#i've only got a couple more of these pre-made but it's been long enough since the last so here;

[seaglassandeelgrass]

Highwaymen, Rapparees, and Gentlemen of the Road.

Cover is a painting, c.1860, of Claude Duval by William Powell Frith.

The Newry Highwayman- Malinky

Turpin Hero- Ewan MacColl

Allan Tyne of Harrow- Dolores Keene & John Faulkner

The Female Highwayman- Lucy Ward

Brennan on the Moor- Tom Kines

Whiskey in the Jar- The Dubliners

The Jolly Highwayman- Joan Mills & Michael Raven

The Naked Highwayman- Fairport Convention

The Highwayman Outwitted- Magpie Lane

Dick Turpin's Ride to York- John Graham Donaldson

The Wild 'Prentice Boy- Fred Gosbee

Redmond O'Hanlon- Irish Bastards

The Outlaw Rapparee- The Rapparees

Fairfax County- Joan Baez

Sovay- Pentangle

Turpin Hero- Eliza Carthy

16 tracks; 55 mins. [Spotify]

[my other playlists]

[in-case-of-grace]

Alternatives to "GM" in TTRPGs

Spurred by a recent post from @imsobadatnicknames2 that found its way into my feed by way of @anim-ttrpgs' addition (this post got too big to be a reblog sorry), I've been thinking about the influence of the terms we use for the host-and-narrator role in a TTRPG. Each tends to carry some connotations and implications as to what the role might entail, and these can influence how people play your game.

At best, this may enforce your intended roles for the game, alongside its themeing. At worst, your chosen term for this role may create false assumptions, and lead to people approaching it in a way that makes it unfun for them.

There's also an aesthetic component to consider! Having a term that matches your genre and vibe can go a long way! It's gonna be a balancing act— does the term change how people interact with your game enough to become a problem? Does it match and enforce your themes and aesthetics strongly enough to balance some of those problems out?

Below, I'm gonna go over a couple common (and uncommon) terms for this role and what I think their connotations, implications, and best usecases are here. These are gonna be beholden to my own biases, of course— and you may see different connotations entirely! Maybe it'll help folk think more about what terms they want to use!

---

"Game Master" is very gamey. It implies that this person is setting up a bunch of specific, pre-made mechanical challenges-- like an obstacle course. I will admit that it does have the weakest connotations of all the commonly used terms I'm aware of, though-- simply by virtue of it having become so commonplace across all sorts of games.

I think it works best with chunkier, mechanically heavy games. Due to it having a weak connotation, though, it won't hurt your game if you use it elsewhere, it is kind of the baseline these days, after all.

---

"Storyteller" implies that this person is sitting everyone down and telling them a story. Like putting on a play. There's an implication that they are going to be controlling most of the narrative here-- and that the players don't have as much say in it.

It's also technically incorrect, given that...well, the players are storytellers too! The point of these games is to tell a story together!

It can work for more narratively focused games, it has some lighthearted, cutesy vibes that can be a good fit for some-- but its connotations can lead to this person taking more control than you may actually intend for them to have in your game.

It's one that I don't think accurately fits a lot of games, and is chosen more for its aesthetics and vibes. (Something I have done before, and with time it bothers me more and more.)

---

"Narrator" is the opposite of Storyteller-- it implies, to me, that this person has less say in the narrative than the players. They are there to impartially narrate and describe the world's reactions to what the players do, little else. A passive observer, almost.

I think it can still work fine for plenty of games-- especially those with contemporary settings. It's the sort that, to me, feels more suited to sandboxy games that are more focused on providing a bunch of simulationist tools for players to poke and prod the world with, rather than on telling a structured narrative.

---

"Dungeon Master" is particularly genre-limited. It carries a lot of the same implications that GM does, but for fantasy games in specific-- especially dungeon crawlers.

Only making a special note of it here since it is tied to A Particularly Big Game in the community. Its connotations are much stronger than GM's, though, and it feels out of place in rules light games— unless they are specifically set in a dungeon.

---

"Director" is one that can have drastically different implications depending on the background of who reads it. If they're a film buff, they'll think it implies that this role has final say on everything, and retains high levels of control that the players do not share. Very much akin to Storyteller.

However if the person reading it is more familiar with video games, and the Left 4 Dead series (and games inspired it) in particular, they'll see the Director role as something more reactive and behind the scenes. They may think this person is responsible for improvising and presenting the players with challenges and scenarios that match their current situation— be it narrative or mechanical.

There may have been a specific plan made ahead of time, but it is filled with a ton of contingencies, with an expectation that improv will fill in the gaps.

Though like Narrator, the L4D type of Director implies a somewhat passive, observer role that isn't meant to have a say in the story.

I think most people will see it with film connotations rather than the Left 4 Dead connotations— which is unfortunate, considering that the L4D type of Director is actually really well suited for certain types of TTRPGs. I think "Game Director" vs "Director" may help alleviate this somewhat, but I'm unsure how effective it'd be as I don't think most people share the L4D brain association I do.

---

"Referee," "Arbiter," "Judge," and "Moderator" all share the same problem as Narrator-- but 10 times worse. These are all heavily laced in passive connotations-- and imply that this person is there simply to determine the outcomes of mechanical situations, but has no say in the narrative.

They can work nicely with like, sports or competition TTRPGs in specific, though.

---

"Master of Ceremonies (MC)" implies that you're not playing a game, but that this person is about to lead you through an awards ceremony, drop some bars, or host some stuffy 500 year old regal event called "the Ceremony of the Ballet Fish" or something.

I don't think this one fits in TTRPGs like, at all, frankly. I just cannot imagine someone in that role being referred to as an "MC" unless we're talking about a game that is specifically about a ceremony, or rap.

---

"Caretaker" implies that this person's role is to maintain and care for the world, game, and story. It implies that they not only facilitate the garden you're all playing in, but that they also trim or rearrange it to suit everyone's needs-- including their own.

I actually think this one is very nice. It doesn't imply that they're an absolute monarch, nor does it imply that they're a passive observer. It also manages to encapsulate the amount of background work the role can often require, without taking away their say in the resulting narrative.

A Caretaker has agency in the story, while remaining cognizant and receptive of the players' agency, too.

This works really well for games focused on telling collaborative narratives, but I think it can also work fairly well for mechanically focused ones as well. It feels pretty versatile!

This one is new to me and I honestly might start using it for my games going forward, unless someone knows of a common connotation I'm unaware of!

---

"Facilitator," and "Host" both imply that this person provides the space and tools for the game, and nothing else. They handed the players the keys, told them to lock up after they're done, and left to go do sick flips in their motorcycle or something nerds do.

To me, the term by itself implies this person has very little to do with the actual game. I don't think these work any better than, say, GM, without a thematic justification.

Host could be amazing for some sort of bio-horror game— or for a game show RPG. Facilitator feels DoA to me. Both, however, could work if your game really is set up so the Facilitator/Host just provides tools to the players and does little else.

---

"Guide" implies that this person takes on a fairly hand-holdy role in leading the players through the game and its narrative. Maybe not quite railroading, but they definitely do a lot to keep the players on track.

This one, I feel, carries some "teacher" connotation— as if this person is responsible for teaching the players the rules. It's on them, not the players, to read and remember the actual rules.

I feel that this connotation largely ruins what good this term could do.

But, it can still work well in certain cases. If your game really is meant to have a focused, linear narrative, it can work quite well. The same goes for specific genres or settings— such as anything dealing with camping, national parks, or tourism.

---

"Overseer" taken at face value, actually could be pretty apt. They'd be someone who oversees the game and does what they can to keep things fun.

Unfortunately, due to the word's use in workplace environments and dystopian fiction— it has some pretty heavy cultural connotations that turn it more into a dictator role. They have complete and total control over the game and its narrative, even if the players disagree with their choices.

I think it can work well for games that deal with dystopian or corporate settings, where this person might actually be meant to have more control, or simply for the flavor— but not a ton else.

---

"Producer" is vaguely similar to the film-style Director-- in the sense that it comes from film. However, unlike the Director, a Producer coordinates and works together with the players to tell their story. It's a more collaborative role that shares power and agency more evenly with the table.

This also somewhat accurately implies the amount of work that goes into the role, much like the Caretaker.

However, given its origins, it doesn't imply they're playing a game— I can't entirely explain why, but it feels similar to MC in this sense. The term is very heavily entrenched in its origins, and carries strong film connotations— even though, yes, video games have producers too!

I think it'd be rad to see games using this, though. In time the strong film connotations may shake off! Like Caretaker, I think it's fairly versatile and could be well suited for a wide variety of games.

---

Niche terms such as keeper, warden, overlord, president, deity, and fixer are always worth considering, too! These tend to just be one-offs used in a specific TTRPG, that suit their setting and tone in particular.

Now, each can and does have its own implications and connotations to consider— weigh those against how well it serves the vibes of your game before you lock in!

---

"Host and Narrator (HAN)" implies the same things that these terms do separately-- but combines them to offset (some of) their downsides. This implies that they host and provide the tools needed for playing the game, yes, but also that they actually stick around to narrate and respond to the players.

When Narrator is combined with Host here, I think this also transforms into something a little closer to the Caretaker— as the Host and Narrator both, they have more of an active role in maintaining the space (and story) they've provided.

It feels similarly versatile, as a result. I just made this one up and don't know if there are any games that use it already, it could have legs— it is a little dry and flavorless, though. This may give it a potential leg up on Caretaker, which does have a lil bit of a lighthearted vibe that may feel off in, say, a horror game.

---

Honorable mentions - Scenestress - Conductor - SOUP (Story Overseer United (with) Players) - Their Majesty - MOMMY (Mediator Over Making Mythic Yarns) - JOE (Joe Ojoe Ejoe) - Representative (REP) - Doormat

---

Again, these are all just according to the implications and connotations I find in these terms— you may find others! What you pick is going to depend on you, your game, and your intended audience!

I don't know if perfect terms exist, and it's wise to explain whichever you use within your rulebooks— just to ensure that someone else's biases and assumptions don't lead to them misinterpreting things.

Is there anything I missed? Any terms you like to use? Do you have a vastly different set of assumptions for one of these terms? Please share!

[disneyprincemuke]

yeah, right * fem!driver

logan definitely just sees her as a friend and nothing more

pairings: logan sargeant x fem!driver

warnings: well

notes: mannnnnnnn this was kinda cute but like i've got no intentions of making sis femdriver date anyone on the grid, i fear... my bad g

(series masterlist) | (📂 pre-formula 1)

logan locks his jaw, arms folded over his chest as his eyes are trained on the smaller girl across the room. she’s got her hand over her mouth as she stands next to sebastian, blood rushing to her cheeks as she giggles.

“you know,” oscar mutters softly next to him with a sly smirk, “you could just tell her you’ve got a crush on her.”

“no,” he answers immediately, shooting oscar a look as if he’s gone crazy. when oscar’s stare lasts a second too long, logan only answers again. “no.”

oscar drops his gaze for a second, a dry chuckle passing his lips. “i’m glad you’re still logical, mate. she’s our best friend,” he nods. “what’s your problem, anyway? where is all of this coming from?”

logan can only sigh, leaning back on the wall behind them. it’s a good question. all he knew was that he woke up one morning a couple days ago and his heart started racing when he saw her curled in a ball in his bed fast asleep (him and oscar slept on the floor in the night).

he hasn’t recovered since.

“this is your fault,” logan argues, turning to him with an accusing finger. “you made friends with the cute girl during karting and now this happened.”

“what?” oscar cries in a laugh. “that’s definitely not how it works.”

“it is. i told you to leave her alone, dude!”

“well, she was arguably pretty cute when we met her! how would i have known she’d make it to f2 with us?”

“the point is, you talked to her and now here we are! you should be one to talk, anyway, you had a crush on her too.”

