#i think the only time river's random weapon selection worked was when he used that fire extinguisher on hobbs

[loreartisan]

Slow Horses tip: if River picks up a piece of kitchenware expecting to use it as a weapon, know it will not end well

Evidence:

1 - he picks up a pan to use against the disguised Jed Moody; he gets hit in the head and Sid gets shot

2 - that kitchen knife he picks up and tries stabbing Frank Harkness with ends up against his own throat

3 - using a pot against a guy with a shotgun

And special mention of the shoe-in-a-bag trick he tried to pull off in season 1

[ghostoffuturespast]

Manuscript Word Search

Tagged by my lovely fellow writers @seeker-of-truth & @luvwich! Thanks for thinking of me <3

Pulled the word selection from all my published works here.

From seeker-of-truth: whisper, light, tendril, slam, & haze. (You can find their last word search here.)

Starting off with the horror, since it's Halloween season.

Whisper

Allen ran, fleeing down the stairs to escape the office.  His lungs floundered for air as he stumbled in his flight, bloody handprints left behind in his wake.  Allen made it to the lobby and burst through the double doors.  He kept running, only knowing he had to get away, but not knowing where.  His legs and lungs eventually gave out on him.  Stalling at a desolate intersection with sputtering street lights, Allen collapsed on the sidewalk and stared at his bloody hands.  He gasped for air and his skin felt cold against the warm night air.  The street lights suddenly snuffed themselves out, plunging the world into black.  A moment passed in that void of darkness before his holo rang.   “W-who is this?” A gentle, familiar silence answered the other end of the line. “Who the fuck are you?!”  Allen bellowed. The hush whispered a promise.

[Hex]

Light

Not wanting to be swallowed by the dark, Henry jogged to keep up.  Footfalls echoed as they journeyed down the corridor, Greta occasionally poking her head through busted doors and windows.  Mostly offices, full of office junk.  Henry wanted to ask what she was looking for, why not just pick up a stapler and be done with it, but every slight sound he heard made him start.  He hesitated at the thought of loudness that his voice might bring.  Greta’s footsteps paused when they reached the end of the hallway, the building expanded out onto a warehouse floor.  The silhouettes of walkways crisscrossed above and disused equipment scattered itself around the cavernous space.  Light from Greta’s holo did little to illuminate the gloom.  

[Tongues]

Tendril

She reached out, rubbing the leather and worn shearling in between her thumb and forefinger as she gazed around the room. The majority of the boxes had been put away and all the random items that had littered the place before had been tucked away elsewhere. Tidy, but not so neat that you couldn’t tell anyone was living there. Scribbled notes and dog-eared books were stacked on the desk, a small pile of laundry sequestered to one spot on the floor, the lone plant she’d seen in the old apartment had its delicate tendrils stretched out towards the sun. Everything a little dusty, a little worn.

[So It Goes Ch. 37: The Denial Twist]

Slam

River tore down the stairs as fast as he could. His suspect had a considerable headstart, and River heard the emergency exit door slam open when he had hit the sixth floor landing. He picked up the pace, trying to make it down the stairs in time. The emergency exit led into an alleyway and River swiveled his head in both directions, panting heavily. There was no sign which direction he'd gone, River had lost him. "Freeze! Drop your weapon!" "Dammit." River wrinkled his nose but slowly put his hands up, bending down to put his gun on the concrete, he slid it away with his boot and put his hands back up.

[So It Goes Ch. 16: Take Me Out]

Haze (& also tendril)

V blinked up at the ceiling of her apartment. Laid out on the floor in the dark, her mouth tasted of nicotine, alcohol, and acid. She flopped her head in the direction of the couch, spotting the puddle of vomit. The edges of Johnny flickered in and out, a murky shimmering haze of pixels. He was simultaneously staring out the window and watching the last tendrils of smoke curl up from an empty glass he had used as an ashtray, a half empty handle of tequila sitting next to it. Guess Johnny had finally gotten his fucking cigarette.

[So It Goes Ch. 21: Trauma]

From luvwich: bare, disgust, feed, plastic, silence. (Read their last word search here.)

Bare

“May I?” She nodded and stood, facing away from him. “If you can’t get your shoulder all the way up, I can get the scissors.” “No need to be dramatic.” She winced and bit back a groan of pain as she held her arms aloft. River tugged up on the hem of the shirt and lifted it to her shoulders, his knuckles brushing against her skin. V used her good arm to help navigate her head through the collar. A sigh of relief escaped as she was allowed to put her arms back down. She wasn’t wearing anything else underneath her shirt, her back completely bare to him, save for the blood soaked dressing on her shoulder.

[So It Goes Ch. 25: PARAMOUR]

Disgust

Pressing her tongue on the roof of her mouth, she swallowed and tried to collect moisture to combat the disgusting amount of fuzz that had grown in her mouth overnight. She smacked her lips together in disappointment and closed her eyes, her dry mouth persisting. The scent of leather blanketed her, a balm on her alcohol tormented synapses, along with that smell she still couldn’t pin. It all smelled like him though. V burrowed further underneath the coat for a while longer, trying to wish her hangover away, nose and face buried in the collar of soft worn shearling. Johnny disappeared to wherever he went when he wasn’t chatting with her. Checking the time, 11:12, she forced herself to sit up and looked around the familiar office, River’s coat slipping down to her waist. The motion tilted her stomach and she resisted the temptation to hurl straight into her boots.

Feed

V thought about everything. And nothing. She blinked her eyes open when the cat poked his damp nose in her ear, mewling. Whiskers tickled her face as Nibbles antagonized her. She blinked again. 11:16. It was past his breakfast. “All right, all right.” Tossing the covers off, she trudged over to the kitchenette to feed the damn cat.

[So It Goes Ch. 30: Passion Is Accurate]

Plastic

Perching on the edge of one of the rickety plastic chairs, Misty's eyes wandered the deserted rooftop, not finding the face she wished was there.  She sighed, her purse and hands huddled in her lap.  Shutting her eyes and leaning back, she sat there and listened to the ever present hum of the city.  The traffic and the shouts.  The buzz and the clamor.  Struggles and triumphs.  Life as it moved forward.

[Space]

Silence

A comfortable silence washed over them as they drove down the highway.  “V.” Jackie said suddenly. “Huh?” Valerie looked at Jackie confused. “You should go by ‘V’. You know, matches your persona. Short, edgy, to the point, a little mysterious. Think it fits you better than ‘Valerie.’” Valerie paused. “I’ll put it into consideration. No promises.”

[So It Goes Ch. 1: Heave Ho]

Tagging with no pressure: @therealnightcity @cinnamon-mey @shimmer-like-agirl @fly-amanitaa @dani-the-goblin @tarmac-rat @merge-conflict @another-corpo-rat @wanderingaldecaldo @baublekute

Your words: eyes, dive, water, corner, shudder.

[andypantsx3]

war paint | 3 | captain

pairing: Bakugou Katsuki / Reader

length: 27,765 words / 10 chapters

summary: Desperate times force you to disguise yourself and join the kingsguard. When a suspicious string of crimes strike the palace, however, Captain Katsuki Bakugou starts paying extra close attention. (spin off of in cinders)

tags: mulan AU, secret identity, romance, reader-insert

warnings: aged up characters, some violence, eventual smut

The first few weeks of your enlistment were inarguably the worst you’d ever lived.

If not on patrol, soldiers were awakened before dawn every morning and marched to the training pitch behind the castle where you drilled in different formations with various weapons. You were run through exercises that seemed designed to drop anyone with less than iron willpower, then set to menial tasks like cleaning the barracks or repairing any damaged weapons or equipment. The midday meal was the first break in your day, followed immediately by training in basic first aid and survival skills, then by more weaponry drills that took you until the dinner bell.

Between your extra training with Nishimura and the time you had to invest in sneaking off to use the lavatory or a spot to bathe in private, you were hardly resting. Even the time you did spend bathing, you spent in a constant state of anxiety, wondering if a random bunk check would reveal you missing. You hadn't chanced more than a wild, lightning fast scrub down in weeks.

At the end of the first week, you’d collected your enlistment fee with hands blistered from sword work, and it took you longer than you’d ever admit to count it out, stopping every few seconds when your eyes drifted involuntarily shut. You’d been happy to send it off to your family, though, with a short note that told them you were doing well.

Which was, of course, a lie.

You weren’t exactly the most popular among the kingsguard thanks to the show you’d put on when you arrived, and you had the misfortune of dorming in the same room as Nishimura. Despite Captain Bakugou’s warnings, he’d gone out of his way to make life uncomfortable for you, slipping bugs into your sheets and loudly discussing you in less than flattering terms well within earshot.

More than that, you were terrible at nearly everything and it was obvious. Kaminari helped you to the best of his ability, and so did Sero, the guard who’d poked fun at your age at the castle gates. Neither of them, however, could make up for the fact that as a woman, you were somewhat smaller and slighter, and hadn’t had the same opportunities building up muscle mass as men your age. Every sword felt like an anvil in your hands; lifting a mace like hauling a boulder.

The only thing you seemed to excel at was the first aid trainings. You found yourself listening with rapt attention as the court physician walked your battalion through wrapping injuries and cleaning wounds, noting which easily obtained herbs and flowers could slow blood loss or ease pain. Kaminari was always eager to pair with you during the practical exercises, as you were among the least likely to accidentally poison him with the wrong herbs. It was gratifying to be good at at least one thing.

Your favorite part of castle service, though, was the patrols.

After your first month of training, you’d been assigned thrice-weekly patrol routes and found that it was like wading into a cool river on a hot day. Patrols got you out of whichever drills were happening at the time and took you out from under Captain Bakugou’s purview and behind the relative safety of the castle walls.

Though monotonous, you only had to walk a specific route throughout the castle with a partner, and you were rarely supervised. On your first patrol with Kaminari, you also found that patrols were - for him - more of an opportunity to make social calls.

“L/N,” he said, nearly the minute you stepped inside the castle walls. “We’ve got an excellent route today.”

You raised an eyebrow in question.

He chuckled, gesturing you along. “Come on, our first stop is right over here.”

“Our first stop?” you echoed.

Kaminari grinned and grabbed your sleeve, pulling you into a side door. On the other side sat a cramped office stuffed with bright fabrics and colorful spools of thread. A woman with shocking pink hair hunched over a spill of pretty silk, working tiny, perfect stitches into the fabric.

“Mina!” Kaminari boomed and the woman sat up with a smile.

“Denki!” she said, reaching over to hug him. “It’s been a while since patrol took you over here! I have so much to tell you!”

Kaminari laughed and pulled you forward. “Me too. Mina, this is L/N! He lied about his age and wormed his way into the kingsguard.”

You whirled on him. “I’m old enough to be in the guard!”

The absolute wrong gender, but definitely the right age.

He gave you an innocent look. “I’m just passing on the popular opinion.”

Mina chuckled. “Oh, ignore him, L/N. We all do. It’s quite nice to meet you.”

Kaminari whined but Mina just laughed again, redirecting his attention to the dress she was making, saying it was for the princess-to-be. Apparently, Prince Shouto’s bride had been a kitchen girl that Mina and Denki had both been acquainted with, and they talked eagerly of the wedding they’d both been invited to and the food that would be there.

“Think old Bakugou will show up?” Kaminari asked at one point, making himself comfortable at Mina’s workstation. Mina met this with a shrug.

You gave them both a questioning look. “Why would the captain be invited?”

Kaminari turned to you conspiratorially. “Captain Bakugou and the prince grew up together - they’re something like old friends. Plus, Bakugou’s a marquis, he’s probably got an invitation just for political reasons.”

“He’s a marquis?” you asked. That explained the Lord appellation on your contract, then. “Why join the palace guard if he’s titled?”

Kaminari shrugged. “Probably not enough opportunity to torture innocent civilians in Musutafu. If he wants to hold the land, he’s got to be nice to them, hasn’t he?”

You grimaced, thinking of all the drills he’d run you through since you’d gotten here. That definitely wouldn’t endear him to anyone.

“Speaking of our favorite captain,” Mina said conversationally, “I heard he’s been meeting with the prince more often than usual.”

“Wedding stuff?” Kaminari asked, but Mina shook her head.

“As if he’d touch that mushy shit with a ten foot pole. He wouldn’t know romance if it pranced in front of him wearing a soldier’s uniform. No, I heard it’s because a bunch of papers and other valuables went missing from the prince’s study last Thursday night.”

Your mind wandered back to last Thursday, wondering if you’d been on patrol when it had happened. You only dredged up a memory of snuggling down into your bunk, relieved that Nishimura and his goon friend Hasumi were out on their own patrol and your bed was thankfully bug free.

Kaminari’s eyebrows went up. “Important papers?”

Mina raised a thin shoulder. “From what I heard, it seemed to be a weird selection. A couple letters, some wedding arrangements. But a land treaty disappeared as well. They think it’s a spy.”

Kaminari whistled. “Bet old Baku is pissed this happened on his watch. No wonder he’s been in such a foul mood lately.” He turned to you. “Don’t you think he’s been a little too happy when one of us gets clipped by the wrong edge of the sword?”

You thought back to his threats in the mess hall. “He seems normal enough to me.”

Kaminari mulled that over. “I suppose he’s usually that awful.”

Mina smiled. “Talking of which, shouldn’t you be getting on with your patrol? I’d hate to find out what he’d do if he found out you were in here gossiping.”

A spike of panic stabbed through your heart and you grabbed Kaminari’s sleeve. “Excellent observation, Mina. We really should be going. It was wonderful to meet you!”

You tugged Kaminari roughly back through the doorway. You thought it was a testament to his own fear of the captain that he went willingly enough.

The rest of your patrol proved uneventful, however, Bakugou thankfully never being alerted to your social stop. Your patrol ended just after the dinner bell and you ate quickly in the mess hall, then rushed off to the training pitch.

Today was also the last day of your punishment for fighting in the mess hall on your first day, and you thought dreamily of all the rested muscles and extra time you’d have on your hands once extra training ended. You might be able to sneak off to bathe at a normal time of the evening instead of in the dead of night, starting tomorrow.

Your good cheer faded quickly, however, as you arrived at the pitch to find Captain Bakugou there.

Nishimura was just behind you and he stopped short at your side. “Where’s our usual drill officer?” he demanded.

A horrible grin cut into Bakugou’s features, bearing his sharp canines. He looked like a wolf ready to tear into a nest of rabbits, and your stomach flipped. “Ojiro’s off duty tonight. Thought I’d see if you’d learned your lesson myself.”

You inhaled sharply, and Bakugou caught it, laughing. “Thought I’d forgotten about you two fucks, didn’t you?”

