#council of aces is iconic

[asm5129]

To all my followers and anyone who sees this: Go watch Hana!! They’re incredibly smart and incredibly talented and every video they make is SO worth watching, and sadly this one is underperforming despite all the time, effort and money they spent making it this amazing

They’re super charismatic and funny too, and I just can’t say enough good things about them and their work.

The Bill Cipher Smash or Pass

I've probably worked harder on this video than any video so far. I'll likely reblog this later tagging artists but I gotta figure out the logistics of that because there were over 100 Bill Cipher submissions (check the link in the video description for all the non- anonymous artists).

Thank you.

(P.s. watch the end for a surprise)

[multi-fandom-lunatic]

its time. KAM HEADCANONS

Keefe and tam totally started dating but like. no one knew. they thought that they were best friends or already dating (linh is the only who falls into the latter)

Keefe tries to mess with tams hair. he's in awe about it. like, what does that mf put in it. and why's it so stiff-

They totally wear each other's iconic colours. keefe wears silver jewelley, belts, accessories even if it doesnt fully suit him, and tam just has ice blue stuff on him. im talking. pins and badges, stickers and a pair of earrings.

Keefe is such a swiftie. not up for debate. he just is.

Keefe is bi, and i mean the most useless bisexual ever. he finger guns at everyone. he makes bi jokes. he has frog EVERYTHING. everyone is his type and he is everyones type,

tam is gay and ace. he's totally cool with keefe's flirty/dirty jokes because tam knows and consents to them.

They are the most. physically affectionate people ever. especially keefe with tam. im thinking. the classic boyfriend hug (i like to call it the partner hug), squeezing tam way too tight hugs, lifting tam up hugs. as well as kisses everywhere. like you could map out where keefe has kissed tam and its a whole adventure.

keefe and tam totally have a matching sweater and pj set. its something totally obnoxious and they love it.

THEY. HAVE. HAIRCARE. NIGHTS. these two shits totally exchange hair products and keefe is like "what even is this" and tam is all "this would take like give hours" "beauty takes time." "and money i see"

as for surnames, i cant imagine them taking their parents. especially tam. if at all, they'd both have sencen. but i feel they'd come up with their own surnames. maybe "sensong" or even "samsung" without knowing about the brand (sophie makes fun of them)

sophie was the first to accept them. shes been around humans and understands how hard coming out is because of her highschool classmates (there was 100% gay kids in her class). the rest of them are confused and are like "whats gay" but they support their friend (and learn a bit about them too.........)

sophie 100% takes them both to the forbidden cities after they come out. to buy pride pins. keefe is absolutely enamoured by them and tam is more worried about the environment.

on this fateful trip, keefe learns about different human aesthetics. and it becomes his everything. one day a vsco girl. one day emo. one day barbiecore.

keefe uses the word coquette frequently without knowing what it means. like hed just point and say "thats coquette" and its a crushed soda can.

tam eventually tells him about coquette. does not stop keefe.

tam and keefe are not picky eaters. these two mfs will guzzle anything down

but sophie and fitz are, so when they visit, they just eat mallowmelt. just. mallowment.

kam, fedex, linhella and jenstina. sosingle and marusingle.

cassius didnt know about kam until their wedding day. and boy that was DRAMA

when kam wanted to get married, they went to the council, half of whom freaked out and half of whom applauded. it was a lot of battle, but eventually, a year later, the definition of marriage was changed in the law.

so obviously these two made headlines for being like. the first gay marriage in the lost cities. and lo and behold, cassius finds out.

hes so against it, but he doesnt show it to people in public. ofc, keefe got an angry imparter call from him that he laughed off.

quan however. oh dude was raging. he tried to call tam but BLOCKED.

then fedex and linhella got married and everyone was wth. did the human kid just bring the gay with her?? and not be gay herself??

anywho, on the topic of marriage. keefe totally proposed.

keefe was sick of waiting for tam to propose and caved and bought a ring. it was silver with a blue stone in it in the shape of a kite.

keefe brought tam to a cliff and proposed to him there (saying that if tam said no, its alright bcuz he could jump off)

tam was competely pink and told keefe to "shut the fuck up" and pulled out a ring. BECAUSE TAM WAS PLANNING TO PROPOSE (at a later date)

okay im sucked dry of HCs. lmk if yall have any

[neonscandal]

Okay, if you were asked who are in JJK & BNHA that you can see based on canon that are gay/bi/pan/demi, which characters are they?

For me satoaugu and bakudeku are definitely not straight (yes, I ship them but I don't think they "must be into women only" like a post I just saw). Also, kaminari, jirou, toga, nobara, megumi, kenjaku....

Ah yes, a person with discerning tastes. ✨ While this feels like a sure fire way to get me into some hot water, let's dive right in.

✨🌈 Happy pride to the queer people in my phone 🌈���

But especially these

Megumi "Only Interested in Compassion" Fushiguro - pansexual (very much choosing to overlook very subtle implications of siscon as a red herring to, of course, further contextualize ItaFushi). See also Gojo and the uncharacteristic Miwa agenda.

Satoru Gojo - Let's be so for real. Man is down astronomical for Suguru but I think there's still evidence/reason to believe he could be ace or demisexual. Can strength be conflated with love?

Kinji Hakari - waving the white flag on this one considering I'm 4 weeks behind and I don't know if there's been further clarification that might swing this verdict one way or another but support Hikari's love regardless of Kirara's gender expression/identity. Also, given current events, it'd be pretty weird if Gege slipped that in out of nowhere.

Kenjaku - 🗣️ IF GIVEN ENOUGH TIME, DO WE NOT ALL BECOME A LIL GAY!? I understand straight people probably don't have such realizations so I'm just going to sit with that reflection.

Nobara Kugisaki - be so for real. I think she had a misplaced crush in her idolization of Saori that made more sense when she left the bumble fuck countryside and could live her best life, out and proud with her muscle mommy girlfriend, Maki. Also explains, a bit, why Saori was ostracized where Nobara may have lacked understanding/context.

Maki - Plenty of gay icons without last names, queen. This one just happens to also be gay.

Eijirou Kirishima is almost so straight that he unintentionally makes a hard U-turn into flirting with queerness. His phrasing is baffling as he tends to pop up in those threads frequently with assumingly unintended innuendos but it is also reminiscent about how no one third wheels harder than a dude's girlfriend when he's with his best friend? I don't know if that makes sense but I'm throwing him in the mix as someone who maybe just needs some time ✨ regardless of the BakuDeku to KiriMina parallels.

Denki Kaminari - This kid has eyes and he uses them, gender be damned. A bi-disaster if I've ever seen one.

Minoru Mineta - IDK if his Deku confession was a translation faux pas or if Mineta, too, has fallen for the male lead's quintessential charm that wins over hearts and minds. While the Council on Bisexuality would fight me on this one... his membership is still pending.

Izuku Midoriya - I have it on good authority that Izuku is Bakusexual. Flustered by girls in the same way that any awkward and bullied kid might when encountering the opposite sex but his heart has always had its allegiance to one person. Whether that makes him gay, demi or even bi, I think it tracks.

Katsuki Bakugo - bi, pan or gay, the consensus is he is Not Straight.

Kyoka Jiro - in Smash, Jiro is a total fujoshi (she just like us fr). If you'll allow submitting MHA Smash into evidence, coupled with the canon main story, I say bi. A girl who knows Momo is stacked but also reasonably wants the attention and company of a Class 1A boy as a girl would at that age.

