#at first i thought they were for coliseum fights- whether you fought them or they were allies idk

[todayisafridaynight]

some heretic put the idea in my head that gaiden might be a dynasty warriors game and that.................

[mirageofthecrystal]

FFxiv 30 Day Writing Challenge - Day 7: Speculate

speculate (verb)

form a theory or conjecture about a subject without firm evidence.

invest in stocks, property, or other ventures in the hope of gain but with the risk of loss.

In the city of Ul’dah, the act of coin changing hands was as integral to life as breathing. For every safe bet and guaranteed venture there came a risky proposal, a tough bid, a bad gamble, and many tales of destitution. The gap between those within the gilded halls and the ones who ate nothing but dust and bitter fortunes grew wider every day, as was the way of this gleaming jewel of civilization. Even compared to the machinations of trade and business, however, one of the greatest forms of coin was the Bloodsands of Ul’dah’s coliseum.

 Not for its itinerant gladiators, but for those who bet copious amounts of gil on the matter of victory and loss in the stands above. Such was the vice of gambling, that there were some who could only feel the real thrill of the bet when it concerned the clashing of blades and spilling of blood. Many fortunes are made and unmade by that same blood, and the sweat and the training of the warriors who pit themselves against one another in the ring. All that you stood to gain or lose at the tip of another man’s sword, and every second of anticipation tinged with exhilaration. 

"I heard there’s a new crop of competitors this season,” gleefully exclaimed one of the spectators, a Lalafell garbed from head-to-toe in finely embroidered silks and gaudy jewelry, the gems in his rings weighing down his hands with the immensity of their weight. He clutched in one hand a purse of gil, burgeoning to the point of overflowing now, but prepared to be emptied out into the betting pool. "Thal knows whether or not they’ll put on a good show, though. Remember two seasons ago, and how it all ended with a whimper as they were cut down as if they were babes fresh from a cradle?” "Ah yes. Many a wasted coin betting on those who we thought had promise. Though, that’s why they’ve gone to such lengths to ensure we have some properly tested newbloods entering the ring. I hear several of them were trained by Brande himself.” "Gods how I miss the old days, with such gladiators as he and General Aldynn. Back when a man fought with the ferocity of a starving couerl, desperate for its next meal.” “Yes, yes, and all the coin to be won, knowing that they would indeed come out on top despite all the odds. Such days may never return.” 

Betting was opened, the assembled crowd eagerly checking the odds of the combatant both new and old, calculating how much they stood to gain or lose for this fight and that, laying out far more coin than most of those doing the fighting would ever see in their lifetime. And for all these folk it was but a paltry pittance, money they were prepared to throw away in the event of a loss from their chosen fighter. Their names were scrawled upon receipts of coin, some grandiose and storied, others plain and short, straight to the point. Easier to forget when they ended their career in a sudden stop. 

Without having seen many of them fight, many bets were blind, wagering what rumors and hearsay they had, or knowledge of whom the gladiator had as their coach and sponsor. Many-a-coin were laid down for the proteges of Brande, including one Faiolan of whom no accolades had been falsely painted alongside his name. The pedigree of he who trained them was enough to secure a small fortune against their opposition who benefited from perhaps more flair, but less substance.  

Nonetheless, spectators would swarm to the stands in droves to enjoy the old Ul’dahn bloodsport, with the fates and fortunes of some pinned entirely upon this enterprise of chance, and others merely expanding their own gilded coffers or losing what amounted to a minor inconvenience. The first bout was announced by an exuberant gentleman who sought to stir the crowd up into a frenzy. Down upon the Bloodsands, a pair of gladiators made their way onto the field of battle. One, a Roegadyn hefting a mighty axe of blistering weight and sharpness, the other an Elezen bearing blade and board, nervously placing one foot in front of the other to enter his debut match.

[samspicturesandwords]

Next Assassin’s Creed Game

Predictions about the next Assassin’s Creed game

(Please note that I am not a journalist and I have no insider info about the Assassin’s Creed series or Ubisoft. This is all speculation for fun. Also, FYI this is not a history paper! I am looking up some facts and dates, but also just discussing things I’ve read and heard before and am hoping I’ve remembered correctly. Don’t take this as a good source of history. I apologize for any mistakes this post may contain and encourage you to do your own research into the topics mentioned if you’re interested in them. Sources I consulted for the history I discuss here include Encyclopedia Britannica and Wikipedia.)

