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regicidal-defenestration · 4 years ago

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In Which Everyone Agrees That Death Should Stop Deciding To Do Things Just, Y’Know, In General, Maybe

Happy reread Hogfather seaon, I wrote a thing about Susan Sto Helit meeting Jonny d’Ville(’s severed head)

Susan screwed her eyes closed tight, and imagined very hard that she was back at home, the fire crackling in the grate, a warm drink by her side.

When she opened her eyes again, the man with his head lying a good few feet away from his body was still there.

"You wouldn't mind moving me a little closer to my body, would you?" he asked, despite being very definitely severed from his lungs. "Makes my life much easier."

Susan poked the head with her foot. He just rolled his eyes at her.

"The skeleton didn't find it funny either. Sometimes, I wonder why I even bother."

The skeleton? Now why had this man met Death before?

“You know granf- you know Death?”

The man gave her a funny look, but let it slide.

“Yep! Mortal enemies we are, he can’t stand me you know. Says I’m the bane of his existence.” He paused, frowning. “Has he really not mentioned me? At all? Jonny d’Ville, captain of the starship Aurora?”

Oh.

Him.

Susan had heard the name once before, a few hours ago when Death had shown up in her living room and dropped a small black notebook, made fat by all the extra pages crammed in, onto her table.

SOMEONE IS DYING, he had said. HE IS A… HM. HE GREETS DEATH AS AN OLD FRIEND, IN THE VERY LITERAL SENSE OF THE WORDS. I THINK YOU SHOULD MEET HIM.

A pause, then:

GOOD LUCK.

And now Susan was here, in someone’s posh dining room, with a beheaded corpse that was still talking.

“I actually don’t think he hates yo-”

“He does.”

“He seems to quite enj-”

“Despises the sight of me.”

They stared at each other for a long while, neither willing to back down first.

“If you say so,” Susan conceded at last, deciding there were far better ways to spend her time. Then, she considered the room she’d found herself in. The ornate furnishings were very much at odds with the man’s clothing, which looked like it had been put together by a university student who had dug through charity shops for all the belts they could find.

“How did you even end up here?”

“I live here,” he lied, badly.

Susan raised an eyebrow, the universal try again? motion made by everyone anywhere who knows they’re being swindled but who are feeling rather charitable at the moment.

“I’m squatting?” he ventured.

“You’re making me feel dizzy is what you’re doing, with your head on the side like that. I’ll prop you up on that chair and then you can try a better lie.”

“It was a dare,” he said at last, balanced slightly precariously on top of a pile of cushions on top of a chair, all of which he was now getting bloodstains all over. “Then, as you can see, I accidently beheaded myself.”

“Accidently-?”

Taking a long, slow breath, Susan realised she understood why Death had wished her luck that time. She really, really, needed it.

Jonny was watching her with a shit-eating grin on his face. He was clearly enjoying this.

“Anyway,” he said, in a manner that would have probably involved leaning back on the chair nonchalantly, if he had the body to nonchalantly lean with. “I’ve introduced myself, more or less, but who are you?”

“Susan,” said Susan.

A beat.

“Just Susan?”

“I’m a governess, I look after two children, on Octadays I have a day off and go on walks or read.” She was aware, even to her own ears, how desperately normal she was trying to sound.

Jonny gave her another funny look, and Susan wondered how long he spent in front of a mirror practising. This time the look said, and you called me a bad liar.

“Susan the governess, hm? Now why does Susan the governess, who looks after two children and walks a bit, know Death? How come Susan the governess, who has read at least one book, is so calm dealing with a lopped off head who won’t shut up?”

There was else nothing for it.

Well - okay yes Susan could admit there were probably other options, and, yes, she didn’t necessarily like doing it. You use the Voice once, or walk through one wall because it’s easier than opening the door, and you’re fine, but then you do it again, and from there it’s only a hop, skip and a jump away from wearing a black cloak with skull motifs. A black cloak, she corrected herself hastily, not like the one she was currently wearing, which was a sensible cloak, none of that funny bone design in sight. Although… she couldn’t deny that it would look c-

Susan shook her head. She didn’t like using the Voice, was the point, but some people just couldn’t be helped.

I AM THE GRANDCHILD OF DEATH AND I WALK IN HIS FOOTPRINTS,

she said.

I AM THE ONE EVEN THE MONSTERS UNDER THE BED ARE SCARED OF. I,

Susan drew herself up to her full height - taller, even. Her eyes flashed blue and for a moment her face wasn't hers at all, but something grinning and skeletal and terrible.

AM SUSAN STO HELIT.

A second passed. An eternity passed.

Jonny blinked.

"Nice trick you've got there," he nodded approvingly. Then he nodded again - no, wobbled slightly, once.. twice.. and then before he could even look concerned momentum had got a hold of his head and he was gone, toppling out of the chair and rolling off off and away.

Susan watched him go. Idly, she wondered if he'd end up reaching the opposite wall.

There was a quiet but not insignificant thud as his head smacked against a table leg, still a few feet off the wall. Damn.

"Susan?" he said, voice slightly muffled by virtue of having ended up stopping face-first on the ground.

"I appear to have made a mistake.”

#(death voice) HO. HO. HO.#discworld #the mechanisms #writing

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recurring-polynya · 5 years ago

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Hello! I have forgotten my tumblr login, but I am shai from AO3 and I just want to say that the Abhorsen books are very dear to my heart and I am THRILLED at idly wandering tumblr and seeing you're writing a Bleach AU set in that world. (Are the Kuchikis the Abhorsens? Is there a Mogget equivalent and is it Yoruichi? Is Karakura in Ancelstierre? I can't map the two settings together at alllll in my head on first glance but I'm super curious how you will!)

