#could be a nice ground for a companion quest where hes free and learns how to live to the fullest for his remaining years or smth

[get-more-bald]

the thing about X6 is that he's essentially a slave given to the Sole Survivor by the Institute. and I think that the fandom's treatment of him would be different if the game addressed it or even just said it

[nighttimepixels]

TALK TO US ABOUT MASS EFFECT I HAVE BEEN AN INSANE MASS EFFECT/SHAKARIAN TRASH PERSON SINCE 20-FUCKING-11 AND LEMME TELL YOU THOSE FEELINGS HAVENOT TARNISHED A SINGLE FRACTION IN THOSE TEN YEARS OH MY GOOOOOOODDDSSSS!!!!!!!

I DEMAND A PLAY-BY-PLAY UP TO THE MINUTE OF YOUR REACTIONS TO EVERYTHING!!!!

you are so valid and I totally see why everyone I've ever mentioned it to loves the hell out of it

aksdjlsdfj I meannnn if you want to hear my rambling about it then hell yeah

Okay, gonna put this below the cut to save everyone else XD also- since I'm not leaving this Mass Effect obsession anytime soon, if you're not interested in seeing occasional posts about it, please feel free to block the tag "night plays ME"~

(mild spoilers ahead??)

((also for real I mean it when I say this is rambling as hell lol, apologies and no stress if absolute no one reads all this))

OKAY SO Mass Effect 1-

Stars help me, I was honestly hooked right from the start?? Like even in Legendary Edition (the combined trilogy just re-released in one "can play it on one system + minor improvements", for anyone who doesn't know) where it's smoothed out, of course it's obvious that ME1 is a decade old... but the foundation for these relationships are all there and gods I love them already.

Like - Kaiden right off the top is a delightful good fightin lad, what the hell. I've heard that he's viewed as 'bland' by a good portion of the fan community but I dunno, he's a delight and even more complex by the time 2 rolls around and you encounter him on Horizon, it was honestly Ashley I was way more meh about - mostly because before you can learn about her family history/etc, she comes off as hella xenophobic and I was immediately offended for my growing space family that she didn't like/trust all the aliens around, pfff.

(she gets redeemed a bit through further actions/evolving thoughts, but I thought in retrospect it was a bummer that they didn't flip the order there, give her a chance to be liked before the complicating factor of being so rude about aliens >:c that then she could grow from... ah well. Apparently she has a good arc but uh, let's just say I chose Kaiden at the "key junction" in the latter part of the game so I won't be seeing anymore of Ashley uh... anytime soon, haha.)

Garrus??? Is??????? The ABSOLUTE best???????????

I liked him from the start, I'm always a bit of a sucker for a rogue-detective "the system won't bring this bastard to justice, so I've got to" type and all their moral shadiness XD But he just gets better, honestly, and where I'm at in ME2 (right before the Reaper IFF mission, as of typing this, with everyone's loyalty!) I am only digging myself deeper into this hole-

-*wheezing* okay anyways -

Wrex is AMAZING I love fightin' middle-aged krogan bastard, gods. Liara is great too, I'm a sucker for a wlw relationship (playing fem!Shepard, so) - buuuut I'll admit she's a bit more one-note in ME1. Last week while I was still on ME1 I remember hearing (while trying to dodge spoilers) that her arc is really good, though. I think they leaned a little hard on the 'innocent but sexy' sterteotype on her (so despite the yikes aspect of a few of the things I've learned in ME2, lol, I actually really like the complexity that's been added to her character.)

Saved Liara first, so by the time I got to Noveria and had the standoff with Benezia there was the chance to have emotions over Liara having to face her TwT and of course, I made the questionable but quality decision to free Queen Rachni heheh. no ragrets

More than a blow-by-blow of my choices though I totally wanna take the chance to say that even in the mild jankiness of ME1 (goddammit, the Mako.... please..... please just go up this impossible cliff I just want to resource hunt-) the way that the lore, both obvious/key to main plot and the lesser/filler/background/world-building kinds... I just love it. It incorporates it well, you can go ham in the codex learning more, or just dive into the basics - it's clearly a complex galaxy (and they do an even better job in 2 of fleshing it out further), and it never really felt overwhelming. It was pretty natural figuring it all out-!

Plus the interesting implications of resource hunting amongst the sapient races, and the little side missions you better bet I did every one of- there's so much rich depth in the story if you do 'em!! (And that lead with that Keeper side mission...? Looking back, damn, clever foreshadowing-!!!)

And oh my gods, Ilios??? hell yeah. I loved that mission so much, especially having Garrus & Kaiden with me when talking to the hologram/computer, and more than anything, that last sprint in the Mako trying to get to the jump before it closed-???

yeet the boi-

Also mannn I love a good setpiece, and having to go up the side of the elevator, space-side?? such a cool setup!!

Plus it felt good having been Paragon enough (as simple as the good v bad vibe system is, I don't hate it, lol) to avoid one of the Saren fights, ngl. And the er, "second fight" with Sovereign-Saren.... hell yeah

... I'll admit I had to double check my choice re whether to save the Council. I did in the end, but I swear, sometimes the way they phrase things I'm like ".... okay but Garrus is right, defeating Sovereign is more important than these few leaders??????" woops. Listen, priorities, is all I'm saying..... (￣ヮ￣|||)ゞ

'Course later they emphasize (in ME2) that there were 10,000 people on that same ship and I was like well I wouldn't have second guessed if I'd known that, I mean c'mon-

Also I did indeed romance Liara in this one, so I got that scene ;Dc But,,,, I also knew by the end that I was totally gonna romance Garrus in 2 since he's an option then finally,,,,, lemme tell you the guilt as I waffled over whether to romance Liara bc of it. hahaha.

Aaaaand Mass Effect 2-

So I'm only up to right before the Reaper IFF Mission, so I don't know the ending, etc etc lol. That said, I've just finished every side mission I've found with the exception of the Shadowbroker Quest and the Arrival Quest (I've heard the latter basically leads into ME3, and the former is best either right before the Omega 4 jump or in postgame).

So from the start - fuck yeah fuck yeah what a high adrenaline start Shepard noooooo but also yes save Joker aH-

The motion comic too hot damn nice job

I loved this setup, seriously - especially forcing Shep into this situation, having to work with/for Cerberus, and the compelling reasoning given behind "why" they do what they do (I especially found it a good point that the Salarians have the Task Force, the Asaris the Commandos, the Turians the- etc... like, true, when you put it like that, having a similar group advancing human interests/solving human interstellar problems is pretty reasonable...). That said, I love too that it really isn't shied away from how Cerberus is nonetheless fucked up - or its at least done fucked up stuff.

Listen, I still think some messed up stuff is gonna be revealed in 2's endgame......... after that Horizon mission and the Collector's ship???? TIM I SEE YOU YOU SHADY MF-

aaanyways lol...

I'm so so glad on a gameplay level they nixed the Mako style exploration. A few Hammerhead missions are fine and a lot more focused than the slippery ass navigation in that glorified ATV, pfff. The probes are a neat way of getting after similar resources - and more importantly, having good levels and some good hubs (the Zakera Wards, Omega, Ilium, etc) is way way more fun than having a more 'sprawling' space that is.... a lot of empty nonsense, lol.

Then there's the fact that we get Joker right off the bat and you can interact with him so much - and him and EDI??? Get out gods I love them. Kasumi is so right when she says they sound like a bickering old married couple lol. I have a terrible feeling that some shit is gonna happen with EDI..... but I don't think she's evil as-is, at least.

Side-eying the hell out of those "access forbidden" parts of her that she doesn't even know.... and the fact that her AI core has a locked door access................... something's gonna happen gdi LEAVE OUR ADOPTED AI ALONE.

(Also Joker pls stop fracturing your thumb on the mute button)

Also please save me there are so many hot aliens in this game,,,,, the xeno/monsterfuckers really comin' through strong in the sequels............... doin' the lord's work........................................

In general, I love how many levels ME stepped up in two with complexity and interwoven narratives!! Like, to the point it'd be almost a drag to replay ME1, even though it was fun going through it (if occasionally a bit tedious with the cookie cutter rando planet science/mine facilities, lol). Like, just from how fun and interesting ME2 is, mostly! more of all the pre-introduced races, plus new ones, plus more filling in of intragalactic politics, and more interesting implications of all these space-faring races mixing....

Also gods WREX and his planet holy shit,,,,, fuckin' hell yeah my man get their shit together and also adopt Grunt yes good-

And Mordin??? My singing semi-evil scientist best friend forced to confront his choices more than he thought he ever would have???? With some of the best ongoing general report chatter of all the companions??

(when I tell you I choked on my coffee when I talked to him after confirming romance choice w/ Garrus and that 'pamphlet' and 'anaphalactic shot if ingesting-' kajsldkfjsldfjk)

Like, fuck, the fact that they actually dive into the mixed morality and horrors of the genophage, and you can confront Mordin on it, for good reason, yet he still stands his ground, until finally some bits of his loyalty mission seem to... affect him, and I'm guessing might set up things for 3 with him? Unsure, but either way, damn, the fact that they start to dig into it...

And Taliiiii my beloved forbidden alien wife TwT her loyalty mission was SO GOOD. I love how varied they all are?? Getting to defend her and discover what she'd unwittingly been a part of-!!

Zaeed is a bastard but tbh I love that he is and that he's unapologetic in him - and Kasumi omg, best thief. A heist?? Gods, yes- I love our couch lounge chats XD

Samara is..... illegally.......... she's an illegally powerful and beautiful and eloquent MILF...........................

(.... listen I'm sapphic as hell and I'm kicking my own ass for picking her up last aksjdlfksjdfl - but her loyalty mission, damn. And seeing how there's this interesting cultural subset, and the struggle with the Asari in that they unquestioningly accept/respect justicars, but also know that the impact outside their culture is a diplomacy nightmare waiting to happen-)

,.,,,,,T,,, Thane,,,,,

I am weak for morally implicated murder dads okay?? And that voice??? His mannerisms?????? How you first see him, and that prayer after assassinating her...???????? And his history/his people's history with the hanar, gods I love how messy it is, it feels so much more real!

Also Jack is a mess and I love her (and want to get her some therapy, omg), and her and Miranda nearly duking it out after you've done both their loyalty missions??? so good and makes a lot of sense-! Honestly I would love more interactions between teammates on the ship, but there's already so much the devs had to balance I can't blame 'em for minimizing, heh. But suffice to say I also love Miranda and Jacob, even if I'm softest for my alien crew XD Hell yeah Jacob, we'll get loud and spill drinks on the citadel indeed TwT

.... I could write a whole essay on how much I love Garrus oTL Perhaps because he and Tali are the throughlines from 1 on your 2 crew, I have some of the strongest feelings about them... but genuinely, he was one of my favorite companions in the first game, and how you find him as Archangel in two? Getting to help him fight his way out after he's gone nearly 48 hours straight fighting off three gangs alone, jfc. His vengeance quest and what can happen there.... That line? fuck me, that line -

It's so much easier to see the world in black and white. Grey? I don't know what to do with gray...