It’s a safe bet that the Assassin’s creed series will be around for a while yet, but what’s less certain is the form that the next installment will take. It has long been rumored that there will be title set in ancient Rome, and it seems likely that the next release will be exactly that – Rome would be a nice way to close out a loose “trilogy” of games set in the classical/Hellenistic Mediterranean after Egypt and Greece. But the history of Rome is long and complex.

In early times, Rome was a kingdom; it then became a republic from 509 BCE to 27 BCE, and then an empire that stood until the late 400s AD (in the west – the eastern half survived much longer). The period between the traditional date of the city’s founding in 753 BCE and the fall of the western part of the empire around 476-480 covers more than 1,200 years, and though the empire is long gone, Rome itself still remains, a beautiful and remarkable city I have had the pleasure of visiting. Obviously, a lot changed over more than one thousand years of Roman history, and saying that a game is set in Rome or the Roman Empire would be quite vague, so I’ll attempt to narrow it down.

I once thought that an Assassin’s Creed game set in ancient Rome would likely make Julius Caesar the main antagonist, because (spoilers for Origins and for real history!) he was famously assassinated after becoming something of an autocrat in what was supposed to be a republic. In Brotherhood, players can find the armor and writings of Brutus, one of the conspirators who killed Caesar. It could be fun to play as Brutus, or, as I suspected, to at least have him as a major character, as a way to tie the game to Ezio’s story. However, as those of us who have played Origins know, Caesar is assassinated by Aya at the end of that game, so it would make little sense to re-visit that exact time period since Caesar has already been used as an antagonist.

What if we look back further in history? My best guess now is that an Assassin’s Creed game set in Rome will take place during the second Punic war, which raged from 218-201 BCE. It was a particularly fierce and dramatic conflict fought between Rome and Carthage, a state founded by in north Africa by Phoenicians. Rome had defeated them once before – we are talking about the second Punic war here after all. Although their earlier loss had undoubtedly weakened Carthage, by the time of the second war with Rome they were still formidable.

While there may be no Romans from this period who are as famous to us today as some later emperors are, this is the war Hannibal Barca fought in. Most of you have probably at least heard of his daring invasion of Italy, in which he and his army, including elephants, crossed the Alps to attack the Romans from the north. Hannibal was a great military leader and has a lot of name recognition (more than Scipio Africanus does these days at least). Imagine fighting an army of Phoenician soldiers, their ranks bolstered by northern “Barbarians” who had joined the cause, and by a bunch of elephants. Elephants were already present as optional bosses in Origins, but imagine if they were integrated into field battles like the conquest battles of Odyssey. Historically, Hannibal had a fairly limited number of elephants at his disposal during his invasion, but they could appear as occasional bosses during story missions.

The Battle of Cannae, in particular, is one of the most famous battles in all of history and saw Hannibal defeat a larger Roman force. It could be a spectacular set piece.

One strike against my theory is that some prominent works of Roman architecture, like the Coliseum, were built after this time period, and would therefore have to be omitted if any semblance of historical accuracy was being observed. Then again, many of us already climbed the Coliseum and the Pantheon as Ezio in the Renaissance and wouldn’t miss them too much if they don’t show up in this game.

What would gameplay be like in this setting? Well, probably similar to the last two games in many respects. One way they could differentiate melee combat could be to re-introduce shields, which were present in Origins and absent (for the player character at least) in Odyssey. Shields were very important to Roman infantry (though as Blue from Overly Sarcastic Productions on YouTube has pointed out in his video “Historical Realism Review: Assassin's Creed Odyssey,” shields are an odd omission in that game, so who knows). The Romans also made use of javelins – could they be integrated, perhaps having higher damage than bows but also a shorter range?