“yeah, mate. when i was 13. you’re 20 with a crush on our best friend.”

“yeah, because i totally went to sleep that night and prayed that i’d wake up feeling this way.”

“feeling what way?” their conversation halts and they turn, meeting her doe eyes looking up at them in curiosity. “are you gossiping without me, you traitors?”

oscar scoffs, giving her a disgusted look. “gossiping without you? how can we ever?”

“exactly. so, what are you talking about?” she steps towards logan, prompting the taller boy to take a step away and push himself up against the wall.

which, is unusual. she throws her hands up in confusion and drops her head to catch logan’s eyes. “yo? i didn’t develop cooties overnight — what’s wrong with you?”

“nothing,” logan feigns annoyance in his voice, heart beating in his chest as he side-eyes her. he can only wish that she leaves him alone.

“he’s just feeling a little sick,” oscar shrugs, trying to brush off her concerns. “so, how was meeting charles leclerc?”

at the mention of the name, her eyes sparkle as she jumps in her spot. “mate, he was so dreamy up close!” she shrieks, grabbing oscar’s arm for support. she throws her head back dreamily with the back of her hand against her forehead. “he’s so… ugh.”

“yeah, you were so all over him,” logan scoffs, looking into the distance to avoid her gaze. “that’s crazy.”

she side-eyes logan with a frown on her face. “wow. you woke up and decided to be a hater today.”

logan camps at the bar counter, eyes locked across the beach club they’ve decided to visit today. he’s nursing the pint on the wooden surface as he looks unamusingly at her dancing with another tourist.

“mate,” oscar sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “this has gone on long enough. outrageous, if you ask me.”

“man, shut up,” logan whispers, turning back towards the counter and taking a big gulp.

“it could all be in your head. we’ve been friends with her for years; why did you suddenly start liking her more than that?” oscar asks, breath reeking of the tequila shots he downed with lily just a second ago.

logan sighs, leaning into the seat behind him. “i don’t know. which is why she can never know about this. it’s between you and me.”

“and me,” lily sighs dejectedly next to oscar, flashing logan a tired look. “unfortunate that i overheard your conversation.”

“real unfortunate,” logan agrees with a nod. “thank you for not telling her.”

“always a pleasure,” lily beams before turning away to place another order with the bartender.

“mate, you’ve had these weird weird feelings for her for like a month now,” oscar says softly, eyes jumping between his friend and the girl now making her way back to them. “get a grip — i can only tell you that whatever you think of doing about this is probably a bad idea.”

“how bad can it really be if i told her?”

“oh, catastrophic, possibly,” lily cuts her boyfriend off, staring at logan with wide and cautionary eyes. her gaze is abruptly pulled away from the american and her expression changes into something of excitement. “hey, (y/n)! i haven’t seen you in a hot minute!”

“i know, i got carried away on the dance floor,” she answers exasperatedly with a tipsy smile. she turns to logan with a soft smack to his shoulder. “and hey, why are you just sitting here? go find a girl and join me on the dance floor.”

“what? no,” logan scowls, turning away from her.

“what?” she cries. truthfully, her red cheeks and puffed up lips are only making him want to say something even more. “but we booked this trip specifically to meet people! what do you mean ‘no’?”

logan’s eyes bore into hers. “like i don’t feel like dancing with stranger.”

“oh, you’ve done worse when we were younger sneaking into the clubs in miami,” she states nonchalantly with a playful eye roll. “what’s got you so conservative now?”

she takes a step towards the counter, ready to call for the bartender before she halts her plans. she turns slowly to logan. “unless…”

she trails off without another word, just staring at logan with wide eyes and a mischievous grin. oscar and lily stand back, sipping on their cocktails as the scene unfolds before them.

logan continues staring at her with half opened eyes. “unless what?”

“unless you’re already spoken for!” she says excitedly. “if it’s not that, then you fancy someone, don’t you?”

logan scoffs, but in an unconvincing and stuttering manner, because his cheeks turn red and he breaks eye contact with her. “absolutely not. can i not just focus on myself this trip?”

she shrugs, surprisingly calm. “you can, i guess. but you always talked about living out the frat life that you never got to be a part of. can’t be a frat bro when you’re like… 25.”

“i’m turning 21 at the end of the year.”

she waves him off. “same thing. too old to be a frat dude.”

logan folds his arms over his chest. “god forbid i wanna spend the weekend in barcelona with just my friends.”

she turns to him stiffly with a grin. she leans into him, almost making him slide off his seat and his heart jump out of his chest. “aw, you’re so sweet, logan! why didn’t you just say that?”

she slams her palm against the counter. “let me call off the dreamy and mysterious guy who bought me a free drink.”

logan turns to oscar, a helpless look on his face as she walks away. the australian and his girlfriend can only shrug, knowing this was not the outcome the boy hoped for this weekend.

“shawn mendes, really?” logan asks monotonously, staring down at her. “really?”

“really,” she nods, eyebrows raised to her own statement. “he dm-ed me on instagram after i posted today for the race and wished me luck.”

“how nice,” oscar teases her with a nose scrunch. “i’m sure he wants you even though he’s in a long-term relationship with his girlfriend.”

“i didn’t even say that!” she scolds, head snapping to the boy next to her. “i said it was cute that he wished me luck because i’m only in f2!”

“what’s f2 got to do with this?”

“like my name’s not even super out there yet, you know?”

“so you’re totally not overreacting to his message, right?” logan raised an eyebrow, looking down at her suspiciously.

the crush has definitely died down since their trip to barcelona. when he’d gotten too intoxicated on vodka and whispered in her ear about how pretty she was, he woke up the next morning with a mind-splitting headache, blaming his words on the alcohol.

she surprisingly bought the excuse, seeing that there seems to be a trend with logan being more tender and sweet with alcohol.

now, it just sucks for him that he can never tell her. ever.

and oscar is glad. he wouldn’t be able to handle the catastrophic outcome if logan confessed and she doesn’t feel the same. they’re both just as important to him.

“no,” she trails off, shaking her head. “i’ll only overreact if it’s harry styles.”

logan nods. “that’s way more realistic.”

“shut up.”

“i don’t know, logan’s been kinda weird lately,” she shakes her head, lips pressed together. she turns to lily with downturned eyes. “are you sure he’s okay?”

lily gives her a reassuring nod with a smile. “he is okay. that’s as much as i can say.”

“what?” she whines. “so you know something that i don’t?”

“no, but that’s what i can derive from what i observe,” lily lies straight through her teeth. it's only detrimental that oscar keeps showing her conversations with logan still pining secretly for the girl.

she throws her head back. "it just feels like everyone is on it. i feel like such an outsider so suddenly," she confesses, tapping her nails against the table. she rests her cheek into her palm and her elbow propped up on the table. "so not fair."

lily sighs, glancing at the door. lily hasn't known her as long as oscar and logan, but watching her feel so rejected within her friend group is disheartening. especially when she's slowly catching on with everything.

"i think it's just-"

"hey!" oscar's voice cuts her off. they must have walked in the second she tore her eyes away from the door. and thank god for that timing, or else what could she have possibly said to the girl overthinking the state of their friendship? “good table, ladies."

"of course, i didn't wanna hear any yapping from your mouth," she says softly, moving her eyes to the window next to her.

logan furrows his eyebrows, sliding into the empty spot next to her in the booth. "what's wrong with you? they run out of spaghetti again?"

"no, it's nothing," she sighs dramatically, leaning back into her seat as she folds her arms over her chest. "what did you guys do while we did our hair?"

“did you even do anything to your hair while we were gone?” logan asks, picking up a bunch of her hair between his fingertips. “oh, you cut it, didn’t you?”

“yeah.”

“very nice hair, babe,” oscar says, grinning at his girlfriend. he turns to the driver diagonal from him. “you too, i guess.”

she scoffs at him. "thanks, i guess."

logan grins, ruffling her hair. "it does look nice. money well spent, i hope."

her jaw drops slightly, eyes watering at the conversation she was definitely not meant to overhear. she steps away from the doorframe she hid behind and slumps her shoulders. "you what?"

the two boys, engaged in a whispering conversation just seconds ago, widen their eyes as they turn their heads to the source of the shocked voice.

she had fallen asleep on her couch as they played video games on the playstation, and they had to have a private conversation about logan’s lingering stares and silent pining.

immediately, logan starts stuttering and flailing his hands around to come up with an excuse for what she could have possibly heard. "i- i mean.. like-"

"the girl you fancy is me?" she asks slowly, then turning to oscar. "and you kept this a secret from me the entire time?"

"no, just let me explain, god," logan smacks his forehead, trying to calm the girl down. "will you listen to me for a second?"

oscar presses his lips together and drops his head in disappointment. "i couldn't tell you. don't be like that."

"you guys made me feel like i was going crazy thinking you didn't wanna be friends with me anymore," she complains, stomping her foot into the ground. "i felt like i didn't even know you guys so well in the past month. i felt like you guys were pushing me away."

"what? no, (y/n), please just listen to me. this is all my fault."

"i thought you guys didn't even wanna be friends with me anymore. all of that to find out that it's because you just suddenly realised i'm cute?" she bursts, giving logan a look. "seriously? you didn't notice that years ago when we first met?"

oscar lifts his head, his look of disappointment quickly replaced by confusion. logan also drops his hands, head tilting at her response.

he had a list formed of possible ways she could react if his secret ever came out. this was not one of them.

"pardon?"

"we've been friends for so long growing up. you think that i never had a crazy puppy crush on either of you?" she scowls at them, wiping the few tears that managed to escape her eyes. "get a grip, my dudes!"

"what?" logan screams. "you're telling me i've been in over my head for literally nothing because you've had a crush on me too?"

"had?"

"you've got a crush on him right now? and me before?" oscar exclaims in disbelief, pointing at logan. "and we never knew? seriously?"

she shrugs, folding her arms over her chest with a smug smile. "i'm just better at keeping secrets compared to you guys, i guess."

she turns on her heel and walks out of the kitchen. “you’ll get over it. trust me. i’m actually in the process of getting over my crush on you, lo.”

but she’s never been more wrong about anything in her life.

taglist: @wcnorris @treehouse-mouse @laura-naruto-fan1998 @mindless-rock @inejismywife @vellicora @leilanixx @meadhgbcavanagh @2bormaybenot @ironmaiden1313 @angsthology @cherry-piee @christianpulisic10 @elliegrey2803 @cashtons-wife @love4lando @sadg3 @bborra @a10vely-yutazen @mellowarcadefun @glitterf1 @megatrilss1885

[mostlyihyperfixate]

WrightWorth Fic Recs

Okay, so @moongasux told me to give some fic recommendations on last night's post, and I thought it would be easier for me to put together a list in a separate post. And then I can update as I go along.

Please note that these aren't all the fics I've read or even the only good ones, just my favorites so far--the ones I've gone back and reread multiple times since discovering them. I've got several explicit ones to recommed but I literally just started reading smut so I can't actually comment on how good the sex scenes are.

A Long Way to Fall by prospectkiss

Rating: Explicit; Content Warning for stalking and torture; set pre-AA4; finished

Words cannot express how much I love this fic. It was the second one I ever read, and it's still my all-time favorite. It sounds really dark, but the subject matter is treated with the reality and seriousness it deserves. The author also simultaneously knows where and when to stop with the angst so it never gets overbearing. I especially love that both Miles and Phoenix seem like 100% equal partners and adults. The character voices are *chef's kiss*. This is, hands down, the best Franziska I have come across. Be warned that there are explicit sex scenes!