How DARE you come for my heart like this, devs holy shit

(also, some other choice faves so far from the series from him include We can disobey suicidal orders?? and This wasn't in my training manual... [in 1, if you have him with you @ th Thorian fight] and his whole.... pop the heat sink - in his romance ;Dc)

asdasdfksadjfkl like I said I can write an essay on him PFFF suffice to say I'm very looking forward to his romance scene and where things go in 3

But yeah gods I'm just gonna keep rambling if I'm not careful lol. Gods I don't even know what to talk about it's all so good and while I can understand people roasting the obviousness of Paragon V Renegade (v neutral) choices/alignments, I think they do a pretty damn good job in 2 of pushing it further - to the point that there were some times that I accidentally got renegade points and I wasn't that mad, haha. There's so much fun in the interactions that I just have a good time anyways~

I have so many thoughts about TIM (The Illusive Man) and Cerberus.... theories evolving galore............... and like, what the hell!! Omega 4 going to the center of the galaxy is such a cool twist, goddamn - though my heart still breaks at losing Kaiden (his line if you haven't romanced him?? about feeling like he lost a limb when he lost you??? holy shit.... but I also can't blame him for not trusting Cerberus to the point of it affecting his ability to trust Shepard... like fuck Shep go after himmmm) I'm really excited to see where that goes since he comes back in 3, and what the fuck happens with Cerberus bc while I love the fact that obviously there are a lot of people in it for the right reasons, doing good work, there are those that are doing the opposite, and I have a very bad feeling about where TIM will end up landing....

All that said though I need to do the Reaper IFF mission (where I'm lightly spoiled as to getting That Boy, but not how/what happens to make it so - just that it's apparently wise to have all your side missions done before getting him...) and the actual Omega 4 jump. So we'll see what happens and what I think about it from there heheh!

.... major kudos and genuine props if you made it here to the end, I am so sorry for not editing on condensing all this, and appreciate you so much ;w;

[daimonhalos]

And though it was real, it doesn't feel like it could be

Read on Ao3!

Part of Skephalo week! → Day 2 – Family (and diamonds too in a way)

Word Count: 2.421

Characters: Badboyhalo, Skeppy, (kid!)Sapnap

Pairing(s): Skephalo (up to interpretation owo)

Warning(s): Fire (tell me if I missed any)

Summary: Sapnap gets help from both their dads setting up the perfect father's day gift for each of them, while still keeping it a secret from both.

A/N: Me? Writing fluff? Mark the day on the calendar. Okay guys, gals and cooler pals, there's some sweetness ahead so be aware of that. Also, I got a little philosophical towards the end, pardon me, happens often, I hope I made any sense. Hope you enjoy!

✾

❝ It won't be long 'til you are grown

- I love you so

- I love you, too

So I'll stay right here with you. ❞

Sapnap had tugged at Skeppy's hoodie for the fourth time in a row.

« Okay, okay, you little pest. » the latter picked up his son in his arms, adjusting him before he continued to walk along a familiar path.

« Can I carry your pick? » the hope in the young boy's voice caused a smile to creep on his face as he stopped to ponder one second: all things considered, they were just going for a little stroll around – at least that was what they had told Bad – so there was no harm in allowing him that until he had to start mining himself.

It didn't take long to find a cave entrance, standing out thanks to the looming darkness that crept up the cobblestone and deepened the more you stared at it. Skeppy let Sapnap down, branding his sword and pickaxe for good measure.

« Now, first I'm going to clear out the entrance from possible mobs, then we can proceed with our torches. » he sat down a crafting table, leaving his son to his favourite part of the job: lighting sticks up.

A little more than a year or so earlier, Sapnap had begun showing the first signs of fire magic, surely not to their surprise; that had granted them a trip to the nether, which allowed the kid to come to terms with the flames easier than how he had been stumbling his way through sparkles in the overworld.

Skeppy had shot a shocked look at Bad when he oh so nonchalantly let Sapnap fall into lava, all wide eyes and panic rising to his chest. His heart had certainly stopped for several seconds, but his companion only stared at the fluid substance as though he were expecting something, a grin stapled on his face.

And then Sapnap had risen above the surface, body completely unaltered, giggling and making his way across the reddish-yellow sea.

He was sure it had taken multiple minutes, a couple of which were simply him yelling at Bad for the lack of warnings, and various check-ups on the child before he could have been entirely convinced he had just witnessed all of that.

There Sapnap was now, confidently working with fire in the overworld, currently on his quest to get his other dad the prettiest gift he could muster with Skeppy's help.

The latter had gone a couple of steps into the cave, making a path for them to follow where mobs couldn't have reached before returning to his son, grabbing a handful of the torches he prepared.

« Let's light up our path, so we don't get lost, okay? »

« Mhm! »

Really, it was far too adorable: Skeppy's torches were followed by a trail of other ones placed at a far shorter height. The kid's free hand had been lit up the entire time too, a sort of signal to notice when they were running out of light source.

« Dad, look! » Sapnap pointed towards the ground, shimmering diamonds wedged in the stone right below their eyes.

« This early? That's a first. » a smile crept on the boy's face as Skeppy ruffled his hair. « I should bring you here more often if you get this lucky. »

The kid's eyes shone brighter than the gems around them. « Will you? »

The man seemed to consider for a dramatically long moment. « Nah. »

« Oh, come on! »

« I know you want to, Napi, but I can literally hear Bad yelling at me from the future. »

Sapnap grumbled something under his breath about “never letting him have fun” and “just wanting to help”, which caused an amused look on his dad's part.

After collecting the last remaining diamonds and some redstone because “that's one of dad's favourite colours”, they made their way back home, definitely not stopping in the middle of the forest because oh my gosh is that a nether portal?

« Don't even think about it. »

« But dad, we need something more! »

« I don't think netherrack works for a bracelet, Napi. »

« No, no, no. » Sapnap stopped in his tracks, pulling the hand he had been holding towards him. « We need netherite! »

That made Skeppy do a double-take, before turning around and kneeling down to meet his son's eyes. « Sapnap, I am not going to risk our lives for- »

« Are you scared? »

That damned smirk.

« Wow. » Skeppy sat back up. « You know the piglins don't like me, it's a sensitive topic. » he pretended to be offended, but felt the umpteenth tug on his arm.

« Pretty please? » now. Now a specific thing about raising a kid with someone, is that they're eventually going to pick up someone's antics. And, really, none had asked the little kid to pick up Bad's puppy eyes so well, but there he was, making Skeppy doomed to agree with him.

He checked on his pickaxe's status. « We go in, we take some quartz and then we leave, okay? »

Sapnap nodded heavily, expression determined, before sprinting to the portal.

Skeppy didn't have the time to reach him to get to the other side together, that he stopped for a moment, as the kid slowly disappeared before him.

« Love you, dad! »

His heart melted, just like the first time he heard that, or the second, like the time he comforted him after getting hurt, or sleep-drunk after a nightmare. It always softened him.

Skeppy followed after him and decided that, maybe, a trip to hell may have been a little worth it.

By the time they reached home, the sky had begun to darken and the figure of a concerned demon hurried over the entrance of their abode, decreasing his height to meet his family properly.

« What took you so long? » with an arm already secured around Sapnap as he lifted him up, Bad took some of Skeppy's tools to free him of the weight.

« It's a secret! » the kid revealed, shaking a leather sachet in one of his hands mischievously.

The demon's face fell. « Did you guys go mining? » it was kind of funny how his voice could become so high-pitched with disbelief despite his, at first glance, terrifying looks.

Skeppy shrugged as Sapnap freed himself from the half-hug of his dad, snagging the tools out of his hand to place them down in a chest and run to the kitchen afterwards. « Like he said, it's a secret. »

Bad walked towards him, giving him a once-over while grimacing. « You don't look too good, either. » he pressed his lips on the other's temple to check for any temperature rise, leaving a quick kiss afterwards. « Did you stay too long under the sun? »

« I'm just fatigued, no worries. » he gifted him a smile not to concern him further. « I'm going to nap for a while to fix that. »

The moment Bad stepped in the kitchen, he found a very pensive Sapnap staring up at the ingredients placed messily on the cupboards.

« Well, hello, chef Pandas. » he knew how much his son loved it when he messed around with the little voices he could make. « What are you going to delight us with today? »

« I want to make a beach picnic for dad! »

His eyes lit up. « That does sound very nice, may I assist? »

« Yeah! I can cook food up! »

« Sure Pandas, maybe when you learn not to get hurt first. »

It was an eventful evening of packing up different delicacies for that day's dinner, along with everything needed to set it down and protect it from undesired sand.

The surprise trip hadn't been that much of a surprise for Skeppy, as he knew exactly the direction towards which they were heading, having learnt it by heart thanks to the numerous amount of times they spent at the beach, even before they had let Sapnap in their family.

It had all fallen into a quiet tranquillity, after they mob-proofed the area and were done eating, telling each other sea-related stories.

« Like that one time your dad tried to stand still on a boat and ended up falling in the water two seconds after. » Bad snickered as Skeppy shot him a look.

« Actually, if I remember correctly, you were the one to miserably fall and turn your boat upside down. »

The kid could already picture the mini fight about to come, so he sat himself back comfortably.

« No, no, no. You were all like “Oh Bad, why don't we”- »

« This is ridiculous. »

« “-why don't we race towards that sand while standing!”»

« I did not say that- »

« Yes you did! »

« Wow, the lies. »

He broke the situation up with his sudden epiphany. « Gifts! » Sapnap yelled, having his parents turn to him immediately, as he fumbled for the leather sachet from earlier that day and handed it to Bad.

The latter blinked a few times and accepted the item in his hands, carefully undoing the tied up string around it: out of it fell a bracelet of black leather with three gems sitting together in the middle: redstone, quartz and diamond.

« Oh my gosh … »

« Happy Father's Day! » the kid sat up and leapt into Bad's arms to be pulled in a tight hug.

« You didn't have to do this, is that why you went out today? » he exchanged a quick glance with Skeppy who was simply admiring the soft scene. « Thank you so much, both of you, this is so sweet, I adore it. » he kept complimenting, as Sapnap released him to put the bracelet on Bad's arm himself.

He then turned towards the other, a grin creeping up on his face. « As for your gift … »

« Oh no, » Skeppy put his hands up defensively, before giggling. « Please, spare me. »

His son exchanged a look with Bad, both standing up to place a sort of vertical wooden pane on the side of the fire, and positioning themselves so the shadows of their hands could appear on the wood.

« Welcome to the ultimate shadow play! » the kid opened his arms theatrically. « Tonight, we will be telling the story of the Bravest Hero of the Nether! » Bad accompanied the explanation with various mouth sound effects.

Skeppy could hold it together, surely he didn't have his head in his hands already because of how adorable it all already looked.

The story had been a dramatic retelling of all the time they had spent in the nether on different occasions, with a specific focus on Skeppy, completely told out of Bad's shadow figures on wood, the occasional sound effects and Sapnap's incredible storytelling along with some firey visual effects here and there.

« And that is how, ultimately, he crossed paths with the Nether again, to collect quartz alongside his trusted warrior Sapnap. »

Bad dropped his arms. « You went to the nether without me?»