Speaking of Blue from OSP, in the same video he mentions that it was unrealistic to see Greeks fighting in a disorganized melee when they actually relied so heavily on the phalanx formation. He said that he wished the game had been able to “bridge the gap” between a rigid formation and a “Battle royale.” In the unrelated game “Ryse: Son of Rome,” battles are split between sections in formation and sections of free-for-all fighting on your own. The latter type of gameplay is by far more common, but there are a few points at which the player character forms up with other soldiers and commands them to advance, brace behind shields to withstand incoming arrows, or throw javelins. An Assassin’s Creed game could do something similar, with some story missions embedding the player within a formation of soldiers and controlling them as a unit. This type of combat would likely be less engaging than the freer one-person army whirling through the battlefield, but it could be used occasionally in story missions to show a more realistic version of combat tactics at the time and to change up the pace of gameplay.

Naval combat could return with a twist: why not give the player’s ship a corvus? This Roman innovation is a type of spiked drawbridge that could be swung down onto a nearby enemy ship, allowing the Roman infantry to storm across and capture the vessel rather than destroy it. Historically, the Romans used the corvus in the first Punic war and it fell out of favour before the time we’re examining, but it is historically possible that at least the player’s ship could make use of this existing technology. Then naval battles could become deeper (no pun intended): players could decide whether to ram an enemy vessel or set it ablaze with flaming arrows, or attach the ships and engage in melee combat. Boarding already exists in Assassin’s Creed games, but the corvus could be a way to differentiate boarding a ship from destroying it. In Odyssey, boarding was only possible once a ship had been disabled and was nearly sinking from battle damage. What if in the next game, ramming or burning an enemy vessel would destroy it, while using the corvus would allow it to be not only boarded and raided, but captured? Troops on board your ship could be a resource, expended to board and subsequently sail enemy ships. I can imagine a system in which it was possible to capture enemy ships during battle, have your soldiers take control of them, and then have those ships assist you as AI companions. Maybe only one or two ships could be taken over before you run out of troops, and maybe they’d only assist until the battle was over, or perhaps they’d have to be manually dismissed to regain your full count of troops onboard your own ship. I think this would add a new dimension to naval combat.

The nation struggle system is likely to return, especially if the game is set during a period of intense warfare. I have written the preceding sections under the assumption that the player character would be on the Roman side. I do not know, of course, if the player character would be loyal to one side or the other, and if so, to which. I hope that they will fight for one side, because being a mercenary with no allegiance or real moral code irritated me in Odyssey. I feel that if the protagonist is loyal to one side, it will likely be Rome, partly because Rome would actually feel like the underdog in this conflict in which their territory is invaded, and partly because of Eurocentrism and the greater pop-culture familiarity with Rome compared to Carthage. Maybe we’d even go back to a system with two playable characters, like in Syndicate, but this time with one on each side of the conflict, but that might be too complicated to implement.

And now, just for fun, what could the title for this hypothetical Roman Assassin’s Creed game be? I’ve seen “Assassin’s Creed Legion” floated as a possibility by someone online. I also think that “Empire,” the rumoured title of Origins, could be appropriate. What do you think?

Again, I only looked up a few things here (and hoped I’m remembering the rest correctly), so I apologize if I’ve gotten some historical facts wrong. I mean, I’m just spitballing about what a video game might be, I’m not doing much research. Thanks for taking the time to read. I’d love to hear your theories and hopes for the game as well!

[araneaxdragoon]

Title: Dragoon vs Dragoon Pairing: Aranea x Dilan Rating: M Warnings (if necessary): Minor Language, Sexual Content

Day 7: FF XV AU @ffxvrarepairsweek Author’s Note: Even though I am aware that this is super late, I want to give a special shout out to ffxvrarepairsweek for putting together this amazing event! These prompts were fun to write and challenged me as a writer to place my beautiful muse in multiple situations I hadn’t explored with her yet. Now, without further ado, please enjoy this prompt with the last prompt for the the rare pair I’m going to write here. Though I could have honestly written many more other rare pairs, I’ll stop here for now. Also..pardon the length of this post. This prompt is a bit longer than others I’ve done..

