still fresh in his mind. Sometimes Maxwell’s behavior was truly unjustifiable. “And for what? To make another goddamn nightmare amulet!”

“That is what I’d call ‘looking after myself’’, yes. All this time you’ve spent around me, and you still don’t get how my powers work. You’re dreadfully unobservant for a scientist.”

“Look, I know what you’re driving at, but how can you possibly not understand that there’s nothing more important than resurrection items here?! They’re our only lifeline! They literally avoid death! We should scavenge for parts to craft them, not the other way around!”

“You’re astoundingly wrong. The smartest thing we can do is to avoid dying in the first place. We don’t build meat effigies during a famine, do we?”

“That’s not the same thing-”

“Maybe not for you, but it is for me!” Maxwell burst out suddenly. “I need nightmare fuel, don’t you get it? Suppose I get slaughtered against some unholy monster with no fuel and a resurrection amulet. I get brought back to life, and then what? If the monster wakes too early, it may very well slaughter me again before I can make a run for it! And even if I manage to get away, do you really think I can gather all the materials I need to survive quickly enough on my own? If I have fuel though, my duelists can lure the enemy away or maybe even kill it, and my gatherers can collect resources for me even if I’m injured. So yes, Higgsbury, having a functional nightmare amulet and therefore decent fuel reserves does qualify as safeguarding my life, as far as I’m concerned.”

“I- wait, wait a minute.” Wilson shook his head, momentarily stunned. For whatever reason, Maxwell hadn’t bothered to explain his reasons in such detail before, and the scientist had to admit there was a logic in them. Still, the remaining flaw was glaring. “You’re talking as if you had to survive completely on your own. There’s no need for you to be so obsessed about the fuel when you have plenty of other people to rely on. Anyone can help you find food or gather materials or get out of a tricky situation, you don’t need to have puppets ready all the time. No one can bring you back if you get killed though.”

“A brilliant reasoning. One, however, that is based on the certainty that you won’t be left behind, if things took a turn for the worse. In case you haven’t noticed, my puppets take care of almost all the heaviest and most time-consuming tasks around here, which is surely a great encouragement for my former captives not to lynch me. But if I run out of fuel, who’s to say they won’t suddenly remember their grudges?”

“Oh come on, that’s ridiculous. We’ve been camping together for months, you can’t possibly still believe the others to be so untrustworthy. We’ve had each other’s backs dozens of times by now, you must see that they’ve let bygones be bygones. No one would hold it against you if couldn’t provide materials for a while. We could easily split the work among ourselves.”

“Do you really trust them that much?”

“Of course I do! They’re all perfectly respectable-”

“Then why haven’t you told anyone about the throne?” Maxwell’s smirk was sharp, contrasting strongly with his eerily soft tone. Wilson was caught off guard.

“...I… It’s not the same-”

“Again, it’s exactly the same thing. You haven’t because you’re not sure how they’d react. And you’re not even the King who brought them here. Consider my position for one moment and you’ll see that I have excellent reasons to be unsure how they’d react to anything I may do or not do. Hence my interest in having my own backup always ready at hand.”

“...You’re looking at this all wrong.” Wilson shook his head again. “You have more backup than ever, or at least you would if you bothered to acknowledge it as such, and yet you still stick to your paranoid schtick. Hell, you’d rather stroll on your own among spider nests instead of honestly asking for help. Anyone would have come with you if you had asked. I would have come with you if you had asked.”

“I did ask you!” Maxwell retorted venomously. “Last month! Or have you conveniently forgotten?”

“What- You didn’t ask me for help! You asked- no, you demanded a red gem! Without even explaining why. A red gem I couldn’t give you because I needed it for an amulet!”

“Oh, right! The amulet you then gave to the robot. The goddamn robot, of all people! It doesn’t even live here! It shows up only when there are giants around, drops gratuitous threats against all things organic, and then vanishes again. Why would you even bother to craft an amulet for it? I’m sure it just wants to see us all dead-”

“You mean like you did?!” Wilson’s voice raised without him really noticing, too caught up in the discussion. “Do you even hear yourself? If there is one person here who shouldn’t ever dare question other people’s honesty, that’s you! At least WX has never actually done anything to hurt us, which automatically makes them more trustworthy than you!”

