#i'm thinking about it. how much do these isolated tribes know about the rest of the world?
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binch-i-might-be · 6 months ago
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I wonder if/how the myths/Lore™ of entirely isolated and uncontacted tribes changed in recent years to include things like airplanes and satellites
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eriexplosion · 10 months ago
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So. I think Omega is force sensitive with the potential to be trained because otherwise why even bring it up? And I think that it will be relevant that the boys now, and especially Hunter, now know that when she doesn't.
But I don't think that we're actually going to see Omega leave to get trained. I think she'll consider it. She might even decide to do it. But I think in the end she'll choose to stay with the Batch. Look at the rest of the show - its all been about sticking through tough times with your community, loyalty and belonging with your family, the efforts to bring the batch back together.
Specifically I'm thinking of Tribe too. Gungi was our last featured force sensitive character, and he gets returned to Kashyyyk because "Jedi or not, he's still a child. He needs his people." We get that line from the elder, "When a young one leaves the trees weep, but when they return the trees sing." It doesn't sound like a show that eventually plans to have Omega leave her family that she's tried so hard to stay with.
(And isn't it interesting with that quote that the tree Ventress sends her to is the "weeping" maya tree?)
Much like the first two seasons push to reunite the family fall flat if Tech is dead for good and we never see the family together, Omega leaving in the end would utterly obliterate most of the central theme that the first two seasons spent all that time setting up. It turns from a family fighting to stay together to a story about how Omega really needed to separate from them all along for everyone's own good. It's a complete dissonance from every other theme that we've seen, and I just don't think they set up that you need to stick together with your people to survive just to use season 3 to knock it all back down and say that actually isolation and permanent separation from your loved ones is the way to go.
So why introduce the idea? Because for Omega's choice to stay to have any weight, she needs a viable alternative that she could have chosen. She needs to see another path at all, maybe even needs to think she's going to choose it at first, but I think that in the end she's going to return to the batch and to the family that she's grown so much with.
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yanderes-galore · 2 years ago
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Nice that you’re writing about the serpentines then can I have romantic Yandere skales with a ninja darling. This takes place in season 1. In the episode “rise of the snakes”, he first met her with the other ninjas- who saved the jamanakai village from being raided-and he was intrigued by her- the part where he hypnotized cole is when he used him to spy on darling. The 2nd time they met is at the forest where the snakes are building a fortress and he tried an attempt to kidnapped her or hypnotize her but backfires (at any possible way) and after he became the newest general of hypnobrai tribe, he became more power-hungry in a way that thinking he could make darling his bride to rule with him when he became the serpentine king 
Sure! I'm sorry if something is off it's been awhile since I've seen Season 1 so I'm going off from what you said!
Yandere! Skales with Ninja! Darling
Pairing: Romantic
Possible Trigger Warnings: Female Darling, Obsession, Stalking, Invasion of privacy, Manipulation, Jealousy, Possessive behavior, Forced relationship, Kidnapping, Mentions of calling darling a "mate".
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Let's start with how you met, the raid of Lloyd on the village.
Season 1 Skales can be a ruthless foe.
Hypnobrai in general tend to be scary to deal with due to their powers.
Even when Skales is still following orders from his old General, despite how dumb they may be, he can still be dangerous to be around.
You can see this when you're a ninja.
The Ninja were called when they heard the village was being attacked by what was thought to only be legend, Serpentine.
Skales is still a coward, but when he met you it was nearly face to face.
While the other ninja worked on driving out the rest of the Hypnobrai group, Skales managed to encounter you.
He felt many different emotions when he first saw you.
There was a feeling of intrigue, fear, and annoyance to name the strongest.
You were one of the only female humans out of the whole ninja group. (This was before Nya joining, after all)
Skales wasn't sure why this ninja piqued his interest so much.
Even when you threatened him and drove him off with the rest of the Hypnobrai, Skales still felt a need to keep an eye on this human.
His feelings aren't quite romantic yet, only intrigue.
He isn't sure why thoughts of you rattle around in his head yet.
All he knows is something about you drives him into learning more.
There's no doubt Skales uses Cole to spy on this new obsession.
While he is forced to listen to this kid by his General, he keeps an eye on you and the rest of the ninja.
Not only does Skales learn where the Hypnobrai staff is at this time, Skales also learns more about you.
He never tells anyone but he has a fascination with you.
He uses Cole to see how you fight, how you act, and what you do in your free time.
Watching you is one of the most entertaining things for him to do... a weird thought, really-
He normally hates humans and the ninja, but he thinks he can make you useful in his plans.
That's his excuse, he can barely consider his feelings as romantic with a human...
... right?
That would be... weird, won't it?
He can possibly like you as a mate....
What if he did?
Skales decides to use the next time he meets you to kidnap you.
He says to himself it's for leverage in his plan to become Serpentine King... but it isn't just for that.
Maybe he does want you as a mate... is that why you occupy his thoughts so often?
He tries to hide such thoughts and takes advantage of the fact you found out about the Fortress.
Skales has to remind himself to stay focused when he stalks you, waiting for the right moment to ambush you.
The plan should be perfect...
He'll hypnotize you so you're under his control!
Then he'll guide you with him for when he overthrows his General!
But... why does he want you to stay after that?
Either way, Skales attempts his plan when he feels you are isolated enough.
The issue is he is ambushed by one of your other friends and his plan doesn't come to fruition.
He didn't manage to make you fully under his control before fleeing from the attack.
This was starting to get frustrating.
It angers him even more that he no longer has Cole under his control, making him unable to stalk you through his eyes.
Stalk? Oh... he just means to gain info about you- Perhaps he meant... spy?
Skales doesn't see you again until he beats his General in the Slither Pit to become a General.
He feels only slightly bad about burning the monastery.
By this point he feels you won't need it.
Not if he plans on taking you with him.
It takes Skales a bit to get used to the fact he wants a human as a partner.
You're strangely... adorable despite how different you are.
So the next time he meets you, he puts a new plan together.
Skales wants to be the Serpentine King.
Yet every king needs a queen for his brood, no?
Skales just so happens to choose you for the role.
Don't bother fighting him when he comes in with the Hypnobrai to capture you.
This time he doesn't plan on messing up his hypnotism on you.
Differing from the canon at this point, Skales would lure you in/hunt you down to obtain his goal.
He's less understanding of his darling season 1 and would definitely just hypnotize you to be his bride.
You can't fight him that way, right?
Poor girl... you have no choice in the matter.
By the time Skales kidnaps you with hypnotism he's accepted the fact he's fallen for a human.
He blames humanity for locking his race away underground, but he'll change you.
After all, if he has to he can always use Fangpyre venom on you to make you more Serpentine-like.
Skales would definitely force a marriage between you to make you his bride despite your past.
Once he has you, you're like a puppet.
He'll keep you hypnotized, he may actually go through with the Fangpyre venom method too.
Soon you'll be made the perfect bride for him as future Serpentine King.
If you ever managed to fight back, he'll find a way to get you back under his control.
When Skales manages to mold you into the perfect bride for him, he's overjoyed!
He wraps himself around you, he hold your tightly in his claws, and he may even bite your neck to mark you.
You're his now! Especially if he's removed your humanity!
This is your life now...
You're no ninja... you're now only a poor soul caught in the Hypnobrai's trap.
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lanternfields · 1 month ago
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so I've been working on my trolls beneath the mind au for a while now and during the whole process of trying to figure out what kind of worldbuilding I've wanted to do with the musical strings
I got bit sidetracked on another au idea that I've had that focuses on my favorite rare pair in the trolls fandom that being chazdory
the name I've been thinking for this au being 'Jazz Hunters AU'
the whole plot of the au is honestly meant to be a aesthetically vintage inspired romance kind of thing but with themes of emotional isolation and deception that both John Dory and Chaz would have to deal with in both internally and externally.
as I've made a somewhat fleshed out backstory with Chaz and his upbringing within the jazz tribe, being well.. not a ideal since he got socially and emotionally isolated from the rest of his tribe for making jazz music that's too different. I got this idea actually from researching a bit on why smooth jazz is a not that popular among the jazz community. Turns out its because smooth Jazz is actually supposed to be meant for a more broader audience― ironically for the Chaz being compared to pop music in some cases and takes away some key jazz aspects that made a some people mad
but I don't really know that much since I've only done surface level research at the moment but yeah
and as the romance part with John Dory in this au I've actually using the same a idea that I have for him in my beneath the mind au. This being John's disconnect and burnout from music entirely.
I've read or maybe heard from somewhere in the fandom that John is actually supposed to be a more extreme version of Branch in a way so I'm going to be playing with this idea of him post return to the tree only to find it empty and assuming his brothers were dead. He just ends up becoming disconnected from music entirely his reasoning being again similar to that of Branch but instead of guilt for getting his grandma killed its because of build up internal trauma he got from one of the brozone parents. I talk more about an idea of brozone's parents in this post that I will flesh out more in this AU.
Anyways the romance plot: as for how Chaz and John meets, I'm leaning towards John―who might be an underground bounty hunter trying to lay low for a bit, maybe just being at the right place at the right time. Like a supply run when John after being on the road for a few years ends up at this small trading town that's in jazz territory just to get some stuff for him and Rhonda at this point. Chaz meanwhile still only a few years into bounty hunting is getting tracked down by a bunch of trolls he pissed off or something like that and getting John involved because he was just so happened to be at a place where Chaz could and did use him to shake off the group of trolls he pissed off
shenanigans ensue
during the whole thing, it comes out that the reason John was laying low for a little bit was because it just so happened that he also pissed off the same group of people a while back too and are now out to kill him out of spite
so what you have in the beginning is John Dory immediately hating Chaz for getting him involved in something he was trying to avoid and Chaz being well Chaz is a jerk to him and the two now having to compromise with each other to get out of the situation that their in.
and that's about it for now there's still a lot of plot points I have to connect to each other with this au and since their some aspects that I haven't even explained in this post yet but here a bullet point run down on what else will be in this au
Chazdory romance is actually supposed to be mix between enemies to lovers and the 'your the only person that treated me with some decency in a long time and I don't know how to feel about that'
their relationship is inspire by kanthony in Bridgerton
They both end up as well known bounty hunters and John actually starts to rekindle his disconnection and burnout of music after Chaz introduces him to jazz music via piano
The other bounty hunters, Wani, Tresillo, Hickory, and Dickory ends in a weird found family kind of thing with the two ( All of them met because of a weird bounty gone wrong and it seems they all just keep bumping into each other after so why not stay in contact if this is going to keep happening?)
John and Chaz do get married between maybe the 10 to 11 year mark brozone broke up, they first met around 8 years after brozone broke up
They have a daughter, Theodora, who by the time of world tour and tbt is ten years old
After Theodora or Thea's egg detaches from John's hair and hatches he goes into something similar to post-partum depression, this being a major plot point as John despite being married and happy still feels like if he messes one thing up the life he's built up now would be ruined, caretaker mentality he developed after he helped Chaz with his issues and Chaz did do the same with John hence introducing him to jazz music but this plot point being more about John having a relapse in a way.
So Chaz ends up convincing John to get help after a while of John Dory denying anything but soon relenting and having therapy schedule to help him move on from a lot of things.