You lowered your gaze and took a deep, steadying breath. Just tonight. You just had to get through tonight and you would be free.

Nishimura seemed to steel himself as well, sweeping a hand through his dark hair. “What are our drills tonight, Captain?”

Bakugou’s crimson gaze flickered over you both. “Fight me.”

You looked up, startled. “Fight you?”

He looked you over disdainfully. “You’re a goddamn soldier, you telling me you can’t fight? Didn’t seem to stop you in the mess hall.”

You bit your lip, but Nishimura stepped forward, that violent gleam in his eye. “Yes, sir.”

Bakugou grinned. “I’m gonna fucking wipe this field with you.”

Nishimura didn’t dare correct his superior, but his hand went quickly to his sword and he leaned forward eagerly. Before you even had time to blink, the clash of metal rang out across the field and Bakugou had Nishimura on the defensive, pushing him back into step with you. You hadn’t even seen him go for his sword.

Swearing, you fumbled for your own blade, whipping it out just in time to catch the swipe Bakugou aimed at your side. You stumbled under the force of the strike, tripping backwards.

Nishimura growled and lunged again, but Bakugou was faster, parrying his attack and following up with his own. A low chuckle escaped him as he caught Nishimura with the back edge of his blade, winding him and sending him staggering back.

Bakugou whipped back to you, targeting you with another fast swipe that you barely caught in time. The strength of his blow almost knocked your sword from your grasp, shuddering up your arm and leaving you gasping.

“What the fuck are you in the kingsguard for if you won’t fight?” he snarled. Another swipe came your way and again you barely caught it. Your heart beat frantically in your chest and you tried to duck out of range of his arm.

“Come back here, pretty boy,” Bakugou taunted, advancing on you, but Nishimura cut in with another attack. Bakugou whipped the edge of his blade up again, faster than your eye could follow, catching the strike. You caught the curl of that savage grin on the corner of his mouth again before he moved, ducking under Nishimura’s arm and twisting his blade. It slid along the edge of Nishimura’s sword with an awful screech, then caught the hilt at an angle, ripping it straight out of Nishimura’s grip.

A kick from Bakugou had Nishimura on the ground and just as quickly he twisted back around, stalking back towards you. Your heartbeat quickened in fear as he approached, crimson gaze burning into you.

“You don’t belong here if you can’t face me,” he ground out. “Fight me or I’m discharging you. That’s a fucking order.”

You trembled, but lifted your blade. You needed the money to send back to your parents. It was too early to be discharged - if you left now, they’d have no way of clearing the debt.

You thrust your sword forward but Bakugou dodged easily. You quickly flicked through all the maneuvers you’d been drilling the past month, and followed up with a lunge. Bakugou grinned, flicking it aside with a quick twist of his wrist.

“Put your back into it, shrimp,” he demanded.

You gripped your sword with both hands, bringing it down on him with all the force you had in you. Bakugou deflected, and before you knew what was happening, your sword was rent from your grasp, skidding along the dirt of the pitch behind you.

The flat of Bakugou’s sword came up to tip your chin up to him.

“Pathetic,” he spat, “you fight like a damn woman.”

Your hands curled into fists at your sides. Bakugou’s sharp eyes caught it and he smirked. “You gonna punch me, pretty boy?”

You struggled to tamp down the hot anger bubbling up inside you like a spring from the earth. “No, sir.”

He eyed you distrustfully, pressing the flat of his blade into your chin a little harder. “I’d think seriously about what the fuck you think you’re doing here. This is the kingsguard and I don’t need weak little shits like you endangering the royal family or your fellow soldiers.”

You stared back at him, not daring to speak. Your blood rushed in your ears and your heart hammered wildly in your chest.

After a long moment he lowered his blade, sheathing it back at his hip. He looked over at Nishimura, who was delicately picking himself up off the ground.

“Disappointing,” Bakugou said roughly. “I’ve seen enough here. You’re both dismissed - back to your dormitories.”

You nodded, backing away from him. Nishimura stalked off, and you turned and picked your way gingerly back across the field, stopping only to pick up your sword and tuck it back into the belt at your waist. You set off slowly for the barracks, something like hot tears stinging at the back of your eyes.

You didn’t look back, but you swore you could feel a pair of crimson eyes on you as you slipped quietly through the dark.

[naancypants]

Back To Normal

@nancydrew-onthecase​ I ended up kinda combining this prompt with my headcanon post lol, so hopefully that’s alright. Thank you for the prompt submission!! And I hope it’s enjoyable ❤ I’ve also popped this onto Ao3 if anyone wants to support it there. I’m always accepting more Jancy prompts! ;)

After a case brought Nancy Drew to a town neighboring Bayport, it was only natural for her to drop in to the Hardy residence and say hello to her favorite brothers in the world; and, naturally, the trio spent the next few days finishing up the case altogether, eventually tracking down the notorious jewel thief who had been hitting a carefully selected array of towns all the way across the United States. Finally bringing such a criminal to justice was an immensely satisfying feeling no matter how many times it was experienced, and knowing that the guy was safely behind bars for years to come, the detectives decided it would be nice to spend a little mystery-free time together on the night before Nancy’s departure back to River Heights - that is, until they realized that this happened to be the same night Frank had previously signed up to give a lecture on criminal justice at the local community college. “Well, at least the timing of this last case kinda worked out. Now I have some fresh experiences to share,” Frank says with a halfhearted grin, “Look after Joe tonight, will you, Nancy?” They exchange a long, tender goodbye hug as Nancy chuckles a little, “No problem.” Frank begins striding towards the entryway, teasing inflections lacing his deep voice as it gets gradually further away, “Yeah, well, you might want to wait and see what it’s actually like watching over him! Not as easy as it sounds.” “Hey, I’m right here,” Joe jokes back, waving his hands a little from inside his hoodie’s pockets. Nancy gazes after the older Hardy brother as he leaves, “Bye.” “See you, Nancy.” The front door opens then closes, leaving the two remaining sleuths in silence. Joe takes in a deep breath, glancing at the vintage CLUE board game that Aunt Trudy had gifted to the brothers for Christmas when they were 8 and 9 – an expected favorite of theirs. He casually ambles over to where the unopened box sits on one edge of the angled fireplace, gesturing towards it. “Well, there’s no reason we can’t still have a game night of our own, right?” Nancy shrugs, “I don’t see why not!” As Joe sets up the board on the living room floor, Nancy goes into the kitchen to fetch a glass. “Joe, do you want anything to drink?” “Nah I’m good,” he responds, attempting to shuffle the deck of Room cards back and forth in his hands; split the deck at a random place, shove the two halves back together, hope for the best. Repeat. Frank was a much better shuffler, to be honest, but someone had never bothered to teach Joe how to do it properly. So. This is the method he is using. Shut up. A mild look of distaste suddenly clouds Joe’s face, though despite his furrowed brows there’s a bit of a smile playing at the edges of his lips, “Hey Nance, you’re not about to do that thing where you just drink plain milk, are you? ‘Cause –” He twists his body around to see the strawberry blonde shuffling sheepishly towards him with both hands protectively cradling a glass full of solid white liquid. “Oh my God.” Nancy crosses her legs and sits opposite him, “It’s good for you.” “It’s also gross.” “No, it’s not!” “Milk is good for cereal and absolutely nothing else!” Nancy shakes her head at his antics – in this case, a dramatic finger lifted into the air as if he were making some grand point – and lets out a short giggle, “Ookay, Joe. Are we ready to get started?” “Absolutely,” he points to the two messy starter decks he’d already dealt out, “Pick your poison – err, I mean… well, yeah. That’s pretty on the nose for a game of CLUE, don’t you think?” Nancy nods, cheekily yet subtly repeating Joe’s line from just a few moments before, “Absolutely.” Hours pass as the two race each other to crack each miniature case, and the stakes keep getting higher as they find small ways to make the mysteries harder – taking random unseen cards 100% out of play, limiting their amount of turns before someone has to make an accusation, and in one heated round they even ditched their notepads entirely, opting instead to take on the challenge of storing everything in memory. Nancy crushed him in that round, because Joe’s long term memory is all right, but short term…? Forget about it. Joe keeps a win/lose tally on his phone, of course, and by the time 10:30PM rolls around Nancy has him beat by 3 wins. He isn’t sure if it’s because of the dim lighting from the many candles Mrs. Hardy likes to keep around the house or the fact that he’s still on this semi-childish competitive high, but when he looks up at Nancy while she’s gathering up the pieces from their latest game, he’s reminded of something. “Hey Nance, do you remember doing this as kids?” She pauses, absentmindedly setting down the weapon pieces in their correct spots on the board. “I do. ‘Course, we didn’t get to do it very much.” There was a chuckle at the end of her sentence, after which Joe emits one of his own. “Yeah. Man, things were so different back then.” “How so?” Joe starts to open his mouth, but realizes he isn’t sure how to explain what he meant. Game nights back then for Nancy Drew & The Hardy Boys really were few and far between, but every once in a while - whenever Carson was away on business and Hannah had family matters to attend to - the stars would align, and Nancy would be allowed to stay with the Hardy family for a few days. On the night of Nancy’s arrival Laura always made sure to bake up a fresh batch of her famous chocolate chip cookies, which was a favorite of the 3 young teenagers. Unsurprisingly, the heaping pile of cookies would be devoured in about 5 minutes flat… Joe really wishes he hadn’t thought of that. Now his mouth is watering. He also realizes that Nancy is still waiting for him to answer her question. He shrugs. “I don’t know, I mean, we were kids. Of course it was different.” “You’re not different, though,” a playful, sincere smile works its way onto her face as she looks up at him in the candlelight, “I think you’ve changed the least out of all of us.” She means this to be a lighthearted comment, Joe knows, but internally it makes him feel a little funny. He thinks he’s changed a lot since then. True, he’s still impulsive and daring and makes himself laugh at all of the stupid jokes that formulate in his brain… but not everything is how it was back in those days. Long before the world caught on to the inherent connection that exists between Frank & Nancy, Joe was actually the one who had first taken an interest in the girl detective; well, as much interest as an awkward, inexperienced 13-year-old could. He had just started noticing girls, and Nancy was very pretty, but… she was so, so unlike all the other pretty girls at Bayport Middle & High School. But obviously he doesn’t feel that way anymore. That’s probably the biggest difference between now & then, because Joe had easily understood that if Nancy were ever to break up with her longtime beau Ned Nickerson (which probably wasn’t going to happen), the next person in line for her romantic affections was going to be Frank Hardy (who is definitely not Joe). And he was totally okay with that. In fact, it was kinda fun to watch Nancy & his brother’s friendship grow over the years, especially when he got to tease Frank about all the lingering glances and “unspoken words” he never had the chance to say to Nancy. Poking at his brother is something Joe enjoys no matter the context. Back in reality, Nancy has finally finished dealing out the cards for another game and is looking expectantly at her friend. “Your turn to choose!” Joe thinks he remembers her saying the exact same thing when they were about 15, sitting in the exact same spot on the floor, playing the exact same board game. Her reddish-blonde hair had been pulled into a side braid as she usually wore it at the time, as opposed to the natural perfect curl her hair comes to at her shoulder blades now, but her ice blue eyes were as sharp and sparkling as ever. It’s been a long time since Joe has looked at Nancy. Like, looked at her in the way he did when they first met. In fact, up until this moment he thought that her freckles had just disappeared as she got older, but underneath the dancing shadows on her face he can still see a light dusting of them going across her nose; subtle, but cute, and only noticeable if you’re really looking. ...Oh. Joe swallows. At last he picks up the leftmost deck of starter cards and fans it out in his hand, examining the assortment in front of him; Peacock, revolver, wrench, conservatory, billiard room. His heart pounds a little heavier than usual as he marks them each off his list. Anxiety isn’t something Joe usually struggles with, but he thinks this is what it feels like. It’s okay, though, Joe reasons with himself, This is just a weird flash of… whatever. It’ll pass and all will go back to normal. “Alright. You can go first this time.” when Nancy looks up from her notepad, she must take notice of the thoughtful look on Joe’s face. She frowns a bit, her brows furrowing in that concerned, inquisitive way they do. “Hey, are you okay?” Joe clears his throat. Back to normal. “Yeah, sorry! Was thinking about… something totally unrelated. I’m good. Lets go.” With that he flashes her a trademark Joe Hardy smile, picks up the dice, and does not give it another thought.

[fadingcoast]

Death Of The Lie  ||  Chapter 17: Asgard

Summary: Odin and his daughter Hela are the perfect conquerors of the universe. The nine realms fall one after the other into their clutch. After Odin takes a second wife and has a son with her, he doesn’t need Hela anymore. Hela abandons her father and ends up marrying Laufey, a sworn enemy of the Aesir people. Not long after, she becomes pregnant with Laufey’s child. Odin cannot let that son be born, but against all odds, the boy survives. Odin is forced to bring him back to Asgard to be raised as his own until he could make further use of him. The half-Jotun-half-Aesir boy grows up to look and act a lot like his mother, which disturbs Odin, and makes him treat the boy horribly. Odin’s lies are deep and complex, but one day the boy will find out the truth about everything he is.

PAIRING: None RATING: Teen

MASTERLIST

Feedback is always appreciated and reblogs are encouraged!!

Chapter 17: Asgard

Dearest Sigyn:

It is with great woe that I inform you that I have cut my hair. I imagine Gwyn will not be pleased with this, but I could never care for it as she did. And believe me, I tried. If I know you at all, right now you’re rolling your eyes wondering if my father had anything to do with my decision. I believe you know the answer to that, as he has been pestering me from day one to do this. I didn’t want to give in just yet, but even with the help of my magic, all I made of it was a mess. In this weather, though, it's probably for the best. It was getting a bit hot to maintain.

I have been in Asgard for so little time, but it already feels like decades. I want nothing more than to go back to Alfheim. To see you, to immerse in the Alfar world again. I miss the rivers, the lakes, the mountains… I imagine the berry fields must be ready for harvesting. It makes me sad not to be there to taste the first fruits. The castle is too quiet at night without a river nearby and at times I find it difficult to sleep. I had to conjure a fake one in my balcony just to get some rest.

Thor has become nearly unbearable in my absence. I had noticed his mannerisms becoming closer to Odin’s in the past, but without any opposing influence my brother has gone full brute. He talks often of the realms he wishes to keep under tighter control once he is king. Mother ensures that his rants don't go too far, but he treats her word more as a suggestion than wisdom. I fear he may one day become a victim of his own hubris, and the kingdom with him. I've not a clue what Lady Sif still sees in him but they are unbearably inseparable.