A Night You'll Never Regret by MaudMoon

Rating: Explicit; Content Warning for drinking in excess; set post-AA6; finished

This is another excellent fic, a sort of pure-fluff alternative to A Long Way to Fall. It's just good times from start to finish. The character work here is also very good. The author deals with a pretty large cast masterfully. Larry is amazing in this. This is the story that introduced me to my NOTP, but I'm coming to realize that it's a fairly common ship in this fandom, and who am I to rain on a collective parade? This story is too good to ignore just because of that. Again, there are explicit sex scenes.

Turnabout: Bloodline by LeFlayART

Rating: Explicit; Canon Divergence post-AA6; Spirit Medium!Miles AU; finished (the first two of the three stories, anyway)

You have got to read this. I started reading the first story in this series yesterday, and I've hardly been able to put it down. I am crushed to see that the final story never got finished--but a look at the number of comments on the second part shows that the number of comments this received at the time was a travesty. This is a masterpiece. They say the mark of a good story is that you keep saying to yourself, "Just one more chapter. Just one more chapter," and I have been saying that since, like, 9:00 in the morning yesterday. There is explicit sex. There is a lot of explicit sex. Please go shower this fic with the praise it deserves.

pressed beneath the burden of proof by harmony

Rating: Mature; Content Warning for amnesia fic; one shot

I effing love an amnesia fic, okay? I know it's not for everyone, but it's one of my favorite fic tropes. (Seriously, if you know of any other Wrightworth or Klapollo amnesia fics please send them my way). This is a nice lengthy one that doesn't overstay its welcome by making you wonder where the heck the plot got to. There's no big, overarching legal mystery to solve, but watching Miles put things together is plot enough. The interactions between Miles and Phoenix are wonderful.

res ipsa loquitur (the thing itself speaks) by griffonage

Rating: Teen and Up; finished

This is a fun miscommunication fic that isn't going to leave you wanting to rage at the couple for not just communicating. It's fun miscommunication. Another great "It's about the pining" fic, but without all the angst that usually comes with all that pining--and it's only five chapters, so you can read it in a snap! The author wrote another similar story from Phoenix's point of view later, but of the two, this is my preferred one.

Guilty as Charged by JustNerdyThings

Rating: General Audiences; finished

Do you like seeing Apollo tortured in the fun sense? Then this is the fic for you! It's got some additional Klapollo which finally made me go, "Oh, yeah, this ship is cute," and while shipping (and fumbled matchmaking) is the plot of the story, the place it really shines is just watching Apollo deal with the rest of the cast as the only sane man. It's all cute enough to give you cavities.

Epoch by citsiurtlanu

Rating: Teen and Up; Content Warning for Soulmate AU; set through the series; in the process of being posted

I feel like an elephant is sitting on my chest when I open this up and read it--every single damn time. It hurts. I mean that in a good way. I don't typically read soulmate AUs because I always have more questions than what is addressed, but this one's sort of (at least thus far) a deconstruction of the concept. I am genuinely upset that I have to wait for weekly updates on this when I just want to unhinge my jaw and swallow it whole. Every week's update leaves me wanting more. Also, the author is terribly nice.

[snek-panini]

It's Friday the 13th! Here, have a book completely unrelated to that:

It looks fairly straightforward from here, but this is a bind of @dietraumerei's wonderful Good Omens series, The Sprawl of Life. It's a canon universe, pre-season-2 South Downs Cottage fic, and I typeset it when I did because I'd just watched season 2 and wanted the fluffiest, sweetest, most slice-of-life thing I could think of and this was it. Seriously, if you have been personally victimized by the season 2 finale this might be the antidote you're looking for. Though admittedly some of the lines do hit a lot more bittersweetly now than they did when I first read it in 2019.

More pics under the cut! This one's got an unusual format, go have a look!

It's a dos-a-dos! My first one! Before I started making books I'd never even heard of this format, but I've been wanting to try it ever since I found it. It's hard to find stories that suit the format, though--they've got to be within a certain word count, about the same length, and related to one another, and they have to be a pair, not a three or four part story. They look super complicated without (I've found, anyway) actually being that hard to make. If you want to impress a non-bookbinder make one of these to show them; all my family were fascinated by it.

For materials, the floral cover is scapbook paper from Joann's (the fancy stuff that's very flexible and feels handmade) and the spine is Allure book cloth from Hollander's in the wisteria color. It's a perfect match for the lavender in the paper. I've only previously used the Lineco/Books By Hand book cloth and gotten good results, but my experience with that brand in general was that it's a cheap, readily available base for starting out, but there are wider and better quality options out there once you get away from chain craft stores. Working with this cloth was proof of that. It's stiffer than the Lineco stuff, which made it a little harder to glue down but not enough to cause problems, and it took HTV better than any other surface I've used it on. Here, check out the spines:

Images of the spines. In case the photos are a little blurry, that's Demolishing Proofs We Never Believed In on the left and The World and its Beautiful Particle Logic on the right. The titles gave me some worries. I didn't want to obscure more of the florals by putting them on the front, but was worried they wouldn't fit on the spines since they're so long. I got them on, but it took a lot of careful measurements. Still, though, I couldn't be more pleased by them, and I barely had any of my usual trouble getting the HTV to stick.

Handmade end bands on both sides, in colors matched to the cover paper. I was a little worried about making my own for this project since the text blocks are only about 100 pages each. I was worried they'd be too short. But they're not, and I got a really nice front bead on them. I wanted to do three colors but that proved too challenging for my current skill level. Maybe next time. The second image is the endpaper. Specifically it's the back endpaper, so you can see how the second spine fits into the case. When you read a dos-a-dos, you read the first part, then flip it over like you're going to read the back blurb and there's the second part ready to go. I only explain this because, having never made one, I thought you flipped it over top-to-bottom until I did the case fitting for this one. The top-to-bottom one it called a tete-beche and I think does not have the shared cover board in the center; the pages are connected upside-down. (This is all from my limited research; pro bookbinders please correct me if I'm wrong.)

Couple of interior images. All the graphics came from rawpixel and they are the same in both halves. I kept the typeset really simple on this one, without any extra graphics. Partly that was to keep the page count down (images can take up extra space) and partly it's a reflection of the text. It's a happily ever after story, mostly. Their lives are so much easier here than in canon, and the focus is on communicating without barriers or frills and on building their relationship without other things getting in the way. So it's got a fancy title page, because it matches the cover, but the rest is straightforward with just some simple swirls around the chapter numbers.

I couldn't be more pleased with how this turned out. I was worried it would be very complicated since it's a new-to-me build, but I was exaggerating the difficulty and that made for an easy bind. I hope the author likes it too.

[megashadowdragon]

Medusa: Dress-Up Gone Wrong, Gone Greek, Gone Gorgonomachy

Medusa: Dress-Up Gone Wrong, Gone Greek, Gone Gorgonomachy

reddit and spacebattles comments

"You didn't knock last time either!!!"

Commentary:

Medusa's going back to her pre-Animation Update version of the NP for this one.

Yes, that costume is really called that in Extella Link. You can have it with veiled and unveiled modes. It looks pretty okay in combat.

This is the last Andromeda/Medusa joke I'm going to make, because so far it's the only other one there is besides the name of Medusa's Blood Fort NP.

Still kind of weird. Don't know what Type Moon is telling us, but I thought it worth pointing out one more time.

Incidentally, if Andromeda looked just as good in that outfit as Medusa does, then I can understand Perseus jumping off his flying horse to beat down a kaiju to save her despite just having fought the Gorgon. Respect.

Perseus: I don't whether to find this creepy ... or oddly arousing. Medusa: Well, you will have time to think about it, ... once I bury you six feet into the ground! Perseus: That still won't erase the image from my hea-arghhh!!!

Perseus has got to be my favorite mythological hero. Most interpretations of him I see portray him similarly:

-Hotshot young kid full of dreams and ambitions

-Kills Medusa

-Becomes irreversibly traumatized

-Immediately retires, marries an African princess, and has a shitton of kids

-Names one of his daughters Gorgophone

In many ways he's the polar opposite of Achilles. Achilles was told that if he kept his head low, he was destined to live long and healthy, yet unknown. So he chose to fight in the Trojan war and die gloriously. On the other hand, Perseus got a small taste of heroism and immediately dipped out to become a family man.

I remember much earlier in this thread under another Perseus comic, Orojuice noted about how Medusa, at least in the most well-known Ovidian interpretation, is like a dark mirror of Perseus' mother, who was the reason why he went on the quest to begin with- both women, single mothers who were used up by the gods and discarded like tissue onto some remote island where they could only do their best to take care of their family. Perseus, upon confronting Medusa, is confronting another version of his mother and in doing so is given what is essentially all the power in the world- his world, which consists of just his mother and the island he grew up on. He controls who lives and dies in this world, so who does he choose? Does his mother have any more right to live than this woman who is identical to her? And if they are equal, is it "just" to choose his mother over Medusa because of a personal preference?

I think that comic was posted a couple of years ago, and I've been thinking about it ever since.

Anyway, a while back I used to have a draft of a Percy Jackson fan fiction where the OG Perseus came back from the dead and started dating Medusa while the two of them annoyed Percy (Who he called "Junior" much to Percy's chagrin) like the aunt-and-uncle-young-enough-to-conceivably-be-your-older-siblings that he never had. That part is completely unrelated but I had to get it off of my chest because I don't write fan fiction anymore and will likely never get to talk about the Perseus x Medusa ship ever again. (Some of that may have rubbed off on the servant sheet I made for the teenaged Assassin-class Perseus I wrote about a year ago)

[blu3haw4]

First Line Game

Tagged by @lexa-griffins

rules: don't reblog the first one, make a new post! look at the first lines of the last ten (10) stories you published. look to see any patterns you notice yourself, and see if anyone else notices any!

1) Famous AU (I remember posting it for clextober 2023, but I can't find it there or in my blog)

As per routine for the past several months, the group of musicians signed with arkadia Music's made their way into the hall of the hotel as they each finished their own interviews, every room on this floor was reserved for their pre-concert activities, and soon they would be leaving to the venue.

2) I'd like to be a bear this Halloween (clextober 2022)

She was almost falling asleep; her head dropping slightly every other minute before she could react and lift it back up. It had been a long while since she's dropped her book on the table, giving up on being able to understand the words she was reading.

3) Loved your Parting Gift (dead people are my favorite) (Clextober 2022)

The slightly salty scent of the only substance that could ever satiate her hunger filled her nostrils as she walked into her apartment, before she could manage a hold of her -un- natural instincts she was launching forward into her kitchen, following the smell and quickly sinking her fangs on the flesh on display of the body laying on her counter.

4) Thieve's Crew (Clexaweek 2022)

"You got her, Reyes?" The head of the team, Lexa Woods, self and socially proclaimed 'The Commander' asked as she leaned over her hacker's shoulder, with a hand in the van's wall over the screens and the other in the back of chair. She knew the latina had her, but she was wanting for her to show her where she could see.

5) BUILD Series NYU - Horizon Hukop Season One (Clexaweek 2022)

“Hey hey hey! Here we are at build NYC, everyone please welcome these are Lexa Woods and Clarke Griffin, who play Commander Alicia Clark and Queen Elyza Lexlands, two fabulous powerful women, out of many, I must add, on the sensational newly controversial show Horizon Hukop"

6) Guess we'll have to work it out (Clexaweek 2022)

It had been a very long week; with unhappy clients who had no idea what they were talking about, with her boss scolding her for those clients who complained about her incapacity to produce their unexplainable ideas they couldn't even picture themselves. Llexa was tired, and more than she would care to admit for sure.

7) Horizon Hukop - Sneak Peak II (Clexaweek 2022)

"And as I've been telling you for the past six years, I do not need a partner to rule by my side!" The Queen of Skykru exclaimed trying her hardest to keep her voice at the proper tone for this meeting with the clan's council, while also making sure there was no room for argument. She's been through this enough times to know that one small leak of her composure was all some of the eldest members needed to attack her.