Maxwell didn’t reply immediately. He waited, hands clasped behind his back and a strange, unreadable scowl on his face, until Wilson properly registered the meaning of his own words.

“...That. That is exactly it. That’s what everyone thinks, that a perfect stranger would be easily more trustworthy than me, no matter the circumstances. That’s what would make anyone hesitate to help, even just for a second. And a second of hesitation can mean a lot when I’m about to be mauled by a hound. That is why I need my own backup.”

There were times, many times, when Wilson genuinely thought that Maxwell was hopeless. That he would ultimately seal his own fate through the sheer stubbornness of his own self-absorbed idiocy, no matter how much effort Wilson put into trying to avoid that. And yet.

“...I have never hesitated.” Maxwell didn’t meet Wilson’s eyes as the scientist spoke, apparently too busy with fixing his tie and waistcoat. “Not once.”

“...You needed backup too. And I was the only one around to provide it. You have a wide choice now, though.”

“Do you really think that?” Wilson asked bitterly, his gaze dropping to the ground. “Do you really think that’s all there was to it?”

Even though Maxwell’s attire had long since been freed from any wrinkles or unsightly folds, he was still messing with it. Nevertheless, Wilson patiently waited for his answer, as one waited for a bully to decide whether he felt like dedicating ten seconds of his life to stomp on the elaborate sand castle one took two hours to build.

“...No.” Maxwell didn’t elaborate any further. It was a fortunate decision, for Wilson was already nearing his limit of tolerance for the day, and the umpteenth gratuitous jab or tirade against his stupidity, his morality, his naivety may have just convinced him to never spare another glance at Maxwell’s mug again. Or so he liked to think.

“...Good.” Wilson nodded thoughtfully. “I guess you can consider me your backup then.”

That finally tore Maxwell’s attention off his goddamn suit. Wilson shrugged in response to his befuddled glance.

“Honestly it’s ridiculous that I even have to say it aloud after I’ve effectively been your backup for God knows how long, but I guess you might benefit from hearing it. I’m not going to leave you behind, or ignore a request for materials or assistance, if only you can find it in yourself to spare two minutes to motivate it. You have my word on it. And if you were to leave the group for any reason that doesn’t involve egregious misbehavings on your part, like trying to murder people in their sleep or something of the kind, I’ll leave as well. How does that sound?”

Wilson may as well have turned into a turnip halfway through his speech, judging by the sheer bewilderment of Maxwell’s expression.

“What the devil is this about, now?”

“This is about making you stop wasting resources on problems that aren’t there. You can go without fuel for a few days or even weeks, if you need to, even if you can’t take care of the foraging. Just ask me, if you don’t feel like asking the others. And for heaven’s sake, take this and wear it!” Wilson outright slipped the amulet around Maxwell’s neck, pressing it firmly against his chest to drive the point more clearly. “Don’t break it. Don’t repurpose it. Just wear it.”

For the second time that day, Maxwell was shocked into silence, his eyes darting between Wilson’s face and his hand. The amulet pulsed under Wilson's palm, instantly warming up as the protective magic activated, and started to beat faintly, like a second heart perfectly in synch with the wearer's. It was a refreshing change to feel its natural, regular beat, without the rush and unsteadiness that blood loss and such distressing circumstances caused. The rhythm was pleasantly familiar, and distracting enough for Wilson to suddenly realize that he had been idly standing before Maxwell for a little too long, a little too close. He let go of the amulet and took a few steps back, until he bumped against the edge of the desk, his mind oddly blank.

“Why are you so obsessed with these things, anyway?” Maxwell asked, his tone somewhat subdued as he took the pendant in his hand and rubbed some invisible dust off the red gem. “We have meat statues and even a couple of touch stones. I could die three times within the next hour and I’d still be able to come back without an amulet.”

“Statues can be destroyed and the closest stone is almost a day away from the camp. Amulets are always the safest option.” In truth, Wilson couldn’t quite explain it. Maxwell was perfectly right, living in a large group had allowed them to secure plenty of materials for more resurrection items than Wilson himself had ever hoped for. But, as irrational as it may be, Wilson only felt truly safe when he and everyone around him were wearing a life-giving amulet around their neck. “I just don’t like taking any chances.”