First of all, I am beyond excited that anyone actually cares about this project. I was going to try to explain it, but honestly, it’s not that long and, uh, maybe I should just post it. So, here’s the shorty version, where I cut it off at the Dramatic Drabble Point. I have more, but it starts to meander into an actual plot, where the plot is just the final confrontation at the end of Sabriel. I honestly just wanted to write Renji as part of the Crossing Guard Scouts?? I might expand this (how much? as much as I feel like?) after I re-read Sabriel. My husband has been reading the books to my son, and I catch snatches of it and it’s got me In the Mood, but I found myself forgetting way too much.

Dear everyone else: I refuse to explain any of this. The Abhorsen books are the shit, just go read them. If you love Rukia as a character, you will love Sabriel. The two of them, along with Susan Sto Helit and Death of the Endless are the fictional pragmatic death girls of my heart, if I *ever* write an actual book, it will almost surely be about a pragmatic death girl.

Anyway, here it is, The Worst Charter Mage in Ancelstierre.

“All that stuff Colonel Zaraki said… about a soldier’s intuition an’ stuff… that was just made up, right? To scare us? Us, uh, new guys, I mean, you never get scared, right Renji?”

Captain Abarai Renji of the Northern Perimeter Reconnaissance Unit, or the Crossing Point Scouts, as they were often known, stared out into the foggy dusk. His skin itched. His ears strained to hear the unearthly whistling of the wind flutes, which as far as he knew, none of the other scouts could hear. He could usually hear them, but not tonight. “Stop cleaning that damn firearm Yuki,” he grumbled without turning around. “Check your sword fittings instead.”

Lance Corporal Yuki Rikichi, having been stationed on the Perimeter for all of two months, very slowly started reassembling his pistol. “I’m not great with swords,” he admitted.

“Wind’s from the north,” Renji grunted. “Guns ain’t much good.”

“That’s just stories, though, right?”

“Nope,” Renji replied, squinting at a dark shape winging through the sky. It looked a bit like the airplanes he had seen when we went South for officer training, but it was too small, too silent, and besides, shit like that didn’t work past the Wall. He groped for his spyglass. “You think you can do that protection charm I been teaching you?”

“Yeah, I’ve practiced and practiced!” Rikichi bubbled eagerly.

Renji frowned, trying to focus the spyglass. If tonight was going to go as badly as his skin was crawling, that protection charm was going to do about as much good against the Dead as Rikichi hurling his useless gun at them. “Fuck,” he muttered. “That’s a someone.”

“A what?” Rikichi echoed.

“We got visitors,” Renji repeated, standing and checking the sword strapped his hip. “You go tell the Colonel, I’ll give ‘em the ol’ Crossing Scout welcome.”

“I can’t leave you alone!” Rikichi yelped. “Look, I’ll just radio him.”

“You’re welcome to try,” Renji shrugged, making his way down the stone staircase of the watchtower, knowing that piece of Ancelstierran junk would give nothing but static until the wind changed.

As Renji watched the strange craft circle down toward the ground, he tried to pull together the Charter Marks for a Major Blessing. It wasn’t a hard spell, and it would protect him from the Lesser Dead, maybe even a weak Free Magic Creature. As usual, the marks weren’t behaving, and he finally gave up. He didn’t know why he had such a hard time casting spells. None of the books he read ever described Charter Marks as elusive or mischievous. Was it like this for all Charter Mages? Maybe if he ever met another one, he could ask them. He was going to have to rely on his sword arm instead. Fortunately, his sword arm was pretty fucking reliable.

The craft had settled in the tall grass, and two figures were getting out. It looked remarkably like an airplane, except that it appeared to be made of paper, painted in cheerful blue and silver. It was powered by Charter Magic, Renji had heard the pilot whistling Charter Marks as they brought the thing to the ground. Pretty nifty trick, to be honest. Must be from deep in the Old Kingdom, where they still taught the old magic. Renji himself had been born just a few miles from the Wall, lived in that shitty border town until he was sixteen. He’d come south thinking he never wanted to see a Charter Stone again, but somehow, he’d never made it much further south than the Perimeter, not for long anyway. It was fine. He was useful here.

Renji gripped his sword with one hand. They looked and felt like people, but Free Magic Creatures could be tricksy. “Halt!” he shouted. “Who goes there? This is not a legal crossing point! What is your name? What is your business?”

The taller of the two figures, clad in a red and gold helmet and a red cloak, leaned down and said something to the much smaller figure, the pilot, who was dressed in blue and silver. The pilot elbowed the other in the ribs and then announced in a voice that rang with authority, “I am the Abhorsen and if you don’t help me, this gate is going to fall before dawn!”

Renji drew his sword. “I’ve met the Abhorsen!” he shouted. “You sure don’t look like that tall, pretty bastard to me!”

The pilot, who had been slowly approaching him, froze in her tracks. “That… was my brother-in-law,” she bit off. “How did you know him? He never came this far south.” She was silent for a moment before adding tentatively, “Also, he wasn’t the Abhorsen, although sometimes he let people believe he was.”

Renji’s fingers twitched on his sword grip. No. It couldn’t be. It was impossible. The voice was different, huskier, more mature, but then, it had been twelve years, she wasn’t a girl anymore. Not that she’d grown much. “I am simply returning her to her family,” that pale, flash prat had said, as he pulled her up onto the horse behind him, and rode away with the one person who gave Renji’s life any meaning or purpose. “Not one step further,” he shouted, since he didn’t think he could keep his voice steady any other way. “I don’t care if you’re the bloody Queen of the Old Kingdom herself!”

Something was happening with the taller of two visitors. Dark red energy, nearly black was crackling around his fists, the ozone smell of Free Magic permeating the air. Renji tried again to pull a Mark from the Charter, and this time one came easily, and he felt an invisible barrier thrum into place before him. It was no diamond of protection, but it should be enough to fend of some upstart teen.

“Cool it, you moron!” the pilot yelled at the youth. “The Scouts are good people, they just get hung up on procedure. Also… I… might know this guy.” She reached up and hooked a finger over the scarf wrapped over her face and pulled it down, tucking it under her chin. “Abarai Renji? ‘Zat you?”

“Rukia…” Renji murmured just as there was a clatter of boots on bitumen behind him.

“WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE?” a familiar voice bellowed. “Abarai, you got your sword out and there ain’t no blood on it, what’s going on?”

“Says she’s the Abhorsen, sir,” Renji reported, adjusting his sword stance but not relaxing. “Don’t look like the Abhorsen I remember.”

Colonel Zaraki strode through the company of men who had accompanied him, towering, helmetless, his hawklike nose catching the setting sun. He surveyed the young woman standing before.

“The wall is going to be attacked, tonight!” she shouted. “A massive army of the Dead, led by a necromancer who is himself one of the Greater Undead! Are you the commanding officer of this garrison?”

“Abhorsen came through here in ‘87,” Zaraki grunted. “Clever woman. After the fuckers down south stopped letting us move the gate every few months, all the deaths at the crossing point would build up, cause spontaneous risings. She carved us those wind flutes to keep the Dead down.” He surveyed the woman, dressed in a blue and silver tabard over silver chain. Her dark, short-cropped hair, the stunning indigo eyes Renji would never, ever forget. “Looked a lot like you. Your mother?”

“Sister,” Rukia corrected. It was Rukia, Renji was sure of it now. Of course she hadn’t been taken away to be a noble, she’d been taken away to be the fucking Abhorsen. Of course she had.

“If you’re the Abhorsen now, that means–”

“She went into Death four days ago. She’s holding out, but she’s been there too long, she can’t come back. At the full of the moon, the wind flutes will fail.”

“That the new Abhorsen-in-Waiting, then?”

Rukia’s eyes darted to the youth at her side and back again. “Maybe. This is Kurosaki. He is what he is.”

“Yo,” Kurosaki waved, seemingly unconcerned by any of this.

Zaraki jerked his chin at Renji. “Stand down, Captain. You been on the Wall too long to be this twitchy.”

“Don’t trust people who ‘are what they are’,” Renji replied. “Sounds to me like something a Free Magic Construct would say.” He sheathed his sword, but didn’t release the Charter Mark.

“He’s a lot of things, but he’s not a Free Magic Construct,” Rukia rolled her eyes.

“I’m standin’ right here, y’know!” Kurosaki protested.

“What do you need, Abhorsen?” Zaraki asked.

Renji glanced at him, surprised. He’d served under the man for over a decade, and he’d never seen him act this respectfully to anyone, including his own COs.

“I need every Charter Mage you’ve got,” Rukia barked. “Aizen has hidden his body in Ancelstierre, a few miles from here. We need to destroy it, but it’s going to take a ton of power to destroy something that powerful.”

Zaraki scratched his ass thoughtfully. “You may not realize, ma’am, but we don’t get a whole lot of Charter Mages this far south. My boys, though, have got swords like you’ve never seen. Zaraki’s Company can cut through anything, living, Dead, or in-between.”

“That’s very nice,” Rukia bit off, “because they are going to have an awful lot of things to stab in just a few hours. But I need Charter Mages. I don’t care if there aren’t many. Please. Give me what you have.”

Zaraki took a deep, resigned breath through his nose. “Well. You heard the lady, Abarai. Take that fucking apprentice the boys down south sent you, too. You managed to teach him anything yet?”

“Not… much…” Renji admitted, stunned.

“What, what?” Kurosaki exploded. “You’ve only got a single Charter Mage?”

“He’s terrible, also,” Zaraki added. “Worst Charter Mage I’ve ever seen, aside from the apprentice. Good with a sword, though, one of the best in the company to be honest.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, sir,” Renji grouched. Suddenly, he realized that Rukia was looking at him, and he felt like he was eleven years old again, meeting her for the first time, being judged by those eyes and, inexplicably, being found worthy. “I’ll go. At your service. Abhorsen.”

#my writing #bleach abhorsen au #bleach fanfiction

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bluecichlid · 7 years ago

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Favorite Female Characters

I have already done this once, but I was tagged by the lovely @theasexualscorpio to name ten favorite female characters, and as one scorpio to another, challenge accepted! Here’s another list of ten favorites. (I’m a bit worried/excited by the idea that I might get a third query. LOL).

1. Ruffnut from How to Train Your Dragon

2. Celia from As You Like it (Shakespeare)

“O wonderful, wonderful, most wonderful wonderful, and yet again wonderful, and after that, out of all whooping!”

3. Asoka Tano from Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Rebels

4. Irene Adler from Sherlock Holmes

“And that was how a great scandal threatened to affect the kingdom of Bohemia, and how the best plans of Mr. Sherlock Holmes were beaten by a woman’s wit. He used to make merry over the cleverness of women, but I have not heard him do it of late. And when he speaks of Irene Adler, or when he refers to her photograph, it is always under the honourable title of the woman. “

5. Foxface from the Hunger Games

6. Molly Grue from The Last Unicorn

Molly: No, it can't be. Can it be? Where have you been? Where have you been? Damn you! Where have you been?

Schmendrick: Don't you talk to her that way!

Unicorn: I'm here now.

Molly: And where were you twenty years ago? Ten years ago? Where were you when I was new? When I was one of those innocent young maidens you always come to? How dare you! How dare you come to me now, when I am this!

[Weeps]

Schmendrick: Can you really see her? Do you know what she is?

Molly: If you had been waiting to see a unicorn, as long as I have...

Schmendrick: She's the last unicorn in the world.

Molly: It would be the last unicorn that came to Molly Grue. It's all right, I forgive you.

7. Grace Stewart (played by Nicole Kidman) from the movie ‘The Others’

8. Ilisidi the Aji-Dowager from the Foreigner books by CJ Cherryh.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, and folded his hands and stopped where he was, listening, waiting while a very sick woman tried to gather her faculties.

“First off, tell the dowager she’s a right damn bastard.”

It was no time for a translator to argue. Mitigation, however, was a reasonable tactic. “Aiji-ma, Sabin-aiji has heard our suspicions regarding Tamun and received assurances from me and Gin-aiji that we have not arranged a coup of our own. She addresses you with an untranslatable term sometimes meaning extreme disrepute, sometimes indicating respect for an opponent.”

Ilisidi’s mouth drew down in wicked satisfaction. “Return the compliment, paidhi.”

“Captain, she says you’re a right damn bastard, too.”

9. Jill Pole from the Narnia books

“Damsel," said the Prince, bowing to her. "You are of a high courage, and therefore, I doubt not, you come of a noble blood in your own world.” ― C.S. Lewis, The Silver Chair

10. Susan Sto Helit from Terry Pratchett’s Diskworld books.

“And then Jack chopped down what was the world's last beanstalk, adding murder and ecological terrorism to the theft, enticement, and trespass charges already mentioned, and all the giant's children didn't have a daddy anymore. But he got away with it and lived happily ever after, without so much as a guilty twinge about what he had done...which proves that you can be excused for just about anything if you are a hero, because no one asks inconvenient questions.”

...

"Susan says, don’t get scared, get angry."

I think most of my followers have done this, but I will tag @subjunctivemood, @holy-muffins, @mllekaren, @sarahtheblack, and anyone else who is interested!

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windsroad · 6 years ago

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Justice Vragic

Okay I was GOING to post this elsewhere and then link to it here but I really did not like any of my options. I tested the read more so it SHOULD work on mobile.

This is the extended version of my character Justice Vragic’s backstory! the ending is NOT super great, but it’s the best I could do.

...

The young tiefling stepped out of the shadows and cleared her throat. “I’d like to join you,” she said, her voice wavering only slightly.

Armida looked over her shoulder. The candlelight of the room glinted on the brass buckles and studs of her worn armor. “Senka, I appreciate how enthusiastic you’ve been, but this isn’t a task for children.” She didn’t speak unkindly; Armida left the distinct impression of wanting to protect, rather than condescend.

“I can help, I can do this,” came the reply. Her tail lashed about her feet in impatience. “I’m not a child—I’m nearly an adult.”

Armida cast a glance to her fellows, gathered around the low wooden table and its shabby map. Armida’s de-facto second-in-command, a half-elf named Rikard, very slightly shook his head.

“I’ve taken a name,” continued the tiefling. “A virtue name. We do that sometimes, as adults. It’s Justice.”

Armida sighed. Her eyes dragged over the rest of the party, stopping at Rikard. “What do you think, my friend?

Rikard sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “She can stay.”

Armida smiles brightly, turning back to Justice and extending her hand.

“Welcome to the operation.”

...

When Justice—then Senka—had first joined the Agents of Change, they were a group of like-minded individuals sharing their concerns. There was no grain. Their crops were taken and sold to the wealthy. The list of approved gods was cut to just five, then three. Books were removed from libraries. People went missing.

The senior members of the Agents were steadily more unsettled. The group took up a patron: Avandra, Goddess of Change and Freedom, and thoroughly illegal. They began talking of action.

Armida was one of the most spirited members of the group. She made the first move. Her brother had refused to sell crops to the guard, and in return his farm had been burned.

Armida had had enough. She was going to act. They planned to raid a warehouse and spread the grain throughout the commonfolk. Justice had to be a part of it.

...

The plan went off without a hitch. It was a rush. It had been Justice’s job to draw the guards away long enough for Armida and her people to go in and out. It was easy enough—Justice had always been able to do a little minor magic, and it was sufficient to scare away the guard.

They came back to their hideout with sacks of grain, breathing heavy in the brisk night air. After that, it seemed only natural to keep going.

Things continued to go well for a while. But no one could deny how things steadily escalated. Stealing grain became stealing gold. Smuggling messages became smuggling people. Became holding private services to outlawed gods. Became breaking people out of jails.

It was when things advanced to arson that they all know it had gotten out of hand.

The arson was not, technically, something that was intended. The mission was supposed to be simple, similar to their very first mission. Breaking into a warehouse and stealing barrels full of supplies.

This time things did not go as well. A guard none of them had noticed accosted them as they tried to leave. There didn’t seem a way around him without going to blows. When he snatched at Justice, she snapped back with a snarl in Infernal. Th guard caught fire, and so did the barrel.

Whatever was in it was not grain.

The barrel exploded, injuring most of the party, the guard, and setting the building on fire.

They ran as fast as they could, injured as many of them were. As the fire spread, many more of the barrels exploded, leaving the warehouse a wreck behind them.

From then on, things got scary fast.

...

Rikard leaned over the table, his eyes tired and shadowed. “We can’t keep this up,” he said, shaking his head. “They’ve declared open war!”

A few other members nodded in the background. One had had his eyebrow burned off, Justice noticed guiltily. Fire didn’t affect Justice much, but an exploding piece of barrel had left a gash across her own face.

Armida paced back and forth, casting long, distorted shadows on the wall behind her. “But, don’t you see—now everyone knows we’re doing something.”

“That’s the problem,” said Rikard flatly.

“No—this. This is good.” Her eyes caught the light. Her left cheek had been burned, and it gave her expression a sharp look. “People are already expressing interest. We can draw in more numbers.”

“More people?” asked Dorothea, a halfling woman. She had joined early on, soon after worship of Yondalla was restricted. “What will we do with more people?”

“They want a war,” said Armida, pausing and raising her eyebrows, “so we give them a war.”

Rikard threw his hands up in the air.

“Listen, listen!” said Armida. She put her hands up to calm Rikard. “We can do this. If this works, we can start a real rebellion. We can make change.”

They all sat and stewed in their thoughts. Justice watched them all from the barrel she sat on in the corner. She was a member, but she was not as fully a member as the rest of the group. A kid, a sidekick, rather than a voting, decision-making adult.

Justice sat too, curled up in her cloak, staring hard at the floor. “I know this is all my fault,” she said, breaking the silence. “And I’m in. If something good can come from it, then I’m in.”

They all turned to face her. Their expressions ranged from surprised, to annoyed, to simply tired. Rikard rolled his eyes. “You shouldn’t have been there in the first place.”

Armida smiled a wicked smile, pulling at the scar on her cheek.

Justice shook from nerves. She held her cloak tighter to hide it. “I think we can do this. I want a better home for my parents. And my brothers and sister. If we can make any progress, just a little bit, it’ll be better.”

Petro, a tired looking human man, sighed from where he sat at the table. “I might know some people,” he said, somewhat reluctantly. “They might like to join.”

“I can get us more supplies,” said a gnome.

“What would this even look like?” asked Rikard. “Do we march up to a hill on a planned date and just start killing guard?”

“We keep doing what we’re doing,” explained Armida. “But when people come to stop us, we fight back.”

...

As time went on, the members of the Agents of Change became more fervently devoted to Armida and her cause. Justice was among them. She had always admired their leader, but Armida’s charisma drew Justice and others in like a planet around a sun.

But as devotion went up, so did dissent. Armida had good intentions, but the missions strained people. Real armed conflicts. They lost people. Armida said it was all in service of freedom.

Rikard was quiet at meetings.

Justice was just coming into their meeting place through a backdoor when she heard them talking.

“We can’t keep going like this!” whispered Rikard harshly.

Justice crept through the door and peered down the hallway.

“I know you have your reservations, Rikard, you always have.” Armida did not lower her voice. She spoke in the same timbre as she would to a crowd. “Keep on. We’re making some real headway.”

“Headway? Who are we even helping anymore? The people we’ve gotten killed, were they helped?” Rikard was getting more agitated, but he lowered his voice once again. Justice moved closer to hear him, hiding just outside the room where they were speaking. “You knew there wasn’t grain in those barrels. Explosives. And you didn’t tell anyone on that mission.”

Armida clapped Rikard’s back. “It may not seem like it now, but when we liberate the whole area, things will improve for everyone.”

Rikard took a step back. “Thinking you can take them on is folly. Risking everyone’s lives. I was never here for that… You’re going to get yourselves killed.”

Rikard briskly walked away, too quickly for Justice to hide. Rikard left the room and met face-to-face with Justice.

They paused for a moment, looking each other in the eye but saying nothing. Finally Rikard looked down and strode out of the building.

“He will be back, Justice,” said Armida. Justice hadn’t realized Armida knew she was there. “He just needs time to think.”

Justice thought Armida was trying to convince herself as much as she was Justice.

It was weeks before they saw Rikard again.

...

The Agents of Change were about to go out on a mission in the small hours of the morning. A few of them, Justice among them, were getting together packs for their mission from the storage room. Then the raid came.

The sound of doors bursting open rang throughout the building. Heavy footfalls. Sooner than any of them could react, guards were swarming the meeting house. As quietly as Justice knew how, she moved as close as she dared to see what was happening.

Armida took in the situation as a number of armed guards flooded the small planning room. While her fellows moved to draw blades, Armida remained calm.

“Is there something I can help you with?” she asked, lifting her hands up into the air.

One guard, clearly the highest officer by his armor, moved forward. “Are you Armida Caito?”

“Who’s asking?”

The guard shifted his feet and gave Armida a withering look. “Armida Caito and her agents are hereby under arrest for conspiracy against the empire, breaking and entering, theft, smuggling, and arson.”

“Is that all…” Armida muttered. She looked the guard in the eye. “I haven’t seen her. Better get looking.”

The captain rolled his eyes and motioned for someone else to enter. “This her, Lord?”

Rikard stepped in, wearing nicer clothes than she’d ever seen him wear. Velvet, some furs.

What was Rikard doing in clothes like that?

Why was the guard captain calling him lord?

The pieces wouldn’t fit together in her mind.

There was a palpable silence as Armida and Rikard stared.

“Rikard,” said Armida.

“Yes, that’s her,” he answered coldly.

Armida didn’t move. She stood dumbfounded as a guard grabbed her arms and began chaining them behind her.

...

Justice ran—she hid away the next whole week waiting for it all to blow over. But the calm never came. She watched as the few contacts she had left slowly disappeared, as posters with the remaining members’ faces—including her own—went up, as increased guard marched through the streets to root out all rebellion.

She’d heard no word of Armida. No public execution was announced.

Rikard knew all their faces. He knew their hideouts, their names, their families. Justice had never lived outside of the Commoda Empire. She’d never lived away from Glaseum, the capital city. As Justice stowed away on a ship to somewhere—she didn’t know where, just anywhere—it was all she could hope that the guard would leave her family alone.

#rose’s writing #rose's characters #justice vragic

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robynqueenofstuff · 8 years ago

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Something I’ve Always Wanted To Say To Those Who Complain About A Lack Of Good Female Characters.

Yes we are just SHORT on good female characters, aren't we?

‘Takes a ginormous breath’

I mean besides Ellen Ripley, The Bride, Katniss Everdeen, Imperator Furiosa, Rey, [insert surname here] Princess Leia, [One of the greatest fucking characters ever] Sarah Connor to just name the most well-known few. We only have Hermione Granger [obviously], Luna Lovegood, Ginny Weasley, Minerva Mcgonagoll, Molly Weasley, Lily Potter, Bellatrix Lestrange, Jyn Erso, Padme Amidala, Hera Syndulla, Sabine Wren, Mara Jade, Jaina Solo, Tahiri Veila, Jan Ors, Nomi Sunrider, Lumiya, Juno Eclipse, Bastila Shan, Satele Shan, Ahsoka Tano, Barriss Offee, Luminara Unduli, Aayla Secura, Adi Gallia, Shaak Ti, Jaden Korr [Optionally female], Asajj Ventress, Aurra Sing, Zam Wesell, Steela Gerrara, The Seventh Sister, Satine Kryze, Shmi Skywalker, Darth Zannah, Mother Talzin, [The fucking Hapes Consortium places women higher over men] Belle, Jasmine, Mulan, Pocahontas, Tiana, Jane, Rapunzel, Ariel, Cinderella, Megara, Lilo, Nani, Nala, Vanellope, Lady, Merida, Jessie, Dory, Helen/Elastigirl, EVA, Edna Mode, Joy, Sadness, Anna, Elsa, [Yes i think she's a good character but for different reasons than others do] Kida, Wendy, Alice, Judy Hopps, Kanga, Kala, Captain Amelia, Moana, Esmeralda, Flora, Fauna, Merryweather, Rita, Miss Bianca, Mary Poppins, Eglantine Price, Sally, Audrey Ramirez, Mittens, Maleficent, Ursula, Cruella De Vil, Queen Grimhilde, Yzma, Lady Tremaine, Queen Of Hearts, Madame Medusa, Mother Gothel, Honey Lemon, Go-Go, Chel, Marina, Eris, Tigress, Ginormica, Roxanne, Astrid, Valka, Ginger, Fiona, Fairy Godmother, Tzipporah and Miriam. Chihiro, San, Moro, Lady Eboshi Sophie, Kiki, Shizuku, Arrietty, Ponyo, Nausicaa, Princess Kushana, Kaguya, Sheeta, Marnie, Annie, Coraline, Anastasia, Mrs Brisby, Elle Woods, Dorothy, Matilda, Alicia Huberman, Violet, Corky, Alice Creed, Clarice Starling, Mrs Danvers, Janine Melnitz. Kylie Griffin, Junior Ghostbuster Catherine, [yeah there were already female Ghostbusters before that crappy movie] Lisbeth Salander, Mathilda Lando, Marge Gunderson, Judge Cassandra Anderson, Ma-Ma, [Madeline Madrigal] Regina George, Cady Heron, Clementine Kruczynski, M, [the one played by Judi Dench] Moneypenny,, Elle Driver, O-Ren Ishii, Julie Kohler, Yuki Kashima, Amelie Poulain, Lucy, Rose Dewitt Bukater, Joy ‘Ma’ Newsome, Grace Howard, Philomena Lee, Ofelia, Kara, [From Dragonheart] Sarah Williams, Maria von Trapp, Marion Ravenwood, Dr. Elsa Schneider, Evelyn Carnahan, Officer Anne Lewis, Dr Ellie Sattler, Paikea Apirana, Motoko Kusanagi, Carrie White, Arwyn, Eowyn, Galadriel, Yu Shu Lien, Jen Yu, Jackie Brown, Nefretiri, All the girls from St Trinians, Bliss Cavendar, The girls on the Roller Derby Team, [Maggie Mayhem, Bloody Holly, Rosa Sparks, Smashley Simpson] Sally Albright, Jean Louise ‘Scout’ Finch, Claire Standish. Allison Reynolds, Kim Possible, She-Ra, [Plus the female characters in She-Ra and He-Man] Jem, Synergy, The Holograms, The Misfits, Penny Gadget, Jessica Jones, Buffy Summers, Willow Rosenberg, Anya Jenkins, Faith, Cordelia Chase, Drusilla, Emma Swan, Carol Peletier, River Tam, Xena, Lady Penelope, Roseanne, Dana Scully, Morticia Addams, Wednesday Addams, Lily Munster, Vastra and Jenny, Jessica Fletcher, Olivia Benson, Lilly Rush, Korra, Asami Sato, Lin Beifong, Opal Beifong, Suyin Beifong, Kya, Daria Morgendoffer, Jane Lane, Susan Foreman, Barbara Wright, Jo Grant, Donna Noble, River Song, Ace, Nyssa, Romana, Sarah Jane, Clara Oswald, [the majority of the Doctor Who companions are female] Madame Vastra, Jenny, Zoe Washburne, Kaywinnet Lee ‘Kaylee’ Frye, Lagertha Lothbrok, Claire Underwood, Uhura, Nurse Chappell, Nurse Abby, Captain Katherine Janeway, B’elanna Torres, Seven Of Nine, Kira Nerys, Jadzia Dax, Deanna Troi, Penelope Garcia, Kima Greggs, Evelyn Salt, Starbuck, Lois Lane, Katara, Toph, Mai, Azula, Suki, Ty-Lee, June, Serras Victoria, Sir Integra Hellsing, Dr. Girlfriend, Elektra Nachios, Alex Drake, Cameron, [Even if she's a cyborg she counts] Veronica Mars, ALL THREE CHARLIE'S ANGELS, THE POWERPUFF GIRLS, The female rangers in Power Rangers, Sabrina Spellman, The majority of characters from My Little Pony, Mabel Pines, Wendy Corduroy, The Crystal Gems, Princess Bubblegum, Marceline The Vampire Queen, Flame Princess, Princess Allura, Katie ‘Pidge’ Holt, Violet Baudelaire, Lucy Pevensie, Alice, [again] Nancy Drew, Annabeth Chase, Clarisse La Rue, Sally Jackson, Thalia Grace, Piper Mclean, Hazel Levesque, [I AM GOING TO GET SO MUCH SHIT FROM PERCY JACKSON FANS BECAUSE THESE ARE THE ONLY ONES I CAN THINK OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD] Daenerys, Arya, Margaery, Catelyn, Brienne, Olenna, Sansa, Susan Sto Helit, Liessa Dragonlady, Tiffany Aching, Hannah Wolfe, The female characters in Malazan Book Of The Fallen, Harriet The Spy, Althea Vestrit, Aerin, Sorcha, Daine, Sabriel, Maka Albarn, Tsubaki Nakatsukasa, Liz and Patty Thompson, Meryl Strife, Milly Thompson, Winry Rockbell, Izumi Curtis, Riza Hawkeye, Mikasa Ackerman, Pepper Potts, Gwen Stacy, Black Cat, Wonder Woman [That’s a fucking no brainer], Batgirl, Batwoman, Supergirl, Raven, Starfire, Huntress, Black Canary, Zatanna, Catwoman, Hawkgirl, Mera, Katana, Talia Al Ghul, Enchantress, Poison Ivy, Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, Natasha Irons, Storm, Rogue, Ms Marvel, Emma Frost, The Wasp, Invisible Woman, She-Hulk, Gamora, Kitty Pryde, Psylocke, Valkyrie. Mystique, the female Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D, Not to mention the girls from Fables, Rayne, Clementine, Amanda Ripley, Coco Bandicoot, Bayonetta, Ms Pacman, Valna, Yuko, Amu, Lena, Alex, Etna, Flonne, Jennifer, Raspberyl, Vulcanas, Usalia, Maya Amano, Ulala Serizawa, Yukari Takeba, Fuuku Yamagashi, Chie Satonaka, Yukiko Amagi, Rise Kujikawa, Naoto Shirogane, Ann Takamaki, Haru Okumura, Kyoko Kirigiri, Sakura Ogami, Aoi Asahina, Chiaki Nanami, Sonia Nevermind, Akane Owari, Fiora, Melia, Sharla, BB Hood, Morrigan, Felicia, Q-Bee, Lara Croft, Samus Arran, Aya Brea, Elizabeth Comstock, Ellie, Faith, Jill Valentine, Ada Wong, Garnet Til Alexandros XVII, Tifa Lockhart, Aerith Gainsborough, Yuffie Kisaragi, Rydia, Rosa Joanna Farrell, Celes Chere, Terra Branford, Relm Arrowny, Rinoa Heartilly, Quistis Trepe, Selphie Tilmitt, Ultimecia, Ashe, Fran, Freya Crecent, Eiko Carol, Yuna, Rikku, Lulu, Aqua, Zelda, Midna, Alice from Mcgee, Odessa Silverburg plus all the females in Fire Emblem, Vocaloid, Touhou and Sid Meir’s Civilization. Not to mention the option to play as female characters in most of the LEGO games plus the option to play as a female in Mass Effect, Dragon Age: Origins, Elder Scrolls, World of Warcraft, Fallout, Saints Row, Fable, Terraria, Borderlands, Jade Empire, Neverwinter Nights, Rock Band 2, Tardew Valley, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, Fate, Harvest Moon: The Tale of Two Town, Guilty Gear, Overwatch, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Tekken, Dynasty and Samurai Warriors plus the enormous roster in League Of Legends, Every last female in Skullgirls, All the female Pokemon trainers, All the females from Magic The Gathering, Hit-Girl, Powergirl, Tigra, Lady Sif, Spider-Woman, Vixen, Witchblade, Lady Death, Stephanie Brown, Jem, Aeon Flux, Gwen, Morgana, Morgause, Nimueh, Maid Marian, Djaq, Lady Isabella Of Gisborne, Irene Adler, Carolyn Berek, Serena Stevens, Megan Wheeler, Kate Beckett, Nikki Heat, The girls from Women’s Murder Club, Beatrice Adela Lestrange Bradley, Temperance Daesee Bradley, Brenda Leigh Johnson, Joanne Kilbourn, Josephina ‘Jo’ Lupo, Catherine Willows, Alex Rovias, Alicia Claus, Jennifer Tate, Sarah Kerrigan, Joanna Dark, Catherine 'Ann’ Archer, April Ryan, Claire Redfield, Alis Landale, Alyx Vance, Heather Mason, Elena Fisher, Amaterasu, Shantae, Rosalina, Chrodechild, Chris Lightfellow, Ellen from Folklore, Jade from Beyond Good And Evil, Maya from Septerra Core, Miriam from The Guardian Legend, The female characters from Dead Or Alive, And even if you choose to play as a male character in games like Mass Effect and Dragon Age there are still a number of female characters to choose from such as Liara T,Soni, Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, Ashley Williams, Miranda Lawson, Kahlee Sanders, Samara, Morinth, Dr Kelly Chambers, Samantha Traynor, Morrigan, Leliana, Wynne, Shale, Flenneth, Cassandra, Even older games have ones like Jill Of The Jungle, Debra Dare, Lady Bug, Kangaroo, The heroine from Secret Of Mana, The female ninja from Ninja Warriors, Princess Rosella from King’s Quest IV. Even Princess Peach and Daisy can count as they kick total amounts of ass in the racing and fighting games Nintendo puts out. Aunt Entity, Sergeant Rita Vrataski, Polgara The Sorceress, Cutie Honey, Vicki Barr, The girls from The Babysitters Club, The ladies from The Sleepover Club, Princess Cimorene, Egwene al Vere, Elizabeth Swann, Tia Dalma, Lieutenant Jordan O'Neil, Kyra/Jack, Carolyn Fry, Mimi Kirogoe, Hana, [The mother from Wolf Children who is now one of my favorite characters ever] The girl from The Fox And The Child, Annalise Keating, Lady Macbeth, Cherry Darling, Cathy Gale, Emma Peel, Cybersix, Elphaba, Samantha Barker, Karen Silkwood, [who was a real person] Meg Altman, Thelma Dickinson, Louise Sawyer, Shoshanna Dreyfus, Trinity, The girls from Charmed, Emma Swan, Regina Mills, Mina Harker from The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Pauline Hargraves, Max Caufield, Jodie Holmes, Samantha Greenbriar, Thea Queen, Squirrel Girl, Beatrix De Costa [Fire], Tora Olafsdotter [Ice], Wondergirl, Dazzler, Black Alice, Dove, Gypsy, Jade Canary, Cassandra Cain, Big Barda, Darna, The Boss, Meryl Silverburgh, Mei-Ling, Naomi Hunter, Sunny Gurlukovich, Olga Gurlukovich, Fortune, Quiet, GLADOS, SHODAN, Velma, Daphne, Miss Ernst/Grand High Witch, Sailor Moon and the Sailor Soldiers, [Sailor Venus, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Saturn, Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune, Sailor Pluto,] Bulma, the majority of the characters in Orange Is The New Black, Leslie Knope, Ann Perkins, April Ludgate, Asuka Langley Soryu, Haruko Haruhara, Nana Komatsu, Nana Osaki, Lucrezia Noin, Lady Une, Dorothy Catalonia, Sally Po, Reyna, Zoe Nightshade, Meg McCaffery, Calypso, The females from The 100, Alicia Melchiott, Isara Gunther, Cosette Coalhearth, Miku Hinasaki, Leah, [from Diablo] Melody Farklight, The Totally Spies!, Mia Dolan, Kathy Selden, Vianne Rocher, Princess Ann, [Ann ‘Smitty’ Smith] Margaret Hale, Lauren Olamina, Sara Crewe, Mary Lennox, Jennifer Simpson, Christine Collins, [Who was also a real person] Turanga Leela, Tauriel, The ladies from Steel Magnolias, All the female Transformers, Farah, Annie Sawyer, Nina Pickering, Gabrielle, Saturn Girl, Sage, Negasonic Teenage Warhead, She-Thing, Scorpion, Songbird, Silk Spectre II, Spider Girl, Silver Sable, The ladies of the Wildstorm universe, Fault Zone, Solara, The Wink, Paragon, Lady Deathstrike, Madame Masque, Cheetah, Emerald Empress, All 20 superheroines before Wonder Woman, Alanna of Trebond, The ladies of The Lunar Chronicles, Catti-Brie, Alyx, [From the Adventures Of Alyx books] The ladies from Marvel's Runaways series, Veronica Layton, Marguerite Krux, Mako Mori, Blaze The Cat, Toby 'Kissy' Masuyo, April Ryan, Mona Sax, Fox, Ninja Princess, Papri, Lady Master Of Kung Fu, Reika Kirishima, The ladies from the Tales series, Noel Vermilian, Shield Knight, Petra from Emerald City Confidential, The ladies from Elsword, Anna Leonowens.[another lady from real-life but perhaps best known from The King And 1] Eliza Doolittle, Ree Dolly, Hushpuppy, Unicorn/Lady Amalthea, Aeryn Sun, Chiana, Mallory Kane, Pauline Hargraves, Gwen Cooper, Toshiko Sato, Samantha Carter, The Tiger Woman, Barbara Meredith/The Black Whip, Hana Tsu-Vachel, Tessa Alvarado, Jo March, Liesel Meminger, Betty Barrett, Marinette Dupain-Cheng/Ladybug, Shelby Woo, Jaime Sommers, Molly Moon, Torchy Blane, Eliza Maza, Angela, Demona, Fox Xanatos, The girls from W.I.T.C.H, Mona The Vampire, The Worst Witch, Ms Frizzle, Carmen Sandiego, Leslie and Joni from Cluefinders, Ren Stevens, Jules Paxton and Jess Bhamra, [from Bend It Like Beckham] Hazel Grace Lancaster, Mara Of The Acoma, Aerin Dragon-Killer/Firehair, Angharad 'Harry' Crewe, The three sisters from Ballet Shoes, Anne Shirley, Lyra Belacqua, Kerowyn, Dashti, Sadie Kane, Zia Rashid, Samirah-Al-Abbas, Lydia Deetz, Juniper Lee, Gretchen, Spinelli, Alex Mack. Or female characters for really young kids such as Lizzie Mcguire, Andi Mack, Dora, Peppa Pig, Lola, Charlie, Looby Loo, Ramona Quimby, Pippi Longstocking, Star Butterfly, Meg Murray, Madeline, Angelina Ballerina, The lovely ladies of Balamory, Jemima Puddle-Duck, and Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle. Or females from Greek mythology like Gaia, Hestia, Demeter, Nemesis, Medusa, Nyx, Ananke, Rhea, Athena, Demeter, Persephone, Artemis or their Roman counterparts. Or the ladies from Norse, Finnish or Egyptian Mythology. Or historical female figures to look up to such as Elizabeth the 1st, Joan Of Arc, Queen Cordelia, Queen Gwendolen, Ethelfreda, Boudicca, Florence Nightingale, Amelia Earhart, Marie Curie, Catherine The Great and Audrey Hepburn. You play as a female Avatar in Cooking Mama and all of the Imagine series, The Jurassic Park dinosaurs were all female, Minecraft allows female appearance through customized character skins EVEN BARBIE! THERE! I SAID IT!

But besides that entire fucking catalog, I find myself and the rest of the female population well under-represented.....Except of course for the huge fucking roster of female characters available.

#female characters #tv #film #video games #i haven't named a chunk of the female characters available in Star Wars Lore #the frigging female portraits in Harry Potter have stories behind them #Please tell me who i've missed out #feminism #when feminists whine #female representation #mic drop

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