In world tour, when Branch and Poppy meet Hickory and Dickory, in this au instead of the two of them, its Hickory and Chaz along with Theodora that bust them out but this time there's no tricking thing in canon, since the two are only doing this bounty because barb is holding John and Dickory hostage along with the k-pop gang and Tresillo and his sisters (the two groups actually manage to escape but couldn't get Dickory and John out with them and still meet/team up with Branch later on while John and Dickory actually help the snack pack get into the mainstage in the end though) and Theodora came with them cause well their was no one to take care of her and Chaz was in no way going to leave his only kid alone with a complete stranger
One last thing is that Theodora during the capture of poppy and branch and all of them just chilling on the makeshift boat is wearing John's old goggles (the one he wore pre-brozone breakup) around her neck since it doesn't really suit her hair type being the same as Chaz's hair
Branch immediately clocking in on them as soon as things calm down and this just leads up to an interrogation scene in Branch's head anyways with Theodora on where she got those goggles around her neck and Thea after saying it was her papa's and ends up showing a picture of her and John
Cue Branch realizing the one of his brothers is alive and Theodora is his niece and Chaz being like 'Oh shit this is my husband's younger brother'
Meanwhile Poppy and Hickory in the background watching this drama unfold:👥
It all works out in the end of world tour though with the events going the same way just bit more dramatic on since well branch did not expect to one- find out his eldest brother is alive, two- also find out he has a niece and one of the bounty hunters that captured him and his crush is actually his in law
I still have to figure out how this would alter the events of tbt but no doubt that Chaz and Theodora is going to tag along with them cause like Chaz just got his husband back from a hostage situation and Theodora being the whole world tour thing being her first ever time at a bounty and just wants to spend time with her papa
man this was a lot and it turned out longer than I originally intended it to be
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allieebobo · 2 years ago
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While I am salty abt Rayyan’s lack of faith in our MC, I am also absolutely endeared by their consistent dedication to tennis and being the best ❤️ Their passion for the sport is definitely one of the reasons I’m attracted to them, and same goes for my MC. Their reaction to the doubles pairing is upsetting, but if you were aiming to make these characters feel real and authentic, then you nailed it! I’m happy Rayyan doesn’t change or give up their passion for the sport just because they’re starting to gain feelings for the new freshie. Tennis is their first love, not anyone else 😆 Rest assured though that my MC will still try to make them eat their words 😉
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Ahh I'm glad Rayyan's response is something folks are thinking about and enjoying(?) To summarise, I think Rayyan has this almost obsessive fixation on tennis because they know how good they can be, and a lot of their self-worth is derived from that, for better or for worse. To the second anon, you're absolutely right in that this gives them a "standing at the edge of a cliff" feel to their frenetic, almost all-consuming passion/ambition.
Very long answer below hahaha :p do I psychanalyse all of my characters? Unfortunately... yes 🤣🤣 it's a blessing and a curse 😂
Tldr; Tobin and Rayyan have grown up with different family backgrounds and different experiences of being "othered", and this informs the way they react to big events.
Rayyan's family, as one of the only Egyptian (and Muslim) families in their neighbourhoods, are inevitably more isolated and insular--their family does their best to cling on to their traditions and religious beliefs and history, but this doesn't always help with assimilating to a new country. Rayyan has always felt alone, different, and have grown up learning to be independent, often with the mindset of taking on adversity alone. Hence their instinctive response to MC, and their dislike for doubles.
Being born into an immigrant family, Rayyan has also always felt as though they've had to prove themselves twice over: first to the outside world, then to their family--especially their father and grandmother who want nothing more than to see their child/grandchild succeed. Rayyan, as the oldest of the youngest generation, bears the responsibility of being the family's 'proof' of successful assimilation into America in some ways.
Rayyan is consumed by the need to do well at tennis and at school because it is tied not just to their own self-worth, but also their family's, by extension. So, they've always found it hard to accept anything less than perfect from themselves--there's just too much riding on them for them to "fail".
Tobin, in this IF, is a foil to Rayyan in that they deal with similar, but very different pressures of being a black athlete, but they respond in a very different way. Rayyan tends to focus on one thing and one thing alone: winning - the classic "I let my tennis do the talking". Tobin, on the other hand, has always prioritized people, over anything else.
Tobin's parents have always been very active and plugged into the African-American community where they live, and so Tobin has always felt like they belong squarely in the world they inhabit, unlike Rayyan. Tobin's parents are also big proponents of solidarity and kindness, so Tobin's stance has always been: the world's fucked up, but we're all in this fucked up world together.
Then there's also the dimension of their personality. Rayyan is hot-headed, almost brash, and they're also proud, fiercely independent, and distrustful of anyone not in their inner circle. On the other hand, by virtue of their charisma and more lighthearted demeanor, Tobin has always commanded/attracted/built their own "tribe". They're also far calmer and more laid-back than Rayyan, and their responses are always measured, thoughtful, and almost slow to act/anger--there's a con here too though, they often end up losing their own gut reaction in the midst of all that careful deliberation, not just of their own feelings, but everyone else's.
So in conclusion, CT:OS will always have its characters at the heart of it, and I've tried my best to give these characters rich and unique experiences and histories and ways of relating to the world.
That's not to say these characters aren't contradictory at times, and they will evolve through the course of the IF--MC will even have a big part to play in that, through their actions and words and the way they choose to interact with the characters.
As another ask mentioned, now that the characters are more fleshed out, I'm hoping a lot more of these dynamics can come into play! :) (oh dear, that got very long!)
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the-starry-seas · 9 months ago
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it's Star Wars Day and I probably can't actually keep fiddling with this so hey, why not post it? :) anyway it's been a year and I still think that Paz dying was bullshit so here we are, I'm unburying my gays so they can kill people on their date
The thing is, Fury’s used to loss. 
It’s all a clone is expected to know. Losing brothers to injury, disease, enemy soldiers, sometimes even their Jedi commanders – they were made to be killed. They were meant to be disposed. 
Mandalorians aren’t like that. They’re built on community. On hope. He’s seen it, over and over again. Even in Boba and Jango, who were isolated from their culture for so long. The strongest of lone wolves yearn for a pack. 
Which is why it makes sense that Paz would risk his life for his tribe. They all do, in every battle. There’s never any guarantee that any one of them will come home, no matter how much they want to, or how well they fight. It’s the risk of being a solider. They all know that. 
But that doesn’t mean he’s ready to let Paz go. 
So when the blast door starts to come down, Fury does the only thing he can: he drops and rolls, the bottom of the door scraping the paint from his pauldron as he narrowly avoids getting pinned to the floor. 
“What are you doing?” Paz demands. 
Fury doesn’t answer, just headbutts him, hard. Not the tap-together of foreheads that symbolises affection, but anger, more real than he’d like it to be, because if it’s real, it can hurt him. 
Paz can hurt him, too, more than he knows. 
“This is not the time!” Paz adds, as if Fury could just go back to safety with the others. 
“It is now,” Fury snarls at him, and turns to shoot at the kriffing Imperials. 
He can hear the beat of Paz’s cannon to his left, steadier than his heartbeat, and focuses on shooting to the right. The most important thing he can do is watch Paz’s back. That cannon will handle most of the rest. 
When he hears blaster bolts pinging off Paz’s beskar, he flinches, but he doesn’t move. He doesn’t fear death the same way as natborns, not when it’s been staring over his shoulder every time he’s looked in the mirror since he was a cadet, but Paz’s death? 
That terrifies him. 
That’s why he’s here. 
And fortunately for him, no matter how stars-damned stupid Paz may be about himself, he protects his family. It’s half of what Fury loves about him, even if right now, it’s also incredibly infuriating. 
There’s no time to talk or think when you’re shooting your way out of an ambush, and it’s probably for the best, considering what Fury wanted to say when he rolled under that door a minute ago. Part of him still wishes he was yelling right now, but the more talking he does, the less shooting will happen. 
Of course, the shooting ends eventually. There’s only so many soldiers that a hidden base can throw at them, but more than that, there’s only so long that Paz can run that cannon before it overheats. The place falls strangely silent, then there’s the sound of a few blaster bolts, a grunt, and the impact of armour against armour. 
He turns. Paz is knocked down to one knee, holding the Imperial back but not able to get to his feet again when they have leverage. His boot slips on the rock.
With no time to reload, Fury tosses aside his blaster and tackles the Imperial over the edge. His jetpack gives him the advantage, aiding in a flip that slams them against the wall of the cliff, loosening their grasp just enough for Fury to kick them loose. 
He doesn’t stop to watch them fall, just scrambles back up, narrowly ducking under a soldier thrown doll-like over his head. There’s only three left. Two halfway across the platform, and the third with Paz’s hand around their throat, blood spilling over the edges of their cracked visor as their feet twitch feebly in midair. 
A handful of drops sizzle against the barrels of Paz’s cannon, laying at his feet, and then the soldier is flung aside, unmoving. 
The other two try to run. Paz’s jetpack sparks as he looks up, half-crouching like he always does before taking flight, but Fury’s is in good shape. He snatches Paz’s vibroblade from his belt and launches upward, slitting one Imperial throat before crushing the next against the wall in a full-body blow. Whether they’re stunned or dead doesn’t matter; they hit the floor near Paz, and he kicks them over the edge to drop with the others. 
When Fury lands, he flings the blade down between them, and the hilt cracks down the middle. Neither of them give it more than a passing glance. 
“What were you thinking?” Paz demands, flinging his left arm to the side in a gesture that encompasses half the area. He hunches over slightly when his arm extends all the way, and Fury knows the signs of him being hurt. 
Doesn’t matter right now. He’s too pissed off. 
“I was thinking that you were trying to be an absolute kriffing moron,” he snarls, “by staying here alone! What was supposed to be the point of that?” 
“To give you the chance to escape. To get out of here.” 
“How dare you?” Fury takes his helmet off. A stupid decision so soon after a battle, but one he makes so Paz can see the full extent of the hurt on his face, so that the tremble in his voice doesn’t get smoothed out by his vocoder. “How dare you think I would leave you?” 
His fingers curl around the edge of his bucket as he steps forward, just enough to reach out and set his fingertips over the iron heart on Paz’s chest. 
“You’re my heart. Don’t you remember me promising? Because I could never decide to walk away from you.” 
“There are no easy choices in war.” 
“This one was. And you tried to take it away from me.” 
He can only share secrets when they’re wrapped in layers of late nights and early mornings, and he doesn’t have to look at anyone. But they’re still told, one little detail at a time, like tiles of a mosaic being pressed into place. Paz has heard, over and over, that the clones weren’t allowed to choose anything that mattered, anything that could change their lives for the better. 
It was the hardest learning curve in their relationship. The clone who resented anyone that made a choice for him after years of slavery, and the Mandalorian who made things happen his way so he could more easily protect people. 
Sometimes they’re a shitty pair, even after they learned how to compromise. Paz still overrides other people, when there’s no time for discussion. Usually it doesn’t matter, but sometimes it just sparks the wrong way, and the fact that Paz has never hurt him intentionally just makes it harder to deal with. It would be so much easier if he could say you hurt me without Paz being hurt in return. 
“E'tad'nare,” Paz says quietly, holding his hand out palm-up. 
He can’t say he’s sorry. Probably never will. 
But that’s okay. 
Fury sets his hand in his riduur’s, fingers flexing for a moment over Paz’s palm before they lace with his. 
“E'tad'nare,” he whispers back. Seven Actions. The six that govern all Mandalorian lives, and the seventh – to love his husband, unflinching, to forgive mistakes and be forgiven in return. 
They’re not good at I’m sorry, but they’re good at I love you eternally. He kind of likes that about them. 
The moment evaporates when they hear a scrape of metal against metal. Fury’s helmet is on in a moment, but even before the HUD flickers back to life, Paz has rushed one of the red-armoured guards. Protecting his riduur, as he’s meant to. 