“Mh. If I didn’t know you to be so scientifically inclined, I’d be tempted to call you superstitious. I guess it’s only anxiety then.”

“You can call it however you like, but it’s the reason I’ve managed to survive this long. Always having a backup plan is what allowed me to best the oh-so-dreadful King of the Shadows.”

“Ah! That’s precious.” Maxwell laughed, without any real bite. Unexpectedly, he leaned against the table too, beside Wilson. He regarded him with a conspiratorial smile, all traces of the previous argument gone from his demeanor. “No need to embellish the truth, pal, I was watching too. Remember the first time you jumped into a wormhole without amulets and the like and without having any idea what would happen? Where was your backup plan then?”

“Ah, but you forget that at the time I was being cornered by a tallbird at the edge of a cliff, without proper armor and at dusk. Jumping in the wormhole was the backup plan, you see.”

“...God, you really are the one who bested me. Why. How.” Maxwell lamented as he covered his face. “Did They really wish to humiliate me so? Why couldn’t it be Wickerbottom? Surrendering the throne to her would have been immensely more dignified. Honourable, even.”

“Maybe you just weren’t as good at your job as you thought. Or I am a genius survivalist. Take your pick.”

“Neither.” Maxwell rubbed his shoulder absently. “Are you planning to study the effects of whatever filth you poisoned me with watching me as I slowly shuffle off this mortal coil, or may I retreat to meet my end privately?”

“You’re free to go. Many thanks for your unwavering trust and enthusiasm.” Wilson simply watched as Maxwell shrugged on his coat. He tried his very best to sound as casual as possible with his next question. “Oh, by the way. Have you been experimenting with your puppets again?”

“Hm? No, not lately. Why?”

“Oh, never mind. I was just wondering.”

“...You were just wondering.” A single glance from Maxwell was enough for Wilson to know that he was simply hopeless at sounding casual. “And why were you wondering, may I ask?”

“I was just wondering! You do that sometimes! They used to work differently when I met you, and now they’re more specialized or something-”

“I only ever revised them that one time, because they were giving me troubles. You wouldn’t be asking if you didn’t think there was something wrong with them. Why?”

“I, uh… well… to be honest, they did a strange thing yesterday. And I was wondering if it may be because you were, I don’t know, trying out a new spell or-”

“Did they try to attack you? Because that would be your fault. I told you you’d eventually get on their nerves if you kept getting in their way while they’re working.”

“No, no no. In fact, it’s… it’s the exact opposite.” Wilson stopped for a moment. “You know how they always pretend I don’t exist, right? They don’t communicate, they don’t listen, they walk through me, they don’t even look at me, and all that-”

“Yes. I am aware of how my own puppets work. Get to the point.”

“Yes, right- by the way, why do they do that? I remember you said they behave exactly like you, but you don’t-”

“They behave like I would behave if I were an entity of pure shadow with no need or obligation to interact with other people in order to survive. Thus, they ignore you. The point, Higgsbury.”

“Right, right. So, the other day I was following a koalefant track up north, between the forest and the swamp. Your puppets were there too, chopping and mining and the like. They didn’t acknowledge me, as usual, and I ignored them too.” Maxwell crossed his arms and threw his head backwards with deliberate slowness, staring stolidly at the sky with a groan. “I guess, uh… I guess I must have been a bit distracted. The next track was very close to the edge of the swamp, but I thought I was far enough from- are you listening?”

“Regrettably.”

“...Right. Anyway, I must have gotten too close to the swamp and I didn’t notice the tentacle springing from the ground until too late. I was- it was about to hit me, but… one of your puppets pushed me out of the way.” Maxwell didn’t move, nor he replied. Wilson continued. “The tentacle actually struck it. It vanished. The other two had stopped working too, they were watching the whole thing, but then they resumed their job as if nothing happened as soon as I got far enough from the tentacle.”

“...Mh.” Maxwell eloquently commented.

“...I thought it was odd. Even in battle your duelists tend to let me get slaughtered if I don’t stick close enough to you. And your harvesters are even more passive. So I was wondering if you had changed them.”

“I haven’t.”

“...Doesn’t your neck hurt?”