Even gave a bored sigh as he sat beside his apprentice, Ienzo, whilst they were seated in the Olympus Coliseum halls. The blonde scientist felt utterly bored as he had watched both Dilan and Aeleus go into solo battles against various hordes of Heartless -- each round coming out victorious. Shaking his head, he had no idea as to why they were there to begin with. “Do refresh my memory, Ienzo. Why are we here? Do those two not know that no one here isn’t a match for them?” The younger slated scientist held a single arm over his chest as he watched each battle with interest. “ If memory serves, Aeleus and Dilan wished to prove that they could not only continue as proper guards for us at Radiant Garden; but to prove that they were no longer possessed by the darkness that consumed them during their time as Nobodies. I believe this is more or less a test of self perseverance. Knowing that there is no longer our former Superior’s hold on their minds would prove to be reassuring that they can continue on their duty as proper guards.” There was a pause as he took into consideration all the factors that led them to this point. “It’s been about a month since we all ‘woke up’ back in the lab. With mental and emotional stability still questionable, I’m glad that they at least take their duties seriously and wish to control as well as confront what they had gone through from when they were Nobodies. I find their efforts admirable..” “Admirable or not; it still feels as if we are wasting our time here.” Even grumbled. Ienzo didn’t give a comment, however a sly smirk formed over his lips as he realized how worn his comrades were. Phil certainly chose the most difficult Heartless for them each to fight. Even might not have given much of a care; as there was little for him to gain in this observation. But Ienzo found that this detour from their home was quite educational. It was finally winding down to the final round for them both. For Aeleus; a trio known as the Gullwings, was his final test. At first, the man didn’t recognize them, as they weren’t in the sprite form they normally took in while in Radiant Garden. Not only did their normal height throw him off --but they had chain linked attacks with various attire changes. It was a close call, but he had won. Finally, the last match for the evening was Dilan against a woman in dragoon chain mail. Aranea summoned her lance at her side as she nodded her head to Dilan, smirking under her mask. “You’ve done well ..but I doubt you’ll get passed me.” she taunted, pacing around him. “Let’s see if you can put that lance of yours to the test!” Leaping into the air, Aranea aimed for Dilan’s chest. With quick reflexes, he blocks it with his own lance. Snarling, he was surprised that a woman was able to place so much strength into a single attack. For the first time that evening, a glimpse of a smirk formed over his lips. Finally -- a true challenge! Bolting towards her at full force, she parried just in time to shove him back. She took a step backwards before leaping into the air, spinning her lance in hand before diving down into him as the heel of her boots pressed into the head of her weapon. Thankfully, he was quick enough to move away from her attack. However, the after shock from the dive caused him to be unbalanced for a few seconds. Taking advantage of his off--footing, she slid across the field with her lance, causing him to fall back further into the field. Aranea chuckled at his double back step, tilting her head at him in a mocking fashion. “Don’t tell me you are giving up already!” Snorting at her comment, he shifted his footing into yet another battle stance. “Hardly!”  Tossing his lance into the air, he used the magic he had learned as his time while a Nobody to multiply his weapon with gusts of wind surrounding him. He directed each of his lances to her at full force. For the most part, she was able to dodge most of them. However, the mild gust of wind that followed the lances caused her to lose her footing. It was at this instance she felt the lances graze against her sides, causing a minor injury to her. Hissing at the pain, she readied herself for his next attack. As predicted, when his lances came towards her again, she used his lances as stepping stones -- jumping high in the air to bounce off each of his weapons until she was high enough to dive down into him again, using all of her weight into it. She growled, glaring at him as he was just barely able to parry her attack. Gripping onto her lance tightly, Aranea made short work of the duplicates of his weapon as they were unsummoned in their battle. Dilan’s smug look only grew. She had fallen into a trap. While she was too busy ridding herself of the lances; Dilan had taken the time to come from behind her and shoved the hilt of his lance into the back of her head, literally knocking the wind out of her. Tumbling down onto her knees, she groaned in pain -- defeated. Though they were rivals, Dilan was still a gentlemen. After Phil declared that he was the winner of the match, Dilan extended a hand to her. “You fought well. I’m impressed. Haven’t seen anyone fight like that..in a long while.” He almost found himself comparing her to the dragoon Nobodies he controlled while in the Organization, but that would be an insult to her. Those creatures were mindless servants who originally didn’t have a strong enough heart to begin with in order to form