Okay, he had a point.

It was a little unnerving how the netherfolk didn't seem to like Skeppy that much, they would tolerate Sapnap despite his humanoid features, but rest assured with Bad around, they were always respected.

Which was a synonym of never attacked on sight.

Sapnap beat Skeppy in an apology. « I'm sorry, I ran towards the portal cause I really wanted to get the quartz myself, so dad went with me. We will tell you next time. »

The demon only sighed at the puppy eyes his son made at him. « Alright, I will accept that, but know that that expression doesn't work with me. » he then ruffled his hair, as the kid winked at his other dad, who mouthed him a grateful “thank you”.

Needless to say, the show was over and it didn't take long before Sapnap was sound asleep between his dads.

Switching from looking at the sea to the night sky, Skeppy let out a small breath. « Do you believe in fate, Bad? »

« Mh? Why the question? » he loved his soft spoken voice.

Careful not to wake his son up, he stroked Sapnap's hair.

« When we found him. The night before the sky was so clear you could see the planets. The fireplace had been flickering brighter than before the entire night and the day after you somehow knew you had to go to the nether. »

Bad seemed to consider, humming low. « Well, you see. The thing about coincidences is that humans set an objective number onto them, ignoring the fact that events are always subjective to the people that they happen to. One could see a myriad of facts linked together that actually have nothing to do with each other. »

« Or, have just a couple that do? »

He nodded. « You're following me. But where I want to go is: there's few beings, humans comprehended, that have the gift of speaking and a very specific type of intelligence that can bring us to question complicated things, such as your sense of self. So it is only logical to think that we're the ones to create these connections and notice them if we think too hard about them. »

« Isn't noticing connections the point? »

« Not if we are the ones to make them. We link events up ourselves. Thus, in a sense, I kind of believe fate to be artificial. »

Skeppy shrugged. « I mean, we did come up with the word … »

That pulled a chuckled out of Bad. « You're a muffinhead. But yea, I'm not saying believing in fate is dumb and you shouldn't do it. Wouldn't you believe in something you made for yourself, if it's good for you? So if you want to think Sapnap was destined to find his way to us in any circumstance, that's really nice. I like the thought. »

They both looked down at the kid, silence only broken by Skeppy's small snort when Sapnap snuggled closer, muttering an “I love you” in amidst his dreams.

« It is really nice. »

[secret-engima]

Hey, all your stories have inspired me to try the ffxv game and i haven't played the other games are there any tricks to it?

Hmmmmm You don’t need to play the other FF games to get into FFXV? So there’s that. Get the Royal Edition, PLEASE, it has all the extra DLC barring Ardyn’s and an extra map to explore plus quests.

For tips/tricks lemme think-

Overlevel. Side-Quests are your friend, Hunts are your friend. Until you get comfortable with the various combat systems and strategies having a higher level is Great. Even after you get comfortable having a higher level is Great.

Collect everything. If you see a shiny blue spark on the ground, go over and collect it. Be careful what you sell. There are guides on what is safe to sell or not but as a shortcut tip DO NOT sell Rusty Bit, Glass Gemstone, and if you somehow get a Sturdy Helixhorn while taking Hunts for the love of the Astrals DON’T SELL IT. Those three ingredients are what you need to upgrade your Engine Blade, which brings me to my next tip-

Talk to Cid after you’re in the open world (so ... post Noctis learning of Insomnia’s fall and the cutscenes/short quests associated with that). I forget when you’re free to go talk to him (probably after the set of Cor quests? I think? Been a while.) but just- try as soon as possible and keep trying. He has these nifty quests where he will upgrade certain kinds of gear, including your Engine Blade. If you upgrade the Engine Blade three times (Rusty Bit for the first one, Glass Gemstone for the second, Sturdy Helixhorn for the last) it will turn into the Ultima Blade, which is easily the highest powered blade in the game for like- 99% of the game. I’ve been in post-game for a LONG while now hunting down the really hard post-game dungeons and I still use that thing. It’s a relatively easy set of quests to get the highest level blade in the game and you can do it REALLY EARLY on in the game.

Wait System is Your Friend In Specific Instances. So- there are two kinds of combat mode in the game, Real Time and Wait System. I usually don’t bother with Wait System because I prefer Real Time BUT when hunting for specific monster parts (like the Sturdy Helixhorn), if you pause in combat and go down to ... i forget what it’s called but the came will show you in the tutorial, there’s a spot where you can swap to Wait System. That essentially pauses the game while you’re holding still (on a timer though so don’t dally too long) so that you can look around and lock onto desired monster parts. If you want the horn- lock onto and repeatedly warp attack the horn until it breaks. Repeat for any other part you particularly want on a given monster. I only do that with Hunts when I need a specific part though so (shrugs).

Take your time. You are in no rush, exploring and overleveling are your friends, and really except for specific quests, nothing is timed. Just enjoy the game and get comfortable with the systems before trying to tackle the late game/Altissia/post-Altissia content. There. Is. No. Rush. Stockpile potions and elixirs, enjoy the scenery, go catch some funny colored frogs. Saving the world will wait for you.

I’m sure everyone has a different opinion, but for me, I like to upgrade the Exploration branches of the Ascension menu (basically your skill tree, it has sub categories for upgrading magic, upgrading health, upgrading/unlocking your companion’s special attacks, etc) There are ones that will allow things like Gladio picking up extra items while hiking as well as gaining EXP and Ascension points (skill points) just by driving the car around and another for riding chocobos. I’d recommend getting the car and chocobo = ascension points ones first before moving on to snag whatever boosts or abilities you want because that way you can just- earn skill points by doing whatever on the open world map.

Pay attention to the exp bonus rates of various hotels. You only “level up” when you Rest at either a Haven or a hotel or caravan. Haven’s have the bonus of Ignis cooking meals (pay attention to the buffs offered, and if you see a chibi figure of one of the chocobros next to a recipe that means they like it and will get a passive exp boost for eating it), but hotels and caravans will boost how much exp you get per Rest. The best one early-ish in the game is Lestallum’s, which doubles your points when you Rest there (so if you go in with 100 points, it will tally 200 points instead etc etc). The Best one is the hotel in Altissia but that’s later game and also much more expensive.

Do the Dead-Eye quest as soon as you think you’re leveled up enough for it, because it unlocks Chocobos and those are priceless for running around the map in places the car can’t go (make sure to have a few flasks of Fire Elemency in your inventory, because there are red barrels in his lair and it is satisfying to set him on fire).

Elemancy is your friend (as long as you throw from far enough away, because your own bombs WILL hurt you if you throw too close). It took me forever to get the hang of Elemency and I still prefer using blades BUT it’s a fun system to play with. If you combine raw elements like Fire with an ingredient from your inventory (say, a banknote or silver coin) you can get additional effects like boosted exp, slowing the enemy down, poisoning them, even instant death (though that one is ... iffy).

Pay attention to the numbers that come out of monsters when you fight them. Purple means that whatever you’re using isn't effective. Gold means it’s super effective, white is normal. If you’re getting purple numbers, try swapping to another type of weapon like spear, dagger, great sword, or pistol. If you watch close enough, you can spot if one of the other chocobros is using a super effective weapon and as Noctis you get to use all of them, so just swap to that.

Don’t Fast Travel unless you have to. Filling up the gas tank on the car and running everywhere on chocobo may be boring sometimes but if you get the exp and skill point bonuses for doing those things, it will be worth it. But if you fast travel you don’t get those skill points.

There’s an mp3 player thing you can buy in the car store menus under key items, it will let you play music from other games while you drive/ride/walk. You can buy the soundtracks from various stores and gas stations throughout lucis so make sure to check for those when you stop.

Do the Cindy quest chain. The sooner you successfully complete it, the sooner you get a car with an unlimited gas tank, so no more worrying about having to spend gil refilling the tank while earning ascension points. Also the fully upgraded car can fly, but I don’t recommend it because landing is hard and one mistake will murder your entire party. Also if Cindy sends you into a dungeon to get a part, look it up ahead of time on the internet, because chances are you don’t have to go too far into the dungeon to find it, but if you do, it’s probably a scary high-level dungeon so good luck.

Prompto is a Gem. I mean that. He is one of my primary tactics in the game other than be Warptastic with Noctis. He is also a Glass Cannon so if you get/buy decent health and defense items I recommend giving the best ones to him (there are ascension slots that can unlock more accessory slots for specific characters, I recommend upgrading Prompto’s and Noctis’s first). The longer you can keep him alive in a fight, the more times you can use his Piercer ability. It’s his basic special attack, but it doesn’t take long to recharge and you can use it to break an enemy’s defense VERY often if you level it up all the way (just spam it, more use = higher level special attack). I still use it post game because it’s short and fast and relatively powerful. But that’s just me.

Try to keep everyone alive. If you don’t have phoenix downs to spare obviously you CAN just let them lie there until the fight is over, but if you do that then the “dead” member won’t get exp for the fight. This is bad because you need all the bros to be at their best to survive the whole game. Try to keep an eye on all health bars and if you can’t get over there to manually revive them, there are ascension skills that let them use health kits on themselves or you can just go into the potion menu and order them to use one on themselves before they get too bad off health wise.

If you think you are overleveled enough to handle the boss fights in Gralea. You Are Not™. Either don’t go to Altissia until you are higher leveled than you currently are or when you go to Altissia, take advantage of Umbra’s new time-travel ability and go BACK to Lucis to level some more. I recommend being like- at least level forty-five, PREFERABLY FIFTY+, before going to Altissia but that’s just me. Check the “recommended level” of each quest before doing them and decide if you want to tackle it. They are fully beatable if you are at the recommended level or even a little under but personally I saved a lot of potions and elixirs and tears of frustration by just- making a point to be 5-10 levels higher than the recommended at minimum.

Strategy Guides on the internet are your friend. I suck at explaining my strategies, and other people have actual numbers to crunch to prove their methods. If all else fails, there is no shame in looking up how to handle a boss fight on youtube or ign or whatever.

That’s ... all I can think of atm though I could ramble on for ages on different tactics and things I find useful. Hope this helps!

P.S. be polite to people in the dialogue options. You will be rewarded with exp and skill points for Not Being a Jerk and in one case in Altissia a conversation can literally decide if your game kicks into Hard Mode or not. So Be Nice. For Your Own Sake.

[eluvisen]

OC As Companion Meme

(look at me, perpetually late to the party)

NAME: Kaelyn Prescott

FOUND: Diamond City, after Road to Freedom has been completed.

COMPANION PERK: Friends in High Places - 20% increased accuracy with sniper rifles.

 WEAPON OF CHOICE: 

Silenced 10mm

Sniper rifle

I THINK WE SHOULD TRAVEL TOGETHER:

“Is this for... official business? Full steam ahead, then.”

“I hope you’re taking me somewhere nice.”

“My husband would disagree, but he’s not here. Let’s go.”

“Of course, but I have to be home by six. Family dinner tonight.”

“What trouble do you have planned for today?”

“Good timing. A desk job can be tiring.”

“I’ll just leave a note for my husband. He’ll understand.”