Himiko Toga - one thing about Toga. She is going to know and live her truth. Confidently bi ✨

Ochaco Uraraka - SPEAKING OF LIVING TRUTHS. She a little late but she has the right spirit.

Bonus, if including Kirishima didn't some how get me booed, I was going to add Yuta Okkotsu too but I thought better of it. 👉🏾👈🏾

[louisupdates]

FITFWT23: OUTRO SONGS

NORTH AMERICA

26 May - Mohegan Sun Arena, UNCASVILLE CT: The Best, by Tina Turner

27 May - Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion, GUILFORD NH: This Charming Man, by The Smiths

29 May - Place Bell, LAVAL QC: Downtown, by Petula Clark

30 May - Budweiser Stage, TORONTO ON: Summer of 69, by Bryan Adams

1 Jun - Blossom Music Center, CUYAHOGA FALLS, OH: Bittersweet Symphony, by Verve

2 Jun - Michigan Lottery Amphitheater, STERLING HEIGHTS, MI: Chasing Rainbows, by Shed Seven

3 Jun - The Icon Festival Stage, CINCINNATI: All These Things That I’ve Done, by The Killers

6 Jun - Kemba Live! Outdoor, COLUMBUS OH: The One I Love, by REM

7 Jun - TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park, INDIANAPOLIS: Love Will Tear Us Apart, by Joy Division

9 Jun - Saint Louis Music Park, SAINT LOUIS: Johnny B. Goode, by Chuck Berry

10 Jun - Starlight Theatre, KANSAS CITY MO: Moondance, by Van Morrison

13 Jun - BMO Pavilion, MILWAUKEE: I Can See Clearly Now, by Johnny Nash

15 Jun - Huntington Bank Pavilion, CHICAGO: September, by Earth, Wind, and Fire

16 Jun - The Armory, MINNEAPOLIS: Nothing Compares 2 U, by Sinéad O’Connor

17 Jun - Harrah’s Stir Cove, COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA: Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've?) by Buzzcocks

19 Jun - Denny Sanford Premiere Center, SIOUX FALLS, SD: American Pie, by Don McLean

21 Jun - Red Rocks Amphitheatre, MORRISON, CO 😪

24 Jun - Wamu Theater, SEATTLE: There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, by The Smiths

26 Jun - Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Center, VANCOUVER BC: King Of Pain, by The Police

27 Jun - Mcmenamins Edgefield Concerts, TROUTDALE OR: Always On My Mind, by Elvis Presley

29 Jun - The Greek Theatre, BERKELEY CA: Never Tear Us Apart, by INXS

30 Jun - The Hollywood Bowl, LOS ANGELES: California Love by 2Pac ft Dr. Dre & Roger Troutman

1 Jul - The Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan, LAS VEGAS: Human, by The Killers

3 Jul - Arizona Financial Theatre, PHOENIX: Liberator, by Spear of Destiny

6 Jul - The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory, IRVING TX: Hello, I Love You, by The Doors

7 Jul - Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park, AUSTIN TX: Teenage Dirtbag, by Wheatus

8 Jul - The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, THE WOODLANDS TX: Walking On The Moon, by The Police

11 Jul - St. Augustine Amphitheatre, ST. AUGUSTINE FL: Every Breath You Take, by The Police

13 Jul - Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood, HOLLYWOOD FL: Your Song, by Elton John

14 Jul - Yuengling Center, TAMPA FL: Hit Me With Your Best Shot, by Pat Benatar

15 Jul - Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park, ATLANTA: You Can’t Always Get What You Want, by The Rolling Stones

18 Jul - Ascend Amphitheater, NASHVILLE: Hold Back The Rain, by Duran Duran

19 Jul - Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre, CHARLOTTE NC: Perfect Day, by Lou Reed

21 Jul - Red Hat Amphitheater, RALEIGH NC: Moondance, by Van Morrison

22 Jul - Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia MD: Easy, by The Commodores

24 Jul - MGM Music Hall at Fenway, BOSTON: More Than A Feeling, by Boston

25 Jul - MGM Music Hall at Fenway, BOSTON: Here Comes Your Man, by The Pixies

27 Jul - TD Pavilion at the Mann, PHILADELPHIA: Nothing Compares 2 U, by Sinead O’Connor

28 Jul - Stone Pony Summer Stage, ASBURY PARK NJ: Dancing In The Dark, by Bruce Springsteen

29 Jul - Forrest Hills Stadium, NEW YORK: We Are The Champions, by Queen

Away From Home Festival 2023

19 Aug - Parco BussolaDomani, Lido di Camaiore: We Are The Champions, by Queen

EUROPE

29 Aug - Barclays Arena, HAMBURG: Love Will Tear Us Apart, by Joy Division

31 Aug - Royal Arena, COPENHAGEN: Under Pressure, by Queen and David Bowie

1 Sep - Spektrum, OSLO: Wake Me Up When September Ends, by Green Day

2 Sep - Hovet, STOCKHOLM: Seven Nation Army, by White Stripes

4 Sep - Ice Hall, HELSINKI: Always On My Mind, by Elvis

5 Sep - Saku Arena, TAILLINN: All Star, by Smash Mouth

7 Sep - Arena Riga, RIGA: Thuderstruck, by AC/DC

8 Sep - Zalgiris Arena, KAUNAS: Can’t Help Falling In Love, by Elvis [Zouis this day]

10 Sep - Tauron Arena, KRAKOW: Lust For Life, by Iggy Pop

11 Sep - Atlas Arena, ŁÓDŹ: Blitzkreig Bop, by the Ramones

13 Sep - Wiener Stadhalle D, VIENNA: Supersonic, by Oasis

14 Sep - Stozice Arena, LJUBLJANA: Smile Like You Meant It, by The Killers

15 Sep - Budapest Arena, BUDAPEST: Helicopter, by Bloc Party

17 Sep - Arenele Romane, BUCHAREST: My Hero, by Foo Fighters

18 Sep - Arena Armeets, SOFIA: Bombtrack, by Rage Against The Machine

20 Sep - Petras Theater, ATHENS: Go With The Flow, by Queens of the Stone Age

1 Oct - Bilbao Arena Miribilla, BILBAO (VIZCAYA): Where Is My Mind, by The Pixies

3 Oct - Altice Arena, LISBON: Farewell To The Fairground, by White Lies

5 Oct - Wizink Center, MADRID: Munich, by Editors

6 Oct - Palau Sant Jordi, BARCELONA: One Armed Scissor, by At the Drive-In

8 Oct - Pala Alpitur, TURIN: Are You Gonna Go My Way, by Lenny Kravitz

9 Oct - Unipol Arena, BOLOGNA: Helicopter, by Bloc Party

11 Oct - Rockhal, ESCH-SUR-ALZETTE: Where Is My Mind, by The Pixies

12 Oct - Sportspaleis, ANTWERP: My God Is The Sun, by Queens Of The Stone Age [very self-aware choice]

14 Oct - Accor Arena, PARIS : Bubbles, by Biffy Clyro

15 Oct - Ziggo Dome, AMSTERDAM: Song 2, by Blur

17 Oct - Lanxess Arena, COLOGNE: Can't Stand Me Now, by The Libertines

19 Oct - O2 Arena, PRAGUE: Are You Gonna Be My Girl, by Jet

20 Oct - Mercedes Benz Arena, BERLIN: Friday I’m In Love, by The Cure

22 Oct - Olympiahalle, MUNICH: Praise You, by Fatboy Slim

23 Oct - Hallenstadion, ZURICH: Last Nite, by The Strokes

8 Nov - 3Arena, DUBLIN: These Are The Days, by Inhaler

10 Nov - Utilita Arena, SHEFFIELD: Mr. Brightside, by The Killers

11 Nov - AO Arena, MANCHESTER: This Charming Man, by The Smiths

12 Nov - Ovo Hydro, GLASGOW: Gloria, by The Snuts

14 Nov - Brighton Center, BRIGHTON: I Wanna Be Sedated, by Ramones

15 Nov - International Arena, CARDIFF: 20th Century Boy, by T-Rex

17 Nov - The O2, LONDON: Can’t Stand Me Now, by The Libertines

18 Nov - Resorts World Arena, BIRMINGHAM: Till The End Of The Road, by Boyz II Men

You can also find the list at this Twitter account: ltwtoutros.

