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starcurtain · 7 months ago

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A Look at Ratio and Aventurine... and Ratio/Aventurine

I was morally obligated to use this picture.

Anyway, I got an ask about my understanding of Ratio and Aventurine's relationship both in canon and as a ship that I have been holding on to for a while now because... phew, there's like... a lot to talk about there... But I felt I should at least give it a try, so here is my attempt to comment on the intersection of two of Star Rail's most complicated personalities. Long post is longgggg; you have been warned.

First, Aventurine's canon relationship to Ratio:

In the interest of not hitting tumblr's image limit, let's just throw out some of the information we have in one go:

It's pretty complimentary. (Yet somehow...)

The implication of the infamous "Keeping Up with Star Rail" video is that Ratio understands Aventurine better than anyone else, and Aventurine knows this. At the very least, putting all shipping aside, Ratio is the person who can explain Aventurine's behaviors best. He's the person Aventurine chooses do so. This suggests significantly more knowledge of each other's lives than the game first led us to believe.

Other people (read as: my GOAT Owlbert) perceive respect from Aventurine to Ratio, and although I read them as a bit sarcastic, the 2.1 mission logs not only repeatedly confirm that Aventurine views Ratio as smart and reliable, but that Ratio is reliable "as always," again indicating a longer and closer history of collaboration than we get to actively see in game. The devs were working hard to tell us "Penacony isn't Ratiorine's first rodeo," which is interesting--given Topaz's voiceline recommending the Trailblazer avoid working with Aventurine whenever possible, we're led to believe through 2.0 and 2.1 that not many people will willingly work with Aventurine more than once, let alone many times.

While going through psychological scrutiny from the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come his Harmony-infused self, the "Future" Aventurine suggests that Ratio and Aventurine are quite similar, and that Aventurine puts a surprising amount of trust in Ratio, to be willing to hinge such a dangerous plan on something as untested as Ratio's ability to act. At the very least, Aventurine's own psyche is pondering on Ratio and whether or not their connection has any emotional meaning.

But despite all this evidence suggesting Ratio and Aventurine spend significantly more time with each other than we get to see in game, Aventurine's own thoughts cast strong doubt on whether he and Ratio are actually close.

Aventurine's "About Dr. Ratio" voice line suggests that Aventurine believes Ratio does not particularly like him. He seems to think that Ratio would prefer to stay away from IPC operations where possible, and it's "unfortunate" for Ratio to be stuck with Aventurine as a conversation partner. He's tolerated, rather than enjoyed. His overall impression seems to be that Ratio mostly views them as distant coworkers.

When the "Future" Aventurine suggests Ratio did not betray Aventurine willingly, actual Aventurine immediately pushes back:

(Personally I'm on the fence about whether this was real doubt or just a ploy to continue sussing out Sunday; see my other post about this scene for some more thoughts.)

But if we take this statement to be played straight, it implies that Aventurine doesn't fully believe Ratio will side with him, even (maybe especially) in dire circumstances. If this statement is real doubt, then despite considering Ratio the person who best understands him, despite building an entire life or death gamble around Ratio's loyalty... Aventurine still doesn't think Ratio even likes him.

Aventurine's not stupid or blind, so theoretically he should be able to read the situation better than that. But actually, there's plenty of evidence both in the game and outside it to suggest that Aventurine is not the most accurate judge of his own relationships to others and is a down-right terrible judge of his own worth as a person.

"Future" Aventurine suggests that one of Aventurine's deep inner flaws--the truths that he rejects about himself--is a massive inferiority complex. This is backed up well by the mission text, where Aventurine's thoughts about himself spiral into self-harm, and the scene in the maze, where "Future" Aventurine taunts our Aventurine with the unforgettable fact that his entire life was only worth pennies:

There's also pretty consistent self-deprecation, with both "Future" and real Aventurine noting several times that he's a pathetic mess of a person that other people don't trust or like.

The overall impression 2.0-2.1 left me with is that Aventurine is perfectly capable of respecting and caring for others, but virtually incapable of accepting other people genuinely respecting and caring for him.

Part of this seems to stem from the directly-stated sense that he's a failure whose only worth is in transactional exchanges, using and being used by others (there's so many layers to this--internalized racism even), but I also suspect that much of his inability to accept genuine connection from others is defensive behavior.

Aventurine's true self, Kakavasha, is deeply hidden away, like the ghost of the child that manifests from his Harmony delusion in the Dreamscape. Although Aventurine clings to that person, claiming that he has "never changed," he actively coats over his beliefs, his kindness, and his authenticity with the mask of a "cavalier gambler," with glitz and glamor and showy distractions. No one gets to see Kakavasha. No one gets to know him, because being buried deep in the dirt is the only way to remain untouchable, and fiercely keeping one's distance is the only safe bet. (For both Kakavasha and any fools who would doom themselves by daring to care for him.)

So: Canon is telling us that Ratio is one of, if not the, closest people in the world to Aventurine. But canon is also telling us that that still means absolutely nothing at all, because Aventurine won't let himself be close to anyone living.

Aventurine's senses of self-worth, trust, attachment, and safety have been warped so badly by ongoing and untreated trauma and mental health issues that, at least until the end of 2.1, I just don't think he was capable of even accepting genuine friendship from Ratio, let alone anything more.

(Interesting side note here: Ratio is actually one of the people Aventurine calls "my friend" the least. He only says it directly to Ratio a single time in all of their lines of dialogue across 2.0 and 2.1, and even then, does so only when right outside Sunday's door, while almost certainly being spied upon by the Family. Anyone who knows how often "my friend" is peppered into Aventurine's dialogue otherwise should know that the absence of the phrase is actually pretty telling. It almost feels like canon Aventurine's not even sure he can call Ratio his friend, at least to Ratio's face.)

Which makes Ratio's canon relationship to Aventurine quite sad and ironic:

From start to finish, Ratio canonically esteems Aventurine more highly than almost any other character in the game. I'm not even talking about shipping when I say that there is no character Ratio is closer to in the entire game.

At present, Ratio has only four voice lines about other characters, and of those four, Aventurine's is the only one that isn't someone from the Genius Society. The only one. Ratio's voice lines are also notably, uh, not very complimentary. Herta is "talented but not helpful to others" and "sees no one as her equal" (read as: she's self-absorbed). Screwllum is a "monarch, rather than a genius" (with the vague implications of being a tyrant), and Ruan Mei is overly ambitious and "fooling everyone."

Meanwhile, Aventurine is "our man" (who is "our" Ratio? who?) whose success "can't all be chalked up to luck," implying that part of Aventurine's success must come from skill. Ratio notes that Aventurine questions his own ability... but as far as Ratio's evaluation goes, he seems to doubt that Aventurine will ever experience a downfall. For someone who thinks 99% of the people he meets are mediocre failures scrambling around in the filth of existence, to be recognized as skilled and unlikely to fail is quite obviously glowing praise.

Then, of course, there are numerous moments that echo Aventurine's hints, implying that Ratio spends significantly more time with Aventurine than we see on-screen, that he knows Aventurine extremely well, and, although he tries (vainly) to pretend he isn't, he's clearly quite concerned with what Aventurine thinks of him.

Especially this last one. "No wonder that gambler likes you so much" is pretty intentional on the devs' part, confirming that Ratio and Aventurine are having off-screen conversations we players are not privy to, which obviously would indicate a closer relationship than the in-game cutscenes could cover.

Then, Trailblazer has the option to flat out ask Ratio to "rate" Aventurine. (Star Rail ship bait is not even subtle.)

At first, this line might read as all over the place:

"The bosses say we're partners but I wouldn't say that" -> Read as: Ratio wants people to know how their relationship is classified but doesn't want to admit to being actually invested.

"I see myself as the teacher to everyone I meet" -> Read as: Ratio at least pretends that he doesn't view anyone as his equal; everyone is either above him--geniuses--or below him--students.

"Aventurine is not that bad of a student" -> High praise; even Ratio can't pretend Aventurine's untalented.

"Actually, Aventurine's probably in metaphysical danger" -> Read as: Ratio is aware of the "void" Aventurine is experiencing and his mental struggles.