The news of our engagement is still quiet, as mother has not tested the waters of my father's approval yet. Odin appears to be somewhat relieved to have me back where he can see me and has kept his scorn to a reasonable level so long as I keep my nose clean. I suspect if he is not told soon he will either marry me off to a daughter of some random Aesir nobility and have us live in the castle or have me groomed to be the King's right hand when Thor takes the throne. It is with no exaggeration that I admit I would rather fling myself off the rainbow bridge than to do either, so I think I will have to tell him before long.

I hope to hear from you soon, as I know you are finishing up your last term at the Sanctum and I know you're terribly busy.

-L

.-

Dear Loki:

I don't have to tell you how beautiful the land looks right now, how thick the air is with the sweet fragrance of ripened fruits and honeysuckle. This land is in your blood, and you would sooner forget to breathe than to not think about it. I hardly get to see it these days but I like to go to your old room and sit in the bay window to study. At times I will fall asleep there and I will awake with a start, thinking it's you tapping on my shoulder, but it's Gwyn. Soon I will take my final exams, just a few years out. I don't know how you did it.

You don’t want to know what Gwyn’s reaction was when I broke the news about your hair to her. You’d think the world was ending. Honestly, as good as it looked, I’m surprised you didn’t do it sooner, it must have been so heavy.

I hope the selection of fruits and ale I sent with this letter are to your liking, and that they didn’t end up on your head. I think I will need a sketch or drawing of your room to get familiar with it and pinpoint my teleporting spells, as I am not as familiar with it as you are with my chambers. This will make our exchanges happen a lot faster and no one else can read what we write. It will also help me practice my teleportation techniques.

Maybe one day before long I can visit Asgard, with the King and Queen's permission, of course, after our engagement is known.

-S

.-

The steady exchange of letters Loki kept with Sigyn was full of funny anecdotes and jokes, and it kept him from losing his mind most days. Lucky for both of them, they had perfected a tracking system so they could teleport letters, portraits and presents back and forth, bypassing the regular system. It helped time pass and it kept Loki’s sense of humor intact on days where all he wanted was to escape royal life.

It wasn’t odd for Loki to wake up to a room full of blackberry infused ale, or daffodils in blossom, and some other seasonal foods. It was quite the feat to explain to Frigga why he had so many turnips in his room before he sent them all to the kitchens. But the Queen knew to keep his secret and would help her son ensure gifts from Sigyn ended up where they needed to go, though Loki did prefer to keep the ale for himself.

The letters were also full of less pleasant things. Loki’s nightmares had made a comeback, and they were getting worse. Visions of him in an icy tomb, surrounded by bright blue cold light, where the most frequent. Other times he would be surrounded by darkness, no wind, no sound, lifeless. Sometimes he could even swear there was something calling to him in the dark, but he would jolt awake, covered in frost, before he could figure it out. He spent most of his free time in the library, trying to find an explanation, but most of what he found presented more questions than answers and made no sense.

Loki could not tell this to anyone. Thor wouldn’t care, Frigga wouldn’t be able to help him and Odin would probably berate him for not controlling his powers. As if I could control them while asleep. Sigyn was the only person who he knew could trust with this, and though she was too far away to really help him, she still sent him medicinal herbs, sleeping potions (dreamless sleep was better than no sleep, after all) and comfort food he would not find in Asgard. In addition, she would also send copies of manuscripts she thought could help him.

During the day, Loki fell into a routine, keeping his mind busy to keep out of his own head and fill the endless hours of the day. He was obliged to attend certain diplomatic meetings but only as an observer and only to learn more about running the kingdom. Forced to wear his ceremonial uniform - horns and all - Loki loathed them, but was still far more observant of visiting ambassadors than he let on. It was him who picked up on it each time one would try to lie or trick the Allfather, and after some time Odin wanted to use his skill at every meeting. It was a thankless job, but Loki knew he had to make himself indispensable to gain the Allfather’s trust, so he performed his duty with a sort of reluctant sense of responsibility. For the first time in almost his entire life, Odin stopped insulting him at every opportunity, and replaced his mistrust with indifference. Loki was no longer followed by Odin’s blasted ravens, or by the Einherjar, everywhere he went.

Even while being used, Loki found a measure of freedom in Asgard at last.

.-

My Queen:

It’s been decades and I still can’t get used to being here.

I’ve been made very aware in more than one occasion that this is a world built for warriors, and I am not one of them. Thor has tried to include me in his tiny clique, but he insists on mocking my powers, unless he can make use of them.

“Some do battle, while others do tricks,” he says - but he’s perfectly happy with my “tricks” saving him, and then taking all the credit when an incursion goes well. In any case, is not like Odin would congratulate me, as he dislikes me using my magic when I‘m supposed to be using weapons and considers sorcery to be the cheater’s way. Nothing ever satisfies his impossible standards.

I must admit that I’ve used magic for more than saving my brother’s behind, though.

Fandral has gotten no more amenable, and wastes no opportunity to make crude remarks about my magic and my shapeshifting. This of course only happens whenever Thor isn’t around, the spineless worm. But I finally got my revenge.

In a recent trip, I suggested I used my female form, as the ruler of said realm was a fierce woman who wanted nothing to do with negotiations as long as Odin or Thor were conducting them. I thought, very accurately, she would be more lenient if a woman was the representative. To everyone’s surprise, except mine, it worked, and now interrealm relations are advancing.

That evening, in the revels of it, Fandral once again tried to make advances on me. This time, I was prepared. I had been working on a little something for some time, and it was the perfect opportunity to lace his drink with a very special concoction.

He spent the next two full days as a pig! His tiny brain managed to keep him safe from the slaughterhouse. Once the effect wore off, he tried to blame me for it, but he had no proof. Besides, it’s not the first time he has gone missing for a couple of days. Most believe his excuses just got out of hand.

I must say, potion making isn’t fun and it will probably never be my strong point, but the results are very satisfactory. Hopefully the goateed swine has learned at least a small lesson about underestimating me.

I believe the time has almost come for my father to be informed of our engagement, though if and when it happens it won’t likely be made public knowledge until after Thor’s coronation, which is at least another half century or more away. But it will stop Odin from discussing my possible marital prospects involving Aesir nobility for the foreseeable future. I will tell you as soon as I am able to do it.

-L

PS: Please, tell Gwyn her blackberry pie was delicious, and that without her here to tell me not to eat it in one sitting, I ate it in one sitting.

.-

My King:

Gwyn is both very pleased and very cross with your message. I could still hear her muttering about your sweet tooth and lack of self control well into dinner time.

I kind of want to feel sorry for Fandral, or at least tell you to make productive use of what you’ve learned. But I’m not going to, cause I am imagining a pig with a blond goatee, and I wish you could have kept some register of it.

As for our engagement, I have no better news than you.

My cousin, Princess Frikka of Vanaheim, has announced her betrothal and upcoming wedding. Every and all announcements will be on hold until after she weds and the new future king is presented. Her fiancé comes from one of the oldest houses on the realm and has been around the royal family probably since he was born. Surprisingly enough, they chose each other, which leads me to believe he must have some integrity and intelligence in him. Frikka is smart and strong willed, she wouldn’t suffer a fool.

I am guessing that for a ceremony of this magnitude and significance, Asgard will be sending Thor in Odin’s behalf. If you want me to, I can brew something to turn him into a goat.

-S

.-

Sigyn:

In an unsuspected turn of events, my father has decided I’m the one to represent Asgard in Princess Frikka’s upcoming wedding. Thor, as usual, wants nothing to do with diplomatic visits or ceremonial commitments, and my father is once again incapable of putting his foot down with him.

I do regret that you will miss the chance to turn Thor into a goat. But there’s always more ceremonies and weddings, including our own, where you can try that out.

I look forward to see you in Vanaheim next fortnight. The prospect of you being there and seeing you again is the only thing that will keep me sane.

-L

.-

The week leading to the event, Loki found himself excited by the thought of reuniting with Sigyn, and wanted to do something special for her. For this, he enlisted his mother’s help, as he had no clue of where to get the gift he had in mind.

Loki had discussed their unofficial engagement with his mother several times in length, and while he knew the Queen had indeed informed Odin, it was rather odd that the Allfather hadn’t talked to him about it in person.

Loki wanted to question this decision, maybe even talk to his father himself. Odin had always been very adamant in controlling everything in his life. Why all of a sudden did he seem to not care about it? Or maybe he was looking for a reason to forbid Loki from marrying Sigyn, thus stopping him from leaving Asgard for good? Loki wouldn’t put it past Odin to do such a thing. It wasn’t until much later that the reason behind Odin’s silence became clearer.

As much as they tried to hide it, Odin’s dwindling health was a well-known secret. The whispers and rumors had not gone unnoticed by Loki. This only meant the palace would be making arrangements sooner than planned to proclaim Thor as King. Loki couldn’t help but feel bitter about it: as usual, he was being pushed aside for his brother to shine.

Yet, he had no time to dwell on it. Diplomatic trips weren’t something Asgard took lightly, least of all now, when such an important ceremony was involved. Loki had to get a proper outfit, take time to study and relearn some of Vanaheim ceremonial etiquette, and find Sigyn her gift.

When the day came, Loki found himself rather excited by the prospect of spending a few days away from Asgard. He told himself the butterflies in his stomach were from the responsibility invested on him to represent Asgard and the Nine Realms. They had nothing to do with seeing Sigyn again, of course not. Still, there was a little skip in his step when he and Frigga made way to the Bifrost chamber.

As in all the realms, Vanaheim had a special landing site for the Bifrost. It was very similar to the Alfheim one, except the stones that made the circle were blue. A wide stone road led out to the capitol, while other smaller dirt pathways led out to several shrines. Loki knew these were teleporting spots, portals that connected Vanaheim to other realms besides Asgard. Loki made way to the white Alfheim shrine to wait for Sigyn. His fingers traced the white stone, covered in familiar leaf patterns, and smiled to himself. His nostalgia was interrupted by a bright silver flash coming from the inside of the shrine.

Loki straightened himself and stood by the door and waited for Sigyn to come out. And what a vision she was. Her linen and silk dress was several shades of green, with golden leaves embroidered on the fabric that shimmered in the midday sun, making it look as if the light was going through the foliage of a tree. The golden and white sash on her waist was modeled after branches, and matched the design of the tiara on her head. Blue, red and yellow jewels embedded in the metal resembled little flowers.

Rendered temporarily speechless, Loki shook his head. In an attempt to get rid of the awkward atmosphere, he bowed theatrically, taking Sigyn’s hand and kissing it.

“Your majesty.” Loki chuckled.

“Your highness.” Sigyn bowed as well, trying to stifle a laugh. “What’s with the antlers?”

“Har-har,” Loki said, unamused. “Ceremonial regalia. It’s supposed to be intimidating, I think. I plan to get rid of it as soon as I’m allowed.” Sigyn’s face was red, and her lips pressed in a tight line as she tried not to giggle. “Laugh now, get it out of your system unless you want to enter the Realm looking like a strawberry,” he teased, rolling his eyes.

“I’m sorry!!” She broke down in hysterics, holding Loki’s arm to steady herself. “I’m sorry…” Finally she took a deep breath. “I’m fine now.” Loki stared blankly at her, and Sigyn broke down laughing again, unsuccessfully apologizing.

Loki shook his head a took a deep breath, smiling despite of himself while he waited for Sigyn to stop. She had tears in her eyes when the fit finally subsided.

“Okay, I am fine now. We can go.” Sigyn smiled at him.

He smiled back offering his arm for her to grab it. “You look beautiful.”

Loki and Sigyn were led into a carriage that transported them to the castle. Conversation was light and amenable, and Loki felt like he was floating on air sitting next to Sigyn again, becoming aware every few minutes that she had grown in his absence and blushing at this observation. Sigyn gently placed her hand over his as they approached the castle, openly gaping at the sight of the carved crystal palace.

Clearly Asgard doesn’t have the monopoly on gaudy castles, Loki mused, both amused and impressed at the Vanir capitol. The entire entryway was a giant blue crystal that thrust toward the sky like a beacon, its edges perfect and straight. At the tip of the crystal was a smaller but no less impressive crystal that Loki assumed was a massive diamond, by the way it refracted the natural sunlight into sparkling rainbows everywhere the light touched. Even the stone pathway leading to the castle glittered with every shift of the light.

“Look at it,” Sigyn breathed, her free hand resting on her chest in awe. “I haven’t been here since I was a child and the beauty of the castle still arrests me.”

The carriage stopped in front of the castle door and a servant assisted both of them out onto the front steps, bowing low and gesturing widely toward the open door to invite them in. Loki offered his arm to Sigyn and she gracefully placed her hand on his forearm, giving it a reassuring stroke with her thumb.

Already the front part of the castle was full to capacity with guests from other realms. Loki recognized a few members of nobility from Alfheim and Asgard and cringed inwardly. He was expected to play the part of the royal representative but he wasn’t exactly looking forward to it. Politely greeting people along the way as they bowed their heads to him, Loki led Sigyn through the throng and past the crystal door frame and heavy white amethyst doors leading into the throne room.

Loki had learned in his studies that Asgard was unique in its showcasing of ceremonial events, so he knew that no one would see the newlyweds until after their vows, since the Vanir preferred privacy for their weddings. The party would take place later. There were only a few people in the throne room aside from himself and Sigyn, and he could hear muffled voices in an adjoining room, where he assumed the happy couple were tying the knot right then.

The throne room itself was just as grand as the rest of the castle they had seen so far, nearly every surface all gleaming crystal and perfect edges. It was almost disorienting to the eye, the stark contrast between the sharp lines of the room and the organic curves of the people in it. The ceiling sloped up into a point and the blue crystal caused the room to be bathed in blue light that made one feel as though the room was underwater. Perched atop a white crystal dais, the throne itself was carved from several slabs of gold-laced white quartz. It was the only cushioned surface in the room, as the King likely spent a fair amount of time sitting on it. While beautiful, it was a kind of cold beauty that Loki found rather abrasive compared to the lush and green lands he had grown up in.  

Sigyn’s hand squeezed Loki’s arm and he turned to see her practically jumping up and down with excitement after seeing someone. She looked up at Loki with a smile before bounding off to greet a woman Loki recognized as her mother’s sister. He had met her a few times during his stay in Alfheim and knew she and Sigyn had a close bond.

Excited chatter began to filter from the ceremonial chambers and Loki supposed it was nearly time for the couple to make their entrance. As if on cue, more and more guests came from the foyer to mingle, and Loki suddenly felt as though the air was getting thicker by the second. Whether it was the dense group of people, or the flickering blue light that filled the room as the sun raised higher in the sky and which reminded him of his dreams, he could feel a chill brewing in his chest and he had to get out of there quickly before he made a scene.