a more humanoid appearance as a Nobody. She slowly looked up at him, lifting her mask before taking his hand into her own. “Thanks..That was fun..even though my head hurts like hell. Damn..you really pack quite the punch. I’d hate to be on the receiving end of you giving a death blow like that.” His lips curved into a small smile. “I’ll take that as a compliment..” Up in the crowd, Even rose to exit. He paused in his steps when he realized that Ienzo was still looking down below with a scheming smile. Sighing, Even shook his head. “What is that look for, Ienzo? The matches are over. I see no other reason for us to remain here.” The former Cloaked Schemer rose from his seat, descending so that he could catch up with Even. “Ah, nothing of great import. You may go on ahead. I will rejoin you in but a moment. There is something I need to do before we go.” ~~~~~~~ As Aranea walked out of the Coliseum, she stopped by a pillar, holding an ice pack behind her head. Everything was spinning still in every direction. By the gods did she feel like shit. Closing her eyes, she just let the ice pack numb her neck. Ah, but it was worth it. She might have just met her match. Fighting someone who had a similar fighting style to her own was interesting; though not as intriguing as the man behind the skills. There was something about the way he focused his weapons that held such fierce determination. It was almost as if he had something he needed to prove. The way his violet eyes flared caused exciting shivers down her spine. A faint smile crept over her lips. If she ever crossed paths with him again; she wouldn’t hesitate to inquire for a re-match..even if it was to just see those eyes again. “Excuse me, Miss? Might I have a moment of your time?” Opening her eyes, her head lolled to the side as she saw a young man in a white lab coat, short slate hair with bright blue eyes. A slow smile crept over her lips. “Just a moment? What do you need small fry?” She chuckled at how formal he was with her. “You can call me Aranea.” Ignoring the pet name she gave him, he continued to speak and extended his right hand to her. “My name is Ienzo. I am an apprentice in the science department in Radiant Garden. The man you went against, Dilan, is one of our guards. He came here with a heavy heart. I believe, however, after your battle with him, you’ve done him a great service.” Aranea took his hand, listening to him for a moment before laughing a little at his words. “Did him a service? I hardly doubt that. If anything, I think I only proved that he isn’t afraid to hit hard.” she muttered, adjusting the ice pack on her neck. Retrieving his hand from her, he crossed his arms over his chest. “Dilan has always been known to place his duties first -- even when it came to his personal life. As a royal guard it is to be expected. However..the past couple of years have changed him. I feel that, a change of atmosphere is in order. This, is where I would like to inquire on your assistance.” “You want me to play ‘royal guard’ with him?” she guessed in a sarcastic tone. Ienzo’s lips curved into a grin. She caught on quick. “Precisely. You would get paid for your efforts of course. We can take care of the paper work when you arrive at Radiant Garden, as well as room and board..” A long hum left the dragoon, thinking aloud. “Getting paid to be a royal guard to work beside Mr. Lance-alot, eh? Who am I to say no to money? You’ve got yourself a deal. How long do you need me there?” Nodding in approval, Ienzo thought for a moment. “I would say for a month, at the least. After that, I will leave that choice up to you whether you wish to remain or leave.” ~~~~~~~~~ Four days later, Ienzo could be found in the halls of the castle as he assisted Dilan with while he was replacing a light in the hall of the castle. Though the Restoration Committee was doing what they could to restore Radiant Garden to it’s former glory; it didn’t mean that they couldn’t do their part in repairing the castle. Leaning against a wall while holding a new case for the light, the younger male pondered aloud. “Curious woman, Aranea..is she not?” Dilan paused for a moment, looking down from the ladder he was on to Ienzo. “What makes you say that? Rather random of you to bring her up.” Though he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t been thinking about that battle he had with her for a while. “Oh no reason. Merely thinking she made quite the impression on you after that battle a few nights ago.” Snorting at his comment, he adjusted the light bulb so he could carefully place the cover on it. “I hardly think that’s the case. It was an intense battle, I’ll give her that. Anything else? I’m going to have to disagree..” “So..the whistling and chipper mood lately, all a coincidence?” he inquired as he held out the case to Dilan, who just glared at him. He didn’t even give Ienzo an answer, proving a point to the young scientist. Ienzo chuckled softly, knowing he had won this round. “Sweet Shiva..are all the lights that messed up?” a female voice sounded behind Ienzo. Turning around, he saw none other than the woman in question. “Ah, just the woman I was looking for. We were just talking about you.” Placing a firm hand on her hip, she quirked a brow, moving her gaze from Ienzo to the handsome man on the ladder behind him. During her battle with him, she couldn’t get that much of a view due to wanting to stay ahead of him. However, now that they weren’t in a hostile situation, it was no secret that the dragoon was taking her time to check him out as he reached over his head to slide the new light case into place. “Is that so?” From her point of view, there wasn’t a damn thing wrong with the man. Sure, he towered over her, but she was perfectly okay with that. The man was built and she would openly admit that her mind traveled down some not so PG trails the more she watched him work.  