The ultimate takeaway of Ratio's "rating" actually says more about Ratio than Aventurine. When it comes down to it, Ratio's choice to answer this question for the Trailblazer instead of dismiss it tells us that Ratio has spent time quantifying and trying to define his relationship with Aventurine, is willing to at least discuss that relationship with other people (when we have no evidence he ever discusses any other personal/non-academic matters with anyone), and that Ratio pays attention to Aventurine's mental states.

Canon Ratio is not beating the allegations, I'm afraid.

But actually, I think the biggest tell about Ratio's canon relationship to Aventurine is that Ratio's behavior completely changes the moment Aventurine appears in the game.

In every single one of Ratio's other appearances, two facts are hammered home again and again:

First, Ratio hates interacting with fools and "noisy" people. He wears his plaster bust so that he doesn't even have to see them. Canonically, we're informed by both March 7th and Argenti that Ratio brought and was wearing his headpiece in Penacony. Curiously though...

The players never see it throughout 2.X--probably because 90% of Ratio's scenes are with Aventurine, and Ratio is never shown wearing his bust on screen with Aventurine--even in their very first meeting in the Final Victor lightcone. Aventurine clearly knows of the bust, but despite Ratio verbally going on and on about how Aventurine is the most "flashy" and "devoid of logic" person Ratio knows... the devs deliberately send their message: Ratio has chosen not to cut himself off from Aventurine.

Aventurine can be more "clamorous" than a screaming peacock, but Ratio will still not put up walls against him. This isn't accidental. The devs had every opportunity in the world to go the opposite route and make jokes about Ratio refusing to take the bust off in Aventurine's obnoxious presence; instead they decided that Ratio apparently has a glaring, Aventurine-shaped exception to his "I don't want to perceive you fools or be perceived by you" life rule.

This "willing to tolerate shenanigans only if Aventurine is involved" behavior continues basically throughout all of Penacony's plot. In 2.3 for example, if you turn around and talk to Ratio again on the Radiant Feldspar, he flat out says:

But there's no actual explanation for why he's there in the first place. He mentions he was assigned to watch over "the IPC's ambassadors," which theoretically should apply to Jade and Topaz, yet we never see him interacting with them in any capacity. He's never even shown in the same room as Jade or Topaz, and he's not shown doing any other form of business for the IPC on the Feldspar either. Theoretically, he could have been on the Feldspar to meet regarding the Divergent Universe... except Screwllum wasn't there yet, and Ratio doesn't mention a single word about the Divergent Universe to the Trailblazer.

The only person Ratio talks about in his dialogue on the Feldspar is Aventurine, and the only non-Trailblazer he talks to in 2.3 at all is also Aventurine, replying to him and only him in the group chat.

He looked like he might give it a shot to try to befriend Boothill and Argenti at the end of 2.3... but immediately changes his mind and leaves without saying a word to them.

It's not really a stretch to suggest that the only reasonable excuse for Ratio to attend the party on the Feldspar was if he was there for Aventurine, a behavior that he himself notes is out of character. ("A waste of time" he says, as he stands there anyway.)

But, second and even more importantly: Ratio's single most defining character trait is that he believes people need to pick themselves up. The entire point of his debut appearance in the game was to present his philosophy that if the powerful or privileged intervene to continually "save" the mediocre, ordinary people will never learn for themselves or get the chance to grow. It is in times of desperation, he says, that fools exceed their limits and reach greatness.

This is why, in 1.6, he insisted on Asta and the Trailblazer being the ones to solve the attacks happening on the space station, without relying on Screwllum or the other geniuses. Although Ratio did actively intervene a little (using the phase flame to save the researchers from death), he did so only from behind the scenes, where his actual help would not be noticed by those affected and where it had no impact on their decision-making or their struggles to solve the mystery.

He let Asta and the Trailblazer panic. He let them flounder. He even deliberately misled them at points, claiming that Duke Inferno must have kidnapped the researchers (when it was actually Ratio himself who re-routed them).

Ultimately, Ratio let Asta and the Trailblazer grow from their experiences.

This is also why he lets the Trailblazer go blazing in to fight Ruan Mei's faux emanator of the propagation, despite knowing that Trailblazer was not actually strong enough to win. Ratio watched and was ready to intervene... but in the end he did not, because it was the Trailblazer's fight to lose.

Ratio's most defining character trait is that he believes standing back and observing is the true kindness, rather than inserting oneself and denying people their autonomy or opportunities to grow.

Buttttt... then there's Aventurine, and suddenly the story is completely different.

Suddenly, Ratio isn't an observer but becomes essential to the plan. He's even walking around making big claims about being the manager of the task, flexing all of his C+ acting ability to actively carry out their mutual ploy.

In 2.3, he claims he was just there to watch, and his Penacony sticker asserts he's only "a supporting character"--yet we have never seen Ratio take a more active role in the entire game. Unlike with the Trailblazer in 1.6, he's not primarily watching events unfold from shadowy corners. He's in Penacony as Aventurine's active partner in crime.

And, even more telling--he later jeopardizes their entire mission just to ask if Aventurine needs help.

What? Huh? The character who is famous for the voice line "You look distressed. Is something troubling you? If so, you can figure it out for yourself" is suddenly offering his assistance entirely unprompted?

The guy whose motto might as well be:

Is suddenly out here throwing his own core philosophy out the window to solve Penacony's mystery for Aventurine and save him from himself in Aventurine's hour of greatest need?

A lot of people get hung up on the second half of Ratio's letter, the part about staying alive, which of course is very sweet. But I think the second half causes people to forget that the first part of Ratio's letter is, quite literally, the answer to Penacony's mystery.

Ratio gave Aventurine the answer.

This is like if your professor just gave you and you alone the score key to the final exam and then turned around to insist he "doesn't play favorites."

Of course, Aventurine is brilliant and didn't need Ratio's answer about dormancy, which makes the fact that Ratio went out of the way to give it to him even more odd. Ratio despises unnecessary repetition. If he wasn't dead worried, he would never have given Aventurine an answer that Aventurine had the power to find on his own.

And, as far as canon tells us, Ratio has never done this for anyone else.

The difference is night and day. It's literally the Gordon Ramsay meme, with everyone else in the entire game being the "fucking donkeys" to Aventurine's "Oh dear. Gorgeous."

So: Even if we entirely put aside shipping, if we look strictly at what we're given in canon:

Ratio treats Aventurine with more respect than he treats most other characters in the game.

He involves himself in Aventurine's struggles in a way that he flat out refuses to do for anyone else.

He compromises his own beliefs purely out of concern for Aventurine.

So, at least as far as we've been shown in canon, it is accurate to state that Aventurine is the closest character to Ratio--and unlike Aventurine (king of self-gaslighting), Ratio isn't even good at acting like he doesn't care.

Frankly, the whole thing is a little sad. Ratio's behavior is so blatantly out of character that a smart person like Aventurine should easily be able to determine it is genuine, but Aventurine's personal hang-ups and ongoing trauma make it difficult for him to even see that authenticity, let alone put faith in it. Even in canon, Ratio is mostly unable to help himself when it comes to Aventurine, which is especially unfortunate given how badly skewed Aventurine's perception of himself and others is by the start of Penacony's story.

PHEW! I finally made it through canon content!

Now there's just... everything else... 🫠

Well, to be honest, I don't think I could ever manage to put all my thoughts about this ship into one post. Probably not even fifty posts.

So rather than trying to say everything there is to say about Ratiorine, what I want to focus on is how fantastically these two characters just fit together. Like puzzle pieces that need to be mirror opposites in order to link, these two characters parallel each other while also perfectly filling in each other's voids. It's some of the best character pair writing I've seen in a long time (though I'm still sort of convinced it was at least 50% sheer luck on Hoyo's part), and my perspective on their ship can really be tied to my underlying perception of Ratio and Aventurine's characters as remarkably similar individuals:

It's obvious that Aventurine is not a healthy or well-adjusted adult man, but like... neither is Ratio.

Both of these characters are "not quite right" marginalized people who, at least in my interpretation, have essentially given up on even faking normality and are now just vaguely play acting their way through being functioning members of a universe that is entirely unequipped to accept them for who they are. In a world full of cyborg cowboys and people with wings growing from their heads, the game still manages to somehow convince us that Aventurine and Ratio are odd ones out.

