#every other guild is showing huge changes and dealing with problems

[jolly-ob-saint-nixilis]

Well I waited for the full set reveal like everyone said. You can't judge it until you've seen everything so wait until it's all revealed.

I still really don't get the idea behind adapt. It's limiting and very not simic. They really didnt get much to make it workable and tje cards that do feel like band-aids. Afterlife has good flavor that kept getting more muddled the more cards that were revealed.

[karmamelony]

Why Black Clover is not a (if Naruto and Fairy Tail had a baby) type of Anime

Sick and tired of people comparing these 3 anime so when I came across a tiktok with points on why they are all the same by @/jersey.kawaii I was like hey I don’t have nothing to do. 

So here is my take on why they are not the same along with the points they made on why they were. Sorry if this looks choppy

Loud mouth protag with something to prove.

Naruto Uzumaki: Becoming Hokage so the village would respect him. Being loud so he would be noticed. Did not become OP with Kurama’s help until during the Ninja War Arc. Before that Kurama didn’t help in Naruto’s growth and took every opportunity to control his body when his host was overcome with hatred  which would send Naruto into a rampage

Natsu Dragneel: Was raised by a dragon and said dragon left him at a very young age. Is just very boisterous and overall friendly. Does not have a set goal (besides finding his father which he later does) just wants to go on adventures with his guild mates. (not all caught up with fairy tail 100 year quest) He did not get help from a demon Natsu was already half demon and a Dragon Slayer.

Asta: Wants to become the wizard king because he wants to prove that even if you’re poor or have no magic anything can be possible so long as you don’t give up on yourself. Grew up in an orphanage. Born with no magic but did not let that stop him from training. Is very boisterous but has a certain charm after a while. After requiring his grimoire Asta didn’t know anything about the demon living inside of it until much later. The grimoire chose him because he was the ONLY person in that world who could use it.

Rival/Best Friend

Sasuke Uchiha: Has black hair and an attitude problem. Watched his clan be slaughtered by his older brother and then had a curse mark forced upon him. Does not share a goal with Naruto

Gray Fullbuster: Has black hair and an attitude problem. Fire and Ice don’t mix unless you’re Shoto Todoroki. Does not share a goal with Natsu

Yuno: Has black hair and an attitude problem: If anything Yuno should be in a league of his own when it comes to the rivalry he has with Asta. It’s a give and take for both of them and Yuno will get upset if people underestimate Asta. He acknowledges that it was Asta who helped him become a strong mage and now shares a goal. He was not cursed if anything the power he has would be called a blessing

Female Lead

Sakura Haruo: Best friends of the protag and tends to hit him a lot and deemed useless by fandom: She was not Naruto’s best friend growing up. If anything she always called him annoying and a burden. Would hit him for the most outrageous reasons. Their relationship got better when he returned to the Leaf Village. Was very useless in part 1 of Naruto but is a great ninja in part 2. However her personality as a human being is complete garbage

Lucy Heartfilla: Best friends of the protag and tends to hit him a lot and deemed useless by fandom: Natsu and Lucy are like two peas in a pod. If you add Happy then they could be thought of as the three stooges. Is not weak but less strong than other members of her guild.

Noelle Silva: Best friends of the protag and tends to hit him a lot and deemed useless by fandom: She cares for Asta because he was the one to help her with her magic. Stood up for her when she was being bullied by her family. Is just as strong if not stronger than Asta. Has a crush on Asta but doesn’t know how to deal (total tsundere however much cuter when it’s Noelle). She is very much in love with protag

The more reserved female character

Hinata Hyuga: Who is in love with the protagonist and he does not notice and or care...Pretty much her whole character 

Lisanna Strauss: Who is in love with the protagonist and he does not notice and or care: She was at a time and Natsu did have feelings for her as well (they raised Happy together and promised to get married) however Natsu had presumed her deceased after being told by her siblings and did not know that she was in another world. Upon her return she supported the relationship between Lucy and Natsu (if anything was their biggest shipper)

Mimosa Vermillion: Who is in love with the protagonist and he does not notice and or care: Has more to offer than just being known as a girl who loves the protag. Asta does not notice because he is in love with sister Lilly (it’s not going anywhere Asta) but I’m sure if he did know he would care because that is just who Asta is.

The character that was a villain but now is part of the group

Gaara of the Sand: He was just doing a job he was told to do. Always felt like an outcast because of the One Tail being sealed inside of him. Really started to change because of the kinsmenship he had with Naruto who was the only person who could really understand him 

Gajeel Redfox: The character that was a villain but now is part of the group...Honestly where is the lie?

Zora Ideale: Less of a villain more of an anti-hero. Zora was always part of the Black Bulls unofficially he just really hated Royals and magic knights. After meeting Asta he made up his mind to become an official member of the Black Bulls

Mentor / father figure

Jiraiya: Overpowered and dubbed himbo of the show: Overpowered kinda but then again he did die and we really didn’t get to see more of his abilities. He’s more of a pervert than a himbo. Himbo- an attractive but unintelligent man. Jiraiya was plenty smart and nowhere near unintelligent, again he’s just a huge pervert. 

Gildarts Clive: Overpowered and dubbed himbo of the show: To be honest I don't remember much about him. I can say he was overpowered and that's all I can really remember of him and that he didn't know he had a daughter. Status: Alive

Yami Sukehiro: Overpowered and dubbed himbo of the show: (Copying off his Wiki Page) Yami is uncouth, reckless, slightly hypocritical, and prone to delivering death threats at the slightest provocation. Nevertheless, he is a powerful and well-respected Magic Knight who was able to recognize Asta's merits when none of the other Captains would give him a chance.

He is typically a stoic man who believes more in actions than in words. He is very hot-headed, who can be easily angered by small matters. In other words overpowered yes but well earned and not a Himbo. Status: Alive

[stopbeingrude]

Hi guys , how are you doing ? I hope you had at least a decent day. I was really surprised by how many people were interested in my story. (blush) Im so glad As promised, here's chapter 2 ,, I like the rain, it always seemed like the only thing that was like me…" Chapter 2. ,,Thank you for being here" Juvia looked at the object in her hands that she found while packing for their trip to Tempeville. A tiny umbrella , white with smiling suns printed on it .She remembered vividly the exact moment Jerry had handed it to her. - "Here, this is for you, I couldn't bear to hear you whining anymore,"- said the golden-haired man, handing the little girl his gift. -'' I've told you many times, that in time you would be able to control the rain around you. It's normal for water to behave strangely around water mages, and I had a problem with it too….- said Jerry. The man thought for a moment, then added. -..I'm pretty sure I told you how I nearly drowned my ex girlfriend….I told you, right?.. "- little girl nodded-"...Of course I did…haha..If only you could see that bitc...yh...lady's face….Where was I at again?............Oh right!... If only you were just a bit more patient, little froggy.." -"I told you not to call me that, you dummy! "- shouted the seemingly angry Juvia. It was obvious that she wasn't angry, but if those were supposed to be birthday wishes , then that this old slacker could have tried a little harder. -''Oi! Brat....I'm trying my best to wish you a happy birthday and you act like this? -" What kind of birthday wishes are these supposed to be!?- the girl exclaimed. -..Unbelievable! Young people these days are so ungrateful….Ugh .."- he complained, but eventually gave up. -" Heh... Alright….Im sorry... Happy Birthday Juju…- he said with a grin. He couldn't stay angry with his baby for too long. - "...I wish you happiness, health,...I hope you'll grow up to be a decent and intelligent woman ... because remember this..., it's not how you look that counts, it's what's in your head…. - the man poked her forehead lightly, causing the girl to giggle. Despite the tough character of her ..guardian ...? I guess you could call him that… despite his difficult sense of humour and his biting remarks, she knew that she was important to him, just as he was important to her. He just had a strange way of showing affection... Juvia laughed lightly despite a few tears that flowed from her sapphire eyes. It was for moments like this , she's been able to endure the bullying of other children , she knew that every sad experience ended with a visit from Jerry. Every visit ended with one of his strange ideas that always put a smile back on her face, like that one time he took her out for hot dogs at 10pm. Juvia was never able to forget the look on the orphanage ladies' faces when Jerry walked her back at 1 am. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice when her fiancé appeared in their bedroom. -" I've never seen this one…"- he pointed at the umbrella- ''.. I'm guessing it's a special one then" -he stated, handing her tea. - "Thank you... "- she took a sip-"...Yes you're right... actually it was a present for my birthday. HE gave it to me…" After packing the last things, they both sat down on the bed. Neither of them was quite sure how to start a conversation. Gray didn't like the strange atmosphere that had prevailed in their apartment since yesterday. But most of all he did not like how distant Juvia seemed to be. That wasn't his Juvia. Devil Slayer rested his head on her shoulder. When Blue-haired woman began to gently stroke his hair, he immediately relaxed . He missed that... After what for him felt like ages , she decided to speak. -"Juvia is sorry that she didn't tell you anything...Juv….. I was just trying to forget about it... it's not like I don't trust you....Please don't be angry…"-she said in an uncertain voice. -"I'm not angry at you….I'm just a little disappointed...I thought you felt comfortable enough with me to tell me everything…"- he admitted. It was silly to admit , but he didn't

like the fact that Juvia wouldn't tell him something. He knew that everyone had the right to have their own secrets, but his desire to find out what was in her head was much stronger. After a while he decided to ask her more - "Is there anything else you haven't told me about yourself?" He needed to know. -" No. Everything else is true…About my childhood, about Phantom Lord...and mostly about my parents..." …………………………. -".........What happened to your parents...?"- he asked quietly. He contemplated for a moment whether he should ask her this question. After all, he didn't know what kind of reaction this would cause.. -" My mother died when I was about 2 years old.... I don't know who my father was... Jerry said he never met him…about my mother.."- Juvia looked as if she was thinking very hard about something, and after a moment she added-"..Jerry once told me that even she couldn't remember who he exactly was….not that she cared about it or about being pregnant …"- said Juvia weirdly. Wait , what? -"..L-let me get this straight…...you're trying to tell me….that she didn't really care that she got pregnant...and that she wasn't even trying to look for your father? ' Wait, what !?' -….ymm... that's....." - the man persistently tried to choose the right words. He did not want to offend his fiancée's mother by any means (If not for her , Juvia wouldn't be there in the first place, so she obviously deserved to be at least respected)....But everything Juvia had mentioned sounded...How to put it?...Concerning? -" It's not normal... I know... you don't have to hold back Darling- she said with a slight smile- "Her name was Eliana and apparently she was always like...that..., she was...well DIFFERENT.."- that's how Jerry would always describe her-"....She didn't really care about anything, she didn't talk too much, she rarely showed any kind of emotion....She was one big secret, even for him. Juvia never fully got it. Why would she be like that with the person she supposedly was…… ..ymm…..Close.?"- he didn't miss the way she said the last word, but he kept quiet about it. After all ,the relationship between two strangers wasn't his business. Gray decided to change the subject a bit. -"You know..., I think it's really great of him to take care of both of you.…"-despite the fact that the night before Gray had felt a lot of anger towards the aforementioned man, right now he was grateful that he had taken both ladies under his care.- "He must have been an amazing person. It really sounds like you are telling me about some hero or saint"- ice mage smiled - "He was "- said blunette with a smile - "I will always be grateful to him...But Saint ? No, no ,no...That's probably too much of an exaggeration." - she added with a giggle. Gray was glad that she was laughing again, he couldn't help but laugh a little too. They are slowly returning to normalcy... - "He was the laziest, most stubborn man you could find on this planet….He was untactful , brutally honest and worst of all, sometimes he could be so awfully mean and grumpy , especially when it was Tuesday...Juvia never got that...why Tuesday?….Dear God , he could be so unbearable...."- Juvia stopped for a moment, then smiled playfully.- "Honestly you two are pretty similar in that case" - "Ekhem....So.. you're suggesting that I'm mean and grumpy ? Oh ..Alright... I'll remember that when you want something from me..."- Gray said, pretending to be offended and trying hard not to smile. Juvia laughed loudly, then wrapped her arms around his neck and placed a sweet kiss on his lips. After Jerry disappeared, she was sure she would never get attached to anyone again. She didn't want to suffer more. But as we all know, life likes to surprise us, and "never" is not eternal. First she met Gajeel , with whom, by some strange coincidence, she found a connection. Funny, considering how different they were. Even then a quiet voice in her head, similar to Jerry's, whispered to her to not get too attached….that it didn't make sense. On that day, for the first time in her

life, she decided to ignore it, and thanks to that, she gained a wonderful friend. The same situation happened again after she met Gray and Fairy tail. The insistent voice kept reminding her of the past. 'Just because you've miraculously found a friend who hasn't left you, doesn't mean that it will happen again...' 'So what if he stopped your rain, one day you'd be able to deal with it by yourself…..Besides, don't you remember what happened the last time you felt something for a guy? It's just stupid, meaningless crush, just get over it....' But as time passed and she became more and more attached to the guild mates, more and more in love with Gray..... The voice in her head gradually faded and after a while the only sound she heard was the laughter of her loved ones. Despite the suffering of the past, Juvia no longer regretted anything. She would go through it even 100 more times, just to be happy with her new family. -"Oi ! - she felt Gray lightly tap her nose- Juvs don't fall asleep, we have a train in about two hours….. Remember? "- he asked amused - "You're right! Juvia's sorry, she got lost in her thoughts…" ****************************************** - "Are you going on a mission ?" asked Mira Jane cheerfully, as the couple informed her of their departure. Gray didn't necessarily want to share with her the reason for their trip. After all, it was a rather sensitive topic. - "Yyyy it's more like..... a..vacation...?...Right Juvia?"- he turned to his fiancée - "Oh!....Yes, yes..."- nodded the woman. The barmaid looked at them with a huge smile. She still couldn't quite believe that these two were finally together.… - "In that case I wish you a wonderful time, lovebirds" - she giggled as she saw them both turning red. - "Ooh vacation? That's awesome, wish you a great time guys." -they heard Lucy's voice behind them. - "They are such a beautiful couple."- added Erza proudly-" I can't believe that our Gray has grown so much..I hope you'll have an amazing vacation." - '"I also wish you an amazing time'' -said Wendy happily. -Ohhh..young love…- sang Happy, flying over their heads. - " And where are you two going anyway?"- asked Natsu curiously while finishing his lunch. - "We decided to visit my hometown,"- said Juvia. Her friends didn't need to know more... - "Oh cool..Where is it?" -continued Natsu. He never really thought much about where his guild-mate came from.. -" I don't think that's your business Flame-brain. Besides you probably wouldn't know where it is anyway." -said Gray, slightly annoyed. He was slowly starting to get on his nerves. Why does Natsu always have to meddle in things that are not his own? - "I asked Juvia ,not you Icy-pants" said Natsu teasingly. Jeez what's wrong with Droopy eyes today , he just asked a simple question. - "Calm down both of you "- said Lucy. She didn't like where this conversation was going. -'' Lucy is right, there is no point in arguing....Natsu if you really want to know, Juvia was born in the town of Tempeville, in the south - said Juvia, trying to calm down quickly. - "Oh, I've never heard of that place," Natsu said, surprised. Looks like there's a lot of towns he didn't know about. - "See, I told you so,"- said Gray. "Now if you'll excuse us, we have a train to catch. So let's get going… - "Hey Lucy, Happy, let's go with them...I'd like to see what that place is like "- said Natsu suddenly, dragging the blonde with him. His girlfriend looked at him in horror. 'Natsu, what are you thinking? Are you trying to ruin their trip?' - "The hell?! "- shouted Gray. And then he thought that everything was going well…'Please no….' - "Natsu, that's their private vacation! "- exclaimed Lucy, knowing very well that they should leave the couple alone- "Besides, they said they have a train coming soon!" -"Then let's go , we have to get ready quickly…...!" "LEAVE US ALONE !!' - desperate Gray shouted as loud as he could, unintentionally focusing the attention of practically the entire guild. They all looked at him, disapproval clearly written on

their faces. - "Gee..Buddy..you don't have to be so rude," - said Max. - "My God… what's with you?- whispered Lisanna - "Exactly Gray, what kind of behavior is that? "- Erza asked in a stern tone- "If you don't want Natsu to come with you, just tell him politely. The Devil Slayer wanted to disappear... It wasn't supposed to be like this. He turned his gaze towards his fiancée, silently asking for any kind of rescue. However, he was met with the same horrified gaze. After a moment, the girl bowed her head slightly and said to the rest of the guild. -"Everyone , please forgive us, especially Gray. I don't know what's going on with him lately...." - ' Huh ?'- Gray must have heard that wrong….There is no way... -"....He's been very tired and stressed lately, probably because of work, that's why we decided to go on vacation…..Juvia didn't know what to do...." said Juvia, brilliantly pretending to be distraught. 'Stop making me out to be some kind of aggressive freak,' Gray shouted in his mind 'Juvia is sorry but this is kinda your fault'- thought blunette , while taking a look at her lover. - "Relax Juvia, you don't have to apologize to us... To be honest Natsu tried to force his way into your trip" - said Lucy, looking at her partner with an annoyance. - Sorry Juvia….-said the pink haired boy meekly-"...but the ice princess can kiss my ass. I won't apologize to him.." -he added quietly. - "It honestly sounds like an excuse to leave you alone so you can shag in peace" -said Cana under her breath. She wanted to add something else but then she felt a murderous gaze of the black-haired man and decided to shut up. -"True!"- added Gajeel, receiving a look full of indignation from his best friend. -"That's so MANLY" - "How could you blame them though….." -laughed Macao. -"GOODBYE !" - shouted Fullbuster blushing furiously ,as he headed straight to the door, dragging his equally embarrassed lover with him. As they walked towards the train station, dragging their suitcases behind them, blunette suddenly asked… - "Did you really do this...to be all alone with me....?" asked Juvia innocently. Oh how she loved teasing him like that... -"JUVIA ?! "- At this point Gray was close to having a heart attack. A very amused girl could not stop laughing for a while , until they got on the train and they sat down in one of the wagons. Their journey has just begun. ****************************************** Very random/ unnecessary bonus . Remember this, Lovelies! Never doodle under the influence of alcohol, you will get wierd ideas lol. ,, Do you see this sh*t Juvia? People are fighting over fictional characters… Humanity really is getting dumber and dumber...."

[randomfandomasks]

My Personality and Nicknames for the different Shepards.

First, Female and Male Shepard have slightly different personalities.

But both Female and Male Shepard are open-minded. They respect and accept the other races, genders, sexualities etc. They are always protecting the other races. Not only that, but they care about their Squadmates a lot, for them, they are more than just Squqadmates to them, they are their friends.  All versions of Shepard are terrible at dancing.

Male Shep is more of a softy who takes his job seriously. He is a natural leader no matter if he is a paragon or a renegade. As a renegade he is more intimidating than in paragon. He is a jerk, but in a more badass way. As a Paragon he is a great friend and a great listener. I do headcanon male Shep to be an introvert rather than an extrovert. He is more emotional than logical even though he tries not to be. Male Shep is always a gentleman. Also, a male shep is definitely a bisexual in a closet.  Male shep is a bottom (change my mind!).

Female Shep is tougher than male Shep. She doesn’t really see herself as a leader but as equal to her comrades. She is just a soldier like all of them.  Female Shepard is an extrovert who shows pride in being a terrible dancer. As a No matter if she is a paragon or a renegade  she can be really bitchy sometimes (especially if you piss her off). As a renegade she has a rather short temper. She is actually a tomboy, so she is not a fan of dresses or any formal clothes at all. Shep thinks their uncomfortable  and not safe at all. She is less emotional than male shep. Sometimes she seems even more colder than him. Female Shep identifies herself a pansexual and demisexual (and moronsexual). She is a top.

Spacer War Hero Shepard is a true hero. They are more polite and friendly than the other versions of Shepard. They had a great childhood and their parents taught them well. This version of Shepard is also the biggest nerd who is always happy to learn new things. They are the ones that ask a lot of question about the other races, their culture, their history. If you need an advice it doesn’t matter if its about dating stuff, work stuff, family stuff anything. They happy to help but be warned that their advices are not always the best ones. Growing up in a healthy environment made them quite naive. They are optimistic and often bad at reading other people intention. Oh, and they get really mad if you disrespect anyone. 

Nickname for male  Spacer War Hero Shepard: Loco (name given by James Vega)

Nickname for female Spacer War Hero Shepard: Lola (also a name given by James)

Spacer sole survivor Shepard: like all of them sole survivor Shepards this one deals with nightmares and overwhelming guild for what happened to their Squad. But from all the other sole survivors this Shepard is definitely the most energetic one. This Shepard distracts themselves often with other things mainly weapons and training. They...are not much of a talker but a great listener. Always trying to help others with their problems. Always listens to others when something is troubling them. Also, very polite and friendly but not everyone. 

Nickname for male Spacer Sole Survivor Shepard: sparks

Nickname for female Spacer Sole Survivor Shepard: glitter

Spacer ruthless Shepard: cares about their reputation and image the most. The biggest goal is to make their parents proud. They more collected and don’t lose their temper very often. For them the mission has the higher priority. They convert their emotions into strength in battle. This Shepard is a strategist and knows exactly what the enemy is going to next. Also pretty protective, another way they let their anger out is when they are standing up for their friends. Very arrogant and picky with fashion (male shep is pickier than fem shep). Only Shepard that doesn’t drink.