Hearing her question, she watched as he moved down the ladder and looked to Ienzo. Dilan wasn’t stupid. Sighing to himself, he shook his head. “Explain yourself, Ienzo.” “We are a guard short. With Braig not here..for whatever reason that may be; we need someone to fill the empty seat. For the moment, this will be a temporary position for her. I have already spoken to Even about it and she was approved. All that is needed is her paper work..ah..and to be fitted for a proper uniform. Would you mind taking her measurements and sending them to me? I will get started on her forms.” Without allowing Dilan to protest or comment, Ienzo departed, heading to his office down the hall. Dilan pinched the bridge of his nose with a loud sigh. “The more things change, the more they stay the same..” Scheming little shit. Even when Ienzo was Zexion,he refused to do physical dirty work. He could do paper work till the cows came home..but ask him to assist another with a personal issue that didn’t revolve around him and he was quick as ever to out source other members or lesser Nobodies to do the work for him. Looking over to Aranea, he gestured to her where they could take her measurements. On their way to the room, Aranea couldn’t help but ask a few questions. “So..what happened here? Looks like a bomb went off.” “Something like that.Close enough though...” “Seriously? That’s messed up..” Oh how little she knew the truth in her own words. Opening a door at the end of the hall, he turned a light on, inviting her to come in. The room had a few fabrics to the side that were labeled ‘uniforms’ in a box on a metal shelf; along with various other random items being kept here for storage. To the far end of the room, there was a table with a laid out map of the castle -- minus the underground lab that was constructed in secret several years before. Pausing in the middle of the room, Aranea waited as Dilan lifted a box from one of high shelves. A slow grin formed over her lips, tilting her head at him while checking him out again. “I take it you work out often, don’t you?” she commented. Snorting, she earned a small smile from the lancer.”As often as I am capable of doing so, yes. Being a guard is an important duty..” She gave him a skeptical glance. “Who exactly are we guarding and from what?” Setting the box he had in his arms on the table, he began to take out a small sewing kit and a note pad that had a pen attached. “ Lord and castle come first.There are Heartless and possible..other dark creatures that can cause harm here. Our duty is to ensure that the scientist and..our Lordship Ansem are safe. However..I doubt we will be seeing Ansem anytime soon. He has been missing for a while.” Taking out the measuring tape from the sewing kit, he faced Aranea, who was undoing her armor. She knew that the bulk of her chest plate would give an inaccurate measurement of her figure. After setting her armor down on the table, she held her arms out for him. “I see..So it’s just the labrats we need to look after then, right?” “More or less..yes.” Starting at her waist, he looped the tape around her hips and took the measurement of that width. The silence between them felt awkward. Aranea felt that she needed to say something -- anything to break the air between them. “So..who’s this Braig guy that Ienzo mentioned?” Freezing for a moment, Dilan averted his gaze, shaking his head. “He was someone I thought I could trust. We had a sort of..falling out..when we were betrayed from within our own ranks. I..would rather put that all behind me.” Moving up, he measured her bust, earning a slow smile from the dragoon. “Careful there..wouldn’t want your hand to slip.” Raising a brow at her, he mirrored her smile. “I wouldn’t touch a lady inappropriately, trust me. I have more self decency than that.” “Daaww..and here I was hoping we could have a little fun. My bad.” He drew away from her, taking another measurement before he went down on one knee to measure her legs. Hearing how disappointed she was at his lack of perversion somehow amused him. Chuckling a bit, he gave a sigh. “I doubt you would welcome anything of the sort anyway.” A grin crept over her lips. Lifting her right leg, she leaned her weight into the table behind her as the heel of her boot rested on his shoulder. “How would you know..?” Her tone was challenging and one that he was eager to take on. Trailing his fingers up the length of her legs, violet eyes watching her grin grow. “You play a dangerous game, doing something like that, Aranea..” “What can I say? I have an addiction to the thrills in life.” She gave him a mocking grin. “ I doubt I will find any here.” she teased. Without a warning, he stood up, grasping her leg that was on his shoulder and holding it close to his hip while he gripped onto her neck roughly, growling into her ear. “You’ll be regretting those words soon enough..” A shiver of excitement trickled down the length of her spine as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She couldn’t care less if anyone walked in on them. The sexual tension between them was thick enough that you could cut it with a knife. Best to get it out of the way before she was officially enrolled as a guard. Smirking up at him, Aranea rolled her hips into his, fingers playfully tracing over his sideburns whilst she found herself lost in those violet pools once more. “Oh you have so little faith in me, sweet cakes. You’re more than welcome to prove me wrong.