Kakavasha can't even exist in the dystopian capitalist hellscape of the IPC's machinations. "Aventurine" isn't even a real person, just a never-ending performance, a slick, devil-may-care persona without a single ounce of substance.

Ratio, meanwhile, is a world of one, rejected from the only place he thought he could find validation and acceptance but unable to lower himself to fit in anywhere else.

Aventurine is so bad at making genuine connections that he turns everyday conversations into gambles because he doesn't believe people will care enough to keep talking to him without tangible incentive.

Ratio's insistence on treating everyone as students, not as equals, also means he has an excuse to never emotionally engage with anyone he meets. (This is not at all a textbook method of intentional avoidance to prevent any chance of social rejection. Not at all.)

At the end of the day, Aventurine and Ratio both come across as desperately lonely, and so caught up in their own situations that they really don't have the ability to climb out of that hole on their own.

Preventing them from even being able to maintain any form of relationship is also the fact that neither one of them can even find justification. Neither one of them has a reasonable answer to the question "Why am I alive?" anymore, because Aventurine's reason died on Sigonia and Ratio's reason died with an IPC invitation instead of a Genius Society letter. Though their differing perspectives have led them on opposite paths pursuing their own answers to that ultimate question of "Why should I keep living?" (Aventurine was headed toward giving up before the end of Penacony, while Ratio has invented an immeasurable, impossible goal to distract himself from feeling purposeless), both of them are pretty much miserably unfulfilled in their current lives.

They're also both violently allergic to emotional vulnerability and to having any of their flaws or true desires actually be perceived. Both of them put up insanely high walls. Aventurine pushes boundaries with everyone he meets to provoke their hatred in advance, before they can come to disdain him for his "real" flaws. He acts out harmful racist stereotypes to use others' preconceptions for advantage, manipulating every situation he's in--incidentally affirming the stereotypes against his people by doing so.

Ratio puts a physical wall of plaster between himself and others, but the plaster bust actually doesn't have anything on the mental and emotional gymnastics he's engaged in to justify his isolation from the world, doing everything in his power to convince himself that he's isolated by choice, that it's perfectly logical for Veritas Ratio to have nowhere to truly belong, no one to truly belong with. He's so mundane after all. Of course the geniuses don't want him, that's just commonsense. But everyone else is so... different, so foolish, so illogical... It just wouldn't be reasonable of him to try to become one of them either, to be their friend instead of their distant educator. (You know, if you never try to integrate with others, then they can't reject you. Ratio has learned his lesson.)

Somehow, Aventurine and Ratio are two of the most competent and successful people in Star Rail's entire universe and simultaneously also two of the most misfit, reject, dysfunctional messes in the game. Like... Blade has a better support network than Aventurine and Ratio combined. The 7000-pound murderous mech with a disabled, genetically-modified war veteran who never got to live a normal human life hiding inside it is more capable of making friends than Aventurine and Dr. Ratio.

Which is why I love that the devs decided to make their canon backstory: "Some absolute treasures in the IPC and the Intelligentsia Guild had the galaxy-brained idea of pairing Ratio and Aventurine as strategic partners." The game's writing really said: "These two characters are so socially stunted, they have to be assigned a relationship like it's homework."

They may not have it all figured out yet, but the fans see the design: Now that Ratio and Aventurine have each other, they're not alone anymore. I have never seen two characters better fit the "Is anyone going to match my freak?" meme only for the actual answer to be "Yes."

Ratio is "plays chess with himself" levels of loner weird? No problem--Aventurine is "Wanna take bets on who's going to die today?" weirder. Ratio wears a plaster bust to ward off idiots? Aventurine transforms into a monster on command, which is pretty much guaranteed to achieve the same effect.

Ratio wasn't chosen by Nous? That's fine, Aventurine's one job as a "chosen one" was to save his people and now they're all dead. Nobody can keep up with Ratio in conversation? Watch a single comment from Aventurine turn him into a fumbling mess on live television.

Ratio's inability to relate to the experiences and development of any peers his own age have left him extremely isolated and with a permanently scarred sense of self-worth? Wow, I wonder if Aventurine knows exactly what that feels like.

They just... fit.

And, changing focus a little here at the end: While I personally think that recovery from trauma requires internal motivation and self-kindness foremost, I also think that Ratio and Aventurine's relationship should be considered from the perspective of how they help to fill each other's gaps.

Unlike any connection at the Genius Society who will always evoke unpleasant memories of Nous's rejection, Aventurine isn't going to make Ratio feel intellectually inferior. Aventurine has nothing but good things to say about Ratio's intelligence, and it's even apparent that Ratio felt comfortable enough to at least mention his Genius Society woes to Aventurine, something he explicitly does not do with anyone else.

Even when it comes to social interactions, Aventurine isn't going to make Ratio feel inadequate, because honestly? Aventurine's almost as bad at them as Ratio. Aventurine is much better at faking it socially, but when it actually counts? When he's trying to be real with others? A solid 70% of the people who meet Aventurine still end up wanting to strangle him. The guy tried to apologize for threatening to detonate the Trailblazer like a bomb by buying them a model train...

Then there's this:

Aventurine is the only character explicitly called Ratio's equal in game, and more than just treating him respectfully as an equal, Aventurine also exhibits one extreme appeal that no one else in game has ever shown to Ratio: Aventurine makes Ratio feel needed. For Aventurine, Ratio is not a forgettable after-thought as he is to Herta and most of the other geniuses. He's not just "some weird guy who scolds me about school" like he is to the Trailblazer. Ratio's intellect and skill were integral to Aventurine's plan from step one to the very end. Ratio has a place in Aventurine's plots. For a character who directly assesses worth by how beneficial a person can be to others, the fact that Aventurine can make Ratio feel wanted and valued probably produced some of the strongest personal fulfillment Ratio has had in years.

On the opposite side, Ratio's in a unique position. Out of every relevant character in Aventurine's story, Ratio is the only one who has nothing to lose by choosing Kakavasha over "Aventurine." Ratio doesn't profit off Aventurine or take any expensive gifts from him, like the Trailblazer does. He doesn't need Aventurine's luck for anything at all. He'd be able to work for the IPC even if Aventurine wasn't in it. Ratio certainly doesn't want the glitz and glamour of a shallow gambling hustler persona. His work doesn't require Aventurine's continued involvement like Topaz's and Jade's does. He'd probably prefer not to know any Stonehearts at all, thank you for asking.

Outside of deliberate-acting insults about Sigonians for Sunday's sake, we're not told that Ratio has any connections to--and therefore has no preconceived biases against--Sigonians. Being a person who values self-determination and a refusal to live in mediocrity above all else, he would have nothing but esteem for how far Aventurine has managed to come despite the harsh circumstances of his life. Ratio probably wouldn't even think Aventurine's belief in Gaiathra is that strange; one of Ratio's doctorates is actually in theology.

Unlike literally everyone else in the universe who needs "Aventurine," we have every indication that Ratio's respect and admiration will only grow when he finally gets to meet "Kakavasha."

Loneliness, rejection, betrayal, a lack of understanding from others--all of these can leave wounds that only genuine, deep bonds with others can heal.

On death's doorway, in the darkest shadow, when Aventurine had to make the choice between passing on to be with the family that loved him and choosing to return to a reality without them... Ratio's letter was there, telling Aventurine the exact thing he needed to hear to choose life: Someone is waiting for you to come home.

If the resounding rejection of Star Rail's Nihility is belief in humanity's power to make meaning in our own lives through our connections to others, then the ultimate message of Ratio and Aventurine's arc in Penacony is that no one needs to be alone. The world is not as empty as you fear.

And that is a message that Ratio and Aventurine can learn best through each other.

(I just... love them so much...)

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ros3ybabe · 1 year ago

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🎀 Hobbies 🎀

I feel as tho I don't have much time to do things besides school, work, some chores, and survive right now, but I've been thinking about some hobbies I enjoy and would like to incorporate into my life when I decide to make the time without burning out!

Reading - I used to be big on reading just about any books I could get my hands on. Then I was really focused on reading self help, and now that I haven't been reading at all, I've been thinking about getting back into reading. Always looking for book recommendations, and I do have my eye on some books I'd like to purchase.