Fury draws his own knife, and follows him. 
The electro-weapons make things difficult, but there’s no backing down. The other blast door won’t open, and the hole that kriffing Kryze put in it with the darksaber isn’t big enough to fit either one of them. 
Whether she knew Fury would stay with Paz, or just can’t plan for shit, he doesn’t know. Doesn’t matter. He’s punching her either way. 
At least if these red troops don’t kill him first. 
They converge on Paz, and they’re doing a pretty good job of beating him to a pulp before Fury catches up to them. 
He carries a long blade, Whisper’s influence, and its sharpness means it gets through the fabric underarmour with almost no resistance. It pierces lung and heart before they realise they should be afraid of him. 
When the body drops, the other two draw back. This is where it will get hard, but he’s never been afraid of hard. If he was, he would have gotten wiped out on his first deployment. Honestly, the only thing he’s really afraid of is Whisper before xe's had xeim caf. 
Paz snatches up the soldier’s dropped weapon before one of the others has time to reach it. He won’t know how to use it, but he’ll learn from watching the others. When they strike, he’ll know how to strike back. 
“Back up,” Fury says in Mando’a. 
He and Paz move in sync, Fury matching his movements, the soldiers advancing at an equal rate until Fury says to stop. His blaster might not be much help against that armour, but he can only imagine what he’d hear when they got back home, if he left it aside while a fight happened. 
In the time it takes him to reload, both guards lunge, trapping Paz between them. One has their whip wrapped around his throat, pulling him off-balance, and the other is raising theirs sword-like, ready to run him through. 
Fury does the first thing that comes to mind, and shoots them. Several bolts hit them in the side and under their arm, injuring them enough to knock them back, but not enough to take them out of the fight. 
It’s enough time for Paz to surge upwards like a wave, roaring indistinctly as he falls to crush the soldier strangling him against the concrete floor. Their grip loosens just enough for him to get free, his jetpack sparking atop his shoulders.  
He wrenches it loose and flings it away behind him, hand outstretched toward Fury. There’s only one thing he could need, and Fury tosses him the blaster without hesitation. Paz nearly fumbles the catch, but salvages it just in time, twisting the moment his finger touches the trigger. 
The jetpack explodes, taking the guard with it. Fury spares no glance for the crater left, beskar gouged into shrapnel, intestines roped across the floor. Not when there’s still one left. 
Now that they’re alone, they look nervous, fingers clenching and loosening around the hilt of their whip as their weight shifts side to side. 
Good. 
Fury’s not usually the kind to take pleasure in a death, but this time, it’s personal. 
He and Paz move together, tossing out the occasional coordinating word in Mando’a, but mostly working quietly. They learned the steps of this dance a long time ago. And even though it doesn’t carry over into the bedroom, it’s still the fun kind of dancing. 
All they need to do is get Paz back to where he’d dropped his cannon earlier, the barrels cooled enough to fire again without warping or exploding. The moment his gloves touch the metal, it’s over. The soldier in the red armour, whoever they are, doesn’t have time to scream before whatever was under their helmet is turned to paste. 
“Well, I didn’t approve of that shit at all,” Fury says conversationally, taking his blaster back to holster it and hooking his thumbs in his belt. He shifts his weight, rolls his shoulders, tilts his head. No injuries. 
Now he just has to figure out how to get them both out of here. The blast doors were never an option, not with it being sealed from the other side and them having nothing to cut with. He could take the same route as the ships from the hangar… but his jetpack won’t carry both of them. 
There’s a clatter, and he stills, looking for what made the noise. Just Paz. Picking up his broken knife and discarding it again. Fixing it would be as expensive as getting a new one, and vibroblades can get… independently minded, once the internals are affected. 
“Are you all right?” Paz asks. 
Fury tilts his head to the side. Hm? A glance downwards tells him what Paz is worried about. 
“Not my blood,” he says. 
Paz steps closer anyway, the fabric of his glove rough but his movement gentle as his fingertip lifts Fury’s chin. Fury can feel his cheeks heat at the quiet, murmured good. 
“This is not the place,” he mutters. 
“It’s a little bit the place.” 
“It’s not the time,” Fury adds, laughing despite himself, even as he doesn’t turn away. Paz knows better than to get distracted at a time like this, but there’s still room for teasing. 
“What’s your plan for getting us out of here?” 
“Oh, it’s my plan, now?” 
“You’re the smart one.” 
“And the hot one, which leaves you to be the funny one, I guess.” 
“I have jokes.” 
“You have the worst ideas imaginable,” Fury corrects him, “that are delivered with the cadence of a joke. Even Jules hates them.” 
“Jules hates everything except your flatbread.” 
Mm, true. Their kid’s at that special age where all he thinks about is fighting people and causing trouble for his parents, preferably both at the same time, when he can manage it. 
“I’m going to call in Racer for a ride out,” he decides. 
“Come on,” Paz protests. 
“Stop whining about her flying.” 
“No.” 
“Racer,” Fury says, talking over Paz’s further complaining, “Paz’s jetpack is gone. We need a flight out, can you ping my helmet?” 
There’s a laugh in his earpiece, then nothing. Well, at least she heard him. 
He and Paz pat down the bodies, while they wait, and find nothing but the weapons. They can be turned off, fortunately, so they each coil one on their belt, for later. Fury knows without asking that the third will go to the tribe’s leader, giving her the chance to reverse engineer it for others in the covert. Speaking of which… 
“Your mom’s going to be furious when she hears about your jetpack.” 
Paz pauses, as if this thought had not yet occurred to him. It might not have. Then he shrugs and gets up from where he’d been crouched over the body of the third soldier. 
They both know he’s right, so there’s no argument. Instead Paz sits with his legs over the edge of the ledge, staring above them as the occasional fighter whizzes by. 
Fury can imagine his face under the helmet, calm – for the moment – and curious. Shame they’re not alone, because the blindfold is tucked into Fury’s utility belt like always, and he always loves the taste of Paz’s mouth. But Paz would never risk breaking the Creed that means so much to him, and Fury would never ask him to think about it. 
“Coming in hot,” he says a minute later, echoing his sister’s words. 
Paz scrambles up and away from the edge, which seems a very reasonable reaction to Fury, considering he’s already tucking himself under an overhang by the blast door. It’s the most sheltered spot on what’s otherwise a flat span of concrete, and he’s going to need it. 
Paz follows him, pressing close, standing between him and the hot gusts that will fly off from the ship’s engines as it lands, a few moments from now. 
“Hi,” Paz murmurs, their chestplates scraping together as he breathes in. 
“Hi,” Fury repeats, and leans a half-step closer. 
A shuttle rockets through the crack in the ceiling, swooping down to spin in place an arm’s length away from them before the hatch slides back to reveal the pilot. The circle and a half was just for show, he’s certain of it, and she’s much too close considering how wide the rest of the ledge is. 
“Kriff me,” Fury mutters, scowling at her even though she won’t see it through his visor. 
“Thought you just said we couldn’t,” Paz replies, and grunts when Fury punches him in the shoulder. 
“Hey,” Racer bellows, smacking her palm against the shuttle’s side, “stop making out and get in the stars-damned back already!” 
“I’ve heard before that in-laws are the worst,” Fury says. 
“You like my mom.” 
“Yeah, but me? I come with a five-ring circus.” 
Paz shrugs. “I like it.” 
“Good, ‘cause I like you too.” 
Paz steps aside, and Fury squeezes his hand in passing. He hops over the shuttle’s low door, landing with his boots on the seat and half-falling down to sit. Paz takes his time a little more, circling around the back of the shuttle to take the seat next to him. 
��Seatbelts!” Racer hollers over her shoulder, and flies off at a much faster speed than would be safe whether they wore them or not. 
Fury rests a hand on Paz’s knee, his other reaching for his blaster in case anything comes up next to them, wanting to shoot them out of the sky. It pays to be prepared, just in case. And it pays to be with his riduur, who always makes sure he comes home. 
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script-a-world · 2 years ago
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Submitted via Google Form:
I have several questions about building a world on a massive planet, possibly even larger than Jupiter.
I want all parts of the planet to have life, yes, this definitely means various adaptions but I do want quite a few species to be varied enough they can spread across the planet.
I want there to be many species of humans. This is one reason why I wanted such a massive planet. So unlike the real world where so many human species intermingled and some dying out/even being killed due to lack of resources. I want these humans spread all over the world, slowly adapting to changes that suit where they are and there are so many resources all over the world and they become more isolated.
Now, I have a problem with that because I am not sure how far to take different adaptions. Can they even look like the same kinds of human or could they evolve to something very different that doesn't look like just microevolution. In the real world, we all basically have the same look even though some have adapted to different climates better. That is what I want as the norm. But let's say. Humans that grew a flipper instead of hands? Humans that kept their tail? I am not keen on that as a norm.
Though, maybe as a rare mutation, sure. There are real life humans with a tail, though more just vestigal rather than actually a limb. Maybe in my world, there are in fact some that actually can use their tail as a limb. Maybe there are forest tribes where this mutation is in fact more common, perhaps because these people were praised and they passed on their genes, and if they ever found a man and woman both with tails living at the same time, they had kids. Yes that very well could be forced conception in the past..but people absolutely speak out against it in modern times. That is of course if they are a more modern civilisation these days and not still deep in the forests with no contact or even known about. With such a massive planet, isolation could be practically anywhere in fact.
The biggest issue I'm having of course is designing actual climates or where the planet is in proximity to the sun. I don't need to be very scientific and I'm quite partial to making things up, but I'd certainly like to know exactly where I am making things up and where I am in fact doing things that stem from accurate science. And of course trying to keep things consistent with the rest of the world building.
Wootzel: Hello! I’m afraid we don’t have a lot of solid input to offer, but I can toss out a few suggestions. 
First of all, in reality it’s probably impossible to have a rocky planet (aka a planet with a surface you could stand on) of the size you’re describing. Check out this article from NASA about planet types, which explains a little bit about the relationship between planet mass and characteristics. You could simply choose to ignore the constraints of reality here, of course. You might still want to consider that your massive planet must have very high gravity, and Earth humans might not be able to survive it. 
That being said, there’s no rule that you have to obey the laws of physics when it comes to fiction. If you want a massive planet with Earthlike conditions, you can just say that’s what you have. Parts of your audience might know that’s impossible, but I doubt most readers would refuse to suspend disbelief over it. 
As far as how far to push human evolution, here are two prior answers that you might find useful to read through: One about human adaptations, and one about how evolutionary processes might react to a sudden, global change in conditions. The former might be especially useful to how you think about what changes you want to put into your different groups of humans. However, also keep in mind that evolutionary pressures no longer have as much impact on humans as they used to, and this phenomenon will probably apply to your planet as well--humans primarily adapt to their environments by using technology and innovation to close the gap with anything they struggle with physically. Why have your humans evolved anyway? Lack of access to technology? Millions of years of small changes? Genetic modification? You may wish to answer this in order to decide how to tackle the scenario. Ultimately, you’ll just have to draw the lines where you want to draw them. You can decide to omit the possibility of flippers or tails just because you don’t want to include them, and there’s nothing wrong with that. 
You’re welcome to come back and ask again as you narrow down what you want to do with your world, but I strongly suggest you narrow down your question(s) as well. Check out our Before You Ask masterpost for some helpful suggestions about what kinds of questions we can most easily work with, and feel free to ask again!