USE MELEE:

“To think I left my swatter at home.”

“Close quarters isn't my specialty, but...”

“If that's where you need me.”

“So we're hitting and running, is that the plan?”

USE RANGED:

“Back to my favourite spot on the battlefield.”

“I’m more than happy to keep my distance from the things that want to kill us.”

“Now we’re talking.”

“I’ll be watching your back.”

OPEN INVENTORY:

“One person's junk is another's treasure, I suppose…”

“What do you want me to carry?”

“Take a look.”

“Anything you need?”

IF OVERENCUMBERED:

“You'll break your back at this rate.”

“I can lighten that load for you.”

“You really do have one of everything in your pockets, don't you?”

“We need to move faster than this. I don't want to be caught in the open.”

“Maybe we should invest in a brahmin to carry all that.”

STAY CLOSE:

“Right behind you.”

“I'll stay close.”

“Better we stick together around here.”

KEEP DISTANCE:

“Can do.”

“I'll keep my distance.”

“I'll be back there with my sniper rifle.”

“I’ll follow your lead.”

STEALTH:

“Now we're talking.”

“We'll take this carefully.”

“I'll be right behind you.”

“They'll never see us coming. Or at least they’ll never see me coming.”

BACKUP:

“Can do.”

“Sorry. I’ll take a step back.”

BE PASSIVE:

“I’d rather not pull the trigger if I don’t have to.”

“Sure, we can try talking first.”

“Pacifism is worth a shot. No pun intended.”

“Let’s try not to make any new enemies.”

BE AGGRESSIVE:

“Ready to fire when you are.”

“We’re going the fire and blood route today?”

“This doesn’t look like a friendly neighborhood we’ve wandered into.”

“If you insist.”

“Diplomacy too boring for you, I take it?”

USE STIMPAK:

“Ah, that feels better. Thanks.”

“Thanks, I needed that.”

“Gonna feel that tomorrow…”

“Nate’s going to freak when he sees this…”

  WAIT HERE:

“Waiting.”

“I’ll stay put.”

“Don’t take too long.”

  FOLLOW ME:

“Good, you’re back.”

“Let’s not waste daylight, then.”

“Lead on, then.”

DISMISSED:

“Don’t be a stranger.”

“I go, then. See you later.”

“It’s time I headed home, anyway.”

“If you need me, you know where to find me.”

“Not going to lie, I’m looking forward to seeing my husband again.”

ENEMIES (LONG RANGE)

“A part of me feels bad, but I know they don’t!”

“Let’s teach them a lesson they'll never forget.”

“Sometimes I feel bad for them. Not today!”

(Raiders) “They won’t get a chance to hurt anyone else!”

(Insects) “I hate these things!”

(Insects) “At least they’re easier to hit when they’re this big?”

(Synths/Robots) “Where’s the self-destruct button?”

(Synths/Robots) “You're off to the scrap heap!”

(Super mutants) “Super mutants? We should pick them off from a distance.”

(Feral ghouls) “Best put them out of their misery…”

(Feral ghouls) “Don’t let them close in on us!”

(Critical Kill) “Good shot!”

(Critical Kill) “Like something out of a comic book.”

  ENEMIES (CLOSE RANGE)

“You should have run while you had a chance!”

“Enemies closing in!”

“Coming in hot!”

“Hands off!”

“Oh no you don’t…”

(Insects) “I need a big flyswatter.”

(Insects) “Ugh! Disgusting.”

(Synths/Robots) “Think a factory reset will work?”

(Children of Atom) “Atom’s wrath? We’ll see about that.”

(Super mutants) “They’re somehow uglier up close.”

(Feral ghouls) “Don’t let them swarm us!”

(Mirelurks) “Great, now I’m covered in crab guts.”

WHEN ENTERING:

GOODNEIGHBOR

“Goodneighbor used to be even shadier, if you can believe it.”

“Watch your back as well as your caps stash. Both are good targets.”

“This isn’t my idea of a night on the town.”

DIAMOND CITY

“Home sweet home.”

“I need to check in on my family while we’re here.”

“Huh, D-Sec patrols have been switched up again...”

“If you look past the mud, rust and politics, it’s one of the nicest settlements in the ‘Wealth.”

BUNKER HILL

“Watch your wallet. Bunker Hill has all sorts of ways of parting you from your hard-earned caps.”

BOSTON AIRPORT

“Can you imagine all the places these planes could reach? If only we could still travel that far.”

“I wonder how many planes were in the air when the bombs dropped?”

(After Reveille has triggered) “Look at those fortifications. The Brotherhood establishing a foothold here.”

(After Reveille has triggered) “Is anyone else nervous that a foreign army is camping in the Commonwealth?”

(After Reveille has triggered) “Whatever else the Brotherhood is, they’re serious about protecting their base.”

THE PRYDWEN

“How did they build something like this?”

“The Prydwen sure is impressive. And alarming.”

“Be careful around the Brotherhood, okay?”

THE CASTLE

“When the Minutemen lost the Castle, it was the beginning of their end.”

(After Castle is restored) “I never thought I’d see the Castle restored, but here we are. Maybe we can turn the Commonwealth around.”

(After Castle is restored) “If the Castle fell once, it can fall again. I hope the Minutemen are ready to protect it.”

(After Castle is restored) “The view from the walls must be breathtaking.”

QUINCY

(Before clearing Quincy) “Quincy used to be one of the larger settlements in the ‘Wealth. Damn Gunners…”

(After clearing Quincy) “Good riddance to the Gunners. Maybe one day Quincy can thrive again.”

THE GLOWING SEA

“You know, I was planning on having children.”

“Whenever I saw the glow on the horizon, I never thought ‘it would be nice to see this up close’.”

“This place doesn’t feel real. It’s hard to believe there was ever anything else here.”

“Ground zero of the bomb…”

CONCORD

“If you ousted the raiders and put up some walls, Concord could be a decent place to settle.”

LEXINGTON

“Word is Lexington is overrun with ferals. If you trip over one, don’t scream. I don’t want to be chased through the streets by a horde.”

“If we’re quiet, we might not wake up the ferals in the streets.”

SALEM

“Salem is a good place for a witch hunt, I hear.”

“We’d best not linger here.”

LYNN WOODS

“I’ve heard this is deathclaw territory. Be on your guard.”

“A bad place to step on a stick. We don’t want to alert something nasty that we’re here.”

NAHANT

“This looks like it used to be quite the neighborhood.”

“I imagine this isn’t the same ocean view that they used to have around here.”

“There’s a rumour that a raider gang claimed the peninsula. In case the threat of sea monsters wasn’t enough for you.”

CAMBRIDGE

“I hear there used to be places of learning around here. It's a shame they're gone.”

SANCTUARY

“It would have been nice to live here. Maybe it can live up to its name again.”

AGGRESSION: not aggressive/aggressive/very aggressive/frenzied

CONFIDENCE: cowardly/cautious/average/brave/foolhardy

ASSISTANCE: helps nobody/helps allies/helps friends and allies

LOSE AS COMPANION PERMANENTLY:

Too many dislikes

Attacking the Railroad

Selling Billy to slavers in Kid in a Fridge

Killing Kent Connolly in The Silver Shroud

Siding with Covenant

Destroying Acadia 

Destroying Far Harbor

Raiding the Commonwealth for Nuka-World

PERSONAL MISSION:

After Graygarden has been recruited as a settlement, Kaelyn receives a message from her mother asking her to come home. When the player and Kaelyn enter Diamond City, they are directed to the greenhouses where Eromi works. She will show them her sickly crops and request that Kaelyn and the player find her some pesticide to curtail the problem before it creates a food crisis.

The player and Kaelyn can go to either Graygarden or Vault 81 (if the Vault is open) to collect the pesticide. Upon their return to the greenhouses, the player and Kaelyn assist Eromi fix the water distribution in the greenhouses, and, with her thanks, the quest ends.

Later, Kaelyn will receive a message from Nate that she has to return home at once. If the player does not agree to immediately travel to Diamond City, she will leave of her own accord. In the city, the player discovers that Eromi is sick from an unknown poison, more crops are dying, and Nate has been ordered to crack down on smugglers selling food in the Lower Stands.

With some investigation, the player learns that Erica Beattie, a prominent Upper Stander who owns the greenhouses, is the saboteur. She has been manufacturing a food crisis to drive up prices and cull the population of low-income citizens. When confronted, she threatens to have both Eromi and Nate fired and blacklisted to stop Kaelyn from exposing the plot.

The player can either encourage Kaelyn to fight for change (thus keeping her family in Diamond City) or protect her family (resulting in the family moving to Vault 81 to join Nate’s family). In either instance, the story is leaked to Piper, who prints a Publick Occurrences article on the sabotage, triggering protests in the Lower Stands. If Kaelyn’s family remains in Diamond City, both Eromi and Nate are fired and become the unwitting faces of the protests. If the family returns to Vaults 81, they are safe and Eromi’s expertise allows the Vault to increase the amount and quality of its produce, while the protests in Diamond City eventually fizzle out.

Tagged by @mrninjapineapple (a very long time ago)! Given I’m so late to the party, I won’t tag anyone but if you haven’t done it, feel free to give it a go!

[bloodline-rpg]

LUCIO LONTOC // 27 // WITCH

❝ What about us? What about all the times you said you had the answers? What about all the broken happy ever afters?❞

_______________________________________________________________________

BIOGRAPHY

It was nothing but a folk tale; Kulam, a widely respected and ancient folk magic practiced in the Philippines centuries ago, and for the Lontocs, nothing but a story about things that went thump in the night. Little Lucio and Lucia Lontoc never knew Witchcraft, and their parents – strong, devoted Catholics who forced their children to read the bible and wear nice clothes to mass on Sundays – called it satanic. To them, magic was fictional, and miracles only happened through the grace of their God and obsessive praying to an unseen deity. The Lontoc twins were aggressively force-fed their religion, unjust rules, and their odd desire for persecution – and it only served to brew resentment in their hearts. But behind the ever-so-quiet, shut doors of Lucio and Lucia’s room, something was brewing, something bigger and greater than Reyna and Jerome Lontoc could’ve ever predicted.

An odd mix of science and the occult, genetic and seemingly mystical. Twins, fraternal or other, had been unheard of in Reyna’s family in over hundreds of years, right along the time her ancestors converted to Catholicism to survive persecution and the time the last twin in their bloodline married a human. Their magic had diluted as their blood was tainted, but when Lucio and Lucia were born, something awoke in them.

At first it seemed like a simple case of teen misbehavior, but even if Lucio and Lucia could be nothing more than complete opposites (Lucia the ever so rebellious, rule breaking of the two and Lucio, the boy who always followed the rules), the first signs began in the week of their 16th birthday, when they stumbled upon an old, disheveled, and dusty book they found in their attic when their parents were away with their prayer group at the church a few blocks from their home. But what had started as a joke and simple curiosity evolved into something bigger than they could control on their own, beyond the ability to understand what was written on the pages of a book in a language they had never been taught, and as Lucio and Lucia’s seemingly instinctual power began to grow, the less inconspicuous they became.