“No.” Maxwell finally directed his scowl at Wilson instead of at the murky sky of the Constant. “Is this the conundrum? The puppet probably just tripped. You can add this to the long list of strokes of luck that have spared you yet another painful death. Rejoice.”

“It didn’t look like it just tripped. I don’t think it was even near me when I knelt down to examine the track. And the other two were staring too-”

“Look, I’d understand your perplexity if they had tried to skewer you, but they actually helped you for once. All the better, yes? Why does this concern you so much?”

“Why doesn’t it concern you?” Wilson insisted. “Your puppets are behaving abnormally without your direct input. What if something or someone else was influencing them?”

“Where the hell did you get that idea?” Maxwell scoffed. “There are no other shadow magic users around here. And They certainly wouldn’t hijack my puppets to save your neck.”

“Well, maybe there’s another possibility.” Wilson hesitated. Discussing the matter with Maxwell had seemed like a good move the previous night, while disturbing thoughts were keeping him awake long past the sunset. In that moment, not quite as much. “What if there was someone else with the same powers you have?”

“Bollocks. I’m sure there are only two human beings who ever became acquainted with shadow magic, and the other one is the current Queen. Not to mention I would have already noticed. I keep a keen eye on the invisible forces at work in the area, you know?”

“Maybe it’s someone you haven’t noticed because… they haven’t used their powers yet. Maybe because they don’t know they have them…”

“...I’m not sure I’m quite following you, although you seem to be heading in a very specific direction.” Maxwell frowned. Wilson felt like he was melting under that stern scrutiny. All right, there was no point in beating around the bush.

“...Listen. I sat on the throne, right? I’ve been King. Maybe while I was there, I did absorb a bit of shadow magic. Maybe the puppet responded to that, and therefore defended me. Or maybe- maybe I made it defend me without noticing-”

“Wait, wait, wait.” Maxwell raised a hand to stop him as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Is this what it’s all about? Are you still being paranoid about the throne? I told you you’re fine, stop overanalyzing every trifling thing that happens to you.”

“But how can you be so sure?” Wilson insisted. “What if I did take control of your puppet for a moment, without noticing? I was about to be killed, I asked for help! Maybe not vocally, but surely subconsciously. And help I did get, from shadow slaves that barely even bothered to acknowledge my presence before! Don’t you find it weird?”

“...Oh my God, you’re-” Maxwell muttered through his teeth, and then stopped abruptly. For a moment, he seemed on the verge of literally biting Wilson’s head off, flushed and irate as he looked. However, he reined himself in with uncharacteristic grace. He rubbed a hand on his face, then he sighed and drew the Codex from the inner pocket of his coat. He held it before Wilson’s eyes. “Listen, and listen well. Shadow magic isn’t something you just ‘absorb’ because you sat somewhere for a while. Even if They allowed you to tap into its power freely, without proper study and willing sacrifice, you couldn’t use it for anything more than cheap parlor tricks. I’ve been honing my own skills for decades, at great personal costs, and I’ve barely scraped the surface of what this book has to offer. Now, ingrain this simple concept into your brain: the mere thought that someone like you, without an ounce of talent or knowledge or training about magic, could overturn my own spells, even for a second, even by accident, is utterly ludicrous.”

Wilson wrung his hands nervously. “...Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.” Maxwell did sound as sure as one could possible get, but his stern demeanour deflated into a discouraged sigh before Wilson’s unresponsiveness. “But you won’t be convinced that easily, I guess.”

“It’s not that I don’t trust your expertise on the matter, mind you.” Wilson offered. “It’s just that… I keep thinking about it, and I can’t help but feel that I can’t just have left the throne room unscathed. And all these weird things that have been happening-”

“Are definitely not weird at all. I thought we’d been over this. Why have you been fixating on this so much?” Wilson shrugged, not knowing how to reply. Maxwell considered him for a moment, scratching his chin. “Have you tried doing it again?”

“Doing what?”

“Controlling a puppet.”

“No, of course not! I-”

“Well, shame on you then. What good can your harebrained hypotheses be without repeatable evidence?” Maxwell suddenly grabbed Wilson by his arm and dragged him in a seemingly random direction. “Come. Maybe some good old scientific method will convince you.”

“Wha- wait, where are you going?” Wilson stammered, stumbling along.