Nickname for male Spacer Ruthless Shepard: fashion czar

Nickname for female Spacer Ruthless Shepard: Lady fashion 

Earthborn War Hero Shepard: from rags to riches or rather from Nobody to Hero. This Shepard is a cocky bastard who loves being sarcastic. Despite that this Shepard has tattoos and piercings. They also hear to metal/rock/punk music and wear a lot of dark clothes, and make up. But their clothing style is more elegant than the others. They hated being in the gang and regret it. But after surviving the street they deserve to wear what they want and look how they want. They don’t care what anyone says about them. Earhtborn War Hero Shepard is a great soldier, they worked hard to get where they are now, and they didn’t become a soldier to please others. They chose this path so that they can be someone they always needed a hero! A strong protector who would stand up for people who cannot stand for themselves! This Shepard is not afraid to risk their lives for others. Most cheerful, loves to party and a great listener.

Nickname for male Earthborn War Hero Shepard: anime protagonist. Black

Nickname for female Earhtborn War Hero Shepard: punk girl woman

Earthborn Sole Survivor Shepard: Very caring. Puts others before themselves. Low self-esteem.  Quiet and distant, especially after they lost their whole Squad. Takes every failed mission, every dead comrade, every dead civilian very hard. Struggles to be a leader. Loves all if their friends with all of their heart. Doesn’t want to hurt others but doesn’t have the choice. Always hesitates to pull the trigger. Only joined the Gang because they were naive and thought they were their friends. Has nightmares about the gang, the life on the street, about their dead unit. But is still very friendly...just not very talkative and doesn’t trust easily.

Nickname for male Earthborn Sole Survivor Shepard: John (because this is the de-fault Shepard and because I don’t know any nicknames...open for suggestions though)

Nickname for female Earhtborn Sole Survivor Shepard: Jane (same reason as John)

Earthborn Ruthless Shepard: A badass. This is the only way to describe this Shepard in one word a total badass. Is very loyal to his friends and always supports them no matter what path they choose. A jerk probably the biggest Jerk in the galaxy. Even though they are pretty cold and grumpy in reality they are filled with guild. Do you think they wanted to sacrifice 3/4th of his unit? Do you think they enjoy having other soldiers looking at them in fear? Do you think they like having nightmares every single night? Of course, they don’t! But they didn’t had a choice. They had to sacrifice their unit to accomplish their mission. To make the world a saver place to live. They care...a lot. But people only see the rough side. They don’t see an orphan who was forced to live on the street. An orphan that was forced to join a gang and commit crime to survive. An Orphan that was addicted to drugs and alcohol. This Orphan changed themselves and worked harder than anyone else to be where they are now. They just don’t see this part of the “ruthless” Shepard. They just see a jerk who sacrificed almost their enitre unit.

Nickname for male Earthborn Ruthless Shepard: Boss/red

Nickname for female Earthborn Ruthless Shepard: Queen/ red devil

Colonist War Hero Shepard: because they are usually very Stoic and serious they come off as rude and intimidating. But once you take the time to know them, they are actually a huge teddy bear. A dork who loves puns and dad jokes. Probably the most fun Shepard to be around. This Shepard just lights up the room with their big, shiny grin. Also, very blunt and honest but very sweat. Sometimes people wonder how is it possible, that this dork became a soldier in the first place? That’s until they see them in a battle. They are pretty fast and great with their sniper. A headshot after a headshot. It’s kinda terrifying to see someone shoot someone in the head with a big, happy grin. Just don’t make them angry, okay? They basically turn into a mix between an angry bull and joker (DC).

Nickname for male Colonist War Hero Shepard: Pooh Bear

Nickname for female Colonist War Hero Shepard: Mother Bear

Colonist Ruthless Shepard: has difficulty showing and expressing emotions. Deal with Depression and Trauma from losing all of their friends and family. Nightmares  a lot of nightmares. They are angry...angry at the world. Needs a long time to trust anybody. Sometimes snaps at people but doesn’t really mean it. They're bottling up their emotions and in the end they explode and say or do things they might regret. Blames everyone for not helping and saving their family. Works really hard to be the best soldier. Wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice everything and everyone even themselves. If a soldier is not ready to give up their lives saving others...then why did they become soldiers in the first place?!

Nickname for male Colonist Ruthless Shepard: edgy shep

Nickname for female Colonist Ruthless Shepard: no mercy shep

Colonist Sole Survivor Shepard: oh, boy. What can I say? This Shepard is the most broken Shepard. Also, nightmares every night. Deals with anxiety every time when they take on the leader position. Hate to me a commander.  When you first meet them they look very empty inside. But they are just in a lot of pain. Very sweat, loving and protective. They are ready to jump right into a lava lake if needed. Enjoys rain and looking at the stars. Drinks a lot of coffee because they cannot sleep. They just need a hug. Prefers to go on solo missions instead of Team Missions. But with a lot of time and trust they may even open up to others.

Nickname for male Colonist Sole Survivor Shepard: black coffee

Nickname for female Colonist Sole Survivor Shepard: Rose petal

[june2734]

The Short Lived Golden Age of Nerdy Web Shows

There was a time between the years of, let's say, 2007 to 2015 that I like to call the golden age of nerdy web shows. It consisted of a lot of small low to no budget productions that had a lot of heart, the kind you just don't see very often anymore for some reason. Many of these show have found a dedicated home on streaming services like The Fantasy Network, some have even gained enough steam to be featured on big name services like Netflix and Amazon like The Guild and LARPs The series respectively. I'm not exactly sure why the web show trend died out so hard, maybe the crowds just aren't there for them anymore like they use to be with some many pieces of high budget productions on streaming services vying for their attention. Every once and a while I'll jump onto Google to try and find new web shows that have that same heart and feel but rarely if ever do I come up with anything. As far as I can tell the only place new nerdy low to mid budget web shows or films gets any attention is at GenCon or small streaming services like The Fantasy Network. Who knows if there will ever be another nerdy heartfelt web show created that captures the spirit of those old series I hold so dear to my heart, but regardless if it happens or not I'd like to bring some attention to a few of my favorites. They may be old by the standards of the internet and maybe even cheesy by today's standards, but I really think they were something special and if you give them a shot maybe you'll think so too. If you have any others that you think would fit in with shows like this feel free to let me know.

The Gamers: Hands Of Fate

Zombie Orpheus Entertainment use to be one of my favorite channels for nerdy fantasy related content back in the day. You could always see the quality and passion that they put into every piece of content they out out on their channel. They're still around today but they've shifted their focus to other ventures such as the ever popular trend of live streaming table top games rather then making scripted content. That being said their old stuff is still well worth a watch and The Gamers series, particularly The Gamers: Hands of Fate, is some of their best work they’ve ever put out. The series centers around a group of table top gamers(the same that can be found in most of the other The Gamers creations by ZOE), particularly the character by the name of Cass, as he steps into the world of one extremely popular card game hopes of impressing a woman who's a huge fan of it. But this is seemingly simple premise is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this series. The show also features a secondary narrative that involves the characters that actually exist in the card game as as the players decisions in the real world effect their lives and leads one character, Buckstahue(not sure if I’m spelling that right), in particular to start questioning what mysterious forces are controlling their lives. The show is a real treat filled with twists and turns I never saw coming, it's fascinating seeing how the real world actions of this card game effects the card characters lives as well as question if and when Buckstahue will figure out what strings control her actions. The stories surrounding the other characters in the party might not be as engaging but they are by no means a weak point of the series either, many of their subplots are engaging in their own rights and pay off certain character moments established in proper The Gamers creations. If this peaks your interest then the series can still be found on Zombie Orpheus's Youtube channel or as a movie on The Fantasy Network. ZOE had pivoted more towards live streaming as opposed to the scripted content of their past but I'd love to see more content from The Gamers one day. Source

LARPs The Series

LARPs The Series first premiered at GenCon 2014 and took home the award for Best Independent Series. The year after it was picked up by Geek and Sundry as a part of a push for more scripted content on the channel which was where I and many others first got a chance to watch it. When the short trailer for popped up on the G&S channel everything about it screamed that I was absolutely going to love it, and I wasn’t wrong. The series centers around a 4 man party of larpers (AKA Live Action Role Players) by the names of Will, Brittany, Arthur and Sam and their DM (Dungeon Master) Evan as we follow their lives in and out of the game. The show is surprisingly heartfelt and sympathetic towards the characters involved in this often misunderstood and mocked hobby as it shows how larping enriches their often turbulent lives and connects them all as friends on a deep and meaningful level. These characters felt real and you really rooted for them as they deal with, work, relationships and the many other hurtles of adult life as they wait eagerly to gear up for whatever peril might befall them in their next campaign session. The show was also pretty hilarious, seeing them play out classic predicaments that any party, whether they be larpers or table top roleplayers, have experienced such as one player trying to roll to kill a tavern owner or romances between PCs were always a joy to watch unfold.  Another thing that most will notice right away is how the production value and direction are surprisingly astounding as well, especially in season 2. I was shocked by just how much quality was put into the show from the costumes and sets as well as from a writing standpoint. If you're interested in checking out the show then it can be found on Amazon Prime but they can also still be viewed for free on YouTube or in The Fantasy Network. Beanduck, the production company behind LARPs The series, is working towards a funding campaign in hopes of earning enough to produce a third season so if you have any spare change you might want to toss it their way in support. Regardless if you decide to help or not, LARPs The Series is a show that I think any nerdy individual will enjoy. Source

Glitch

Glitch was another show produced by the team over at Zombie Orpheus Entertainment, but it never seemed to get the same kind of love as many of their other productions. The concept was brilliant: What if one day you woke up and found out your life operated on the logic of video games? Well this is the predicament that a programing temp nicknamed Glitch finds himself in. Most episodes of the show centered around particular game mechanics causing problems in his and his friends lives and how he tries to figure out ways to work around or fix problems they've created. Glitch, Wyatt and Samus were all fantastic characters and it was always fun seeing Glitch trying to work through some real world problem with game logic like trying to flirt with a woman he likes using a conversation wheel like in Mass Effect or figuring out how to "defeat" his boss at work who he see's as an actual game boss. Another thing I liked about the show was how the characters really felt like real people I knew, they played games on the couch, debated about which Sci-Fi starship captains were the best, and they grilled each other in nerdy ways while working in slang from their favorite bits of nerd culture into their daily vocabulary. I always hoped that ZOE would eventually put out a second season but unfortunately for whatever reason that never became a reality. Now days the channel that originally hosted Glitch has changed their name to Burger Orchard and rarely if ever uploads anything, but luckily those original episodes of Glitch can still be found on their. Give it a watch, it's short but sweet and if you really enjoyed the show a lot there are little companion shorts that can also be found on the channel. Source

The Street Fighter

The Game Station was an early find for me back in my early college days, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I shaved away many hours watching all kinds of gaming related content on that channel instead of studying for exams. One production, created by one of the channels founders Layne Pavoggi, which came out in late 2011 and was a cut above much their already fantastic content was a short lived series was called The Street Fighter. The series centered around a single dad by the name of Phil who has just lost his job and decides to take up a short career as a professional Street Fighter player to provide for his son as well as keep his mind off of the stressful and highly competitive job market. This a real underdog story that’s extremely reminiscent of old sports 80s films where the protagonist has everything working against them, with that being said you might think that such a trope filled narrative would make things a little predictable and you wouldn’t be wrong but there’s still plenty to love since this concept has really never been explored with videogame to my knowledge. Phil is a guy you’d be hard pressed not to warm up to, especially when you see him interacting with his preteen son Ryan or his best friend/semi love interest Camile (played by former All That star and all around spectacular person Lisa Foiles). Seeing him trying to make his way into the job market, taking odd jobs here and there just to try and get by while also playing Street Fighter to destress and become better for the sake of winning a competition for money to support his son really makes to root for him through all of it. One aspect of the show that I really this is fantastic is how it feels truly authentic to the FGC (Fighting Game Community) when it comes to talking about all of the technical aspects of play Street Fighter on a competitive level. There are moments when Phil goes into detail about his “bread and butter” combos or talks about different strategies when it comes to taking on different characters compared to his main. The show was short lived but it can still be found on The Game Stations channel, if you’re looking for a heartfelt underdog story then I highly recommend giving The Street Fighter a shot. Source

Versus Valerie

Versus Valerie is a bit of series finale for a fictional character created by Hannah Spear for the character more commonly known as the Sexy Nerd Girl on her YouTube channel. Even if you didn't watch the characters vlogs over the years leading up to the web series I still think you'll find something to enjoy in this extremely charming show. It centers around Valerie Lapomme, the titular Sexy Nerd Girl, as she lives life hanging out with with her best friend Guy, shopping for comic books, going on dates, vlogging, and trying to make something of herself as a mid 20 something living in Toronto. The brilliant thing about this series is how each episode is structured like or makes homage to popular shows, films and games such as Star Wars, Doctor Who, Memento, and The Matrix just to name a few. On top of that the show is surprisingly well produced and written for something that spawned from a fictional vlog series, Valarie and Guy are much more fleshed out and all the characters including them have some really fantastic character arcs and moments in the show. Valerie’s awkwardness and extremely nerdy imagination felt embracingly relatable to me personally since I often imagine different situations in my life in relation to my own nerdy fandoms. What I was often taken aback by when I first watched the show years ago was just how enjoyable all of the episodes were in their own special way, and the pay off of it all really feels like a proper satisfying ending to the strange and imaginative journey we’ve been on with Valerie. If it peaks your interest at all then you can still find the full series on the Veruse Valerie YouTube channel as well as some of the vlogs prior to the series on the Sexy Nerd Girl channel as well. It’s well worth a viewing and aside from the fantastic lead characters of Guy and Valerie the show also managed to grab Mark Meer as a supporting character, aka the voice of COMMANDER MOTHER F^*$(^% SHEPARD BABY!!!  Source

[lol-jackles]

wait you think theres gonna be another writers strike?

There were supposed to be a writer strike in late 2020, which was partly why Pedowitz ordered Walker and Superman & Lois straight to series to shore up writers ahead of the strike.  COVID obviously changed that plan and currently talent agencies are working out a deal with the Writer Guild of America (WGA).  (X).  

What happened was the dispute over “packaging bundle” that caused WGA to tell writers to fire their agents.  Here’s what happened.  A talent agent negotiates fees with producers and studios on behalf of writers and takes 10% of the fee negotiated.   In order there there to be no conflict of interest, the talent agent negotiating with a producer can NOT also be a producer on the project.  Since the 1960s it is illegal for an agent to also be a producer.

However.

A lot of powerful agencies like CAA and WME often behave like producers.  Whever a writer sells a TV pilot, the agency charges the studio a “packaging fee”, which is 6% of licensing and 10% of the gross, which is coincidentally exactly what a producer or a writer-producer gets.  “Packaging Fees” are done so that powerful agency will bring other talented writers, actors, and directors that they represents to the project.  The problem becomes it is not clear which people are “packaged” and are having their best interests served and the agency could end up making far, far more than 10% of the deal.  

TV show creators sell their shows, the agency negociate packaging fees for itself without the creator’s knowledge and years later the creators/writers find out the agency was making 90% for every dollar the creator earned when agencies are supposed to make just 10% of what the creator makes.  Writers say there is a huge conflict of interest.  Agencies says if the money is good, what’s the harm?  Then the writers say, if I have a lawyer and a manger, then why the hell do I need an agency?”  The “Big Four” agencies (CAA, WME, UTA, and ICM) did not want to give up the packaging because they feel they can’t survive without them.  It’s a rapidly changing industry and everybody is struggling to find ways to make money.  

[k7l4d4]

Midnight Striga: Fairy Tail/Owl House Cross Fic Episode 5 Part 2

Hello all, it’s me, back again with another chapter of the Midnight Striga!! I hope you all enjoy. Thank you.

“... And that’s everything I know about human anatomy.” Luz finished, as Gus eagerly wrote down her answer while the others watched in amusement. She quirked her eyebrow at the younger boy’s enthusiasm. For the past 20 minutes she’d been answering his questions as best she could, and each answer got her a huge grin, a bear hug at one point, and frantic scribbling across a notebook he had produced. It was like having a little brother, really, but less annoying… for now.

Clearing her throat, Willow decided to broach a topic that had been on her mind since they started this trip. “So, Miss Owl Lady, is it true that you’re cursed?” Willow carefully asked.

“Yup.” Eda bluntly replied. “One hundred percent.” She shrugged, unbothered by the question. “Not much I can really do about it, but I’ve learned to live with it.”

“So the legend is TRUE!?” Gus exclaimed, eyes wide with shock, and a little excitement.

Eda snorted. “Not hardly.” At the confused looks she got, even from King and Luz, Eda elaborated. “The general idea is right, but the whole thing is skewed.” Eda paused, glancing up at the sky. “I don’t know where the part about the Covens clambering for me in school came from, ‘cause it’s the first I’ve heard of that, unless they’re talking about the times they ambushed me to join at the early Coventions; that honestly just annoyed me, and it’s partially why I don’t like the things. If I’m gonna make a decision like that, it’ll be by myself, thank you!” She huffed, getting soft snorts from the others.

Grinning at her audience, Eda continued. “As for the whole ‘ego’ thing, I was already well-known troublemaker around Bonesburough, so even if it did go to my head, my behavior wouldn’t have changed at all.” This got nods of agreement from Luz and King, and looks of dawning understanding for Willow and Gus. Knowing what she would have to share next, Eda took a deep breath. “For my curse, I can tell you for fact that it wasn’t the Titan, or whatever cockamamy story the EC spread; a Witch cursed me. Specifically, they broke into my room and cursed me the day before try-outs for the Emperor’s Coven.” She said softly, provoking gasps from the group; shock from Willow and Gus, and outrage from her roommates, something that brought a smile to her face. Clearing her throat, she continued. “As for me denouncing the Coven System,” she said, making air-quotes, “All I did was say that Covens weren’t for me and forfeited my match for a spot in the EC.” She finished, gaining bewildered stares from the two Hexside Students.

“You gave up a spot in the Emperor’s Coven?” Willow breathed out, unsure if she was appalled or impressed.

“Why!?” Gus exclaimed, utterly flabbergasted by Eda’s decision.

Eda shrugged, indifferent to their confusion, but willing to explain. “Because I only cared about joining so I wouldn’t have to have any of my magic sealed. Plus,” She sheepishly rubbed her head, blushing lightly in embarrassment. “The other person actually cared about joining the Coven to help people. I could get the same outcome I wanted by not joining a Coven at all, but they wanted to make the world a better place. I’d say I made the right call.” She finished.

Willow and Gus were amazed. They still couldn’t really wrap their heads around her worldview, but the fact that she was willing to give up such a prestigious position that would’ve given her exactly what she wanted because her opponent had more selfless reasons… It was inspiring. King was bewildered; Eda’s motive for forfeiting went completely over his head, as he just couldn’t understand giving up power so someone else could get it, but he perfectly understood her view of being herself, no one could challenge the mind of the King of Demons. Luz… Luz was shocked, face gone white at what Eda had just said.

“Okay, wait a minute, back up. What did you mean, ‘seal your magic?’” Luz demanded, shaking with barely repressed anger.

Eda blinked. “Uh, I did tell you that joining a Coven means you can only use magic associated with it.” She pointed out. She was honestly a little shocked about how viscerally the kid was reacting, with Willow and Gus actually looking a little frightened at her reaction.

“You told me that, yes, but you didn’t tell me they actually made it IMPOSSIBLE!!” She shouted. She was furious. She had already thought the system here was pretty twisted, but this was beyond the pale.

“Well, how does the Human Realm do things?” Willow broached, hoping to change the subject. Gus nodded his agreement to her question, though more as a result of genuine curiosity. Eda herself was a little curious; the kid had mentioned offhandedly that the way the Boiling Isles did things was very different from back home, but never elaborated.

Luz snorted, feeling bitter. “That’s an understatement.” She inhaled, taking a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. Slowly dragging a hand down her face, she elaborated. “Back home, we have Guilds. Guilds basically act as a way for Mages to get work reliably; as part of a Guild, missions and requests are sent in, which a member can take to complete in exchange for a listed reward. Joining a Guild is neither permanent nor mandatory, it’s just a way to make things more convenient for Mages, that’s all.” She raised her head, looking them all in the eye. “Also, being in a Guild has no bearing on what type of magic you can use or know; while some Guilds may have certain requirements for joining, they are rarely, if ever, connected to what type of magic you know.”

“But how do you keep everything from falling to Chaos!” Gus exclaimed, mind whirling at the influx of information.

Luz shot him a flat look. “It’s not anarchy; we do have an overarching organization that deals with magic-related matters and crimes, but we don’t have anything cementing an absolute structure to things. If you break the law, whether you do so using magic or not, you still have to answer to law enforcement and will be punished. There’s just no reason to suppress or control magic to such an extent. Most people, whether they have magic or not, just want to live their lives, so forcing them into a particular system or group makes no sense.”

“But what about people mixing magic?” Willow asked.

Luz blinked. “What about it? It’s no different from using magic any other way.” She shrugged, not seeing the big deal.

“Well, some kids at school tried mixing magic, and caused chaos! They trashed a bunch of stuff and hurt some of the faculty!” Gus argued.