Gardening - if I had the time and space, I'd love to have a flower garden or a vegetable garden. It always makes me happy when the fruits of my efforts come to life, so tending to plants and gardening sounds super fun and relaxing.

Video Games - I used to play video games on and off, but I wouldn't mind owning a PS4 or a Switch and spending some time playing video games whenever I'd want time to wind down.

Cooking/Baking - I love learning things, and the sense of pride I've gotten in the past when receiving praise for things I've cooked or baked has really driven me to want to increase my skill. I've only baked something from scratch once in my life, but I'd really like to expand my skills in making desserts.

Exercise - I'm talking all forms of it! Dancing, martial arts/kickboxing type activities, yoga, pilates, running, swimming, spin/cycling, weight lifting (again), calisthenics, all of it! I don't currently look like the exercise type but I find various forms of movement to be so fun! If I had more time, I'd be trying new things all the time!

Volunteer work - This is something I used to do all the time, and it's a hobby that I enjoyed that kept me humble. Not only that, but I thoroughly enjoy showing kindness and compassion to others. Making a difference in anuwau brings me so much joy, and I love meeting new people and learning their stories. I also would love to volunteer with animals, because they deserve so much love and affection too!

Drawing/Art - I used to draw for fun but when I started college, I didn't have the time to devote to continuously increasing my art skills. I still own a sketch kit, coloring materials, and several sketchbooks so it really is a matter of having time.

Crochet - The thought of making things that I can gift to others seriously makes me so excited!! Crochet seems like such a fun, crafty, relaxing activity and the added fun of gifting those crafts to others would make it so fun!!

Scrapbooking - I don't know if I'd ever do this one, but I do Ike the idea of keeping my memories in a physical space, and not just in like pictures on my phone.

Learning - if school wasn't crazy busy, I'd spend all my time learning languages (ASL, Japanese, Spanish, Korean, Mandarin, Italian, etc), computer coding skills, how to make and do certain things, just anything I can do to keep my mind enriched.

Upcycling/Altering Clothes - I would love to upcycle or alter articles of clothes into more personalized pieces for myself. The thought of having a personalized, hand made closet full of clothes makes me really want to buy a sewing machine and learn how to use it to my advantage!

That's all I can think of for now that I'd like to someday incorporate into my life. Having hobbies is always so fun, but I've been so busy and tired that I don't mess with any of the hobbies I'd want to do. If anyone has any tips for time management, or resources for beginning new hobbies, please let me know!!

til next time lovelies 🩷

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cececat · 21 days ago

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STH FanStory Recommendations:

As well as writing, I have found myself also reading an awful amount of Sonic-related fanfiction and comics recently… So, I thought I’d share a few of my favourites in case anyone else has found themselves hyper-fixating over this fandom like I have recently 🦔

I’ll try to put them in sections but please note that quite a few of the topics tend to overlap. Oh and also, there happens to be an awful lot of Sonadow shipping too, because even if it’s not always the key focus in the story, it always seems to make its way into the things I consume now apparently 😅 So I’ll be sure to tag with 💙🖤❤️ if that’s relevant.

I hope you like this list (it took quite a while to put together) and be sure to show all of these stories and creators some love! 👇👇 👇

And obviously I had to start this list by plugging my own fanfiction stories, because I've been putting so much work into them and they will be updated regularly, while also making lots of other stuff as well... So please follow and/or subscribe for that... 😉 archiveofourown.org/users/cececatcreates

Live Action Universe:

Concord by EvieNyx (@evienyx) - [Complete] 💙🖤❤️ Focuses on Shadow after the third SCU movie. It’s really cute, and I feel like it accurately portrays movie-Shadow’s thoughts and memories, mixing together elements of the films with fan theories and other STH media canon.

Project Guardian by AealZX @aealzx - [Ongoing] Again, after the third SCU movie (there’s quite a few of them 😅) but Shadow is taken in as a fourth Wachowski sibling, who has to recover from severe injuries. Some art is included, and it’s just really sweet all-in-all.

Secrets In Our Quills by @nebrasska-alasska - [Ongoing] 💙🖤❤️ I’m sure many of you are already aware of their amazing stories, but this one is the longest so far, and also the closest to being completed. But if you like Sonadow slowburn and plenty of gay fluff, you should definitely read all of their incredible fanfics.

A Junk Yard Of Possibilities by CrazyForClones (@crazyforclones) - [Complete] This story looks at what happened to Agent Stone after Dr Robotnik’s death and focuses on the potentially adorable friendship that could blossom between him and Tails.

Family Loading… Please Wait by Humanities_Handbag ( @humanityinahandbag) & Invader_Sam (@smerfols) - [Ongoing] This quickly became a favourite, as it did with many others. 💕 It starts all the way back with the Wachowski’s adopting Sonic and then Tails and Knuckles and eventually Stone and Shadow, and it’s just the biggest, cutest family dynamic.

What Makes Us Who We Are by EmmaSmoke ( @emmasmoke8) - This is about the Mobians doing certain things their Earth animal counterparts would naturally do. My favourite parts are definitely Tails doing adorable fox things and Tom and Maddie trying to figure out what the heck all their anthropomorphic alien children are doing. 😅

Suspended by CheetahBoy (@90sfr3sh) - This looks at what could have happened if Sonic and Tails didn't get rescued by Maddie and Rachel during the second film. It's such a cool concept, I'm very excited to see what happens next! 😁

General / Alternate Universes:

Sonic Wave by Sharp_Silver (@sharp-silver-fanfic) - [Ongoing] I really love this story! 💕 It’s basically a full retelling of the STH universe lore, taking elements from all different bits of media. It’s been crazy good so far, so please give them your support!

Weird Science by satan_official - [Ongoing] 💙🖤❤️ This one is really interesting and it sort of makes me think of Equestria Girls (for any MLP fans out there!) but instead it’s Sonic and Shadow who are stuck in human bodies on the human world. It’s a bit different but really great so far 😁

Fixing Fractured Worlds We Briefly Broke by TheLittleStar_tm - [Ongoing] 💙🖤❤️ This is a fellow Prime fanstory, focusing on the trauma of all the Green Hills characters we already all know and love in the aftermath of season 3. 💔

Boom To Another Dimension by Gamerblade - [Ongoing] Explores what could happen if the SCU Live Action film characters were sent to the Sonic Boom universe, with pretty regular updates being uploaded so far. 😊

Into The Tailsverse by TheCatCacoon - [Ongoing] This one has a bunch of my favourite little two-tailed foxes, and, as someone who is also exploring bringing different Miles Prowers together, it’s intriguing to see how someone else writes these characters 🦊

Culture Shock by foggystarrs (@foggystarrs) - [Ongoing] 💙🖤❤️ Purely a Sonadow fanfiction, but it looks at hedgehog / Mobian courting behaviour and is just really cute 🥰 If you are a fan of oblivious gay and alien hedgehogs, you’ll probably love this one.

Others / Comics:

Sonic Desolation by Wren Rivers (@sonicdesolation by TrenchCoatGecko) - [Ongoing] This is a crazy detailed comic set around the events of the Sonic Forces game where Sonic is struggling with PTSD from what Infinite did to him during his imprisonment.

Heart Of A Monster by SuperEmeralds (@the-heart-of-a-monster by @superemerarts) - [Ongoing] Another insanely detailed comic, which is a retelling of Sonic Unleashed. Its so well done, plus there's a gentle sprinkling of platonic Sonadow.

Team Dark Supernova Odyssey by @sharpedgedfool (@teamdarksupernovaodyssey) - [Ongoing] This is a space opera comic revolving around found family and adventure themes, set as a hypothetical spin-off to the Shadow the Hedgehog video game.

Sonic Boom Revisited by @multiisketch , @mama-qwerty. & @star-stages (@sonicboomrevisited) - [Ongoing] This comic is amazing. A bit darker than the original series, but has just been so gripping so far. Regular updates too! Definitely recommended! 👍

Second Chance by @sumju - 💙🖤❤️ - Who doesn’t love a Sonadow comic?? Plus Tails is adorable as usual (and reminding Shadow of Maria 😭) so that’s an added bonus 🧡

Infested by @flightyalrighty - [Ongoing] Viewer discretion advised for this one, it seems pretty dark...