“To test your theory. Or rather, to make you fail at it as many times as you need to be convinced that it’s impossible.”

“Why are you suddenly so invested in this? I thought you were busy.”

“I’m always invested in watching you make a fool of yourself. Ah, there’s one.”

Maxwell pointed at the farm just outside the camp, where one of his puppets was filling his third- no, fourth basket of berries, freshly picked from the neat rows of bushes. They stopped to the side of the field, and Wilson watched the puppet accomplish its task with methodic precision for a few moments.

“Well, have at it.” Maxwell plopped heavily on the ground and popped a few berries into his mouth from the closest basket as he opened his book and idly started flipping through it. Wilson gaped at him.

“I have no idea how to do it!”

“Do whatever you think you did before. See what happens.”

“You aren’t being very helpful, you know?”

“Because there’s nothing to help you with. It’s impossible. We’re only here to establish that.”

Wilson muttered unrepeatable words under his breath. He tried his best to forget about Maxwell and focussed on the puppet. He stared at it, took in its featureless silhouette, a seemingly two-dimensional Maxwell-shaped smudge of inky blackness. He tried to take in its very essence, its unthinking, unfeeling existence, created for the sole purpose of going through a limited and established set of motions. If there was really any power in him, it couldn’t be too difficult to steer such an empty vessel towards his own desires. He decided he wanted to make it drop the basket. Easy enough. He focussed on that thought. He visualized it. He imagined the exact gesture, he imagined the puppet’s grasp on the basket loosening, his hand opening, the item dropping on the ground, spilling its contents all over. He ordered it. He willed it into reality. He put every ounce of his mental faculties into that specific wish. He wanted it.

Nothing happened.

“Your face is redder than your waistcoat. Try not to get yourself a stroke, I’d certainly be blamed for that.”

Wilson found himself slightly short on breath. Had he been holding it without noticing? “How am I supposed to command these things? How do you command them?”

“I don’t. They don’t need orders, they’re autonomous and smart enough to know what they have to do.”

“Do you really think there’s no chance I did that?”

“Let’s put it this way. The day you’ll manage to take control of any of my puppets for half a second will be the day I’ll entrust the Codex to you as the legitimate owner and superior user of its dark arts, and I’ll also humbly prostrate myself at your feet begging for your teachings. How likely does that sound to you?”

“Not much, but it’s certainly an excellent motivation to keep trying.” Wilson grumbled. He tried again. He stared at the puppet hard enough to bore a hole in it, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists with the sheer effort. He absolutely, positively, unmistakingly bid it to drop the basket. He even outstretched his hand towards it, as if to transmit his order through his very own body, and- and then Maxwell snorted loudly and he got completely distracted.

“What? What?” Wilson burst out, his cheeks burning. “You gesticulate all the time when you’re channeling your magic!”

“Yes, because I have magic to channel. What are you channeling?” Maxwell cackled. Unhelpful bastard. Wilson groaned in defeat.

“I can’t do it. Not like this, at least. Maybe it happens only in very specific circumstances, like if I’m very stressed or in mortal danger.”

“A brilliant hypothesis. Let’s test that too.” Maxwell sprang to his feet, radiating the most unsettling merriment. “Give me a minute to fetch my sword.”

“Quit it.” Wilson grabbed his jacket to stop him. “All right, you win. I must have been wrong. That still doesn’t explain your puppet’s behaviour though.”

“Maybe he just wanted to end it.” Maxwell shrugged, putting away his book.

“End what?”

“Its life.”

Wilson blinked. “Is that a thing that they do? Do they get… depressed?”

“You’d get depressed too if you were a somewhat sentient, disposable tool forced to chop trees for the entirety of your fleeting existence.”

Wilson considered the silent worker for a long moment, before Maxwell stretched his back with a showy yawn.

“Well, as entertaining as watching you achieve absolutely nothing for the last fifteen minutes has been, I think I’ll head off. Feel free to keep trying if you think that you may have better luck without me interfering with your blooming powers.”