Luz raised an eyebrow, folding her arms. “And that’s different from any other day, how exactly?” She challenged, causing the two to blink. She continued. “The way you phrased it, they were being reckless; that’s a problem regardless of whether you know or are combining forms of magic. It honestly just sounds like they were trying to show off and went too far.”

“B-But, they wouldn’t have had those problems if they stuck with the magic of their track!” Willow insisted, though she would admit that it sounded fake, even to herself.

“And you know that how exactly?” Luz asked. When Willow clammed up, she added a little more. “Accidents happen, and people get hurt. Those exact same things had to have happened when your people first started practicing the magics that would form the Coven System.” As Willow and Gus seemed to fold in on themselves, Luz relented a little. “Look guys, nobody’s forcing you to learn more than one form of magic. Most people back home don’t learn more than one, either.” As the two perked up at that, she elaborated. “Just because you technically can learn every type of magic, doesn’t mean somebody wants to. People are always going to gravitate towards their personal interests, and that’s just a fact of life. That’s why I think the Coven System is crazy, because it’s putting an unnecessary restriction on people. But that’s besides the point, let’s talk about this sometime else, okay?” She pleaded, wanting to move on from the increasingly frustrating conversation.

“Yeah, as fascinating as this is,” Eda drawled, genuinely being fascinated by the debate, but wanting to get going, “We should really be moving along.”

With that, everyone started heading out.

A sickening crunch ripped through the air. A squelching sound and chewing could be heard as a lumbering figure peaked out of the shadows, teeth stretched into a bloody grin. A shadow darted across the area, silently slicing through the throats of unsuspecting Coven Guards. A Guard uselessly struggled in the air, a long coiled shape contorted around their body, slowly twisting their head to the side as it pulled at them, a snap soon being heard. Figures slowly prowled towards the Covention center, weapons gleaming.

Boscha growled, fighting the urge to snap at the elbows jabbing into her as she walked through the Covention, steadfastly ignoring the glares and whispers aimed her way. Trying to distract herself, she pulled out her Scroll. There were no new messages, aside from another blistering rant from Bo; it made sense, seeing as all of her old clique had blocked her. She snorted at that. It made sense after all, who wanted to deal with the psycho who spent nearly a week beating any and every demon they could find near senseless and had burned the throat of their “best friend.” 

Covertly palming her lighter, she subtly raised it to her lips, sucking in the delicate flame with a relieved sigh, the minty flavor balancing her nerves. She wondered if she might be forming a habit. At least she wasn’t lunging at fires to eat anymore, that had been pretty embarrassing. Glancing around, utterly disinterested in the bevy of Covens, she didn’t notice as she crashed into someone.

“Oof! Watch it you- YOU.” A familiar voice growled out. Glancing down, Boscha spotted the furious form of Amity sprawled down in front of her. Boscha slowly backed up, giving the girl room to pull herself to her feet. “Just what are you doing here?” Amity coldly demanded, crossing her arms. Her voice almost, but not quite, concealing the burning malice within. “I thought you always said Coventions were lame?”

“They are.” Boscha bluntly stated, relieved to be on a familiar topic. She shrugged. “But I’ve got nothing better to do, so I thought I might as well come and check it out. Nothing else going on today.”

Amity raked her gaze up and down the other girl’s frame, feeling a little frustrated at just how nonchalant she was asking. “You really don’t care, do you?” Amity muttered, feeling a smidge of disappointment. She turned a painfully steady gaze to Boscha’s face, locking eyes with her. “Do you really not care about what you did to Skara?”

“Since when do you care?” Boscha asked, feeling surprised. As much as she had previously claimed that she and Amity were friends, Boscha was painfully aware of how detached the girl was from the rest of the clique. As Amity’s face gained a dangerous look to it, Boscha winced at how, well, Bitchy she had sounded saying that. “Sorry, that came out wrong. I mean, since when did you really have a relationship with Skara that would make you ask like that?”

‘Boscha… apologized?’ Amity thought, feeling flummoxed. Steeling herself, a familiar indignation filling her, she focused on the rephrased question, answering it. “Since she came to my house bawling her eyes out into my shirt asking what she did wrong.” She uttered gravely, taking a bitter satisfaction at Boscha’s flinch.

“She-?” Boscha started, feeling a little shocked. She knew that she had hurt Skara, but this? Eyes turning downcast, she morosely uttered. “She’s better off without me in her life.”

“At least you recognize that.” Amity scathingly replied. She stepped close to Boscha, chin to chin almost. “I… have more regrets about my life than I’ll willingly admit, and have done things that kept me up at night from guilt. But you? You betrayed the trust of the person who cared about you the most in the world, not in your right mind or otherwise. So I’m only going to say this once.” She carefully tilted Boscha’s chin down so their gazes were level. “Stay. Away. From Skara.”

Pulling back, lightly dusting herself off, Amity turned on her heel. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a presentation to take part in.” She gave Boscha a backwards glance. “Have a nice day.” She said, almost as an afterthought.

Boscha sighed, morose at the confirmation that, yes, she was an awful friend. Still, at least she could use the Coven to distract herself from how crappy she felt. And hey, maybe Luz was here? ...Pfft! Nah! Chuckling to herself in a bitter tone, Boscha wandered through the Covention, steadfastly ignoring the looks, the whispers, the sneers. It wasn’t any different from her dreams really, just less graphic.

“And here we are!” Willow said, forcing a note of cheer into her voice. The conversation they had had prior still weighed on her and Gus, but they didn’t begrudge Eda or Luz any. It was just… a lot to take in. “The Bonesburough Covention center.” She stated, hands on her hips as Gus made an expansive, showy gesture next to her. She felt a hint of pleasure at the snort of amusement Luz gave at their theatrics.

As they made their way through the Covention, Luz quickly picked up on something. “Wait a minute, are these all, like jobs or something?” She asked, feeling bewildered.

“Uh, yeah?” Gus replied, feeling confused. “Isn’t that how those Guild things worked?”

Luz shook her head, still feeling a little surreal at the sight as she processed it a little more. “Not really? A lot of these Covens flat out don’t need magic at ALL! Heck, there’s a Baking Coven, why would you need magic to bake!?” She exclaimed, gesturing to the Coven stand in question.

The two Hexsiders glanced at each other, neither having ever really thought about it. They shrugged. Luz waved them off. “Forget it, I’ll just chalk it up to another reason why the way things work around here confuses me.”

“Yeah, that’s probably for the best,” Eda mused, honestly puzzled herself as she thought about all the Covens and how little some of them had to do with magic, or, in some cases, magic just made things more difficult. But the way Luz phrased it… She shook her head, not letting herself get sucked down the drain following that line of thought. “King already left to start squeezing these clowns for freebies, so what do you two dweebs want to do while we’re here?” She asked, lightly scratching at the bundled cloth holding her hair in place, turning to Gus and Willow as the target of her question.

The two turned to each other, starting up a whispered debate. This hadn’t really turned out how they thought it would. They had been so excited to show their friend some of their world… and she didn’t like it, moreover she nearly hated it! But, they could still have some fun, even if things weren’t how they expected. Turning back to Eda, a woman they had gained some respect for after learning a bit more of her past. “We could go see the Emperor’s Coven exhibit?” Willow offered, knowing that it would most likely be the most directly exciting thing here, even if Eda didn’t like the group. “I hear they have a special guest!”

“Maybe I’ll be able to get some members to sign my forehead!” Gus cheered, heedless of the sheepish looks from Willow and Luz, as well as Eda’s annoyance. The boy was utterly unshakable in his enthusiasm.

Eda snorted. “Ugh, fine! But if this all turns out to be boring, the three of you are manning my Stand for a week, got it?” She faux-threatened; she wasn’t really going to go through with it, but seeing them squirm was good for a laugh, even if it didn’t phase Luz.

With their plan set, the four headed into the center of the Covention, unknowing of the group creeping through the center, malicious grins all around.

[rad-translations]

“We’re used to death threats” 6 years after GamerGate, nothing has changed

(It’s impossible for me to continue playing Valorant. To be provoked, harassed, insulted as soon as people hear my voice, all of this because I’m a woman, is unacceptable. I won’t accept undergoing this constantly, and having to signal people constantly. I’m sickened.)

If for some years now, awareness of the bullying that women suffer from in all parts of society has been increasing, everyday changes appear to be barely noticeable.

The world of video games is one glaring example. Or how, behind the grand speeches, the life of female gamers hasn’t changed — maybe even got worse since GamerGate, an event that has triggered the first large-scale wave of online harassment against women.

In partnership with the YESSS podcast, Numerama investigated  the sexism in the community of male and female gamers, with a saddening but certain report: since 2014 and GamerGate, nothing has changed. What we gathered from the dozens and dozens of testimonies that we collected, is that the daily life of women gamers is punctuated by these microaggressions. Tweet after tweet, insult after insult, from sexist comments to targeted bullying, these are individual actions that, when added up, create an incredibly violent wave of online harassment. A wave that swallow them again, day after day.

“Gamergate had set the tone”

“GamerGate had set the tone in regards to sexism, and this changed things” assesses Julie, who mostly plays on League of Legends. “When they discover that you are a girl, it’s rampage” adds Leiden, a World of Warcraft player: “As soon as you’re a girl, you’re gonna eat shit. There are comments like “You don’t know how to play (...)”, it’s a very common behavior on WoW…” Kash, who also plays MMORPG, laments that “toxic comments became the norm”. One example: during a session, the presence of three female players triggered a collective cackling from the members of her guild, who said that “the disabled quota has arrived”. “I told them that we were fed up with these kind of remarks, that is was not normal. They responded by saying it was just humor. (...) That’s really a bummer, because when the game launched, this didn’t exist, we were a community. I wasn’t judged based on my sex.”. “Playing as a woman, it’s a hassle” confirms Lisa*, tiredly “There is always some pig there to tell you to “go back to the kitchen””. Laughter always follows.

She however assesses that GamerGate did not launch online bullying. Gamers are known to vehemently defend their passion: “In 2005, a wave of online harassment had been launched against the very controversial Jack Thompson, an american lawyer who declared that shootings in the USA were the result of the violence of video games” Brad Glasgow, a journalist who then published a study on GamerGate, reminds us, now asked by Numerama. Some gamers at the time sent death threats to his home, or even developed games in which the objective was to hit the lawyer… What GamerGate changed, is adding a sexist aspect to online bullying, focusing hate and attacks on multiple women.

Between journalistic integrity and harassment

On August 16th 2014, Eron Gjoni, a 24 years old programmer, published on his blog “thezoepost”, a 9000-words vitriolic announcement, describing in detail how his now ex-girlfriend, Zoe Quinn, had cheated on him. The story could have ended there. But here is the deal: Zoe Quinn is an indie video game developer, and the man she cheated on him with is a journalist specialized in gaming-related press. That was everything gamers and the Internet needed to ignite: this man is writing for a journal which recently published a highly positive review of Zoe Quinn’s new game, Depression Quest. Between blogs, subreddits and 4chan, the GamerGate movement was born.

“They wanted to be able to continue playing with half-naked female characters without anyone saying something about it”

What did gamers really want? They would say that they were fighting for “more ethics in videogame reporting, less cronyism between developers and magazines” Brad Glasgow, who conducted a study on this subject, explains.  “The gamergaters who I interviewed had the impression that the industry was pushing on them more censored, family-friendly games. They wanted to be able to continue playing with half-naked female characters without anyone saying something about it, and without being considered misogynists”. The GamerGate contributors were for a long time believed to be cliché young gamers, however Brad Glasgow’s study show that the median age was 30 years old, very different from the often depicted carefree youngsters. All the people targeted by the supporters of this movement were women. The victims and numerous reporters commented afterwards that GamerGate was never about claiming anything, but simply a way to express their hate and disdain towards Zoe Quinn. Zoe Quinn, as well as the video game creator Brianna Wu and blogger Anita Sarkeesian received so many rape, torture and death threats that they were forced to move out out of their homes, fearing for their lives. In the United States, this event was huge, so much that the New York Times described it  as “the beginning on alt-right hegemony on the Internet”, and even as a culture war. In France, despite being covered by the media, it didn’t have such an impact outside of the affected community. The problem however, doesn’t only exist on the other side of the Atlantic. The blogger Marlard was talking, since 2013, about a "sick community", soaked in sexism, fetishizing Lara Croft’s new design, and, in the famous 18-25 forum on jeuxvideo.com, misogyny was already the rule. She was actually one of the first to receive numerous waves of online harassment for daring to point out the sexism in the world of video games.

A masculine universe

Why talk again about Gamergate today? Because six years later, despite the problem being under the spotlight and having media coverage, female gamers still suffer. Video games seem to stay a masculine universe, a space where the famous rule 30 of the Internet “on the Internet, there are no women”  could be a reality. It’s nevertheless false: according to a IFOP study published in 2018, women play as much video games as men do.The Internet and Twitch are full of casual and professional gamers, like Kayane, Trinity, Little Big Whale, Zulzorander, Marie Palot…. But, inescapably, the presence of women in online games startles, surprises, annoys. 

“Being misogynistic is trendy”

To insult women and social justice warriors (nickname given to anti-discrimination  activists by their opponents) is still seen today as a way to make your audience  laugh, to gain a place inside the boy’s club, sometimes even to become famous. French streamer Jean Massiet admits it: “Being misogynistic is trendy”.

(I’ve been streaming for 5 years and there is an absolute constant: being misogynistic is trendy, make your chat laugh by playing the rebel. To be feminist is to oppose retaliations and gatekeeping. Conformism really isn’t where most people think.)

The “young boy” trick to conceal your voice

One of the main problems encountered by female players online, is “vocal”, the act of talking with other members of the team to coordinate certain attacks during a game. In this moment, it’s impossible to hide behind the neutral usernames of characters typically associated with male players: “As soon as people hear that I’m a girl, it’s over. Many women don’t want to communicate because of it” reveals Lisa. “You really feel a difference in behavior when comparing the before and after.”

Julie, another player, explains that the “after” is often synonymous with saucy flirting. “Immediately, dudes will come talk to you in private, ask for pictures and lewd requests…” To avoid this, almost all the female players that we interviewed explained to us that they use the “young boy” trick: passing as a young male player whose voice has not dropped yet, to justify their high-pitched tone. Lying to stay undisturbed is a common strategy. Some even prefer playing with the account of their male partners, thus avoiding unrequited comments.

The #MeToo aftermath is even worse

But it’s not always sufficient. Kate laments that “The #MeToo movement created a mistrust”, revealing a violent rejection of the liberation of feminine and feminist voices. “It has become a PMU* (“PMU” or “Pari Mutuel Urbain” is a bar/gambling place chain. Nowadays it is synonymous for many people with armchair psychology, politics and chauvinist behaviors) Everytime you want to point out to players that they are making sexist comments, it’s always the same reaction “you can’t say anything nowadays”, ‘feminazi”....” Far from letting those concerned question themselves, it seems that the #MeToo movement has reinforced their aggravation, which then leads them to be even more defensive or to conduct gratuitous attacks, especially on Discord, a chat/vocal platform often used by players to communicate with each other. 

“The memes are more aggressive, everyone jeers at feminists… There is some sort of frustration towards feminist awareness, a very violent reaction. It is even sometimes almost incel behavior,” explains Kash, referencing the men's rights activists movement of "involuntary celibates". “You won’t make friends talking about feminism” Nat’ali, streamer, confirms to us.

 “#MeToo has revealed the privileges that men have, and they didn’t like seeing it”

She isn’t the only one who saw the situation getting worse after Gamergate and #MeToo. “Since I started playing in 2007, I truly saw the atmosphere deteriorate” Kash told us. “I saw more bullshit these last two years than in the ten years prior, "I now see things that dudes never dared to do before. The whole community got worse”. Lisa also observed  the explosion of sexism after #MeToo. “It’s really then that I started hiding the fact that I was a woman. #Metoo has revealed the privileges that men have, and they didn't like seeing it. Don’t touch cis white hetero men, or you will get branded a fucking feminist, a whore, a feminazi.” Lisa reached the point of “not wanting to play anymore, too toxic. Gets on my nerves too quickly.” There is, too, a fear of underperforming: “I’m scared to play certain FPS (First Person Shooter, like Call of Duty) because I’m no very good at them, and I don’t want to help the belief that “girls sucks at video games” to persist” laments Nat’ali.

The liability of professional streamers

In the eyes of Julie, part of the problem resides in the fact that the gamer community is growing rapidly. “There are more and more gamers, and the newcomers are usually very young and very sexist. Even if some people change and gain understanding regarding this problem, they will be drowned by comments by teens that have no reflexion on sexism”.“ In addition to the jeuxvideo.com 18-25 forum, numerous streamers and professional players are accused of perpetuating sexism. As Numerama showed in a study made in April 2019, members of the Solary team, a french esport structure, have encouraged online harassment against several women, and have contributed in spreading sexist insults (a woman receiving compliments from a stranger, not responding to them and “calling them out on social media” is in their eyes a “whore”)

“It’s an environment in which men pat each other on the back”*

(Translator’s note: a more literal translation would be “men forgive each other” but the underlying idea in this sentence was that they allow themselves to forgive each other’s faults without actually hearing the people targeted.)

Sardoche, a League of Legends streamer and Twitch partner (video creators able to monetize their videos) has also been known for years for his very violent remarks against female players, that he calls “shitty little virgins” or “huge whores”. In addition to being aware about inciting his followers to harass, he often mocks feminist activists on twitter, and his followers always join the party. “The problem is that he is followed by a lot of boys that want to imitate him” Nat’ali tell us.

“Trolling feminists, best thing to do in the morning. Thanks to @MrKryorys for archiving these kinds of clips” Yet Sardoche is not called out, and can still enjoy the free publicity made by numerous other streamers, promoting him and condoning his unacceptable speeches. At the start of June however, the streamer announced that he was now suffering from online harassment on his Twitch lives, coming mostly from 18-25 users. These behaviors have no influence on the mentioned players’ and streamers’ careers. “They still don’t understand that they are participating to the trivialization of hatred against women” Nat’ali angrily adds “Sardoche is now co-hosting PopCorn, one of the most viewed programs on Twitch. It’s an environment in which men pat each other on the back.”

“One girl per team, no more”

This impunity is reinforced by the erasure of female players, firstly because some are reluctant to present themselves as women in online games, and secondly, because the professional environment is not giving them a platform. We call that “the quota effect”. “Those who want to become professional know that there is only one “girl” slot per team”. complains Nat’ali. This infamous “quota woman” reminds us of the “Lara Croft effect” a overused argument often put forward when criticism against the lack of female characters in video games arise: You got it wrong, look over here, there is one woman.

“At the beginning of big web TV, 7 or 8 years ago, there was a of of competition between female players. No sisterhood whatsoever, girls were awful with each other because they knew there wouldn’t be a spot for everyone” Nat’ali, who had seen the problem herself, continues.

Once hired, these female streamers still have a lot to face. A friend of Nat’ali told her last year that her team forced her to wear a mini-skirt during a marketing campaign. According to Leiden “People still see their female players as sexy props, instead of focusing on their playing skills”.

The ambience is now healthier, and “there is a real solidarity on Twitch between us, we talk a lot. With #MeToo, we understand that we needed to help each other. These topics have the spotlight, we feel more comfortable talking about them. Dudes still behave the same, but the relationship between female players changed. This is the big victory of #MeToo.”   

“Streamers need to question themselves”

Should we see this whole problem as unsolvable? For Aurélie, “in practice men are not yet supportives. The knowledge is here, we know that “sexism is bad” But if you point out that a comment is sexist, they will immediately jump and respond that no, it’s just humor”. There are many hard to unlearn habits,” Lisa remarks: “It’s the patriarchal structure: nice guys sometimes have awful reactions. It’s rooted inside of them, they don’t even realize what they’re doing.” For all of the interviewees, the education of men regarding these problems is the solution. Kash affirms: “This men-only community create a unease. Streamers need to be the example. They need to question themselves, and they shouldn’t hesitate to take clear stances regarding this.” Still, it would be easier if these stances were the norm, and taking them was not a risk.

“When you keep talking to them about it, our male friends realize the problem” Lisa happily notices. One of Kash’s friends, with whom she’s been playing for years, has evolved a lot despite starting as “mostly uninterested in the sexism problem in games”. After our interview, she decided to talk to him about her experience, and he listened to her testimony. “Last week, during a raid in which I didn’t introduce myself, a player made a sexist remark about the body of a woman. My friend told me he felt uncomfortable and talked to the guild leader about it. Nothing happened, the player wasn’t sanctioned, but I’ve known my gamer friend for 11 years and it was the first time he reacted like that. So I’m hopeful!”

Aurore Gayte for Numerama 

*names have been changed This article was created in partnership with the YESSS podcast. .Their latest creation, "Warriors and Games" is available here. Every month, the YESSS team gathers testimonies of women who triumphed against sexism: those who responded, who corrected, who snapped and resisted. YESSS is a podcast for warriors, positive and decidedlyfeminist. It is conceived and hosted by Margaïd Quioc, Elsa Miské et Anaïs Bourdet, produced by the Popkast label in Marseille.

[cinaja]

Before the Wall part 14

An canon-compliant acotar fanfic on the time of the War. For the summary, the entire story, click here

----

The past seven months have easily been the worst in Rhys` life.