As subtly as he could, Loki slipped through the crowd as the new Vanir Prince and Princess emerged amidst loud cheering from the ceremonial chambers, followed by the King and Queen and a High Priestess. His fingertips tingled with cold and he gasped for breath when he finally found a second door that led out to a balcony overlooking the castle gardens. Quietly he approached the railing and closed his eyes, focusing on the sound of the river below. Surely no one would notice him gone, even with the conspicuous absence of the ridiculous horns he had to wear.

Loki leaned on the railing and willed his breathing to slow and tried to ignore the clamor of voices insides. His eyes flew open in surprise when he felt a hand grasping his. Standing there patiently, her hair and skirt blowing gently in the breeze, was Sigyn, her soft brown eyes full of concern. She stroked his hand with her thumb and he couldn’t help but smile.

“Are you okay?” Sigyn meant it sincerely, and took his other hand in hers. “Want me to go back in with you?”

Loki considered this for a moment, and shook his head. “Not yet,” he murmured. “Just stay here with me.”

Sigyn returned his smile and leaned against his shoulder, still holding his hands. It felt like the most natural thing in the world, and Loki could sense his tension evaporating more as he moved his hands to pull her closer. Warmed by the sun, Sigyn’s hair smelled like roses, and the scent reminded him of all the time they spent together in Alfheim, the bond they shared, and the future he hoped to share with her.

“I nearly forgot,” Loki mumbled, freeing one hand to dig in his leather pockets. “I have something for you.” Finally he found it, and pulled it out for Sigyn to see. A quiet gasp was all Sigyn could muster when she saw the thin but elegant gold ring, the design made of intricate knots interwoven with branches and leaves.

“I promised you a real engagement ring, remember?”

Sigyn nodded wordlessly, her mouth still hanging open, eyes misting over. She held up her left hand and Loki was touched to see the original ring he had given her, a gold band from one of his braids that was covered in scuffs and scratches. He replaced it with the new ring, which fit perfectly and would last longer, and Sigyn grinned wide and stood up on her toes to press her lips to his. The sudden kiss surprised Loki but he held her like that for a few extra seconds before she took a step back to admire the ring.

Her smile vanished, however, when she looked past Loki toward the door.

“Erik.”

<< Chapter 16  –  Chapter 18 >>

.-

@igotloki @xalgaliareptx  @christy-winchester @silverhart93 @claiming-loyalty-to-loki @honeybournehippy @unseelie1963 @mischievousbellerina @manager-of-mischief @angryowlet @thelittlestlittlecutiepie 

[anchoredtether]

LOTOR AND THE ALTEANS: A SEASON SIX META

[YARRR THERE BE SPOILERS AHEAD!!! YE HAVE BEEN WARNED]

I WISH NETFLIX WOULD LET ME TAKE SCREENSHOTS!!! So I apologize for the lousy quality because all my pictures I had to either find elsewhere or take with my phone. 

Basically I think there’s a lot more to Lotor’s story, and we may find that everything is different than what we are lead to believe. If interested, delve into the madness below the cut. (there’s also a tl;dr at the end)

Let’s start at the beginning - Krolia’s mission.

Kolivan: This base was, until recently, run by a Galra commander named Ranveig, who was developing a super weapon of some sort. We’re not sure of the weapon’s specs, but we do know that it is incredibly powerful. 

Keith: How did we learn all this?

Kolivan: We have a spy in Ranveig’s camp who’s managed to acquire high-level security clearance. Since Ranveig’s departure, it’s possible she assumed control of the base, but we can’t be sure.

Keith: Why not?

Kolivan: We’re not the only ones who know of the weapon. Two Galra factions, led by Commanders Trugg and Ladnok, are at war over the territory. Since their fighting began, all communication has been cut off. We need you to infiltrate the base, extract our spy, and destroy Ranveig’s weapon.

Krolia explains further:

Keith: What is the weapon exactly?

Krolia: Warlord Ranveig intercepted an undocumented shipment of quintessence traveling through his territory. He took it for his own and began experimenting with it. It’s more powerful than any quintessence we’ve received from the empire, and it has some very unexpected effects.

Krolia: We’re going after the enriched quintessence that created Ranveig’s super weapon. I was with Ranveig when an unmarked cargo ship passed into his region. When we checked it out there was no crew aboard. The ship had been nearly torn to pieces, but inside, a single vat of quintessence remained. It was unlike any other quintessence we’ve seen. 

I’m guessing this was a ship of Alteans who were trying to escape or one of Lotor’s crews that helped with the Altean project (there were other Galra present, at least in Romelle’s recount). I believe the void tore the ship apart, and probably destroyed whoever was on board due to the stretching of space time. This ship could have been from thousands of years ago, or just from a week ago when Krolia discovered it. It’s impossible to tell.

The Altean colony is sketch from the get-go. It’s a synthetic environment (terribly similar looking to Allura’s simulation room where she would speak with her father - who was not real, it was a projection of his memories) within a dusty, abandoned-looking station. If Lotor came to this colony frequently, wouldn’t the station be in better shape? Wouldn’t he have some Galra soldiers stationed there? In Romelle’s flashbacks it shows other Galra assisting Lotor in moving Alteans to the other colony, so we know he didn’t work alone.

Keith also immediately says “What is this place??” When they first enter. 

They walk for a little ways (or maybe a good distance? It’s hard to tell) when Keith stops and says he hears something, and it’s Romelle humming. A convenient way to draw them towards her since she wasn’t sitting right next to the door.

The first we see of Romelle she’s cleaning clothes in the river - something that seems very routine and normal in a real environment. But if this is a synthetic environment like it appears to be, Romelle being there is a major red herring. The ONE Altean who doubted Lotor and the ONE Altean who knew the truth (part of the truth?) happened to be the ONE and ONLY Altean that Keith and Krolia see? 

Either the writers wanted to get to the point and keep the story concise, or Romelle is a conveniently placed trap.

Also convenient that NO ONE was around the hangar where they took the Altean pod? And again, no one was on the moon colony either. Keith and Krolia make moves to stealthily enter as if they’re expecting guards or alarms or something, but it seems abandoned.

Lance: Once they reach the quintessence field, then what? The last time anyone got in there, it turned Zarkon evil.

Shiro: Zarkon fell prey to his own evil instincts. The quintesence field didn’t create them, it revealed them. 

This is important to remember that the first time Lotor went into the quintessence field he didn’t turn evil. He seemed like the normal Lotor we know both when he was in the field and when he returned with Allura. Lotor didn’t snap until his second time in the quintessence field AFTER everyone called him a monster and wouldn’t even pause for one second to hear his side of the story. 

In fact, Allura even mentions how quintessence can’t fall into the wrong hands for evil intentions, and Lotor agrees with her.

Lotor: Readings are beyond anything I could’ve imagined. What we do here today will change the course of the universe forever.

Allura: In the hands of the wrong person, this power could easily corrupt.

Lotor: Together, we’ll see that it never does, and continue the work your father started so long ago.

If the quintessence field is supposed to reveal one’s evil intentions, all it did was reveal Lotor’s good intentions. He also brings this back to Altean Alchemy (mentioning Alfor), which I’ll talk about in a bit.

Let’s hear Romelle’s side of the story:

I come from a planet where there are thousands of Alteans. We have lived there since the war with Zarkon began. ... Every Altean child knows the story of how Lotor saved us from destruction. When Zarkon attacked, many were off-planet on trading expeditions. When news spread about the destruction of our home, those of us who remained went into hiding for deca-phoebs. But Lotor, with his deep knowledge of Altean culture, managed to track some of them down. ... To keep the Alteans secure, Lotor hid them on a remote planet beyond the quantum abyss. ... And over time, the Alteans came to worship Lotor as their savior. Generations ago, in an effort to increase our odds of survival, Lotor announced that he was creating another colony far from our own. But in order to do so, he needed to assess which Alteans were viable candidates to survive the journey. One by one, every Altean in the colony was given a series of tests. Those who were deemed fit for the journey were loaded onto a cargo ship and taken to the second colony. It was considered the highest honor. Any communication between the colonies was strictly prohibited for fear it would compromise the other’s location. This was the world I was born into, one of unquestioning devotion to a supposed messiah. My brother Bandor was always faithful, but I had questions. ... Eventually, Bandor grew old enough to be assessed for the journey to the other colony, and he was selected to leave mmediately. ... My brother was dead. I knew the truth, or at least part of it. But I also knew that no one would believe me without proof.

Let’s hear Bandor’s side of the story:

Bandor: Romelle, you were right. Lotor... the other colony... it’s all a lie...

The only thing we can rule out for Bandor’s statement is that the Alteans on the second colony weren’t there/doing things as Lotor explained. What exactly happened with the colony is still a mystery.

Let’s hear Lotor’s side of the story:

Romelle: Lotor is a monster and has been harvesting Altean quintessence for generations!

Allura: An Altean!

Romelle: [Lotor] killed my brother and thousands of others!

Pidge: Lotor has been lying to us the whole time. He’s a murderer, just like his father!

Lotor: You know nothing about what you speak.

Allura: What are they talking about?

Lotor: Allura, listen to me. I’ve dedicated my life to preserving Altean culture. Now that we have unlocked the quintessence field, all of your people, who would have been hunted down long ago had it not been for my intervention, can live in peace. Were some lives lost in the process? Yes. But they were martyrs to a noble cause. I sacrificed a few to preserve the future for millions. Allura, do not let this ruin everything we’ve worked for. Think of what we experienced in the quintessence field.

Lotor doesn’t deny Romelle’s accusations. He admits that lives were lost, but he emphasizes that it was for preserving Altean culture, and preserving the future for millions. It’s also interesting that he says “I sacrificed a few” as opposed to “a few Alteans died” as a result of failed experimentation or whatever. I think if you were trying to preserve a species and ran tests on them and a few died from random variables, I don’t think you would use the word sacrifice.

When Lotor first sees Romelle, it’s a strange look:

He looks more confused than he does shocked. Even a tad fearful. Keith and Krolia didn’t see any other Alteans besides Romelle. The place where they found her looked abandoned, the inside world looked like a simulation. There might not be any living Alteans left, only the ones left in the cryo-tubes that started to resemble Honerva. If this is the case, Lotor would be wondering who the heck Romelle is supposed to be.

Apparently in the 80s version, Haggar disguised herself as Romelle:

And Romelle may not be like Kuron, a puppet so to speak. She could simply be an Altean from this colony as she so claims, but Haggar could have given her false memories the way she did with clone Shiro. Or she might have been preserved via cryotube from back when there WERE Alteans living in the colony, and was just woken up now that the only Alteans left are the ones on the moon in their weakened near-dead state. She could be telling the complete truth as she knows it, but from what we’ve seen I would say there are no Alteans living at the colony. (I’ll address this more further down)

Also interesting that IMMEDIATELY after Romelle confronts Lotor, there is an alert that his generals (who are now working for Haggar) are attacking and then Shiro gets taken over by none other than Haggar.

Again, either the writers wanted to keep the story concise, or somehow Romelle was used to time the attack perfectly.

Honerva: You’ve continued the work I started all that time ago and have indeed seen it to heights I could have only imagined.

Is she referring to his search for knowledge on quintessence, or did she have something to do with the Altean colony as well? This statement is so vague that it opens many possibilities regarding Honerva’s involvement. The conversation that continues is also interesting:

Lotor: My mother ceased to exist when Honerva drew her last breath. Do not believe for a moment that I would ever accept you as kin. You are an abomination. A twisted perversion of what was once so pure and beautiful. The end is near, witch. I know you can sense it. If you beg for your life now, maybe I will take pity on you when the time comes.

Is Lotor being poetic, or did Honerva actually die? What if she was in the same ill-state as Bandor and all the other Alteans and died, and became the “witch” as she is called - and Lotor started or picked up the project of the Altean colony as a way to figure out why Honerva became the way she is? Maybe even as a way to figure out how to return her back to being Altean?

Allura: Then you’re... half Altean?

Lotor: Yes. It was something the Galra considered a weakness, but I consider it a strength. The union between Zarkon and Honerva sparked a technological revolution within the empire. Even back then, Altean culture was remarkably advanced. The kinds of experiments she was conducting she advanced science by eons. 

Allura: How did Haggar get her hands on this?

Lotor: She was constantly seeking Altean magical knowledge that she could pervert for her own power. There must have been things that she was unable to access.

I think it’s safe to say that it’s possible Honerva started the Altean colony. Perhaps Lotor was trying to right her wrongs. Allura even asks how she got her hands on scientific knowledge, and I think it may be more than simply she was once Altean 10k years ago. She probably learned more from the Altean colony.

I think the Altean colony somehow ties back to Honerva, in one shape or another. Whether she started it or Lotor started it because of what happened to her. I think we’re going to learn more about her and how she ties into all of this, since they focused greatly on her trip to Oriande and how she’s reverting back to her Altean form (I don’t think they would have focused on this unless it was important - course it could just be symbolic that Honerva is gaining more power).

I think this all ties back to Altean Alchemy. 

Lotor: I know you have the power within.

Allura: What if I don’t? ... Coran doesn’t have it, Honerva didn’t have it... The truth is, I may not have his abilities either. 

Lotor: You must. There must be a way to carry on the tradition of Altean alchemy.

Allura: That tradition died along with my planet 10,000 years ago. I’ll never be the alchemist my father was.

Why is Lotor so desperate to have Altean Alchemy? I think it ties into the Altean colony, whether he needs the alchemy to save the Alteans or if he needs the alchemy to further his goal, whatever it may be. At the moment it seems Allura is the only hope for there being Altean Alchemy. 

Back to the quintessence Krolia discovered.

What if the quintessence Krolia describes as “more powerful than any quintessence we’ve received from the empire [with] some very unexpected effects” is somehow a form of Altean Alchemy? Sounds kind of like Voltron when Alfor created it - Voltron was more powerful than anything in the universe, and it had the unexpected side effects of the Lions each having their own life force of sorts. 

What if Lotor figured out how to turn Altean Alchemy into pure quintessence?

He picked out Alteans on the colony based on “certain requirements” - I’m betting it was based on whether the individual had the potential for alchemy. As we’ve seen with Allura and Coran, some Alteans have it while others don’t. Whatever Lotor did with the second colony is still uncertain, but whatever it involved it caused them to have this “Altean sickness” (what I shall call the near-dead state with the elongated markings). I think all the Alteans on the moon colony are still alive, however, merely being preserved.