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umekawa-eve · 2 years ago
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01 How did you meet part2
Characters: Guevara, Musashi, Tokugawa, SPEC, Dorian, Yanagi, Oliva
JUN GUEVARA
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You don't know what's wrong with you, but you decide to take a trip to a middle-of-nowhere island in Central America before you graduate, despite everyone around you trying to dissuade you from going to an island with a black travel alert, but with the spirit of John Chau's ※ traveling to North Sentinel Island, India in an attempt to convert the tribe to Christianity, you went on the cruise
(※Note: John Allen Chau was an American Evangelical Christian missionary who was killed by the Sentinelese, a self-isolated uncontacted people, after illegally traveling to North Sentinel Island, India in an attempt to convert the tribe to Christianity.)
Although your end is not as tragic as that of John Chau, but it can also be described by the word "tragedy".
First, on a cruise to this island nation, you and your fellow passengers are robbed by pirates. You're in your room, working on your graduation thesis in psychology, and all of a sudden, your door is kicked in and men with rifles are yelling at you to bring out your valuables.
"Take whatever you want, but please don't bother me to study." You said coldly. You've been impatient with study, and now you've had a robbery that makes you even more unpleasant.
"Stop talking shit, take out all your money!" said the big guy who took the lead, still pointing his gun at you threateningly.
You laughed, and the laughter was pleasant, but the tone was light mockery, not so much a mockery of them as it was your own mockery of yourself.
"Anyway, my life sucks, and shoot me if you want. I don‘t care." You said, "After so many years of study, so many exams, and so many school debts, I still have to take the qualification exam for a Psychologist. Ah, I really want to die. I would rather die."
How ironic, you think, that psychology students are the ones who need to see a psychiatrist the most.
"Oh my god, are you okay?" he asked. His expression of surprise was masked by a bushy beard that did not fit his infant's face.
When your throat tightened, tears almost came out of your eyes. Yet you hold back your sadness, raise your head, and sniff hard because all the decisions you've made in your life have one goal in mind—not to show weakness.
"I'm fine." you whispered, but your voice didn't sound really fine.
In the end, they feel sorry for you, so they don't rob you. Instead, they comfort you and invite you to dinner on the island, which you also accept without any sense of danger (students lose their minds when they hear about free meals).
The place for the dinner was the house of the big guy with a baby face, whose name was Seth. Seth's wife Jenna has prepared a feast for you and the rest of Seth's pals, filled with local dishes.
To be honest, for you who usually have heavy schoolwork and can only eat fast food, although these dishes are not delicious, they are very delicious. Jenna stuffed your plate with a lot of food, and everything was delicious.
"Y/N, you're a college student, right? What department do you study in college?" Seth was particularly interested.
"Psychology." you replied.
"Then do you know what I'm thinking now?"
"…pardon?"
"Aren‘t you studying psychology?" Seth said. "You must be able to read minds, right?"
"Even though you study Economics doesn't mean you are rich."
Everyone laughed.
When everyone is full, Jenna serves dessert, but you can't eat anything, so you decide to take a walk outside.
You just want to hang around seth's house at first, but as a road idiot(a phrase in the Asian community, it means someone who has no sense in direction), you accidentally come to a beach, seth's house has long disappeared without a trace.
"Damn, road idiot really can't go out alone."
You sigh but decide to sit on the beach for a while before leaving, looking up at Orion, the only constellation you recognize.
The wind whipped up the water, and it looked spectacular. The undulating waves stretch to the far horizon, and the sea appears to be breathing to you. As if it also had a spirit, shifting its paces, whispering softly, patting lightly on the long and narrow lakeshore covered with shiny black pebbles. Except for the sound of the waves blowing across the shore, the water was eerily silent.
But suddenly, you feel water dripping onto your head.
Is it raining?
You look up, and you see a man standing on the headland, peeing, and the urine is still coming at you.
You quickly back away, dodging the yellow liquid.
"You fucking imbecile! Go to the goddamn toilet if you want to excrete!!" you yell at the man on the headland.
The man is taken aback by your sudden shouting, looks down, and puts things back immediately after seeing you.
"Sorry! Didn't see you there!" The man showed an apologetic smile.
"Damn it!" You endured nausea and took off your urine-stained coat and then said to the man, "What's the use of the police if a single word of apology can solve the problem?"
"Then what do you want me to do?" The man scratched the back of his head as if he was troubled.
You think for a while, then answer: "Are you an islander here? Can you take me to the JG Hotel?"
"Okay, but you should change your clothes first. My house is nearby."
"Are you trying to abduct me to your house, kill me and then dismember me?"
"Today is indeed a good day for the dead."
"That doesn’t sound right."
The man shrugged. "I'm fine with that if you don't mind walking around in clothes that smell like urine. And it's a long way from the JG Hotel."
Well, you really don't want to walk around in clothes that smell like urine, and it's really uncomfortable to have wet clothes clinging to your body, so you take the man's offer anyway.
(A/N: Please don’t follow strangers as y/n did.)
You walk to the headland, and that's when you see him for the first time. He was tall and muscular, with fairly strong muscles, which made his clothes look extra small; his thin face made him more prominent with cheekbones and a high nose; his hair was long straight black, about your age.
"Ah, I can tell that you are a beautiful lady just by your voice." he said to you with a smile, every syllable like flirting.
Unfortunately, you don't buy it. "Ah, I can tell that you are a jerk just by your voice." you said bitterly.
"You broke my heart, dear." he said.
"You just pee on me. Do you want me to thank you?"
You two just arguing like this on the way to his home.
"You can't just walk down the street. Let me run some water for you first." With that, he takes you into the bathroom, walks to the bathtub, turns on the faucet, and the hot water gushes into the bathtub. "I'll get you some clothes."
"Why are you still here?" you ask. "Do you want to watch me taking shower?"
He showed a shit-eating grin, "If you don't mind, I can also bath with you."
"Okay, okay, our conversation is over," you said as you pushed him out of the bathroom.
When the bathroom is all alone, you finally take off your clothes, turn off the tap and step into the tub, into the water. When you wash, the water in the tub gets dirty. You put clean water in it to flush your head and face clean. Then you lie there and stare out the bathroom window at the courtyard, enjoying the caresses of the hot water.
The next second, the bathroom door was knocked, and a voice came from outside the door: "I left the bath towels and clothes outside. Come out and get them, I won't look at you."
You said "ok" and waited until he was far away before opening the door to get the bath towel and clothes. You dry yourself from head to toe with a towel, then put on a T-shirt and shorts, but his shorts are too big for you and slip off immediately, so you just don't wear them, and the T-shirt is big enough to cover your upper thighs anyway.
After getting dressed, you walked out of the bathroom, only to find that he had been waiting outside the door for a long time.
As soon as he saw you, he whistled and said with a sly smile, "Wanna hook up? I can send you straight to heaven."
"I can also send you straight to hell ♡!" you said sweetly.
This is how you met Guevara.
MIYAMOTO MUSASHI
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(Musashi: I don’t know. I never think of this question QAQ)
You are the granddaughter of Tokugawa Mitsunari, and you were sent to grandpa's house in Tokyo by your parents during the summer vacation, and you also met Miyamoto Musashi at this time.
When you heard grandpa Tokugawa Mitsunari say that this black-haired man with murderous eyes was Miyamoto Musashi, you laughed out loud, thinking that grandpa was just kidding you.
How could it be, you thought, Miyamoto Musashi was already dead, wasn't he? And the Miyamoto Musashi in your imagination is not like this at all. The Musashi in your mind should be like "Vagabond", not the man who looks slightly like a Ukiyo-style painting.
Until Musashi "slashed" you, of course, he didn't really cut you with a sword, he just made you consciously feel that you were cut. But this is enough to convince you that the person in front of you is Musashi.
"Do you believe it now, brat?" Musashi asked.
"I'm sorry I shouldn't have suspected you, but please don't slash me with your consciousness again." you said.
Musashi nodded, but still "slashed" you.
"You fuc--"
You were stopped by Tokugawa Mitsunari before you could finish. "Y/N, pay attention to your words and deeds, you can't be so rude to your elders."
You puffed out your cheeks and whispered why you were being blamed for no reason.
Tokugawa Mitsunari suggested again: "Instead of complaining here, why don't you walk around with Musashi? You don’t have anything better to do anyway. "
So, you have to take Musashi out for a walk.
"If you do that imitation cut again," you threatened in a low voice, "I'll throw you on the streets of Tokyo."
"I will take you with me."
"Is this the greatest swordsman of the Edo period? No wonder you never had a wife."
"How dare you?!"
"Looks like I hit someone nerve here."
"Forget it, I don't bother arguing with a kid. Can you explain what that is?"
You look in the direction Musashi is pointing, only to see a white-haired man in plain black outfit with sunglasses strutting down the street while eating a crepe.
"That's a handsome guy who looks like Gojo Satoru." you say.
"I mean what he has in his hands."
"That's a crepe. What? You want it?"
"It look like delicious."
So you went to buy a crepe with a pudding flavor, and ate it with relish directly in front of Musashi.
"Who told you to use your imitation cut to me? I won't buy it for you."
Musashi isn't mad about it, but he uses his height advantage to take your crepe and take a bite.
He commented: "This crepe is delicious."
"I'm going to kill you! You crepe thief!" You tiptoed and held up your hands, trying to get your crepe back from him.
As a result, you lost your balance and fell forward, but fortunately Musashi caught you. He hugged your waist and stabilized your body. You're overwhelmed by the sudden intimacy, your cheeks blushing uncontrollably, your heart racing.
Seeing your reaction, Musashi chuckled and said jokingly, "Just a touch makes you so blush, haven't you ever been touched by another man?"
You pushed him away immediately and took a few steps back. "I've had a boyfriend, okay?"
"What do you mean by boyfriend?"
"Uh, it means lovers."
"It's unimaginable! There are people who like arrogant and unreasonable women like you."
"Go to hell."
Then he "slashed" you again.
You really want to kill him (if you have that ability).
TOKUGAWA MITSUNARI
-i cant. i just cant. Swarry.
SPEC
-He likes feeding you bullets♡
DORIAN
- do you want candy?
YANAGI RYŪKŌ
-Musashi: What is the answer?
-Yanagi: It's oxygen.
-Doppo: It's wooden chopsticks and paper bags! !
-Yujiro: It's Iaido.
-Ryuu kaiou(probably): It's tofu.
-Doppo: It's David the Giant!
-Ali: It's JoJo (?)
-You: The truth is Jack's dentures.
-Some random dude: It's Hanayama.
BISCUIT OLIVA
- His heart is so small that there is only room for Maria.
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attackfish · 2 years ago
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Could I ask for another part to the Lin adopts Mako and Bolin AU? I really enjoyed reading what you had.
Continued from: [Link], [Link], [Link], [Link], [Link], [Link], [Link], [Link], [Link], [Link], and [Link].
1. Katara gives Korra two weeks worth of homework (mostly on deep breathing and meditation, which she needs to be doing more of anyway) and turns her over to a Southern Water Tribe traditional dance teacher, who is overjoyed to have the young Avatar participating in this year's first sunset festival dance with the other children. Korra is skeptical, but Katara wants her doing something movement related while she's gone, or she will be bouncing off walls by the time Katara gets back. Besides, Korra is isolated from her people and kids her own age too much. But anyway, with her student seen to, Katara makes a trip to visit Suyin and her family.
2. Suyin is no fool. She knows Katara showing up so soon after Zuko expressed his concerns probably has something to do with those concerns. From her point of view, Katara shows up like, "I'm here to-" (whips out a pair of sunglasses) "◇~☆Question your parenting!☆~◇" And to be fair, Katara is absolutely there to question Suyin's parenting, but she's trying to do it in a loving nonconfrontational way, in which she offers Suyin support if she needs it. But Suyin has a lot of ego wrapped up in having saved Kuvira and set her on the right track. But at least the fact that she thinks everything is fine, means she's all too eager to show everything off to Katara. And as long as Katara keeps making appreciative noises and complementing Suyin, Suyin feels like Katara isn't a threat.
3. When the tour is all over, Katara asks to speak to Kuvira for a little bit alone. Oh, don't worry, Suyin dear, I just know Zuko would feel a lot better of I do. I want to put my old friend's mind at rest, that's all. So Suyin leaves them to it, and Katara immediately sits Kuvira down and tells her that Zuko sent her because he saw things he thought were wrong with things here, and Katara agrees, and she knows Kuvira doesn't have anybody to talk to who won't tell Suyin and Bataar, so here's her phone number and her address, and here's how to contact Zuko. It's a little harder, because he's always traveling, but she knows he would love to hear from her, and neither of them will tell Suyin or Bataar anything she tells them. Then she puts her finger to her lips and says goodbye. She smiles at Suyin, and tells her she feels much better about things now, and heads off. That of course is a blatant lie, and Katara feels helpless to fix anything, so she resolves to go track down Toph and yell at her. This might not actually be Toph's fault, but it will make Katara feel better.
4. Now that two old friends of their mother have turned up trying to find things wrong with how Suyin raises her children, Suyin knows there must be a reason, someone whispering nasty things in their ears, and she has one suspect. So she calls up her sister to yell accusations at her. And that's how Lin learns Zuko and Katara don't necessarily think everything is fine and grand with Suyin's family. She has no idea what to do with this information, but it's nice to have. She hangs up on her sister without comment. The tragedy, not that either Lin or Suyin can face this, is that Suyin isn't trying to be a bad parent. She's trying to give her children what she and her sister needed and didn't get. And Toph was trying to give her children the freedom she didn't get, and everybody keeps making new mistakes, trying to avoid the old ones.
5. It's a terrible irony that just as Suyin's own attempts at parenting are unravelling because she can't admit she's wrong, Lin's adventures in parenting are forcing her to admit she might have been wrong about everything, about her job, about how people work, about her city. And that how things go, with Lin learning to reevaluate the world at every step, while Mako and Bolin learn to do the same. And then, several months down the road comes that bane of every parent of a "problem child's" life, parent-teacher conferences.
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stormhaven13 · 4 years ago
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Alright. We have arrived. I am beginning the Survivor. Let’s talk about why Ikrie is my favorite character in the game other than Aloy. And to do that we're actually going to do a little story time of the first time I played Horizon. This is going to get long, so bear with me. I finally figured out how to do a read more, so the rest of this is under the cut.
So, when I first played her quests, I didn't fall in love with Ikrie. I liked her quite a bit, but it was just kind of casual, oh this character seems pretty cool. But I then went on and played more of the main quest of the Frozen Wilds, and Ikrie went into the back of my head. She'll come back, don't worry.
After I wrapped up playing this game, I do what I often do after a really good game or story, and I took some time to reflect on exactly why I loved this game so much. I've talked quite a bit about how much I adore this game's plot and world building, but I still think the number one reason for me is Aloy. I just love her character, I love her arc, I love the relationships she builds over the game, I love her design, pretty much everything about her is amazing to me. I also realized something super interesting, for me. I headcanoned Aloy as ace.
Now, I know this isn't that uncommon a thing, but I myself am ace, but I actually almost never think of characters as ace. I don't really know why, I just never have, which is especially strange, as being ace is the part of my identity I've understood the longest. Aloy is the first character in a very long time that I thought of as ace, just on my own. This intrigued me, and I went looking for fanwork, just to see what other people's takes on Aloy were, to see if there was more about this character that would resonate for me. And that's where I found the thing. The thing that opened my mind to how incredible Ikrie is.
I'll link it at the end of this, but I found a fanfic called Put Your Spear Beside Mine, and the characterization just blew me away. It looks at how alone Aloy feels, with no one to share all of the crazy things she learns over this game, and the dynamic between Aloy and Ikrie is just incredible. It explores how they are both basically outsiders with their clans, that they do not really believe in the laws and beliefs of their tribes. You may notice that this mold fits almost all of my favorite characters in Horizon, and yeah, I'm aware, but Ikrie ticks a lot of the same boxes as Aloy does for me.
While Aloy is not portrayed as ace in this fic, it opened up a whole new thing that I had loved about her, but hadn't been able to really vocalize, and now Ikrie was now balled up in all that. She has so many similarities to Aloy, with just a few key differences that just. Really hit home for me. She has a very close friend that just cannot understand her, and ends up leaving her. Rather than being alone from the beginning, she had a place where she was supposed to belong, but never quite did, but tried so hard to do it anyway. I know I say Aloy is autistic a lot, but those things just hit me very hard in a way that Aloy's permanent isolation never quite can.
And do I ship Aloy/Ikrie? I mean, yeah, I do, but that's honestly secondary to everything else, shipping Aloy with anyone was never my main concern honestly. I just love both their characters, I love how they are so close in characterization except for these key things that really do change them quite drastically.
Aloy will always be my favorite here, she's the protagonist, we see so much more of her, my headcanons for her are just so close to my heart, I probably dyed my hair red because of her she's just great okay? But Ikrie is caught up in all of that too, partially due to the ideas in that fanfic, but mostly because of the character that's already there.
Here's the fic in question, I highly recommend giving it a read, it just shows so much of what I love of these characters. And yes, this is why I think the Frozen Wilds should take place post game, this is the entire reason. Only warning to give with this is there is some smut in a few different parts, so if that's not your thing you should be aware of that. But this fic just showcases so much of what I love about these two characters, and you should absolutely give it a read. Also, @pikapeppa, who is the author, you're incredible and thank you for writing this.
But yeah, this has been why Ikrie is so important to me! I'm sure I'll say more as I play through the quest, but if you got this far, thanks for sticking with me!
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aelaer · 4 years ago
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☕ The fact that Wakanda was presented as an advanced country looking down on others from it's comfortable vibranium armchair but had a monarchist system that could place a ruler with 100% muscles and 0% brains at the head, along with other bothersome stuff like that, like Shuri being the head of the government's science department while she is a part of the royal family, or really, every single part of Wakanda that looks good on paper - a king with a council of people leading the different tribes - but that history has shown us very often ends up creating a dictatorship, which is really what happened in the movie and I'm surprised no one sees it.
Like, the movie literally shows us this country that's supposedly so advanced, with spies and people placed around the world, most likely putting their fingers in as many pies as possible, and an incredibly developed technology - which is frightening on many levels considering that UN or no Wakanda could blow up everything outside of its borders and people wouldn't know it until it happened -, but with a monarchist - and whatever other words could define it - governmental system that has revealed a lot of problems in its configuration. The tribes leader were literally being choked in the throne room and no one was doing anything, there was a destruction of a historical, scientific and cultural heritage being condoned by the new religious ceremony leader(???) just because the king ordered it. They would've literally tried taking over the entire non-black population (and where does that leave all the metis people? All the ones that are not white, but not black? Of middle eastern descendance? Of Asian one? Etc?) if the ex-monarch hadn't done something.
What I'm trying to ask if, what do you think of Wakanda being a good idea on paper but terrible in practice? True! Untrue? Something else?
Holy shit lady, you ask the tough questions. This is a difficult subject to cover - you’re asking me to look at the political structure of a fictional society within a disenfranchised continent - and I’m uncertain if it’s possible to do a decent analysis without addressing heavy topics. Basically, I don��t want to sound like a privileged dickwad. So I guess what I can say is - this comes from someone with a (mostly decent) American-based education, and no formal study of pre-colonial customs and political structures in Africa. I apologise for any misconstrued ideas and more than welcome any corrections to those who know more about these subjects!
I like Wakanda on paper, mostly due to the fact that the majority of Africa got completely screwed in terms of historical treatment and I’m rooting for the continent’s people to gain their own voices again. Wakanda being such a huge thing in international popular culture might serve as an inspiration for someone who ends up being important to at least one country there. In that sense, I really like Wakanda - the idea that it can potentially inspire historically disenfranchised cultures in the real world. How practical that thought is, I’m not sure - I might just be too idealistic.
Dictatorships can happen in non-monarchies as well, which you know -- as the most famous examples in 20th century history are not monarchies. The issue that can appear in monarchies -- or dictatorships -- is the lack of checks and balances to help keep those in power from going overboard (or the populace not having enough manpower/arms to get a dictator-like-coup out, but that’s an entirely different discussion!)
From what we got in the movie, Wakanda does seem to lack those checks and balances and no ability to overrule a king’s command. It seemed that they never had any sort of Magna Carta in their history (which is far from a perfect document, but did start the precedent of limiting monarchical power), and it doesn’t seem there’s anything resembling a representative government with veto power over the leader that you see in, what, 2/3rds of the world these days? (I legit have no idea, but I do know it’s wide-spread.)
But why wouldn’t they have such a document limiting monarchical power or some sort of democratic process? The modern mindset across many countries around the world leans towards democracy and elected, representative governments. But it can’t be denied that colonialism helped spread this, as -- at least, according to wiki -- representative democracy/liberal democracy/Western democracy all originate in Europe. So, in some way it makes sense that they didn’t transition yet because they were never colonized, and they were completely self-contained so didn’t have any of the outside world conflicts to force them to make changes. France helped fund the barons who pushed for the Magna Carta. France was also responsible for helping fund/arm the US in their fight to gain independence (lol France vs England history, it’s so great). External conflicts with other regions/countries caused *changes* to happen in those societies, at least from what I know of European history. Possibly happened in other continents, but I’m just not knowledgeable enough about their histories to give specific examples.
Wakanda had no outside conflict, and with no outside conflict, you get one major source of problems eliminated. Civil wars happen for a multitude of reasons, but perhaps one of their solutions historically for kingship changing without civil war was the fight of a representative of a tribe to try and win it over. Who knows? But when you’re enclosed like Wakanda was, there’s a lot less chance of things changing.
(On that note - their selection of a new leader is also incredibly disproportionately unfair to women. The average man is physiologically stronger and faster than the average woman. It’s just--biology. But who knows, maybe Wakanda was the same as much of the rest of the world in terms of their thoughts of women leading in politics. There’s comic canon that could be different, but the MCU did a lot of changes from comic canon.)
A *lot* of things changed across the world in the 20th century, making the world much smaller. Before the 20th century, it was likely considered completely useless and nonviable to make war on other nations because, though they were more technologically advanced, it’s incredibly unlikely they had something akin to nuclear bombs in the 19th century. They had to have their own steps of progression. And if they were only *a bit* better, they couldn’t stop the entire world if they started attacking and word spread. It’s only in the late 20th, early 21st century that things like destroying the rest of the world with Wakandan weaponry was likely actually feasible. Though honestly? I don’t think that shield could withstand a nuke. I just don’t see it. If Erik’s plan went through, he may have doomed Wakanda's capital city to being utterly annihilated because too many countries do have the ultimate kill button, and there are some who would not hesitate to use it.
It also could be cultural. Wakanda didn’t go conquering their neighbors left and right. They were happy with five tribes and it seemed to remain five tribes. That speaks of something deeply cultural, deep within the roots of how they’re raised and taught. Erik came from an entirely different culture with a violent childhood and background, and because they were in the 21st century, other Wakandans could *learn* of the rest of the world, and get new ideas - and get the same anger that stirs war and revolutions, and ultimately can affect a country’s culture.
So perhaps before the 21st century, limited power with the king wasn’t needed simply due to their isolation. Now, though that they are much more connected with the world, maybe they need something more like Botswana or Nigeria, only tied in with a monarchy (according to wiki -- Elsewhere, in Botswana, the kgosis (or chieftains) of the various tribes are constitutionally empowered to serve as advisors within the national legislature as members of the Ntlo ya Dikgosi. Meanwhile, in Nigeria, the various traditional polities that currently exist are politically defined by way of the ceding of definite authority from the provincial governments, which in turn receive their powers to do so from a series of chieftaincy laws that have been legislatively created.)
So basically what I’m trying to say is, while I’m personally super gung ho about representative democracies and individual liberties, that’s not necessarily the culture of Wakanda and it may not fit for them. But *what* the culture of Wakanda evolves into, being more open to the rest of the world -- and thus, the rest of the world’s ideas and cultures, remains to be seen. They may find that they do need to reform their political structure after the civil war we saw in the first film, though, and perhaps they do so.
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lordeasriel · 4 years ago
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hi there, how are you? I'm a fellow fan of His Dark Materials and I'm one of the few around here that haven't read the books. Anyways, I just wanted to ask how was the cloud pine thing inserted in the books and how was the witches' lore explained? I keep reading the show made a twist and I'm curious about how you felt about it and how it originally was. Thanks!
oh, hello there! i’m doing alright, thank u for asking, i hope ur doing good as well!
Now, for the cloud pine thing: they did change how it works in the show. Personally, I thought it was an interesting choice, especially with how they seem to have forgotten about it in season 1 (they mention the cloud pine, but then Serafina just flies in the sky with no explanation), but with this explanation it saves a bit of the lack of lore from before. However, as I was discussing today on discord, I don’t think they thought through the whole thing. The idea is cool, I rather like it, but I think they didn’t really put enough worldbuilding work into it and therefore it seems confusing.
The show doesn’t explain many things: does the cloud pine come with the witch since she was born or do they put it inside their skin in their witch ritual? If it does come with the witch, are the male children of the witches also born with cloud pines but without magic or not? How much magic can they wield through it? If they remove the cloud pine, could the witch put another one there and still be a witch or without it she is nothing but a human woman? Is the cloud pine what makes a witch or are there other types of rituals involved in separating them from the humans? Those are valid questions that could afford to be answered, but the show does a poor job with the lore, especially for the witches. (The books aren’t also super in-depth, but at least it gives us some information that satisfy the narrative better than what the show does - unless they will expand on the witches as we move through the season (which I have some doubts, but you never know)).
In the books, the cloud pines are actually... sticks, and they can use any cloud pine stick from anywhere (from what I can remember, witches’ lore isn’t exactly my forte) but they have a certain preference or favoured stick, and by handing sprigs to people they can be called upon (I think this is the expression). So the show’s take on it does change substantially how the witches function; I feel like by having the cloud pine inside their skin, it implies that there is a magic within them, but it’s not exactly how it feels in the books. In the books the vibe I get is far more about how they can manipulate nature, but that power is not within, it just bends to the ways that they’ve learned; if that makes any sense. You learn the spell, but the magic/energy is in the exterior, not within you.
 In the books, the witches can use the cloud pine for flying only (aside from also working as a telephone lol); it isn’t the source of their magic like the show makes it out to be (and I don’t want to spoil you, but I think the choice of having the cloud pine as the source of magic might play out in the end of the season, we’ll have to see how it goes).
I don’t think the witches are properly adapted in the show. They’re very unified as a force for good in the show, even if they showed a little conflict in their ranks with Ruta being more aggressive, or Serafina being more aggressive in season 1 about the war (and I get the need to simplify the groups, but still, it’s not very good). I’ve spoken about this a bit when someone asked me recently about the Magisterium, it’s kinda the same issue, except instead of being one big baddie, they are one big group of goody people - and they are very generic female warriors in a fantasy setting.
In the books, the witch clans are far more widespread and have a variety of people and behaviour; they are very close to nature, which is why they only wear black cloth to cover themselves, because they “want to feel the brightness of the moon in their skin”. They’re armed hippies, in a very cynical way of putting it lmao. They are also a proud group of people, with their own culture and they are super isolated politically from the rest of the world; they are said to fight each other over the pettiest, most trivial things; Ruta Skadi slaughtered a bunch of God-Tigers of a tribe because they scorned her and there are other instances like this that I cannot tell you because it will spoil for you (supposing they do follow this plotline in the show, of course), but the witches are notorious for threatening men who refuse to take them as lovers. In the first book, some of them are even aligned with the Oblation Board, which is why having them all be “We must fight the Church!” is silly and very oversimplistic. In fact, the witch clans divide themselves in the war that the show claims it’s coming, so they are more nuanced than the show makes them be.
Ah, and they also fight mostly with bow and arrow, which is a petty thing to be concerned with when they mischaracterise them so badly lmao But I kinda miss the bow and arrow! I find that the show makes them too Generic Fantasy Warrior, with their high key armor-like dresses, and their attitude. I did like the cloud pine detail tho (sorry for the essay, I get carried away lmao) I just wish they had explored the lore more.
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purplerose244 · 5 years ago
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More Gormiti headcanons!! 😙
This time they are my headcanon nationalities, as much as theories about possible culture inspirations for each tribe ✌
Since unlike the 2008 serie, which had humans as protagonists (memories 😭), we have fully citizens of Gorm called Gormians as main characters, I'm going with my preferences and ideas about possible nationalities! Only my opinions, let me know if you have other thoughts and headcanons!
... I DO NOT MISS HUMANS GORMIANS GOT THE CUTEST POINTY EARS EVER OMG THEY EVEN MOVE WHEN THEY HEAR SOMETHING LIKE OH MY WHAT 💕💕
Here we go!
Ikor, Japanese 🇯🇵
Starting with my fave because I love him too much 💙💙💙 And also because he was the easiest one to place for me, mostly because of his father and his behavior in general.
The ruler of the Ice Realm is king Kori, which literally means ice in Japanese (I see they didn't have much imagination for this one 😅), and given the fact that Ikor is the anagram of Kori it gave me immediately the idea. Also Ikor seems very prone to bow in presence of authority, being his father or Kyonos from his final battle with the mecha knight; bowing is a very common gesture in Japan, in particular to show respect and greet others. Also in season 2 I noticed many of these arcs:
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Which are very similar to the arcs of Shinto temples, very popolar in Japan and house of the Shintoism, one of the major religion in the realm of the raising sun 😊
Riff, Australian 🇭🇲
While I do love this hothead lots, I honestly focused more on Finna for the idea, especially since she is so close to her tribe and she is the freaking queen 😎😎
To start we have the fire-rang, and I think there's little discussion to be done here since it's a pretty emblematic weapon for this country. There seems to be also quite the attention regarding the values of a warrior in the Fire Realm, since the king is chosen not by the eredity of an offspring but by heroism; I think it is quite fitting for some Australian warrior tribes that are so famous from this country. And talking about the Maori for example, there are most definitely some similarities with the fire dance and the famous Haka:
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Strong shouts, coordination, a "sacred war dance", I'm pretty sure at least for this one it was meant to be recognizable 😜
Eron, Chinese 🇨🇳
As expected from the free and pranky spirit that Eron is, he was the one I struggled with the most 😅😅
But at last, I think Chinese is a fair nationality for him, starting from his way of life as "going with the flow", very familiar in the Taoism which is characteristic of many Chinese thinkers. There's also Sophos, our crazy but somehow wise old man, that really strikes me as a Buddhist monk, especially considering his "do not fight it, make it your friend" belief and his pretty isolated situation. Also there are chinese wind chimes, used also in Feng Shui, that seems to be able to make evil spirits to away... not sure if they include Darkans ��
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I also like the various temples on the floating islands of the Wind Realm, they reminds me of the Buddhist temples in China built on the top of mountains to connect with the Gods 🗻
Trek, Arabian 🇦🇪
So... Siran's howdy accent did not help letting me decide where to place the Rock Realm and this lovable guy 😅
At the end I decided for the Arabia Saudita, mostly for the desert clime and the environment that seems to be mostly common in the Rock Realm. Sand, rocks, and more sand! Also considering how the Keep in the Mountain seems to welcome every kind of traveler, it is safe to assume there is quite the Nomad life into this realm. And I think there are a few similarities between the Rock Castle and Nabatean Tombs:
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Strongly built into a mountain, solid and quite symmetrical as well. I rest my case 🙃
Ao-ki, Indian 🇮🇳
I actually had fun theorizing about Ao-ki, I think she has some tendencies that are really interesting to speculate about 💜
Starting from her fighting abilities, she seems to have a pretty martial arts influenced style. I am no complete expert (just did karate for a while 🥋), but the fist against flat hand position is a very familiar pose for martial arts. Most of famous fighting practices comes from China, but I'm bring up Indian ones also for the spirituality. We saw Ao-ki meditating to 'feel the light', which can be associated pretty quickly to the hindu meditation practice, especially regarding chakras and energies. There's also her shield:
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That reminds me a lot of a mandala, a circle art related to Buddhism and Induism, meant to symbolize the cosmo and often used as a meditation practice as well 🙆‍♀️
...
And that's it folks! 🎉🎉🎉
I had fun! Since season 3 seems to be in WIP and there are news coming up, I wanted to make more content ✌ I'm working on a fanfic as well, hopefully it won't take me all the time it usually take me to 😅
See ya everyone!! Have a nice day!! 💜💜💜
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hildagirl99 · 5 years ago
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The wrath of Winter
Part 9 and End
"The baby? Now ??" Bill writes.
"I'm sorry to stop your mourning!" she said, addressing the Indians.
With compassion, they interrupt their prayer and head for Penny.
"No time to waste!"
Everyone takes him under the village shaman's teepee.
"Come on now, don't panic! Breathe calmly and start pushing!" said Lorelei at her side. Aiyanna even agreed to join the delivery.
"Come on! Penny! Come on! Penny! We're pushing"! Sing along Bill to cheer on Penny.
"Bill! For heaven's sake! Shut up! Aaaah! It's too hard!" she writes, sweating.
"Don't give up darling! Go on! Hold my hand as hard as you can!" said Lorelei, shaking her hand tightly.
"And breathe between each push!" said Aiyanna who was standing in front of her, between her legs, long cloths of linen in her hands.
"I'm ... I'm scared! Gnnnh!" breathes Penny, worried.
"No, don't be afraid! We're all here! You're strong Penny! Go on!" exclaims Bill.
After several intense minutes, a head finally comes out.
"The head! There is a head!" writes Aiyanna.
"Do you hear? This is the last step! Put all your strength into it!" said Lorelei, encouraging Penny.
It did not take me long to take the baby out, little cries are heard, he is there and very much alive.
"Ooh! My god Penny! You did it!" Bill writes with tears in his eyes. He walks towards the baby, Aiyanna was starting to cover him.
"So? Sex?" he asks.
"You lucky, this is Wicicala." Aiyanna replies.
"This is … ?"
"It's a girl." she said smiling.
"Oh my gosh! Lorelei! She's a girl!" said Bill, taking his daughter in his arms, he was the happiest of dads. He hands the baby to Penny.
"Hello my sweetie!" said Penny, positioning her against her chest. But it was cut by another violent contraction.
"Aaaah! It's coming back !!"
"Huh? What's the matter? Darling!" Lorelei panic.
"I think ... it's not over." whispers Aiyanna.
"What? A second is coming?" Bill writes, his eyes wide.
"Ya, I can already see the head!"
Penny had twins! To the delight of all. Finally the second is out. She was also a little girl!
"Twins! We had twins!" cries Bill, happier than ever.
"Mos Iwayake (* twins girls) !!" Aiyanna writes to the tribe.
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They were all happy, especially it was the first time they saw two babies born at the same time.
"Do you want to be alone?" Aiyanna asks Penny, Bill and Lorelei.
"Just a moment, thank you Aiyanna." replies Penny, exhausted.
Calm back, Bill and Penny held their daughters in their arms. Lorelei looked at them with tenderness.
"They are very beautiful." she says.
"But how can we tell them apart?" Bill asks.
"Look, one has red hair! The other has brown hair!" replies Penny.
"And you found first names?" wonders Bill.
"It was not easy but after long thought, the one who is red will be called ... Marilyn!" said Penny chuckling.
"Marilyn Hemsworth? She will take your last name!" said Bill, happy.
"Yes! Lorelei, I leave you the choice for the second!"
"Me? But ... I haven't thought about that." she said, embarrassed.
"She's our daughter, I'm sure you'll find it! Go darling!"
Lorelei looks at the second little girl, at length.
"What do you say about ... Barbara?" she said calmly.
"Barbara? How cute!" Penny replies with a smile.
"It sounds very ... serious woman! I love it! Like you!" exclaims Bill.
"Welcome to the world my little Marilyn, my sweet Barbara." said Penny, hugging her two moaning daughters.
"We are proud of you." say Lorelei and Bill, taking Penny's hand.
"The family is growing, it is thanks to you that I was able to hold on, I was so afraid of losing you."
"We will always be there for you."
The two of them approach to kiss her on the forehead but they knock on the forehead, making Lorelei and Bill blush.
"Sorry…"
"No hehe it was awkward on my part."
"Hey, I see your little game!" interrupts Penny.
They laugh in heart, outside however, it was another atmosphere. Aiyanna preferred to isolate herself from the tribe, wanting to mourn. She was holding her brother's archer, his weapon of war.
"What to do without you? I'm lost ..." she said on her knees. She looks up at the sky and bursts into tears. Her brother died for her, he died a hero for his tribe. Then like a light noise, leaves surround it followed by a dust of stars. A huge autumn colored horse stands in front of her. She is afraid of the size of it, she moves back nervously. The horse watches her for long minutes and advances slowly. Aiyanna notices a familiar stain on his chest, an arrow pointing down. Slowly, the horse transforms into a human, and not just any: Suka.
"Mitaksi ki (* little sister)" he said looking at her.
"Sukawaka!" she rushes against him, she against his chest and cries with hot tears.
"Why are you crying ..." Suka asks after a long minute of silence.
"You're no longer there ..." replies his sister, unable to look up.
"You forgot what I said? I will always be there for you, watching over you." he said, stroking her hair.
"I can't seem to be strong, mourning too complicated to bear."
"One month you have to last, and you're not alone anymore."
"Take revenge! I must avenge you!"
"Hiya ... revenge is not the best solution."
"Who taught you that?"
"Wasicu, right?" Suka smiled, thinking of Bill.
She fell silent, thinking back to everything they had done together, what he had taught her.
"Ate (*dad) and I are looking at you. Promise you will be strong." he said, backing away gently.
"Ya ... I promise." Aiyanna responds gently, trying to wipe away her tears.
"Maybe I never told you, I always thought so, I love you ..." he breathes before becoming a mustang again and disappearing into the sky in a dust of stars.
"I love you too ..." whispers Aiyanna, her eyes still fixed on the sky, acquiring a small smile.
Under the teepee, Lorelei was preparing the last things before leaving.
"Are you sure you want to go now? In the middle of the night?" Bill asks.
"The tribe is in mourning, I think we should leave them alone, and then for the little ones, it would be better."
"Okay, but don't we say goodbye? Do you want to sneak out like this?"
"Okay, okay ... But don't hang around, Penny has to rest." she replies.
At the same time, the Indian chief disembarks.
"Are you leaving already?"
"Great Wakicuza ... Ya ... I accomplished my mission. As promised, we are leaving." said Lorelei, bending down. He puts her hand on his head.
"Alkoun Na, you have shown great courage, you have brought Wakayaja Bloketu back alive, the seasons are now finally reunited. You and his people are saved."
"I did it to save those I love, and the whole country."
"You and your friends are free to leave, you will always be welcome in the tribe. We have repaired your cart."
"Thank you again Wakicuza…"
They all go out, Penny goes upstairs with her daughters, both asleep. Bill hesitates for a moment, he must say goodbye to someone important.
"Wait a moment Lorelei ... I'm coming back."
Aiyanna was not far away, she had heard of Lorelei's departure.
"Bill, are you leaving already?" she asks.
"Yes, you don't hold it against me? I have to stay with the girls." he replies, taking her both hands.
"Hiya (*no) , I don't hold it against you. You have your fatherly duty." she said smiling.
"I'm sorry for your brother, I wish I knew him a little more."
"You don't apologize. He protected us, he understood who you were."
"He will always be there ... In your heart." he takes her in his arms for a long time.
"I promise to come as soon as I can. Otherwise, I will write to you."
"I'll wait for you, Bill…" said Aiyanna looking him in the eye.
He puts his hand on her cheek and they share a last kiss.
"Take care of yourself."
"I love you, Bill."
"Me too ..." he said smiling.
They let go of their hands, not wanting to leave the look. All say goodbye with their hands. Farewells are painful but keep the best moments and promise a close return.
Finally arrived in the Showdown Valley, the landscape magically changes, the snow melts and the sun reappears. Summer has returned. The villagers could not believe their eyes, the grass grew back, the snow gave way to the stone paths. In the distance, the summer child looked at them, in the twinkling of an eye, it disappears in a cloud of dust. Lorelei, Penny and Bill look at each other, deciding not to say anything about this sudden change in the weather.
"Ah! Miss Hemsworth! Miss Undertaker! You are back!" Doc Carver arrives at them.
"Yes! Well, time flies, summer is here." Penny smiles.
"Oh but ... I see that you are not alone!" he said, staring at the babies.
"Yup, I gave birth in town, even if I had to give in, thanks to Lorelei, it was the apocalypse outside. It's two little girls, Marilyn and Barbara."
"They are beautiful. Two little desert flowers." compliments Carver, smiling.
"Yeah! They got it from me!" boasts Bill.
"They don't have your ears, either." said Lorelei, mocking.
"Hehe, anyway, congratulations to the three of you." said Carver.
"Now I have to go to rest, thank you very much, Doc."
"I hope you don't hold it against me for ... You know ..." said the doc, a little ashamed.
"Come on my dear, it's over, I don't hold it against you." Penny replies with sincerity, before entering the house.
Later that night, Penny and Lorelei stayed together for a while, watching their children.
"I have never been so happy, a dream come true." said Penny, blossoming.
"We were hoping to have one, but lucky, you had two." said Lorelei, near her.
"Take one in your arms."
"Are you sure? I'm going to wake them up ..."
Gently and with great delicacy, Lorelei takes Marilyn in her arms, holding her head well, she looks at her with love, the little one opens her eyes at the same time.
"Oh… Hello Marilyn, are you finally opening your eyes?" she said with a soft voice.
Penny was both happy and surprised that Lorelei acted so kindly to a child when she did not seem at ease in front of them.
"I have never seen you so caring for a child."
"I'm progressing, hehe. I also believe I have instinct."
"I wonder what made you so motherly." said Penny, resting on her shoulder.
"Oh, let's say a certain child made me understand this." she was thinking of the summer child, who had made her understand who she really was, a woman with a strong but endearing character. She vows to protect her children, to be an exemplary mother.
"It almost makes me want to be a mom, and put my work aside."
"Oh darlin '..."
"Sorry to interrupt you, I want to see my little girls too." said Bill, hopping up to them.
"I'll leave you, I'm in the living room, if there is a need." said Lorelei, leaving the room.
Bill takes his two daughters in his arms, his gaze was that of a happy father, his eyes filled with tears of joy.
"They're so beautiful. Like you Penny." he says.
"Oh Bill, it touches me, they look like you too."
"It remains to be seen their characters when they grow up."
"For the moment, they have just been born, give them time." said Penny, taking them back.
"I listened to you and Lorelei a bit, and ... would she be ready for her too, having a child?" he asks.
"I don't know, but it looks like she would be ready to assume her role as mother. She insinuated him quickly. Why? Are you in a hurry?" she said laughing.
"No, not now, hehe. But if someday she would like, I'll be there. I hope she trusts me now but I don't intend to force her."
"Take your time"
"Rest for the moment, sweetie." Bill answers with a little kiss on the forehead.
He leaves the room to finally join Lorelei.
"What an adventure ... isn't it?" he asks, arriving near her, the latter looking out at the horizon.
"Better than the time I fought Faceless. There, I had your lives in my hands, I learned a lot during this journey."
"I hope you will forgive me for what I said about you, we were pissed off and ..."
"It's been a long time since I've forgiven you. On everything ..." she said, still staring outside, smiling.
"Even if I look like a bandit?" he said, teasing her.
"Yes, dear…"
"And now, I ... could I live with you two a little?"
"You are free to be here when you want Bill." she said turning her head, looking at him with a slight blush.
He approaches her, blushing just as much.
"I heard you wanted to be a mother too."
"Oh, well, if you think about it, I would like, yes, but not here now."
"I know, dear. When you want." he said, putting his hand on hers.
They keep looking at each other until a thought brings them back to reality.
"Sorry, but I'm going to prepare the crib for the little ones." said Lorelei, withdrawing her hand.
"Do so, beautiful undertaker." said Bill with his charming smile.
She rolls her eyes, laughing. Once gone, Bill searches for a sheet and picks up a pen and ink.
"Dear eternal flower, you know who is writing to you, now that we have returned, Lorelei, Penny and I, you remain in my thoughts, the letter will be very short but sincere. Since I met you, I have not been that an uncultivated bandit, after your acquaintance, I felt human, after having kissed you, I feel new and in love. I don't know when I will see you again but I will think of you. Now I take care of my daughters, and I'm watching over Lorelei and Penny. Hoping to hear from you soon, I hope you can read me.
I love you.
Bill, Showdown Bandit.
he folds the letter in 4 and leaves the house. A little gust of wind came to take his letter from his hands, he quickly understood that it was the spirit of the wind, the autumn child who was going to bring his letter to Aiyanna.
"Ah, that will save me from taking a horse." does he think.
The letter quickly reaches Aiyanna. After reading it, she places it against the chest, a smile on her face and her heart filled with joy.
"I understand you, Bill, hope to see you again soon." she said looking at the sky, dreaming of the near future, with her love.
End
(To be continued)
I hope this will have you more ;) the next episode is still being written. Be patient ~
Part 8 :
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mj-spooks · 5 years ago
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Leverage Crew as benders? I'm feeling Parker as an Earthbender. Hear me out, not cause of that hold your ground perspective, but the sensitivity like Toph of what's going on by touch?
No, I get you, I absolutely see Parker as an Earthbender. Like, her whole thing is picking locks. You know what’s easy to do when you can sense vibrations? Pick locks. Like so much of her job is infinitely easier with this power. Also, yeah, personality-wise, she’s a little resistant to change, very Earthbender-like. Dependable, for sure, and loyal to a fault. She has a strong sense of self, even if she struggles with where that self fits into the rest of the world at times. Though, she’s a weird one, like King Bumi. Not quite so set in her ways, a little more flexible.