[lululawrence]

Soooooo… we ( @londonfoginacup @jaerie @sadaveniren and I) did a thing. 😂 I didn’t get a photo of my nails before the show, but they are rainbow right into ace flag colors too, so we made sure even if no one else brought rainbows, they’d be there and we ourselves would be walking rainbows hah

I’d been incredibly excited about seeing Andrew Cushin as well as the Snuts and they did NOT disappoint! They both blew me away with how incredible they are live performance wise and while interacting with the crowd. They were the perfect start to the show!

Then Louis. He was amazing!!! I could barely see him even though we were only in the back of the party pit lol I mean I think outside of the rainbows and a photo of @jaerie smiling SO BIG because she was finally witnessing Louis singing High in California live, I only took maybe three photos during the entire show because I was dancing and waving my flag since I couldn’t see lol but look at him!

So yeah, it was fine because we sure could HEAR HIM and that was all we really needed in addition to our random glimpses of him haha plus I had space to dance and we made a new friend Nicole who had come to the show alone and allowed me to adopt her into our group and was SO kind not being annoyed with me when I bumped into her while dancing or jumping on the uneven ground or randomly just leaning my head on her shoulder for a cuddle after another great performance of a song I love haha

And then the RAINBOWS DURING the megamix!!! They were SO BEAUTIFUL and I KNOW some of those people brought their own to add to ours because I saw inclusive pride flags and bi flags mixed in with the rest! It was so wonderful. I mean, LOOK!!!

I took a longer video during SIBWAWC too, but that will get its own post. Then Louis almost making me cry during Saturdays… fuck. I love this song and it’s such a hopeful one that means SO MUCH!!! To me!!! But there was just SOMETHING in his voice that hit me so hard last night. It was incredible.

And the SPEECH after the megamix was DIFFERENT than I remember it being before! And the way he worded it hit me SO HARD. It was. A lot to take in. But just knowing he didn’t have to worry about doing what he wanted because he knew we would still be there? YOU GUYS. THAT WAS EVERYTHING!!!! Fuck I still keep thinking of how I was waving my flag up high ready to cheer when he said what he did before about making the album and I just FROZE. Because he’d come to our side of the stage and said those words… and I was barely breathing.

Because like… listen. There was something different about the show last night. Something special. Emotions were really close to the surface or something. But I could FEEL IT and it just made everything that much more palpable. This was my fourth show this tour and I got BOTH TANK TOPS OKAY. Iconic and a haze for me at this point in some ways because SO GREAT. SO FUN. AMAZING. But this was just… different and so fucking special.

So yeah. Rainbows. All the rainbows. @rainbowmegamix being a success. Great friends. Amazing music and dancing and vibes all around. Plus! We didn’t have to sneak the flags in this time 😂😂 always nice to not have that reason to have a heart attack lol

In summary, Council Bluffs was incredible. Can’t wait to finish off my group of shows in Red Rocks!

[paperanddice]

Bearfolk are large, intimidating humanoids mostly found in far northern environments. Standing on average over 7 feet tall and generally weighing between four and six hundred pounds, they are densely packed with muscle and thick fur. The largest majority of bearfolk are subjects of the Bear King, and protect the northern cities and wilderness that he rules over. Many share very boisterous and jovial personalities, mixed with the brutal power of their strength and the harsh environment in which they live. Fights and friendships are both quick for many bearfolk, as you must be prepared to both defend that which is important to you and to find allies to ensure mutual survival.

Pathfinder 2e

The Bear King is a fey lord from the First World who has settled onto the Material. Whether out of exile or personal preference he won't say, but he seems to share connections with many of the other fey lords still in the First World. He established his kingdom long ago, but despite his own power and the bearfolk he rules over, he has never sought to expand, only to hold it against those who would take it. You can place his realm in the far north of the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, the Realm of the Mammoth Lords, or Iobaria as some of the most likely locations, though northern Irrisen or Mendev would work as well.

I had considered making bearfolk as an ancestry, but that is a lot more work and so I think it would be better suited to its own project rather than part of one of these weekly conversions. I might collect a few potentially interesting new ancestries and put together a full release for them, but we'll see.

13th Age

The Bear King is no Icon. His power is not great enough individually to take that claim, but he is connected to a greater council of Fey Lords, who could potentially garner that level of influence as a group. They largely exist outside the territory of the Dragon Empire and its surroundings, but their influence could be growing in it, potentially upsetting the current balance of power. Depending on the story, bearfolk may be making their way into the Dragon Empire in order to explore or scout for a potential invasion, or travellers heading outside of the Empire could find themselves within the Bear King's realm, having to contend with a foreign power while outside the main sphere of influence of their own Icons.

Originally from the Tome of Beasts 1. This post came out a week ago on my Patreon. If you want to get access to all my monster conversions early, as well as access to my premade adventures and other material I’m working on, consider backing me there!

Pathfinder 2e

Bearfolk Berserker Creature 3 Medium Humanoid Bearfolk Perception +8 Languages Common, Jotun, Skald Skills Athletics +11, Intimidation +6, Survival +8 Str +4, Dex +2, Con +3, Int -1, Wis +1, Cha -1 Items battleaxe, warhammer, hide armor AC 17; Fort +10, Ref +7, Will +8 HP 55 Speed 25 feet Melee battle axe +11 (sweep), Damage 1d8+6 slashing Melee bite +11, Damage 1d6+6 piercing Melee warhammer +11 (shove), Damage 1d8+6 bludgeoning Frenzy [one action] (concentration, emotion, mental) The bearfolk berserker enters a frenzy that lasts for 1 minute, until there are no more enemies it can perceive, or it falls unconscious, whichever comes first. While in a frenzy, the bearfolk gains 9 temporary hit points, deals 2 additional damage with melee attacks, and takes a -1 penalty to AC. The bearfolk can't use concentrate actions except Seek. Once the frenzy ends, the bearfolk can't Frenzy again for 1 minute. Two Weapon Flurry [two actions] The bearfolk berserker makes two Strikes, one with its battle axe and one with its warhammer. These attacks count toward the bearfolk's multiple attack penalty, but the multiple attack penalty doesn't increase until it makes all its attacks.