~” Those were her last words as he captured her lips with his own. Her fingers got lost within the neat tail of dread locks he had, toying with each lock of her own accord whilst memorizing the way he tasted. She could feel the way he moved the hand that held her neck trail down her back. Soft moans could be heard from the dragoon as he found her sensitive spots along her spine. Eager hands could be felt snaking up her grey top she wore under her armor. Aranea moved her own hands down his chest to make short work of the double buttoned blue uniform. They were soon to enter the world of no return and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Apparently they were going too slow for his personal liking, as he broke their kiss for a moment, helping her out of her top so it could be discarded into the previously created pile of clothing she made and nearly tearing her strapless bra off. He took her hands into his left, keeping her still. Giving him a sly grin, she attempted to break free but his grip was nearly tight enough to snap her hands off. “I’d rather not let you see scars..least not yet.” he uttered as he adjusted his shirt accordingly. Dilan was a private man and he wasn’t exactly sure if he was ready to have a woman like Aranea see the battle scars he donned during his time before and during being a Nobody. The decade or so within darkness certainly changed him-- for better or worst was up for debate. “Scars don’t bother me. You don’t have to hide them.” Scoffing at her words, he quickly turned her around so her back was facing him and she was facing the table. His free hand trailed down her pale bare back, noting the bruise he caused during their last fight. There was both a mix of guilt and pride knowing that he was at fault. Had he aimed his blow any lower he could have killed her.  That would have been a bitter shame had he done so. Moving his hands further down her back, he could hear her purr like a feline, even to go so far as to lean forward and grind her rear into him. He paused his hold on her and moved both of his hands to her hips as he leaned into her, whispering into her ear. Perhaps he could make up for being so rough with her the other day. “No matter what happens, keep your hands on the table.” A slow smirk played on her lips, “ Not here for one day and already giving orders I see. So pushy..” He squeezed her hips, earning a low moan from the dragoon. “Did I ask for commentary? Keep your hands still. “ ~~~~~~~ Ten Fifteen Twenty Thirty...?! A knowing smirk played over Ienzo’s lips as he sat at his desk with Aeleus across from him as they could hear the distant sounds of Dilan and Aranea getting..acquainted with one another. Aeleus shook his head at Ienzo. “How did you know that those two would work well together?” Ienzo nodding his head as he folded his hands over one another whilst speaking in a matter of fact tone, “If my research on the needs of the heart are correct then Dilan was broken before we were made into Nobodies. The betrayal he witnessed caused the bitter hole in his heart to grow -- thriving on the heartbreak and hatred of others. It is likely the reason why he was so unstable when we first woke up. With his heart re-completed; he was having a difficult time dealing with his emotions. Thus, no outlet to prove to himself that anything could be seen past the betrayal he witnessed on that day.” His smirk only grew as he continued. “During that fight with Aranea, I saw something in his eyes that I hadn’t seen in a long while -- determination. He needs that if he is going to continue his duties here. Without it, his emotional stability will be in constant question. Hence why I took the liberty of hiring Aranea. We should be seeing some positive improvements within our dear friend Dilan in the near future.” Raising a brow at Ienzo, Aeleus just shook his head once more at the young scientist. “I’ll be sure to cover the grounds for the time being. I take it the paper work is already filled out for her to be working here then?” “Of course. All I require is her signature, but I can get that later. It seems our dear Dilan is preoccupied with her.” he commented proudly. “Right..I’m going to do my rounds. Try to stay out of trouble, Ienzo.” The young scientist scratched the side of his cheek. “I shall make the attempt.” With a roll of his eyes, Aeleus took his leave while Ienzo continued to sort out the many piles of work on his desk all while keeping track of how long the two of them went at it. The final count was nearly an hour and a half. Personally, Ienzo was impressed that Aranea could still be so vocal after so long. He’d give the two a half hour to get themselves together before he would carry the papers to the room so Aranea could be properly brought into their unusual family here in Radiant Garden. Things were surely going to change and he was quite sure that it would be for the better.