“...Right. I think I’ll head off as well.” Wilson murmured. He turned on his heels and took a step towards the camp, and found itself right before- no, within the puppet, as it was passing by to put down another full basket. The puppet seamlessly phased through him, as they oft did, but the basket could not. It bumped against Wilson’s chest and fell on the ground, berries rolling everywhere. The puppet stopped. It looked down at the basket, somewhat dejectedly. Then, its eyeless face turned towards Wilson. Straight towards him.

Maxwell clicked his tongue, shaking his head. Wilson’s blood froze in his veins.

“...Uh, sorry.” He found himself saying as he knelt down and started gathering the scattered fruits. “Here, I’ll just…”

The puppet observed him for almost a full minute. Then, when Wilson was almost done cleaning up the mess, it grabbed two full baskets and walked off towards the camp.

“...When you say that one of these days getting in their way will get me killed, you’re clearly joking, right?”

“Not really. A duelist could definitely do it, with enough motivation. But foragers don’t have much violence in them.” Maxwell stopped for a moment. “Although, if I were them, and I am, I wouldn’t be above ganging up on you, tying you to a tree and chopping off a few of those luxuriant locks of yours.”

Wilson instinctively run a hand through his hair. “That’s not funny.”

“That wasn’t a joke either.” Maxwell smiled one of those creepy smiles of his. “Good afternoon, pal.”

Wilson silently tried his hand at an improvised hex centered around broken ankles, bees and Glommer’s goop. Just in case. He shook his head as he finished gathering the spilled berries. He put the basket near the remaining one, wondering if carrying them to the camp himself would be enough of an apology for-

He blinked, his thoughts finally connecting. It had dropped the basket. The puppet had dropped the basket.

“Maxwell, wait!” Wilson called out, but Maxwell had already disappeared. Should he find him, tell him? It may have been an accident. Maxwell- he would almost certainly deem it an accident, wouldn’t he? And yet, the puppets were always so very precise with their movements, and so very aware of their surroundings… Could Wilson have…?

He stared at the baskets, more confused than ever.

[dancer-cotillion]

Bloody Kokichi

Kokichi’s head pounded almost as if he were being hit with that floorboard over and over again. He trailed one hand along the wall as he made his way down the hall. The world had steadied a bit but he didn’t trust himself to walk straight yet even if he had somehow made it down a single flight of stairs without toppling over, hopefully he’d have the same luck with the other stairs. And to top it all off, the blood oozing down his face was unpleasant enough to almost make him feel like he wanted to vomit. Though part of that might also be because of the pain and general dizziness he was experiencing.

Maybe he should sit or lie down to rest for a bit again. Of course in a position that if anyone came upon him he’d look like he’d been killed so he could trick them into being annoyed with him instead of concerned. But everyone else had already gone on ahead of him and it was doubtful anyone would come back looking for him. So he’d just suck it up and keep going.

“Ah here you are!”

Kokichi snapped his head up to see K1B0 approaching. He froze as his eyes locked onto Kokichi.

“Hey K1B0.” Kokichi smiled and pushed his hand off the wall, giving K1B0 a small wave with it instead. He immediately regretted it as he almost lost his balance. He’d known head wounds bled a lot but he wouldn’t have guessed it be bad enough to make him feel like this.

“You’re injured.” K1B0 tone and face was filled with concern. The exact thing Kokichi was trying to avoid.

“What would a robot know about human injuries? For all you know this is perfectly normal.” Offending him should annoy him and get him to leave, right? “In fact, it is normal. You’re just a machine though so you can’t be blamed for not knowing that.” Probably not the greatest insult he’d ever come up with but with how bad his head hurt the fact that he could even think at all felt like a miracle.

K1B0 frowned at him, good it was working. But instead of turning to leave or making a comment about robophobia, he marched forward and took hold of Kokichi’s wrist. He pulled him a bit further down the hall and to the side, towards a bench. “Sit,” he said.

Wanting very badly to sit down anyway, Kokichi sat. “I’m not a dog you know, you can’t just…”

“Wait here,” K1B0 interrupted. “I shall return with medical supplies shortly.”

Kokichi sighed and watched him go. Why would he of all people bother? He probably wouldn’t even come back. He’d probably get sidetracked by the others because he didn’t care that much. Or he’d intentionally ‘forget’, doing his own attempt at a prank. Which Kokichi probably deserved, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t fake cry about it later. So he’d let himself rest for a bit and then leave, they only had a limited amount of time to get to class trial after all.