13th Age

Bearfolk Berserker  2nd level wrecker [humanoid]  Initiative: +5 Sweeping Weapons +6 vs. AC - 7 damage. Critical Hit: The bearfolk berserker gains 2 temporary hit points. Frenzy: At the start of each of its turns, the bearfolk berserker can choose whether to frenzy for that round. If it frenzies, until the start of its next turn it rolls 2d20 for its attack rolls, using the higher roll to determine if it hits. If it rolls a natural 11+ on both dice, the attack is a critical hit. The bearfolk also takes a -1 penalty to all defenses until the start of its next turn. AC 17 PD 16 MD 12 HP 42

[fandomanimatic-tournament]

Fandom song animatic tournament: Bracket 1 Side B

The History of Wrong Guys - Kinky Boots Musical

"But I've been here before Have I come back for more? Another chapter in the history of wrong guys Yesterday no spark No heart-aching allure But today I'm feeling Something I just can't ignore"

Order Made ([blank]'s Order Made) - RADWIMPS

(Original lyrics and translation provided by lyricstranslate)

"きっと僕は尋ねられたんだろう 生まれる前 どこかの誰かに ���未来と過去 どちらか一つを 見れるようにしてあげるからさ どっちがいい?」"

(English Lyrics:)

"Surely before I was born, I was asked by someone, somewhere, “The past or the future - I’ll let you see one of them, So which one do you want?”"

Remember that we're voting on how Iconic they are for ANIMATICS, not for the song itself. In order to make things fair, the tone and mood of the song should not affect how iconic it is (for example, a serious song should not be considered more iconic than a joke song just because it's serious)

Propaganda and animatic links of the songs under the cut:

The History of Wrong Guys - Kinky Boots Musical

Propaganda:

No Written Propaganda Submitted

Animatics with the song:

Ace Attorney

Lams Animatic

BNHA Tododeku Animatic

The Arcana Julian x MC Animatic

Be More Chill

Order Made ([blank]'s Order Made) - RADWIMPS

Propaganda:

No Propaganda Submitted

Animatics with the song:

Genshin Impact

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure JotaKak Animatic

Hypnosis Mic Ichiro Animatic

Karmaland Luzuplay Animatic

Hololive Council

Please be cautious and read the title, description and warning cards on the animatic videos if you decide to watch them. If you've got specific triggers I'd recommend even more caution when watching animatics of fandoms you don't know, since sometimes canon-typical themes don't get warnings.

Please keep in mind that I don't know all the media and fandoms of the animatics provided as examples and I don't have the time (nor the will) to research them all. Don't come into my notes or my ask box complaining about them being included, I will simply block you. If a ship animatic included is about an adult and a minor, do tell me and I'll take it out of the post

ALSO keep in mind that I don't know all the artists submitted; in fact, even if I do know them I do not know absolutely nothing about them as people (I do not have twitter nor tiktok) and I could not POSSIBLY have the time to research ALL of the artists' controversies and what came of them so PLEASE don't flood my inbox with the artists' entire crime list.

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Sunday, October 22nd – Monday, October 23rd

Cordelia: “Angel, at some point in the recent history *you* got peanut butter on your bed, and it’s gross. I think you’re gonna have to change the sheets.” Angel: "I don’t eat." Cordelia: “Well then, I don’t even want to know how it got there.”

~~Rm w/a Vu~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

New Normal by veronyxk84 (Spike, Dawn, PG-13)

Tell It Slant by cahier (Melaka Fray, Erin Fray, Angel, T)

not my type of vampire by little_brown_songbird (The Vampire diaries crossover, Buffy/Klaus, Giles, not rated)

from new york to paris by The_Eclectic_Bookworm (Xander/OC, M)

All is simple until it's not by TotallyHuman_exe (Giles/Xander, M)

A story for the prompt “You make me feel safe.” by coraniaid (Buffy/Faith, not rated)

The Shadow Within by all_choseny (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Teaming Up by VeroNyxK84 (Buffy/Spike, collection rated R)

Autumnal Shorts, part 22 by VeroNyxK84 (Buffy/Spike, collection rated R)

Oh, God no. by Alyot (Buffy/Spike, R)

The Shadow Within by all_choseny (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

[Chaptered Fiction]

second chances they don't ever matter - Chapter 1 by Evil_irish_batman (Buffy/Faith, T, internalized homophobia)

Plenty of Fish, Ch. 10 by all_choseny (Buffy/Spike, PG)

L'amore troverà la via, Ch. 7 by Violette-Milka (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

It's Easy Time, Until It's Not, Ch. 27 by hulettwyo (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)

Closure, Ch. 18 by The Danish Bird (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

The Aurelian Prophecy: There's No Way Out, Ch. 8 by Willow91 (Buffy/Spike, R)

Chosen One 2: Welcome to the Hellmouth, Ch. 9 by all_choseny (Buffy/Spike, R)

New Normal, Ch. 19 by holetoledo (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)

Destiny or Choices Made? Ch. 18 by charmed4lifekaren (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Where Clocks Don't Tick, Ch. 3 by Willow91 (Buffy/Spike, R)

Amara Time, Ch. 4 by Joan963z (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

When Anne met Spike, Ch. 2 by To Be Hers (Buffy/Spike, G)

In the Depths of October Ch. 4-5 by mcgnagallsarmy, acekoomboom (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Binding, Ch. 1 by Harlow Turner (Buffy/Spike, R)

Screwed, Ch. 1 by Holly (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Choose Your Own Award Ch. 9 by dogbertcarroll (Xander, FR15)

A Spark of Hope, Ch. 3 by DrThothEvans (Xander, FR13)

Blood and Black Lace, Ch. 18 by SlayrGrl (Buffy/Spike, R)

Shut Up and Dance With Me, Ch. 2 by honeygirl51885 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

[Images, Audio & Video]

Cordy icons for Ace Week by artsying-ifer (worksafe)

Good morning 😊 by lialivingart (Buffy/Spike, worksafe)

Lefabrastings comic by incognitoduck11 (Pretty Little Liars crossover, Faith)

Pencil drawing: Spike by keelifallen ()

Spike and Dark Willow painted on a pumpkin by rico0526 (worksafe)

A Buffy/Faith banner by NotASlayer (worksafe)

[Reviews & Recaps]

It’s by no means the worst part of the Buffy HD remaster, but... by coraniaid

[Recs & In Search Of]

5 classic rare(ish) pairing fics recced by snickfic

Fic search: listen-to-the-trees seeks a story where Buffy meets Clem's family and Xander eats too many brownies

[Community Announcements]

This concludes the 10 day celebration of Eliza as Faith Lehane at elizadushkudaily

[Fandom Discussions]

Sunnydale can largely thank Anya for not having a lot more incidents by aphony-cree

I don’t particularly think the issue is that Xander is a “Whedon self insert” by coraniaid

[Musings about ship names re: Slayers: A Buffyverse Story] by girl4music

[Anyanka in Slayers: A Buffyverse Story] by girl4music

BTVS Daemon au by pzyii

What if Ampata... joined the Scooby gang?

How weird Faith is around Joyce by secretlyasummers

Why would Xander trust Angel at all? Back in School Hard... by Ethan Reigns

Character Battle - Darla vs Dru by Stoney and others

Was Angel [the series] less interested in the shadow selfs/foils for characters concept compared to Buffy? by Boring_Ad_597

Connor deserves more credit by Sweet-Siren

Does anyone know what website convinced Joss that there was lesbian subtext between Buffy and Faith? by classified12345

Buffy was afraid to quit the Council? by Tuxedo_Mark

We’re Beginning to See What Buffy Is Like Without Joss Whedon (discussion of the Slate article) by speashasha

Angel by BloatMyG0at

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

Join the editor team :)

[lyricsolution-com]

Rohit Bal Death: Fashion World Bids Adieu To Iconic 'Gudda'; Remembering His Legendary Legacy | People News

New Delhi: The Indian fashion world is mourning the death of one of its ace designers, Rohit Bal. The celebrated designer passed away on Friday after suffering from a prolonged illness. The Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) took to its official Instagram account to announce his demise. “We mourn the passing of Legendary designer Rohit Bal. He was a founding member of the Fashion Design…

[seaquestions]

ah i needa draw that shmi doesn't die & travels w/ jango thing again sometime..