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'The Swingin' A's' documentary takes us inside baseball's dysfunctional dynasty

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My first baseball memories are centered around Jose Canseco swatting home runs out of the Oakland Coliseum as if he were a wind-up toy. When he hit 33 homers and won Rookie of the Year in 1986, I was 6 years old. It was easy to fall in love with the A’s, and thus, baseball.

Next came Mark McGwire and all those homers. For a young kid living a few BART stops away from the stadium, watching the A’s back then was a treat. Beyond the Bash Brothers and their homers, the cast of characters was fantastic. There was Carney Lansford and that odd batting stance, Dave Stewart and his death stare and Dennis Eckersley and, well, everything about him.

Those A’s, I always thought, were a great introduction into baseball. But after watching MLB Network’s new documentary “The Swingin’ A’s” — which is narrated by MC Hammer and premieres Tuesday night at 9 p.m. ET — I sort of wish I had been born 15 years earlier, so I could have watched Oakland’s dysfunctional dynasty with my own eyes. Because the Bash Brothers have nothing on the Swingin’ A’s.

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The documentary shows us both sides of those early ’70s A’s clubs — the talent that led to three straight World Series titles (1972-1974) and the drama that led to clubhouse fistfights, ongoing wars with ownership and almost led to a clubhouse strike over the antics of their colorful owner Charlie O. Finley.

“The Swingin’ A’s” documentary shows both the talent and dysfunction of the early ’70s Athletics. (MLB Network)

It’s Finley, more than the individual A’s players, who is at the center of the film. Mainly because he’s both the architect and the antagonist of “The Swingin’ A’s.” To this day, players such as Reggie Jackson, Vida Blue, Rollie Fingers, Ken Holtzman and Sal Bando (all of whom are featured in the documentary) have a lot to say about Finley.

Most of the resentment was about money. Finley didn’t want to pay his stars, even after they started to win World Series. Or when they fought back against him, like during the 1973 World Series, he gave them cheap championship rings. Or when he tried to sell off stars Blue, Fingers and Joe Rudi as the dynasty started to crumble.

But as Bando says in the film, maybe Finley’s villainy actually helped the A’s:

“In retrospect, it brought us together because we had one common enemy.”

Holtzman, who won 19, 21 and 19 games in those three championship years, was one of the players who sparred most bitterly with Finley during salary arbitration. Now that more than 40 years have passed, though, he has something of a different take on Oakland’s divisive owner:

“Players are gonna remember the fights, obviously, and the miserable way he used to talk to us [and] treat us like crap. Then on the other hand, you say, ‘You know what? He’s the guy that put together this crazy bunch, maybe he wasn’t that crazy. Maybe he knew what he was doing. Maybe he deserves some credit for doing it.’”

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One other thing that makes the documentary cool is that it’s narrated by former A’s employee-turned-rapper MC Hammer. Hammer, back when he was just a young Stanley Burrell, was spotted dancing outside the stadium and given a job by Finley. Eventually, even though he was just a kid, he became Finley’s eyes and ears in the clubhouse. Players nicknamed him “Pipeline,” because he would report everything back to Finley.

Having Hammer on board gives “The Swingin A’s” a more authentic touch, since he was around the team in all those years and, at one point later, was one of Oakland’s most famous celebrities.

You don’t need to have a sentimental attachment to the A’s, Oakland or even Hammer Pants to appreciate this latest offering from MLB Network. Whether you lived this era of baseball or you were born decades later, it’s a fascinating peek back to the past, when one outrageous owner created a dynasty that stood despite its dysfunction.

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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz