#being tackled via fantasy

[miss-m-winks]

it falls under what i consider a type of fourth-wall-breaking in stories.

"therapy speak" where the character talk about their emotions and problems with an uncanny level of precision and professional competence.

moments where the narration or dialogue style suddenly switch to a "modern internet post" sort of vocabulary and cadence just so the story can look you in the eye and say things like "this is about feminism/diversity/civil rights, by the way. did you notice? are you noticing yet? we're using language and phrasing that make you wonder if you read this in a tweet recently, because we just want to make sure, in case it wasn't obvious enough yet, that this story is dealing with Modern Social Issues. you noticed, right?"

or other moments where the writing style seems to break character just to wink and nudge at the reader.

it's not done well, most of the time. it really breaks the immersion and i kind of hate it. yes, i noticed your characters were having internal conflicts, you didn't need to therapy speak it at me. yes, i noticed your themes about feminism, it was very clear, i really did not need the fourth wall break about it. yes, haha, i see you over there making modern references in a presumably more medieval fantasy! no, it's not really that funny. sorry.

if you're gonna break the fourth wall, you really need to be clever about it.

That post that's like "stop writing characters who talk like they're trying to get a good grade in therapy" really blew the door wide open for me about how common it's become for a character's emotional intelligence to not be taken into consideration when writing conflict. I remember the first time I went to therapy I had such a hard time even identifying what I was feeling, let alone had the language to explain it to someone else. Of course there are plenty of people who've never been to therapy a day in their life who are in tune to their emotions. But even they would have some trouble expressing themselves sometimes. You have to take into account there are plenty of people who are uncomfortable expressing themselves and people who think they're not allowed to feel certain ways. It also makes for more interesting conflict to have characters with different levels of understanding.

[lurkingshan]

Japanese QL Corner

One more week of relative quiet before several new shows charge in next week to make JQL Corner hopping again. These first two shows are available via fan sub, with the second airing weekly on Gaga.

Smells Like Green Spirit

This week we immediately moved on from Mishima being assaulted to Mishima somewhat uncomfortably going along with Yumeno's advances, and being made to feel disgusting and rejected for his trouble. I find it desperately sad that Mishima has to settle for trying his best to love all these people who have harmed him; this episode reminded us that despite their current bestie status, Kirino was the ringleader who bullied Mishima from the start, and Yumeno, the only viable love interest in this show, is deeply homophobic and drawn to Mishima against his will. His visceral reaction when confronted with the realities of Mishima's body was painful. I'm glad that at least Kirino is there now to comfort his friend; the genuine friendship they've managed to build is far and away the best part of this show.

Love is Like a Poison

They're back, baby! And with a literal bang. I missed this show and its effortless comedy, which ramped up again this week as Ryo and Haruto settled into their romantic relationship with a jdrama classic trip to the onsen. I laughed out loud at nearly every scene in this episode right up until Ryo finally worked up the courage to kiss his man and initiate sex, and then remembered he still doesn't know what scam Haruto is running on him. I'm glad they're together now, couple rings and all, and hoping we'll see Haruto come clean and give them a chance to tackle whatever it is he's after together.

Chaser Game W 2

This week Itsuki and Fuyu lived out their domestic fantasies briefly until the outside world intruded in the form of homophobic parents at Tsuki's school, the evil red boss from season 1, and the return of Fuyu's mother to be awful some more. I guess we needed a villain trifecta for the finale? More importantly, Yoreum appeared via television interview to assure us she is out and thriving.

[liquidstar]

speaking of greece and also oc side projects, i was trying to do worldbuilding on the "godless" ocverse. still in the concept stage but heres what i got

what i've already established is that this is a fantasy world where all of greek mythology is real, but the gods have abandoned the earth for a long time. after almost 2000 years, we're in the equivalent of the 1800s/early 1900s. the general conditions (as well as designs) are based on real life greece during that era. the main difference is that its much more peaceful- part of the reason im setting this in an alternate world is because im not doing this to tackle ottoman occupation, the pontic genocide, or world wars 1 and 2. a lot of that stuff is heavier than what i wanna do.

but i am still trying to tackle one thing about greek culture, specifically in relation to the gods. the history of hellenism is still something very deeply ingrained into the country's culture, and yet... idk if you guys have noticed, but the country has been christianized (the fact that the gods absence lines up w the anno domini era is on purpose). my goal isnt to romanticize ancient greece by any means, there was a lot wrong with it and im not one of those "roman empire" guys lol. but what i wanna do is get into that weird "gap" in greece's modern identity vs its ancient one, via the feelings of the characters and being abandoned by the gods and the bygone age of heroes. (and im aware ofc that a big part of that IS the heavier side of the country's history, even if i wont directly be tacking the aforementioned real world events)

MOSTLY i want it to be a fun romp though, i wanna pay homage to the adventures of heroes like odysseus, jason and the argonauts, perseus, heracles, etc., who would all be REAL historical figures in-universe! (well, heracles is a demigod) most likely ones the protagonists would idolize in their own adventures. im referencing the cambelion monomyth/hero's journey as a format for that, but i don't intend to lean too heavily on it either.

all that being said, i made a map :)

i chose the name "ilia" from the ancient greek name for troy- "ilion," which is also the namesake of homer's iliad.

the region is split up into different territories. all the territories still worship the gods equally, but they each have one main major sanctuary to focus on the olympians+hades (and i included both hestia and dyonisis, i think it would be funny if both region didnt consider the other one a true part of the lineup). the position of the symbols shows you where the major sanctuary is located.

again, all regions worship all the gods and have different temples throughout (smaller towns and villages may have their own temples dedicated to more specific deities) however, the major sanctuary in each area is what defines it because the hiereus or hiereia of these temples acts as a head of state (of course, a world where gods are real is a theocracy). the requirements for a hiereus/hiereia are to be gifted by the god of the temple, and be a dedicated scholar of their domain. theyre selected from a large group, through a democratic processes, usually leading for life.

i have names for each reason but theyre not set in stone so ill keep those on the back burner

i dont have a lot of specifics plot-wise figured out anyway, but wanted something to visualize the idea. itll put me on the path to figuring out exactly what that could entail! after all, even with the gods gone, plenty of supernatural things remain. enchanted/cursed relics, hallowed ruins, ancient monsters, the underworld, olympus, oracles, and, of course, the gifts!

[elfqueen006]

Sooooo, I was wondering, how do you think Jack would react to an MC who was foreign? In this case, I'm Brazilian, and sometimes I love thinking about how Jack would react to our culture, and how the majority of us are all agitated and communicative. (And I confess, it would be cool to be able to swear without anyone understanding). Do you think these factors would harm Jack from reading MC's thoughts?

I don't know about being Brazilian or foreign. But I've had my fair share of being subject to difference in cultures.

I haven't exactly figured out the logistics, but I think Jack can read minds due to MC's spiritual connection to him via their binding or contract.

I don't feel like he'd know what you're saying in speech, but he'd get the gist of it when reading your mind. I feel like, in a sense, the two are separated - a different language almost, that only being like... a medium or entity can decipher. The idea of mind reading is a concept I often come back to in fantasy whether it be like, reading emotions or intent, or auras, or literally hearing a mesh of jumbled thoughts from somebody without their moving their mouths.

I feel like Jack would love exploring your culture also! He's all about being open minded. You might need to guide his hand a bit and fill him in on things blocked by language barriers or just difference in backgrounds. I feel like it might’ve been something tackled on the show as well.

[meowmeow-motherfucker]

Covenant- Chapter 6

Summary: With the five year anniversary of the attack on New York approaching, Odin and Fury come to the agreement that an arranged marriage between Asgard and Earth would show good faith toward all future interactions. When Odin refuses Jane’s candidacy, Agent Coulson is tasked with finding a suitable wife for the prince of Asgard.

Pairing: Loki x OFC

Word count: 11k, get your drinks and snackies, friends

Taglist: @lokisgoodgirl @gigglingtiggerv2 @icytrickster17 @mysteriouslyfriedjellyfish @lokislilkitten @justjoanne242 @amlocked @ddmariegirl @mags-04-blog @sharris8 @meepycheep @iamlokisgloriouspurpose @the-fantasy-loving-angel @jaidenhawke @smolvenger

Please let me know if you'd like to be added to the taglist! Thanks for coming along on this journey with me! Buckle up gang :D

Read it on AO3 here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51197938/chapters/129363727

Ten days until the wedding

Loki had a problem. A flock of small, garishly colored problems. He stared at the collection of minuscule fake ducks with confusion. He didn’t know what to do with them. The miniature ducks were painted with odd clothing and hats, some with spectacles over their beady false eyes.

The smallest ducks had no clothes, but were a variety of vivid colors and he always found them secreted somewhere on his person. The oddly dressed ones were slightly larger and arrived via parcel, always outside his chamber door when Astrid arrived each morning. The guard swore to Odin he possessed no knowledge of how the parcel got there or who delivered it.

Every day he seemed to gain a new one- each one more odd than the last. The first, bearing an obnoxiously cheerful grin, bore blue-tinted spectacles and a large shirt with colorful flowers. The second wore a smooth rounded helmet and some sort of...fabric...suit with stripes? One of its tiny wings clutched a long thin bat.

Still others were painted with even more ridiculous outfits: a white suit, silver medallion necklace and a puff of hair like a cloud; a brown vest, a red neckerchief, a badge that read ‘sheriff’ and a large brown hat.

His most recent acquisition, wore a Viksø helmet with a long braid coming from underneath, and oversized chest armor as though the duck had been blessed with large breasts.

They were not of Asgardian origin, that much was clear. Obviously Claire was sneaking them onto his person for him to later find when he undressed.

What he couldn’t figure out was how. Loki prided himself on possessing the utmost skill in stealth, being able to read others, being one step ahead of everyone at all times. Yet when he looked back on his interactions with Claire he could not pinpoint a single moment where she might have slipped the ducks onto his person. Obviously, the first duck had been secreted under his vambrace during the play. He’d never caught her in the act; always discovering the evidence of her trickery hours later in his chambers.

Sneaky little mortal.

There was of course, the question of why. What purpose could these grotesque little creatures have? They were soft and easily malformed, they made only the most pitiful squeaks when he squeezed them tightly in his fist. Were they toys? Did she think him a child? Perhaps she thought to occupy his mind at all times; keeping him consumed in the mystery. She had certainly succeeded; he was enthralled.

Perhaps they were part of courtship on Midgard? Loki eyed the newest duck skeptically, as though if he stared at it hard enough the duck would give in and reveal its true purpose. It made sense, he supposed. After all, wasn’t gift-giving part of wooing one’s partner?

But ducks?

~~~~

“You want me to go back to Earth...for this?” Phil asked skeptically, peering over the scrap of paper at Claire.

“Yep.” Claire had a free morning, and was soaking up the sun on her plush couch with one of the books Loki had purchased for her. She felt oddly energized after her private lesson with him, and felt better prepared to tackle princess lessons anew come the afternoon.

“Just this?” Phil pressed.

“Yep.” Claire repeated, turning the page of her book. She’d chosen an account of a forbidden love affair between a nobleman and his servant, and so far, the suspenseful account had sex, betrayal, and even a grisly murder. The crones would be aghast.

“And you want a Monopoly set...why?”

“Are you questioning the future princess royal of Asgard?” Claire asked, her voice heavy with scandal. She looked up at Phil with a cheeky grin.

“I would never,” Phil scoffed. “Forgive me, Your Majesty.” Claire laughed at his terrible attempt at a curtsy.

“Shut up,” Claire set aside her book. “If you really don’t want to, you don’t have to. It was just a thought.”

“If it will make you happy, I’ll do it. Any other requests?”

“Actually...yes, let me write it down,” Claire crossed the room to the desk, adding a few more things to her list. “That’s everything.”

“What is-” Phil laughed as he read the list. “Googly eyes, itching powder, silly string, an airhorn? Are you pranking Loki again?”

“I would never,” Claire gasped. “I’m just thinking it wouldn’t hurt to be prepared.”

“For what, your new clown act?”

“I’m calling it insurance,” Claire replied. “I have no need to prank anyone right now, but it never hurts-”

“Alright, alright, the less I know, the better,” Phil stopped her short. “I’m gonna go and get your...provisions,” He knew Claire wouldn’t ask for the items if she didn’t need them, but he wondered what she could possibly need them for. “I should be back before dinner.”

“Okay, be safe. OH WAIT!”

“What?!”

“Chocolate,” Phil nodded, turning to leave. “Phil! Chocolate!”

“I got it, I got it. I won’t forget your chocolate.” Phil promised before he finally left. Claire returned to her book after Phil left, hoping to finish her chapter before the mid-day meal.

~~~~

Claire’s first appointment of the afternoon was with a florist, and it was easily Claire’s favorite activity so far. She would have spent the rest of the day exploring the palace gardens if she could have- wandering through the lilacs, tulips, and roses was peaceful and aromatic. After some tough decisions, Claire picked the flowers she wanted for the wedding.

The first princess lesson of the afternoon went much better than it had in the past. Claire’s instructor was thrilled by her progress, and advanced her to a more intermediate level of study. Claire was equally pleased and annoyed. No doubt the new material would be more difficult, and Claire didn’t like the idea of relying on Loki for everything. Claire was given a fancy lace and ivory fan and instructed to memorize how to communicate with it. She spent an hour learning how best to express emotions with a fan, which made absolutely no sense to Claire. If she was feeling something, she’d prefer to say it to someone’s face rather than hint at it with a flimsy bit of fabric.

She’d hoped to escape without a jab at her ‘poor posture’, but to her annoyance, her instructor reprimanded her yet again.

To add to her frustration, she was still being forced to learn how to sew. Claire spent an hour making stitches and fixing them, making and fixing, making and fixing. By the end of the lesson, she wanted to stab her instructor in the eyes.

~~~~

“What even is deportment anyway?” Claire sulked in her chambers later that evening. True to his word, Loki had made another appearance in her chambers. He had offered to help her with her fan homework, but Claire needed to vent first, so they had taken up spots on the couch with their snacks in the middle to share. Tonight Loki had brought an assortment of fresh fruit, cheese and bread. “I know how to carry myself just fine.”

“Are you sure about that?” Loki asked skeptically. “You walk like a man.”

“I do not,” Claire protested. “Just because I don’t float like some simpering little rich girl, you think I walk like a man?” she tossed a cherry into her mouth, stem and all.

“You do!”

“Prove it.” Claire challenged around her mouthful of cherry.

“What?” Loki balked.

“I don’t believe it. Show me.”

“Fine,” Loki sighed, getting to his feet and spinning on his heel. He held his arms out as he spun. “Notice that I am standing up straight?” He walked to the fireplace before walking back. “I have good posture. You, on the other hand-” a wave of green flashed over his form and suddenly Claire was looking at herself. “Stand like this.” Loki hunched over in an exaggerated slump, taking another lap to the fireplace.

“I don’t stand like that,” Claire protested. “You’re a terrible actor.”

“Forgive me, what am I thinking; I’m not spouting profanity at every possible opportunity.”

“I do not-”

“You do!” Loki-Claire cried. “You also stomp about angrily like a bear,” another lap with exaggerated, angry stomps. “But if you simply stand up straight, drop your shoulders, keep your chin high, and walk as though you are following a straight line, you will- as you put it- float.” Another wave of green and Loki was taking his spot on the couch again.

“Yeah well, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery so there.” Claire stuck her tongue out at him, showing off the half-twisted cherry stem in her mouth.

“What are you doing?” Loki asked.

“Oh, I’m tying the cherry stem into a knot.”

“What? Why?” Claire showed off her hard work, giggling as Loki inspected the knotted cherry stem with confusion.

“Because I can.”

“Is this a common skill for Midgardians?”

“This is definitely a hidden skill,” Claire replied, setting the stem on the tray between them. “It’s kind of accepted fact that people who can tie cherry stems into knots with their tongues are good kissers, but I don’t think any actual scientific study has proven that.”

“What an odd belief,” Loki chuckled. “Is there any validity to it for you specifically?” his gaze dropped to her mouth, sending Claire’s internal temperature skyrocketing. She bit her lip, the familiar tingling of anticipation budding in her belly.

“You’ll just have to wait and find out, won’t you?” she asked teasingly. “Will you teach me about the dumb fans please, so I can go back to reading my book?”

“Perhaps this venture will not be so terrible after all,” Loki chuckled to himself. “If I didn’t know better,” he plucked a fan from the couch, snapping it open emphatically. “I’d say you weren’t interested in princess lessons.”

“I’m only as interested as I need to be to shut my instructors up.”

“Then pay attention,” Loki twirled one of the fans, opening the second before flipping them in his hands. “If it helps- think of them as weapons. They are balanced just as a blade would be.”

“Yeah, because people will tremble in fear at my skills with a fan,” Claire rolled her eyes. “It’s not exactly a deadly weapon.”

“Just like any skill, darling; with enough practice it can be,” Loki replied. “Learn the rules and learn them well, and with intelligence and patience-” he closed one of the fans, flipping it in his hand so she could grab the handle. “You can bring anyone to their knees.”

~~~~

Seven days until the wedding

With one week remaining until their wedding, Claire and Loki met Frigga outside the throne room right after breakfast. Their night time visits had continued, with Loki assisting Claire master her lessons as well as spending time getting to know each other. It was thrilling, keeping their night time visits secret, almost

“Today we shall rehearse the ceremony!” Frigga announced as she clapped her hands together excitedly. Claire thought it was too early for her to be so enthusiastic, and the grumpy look on Loki’s face told her he agreed. “Loki, you must at least try to seem excited.” she scolded gently.

“Of course mother, what was I thinking,” Loki said flatly, plastering an obviously fake smile on his face. “What a lovely day to celebrate! My entire life is being upheaved in a farcical-ouch!” he complained when Frigga slapped the back of his head. Claire felt zero sympathy for him as he rubbed the spot his mother had struck. That’s not what you said last night, asshole.

“My life is being upheaved too- just throwing that out there.” She muttered grumpily from behind him. Loki’s head fell back against his shoulders, a ragged sigh of exhaustion escaping him.

“I am aware. Everyone in a ten mile radius is aware. You needn’t remind me.”

“Well I’d hate for you to forget. I’m nice like that.” Loki let out an uncharacteristic snort.

“Is this to be a day for incorrect adjectives as well as vexing activities?” he asked scathingly. “For shame, little mortal. Marriages are not meant to be built on lies.”

“You’re the expert.” Claire replied with a shrug.

“Perhaps you’d like to choose a different word?” Loki looked down at her, a perfectly arched eyebrow poised in anticipation.

“Annoyed.” Loki grinned with satisfaction. Frigga clapped her hands to gain their attention, reminding them both she was still there.

“Focus, darlings, you both have a great deal of appointments today and we must be punctual,” she chided. “Now, the decorations are not complete so you will need to use your imaginations- but we will run through the procession so there are no hiccups.” she made a quick gesture with her hand and the guards flanking the doors pulled them open.

“Oh,” Claire said softly, glancing about the cavernous room. Chairs had been aligned into rows, with bows of soft green and purple chiffon ribbon attached to the ends. Tall stands for flowers were in place but looked naked without the flora. “It looks lovely.” She offered, not wanting her future mother-in-law to think she didn’t appreciate her efforts.

“I’m so pleased you think so,” Frigga smiled warmly. “The decorations will be finished by tonight. Purple blaveis, as you requested, with some white lodnerublom to round out the arrangements. Now, it is custom that married women wear their hair bound in some way. Once the ceremony is complete, Loki will bind your hair before you leave the throne room.” She explained.

“And I shall give you the ugliest braid ever.” Loki threatened gravely.

“You’ll do no such thing,” Frigga chastised him before Claire could even open her mouth. “Any shame you put on her will reflect on you.”

“I’m aware, Mother.” Loki sighed heavily, rolling his eyes behind her back.

“Good. Remember that. You can practice while I speak to the servants about the flowers.” Frigga turned away and left the two alone for the second time since their meeting.

“Come, this way,” Loki offered his hand politely to Claire. She accepted his hand and let him guide her to a chair. He stood behind the chair and held it in place while she sat. “Do you have a preference?”

“Not really,” Claire replied as Loki’s long fingers began combing through her hair, deftly gathering the strands to make a braid. “You were kidding about the ugly part right?” she asked as he began sectioning off her hair.

“Perhaps,” Loki teased. “Even if I wasn’t, you wouldn’t be able to remove it without causing a stir.”

“Of course not. Wouldn’t want to offend someone with my hair style,” Claire quipped, hissing when Loki’s finger got tangled in her hair and pulled it. He said nothing, only soothing her scalp with his probing fingers as he worked quickly. He was already finished with the first section and had started gathering the other half of her hair in his hands to section and braid. “You’re good at that.” Claire complimented as he began braiding, pulling her hair tight to make it clean. She wasn’t surprised to find she enjoyed the feeling of his hands in her hair.

“I’ve always been good with my hands,” Loki replied softly, putting both braids together at the back of her head. “All finished,” he announced. “Normally this would be tied with a band, but for now I’ve bound it with seidr instead.”

“That’s probably better. That way it won’t come loose or fall out.” Claire replied, reaching up to glide her fingertips along the braid.

“Indeed,” Loki hummed, manifesting a small mirror for her with a wave of his hands. “Here.” He held it up for her to look into.

“Thank you,” she flashed him a smile, to which he gave a feeble return. “This looks lovely,” She praised, combing her fingers through the hair he’d left loose. The thin braids started at her temples, gently sloping down to where they met at the back of her head. It almost looked like a halo, and Claire loved it. “Could you do it like this? Please?”

“Of course.” Loki agreed, making the mirror vanish. “I’ll need to let that out before we leave,” He reminded her as she got to her feet. “Let me see the front first.” Claire turned to face him, giving a shy smile as their eyes met. Loki gave another clipped smile in return, raising his hands to inspect the braid’s appearance.

“How do I look?” Claire asked as he smoothed her hair. He gave a small snort as he adjusted the hair at her temples.

“You look…” Beautiful. She was a vision, her lips full and luscious beneath the soft lavender lip paint she wore. With mere inches between them, he could easily lean down and taste her at last- finally claim her as his as the braid proclaimed her to be. “As if you belong.” he finally murmured.

“Thank you,” her lavender lips curled into a cheeky grin as she gazed up at him. “Was that so difficult to say?”

“I’m truly suffering from the indignity.” Loki said placidly.

“Oh dear, however will you survive?” Claire returned sarcastically.

“That remains to be seen,” Loki sighed aloofly. “Turn please, so I can undo your braid.”

“Fine,” Claire said, turning her back to him and waiting patiently as he unwove the braids and combed his fingers through her hair to straighten it. “Thank you.” Loki hummed his reply as Frigga returned.

“All finished?” she asked. When the engaged couple nodded in unison, she smiled. “Excellent. Shall we rehearse?”

“If we must.” Loki sighed. Claire shot him a glare and Frigga stepped in to diffuse the tension before they could begin to argue.

“Don’t be rude Loki, it simply isn’t the correct way to address your fiancé.”

“I wasn’t speaking to her.”

“To me then. You know better,” Frigga scolded. “Off you go, to your place.” She ordered, giving Loki a small push toward the grand stairs in front of the throne.

“I’m assuming I’ll be walking down the aisle.”

“Correct. Your uncle will escort you but for now we will pretend,” Frigga replied, offering Claire her arm. Claire looped her arm around hers and Frigga guided her toward the aisle. “Once you reach the stairs, he will hand you off like so.” She released Claire to allow her to take Loki’s outstretched hand. Loki entwined their fingers, as was expected, and Frigga walked up the stairs to stand a few steps above them. “Odin will oversee the ceremony from here. Thor will stand at Loki’s side, and Sif at yours. They will be responsible for holding your swords and rings both before and after they are exchanged.”

“Got it.”

“It is very, very important that you or Loki do not drop the swords or rings. To do so would cast a great pall upon the marriage and the alliance by default.”

“No pressure or anything.” Claire muttered to herself.

“You will do fine dear,” Frigga assured her. “Once you have exchanged swords and rings, the Gothi will bind your hands and guide you through exchanging your vows.”

“The Gothi?”

“Our spiritual leader,” Frigga explained. “On your wedding day, he will bless you both at the start of the ceremony. Once the ceremony is finished and Loki has bound your hair you will proceed back up the aisle to the balcony where we will officially present you to the people. After that is the celebratory feast, followed by a second feast the following morning and the presentation of gifts.”

“Sounds easy enough, assuming no one drops anything.”

“There will be opportunity for you each to practice prior to the actual ceremony,” Frigga said comfortingly. “Do you have any questions?”

“No, everything makes sense.”

“Wonderful. We will do another practice closer to the ceremony but I must dismiss you both now. Loki, you are due at the tailor. Claire, you have lessons to get to. You and I shall go to the marketplace later this afternoon.” Frigga winked at Claire behind Loki’s back, which Claire found amusing. What could Frigga be planning?

“Thank you mother,” Loki nodded politely to Frigga before lifting Claire’s hand to his lips. “My lady.” he kissed her knuckles, his gaze smoldering as Claire’s innards fizzled. Barely containing her satisfied smile, Frigga walked down the stairs ahead of them. Loki helped her down the stairs, clutching her hand the entire time.

Ahead of them, Frigga was chattering about their respective agendas for the rest of the day.

“Are you nervous?” Loki asked softly.

“A little. I’m kinda worried I’ll drop something.” Claire admitted. Loki’s gaze softened as he squeezed her hand.

“It will be alright,” he promised. “There is nothing you could do that would bring more shame on me that I haven’t done myself.” Claire’s heart dropped and she clasped his hand tighter.

“Loki-”

“I must go. Enjoy your day, my lady.”

“See you tonight?” Claire asked softly. Loki seemed surprised by her question, his eyes going wide as his dark brows shot up. The corners of his mouth turned up after a beat, and Claire swore she saw the tips of his ears turn pink. He nodded, dropping her hand before walking out of the throne room.

~~~~

Claire waited on pins and needles for Loki to arrive. She’d already added more notes to her folder and hidden it away again. She’d had a busy day of lessons and espionage, having broken into Fandral’s quarters earlier in the afternoon while everyone was at tea.

When she’d been dismissed from her last lesson early...the opportunity couldn’t have been better if she’d engineered it herself. It had been ridiculously easy to get access to Fandral’s apartment. Not one person had questioned why she was there- they’d simply said he was out and would return soon, did she want to wait?

Yes, yes she did! But she was so thirsty, could someone bring her a drink?

Fandral’s chamber maid had practically fallen over herself to fulfill the future princess’ request, leaving Claire alone in Fandral’s apartment without a second thought.

Once alone, Claire had found Fandral’s ‘love nest’, as he called it, and got to work. The itching powder had found new lodgings in his trousers and undergarments, though Claire did her best to avoid touching them too much. Who knew what Fandral got up to; she was not about to catch space cooties over a prank. All Claire knew was that he’d systematically fucked his way through her staff, and only Ragna had yet to fall prey to his advances.

She didn’t fault her staff- far from it. If both parties consented, Claire couldn’t give a fuck what people got up to. It was Fandral’s gloating that she hated. His chest seemed to puff up more with each conquest, and he’d strut about the palace like a proud rooster.

That will take him down a peg or two. Claire cackled to herself as she slipped back out of Fandral’s apartment. She did feel a slight twinge of guilt for misleading his chamber maid, but as luck would have it, she’d crossed her path as she was leaving.

“Oh! Your Majesty!” the woman had curtsied. “Your drink-?”

“I’ve got to go, unfortunately- can’t say no to the queen! But why don’t you take some time for yourself and enjoy it?” Claire suggested. “In fact, I’ve left a surprise in your master’s chambers. I’d hate to spoil it for him, so don’t say anything to him, will you please?”

Claire had made off without waiting for the woman to respond, blending seamlessly into the crowd outside the council chambers only to be confronted by Yrsa.

She and the other young ladies of court had descended on Claire like a pack of wolves, the ever-present sour look on Yrsa’s face making her look constipated.

“Dear me, Lady Claire, where is your escort?” Yrsa asked with false concern.

“I don’t need an escort to walk down the hall.”

“You really ought to be more careful.” Yrsa chided from behind her fan.

“Excuse me?”

“I only mean that there are already rumors about you,” Yrsa gave her a simpering smile. “About your virtue...or perhaps lack of it.”

“Are you trying to threaten me, Yrsa?” Claire asked. “You think I care what people have to say about me?”

“I simply wish to give advice-”

“Because I don't really care what any of you think about me. So let me give you some advice-if you're going to threaten someone, make sure you have leverage.” the other young ladies behind Yrsa had broken into frenzied whispers behind their fans, the gleeful promise of scandal written on their faces. Yrsa closed her fan with a snap

“It's beyond fathoming that the Allfather would wed his son to a diseased whore-”

“It hurts, doesn't it? Being second rate to a diseased whore like me.” Claire grinned as Yrsa's face turned splotchy red with anger.

“How dare you-”

“Careful Yrsa,” Claire replied flatly. “I could break you in half and not blink twice.”

Now, as Claire waited for Loki to make his nightly appearance, she wondered if she’d overstepped. Obviously she wanted to curb stomp Yrsa into the dirt, but she probably shouldn’t have been so obvious about it.

A knock on her door pulled her from her thoughts, and Claire rushed to answer it. As expected, the now familiar maid stood outside beside Gunnar, bearing the usual tray. Claire let her inside, waving to Gunnar as she closed the door.

“You are entirely too familiar with your guard.” Loki muttered as he set the tray on the table.

“Oh stop it,” Claire rolled her eyes as she sat beside him on the couch. Loki had stopped asking permission to sit, which she took as a sign of their growing intimacy. “Gunnar’s nice.”

“Is he now?”

“Yes, he is. Is that really what you want to talk about tonight?” Claire asked sharply. Loki grunted, sinking back into the couch cushions.

“No. I’d rather ask how princess lessons are going.” Loki knocked his knee against hers.

“They’re fine, I guess. I still hate sewing,” Claire replied as she turned to face him. “Hey, what was all the hubbub in the council meeting today? I stopped by but there was a huge crowd.”

“There was a rather heated debate today; I imagine that is why. We were discussing a new tax policy that would increase taxes on our poorest citizens.”

“That seems counter intuitive.”

“You would think so, wouldn’t you? But of course, many of the council members are short-sighted and see only what they want to see. They didn’t enjoy being told that their idea was stupid.”

“Is that why everyone was so upset?”

“I imagine,” Loki grinned. “I told you there isn’t much you can do to shame me that I haven’t already done myself,” Claire felt like there was more to it than that- people here didn’t just dislike Loki, they hated him. What Claire couldn’t figure out was why. Sure the guy had done some bad things and he was the kind of the kind of person others loved to hate, but there was something else. Something she wasn’t seeing. “Shall we review your lessons?” he asked, unveiling the snacks he’d brought along with him. A bowl of almonds, pillowy rolls and fluffy butter, and decadent candied fruit that glistened in the flickering light from the fire. Claire reached for a handful of almonds, but Loki pulled the treats just out of reach.

“Hey, what gives?”

“If you want a snack, you will answer my questions correctly,” Loki proposed, grinning when Claire scoffed. “First question...”

They passed several hours together, Loki rewarding her with the succulent treats each time she answered him correctly. When Loki was satisfied, they fell into easy conversation, discussing philosophy, and their hobbies.

Claire had just polished off the last of the candied fruit when Loki sighed and sat up.

“I should go. You need to rest.”

“I’m not tired.” Claire said stubbornly.

“You say that now, but you will likely think different in the morning,” Loki chuckled as he got to his feet. Claire stood up with him, wishing he didn’t have to go. Loki smiled at her, his thumb coming up to wipe her bottom lip clean. He brought the digit to his mouth to suck it clean, spurring a blaze of heat between her thighs. “Sleep well.” his gaze lingered on her lips for a heated moment, before a wave of green enveloped him and the maid stood in his place. She left without another word, leaving Claire alone to her frustration.

Five days until the wedding

Claire slipped out of the palace into the cool morning air, dodging the guards and making for the marketplace. The sun was just beginning to rise and the market was blissfully empty, so Claire was free to run as long and hard as she wanted.

She did a full circuit of the market and was just turning back toward the palace when she rounded a corner and hit a brick wall.

“Ow, son of a bitch!” Claire cried as she landed on the hard ground.

“I beg your pardon?” A familiar voice scoffed above her. Of course.

“Just an expression,” she groaned, taking the hand her offered and getting to her feet. She massaged her throbbing shoulder with her left hand, wincing as the pain radiated down her arm. “Sorry for running into you.”

“It's no matter,” Loki said. “Are you hurt?”

“Just scraped up, I think. Why are you up so early?”

“I wanted some peace and quiet,” Loki said pointedly. “Why are you up so early? Where in Hel’s name is your escort?”

“Somewhere inside the palace I'd imagine.”

“You shouldn't be alone-”

“Dude it's fine I can handle myself.” Claire said sharply as she began to dust off her leggings.

“Clearly,” Loki rolled his eyes, his next question dying on his tongue as she brushed off the seat of her tight pants. “What are you wearing?” He managed to ask as his eyes trailed after the motion of her hand along the contours of her backside. The material was so tight it was indecent, molded to her sculpted thighs and rump like a second skin.

“Um...leggings?” Claire replied.

“Are these...” Loki seemed to fumble for his words. “Are these typical garb on Midgard?”

“For some. They're flexible and breathe well. And they're soft. Wanna feel?” Claire couldn't help but tease the man, well aware he'd been staring at her ass. His eyes darted up to hers, the sheer desire in his gaze slamming into her.

“I shouldn't,” his hands fisting at his sides even as he denied himself. He gave her another heated once over, making her pussy clench. Claire knew the leggings were tight, and absently wondered if Loki could see the effect he had on her. “We should- we should find your escort and get you to the healer.”

“So responsible,” Claire tsked, shaking her head. “Okay, your loss.”

“We are less than a week away from our nuptials, my lady, I think I shall survive,” Loki didn't sound as convinced as he wanted to. Claire eyed him skeptically, seeing right through him. “Who gave you permission to be out this early?”

“No one said I couldn't be,” Claire shrugged. “I wanted to go for a run, so I did.”

“Indeed,” Loki hummed in amusement. “Off with you,” he jutted his chin toward the palace. “I will follow behind to make sure you find your escort.”

“You just want to stare at my ass.” Claire argued, making him laugh.

“Perhaps,” Loki’s tongue darted out to moisten his lower lip as his gaze traveled down her body. Gods, how supple would her flesh be if he reached out to touch her? He met her eyes at last, finding her watching him expectantly. “Do you object?” Claire shook her head.

“No, no, just pointing it out,” she grinned, turning toward the palace to walk back. “Look all you want.” Gods, the view was even better from behind. The material favored her exceptionally, so much so that he could watch every delectable inch of skin and sinew move as she walked ahead of him. The early morning sun caught on her hair, pairing with the mist to give her an ethereal glow. With each stride her hair bounced, the strands falling just past her shoulders and occasionally allowing him to see the muscles in her athletic frame. Loki was not used to seeing defined muscles on a woman’s body- most women he’d met were soft and strong (except for Sif, who he had never found attractive)- but he was quickly learning he enjoyed it. She was going to be the death of him.

Loki cursed as he tripped over a loose rock and briefly lost his footing.

“Doing okay back there?” Claire glanced back knowingly.

“I’m fine.” Based on the laughter Loki could hear from ahead, he did not sound convincing.

Just as he’d suspected, Claire’s frantic chamber maid awaited them at the gate. Loki watched Claire and her maid disappear into the palace before he stepped inside himself, going a different direction from them to his chambers. It was the smart thing to do, he told himself, but it was the opposite of what he wanted.

It was torture, quite frankly, and her absence only aggravated him more. Loki was loathe to reduce Claire to a sexual object, as he’d been taught far better; but it was proving difficult. Annoying she may be, but his future wife was a point of fascination he wanted to explore exhaustively. His cock throbbed angrily in agreement, and Loki’s scowl deepened. He was so looking forward to a form of release that didn’t involve his hand- his head swam with visions of Claire in those leggings. The delectable, pert roundness of her backside, the thick muscles of her thighs that practically begged for the squeeze of his hands.

Gods, he’d never seen such a garment. How is it possible she could be completely covered and yet so obscenely bare? Loki stalked into his chambers, angrily making his way to his bed as he stripped off his clothes.

He regretted not taking her up on her offer to feel. He had seen the curves of her figure, seen glimpses of her build, felt the pressure of her thighs against his. He wanted more. He should have taken the chance when offered it.

A choked groan escaped him as his fingers wrapped around his cock. Red and angry, the heated flesh demanded satisfaction; the throb of desire already setting him ablaze from within.

His thumb circled the head of his cock, making him hiss. Already he could imagine Claire on her knees for him, her hands bracing on the meat of his thighs as she lavished his cock with attention. Would she be playful, driving him mad with kitten licks until he begged for mercy? Or would she take him in his entirety, wrapping him between those enchanting lips of hers? Gods, he could practically feel the heat of her mouth now.

He worked himself faster as he thought of her naked and waiting. What sounds would she make as he licked her open? Would she beg him for release? Cry out as he slipped inside her velvety walls? He couldn’t wait to make her fall apart; to feel her nails dig into his flesh as he finally marked her as his.

Loki gave a shout as he spilled his seed, the pleasure driving him to his knees. His fingers clawed the lavish bed covers as he slowed the pumping of his hand, drawing out his pleasure. He tightened his grip, spilling the last drops of his seed with a final groan.

His legs felt weak as he tried to stand. Loki forced himself up, getting rid of the mess he’d made with his seidr before retrieving clean clothes from his armoire. Loki freshened up, dressing in the clean clothes and setting the soiled ones aside.

With his head finally clear- well...clearer- Loki sought out his mother.

~~~~

“Loki!” Frigga brightened as he stalked into her sun room, full of her handmaidens as well as some of the crones who chaperoned his and Claire’s excursions. “I did not expect to see you today. How do you fare?”

“Fine,” he said shortly. “May I have a moment please?”

“Leave us,” Frigga said immediately, waiting for the room to clear before she got to her feet and went to him. “What is it?”

“She is driving me mad.” Loki sank into a freshly-vacant chair with all the heaviness of the world upon him.

“I thought you were getting along quite well.”

“It is not that,” Loki shook his head. “I cannot stop thinking about her.”

“Oh, darling, is that all?” Frigga burst into a peal of laughter. “That is a good thing!” Loki groaned, his head falling into his hands as Frigga patted his shoulder consolingly. “Be patient, my darling. Your wedding day will be here before you know it.”

“If I don’t lose my mind first,” Loki groused from behind his hands. “Moreso than I already have.”

“Would it please you to know your bride shares your frustration?” Loki looked at her between his fingers.

“She does?” he asked skeptically.

“Is it so hard to believe?” Frigga chuckled. “You are handsome, intelligent-”

“Damaged,” Loki grimaced. “A stain upon this family.”

“That is simply not true.” Loki shot to his feet in anger.

“It is what Fath- Odin said. I am but an albatross about the neck of Asgard.”

“It is true that your strengths do not lie in the same realms as Odin or Thor, but that does not make your strengths any lesser,” Frigga said gently. “Both you and Claire will be vital to guiding Asgard into the future.” Loki looked up in surprise, confusion clear on his face.

“What do you mean? How could that possibly be true?” he scoffed. “Have you foreseen this?”

“Loki-”

“Have you?”

“I have,” Frigga relented. “I saw it the day she arrived,” she glanced down, a secretive smile gracing her features. “But I shall say no more,” she wrapped Loki’s arm around hers, giving a gentle tug. “Instead, you shall escort me to an early tea, and I shall distract you by telling you about my courtship with your father.”

“Ugh, Mother-” Loki groaned as she pulled him from the room.

~~~~

Claire returned from her run sweaty and ready for a bath. After assuring Ragna for the tenth time that she was fine, the woman scurried away to get a breakfast tray for Claire.

From her bedroom she grabbed fresh clothes and a pair of satin panties. Her run in with Loki had left her shivery in the best way. She’d felt his eyes on her the entire way back.

He wanted her.

She could still feel the heat of his gaze as she put her fresh clothes down, trailing her fingers over her clothes to heighten the shivery sparks coursing through her. Her clit throbbed with need, drawing a whimper from deep in her throat.

There was no way she could function like this.

Claire returned to her bedroom, grabbing her favorite toy from deep in her personal bag. She took care to lock the bathroom door behind her; she didn’t fancy anyone walking in.

She started the water, stripping off her soiled clothes as the tub filled with steaming water. Claire put her toy within reach before stepping into the water. She freshened up quickly, her fingers dipping below her navel to circle her clit as she leaned her head back against the stone ledge. She imagined it was Loki’s fingers exploring her body, taking her lower lip between her teeth as she whimpered. Her fingers moved lower, teasing her entrance before she worked them inside to stroke her G-spot.

Pleasure surged throughout her body as her sex grew plump with desire. Claire panted as she brought her feet up to the stone bench she sat on, one hand working her clit as her other grabbed the toy and brought it under the water.

It was basic, as far as dildos went. Basic, but realistic, and reliable. It always got the job done, the veins stroking her inner walls just right as it filled her perfectly. Claire wondered if Loki’s cock would be just as satisfying as she circled her entrance with the tip. She worked it in slowly, her legs trembling with each thrust. Her other hand worked in tandem on her clit, stroking in sync with each shallow thrust of the dildo.

Claire moaned aloud as she thrust the dildo deep inside her, her hips canting as she sought more friction. She couldn’t help but imagine Loki between her thighs, crying out as her walls clenched around the dildo. She pressed her clit harder, stroking roughly as she began fucking herself in earnest.

Tension was building in her hips, the familiar pull in her belly growing stronger. She wanted it to be Loki fucking her senseless and in a matter of days, it would be. God, she wanted his hands on her, his mouth, his cock driving her over the edge as he pounded her into the bed-

Claire barely contained the strangled cry her orgasm forced from her. Her fingers worked her clit frantically, her hips bucking into the dildo as she spasmed, working the last vestiges of pleasure from her body.

“Fuck,” she pulled the dildo free, sighing with the flare of pleasure. She set the toy on the ledge, stretching out in the hot water. Her eyes slipped closed as she relaxed. Not long after she’d sunk deeper into the water, she heard Ragna’s voice outside the bathroom and a moment later she was knocking on the door. “I’ll be right out!” she called.

~~~~

After barely having time to eat her breakfast, Claire rushed to meet with her instructors, filling her morning with mind-numbing drills. She was released around noon, and made her way to the stables after lunch. She was getting better at riding, and as no one had come to collect her for a fitting or a lesson or a scolding when she’d returned her horse to the stable, she decided to use the rest of the afternoon to visit the training yard. Sif’s invitation was too good to pass up, and Claire could use some exercise.

~~~~

Claire's eyes went comically wide as she spotted Loki across the training yard. She’d been sparring with Sif for at least an hour now, and hadn’t expected to see him there.

“Fuck me.” She muttered under her breath. He had no right being so- so...HOT.

“It is hot today.” Sif observed as she fanned herself.

“Tell me about it.” Claire's throat was dry as the Sahara as she eyed her future husband. Apparently he'd had the same complaint as Sif, having shed his standard leather uniform and parading about shirtless. His long hair was gathered in a bun, and stray tendrils swayed with him as he moved to strike his opponent. Claire's fingers dug into the staff she carried as her eyes trailed over the defined lines of muscle laid out in front of her like a feast. Defined shoulders tapered into luscious biceps and veined forearms, his skin dappled with sweat that made him glisten in the afternoon sunlight. He probably smelled amazing. Hot. Sticky. Lickable.

God damn it, he was a cinnamon bun.

It was just plain rude of him to be walking around all nonchalant when he looked that good. The sculpted muscles of his back were smooth and supple like marble, flexing beautifully under his skin as he moved. Up until now, she hadn't much considered what Loki liked like under all the leather. Okay that was a lie, but she hadn't really thought about it in terms of sex. They were going to get married and have babies, and she found him attractive enough not to complain (too much). As they'd gotten to know each other better, she'd learned of his reserved nature and his bookish ways. The man was a nerd.

A very hot nerd, but a nerd all the same.

But this? How was she supposed to look him in the eye knowing he looked like this underneath all the metal and yummy leather?!

Shamelessly, of course. She couldn't let him get the upper hand, and he'd probably never stop gloating if he knew how he affected her. But still. It was positively-

“Indecent.” She sighed.

“Lady Claire.”

“Huh-what?”

“Do you need a minute?” Sif asked teasingly as she followed her gaze to Loki.

“No! Shut up.” Sif snickered as she looked back at Loki, but Claire ignored her as Loki and his sparring partner began fighting their way toward where Claire and Sif stood. Others in the training yard moved aside as the pair made their way across the field. Loki faced her now and good grief, the heat was suddenly unbearable. His back half was a sight to behold, but good lord his chest...Claire wanted to faceplant in his pecs. She watched his obliques flex and bunch as he chased his opponent with fluid movements, his eyes locked on the poor man like a hunter watches his prey.

Claire wanted to be the prey in his gaze. She wanted to sit on those strong thighs and sink her teeth in the thick cords of muscle at his neck. She wanted to trace the lines of his adonis belt with her tongue until he writhed with need. Maybe he'd beg. The man was thick, like a triple stacked burger and Claire suddenly felt starved.

“Fucking hell I wanna bite him.”

“Um-” Sif stepped away from her as she groaned with want. “Do you want me to leave?”

“No! I mean- I don’t know.”

“Perhaps you should go. You're supposed to meet the seamstress soon I think.” Sif had stepped in as Claire’s maid-of-honor. Who else was she going to ask? Sif was her closest friend here.

“It can wait.” Claire could think of a much better use of her time.

“What are you doing?” Sif asked in a bored tone as Claire gripped her staff tightly.

“I'm gonna fight him.”

“Lady Claire don't-” Claire had already made up her mind, side-stepping into the bout just as Loki's opponent passed her. She stepped in fluidly, fending off Loki's attacks and catching him off guard. His face blanched in confusion, as he wasn't expecting to see her until later. He grabbed her staff to stop the onslaught, stopping her short.

“Aren't you supposed to be somewhere else?” he grinned. From this close, Claire could see the wisps of hair on his chest.

“This looked more fun.” Claire shrugged, hooking her foot around his leg and sending him off balance. She let go of the staff and shoved at him, palming the defined muscles of his chest and knocking him to the ground.

“I'm impressed. You're fast,” He swiped her legs out from beneath her, sending her sprawling into the dirt beside him. “Not fast enough, it seems.”

“I'm plenty fast.” Claire insisted.

“By all means,” he chuckled. “Prove it.”

“You might regret that.” Claire warned as he helped her to her feet. She was smart, Loki thought, not to take her eyes off him. Her staff forgotten on the ground, she struck out first, aiming a punch at his rib cage which he blocked open-handed.

Claire aimed a kick at his torso but he caught her ankle in his hand, attempting to throw her off balance. Claire pivoted and aimed at his head with her other leg, spinning over his head when he ducked. She landed in the dirt, shooting up with a speed that impressed him before she attempted another punch. He batted it away easily, giving her an opening. Before Loki knew it, she’d all but climbed him like a tree and hooked her thighs around his neck. He hit the ground hard while she landed lightly on her feet.

Spry little thing.

Loki snatched her foot, sending her sprawling as he pinned her hands to the ground. Her hands fought uselessly against his strong hold and she growled as she realized she was trapped.

Claire refused to admit she enjoyed his weight pinning her down. Their short bout had drawn a crowd, eager to see the younger prince and the future princess battle it out. Loki loomed over her, his weight keeping her on the ground.

“Do you yield?” The smug bastard had the nerve to smile at her!

“You'd like that, wouldn't you?” Loki laughed at her indignant tone which just infuriated her more. To add insult to injury, she’d been right- he smelled amazing. He smelled like earth and the tang of sweat.

“Nothing would please me more.”

“Fine, but I expect a rematch.”

“You are a menace,” Loki scoffed. “Very well, you shall have it.” He released her from his grip, chuckling at the annoyed look on her face.

“Well this was...fun,” Claire blew her hair out of her face as she tried to tame it. “I should probably go. I was supposed see the seamstress for my final fitting.”

“And you decided to spar with me instead?” Loki chuckled, jutting his chin toward the waiting Sif. “Off with you, menace.” Claire snickered, fingers combing through her wild hair still.

“See you later, mischief.” Loki watched her leave, still surprised by the skill she’d shown.

~~~~

There were no lessons tonight, but Loki showed up anyway. It had become so ingrained in her daily routine that Claire missed him when he didn’t make an appearance.

“I've had an idea.” Loki announced as they settled on her couch.

“What's that?”

“As you are so new to Asgard, I should give you a tour of your new home.”

“I've had a tour, Loki. Several of them.”

“Ah, yes, the boring, curated, stifled tours my mother has put together,” Loki rolled his eyes. “I meant after dark,” he grinned wolfishly. “No doubt my mother would have sequestered you from our nightlife.”

“That's true. I suppose it's too dangerous for little ol' me to handle,” Claire rolled her eyes. “I hate that people treat me like I'm made of glass.”

“Do you trust me?” Loki asked, eyeing her expectantly. The midnight breeze wafted seductively through the open balcony doors, calling them like a siren out into the night. Claire was itching for adventure, to see the real Asgard. She trusted Loki to show it to her.

“Yes.” His face split into a beautiful smile and he offered his hand.

“Come, the night awaits.”

Loki led her down deserted, cramped hallways and out into the dark night through a back door which he explained was only used by the staff. Together they traveled the dimly lit streets toward the sounds of merrymaking, passing by multiple mounds of fabric that Claire only recognized from her time on Earth. Claire had been so wrapped up in her own experience in Asgard, she hadn’t given much thought to the people she’d seen on her way to the palace.

“There is a houseless population here?” Claire asked heavily, her guilt for only thinking of herself growing with each step.

“There are a number of displaced persons in Asgard,” Loki replied. “They are called hjemløs here, someone without a home.”

“And no one helps them?”

“How would one help them?” Loki asked. “It is a very complex problem.” He led her down a dark street. The noise was louder now, and Claire could see the fringe of a crowd of people in the distance.

“It’s complicated at home too. I always wished I could do something about it,” They’d grown closer to the crowd, and Claire could almost read the merchant sign above the throng of drunks. “Wait,” Claire stopped Loki with a hand on his arm. “Won't we be recognized?” He would be for sure.

“You underestimate me, little mortal. We look the same to each other, but everyone else will see a glamour. Our secret is safe.”

“Wicked. Okay, let's go.” The tavern was the noisiest place she'd been since her arrival in Asgard, with people crowded in to the rafters. Boisterous laughter and rowdy conversations came from all sides, oddly enough making Claire feel at home. She was used to this kind of environment back on Earth. It amused her that people seemed to be the same wherever you went.

“The mead here is excellent. Unfortunately they don't serve the wine you're so fond of.” Loki teased, chuckling when Claire groaned. Pressed close together as they were, Claire felt his laughter more than she heard it, the rich sound lost in the sea of noise.

“Ugh, don't say wine.” Claire groaned. She hadn't imbibed nearly as much of the delicious drink since her first night in Asgard. While she wasn’t exactly embarrassed, the headache wasn’t quite worth the overindulgence.

“Wine,” Loki cackled, laughing harder when Claire gave him a shove. His shoulder collided with another patron, the hulking man roaring with outrage as he turned to glare at Loki. Good grief, the man was like two Thors put together. Claire regretted only bringing the one knife. “Apologies,” Loki said smoothly. “My mistake.” The man said something Claire didn't understand, making himself look bigger. A flash of green clouded the mans face, and he blinked in confusion before speaking softly and moving aside so she and Loki could pass.

“What did you do?” Claire asked as Loki pulled her along. “Did you Obliviate him?”

“Did I what?” Loki asked. “I simply persuaded him to let us pass.”

“Yeah okay,” Claire scoffed. “But really-”

“We are not here to start a brawl,” Loki replied as he secured them a table, holding one of the chairs out for her. As she settled into it, he loomed close enough for her to hear him clearly. “I thought this would be a good way for us to get to know each other, and we can't very well do that if we are busy fighting the entire tavern.”

“I think we could take 'em,” Claire grinned as Loki pushed in her chair. “Thank you.” She said as he took the seat beside hers.

“Of course,” Loki replied as a barmaid approached. “Two meads please,” he said, pulling a small scroll of parchment from somewhere. “Now then-”

“Wait, did you actually bring a written list of things you wanted to ask me?” Claire asked as she spied the scribbling on the paper.

“It helps to organize my thoughts.”

“That's adorable,” Claire giggled. “What do you want to know?” Loki leaned closer as he flattened the paper and Claire was amused by the eager look on his face, as though he were a scientist interrogating a new discovery.

“I wish to know what has happened on Midgard whilst I’ve been imprisoned. Who is your current world leader? What meager squabbles are your nations fighting about now? What-”

“Hang on, dude, take a breath,” Claire snickered. “We don’t have a ‘world leader’- every country has their own leaders, though I’m sure the president of my country would like to think he’s the world leader, but really he’s just an asshat.”

“Is he not a good leader?”

“Good?!” Claire laughed raucously. “I’m sorry it’s just-” another peal of laughter escaped her as Loki looked on with concern. Claire cleared her throat and took a drank of her mead. “No, he is not a good leader.” she wiped the moisture from the corner of her eye, her laughter still fading.

“Yet he is...in charge?”

“Unfortunately,” Claire said bitterly. “I’ll never understand how someone like him won. He’s the worst kind of person imaginable.”

“How so?” Loki asked.

“Oh god, where to start,” Claire snorted. “He’s arrogant, sexist, racist, he makes fun of people who are disabled, poor, not white. He’s been accused of rape by multiple women and he brags about it,” she snarled. “He spends more time golfing than actually working- oh god, he hasn’t been invited to the wedding, has he?”

“Most likely,” Loki muttered. “Many of your worlds leaders have been.”

“Oh no,” Claire sighed. “If anyone is likely to start a war between Earth and Asgard, it would be him. Can we un-invite him?

“Not without causing an incident,” Loki bristled. “Though with what you’ve just said…” he shook his head. “His leadership-” Claire gave a sarcastic laugh.

“His idea of leadership is spending enough money to end homelessness in the country on a military parade for himself,” she said scornfully. “He’s never even been in the military.” Loki’s brows furrowed as he considered her words, gesturing for two more pints of mead as the server passed by.

“How is this allowed?”

“He’s a giant man baby; what he wants, he gets. He really is a piece of shit.”

“Odin’s beard,” Loki muttered. “I would have been a better ruler than this buffoon.”

“Is that so?” Claire chuckled. “It wouldn’t be difficult; you at least have brains.”

“Indeed I do,” Loki mused. “What of his policies?”

“Do you really want to sit here and talk politics?” Claire asked as they received another round of mead. “Or do you want to ask me more personal questions off your nerdy little list?”

“Rude,” Loki scoffed. Claire giggled at the affronted face he made. “Do not mock my list.”

“Just ask your questions!” Claire laughed.

“Alright, alright,” Loki’s eyes scanned the list, curiosity sparking in his eyes as he made his choice. “If you could do anything with your life, what would it be?”

“Isn’t this kind of a moot question?”

“You said-”

“Yeah, but I can’t do anything with my life but this,” Claire argued. “Isn’t is kind of...I don’t know, sad, to think about doing something else?” Something flickered in Loki’s expression and he glanced down at the table between them.

“Shall I tell you what I would do?”

“If you weren’t a prince?” Loki nodded. “What?”

“I would teach.” That was not what Claire would have guessed. She didn’t really know what she would have guessed if forced.

“What would you teach?”

“Anything. Everything,” Loki shrugged. “Knowledge is so vital, for all aspects of life. A good education can make all the difference in one’s life. But more than that, a teacher is someone who is valued, who is trusted, is essential,” he said passionately. “There is no field, no pursuit that is not touched by education. To teach is to shape the future-”

Hearing Loki speak so passionately was endearing. The depth of his conviction was obvious and charming. It was clear that Loki had bonded with a former teacher, and it was nice to know that was a universal experience.

“I’ve said too much.” Loki’s voice brought her back, and Claire felt guilty for getting lost in her thoughts instead of listening.

“No, not at all,” Claire shook her head. “I think it’s amazing how passionate you are about it. I can’t really say I feel that passionate about anything except-” she blanched at the thought of her mother.

“Except?” Loki prompted. Claire wanted to answer, she wanted to return his openness, but she swallowed the words instead. The wound was too deep, too tender to risk sharing. “My hope for this venture was that we could be more open with one another,” Though he spoke gently, disappointment colored Loki’s words and Claire felt horrible. It was obvious he was trying, and that’s what she’d asked for.

“I’m sorry. I want to share, it’s just...it’s very painful still, and I don’t like talking about it.” Loki regarded her coolly, a slight frown wrinkling the corners of his mouth.

“I can respect that. I hope that someday you will trust me with whatever it is. I shall have mercy on you,” he relented. “If you answer a different question.”

“Alright, fine.” Loki’s long fingers drummed on the tabletop as he perused his list for something to ask. Claire could practically see the gears turning in his head.

“This...Mateo you mentioned in the market...did you love him?”

“What? Pass,” Claire scoffed, laughing at the abrupt change of topic. “Why do you ask?”

“I am curious and wish to learn more about you,” Loki explained. “May I continue?”

“No way!” Claire laughed. “If you want answers, you'd better be giving some of your own. Quid pro quo, Clarice.” she did her best Hannibal Lecter impression, complete with the sound effect.

“Are you ill?” Loki asked with concern.

“What? No, I'm- never mind, the reference isn't something you'd know.”

“Try me.”

“Okay, ever seen Silence of the Lambs?”

“No.”

“That's where it's from.”

“Is this a novel?”

“It's based on a book, but they made a movie in the 90s. Clarice is one of the characters, and one of the reasons I wanted to be an investigator.” Claire explained.

“You enjoy puzzles,” Loki surmised. “The challenge of solving something.”

“Very much,” Claire grinned, grateful they seemed to be connecting again. “So do you do this often?” she asked.

“Escape the palace, you mean? Pretend to be someone else?”

“Yeah.”

“In my youth I did it often. Obviously I've not been able to in a long time.”

“Obviously.”

“It is a balm, to escape. To forget.”

“Yeah, I get that.” Claire said softly. She let her eyes drift around the tavern, settling on a group of men wielding axes. There were multiple racks of axes and targets at the end of long lanes.

“Have you ever thrown axes before?” Loki asked. “Would you like to play?”

“Hell yes.” Loki led her over to the farthest lane, away from the crowd of men. Loki pulled two axes from a rack.

“It's similar to archery. Highest points are for hitting the bullseye, lower points for other parts of the target,” He tapped at the numeric symbols on the target before deftly turning one of the axes so the handle faced her. “Ladies first.” Claire took the axe and stood at the throwing line on the floor, hefting the axe to aim.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Yes, and you may ask another,” Loki quipped playfully, grinning when Claire turned away from the target to glare at him. “What is your question?”

“What is Njord’s deal?” Claire let the axe fly, striking just shy of center. “Clearly he’s a dick, but I can’t figure out why. Does he hate me because I’m human, because I’m a woman, because I’m poor, or all of the above?” she asked as she returned to the table. Loki drank deeply from his mead before moving toward the throwing line.

“Njord is a pompous windbag,” Loki muttered darkly, eyeing the target. “He thinks himself above everyone but the Allfather-” he grunted as he threw the axe, the blade hitting dead center with a satisfying thunk. “-And even that is debatable.”

“Yeah I don't like him,” Claire shook her head as Loki returned to their table. “He came by my apartment to yell at me after- after the glitter incident.” Loki snorted into his drink, choking on his laughter before sobering.

“He did what?”

“Well not yell, but to tell me I'm a disappointment and I'm making him look bad.”

“He should not have done that,” Loki scowled. “He has no right to speak to you that way.”

“That's what I said! I told him he dragged me here and he had to deal with it. I also called him a troll.”

“You did not.” Loki balked, a mischievous grin pulling at his lips.

“Yes I did,” Claire cackled. “Serves him right, the fucker.”

“Did he truly drag you here?” Loki looked unsettled by the idea.

“Not really, it was a figure of speech more than anything,” Claire replied. “I tried to stay out of it, but apparently I was the first choice and he rejected everyone else, so...here I am.”

“Why did you agree?” Loki asked. “For all his pomposity, Njord would have listened if you had said no.”

“Lots of reasons,” Claire shrugged, feeling as though Loki was looking at her under a microscope. “Just sitting in the negotiations I knew whoever came here would have to be willing to advocate for themselves. I have no problem with that. And as much as it makes me want to vomit, I couldn't split up Thor and Jane. You don't have that kind of attachment.”

“I don't?” Claire's stomach dropped at the question.

“Do you?” Loki laughed at her dismayed expression. He came up behind her, his large hands on her hips angling her body toward the target.

“Stay your conscience, little mortal. The closest I've had to someone like you forsook me eons ago.” He was so close she could feel his breath on her neck

“Someone like me?”

“A wife. A significant other.” the deep gruff of his voice gave her goosebumps as he leaned close to speak in her ear.

“Oh.”

“I have always been expected to marry, remember?” he peered at her expectantly.

“Yes.” Loki pulled away, turning his glass in his hands. The muscle in his jaw ticked before he spoke, a haunted look stealing the mirth from his gaze.

“When I was younger, Odin decided it was time. He arranged the match much like he arranged ours, except the girl was a born Asgardian,” he said. “I protested at first but truthfully, it was an advantageous match. Her family was well-esteemed in the court, her father worked with mine so we knew he could be trusted, and she had an excellent upbringing and education.” He scored another bullseye, turning back to the table without celebrating.

“So what happened? If he wanted you married so badly, why am I here and not her?”

“Ah,” Loki chuckled wryly as her axe sank into the target. “I began my...” his long fingers drummed on the table as he searched for the correct wording. “Fall from grace. Yes, that shall suffice. I caused considerable damage on Midgard-”

“New York?”

“Before that.” Loki mumbled into his mead.

“Ah, New Mexico.” Claire replied. Loki nodded.

“When I was brought back to Asgard after New York and imprisoned, she declared she would not have me. As was her right.”

“Oh wow, that wasn't that long ago,” Claire murmured. “I'm sorry.”

“I am not,” Loki said. “She was not a good match except by Odin's metrics.”

“It was Yrsa, wasn't it?” Claire asked. Loki froze, fingers clasped too tightly around his glass.

“Why would you think so?”

“She's been a class A cunt to me ever since I got here. It's not much of a stretch. Did I guess right?”

“You did,” Loki replied airily. “Well done.”

“I see what you mean though,” Claire muttered. Loki said nothing, merely raising an eyebrow questioningly. “Of course she’s not a good match for you; she's a ninny. She’s scared of her own shadow.” Loki’s face split into a wide grin.

“Not like you,” he praised. “You’re quite brave. I daresay fearless.”

“I- was that a compliment?” Claire gaped at him in surprise. “For me?” she asked, laying a hand on her chest as though in shock.

“Do not get used to it,” Loki replied. “I was merely saying...”

“Go on,” Claire urged him. “Say it.”

“No,” Loki balked. “The moment I do, I fear your head shall inflate and thus cause you to be permanently affixed to the ground.”

“Um- excuse me; of the two of us, you are far more arrogant and therefore more likely to collapse under the weight of your own ego,” they both burst into drunken giggles. “My job is to keep you humble by humiliating you at axe throwing.”

“Among other things, I’m sure.”

“Eh, TBD,” Claire said as she threw her axe. The blade sank deep into the bullseye with a satisfying thunk. Claire grinned, eyeing her bullseye with pride. “Not bad for a waif who procures fish.”

“Indeed,” Loki grinned. He met her eyes in the low light of the tavern, and the tension between them skyrocketed. They’d been brushing against each other throughout the game, warmed by drink and each others company. Claire watched him intently, her sapphire eyes dipping from his eyes to his lips and back up. Loki swallowed, trying to tamper his growing desire. “I should return you to your chambers.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I must. You’re drunk.”

“So are you,” Claire argued petulantly, her hand clasping his forearm as she leaned closer. “Couldn’t we just...stay out and drink til dawn?” Her tone suggested she wasn’t talking about drinking.

“And have the entire palace out searching for us?” Loki asked. “I had no idea you had such a lust for danger.”

“I’m an adrenaline junkie through and through,” Claire teased. “I love anything dangerous.” Loki smiled fondly, breaking their heated gaze before he threw caution to the wind.

“I shall keep that in mind for the future.”

[tozettastone]

i would like the lore review :3c

Sure. Note to readers: the following contains some spoilers for the 2021 YA novel by Alexandra Bracken, "Lore." It's also pretty critical (because as I mentioned in my previous comment: my review of Lore is that you should read Tithe instead), so if you're not feeling like reading a moderately negative review, give this one a miss.

--

"Lore," is a young adult mythologically-inspired fantasy novel set in modern New York City. It has an interesting central idea. In short, a bunch of major gods of the Greek pantheon offended against their leader and were cast down to be mortal for a week out of every 7 years, during which time killing them could pass their god-powers on to whichever mortal struck the killing blow. The gods are hunted by families who descend from ancient heroes, like Perseus or Heracles. This week long time of hunting is called the "Agon." It's a little convoluted but it's pretty fun, right?

The story centres on a young woman named Lore who fled this hidden magical underworld. Her god-hunting family, experiencing reduced circumstances due to internecine politics, were all murdered during the Agon, and then she lived with her mother's extended family who treated her poorly. At the beginning of the next Agon, she is drawn back into the fray via a message from her childhood friend, Castor.

Lore receives this message when Castor finds her and fights her at an illegal fight club, which somehow genuinely has nothing to do with the events of the plot, and is never spoken of again. This will set the tone for the whole story.

So, the good stuff: the central concept is fun. The writing is technically proficient. The characters are pretty consistent. The central plot (although not the sub plots) takes some twists and turns and arrives at a completely coherent conclusion. The entire central idea of the Agon is resolved in a thematically coherent way.

My major criticism of this book — and it is a really major, structural thing — is that the novel attempts to tackle an enormous array of ideas, and does so poorly. It races around trying to take on all of them in a half-assed way, instead of committing to two or three central concepts with its whole buttocks. This book will pick up a thought or idea, run with it for a bit, and then forget it even occurred while it careens off towards another, equally ill-explored idea. This has its most profound and regrettable effect on characterisation, where we get incidents like:

illegal fight club irrelevant to the plot is never again mentioned by any character, or

entire story propped up by the trembling buttress of convenient amnesia that disappears in the epilogue, or

character learns that her whole family was murdered by a totally different person than she thought, which impacts the events of the plot, but appears to have minimal effect on her thoughts or feelings

These are not the only examples, they're just the ones that stand out to me at 1:22 AM on Saturday.

In general, my conclusion is that this book has a convoluted but fun central idea and the actual writing reads well, but it is shallow and confused by trying to do too much all at once. "Lore," would have read better to me if it had been a simpler (and shorter, bloody oath) story which cut half the subplots and weird character threads and instead focused on developing strong characters and a nuanced central thesis.

I'm going to end this with a speech from Athena, made on a topic that she never again mentions:

"No. That is she men have portrayed her [Medusa] as, through art, through tales," Athena said. "They imagined her hideous because they feared to meet the true gaze of a woman, to witness the powerful storm that lives inside, waiting. She was not defeated by my uncle's assault. She was merely reborn as a being who could gaze back at the world, unafraid."

Cheers, Athena.

[ovyy-pvcure]

I've been left under stimulated again so even though the post didn't reach enough notes I'll still post the writing critique but I won't tag it. @furudolove was too curious and I'm too attached to the itch of the compliant to leave it unaddressed.

Ok, so background: the protagonist of the work in question is isekai'd to a fantastical game-like world with 3 other randos who are of no significance to this post. Our protagonist meets someone who agrees to be his teammate since due to the rules and restrictions of the (game) world he's found himself in can't meaningfully do damage (and the prior person who held his position gave it a bad name by terrorizing the kingdom [for all that slavery they were doing] so he's hard up for options). This person then gets the protagonist drunk steals his stuff and makes...claims against him. Brushing quickly past how I feel about that development our protagonist is left penniless lacking in allies and basicially helpless until he's approached by a slaver and decides to buy a 10 year old girl to fight for him since slaves can't lie to their master...because of magicial shock tattoos. Because our protagonist has lost his faith in others unless he can magicially compel their obedience (I mean he takes the nice male slave owner at his word but whatever) and this is NOT my compliant. This is clearly set up to be the protagonist's flaws making decisions that he knows are wrong, but gives in to due to weakness.

Earlier I said the fantasy world our protagonist got transported to is game-like and the important parts for understanding where I'm going with this is: this world has explicit exp, levels, upgrading weapons oh and when the race of people that little girl is levels up they physically mature. Like a pokemon except it's a shivering malnourished child who's obidence is kept via constant threat of inescapable electric torture. Look, I agreed not to complain about the protagonist owning a slave thing on the face of it I'm not here to downplay it.

All that background out of the way and with the understanding that slavery is morally wrong and the protagonist's growth should be measured by his ability to place trust in people without needing to hold all of the power and the author does the worst thing possible for the narrative: textual justification of slavery in-universe. Specifically the existence of Slave Experience and The Slave Shield which both give notable consistent passive boons to uhhh...human property. This singular writing choice in my mind entirely undercuts any defence of the series as it serves to entrench both the protagonist and the fanbase to defend slavery.

This is not a hypothetical either there are many online discussions where fans of the series will point out that these boons are why the protagonist needs to keep his slaves, and keep feeding and being a positive face. To. Slavery. To the machine of the slave trade. Worse, it means the protagonist not only doesn't have to cooperate with other independent individuals but only on his group of literal slaves for which he's rewarded his growth as a person in the narrative be damned.

Slavery was either never going to be an issue the author wanted to tackle or it became the series' "gimmick" as a "dark subversive isekai" and got stapled to it forever and so it got justified. Celeberated. Benefical actually to the slaves who grow up overnight to be nubile women who the protagonist personally raised just how he wanted before marrying her in the end. Just be a Good Slave Owner and reap endless benefits as the world distorts to justify your obsessive controlling misanthropy lest the teenage boys projecting onto the protagonist think they need to grow the fuck up and trust another person.

[beevean]

I think people usually confuse delving into darker subjects in writing as the same thing as making a story more mature, when there's actually a difference between the two. You can introduce darker elements into a story, or have it shift to a darker tone. But it's not going to be effective if you don't have enough of an understanding of what makes what you're trying to tackle is so fucked up in the first place, or why the introduction of it is significant and carries so much weight. Without tackling it with finesse, it will come off as immature if anything, like a kid who just discovered curse words.

Every time IDW tries to do this it feels more like it's more for shock value. Another thing it seems to be falling into that over half of the pre-reboot run of the Archie comics did. But at least with Archie there was the spectacle of it having some of the most certifiably insane shit happen.

Friendly reminder that when Flynn got sick of the criticism against the way he wrote the moral dilemma in #50, he justified himself with "it's a children's fantasy, if you adult want something deeper go read something else".

Which says a lot about how much he cares about the stuff he wrote.

My man. No one forced you to write everyone getting pissed at Sonic for not killing Mr. Tinker and whether or not it would be justified to murder a man who doesn't remember his own war crimes. No one forced you to write gruesome scenes such as Vector trapping an infected woman TWD-style, or everything happening to Cream. No one forced you to come up with Surge and Kit and their horrifying nature of being brainwashed into being caricatures, with Surge being forced to feel homicidial hatred for someone he doesn't know and Kit being forced to be an extension of Surge herself. No one forced you to "explore" Sonic's supposed "principle" of giving everyone freedom. You want a dark story? Commit. Children cartoons have done it. Just to make one famous example, AtLA's whole backdrop revolves around exploring the consequences of war and imperialism.

Hell what about Sonic himself? The Storybook games? One with an abusive relationship, and the other brushing over the fear of death? They might not go very deep into these topics, but it doesn't come off as haphazard either!

The MV arc simply didn't matter in the long run! The only consequence of it is that Starline decided to show Eggman who's the better evil scientist by creating Surge and Kit, but there was zero need for all that drawn out angst. Cream herself is completely fine and happy after watching her mother die! Surge and Kit will come back in a few months so we'll see what happens with them, but the story barely explored their fucked up nature, and it only highlighted what a piece of shit IDW Sonic is by being so callous towards both of them. And by giving random angst to Surge via Starline hallucinations that, once again, did not matter at all - Stanley simply really wanted to draw Surge scared and crying.

It's amateurish. I have no other word for it.

[theanomily]

This is a Bloodline "live react", but also not really because I'm posting my initial thoughts as I read in maybe two goes, depending on the time I can allocate to reading.

Disclaimer: The book has been out for two and a bit years. I hate surprises. Consequently, I know stuff. Specifically, I know that:

Otto "dies" // the volcano explodes. These are somehow linked?

The Queen of Shadows is a Sinistre who... exists // Raven is Nero's daughter. Again, these are somehow linked? Sidenote: hive fantasy au where there's a Nero, furan and sinistre kingdom/royalty

There's a scene in which Nero is tied to a bed?? And I think Anastasia is there?? (*squirts Mr Walden with water*)

There's some Anna kid/super-robot. I assume she wants to kill everyone (mood). Sidenote: given how similar her name is to Anastasia's, there's probably some connection there.

Ms. Leon gets her body back. Her cat's name is Kali.

Pietor has a "lurking heart."

*

Chapter One:

OK, opening with a scene of Nero + brandy into a flashback sequence... very Overlord Protocol. Wonder if that was intentional and if the books may be linked.

Nero is younger than I thought. Much younger.

"There's a fine line between being devoted and pathetic." Oh, I love Elena already.

Clumsy Max. That's all I have to say. See, I thought it was as he was bending to kneel when the shot happened, not bending to retrieve a fallen ring. It's kind of sweet that it's the one time we've seen him display nerves. And it killed his (finace? Girlfriend? Does the proposal count?), generating a Never Again type of instinct and the birth of the max we know and love

KILL ANASTASIA, MAX... oh, you IDIOT. Suppose plot gotta plot, eh?

Dr Higgs... why is that name familiar? Glass tanks. Did he work on Otto back in the day?

Laura seems much more bold than any other book. It's interesting, given that Deadlock has literally just happened.

Shelby's first line is an insult. Now that's the Shelby I love

This is wholesome (barring the implied make outs, of course), but Penny. What has happened to Penny?

Oh no, h.i.v.e.mind is thinking they're having a foursome, isn't he?

Chapter Two:

So Anna is Otto crossed with the Contessa. And the whole initial want to know stuff about her creator? Aka her "parents"? I'm sensing AU potential centred around a more human version of her, yearning for a family to find and slowly being driven into insanity/violence

Oh my god, max on holiday? It's him, he's being controlled by something.

I forget that Raven and diabolus are only friends/kind of close in fanfiction. I have no point to make here. It's just very jarring to read max saying to her that he'll do all the talking as though it's all a political battlefield.

Also, we should actually talk about max's daddy issues

Why is Franz a gym bro now? I suppose he inspired himself to try to attain his ninja alter ego via his newfound shooting skills. Still extremely out the blue. (Oooh, And They Were Study Buddies).

...That better not be the extent of Nigel's self-acceptance arc. Or else I'll have to dust off the old ffn account, and nobody wants that. Mr Walden, my guy, I'm counting on you.

Anna, will you take my hand in marriage?

Ouch, Zero really did just exist to be told "a copy is never as good as the original" and then to have his successor be even better than him.

Chapter Three

Excuse me, I know Otto points it out immediately, but Wing advocating for more aggression? Interesting. Makes sense in context- a simulation, in which he would have been the one getting hurt if they took a more aggressive approach. I wonder if that's going to come into play, perhaps the other way around, in a real situation?

Are they really not going to say what this security flaw is? Damn, poor hive'll never learn

Chapter Four

Why are block and tackle being nice? Wing's right, this is a complete parallel universe

..or perhaps not. Only shelby would dare picture Nero in tights.

Page 66 and hive is already fucked. What I'm hearing is Cypher was a complete amateur

CYPHER BOTS :)

Chapter Six

We are nine books in, and let's be honest. Dr Scott isn't the chief medic, he's the only medic

I forgot to jot down anything for c5, but if I forgot, then I can't have had anything particularily noteworthy to say.

Here, I do find it quite interesting that Anna referred to guns as nasty. Reminds me of those really convoluted family trees in which wing is related to otto (and, by extention, anna) via his parents working on Overlord.

Damn, looks like a united glove isn't good news at all for max right now

Also, I'm still really wondering if Mr Walden just straight up forgot about Penny

[bigskydreaming]

Welcome to Kalen Tries a Life Hack/Brain Hack, brought to you by....well, me.

So certain obvious things are obvious: I’ve been struggling for awhile, the whole being off my meds thing for months cuz of the Adderall shortage hit me HARD, and the number one thing I need to actually build and move forward and get out of eternal debt and accomplishing actual goals is a degree of stability.

I’m eternally grateful for every donation people have given me over the years and its literally kept me alive and off the streets at times. But ebegging sucks, nobody likes doing it, and its not sustainable.

Thing is, I’ve been talking about getting a steady patreon up and running forever but like, there’s always a reason why it doesn’t happen. Part of that is because of the basic nature of how things compound when you lack resources and have issues to address on multiple fronts. New problems demanding my time and attention constantly pop up while adding to stress and affecting my overall mental state and productivity. Part of that is the fact that I am my own worst enemy when in states of high stress, low meds, and minimal resources. 

I get caught in loops where I convince myself that the only way forward or to validate the help I’ve been given or asked is via some big grand production that of course never materializes because haha if I were in a state where I could reliably create the product I want on the timetable I need, most of my problems would take care of themselves. But also I have a tendency to try and pull a former life hack I used to rely on, the whole ‘when my executive dysfunction is particularly bad, use pressure and deadlines to try and force myself to produce’ which y’know....may have worked at previous points in my life but I was in very different places then and bottom line, it just flat out doesn’t work for me now, so it just ends up as overpromising and flaking out with no actual gains to show for it.

So I’m trying a different approach. I’m just putting it out there, this is what it is, and I’m starting small in complete opposition to my usual (and not working) attempts. I’ve opened up a discord for my fics and original projects and am listing the tiers of my patreon below. I’m following this up with complete rundowns of everything I have SOMETHING for, to some degree or another:

1) Teen Wolf fanfics

2) Original fantasy works 

3) Dick Grayson fanfics

4) Original sci-fi works

5) X-Men fanfics

6) Original superhero works (my original superhero universe, the Ellis Eighteen ‘verse) 

I’ll tackle the Teen Wolf stuff following this post, and then try and do the rest one day at a time. That’s the gist of the life hack: just going with the philosophy something is better than nothing. None of these do me any good just sitting on my computer and I’m flat out, literally just never going to reach a stable enough place where I AM just able to complete and release any of them in their complete form, the way I’d like, if I keep overshooting without ending any further along.

So I’m just gonna try building it one day at a time, growing it with the support of people who are interested enough in what there is now to want to see more and help me get more out there, until bit by bit I eventually reach actual completion on some of them.

Any and all of these can be followed up on in my discord server should any catch your eye enough to want to try just a trial’s month - with this next month being much the same for me, as I see how viable this is and how well I’m sticking to it, versus what changes I can make to make it more effective.

My blog isn’t going anywhere, the server is just entirely for fic and original projects and all things related to them, but my usual inanity will persist, I do want to try to get back to writing meta and stuff and being more active in my fandoms, hopefully once I get back on my meds and get a little more grounded.

My existing patterns of posting and interaction aren’t contingent on people donating or joining my discord - I don’t intend for much to change here. And I’m not saying like ‘from now on I’m only posting my writing to my discord’ or anything like that. Its literally just for people who want to help support me while I add to my existing content, are fine with or interested in more of my content even in incomplete stages, are interested in commissioning ‘writing time’ on specific projects of their choice while I do my writing directly in the server....and once I do have a new complete chapter of a fic or complete one-shot, etc....that’ll still get posted for anyone to read. Same as how I still intend to publish or self-publish original projects once they reach completion. 

Its like I said: I just can’t deliver completion in a timely, reliable fashion the way I want, as is, and I can’t make guarantees on when complete projects will materialize without it just ending up more empty promises. THIS I at least can deliver on, and use it to build to something bigger and more complete. *Shrugs* I’d rather get something out there than just continually shifting goalposts about when something will be out here.

SO!

All that said, below are the tiers I’m going with. I literally don’t even have the patreon itself made yet because a) I’ve used ‘I still have to make that’ as an excuse not to do this too many times so I literally just said fuck it and opened up a new post and started typing this instead, lol and b) Patreon does only pay out monthly and not going to lie, could really use donations in the meanwhile as I’m trying to get a new prescription appointment ($180 now thanks to my psychiatrist raising their rates, yay) for different ADHD meds since Adderall still isn’t reliably in stock and they won’t switch my prescription over to something I haven’t tried out yet without a new appointment (and those meds will likely be in the $50-$90 range). 

SO I literally am just posting this now, with my paypal and ko-fi links, but the discord itself is already up if anyone wants to just donate directly and ask for a direct discord link/invite and then I’ll add the link to the actual patreon as soon as its up, but also, if you go the donation route you can try this out and see if its worth it to you this month before actually signing up for the patreon or trying a different tier.

TIERS

1) $1 tier: No rewards offered, I've seen this done by other people who have regular platforms they create content on and don't charge anything so its like a completely opt-in "hey if you just like my blog and content in general, would like to see me be able to make a go of being a creator and support that in general because you think I come up with interesting stuff, this is super helpful and appreciated" thing. I know a lot of people don’t think $1 makes a difference, but literally just $1.39 buys a thing of pasta that can feed me for two days if need be, and a couple more bucks from someone else gets some sauce, lol. Trust me, if you’re ever like “I’d like to support him but only have an extra buck or two and don’t know if that would make a difference” - it does, and is still super appreciated!

2) $5 tier: As stated, I’ve set up a discord where anyone can start threads for literally any of my fanworks, Teen Wolf, Dick Grayson, and X-Men, and ask what I have available as is on that particular project, pick my brain about it, engage me on it in the hopes it leads to me dedicating my next writing session to it if I’m not already planning to write something else in specific, etc. This tier gives people access to it, so they can see the stuff I don't have published or released because its not finished yet, or I’ve written parts non-linearly, and there’s a specific scene they were hoping to see in the fic later on and wondered if that’s written yet, etc. Plus this is where I’ll do all my fanfic writing sessions when I am actively working on a new chapter or something, because I LIKE to write in real-time on things like discord (I used to write fic in a messenger app with Moukie. I didn’t even need them reading it or responding, just knowing someone was 'there' made it easier for me to write, just makes it easier to shut up and write or get the words to come). 

So I figure might as well try and make it a two-fer: for five bucks people can get access to stuff that might not be finished yet (or even ever) but still could be interesting or enjoyable to them, but also can read along as I work on stuff that I'm actively trying to update, even if I still end up with more to go in that chapter or fic and thus its not ready to update yet by the end of a writing session

3) $10 tier: Exact same thing as the $5 tier, which is also included with this one, but this one also gives access to the separate forum I’ve opened up for my various original projects I'm working on or at least started/got a sizable dent into even if they ended up discarded (at least for now). Again, this one is primarily for people who want to support me in general, free up time from constantly stressing about being able to afford food and meds and wasting so much time looking for more freelance opportunities or work - which basically doubles the amount of time I spend ‘working’ every day without anything to show for most of it. This allows for more writing time in general, but at least comes with something to show for it, and like, I figure anyone who genuinely thinks 'hey I think this guy can write/would buy his book' could find something to interest them in here, especially since it also includes the same 'read-along' option for my literal WIPs when I’m doing a writing session on one of them.

4) $15 tier: Both previous tiers are included, but with this tier people also get the option of picking a story from any of the fandom or original projects I have up on my server, and making it the focus of one of my writing sessions that month. They can do it either as a prompt "hey would like if you dedicated one of your writing sessions to working on this particular project this month, whenever that happens to be" or if they want, they can try and coordinate a time for that writing session, as in I’d go "these are the hours I typically do my writing these days, pick when you'd like to see me work on this story," either cuz they'd like to read along, or its earlier in the month, or like, they have that day off and thus its a good day for re-reading that project or maybe getting an update on it, etc. 

Typically, my writing sessions tend to be at least an hour, anywhere up to around six hours, so this tier guarantees that at least one hour of writing time that month would be focused on a particular project. But as much as I hop around between projects in general, I don't switch between projects in the same single writing session, so practically speaking, it would likely be more than just a single hour, and could even result in an entire chapter update on chaptered works. I just know I can guarantee the hour, whereas I can’t guarantee 'oh this will for sure be a five hour writing session' and thus I went somewhat higher than like, a wage for an hour's work, but not like, super high? As I figure its more likely to land somewhere in the middle, length of time-wise. But also, depending on how this actually goes this first month, I might end up adjusting my approach to this tier or the price level, etc.

5) $25 tier: This one includes all the same access and rewards provided by the lesser tiers as well, but with the additional reward that in addition to getting to set the agenda for one writing session that month, you get to also set that same project or a different one as a 'boosted priority' for the month. What this means is - in the interests of maximizing the gains of having people thwart my indecisiveness over what to work on, lol - whatever you pick here will go on a shortlist of projects that are my go-to's for the month, any time I have a writing session I don't already have a prompt for, or a personal desire to focus on a certain project. 

Basically, its a way of creating my short list of 'To Turn To In Case of Indecisiveness' any time I am being stalled by indecisiveness, rather than other external issues, and any 'prompted' writing sessions are already scheduled or used up. So this one comes with caveats....I want to make it clear that 'how much' people get out of this one is NOT something i can guarantee, as it'll depend on how many writing sessions I can squeeze in that month overall, whether or not I have a particular project that's on the brain enough that I'm going to it regularly, just based on my own choice/momentum, stuff like that. 

But the plus side of this one is if the $15 tier is of interest to people, and its worth it to get to be able to ask for several hours' worth of productivity/output on a particular story of mine.....this tier potentially replicates that same thing multiple times throughout a month and can lead to a lot of progress on a certain single story. So potentially, way more bang for your buck. It is more of a crapshoot, but worst case scenario, you're still likely to get at least two writing sessions geared towards a story you're interested in, for less than double the cost of your patronage of one writing session...but best case scenario, in a month where I don't have a ton of other pressing projects demanding my attention, this could keep me engaged with your project of choice regularly throughout the month, with the increased output to show for it. 

Either way, people are still likely to end up with way more output of their choice/liking due to this than they ever would have if I were just sitting in front of my computer playing 'how much time can I waste doing nothing productive while claiming its just cuz I need to Make The Right Choice of what project to be productive on.'

All that said:

I'm focusing just on time rather than length/word count at the moment just because mentally its a lot easier/less stressful for me to think 'oh I know for sure I can make sure they receive the time I guaranteed I'd focus/devote to this in exchange for their patronage' because its a lot easier for me to just show up and start writing than it is for me to look at a set length of fic I need to complete within a certain timeframe - as the latter is a lot more likely to suck me into one of my weird spirals where completion becomes the enemy of productivity.

Anyway.

I think that’s everything, thank you as always for hearing me out and your consideration even if you don’t end up giving this a whirl. No expectations here, I have no idea how well or not it might work out, but its something new to try because previous approaches just aren’t working but I’m not throwing in the towel, just.....reconfiguring for a new run at achieving some long-term stability and productivity. This at least is a lot more geared towards navigating around my particular issues with my ADHD and executive dysfunction and finding a way to hack them even when I’m not on meds. So, let this experiment begin I guess? LOL. The end.

My links:

https://paypal.me/bigskydreaming?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US

https://ko-fi.com/kalenp

And again, if you want to go ahead and give one of these tiers a try via a donation, you can hit me up directly for a discord invite, or if you prefer more anonymity/distance, you can just wait for the patreon with a more automated/streamlined process. You can also upgrade to a different tier later of course, and let me know if you have specific questions.

Thank you again!

[valiantvillain]

Just realised the game is about asks! Ooh do tell me something about "Into the Wilds".

A WIP that is currently in the outline stage, Into the Wilds is an original work that has actually been in my head since I was about 17. Tried writing it once but thank god never finished the first attempt bc it was the clumsy writing of a late teen-early twenty-something whose craft thankfully has improved over time and now I'm hoping to finally slowly tackle it for real.

The major premise is that in a fantasy world where magic and mages are so commonplace that it's rare to even enter a small village without at least a hefty handful of them, there exists a demographic of people called Memoriams. Essentially, they are people who can see a person's entire life's worth of memories via a single touch. They are a minority even in a world thick with magic and their abilities are not well understood by the populace. They're sort of a whole different branch of magic on their own but bc of their abilities they are disbarred from positions of power and pretty much live like monks, tending to operate as historians and scholars and given a wide berth on the rare occasions they leave their sanctuaries.

The protagonist, Serinda Belwyn, is one of these Memoriams, one of the rare few who came into her abilities as a rather young child as opposed to realizing them during puberty as most do. She is also seeking her missing mentor at the same time as a scourge known as the arcane plague seems to be making its return, a subject on which said mentor was as much of an expert as could be. As his trail leaves into an ancient, untamed territory full of ruins, curses, wild dragons, and secrets known only as The Wilds, Serinda finds her goals aligned with an emissary of the crown, Donovan, assigned to seek an ancient relic that could hold the key to curing the arcane plague that once decimated the region's mage population. When tragedy befalls their expedition, leaving just the two of them to brave the Wilds they have to learn to rely on each other to survive, all the while stumbling across mysteries that suggest a great deal of what they know about their world is in fact built on lies.

So yeah, that's the conceit of what I hope to make a fun high fantasy adventure, maybe even turn into a series (hopefully anyway) one day. Serinda might not be the most "likable" protagonist, being argumentative, prickly, and distrusting, but she's also brave, clever, and resilient with a dogged determination and a scholar's curiosity. Meanwhile, Donovan is soft-spoken but charismatic with a talent for diplomacy and negotiation. He is also a mage, though of somewhat limited ability, with his own share of secrets.

[demifiendrsa]

GRANBLUE FANTASY: Relink - Teaser Trailer

Granblue Fantasy: Relink will launch for PC via Steam in addition to its previously announced PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 version in 2023.

Various details

Rolan (voiced by Hiroshi Kamiya)

This man serves as the vicar of a local church for a remote town within the Zegagrande Skydom and acts as a handyman on the side. He provides support for the crew on their journey, though partly for his own personal reasons.

Game Modes

Granblue Fantasy: Relink is an action RPG that features two games modes:

Main Story (single-player) – Discover what is happening to the Zegagrande Skydom in this exciting, narrative-driven single-player adventure.

*A new chapter of Granblue Fantasy unfolds in the skies of Zegagrande. Customize and developer characters, collect treasure, and so much more! Wtih easy, normal, and hard difficulties to choose from, Granblue Fantasy: Relink accomodates players of all playstyles.

Quests (single-player / multiplayer) – Progress through the main story to unlock new content, which supports up to four-player online co-op.

*Utilize the items and experience you’ve obtained over the course of your journey to tackle an array of challenging battles. Visit a town’s online lobby to chat and interact with other skyfarers! Quests can be done solo with the aid of CPU-controlled allies.

Playable Characters

Each of these characters is yours to command!

Main Character (Gran / Djeeta)

Katalina

Rackam

Io

Eugen

Rosetta

Lancelot

Vane

Percival

Siegfried

But that’s not all…

Charlotta

Yodarha

More reveals are on the way, so stay tuned!

Website information

■ World

To the Promised Land, the Girl in Blue Appears

There exists a world where islands of all shapes and sizes float in a sea of clouds. It is a world forsaken by the gods.

Once upon a time, people known as the Astrals attempted to seize control of this world with their overwhelming might, but the citizens of the skies repelled the invaders, thus ushering in a new era of peace.

Living on a little-known island in a remote part of the skies, you find a letter left behind by your father telling you to set off for a legendary island.

However, before you leave, you meet a mysterious girl named Lyria, inevitably setting the wheels of fate in motion.

Welcome to the Zegagrande Skydom

The legendary Island of the Astrals, Estalucia, is still out there, waiting to greet you intrepid travelers. But until then, the journey continues in the skies to the west, where a new story will unfold.

Born to the Wind, Citizens among the Clouds

The Sky Realm is home to numerous islands and their people. Four races have come together to shape civilization.

Humans may not seem like anything special, but they play the largest role in society.

Erunes are easily distinguishable by their large ears and attractive looks. Many of them are blessed with a talent for magic.

Harvins are on the smaller side, but their wisdom and business acumen are nothing to sneeze at.

Draphs have large horns and powerful physiques. Proud of their strength, quite a few go into occupations that require physical labor, such as smithing or construction.

Primal Beasts, Living Weapons Made by the Astrals

Created by the Astrals, these great beasts were gifted with god-like powers.

In the aftermath of the War—which ended roughly 500 years ago—the remaining beasts fell into a slumber throughout the skies, where their presence deeply influenced the development of local customs.

Primal beasts only obey the Astrals, thus the rampage of an awakened primal is akin to a grand-scale calamity. However, some people possess a devout belief that these divine beings are a part of nature and thus shouldn’t be pacified.

■ Artwork

Cutting-Edge Visuals, Gorgeous Environments

Walk through the beautiful 2D artwork of Cygames and CyDesignation, now realized in full 3D.

From lovingly crafted landscapes to detailed objects, enter a realm where experiencing a world bursting with character takes precedence over photorealism. You will feel the wind from the deck of an airship, visit quaint towns for the first time, and do battle across sprawling hillsides.

There’s plenty to discover on this journey.

The Hallmark Artwork of Granblue

Our beloved characters have been meticulously translated into 3D, complete with painterly lighting and shading techniques.

Character models, and their equipped weapons, have been carefully crafted to be appreciated from any angle. Facial expressions have been given an equal amount of care, ensuring that the whole cast comes alive during the adventure.

■ Characters

Main Character (Gran / Djeeta) (playable)

Take command of your crew and embark on an exciting new journey.

Lyria

A young girl, shrouded in mystery, who holds the power to control primal beasts. The Erste Empire coveted this ability and secretly held her captive until the guard assigned to protect her, Katalina, engineered her escape. The empire pursued them to the forests of Zinkenstill, which is where you encountered the pair. You tried to protect Lyria and became fatally wounded. Sensing a life slipping away, Lyria linked her life force to yours, binding two fates forevermore.

Vyrn

Little Red Dragon.

Your bestest pal, this little fellow has stuck with you through thick and thin, and he’s not about to let a little thing like a death-defying journey stop him now. Some might even call it fate.

Katalina (playable)

Skybound Protector.

Katalina once swore an oath of knighthood to the Erste Empire, but those days are long behind her. Her knightly duty continues, though now in the service of protecting Lyria.

Rackam (playable)

Skybound Navigator.

Helmsman of the airship Grandcypher, he can be as untamed as the open skies.

Io (playable)

Skybound Dreamer.

Don’t let her small size fool you. This young mage is eager to showcase her impressive talent. She vows to bring smiles to the world.

Eugen (playable)

Skybound Soldier.

A veteran skyfarer whose combat prowess is rivaled only by his regret.

Rosetta (playable)

Skybound Watcher.

A bystander whose roots are firmly planted in both the past and present.

Rolan

A proper gentlemen who calls the westerly skies home. The first time you meet him is purely by happenstance, but he decides to travel with you for the moment.

Lancelot (playable)

Twinfang Prodigy.

Captain of the knightly Order of the White Dragons. Despite his youth, he is more than capable of leading the forces of an entire kingdom.

Vane (playable)

Knight of Fellowship.

A knight of valor, he pours his heart and soul into protecting his homeland, his friends, and his comrades-in-arms.

Percival (playable)

Lord of Flames.

Possessing the makings of a king, this young man strives to create a kingdom free of war with other like-minded individuals.