[jamietarttsdaddyissues]

Jamie Tartt + Drinking

Ok so based on my memory these are the times we see Jamie drink/be offered alcohol:

S1 at the club when Roy barges in, the iconic “vanilla vodka, such a child” line

S1 at the gala when he drinks that bright blue drink at the bar by himself before Roy approaches him for a heart-to-heart (and maybe also a beer while they were at the table? Can’t remember)

S1 “Two Aces” when he takes a drink from Dani’s liquor bottle at the bonfire and cringes at the taste + looks visibly disgusted for a while after

S1 when he visits Keeley to thank her, when she offers him a drink he turns her down until he realizes she means actually means she wants to have sex

S2 at the bar when he asks Ted to come back to Richmond, he doesn’t take a drink after they cheers but does take a small sip later after Ted turns him down

S2 in the locker room after Sam’s protest he has a beer in his hand that he drinks from at least once (but maybe only because everyone has one?)

S2 when Keeley offers him a drink at the funeral and he turns down a beer

Related Observations:

His father drinks at the Man City game in S2ep8 and is clearly drunk in the locker room when he causes his scene. I’d imagine he’s probably reeking of booze and Jamie can smell it on his breath before he even gets in his face. Jamie’s jaw is set and tense the whole time both from tension/anger/fear and likely also because his father’s breath smells so bad in a way that may also be triggering for him.

He’s often seen drinking sweet/fruity or otherwise “childish” drinks. I’d imagine that may be because he doesn’t like the taste of things his father drank (assuming hard liquor as opposed to beer given the flask he had at the game) and/or because he is young and still pretty inexperienced with drinking. He likely hasn’t developed a taste for liquor but knows he’s supposed to drink to look cool/fit in so he goes for fruity or sweet things since those are more palatable.

We never really see him take more than a sip or two of a single drink, unlike other characters who get visibly tipsy/drunk pretty often in the show. Ted especially but his relationship to alcohol would need a whole separate post.

My guess is that he doesn’t like drinking for one of three reasons:

1. His father’s drinking habits and how that relates to his abuse - likely being a factor in his anger/inclination to beat his son. He likely drinks at all football matches he attends for Man City like he did at Wembley so he would’ve been drunk frequently when criticizing Jamie about the games. I’d imagine this habit didn’t just start when Jamie went pro and was a contributing factor to a lot of prior abuse as well.

2. His lack of experience with alcohol and probably drugs/sex etc as well. I’ve seen others post about their head cannons that Jamie is largely inexperienced at many things, even outside of substances/sex since he also said Keeley helped him become more cultured with things like art/theater etc. I’d imagine his lack of experience (which shouldn’t be confused with lack of intelligence) could be attributed to his childhood and his isolation encouraged by his father. When he was young he grew up in a Council Estate in North Manchester and may not have had access to a great education or the money to engage in more “cultured” experiences. In addition to this, it is known that childhood trauma can make it difficult for kids to learn in school so this may have set him back in some ways. Later in life his father encouraged him to only care about himself and likely discouraged him having friendships/relationships/going out etc. So he wouldn’t have had many opportunities to learn about things like substances, sex, relationships, and just other things you learn while developing socially.

3. Deeply rooted fear that if he gets drunk he’ll behave the way his father does when he’s drunk and he’ll end up hurting somebody. He’s feared for years that he was just like his father and doesn’t want more reasons to confirm it, especially since he knows he followed right in his footsteps in terms of his behavior (even if he did this for his own survival and not because he consciously wanted to). Related to this, he may also be afraid of the lack of control that comes with being intoxicated. He has spent years carefully constructing his asshole persona to hide who he really was for fear of being vulnerable and getting hurt (by his father or by others) so the idea of drinking and risking letting that all slip away would likely be terrifying.

Additional random thoughts:

Maybe when Jamie met with Ted at the bar he also didn’t drink much because he was nervous and/or because it reminded him of drinking with his bio father so he didn’t want to replicate the same dynamic. It felt wrong to engage in a ritual he hates with someone who is also somewhat of a father figure, and one that he has mostly felt safe with. Maybe he also doesn’t trust Ted after being sent back to Man City so he worries that being even slightly intoxicated around him could be an unsafe move.

I feel like Jamie is a lightweight because 1) he presumably eats very healthy/doesn’t have a lot of body fat or carbs to help him out and 2) is so young and doesn’t drink often due to reasons stated above. This could also be related to why he only seems to sip drinks - he knows it doesn’t take much to get him tipsy.

Drunk Jamie is definitely either 1) Very sad or 2) Very cuddly/giggly. Maybe it can go either way depending on his mood and whether he’s drinking alone. I like to think that when he’s with people he loves he’s more apt to get touchy and happy (especially given how his love language is clearly touch even when sober) and let his goofy side out in a more genuine way that we often see in the show. I could also see him occasionally drinking alone in his flat when he’s really down, maybe after an interaction with his father, and that’s when he gets Sad Depression Spiral Drunk. But that’s just because I love some good angst.

So anyway this very random and disjointed post is just to say that Jamie rarely drinks ever and per usual I’m relating it to his trauma and also the fact that under his tough/cool exterior he’s just a young kid trying to figure things out for himself. He’s still so early in his journey of learning who he is and I’m so happy he’s getting to start that exploration around people he can trust.

[oh-the-misery]

Hello! Call me T!

Nb Ace. They/Them are my fav pronouns but I don't mind She/Her, He/Him, or It/Its

This will be mostly reblogs but I occasionally make my own posts. Arcane is wonderfully written and I enjoy 99% of the characters, but Viktor and Jayce will get some favoritism here.

[AO3 Link]

Fics:

Bloody Comfort (2/2 Chapters. JayVik. Rated M for cannon-typical violence)

Summary: Viktor defends and comforts Jayce in childhood, and Jayce returns the favor in the early days of The Machine Herald.

Wither (13/13 Chapters. JayVik. Rated M for Canon-Typical Violence)

Summary: After years of bliss, Viktor disappears after a rocket explodes in The Council’s meeting hall. It's up to Jayce to bring him home, but The Machine Herald prepares for a confrontation.

Don't Look Back (1/1 Chapters. JayVik. Rated T for Canon-Typical Violence.)

Summary: Ironic. Jayce would’ve done anything to preserve Viktor's life in the past.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered.

Viktor’s smile only became sadder in response to that, and his breath quivered under Jayce’s foot. “Me too.”

Happy With You (1/1 Chapters. JayVik. Rated G)

Summary: Jayce and Viktor stumble into their house after their wedding, more than a little drunk.

My Dear Adversary (2/? Chapters. Jayvik. Rated M for a pg13 sex scene and Canon-Typical Violence)

Summary: With Shimmer rampant, and his The Council in corrupt waters, Jayce travels to the Undercity to get to the bottom of Shimmer production to expose his colleagues. Coincidentally, his long-time adversary, Viktor, is also looking to end the Shimmer Crisis for the sake of Zaun’s health. Normally, Jayce wouldn’t trust an enemy, but he has no funds or allies in his research. He could only hope he wasn’t making a mistake.

Enjoy!

Icon by [sophitia-of-hyrule]

[mischievouswritingblog]

Meta Essay: Medivh The Bisexual Icon

As of the time of this post, there’s going to be an update coming to World of Warcraft where the once all female ghosts in Karazhan will be changed to include male varieties as well.