Ask the Sonic Verse by @verizzafai (@asksonicverse) 💙🖤❤️ - [Ongoing] This is a fun, silly ongoing series which focuses on different versions of Sonadow all being stuck in the same room and getting sent questions from the audience.

Low Light by @verizzafai (@soniclowlightau) 💙🖤❤️ - Only a few pages so far, but looks very promising!

Broken Future by @teamchillidogs 💙🖤❤️ - [Ongoing] A tragic re-telling of an alternate ending of Sonic Adventure 2.

Silver's Parent Trap by @evilgenius-prower 💙🖤❤️ - A silly AU where Silver is actually the adopted future child of Sonadow and goes back in time to try and save his dads lives.

Eggsperiments by @prince-less - This is a new concept so there's not much content about it yet, but I really hope it becomes either a proper comic or fanfic or something similar, because I'm such a sucker for alternate stories of Sonic and Tails being the best brothers, and this a really cool idea 🥺

Sonadow Future by @torusonicpilled 💙🖤❤️- [Ongoing] Another newer one, with a few fanfic chapters and a few comic pages, but they've already got me interested from the idea that Tails can be resurrected, so I'm excited to see where it goes next ☺️

Sonic & The Olympus Heroes by @miitarion - Not sure if this will be continued as it was only shared quite recently, so might just be a one-off, but the art is incredible; Definitely worth a read! ✨

@mercurio-shadowz - They've not been following a particular storyline, but their art and short comics (especially about Shadow being a closeted gay disaster) are awesome. 🤩

Incomplete / Unfinished:

These are a bunch of stories that I really grew to love but they either stopped too long ago and so are presumably forgotten about, or may have been abandoned entirely and will likely never receive any conclusions. I’ve included when they were last updated, but only read these at your own discretion! ⚠️

• Can’t Defeat A Genius Without Taking His Brain by xenoon [4 months] • Deepest Desire by Tirainy [5 years] 💙🖤❤️ • Mad About You by Cherivide [1 year] 💙🖤❤️ • Sonic The Second Speedster by ItsZaira [1 year] • Sonic the Vagabond Hedgehog by @trekkerac (@tatck) [1 year] - This quickly became a favourite; Sonic and Tails' relationship is so adorable 😭 But you might only want to read the first issue and think of it as complete, since the second issue isn't complete and hasn't been touched for a year or so... 😔

I've tagged as many people as I can and might come back to this list later if I find more that I enjoy, but for now I think (hope!) it's mostly up to date 💖

#sonic the hedgehog #sonic #sth #fanfic #fanfiction #sonic fanfiction #sonic fandom #sth fanfic #sonic au #sth au #archive of our own #fan comic #work in progress #sonadow #cececatchat #cececat

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scribbledghost · 1 month ago

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Inhuman!II Headcanons

Note: Up next is our favorite Boba Eyes, II! I'm having a lot of fun with this series, hopefully you all are too!

General:

Primary inhuman ability is movement. He has the ability to move incredibly quickly when he wants to, which helps immensely during more intense songs.

Also has standard features aside from sharp canine teeth. They're long too - you can often see them poking out from between his lips.

The second oldest vessel behind Vessel himself, II is very well-versed with how Sleep (and by extension, the manor itself) tends to operate. He can commune with it just as well as Vessel can.

Very rarely speaks out loud; he much prefers to speak telepathically to anyone he needs to talk to. The rare exceptions are mostly when he's yelling at III to get down off of some surface he's definitely not supposed to be on.

Gets very into the musical rituals. All of them do, but being in charge of the beat and most of the rhythm, II takes things to another level. It's another time when he'll use his voice, even if just to scream after a really good drum solo.

Don't let him fool you, he's not above causing shenanigans. Also likes to climb up to places he's not supposed to be on, mostly to scare the hell out of Vessel as he passes by.

Can almost always be seen tapping a rhythm somewhere. Whether that be against his leg, on the table, or any other surface his hand is resting on, he's almost always drumming.

Reads a lot! About almost anything he can get his hands on. He just enjoys learning about things, whether that be music theory or physics.

Fluff:

He's quiet in his affections, but no less genuine. He's like a steady presence, much like the drums he plays. If you need a rock to lean on, he's your man.

The one most likely to ask you things akin to "have you eaten? drank enough water? wearing your jacket?" etc. He just wants to make sure you're taken care of.

Definitely likes to have you play his kit every once in a while. Whether you already know how or not, he likes sitting behind you and guiding your hands. You're the only one he does this for - his drums are off-limits to the other vessels and they know it. If any of them bring it up, II just shrugs it off and tells them you're the favorite.

Remember what I said above about II drumming all the time? He does it on you too. Against your arm, your stomach, etc., he's almost always tapping some sort of rhythm away on you when he's with you.

Likes recommending books to you!! He'll find one he particularly likes in the library and as soon as he's done he's heading over to you to make sure you read it later.

Really, really enjoys laying his head on your lap and having you pet his hair. It's the one sure-fire way to get him purring, as he starts doing it without really realizing it.

Sometimes, when neither of you can sleep, II will take you on a walk around the manor gardens. He'll tell you all about the strange plants that grow there, and how they came to be.

I think II also values quality time with you. The two of you don't have to necessarily be doing anything, he just likes to be around you. (He's like a cat in that way).

Smut (under the cut):

If you ever, ever ask him to go faster, you'd better be well aware of what you're asking for. II takes "fast" to a whole other level, both in his hands and his hips, depending on the situation.

Big on having you look him in the eye. Often will grab your jaw just to make sure you're looking at him while he takes you, like he's trying to memorize every facial expression you make (he is).

The quietest of the bunch, II doesn't tend to talk much during sex. The most he'll really do most of the time is various grunts and groans, but the way he grips you and sighs into your ear really tells you everything you need to know.

His favorite position is probably taking you from behind, though he does wish he could see your face. Best compromise is mirror sex, and it's something the two of you do quite often. It lets him have the perfect view.

Fairly middle-of-the-road as far as teasing goes; he likes drawing things out enough to make you beg, but he won't be too mean about it. Usually one "please" is enough for him to give you what you want.

A switch inside and out. Sometimes he just wants to take control, manhandle you a bit, and go fast and hard. Other times he wants you to take care of him and treat him right. He's not above asking for exactly what he wants, either.

Prone to sticking his fingers in your mouth, regardless of position. He can't explain why it turns him on so much, it simply does. If you happen to stare at him with a blissed-out expression while he's got a couple fingers on your tongue, he's a goner.

Likes to come on you, then take some of it on his finger and feed it to you. The sight alone is almost enough to make him ready for another round right away.

#ii x reader #sleep token x reader #sleep token fanfiction #ghost scribbles #smut

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guardianofnightmares · 6 months ago

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Attack

“And remember: there is enough fuel in those rods for couple of maneuvers and a descent. That’s it.” Blitzwing said in a stern tone while adjusting some screws on minibot’s backplates. “I highly recommend you to not stray far away from your group for too long.”

He knew that his companion was not that reckless to go on adventures of his own on a battlefield, but it’s still difficult not to worry about mechs’ safety. Even if the targeting systems of an Autobots’ flagship "Endeavor" were supposed to be down by the beginning of an operation, its guns would still be working at full capacity.

Chances of being shot by a random plasma beam were still pretty high.

“I know, Blitzwing, I know,” said minibot sighed in defeat. His spirits were not that much higher than everyone else’s lately.

“But hey,” He continued, “Even if I wanted to, I doubt Megacon would allow me to go sightseeing without him… And if I indeed managed to do just that, my fear of withering away from his lecture about my recklessness definitely outweighs the fun of getting into troubles.”

----------

Phew, third entry for the @blitzbee-week event has arrived at last. Prompt of a third day was "Attack", which turned out to be quite an interesting one to create a piece for. Eventually, I've decided to picture a scene of preparations for one of first major battles in a story of mine. Considering a fact that a mentioned scene takes place at the beginning of a second part/volume of a fanfic, I found it to be a good opportunity to show an evolution of relationship between characters (at least in comparison to previous entries).