In the beginning, he didn't take Commander Pelior's threat seriously. He thought the male couldn't be that bad. Turns out he was wrong.

During every battle in the past seven months, Rhys and his Illyrians have been at the front lines. The most dangerous jobs were always theirs. And once the battle was done, they were the ones given the most dishonourable tasks. Digging latrines and protections for the camp, doing drudgery for the other soldiers.

The worst part is that Rhys can't do anything about it and that, in turn, makes him look weak in front of his soldiers. There is little Illyrians despise more than weakness and commanding them has become near-impossible. Rhys can no longer count the amount of punishments he had to deal out to maintain some semblance of order.

Rhys is tired. He`s so very tired that he just barely manages to keep his wings from dragging behind him while he walks through the camp. But he knows that he still cannot show weakness, because if he does, this command will end right here.

So he keeps standing in the middle of his camp, calling out orders to the soldiers surrounding him. He just hopes that today, no one will go against his orders. Just one day without trouble. Is that too much to ask?

Apparently, it is. Because when he turns around, he sees Commander Pelior approaching. Rhys dips his chin in greeting, if only because he knows that it will only get worse if he doesn`t.

“It`s your lucky day, boy”, the male drawls. He looks even more pissed than usual.

“How so?”

Pelior waves a letter before his face. “You got reassigned, by orders of the Alliance council. Get your army ready, someone will come pick you up by midday.”

Rhys only just manages to keep his glee contained. He will leave. He will leave and if he`s lucky, he will never have to see Pelior again.

“Where to?”, he asks and maybe he does sound a tad too cheerful.

“Jurian`s camp. And don`t look so happy - from what I heard, he`s a hard bastard. He won`t like privileged little Fae pricks any more than I do.”

Rhys really doesn`t care. All he cares about is that he`ll be able to leave this cursed camp.

“If that was all, General”, he says, “then I`d like to get my army ready now.”

Without waiting for the male`s leave, he turns around and walks away.

Getting his soldiers ready in time proves to be quite a challenge. The soldiers are all tired and not at all pleased by having to move at such a sort notice. But by midday, their things are packed and they are all ready to take off.

Pelior looks almost disappointed when he sees that they are indeed on time. But Rhys barely has eyes for him, all he sees is the female next to him. Morrigan.

In the months they have last seen each other, Mor has changed a lot. For one, she isn`t wearing a dress, but light leather armour and there are blades strapped to her. But the biggest difference is the way she carries herself, the confidence in her gaze.

“Where does this order come from?”, Pelior asks.

Mor shrugs. “How would I know? I just got the message, same as you did.”

Rhys suddenly has a very bad feeling about where this new order is coming from. He just prays that Mor didn`t do anything stupid.

Pelior glares at her. Then, he turns around and storms off. As soon as he is out of sight, Mor breaks into a huge grin and all but jumps into his arms.

“I missed you”, she whispers.

“Likewise, cousin.” Rhys breathes in her scent and feels at home for the first time in months. But then, he remembers that his soldiers are watching and lets go. “What did you do?”, he asks softly.

“Nothing”, Mor says with a wide-eyed innocence that Rhys doesn`t believe for a moment.

But maybe she really didn`t do anything forbidden. Maybe she got one of her high-ranking friends to pull some strings for her. Rhys is more than willing to believe that he got lucky - just this once.

“Let`s go, then”, he says.

He takes Mor into his arms and they take off, his legion following behind. As soon as they are in the air and well away from any curious ears, Mor starts talking. At first, she tries to pry what happened in the past months from him, but Rhys doesn`t want to talk about it. For this one moment, he just wants to be happy.

Finally, Mor gives up and starts talking herself. She speaks of all the things she saw in the past days, barely stopping long enough to breathe between sentences. She talks of training and fighting, of meetings and the friends she made. (It is strange, really. Miryam and Jurian are both stories whispered around campfires at night, but Mor talks about them like they are just her friends.)

The flight to Jurian`s camp takes two hours. By the time they land, Rhys is well and truly caught up on Mor`s life and his mood has significantly improved.

They are greeted by a frowning human woman who Mor greets with a grin.

“What is that?”, the woman asks and nods towards the Illyrians setting up camp.

“Our new Fae army. Haven`t you heard?”

Rhys has a really, really bad feeling about this.

The woman`s frown deepens. “No. We weren`t supposed to get any new soldiers yet.”

“Maybe another mix-up”, Mor says lightly, “Well, either way. That`s my cousin Rhys. Rhys, this is Tia, Jurian`s second-in-command.”

“Nice to meet you”, Rhys says.

“Well, then. Make yourself at home.”

While Rhys has them set up camp, he does his best to convince himself that this is indeed a mix-up. It almost works - up until a human man stops before him.

“When did we get an aerial army?”, he asks, “And why do I only hear about it now?”

Mor winces ever so slightly. “Hey Jurian. How was the meeting?”

Rhys watches the man that is rumoured to be one of the most brilliant commanders in this war. He looks barely older than him.

“Horrible.” He jerks his chin towards Rhys. “Are you the commander?”

Rhys nods silently, remembering Pelior`s warning. 

But Jurian grins. “Wonderful. I`ve always wanted an aerial army. Now, if you`ll excuse me, I have to go looking for Miryam.”

Rhys nods again and watches him walk off. Then, he turns around to give his soldiers one final, sharp reprimand to stay away from the mortals and drags Mor off to his newly erected tent.

“What did you do?”, he asks as soon as they are alone.

“Nothing. Why do you think I did anything?” But she looks a tad too guilty.

“Morrigan. What did you do?”

“Forged official papers”, a voice says from the ten`s entrance. Both Rhys and Mor spin around to the female standing in the entrance. Rhys recognizes her from her visit to the Night Court. “She used an Alliance seal - likely Jurian`s, since I have mine with me and there is really no other way she could have gotten one - and used it to legitimise an order to transfer your soldiers here. She also sent a fake order to herself, likely to make it seem more legitimate.” She turns to Mor. “That about covers it. Right?”

Mor winces. “Miryam...”

“What were you thinking, Mor?”

“I was thinking”, she replies a tad more sharply, “that I couldn`t let my cousin die. And I didn`t want to involve you, so I solved the problem myself.”

“Solved?” Miryam shakes her head. “You solved nothing. You think this won`t be investigated? This is high treason - they could hang you!”

Mor shakes her head wildly, but she has gone pale. “There are constantly mix-ups!”

Rhys considers banging his head against the table. His cousin can be just as reckless as Cassian when she wants to.

“And there is always investigation!”, Miryam replies, “Especially when people are running around forging letters by the council.”

Rhys` heart is beating wildly. This can`t be happening. 

“What can I do?”, he asks.

Miryam turns around to him like she hadn`t noticed he was even there. “It`s already solved”, she says.

“What?”, Mor and Rhys ask in unison. 

Miryam sighs. “When commander Pelior turned up here, demanding an explanation, I told him the order had come from me. So there won`t be any repercussion.”

Mor shakes her head. “You... but why?”

“What part of you could hang for that was so hard to understand?” Miryam crosses her arms. “Besides, I now look like an incompetent idiot in front of the entire Alliance for that order, so thank you very much.”

Mor opens her mouth, but before she can actually reply, Jurian enters the tent, a bit out of breath. Miryam spins around to him.

“What`s wrong?”, she asks.

“Our scouts just spotted an army. Two thousand soldiers, under a Hybern General named Amarantha.”

Rhys jumps to his feet, Miryam and Mor both look like they are about to run out of the tent, but Jurian says, “They have a witch."

Miryam freezes, Mor mutters a curse. Rhys looks between them, everything he heard about the Guild replaying in his mind. This is bad.

They are already outnumbered and with a witch on the playing field, he won't be able to help. After all, he is the only one who might stand a chance against a member of the Guild. (Even though he doubts it. Spells aren't his speciality and he is about to be in serious trouble.)

He looks at the others standing in the tent. For a moment, they don't look like commanders in this war, the great and powerful leaders of the Alliance. They are just a bunch of children, in way over their heads.

----

Miryam takes the news well, at least on the outside, but Jurian knows her well enough to see her panic. He quickly ushers Mor and her cousin - Rhysand? - out of the tent and turns to her.

“You have to do something”, he hisses.

She shakes her head wildly. “I can`t.”

Jurian wishes he could let it go. He wants to let it go so badly. But he has more than a thousand soldiers out there, soldiers who might all die today. And it is a simple fact that the only person who can truly, effectively fight a witch is another witch. There is simply no time for Miryam to run from who she is anymore.

“Do something”, he snaps, “Or every soldier who gets killed today will be your fault!”

Miryam flinches back like he struck her, but she still shakes her head. “You don`t understand”, she whispers, voice trembling, “Even if I wanted to... Do you truly think I could go up against a trained member of the Guild and win?”

“I think you have to try!”

Miryam lowers her head. “Go to your soldiers, Jurian.”

Now, he is the one who has to hide a wince. Miryam rarely ever calls him by his full name. He hates it when she does.

Without another word, he storms out of the tent.

It takes Jurian exactly five minutes to regret talking to her that way. He knows what things are like with Miryam - what was he thinking, pushing her like that? (Then again, he has his soldiers to think of. He has a responsibility to them.) Still, arguing like that just before battle seems like bad luck.

But right now, he is busy with the battle preparations. Besides, apologies aren`t Jurian`s strong suit - especially when he was kind of right. The longer he looks at his soldiers, people who might not survive the next hours, the less inclined does he feel to apologize, anyways.

Instead, he goes looking for Rhysand. The male is surrounded by a bunch of his soldiers who all ignore his orders. Rhysand has to repeat them thrice before the males start moving. Jurian softly shakes his head. Children running armies. (He knows, of course, that he is at least ten years younger than Rhysand. But there is no way he was ever that young. Cauldron, Miryam is nineteen and she seems older than that male.) None of the winged Fae make space for Jurian, so he pushes through them, using his elbows to make them move.

“What`s the matter?”, he asks once he reaches the boy.

“They heard there is a witch fighting on the opposite”, Rhysand replies, “Illyrians and witches don`t get along. They are scared and they don`t want to fight.”

The Illyrians surrounding them begin murmuring, some even curse at their commander for the insult. When Rhysand repeats his orders, they follow without an argument. Jurian has to hide a smile. Smart move, playing on their pride.

“The witch”, he says, “Can you do anything?”

Rhysand frowns. “I don`t know. I`m powerful, but this isn`t really about power. I can try shielding, but anything else...” He shrugs helplessly. “If the witch would be on the battlefield, it would be different, but they usually aren`t. I wouldn`t be able to get to her if I tried.”

Jurian nods. Damn it, Miryam.

“Then get your legion ready. And better be prepared for a nasty fight.”

With that, he turns around and rushes off towards his soldiers. He doesn`t see Miryam in the entire twenty minutes it takes to get his army ready. He doesn`t seek her out, either. They both made their positions clear.

There really isn`t much else left to do, really. Now, it`s up to the soldiers.

----

Miryam stands on a hill and watches the battle. The other healers are there, too, waiting for the wounded that are bound to come piling in any moment now. But for the moment, all that’s left for her to do is watch.

The two armies draw up, neat, organised lines marching towards each other. They are too far away for Miryam to recognize any individuals, but she’s sure that Jurian will be at the frontlines. Mor, too. The Illyrian soldiers take flight, a cloud of black wings rising to the air. She can see the magic glowing around them from here. (The Illyrian’s killing power looks dark brown.) But the approaching army has far more magic than they do - and the humans have none.

“This will be bad”, one of the healers murmurs.

Miryam nods silently. She knows that she should find words of encouragement, but words seem foreign and hard to reach.

Below, the armies come within shooting distance of each other. Volleys of arrows shoot through the air. Magic meets shields, the strings in the air glowing brightly enough that Miryam has to keep from squeezing her eyes shut against the onslaught.

She is too far away to see anything and it drives her crazy. Now that the armies are truly engaged in battle, it is impossible for her to make out what is happening below. But so far, the magic seems to act completely normal - there is no sign of a witch messing around with it.

A shriek from above catches Miryam’s attention. She looks up and finds Kiel circling above. She pulls on a leather glove and holds up her arm for the falcon to land on.

“I’m jealous of you, you know?”, she tells the falcon, “If I had wings like you, I could fly down there and take a look myself.”

Kiel clicks his beak and stares at her from his amber eyes. Miryam wishes she could truly talk to the bird, but as far as she knows, there was no truth to the rumour of witches being able to talk to animals. (Or maybe the animals do understand her and the problem is just that she can’t understand them.) Miryam reaches out a hand and gently runs her fingers through his feathers. 

What happens next is strange. Miryam feels like her mind is stretching. Then, she isn’t in her body anymore - or a part of her is still there, standing on that hill. But she is also the falcon sitting on her own arm, staring at herself.

It is, perhaps, the strangest thing to ever happen to her.

She can feel Kiel’s consciousness brushing against hers, the bird’s thoughts a strange mixture of pictures, colours and feelings. Fly, Miryam thinks and the falcon takes off. She watches through its eyes as it soars towards the battlefield. It takes half a thought and the falcon flies lower until she can see the battle field.

So that is why people whisper that witches can talk to animals - because they can switch into their bodies and ask them to do their bidding.

Through the falcon`s sharp eyes, Miryam sees the fighting unfold. She finds Jurian and Mor within a few seconds - they are, as usual, where the fighting is thickest. Standing back to back, they fend off the Fae assaulting them. Miryam looks on and finds the enemy commanders - two females, both of them with the same red hair, wearing Hybern`s crest on their bloodied armour.

At Miryam`s command, Kiel flies higher until he is flying far above the fighting, even higher than the Illyrians, who are battling Hybern`s aerial army. So far, there was no sign of a witch on this battlefield, but Miryam seems to remember hearing that most members of the Guild don`t fight at the front lines. Witches are too rare, their lives to valuable, to risk in simple battle.

Kiel flies beyond Hybern`s lines and begins to circle there. For the first time in her life, Miryam wishes she could see the lines, but apparently, this is not possible while she is in a bird`s body. So she has to resort to flying circles of growing radius behind Hybern`s lines.

Until she finds a solitary figure standing by the side. A few soldiers are waiting in a respectful distance, guarding her, and the female is standing in the middle of a too-familar circle. Kiel flaps closer and Miryam gets a better look on the witch. She is blonde, her skin just as light as her hair, and beautiful in the way all High Fae are.

Miryam can see her mouth moving, but the falcon`s ears are not as good as his eyes and she cannot hear the words. But whatever she is saying, it makes the circle around her begin to glow more brightly with each word.

Miryam understands what is about to happen just in time for her to get Kiel to fly higher. Below her, power blasts out. Even from the distance, the power sings Kiels` feather tips and makes him slinger. Flapping his wings, Kiel flies higher and then, Miryam is back in her own body.

Gasping for air, she stumbles aside. A hand reaches out to steady her and a worried voice asks if she is alright, but all she sees is the battlefield. There is a dark sheen over the Illyrians` magical auras, making it seem muted. Not entirely gone, but slightly suppressed.

“Miryam”, one of her healer-friends asks, “What is wrong?”

“I... I have to go.” She shakes off the woman`s hand. “Take over organisation for a moment, will you? I`ll be back as soon as possible.”

Without waiting for a reply, she spins around and runs off, back to the camp. It is almost half a mile to go and she pushes her half-Fae speed as much as possible. The guards shoot her a strange look as she runs past them, but let her pass without hesitation.

Miryam reaches her tent. She rips the mattress straight off her bed and pulls out the book and the bag where she keeps everything she might need for her magic. With that, she leaves her tent and runs back.

By the time she reaches the battlefield again, the tide has turned against them. The Alliance soldiers are being pushed back further and further. And to make things worse, Miryam can see the strings flying through the air, warning her of the spell to come.

She stops on a small hill, well away from anyone who might be caught in the crossfire. She draws her knife and runs it over her forearm, wincing slightly. Blood wells up and Miryam begins drawing symbols on the ground. In her haste, she messes up the second one and has to wipe it away to start anew. Her fingers are shaking by the time she sets up the candles, then the bones. There are more powerful materials to use, but Miryam doesn`t have those. And noon or midnight would be better, but she has little choice.

Miryam flips open the book (by now, it is as easy as breathing) and starts flipping through the pages. But before she can so much as read the first spell, the strings in the air get more hectic. Miryam can feel the power on her skin. When she looks out over the battlefield, she can see the strings moving, beginning to weave together to form a spell.

No time left. Miryam begins speaking the words to activate the circle. By now, she knows that it is meant to tether her to the world and draw power from the earth for her to use. The flames flicker to life and trap her in a circle of light.

The circle is ready, but the witch`s spell is too fast. Miryam will never get even halfway through a spell before whatever that witch is trying to do will succeed. She drops the book and turns towards the battlefield.

The net the witch is waving is growing tighter by the second. Miryam still doesn`t understand enough to know what she is trying to do, but she does know how to name the strings, how to command them.

She begins speaking. In the language of the universe, each word making her throat burn. But this time, there are no instructions, no book to guide her. She is just desperately trying to undo whatever the other witch is trying to do.

Miryam feels the female noticing. She can see her scrambling for control over the strings, but she keeps pushing back. This is a battle she might win. Because she may be less experienced and less powerful, but the female is running out of time with each passing second. Once a spell is begun, it needs to be finished, so if she manages to hold on until the witch comes to the end of her spell, she will win this.

Miryam thought she‘d see in advance when the spell was about to finish. But there is no real warning. One moment, she is trying to loosen another strand. Then, there is power rushing through the air. She manages to hold it off for a grand total of two seconds before the pain becomes too much to bear and the spell slips past her hold. The strings are flying apart as the power rushes over the battlefield. Like the shockwave of a big explosion.

Miryam only just manages to hold up her hands before her head before the power slams into her and sends her flying through the air. The circle flickers once, then the candles go out and she lands on the ground with enough force to push the air from her lungs and make her ribs crack.

„Ouch“, Miryam mutters.

With shaking arms, she pushes herself up from the ground. The front of her clothes is scorched and torn. She wonders why her using magic always ends with her lying on the ground, feeling like her body is burning up from the inside.

She only just manages to twist aside before she vomits up a mouthful of blood.

----

The enemies retreat. Mor can‘t quite believe it. One moment, they were being pushed back further and further, the next, there was magic in the air and their enemies turned tails and ran.

Mor has no idea what happened. The soldiers around her seem to feel the same. They are already whispering amongst each other, claiming the gods were watching over them and sent a blast of magic down to save them. Mor doesn‘t believe it for one second. Panting, she wipes sweat off her brow. Her hands leave smears of blood behind. Next to her, Jurian is already giving orders to his soldiers. In his blood-splattered leather armour, eyes blazing, he looks like a warrior straight out of myth. Except that none of those were ever human.

He turns to Mor. „I need a favour”, he says softly, „Could you please go looking for Miryam and check if she is alright?“

Mor frowns at him. Of all the things that need to be done after a battle like this, checking in on Miryam who wasn‘t even fighting does not seem like the most important thing to do. But Jurian has already gone back to shouting out orders, so she shrugs and turns around.

On her way through the post-battle chaos, she catches a short glimpse at Rhys, who is shouting at his own soldiers, but otherwise seems alright. She catches hold of one of the healers.

„I‘m looking for Miryam“, she says. The human woman shrugs. „No idea where she went off to. She left in the middle of the battle and hasn`t been back.“

Now, Mor is a little worried. During every battle in the last months, Miryam always watched and spent the hours afterwards helping with the wounded and organising the clean-up. Running off without a reason doesn‘t seem like her friend at all. She walks faster, almost runs now.

She finds Miryam on a hill overlooking the battlefield. She is kneeling on the ground, blood splattered on her clothes. Cursing, Mor dashes for her.

„Mor.“ Miryam makes a valiant but hopeless attempt to get up. „What are you doing here?“

Mor ignores the question. „What happened?“, she asks with barely concealed panic. She can‘t see an injury, but the blood has to come from somewhere. She reaches out for Miryam. „I‘ll take you to a healer.“

„No!“ Miryam twists aside to stop Mor from grabbing for her and winnowing her away. „It‘s fine. I don‘t need a healer.“

Mor is about to tell her that this is bullshit when she sees the circle on the ground. The grass around it is burned to ash, but she can still see the remains of strange symbols and candles lining its edges. Mor spins around to Miryam.

„You...“ She can‘t bring herself to finish the sentence.

It is impossible. Utterly impossible for about a dozen reasons, the least of which being that no person who isn‘t entirely High Fae has ever been a witch. So Mor does something that she has never done before - at least not with Miryam. She reaches out with her power and reads her.

The ability to read others is a strange part of her power - the ability to see the truth of another person, the very core of their being. It‘s never concrete - a mixture of feelings and pictures and colours. With Miryam, it is different.

Mor flinches back, gaping. Reading Miryam feels like touching lightning. She can‘t get a proper read except for that power.

„What did you do?“, Miryam asks, staring at her.

Mor shakes her head. „You‘re a witch.“

She can sense the truth in her own words. But it is impossible. Gentle, strong, human Miryam can‘t be a witch. Miryam bites her lip and lowers her eyes, but doesn‘t reply. „How long?“, Mor asks softly.