Full details on the update can be found here: https://www.wowhead.com/news/female-only-ghosts-in-karazhan-updated-to-include-male-versions-324371

This has caused a lot of fun posts and people to take this as an ‘accidental confirmation’ by Blizzard that the character Medivh is bisexual. Pair this along with how some of his portrayal in Hearthstone was made into Warcraft canon, and in my opinion, it’s an excellent update to his character.

It’s no secret that Blizzard’s had a massive lack in LBGTQ+ representation for the longest time. Often when such subject matter did show up it was treated more as a punchline in some quests or was kept conveniently to the sidelines, with nonconsequential, blink and you miss it text, side characters, moments. It’s insulting, to say the least, and is the source of a growing frustration from the LBGTQ+ members of the audience. What’s more, whenever this frustration gets voiced it’s always talked down to. We are told that to ‘keep politics out of gaming’ and that we are too sensitive, when these are the same people that get bent out of shape when even a single thing changes or is called out in their game. It’s bullshit. LBGTQ+ people exist and the act of existing isn’t a political issue.

But of course, with people even making lighthearted jokes or posts of Medivh being a ‘Bisexual Icon’, there’s folks crawling out of the woodwork with reasons from “But the loooooooore!” (as if the lore isn’t constantly changing and being retconned from one expansion to the next) to “Well A-C-T-U-A-L-L-Y, those male guests were just for the female nobles that visited and attended his parties, Medivh was very straight”. To that, I’m going to say: “Nah, Medivh is a bisexual icon, deal with it”.

In my personal opinion, Medivh is an excellent character to explore queerness  with. He’s a character that’s been around since Warcraft 1 and the effects and ties from his story are still felt throughout World of Warcraft in various ways. Medivh is also a character that’s gone through a large amount of evolution and various portrayals. My personal favorite being the One Night in Karazhan take on him because it’s so different from the usual ‘brooding, grand powerful hermit-mage’ that his type of character usually is. Medivh in One Night in Karazhan is instead, vibrant and is a thriving social butterfly that loves to have and treat people to a good time. His reasonings for being this way make a lot more sense when you really think about what Medivh’s situation was.

Now, I have to mention that I do a much deeper dive and deconstruction of Medivh’s circumstances and just how messed up they were in this self indulgent essay/headcanon dump: ‘My Completely Self-indulgent Medivh Essay’. Feel free to give it a read but here is the basic gist for this essay:

Yes, Medivh was the Guardian, one of the most powerful mages to exist at the time. He was also possessed by Sargeras and was the one that created and opened the Dark Portal that brought the Orcs to Azaroth and changed Azeroth forever. But here’s the thing, Medivh had no choice in any of it.

To be the Guardian means you have to put your life on the line for Azeroth’s sake. This is a role that had to be kept to secrecy, people had to make a lot of sacrifices to be the Guardian. You gain phenomenal powers and it is a great honor but none of this was anything that Medivh ever asked for. He was literally born to become the Guardian, there was no other choice for his own future. 

Then you have Sargeras, he had his plans in play long before Medivh was even a thought. A sliver of Sargeras had entered Aegwynn (Med’s mother and the Guardian before him) from a battle between Aegwynn and his avatar. This influence hid within her and made its move when she decided that she wasn’t going to allow the Council of Tirisfal to choose her heir for her title and powers for her. Ignoring Chronicle’s softening of her, she used Medivh’s father, Neilas Aran, the court magician of Stormwind to sire a child. In TLG she let him know she flat out used him and felt nothing for him then came back later and tossed baby Medivh to him for free childcare. What neither of them knew at the time was that Medivh was possessed by Sargeras while he was in the womb. Sargeras would then screw him over even further by causing his powers to lash out when he was fourteen, causing him to accidentally kill his father and fall into a near 10 year coma, and wake up mentally and emotionally fourteen in a twenty-three-year-old’s body. So from the very beginning Medivh was always set up for failure.

So with this summary out of the way, the point of the matter is that Medivh is a character that had little autonomy for most of his life. His career and his fate were chosen for him from the start. Sargeras was in his head messing with him throughout his life, in TLG Medivh even tells Khadgar that he tried to fight it as much as he could. His story is a tragic one but with his reappearance in Legion there’s potentially a ray of hope.

I think there’s a lot of aspects in Medivh’s story that can tie well with the feelings and experiences of queerness. Not so much the being possessed by discount space Satan, but more so the struggle of trying to have autonomy and hanging onto who you are as a person. Being queer myself and looking at it through that lens, I see Medivh being vibrant and throwing parties as an attempt for him to seize what autonomy he could for himself. To exist, to be seen, and to have an identity of his own that had nothing to do with being the Guardian of Tirisfal. I think that it’s also something that separates Medivh from Sargeras. There were likely times where Sargeras may have forced the lines between them to blur as he gradually poisoned Medivh’s thoughts and twisted his soul throughout the years. Medivh likely had to struggle a lot with separating who he truly was from Sargeras. This being inside him, who wasn’t him but would at times take over his body suppressing Medivh’s true self. It’s a horror story where some elements can really hit close to home.

Medivh I believe surrounded himself with like minded, free spirited people like Barnes and the theater troupe (while there’s the joke Medivh’s only seen three plays, I choose to headcanon he’s a theater kid, given how he has a theater to begin with and his own love for theatrics). Whether you picture Medivh as aro, ace, gay, bi, pan, or trans, with the upcoming changes he clearly accepts many kinds of people into his home.

This also has the interesting effect of changing some of the tones for some events in his lore. One example being the titans sending down the Maiden of Virtue to punish Medivh and make him live a more ‘pure’ life. The Titans are Azeroth’s closest thing to a pantheon of gods. They are beings of order, having taken Azeroth in her rawest form and molding her into something they saw fit. Apparently, Medivh’s parties and behavior was seen as something that required ‘correcting’.

On one hand, it’s really easy to read it simply as Medivh being a selfish, spoiled brat. But with looking at it through a queer lens one can put a more positive spin on the situation. The Maiden of Virtue was sent to shame and punish him into conforming into something the Titans believe someone like Medivh should behave. It clearly didn’t work. Looking at this situation, one can read it as Medivh refusing to relinquish his identity because a ‘higher power’ wanted him to. In the real world there are so many that have to hide their orientation and gender thanks to people using religion and belief as a cudgel. So having a character like Medivh as queer, with the power and willfulness to flat out refuse and shut it down is a refreshing power move.

Medivh’s story and the way he is in general has elements that I believe many people of the LBGTQ+ can relate with. He’s a complicated character that has dealt with abuse and being forced into roles without his consent, he made identity for himself and it was stripped away by an oppressor (Sargeras), and, depending on if Blizzard decides he’s actually resurrected/alive instead of being a ghost, is a survivor.

So to me, I love the idea of Medivh being a queer icon in Warcraft. It hasn’t been officially stated by Blizzard at the time this essay was posted but it has started a fun conversation. There are and will be the haters who will scream and tantrum about the LBGTQ+ touching their precious (when convenient) lore with their filthy paws and tarnishing ‘their game’. But in the meantime, I’m going to continue having a blast with the idea and enjoy working the story potential it gives into fanfics, speculations, and essays.