Fanfic the scene is taken from is called "TFA: Icarus". You can read it by following a [link] for the series "folder" which also includes an existing teaser (future prologue) for a story. The updates are slow, I know, I am sorry for a delay, I was very busy with a job of mine lately and I do not know when the situation will change for better. Despite all of it, I'm still deeply grateful for every subscription and "like" you leave under works for this project of mine. Know that I see and appreciate every kind gesture of yours).

As always, if anyone is interested to know what's going on "behind the scenes" of a picture, I will provide the full snippet of a depicted interaction under a cut line. Hope you'll enjoy it. Especially those of you, who read previous "chapters" of mine, for you might find a reference here to one of them ;)

Bumblebee finally glanced at a Decepticon sitting on his haunches behind his back. The Warframe’s been checking on a Cybertronian analogue of a humans’ “parachute” for the last half of megacycle, trying to secure the massive carcass on a frame it was not meant to be worn by.

“How’s it looking?” The Bot asked. Not out of vanity, for once, but rather out of practicality - a bleak, outdated “jetpack” was the smallest one they could salvage, and it’s still way too big for a mech of Bumblebee’s proportions. Several kilograms of metal more and it’d have begun to tip a yellow colored Autobot over.

“… It’ll have to do.”

A brisk, honest and not so uplifting answer. But, come to think of it, Bumblebee would’ve been more surprised to hear a reassuring comment coming from a Triplechanger.

A notion that Bumbler was capable of periodically predicting Con’s responses almost made him chortle. The possibility of his team forming a bond with Warframes over the course of a stellar cycle after an escape from Cybertron was improbable at best. And yet, there they were - trying to work as a single unit despite ever present old grudges.

For a goal they were fighting for together against a common foe was more important than any of their just (and unjust) beliefs.

Chances of being shot by a random plasma beam were still pretty high.

“I know, Blitzwing, I know,” said minibot sighed in defeat. His spirits were not that much higher than everyone else’s lately.

“But hey,” He continued, “Even if I wanted to, I doubt Megacon would allow me to go sightseeing without him... And if I indeed managed to do just that, my fear of withering away from his lecture about my recklessness definitely outweighs the fun of getting into troubles.”

The last comment earned him a snort from a companion.

“Yes, he tends to do exactly that. You’d be insanely lucky if that was the only punishment coming upon your helm,” Blitzwing agreed in a more lighthearted tone. “Especially since, it seems, Megatron’s already figured out where someone prefers to spend their shift at once in a while.”

“…what do you mean by that?” Bumblebee asked worriedly after a short lived pause - he could almost “see” a smirk plastered across Blitzwing’s faceplates with the back of his own helm. And if he’s learnt anything about a Con over the last orbital cycles, it’s that him being smug never promised anything good for a yellow and black Bot.

“Let’s just say that if a certain hiding spot is indeed real, I’ll make sure to send you energon treats during a “home arrest” of yours.” Blitzwing mused out loud. A followed groan full of despair, which came from a small mech, made Blitzwing slip an amused laugh.

And here a minibot hoped that Megatron would be any different than a so-called Bossbot of his.

---

Soon after the Trpilechanger’s done everything he could in order to make Bumbler’s descent to a flagship safer, a huge figure appeared at an entrance to a bay. Bumbler noticed a newcomer only when a said mech contacted him via personal comlink, voice commanding yet devoid of usual rasp undertones.

“Time to go, minibot,” Megatron announced, as if wanting to make sure that his arrival was interpreted as a sign to wrap preparations up. It made both Cybertronians to pause their conversation and to look up at an arrived Decepticon.

The red and grey mech stood with his servos being clasped behind his back, polished shoulder pauldrons proudly shining under a warm artificial light. One of his chest plates bared signs of a recent scuffle at one of remote outposts - the right side was adorned with a fresh wielding patchwork, performed by Ratchet himself, which hid an ugly and deep scar.

The sight of a quickly healing wound reminded Bumblebee of an amusing memory he’d witnessed in a medbay the other day - Ratchet and Megatron bickering with each other about who’s a true madmech between two of them, while a medic was performing mentioned repairs. The fact that a Warlord received an injury during a rescue of a red and white Autobot, who stayed behind in order to cover their team’s escape, seemed to slip out of both of their processors. Ratchet was nigh unstoppable in his fury, and it seemed that Megatron’s finally found someone who could rival his own stubbornness. Something, all members of a team were certain of, both older mechs secretly admired about each other.

With raised up spirits, minibot quickly picked up a bag of tools, which laid near a working bench, and waved goodbye to a Triplechanger, who stayed behind to tidy a working place up.

Blitzwing couldn’t hear what his two comrades were talking about while standing at an exit to a bay, but he could still observe the interaction between them.

The height difference between mechs was ridiculous. It became especially obvious when Megatron lowered himself to a ground in order to access electronic panel of a “jetpack”, while Bumblebee was checking on contents of a bag of his. To Blitzwing, the scene almost resembled the way human parent would interact with their child after meeting them from an educational establishment back on Earth. Come to think of it, Bumbler looked like a sparkling in comparison to all of Warframes, which made the situation even more amusing in Blitzwing’s optics.

After switching on needed components, the grey Decepticon activated a program in his own engine’s software. Both mechs synchronized recently updated broadcasting frequencies of their flying gear, and the “jetpack” came to life with a faint glow of its side lights.

A model of a “parachute” may have looked old, but the technology behind an outdated surface was something to be proud of. As if to prove a point, Megatron shifted his wings from side to side, up and down. Minibot whirled his head around just in time to see his own wings mirroring movements of his larger partner with a barely there delay. Created during an expansion of territories on foreign planets, devices similar to Bumbler’s one allowed Autobots to join Decepticons in off-ground battles and explorations, going so far as to copy difficult maneuvers of Warframes with an impressive accuracy.

A true forgotten marvel of Cybertronian engineering.

To say that Bumblebee could barely keep his excitement under control would be an understatement. The way he puffed up his chest plates and spread his temporary wings reminded local workers of a young Warframe after the first successful training session at a boot camp, fears and doubts the Bot had about an upcoming battle diminishing at a prospect of taking the first flight in his life. Even if it’ll mostly be coordinated by a partner.

Bumblebee faced a rising by his side Decepticon with a contagious smile plastered across his grey faceplates, blue optics glowing with eagerness. He said something to him, most likely a spicy remark about his immaculate skills as a Prime soon-to-be Flyer on a battlefield taking place in an outer space. Those jovial antics made Megatron roll his optics, after which he turned an Autobot around with a smirk and (lightly) shoved him forward in direction of a main hangar, where they would join other members of a boarding party.

---

It’s been a while since both mechs disappeared out of the view of Triplechanger, leaving him to his own devices. The grey and violet mech was in a middle of cleaning a working bench when he received a call.

“Hey, Blitzwing!” A booming voice of Bulkhead sounded clearly over the comlink, only interrupted by periodic screeching of metal against metal in a background. “Are you and Bumblebee finished by any chance?”

“Fortune is on your side this time, my artistic friend, - Megatron’s already picked your yellow menace up.” Warframe answered while putting instruments into their designated slots. “What’s the matter?”

“Lugnut and I would really appreciate it, if you joined us with loading ammo on a ship - these electromagnetic emitters are putting a strain even on him. Optimus is already helping us by operating a crane, but I don’t think it’s enough for everything to be finished on time.” A green Autobot admitted guiltily. When Blitzwing was about to say something, he added: “One more thing: Optimus said that he’d like to discuss a plan of an attack with you again afterwards - something about an established route through an asteroid field doesn’t click right with him.“

Of course it didn’t. But Blitzwing could hardly blame him for being extra cautious. Truth be told, he’d expected an ex-cadet to contact him sooner or later in order to go through a plan one more time. Meaning, there’s really no point for him to act getting annoyed at a prospect of doing an additional work during a current shift.

“Alright. Seems that by helping you I’m going to kill two cats with one stone, so, count me in.”

“It’s “two birds”, Blitzwing,” Bulkhead corrected him with an audible smile. “Anyways, I’ll be waiting for you at an entrance 4-06. Thank you.”

With that being said, the bulky Autobot hung up the call, leaving a Warframe alone with his own thoughts, smiling to himself while cleaning the last of used tools from grease and oil.