Miryam shrugs. „My first bleeding. I was seventeen.“

Mor tries and fails not to let it sting. In the eight months they have known each other, Miryam never once thought to mention it to her. Even when Mor told her everything about what her parents had done to her. Even when Jurian obviously knew. (Don‘t be ridiculous, she tells herself, Jurian is her lover. Of couse he knew.)

„You‘re angry“, Miryam whispers.

„No.“

Only when she speaks the words does she understand that they are true. And maybe she really doesn`t have a right to be angry at anyone for keeping secrets. After all, there is always one thing she`ll never be able to tell anyone.

„Jurian was angry when he found out.“

That, she can imagine quite vividly. Although she can also imagine that once he got over his bruised ego, he would be beyond excited. (She sincerely hopes that Jurian loves Miryam more than the weapon her powers might become.)

“I`m not”, Mor says quietly, “Now, do you need anything?”

Miryam shakes her head. “I have to get back. People will notice I`m missing.”

People will notice what you did, Mor thinks. But she doesn`t say it. Instead, she nods towards the circle.

“Can I touch that, or will I turn into a mouse if I do?”

Miryam smiles ever so slightly and gets up through what can only be sheer determination. “Not sure. We probably shouldn`t try it.”

----

Jurian hugged her and told her she was amazing when they ran into each other in the camp. Miryam doesn‘t feel amazing, though. She feels tired enough that she might fall asleep right where she stands. Instead, she keeps trying to patch up the scores of wounded soldiers.

She sends a young human woman with a freshly bandaged cut on her arm on her way and turns to the next soldier: an Illyrian male with a gash all the way through his stomach, being carried by two of his brothers-in-arms. She makes to step towards them, but the Illyrians reel back.  One of them forms a sign with his left hand.

„Aje“, he hisses

„What?“

„Witch.“

Now, it is Miryam who flinches. But she shakes her head, too tired to deny it.

„Just let me help him.“ She takes a step towards the soldier, but the Illyrians flinch back.

„Stay away from him, soul-thief!“

Miryam is too tired to think anything by it. She just sees the blood staining the soldier`s uniform.

„I‘m going to help him“, she tells the soldiers, „And I‘d suggest you don‘t stop me.“

When she steps forward, the soldiers step back, leaving their injured companion behind. Miryam barely notices the soldiers staring at her as she kneels down next to him. It takes almost half an hour to get his stomach stitched up, but he will survive.

Stumbling, Miryam pushes herself up off the ground. People are still staring. She wonders how that soldier knew. Wonders if he told everyone, if by now, the entire camp knows.

This was not supposed to happen. Oh Cauldron, everyone will know. This was never supposed to happen.

“Hey.” Suddenly, Jurian is standing behind her. He lightly takes her arm. “Are you okay?”

Miryam manages a shaky smile. “Sure.”

Jurian still puts an arm around her waist and not-so-subtly begins leading her to his tent. “Really? Because Mor told me that just an hour ago, you were retching up blood.”

“Did she, now?” 

“Yes. And I seem to remember you telling me that you would be fine.”

Miryam turns around to glare at him. “So you`re blaming me for getting hurt?”

“No. Cauldron, Miryam!” Jurian shakes his head. “I would never... I pushed you. And if you had died, it would have been my fault. Had I known that you could get hurt, I would never have asked this of you.”

They reach Jurian`s tent and Miryam slumps down on a cushion. 

“And what about the battle?”, she asks softly, “We would have lost. These soldiers would have died. So you`re telling me that you would have risked that, just to keep me safe?” She shakes her head. “You wouldn`t have, Jur. And we both know it. Because you and I, we would both sacrifice everything to save our people.”

For a moment, they sit in silence. Jurian pours himself a glass of brandy from a bottle and drains it in one go. Then, he says, “Everything but you. I`m selfish like that.”

---- 

A/N: I hope you liked this! Next time, the meeting between the Alliance and the Loyalists takes place.

Tags: @sjm-things

[lemoncakepanda]

Top 50 NaLu Anime Moments {Pt 3}

I am so sorry it took me so long to write this! This week has been a roller-coaster to me, especially since Tuesday. I got so busy, and every time I would log into tumblr, I would only look at my dashboard and have absolutely no energy left to write. Without any further delay, let me show you guys the rest of my top 50, and today we’re covering moments 30 through 21.

Part 2 can be found here.

30. “I’ll be lonely, you idiot!” (Ep 265).

This moment still makes me so emotional. Like... i’ve said this before on my previous top 25 moments, so there’s nothing much to add, but I love this moment because it shows how much Lucy began to rely on Natsu. How much she needed his presence around her, despite always kicking him out and scolding him. And then to lose all that? Just like that? To be filled with such a huge sense of security, the certainty that someone will always be there for you, and to have that ensurance taken away from you? That must’ve hurt. That must’ve broken her heart and it’s no wonder she’s so upset with Natsu when he comes back (again, I get why Natsu had to leave and I’ve already given my thoughts on it, but I also get Lucy’s side) and must’ve stung extra harder bc she’d just lost Aquarius, something she also never thought would happen. But yeah, this is why I like this scene, despite it being sad. It was great character development for Lucy, showed the development in NaLu, and it also pushed the ship forward by giving if conflict and separation, which only resulted in bringing them closer in the future. Also, I also like how Natsu only left a note to Lucy and no one else. She really is his most precious person, along with Happy.

29. “Let’s save the tears for when we win.” (Ep 159).

As a big sucker for moments where Natsu comforts Lucy, this one’s gotta be in the list. Despite being in a team of 5, despite her whole guild being there, only one person came to pick up Lucy and lift up her spirits and that was Natsu. It could’ve been anyone, really. Erza or Gray. But Mashima thought (and I agree) Natsu would make the most sense, because of how deep the NaLu relationship runs, to showcase how they’d grown even stronger since Tenrou Island, and it worked! Natsu, who’d once called Lucy useless to her face, coming up to her and telling her she was amazing, even though she lost? Lucy, who was always so annoyed with Natsu and his fighting, looking up to him with tears in her says saying “i’m all fired up”? That’s the kinda development we strive for.

28. “You’re Lucy of Fairy Tail, aren’t you?” (Ep 23).

I swear, this ship makes me want to scream. And here we come back to a time when Natsu and Lucy were still growing as a team, and still didn’t know each other that well, but already had so much faith on one another. This, I feel, is the first time (after, you know, the tower jump) where it showed that they actually cared and understood each other, mostly Natsu, in this case. Everyone else told Lucy not to cry, not to blame herself because of what her father did, meanwhile, Natsu merely reminded her of who she was. Where she belonged to. And like Lucy said later in the arc, she believed her mother would want her to follow her heart and do what she wanted, and this was probably the first time someone other than Layla showed Lucy that her choice was hers to make, and hers only. Like i’ve said before, what Natsu said, what he did for her here, helped shape Lucy into the person she is today, as well as it’s what also helped Lucy to start relying more on Natsu emotionally, whereas she relied mostly on him physically, to protect her.

27. “Lucy!” (Ep 303).

This moment... is much lower on my list here, whereas it was so high on the first one, but that’s mostly because my opinion has changed, as well as new moments have arrived that I loved much more, and some other moments too I now realize I took for granted, and took a high spot in my list. But nevertheless, it’s still a very special moment. And despite my problems with the animation, I have to admit that I like the desperation in Natsu’s eyes as he holds onto Lucy for dear life, after almost losing her (big sigh bc we know what happens a few eps later); and he even forgets about the other people around them: Mest, Brandish, even Happy! I like how she came first here to him, how he didn’t even hesitate before grabbing her. Now, how he came from that position to groping her boobs with all his might later, I can’t even explain, just... you know... Mashima.

26. Natsu and Lucy versus Jacob. (Ep 299).

Listen, this... this is one of the funniest fights I’ve ever watched on anime. While I like the pacing better on the manga, I really liked the execution of it in the anime, and hearing Natsu and Lucy’s “dirty talk” was one of my dreams coming to life, lmao. Natsu and Lucy once again showing how great they are at teamwork, and why they work so damn well together, how their thoughts align and how their trust on each other plays a huge deal on their victory. Plus, hello, it’s this moment which gives Mavis the inspiration to defeat Zeref, so it’s an extra big moment, i’d say, despite being severely underrated. Still on topic, I liked how when Lucy was undressed in front of him, Natsu was like “how is this supposed to be hell?” and say what you want, but just because he didn’t blush didn’t mean he wasn’t enjoying that view.

25. “Thank you for protecting our future.” (Ep 187).

Not really a NaLu NaLu moment, but still a very sweet NaLu moment. In case you don’t know (and for that reason, you should not be reading this list), the one in the picture is Future Lucy, and what makes this moment so special is that, even though that’s not present Lucy, it’s still his Lucy. He trusts her word completely and understand she effort she’s made, and all the horrors she’s been through, and he kneels down to the ground, craddles her head and presses his forehead to her, to express how grateful he is for what she’s done, and to show that he appreciates her, even if she’s not from his time. And this must’ve meant so much to this Lucy, because she lost her Natsu; she watched him die (the anime even does a little flashback), and she is back at the warmth and the softness only one person could give her, and she thought she’d never have that again. And then there he was, right in front of her, still the same man she’d always known. Still believing in her. Also, a small bonus: present Lucy is watching all this with a sweet smile and a soft blush on her cheeks.

24. “Don’t worry me like that.” (Ep 310).

And now we’re back to me wanting to scream because of these, bc hey... look at this! How come these two f*ckers started a goddamn a relationship and not even realize it? Like, it’s not even possibly platonic at this point in the story! There’s no friendship that can explain this, especially when it’s purposely being parallel with Gruvia, a canon romantic ship, and especially because we know what led up to this moment. And then you have Lucy holding onto Natsu, so relieved that she found him and squeezing him closer to her, despite not knowing what happened to him or what he’d just done, and Natsu whispering her name, listening to her voice once again when he thought he’d never listen to it again, having her so close to him when he thought he’d lost her... and you want me to not ship that? You want to tell me that’s platonic? I can’t even. I literally can’t even. That’s all I have to say about this.

23. “I want a piggyback ride.” Drunk Lucy round 1. (OVA 4).

While I love Lucy jumping on Natsu and wiggling her body onto his during the christmas ova, I have to admit this moment here has a special place in my heart, which makes it higher on the list. Maybe it’s because it was the first time we saw Lucy drunk, and was still a time when we started to really get NaLu moments, and Lucy’s feelings were still 50/50 to us, and then you get this, and Drunk Lucy is all f*cking over Natsu; she has hearts around her when she’s happy because she saw two Natsus, she makes him omelet (how? idk) and wants to feed it to him, is upset when she thinks he rejects it, wants him to make her purr... this alone should tell you a lot, is all touchy-feely with him, and basks in how warm he is, with her eyes closed. And Natsu, my boy... you coulda just run. You didn’t have to stay there and you didn’t have to obey her, lol. I bet he was freaked out because Lucy had never given him this much attention before, so he didn’t know how to deal with it. Always nice to see some Lucy > Natsu action, so let us all thank Mashima for the existence of Drunk Lucy, who makes this more possible than regular Lucy bc she lives in denial, lol.

22. “Beautiful”. (Ep 73).

A classic moment, and one that is immensely loved within the NaLu fandom, and rightfully so! Not only is this the most beautiful tree i’ve seen in anime, but also gave so much more depth to Natsu and Lucy’s relationship, despite being a simple omake. I’ve mentioned this before, but after Phantom Lord arc, there was very little development on NaLu, and most of their scenes together were reapeats of things we’d seen before: them reuniting after the team is separated, working together to solve it, reuniting again, trusting each other, yada yada. Very nice, but still, mostly just friendship and nothing that really stood out. This moment here, where Natsu uproots a tree for Lucy just because she was sick and couldn’t come to see it, then putting it into a boat so it could float all the way over to the front of her house... can be seen as a platonic gesture, and probably was made with that intention on Natsu’s part, but the thing is, these kinda things only happen with them. Yes, Mashima could have given this moment for someone else like Erza or Mirajane, or even Wendy, who was new to the series and probably didn’t even know about this: so why didn’t he? The answer is quite easy, and y’all know it. Development. Growth. Natsu was upset Lucy couldn’t come and join them, didn’t even crack a smile during the whole festival, but he wanted Lucy to be able to, even if he didn’t get to see it. He wanted to make her happy. That’s very special of him, and I think there was already a little of romance there, he just didn’t know what it was, so he just followed his feelings and went for it. Okay, enough gushing and analysing, time to end this list.

21. “What do I look like to you?” round 1. (Fairy Tail: Dragon Cry).

Please, don’t kill me for not having this on top 10, I wanted to put it there, because HELLO, LOOK AT THIS PICTURE, I NEED 911, I- HOW CAN THEY STAND SO CLOSE TO EACH OTHER! MY BOYFRIEND SAW ME GIFFING THIS AND ASKED “IS HE TRYING TO KISS HER” AND I JUST FREAKED OUT, SOMEBODY SEDATE ME! Mashima, what were you trying to do with this? Were you trying to kill us? Like, why does Natsu want to know what he looks like to Lucy? And why he’s gotta stand so close to her that their noses are brushing, just to ask her this? AHSIAHSJJAOSJAAKA, I KNOW THE ANSWER, BUT I STILL NEED ANSWERS! Okay, I was able to calm down a little. I really truly love this moment (love dragon cry in general), and I love how Wendy interrupted them and knew immediately she’d walked into something intimate, the poor thing, lmao, I wish that was me. But really, this is just Natsu taking any excuses he can to stand super close to Lucy even when it doesn’t make sense, because we all know he’s just got it real bad for her.

Will try to post part 4 tomorrow, but no promises. My baby niece is staying over and she takes up all of my free time, lol.

[tabletopinfinities]

7th Sea

Swashbuckling and Sorcery Piracy and Exploration Espionage and Intrigue Welcome to the New World

What’s the premise?

7th Sea is a world of swashbuckling fantasy, in a setting that’s very much like our Earth circa the Age of Sail, but filled with sorcery, monsters, and the mysterious ruins of a pre-human civilization. The core book focuses on Théah, the 7th Sea world’s equivalent of Europe, which is currently recovering from a bloody war between the traditional Vaticine Church and the reformist Objectionists and emerging into a new age of nationalism and humanism. Monarchs play games of espionage while secret societies work behind the scenes. Traders sail to the New World in search of exotic treasures and pirates follow in their wake. Some nations are even beginning to experiment with a bold new idea - democracy.

The technology level of Théah is slightly higher than our world’s was at the time, thanks partly to a Vaticine Church that values knowledge and discovery and also partly to ancient Syrneth artifacts that are centuries beyond human science. Sorcery and magic are not uncommon - but are primarily the domain of the nobility. Spirits, monsters, and other beings haunt the wild places, and any given folktale has a chance to be true.

The characters you play are all very explicitly Heroes, doing noble deeds to fight tyrannical Villains. The world of 7th Sea has a lot of problems besieging it right now - the looming specter of the Castillian Inquisition, the depredations of the Atabean Trading Company, the tyranny of l’Empereur du Montaigne, just to name a few. It’s a world on the brink of becoming something wonderful - it just needs a few good heroes to show it the way.

You’d like it if you’re into: The Princess Bride, Pirates of the Carribean, Zorro, The Three Musketeers, Brotherhood of the Wolf, old Errol Flynn movies

Why do you recommend it?

If you’ve ever wanted to swing from chandeliers, plunder treasure, cut feathers off caps with a swish of your rapier, and woo the fair maiden / handsome prince / other attractive individual, 7th Sea is the game for you. Magic and strange technology add a great twist to an otherwise straightforward historical fantasy.

7th Sea, the new 2nd edition in particular, is one of the most inclusive and welcoming mainstream RPGs out there. Women and people of color can be characters of all kinds, and queer, trans, and nonbinary characters are littered throughout the books and accepted within the setting itself. That, plus the emphasis on your character being a capital-H Hero, make 7th Sea an unapologetically wholesome game. It’s lighthearted and silly, while still allowing for serious dramatic moments.

Plus your character practically cannot die, no matter how much you screw up.

What are the rules like?

The core idea of 7th Sea is that you will almost always succeed at what you’re trying to do. You’re a Hero, after all. If you don’t roll well enough, though, your success might not be total. The way they mechanically represent this is very narrative-driven and plays quite differently from the standard RPG.

There’s three kinds of rolls to make in 7th Sea. The most basic, the Risk, is when your character is trying to bypass a simple obstacle. For instance, they might be trying to escape from a burning room. You decide what your character’s Approach to that will be, and what combination of skills and traits to use. In this case, they might use Finesse + Athletics to dodge and and jump over falling beams, or perhaps Brawn + Weaponry to use their axe to hack a hole in the wall, or even Panache + Tempt to bat their eyes at the fleeing henchman and tell him that if he rescues you, you’ll surely owe him a favor. Then you roll a d10 for each point you have in the chosen trait and skill. If you’re using a skill you haven’t used yet this scene, roll another die, and if you take the time to describe your action a little, roll a further die. Each set of dice you can add up to 10 is one success - here called Raises.

All it takes to succeed in the Risk is a single Raise. The catch is: there will always be Consequences and Opportunities associated with the Risk. You’ll need to spend additional Raises to either avoid the Consequences or activate the Opportunities. In this scenario, the consequences might be something like “take 3 damage from fire” - and each Raises you spend towards that will remove 1 damage from that. Or perhaps you’ll need to keep your clothes free of ash so you can sneak into the ballroom after like nothing happened. For Opportunities, it might be something like “grab the important-looking letter on the table before it burns” or “lead the poor henchman along enough that he switches sides.” So success or failure is never just binary - unless you roll really well, you’ll have to make some choices about what the effects of your actions on the story will be.

The two other kinds of rolls work in a very similar way. Action Sequences represent fights, chases, and the like, and Dramatic Sequences are extended challenges like sneaking into the castle or snooping around town to find information on the wicked viscount’s plans. You make your Approach, and then each character gets to spend Raises from their pool to take actions. As before, all you need is a single Raise to do something, but if a Hero and a Villain are trying to contest, whoever spends more Raises on it wins. During Action Sequences, you can spend Raises to do damage - yes, this means anything can be used as an attack skill if you’re creative enough (“I use Wits + Scholarship to whip up a gas grenade and throw it at her!”). Action Sequences can have Consequences and Opportunities just like a Risk can, including Brute Squads, which are the nameless flunkies your hero mows through without a second thought. A single point of damage takes out a single brute, but any brutes left alive get to deal damage at the end of the round. There might also be events that happen at certain points in the Action Sequence once everyone’s down to a certain number of Raises - the storm hits the ship at 4 Raises, and it hits the rocks and starts to sink at 1.

Dramatic Sequences are the same but paced over a more extended period of time, and are more about seeing how far you can get in your task before you run out of Raises. As before, each Raise you spend lets you change the scene in some way - climb over the castle wall, for instance. Next, you might have to spend a Raise to sneak past the guards, then to steal the jailer’s key. If you run out, though, you’ll be unable to change the scene any further - so after you’ve rescued your ally from jail and you hear someone’s footsteps approaching, if you don’t have another Raise left to hide you may just have to fight your way out.

Every character is pretty tough and can take a fair amount of damage before going down. For every 5th point of damage you take (or any time you get hit with a firearm, because those things are nasty), you take a Dramatic Wound. Your first Dramatic Wound actually helps you - just like the hero in an adventure story, you become driven to succeed and get a bonus on all your rolls. For your second Dramatic Wound, the tables start to turn and now all the Villains get a bonus on their roles. For the third, you get an even bigger bonus as your heroic determination kicks in - and then at the fourth, you become helpless. Not dead, just unconscious or incapacitated - it takes an explicit act from the GM to actually kill you.

Finally, there’s Hero Points. These work a bit like an expanded version of Inspiration from D&D 5E, and other similar mechanics. Basically, you can spend them for bonuses to your roll, a bonus to someone else’s roll, to fight on for a round after you’re incapacitated, and a few other things. You can also spend them to activate your Knacks, which are big character abilities with effects like “knock out an entire Brute Squad in one go” or Come Hither, which lets you lure a character into another room and return without them… no rolling required. Everyone gets one Hero Point to start, and you can earn more by acting in accordance with your character. You can also get one at any time by choosing to fail a roll - so if you think the odds are overwhelming, or you just want to see what happens if your character gets captured or can’t stop the villain’s plan from succeeding, you can just say “I fail” and bank up another Hero Point for the challenge ahead.

What’s my character like?

Your character is a Hero. They come from a particular Nation that gives them some bonuses, and they have two Backgrounds that tell you what their professions are/were and give them some bonus skills and Advantages, as well as determining what in-character actions give them Hero Points. They have a Virtue and a Hubris, each based off the Major Arcana of the tarot (or Sorte deck, in this world). The Virtue is a powerful special ability they can activate, and the Hubris is a character flaw that you can get a Hero Point for roleplaying. Beyond that, there are no classes per se - the character is yours to define as you see fit. Advantages are the main way of customizing your character and giving them special abilities.

You can choose to take Advantages join a Swordsman School or take Sorcery from your nation of origin. Swordsman Schools give you the option to do some fancy Maneuvers in combat, which let you hit for lots of damage, parry opponents’ attacks, etc, as well as a unique Maneuver for each school based on its preferred weapons and fighting style. The difference in combat effectiveness between a swordsman and a non-swordsman is huge, so if you’re planning on making a character that excels at combat, swordsman is definitely the way to go. You also get to be a part of the Swordsman’s Guild, who are legally allowed to challenge people to duels.