Romelle is a victim.

I suspect that she doesn’t have the whole story but everything she knows - albeit limited - is truth. I think Honerva is using her to further her agenda. Honerva could have even sought Romelle out, seeing that she had doubts about Lotor and thus would be the perfect one to turn Voltron against Lotor.

I’m speculating that Romelle is the last living Altean from the colony (without the Altean sickness) and that she either:

Was kept in cryosleep and recently woken and placed in the colony for Keith and Krolia to find (Honerva could have tabs on Krolia because she was technically working in the empire).

Is a clone of the original Romelle.

Knowing that Honerva was the one who started project Kuron in the first place, it’s not too much of a stretch to say she cloned Romelle as well.

Considering this was a thing that Voltron deleted shortly after, it may be a hint towards this theory. The binary translated to “Kuron.” Some speculated that this might mean that clone Shiro might come back, or that Lotor might even be cloned (apparently he was in the original), but I think it might relate to Romelle.

TL;DR

In summation, I think that:

The Altean colony is dead (possibly has been for many years now), save for the ones preserved on the moon colony.

There is more to Lotor’s story.

Honerva is tied to all of this.

The quintessence has something to do with Altean alchemy, and both have ties to both Lotor and Honerva’s goals.

Romelle is not a spy, but a victim of Honerva (and possibly a clone).

[divine-valley]

Voices of the Damned

(Hey this is just some random thing with an OC I made a looong time ago and was weirdly inspired. I like Batman a lot but not sure I’ll make anything out of this or continue it.)

“Whelp…it’s down there. Think I’ll be able to get it.”

“It? It’s not an it! It’s my body yeah can’t just call me it!”

“Seems like a it situation. How come it hasn’t floated up yet?”

“I’m wedged between something, look you helping me or not?!”

Looking unfazed at the spirit Ayumu gave a small shrug as he looked at the murky water of the channel. Wouldn’t be his first dip in there but he wasn’t up for another ear infection. The body of a petty low-level gangster, usually he wouldn’t be associating with his type but Jimbo here wasn’t easing up on the annoyance it was better to just get this over with. Peeling off his shirt first and started pulling at his sneakers when there was a shout.

“What are you doing?!”

“Go away Martha, I’m working.” Not bothering to even look in her direction he just wanted this night to end.

Here she was again the thorn in his side, keeping a blank expression he didn’t flinch when Martha appeared only inches from his face. Looking distraught as always she gestured to the river and his discarded clothing.

“You are not going in there to-to fish out a corpse.”

“It’s honestly not the first time I’ve done this, this would be like my 7th time.”

She cringed at that information but again he didn’t react, the fear over dead bodies had been lost on him long ago. “Look, Martha, I have class in the morning and if I have to suffer another night of Jimbo here wailing in my ear I might lose it.”

Martha’s gaze fell upon the gangster who looked put off by her sudden appearance. Turning back to him Martha gave him a pleading look her cold hands reaching out for his own but he was quick to move them away. “Why not use your cellular phone? You can tell the police and tell them where the body is.”

“My cellular phone can be tracked, Martha.” He replied keeping his tone neutral but considered the idea of calling. Pulling his clothes back on he walked down several blocks, the streets empty this time of night when he finally found a payphone. Depositing a few quarters he dialed 911 and squeezed his nose. “Yeeees hello? There’s a dead body in the canal by Greenridge Street.” He spoke in a nasally voice. “James Hicks he was shot in the head by a man named Harold Taylor. Kay bye.” Hanging up he started wiping his prints off and began walking home.

“Woah, woah! That it?! That’s how you’re helpin me?” Jimbo squawked as he flew after Ayumu who nodded his head, the teen putting on his headphones and started scrolling through his phone’s music.

“Yeah, your death will be all over the news, Taylor will be apprehended he kept the murder weapon and the bullet is in your brain still. It’s solved, maybe even Batman will show up.” He couldn’t help but glance in Martha’s direction. “I helped you so leave me alone now.”

Jimbo doesn’t reply, he doesn’t even utter a thank you, he vanished into the night probably back to where his body was to see the cops arrive for it. Staring at the empty spot for a moment Ayumu continued on his way still deciding on his music choice while Martha hovered behind him.

“Where’s Tommy?”

“With Bruce…”

“Hm, so you came to bother me. No rousing speech of morality from the good doctor tonight.”

“I came because Ray told me you were going to dive for bodies! Ayumu you are a 15-year old boy wandering around in the dead of night! Something can happen to you! What if someone saw or you were approached by someone dangerous.”

Finally looking up from the glow of his screen the light enhanced the bags under his eyes his mouth was a thin line now. “I’m not scared of the living Martha. I’ve been doing this long before you ever came into the picture. Don’t mother me.”

“Ayumu..."

“Go back to Bruce, I’m tired, I have to be up in four hours. Goodnight.”

Turning his back to her, he made his selection and increased it to full volume as he walked through the streets ignoring the figures that passed him by. Climbing the fire escape to his room he made sure to be quiet unsure if his guardians were still awake or in a drunken stupor. Closing the window and locking it he sighed heavily dropping onto the bed closing his eyes.

“You told her where I was going.” He mumbled keeping them shut even as a figure towered over him with a snicker.

“I didn’t want to have to deal with her nagging sorry. So how’d it look? Bloated up and soggy?”

“Didn’t see it this time, called the cops.”

Ray made a tutting noise, “You’re getting lazy. Well, that bozo is out of the way now. Get some z's. I’ll keep them all away for the night.” A freezing cold hand runs through his hair and Ayumu can feel his body finally start to relax.

“Thanks, Ray…” He whispered before he drifted off to sleep making sure his music would play for the rest of the night.

He needed something to drown out the voices of the damned.

[brilliantpacifist]

I did the thing where I fill in stuff as if the character were in the game. This correlates with the thing Erik and I are working on where everyone’s parents are together in a game-like setting. It was fun. I even made up shitty stages.

Anyway, I hope y’all enjoy. This is a super long post, so grab some munchies and a drink.

Title: The Beloved Pacifist Dragon Weapon: 6 Katana, the most prominent being Hiryū (They are rarely ever all drawn.) Element: Fire Faction: Date Fighting style: Surprised by his own strength, less lethal, more interested in getting enemies out of the way than killing them. Skills:

Great Character (Daimonji)

Basic attack. A horizontal slash. Flames coat the side of the blade that would impact any enemies. Multiples of this attack include two swooping vertical slashes.

Excellent Law (Myoho)

An arching attack, starting from back to front. The swing goes over his head and hits the ground abruptly. On impact, flaming rocks burst outward from the force. He almost looks surprised by how hard it hits. In higher levels, the rocks are larger.

Shape of A Boat (Funagata)

An upward attack, sending enemies either upward or back the way they came based on the angle they are hit. They fly farther in higher levels and may be burned.

Left-handed (Hidari)

One of the few moves that use more than one blade. The other is drawn first in a sideways arch from the right, drawn by his left hand. His usual blade follows after once the first strike has followed through. Good for closing distances.

Shape of A Bird (Toriigata)

The second move that uses two blades. Drawing both at once, the move is a forward thrust with both blades. From there, they arch in opposite directions, like bird wings fanning outward.

Magmatic Eruption [Magma Funka] (Super Art)

A charged attack. An almost shield of fire consumes the area around him after focusing to charge it. Slow moving, but it causes burns and moves steadily outward until it dissipates. Lasts longer when released at the right moment.

Phreatomagmatic Eruption [Magma Suijoki Funka] (Super Art)

Only works when hitting an enemy. Once making contact, he pushes the enemy away, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. If someone is behind him, they also get hit by recoil. Most of the time, he’s surprised. In higher levels, the trails duplicate.

Phreatic Eruption [Suijoki Bakuhatsu] (Super Art)

If you end up on the receiving end of this Super Art, you messed up. His eyes look like they’re made of flames. When activated, he moves much quicker and with more force, no longer caring about injuring others. All of his pent up feelings are released. It lasts for a limited amount of time, and when it stops, movement is slower and deals less damage for a short time.

Fire Whirl (BASARA Art)

As it starts, a few tendrils of smoke fan outward from his person to stun the enemies around him. (His eyes change during this art as well.) All blades are drawn, sparking the flames. He spins them to create the “fire whirl”, which circles around him until it fizzles out. As usual, he seems surprised by this.

When Selected: “If I must, I will fight for this land.” When Going into A Stage: “If this brings us closer to an agreement, I have no choice.” Starting A Stage: “Can we finish this quickly?” Low Health: “What is this feeling...? Exhaustion or...?” 0 Health: “I cannot...move any longer...Why...?” Game Over: “Take care of my children...and remember me...” Collecting Items: “This could be helpful.” “Thank you.” Using BASARA Art: “Stay away from me! This will hurt you!” Finishing BASARA Art: “Oh, no...Did I get carried away again?” Using BASARA Art during Hero Time: “You will not take my life before I am ready to give it!” Finishing BASARA Art during Hero Time: “My head is clearing up...I hope no one saw that...” Mounting A Horse: “Please watch your step.” Boss Battle Cutscene: “You come here looking for a fight, yet you must know how I feel about it...I suppose that there is no reason for me to think that you would accommodate my needs. Fine, let us go to arms...Remember, however, that I am not weak in will or combat.” Completing a Stage: “Even though I have won, these victories are always bittersweet. Perhaps one day, we will no longer have wars or battles like these. Until then, I will do all I can to avoid it myself...and encourage peace for my children.”

Misc. Dialogue: “This land is beautiful...Maybe some day we can see it under the same sky.” ”Oh, wait...I forgot where I was...What were we doing?” “I would rather not be fighting against you. I have always wanted to keep peace through words rather than blades.” “I wish that I was at home...I wonder how Bontenmaru and Kojiro are doing...” Soldiers About Terumune: “Lord Terumune treats us all equally! We’re brothers in arms!” “When I fight with him, I feel like I’m part of something greater. You feel it, too, don’t you?” ”You have to watch out for Lord Terumune... *whispering* He’s an airhead...” “Lord Terumune gushes about his kids a lot...Like a lot.”

Stages

Negotiations at Yonezawa: Your basic home map. The player fights soldiers of the Date clan. There are four boss characters, fought in this order: Yoshinao, Kagetsuna, Yoshihime, Terumune. There are a few quirks to the stage, including moving between inside and outside the castle. You also have the option to cause a bit of destruction to lessen the number of enemies against you by hitting parts of the environment to wipe them out. There’s a secret boss as well, and that’s Kitako, who gets up in arms because you’re a warrior and you’re near the children. Stage Dialogue (Normal): “This is a surprise...What brings you to Yonezawa?” “I would advise you to stick to the path. You may find things more difficult if you navigate beyond them.” “Please be careful with the garden...” “I suppose we should get that fixed then...” Yoshinao defeated: “The enemy must be strong if they can defeat Yoshinao of all people...” Kagetsuna defeated: “Kagetsuna as well? They must be coming here next...” Kitako defeated: “Was that really necessary? Oh...The children seem excited...” Yoshihime defeated: “Are you all right, Yoshihime? ...I really do not want to fight with you...” Defeated: “I will not stand in your way...so long as you fix what you have broken.” Stage Dialogue (Aggressive): “Why are you so aggressive? Please be careful!” ”I will not let you go further!” ”If you intend to destroy this place, you will have to do more than that!” ”Have mercy!” (after defeating Yoshinao & Kagetsuna) ”Why are you doing this?!” Yoshinao killed: “Yoshinao...? What happened to you...? You cannot be gone...” Kagetsuna killed: “...Kagetsuna? Please wake up! I-...” Kitako killed: “Please spare my children! They have their whole lives ahead of them!” Yoshihime killed: “You intend to take everything from me, do you not...?” Killed: “At least I did all that I could...We will all be together once more...very soon.”

Yonezawa Division: The player tries to dissuade Terumune from leaving to meet with Nihonmatsu at Miyamori Castle. It’s different from Negotiations in that it happens in reverse. You start inside the castle and go outward, winding around the castle instead of going in and out. You fight lesser generals and gather camps from them (These are the soldiers who chose to follow Terumune’s orders rather than the people they’re directly under.), but you’re on a time limit to get to the end in time. The only boss is Terumune, who is hyped up in rage. There is a secret path that you can take to get there faster. Stage Dialogue: “You want to change my mind? I apologize, but that is impossible.” “If you truly understood my reasoning, you would not try to stop me.” “I do this for all of us...but I especially want to protect my son.” “I have to at least try...for everyone’s sake!” Two camps taken: “You truly mean to stop me...I admire your courage.” Half camps taken: “So you mean to rid me of any support I had? A sound strategy, I suppose.” All camps taken: “If you truly want this, then I have no choice but to fight with you.” Terumune defeated: “Is it that important to you to keep me from leaving? ...Very well.” (Aggressive dialogue same as Negotiations.)

Abukuma Riverside: The player navigates the trail of soldiers following behind Nihonmatsu’s men in an effort to rescue Terumune before they reach Nihonmatsu Castle. There are leftover campsites along the way, but there are also several of the Occupation Chief enemies running back toward you. Your goal is to reach the river crossing and fight with Nihonmatsu’s men and eventually Nihonmatsu while not letting Terumune take too much damage. Halfway through the fight with Nihonmatsu, Terumune frees himself and no longer is an issue during the fight. There are no secrets here, but the outcome is a roulette. Either you save him, or he dies. Completely random. Stage Dialogue: “I hear them coming...Does this mean the end is near?” “I told you that someone would come for me...but you did not listen, did you?” “My life should not be worth this much suffering...” “Your own men should mean something to you...but I see that they are nothing but figures in the distance from your eyes.” 1/4 the way through: “You should brace yourself and hope that your lord comes quickly...” 1/2 the way through: “You seem afraid...” 3/4 the way through: “This will end soon...Are you prepared?” Dialogue during pre battle cutscene: “Your efforts did not go as planned...” Dialogue when Nihonmatsu shows his face: “The commotion must have drawn him out...” Dialogue when he frees himself: “You are a coward. Even I show no fear at the end of a blade!” Dialogue when saved: “I am grateful for your efforts...Please allow me to do all I can to return the favor.” Dialogue when saved (by Date): “You...did so much for me. Am I really this irreplaceable? I can hardly believe it.” Dialogue when not saved: “There is only one way to end this...I am sorry for putting you through so much. Please...give my apologies to my son...” Dialogue when not saved (by Date): “I care for all of you so much...This is why I must give my life to ensure your safety...Please, take care of Bontenmaru for me.” Dialogue during death cutscene: “Waste no time. Let your aim be true, and care not for who stands in your way!” “Forgive me, Bontenmaru...This is the only way.”

Dialogue with Kagetsuna

Terumune: You seem exhausted, Kagetsuna. You should take a break once this is over. Kagetsuna: You worry too much. As long as you’re working, I can’t stop. You know that.

Terumune: Are we winning, Kagetsuna? ...Even with all of these lives lost? Kagetsuna: Yes, we are. I know...you don’t feel the same.

Kagetsuna: Lord Terumune, please be careful. Terumune: I am always careful. I have someone waiting for me...

Kagetsuna: When this is over, would you...? No, forget I said anything. Terumune: Whatever it is, I would love to do it with you, Kagetsuna. You are too hard on yourself.

Terumune @ Kagetsuna: He is much better at this than I am...

Terumune @ Kagetsuna with Low Health: Kagetsuna, please come back before you get hurt any more!

Kagetsuna @ Terumune: When I look at Lord Terumune, I wonder if he’s too soft for this world or if the world is too harsh for him.

Kagetsuna @ Terumune with Low Health: Lord Terumune, please fall back! We cannot afford to lose you...

Terumune versus Kagetsuna (normally): I would much rather be reading than standing across from you like this. Kagetsuna: This is for your own benefit, Lord Terumune. I’ll...go easy on you?

Terumune, upon defeating Kagetsuna: Wait, did I win...? Did you hold back? Kagetsuna: Do you...want to know the answer to that?

Kagetsuna versus Terumune (normally): If I win, we’re going. Deal? Terumune: I really do not want to...but...if those are your conditions, of course.

Kagetsuna, upon defeating Terumune: We have to get ready to-...wait, no don’t start crying! Terumune: I am so terrible at being a lord!

Terumune versus Kagetsuna (Yonezawa): You understand that I must do this, Kagetsuna...you of all people know how I feel! Kagetsuna: I refuse to let you leave and get yourself killed.

Terumune, upon defeating Kagetsuna: It is done. I entrust Bontenmaru’s care to you. Please do not be angry with me... Kagetsuna: Lord Terumune...Don’t go. You can’t...

Kagetsuna versus Terumune (Yonezawa): Lord Terumune, you don’t understand what you’re doing. I have no choice but to show you by force. Terumune: Kagetsuna...please do not fight me. You know that I must do this...for Bontenmaru...

Kagetsuna, upon defeating Terumune: I told you. Whether you believe me or not, I know that you won’t come back if you leave. Terumune: Kagetsuna...

Dialogue with Yoshihime

Terumune: Please be careful out here, Yoshi... Yoshihime: I feel at home, dear...You’re the one who should be careful.

Terumune: Yoshihime...I love you, okay? Yoshihime: !!! Why are you telling me this here?! ...I love you, too...

Yoshihime: Dear, something has stained your clothing... Terumune: I hope it is not blood...

Yoshihime: My lord husband...you seem confused. Are you all right? Terumune: What? Oh, sorry...I forgot what I was doing...

Terumune @ Yoshihime: Watching her fight makes me feel more inspired myself...I wonder how she can do this so easily.

Terumune @ Yoshihime with Low Health: Yoshi, you are hurt...Please leave the rest to me!

Yoshihime @ Terumune: I don’t think I deserve him...He’s much kinder than I.

Yoshihime @ Terumune with Low Health: Ah, Terumune! Please be careful! You have to come home...

Terumune versus Yoshihime: Yoshi, please let me do this. It is the only way to resolve things peacefully. Yoshihime: My lord husband, you will not be leaving like this!

Terumune, upon defeating Yoshihime: I am sorry, Yoshihime...I will come home safely. Yoshihime: Please no...you can’t leave me by myself with them!

Yoshihime versus Terumune: I am not going to let you leave! I will not be left alone with your son! Terumune: My son...? You forget that we both gave him life!

Yoshihime, upon defeating Terumune: Never try to leave me again... Terumune: Yoshihime...why are you acting this way...?

Dialogue with Yoshinao

Terumune: Is everything all right, Yoshinao? You seem to be smiling quite a bit... Yoshinao: Oh, am I? I-...uh...I didn’t notice?

Terumune: I feel as though I am forgetting something... Yoshinao: What is it this time? At least it’s not something important like armor or...wait a minute.

Yoshinao: You’re doing well today, Lord Terumune. No mistakes. Terumune: Oh! I think that your words put a curse on me...

Yoshinao: Stay calm. Think before you act, and you’ll be just fine. Terumune: I have no problem with thinking...I do not like the actions I must perform.

Terumune @ Yoshinao: If I did not have Yoshinao and Kagetsuna, I think I might be very useless...

Terumune @ Yoshinao with Low Health: Yoshinao, you are working yourself much too hard! Please be careful!

Yoshinao @ Terumune: I’m almost positive the real kid who was supposed to be Terumune was switched with some kind of angel.

Yoshinao @ Terumune with Low Health: Lord Terumune, you need to be more careful!

Terumune versus Yoshinao: I have to go, Yoshinao. You cannot stop me. Yoshinao: You know as well as I do what the consequences are! Think about your son!

Terumune, upon defeating Yoshinao: I told you that I have no choice. Please watch over him while I am away... Yoshinao: Don’t do this...Please, Terumune...

Yoshinao versus Terumune: I’m sorry, but if you think I’m going to let you get yourself killed, you’re an actual idiot. Terumune: I resent being called an “idiot”...I know what I am doing.

Yoshinao, upon defeating Terumune: Now will you listen to what I have to say? Terumune: Oh...I guess I have no choice here either...

Versus Nobunaga

Terumune: Lord Nobunaga! It is good to see that you are well. Nobunaga: You...truly believe that, do you not?

Terumune, upon defeating Nobunaga: My apologies, Lord Nobunaga. I will make up for it soon. I promise. Nobunaga: I can already tell...He is planning to send a gift..

Nobunaga: What have you come for this time? Terumune: Only to see how you are doing, Lord Nobunaga.

Nobunaga, upon defeating Terumune: Are you still...alive? Terumune: I am fine. Do not worry about me!

Versus Shingen

Terumune: It is nice to see you again, Shingen, but do we have to do this every time we meet? Shingen: A good spar keeps one young, does it not?

Terumune, upon defeating Shingen: I can hardly believe that I brought someone like you down...You were holding back. Shingen: Ha ha ha! Not at all! You are stronger than you believe!

Shingen: What a wonderful day for two old friends to catch up! Terumune: Shingen, can you please put that down? I am starting to get worried...

Shingen, upon defeating Terumune: A little bump on the head is not enough to do you in, is it? Terumune: A bump on the head, no...but that was no bump on the head!

Versus Masayuki

Terumune: So you are the Sanada that Shingen mentioned? Masayuki: Masayuki’s the name. How’s it going, peace lover?

Terumune, upon defeating Masayuki: Masayuki, you have good control over yourself... Masayuki: You think so? That’s impressive coming from you!

Masayuki: Hey, you’re that Terumune guy Lord Shingen says doesn’t like to fight but kicks ass! Terumune: W-What?! Does he really say that about me?!

Masayuki, upon defeating Terumune: That was pretty fun. You wanna do it again sometime? Terumune: Ow...I will have to think about it...

Versus Yamanote

Terumune: You are Masayuki’s wife, are you not? It is a pleasure to meet you. Yamanote: Hi there! You look like fun! Let’s play!

Terumune, upon defeating Yamanote: You are strong indeed...I can see why Shingen puts his trust in the both of you. Yamanote: You’re definitely worthy of being Shingen’s friend. Can we play again sometime?

Yamanote: Hey! Hey! Come on, let’s play! Terumune: I do not consider fighting to be playing...but if I must...

Yamanote, upon defeating Terumune: Oh wow, that was really fun! I like playing with you. Terumune: I am glad you had fun...but I think that you were a bit rough...

Versus Masatsugu

Terumune: Your eyes are so clear...Oh, sorry, I did not mean to stare. Masatsugu: I...don’t know how to respond to that.

Terumune, upon defeating Masatsugu: I really am sorry! Please do not think that I am weird! Masatsugu: You already seem weird...

Masatsugu: There is something about you that seems...familiar. Terumune: Familiar? I do not believe we have met before.

Masatsugu, upon defeating Terumune: I see it now...You are just like she is. Terumune: ...Who are you talking about?

Versus Rui

Terumune: Good morning! It is a nice day, is it not? Rui: It is! Would you like to enjoy it with me?

Terumune, upon defeating Rui: I apologize if I injured you. I did enjoy the scenery, though. Rui: No, I didn’t get hurt! I’m glad you’re happy.

Rui: You seem nice. My name is Rui! What’s yours? Terumune: I am Terumune. It is a pleasure to meet you.

Rui, upon defeating Terumune: You didn’t get hurt, did you? Here, let me take a look! Terumune: I am fine. I am just glad to have met someone who shares the same views.

Versus Hirotada

Terumune: You are the one who gave your son away to keep yourself safe...are you not? Hirotada: You aren’t the first person to judge me for that, but I will not let you continue.

Terumune, upon defeating Hirotada: If only your son had a better father...for one who fights, you give in easily to others’ demands at the expense of your family. Hirotada: Maybe you’re right...I deserved this...

Hirotada: You know a lot about being a parent...you have two sons, don’t you? Terumune: I love them dearly. Can you say the same about your child?

Hirotada, upon defeating Terumune: You’d do anything for them...and you’ve fallen. Interesting. Terumune: At least I tried...to keep them safe...

Versus Odai

Terumune: Excuse me, I would rather not fight with you. Please understand that I have my reasons. Odai: I cannot say that I don’t somewhat agree...but I cannot let you go further.

Terumune, upon defeating Odai: If I see your son, I will give him your love. Odai: I appreciate that...I am sorry.

Odai: You have kind eyes...I wish I could spare them this battle. Terumune: I feel the same. I hate to fight.

Odai, upon defeating Terumune: I apologize...Please do not think ill of me or my husband. Terumune: I can only half oblige to that, Lady Odai...

That’s all I can think of for now. This was hella fun!

[foolsiwillshowthemall]

Farm Report:  A new friend in the sewers

First day of winter.  It's cold outside.  My wife is complaining, despite the roaring fire in the fireplace.

I probably won't get any more flute serenades while I work till the spring.  Not that I have much work to do on the farm right now.

I do have some planting to do.  During the fall I used the seed maker to produce Winter Seeds from winter roots.  Now I'll be planting these around the sprinklers, and growing some assorted winter forage plants.

It's only using up a tiny part of my usual farm area.  And I won't need to pay any attention to these till they're ready to harvest.

The animals have given me a good selection of eggs, but no wool or rabbit's feet today.

With my farm chores over before noon, it's time to plan the rest of the day.  Fishing, mines, or errands around the town?  I check with the spirits, and their mood is favorable.

I decide I'll try for the fish first, and then hit the mines if I have time.  The sturgeon can only be caught before 7pm, but I can stay at the mines as late as I want, so long as I get home on time.

Rumor has it that the sturgeon is most commonly found near the old sunken log.  I bait my rod, eat my Dish o' The Sea, and cast.

I wouldn't say it was easy, because it wasn't.  This was one of the hardest catches I've ever made.  Even with my iridium rod, trap bobber, high skill level and food buff, it nearly escaped from me several times.  But now it's caught, and with enough time to head for the mines and try for the next checkpoint.

Starting out from level 105.  Even with the favor of the spirits, this place is full of monsters.

I'm chugging salmonberries nearly constantly to keep my health up.  This is why I harvested so many in the spring.

Two of these little armored dudes at once!  And this is a monster-infested level, where the stairs down won't appear until every monster is dead.

Killing one of those shadow brutes.  They're not too hard, they don't have ranged weapons and don't move quickly.  You just have to let them walk up to you and then start madly swinging the sword at just the right moment.

Last monster dead, and I can proceed downward.

I rush down through several other levels, taking the ladder down as soon as it's revealed, and make it to level 110.  What will my reward for this level be?

Space Boots?  Hey, they match my wife's hair.  Nifty.

On the way back home, I stop at the community center to drop off the Sturgeon.

Once again, the little gumdrop spirits appear.  And once again, I appear to be completely surprised.  At this point I'm just faking it for their sake - I know what to expect, but they like to see me look amazed when they appear.

Awww.  I'm going to miss you, little gumdrop buddies.

And now they've repaired the fishtank.  I only have one room to complete, the bulletin board, and one item needed for that.  It's all up to my rabbits now.

Getting home quite late.  My wife is already long asleep by the time I get in.  I slip into bed quietly, trying not to disturb her.

As we sleep, the spirits are doing ... something ... near the bridge that leads to the mines.

I can craft a slime incubator now! I'm not sure if that's something I actually want to craft.

The next morning, I wake to the smell of cooking.  It's not breakfast, however.  Abby has made me a plate of fried mushrooms to take with me when I head to the caves.

This is great.  Fried mushrooms is one of the better foods to take into the mines.  It restores a lot of health and energy, and also grants a combat buff.  I've actually been making these and bringing them along with me to the mines for ages.  It's the perfect gift.  I love my adventurer wife so much.

The spirits are also pleased.  With the blessings of both the spirits and my wife, I'm heading to the mines.

Starting at the level 110 checkpoint I reached yesterday. Here we go.

Almost immediately in level 111, I see the red mist effect that indicates that a swarm of flying enemies is approaching.  Red bats, probably at least a dozen, from all different directions.

Bring it on bats!  I'm not scared of you!  I'm full of coffee and fried mushrooms and I know my wife loves me!

Bats defeated, end of level reached, and I have a backpack full of bat wings.

Level 112 has shadow brutes and slimes, but I power through it.

Level 113 is strange.  A small dungeon with a single, star-shaped room, lots of mushrooms and quartz, and quite a few monsters.  I grab the gems and mushrooms and then take the stairs.

I reach the level 115 checkpoint, and decide that's enough pressing my luck for today.  Time to head home.  I can do the last 5 levels some other day.

As I step outside, I see Willy looking puzzled at the cliff face.  Wasn't this spot previously blocked by a glittering boulder?

The river is flowing more freely now, and debris has been washed out of the mountain into the lake.

It's not just rock, there are nuggets of gold among the pebbles now.

It means another method of getting ore has been unlocked, reducing my reliance on the mines.

Willie gives me a spare pan he has, and instructs me on how to use it.

It's not much, and not available very often, but something else to do while I'm on my way to or from the mines.

My pal Linus wants a Red Snapper.  Of course I'm going to give him one, after all Linus sent me that Largemouth Bass that I used to make dinner for Jodi for.  I owe him, and besides, he's a great friend of mine.