Except by some miracle K1B0 did come back. It didn’t even take him more than a few minutes. And he did indeed bring what appeared to be medical supplies with him as well a bottle of water, two washcloths, and a bottle of pain pills. Most of which he placed on the bench next to Kokichi.

“I have heard that head wounds on humans are known to bleed profusely and it appears to be true,” he said, leaning over to get a better look at Kokichi’s forehead. He was tempted to ask how bad it was but did he really want to know? “So I have brought bandages. But first…”

He wet one of the cloths with the water before leaning in further to… wipe Kokichi’s face with it.

“Whoa hey.” Kokichi pulled away before K1B0 could touch him. “There’s no need for you to make this big a deal about it, just let me do it.” He’d been planning to anyway since going around with his head leaking blood for who even know how long wasn’t his idea of fun even if the potential pranks he could pull with it would be. Using fake blood for stuff like that was better though especially since it didn’t involve weakening himself and thus leaving himself open to attack.

“Hold still, let me help you. I think I know what I’m doing.”

“You think?”

“Well… yes. So…”

“Fine, go ahead.” Kokichi’s head hurt too much for him to really care. He also wanted to see how K1B0 would do. And someone else taking him of him would be nice.

K1B0 leaned in again and carefully touched the cloth to Kokichi’s face. He was gentle as he wiped away the blood, not saying anything. The cloth he’d chosen was a soft one too, making the experience rather nice. Kokichi almost found himself relaxing into it.

Presumably once Kokichi’s face was blood-free or close enough to it, K1B0 used the other cloth to pat his face dry and then bandaged his forehead. That hurt a bit more but he was still very gentle with it, mitigating the pain.

“There,” he said proudly as he pulled back. “Now finish the water and take a pain reliever from the bottle and you should be good as new.”

Kokichi did as instructed, not arguing because the sooner his head stopped hurting the better. The water certainly seemed to help a little right away, enough that given a few more minutes of rest he could probably fake being fine flawlessly even while standing.

K1B0 stood there in front of him, clearly expecting something. A thank you no doubt. Which he deserved but unfortunately for him, he wasn’t getting one right now.

“Why’d you help me?” Kokichi asked as he placed the empty water bottle down. He kept his tone and expression neutral, unsure if he wanted to tease K1B0 right now or not.

“Because you were injured,” K1B0 said with a sigh, giving up on the ‘thank you’ as he sat down next to Kokichi.

“Yes, but it’s me.” Kokichi teased K1B0 more than the others because it was fun to do and wasn’t difficult – really, he had mostly himself to blame, if he didn’t want to be teased, he wouldn’t raise to the bait so often. So K1B0 should hate him and perhaps even should’ve been pleased to see him injured.

“I know but… I don’t believe you’re a bad person. I believe most of your rude comments about robots are made out of a place of ignorance, not hate. And with how often you like to lie, I would say it’s likely you don’t believe most of it, which doesn’t mean you should say any of it of course. But I think, you might just need a friend to help you be a bit better. And uh… it’d be wrong to leave an injured person to fend for themselves, no matter who it is.”

Kokichi giggled. “Who would’ve thought a robot could be so sappy? I like it. You’re wrong about me though, I am a bad person and a friend wouldn’t change that. So, I don’t need one nor do I want one.” He’d wanted a friend and he wanted to be friends with K1B0. “But…” he stood, “thank you for helping me, I feel much better. Now we should probably get to the class trial before we get in trouble for being late.” Without waiting for K1B0’s reaction, he turned and started down the hall once more. He would’ve run but he didn’t quite trust himself to yet.

Surprisingly, K1B0 fell into step with him a few seconds later. He didn’t say anything but it was clear from how close he stood and his expression when Kokichi glanced at it that he was watching to make sure Kokichi was okay. It was… appreciated. If only their circumstances were different then maybe they could’ve been friends.

[lunacanis99]

Mantle I don't even know

Ok sorry I didn't post Thursday but let's just say we had one of the most ridiculous sessions in Mantle history. Like to start with they (and me honestly) kept getting sidetracked (in game) and talking about random things and yelling at each other and making random jokes for like hour long intervals. I expected the blade quests to be super hard and stressful and dramatic but nope, my group went into it laughing and making shitty jokes.