Many things have changed since the beginning of a new cycle of War, for better and for worse. With the amount of mechs switching sides and betraying their causes, sometimes it was easier to assume, that all around you were enemies rather than to hope you had at least someone to rely on.

Yet, despite every obstacle Outcast Autobots and Earth-stranded Decepticons had to go through so far, the newly formed squad of theirs was a proof that some things stayed the same. That Camaraderie still had a value in an ever treacherous world. And Blitzwing had a feeling that no matter what lied ahead of them, the old healed bonds and recently blossomed ones would stand the test of time.

As if coming to an internal agreement with himself, the Triplechanger shook his helm and finally headed to an agreed upon place of meeting with his unlikely comrades, while silently humming a tune Bumblebee taught him once.

Perhaps, an Autobot known as Prowl was right after all?

Perhaps, it was indeed the right time to start having Faith and Trust in teammates once more?

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anim-ttrpgs · 6 months ago

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Gorgon Player Character Rules in Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy

Eureka has six playable "monster" types, and about ten total supernatural character options all together. Each supernatural trait is taken basically as if it is a normal trait like the ones you have been seeing us post. You cannot give a character more than one supernatural trait--and from what you are about to read, you probably wouldn't want to. Playing monsters is recommended for "advanced" players only, people who like a lot of "crunch" in their games, as require you to keep track of a lot more mechanics than playing a normal human.

I was going to post the wolfman but a bunch of people wanted me to do the gorgon so I'm impulsively doing the gorgon.

Here is the Gorgon Trait. This is going under a Read More because it's long as hell but we really hope that you will check it out and comment. This is, like, the whole entire ruleset for playing a gorgon in Eureka.

Gorgon (Monster Trait)

A gorgon is a mythological creature owing its origin in legend to Ancient Greece, Medusa being the most well-known example, but far from the only one. Historically, gorgons are often, but not always, depicted with serpents for hair, wings, and/or a serpentine tail[1], as well as frequent descriptions of other reptilian or serpentine features.

[1. Off to the side in the final formatting] The latter of which is far too noticeably abnormal for an investigator, but is not excluded from the possibility of belonging to a monstrous NPC. Gorgons as they are already push the boundaries of what a monstrous investigator can look like.

Petrifying Gaze

One of a gorgon’s most defining features is their petrifying gaze. Any living thing with eyes the gorgon makes direct eye-contact with for more than an instant will be turned completely to stone within seconds. This only works at a range of about 10 feet. Clothing and small objects they are holding will be turned to stone with them. [go back and clarify this is how the witch and fairy’s curse works too] This is not an ability the gorgon can control in any way, it happens to anyone they make eye-contact with.[1]

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] This works even if it is eye contact with only one eye.

If a gorgon makes direct eye-contact with someone unintentionally (as is a natural human instinct), they can avert their gaze quickly enough to spare them with a Full Success on a Reflexes check. If the other party is aware of the gorgon’s petrifying gaze, they may also make this Reflexes check. A Full Success by either character will prevent the petrification.[1]

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] A gorgon’s life is often one of isolation, with intimacy their most deadly curse.

Investigators are assumed to make eye-contact by default if they have a non-negative stat in Social Cues. For NPCs, the Narrator rolls 1D6, and on a 2 or higher, the NPC is assumed to make eye-contact by default.

The petrifying gaze only works through direct eye-contact, not through artistic depictions, photographs, video, or reflections. Looking through sufficiently opaque fabric, lenses, or other material will also prevent petrification, as long as the gorgon’s eyes are obscured from view.[1] The effect of direct eye-contact with a gorgon is still potent even if the gorgon is deceased, so long as the eyes are intact. Undead, living dolls, and gorgons are not affected by this petrification.

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] Contact lenses will not help to prevent petrification. Also, only the gorgon’s eyes being obscured from view matters. If the other party is wearing sunglasses, they will still be petrified.

Petrification is generally absolutely permanent, and is not reversed when the gorgon who caused it dies.

Effects of Being Petrified

A victim of petrification will not be aware of their surroundings while petrified, but they will lose 4 points of Composure per day until they are effectively dead, and can never be returned to normal. If relevant, consider NPCs to have 1D6+1 points of Composure to lose before this Composure loss starts to eat into their HP.

Reversing Petrification

However, a fairy or fairytale witch could reverse the effect (see p.XX). However, the petrification of gorgons is not the same as the petrication of a witch or fairy’s curse, and requires different components to reverse. Instead of the name or a lock of hair, this requires both eyes of either the victim or the gorgon who caused the curse. If this is done with the gorgon’s eyes, this only works on one victim (since the gorgon’s eyes are destroyed by the process)

Anyone coming out of petrification will do so as if they have just had a very long and totally unrestful sleep, and any damage they sustained as a statue will immediately take effect. For example, chips in their stone body become lacerations in their living body. If an arm was broken off their statue, their arm is now severed.

Snake Eyes

The eyes of a gorgon resemble those of a snake, and have vertical pupils. For a gorgon, “automatic” success or failure results are reversed, so a roll of double 1s is an automatic success, and a roll of double 6s is an automatic failure.

Gorgon Skin

Choose only one of the options below:[1]

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] The coloration of a gorgon’s scales is up to the player’s choice.

Normal Skin (Option): It’s normal.

Scaly Skin (Option): The gorgon’s skin is covered randomly in large patches of thick, hard scales. It is up to the player where on the body these patches are, which may make it easier or harder for the gorgon to pass as a normal human. Regardless, these scales reduce damage by half against 1-Damage and 2-Damage melee weapons. Having Scaly Skin also gives the gorgon Claws.

Full Coverage Scales (Option): The gorgon has no human hair anywhere on their body, and is instead covered nearly head-to-toe in thick, hard snake scales except for a smooth underbelly on the front of the torso, the inside of the hands, and soles of the feet. These scales make it near impossible to pass as a normal human without wearing full-body coverage, but reduce damage from all melee weapons by half. Having Full Coverage Scales also gives the gorgon Claws.[1]

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] Gorgons with Full Coverage Scales also shed their skin a few times a year, but this does not happen often enough to be worth considering a codified mechanic. The patches of scales for Scaly Skin may also shed occasionally.

Gorgon Claws

A gorgon only has claws if they have Scaly Skin or Full-Coverage Scales. If they do, the gorgon’s nails are hard and sharp, like claws[1]. Because of their superhuman strength, these claws deal 2 Penetrative Damage.

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] A steel file is required for filing these nails down, they tear up lesser files.

Gorgon Wings

Choose only one of the options below:

No Wings (Option): The gorgon has no wings. This is very helpful for passing as normal in public.

Wings (Option): A large pair of wings (leathery or feathery, player’s choice) stretch out from the gorgon’s back with at least a 15-foot wingspan from tip to tip. Effective use of these wings for flight requires enough space in one’s surroundings to fully extend the wings as well as get a running start, and an Athletics check. However, because gorgons lack any sort of tail or rudder, their flight will never be as stable or graceful as most other winged creatures. Apply a -1 to any roll to avoid obstacles or take any other action while in flight.

Full Success: The gorgon can take flight fully. +4 Acceleration.

Partial Success: The gorgon can at best glide low to the ground, maintaining flight for a few seconds at a time as they must touch down to kick themselves back off frequently. The gorgon will still have to contend with most Chase obstacles while this low to the ground. (As a travel method for the purposes of tracking Ticks during travel scenes, this kind of “flight” is only -2 Ticks.) +2 Acceleration.

Failure: The gorgon fails to take to the air, and probably falls flat on their face.

A gorgon’s wings are nearly impossible to hide without attracting at least some attention. As long as the gorgon is wearing sufficient clothing,[1] a Stealth roll can be made to hide their wings for the duration of one Scene, on a per-Scene basis.

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] One suggestion would be to wear a large overcoat and walk with a hunch.

Full Success: No one will notice if they’re not already looking for it.

Partial Success: Most people won’t notice or care, but the gorgon will likely attract some stares in public. It looks like they are hiding something, maybe a backpack, under their clothes.

Failure: The gorgon’s wings slip out and, even if just for a moment, it is obvious to anyone looking that they are real or at least very convincing fakes.[1]

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] Which is weird in and of itself.

Gorgon Hair

Choose only one of the options below:

Normal Hair (Option): It’s normal. If the gorgon has Full Coverage Scales, then this means no hair at all.