It's funny, Jodi.  My great dream has been to build my own family and life here.  I've never been happier than when Abigail married me and moved in, and I'm very much looking forward to when we have a baby of our own.  Then again, your family includes Sam, and I can see how that would want to make anyone run away and live on their own.

One red mullet, good quality, that I caught while trying to catch that tilapia.  Linus will love this.

Delivered straight to him in his tent.  Linus, you are a good person, and you don't deserve the crap that people put you though in this town.  Anything you need, just ask.

Wednesday the 3rd, and my wife is inviting me to just stay home and cuddle.  I'm sorely tempted.

This will have to do for now.  I do have work to do.

Disappointed look at the rabbits.  Why for you guys no shed feet?  This is the last thing I need for the community center!

Though the rabbits may be slackers, I am getting a lot of eggs from my chickens and ducks.  In addition to using them in recipes, I can use them to may mayonnaise, which is also useful in recipes and sells for more than just the eggs do.

I'm putting it in my increasingly crowded food-processing shed.

I will not be going to the mines today, but I made enough progress over the last few days that I'm not in a rush.  I have errands to do anyway.

After processing some geodes, I'm having Clint upgrade my watering can to gold quality.  I really don't need it during the winter, and I have the money and gold bars to spare.

Elliott is really not in a good mood today.

He has really not taken my getting married well.  Honestly, I didn't even think he and I were all that close, but apparently he took my encouragement on his book as some kind of grand romantic gesture and feels all alone and betrayed now.

I'd say clothes are important in the winter, Haley.  It's kind of cold out right now.  But if you want to run around without clothes, there aren't many people who will object.

There is one more thing I can buy with my excess money:  a furniture catalogue!  This will allow me to instantly summon any piece of furniture at home for free.  It's not cheap, but once I have it, I can redecorate my home at will at any time.  I'll be poor again after this, but I don't expect that to last.

Thursday the 4th.  Abby is asking me to bring her something tasty back from the mines.  Aww, are you already getting tired of the amethysts from the crystalarium?  I suppose those would all start to taste the same after a while.

I won't be headed to the mines today, however.  Or at least, if I do, I'll stick to the easy levels.  I do have some other errands to do first anyway.

But when I step outside, someone I don't immediately recognize is standing in my way.

Oh, it's the museum guy.  I've only ever seen him behind the counter in the museum.  I didn't even know he had a backsprite.

He's really pleased with all the items I've dropped off at the museum.

And as recognition for what I've done, he's giving me a rusty old key that's been lying around for a century.  I think I know what that's for.  I remember, long ago, when I first came to this town, seeing two children standing outside a sewer grate and talking.  They said that it was locked, but speculated that a rusty key that the museum guy had with him could open it.  I dismissed it at the time, but maybe this is that key?  I figure it's worth a try.

The winter seeds are starting to sprout.  Each one will grow into a random winter forage plant.  I'm hoping for mostly crystal fruit, it can be made into valuable wine.

Speaking of valuable wine, another batch of pumpkin juice is ready.

On the way out, I stop at the hat mouse.  Yes, the hat mouse.  He's hanging out in this abandoned house, selling hats, and his stock has been increasing gradually as I unlock new hats by meeting various in-game achievements.

I'm trying on a 'watermelon band'.  It reminds me of the cute hair band that Abigail wears.  I'm not sure if it's really me.

It appears that the rusty key is indeed the one that unlocks this grate.

Ugh.  This is disgusting.  Why am I doing this?

There's not too much down here, it seems.

Around the corner, I spot one of those Shadow Brutes!  Here, outside of the mines?  I wasn't expecting this, but I do have my sword on me.  I had better take care of this.

The normal tactic for killing these is to wait for them to approach, and then slash them when they're just within range.  But this one doesn't seem to be approaching me.

Hello, sir?  Shouldn't you be trying to kill me now?

Oh.  You talk.  Well, don't I feel like an asshole now.  Uh, sorry for all the other shadows I've killed.  I hope they weren't friends of yours.  In my defense, they did try to kill me, but then again, I'm pretty sure I was invading their homes at the time.

He's a storekeeper!  An unusual one, far from the others of his kind.

He has a Stardrop for sale - I'll have to come back for that later - and the Return Scepter, one of the most expensive items in the game.  It allows you to teleport home from anywhere on the map, but it's absurdly expensive.

Conveniently, the sewers also have an exit in the middle of town, so I don't need to walk back from all the way in the middle of the woods.

A nice surprise when I get home:  eleven iridium-quality aged goat cheeses, all finished being processed in the casks in my basement.  These will sell well, for over a thousand gold each.

That night ... holy crap, we have a baby.

I AM NOT READY FOR THIS DECISION.

[ciathyzareposts]

Ragnarok: Won! (with Summary and Rating)

I’d say that’s better than getting membership in a guild.

          Ragnarok

United States

Norsehelm Productions (developer and publisher); distributed in Europe as Valhalla by Optyk

Released 1992 for DOS

Date Started: 28 January 2020

Date Ended: 26 February 2020

Total Hours: 23

Difficulty: Moderate-Hard (3.5/5)

Final Rating: (To come later)

Ranking at Time of Posting: (To come later)         

Summary:

Ragnarok is an excellent freeware game with a roguelike base. Veterans of Rogue or NetHack will soon become familiar with the partly-randomized game maps and the game’s 47 keyboard commands such as (A)ttack, (i)nventory, (q)uaff a potion, and (Q)uit and save, but they will also appreciate the original and varied things that the developers did with potions, scrolls, wands, and other inventory items, as well as the interface upgrades. The story is also richer here than in most roguelikes, requiring the player to solve a series of quests that will turn things in the gods’ favor at Ragnarok. Character development, inventory, monsters, and combat tactics are particularly strong, but as with most roguelikes, there isn’t much “role-playing.” The game allows saving every 200 turns, which takes the edge of the permadeath of other roguelikes but still requires the player to act judiciously.

*****

What a ride. I was up late with this one Wednesday night, and even though I had to play through the endgame a couple of times, I never got bored with it. Ragnarok is one of the best games of 1992 and my blog in general. A lack of any real “role-playing,” including NPCs, will prevent it from reaching the absolute top spot, but it’s excellent for what it does.             

The game warns me to stop wasting time.

           Late in my last session, Heimdall had warned that Ragnarok was at hand. Relying on one commenter’s statement that there was no time limit, I ignored Heimdall and kept exploring around the River Vid, which wraps around the base of the world. As I was screwing around, a comment happened to come through from Thomas Boyd that there is, in fact, a time limit. Right about then, Odin appeared before me and his voice came booming from his astral form:

           Many days will the gods battle fiercely with the forces of death. Make haste to reach Asgard but take care as well. You are the only hope that we have left. Aid us and join the ranks of mortals who have been honored with greatness. Fail and the universe shall perish. First, take Gjall to Heimdall at Bifrost or we shall be overwhelmed. We await you at Vigrid.

             At this point, I only had solved two of the six quests: I had found Freyr’s sword, Mimming, and Odin’s spear, Gungir. I knew where the Miner’s Well was to solve the third quest, and I had Thokk’s soul in a ring, which would allow me to solve the fourth if I could find Hela in Niflheim. I hadn’t heard a word about Mjollnir or a weapon that would allow Tyr to fight with one arm.

I headed back to Mimer’s Well and used my Wand of Wishing to generate a Scroll of Knowledge, which teaches you one skill or ability. I think it selects at random, so I took a save just before using it, prepared to save scum for the “Swimming” ability, but I got it on the first try. This allowed me to enter Mimer’s Well, where I promptly sank to the bottom, couldn’t move, and was soon slain by the serpent Aspenth. Apparently, I had to divest myself of heavy items first.             

Mimer’s Well had a fun title screen even though it was only a small area.

           I reloaded, and suddenly the game had never heard of “Swimming.” It took me about 12 reloads before I finally got the skill a second time, dropped most of my heavy stuff, and entered the well again. This time, I was able to maneuver. I drank a couple of Potions of Speed and attacked the serpent in melee range, killing him in about four blows. He dropped Gjall, Heimdall’s horn, and I snagged it.

Worried about time, I figured 50% of the quests was good enough to try. I made my way back along the River Vid to the Bifrost, which occupies its own map. Heimdall was standing at the end. He gratefully took the horn and blew it to call warriors to the final battle, then disappeared. I followed him north off the bridge and into Asgard, at which point the game told me that the Bifrost collapsed and I wouldn’t be able to use it to return.             

Not so much a “rainbow” bridge as a Romanian bridge.

            Asgard was under attack, with enemies and allies everywhere. I didn’t last long. In addition to hel dragons and draugr, which killed me in single blows, the map was swarming with a handful of unique demons. One of them had a piercing wail like the zardons I’d made extinct. Another could sap my strength from a distance.            

I didn’t last long in this crush of enemies.

          I reloaded an old save, from before I wasted so much time exploring the River Vid, and considered my options. Clearly, I needed to develop my character a bit more, with whatever time I had remaining, but also perhaps get some better equipment. Character and inventory development in Ragnarok are both consistent and rewarding because there are so many different methods. These include:

         Regular experience and leveling.

Finding and quaffing Potions of Experience.

Raising your strength with Potions of Strength.

Raising your constitution with Potions of Constitution.

Raising your luck with Holy Water.

Finding better items of equipment.

Improving your primary weapon or any piece of armor with Scrolls of Enchantment (preferably blessed).

Improving your constitution by eating hel dragons.

          Hel, yeah!

        Improving your speed by eating blurs (this is temporary but long-lasting)

Improving levels, for a while, and then maximum hit points by eating dead wraiths.

              If you explore an area that generates a lot of monsters of different types, like the dungeons, it’s nearly impossible that something on this list isn’t going to happen every few minutes. Thus, I spent some time back in the forest and dungeon just hewing through monsters and finding items. I saved every 200 turns unless I hadn’t accomplished anything in those 200 turns, at which point I loaded the previous save and tried a new area.           

Speed is worth a note. A high speed allows you to attack multiple times for every one attack from an enemy, and I found that it was absolutely necessary for some high-level enemies like hel dragons. The character has 10 by default and can boost it up to 60 or 70 with potions, dead blurs (a monster), and the Amulet of Quickening. Above 70 runs the risk of killing you. Unlike all the other attributes, I don’t think there’s any way to make the increase permanent. Potions and blurs wear off and even the amulet eventually loses its power and becomes an Eye of Sertrud (it turns out you need five of these to retrieve Mjollnir). Thus, it becomes important, particularly towards the endgame, to load up on speed-granting items. Since potions don’t stack but dead bodies do, at some point I used one of my wishes for 10 dead blurs. It worked, and that supply kept me speedy for most of the rest of the game.         

At some point, I figured I’d try to re-visit Niflheim and see if I could make it to Hera. I was feeling pretty strong, and I had a Wand of Wishing with 5 charges and no particular idea of how to spend it. Niflheim turned out to be as hard as I remembered, but I learned how to use speed to keep ahead of hel dragons. I’d attack them, dart away, wait for them to close, then attack again. Eating their corpses significantly boosted my constitution.          

Taking out a hel dragon with throwing weapons.

         Niflheim consists of 9 maps arranged in a 3 x 3 grid. Each one is ruled by a demon lord, and I recognized a lot of their names from the battle at Asgard. Apparently, if you don’t kill them in Niflheim, they show up in Asgard. Thus, I took my time trying to kill them here. It wasn’t easy; they’re all immune to wands and have a variety of special attacks. Here’s the rundown:

            Konr Rig: a powerful fighter-type demon. He can drive you insane, so you have to kill him before that happens. He’s immune to wands and missile weapons. I had to get my speed up to the highest levels and kill him with a few melee blows.

Vanseril: Hardest of them, I think. He has a psionic attack that he uses every few rounds, and it will damage you for several hundred points anywhere on the map. I had to look up an online hint to see that the only protection was a Disperser Helm, which hadn’t shown up in the game for me. I ended up wishing for one. But even then, he can drain your strength from anywhere on the visible map. It took me almost an hour to kill him with hit and run tactics using missile weapons and speed.

            When wishing for things, you can wish for a “+” equal to your current luck.

        Plog: Easiest of them. He summons monsters and drains wands, but I learned to just drop my wands and wait until he came into melee range.

Emanon: An annoying demon who takes your equipped weapons and armor. I killed him with throwing weapons.

Anxarcule: Second-hardest. He can steal your equipped weapon, create copies of you that fight you, and eat your legs. And he’s also immune to wands. As with the others, I used a combination of speed and missile weapons to kill him.

            Speed and missile weapons are the key to this whole area.

             Nidhogg: Not only is he immune to wands, he removes all their charges if you try to use them anywhere on his level. (That was a reload.) He also messes with the items in your backpack, turning them into useless items. Again, it was missile weapons and speed that finally did him in.

Gulveig: This guy was easy. Two whacks.

           Hela occupies the final section, and when I first approached, she took Thokk’s soul and asked what soul I wanted released in return. I said BALDER (the game’s spelling) and she complied. I then attacked her and was surprised when she died in just a few blows. She dropped a magic scythe, apparently one of the most powerful weapons in the game. Once I enchanted it a few times, hardly any enemy lasted more than one blow.           

Solving the fourth quest.

        Much stronger now, I returned to Asgard and started punching my way through the battle to the eastern exit. With the demons dead, I only had to worry about hel dragon and draugr. Draugrs return to life a few rounds after you kill them unless you (uck) eat their corpses.              

The chaotic final battle in Asgard. You must make your way from the left side of the screen to the right.

          Asgard has several buildings. One of them, in the mid-south, had stairs up. On the second level, three rooms held stacks of almost all the items in the game, including blessed versions of every scroll and potion–15 of them! I gorged myself on Potions of Strength, Holy Water, Scrolls of Enchantment, Potions of Constitution, and the like. I rendered a dozen creatures extinct (including most of those fighting below, but draugr an hel dragons are too powerful). I used Potions of Endurance to pump up my temporary health to ungodly levels. I loaded every free inventory slot with blessed Potions of Curing. Scrolls of Knowledge filled in every skill I didn’t have          

 A bonanza of items just before the end.

         It all turned out to be useless. A few steps later, I was off the Asgard map and onto Vigrid, site of the final battle. The game immediately started telling me that Heimdall was fighting Loki, Odin was attacking Fenrir, and so forth.             

The character joins the battle in progress.

       Giving the weapons I’d recovered to Odin and Freyr involved simply walking up to them. However, there was nothing else I could do. If I tried to attack any of the evil gods or monsters–if I even caught their attention–they would kill me from afar.            