Their father found them one evening, sitting on the ground of Lucia’s room on a night Jerome was supposed to be gone, with the book open on their knees, engaging in what seemed like something ritualistic, and it was the day Jerome Lontoc lost it, and lost his children. He blamed it on Lucia, for “corrupting” her brother, and Lucio had only shoved them both under the bus when he said he was the one who instigated it. It set him off, but Jerome didn’t hit them like he usually would’ve, no, his religious instinct drove him to something much worse, something that left a scar in Lucio’s soul that he couldn’t shake off.  With the idea that his children were engaging in something Satanic (and after he tossed the book into the fireplace), he forced them to go through the ritual act of exorcism, kept in a church in the middle of nowhere for days upon days, because no matter how hard the priest tried, nothing ever changed, and nothing would ever change.

He still remembers that moment though, when the double wooden doors of the church opened, and Augustin Crowe saved them from their misery. He introduced himself as a witch, took them in, and taught them everything they knew, and during the years they trained with Augustin, Lucio and Lucia were more inseparable than ever, grateful that their mentor had removed them from their abusive household and had taken them away without a hint of their whereabouts. In many ways, Augustin became the father they never had, nurturing and promising; Lucio learned he was prolific with potions, just as he was prolific with science at the school he attended, and he had never been happier – so the day Augustin disappeared from their lives without a word, Lucio felt that same resentment he had felt for his father return. Lucio and his sister were left to fend on their own.

They took up menial jobs for menial people; waiting tables at cafes, bartending at bougie bars, things that seemed to lead them nowhere and paid very little, and frustrated with the way their life was headed, they decided to start their own business, using their eclectic knowledge and eccentric looks to lure and fool people into believing they could talk to the dead. They would visit old houses, research information on the people who owned the properties, and made good money in their pretend job, travelling around the U.S and visiting places their parents would’ve never dreamed of showing them.

Until Augustin returned, after the hunt for witches became almost unescapable, and when Lucia decided she wanted to leave with the man who had left them behind, Lucio refused, vile resentment in his heart, and the next morning Lucia was gone and Lucio was on his own. He considered it an act of rebellion and decided it felt good to turn his back on an authority figure for the first time, and even though Lucio had come out of his shell long before he and Lucia were separated, he thirsted for more.

And around that time, sitting in a bar where witches lurked in every corner, he met two women: Thierry, a beautiful, cunning witch who wanted immortality more than he wanted his freedom, and Aija, perhaps one of the brightest witches he’d ever known. His instinct for rebellion and the desire to prove he could survive without Augustine’s guidance led him to follow Thierry in her search for immortality, and with Aija and Lucio’s intelligence and knick for potion making, soon enough, it became a reality. He would never tell anyone he had a hand in helping Thierry build a coven of immortal witches; he knew it was frowned upon, Necromancy – it was black magic, the type no one should ever mess with. Just like he would never tell anyone it wasn’t only the desire for insurrection that drove him on this quest, but that he had also fallen for the same witch he had granted the wish to live forever.

But even if he had found separation from his sister (which began to take a toll on him), and Augustine, he had found Thierry as a rightful companion, almost as eccentric as he was, always had something smart to say, so when the letter came in the mail – a family of original witches granting Thierry and her coven asylum even if they disproved of immortals – it came to no surprise that Lucio followed, not only knowing he’d be safe from the dangerous uprising of witch hunters – since he had refused immortality when Thierry offered it in return – but hoping that he’d find his sister again. Their magic was always stronger together.

______________________________________________PERSONALITY/TRAITS

He had always been the good kid, always a rule follower, always the kid their parents were proud of, the opposite of his outgoing sister, who was always eager to break the rules. It was never truly who he was though, not on the inside, not when he desired to be and do everything his parents disapproved of. It was to no surprise that after he escaped his precarious situation at home, Lucio became an unorthodox, free spirit, flamboyant witch who was always labeled as interesting and peculiar. He experienced sexual freedom and life outside religion. Regardless of his outlandish behavior however, Lucio is well studied and sophisticated, molding himself into the person he desired to be and the person his parents never allowed him to become, but has always had trouble letting go of his co-dependency. While he might love fiercely and practice loyalty even harder, his slavish trust on people he attaches himself to sometimes borders on unhealthy interdependence, and allows people to walk all over him once they gain his trust. However, he holds grudges, big ones, and it’s hard for him to let them go, regardless of how many times a person can apologize and has a tendency to take things with a heavy heart.

Status: TAKEN

Related bios: Lucia Lontoc, Augustin Crowe, Thierry Astor

Species/Family info: Holistic Witch

Faceclaim: Darren Criss

[borrowedbackpack]

Nepalin’

Namaste from Kathmandu, Nepal, and welcome back to Borrowed Backpack. We are Borrowed Back-Back, if you will. Ha. Ha. Ha.

           So anyways, yup I decided to go to Nepal. I don’t really know why, since I don’t care about mountains or anything. But so far it seems nice. Also I’m probably as surprised to be here as you, my loyal followers, are surprised that I’m here. See, after my last trip, I was heckin broke. So I then I made some money. But then I went to uni and spent all my money. Just as I was resigning myself to a year of no international travel (how tragic), a generous old lady decided to give me a bunch of money for writing a couple paragraphs about how much I love managing natural resources. I think this money was intended to help finance my continued education in managing natural things, so of course I came to Nepal to do some experiential learning about mountains, yaks, stray doggos, sub-par water quality, and carbs. Lots and lots of carbs.

           We arrived last night (yup, we – Borrowed Backpack found a travel companion) at late o’clock after the longest combination of flights of my life (but a limited amount of those signature Borrowed Backpack 19 hour layovers, so that was nice). Ya’ll probably don’t care about my flight itinerary, but I’m going to discuss it anyways because it’s my blog and I think it’s interesting:

·      August 17th, 4:45am: Christopher’s mother drives us to YXE. I told her we could take an Uber, because 4:45 is a very early o’clock, but she insisted on driving us so she could say “one last goodbye” (she thinks we’re going to die on Everest. I’m not sure if she knows that we’re not actually climbing Everest. But that’s okay).

·      6:30am – YXE – YVR. Not much to say. I watched a documentary about Fyre Festival. It was good.

·      7:33 am (YVR time) – we arrive at YVR and eat French toast. I buy 6L of hand sanitizer.

·      10:30am: this is where shit gets real. We embark on a 13 hr and 20 minute Hell Flight* to Hong Kong. Christopher sleeps for 8/13 hrs. Anna sleeps for 15 minutes/13 hrs. I watched all of season 10 of Modern Family, Crazy Rich Asians (to get pumped for Hong Kong), Bohemian Rhapsody, and something about the making of Back to Black. Also I listened to a podcast about Not Complaining. Which I think helped.

·      ***this was not actually a hell flight. It would have been a Hell Flight on any other airline. I will exclusively be flying Cathay Pacific from here on. Around hour 7 I started to feel some moderate despair, mostly because my entire body was sore from canoeing a bunch of 8-10 year olds around all day the previous day (weird flex, I know). It was at this point that I realized that the free alcohol on the flight was, in fact, free, and not a Trick. This was a turning point – I went from “I am never flying again. If we ever reach Hong Kong, I will stay there and start a new life as a ground-dweller. I do not care” to “oh heck yes. I love being an adult. I am a Fancy Adult Traveller. Nothing hurts anymore and I roam the skies as I please.” And then they brought out gelato! What a time.

My sweet canoeing look. Oddly, a large part of my summer job was “canoeing instructor”. Which is terrifying, considering a came in with about 45 minutes of canoeing experience. Anyways, last week I was finally able to rescue a blowing away canoe full of children without assistance so hooray for personal growth.

·      August 18th, 2ish pm HK time: we finally land in Hong Kong. Flying into Hong Kong is very beautiful. Everything is lush and green. There are a lot of boats. Also I saw the beautiful rainbow sustainable social housing project. No one else on the plane cared L

·      Slightly after 2ish pm: HK customs. A wonderful time! I was greeted by the customs agent with a cheerful “Hey lady!” then when I handed over my passport he looked at it and said “almost it is your birthday! Have a very happy birthday!” AND THAT WAS IT. No questions. 10/10. Then we were free to roam the HK airport. Initially, I was very nervous about flying through HK due to the protest action earlier in the week. Fortunately, there was absolutely no sign of any sort of Situation by the time we arrived. We were greeted with many moon cake samples and more people toting around designer leather goods than I have ever seen in my entire life. Also a sign that just said “octopus”? idk. I was very sleepy and mildly grumpy at this point. Next we decided to look for food. As a person who does not eat meat, this proved to be extremely challenging. We walked 5,474 steps back and forth through the international terminal trying in vain to find something that didn’t have any belly, neck, or knuckles in it. Finally, we found vegetable miso ramen! Hooray! The quest was over. Except not. When I attempted to order this dish, the girl at the counter was like “okay, it has meat though. Is that okay?” and I was like actually not really but thanks. So then we walked and walked more and found the best noodles and seaweed ever and I was a Happy Traveller again. Then I slept on a bench for an hour because I felt the need to return to my Airport Hobo Roots.

My noodles! My seaweed! My weird (delicious) fried peanut cabbage stuff!

·      7:00pm – our flight (mostly empty) attempts to embark for Kathmandu. Unfortunately, it was extremely rainy by then so we had to wait on the tarmac for an hour-ish. I slept for most of this and also for most of the 4ish hour flight.

·      10pm (KTM time) – arrival in Nepal. I’ve heard a lot of horror stories about the Kathmandu airport, the visa process, and the general immigration system there so I was prepared for the worst. Luckily, I found this whole thing to be extremely quick and easy. My backpack (the NBF) came zooming off the carousel very quickly. Christopher’s took a long time so I left him to deal with that and stood off to the side to eat some spicy nuts I picked up from first class during the de-planing process because I am nothing if not a resourceful gal.

·      late o’clock, idk: we took a taxi to our hostel and a very nice person showed us to our room. I tried to pay him and he was like “oh no. You’re very tired. You can just pay when you feel like it.”

This morning we woke up after a restful sleep on the World’s Hardest Bed. I had a shower, which was a big step for me because I fear the water here like I fear being struck by lightning, being involved in a shipwreck, and geology 105. So far I am fine. Then we went for a long walk, during which we went to some temples, saw a picture of a guy’s baby, almost got suckered in to buying some art (it was very beautiful art, to be fair), unsuccessfully looked for a bank, got #blessed, met a lot of dogs, almost got hit by cars/motorbikes/rickshaws  x infinity,  got pretty lost, saw a lot of plant life, and ate some delicious (and cheap) food (this country is the light at the end of the non-vegetarian friendly tunnel that was the HK airport).

Overall First Impressions:

·      so hot. So humid. Not raining all day err day as advertised.

·      A little bit…filthy. But like I understand it’s a developing country and they just don’t have the infrastructure to deal with pollution/garbage, etc at the moment so that’s okay. If anyone knows of any reputable environmental/clean up Nepal type of charities please hit me up.

·      A lot less dusty than advertised. So that has been nice.