8) Don't give up (Clexaweek 2022)

"Fuck!" Having met the other woman not more than a couple day ago shouldn't make the out burst surprising -at least considering that anyone as little prepared as they were would probably react the same- however the exasperated way in which the stoic, always calm biologist -who hasn't shown a glint of pother in her demeanor since the second they met- grunts angrily as she once again tries to climb the wall of ice they fell through about an hour ago, confuses her more than she would care to admit.

9) Horizon Hukop - Sneak Peak I (Clexaweek 2022)

"I told you; she's not a problem!" "She knows too much" the Commander declares as an explanation she didn't consider she needed to give, she turned away from the Queen and left her war paint on the war table "she disagrees with us" she continued "not to mention she's not even unhappy, she's angry at our decision"

10) LexaClarke (Clexaweek 2021)

Lexa has been struggling with telling her girlfriend about her powers ever since they started dating four years ago, she also would be lying is she said she never considered before, when she and Clarke were only friends. But it was complicated, it wasn't every day that you met someone with powers, and even if it was more common that one would think, it was definitely not common to meet someone who could quite literally control your mind.

Tagging: @eternalreignblog @ecfandom if you guys want, I think every other writer I follow has already been tagged, but feel free to do your own and say I tagged you (;

[gamesception]

So here's the new toy that's been distracting me the last couple days. My decade+ old oversized ASUS gaming laptop finally pooped out several months ago, leaving me daily driving my Steam Deck of all things as my main home computer. And don't get me wrong, the Deck has performed remarkably well in that regard, but I've been meaning to get something a bit fancier for a while. Something that could handle 1440p gameplay at a decent framerate while streaming or recording, can manage image and video editing well, and in particular can run some VR games. I've been interested in VR gaming ever since Lobac posted about some of that a while back, especially with the Meta Quest 2 being a solid headset at a really aggressive cost. With the Zuck giving up on the metaverse, the Quest is likely never going to be cheaper than it is now.

I'd waffled for a while about building a PC, but in the end I psyched myself out and decided to go with a pre-built instead. Yes, that means willfully overpaying for the end product by a few hundred bucks to pay someone else to do the assembly and initial set up for me, but in exchange I only had to research one product instead of half a dozen separate components, plus there's a single warranty where if anything doesn't work it's somebody else's problem to fix it, and I'd only have to deal with a delay.

After watching and reading a bunch of reviews, Skytech seemed to be a decent choice for system integrator, with solid to positive reviews for various prebuilt models they offer, including Gamer's Nexus who tend to be pretty harsh on pre-builts. But it was this review from JustIN Tech that sold me on this Azure 2 model. "Performance equivalent to last gens best, but at half the price" is the exact tag line I was looking for, and after a recent price discount it was just within my $2k range.

In retrospect though, I should have done some more research on the specific components. I'm quite happy with the intel 13600 cpu, and while the included cooling setup is overkill for that chip, that just means I've got some free thermal space to overclock or upgrade in the future. Plus, it's pretty, and I'm shallow. On the other hand it turns out the nvidia 4070ti is not well thought of - generally considered badly overpriced, plus has the extra negetive association of being just a rebranding of the failed '4080 12gb' that was so roundly panned that its release had to be canned altogether. And the PNY model that came bundled in my unit isn't even as nice as the Gigabyte one in the JustIN Tech review. One of the reasons why Gamer's Nexus is the better channel for these sorts of reviews is that they do secret shopper and get the same stuff regular folks get, where as brands know what they're sending to channels like JustIN Tech and can take pains to make the best possible impression by including better components and taking extra care in assembly and packaging.

So what should I have purchased instead? I don't know. Maybe the 'blue' model of the same Azure 2 line, which is three hundred dollars cheaper to swap out the 4070ti for an intel Arc a770, which would probably have been more than enough for my intended use cases. Heck, with 4 extra gb of vram it might have even been better than the 4070ti for me in the long term, and if not then I could use the money saved towards swapping out to a better AMD card next gen. But the blue model comes in a blue version of the case, which wouldn't have made the swirly rainbow rbgs pop as much.

Anyway, while I might have made a different choice if I had done more research, that doesn't mean I'm at all unhappy with what I got! The Azure 2 arrived promptly. The build quality of the system is very nice. No damage, no loose or cross-threaded screws. Everything worked right out of the box when plugged in - including all the various external ports. Skytech certainly did a good job putting it all together. While the 4070ti might not be the most reasonably priced card for its performance level, now that it's here and paid for regardless, it seems like it should be able to do everything I want it to, at least for now. And if I end up replacing the gpu sooner then I would have liked, eh, we live and learn.

And while it doesn't matter at all compared to cost and performance, the swirly rainbow rgb lighting makes me feel like a Real Gamer (tm).

Desk is getting a bit cluttered tho.

As for performance, It's quiet and runs cool while playing my current games at top settings - though my particular game selection (mostly just Elden Ring on max settings with Ray Tracing), and my 1080p, 75hz monitor aren't exactly putting it through its paces yet. A new monitor is one of several upgrades & accessories I plan to get to go with this thing in coming months. New monitor, VR headset, an extra ssd on which to install linux - I figure I'll keep the windows install on the side, on the off chance there are games or utilities I can't get running in Linux down the line.

But anyway yeah, that's what I've been so busy with lately, delaying liveblog posts.

[silvstory]

The Stupendous Silver Striker: Issue One, Part One

Next

As the final bell's impending ring echoed through the bustling hallways of Robert Goddard High School, Gary Hammerschmidt deftly maneuvered through the swarm of students. He weaved through the crowded corridors, skillfully dodging classmates, lockers, and even a particularly aggressive dodgeball that whizzed past his ear.

“Sorry!” Gary cried out, narrowly avoiding a collision with a pair of students who materialized from his blind spot. He bobbed and weaved with a mix of agility and grace.

Ordinarily, Gary wouldn't be in such a hurry. He didn't usually have any pressing extracurriculars to rush to, but today was an exception.

Having received a slew of new additions for his ever-expanding model city as a reward for acing his latest test, Gary couldn't contain his excitement. The thought of returning home and immersing himself in his miniature world sent a surge of joy through his veins.

As he approached the double doors that led to his freedom, Bristol Lucian, his best friend, caught up with him.

“Hey, Gary!” Bristol grinned, sidling up beside him and nudging the doors open, gesturing for Gary to pass through first. “Got any plans for this afternoon? I'm building a new PC and could really use your help.”

Gary reciprocated Bristol's smile, adjusting his backpack onto one shoulder as he slowed his pace. He could momentarily suppress his excitement to converse with his friend.

"Sorry, Dude," Gary said apologetically. "I've got my own project to dive into."

"Oh! Right, more additions for your little city!" Bristol realized, a spark of understanding brightening his eyes. "How about tomorrow, then?"

Gary pondered for a moment. He had already committed to his model for the rest of the day, and the same applied to tomorrow. But it had been a week since he had spent quality time with Bristol, and a pang of guilt tugged at his heart. After all, as his mom often said, people come first.

"Sure! I'd love to. I'll swing by tomorrow after dropping off my stuff."

"Sounds like a plan. See you tomorrow!"

With that, Bristol turned and headed for the sidewalk. Gary wished he could walk with him, but they lived on opposite sides of the city, so their paths diverged.

His walk home was blissfully uneventful, and Gary was able to slip into his imagination and begin to pre-plan what he’d do next.

I should probably add a couple more townhouses in the residential district, He thought, kicking a rock along in front of him as he made his way down the sidewalk, There just aren’t enough of them.

Gary‘s “fatal flaw“, as his dad called it, was that he just didn’t know when to quit. Currently, he had a perfectly good city, it was large, imposing, and it was filled with all sorts of wonderful miniature architecture, but there were no minute details. Gary was often so busy adding more and more buildings, that he neglected to add any figures at all.  So, the city got bigger and bigger, but there were no residents or streetlights to fill it. Gary had asked for figures, but the thing was, they might never be used.

A short time later, Gary turned a corner and found himself on his street. He jogged the last few paces and then up the stairs to the front stoop where he paused to search for his keys before jamming them in the lock and letting himself into the house.

”Afternoon, kiddo!” Derek Hammershmidt called from the kitchen as soon as Gary entered the parlor. Gary could  almost swear that his dad had a sort of sixth sense that was only useful for knowing when people were entering the house.

”Hey, Dad,” Gary returned the greeting, swinging his backpack off of his shoulder and letting it drop to the floor next to the pile of shoes that waited patiently beside the front door. Kicking off his own shoes, he wandered into the kitchen, “Lunch break?”

Gary’s dad nodded and held up a half-empty plate of pork chop leftovers,

”Yup. I take ‘em when I can, my last meeting was two hours long,” He grunted. Gary’s dad worked from home, so he was almost always around when Gary got home. Usually, he’d just come downstairs a few minutes after Gary came through the door, but sometimes he happened to be downstairs on a break.

”They’re working you to death,” Gary smirked, grabbing a can of soda from the refrigerator, “Also, you do know that Mom went to the store yesterday, right?” He pointed out, with another grin, “You don’t have to eat last night‘s leftovers.”

"And waste the rest of your mother's splendid cooking? I think not. I am the Leftover King!"

Gary rolled his eyes in a lighthearted display of feigned annoyance. Truthfully, he found his father's quirks rather endearing, but playing the part of the generic teenager was all part of the fun.

"Speaking of Mom, where is she, anyway?" Gary inquired, glancing out of the kitchen window. It seemed that Ruby Hammershmidt wasn't in the garden, her usual afternoon haunt.

"She's off picking up something she bought. A side table or something," Derek shrugged. "She should be back in about half an hour. Left a little while ago."

Gary nodded in understanding. His mom was usually off buying and selling antiques and stuff like that while Gary was at school. It was a hobby of hers that Gary took an interest in. Sometimes, when a piece needed to be fixed or refurbished, Gary would help out with some of the materials he had squirreled away in the attic. It was often good mother-son bonding time.

Gary then took a couple more sips of his soda, decided that he really wanted to get to work, drained the rest of his soda, and tossed the can in the trash. He then turned and made for the stairs, but his dad stopped him.

”Woah, woah, Rocketeer, where’re you headed?”

“My room. I want to get to work on my city,” Gary explained, halfway turning to face him, “I’ve been waiting all day, Dad.”

Gary‘s dad raised an eyebrow but said nothing else. He then shrugged,

”Alright, go on, kiddo. Have fun with your city. Build me a nice big house with a pool, won’t you?” He joked, cracking a smile, “Just make sure to come downstairs for dinner and not get sucked into that little world of yours, righto?”

Gary nodded once, already turning back towards the stairs,

”Alright, yes sir!” And then he was off, running up the stairs towards his room.

Gary raced into his room like the man on a mission that he was, and he skidded to a stop at the door, his shoes slipping on the hardwood. He knew he was a bit over excited to get back to work on something that he’d been working on for nigh months now, but that was just how he was. He just had to grab a few things before he went up to the attic, where he kept the model city. Most of his models, like the Eiffel Tower and the White House, for example, had their own space on Gary’s shelves, but since the city was so massive, it was up in the attic, which was fine for Gary since that was also where his parents made him keep his hoard of bits-and-bobs for model-making..

Gary grabbed his travel-friendly model-making kit and went to the end of the hallway and pulled down the ladder for the attic. He pushed the kit up the ladder and onto the attic floor in front of him before he pulled himself up the ladder. He always found it hard to climb stairs or ladders with stuff in his hands. Gary had this weird thing about wanting to be able to see his feet when he was going up things.

The attic was dark and dusty, so Gary pulled the cord directly above him, turning on a single LED bulb and shedding the space in bright white light. He picked up his kit and made his way over to his model city, which he had covered with a sheet the night before to prevent it from somehow getting dirty or messed up.