Sometimes it’s best not to be noticed.

              Thus, all the bonuses I’d gained in Asgard served for nothing. I just wandered back and forth until I got a message that the gods had won the battle and I was welcomed into Valhalla. This was accompanied by a nice image.            

A real paradise would have more outlets near those tables.

           So you only need to solve some of the quests. I’m not sure you’d even have time to solve them all. I guess the fewer you solve, the less likely the gods are to win at Ragnarok, but I frankly couldn’t even make a loss happen. When I reloaded from my first step into Vigrid and refused to hand over the weapons this time, the gods still won. This happened on two more reloads.           

I guess they really just needed Heimdall.

          In addition to the two major areas I never explore and the two quests I didn’t solve, there are many aspects of the game I didn’t experience, including:

           Making use of spells or psionics (apparently, every time you pick up a “diamond needle,” you get better at psionics).

Dimension traveling. I got the ability when I ate a breleor, but I wasn’t sure how it worked and never had occasion to use it. Apparently it makes traveling between the major areas much faster.

          “The Crossroads” lets you travel between different planes. I only even visited for this screenshot.

           Potion making and potion-mixing. The alchemist was the last class I tried. He can mix potions into combinations otherwise not found in the game.

Ironworking. I guess I could have had a very powerful weapon (the runesword) long before I took Hela’s scythe.

           Blacksmiths can make things out of other things.

           Polymorphing, which can grant skills not available to regular classes. 

Taming animals or creating golems.

Writing my own scrolls, a sage ability.

Helping my allies. You can give equipment, potions, and other useful items to any human fighting alongside you at any point in the game. I didn’t explore this.

            But unlike some players who prefer the so-called “completionist” approach, I enjoy leaving a game with plenty of content to be explored. It gives me an excuse to replay.             

The various areas of Ragnarok. Although I played for 23 hours, I still missed a lot of the maps.

         On my GIMLET, the game earns:

               5 points for the game world. We’ve had other games use Norse mythology–notably Dusk of the Gods, which has the same plot. But it’s still relatively original among RPGs.

5 points for character creation and development. Development is satisfying, rewarding, and constant, as we saw. I don’t think the different classes matter as much as they should, though. Since they’re all capable of using the same items, the only real purpose of the classes is to work your way up to the highest level and get the class-specific skills. More benefits and restrictions would have made a more interesting game.

       My character at the game’s end.

         2 point for NPC Interaction. It gets this for the hint-delivering Ravens and the occasional NPC ally that you can help. It’s too bad there are no dialogue options with any NPCs.

5 points for encounters and foes. There are no non-combat encounters or puzzles, but the bestiary is as original and varied as its source material while not being completely derivative of it. I enjoyed learning their strengths and weaknesses and adapting my own tactics in response.

6 points for magic and combat. As with most roguelikes, combat seems somewhat blunt but is surprisingly tactical. I was underwhelmed by the magic system, though.

8 points for equipment. Easily the best part of the game. Ragnarok doesn’t feature quite as many item interactions as NetHack, but it still has a wide variety of things to find, use, and equip. You can even make your own items as a blacksmith, sage, or alchemist.

           Dragons always drop a wealth of treasure.

          4 points for the economy. You stop thinking about it, or bothering to collect gold, about halfway through the game. But during the portion when you find the occasional shop (the forest and the dungeon), it has a reasonable amount of relevance.

3 points for a main quest with multiple parts, some optional, but no side quests nor role-playing choices or alternate endings.

            An “alternate ending.”

          4 points for graphics, sound, and interface. It gets almost all of it for the excellent interface. One command=one key, logically mapped, but with a mouse backup. I like the way the main interface shows both a large-scale and small-scale area. Graphics are a step up from most roguelikes; sound is sparse and only okay.

8 points for gameplay. It’s mostly nonlinear and quite replayable. It offers the challenge of a roguelike without the insanity of permadeath. Limiting saves to once every 200 turns is just about perfect. The game lasted exactly as long as its content supported.

         That gives us a final score of 50, six points higher than I gave NetHack. Omega (1988) remains the best roguelike I’ve played so far, but Ragnarok is a close second, and frankly a better game for a player who wants a tighter storyline.           

A slick ad for what was essentially a shareware game.

         As we now know, Ragnarok was a passion project of two California-based college friends, Thomas Boyd and Robert Vawter, and I thank both of them for offering comments and recollections during my coverage. Norsehelm was their company, meaning they self-published and self-distributed the game in the United States, albeit with (as we see above) commercial production values. Their London publisher, Optyk, apparently never sent them any royalties, so the duo decided to offer it as freeware after a few years of modest income.

I couldn’t find any contemporary American reviews. European magazines mostly weren’t kind. The lowest score came from the February 1993 PC Joker, where the reviewer compared it to a flight simulator and seemed to find the number of keyboard commands bewildering despite mouse buttons, including a help menu, right on the screen. Other reviews simply suggested that the reviewer wasn’t really aware of roguelike history and was looking for fancy graphics and sound. PC Games (March 1993) had the only complimentary review, recommending it for its replayability and challenging strategy.

It’s too bad that Norsehelm never produced another game. Mr. Vawter hinted in an e-mail to me that they started one based on the Seven Wonders of the World but didn’t get very far. Both seem to have done well for themselves, however, with successful technology careers in the San Francisco Bay area.

I gave the choice of the next game to commenter Lance M., who’s helped me a lot lately with “lost” games. Lance wanted me to play GayBlade, one of the games he managed to turn up. This led to a confusing bit of research. GayBlade is listed as a 1992 game on a lot of sites, but I’ve found comments from the author that he based it on DragonBlade (1993), and moreover only released it after he got into a rights battle with the publisher of his Citadel of the Dead (1994). My attempts to contact the author have not been answered. For now, I have to assume DragonBlade came first and play it first.

source http://reposts.ciathyza.com/ragnarok-won-with-summary-and-rating/

[onthe5thday]

5th Day Residents Revealed: Lucien Biscop

To kick-start our On the 5th Day 'Residents Revealed’ feature we bring you our much cherished Lucien Biscop - an artist with a love for melancholic elements in his techno and who nearly resigned when we asked what his top 3 favourite tracks of all time were… he does have a point!

Whether warming up at the start of a night, bringing his take on ambience to the room in order to pull 5th Dayers in, or peaking proceedings in room two where he’s guaranteed to consistently bring it, Lucien can always be relied on to to deliver.

Delve into his 5th Day podcast for a beautiful taster of what Lucien likes to bring to the techno table:    https://soundcloud.com/onthe5thday/on-the-5th-day-podcast-036-lucien-biscop

Support Lucien here:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lucien.biscop

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/lucienbiscop

RA: https://www.residentadvisor.net/dj/lucienbiscop

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So its fair to say we know you pretty well by now, but for the sake of the not so familiar, tell us a little bit about yourself and the short and sweet version of what’s bought you to where you are today.

It probably all started with a love for music; not very original but that’s the reason why. From a young age I always enjoyed discovering new music. I then realised later that I also really liked sharing it. I was fascinated by DJs but always thought that it was inaccessible for me - I’m too old, or I’m going to ridicule myself. But then one day I googled “become a dj” and the rest was a one step at a time journey. A combination of hard work and luck, to be part of the On The 5th Day family is what made me where I am now.

What is techno to you?

I have a very wide taste in music, I particularly like sad music regardless of the genre, and techno really doesn’t lack melancholic tracks. When playing it fully allows me to express myself. I’m discovering new tracks and artists that I like almost every day, that’s one of the reasons why it’s the genre that satisfies my hunger for new music the most. It’s also the music that allows me to get completely lost regardless of my mood, the location or the activity. It will affect my mood but out of the very varied sub genres in techno, I can also easily select something that will correspond to my mood of the moment.

What have been your most magical On the 5th Day moments so far, both sides of the decks?

That is a difficult question. Every On the 5th Day has had its unique moments, every party brought something different, a bit like a new chapter in a story. Behind the decks, it’s going to sound un-elaborate, but maybe just recently the last September party when mixing 3 tracks that I had never imagined would have worked together and getting a very good response from the crowd. I am very self critical and when it comes to playing or producing, I depend a lot on others’ opinions, so I must have been smiling a lot in that moment.

In front of the decks, I cannot remember a moment that has not been magical, it is very difficult to choose one in particular. If I really have to choose it might have been for the Semantica showcase, obviously a great lineup and the crowd that it attracted made it a very nice party.

In your view, is there a particular artist On the 5th Day has booked who perfectly captures the heart and soul of On the 5th Day and what we stand for?

These questions are not getting any easier [our bad]. I think if I had to choose it might be Svreca or Abdulla Rashim. In my opinion their productions or their mixing are a good definition of what On the 5th Day is about. From a DJ’s point of view, every time I hear them play it is the equivalent of a masterclass, and from a dancer’s point of view it is always an absolute pleasure. Flawless mixing that makes complete sense from the beginning to the end which will send you into a trance.

Can you tell us about the inspirations behind your recent On the 5th Day podcast (which is frickin’ lovely by the way!)

The inspiration behind my mix was partly my mood at the time and also artists/tracks that I enjoyed in the moment. I always think that my mixes are a direct reflection of who I am at the moment I play them. Any external stimuli somehow will make a difference whether it’s the painting that I just looked at, the weather outside or a memory. Of course this mix was prepared but I would definitely have played it differently or changed it altogether if recorded on another day. Although I think all my mixes have these melancholic elements which really define the music that I like.

What for you makes a positive crowd / party vibe?

It’s a combination of different things but when you take your eyes off of the decks and you realise that the whole crowd is dancing in rhythm, as one, with their eyes shut, when music is the only connection, it almost makes me shiver thinking about it. Most of the time I would say that the location/lineup attracts the right people. The vibe is a direct consequence of the promoter’s approach and connections.

We’re intrigued, can you name your top 3 tracks of all time?

Definitely not easy, also it should be illegal haha, DJs cannot give secret weapons away. Looking at the play count on my rekordbox it appears that Reggy Van Oers | Tetra [The Gods Planet 2015] or Shifted - Vacive [HOS470] have been played quite a few times though. And maybe Polar Inertia - Hell Frozen Over [DM3D011], everyone knows that one and it has been a bit overplayed so I’m not really breaking grounds here. I have actually never played that last one, but the first time I heard it I was really wondering what was happening, “what spaceship or planet am I on” haha.

What else is happening in the life of Lucien at the moment, what else are you working on?

If I am not at work or preparing the next gig I am spending my time producing and spending money on buying new equipment. My main goal right now is to get an EP out. I have a lot of finished and unfinished tracks but nothing that I feel ready to be shared yet. It probably never will be completely ready but I want to take my time to hopefully reach a point where I will be satisfied (not happy, that will never happen ha) with the quality of my productions.

Whenever I find the time I really enjoy recording random things and that really inspires me. The rain, a river, machines, anything. A few weeks ago back at my parents’ place I found this really crappy stereo, a terrible thing. I turned it on and it made a really weird organic noise which was brilliant. Or recently I found that if my Analog Rytm is plugged on a specific USB port of my computer, it glitches, it drove me mad at first, I even contacted emailed Elektron but then I realised that some of these glitches sounded very cool.

Besides music I still enjoy driving fast cars, arts in general, photography and sports.

You can catch Lucien playing at our November event with Sigha, Antigone and VSK (https://www.residentadvisor.net/events/1010134). 

#techno #onthe5thday

[izzy-b-hands]

Had to take a brief break from the smut--I haven’t written it in a while, so the going is slow, plus my mother’s in the room (which normally wouldn’t bug me, but she keeps looking over at me and trying to peek at my laptop when she gets up, so it feels weird to try and write with her doing that. Still pushing forward to finish it tonight though!) 

However, this break shouldn’t be unproductive! So, let me introduce you all to Skyrim-Charles Foster Offdensen: 

He didn’t turn out too bad, I don’t think! Adventures below the cut!

So, character creation was interesting. Could only find one shorter cut with a widow’s peak, so we ran with that. But my most important and wanted thing was his scar from the later seasons (which magically disappeared in the show.) I couldn’t find an exact match in the scar selection but: 

I got pretty close, in terms of placement! We called it good and began his adventure to both organize and bloody all of Skyrim (possibly all at once.)

The random start mod gives you a lot of options, but ultimately Agent felt best--in the show, Charles is violent but calculating, smart but strong in a freaky way, and dedicated to his cause (Dethklok.) No idea yet what his cause might be in Skyrim, but I’m sure we’ll find something. 

We found White River Watch first, which led to some pretty awesome stabbings with his dagger. I’ve decided that since Charles in-show is scary violent and good with any weapon, he can use any weapon in Skyrim. I was going to limit him to bows and daggers, but that ended up not really working as I kept playing, lol.

As you can see, his starter clothes were Bad, so we also used W.R.W as a shopping mall of sorts (aka we stole a dead dude’s stuff.)

Not too bad. Could be better, but not too awful. 

Did some more stabbing, which meant we needed food and potions (though I did add a clothing mod with armor and...you’ll see.)

If he insists on Dethklok eating healthy, he’s gonna eat that way too. Plus, he’s now 100 apples away from doctors and Hamburger Time (what a deal!!)

We ended up stopping briefly so I could fiddle with some mods that weren’t loading, then went to Whiterun to reap the rewards of my flipping the load order around: 

#9monthslaterlook. The jacket is leather, and I don’t think the one in the show was meant to be that, but this mod still works for our purposes. 

We wandered for a bit then, stabbed some more stuff (as you do.) Eventually, we hit some areas where he needed better armor, so we temporarily ditched this look for leather: 

Pretty fucking metal (for being in leather.) Also, did you guys know I still can’t find a suit or glasses mod on Steam? I thought for sure I would, but I haven’t yet (and while I love Charles without glasses, I’d also love to have a pair he can keep in his inventory and use as needed.) If anybody knows of such mods, let me know please! 

We hit up Solitude and watched a guy die (old news for Charles, of course. As if death means much when you’ve already died.) 

Then made it up to Dawnstar to start an actual quest, and met Erandur!

You sure know a lot about this, Erandur. Hope I can trust you, Erandur!

“If you roofied this torpor or something Erandur, I will kill you.”

“You motherfucker.” 

So, we got tricked into eventually killing Erandur (who I’m still not sure if we could have fully trusted or not), but at least we got to kill more people! 

I left Charles hanging out near the quest location, and I might pick him up tomorrow since I feel I could have gotten more done with today, and I want to try and remedy that. I also want to do more writing, so we’ll have to see, but for now I’m glad I’ve got him started!