·      No tourists. Or at least no noticeable tourists. Our hostel is mostly empty at the moment, presumably due to the current monsoon season situation

·      Very beautiful! Very culturally rich and diverse! Very lovely people! And so many doggos!!

We at Borrowed Backpack love a good roof view.

[thatishogwash]

The Story of How We Changed

Haikyuu Fantasy Week 2018

April 22, Day 1: Haikyuu Quest AO3

Summary: Kuroo would do anything to help the cursed creature named Sawamura Daichi.

Can be read as a companion piece to this story.

“There you are Kuroo.”  If it had been anyone else's but Shimizu’s soft voice, Kuroo would have ignored them.  He was tired from the last errand the Grand King had sent him on.  Actually he was permanently tired from most of the assignments the demon lord sent him on, ridiculous quests in far off lands that usually ended with him bleeding and empty handed.  Shimizu never sought out Kuroo though so he pulled back his usual ire as he peered at her from his prone position on the ground.

The large beast he was currently using as a pillow grumbled beneath him.  The succubus didn’t put the beast on edge as much as the demon lord did but he wasn’t exactly comfortable around her or her underlings.  Kuroo could understand that.  She was intelligent, beautiful, and quite deadly.

“Hello.”  Kuroo greeted her carefully, watching as her two servants tossed a long bloodied package back and forth with loud, cackling laughter.  One of them looked to be missing an arm.

“The Heroes are close and the Grand King asked me to distract them while we moved house.”  Shimizu glanced over at her servants, who immediately stopped messing around with the detached limp and stared at her with complete devotion.  “But now I have to reattach Tanaka’s arm before it starts rotting.”  Kuroo couldn’t tell if Shimizu even liked her servants or she found the missing limb a small annoyance or a large problem.

What Kuroo did know is Shimizu was asking him for a favor, which interested Kuroo greatly.

“Really now?”  Kuroo sat up, allowing the great beast behind him to push to his feet and chase after the servants.  Shimizu didn’t look bothered by it as the two minions screeched and ran around the courtyard.

“I have something that might interest you.”  Shimizu glanced over at the large beast.  He ran on four legs, built like a cat with powerful hind legs that propelled him forward and flexible front paws that could grip and tear.  His face was wide, his muzzle long and full of sharp teeth. Bone white horns curled over long ears, his ice-blue eyes stood out even more because his fur was pure black.

The beast was a monster pulled straight from nightmares.  At one point he had been a man but very little remained of him.  Kuroo had put the human part to sleep when he had found the beast in a dirty dungeon, kept as a vicious pet ordered to do a corrupt lords bidding.  Kuroo had made a contract with someone to save the human the beast had once been.  If he hadn’t put the human part to sleep, the beast and man would have fought until there was nothing left of the human.

Kuroo hadn’t told this to anyone and the only other person who knew was long dead.  Locked in a prison that had once held Kuroo for centuries.

“What is it?”  Kuroo asked as the minions tried to split up and hit the beast from two different directions.  The beast merely ducked and rolled, letting them slam into each other then grabbing the fabric that held Tanaka’s arm and running away.  Tanaka wailed and Nishinoya swore vengeance as he chased after the beast.

“This book.”  Kuroo looked up at the book Shimizu was holding.  It was one on transfiguration, there was dried blood on the cover and Kuroo could smell human flesh from the pages.  “It tells of how to turn ordinary humans into great beasts and how to turn them back.”  Kuroo forced himself to not look too eager.

A common misconception about succubuses were they could only read sexual desires and amplify those but Kuroo knew better.  Shimizu had learned Kuroo’s desire and was now using it against him because he very much did want that book.

“Beast!”  Kuroo stood up, brushing off his cloak as the large creature trotted back to him, easily outpacing and outmaneuvering the low level demons.  Kuroo knew the beast’s name but names had power and he did not want the Grand King being able to command his beast.  “Drop that, you have no idea where it’s been.”  The beast let the arm go, snapping his sharp teeth at Nishinoya who snatched the arm back, hugging it to his chest and growling back at the beast.

“We have a deal then?”  Shimizu asked, holding out the book.  Kuroo sighed loudly and took the book, pushing it into the pocket of his cloak before striding off with the beast following close.

Dealing with heroes was usually an easy feat for Kuroo.  Even before he had been held prisoner for centuries he had been alive for longer than all the demons in the demon lords hoard put together.  The problem was he wasn’t allowed to kill these particular heroes because the Grand King had attachments and plans.  So Kuroo had to distract them and put them off the path long enough for the Grand King to gather his people and teleport them to a new Kingdom.

It would only be a matter of time until the heroes found them again but Oikawa was setting the final stage and he wouldn’t let anyone deviate from his plan.  Kuroo had joined him because it seemed like a good way to pass the time and it was better to be on Oikawa’s side then against him.  But Oikawa tended to get furious if his Great Knight, Iwaizumi Hajime, was injured.

All in all it was a great annoyance to deal with the heroes and Kuroo ended up with three arrows to the chest and nearly lost his head all for a silly book that might not even hold the answers he needed.

Kuroo pulled the last arrow from his shoulder, tossing it aside as he wandered further into the underground cavern.  He was sure the Grand King and even Shimizu knew about it but it was specifically spelled to keep both out.

The beast followed him, collapsing on his bed Kuroo had made out of numerous blankets and pillows.  Kuroo wasn’t sure why he favored the beast or why he would even consider bringing back the human part of them.  Humans were a needy selfish lot and they didn’t react well to demons, which Kuroo most obviously was.

Kuroo pretended it was merely curiosity.  He had met the beasts father, who had given up his life for Kuroo to rescue his son turned monster.  Kuroo was bound to the beast just as the beast was bound to him.  But Kuroo did not order the beast to follow him or help fight.  Certainly the beast could stay at the castle or their cavern while Kuroo was sent on endless quests and errands but the beast followed and he defended Kuroo as if he wanted to.

Kuroo finished drawing the circle from the book on the ground, using one of the arrows dipped into his own blood to do so.  The beast watched warily from his bed.  His fur was thick, most weapons glanced off of him but the mage had managed to hit his shoulder with fire.  The beast healed quickly and it would most likely be completely healed in a day or so but for now he was moody and wounded.

“Come stand in the circle.”  Kuroo motioned.  The beast eyed the circle before turning his head resolutely away from Kuroo.  “Ungrateful!”  Kuroo pulled his magic to himself before simply transporting the beast into the circle.  He growled unhappily at Kuroo but made no move to do anything further.

Kuroo and the beast had fought a couple times though the creature always seemed careful never to seriously injure Kuroo.

The bargained book floated in front of Kuroo’s face, allowing his hands to be free as he cast the spell.  Some ancient words, a push of his magic, and the creatures true name was all it took to complete it.

“Hello Sawamura Daichi, it’s nice to finally meet you.”  Kuroo grinned widely as he stared at the beast turned man who sat in the middle of the magic circle made of Kuroo’s blood and magic.  Kuroo could tell there was much of the beast left inside the human, his eyes were still the ice-blue of the beast and he had the same twisting white horns above now very human ears, the short black hair making the horns stand out even more.

“Hello.”  Sawamura stood, stumbling slightly but regaining his footing.  His shoulder was burnt black but that seemed not to matter to him at all as he looked around.

“Ah,” Kuroo blinked as he suddenly realized something.  “You are naked.”

[boylesharon]

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[winterdrake]

A New Man

(Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Fanfiction) 

The Dragonborn finds her former foe still alive in Solstheim, without any memory of who he once was.

Part 2 of 7

The Dragonborn rose early, having gotten a night of restful sleep despite the thoughts and emotions swirling inside her head from everything the day before. It still so seemed surreal. Miraak was back, without any physical taint of Hermaeus Mora and no memory of who he was. Part of her believed this was some sort of trick. How could something like this even happen? Could this be some sort of trick? But why ?

The warrior knew she had to be careful. However this strange situation happened, Miraak needed to be watched. If he was telling the truth, he was still a risk as he could one day remember his past and become the tyrant he was. The man could also be lying, but the Dragonborn could not see the point of pretending to be a mercenary for months. It also hadn’t seemed like Miraak recognized her from their conversation the night before. But for all she knew, her enemy was a convincing actor.

Last night the Dragonborn asked Miraak about himself. She told him she wanted to know his strengths and weaknesses, if his previous employers thought he could improve on anything, how he handled himself in dire situations, how would he react if she she gave him a command he didn’t like. Then, the woman tried to casually ask him about what he remembered, if anything. Did he remember anything about himself? Had any memory resurfaced since he woke up? The woman watched his face closely when he answered these questions, seeking some sort of tell that would indicate that he was lying.

Miraak answered everything and without any hesitation or flinch. He explained that he was proficient in short swords, daggers, bows, staffs and magic. He disliked heavier weapons and wasn’t as comfortable using warhammers, greatswords, axes or maces. He was more inclined to use destruction spells over any others but was good in all schools of magic. In battle he preferred to defeat or weaken the enemy with his magic first and then use his shortsword second, normally only if the enemy came too close. The man was told he was a quick learner and was able to keep calm during pressure by his previous employers. He followed orders but if he thought something could be done more efficiently another way, that did not put his employer or their quest at risk, then he would disobey. He preferred not to murder or steal but if there was a good reason for it, then he wouldn’t be opposed to undertaking the task. As for his memories, the man said nothing had come back to him, not even a hint of a memory. Miraak sighed as he said this last bit, looking disappointed.

Thinking over his responses, the Dragonborn requested he meet with her early the next morning. She explained that she wanted him to come with her to the newly discovered Dwemer ruin outside town. He nodded and said he would be ready. She left abruptly and went back to her manor, taking a roundabout route and keeping an eye out for anyone following her. She was a tad paranoid right then.

Miraak would be here soon, the female warrior knew as she waited in the chilly air. She growled in frustration as she felt a surge of anger towards the tall man. Miraak was the reason she was standing here, unnerved, so early near the entrance gate of Raven Rock. It was odd, her waiting for her enemy to arrive so he could accompany her. The Dragonborn had come to Solstheim for a Dwemer ruin, not to keep watch over an enemy. She sighed, letting her anger dissipate. It would do no good to become frustrated. The woman just needed to figure out what to do with Miraak, hopefully their adventure today would give her an idea.

One thing did bother the Dragonborn. If Miraak well and truly lost his memory, what did that mean for him and her? The warrior wondered if she should allow him to stay on Solstheim or just kill him to leave the world a safer place. Killing him would be wrong though, the woman felt. She didn't know is she could do it if it came down to that. How could she kill a man that did not remember any of his wrongdoings? The current Miraak was different that the arrogant, power hungry, First Dragonborn she knew. Even from their one conversation the night before, the woman could almost call her enemy a new man.

**********

“Good morning.” Miraak greeted the female warrior as he approached. He was dressed in a set of black armor, with a short sword sheathed at one hip and a staff on the other. He carried a bag slung over one shoulder.

“Morning.” The Dragonborn returned, trying not to let her wariness show. She was dressed in her own set of shining silver armor. Her long sword was sheathed at her own side with her bow, quiver and a bag slung across her back. Normally, the Dragonborn would use her longsword to fight but this time she decided she would use her bow. If Miraak liked to use his magic as his primary means of battling then he would likely stay behind her, out of the range of his enemies. She did not want to turn her back on him, not knowing if he would turn on her. It was because of this that the warrior would now use her bow and magic before her longsword.