If you enjoyed this essay, I did a few other bits of meta, headcanons, and speculation for fun: My Completely Self-indulgent Medivh Essay

A Bit About Wizards and Sorcerers

Headcanons: Medivh is Alive and Currently Uses ‘The Guardian’s Study’ as his Home

[rookvonhunt]

VILLAMANIA ARC EPISODES 1-5

oh yeah. it’s all coming together. BUT ALSO PLEASE NOTE THAT GRACE/KIRSTEN ARE CHARACTERS THAT STAND IN FOR YUU , SO ONTO THE WRITING

VILLAMANIA SCRIPT

[ The screen transitions from black into that of a space akin to the underground courtroom in Village. Micah standing at the back as four others sit in front of him in no particular order. Though it resembles that of a council of judges. ]

[ The five are speaking indiscriminately amongst themselves , unable to be heard by the player and person that is faced before them. Micah claps his hands to call attention. All four of the great Villamania lords turned their heads to gaze at him. Waiting for his final verdict. ]

[ The air is notably tense ] Micah : I’ve heard your argument. However , I will not allow this behavior to continue. Mutiny is forbidden in this sacred dorm. You four. Decide amongst yourselves his punishment. I’ve more pressing matters to attend to.

[ Micah exits the scene swiftly. Face still completely obscured to the player. Even while clearly passing by the viewer. Leaving them to gaze back at the four lords , all now staring at them with less than pleasant intentions clear on their faces. ]

Alucard: Well , well. This will certainly be… Fun.

[ The screen then fades to black , the sound of the four lords cackling still audible all throughout the transition. ]

END EPISODE 1

-----

EPISODE 2 START

[ The scene opens up to a gaggle of first years in the mostro lounge , all of them being rather rowdy. Save for the tallest of the bunch. A young man named Brick. Seeming rather exasperated by his fellow classmates. ]

[ He said nothing as a waitress approached , raising a brow at the crowd of young men. And one young woman. Her younger sister. ]

Grace: My , my. You lot seem more wild than usual. What have you guys gone and done now?

[ There is a long pause as the first years all stare up at Grace, throwing her off notably. One clears his throat. ]

Deuce: A..Ah- Sorry Grace- It’s just… Grimm isn’t with us.

Ace: The furball’s probably still asleep somewhere. Or Scavenging for tuna. You’re all being dramatic.

[ Kirsten threw a pencil she kept in her pocket at him , relishing the way he shouted in response. Rubbing his forehead , Ace glowered at her for a moment. Unbothered by that , Kirsten glanced back up as Peri approached the table. ]

Peri: What are you guys on about??

Kirsten: Ah, yknow. Fleabag ended up getting lost. Deuce suggested we come here to look for him since you have a focus on seafood. 

[ Peri placed a finger on his chin in thought for a moment or two, thinking back to the earlier hours. ]

Peri: Sorry , but I haven’t seen him come in today.. Grace?

[ She shakes her head in response. Lips pursed. ]

Grace: No.. I can’t say I have, now that you mention it.. I thought he would have been with these guys. Oh. I know ! 

[ In a flash there’s a glowing book hovering in front of her , lighting up her features as she skims the pages. Her unique magic : “Terms of service”. It allows her to call on anyone that has made an agreement with her to work as her underling for as long as they are indebted to her. ]

Grace: Aha! There he is!

[ She snaps her fingers. And all is silent for a few moments before she comes up empty handed. ]

[ Though she knows for certain. Grimm had never fulfilled his debt… ]

END EPISODE TWO

-----

EPISODE 3 START

[ Each of the first years bear a look of terror as Grace comes up empty handed. Herself included. ]

[ Though there’s hardly time for a widespread panic as the sound of footsteps caught their attention. Turning their gazes to a short young man. Face obscured by his hair. ]

???: You lot seem … Distressed. [ His tone is flat. Notably he is wearing the iconic robes of the obscured Villamania dorm. A dorm people have entered and never returned from. The epicenter for NRC’s ghost stories and rumors. So Little being known about it that most only knew the dorm head was the elusive and off putting Micah Risin. ]

???: I know where he is. Your little cat friend. [ The tension is palpable as one finally speaks up ] Jack: And why should we trust you? ???: You don’t have to, you know. Take it with a grain of salt then. But if you want to see him again. Visit Villamania. [ Placing his hands on his hips, he almost seems as though he pouts like a child for a moment. ]

???: Someone wanted him. And I know where he is. Jack: Wait-! [ Even as Jack called out , the stranger had completely disappeared in the blink of an eye. Leaving the friend group even more frazzled than before. ]

END EPISODE 3

-----

EPISODE 4 START

[ The evening air is still in the Heartslabyul dorm , with Ace and Deuce laying wide awake. The pair glanced over at one another and made eye contact. Their faces scrunched , showing each other their silent affirmation. ]

[ Nodding , the pair began shuffling around , dressing themselves in their dorm uniforms as quietly as possible. As to not wake their other roommates. And they began slinking away through the halls of Heartslabyul. Avoiding any that may be awake or out of their rooms. Ace would much rather die than deal with a Riddle that just woke up. It’d be like a toddler when naptime is interrupted. ]

Deuce : I cannot believe we’re doing this…

[ Ace glowers at him , sucking his teeth. ]

Ace :  Jeez , what do you care about ? Abiding curfew or getting that stupid cat back? You’re so confusing.

Deuce : [ A scoff ]I obviously care about Grimm- B. .But- If that weirdo was right. . . If he’s in Villamania. . . I mean. How much do you even Know about that dorm ? I tried to look into it with Epel and Brick but there’s almost nothing about it. .. 

[ Ace waves his hands around , rolling his eyes. ]

Ace : I don’t know anything alright ? BUT. I’m getting that fleabag back because he owes me. Big time. BIG. TIME. Got it? Capiche , even? Ugh.

[ He raises his voice slightly from his whisper as he enunciates while Deuce looks at him like he’s a crazy man. ]

Deuce : Right. . . . Let’s just. Get out and go.

END EPISODE 4

-----

EPISODE 5 START

[ It was somehow even more arduous to escape Heartslabyul at night than it was during broad daylight. Ace and Deuce standing right outside of the entrance bent over and breathing heavily. Exhausted. They were narrowly spotted by Trey and had to book it through a hedge maze. And got lost for a good thirty minutes. ]

[ Once regaining their composure , Ace stood straight to crack his back and groan. ]

Ace: Geez ! OI- You’re in track and field you have no reason to be panting like a dog!!.

Deuce : AREN’T YOU IN BASKETBALL CLUB WHY ARE YOU JUDGING MY ENDURAN-

[ The sound of someone clearing their throat attracted their attention , looking up to see Epel Felmier and Brick Knolls. Both looking at the two dunces like they were insane. ]

Brick : Ah. . . Should we come back later? Or- Ow.

[ Epel jabbed him in the side with his elbow , brows knitted together. ]

Epel: Don’t be an idiot- Anyways. We thought we’d come get you. Or more like– Kirsten told us to. Her bossiness really pisses me off , yanno.

Deuce : Aha- Brick! Epel! Wait– You came to get us because Kirsten told you to? What does she need , we’re kind of bus–

Epel : Well I’m sure it can wait. I dunno if you’ve noticed or anything but your cat is missing. The one in your class?

Brick :  They didn’t know ? Hard to believe considering they were at the lounge to look for him, Epel.

[ Epel groans , crossing his arms ]

Epel :  Sarcasm , Brick.

Brick : Oh yeah. Continue.

Ace : Of course we KNOW , sheesh. That’s why we were sneaking out in the first place !! Duh. Wait. . . So that means Kirsten is still looking too ?

Brick : Sebek , Jack , her sister Grace , her sister’s friend Mirage and Mirage’s friend Harley. Yes. That’s everyone. Yeah. Right?