Siegfried (playable)

Dragonslayer.

Once reviled as a traitor, that didn’t stop this loyal knight from heroically saving his kingdom from crisis.

Charlotta (playable)

Holy Knight of Valor and Eminence.

The captain of an order of holy knights, all of whom have sworn a sacred pledge. Her sword, a weapon that cleaves evil in twain, is equal to her in both size and power.

Yodarha (playable)

Illusory Fencer.

This man was once a world-renowned swordsman, but these days he spends much of his time fishing in seclusion.

[authoralexharvey]

❔ and ❌ for the wip asks!!

Hey thanks for the ask!!

❌What WIP do you find the most challenging? Why?

Hands down, this one goes to something I've tentatively titled "Out of Focus", which is about a man who can view snippets of the past through photographs and uses this power to be an "avenger for hire". Now, the premise itself is dope as fuck, especially since I have plenty of things in it that has me excited (including Siobhan, a dullahan who uses their decapitated head for pranks and eats via osmosis). It's my answer to the unasked question of "What if Max from Life is Strange had a revenge fantasy"... except Charlie's power is more voyeuristic and he can't change the past.

However, the reason this WIP is so challenging is because of Charlie himself, the main character. There are facets of his character that are a little too close to home for me to be able to comfortably write about this book for too long. Not only that, but some of the themes I want to tackle are a bit... much for me right now, I think.

So I haven't been able to... do much with it. I want to. And I've slowly inched myself closer and closer to a state of being where I CAN write it... still can't yet, though. Not yet.

❔Choose a random WIP and talk about it.

Everyone and their dad knows about ASMLP at this point, so I'm not gonna bore you going over something you already know about.

Instead, I want to talk about short stories, because those are the things next up that I have the most of, and the most ideas for. Here's short spurts about a couple.

By now, my grievances with myth retellings are well-documented, but I'm still quite excited about my take on Eros and Psyche. It's not a myth I see a lot of retellings for, to begin with. Furthermore, I'm really a fan of what I've got for the outline in terms of plot and whatnot. I'm really excited to see this develop. It's definitely going to be a longer short story... perhaps my longest so far.

A long, long time ago I wrote a short story called Sloth which was about a sloth in a zoo exhibit who becomes a young boy's sole confidant and, eventually, the only living being to witness his suicide. I think the premise is interesting on its own and have been wanting to rework it, anyway, but the drive to do so recently got refueled by a writing advice book I'm reading from Chuck Palahniuk. I won't say what the advice was yet, but the idea I got as a result is something that has me quite excited to start working again on this one.

I've been tossing around a short story idea called In Time for The Wedding. It is, as Audre Lorde or Michelle Tea might call it, a Biomythography. Based on some real events, combined with a possibility that never happened. This one, much like OOF (what an acronym) is dealing with some subjects that are going to make this an... inherently more difficult short to work with, but I still want to

I'm planning a short story about a Hestia devotee that has the barest bones of plot and is mostly vibes but I still like the ideas I've penned down for it so far!

Those are all the ones at the forefront of my mind rn. Thanks for the ask 💕💕💕

[meowww-ffxiv]

When Liios said, "I'm workshopping an idea", it could either be a new bazooka or a new device that could detect the aetherial level of an individual's soul and spit out a measurement of malign aetheric concentration by cubic ilm. Data he used to develop a quantitative theory on how much aether the average soul could take before it began to decay or warp.

He'd been working on the latter for a year and a half, actually. In a way, Liios was both traumatized by what happened to him on the First and obsessed with the mechanisms of that trauma. He was a scientist, and so was driven to understand the cold facts and logic behind the event that nearly killed him in every way that mattered, because he hoped -- in vain? -- that doing so would...

Would defang it. Defang the terror. Defang the nightmares and flashbacks and midnight panic attacks that kept Estinien up just to soothe him. Turn the Light's invasion of his body into an observable event rather than something that happened to him. Make it less personal, you know?

Liios knew it wasn't going to work all that well. He felt the same kind of detachment, and had once scorned it, from his fellow Sharlayan scholars as their agents and travelers and gleaners brought news from occupied territories. How Garlemald massacred and enslaved and desecrated. Kept at a distance, every horror could be reduced to mere events, digestible to the weak stomach of scholars and pundits.

Turned Liios into the biggest hypocrite of all, to employ the same tactics when he couldn't fully comprehend the horror of the First, of what it truly was -- the one pocket of life remaining in a barren, infertile world. Where residents were made all the worse for their survival, as all the malnutrition and difficulty of planting varied flora showed. Not just what happened to Liios via the Lightwarden, but the world itself, too.

Liios couldn't say that there was much improvement to his brain, tackling and trying to unpack the...the First foray like this. But the things that grew out of the soil of his agony? Yeah, they were almost good enough that he was satisfied. That he could believe that this did not happen in vain.

Ryne and Gaia were continuing their work to revitalize the First. The same principles were shared with Zero, for the Thirteenth. Alongside Thavnair's alchemists, Liios developed the warding scales further, creating entire barrier fields where they'd be shielded from influence of malign aether -- especially important in conservation of highly sensitive plants and crops, and hopefully to later guard from bad weather.

All of the hands-on research from helping the First grow a larger ecosystem of living things and infrastructure that Liios had done, were follow-ups on the work he'd already done for fledgling Labyrinthos. All that combined work will now go towards Yyasulani.

The merit of the work that came out of his scars... it wasn't that Liios thought they were praiseworthy or that he was proud of them. But rather that he was relieved. He was relieved that there WAS merit, that the merit was huge enough that he could cling onto that for comfort when his body -- the machine with the greatest flaw, the biological flesh-and-blood nuisance that housed his mind and soul, that had still endured all the abuse he and everyone subjected it to -- inevitably failed him.

But sometimes that comfort waned. Especially when Liios strayed too close to even close calls. So now he acted out. Now he wanted the merit of his results to grow even further. He needed it to because he felt he was going to die soon.

He risked himself to participate in the Arcadion in Solution 9 because he told himself he needed more data on how soul merging, how the entire economy and structure of Alexandria, worked. But really, it was also because Liios liked fighting. Fighting and winning and not passing out afterwards kept the demons at bay. Some delusions of not being sick? Some power fantasy about still being okay when you really weren't?

Liios: I'm going to study myself under a microscope. 😋

Liios 2 minutes later: lol I don't like this.

[linuxgamenews]

Experience the Nightmarish Monsters of Perennial Order: 2D Plant Horror

Perennial Order 2D plant horror boss rush game is due to hit Steam Deck and Linux via Proton with Windows PC. Thanks to the creative talents of developer Gardenfiend Games. Due to release tomorrow on Steam. Get ready to dive into the terrifying world of Perennial Order. SOEDESCO and Gardenfiend Games are giving us a glimpse of this 2D plant horror boss rush game. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to bring a title like this from concept to reality, these devlogs are for you.

Perennial Order Devlog #0

Devlog #1 | Boss Rush

On top of this, the developer has also confirmed Steam Deck support:

We are planning to have st steam deck support yes, our programmer James has a steam deck and says it runs great on it.

The engine being used is Unity, this will also translate with solid Proton support for Linux. Perennial Order is set in a creepy, Dark Age-inspired world where plants have gone totally rogue. Now, creating nightmarish monsters for you to take down. You can jump into this eerie land solo or with a friend in 2-player co-op (either locally or online). Where you're due to discover strange NPCs, fight off huge bosses, and uncover secrets about this haunting place. The visuals are hand-painted in 2D, giving it a unique and captivating look. The heart of the gameplay is its intense, one-on-one boss fights. Since each boss has a unique design and challenge that will push your skills to the limit. The combat is fast and unforgiving — one hit and you're out. But you'll respawn right at the beginning of the fight, so you can quickly jump back in and learn from your mistakes. This title’s has a painterly 2D art style that feels like a mix between Dark Souls and Princess Mononoke. Since everything has been carefully crafted by just one artist and one animator. Who have also brought this dark fantasy world to life with a stunning hand-painted look and 2D animation.

Perennial Order | Release Date Announcement Trailer

Everywhere you go, you'll meet with the chilling sounds of the world around you. Doing so with the eerie atmosphere to the boss-specific music. The audio really sets the tone for your journey through this twisted, plant-ridden landscape.

Play With Friends

You don’t have to go it alone! Perennial Order also lets you team up with a friend to take on the horrors of this world. You can play together in local co-op or online, doubling the fun and intensity of your adventure.

Key Features:

A World Full of Horrors: Wander through a dark and dangerous land where plant-like horrors lurk around every corner.

Meet Odd Characters: As you explore, you'll bump into unusual NPCs who add depth to this creepy world.

Unique Soundtrack: Every boss comes with its own distinct musical theme, adding to the immersive atmosphere.

Co-Op Fun: Whether you want to play solo or with a buddy, Perennial Order lets you tackle the adventure together, making it even more fun.

Perennial Order plant horror boss rush is due to release tomorrow, September 6, 2024 on Steam. Playable on Steam Deck and Linux via Windows PC, using Proton. priced at $19.99 USD / £16.75 / 19,50€.

Elevate your gameplay with this high-quality controller today. Which helps fund future content, at no extra cost to you. For installation tips, check out this post.

[satoshi-mochida]

Perfect Dark - gameplay reveal trailer - Gematsu

Publisher Xbox Game Studios, and developers The Initiative and Crystal Dynamics have released the gameplay reveal trailer for first-person shooter reboot Perfect Dark.

Get the first details below, via Xbox Wire.

What Kind of Game Is This?

Perfect Dark is a first-person secret agent thriller in a near-future world. With the blessing of the original Perfect Dark studio, Rare (not to mention some of the leads from the original titles), Team Perfect Dark has pulled inspiration from elements of the first two games, but crafted an entirely new story and universe around them for this reboot. For previous fans and new players alike, the new game offers a fresh take on the secret agent experience, and is a great opportunity to jump into the world and character. Though fans will have moments that resonate with the history and memories of the original games, no prior knowledge is needed in this new experience. At the widest level, Perfect Dark will be a single-player experience, with a set of missions – but with choices offered in how you complete those missions. Looking at the trailer, it’s clear that traversal and gadgets are a huge part of this – we see new parkour abilities used throughout, both for movement and combat. The developers tell me that the focus was on creating an intuitive movement system, which will let players find interesting ways to tackle their objectives. Add to that a combat system that allows for both melee and gunplay, stealth mechanics, and liberal use of gadgets, and Perfect Dark is a game that will present players with an objective, but let them figure out how they want to achieve it. Team Perfect Dark doesn’t want this to feel like any one genre – it takes in elements of first-person shooters, immersive sims, and stealth-action, but blends them into a seamless whole. The goal is to offer a true secret agent fantasy – and letting players use their various tools and abilities in the way they want is key to this.

Who is Joanna Dark?

In this reboot, Joanna (voiced by Alix Regan with Elissa Bibaud lending visual likeness) is an agent for dataDyne, with a deep personal connection to what’s happening to her world. In this case, the title Perfect Dark is more aspirational—this Joanna won’t be perfect, but she’s striving to be. She’ll make mistakes in this journey, and learn from those experiences. Learning who this Joanna is proves to be just as compelling as the story itself.

Where Is the Game Set?

Perfect Dark‘s near-future world has been impacted by what’s known as “The Cascade,” in which the planet has suffered from a series of environmental disasters, rendering entire regions inhospitable to human life. In the wake of the disaster, a hypercorporation known as Core Mantis steps in to create a solution known as The GEN Network, and deploys it in Cairo – restoring ecological balance and creating a freshly walled city, insulated from the hostile environment outside to become a center for technological innovation. In its wake, other hypercorporations step in to continue that regeneration – but, as you might expect, not all is as it seems, and their motives may be less altruistic than they appear. It is key that the setting communicates a hopeful future, seeing a world with both destruction and restoration, the bleakness of the past countered with a sense of promise. It’s into Cairo that Joanna enters. The setting was chosen to offer a counterpoint to other secret agent stories, and media at large – ancient Egypt and modern Egypt have been seen by many, but a near-future take on the country is truly something new. Cairo itself allows for a balance of deeply old and startlingly new that suits the speculative fiction at the heart of Perfect Dark.

What’s Joanna’s Mission in the Trailer?

Joanna is being sent into Cairo to find and apprehend Daniel Carrington, and we see her enter a district called Garden City (and an area of Cairo in real life, too). In Perfect Dark, this is a more affluent and cosmopolitan area of the city, and Core Mantis has selected it to be revitalized by its new eco-technological processes. We see Joanna find a hideout used by Carrington, who infiltrates Joanna’s AR system and begins to expose more information, and even more questions around the bigger mysteries in Cairo. Joanna will need to learn who can be trusted, and who might be working against her own goals, and Carrington’s role will be a major part of that.

What Can We Use Gadgets For?

Gadgets are a pillar of the secret agent genre. In the trailer, we get a tease of Joanna using a gadget to analyse NPC voices and create vocal “deepfakes” to trick security systems or impersonate other characters, as well as create distractions. Gadgets can be used for misdirection and manipulation, but we also see that Joanna can use a tool to scan an NPC and learn details about them – it wouldn’t be a secret agent story without some fieldwork, and the developers tell me that parsing the world, around you will be a key part of understanding how to tackle your objectives.

How Does Combat Work?

With this first look at combat, it’s clear this is another aspect of player choice. In the trailer we see lethal and non-lethal weaponry, close-quarters combat, abilities that allow you to take down multiple enemies at once, and more. We can also go loud or go quiet, offering a risk-reward for both methods. Team Perfect Dark wants to create a “symphony” of mechanics, merging traversal, close-quarters-combat, gunplay, unlockable abilities, environmental elements, and gadgets into a unified experience for players.

Perfect Dark is in development for Xbox Series and PC. A release date has yet to be announced.

Watch the trailer below.

Gameplay Reveal Trailer