The Dragonborn also decided she would also not use her Shouts unless there was dire need. If Miraak had in fact lost his memory, it seemed reasonable to assume as seeing something relating to his Dragonborn identity might trigger his memories coming back. Being the First Dragonborn had been a big deal for Miraak.

“Are you ready to go?” She asked, forcing herself to stay polite. She was on edge with him nearby. Once they were alone, would he attempt to kill her? If he did, the warrior swore to herself that she would be ready. She defeated him once, the Dragonborn knew she could do it again.

“Yes. Lead on.” Miraak replied and together they headed outside, into the wilds of Solstheim.

**********

The two Dragonborn, if Miraak still retained his abilities, were able to walk over the ash laden ground to the ruin within an hour. Thankfully, it wasn’t far outside Raven Rock. The trip had been awkward, the Last Dragonborn hadn’t known what to say and Miraak stayed quiet. She kept glancing over at him to make sure he wasn’t trying anything suspicious. The man did nothing out of the ordinary but caught her looking a few times. He said nothing and she didn’t turn away or flinch from his questioning gaze.

Arriving at the ruin, the two companions found no one outside. The door was still partially covered in rubble but they were still able to get inside. Then, they began to explore.

“If we find anything interesting or valuable, I have first right to it. Otherwise, feel free to take anything else like coins, gems, ingredients, potions and such that you find for yourself.”

“Understood.” Miraak responded. Normally, followers took nothing from their employer’s adventures. It looked like this woman would be more generous than those that had hired him previously.

In the second room of the ruin, the two found the remains of a tent. Everything was strewn about and the bedding and tent had been torn to pieces. Something had attacked whoever the tent had belonged to. There was no sign of a body or any blood so it looked like the owner of the tent had made it to safety. At least that’s what the female Dragonborn hoped.

The two salvaged what they could from the remains. As the Dragonborn took a healing potion that was still unbroken, she watched Miraak pick up a small pouch of coins and a book. He looked up from the book to find his employer watching him again.

“I haven’t read this one yet.” The man said as he placed the book in his bag. He turned away to look through a broken crate before she could respond. The woman found herself thinking that he would have probably liked the small library of books she had at home in Skyrim. She would never willingly let him near it however.

**********

In the third room, they encountered their first enemy. A Dwarven Spider dropped from the ceiling, still functioning after all the years spent buried inside the ruin. It noticed the two intruders as soon as they entered and attacked. The Dragonborn quickly launched two arrows at the Spider, both hitting it directly. The metal beast stopped for a few seconds, stunned and then jumped at her. Before it could reach her, Miraak shot a fireball at it. The magic blew the Spider away where it hit the wall and fell to pieces.

“Thank you.” The Dragonborn acknowledged. She hid the surprise she felt at Miraak helping her.

“You’re welcome.” Miraak returned and then stared at the downed enemy. “I wonder how these machines stayed active this long. Just what could we be capable of if our civilization was able to reach the Dwemer’s level of technological advancement.”

“Maybe it's a good thing we haven’t? It doesn’t seem like it worked out so well for them.”

“We would not make the same mistakes, I hope.”

“We probably would. There are many Men and Mer out there, thirsty for power and knowledge, willing to ruin things for the rest of us.” The Last Dragonborn did not look at Miraak when she said this. “Come on. We’re not finished with this place yet.”

**********

The ruin turned out to not be all that spectacular. It was quite small, with only three floors. There was nothing of great importance or value inside but the Dragonborn learned a few things and got a few nice trinkets out of the journey.

It really did seem like Miraak remembered nothing of his former life. There were no attempts on the woman's life. There was also no recognition that she could sense from him. Miraak had actually helped her in battle, preventing her from getting hurt a few times. The woman did the same for him but that was just her nature. She didn’t feel like it was the same for him.

The Dragonborn learned that Miraak was a good fighter. The barmaid was right. However, the First Dragonborn had been a superior fighter when she battled him in Apocrypha. It looked like he had forgotten, lost a lot of his skill or was maybe left weakened after his defeat in Hermaeus Mora's realm.

The former Dragon Priest was also clever and helpful. He was able to figure out a lever puzzle leading to the final room far quicker than she. It had been a bit disheartening and she breifly felt a bit of jealous irritation at this.

Miraak didn’t speak often as they made their way deeper into the ruin. He commented a few times on the Dwemer’s ingenuity or inquired about how they should proceed but that was all. The Dragonborn was grateful for this. His presence still made her nervous and making small talk seemed out of the question.

The Dragonborn ended up watching the male warrior every moment she could. She noticed that he would watch her too. She wondered what he was thinking at her blatant staring. He was likely suspicious but the man stayed silent about it.

In the end, both Dragonborn survived their trip and departed the ruin with their bags full of treasures. The female warrior ended up with a new enchanted greatsword, various soul gems and regular gems, along with coins and other items. Miraak picked up some of everything that piqued his curiosity. He was very interested in the Dwemer constructs. Some of the thins the man collected were several pieces of scrap metal, an ebony dagger, a cog, soul gems and three Centurion Dynamo Cores.

Thankfully there had been no Centurions in this Dwemer ruin and the cores had been found scattered on the floor in the final room. The Dragonborn didn’t object when Miraak asked if he could take them. The warrior had plenty of them herself. She watched Miraak gaze at the spinning constructs and wondered once more about her house back in Skyrim, with almost thirty of the cores decorating the inside.

**********

The Dragonborn and Miraak parted ways back inside the gates of Raven Rock. She thanked the man for his help and he smiled and returned the thanks.  He looked happy with how their trip had gone.

“Just let me know when you need me again. I’ll be retiring back in my room.” Miraak informed her before he left for the Retching Netch.

“I will.” The female warrior responded. She watched Miraak walk away and then turned towards her home. It was nearing evening and she needed to store her new acquisitions. On the way back, the woman once more took a different, winding path home. She kept an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. She was still paranoid, she knew, but she felt it was justified in this situation. Likely someone would tell Miraak that she was a Dragonborn and where she lived, if he did not know that already, but those pieces of information would not come from her.

That night, as the Last Dragonborn slipped into bed, she thought about the day’s events. Miraak hadn’t done anything this time. He had been a loyal follower. But one day's trip did not mean that Miraak was tellling the truth. Closing her eyes, the warrior decided she would be ‘vacationing’ in Solstheim for a little while longer. She still had another thirteen days paid of Miraak’s time.

Fanfiction: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/5732653/WinterDrake

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WinterDrake/pseuds/WinterDrake

Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/WinterDrake

[dmcracy]

My first group - part 5. The fall

When the group arrived to Slanterk with the caravan they were praised for saving the goods and money by the Arkenbrands. Mína tried to restore the local flora in the park and her young apprentice Kost was helping her (Kost was an orphan boy from the Sawmill who was poaching in the forest where Mína lived) . I guess in this time she was given a gift from her patron Silvanus (because they complained about how long it takes to travel from one place to another). Her god bestowed upon her a gift of feather token which allowed her to summon a gigantic bird Roc and they traveled on his back from place to place. At that time it was a great idea, in my opinion. And thanks to that, I learned that players do not deserve anything for free. Mína also asked the Arkenbrands for help with housing of Bostock and his family. It was a nice moment and I was really glad she said it, even tho I half railroaded her to that decision (that is probably also the reason why Silvanus gave her the gift because I cannot recall anything druidic she ever did). Then they returned to Mirin Kartak because it was a large city with lots of options and Llthrae bought there few items last time they were visiting. A bag of holding and a ring of mind shielding were the main additions. A ring of mind shielding for 500 gold. An uncommon item. And that was the painful way I discovered the crazy prices of items, their rarity and stuff like that. But it was all my fault because I was still pretty new and did not think about the rings properties. Anyway, the party returned and they wanted to report that the horse died. The owner was furious because it was his most favorite horse and one of the best in the land. So, naturally, they were punished. The owner, who was also a guild master of Halls of fortune, made them sign the contract for four adventures, for which they won't be paid and they must do the job no matter the danger. They signed without hesitation and a first job was given to them immediately. A group of young adventurers inspired by their deeds got a job probably too difficult for them and they did not show up in a few days. So Llhtrae, Mína and Rollus were given a task to look for them (one of them was a son of local dwarven lore master).

Next day, they ventured to the mountains, fought some wolves and found the first clue that those whom they seek might not be alive anymore. Eventually, they found a tower peeking from the snow on the plateau and entered. That was when they discovered Enlil. Enlil was a white dragonborn warlock of Dendar and they found him close to the entrance where he was hiding from Ettin. They did not meet the Ettin so they did not care. Enlil was my first NPC I really played as a character. He was my precious. And he was evil. But they never questioned his involvement in the death of his companions and never thought anything bad about him (not even when Rollus used his paladin feature to find evil in the room and it pointed right to Enlil). So they traveled through my first mega dungeon, clearing room after room. I made my first really detailed map from the free pieces I found on the internet. It took a lot of time but I was really glad I could present them with something like that (I still have one half of it - the caves under the city). But this map showed me another complication and I never made another ever since. They took every small detail and little thing on the tiles as it was in the dungeon and did not pay attention to me describing rooms and so on. It also led to a great deal of metagaming (which Llthrae always did but never admitted). The side quest of this task was to learn and gather any information about this new location (new because it was discovered recently after a great avalanche which revealed the ancient fortress). So they found some diaries, mostly in languages they did not speak, and lots of ancient dwarven items. After clearing the whole city they fought the “boss” guarding treasure horde. Enlil died decapitated by the guardian and Llthrae laughed at him how stupid he was. I used Enlil to show them the boss is resistant to magic and boss crited me. Rollus buried Enlil close to the treasure horde while Mína took an ancient helmet and filled the bag of holding with gold. It took her an hour and I finally understood the last trait of her personality - greed (she also tried to snatch a great sapphire on the pedestal but got hurt by the trap and Llthrae got the gem instead). They took around 25k gold. Paid no mind to the possibly magical items on the ground. And they ventured below. Here they found a peaceful tribe of Myconids. They tried to communicate and Mína with Rollus eventually spent the night in a spore trance connected with each other as a single being. Llthrae resisted the spores because he was a drow. His reward was Myconid alchemical knowledge, which granted him an advantage for harvesting components underground. In the morning they explored rest of the cave and found the Ettin Enlil was talking about. She was sitting in the large grotto near the fire. A massive two-headed creature from the nightmares filling the air with a foul smell and her growls echoing from the walls. So they prepared a plan and  they butchered her in one round. By butchered I mean she did not even have the chance to stand up. After the triumphant screams of the adventurers a new sound struck their ears. The crying of the baby. That was the moment when they realized that she was a mother and her child was a few feet from her corpse. The philosophical question arose: was the baby evil as well? After a moment they decided to bring the baby to the Myconids, so they could take care of him. The Myconids agreed and with no troubles on their mind, they escaped the caves.