The Core Rules present character creation options only for the primary Théan nations - if you want to play a character from another culture, you’ll need the appropriate book. (See What books should I get?, below.)

Avalon, seat of the Triple Crown, is a green and enchanted land touched by the Sidhe - elves, faeries, goblins, and other creatures. The Sidhe are sometimes beautiful, sometimes hideous, always inhuman, and frequently downright nasty. Queen Elaine recently ascended to the throne after recovering the Graal, throwing off the yoke of Montaignois conquest and bringing the Sidhe back to our world - but now the Sidhe are starting to encroach on human lands. This is a land of faerie tales, and those don’t always end happily.

The other two nations in the Triple Crown are the Highland Marches, a craggy land of proud clans and chieftains, and Inismore, a land with a fondness for stories, whiskey, and a good bar fight. Neither of these two is necessarily happy about being part of the Triple Crown, and there’s a growing separatist movement looking to break the alliance, no matter how much gunpowder and blood it takes.

Avalon’s Sorcery takes the form of becoming one of the Knights of Ellilodd, each one the embodiment of an ancient knight of legend. In exchange for taking a vow to the Graal to be a righteous protector of justice, you can tap into that knight’s legendary powers. Should you break your vow, you’ll need to atone before you can regain your powers, however.

Castille is a sun-dappled nation with a deeply passionate people. They recently held off a Montaignois invasion at dear cost, only to fall under the yoke of the Inquisition. Cardinal Verdugo controls their young king like a puppet while he conducts a reign of terror across Théah aimed at rooting out anything he deems heresy. Castille is the seat of the Vaticine Church, and its people are often devoutly religious and very highly educated thanks to the nation’s excellent universities.

While Castille has no Sorcery in the Core Rules, Nations of Théah, Volume 1 introduces Alquimia as an option, letting you invent various alchemical and technological marvels and advancing along a path of self-improvement towards a grand goal.

Eisen was the center of the fighting between Vaticine and Objectionist, and it left the land a blood-soaked mudhole full of traumatized survivors, divided between small princedoms, some of which seek to unite the nation under their banner. Worse, something about the concentrated misery has spawned literal Horrors, monsters of all shapes and sizes that roam the land and prey on innocent victims. But the people of Eisen are a grim, determined lot, and the nation’s not ready to give up without a fight.

Eisen’s Sorcery, Hexenwerk, is a particularly gruesome art dedicated to refining potions and unguents from dead bodies - and then consuming them to gain powers to fight undead horrors and other foes. Hexen are often hunted down as grave-robbers, but they do what they have to do to survive and stop the Horrors.

Montaigne is often considered the center of Théan culture, or at least the Montaignoise themselves certainly think so. Their courts set the standard for fashion across the continent, and their nobles throw the most lavish parties. Unfortunately, all of this has been built on the backs of the peasantry, who have been pushed to their limit by harsh taxes and conscription to serve in L’Empereur’s frivolous wars. L’Empereur sits on his grand throne, surrounded by an endless party of gilded nobility, oblivious to the whispers of revolution coming from below.

Montaignois Sorcery is passed down through noble bloodlines, but it’s quite ungenteel. The art of Porté lets you rip bleeding holes in reality and slip through the space between to walk to other places, or to pull objects out of thin air. Just never open your eyes while you’re in-between.

The Sarmatian Commonwealth is actually two lands under a single crown - the cosmopolitan Reczezpospolitans, and the more traditional Curonians, who still venerate the old spirits. Recently, the king, disgusted with gridlock in the houses of parliament, made a proclamation of Golden Liberty. This made everyone in Sarmatia was now a noble with voting power, marking the beginning of a chaotic experiment in democracy. Some Sarmatians seek to lead their country into a populist new era, some try to take advantage of the chaos to seize power, and others, resentful of the new order, plot to depose the aging king.

Sanderis, the Sarmatian Sorcery, is about making deals with devils. Dievai, to be more precise. They’ll do anything you wish, from snuffing a candle up to unleashing a firestorm that destroys an entire city - provided that you are willing to pay their price.

Ussura is a massive, wild country with long winters and sparse civilization. The Ussurans are pragmatic and hardy folk, and highly superstitious with good reason - spirits both good and evil thrive in these lands. The greatest among them, Matushka, watches over the Ussuran people like an overprotective mother, rewarding the just and punishing the wicked. The Czar recently died under suspicious circumstances, leaving the nation divided by two potential successors -  one dedicated to modernization, the other seeking to preserve the old ways.

Ussura’s form of Sorcery, Dar Matushki, are the gifts of Matushka herself - often given as the reward for overcoming painful lessons. Those who fall out of favor with her will earn her wrath, however.

Vestenmannavenjar, another cold northern country, is a land of fierce raiders and warriors who have completely reinvented themselves as a modern nation. In recent years they presented the world with a standard, unified currency - the Guilder - that has come to dominate world trade and finance, all to the benefit of the Vesten, of course. Rather than the High King of olden times, they are ruled by the Vendel League, made up of the heads of all the various trade guilds. Now, rather than conquest and pillage, they extract their plunder from fees and interest. Some Vesten mourn for what used to be, a nation of honor and blood replaced by silver and greed.

Vesten has no Sorcery in the core book, but Nations of Théah, Volume 1 introduces Galdr, a magic derived from runic words of power. Each rune grants strengths tempered with weaknesses, to maintain the balance.

Vodacce is a nation of intrigue, divided up between seven Merchant Princes who constantly scheme against each other. Like Castille, they are devoutly Vaticine, but they have a very unorthodox interpretation of sin, believing that it is better to indulge yourself than let desire fester in your heart.

Vodacce’s magic, Sorte, is the exclusive province of women. The Sorte Strega can manipulate the strands of Fate itself, and can be distinguished by their long black veils, to hide the glazed look they get when manipulating destiny. Too much tugging on the strands risks them lashing back out at you, however, giving you bad luck at the worst times. The men of Vodacce all fear the power of Sorte, and keep the women of Vodacce oppressed and illiterate.

In addition to being from a particular nation, your Hero can also join a secret society. In 1st edition, all of these societies had hidden secrets to them that were presented in their own books. Given that some of the 2nd edition versions differ radically from their older incarnations and the book devoted to secret societies hasn’t come out yet, it’s unknown if those secrets still hold true, or if they hold the keys to different world-shattering truths.

Die Kreuzritter are a former order of crusader knights, since gone underground. They hunt monsters and defend the innocent, using the legendary metal called Dracheneisen, which has great powers against monsters and the supernatural.

The Knights of the Rose and Cross, one of the few secret societies with a significant public face, publicly fight injustice and protect the society’s Patrons. There are rumors of hidden occult secrets only revealed to the initiated.

The Invisible College are a loosely-affiliated band of scholars, artists, scientists, and philosophers who seek to preserve knowledge from those who would destroy it - especially the forces of the Inquisition. They have access to devices on the cutting edge of Théan science.

The Brotherhood of the Coast are pirates who have banded together under a shared code of honor, providing protection to ships that pay them and plundering those that don’t.

Močiutės Skara, “Grandmother’s Shawl,” is in its public face an order of nice old ladies who tend to the victims of disasters and wars, and are welcomed across Théah. In private, however, they seek to prevent wars and achieve peace through any means necessary.

Los Vagobundos are dedicated to upholding the reigns of good monarchs and overthrowing unjust ones. Their leader, the masked man called “El Vagobundo,” can appear many places at once - but unbeknownst to outsiders, it’s always a different member under the mask, channeling the power of the legend.

The Rilasciare are anarchist free thinkers who oppose oppression and tyranny in all its forms, but especially seek to do away with the very concept of monarchy. Some accomplish their goals through pranks and subterfuge, others through bombs and daggers.

Sophia’s Daughters, a small branch of the Rilasciare, are more specifically dedicated to aiding the Fate Witches of Vodacce, spiriting them to safety in other nations, educating them in secret, and making strides towards liberation whenever possible.

What’s the campaign like?

In a game where the characters all play Heroes, there’s a strong focus on defeating Villains. Before you fight them directly, you have to defeat their Schemes, upon which they stake some of their influence. Stop the Scheme, and they lose what they wagered, otherwise, they gain back double their investment. Foil enough Schemes, and they’ll be dramatically weakened for the final confrontation. Thus, most campaigns are focused around a central Villain and their underlings that the Heroes can work their way through.

Each of your characters also has their own separate Stories to pursue, which is how the experience system works. You pick what story your Hero will follow, such as “avenge my father’s death,” figure out what benefit they get at the end of the Story, like “Weaponry 5,” and then figure out how many steps the story will have in the story based on what you want. Although you probably know the beginning step of the story (“find the name of the woman who killed my father”) and what the end will be (“I challenge her to a duel”), you and the GM can work together to figure out the most interesting twists along the way (“Step 3: I discover she was secretly my half-sister”). If you want, there’s nothing stopping you from making the ending a tragic one at the last minute, or even deciding that your Hero should fail so that they can be led into a future Story (“She defeated me into the duel and threw me into the sea - but not before she told me the real reason she killed my father!”) In between these main story points, the GM will also weave in their own side stories and recurring stories, which grant rewards in the same way as you complete them.

Odds are also good your party will get access to a ship at some point, this being a setting with an emphasis on seafaring. Ships have their own abilities based on where they were built and their history, and can gain new abilities as the party completes various types of adventures, like unlockable achievements. Players are encouraged to work with the GM and flesh out the ship’s NPC crew. Of course, the crew will also need to be paid regularly lest they turn mutinous.

What books should I get?

It should be noted that 1st edition and 2nd edition are radically different, both in rules and setting. While the 1st edition books are still useful as inspiration, most of the material in them isn’t canonical any more, and a good chunk of the setting is completely new to 2nd edition anyway. Frustratingly, there’s some characters in both editions that didn’t get described in the 2nd edition books on the grounds that they were already described in 1st edition. If you prefer rules that work like a more traditional RPG, 1st edition is probably more for you (and it also has cross-compatibility with the d20 system in its later supplements). Otherwise, stick to the 2nd edition books. You’ll need a copy of the Core Rulebook, and then the other books describe and provide character creation rules for the other nations and continents not described there.

Nations of Théah, Volumes 1 and 2 flesh out the western and eastern nations respectively, adding some more geographical and historical material as well as some new character rules suited for those nations.

Pirate Nations is very useful for a seafaring campaign, covering the various groups in the Atabean Sea, from pirate republics to native sea-monster hunting Rahuri, a slave colony that cast off its chains, and the villainous Atabean Trading Company. It also includes the Théan nation of Numa, once the cradle of Théan civilization.

The Crescent Empire introduces the Middle Eastern-inspired nations, flourishing under a new Caliph who banished her wicked brother from the throne. These five nations are united as one despite their differences, but loyalists to the old Caliph still plant seeds of dissent for his return.

The New World has the Central/South American continent of Aztlan, once ruled by Old Gods that caused a great cataclysm when they were overthrown that made the land itself shift and change. The Aztlani now venture into this uncharted territory to reclaim what they once had, balancing cultural independence against unifying the continent under one flag, whether by alliance or conquest, while wondering how long they can hold back the greedy Théans eyeing the continent’s treasures.

Lands of Gold and Fire presents the African continent, Ifri, home to several wealthy and highly advanced civilizations. They are under threat both from expansionist Théan powers and the Atabean Trading Company, whose campaign of slavery has empowered an ancient evil in the land.

Several other books are forthcoming for 2nd edition, including one with more information on the secret societies, and The Colonies, which will detail the North American continent. Khitai, the Asian continent, will have its own separate game system (called, appropriately, Khitai), with similar but slightly different rules.

What equipment do I need?

7th Sea uses d10s only, and you’ll want about 6-8 on hand per player, plus a decent stockpile for the GM. Sharing dice isn’t recommended here because it’s easier to keep the dice you rolled in front of you to count Raises during Action Sequences. You’ll also need some method of keeping track of Hero Points - poker chips work well, but you can get creative. Official 7th Sea versions of both are available.

There’s also the Sorte Deck, which makes a great in-universe prop (especially for Fate Witches), although you should note that it differs slightly from real-world tarot decks and has a few arcana cards that aren’t detailed even in the Core Rules. You could use it to guide your characters’ fates, or suggest the next step in their Stories.

Notecards are also helpful for tracking ongoing Stories.

[blastron01]

Ascendance of a Bookworm – 081

Blue Robes and Differences in Common Knowledge

"Lu~utz!"

The instant I see Lutz's face, the sheer sense of relief over having returned to a world where my own common sense prevails makes me feel like all the strength is leaving my body. I race down the stairs towards him, grab his arm tightly, and burrow my head into him.

"I'm so exhausted, Lutz!" "Yeah, you look kinda pale. Rough day, huh?"

He gives me a sympathetic look as he pats me on the head. What I did today was basically just read a book, but it seems like being with me is my attendants' entire job, so the basically the entire time someone was standing near me, constantly watching me.

Of course, when I'm absorbed in a book, it's typical for me to be completely and utterly unconcerned by my surroundings, but every time I came to my senses I could feel someone's gaze fixed on me, which made me really uncomfortable. You could call those stares painful, or heavy, but either way being constantly watched is a huge burden. It's left me exhausted.

Man, nobles are amazing. How long does it even take to get used to that?

I'm just happy because I get to go home in order to sleep. If I had to deal with all that from "good morning" to "good night", I would go insane.

"Hey, Lutz. I want to meet with Mister Benno today, is he at the shop?" "He actually just got back right when I was leaving, so he should probably be in right now, I think? Why, did something happen?"

He looks worried, so I shake my head.

"No, I just need to go to the merchant's guild to withdraw money for my donation and bring it to the head priest. I figured I should tell him about it in advance..." "Hmm! Alright, let's go."

When he says that, for some reason, the trio of attendants behind me starts heading with us at well. I don't even want them following me around in the temple, so I really don't want them following me around outside, too! I really don't want to be stared at.

"...You don't need to come with me, you know?" "I'm afraid I cannot leave you," replies Fran. "I am your attendant, after all." "That's right!" adds Delia. "It's impossible for you to meet with anyone without your attendants around."

Since it's not just Fran telling me it's impossible, but even Delia too, I guess it must be common knowledge that a blue-robed priest never meets with anyone without their attendants. I'll have to add this to the list I'm keeping in my head.

"Hmm?" says Gil. "Well, if I don't have to go, then yeah, I'm out of here. I'm starving."

As I thought, Gil, who's disinterested in even an attendant's common sense, shoots me a resentful glare as he turns his back on us and starts heading back inside. The other two, however, aren't following suit. If I had to compromise and bring someone along, Fran's the only one I'd be able to have follow me around. Even still, I'd be able to relax a lot more if I didn't have any of my attendants following me around. Plus, I'm just going to the Gilberta Company, where I go all the time, and since I have Lutz with me I don't have any particular use for an attendant.

...Can I just drive them off?

"Oh, Delia," I say. "Could you go tell Father Ferdinand that I'm going to come back with my donation once I'm done talking with Mister Benno? I really need him to know about this. I'm relying on you!" "Hmm? You really need it? Alright then. I'll make absolutely sure to go tell him right away."

The wide smile she gives me is unbelievably easy to read. I wonder, is she just going to do literally nothing, or is she just going to go straight to the temple master instead? She turns around, looking the happiest I've seen her all day, and goes back into the temple.

I breathe a sigh of relief over having managed to drive her off. Fran, however, grimaces in displeasure, looking back and forth between me and the departing Delia.

"Miss Maïne, if you would like a message delivered to Father Ferdinand, I would be happy to do so. Please allow me to accompany Delia." "Fran, I've already sent Delia. If you're telling me that I have to have an attendant with me, then would it really be okay for you to go with her?"

Fran shakes his head, his displeasure still clear on his face.

"But, I can't say if she'll even go see Father Ferdinand..." "...I have Lutz here with me, so I'll be fine if you go tell Father Ferdinand, you know? I really do need someone to go tell him about this."

As I say this, I grab Lutz's hand and start walking. Fran stands in the temple's entranceway for a while, turning indecisively back and forth, but he ultimately seems to decide that he'd prefer to report to the head priest, and heads back into the temple.

"Maïne, are you sure that's alright? Isn't he supposed to be learning how to keep an eye on your condition?"

Lutz looks over his shoulder, tilting his head as he looks back at the empty temple entrance. Come to think of it, I was told to let my attendants monitor my health, wasn't I? As I think that, I let out an enormous sigh.

"...Hmmm. He is one of the attendants picked for me by the temple, but I still think it'll be difficult. First off, he really doesn't have any enthusiasm for it." "Huh?" he replies, disbelievingly. "I think that, probably, he really wanted to serve the head priest, but he got told that he was being assigned to me instead. He always looked like he was doing things kind of begrudgingly, no matter what we were doing. If I could maybe make him consider me his master more than the head priest, that might change, but I'm pretty sure that's hopeless, right?" "You, a master... don't you need, like, dignity and presence for that?"

He laughs teasingly at me, and I can't help but start laughing too. I feel so much better now that I'm back in such a comfortable environment.

"Good afternoon, Mister Mark," I say. "Is Mister Benno in?"

As Lutz opens the door to the shop, I see Mark inside and, as I always do, wave as I call out to him. The instant he sees me, though, his face turns pale.

"...Maïne, quickly, please come in." "Huh?"

Mark, in an atypical hurry, rushes to show the two of us inside. Under ordinary circumstances, when we drop by without having made arrangements beforehand we're usually asked to wait inside the store for a while, then are brought into the back room when Benno is able to see us. Today, however, Mark immediately opens the door to the back room and pushes us through, his face still drained of blood as he calls out to Benno.

"Master Benno, Maïne has come to see you. I'm showing her in." "What's this now, Mark?" replies Benno. "Why're you being so hasty when it's just Maïne... dropping..."

Mark shuts the door behind us as Benno looks up from his desk. When he sees me, he just stares at me for a moment, then immediately flies into a rage, his eyes wide.

"Maïne! You! Idiot!"

I squeak in fright, covering my ears as I recoil. Lutz flinches too, his breath audibly hitching as he steps back.

"Uh? Huh? You too? What now?!" "You thoughtless little kid! You came here looking like that?! Don't tell me you walked here all the way from the temple wearing that?!" I look down at myself, then tilt my head curiously. "...Yes, I did, is there a problem with that?"

Lutz tilts his head too. Benno looks at the two of us, sees that we aren't able to understand why there could be a problem here at all, and scratches his head vigorously in frustration. Mark closes his eyes, rubbing at his temples.

"Maïne," says Benno. "You're wearing the clothing that a blue-robed priestess wears, aren't you?" "Yes," I reply. "Ordinarily, blue-robed priestesses are nobility." "That's right," I reply. "When the nobility have to travel, they ride in carriages. They're not able to just wander around the city on foot. Can you tell me why that is?"

I tilt my head further as I consider his question. I think back to the few times I've ridden in a carriage. It shook a lot as it was moving and felt pretty terrible to ride. However, riding in one is something that us commoners never really get to do often. All we can do is stare yearningly as they ride past. So, it's a great way to instantly show off how high your status is.

Back in my Urano days, I had a car, of course, to use for transportation, but I didn't use it all the time. It made sense for when I went shopping and knew that I was going to be buying more than I could carry, or when I was going on long trips. I also drove when the weather was bad enough to make walking difficult.

"Ummm... because walking is too hard and not ostentatious enough?" "Wrong! If they're staggering around on the streets, then they will be abducted and held for ransom! So if you don't want to be abducted, then don't wear that robe outside of the temple!" "Y-y-y-yes s-sir!!"

I immediately start taking off my robe on the spot. Since I already have my apprentice wear on underneath, it's as simple as undoing the sash and pulling the robe over my head.

I've always been the child of poor people. I hadn't even considered the idea that anyone would want to kidnap me and hold me ransom.

I see now. I've been thinking of this blue robe like it was just another kind of uniform, but to other people I'm basically wearing a sign that with "HELLO, I AM NOBILITY, I HAVE MONEY" written on it in big, bold letters.

After I finish neatly folding my robe, Benno sighs exhaustedly, looking down at the bundle of cloth in my arms with a complicated expresion.

"Well then... why are you here, Maïne? Surely you didn't show up here just to try to scare us to death, right?" "Right. I have a favor to ask. Would you mind accompanying me to the merchant's guild, and then after that to the temple?" "What for?" he asks, his head tilted in incomprehension. "I'd like for your help in withdrawing five small gold coins for my donation and bringing it to the temple. I've already asked the head priest, and he said it was okay." "Why me?" "All of my large transactions so far have been done through my guild card, but the head priest doesn't have one of those. I'm kind of scared of walking around with that much money on me. When I told that to the head priest, he told me to have my attendants take care of it, which actually surprised me a little." Benno frowns, his eyebrows knitting together. "What's surprising about that? That's an attendant's job, isn't it?" "...I genuinely, completely, thoroughly distrust my attendants. The thought of trusting them with a large amount of money is utterly terrifying."

Benno pauses for a moment, eyes wide, then blinks a few times.

"So, the girl who never thinks anything through, who constantly just shrugs her way through problems, who is so resistant to learning from her mistakes that she still goes to the guild master's house after being so massively deceived, has finally found someone she distrusts? Please, tell me, just who are these individuals?"