Gary whipped off the sheet and then stood for a moment, admiring his handiwork.

”Now that is what I call a great place to live,” Gary said, doing an announcer impression with a grin of pride on his face, “Crime rate? Zero. Coolness rate? One hundred percent!”

He chuckled to himself and put down his burden, kneeling and opening the kit while spreading the different tools around so he could get a good look at them all and decide which one he was going to use.

Where did I put my tweezers? He wondered, sifting through the disorganized kit with his eyebrows knitted together, I could have sworn I put it back in here last night…?

Then, Gary remembered. He’d left his tweezers on the table in his bedroom because he’d brought them down to re-add a couple pieces to his White House, which had lost a pillar and a windowsill.

“Shoot,” He said aloud, looking at the trapdoor and thinking whether or not it was worth it to climb back down the ladder and back to his room, Well, while I’m up here I should add in a couple figures. It’s about time.

Gary stood and brushed himself off. He turned, went over to the corner where he kept the figures and other materials, and he opened one of the drawers he knew held the plastic trees and streetlights. He didn’t think his city was yet ready for a civilian population, but a couple trees, streetlights, and other fixtures wouldn’t hurt to add some atmosphere. He gathered the figures and deposited them in the only empty space in his city, the park. It would serve as a holding spot until he could disperse the items evenly among the many buildings. He observed the pile for a moment before frowning thoughtfully.

I’m missing something. I’ve got the regular city stuff, but the park’s going to be pretty empty save for some trees… yeah. Parks usually have gaudy statues and stuff, but I don’t know if I have any of those on hand, He swept his eyes around the attic before they landed on an old trunk that he recalled his dad once telling him belonged to his grandpa, Hey! Grandpa was an architect. Maybe he had some little models he used for planning or something?

Gary climbed over piles of boxes and maneuvered around random items that had been put up in the attic for storage until he reached the trunk. There wasn’t a lock on it, but as Gary sat down and tried to open it, he found that it was a lot harder to open than he expected as the latch was rusted a bit. Gritting his teeth, he pulled with all his might, and the trunk popped open with a slight cracking noise.

Inside, there wasn’t much to look at. It was mainly empty, save for a photo album, personal papers, a wedding ring, a small statuette of a broadsword, and then just a couple of random items that seemed to have no sort of connection to each other.

I guess Grandpa was a bit of a minimalist, Gary thought, reaching down into the chest and taking out the broadsword, This would work for the park, though. I can put it on a hill or something. If I add a little plaque or something on the base of it it‘ll look just like any old memorial.

Gary then put the statuette on the edge of a box behind him and he began to dig through the papers, curious to know if he could discover anything interesting about the grandfather that died before he was born. He leafed through them, skimming underneath headers that seemed like they’d contain interesting tidbits, but he stopped after the third or fourth paper. The long, vague life of Jason Hammerschmidt wasn’t all too interesting of a read.

Gary stood and turned around to grab the statuette, ready to return to his city and then grab his tweezers, when he knocked his knuckle against the statuette. Gary’s heart seemed to skip a beat as it wobbled on its base, but it didn’t fall.

Whew, that was close. I don’t want to break that of a things! Gary thought, grabbing the statuette in his hand and walking towards the narrow path he’d made between the towering stacks of boxes, Dad would probably kill me.

Gsry turned a corner, and his shoulder bumped against one of the box towers. Then, a couple of unfortunate things happened in very quick succession.

First, the statuette slipped out of Gary’s hand, and, faster than he could duck down to try to grab it, it shattered against the floor. Then, Gary felt a severely strong force rush against him, and his vision was obscured by what looked like silver mist as he fell backwards and hit his head on a box behind him.

Gary‘s vision blurred, and for a moment all he could think was that he really didn’t want to get a concussion or die alone in the attic from blunt force trauma. Everything then went black, but just as quickly, his vision cleared.

Gary sat up, rubbing the back of his head, not sure if he was sure of what had just happened. It seemed to have happened so fast that his brain had struggled to register it. He tried recounting it in his head, but it was still just as confusing.

Gary turned to look at the offending box, a purple plastic one with the label “Dad’s Pots”. He scowled as he stood back up. Now his head hurt and he’d just broken one of his Dad’s last remaining items of his father’s!

Gary supposed he could try to recover the pieces and glue them back together, but when he looked for where he dropped it, he couldn’t find a single trace of it.

Maybe it rolled between the boxes…? Gary thought, getting on his hands and knees and pushing boxes and other junk out of the way. This is just great! I broke and lost it in one fell swoop!

Gary spent well over an hour trying to find the statuette, but no matter where he looked, he couldn’t find even the slightest trace of it. He didn’t give up, even though he was feeling a little funky and his head hurt. He only halted his search when he heard his mom calling him down for dinner.

Gary sighed deeply before climbing down the ladder and closing the trap door. He decided not to tell his parents about the broken statuette until he found it. He wanted to make sure it was actually broken before he went and got himself in trouble for it, because while he’d heard the sound of it shattering, he actually hadn’t seen it, and he was hoping that the damage wasn’t as bad as the sound had implied.

Gary trudged his feet when he reached the kitchen, and he flopped into a chair. His dad raised an eyebrow when he saw him. Clearly, Gary’s dad was confused and maybe a bit concerned by the sudden demeanor change from how he’d been couple hours before.

”You okay, Gary?” Gary’s mom asked, ever vigilant to her son’s appearance as she set a plate of lasagna in front of him, “You look… ruffled.”

”I’m fine, mom,” Gary said, feigning nonchalance despite the fact that he was still feeling a little odd, “Though, I did fall and hit my head in the attic. I’m fine, now!” He added the last part on rather quickly as his mom‘s expression twisted into a frown, “It doesn’t hurt anymore or anything.”

Ruby Hammerschmidt was excellent at telling when her son or husband was lying, but she seemed to not be too worried about Gary this time, as she let it slide and dropped the topic.

Gary was grateful that she’d left him alone on that, as he really just wanted to finish his dinner and get to bed. A good night’s sleep would make him feel better, that he was certain. He practically inhaled his lasagna and then brought his empty plate to the dishwasher.

”Thanks Mama, that was delicious. Also, despire the fact that I’m feeling fine, I do feel a little tired, so you don’t mind if I go to bed early tonight?” Gary asked, trying his best not to rub the back of his head, where a small welt had formed.

Gary’s parents exchanged a look. Clearly, there would be further questioning now or in the morning depending on whether or not they wanted to talk about his behavior. Gary hoped it would be held off for the morning because he suddenly was feeling very drained.

”That’s fine,“ Gary’s mom said after a moment or two as she walked over and gave Gary a hug and a kiss on his forehead, “Sleep well, and make sure that you’ve got any and all of your homework finished.”

Thankfully, Gary thought, reciprocating the hug, I didn’t get any homework today.

Gary then hugged his dad around the neck and turned to go upstairs, not running this time like he had only a couple hours before.

In his room, Gary kicked off his shoes and put his glasses on the bedside table before flopping down on his bed. He had been intending on laying down for a moment before getting up to do his night time routine, but sleep hit him like a sack of bricks, and he was out like a light in mere minutes.

[readingoals]

Mid Year Book Freakout (2023)

I wasn't tagged to do it but I did this last year so thot I might as well do it again this year lmao.

It's a little bit of a cop out maybe, but I think the best book I've read this year is Pride and Prejudice. It's about the hundredth time I've read it and it was my top book from last year, so it feels like cheating to say it. But it's also an edition that Lauren annotated for me so reading it was an entirely new experience too because of all her notes!

This one's easy because it's the only sequel I've read this year, and that is A Clash Of Kings by George R.R. Martin! I really love the ASOIAF series and I'm so enjoying this re-read.

This is tough because I've re-read a few books this year but I think I have to say Sylvester by Georgette Heyer. It's been years since I first read it but I'm so glad I revisited it. I had the best time reading it again and annotating it.

Just like last year, mystery is my most read genre so far. I've been continuing to make my way through all of Agatha Christie's books - one per month - as well as some extra mysteries on the side, so it's really not a surprise.

Aside from mystery, my next most read genres are historical and, much more surprisingly, romance, with three books each.

Oh, so many. But the ones at the top of my list are The Villa by Rachel Hawkins, The Cloisters by Katy Hays, Our Hideous Progeny by C.E. McGill, and The Adventure Zone: Eleventh Hour graphic novel by The McElroys.

For the first time in a long time I actually do know about and am looking forward to a couple of releases. I have Hopeless Aromantic: An Affirmative Guide to Aromanticism by Samantha Rendle on pre-order. It'll be released at the end of this month. And then I think Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson is due to be released later this year too.

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides was a huge disappointment. I'd heard so many good things but I just hated it so much.

I think the biggest surprise so far has been Sparkling Cyanide by Agatha Christie. Mostly because it started off a little slow and I thought it'd be one of her more ~okay~ mysteries, but it ended up being quite exciting and interesting and fun.

Either that or Victoria Frankenstein's Monster Cock by Broken Arrow because reading Frankenstein inspired erotica was not on my personal 2023 bingo card and it ended up being actually not bad.

I think I have to say my fave new (to me) author is Tirzah Price who wrote Pride and Premeditation (and the other Jane Austen Murder Mystery books). Partly because Pride and Premed was such a fun read and really well done. But also partly just because process of elimination leaves her as the only real option.

I've only read from 6 authors I'd previously not read from so far, and of those I hated 1, I disliked 2, and enjoyed 2 but not enough.

I think I have to go with Sylvester, Phoebe and Tom from Sylvester by Georgette Heyer. I just really loved their dynamic and they were so frickin fun to read about.

Runners up would be Jon and Rick from Bachelor Kisses by Nick Earls purely because they were such dumbass dickheads.

At first I was going to say nothing I'd read so far this year had made me cry but then I remembered that I re-read Daisy Jones and the Six. Even though I knew what was coming the ending still got me.

Bachelor Kisses by Nick Earls. It's set close to where I live, I find the characters and story so funny, and I love Earls' writing style. Re-reading it was an absolute joy.

But also Ace and Aro Journeys just cause it was nice to read something that related so directly to me.

There's a couple of books that stand out I think. Number 1 has to be the illustrated edition of A Clash Of Kings. I already owned AGOT and I'm excited to eventually have the whole series in a matching set.

I guess The Villa would also be up there - I love the colours, how bright it is. And then also the hardcover Penguin Classics edition of Frankenstein which was one I'd wanted for ages.

There are only a couple that I absolutely have to read. The copy of Frankenstein that Lauren annotated for me is top of the list. And then also Pride and Prometheus by John Kessel - I said I was going to read it all the way back in March and then didn't, so I'd love to actually pick it up.

I also want to prioritize reading my backlog books. I'm trying to read 5 of them this year and so far I've only read one (although I'm also currently reading one now), so I definitely want to pick up a few more in the second half of the year.

[wetbloodworm]

been thinking about achlys some lately and rn thinking about his past lives/hosts. post-skip we see him as maverick, and pre-skip we see him as topher, but he had two more hosts before topher. not getting SUPER into it but just touching on it a little. just a little. compared to how long previous attempts have been.

achlys' first host was nico lambert in 1903. things got a little sidetracked early on because this was in belgium and. uh. war happened. but after that he eventually made his way to the US. at some point he was a singer/musician and it might actually be possible to find some recordings of his songs in modern times if you dig hard enough. he also had a wife and kids who had kids who had kids, and since he lived into his nineties in that body he got to meet and love so much of his family. moving on was hard, but the body was dying and achlys himself was still very young by somaphor standards, so. he wasn't going back to purgatory, so he had to hop on over to a new body. and like he COULD stay in the family by hopping over to a grandkid or something but 1) no??????? and 2) it'd be weird to be with the same people but be someone else, he couldn't be nico anymore, the dynamic between him and his family would be different, he COULD do it but it'd be weird, and 3) NO!!!!!!!! absolutely not he is NOT eating a member of his family

his second host was keith toliver in 1977. keith was a med student at the hospital achlys had spent a lot of time at and was bed-bound in at the end. achlys spent this life as a doctor. didn't get married this time, he wasn't quite ready for that and also he's demirose so he didn't encounter a WHOLE lot of temptation on that front. things were cut short for him in this host when he was diagnosed with some terminal illness with a short anticipated window left. achlys had to scramble to find a new host because he absolutely hadn't been thinking about that yet, and he wasn't willing to spend any time in purgatory looking for one if this body gave out before he was ready. he ended up lucking out with topher.

his third host was topher yarborough in 2010. topher was a patient of his who mentioned his football scholarship to some far-away college once or twice and achlys went 'score, i've never done football before'. which sounds very callous and i do want to note that achlys doesn't like. eat people and steal their bodies lightly lol it's just a thing he needs to do in order to exist in the mortal realm. and he tries to pick a host that he'd be happy sticking with, because he's not gonna waste their body and their life and eat someone else before their time just because things didn't work out. achlys DOES occasionally talk or think about all this matter-of-factly or in a way that dehumanizes his targets/hosts, but he kinda has to. it's easier for him with that slight disconnect. and topher was just a good find.

achlys only got like a couple years in before he met asim, which triggered a series of events that got him yoinked out of topher's body and imprisoned for a decade. he was mostly upset about the imprisonment but after the fact he was also upset about topher being wasted. barring unforseen circumstances like illnesses or accidents, he could've gotten a good 60 years or so before he needed to get a new host. not to mention that topher's body had to be dealt with and it was brought to a hospital. since it was essentially brain dead, next of kin was informed, and all the mess and grief that followed was, in achlys' opinion, avoidable. he's so mad about the whole situation.

anyway, his fourth and current host is maverick, nabbed in 2023 (though that year might slide around to keep things modern as the real-life years progress). maverick wasn't a choice, he was just the first person achlys encountered upon being freed from his prison. achlys was starving and in desperate need of literally any sensory input and maverick was there, so. f. oh-seven. and he wasn't a GREAT fit but, again, achlys didn't want to waste him. he knows he's already doing a shitty thing, he doesn't want to make it worse by tossing perfectly functional bodies aside. so, he was maverick. i'm still figuring out what his plan is for this life, like what he's doing, though he is a bit focused on asim and that friend group. but he's got other stuff going on outside of his relationships, i just gotta decide on it lol

[its-jaytothemee]

Child of Mandalore - Dawn of the First Order, Chapter 1

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Archive Warnings: Major character death, graphic depictions of violence

Rating: Mature

Summary: Luke Skywalker finally welcomes three new Jedi Knights into his academy. Vlora, Jacen, and Ben have all trained and studied together under his instruction as padawans and they are finally ready to be knighted. Anxious to rise up in the order and to see their families for the first time in years, the three young Jedi miss the signs of impending darkness on the academy. Jacen and Vlora help uncover secrets of the elusive First Order while battling their rising feelings for one another as Ben battles his own inner conflict between the Dark and the Light.

Tags: Angst and Tragedy, Major OC, Love Confessions, Mutual Pining, Post-Star Wars: Rebels, Pre-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Mandalorian.

Author's Note: This will be a long, multichapter fic and the first of 3 parts in a series. Part 1 still has a few chapters left to write and edit, but it's coming along! For now, only posting the prologue + first 3 chapters.

The story will not be fully canon-compliant or fully compliant with extended universe lore, but will generally follow the cinematic storyline, with some deviations from the different tv series. Character POVs will change depending on the chapter, sometimes multiple POVs in one chapter.

I've had this idea for a while, but finally got the courage to write and share it! I hope you enjoy reading :)

Vlora woke in her hut to another beautiful day on Ossus. Her quarters were those of a typical Jedi – neat, tidy, and organized.  The only personal items in her hut were the small bracelet she kept from her childhood and, of course, her lightsaber. She picked up the weapon and twirled it in her hands. It had taken her days to settle on the design. It was a thin, shorter hilt, brassy in color. She had tried to model it after her Mandalorian heritage. The top of the hilt where the saber ignited from was modeled into the shape of a traditional Mandalorian helmet. Her thumb lightly traced the small signet she had carved into the hilt. The signet of her clan, her family. With a smile, she grabbed her bracelet and secured it over her left wrist. It was a simple chain bracelet not worth much, but it was all she had from her biological family.

She got up from her bed and went over to the wall and looked at her reflection in the glass of one of the windows. Her familiar face stared back at her. Blonde hair, hazel eyes, a slightly crooked nose from where she had broken it years ago, a round chin. But what she really concentrated on today was the thin, long braid that fell past her right shoulder contrasted with her shorter, tied back hair. The long braid signified her padawan status, soon to be former padawan status. She had been growing it since she was a child, but after today it would be cut as a symbol of her completed training. The thought filled her with pride and joy, followed by anxiety. After today, the others would start looking to her for guidance. She was fairly certain she would also be taking on a padawan after the ceremony. Vlora looked back over to her bedside table to the small beaded chain she had made a couple of days ago. It was to be her gift to her soon-to-be padawan, a young Twi’lek girl who Vlora had been training.

Vlora was 27 years old but still felt too young to be leading a new generation of Jedi. She shook her head to push away the worry. It was still early; the sun had barely risen but she couldn’t take being cooped up in her hut any longer and moved outside.

Master Luke had chosen the locale for his academy well – the planet Ossus. The land provided more than enough food and water for all of those inhabiting the area, and the landscape itself was breathtaking. Long ago, the planet had been turned into a desolate wasteland after the Cron Cluster was detonated by an ancient Sith sorceress. Centuries later, however, Ossus had recovered and was as lush as ever. Once again a sacred place for the Jedi. She always found studies regarding natural recovery from disasters to be most fascinating. Her friend Ben always made fun of her for finding just as much joy in their studies of text as well as those with their lightsabers.

He's such a spoilsport she thought with a smile.

Still, this would be a special day. Today, she was to officially become a Jedi Knight, one of the first in decades besides Master Luke. Furthermore, she would get to see her father for the first time in over ten years. She had passed her trials, a series of tests meant to test her knowledge and aptitude of the Force and the Jedi teachings. Since she already took the trials, she was technically a Jedi Knight already, but as she was part of his first group of students to be knighted, Luke had a special day planned. For the first time since their official training started, they would get to see their families again, they could watch her and her fellow students be knighted. Everything was as it should be, well, except for the dreams. For weeks now, she had seen different variations of the same dream night after night. She tried to convince herself that she could push the dreams away, or even interpret them, but had no success. Can’t put it off any longer, she thought, I’ll have to tell Master Luke that the dreams persist . She decided to take a walk to try and clear her mind, heading for the overlook near the lake. It was one of her favorite meditation spots, it was peaceful and far enough away that not many others wanted to make the trek. It was also a lovely place to watch the sunrise. As she walked out of the trees to the small clearing, she smiled when she saw that Jacen had already beaten her there as he often did. It was a favorite spot of his too. She walked up and stood in front of him so that she blocked the sun from his face.

“How early do I have to wake up to beat you here, Jace?”

“Earlier than this obviously, V.” He opened one eye and smiled at her. Stars, that smile she thought. She had known Jacen Syndulla for years, but his infectious smile still caught her off guard every now and then. She sat down next to him and pulled her knees close to her chest. The morning air still had a slight chill to it, she should have put her cloak on over her robes.

“Big day today.” He uncrossed his legs and stretched them out in front of him resting his arms on the ground behind him.

“Big day.” She repeated. “Have any trouble sleeping?”

“Ah no more than usual. The dreams still come to me most nights. I can’t figure out why.”

“At least yours make more sense than mine. They show your parents, mine are filled with random people I’ve no contact with.” She rubbed her eyes, frustrated. The dreams were impacting her sleep. She hesitated and then said, “I think I’m going to talk to Master Luke again.”

He chuckled. “Good luck with that V. Every time you try and decipher dreams and visions with him you end up walking away angrier than Ben after a duel with you.”

“In Ben’s defense I have gotten really very proficient with wielding two blades. It must be infuriating to watch.”

“You know, it’s your humility and overall humble aura that will make you such a great Jedi Knight.”

“I do my best.” She smiled at him. It was hard to be anxious or sad around Jacen. He was always so positive and had an innate ability to lift her up when she was down. They sat together in silence for a while, watching the sun rise over the lake.

“Vlora, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we’re both having these recurring dreams.”

“Oh?” She turned her head towards him.

“Think about it. Both of them involve watching a loved one die from another’s perspective. In mine, I see through my father’s eyes the night he sacrificed himself to save my mother and their crew. In yours, you see a Jedi-”

“Supposed Jedi.” Vlora interrupted.

“Fine. Supposed Jedi. You see through his eyes as someone he loves is killed by the Dark Side wielder.”

“I don’t truly know if they loved each other. I can only feel their emotions at that point in time. Besides, if the man in my dreams is a Jedi, I doubt he could have truly been in love with her.”

“So being a Jedi means you can no longer fall in love?” He turned toward her.

“You know what I mean, Jace.”

“Do I?”

She turned to see him staring at her intensely. They locked their eyes in a knowing stare. She would be lying if she said she didn’t love Jacen. But they were both committed to the new Jedi Order. They couldn’t allow their feelings to get in the way of that. She felt her heart sink as she looked into his eyes, those beautiful, kind green eyes whose every line and curve she had memorized. Vlora hated the thought of hurting him. 

“As Jedi we’re not supposed to form attachments. That includes romantic relationships.” She looked away back to the lake.

“Of course, but that doesn’t mean we stop feeling. I care for you deeply Vlora and I know you feel the same. I would never do anything to jeopardize our position as Jedi. I just-” He stopped suddenly, frustrated. After a deep breath he continued “I wish just once you would acknowledge it instead of burying it away.”

“Jacen, of course I care for you. You are my oldest and dearest friend, to be honest I don’t know what I would do without you.” She reached out and took his hand in hers. “You are more important to me than you’ll ever know. I push feelings away to keep myself dedicated to the Order, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have them.”

“I know, I know. Blast it. I've just been so frustrated lately. The ceremony has been on my mind endlessly and with the dreams as well…” He trailed off. She could feel his frustration, she didn’t like it. He was usually so calm and happy. If his anger was showing, there was definitely something wrong.

“What is it, Jacen? There’s something else wrong.”

He sighed. “I haven’t heard back from my mother regarding her invitation for today.”

“And you think the dreams are connected to that?”

���Maybe? I don’t know, probably not.” He looked off into the distance. She was still holding his hand; she gave it a reassuring squeeze.

“I doubt General Hera Syndulla would dare miss witnessing her son become a Jedi Knight. She probably just got so excited that she jumped right into the Ghost to be on her way without remembering to respond.”

He smirked. “Yes, because my mother is notoriously forgetful and unorganized.”

Well, he had her in a corner there. Hera Syndulla was many things, but forgetful and unorganized were not any of them.

“Okay fine, five credits says Chopper got the invitation instead and responded under a different name.”

Jacen laughed. “Now that is very likely, but you’re on. I do miss that rust bucket though.” 

They sat in silence a little while longer. Jacen was breathing fast, like he was anxious. Vlora let go of his hand and wrapped her arms around her knees and pulled them tight to her chest again. She scooted over closer to Jacen and laid her head on his shoulder. He softly rested his head on top of hers. They sat there for what seemed like hours before she pulled away.

“We should start our preparations for the day.” she said halfheartedly. Truth be told, she didn’t want to leave this spot, ever.

“I suppose we should.” His breathing had calmed, and he seemed back to his normal self. “I’ll see you at the training grounds, yeah?”

“Of course. I’ll be the one kicking you into the dirt.” She smiled at him. He stood up and started to walk away but after a few steps he turned back around to face her as he pushed a lock of his dark green hair from his eyes. He also still wore his padawan braid.

“No matter what, we’ll always be good, you and I, right?” There was a quiet desperation in the way he asked the question.

“You and me? Always.” She replied. He smiled in response and gave a little wave. As she watched him turn and walk away, she suddenly got an awful feeling in her stomach that told her ‘Always’ wouldn’t be as long as she’d like.

[littlebanna9]

BOTW and TOTK: from Aimi's POV: p1.

[ Prologue ]

I am Aimi of the Yiga,Master Kohga calls me little banana as a cute little nickname they've called me since i was a child. My whole life I've been raised here in the Yiga clan, we live here in the far ends of Karusa Valley.

I am not the only little Yiga child there is a couple of us and i have made friends with two of them. In our lessons we are taught by the Blade Master that every Yiga should hate Master Kohga's number one sworn enemy Link. That stealing is the way to go if you are not given something you want you should kill unless it's another Yiga. I wonder why our master hates this Link?

I like mischief so i steal from snacks and have stolen a Demon Carver from a foot solider. My parents are two of the Blade Masters that have been following Master Kohga the longest. I want nothing more in the world to be that. I am not old enough to earn my mask yet and uniform and have not even started my training.

“ I am ready for Blade Master! Please let me start training.”

The Blade Master laughs at me, there is sudden anger on my face, my eyes narrow upon them. I am ready, I know I am! “ Your ambition is very promising little one, but your time to start your training is not now. “

“ Don’t laugh at me! I am ready, I am ready! “ I argue angrily, i pull out the blade i have stolen and show it to them.

“ That blade is bigger then you are. You are unable to wield it looks more like a mere toy as far as I can see.”

“ I am ready. “ I say stubbornly and walk away. This is not the first time we have had this conversation and it will not be the last, I can sway them. I just know I can, I am strong and I want to be even stronger. I just wish they could see that.

My life is just this and it is the only life I have only ever know, Yiglings or Yiga children can’t do much we have to wait and wait til we reach a certain age before we can start training 

I don't like waiting. I know i can be more then i am but i am stuck as a little child. My eyes sweep across the room as i walk back to my room grumpily jealously eying the other Yiga they are all in the ranks and have their masks and uniforms. I don't like waiting. [ BOTW] - under keep reading. [ Pre game]

Lately the Yiga have been searching high and low for Link Master Kohga has sent scouts out in search of them. This is our chance i figure, a chance to take them out if the scouts find him before anybody else does. The Sheikah have been long awaiting them, so are we like predators in the shadows. So that's what I've been told. Link is the little fly and we are the spider web that if they just come wondering right into our web what would be the odds of that?! I am ten years old now, and surely I could strike fear into the heart of him i have a Demon Carver it is a fearsome weapon. It started as a usual day like one another in which i am running around the hideout playing, play fighting. " WEEEE GOT IT " it's Master Kohga, he's ecstatic i and the other Yiga children stop turn and wonder over to them curiously all of our eyes upon them, the whole clan is around them. They are holding a strange helm high above their head " The lighting helm!" The Blade master exclaims starring at it in shock. " Lighting helm?" i ask curiously it looks like a real treasure something rare. " That's right!! this helm is completely immune to any shock it's a treasure passed on from Gerudo chief to another and now without Urbosa in the way!!!! IT'S OURSSSS that pipsqueak was such an easy target. " I just stare starry eyed at it with a grin i like treasures and stealing anything that i can and that helm is for sure a treasure that i would love to get my hands on it. " I will conduct a study on it Master Kohga. I will make it truly ours and make a copy of it should anybody come to try to take it back they would not know the difference and i can assume that it must hold many ancient powers" Says a foot solider. " That's a great idea!" Kohga says handing it to them. My eyes follow the helm being handed to them as it passes over i can feel it's power radiating i reach up then my mother comes and picks me up from behind. It's just out of my reach. darn. It's really a very shocking treasure i guess one could say! " Woo hoo!! Yiga clan we are gonna celebrate this victory! " Kohga says. It's a huge party that is a held there is lots of dancing and banana eating. I even get to dance with our master he has to bend down and take their hands in mine. The helm is sitting upon a hat stand as a prize of war. " Master Kohga why is it such an achievement that this helm is now ours?" I ask. We are sitting on the ground on the sidelines while the other Yiga are partying. " Well thank you for asking Aimi, it is a very heroic tale . " Kohga says to me. " And it is my tale of course of heroics. One hundred years ago the Gerudo chief was this mean lady named Urbosa and that's who the lighting helm. " He explains their many attempts to steal the helm from her and how at some point they were zapped by her so many times they lost count. " Eventually she croaked thankfully and now it's ours . " I listen to them intently my eyes fixated upon them, the women says vile and mean and would dare zap our master somebody as respectful as Master Kohga. "YAYYYY MASTER KOHGA!!! " "Now we have a tremendous advantage once we unlock this helm's secret powers that I am sure it has." Secret powers? my eyes are like fire when they say that with passionate curiosity and desire for wanting to learn all i can i want to be strong and powerful and be the very best Yiga in service of Master Kohga. We don't have parties often here in the Yiga clan. I think this is the best yet and better yet to celebrate such a tremendous feat .

[titanicfreija]

Funny enough, the thing I feel like might not be acceptable is the bullshit politics on the Reef. It fits with the schism (those who wanted to stay vs go, those who felt they needed to meddle and others who decided that didn't need to be how they did it) that at some points, some born from the Distributary would be prejudiced against Earthborn. 'cos people are assholes and it's not like there's not several canon assassinations and attempted assassinations and massacres over shit like this.

Since Reeflings only rarely went to Earth, and Earthlings (except Guardians, which didn't start until shortly before Freija Arose ) don't go to the Reef this really isn't a problem and doesn't come up outside of "politics" circles.

So I invented a family that welcomed all Earthlings and guardians if they thought they might be descendent, including rides home and connections and shit; and a militant group that was horrified and disgusted by this idea. I let the militant group kill a bunch of people on the night of the big reunion event 'cos I'm an asshole.

Which is, of course, fucked up, but yanno. Politics.

I considered killing her with the Reef Wars but I wanted certain details in, so I made stuff up.

Sarah (pre-Freija) was Earthborn, one of only a few at the time. Her parents were a cartographer and her husband who decided there wasn't enough being done for Earth and therefore took their skills and a ship and a few material goods to help.

This was during the Reef Wars, after Mara had announced their presence, and considered a bad move if not outright desertion by pretty much everyone, including her parents, who wrote them off.

Sarah's parents dropped by the Vanguard, which was still fairly young at the time and were more or less told that the City couldn't help them, but were grateful. So they traded her ship for supplies and stuff, a sparrow and the like, and they took off to find survivors on the road and help them along with food and weapons and skills and maps.

I let them be pretty good at this and they led several people to the City with only a few incidents and losses. Sarah's father was exceptional on a sparrow and could divert and distract while her mother was an excellent marksman and held ground while hiding. I've named them but I can't remember what right now. The family name was Pojin.

Sarah was an accident. They pushed as long as they could before she had to take the maternity "leave", and got back on the road as soon as they could. Sarah was a face of hope to the travelling humans, and her parents taught her well, making sure she could take care of herself in the wild.

Two more daughters were born over the next thirty years.

About fifty years after they left, the Pojins were invited back to the Reef by a new family head, one interested in gathering the bloodline and seeing their progeny, regardless of who was happy about it. (They actually didn't know about the degree of hostility--it had been brewing quietly with little outlet and little reason to raise its head)

So the five went to the Reef and were welcomed warmly. Even the cold grandparents eventually calmed down and were happy to see the new faces. A couple were kinda jerks about the Earthborn and a couple were kinda jerks about the guardian, who had the family tattoo of dots over her face and didn't remember anyone, and only a few remembered.

Sarah picked up the name Saris to try and blend in, and she genuinely became interested in the corsairs during her stay.

A family gathering, the biggest in over a century, was planned once the furthest reaches had been stretched to. The grand introduction in the den was a little late to start, which was why about eighty of the hundred and fifty survived the initial attack. Sarah's mother and sisters weren't among them.

Sarah's father was shot as he was throwing people out the windows to get them away. Sarah was one he threw like that, giving her the chance to flee from the manor to the cliffside shore below.

(I did give her a heroic death ish initially here by having her attract attention away from other people who were running but I decided I didn't like it.)

She was pursued by two assassins for ten kilometers, narrowly escaping bullets for half of it. They only hit her a couple of times, struggling to aim with the mists and cliffs like they were, but that would have been enough.

Once weakened by the gunshots, she slowed down until they eventually caught up to her and beat her to death.

All eleven perpetrators were caught and brought to trial and imprisoned, but it's not like that unkilled anyone.

Thirteen people did survive, eleven of them changed their names and all of them left the Reef.

Due to the extremes cancelling each other out, and the hellacious fallout, no one has been particularly interested in either end of that political opinion. Hardly a tiff in terms of disputes, but not one worth fighting.

Sarah's body was not discovered in the few years between the massacre and the ghost happening upon her

[gaycey-sketchit]

(Gary anon) Some subjects/issues are best left to the people of whom it concerns. Bringing a crowd gives no peace, even years down the line. (The unfortunate side of interacting with fandom; the endless excuses of how it's justified to use these "phrases" for 'bad' characters. Can only give so much doubt and patience on one's social cues)

.

(Part 2) It almost makes me dread the idea of Misty and Serena returning in the same series; as much as I want them being good friends to stomp on these hatred, jealous fanon notions. (The most I know about that anime the infamous birthday cake scene. As unintentionally funny the shock was, I know there's a context missing. It got made up for though. But yeah, I much rather we get a new character with no relation to or [long] history with Ash)

(Part 3) Barely enough for a full Paldea team that doesn't feel like everyone has more or less the same choices. (This also means another poster, likely with him in it. Maybe others too. If the 16 episode does confirm more episodes, it would potentially mean at least 12 more after next week. I can see about half that used for Project Mew and epilogues, not sure about the rest besides an arc or a battle)

(Part 4) Along with another key visual, there's apparently a pre-show that's going to be live before [and after] the episode airs. A similar thing was done with the Alola League, and it was responsible for spoiling Ash win against Gladion with the trophy. Will the same happen again remains to be seen. There's a "Best Of" OST for the anime releasing in February too.

Yeah, absolutely. Considering it very fortunate that the thing with my group of friends didn't cause any major or lasting problems.

Yeah. Fandom should be fun but it gets tiring being a person with just about any marginalized identity in fandoms sometimes. Sometimes even in the fanbase of a cute game/show about superpowered animals and the power of friendship, people can be really awful.

Oh, absolutely.

I don't think I've actually seen that! Maybe I'm better off that way though.

Yeah, I'd like to see a couple new companions for the next leg of the anime! As much as I love what Ash and Goh have going on (and how amazingly gay it is) part of me does miss the trio/quartet dynamics of old.

Yeah, so few Pokemon have been officially revealed at this point--they really have been unusually secretive with this one. (Though I hear the whole dex has gotten leaked, whoops.)

Cool cool!

Ooh it's been a while since the last "best of" anime OST, hasn't it? That's neat!

[hermannsthumb]

I have a fun prompt I've been thinking about I hope you have time for one day! When Newt and Hermann meet actually things go really really well and they even get together. It's just they bicker so much and have huge science-based arguments that everyone assumed they must have hated each other on sight.

sure thing! i had fun with this one

----

"So," Newt says. "I was talking to Tendo today."