I think here the session ended but I am not sure. We had a week before us and I contacted Mína on many occasions because we needed to talk about one thing. Exploring dungeon she found an ancient scimitar and wanted to keep it. I also told her that she does not act as chaotic neutral and advised to change her alignment to neutral good if she wanted. Because that scimitar was a powerful sentient weapon, who hated Ankhegs (and other cool stuff which I do not recall anymore). But it needed to be wielded only by neutral good characters with at least one level in a druid class. I tried to contact her four times. She never had time. So I asked her for the last time, very briefly, at the beginning of the next session. Do you want to change your alignment to neutral good for the sword? And she frustratingly replied yes. And then she tried to summon Päivässä, her Roc. But nothing happened. She tried again and again and at the third try Roc came down from the sky. That was the moment when she realized that Silvanus abandoned her and Roc would not ever come to her aid. And I was there to blame. Looking at it now I know I made a mistake to grant them such powerful item so early without any effort and taking it from them with the expectations of understanding. In their, eyes it was not because she betrayed one of the most ancient gods (she literally stopped caring about the nature, neutrality and things Silvanus reveres) and was greedy as hell. NO. It was because I wanted to hurt them. To put more oil into the fire, Llthrae and Mína started to like each other in the real life. So many times I was just interrupting their fun by DMing the game when they were stoned making jokes about the name of the Roc or other silly things like that. This was really hard for me to accept As I wished to stick to the real role-playing and to keep the world as believable as possible and this was disturbed by their reckless behavior. My heart was breaking thanks to that but I tried to focus on the campaign and find some hope. And than Rollus called me and said that he quits.

[bespectacled-girl-blog]

Flying away: Chapter 2

Word count: 2090 | Chapter 1 

So, here’s my second chapter. I have a lot of ideas for this story, and I think the main outline is pretty much done by now. I hope you will like it! I’ll still tag my favourite fanfiction writers, kudos to you guys! @nifwrites, @blindbae, @cupnoodle-queen, @atarostarling, @miss-scientia, @themissimmortal, @stunninglyignis

They had put her in the tent, making her comfortable as she laid unconscious. As the best healer of the group, Ignis naturally volunteered to watch over her until she woke up. He had tried to read a book while waiting for her to regain consciousness, but he didn’t seem to be able to concentrate,and found himself several times staring at the stranger. The brunette had long hair, pale skin, a cute round nose, and an air of sadness that clung to her even through sleep. He already knew that her bright blue eyes held a haunted and frightened look, that was the first thing he’d noticed when she’d bent over him to take one of his daggers as he was pinned to the ground. He couldn’t help wondering what could have brought such despair to someone like her. He wasn’t entirely sure why, but Ignis felt the urge to protect this woman from whatever made her feel that way. She didn’t look like she was used to smiling, but he thought her smile must look gorgeous, and caught himself wanting her to smile for him. Was it because she had saved them all? Yes, it probably was the reason why. After all, even though they didn’t know for sure how she’d come to them, without her intervention Noctis’ quest would have met a premature end. Ignis felt incredibly guilty for not having seen that Deadeye was too much of a threat for them. It was his job as a strategist and royal advisor, and he had failed miserably. If not for the woman laying unconscious on the floor of the tent, they would all be dead. He heard Prompto cry out in distress outside: he was probably losing at King’s Night. Again. The young woman must have heard the blonde guy, because she started to stir. She fluttered her eyes open, looking peaceful and rested, when suddenly realization of her surroundings seemed to hit her. She gasped, and sat quickly. Too quickly, by the way she paled even more, looking as if she was going to faint again. She threw frantic glances all around her, not understanding where she was.

 “Please, calm down, Miss. You’re safe here, the creature’s dead”.

She hadn’t noticed Ignis at first, but the moment he spoke her gaze locked with his. He could see in her eyes she started to remember him, remember what had happened. She was breathing heavily, but the young man’s calm demeanour seemed to soothe her. She didn’t speak, but her breathing finally evened out. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she had regained her composure.

“Sorry, she said. I was just… surprised.”

“No need to apologise, miss…?”

“Lyne.”

“Pleased to meet you, Lyne. My name is Ignis Scientia. How are you feeling?”

“Good… I suppose.” She didn’t look too sure of that though, given the way her fine eyebrows furrowed.

“Do you have any idea how you happened to find yourself in the middle of our fight with Deadeye?”

“What’s Deadeye?”

“The behemoth you slew.”

“The what?” She seemed completely at a loss as to what he was talking about. For a moment Ignis thought she’d hit her head harder than he’d realised at first, but then another idea crossed his mind.

“Are… you from Eos or do you come from some other place?”

“Well, since I have no idea what Eos is, I’d say I’m from somewhere else ? I come from, uh, planet Earth? A country named England.”

The name didn’t ring a bell for Ignis.

“So, you mean you have never heard of Eos, or the kingdom of Lucis?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying.”

To be honest, the young man was only half surprised. He had often heard scholars talk about other worlds and of the possibility to reach them, but had never thought much of it. Until that day. He wasn’t sure what Noctis had done, but it was obvious he had summoned her from somewhere. A power nobody knew the line of Lucis had. For now though, that meant a lot of catching up to do, to explain to Lyne exactly what their world was.

“If you are feeling well enough to stand, why don’t you join us outside, and my companions and I will fill you in as best as we can.”

“Sure”.

Once she had retrieved her shoes and jacket, Ignis helped her to stand and led her outside to the campfire, where the others were waiting.

***

Lyne was not very steady on her legs after the events of the day – there was also the fact that her last meal had been the day before, but she was used to that – so she felt grateful for Ignis’ arm. He led her to a chair outside, and she felt very self-conscious while she seated herself, three pairs of eyes directed right at her. She’d always been a very shy person, and usually needed time to adjust to other people’s presence, so she didn’t exactly felt at ease, but she supposed it couldn’t be helped. She didn’t know who frightened her the most though: the huge man with his dark hair, scarred face and hazel eyes who looked like he might crush her with a mere hug, or the sulky raven-haired guy who’d asked for her help earlier but looked like he was going to tell her to fuck off right now. At least the blonde guy with the unkempt hair and blue eyes seemed friendly, and he was smiling broadly at her. Instead of staying with her, Ignis walked to the camping stove that was set up slightly apart from the fire. She couldn’t tell why, but his presence felt reassuring. She wanted him to stay at her side while she faced the others’ gaze, but she couldn’t ask that aloud. Instead, she forced herself to look the three guys in the eye, and decided to give a try at talking.

“Hum… Hi?”

It seemed it was all the blonde guy had needed to start talking.

“Hi, I’m Prompto! This is Noctis here, and the big guy’s named Gladio. What’s your name?”

Lyne introduced herself, and the atmosphere started to lighten a little bit. As if they had expected her to act different. Maybe they were as frightened of her as she was frightened of them? After all,she still didn’t know what had happened earlier and how she’d managed to wield lightning like that.

“It is just as we surmised. Lyne doesn’t come from our world.”

Lyne jumped. She hadn’t heard Ignis come closer. She turned toward him a little, and noticed that he was standing just behind her, his gloved hands holding the back of her chair. It wasn’t that the others posed a threat to her, but Ignis’ calm and composed manners soothed her. As much as the others intimidated her, she was really curious as to where she was, so she figured she might as well force herself and be social.

“So, what is this place anyway?” She asked, looking at the most friendly of them, aka Prompto.The young men looked at each other in turns, wondering where to begin. Then Noctis, the blackhaired sulky guy, opened his mouth for the first time since she’d woken up.

“Well…”

***

Ignis had prepared one of the most delicious meals she had ever eaten. She wasn’t particularly fond of gourmet food, and as she generally lacked the apetite, eating was just about getting something in her stomach so as not to faint, most of the time. But with the young men telling stories of their world, she felt good for the first time in ages, and she had emptied her plate without even paying attention. Since the guys had only four chairs, Ignis was sitting next to her on the ground, and had outright refused to let Lyne give him back his usual seat (“You’ve had a tough day, you need to rest. The mere thought of depriving you of a much deserved rest appalls me”, he’d said, and after such words, she’d felt she had no choice and complied). Nobody ever treated her like that, and that felt weird. But so good at the same time! The guys had thanked her for her intervention several times through their story. Especially Gladio,who was, as she’d learned, Noctis’ sworn shield, and felt extremely guilty for letting his guard down and risking Noctis’ life. After a while, he wasn’t as frightening, and was even quite nice, his easy-going manner helping her to relax. As for Noctis, he was the young King of Lucis, and she found that so hard to believe, given the guy’s careless demeanour. He acted like any other man of his age, and that was as weird as it was cool. He was supposed to save the world, nothing less, but acted as if it was no big deal.

The world they described to her seemed fabulous as well as extremely dangerous, and Lyne was eager to explore it and see how different it was from her own.

“So, Lyne, we told you about our world, but you’ve barely told us anything about you”, said Prompto.

So there it was. She’d spent nearly a day without thinking of where she came from, but now was the time to remember. What was she going to tell them? I live a miserable life in a world without magic, I’m married to a man I don’t love anymore, and I have nothing worth living for? She lowered her head and looked at her hands, thinking about how to tell them without sounding like a crybaby. That’s when she saw that she wasn’t wearing her wedding ring. Of course, it was still on her desk, where she’d put it to deal with her files and her cramped cabinet! Which meant… That she was free. Free from him, free from her problems. This was her chance at starting anew, then and there she could be anyone she wanted. Even if it was for a day. She didn’t even think twice before talking.

“Oh you know, there’s nothing special to say about me, I’m a young woman from a world where magic doesn’t exist, at least not like in your world, I’m a nobody living a small life” she said with a smile. Just like that, half of her life vanished from existence, and she felt the weight on her shoulders lighten. They had questions about her world of course, but nothing too personal, and she was glad to answer them.

“So, said Ignis after the flow of questions had ran out, you mean to say that in your world you have never used the power of lightning as you did today?”

“No, never. To tell you the truth I’m not even sure it was me this morning. When I saw that… beast, that behemoth facing me, instead of giving in to fear, some kind of presence took hold of me, and moved and talked through me. I can’t see why or how I could have known how to do such things,really.”

“Well, I propose we let the mystery rest for the time being, and we will see if we can glean information about it along the way.”

It had been decided, much to Lyne’s delight, that she would stay with the group for now, as Noctis had no idea how to send her back to her world. And since it was the last thing she wanted, the young woman was very much content of the guys’ proposition to keep her with them. Something worried her nonetheless, and she decided to express her fears to the guys instead of keeping her feelings to herself.

“But what will I do if a fight occurs? I have no weapon, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to use lightning again…”

“Don’t worry, Gladio answered, we’ll protect you. Why wouldn’t you deal with curatives until we get to find you a proper weapon and give you some training?”

“Yes, I think I could try”, she said hesitantly.

“I’m sure you will be a great help”, Ignis said, giving her a reassuring smile.

That night, even though she slept in the same room as four guys, Lyne didn’t feel awkward. They had pulled her out of her miserable life, they had taken care of her, and they were even willing to have her around a little more. She took the gratitude she felt with her to sleep, and for the first night in ages, she slept well.

Link to Chapter 3