Epel : Yes Brick , that’s everyone. Good on you for remembering.

Brick : Thank you. You kno–

Epel : Anyways . . . Sebek suggested we all meet up near the only clue we have. 

[ A sudden pause, emphasized by a beat. ]

Deuce : You don’t mean . . They took that weird kid from Villamania seriously ?!

Brick : Yeah, but c’mon. Safety in numbers guys. What could go so horribly wrong that we die ? Even if we are going into the dorm most notorious for students going missing. You know the most recent one , was a kid named Jakob. Never did find out what happened to him.

Ace , Deuce and Epel : BRICK ARE YOU TRYING TO SCARE US?

END EPISODE 5

[biblicallyaccuratetrain]

AiB Hot Take #4

The Beach’s Council has the perfect members:

Hatter and Niragi are the chaotic bisexuals, Aguni and Last Boss the repressed gays, Mira is our ace/aro queen, An and Chishiya are the mean gays, Kuina is the trans icon and Keiichi is the token straight.

[paperanddice]

With the Barrowhaunts finished, it's time to explore the next faction within Threats to the Nentir Vale.

Bitterstrike is a powerful white dragon that is constantly building her army of subjects and vassals to hold power over the region. Decades ago she treated the people of the Vale as her meals, uncaring of what they may do to protest, but a powerful warrior finally fought back and severely wounded the dragon in a single strike, gouging out her eye with his pick. She fled, evading the area for three full decades as she waited out the short, pitiful life of the human who dared stand up to her.

In her time away, Bitterstrike did what few white dragons do: she learned more than wanton destruction and short-sighted anger. She unlocked some of her magical bloodline for powerful magic, both that which she could unleash upon others and some to augment herself. She can now impose her will upon others with a powerful geas that freezes their blood, binding them to her will and also leaving them vulnerable to her if they should even think to betray her.

Originally from the 4e Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale. This post came out a week ago on my Patreon. If you want to get access to all my monster conversions early, as well as a spot on the Paper and Dice Discord server, consider backing me there!

5th Edition

Yet despite her power, Bitterstrike is still a young dragon. Nearly having reached full dragon adulthood, she's barely in the Large size category anymore and within another decade will reach full adulthood. Even then however, she could stand toe-to-toe with many of her elders due to the powerful magical rituals she's cast upon herself, allowing her powerful breath weapon to harm even creatures of pure ice.

Bitterstrike Large dragon, chaotic evil Armor Class 18 (natural armor) Hit Points 157 (15d10 + 75) Speed 40 ft., burrow 20 ft., fly 80 ft., swim 40 ft. Str 21 (+5) Dex 10 (+0) Con 20 (+5) Int 10 (+0) Wis 15 (+2) Cha 16 (+3) Saving Throws Dex +4, Con +9, Wis +6, Cha +7 Skills Intimidation +7, Perception +10 Damage Immunities cold Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 20 Languages Common, Draconic Challenge 12 (8400 XP) Action Recovery. If Bitterstrike is charmed, frightened, or stunned at the end of her turn, she can expend all her Legendary Actions to end the effect. Deep Cold. Cold damage dealt by Bitterstrike ignores resistance, and creatures immune to cold damage take half as much damage instead of no damage (as though they had resistance). Ice Walk. Bitterstrike can move across and climb icy surfaces without needing to make an ability check. Additionally, difficult terrain composed of ice or snow doesn't cost her extra movement. Legendary Resistance (2/Day). If Bitterstrike fails a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead. Vassals. Any creature that Bitterstrike casts geas on gains immunity to cold damage for as long as the spell remains on it, except for cold damage dealt by Bitterstrike. The creature is instead vulnerable to cold damage dealt by Bitterstrike. Additionally, the creature gains the ability to cast hellish rebuke as a first level spell once per day, dealing cold damage instead of fire damage. The creature's spellcasting ability score for this spell is Charisma. Innate Spellcasting. Bitterstrike's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15). She can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: 1/day: hellish rebuke (deals cold damage instead of fire) 1/week: geas (as 7th level spell) Actions Multiattack. Bitterstrike can use her Frightful Presence. She then makes three attacks: one with her bite and two with her claws. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d10+5) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) cold damage. Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6+5) slashing damage. Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8+5) bludgeoning damage. Frightful Presence. Each creature of Bitterstrike's choice that is within 120 feet of her and aware of her must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to Bitterstrike's Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours. Deep Cold Breath (Recharge 5-6). Bitterstrike exhales an icy blast in a 45-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 17 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the target takes 49 (11d8) cold damage and is restrained by ice. As an action, a creature within reach can make a DC 15 Strength check, breaking the ice on a success. The ice can also be attacked and destroyed (AC 15; hp 25; vulnerability to fire damage; immunity to cold, poison, and psychic damage).

If the saving throw is successful, the target takes half as much cold damage and is not restrained. Legendary Actions Bitterstrike can take 2 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. Bitterstrike regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn. Detect. Bitterstrike makes a Wisdom (Perception) check. Tail Attack. Bitterstrike makes a tail attack. Rampage (Costs 2 Actions). Bitterstrike can move up to her speed. Each time Bitterstrike moves within 5 feet of a creature for the first time during this movement, she can make a claw attack against that creature.

13th Age

The white dragons have been in decline since the defeat and death of the White. The magical influence an Icon has over its people wanes, causing white dragons to become more simple and bestial compared to other dragons. Bitterstrike thinks she can prevent that, and with the powers she's unlocked she has become greater than any other white dragon in the present age. With her vassals and her personal strength, surely she can rise up to become a new White, joining the council of chromatic dragons once again so that they may become the Four.

As with all dragons, Bitterstrike has the Escalator and Flight special rules. She actually already has the equivalent of two dragon special abilities (7 on the chart, free use of her breath weapon when staggered, and 14, One Unique Thing), but don't let that stop you from rolling one or two more for her, as well as unleashing her Nastier Specials unless the party puts in the work to break her power before confronting her.

Bitterstrike Huge 7th level troop [dragon] Initiative: +11 Vulnerability: Fire Bitter Claw and Bite +11 vs. AC (2 attacks) - 20 damage Natural 16+: Bitterstrike can make a deep cold breath attack as a free action. [Special Trigger] C: Deep Cold Breath +11 vs. PD (each nearby enemy) - 15 cold damage and the target is stuck (save ends) Natural Odd Hit or Miss: Bitterstrike takes 2d8 damage. [Special Trigger] C: Bitter Vengeance +11 vs. PD (the triggering enemy) - 20 cold damage and the target pops free from Bitterstrike Limited Use: 1/battle, as an interrupt action, when Bitterstrike takes damage from a nearby enemy. Bloodied Breath: The first time that Bitterstrike is staggered during a battle, she can use deep cold breath as an interrupt action. Bitterstrike doesn’t take damage from a natural odd roll when using deep cold breath in this way. Bloody Escalation: While staggered, Bitterstrike’s crit range expands by an amount equal to the escalation die. Instinctive Rampage: Bitterstrike gets an extra action each round, taken at the initiative count 10 higher than her action. If Bitterstrike couldn’t take this action because she’s confused or stunned, then that effect ends instead of Bitterstrike taking the action. Resist Cold 18+. AC 23 PD 20 MD 16 HP 300 Nastier Specials Deep Cold: Bitterstrike treats her natural die roll as 5 points higher for the purpose of overcoming damage resistance with her cold attacks. Vassals: All of Bitterstrike’s allies in this battle gain resist cold 14+ if they did not already have better.