I'm still going to the guild master's house because it's beneficial for me, though. I get to trade recipes for sugar, and even though the guild master had deceived me about the magical tools there's no question that he saved my life. Of course, I don't have enough trust in them to let them carry my money for me, but if I'm dealing with them as partners in a mutual transaction, then I'll shrug my way through that particular problem.

There's no way that I could ever trust someone who flat-out say so my face that they're going to intentionally cause trouble for me.

"Out of the three attendants I was assigned, one of them is a spy for the temple master, one is a spy for the head priest, and one of them is a problem child who seems like he was assigned to me purely as harassment. I don't even want them loitering around near me at the temple, much less carrying any amount of money for me." "That's... I'd thought this might happen, but you really made some enemies over there, didn't you."

I groan a little at how accurately he hit the nail on the head.

"Back when I thought that I only had half a year left to live, I was thinking that it didn't matter how well-liked I was as long as I got to read books, but if this is going to go on for a while then this is really going to be a problem." "Circumstances really are different now. So, for the spies, all you can do right now is try to improve your surface-level relationships with them. You don't need to trust them, but figure out what exactly you can trust them with. ...And for that problem child, you're basically going to treat him like you'd treat a wild animal.

The image of Gil as a wild baby monkey atop a tree, clapping his hands and shrieking down at me, floats through my mind.

"People aren't animals, though?" "They're basically the same thing. If they don't do what you say, give them a lashing. If they do, give them a treat. If you want him to know who his master is, you'll need to beat it into him."

That sounds less like building a healthy relationship of mutual trust and more like just forcing him into subservience.

"...That sounds like it would take a lot of time that I would rather spend reading, though." "Don't be lazy! Being in noble society and not knowing how to use your attendants is a serious issue!" "Ngh... Okay, I'll think about the future."

Benno lets out a long sigh, then lightly shakes his head as if to reset his thoughts.

"We've gotten off topic. So, when are you going to be delivering this donation?" "That's what I'm here to discuss with you, though? I told my attendants that we'd be back with the money as soon as it was convenient for you—"

The color instantly leaves Benno's face.

"—Which means you basically said 'immediately'! Mark, get things ready! We're going to the temple!" "At once, sir!"

Mark leaps out of the room, ghastly pale.

"Uh, um, so, then we're going to the merchant's guild?" "No time to waste on that. We don't actually need to go. Card?"

After we tap our cards together, Benno tells me to put my robes back on since we're going to the temple, then disappears through the inner door, bounding up the stairs.

I unfold the robes that I had taken off just moments ago, then slip them back over my head. I tie the sash around my waist, then let my head hang dejectedly. I didn't think it would turn out like this. I just told my attendants that to get them to leave me alone, and it looks like that's just made a whole lot of trouble for everyone.

"...What did I do now, Lutz?"

The subtle implications of phrases and the way that promises are made can change depending on what organization you're part of. It's such a simple, obvious thing. I knew it, but I didn't understand it.

Lutz pats me comfortingly on the head. "We don't know anything about how the nobility work, do we?" "...Yeah." "Sure, you messed things up this time, but use this opportunity to fix your weak points." I tilt my head. "My weak points?"

Lutz nods emphatically, looking at me with a little bit of strictness in his eyes.

"Look, I know you love books more than anything else, and I know you've been wanting to read them for so, so long, but, before you can do that, you need to learn the way of life over there, which means you need to be asking everyone around you even the tiniest little questions you have." "Their way of life?" "...Like, right now, there's so much stuff I don't know about the world of merchants. It's all sorts of stuff that everyone around me thinks is obvious, but I've never heard of it before. So, I've been asking about everything I don't understand, no matter how small it is. When I do that, then it doesn't matter if it's just the other apprentices or even Mister Mark, they'll all teach me what I need to know. If you don't put in the effort to ask, then you'll never learn anything."

His words strike home. He's a son of craftsmen, throwing himself into the world of merchants. I know full well just how hard he's been having to work to get familiar with how things work in a shop. Despite knowing that, even after finding myself in basically the exact same situation of having thrown myself into the unknown world of the temple, I've been putting no effort into learning anything about the common knowledge of the temple, even beyond just wanting to spend my time reading books instead.

"I'm planning on working as hard as I possibly can so that I can live as a merchant. If you want to go to temple and read books, then first off, you need to learn how they do things at the temple. It's gonna be okay, though. I know you can do it. You're really smart!" "I'm not, though! I'm always so thoughtless. You're way smarter than I am."

There's no way that I'm actually smart. Just like Benno always says: I'm thoughtless. I've got a bunch of prior knowledge, sure, but I wouldn't say any of that makes me smart.

"Yeah, sure, but even if you're thoughtless, you're still the kind of person who can always blast your way forward towards your goal, right? So, if your goal is to be able to read books without anything bothering you, then you'll be able to do whatever you need to make that happen, right? You just need to work hard to make sure you can read your books in peace." "Ngh... you know me too well."

As soon as I start thinking a little more about the future, I hear the clatter of footsteps coming down the stairway. The door creaks open and Mark steps through. He's wearing a long-sleeved garment that seems like it's been made from a material light enough to still keep him cool.

"I am sorry to keep you waiting," he says.

Unlike his usual work clothes, the sleeves on his white coat are long and fluttering, with enough extra cloth hanging from them that it almost reminds me of a long-sleeved kimono1. The hems of the coat are embroidered, primarily with blue thread, and hang low, reaching down to his knees. Beneath that, he wears a comparatively crisp set of slender trousers. The overall outfit gives me the impression of a much more extravagant version of the nice clothes kids wear to their baptismal ceremonies. The quality of the material is much nicer too, so it's clear to me that this is clothing worn when dealing with the nobility.

"Thanks for waiting," says Benno, coming down the stairs shortly afterward.

The sleeves on Benno's large, white coat are even longer than Mark's, and the hem of his coat falls all the way down at his ankles. The quality of the embroidery on his coat is leagues above that of Mark's. On top of his coat, he wears a thin cloak, clasped shut at his shoulder by a golden brooch, set with a blue gemstone. In his hand, he carries something that looks like a flower. He's also put some sort of pomade in his usually quirky, milk tea-colored hair, fixing it in place. He looks like an entirely different person.

The sudden reminder that interacting with the nobility requires so much attention to be paid to even such things as clothing causes my throat to run dry. I'm gripped by the terrifying realization that I have just blundered my way into a world I know nothing about. I shouldn't have said anything to drag anyone else into this mess with me.

"I'm really sorry, Mister Benno," I say, as I rush over to him. "I didn't know that I'd get you caught up in all this..." "Don't worry about it," he says, grinning his usual fearless grin. He holds up the flower ornament. "This is a new model," he says, then sticks it in my hair next to my usual chopstick.

"My motto is that you find your best opportunities in your biggest predicaments. If we can safely deliver your donation while comporting ourselves as we should around the nobility, then that's an opportunity for us to demonstrate just how quick and thorough the Gilberta Company's services are. Let's go."

Benno's confidence is no lie. I have no idea what sort of chain of command there is in the store, but in the time Benno and Mark were out getting changed, the employees assembled a small wooden jewelry box with my donation inside, a roll of cloth, a small jar, and three cloth-wrapped packages. Then, when we go outside, there is already a horse-drawn carriage waiting for us, big enough to fit four adults, with sharply dressed coachmen waiting for us to embark.

When did this happen?!

As I stare, dumbfounded, Benno lifts me up, much more courteously than usual, and helps me into the carriage. As I look around the obviously expensive carriage, my stress level only starts to rise. When I worriedly look up at Benno, though, he flicks me in the forehead.

"Right now, you're a noble. I know what I'm doing, so I'll make it all work out, but what I need you to do, no matter what happens, is to not get flustered. Just smile. Be dignified. And never hang your head. Can you do that?" "...I will do that," I respond.

Through the window in the carriage, I see Lutz yelling something to me. I can't hear it, but his lips are easy to read. "You can do it," he says. I nod back, as exaggeratedly as I can so that he can see.

Mark climbs on board and shuts the door behind him then, after a moment, the carriage starts slowly moving forward. The clattering of the wheels matches the unsteady rhythm of my heart as we head off towards my first encounter with noble society.

Translator's notes for this chapter:

1. The coat more specifically reminds her of furisode, a style of kimono with long, voluminous sleeves.

prev • next

[rebelminxy]

EVERGARDEN (INTRO)

Summary: It’s the year 2340 and the world has advanced so much in the technological area. Sam and Dean Winchester are the owners of a robotic repair shop when suddenly a flash of white bursts before their eyes. When they come to, they find themselves in another world, a world that only exists in an AR named EVERGARDEN. They are saved by a young player named NoVa, who lets them know that this augmented world isn’t the simple game, it’s life or death. The trio, together with a few other friends they make along the way, work together with the battalion called Knights of Hadron to find a way to reach the World Tree and destroy the main control server to end this horrible nightmare.

A/N: After I watched SAO, and with how technology is progressing these days, I began to imagine a world where Augmented Reality was an everyday part of life. So, I decided to put myself on writing this fic out. Mind you, some of the RPG styles and “rules” I grabbed from different fantasy games, so if you are into games like Skyrim and WoW you may spot some similarities. Thanks to @riversong-sam for the aesthetic above and to the awesome @bees0are0awesome for beta-ing this series :)

SERIES MASTERLIST

MASTERLIST

 June 4th, 2340

“Dean! Watch out, it's about to do its ultimate attack!”

              Dean turned to the giant creature in front of the group. He gripped his sword tightly and nodded towards Garth, letting him know he was ready. Both he and Garth ran towards the monster and screamed as they ran their swords through, activating their master ability. Sam and Kevin stayed behind, healing both warriors as they slashed and stabbed the creature, lowering its three health bars. Once the final bar was hitting yellow, Dean and Garth moved back.

“Alright, Charlie! Your turn!”

              Charlie came from behind Sam and ran towards the creature, rapier in hand. Using her speed and master ability, Charlie was able to give the final blow, lowering its health from yellow to red until the bar was empty. Charlie ran back towards the group as they watched the creature yell out before shattering into a million pieces. The five screamed as they saw the words in the sky letting them know they finally completed the level monster. They happily received their prize and waited for the arena to clear out, letting them see the park they were playing at as people walked by in the background.

“Sweet! Thanks for helping me get this weapon win,” Charlie exclaimed as she examined the rapier she received. “Hope you guys got your gold as well and will be sending you each my divided-up gold once I finish upgrading this beauty.”

“No problem, no rush.” Dean laughed as he watched her admire the new weapon. “Speaking of rushing, Sam we need to head back to the garage. The parts have probably arrived, and Mr. Singer is coming in later for that upgrade on his legs.’

“Sure, catch you guys tomorrow at the big event, downtown right?”

              Charlie, Kevin, and Garth nodded in agreement and the five went their separate ways, excited from the fight they just won.

=======

The year is 2340 and the world has advanced so much, technology wise. The United States finally switched to nuclear energy in the year 2032, causing a big jump in technological advances. Self-driving electric cars became the norm, mass production of robots to help humanity with everyday life, even robotic body modifications are a huge change in human life. Those that couldn’t walk now have legs, those without arms finally have them, those that couldn’t see finally can with their robotic eyes. Even those that have no special needs have sought body modifications to become stronger; to advance in jobs; to become more than human.

Because of these advances, many other countries that were still catching up became enraged with America’s powerful growth. Russia and China eventually declared war with America in the year 2326, angered that the country wouldn’t share its technological advances with them. It was a bloody war with many lives lost. But in the end, America prevailed and took control of the two giant nations. Everyone else began to fall in line, bowing down to the powerful nation, hoping to never cause another war like the Nuclear War.

America began to then expand their power through the obedient nations, sharing what they wanted, but also keeping a tight control over their progress towards a grand technological era. It was then that America decided they needed to find a way to keep a leash on everyone in the world.

When scientists found a way to insert a chip into human beings, a worldwide change took place. Everyone received an implant, which eliminated the need for cell phones and other handheld devices. Now, if you want to make a call or search for something online, it’s all at your fingertips, literally. The chip is implanted along the spinal cord on the neck, connecting itself to the brain. A thin sheet of fiber cords implanted under the skin on the non-dominant hand is connected to the chip, allowing access to a virtual keyboard. All that is needed is a slide of the finger and the person has access to everything they could imagine. Phone calls can be made privately with blue tooth headphones, pictures and videos taken with the camera that comes along with the many other apps, just slide it up and snap away.

But with these chips, comes at a very high price. This means that the American government can watch a person’s every move; listen to every phone call. And not just within the home nation, but worldwide. With none the wiser, all of humanity has become happy with the way things are.

And with said advances, came the video games. Computer and VR games are now of the past. Now, augmented reality, or AR for short, is all the rage. One of the most popular games of the year is one called EVERGARDEN. It is a fantasy-based game, an augmented reality massive multiplayer online role-playing game, or ARMMORPG. The game became so popular, that now entire sections of the city are dedicated to EVERGARDEN events, where players of all ages are welcome. It is a world within a world, where reality mixes with fantasy.

Humanity is at its prime.

===============

              Sam walked into the back of the shop, pulling out the newly received parts needed to fix Mr. Singer’s leg. He walked back towards the front with parts in hand and gave them over to his older brother. Dean quietly worked on the mechanical leg on his table, his total focus on his work as Sam went over to the old man in the waiting room.

“Is there anything you would like to drink, Mr. Singer?” he asked politely.

“Nah, son, just can’t wait to get my leg back in working order. Been a bother taking off work for this but can’t complain since you boys are helping me with the discount.”

“It’s alright Mr. Singer. You were great friends with our parents and have been there to help us when we needed it. The least we can do is help you with your leg.”

              Sam smiled at the old man and went back to sit beside Dean, watching his brother work his magic.

              Sam and Dean Winchester owned the robotic repair shop they worked in, having taken over from their dad after he died. The brothers grew up working on robotic parts and modifications, Dean having his own with one eye. He lost his right eye in the Nuclear War a few years back, thankfully the government providing him with the best tech for his replaced eye. Dean modified it himself to help him better with his work, never needing a magnifying glass to see the much smaller parts. Before Sam came to work in the shop, he was going to school to become a specialized technician, wanting to help develop new things for humanity to thrive. But once Dean came back and their parents gone from this world, Sam gave up his studies to run the shop alongside his big brother. Together they made the shop grow, gaining more regular clients. With Sam’s specialized technician background and both their core abilities with repairs and builds, the brothers made a name for themselves as the best repair shop in town.

“So, are we really going to tomorrow’s event? You hate having to deal with the big crowds.” Asked Sam softly.

“I might hate it but its going to be a big payout and you know we need the gold to get better gear.” Dean replied, not looking up from his work.

“Think she will be there?”

              Dean froze and looked up at his brother, knowing who he was talking about. In the last two main events in the downtown area, there was a group of elite players who took the wins. But one female player stood out to both brothers. She was the fastest player they had seen and with her bow in hand, she made perfect shots. Being an AR game, players only saw what the other player wore in the game, and this girl always wore a red hooded cape, hiding her face. After the first time she and the elite group came to the event, everyone was whispering about how it was rare to see her, The Red Death.

Not only was she one of the top five players, she was number two, her brother taking the top spot. Her nickname came from players that PVP-ed with her--or player vs. player. The last thing a player would see in a fight with her would be the red cape she wore, before her final hit. Just something about her made the brothers curious. Sam was the first one to admit taking an interest in her, hoping that maybe she could give them some pointers for their little guild of five. But she would arrive right before the arena would show and leave the moment the winnings were dispersed.

“Hey, if the elite group will be there, so will she.”

“I just…it would be awesome to get some pointers from an actual top player. I know you only play EVERGARDEN just for the rest of us, but it would be so cool.”

“Hey, I have fun with you guys.” Dean responded as he turned back to his work.

“The first time I asked you to join us, you asked why I, a 28-year-old, was wanting to play a kids game.”

“Look, I get why Charlie and Kevin are into it. She is a total geek and Kevin recently graduated high school. Garth I still somewhat question…”

              Sam groaned as Dean began to laugh.

“Look, love playing the game with you guys and turned out cooler than I thought. Got to meet cute chicks too. I mean who would have thought some of these female players were hot.”

“Dean, c’mon.” Sam groaned, rolling his eyes.

“Well, let’s hope she isn’t all cocky and stuck up like the rest of that group. Swear, top players, think they are the best.”

              Sam rolled his eyes again as he left his brother’s side to check on Mr. Singer.

======

June 5th, 2340

              Sam and Dean made their way towards the closed off area in downtown, Charlie, Kevin, and Garth not far behind. Tonight was going to be the biggest event of the season in EVERGARDEN. It was announced online that the creator of the game had big plans for tonight, a new monster and update on the battle schemas. That each player would receive a specialized weapon of their choice before the event to then use from then on. And this event wasn’t just in this city. There would be arenas in different parts of the nation, making this the very first nationwide arena event. There wasn’t much information on what the new monster would be and what specialized weapons would be given, only the date, areas and time of the event.

              Sam turned around to usher the other three to hurry it up as they got closer. Luckily the event in their city was at an actual arena so no streets would be closed off during the whole thing. Everyone that was heading to the arena was hyped and excited. Once they got inside, the group headed towards the front of the crowd, Sam looking around to see if he could see any sign of who the Red Death could be.

              Once the clock struck 4pm, everyone activated their AR functions, their chips all glowing like normal. Everyone took on their character’s outfits and stood ready for the fight. Sam looked around again and finally spotted the Red Death. She stood at the front lines with her brother beside her, her hood covering her face. Once everyone was ready, a big screen popped above the crowd. On the screen was a cloaked figure, his face not revealed.

“To all players, welcome to the Event of EVERGARDEN!”

              The crowd went wild with screams and hoopla’s before the figure continued.

“Tonight’s event has been promised to be the best. We do hope you are all ready. All around the nation, many players stand ready for the fight of a lifetime. Because the last player to defeat the new monster will be named Ruler of EVERGARDEN.”

              Sam and Dean looked at each other, wide smiles on their face.

“Now, before you a small window will pop up, giving any array of powerful weapons. Depending on your status character wise, you can pick anything in the list and it shall be yours. Now there is only one of each so choose wisely.”

              Dean looked down at the small screen that popped up in front of him and he began scanning the list. He eventually reached the bottom and saw this one sword called the Black Knight, which had high stats and seemed perfect for his stat compatibility. He immediately picked it, not wanting to miss out on such a sword. Once he pressed “ok” on the screen, it disappeared and suddenly the black sword appeared before him. He grabbed the hilt and held it in his hand.

“Heavy sucker, but its perfect,” he whispered to himself.

              Dean looked over at his brother who held a double-edged axe. Sam looked at Dean and smiled.

“It’s powerful and will have to raise my attack gauge to handle it better but didn’t want to miss out on this one.”

“Great choice Sam,” replied Dean as he turned to look at the rest of the group.

              Charlie held a long rapier that looked like it was made of gold, but she let him know it was just a color choice. Kevin held a magical staff wrapped in small vines, letting the group know that he really had to work hard on his magical abilities since the staff carried more powerful spells than he knew. And Garth laid claim to a hammer, reminding him of Mjölnir, but without the electricity powers. Instead, Garth just wanted to be able to smash things and monsters with it. The group was excited with their new weapons. Dean looked up over to where he noticed the elite group stood and saw Red Death carefully caressing a black long bow in her hands.

“Now that everyone has chosen their weapons, let us begin the main event!”

              After the figure in the screen spoke, there was a sudden flash of white light. Everyone closed and covered their eyes to not get blinded by the light. Once the flash was over, Sam and Dean moved their hands away, looking around them as everyone’s chip was glowing but this time a color green. That’s when they noticed their surroundings.

              It looked like they were in a different world, a green world with trees surrounding them. That’s when everyone began to realize that they were in a forest.

“This is new. Wonder if everyone else sees this forest.” Dean mumbled.

“Dean, look behind us,” Sam exclaimed.

              Dean turned to see a bunch of random people looking around all confused. He couldn’t help but notice these people were wearing the starter outfits every player got when they first started EVERGARDEN. Even the small kids had on the outfits.

“Wait, why are kids wearing…. isn’t this game like rated for teens and above?” asked Kevin.

“Yeah, literally 13-year old and above play, anyone younger than that isn’t allowed on the game because of the violence and nightmare inducing monsters,” Charlie replied with a worried tone.

“You are all possibly wondering what is going on,” began the figure on the screen, grabbing everyone’s attention. “You are all now in the world of EVERGARDEN, its true realm.”

              Mumbles and whispers began to flow between the players, everyone slightly confused by what was going on.

“As you can see around you, everyone, even non-players are now alive in EVERGARDEN. The entire world map is extended throughout the nation. Your world is now part of EVERGARDEN.”

              A bit of panic began to spread between everyone, as Sam and Dean looked at each other with worry.

“Because of the chips in your necks, this augmented reality is now an actual reality. Hunger and sickness are real, just as death is.”

              The figure pointed down from its screen into the crowd, when suddenly someone began to scream in pain. Sam looked above the crowd since he was tall and saw a young boy grabbing hold of his heart as if having a heart attack. Sam noticed how his chip began to glow a bright orange and slowly turned into red. After staggering to the ground on his knees, his hands dropped as his body did as well. A loud thunk could be heard as the young boy laid there in the—supposedly real--grass. He didn’t move, someone getting closer slowly to check his pulse.