Probably due to her close relationship with an Airbender, aka Hardison. Insert joke about monks and tech geeks here. No, but, seriously. Hardison has all the calm centeredness of the Air Nomads. He’s also the most playful member of the team, which works well with the sometimes playful nature of the free-spirited Airbenders. He’s also arguably the most isolated, since he does everything mostly via computer, not interacting much with other people even on accident while on the job until joining the crew.
Now, the gut reaction is to call Eliot an Earthbender too, I think. But actually, I’d call him a Waterbender. Sure, he’s got that strong, resilient center you expect from an Earthbender. But he’s a force to be reckoned with that is frequently underestimated, and most importantly, he’s adaptable. His ability is vast and his methods can change in a fraction of a second as he calculates and determines the best next move. He can move with the swiftness of the coursing river, and all the force of a great typhoon-
Sophie... is hard for me? I could see an argument made for both Waterbender and Firebender. She definitely has the poise and grace of a Firebender. If she is a Firebender, she’s a member of the nobility, or a military leader. Someone who knows how to command, and can ensnare the attention of the people she needs to listen. She’s got the forcefulness, and the passion. But on the other hand, grifting as a job is an exercise in fluidity and adaptability... hm. I think I like Firebender for her, but let’s say she’s post-Aang and has a close connection to the water tribe.
Nate, I think, is an Earthbender like Parker, which fits since she’s the one who takes over his position with the crew once him and Sophie ride off into the sunset. He’s stubborn and set in his ways, and sometimes that makes him difficult to manage. He has that strong, steady nature that Earthbenders tend to share, and doesn’t deal well when things don’t go to plan. He often has a hard time adapting to sudden changes. But, it takes a lot of turmoil to shake him up, and when he’s not too far off his game, he’s reliable and resilient.
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jadekitty777 · 5 years ago
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Finally Over (Yet I'm Still Here)
Jesus almighty, that last post exploded beyond all my expectations. I’m very honored.
So… anyone want a fanfic? Completely based on my random speculation that Raven not only knows Summer is alive but is also protecting her in some way?
(Honestly, I won’t even say this is a good fanfic, not to my personal standards at least. But it had some great lines in it I just could NOT let sit on my hard drive for eternity.)
Rating: K+
Word Count: 1800
Pairings: Tai/Summer, Raven/Tai and (implied) Summer/Raven
Summary: After Summer’s last mission had gone horribly, irreversibly wrong, Raven had had to spend half her life protecting her, her secret and their family. Now, with the war freshly over, Summer can finally return to their family. And Raven, the piece that never fit, could finally leave it all behind.
So why did she feel like she was making a horrible mistake?
Ao3 Link: Finally Over (Yet I'm Still Here)
~
Finally.
After a long, grueling day taking down Salem’s forces, clearing the rest of Beacon of Grimm and re-securing the vault, that was the only thing Raven could think. Finally, this was over. Finally, the mission was complete. Finally, the truth could be told.
As they approached the auditorium, she looked to the woman she’d spent nearly two decades of her life looking out for. Summer was worrying her bottom lip, looking like she was more ready for an execution than a reunion.
“What’s that pathetic look for?” Raven snarked.
It didn’t snap her out of her anxious daze as much as she had hoped. “What if they don’t want me anymore? It’s been so long and,” She looked to her, “I’m scared Rae.”
Don’t look at me like that. “Oh, don’t give me that nonsense.” She huffed, “Tai was practically blubbering when you showed up. Qrow too. And the girls,” Raven faltered, but quickly picked herself back up, “Well, they’ll adjust just fine.”
They stopped at the auditorium doors. A quick sweep told her they were the last to arrive. Most people were inconsequential, even the ones she did know by name; but Raven’s eyes quickly landed on the small family that did. Qrow was by the wall, slouched over a bit. He was saying something to Tai. She studied him a little longer, taking in the weary lines along his face, the fading luster of his blond hair. He’d aged; she knew that of course, she’d seen him plenty of times on her visits, but she never realized just how tired he appeared, like life had unfairly thrown him through the ringer.
Ignoring the slight pang in her chest, she focused on their daughter instead. Yang’s voice practically boomed over everyone else’s, her shouts of joy echoing along what was left of the dome-like ceiling. She was swinging Blake around in circles. Their other teammate, the heiress, just looked perpetually exasperated. And Ruby –
Raven could tell Summer was staring at her the most. This small version of herself, knelt down on the ground beside the boy who had been Oz’s new reincarnation, in that kind and gentle way Summer herself always had for others. The boy had been knocked out during the fight; but it seemed he’d regained consciousness now, a hand on his forehead as he spoke to her. Another blond boy, the one she remembered had stupidly challenged Cinder back at Haven, was on his other side, healing him.
Ruby said something and almost anxiously looked around the room. Raven realized after a beat who she had to be searching for just as her eyes landed on them.
She could practically hear Summer’s heart stop. But even as Ruby got to her feet and started to make her way towards them, she didn’t even twitch.
“You’ve waited fifteen years for this.” Raven placed a hand on her back and pushed the frozen woman forward. “Go already.”
She stumbled a bit, almost looked back, but couldn’t tear her eyes away from her daughter long enough. As if in a spell, she walked forward.
The others had taken notice of her presence; before they could notice hers as well, Raven stepped back into the shadows.
As the two finally stopped in front of one another, she heard Summer start, “Ruby, I-”
Ruby didn’t even wait, throwing her arms around her in a crushing hug. “Mom!” With her back to her, Raven couldn’t see her expression, but she saw the way Summer crumbled, clutching onto her daughter’s cape. But it was the soft, “I missed you” that finally broke her down to tears.
And then she was babbling. Nonsensical apologizes and ‘I love yous’ that should have been apparent even if she said nothing at all. After spending so many years in forced isolation, only Raven for the occasional company, all to protect her family from the curse placed upon her, how could there be a question about it? It was ridiculous, but it wouldn’t be Summer if it wasn’t.
Qrow was nudging Tai now. He looked even more mechanical than Summer had, and even though he’d fought right beside her not even an hour ago, it seemed he still couldn’t quite believe she was truly in front of him. But his smile when she finally looked at him was-
Raven averted her gaze, not dwelling on it. And when she saw Yang moving too, she decided now was the best time to leave. Her job was done.
She turned away, heading back down the broken halls of Beacon. They reflected the way her heart felt.
But what had she been expecting, really? She burned her own bridges; regretting it was foolish. She had gotten what she had wanted, hadn’t she? She’d escaped the old tribe leader, Ozpin, Salem. Even Summer. She wasn’t a tool for anyone to use anymore. Her life was hers again, but she recognized all the things she gave up for that freedom. She couldn’t look back. Not now.
So caught up in her own thoughts, she didn’t realize anyone had followed her.
“Running away again?” Her brother’s flippant attitude was all-too familiar.
“Of course. I did my good deed for the year.” She said, shrugging her shoulders as if the task of hiding her best friend had been just as easy as the time she’d had to do some community service cleaning up trash at the docks.
“Doesn’t mean you have to leave.” How many times was he going to ask her to come back?
She sighed, looking over her shoulder. “Still on about that? What happened to ‘We’re not family anymore’?”
“Yeah, maybe I, jumped the gun on that one.” He seemed different. She’d noticed it while they were fighting together too; but now, close enough to really look at him, she realized how clear his eyes seemed.
When had he stopped drinking?
She turned away again. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”
“Raven-”
“Goodbye, Qrow.” She hopped over the rubble of a collapsed wall to step out into the courtyard beyond. She looked to the sky, wide and empty and hers, took a breath as she got ready to morph.
And heard a scream.
“RAVEN BRANWEN DON’T YOU DARE.”
Fuc-!
She didn’t even get a chance to complete the swear before she was showered in white petals as Summer teleported above her, tackling her down. Raven felt the air whoosh out of her as she hit the ground and her weapon detached from her belt, clanking onto the concrete beside them. She stared at the clouds above her, grumbling heatedly, “What did I tell you about teleporting to me like that?”
“Wouldn’t have to if you’d act like a normal human being. What do you think you’re doing?” Summer scowled.
“Leaving.” She heard some rocks rattling, and a glance back revealed Qrow, Tai, Yang and even Ruby had followed. Followed Summer, that is.
“Well that’s dumb.”
“And this is awkward. Get off already.”
“No!” She jabbed her finger in her face. “Not moving until you agree to stay.”
What a brat. “Fine.” Raven said simply, sliding her hand to the side of them. A portal opened. Summer could only ‘Eep!’ as she wrapped her arms around her and rolled them both in.
She managed to readjust them in the short freefall, and when she came dropping out next to Tai, she was carrying the smaller woman bridal style. “Take your wife.”
He looked between the two of them. Grinned teasingly. “Which one?”
Really? She gave him an annoyed look, before tossing Summer. Tai was always a good catch though, and snatched her up with ease.
She ignored how perfect they looked together. “Let me make this easy, for all of you. No one owes me anything. Don’t feel obligated to ‘welcome me back’.” One by one she met everyone’s eyes as she continued, “Okay? Have I cleared everyone’s conscience? Good! Now that everyone is quite done being foolish idiots, I’m going to go.”
“That’s it?” Yang. She sounded furious. “You swoop in to come help us, drop in with – with, Ruby’s mom! And now you’re leaving again?”
That. Was. It.
“What do you want from me?!” She whirled on her. “To come back home and read you bedtime stories? Make your lunches?” Turned to Qrow. “What about you? Hoping we’ll relive the good old days breaking into raves down at the docks?” One more turn, waving at the space between herself, Summer and Tai, ignoring their expressions. Don’t look at me like that damnit! “And how would this even work, huh?! This is the problem, with all of you! You’re all too wrapped up with your emotions that you’re not thinking!”
There was a short silence, broken by a soft, “But, you are too.” Raven looked towards the speaker. Ruby, who had faced down scarier things than most could fathom, had no trouble meeting her eyes. “You’re so afraid that we’ll turn you away that you can’t imagine we aren’t.”
“No. No! Stop sounding like her!” She waved vaguely towards Summer, her voice so hysterical she hardly recognized it.
This had to be a joke. A cruel, cruel joke. If anyone wanted her back it was only to punish her for all the ways she hurt them. To pretend like they wanted her there just to pull out the rug underneath her when she finally allowed herself to believe it.
“That’s enough. When you wake up from this fantasy you’ve all created, you’ll be just as happy as me that I’m gone.” She started away from them, feeling her throat choke up. She had to go. Where was her sword? She needed to go.
Two strong arms wrapping around her stopped her. Tai smelled the same, like garden soil and cooking oil. “If you believe that, why are you crying?”
“I’m not.” She sobbed. “Shut up, go away.”
“Raven you are the most stubborn woman I have ever met. It’s your best and worst quality, ‘cause you let it drive you forward as much as you let it hold you back.” He laid his head against hers. His tenor was so gentle it hurt. “Please, stop holding back and tell us what you really want.”
She wanted – wanted –
A pop and a shower of petals announced Summer as she latched herself onto her as well. “After all the time we’ve been together, do you really think I’d just use you and leave?”
Yes!
No…
A hand on her shoulder. She caught the glint of Qrow’s rings in the corner of her eye. “Come on sis, just stay.”
Another one on her back. Metal. A second, smaller and warm and a bit tentative.
And around her tears and her fears, finally, finally, Raven told the truth:
“I want to come home.”
It was a nonsensical thing to say because she was already there.
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