And also, can I just say before I start this summary, this is why I can't predict my group. I used to use the example of like 3-4 sessions in, when they were about that level (3-4): I, at the beginning of the session, had them fight a few goblins and wolves, and they nearly died. Then at the end of that same session, I had them face off against an adult green dragon (as well as 2 other people) and though they didn't win (they weren't supposed to) they didn't do that bad at all, they probably could have found a way to win if I had left them to it. But now I have the example of: I sent them into hell, and then a prison in hell, and then the underdark, all in order to free Kyo. I thought this would take 2 or 3 sessions. Nope, they did it in 1 session. But with the quests? I thought they'd knock out all 3 in 1 session, none of them were meant to take all too much time, more just present a challenge and a dilemma. But we only got through Alistair's and have just barely started Mairon's.

Why do I bother planning for you guys?

So anyways. Why was this sessions so ridiculous (from what I remember)? There's of course the constant derailing trains of thoughts getting distracted to talk about stupid shit. Like one of the first ones I remember is they seriously had a conversation about sucking off a unicorn, after deciding they had the same cookies in game that they had out of game. And this was only the first one and the one most ingrained in my memory... thank you Canary for that lovely imagery. (I think the worst part is I /had/ to participate, because she made the comment in the same room as 2 bards and a whore of a former skyrate. So one of them had to say something.) But it only went on to get more ridiculous. Like when we had to name an NPC maybelline because of an ad going off on Alistair's phone. Or when the group decided they absolutely had to bring the whole wall of a barn to the kraken fight. Well, they were aiming for the whole barn but Ressa rolled a 3 and took the wall and they decided that worked. Or when the executive decision had to be made that they could not bring Canary into a colony of nymph's because she would kill them. (She really hates nymphs)

Side note for an actually pretty cool moment and my personal favorite moment from the session: The Nymphs asking Alistair's name again only to reveal his brothers (who are hunting him) came through here not long ago and left a good impression. The collective pained hissing of the group as this info is dumped was great.

But back to the shenanigans of the actual Kraken fight. Starting with how they were dumped into the kraken's lair and started TRYING TO ATTRACT IT when all they needed was its eggs T-T. Then they decided for Canary and Igan (a Rouge and a bard, 2 of the squishiest classes) were going to crawl under the giant log that even the group identified as "definitely the kraken's nest" alone. Unsurprisingly Igan got eaten and Canary pretended to be a crab and ran away. She continued to be a startled crab the rest of the fight. At one point she even got Buck to polymorph her into an actual crab, which was quickly undone by the Kraken's lightning lair action. At which point the Kraken finally came out and Buck, remembering the spell, turned the Kraken into a crab. Luckily this got it to expel a nearly dead Igan first before they yeet'd the Kraken Crab into the ocean and searched for the eggs. Which led to a great scene of a very tired Mordred looking under the log right as Alistair was shining his glowing word to startle a crabing Canary. A scene that was beautifully drawn by Canary's player and added to this post with her permission (Love you <3)

They did eventually find the eggs though which leads us into quest 2. Mairon's. Into the beastlands. Getting into the beastlands was no problem but the biggest issue was the group forgetting or ignoring that they were told to find "where the starlight meets the tree line" and kept camping in the bard's mansion dimension every night, so they never saw the stars. However this did lead to them wandering through a snow covered forest and me having to look through NPC's to figure out who's not used to the cold. Answer: the fire associated Mordred and the warm skies skyrate Neer, both of which ended up in a warm feather bundle with Jet. (One more willingly than the other) This however also led to another incident with polymorph. Where Buck turned Canary into a puppy this time and she proceeded to run around the mansion trying to find a way to kill herself to turn back before running up to Alistair. And all Alistair's player did was make a "downward stab" hand motion... so she did get turned back, with a severed spine. Luckily they had a cleric with them who, after he stopped panicking, spent the night fixing it. Well, he fixed it after Canary tried to convince Mordred to hit a paraplegic. (Which Mordred wouldn't, purely because he knew Canary would always hold it over him).

So yeah... my group is absolutely ridiculous and I love them. Good luck on trial 2 guys.