“He’s dead!” the player yelled out once he removed his fingers from the poor boy’s throat.

              That’s when panic began to ensue. The crowd grew louder in the chaos that was starting, people shoving each other.

“But do not fret, for there is an end goal.”

              Everyone looked up to the figure on the screen and grew quiet, listening.

“There is a giant tree in the middle of this world, The Great Tree of knowledge. And in that tree are twenty different levels. Each level consists of a powerful boss that you must defeat. Once the first nineteen bosses are defeated, the final and most powerful boss will be your exit. Because at the final boss arena, there will be a button you must press which will help you activate the server controls to end all this. You must fight your way through these powerful bosses to save the people of this nation.”

“Wait, this has to be some kind of joke?” Garth mumbled.

“We don’t have to deal with this! Let’s just take the chips out and we are good!” someone yelled from the crowd.

“Try if you will, but you will surely die. Remember folks, those chips are connected to your spinal cord and brain. Anyone that tries to pull it out will receive a shock to the brain, causing it to immediately shut down, killing you.”

              Everyone began to slowly remove their hands from the back of their necks, afraid to prove the figure right.

“Now thrive and survive for this world is now your home. Good luck to you all!”

              The screen went black to then disappeared from the sky. Sam turned to his brother, noticing the look of fear in his eyes. They were trapped in this AR world by the looks of it.

“No, if this is only in American, someone on the outside must know what’s going on and will stop this.” Kevin whispered under his breath.

“You really think those outside will help us?” All four guys turned to look at Charlie who was shaking. “Those outside hate us, they hate this government and those living in this nation. This is their chance to let us all die here and get rid of us.”

“Don’t say that Charlie, someone has to know what’s going on and get us out of here. If what that guy said was right, that means innocent women and children are in this world. Old folks, too.” Sam exclaimed as he grabbed Charlie’s shoulders.

“Sam, don’t you get it We are going to die in here!”

              All five looked at each other, confused and afraid as everyone else around them was in a panic. That’s when Sam looked up from Charlie because he noticed something red slip past his peripheral vision. That’s when he saw the elite group running past the crowd and into the field, the red cape flying in the air as Red Death and her group ran far away from the chaos.

Tags:

@coffee-obsessed-writer

[claricequinntaylor]

Minimalism with Money - How to get out of debt quick and easy!

We spend too much money on things we don’t need. Rather it is some splurge item you found on Amazon to the pack of Oreo’s at the grocery store (I am guilty of this). We have all done it! Its not something to be ashamed of, BUT it is something that you should be aware of, something that you should be conscious about. A Huffington Post Servery from 2012 states:

"Half of those surveyed do not set monthly savings goals for themselves, according to the survey. Of those who are spending more than they earn, 36 percent are dipping into savings, 22 percent use a credit card and 8 percent are borrowing money in other ways."

This is crazy! I know people in my own life that will spend up to 80% of their monthly income on stuff that they don’t need, things that they can do without. For those who don't know me. My name is Clarice Quinn Taylor, and I used to be just like you. I am just like you in many ways still. I have issues with my money. The biggest issue I currently have is my $6000 in debt that causes me to have to rethink everything I do.If you are in the same boat as me or fast approaching it, this channel and this video is for you.

So a little background into who I am. I am currently 22 years old with a sitting $6,000 in debt. A few years back I was just out of high school, working at Starbucks part time making about $500 a month and spending way more than that on crap I didn't need. I was buying video games, going out and paying for my friends dinner, spending money on my new to me 1973 Chevy Camaro That I spent over $6,000 of my savings to get and restore. Yes, the smartest thing I could possibly do with my money while I was currently running up my Credit cards paying for this expensive lifestyle was to go and buy an expensive car that cost too much in gas. Long story short I was just like the majority of people with a spending problem. Spending money that I didn't have on things that I didn’t need or really have a use for. Around the same time I got very interested in Video Games and decided to go and buy a brand new $700 Xbox and a brand new custom built gaming computer that cost over $2,000. After all these purchases I still didn't feel complete.

That is the point I am trying to make. These purchases, these items. Belongings. These items I have surrounded myself with did me no good whatsoever. They didn't serve my future. Yes, a cool car and a nice computer is nice but for a now unemployed 20 something girl that has dreams of moving to Los Angeles, Ca these spending habits would not do anything but harm to myself.

So, fast forward to three months ago. I am sitting in Los Angeles, Ca spending over $1000 a month on rent, food, car, etc.. you may be asking yourself, "Clarice, how does this have to with minimalism and money? you’re just telling us that you are terrible with money and cant stop spending." Well here is the huge change that came into my life this past April.

I am sitting on My phone scrolling through Facebook, watching Netflix on my desktop computer and mindlessly watching a YouTube video about cool things to buy on amazon that I hadn't collected already and suddenly something dawned on me.

WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING?! I have been sitting here for the last three hours doing nothing. I moved to La to start a modeling career and do acting! What the actual fuck am I doing with my life. This needs to stop.I took a deep breath and closed my MacBook and set my phone down, and opened a new link to YouTube and typed in the following.

"How to minimize your phone usage"

The first video that showed up was a guild on how to set up your phone like a minimalist and how to start using it less.

This took me down a rabbit hole of minimalism. It started with my phone. I got rid of my fancy colorful wallpaper and chose the black background that had no picture on it. Next step I deleted almost every app I had on my phone INCLUDING FACEBOOK! and then organized it to fit my workflow schedule so I could be more productive.

From here I found a few videos on how to minimize debt, your schedule(So I only do things that I want to do) and everything in your life, including money. I will be making videos on all of these things, but for now. I want to start with this big one thing.

How becoming a minimalist will improve your pocketbook and cause you to spend less on stuff that you don't need and in result help you get out of debt.

This first step is easy:

1.) Start a Budget:

What I suggest is start a budget for yourself, either online or on a sheet of paper. The first month you do this. Don't make any changes to how you usually spend money or anything. You can even take a look at the previous months spending's and write them down and from that you can tally them up and know exactly how much you spend each month. I personally use a app called Mint, it is a budget app on your phone and your computer that helps you manage your budget, go over goals that you want to set for your finances and tracks your spending. I have known about this app for year now but I only recently started using it to its fullest potential! You can even link mint with your bank account, credit cards and savings account to automatically track all of your spending and this will give you a clearer picture of your finical health.

After you do this you will be able to have a overview of your spending and be able to manage your money in a clearer way now that you can see it all.

2.) Take a Hard Look at Your Debt and Find a Way Out.

One thing most people my age and even older don't realize fully is the strain of having massive debt causes on your life, and even your ability to do the things that you want. After setting up my budget with mint and getting everything that I wanted, out in the open I realized that the amount I was spending per month to pay it off was less than the monthly interest on my debt itself. Lucky for me a friend told me about this really helpful company and App called Tally. What this company does is pay off your credit cards every month and clump them into a single payment that you pay to them, and lower your APR on top of that. 

So For example, I have three credit cards all at 25% APR, I am paying about $50 on each card and with my interest charge every month I am paying about $20-$25 a month in interest charges EVERY MONTH on each card. SO in short about half of what I am paying is going straight back into my debt with means it will take me about 25% longer to pay it off if I were to just pay off %0 every card a month. Now if I was paying just the minimum amount of $25-$30 a card that is basically like me paying $5 off my debt every month. This is assuming I am not spending anything on credit at the same time.

With this, it is easy to see how personal debt can pile up so quickly. That is why I like Tally so much. They actually have me a APR of 15% and they would pay off my credit cards up to $5,000 and make the monthly payments on my cards so I didn't have to pay each card off and deal with the APR on each. and once all of the cards are paid down you are only left with paying tally one lower easy payment a month. Now that you have a lower payment you have more cash flow to either pay off more debt OR you can stop using your credit cards to buy things and you can fast track your way out of Debt.Lastly, Tally right now will give you $50 just for signing up towards your first card payment when you sign up with my link! You're welcome! <Join Tally>

3.) Cut Ties with Credit Card Debt

- This is probably the hardest step in minimizing your debt and stopping spending on things that you don't need. If you are serious about getting free from debt I want you to right now. Go and get a pair of scissors and cut up all of your cards and throw them away. This way you will no longer be able to use them and you do NOT need the card to make any payments whatsoever. Just do it, thank me later. This step was the quickest, but the hardest part of this whole process.

After I did this it took me about a year to pay off all my debt, loans and cards to become free from debt and become the best version of myself. And after you do this, you can no longer use these cards to spend spend spend and eventually with smart budgeting and using apps like mint and Tally(Like I do) you will be one step closer to finical freedom and finical success. 

I will be writing these posts every week to give you a better idea of my journey and to keep giving you tips on how to unlock your own personal finical freedom! It is hard to do this but with my advice and help I know you can get to where I am today and become the best version of yourself.​ 

[corpus-vak]

Since the Magic GDS questions are now public, and since I am in the wrong continent to actually go for it, and I have strong opinions on Magic design, I guess I should answer these questions for posterity.

1. Introduce yourself and explain why you are a good fit for this internship.

I’m not. 2. An evergreen mechanic is a keyword mechanic that shows up in (almost) every set. If you had to make an existing keyword mechanic evergreen, which one would you choose and why?

Whatever gets picked here should be something that smooths gameplay without getting into repetitive states; a few years ago scry would be a good choice. Cycling smooths mana, but needs to have a critical mass of cycling cards to actually put in decks for it to be worthwhile, which means it would take over quite a lot. Kicker would be a go to, but only because it’s all things to all cards. Flashback does most of what’s necessary (and would be a good fit to let red have ‘card draw’) but falls into repetitive game states. Escalate would be nice, but is fundamentally too complicated to be useful at the thing I’m gesturing at.

I’d actually (mid question surprise turn) go for kicker; but rehabilitate kicker as was done in Zendikar, that kicker means ‘modal small or big spell’. Think Kavu Titan, not the battlemages. Plus we look at smoothing via, for example, Rampant Growth is too good these days, but Lay of the Land with kicker 2 to be Rampant Growth could solve some things.

3. If you had to remove evergreen status from a keyword mechanic that is currently evergreen, which one would you remove and why?

Hexproof. A mechanic characterised by its abuse.

4. You're going to teach Magic to a stranger. What's your strategy to have the best possible outcome?

Break out my old cards where you get to live the fantasy of being a spellcasting planeswalker, instead of modern cards where you ram creatures into each other and see who wins. I would add some modern planeswalker cards, I think. 5. What is Magic's greatest strength and why?

Its playerbase is huge and sticks with it through thick and thin. 6. What is Magic's greatest weakness and why?

So there’s the answer thats true but you can’t give: the mana system is clunky and awkward. Granted it’s totally baked in now, and as much as possible is being done to make sure that it doesn’t get in the way, but fundamentally it’s a mechanic designed to get in the way. This is good! It means you can’t play five colour good stuff and have it work totally smoothly. It’s also bad because I can get mana screwed or flooded in a mono colour deck, which is the ultimate negative player experience.

7. What Magic mechanic most deserves a second chance (aka which had the worst first introduction compared to its potential)?

Affinity. Affinity to the extent that there are a bunch of cards in standard that have it, it’s just spelled out because of the disaster that was Mirrodin block. There’s a new ‘this costs one less for each whatever’ every few sets, it’s just that affinity for artifacts on artifacts with artifact lands doesn’t work. 8. Of all the Magic expansions that you've played with, pick your favorite and then explain the biggest problem with it.

Future Sight is the best set, and is completely incomprehensible if it’s the first set you ever see. It’s the perfect expert level expansion; a fact that’s even printed on the box! However, the concept of expert level expansions went away with NWO, except to be quietly reinvented by modern masters. 9. Of all the Magic expansions that you've played with, pick your least favorite and then explain the best part about it.

Dragon’s Maze tried to do to much in too little space. The previous two large sets gave 5 guilds each room to breath, then a small set had to represent all 10 with some non-guild cards. The flavour was weak and didn’t make much sense.

Despite all of that, it’s chock full of interesting cards, strong role players for the guild decks. It ditched the basic land in packs for guildgates, and rarely shocklands, to make sure limited worked. It kept it’s slightly weird defender theme rolling. In short, despite being so wonky, it all worked. 10. You have the ability to change any one thing about Magic. What do you change and why?

Plan better rather than more. The current standard is a result of the swap from 3 set blocks to two set blocks with 18 month standard to two set blocks with 24 month standard to all large sets, while also changing the way the story is told, and changing the back end of how sets are designed and developed (sorry, vision, set and play designed). Any one of those changes would be disruptive, but all of them within a single (24 month, but not 18 month) standard season has led to the most bans since Mirrodin, known Problem Set. Also, artifacts are always dangerous (I saw an interesting response to this question which was ‘equipment is dangerous’, which is a subset of this), but it still keeps getting tried. Lead times keep increasing, but Ferocidon has to have been designed, developed and locked in for print in about a 10 week period, to deal with a deck that then got banned, and it then had to be banned.

This is all indicative of feeling like a reaction is super important, instead of doing enough analysis ahead of time.

[lupinepariah]

Why I’m Otherkin

This is going to be very trigger-y so... to be forewarned is to have four arms, yeah? Wonderful. So, let’s rap.

My mother died last week.

Amongst most of my family I’m the “know-it-all ass-burgers r-word.” I object to this as I really don’t know a lot and I don’t know how I’d weigh my intelligence. If pressed, I’d likely say that I’m not very smart as admitting to intellect makes me feel guilty. I don’t know why. Why do they do it, then? It’s because I have a strong propensity for being right.

You see, I have a strong propensity for doing something they never do. Thinking.

My mother is the only one in my family I’ve ever cared about. I admit, we’re a little distant but I did love her and I cared for her, I never wanted her to suffer. A friend of the family had a mother die not long before my mother died and they wouldn’t listen to me for the aforementioned reason, I wanted to tell their mother about an experimental treatment that was at least worth trying. No no, I’m just talking out of my arse.

That’s how it often is. I don’t think it’s especially difficult to not be stupid? You just have to think first. Is there really so much difficulty in that? I mean... I recall not so long ago when I was screaming at “medical professionals” to stop faecal transplant tests. There’s so much stuff we can’t screen for well and all you’d need is the combination of a superbug and a compromised immune system for people to start dying. It had to happen for them to stop, of course. They did it until people died for exactly that reason.

No one wants to listen to an r-word with ass-burgers.

What frustrates me with my mother though is that the solution to keeping her alive was so simple.

She started new medication recently. It turns out everyone in my family was told about this except for myself, which is dandy. The first thing I advise anyone to do is to check the side effects to make sure that there aren’t any co-morbid effects with any other drugs they might be on, or any instigators of underlying health problems they might have. Fat chance. My family got my mother popping meds without even bothering to read the documentation that came with them.

The first thing I do with anyone is tell them to check the side effects. Always check the side effects. Always check the side effects.

The truth is? I have loads of life experiences like this. I’ve been abused in every way you can imagine. I’ve been through the ringer. Physical, mental, sexual, emotional, and everything else. No matter what could happen to me these days, I’ve felt worse. That’s why the situation with my mother just leaves me feeling cold and angry, and little else.

The truth is is that my experiences with human beings that actually want to be human beings is that they can be monsters. I admit that this isn’t all of them, I’m sure it can’t be, but it is true for the vast, vast, vast, vast, vast, vast, vast, vast... you get the point, the vast majority. They’re monsters.

I was raised by dogs due to parents that were either neglectful or abusive. The dogs died because of abuse, missed vaccines, or other reasons... they were replaced with other dogs because it was the only thing that kept me sane. After all, you have to keep up appearances and make it look like it’s the problmeatic child’s fault rather than the alcoholic, violent, dysfunctional parents. Isn’t that always the way of it? Very relateable, yes?

The truth is is that I’ve had so many bad experiences that I... I don’t feel like I’m a good fit with this species. I’m too kind. I’m too considerate. I think before I act. I actually care. I help people even if they’ve hurt me so, so badly that all I feel for them is hatred. All I want for anyone is to not have to suffer as I do. So while most humans look like monsters to me, I don’t want them to suffer.

This gives one a... unique outlook on life.

As a coping mechanism I started thinking of myself as, well, not human. It helped. It helped so much. And over time I became mentally healthy, even well-adjusted, I’m certainly a lot less angry these days. I even have a partner! They’re non-binary and they’re absolutely lovely, I couldn’t ask for a better partner, so very supportive, creative, and clever. And then my mother died.

It’s hard not to feel set back by it. I feel like I’m teetering on a razor’s edge. I feel that the only way I can cling to my sanity is by more deeply embracing these very strong feelings I have of not being human. The human species—so overly obsessed with itself—brings me great shame. I feel shame and pain that I’m to share this species until the day I die, in body if not in heart and mind.

There’s an autistic community called Wrong Planet because it’s not unusual for autistic people to feel this way. It’s just that for some of us the alienation is so much more profound and extreme than it is for others. We feel it so deeply that we could never be “human,” not in the sense that most would understand that word. I mean, we could certainly never be normal and we’d never want to. It’s a horrible word, isn’t it? Normal. It suggests a binary state where one is the innate default and correct, whereas the other isn’t. How could that be anything other than pathological by design?

Being Otherkin is my coping mechanism.

It isn’t spiritual. I’m not an animal. I don’t have an animal living inside of me. I don’t have an animal spirit. I just really want to be something other than human, thanks.

So I think of myself as a lycanthrope. I’ve an imaginary support dragon who’s there when I’m alone and I have to handle things myself. It’s only by the merit of these two factors that I stay sane. If I had to think of myself as human, if I lost my support dragon, I’d be bouncing off the walls and chewing the furniture to pieces because I’d have no means to handle all of the unimaginably awful things that had been done to me, all of the suffering I’d endured.

No matter how bad something makes me feel, I’ve felt worse. I could only really go up and Otherkin was my way up. It’s a comfort, a small one in a world so bent on destroying itself as this one is. I mean, depletion of the rainforests and a huge hole in the ozone layer and people are still breeding like bunny rabbits. This is what scientists refer to as The Great Filter. Frankly, if not for SARS-CoV-2, humanity likely would’ve gone extinct within the next century.

I feel that SARS-CoV-2 has given the human species a chance to pull back from the brink.

It’s funny because I’ll never know anything other than hatred. I know that. It’s almost impossible for an Otherkin like myself to find any allies other than fellow Otherkin. I mean, I tried to reach out to trans people and they thought I was a meme created to hurt them because that’s what the Alt-Right very successfully brainwashed them into believing. So much for that, right?

I don’t hate trans people for this. That’d be stupid. They’re suffering too. No, I get that they were hacked and it’s not their fault. If you aren’t acting with full agency then you can’t really be blamed.

Every time something happens though that keys into my personal support mechanism I can’t help but latch onto it. I feel included, for once. It’s actually really nice to feel included. This is why I’ve been fixated upon Guild Wars 2 and why it’s been so important to me. I’ve been getting very clingy with it since my mother died because I love being charr and there may just be a good therapy dragon in the latest content. I’d love that.

If ArenaNet wants to do something for one person who’s suffered way too much? Don’t make Jormag evil. I’d really appreciate that. It’s going to hurt like hell if they are. I hate it when dragons always have to be evil because I’m Otherkin. I love dragons.

It’s a perspective thing, yeah?

I don’t really know how to explain it. I don’t think you’d really be able to understand without having gone through decades of torture and abuse. It just shifts your perspective. If I were to show you a picture of five scantily clad humans facing off against a dragon, you’d know for certain that it’s a depiction of heroes versus an evil draconic beast. What I see, however, is a bunch of thieves, burglars, and freebooters looking to slaughter an innocent dragon so they can steal the poor thing’s belongings. The dragon? They’re a mother protecting a clutch of newborn children.

Dragons don’t look like monsters to me. Humans do, though.

That’s unlikely to ever change. I hurt too much for it to.

Of course, that doesn’t mean I hate humans or anything. I don’t really have it in me to hate anyone as that would mean I’d have to want someone to suffer and enjoy it, which I couldn’t. I’d vomit. I’m as diametrically opposed to suffering as anyone could be. I’m really sick of how forced to suffer so many of us are already. It’s just that I can’t look at a human now and not at first see a monster because I have so much trauma to deal with and work through.

So, yeah. I’m Otherkin. It helps. It helps a lot. I love werewolves, dragons, robots, aliens, sapient fungi, and lots of other non-human stuff. It’s great. Sadly, humans being innately narcissistic tend to demonise anything unfamiliar to them, the human species has been doing that since the dawn of time with factors as trivial as skin colour or the shape of one’s nose. It’s tiresome. That’s why whenever something is special enough to have truly non-human entities as forces of genuine kindness opposed to suffering? It wins my heart.

I feel in love with Aurene in Guild Wars 2 for that reason. I feel that that game has been part of my ongoing therapy. I... do worry about being hurt by how they handle Jormag but I do hope. I really do.

So, yeah. That’s why I’m Otherkin. That’s the long and short of it. if you aren’t? I don’t hate you. It’s just that if we met, you’d probably want to hurt me. That tends to be how it goes. I don’t find comfort in the presence of humans. I do find much comfort though in the dreams of being a werewolf protected within a dragon’s shadow. That’s about the only way I can be healthy.