Across the mess table, Hermann hums in feigned interest. Newt knows it's feigned 'cause Hermann doesn't stop either thing he's doing: using his left hand to wind noodles around a fork, and using his right hand to scribble away a series of lengthy equations on the back of a paper napkin. His full attention has been hopping between both for about ten minutes now—no room for Newt to slip in there. He's testing his limits enough as it. Half of the last equation ended up scratched into the tabletop, and the last time he lifted his fork to his mouth, it was empty. And then he swallowed anyway. Newt kinda loves the guy.

"Yeah," Newt says, deciding to continue like Hermann responded the way he was actually supposed to respond, which would've been something along the lines of what an utterly fascinating story, Newton, do tell me more. I love hearing you talk, Newton. How marvelously smart you are, Newton, and how melodic and breathtaking your voice is. Now watch me bite down on an empty fork again. "Kinda funny. He was asking how we met."

Hermann finally looks up at Newt suspiciously over the rims of his glasses, which are slipping slowly down his nose. He stills them with the tip of his index finger before they land in his dinner. "Why?"

"I don't know, man," Newt says. "He just was. It was like, small talk, you wouldn't get it. He dropped by the lab when you were out this morning to let me know that there was extra space if we wanted it. Like, lab space." Hermann resumes scratching an equation into the table absently. Newt rolls his eyes. "As in, we could have separate labs if we wanted now."

Hermann knits his eyebrows together. "Separate laboratories?"

When Newt and Hermann first started at the Hong Kong Shatterdome, the k-scientist team was pre-existing and significantly bigger, and anyone who joined on later—like, you know, them—basically got shoved in wherever they fit. For Newt and Hermann, that happened to be Laboratory Space D, Basement Level 1 (the only basement level), along with a former marine biologist who was killed on a research excursion a month later when a kaiju made unexpected landfall, like, right on top of their chosen shelter. Bad luck. Anyway, Newt's known about the existence of other Hong Kong Shatterdome lab spaces in the vague and absent sort of way that you would an urban legend, but (similarly so) he never thought he and Hermann would actually ever lay eyes on one. And then Tendo stopped by to dangle it in front of Newt on a stick.

"The other labs were being used as storage for ages after everyone else—" Newt searches for a word tasteful enough to encapsulate got stomped by a kaiju and wised up and decided to live out what are probably our last few days before the world ends with their families instead of alone in a military bunker. "—left. Anyway, Tendo told me they've been going through shit like crazy this month, I think to see if they can salvage any old tech, and that the other labs are basically totally emptied out now. We just have to ask and they're ours."

Hermann sets down both his pen and fork, twisting his mouth contemplatively. He finally loses the battle against gravity with his glasses, and they miss his plate by an inch, swinging back on their chain and bouncing harmlessly against his chest instead. Newt briefly wonders if getting a chain for his own glasses would save them from their frequent fatal falls into kaiju organ cavities and buckets of non-neutralized kaiju blood, but decides not even the money he'd save on replacement pairs would make a fashion faux pas like that worth it. "You know I don't much fancy the basement," Hermann says.

"Your joints," Newt agrees. The damp of the basement sets Hermann's joint pain off frequently, something Hermann talks about just as frequently. Newt's not really a fan of the basement either, though for different reasons—he would kill to get some windows and natural, non-fluorescent light in there. Sun lamps can only do so much. He's pretty sure he'd fucking glow if he stepped outside right now. Also, it's cold down here.

"And it might be nice to be closer to LOCCENT, in case of an emergency," Hermann continues. "And closer to—oh, hang on. What has this got to do with us?"

"Huh?"

"How we met," Hermann says. "You said, that Tendo asked—"

"Oh," Newt says. It's his turn to play coy. He stirs his chopsticks through his own dinner, accidentally flicking a piece of tofu to the table. It lands on top of Hermann's etched equations. Hermann scowls, because that's how their routine goes: Newt gets Hermann's stuff dirty, and Hermann gets mad. "Well. It was just that Tendo was like you can finally be out of each other's hair, how the hell did you guys get stuck together anyway when you obviously can't stand each other, that kind of stuff."

"Ah," Hermann says.

"And I said that it was because we knew each other before," Newt says, "and that we transferred here together. And that's when he asked."

"And what did you say?" Hermann says.

"That we used to correspond professionally," Newt says, "and met at a conference way back in 2017." He adds, with a grin, "Also professionally."

This was technically true. Newt and Hermann did write to each other, professionally, and they did meet at a conference, professionally, but what went down after a long and public shouting match in the events hall of a very nice hotel—in Hermann's room, five floors up in that very nice hotel—was not very professional. The events of the week that followed—spent, intermittently, between Hermann's hotel room, several coffee shops, a bench under a tree in Newt's favorite park, a rotation sushi restaurant, brushing knees shyly on the tram, and, finally, clasping hands on the staircase of Newt's apartment and gazing deeply into each other's eyes—weren't very professional, either, but Newt likes to think that they were very romantic. Rom-com level shit. Newt revealed none of this to Tendo, who referred to the 2017 conference as that Infamous Day for the rest of their conversation. "Well, it was professional," Hermann sniffs.

But he reaches across the table, and, very timidly, crosses his pinkie over top of Newt's. It's the most blatant form of PDA Hermann ever willingly engages Newt in. Newt thinks if he ever tried to touch two fingers at once in anywhere but the lab, or God forbid, hold his whole hand, Hermann's ears might start emitting steam like something out of a cartoon. "It might be nice," he says again.

Laboratory Space D, Basement Level 1, is unique—Newt knows—in that Newt and Hermann's quarters are connected to it directly. None of the other labs have that luxury (and Newt has a feeling it's because Lab Space D wasn't actually intended as a lab space). He remembers being told that when they were shoved into it. Yeah, you have the darkest and tiniest lab space on base, but your rooms are right there! When Newt wants to go to Hermann's room, or if he's in Hermann's room and needs a sweatshirt or something from his own, he just has to step the three feet between their two doors. Moving labs could throw a wrench in that—they might be asked to move quarters, too, and might be shuttled to opposite sides of the Shatterdome, and though they could just bite the bullet and request couple's quarters already, it's nice to have their own spaces when they need it. That would never work. And, well, besides—the lab, their lab, feels like home to them at this point. Newt shrugs.

"On the other hand," Hermann says, and he taps Newt's pinkie lightly, "I quite like how things are. I can live with the damp, really."

"We can get a dehumidifier," Newt offers.

Hermann nods, and he gives Newt the barest hint of a smile.

Their monthly delivery of lab supplies—whatever they can afford with their shoestring budget, which, these days, mostly means chalk, rubber gloves, and nice instant ramen—comes three weeks later. Newt wouldn't exactly call the Shatterdome delivery guy a friend, seeing as he has yet to divulge his name to Newt (and also Newt's pretty sure he has a thing for Hermann, since he always seems to wait until Hermann is in the lab to stroll by with his package trolley and always calls him Dr. Gottlieb with big stupid heart eyes, oh, Dr. Gottlieb, that new sweater looks soooo nice on you!, so anyway, that makes him Newt's rival by default), but he, at least, recognizes and acknowledges Newt at this point. That's more than Newt can say for most people on the base. After his usual greeting to the two of them (hey, Newt, oh, hellllooo, Dr. Gottlieb, did you do something new with your hair?), he starts to unload their packages, also like usual.

"I was surprised to see that you guys are still down here," he tells Newt, not like usual. "Tendo mentioned something about you getting your own labs."

"He did?" Newt says, meaning to frown, but grinning instead. It's kind of fun to be the subject of gossip. He pulls off his gloves and tosses them in the trash to help with their supplies—the dehumidifier he requested should be in there, and it's fancy and definitely on the bigger side.

"Yeah," their delivery guy continues. He hands Newt a fuckin' massive brick of a package. Hermann's stupid chalk. The amount that Hermann tears through in a month really is astounding: Newt has a private theory that Hermann is an undercover space alien from a planet where chalk constitutes all of the primary food groups, and he secretly sneaks out here and eats it in the dead of night when Newt is asleep. "Anyway, sorry I'm late," the delivery guy says, as Newt imagines Hermann crunching on a piece of chalk like a carrot stick, "I went to all the other labs first."

"No worries, dude," Newt says. "Sorry for the confusion."

He lugs the package over to Hermann's desk, and drops it down on the only spot not over-cluttered with papers and books. Hermann complains about Newt's messiness a lot for a guy who is just as bad, if not worse. "Need any now?" Newt asks Hermann.

Hermann, scribbling away at his chalkboard, grunts. Newt decides that's a no.

"Hard at work, Dr. Gottlieb?" the delivery guy says, practically fluttering his eyelashes.

Another grunt. Newt snorts.

"I thought you guys would've moved right away," the delivery guy (obviously disappointed at Hermann's lack of attention) tells Newt. "Tendo mentioned you've been stuck together for a while, ever since some sort of dramatic confrontation at a conference ten years ago." he adds eagerly, "Did you really get thrown out? I don't know how you haven't killed each other yet."

"It's taken a lot of hard work," Newt says. Yeah, the whole being-ejected-from-the-conference-and-barred-from-all-future-ones-forever thing is technically true too, but everyone there was too stuffy and serious for Newt's fun vibes anyway, so he thinks it's their loss. The most important part of the scientific breakthrough process, Newt frequently thinks, was having someone there to challenge you and push back at you. Sometimes loudly. And in public. In the conference hall of a very expensive hotel, in front of all of your scientific peers, some hotel security guards, and a poor graduate student who made the mistake of asking you and your penpal-colleague for your joint opinion on something and got caught in the crosshairs. Besides—out of everyone at that stupid conference, Newt and Hermann were the only ones snapped up by the PPDC, so it's doubly their loss. "And, yeah, we got thrown out. Me and Hermann fight a lot, but we always make up eventually. It's no big deal. It's, like, our thing."

"Make up?"

Newt waggles his eyebrows and doesn't elaborate. The making up part is the best part of arguing with Hermann, honestly, but he's not about to go giving private details about stuff like that to his rival.

By the time Hermann finally descends his ladder, three hours have passed, and Newt is frowning over an email he's just gotten from Shatterdome HR. Hermann will probably see it in a second when he checks his own email—it was sent to both of them, after all—but Newt waves him over to his desk anyway. "Look," he says.

He draws out the spare chair he keeps by his desk (for Hermann), and Hermann drops into it gratefully, propping his cane up against the arm. Then Hermann pushes his glasses up onto his nose and scans the email with a frown of his own. Newt reads it aloud for him anyway. "'Subject: Quarters Reassignment,'" he says. "Dear Drs. Geiszler and Gottlieb: It has recently come to our attention that you will be transferring to Laboratories A&B. Should you wish to transfer quarters as well, you will find the necessary paperwork..."

"By Jove," Hermann groans, and pulls his glasses off again, smudging a bit of chalk on his cheek, "can't they just leave us alone?"

Newt laughs. "I'll tell them we're not interested. Wait, listen to this bit at the end: Congratulations—this must be a relief! Guess they were getting your complaint forms after all, Hermann." Both Newt and Hermann had long-since assumed that any and all official complaint forms stamped with a k-sci lab return address are filed right into the garbage. It's never deterred Hermann from sending them in, though.

"Hmph," Hermann says.

Newt carefully rolls his shirtcuff back down to his wrist and uses it to rub off Hermann's chalk smudge. When it's gone, or at least, mostly gone, he brushes his fingers back through Hermann's short hair. Hermann's eyelids flutter shut, and as he leans into Newt's touch, his creased forehead smooths just a little. "Mm. You're lovely," he murmurs. "We really ought to tell them we're married. It's gone on long enough."

"I guess," Newt says. "But it's kind of funny, isn't it?"