Normal Hair with Serpents (Option): (This option cannot be chosen alongside Full-Coverage Scales.) Alongside regular hair, the gorgon has several snakes which protrude from their scalp. These snakes grow in length at the same rate as the gorgon’s hair, though they are always slightly longer than it. So long as the snakes are behaving well, a gorgon can pass for normal without wearing a hat or hair cover. See “Head Snakes” below.

Full Serpent Hair (Option): Many snakes protrude from the gorgon’s scalp, fully covering it. These snakes grow out at the same rate as human hair. The gorgon will require significant coverage to hide these from the public eye.

Head Snakes

The snakes on a gorgon’s head can be any species of medium-sized venomous snake, though they are always all the same species. These snakes are part of the gorgon’s body, share their nervous system, and do not require independent sustenance, but do have minds of their own. The gorgon has only about as much control over them as they would a moderately trained pet. Unlike a gorgon’s primary eyes, the snakes’ eyes do not cause petrification.

The gorgon can sense anything that their snakes can sense, granting them a +1 Contextual bonus to all Senses checks. (If the gorgon has Full Serpent Hair, increase this bonus to +2.)

The snakes can swallow objects up to about the size of a baseball and spit them out at will.[1][2]

[1. Off to the side in the final formatting] No, this does not mean they can spit them out with any considerable force.

[2. Off to the side in the final formatting] These snakes do not have a back end, they end at the gorgon’s skull.

A snake’s head being severed is painful and upsetting, requiring the gorgon to make a Composure roll at +0, but the head will grow back from the stump within one day. If the gorgon wants to cut their “hair,” it won’t be a fun process, but the gorgon only needs to make one Composure roll (with an exacerbating factor) no matter how many snakes they cut.

The snakes on a gorgon’s head have their own venom (chosen from the same list as “Venomous Fangs,” below). All snakes share the same type of venom with each other, but this does not have to match the type of venom in the gorgon’s primary fangs. Because it is a much smaller dose, however, it has an increased Onset Time of 1D6-1 Ticks to take effect. (If the gorgon has Full Serpent Hair, it takes 1D6-3 Ticks instead.)

At any point when another character is within arm’s reach, the gorgon may attempt to sic her snakes on them. When the gorgon is at 3 Composure or lower, this is no longer a choice. The snakes become aggressive, and this is rolled every time a person comes within arms reach of the gorgon. Roll 1D6. This takes one Movement if time is measured in Turns.

1-4: the snakes will do nothing.

5: the snakes will lunge out but miss the target.

6+: one or more of the gorgon’s snakes will lunge out and inject venom into the target. If the target is not Grabbing or being Grabbed by the gorgon, they can avoid the bite with a Full Success on a Reflexes roll.

Add +1 to this roll if the gorgon has Full Serpent Hair. Also add +1 if the target is antagonizing, aggressing, or otherwise frustrating the efforts of the gorgon. Add an additional +1 for every point of Composure the gorgon is missing below 3, as seen below.

3 Composure: +0

2 Composure: +1

1 Composure: +2

0 Composure: +3

Forked Tongue

Gorgons have forked tongues like snakes, as well as the ability to sense heat through pit organs in the nostrils. They can still identify the approximate location of living organisms and heat sources even in total darkness. Additionally, they are able to detect a much wider variety of chemicals than any human nose. These properties mean that gorgons can reasonably make Senses checks that an ordinary human could not attempt, or could gain additional information from relevant Investigative rolls that others would not.

Scent Tracking

Gorgons are capable of Scent Tracking. (See p.xx “Scent Tracking”.) A gorgon must regularly and very noticeably taste the air with their tongue while tracking a scent.

Superhuman Strength

Gorgons are considered to have superhuman strength, and have a +2 Base bonus to Athletics and +1 Base bonus to Close Combat.

Serpentine Anatomy

With an Athletics check, a gorgon can squeeze their entire body through any gap larger than their own skull, and/or perform other extreme acts of contortion.[1]

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] If the gorgon in question has the Just Built Different Trait, apply a -2 modifier to this roll.

Full Success: Gorgon makes it through.

Partial Success: Gorgon takes 2 Superficial Damage but makes it through.

Failure: Gorgon takes 2 Superficial Damage and gets stuck.

Venomous Fangs

Most gorgons have long, retractable, venomous fangs in their upper jaw. The venom only takes effect if injected into the target’s body, not if ingested.[1] Regardless of the type of venom, a second bite will double the damage or penalties taken by the target from the venom, but will not accelerate the process.

Each gorgon’s fangs has one of four possible venoms, though if they have snakes on their head, those may have a different type. Choose only one of the options below:

[1. Off to the side in the final formatting.] Unless the victim has open cuts in their mouth or stomach.

Constrictor (No Venom) (Option): This gorgon does not have venomous fangs and neither do any snakes that may be attached to their head, and instead they rely on raw physical strength to subdue their prey. A gorgon with this feature has an extra +2 Base bonus to Athletics.

Paralyzing Venom (Option): One minute after being bitten, the target must make an Athletics check.

Full Success: The target has a -3 penalty to all rolls for 3 Ticks.

Partial Success: The target has a -4 penalty to all rolls for 4 Ticks.

Failure: The target has a -5 penalty to all rolls for 5 Ticks.[1]

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] This will be the number of Scenes instead if you aren’t tracking Ticks.

Agonizing Venom (Option): This venom applies poison (Non-lethal, OT: Immediate, DF: Per Round) to the target.

Lethal Venom (Option): This venom applies poison (Lethal, OT: 10 minutes, DF: Per minute) to the target.

Spray Venom (Option): Can be injected or sprayed, but requires 2 doses (see “Venom Doses” below) to take effect either way. When injected, it applies poison (Non-lethal, OT: Immediate, DF: Per Tick) to the target. When sprayed, the gorgon can propel the venom up to a range of 6 feet with a Close Combat roll, which causes immediate damage:

Full Success: 4 Superficial Damage

Partial Success: 2 Superficial Damage

Failure: No damage.

The gorgon must aim for the target’s face or an open wound for this attack to be effective. Clothing which completely covers the eyes will render this spray harmless, and a target wearing glasses will take half damage. Any Injury roll taken as a result of damage from this attack will count as one degree worse than the actual result.

Venomous Bite

When a gorgon has someone in a Grab or (regular) Hold, they may make a bite attack to inject venom into their opponent. This attack is rolled using either Athletics or Close Combat, and is subject to all other regular rules regarding melee attacks.

Full Success: Gorgon injects venom and deals 2 Superficial Damage.

Partial Success: Gorgon injects venom and deals 1 Superficial Damage.

Failure: Gorgon cannot get their fangs into the victim.

Venom Doses

Gorgons do not have an infinite supply of venom, and replenishing it takes a long time. If a gorgon does not have enough doses, they cannot use their venom. A gorgon can never have more than 4 doses stored at a time. At the start of the adventure, gorgons have 1D6-2 (to a minimum of 1) doses of venom stored. Venom is replenished at a rate of 1 dose per week, however, a gorgon can spend a number of Eureka! Points to instantly recover an equivalent number of doses.

Terrifying Visage

At will, the gorgon can contort their face grotesquely. Gorgons have a +2 Contextual bonus to Threaten.

Gorgon’s Blood

Arterial blood from a gorgon is deadly poison.[1] If it enters the body through any means, it will cause Lethal Poison.[2]

[1. Off to the side in the final formatting.] Obviously this does not affect gorgons.

[2. Off to the side in the final formatting.] For vampires, this counts as Non-Lethal Poison.

However, venous blood from a gorgon has supernatural healing properties for living creatures other than gorgons.[1] If fresh venous gorgon blood is applied to the wound with a Medicine check, the Medicine check will restore 1 or 2 additional HP depending on the amount applied. Extracting enough blood to restore 1 HP will cause the gorgon 2 Superficial Damage. Extracting enough blood to restore 2 HP will cause the gorgon 4 Superficial Damage.

[1. Off to the side in the final formatting.] Though vampires are humans, their healing is not the same, and this blood will have no special effect on them whether ingested or applied to a wound.

Blood taken from a wound will usually be a mixture of arterial and venous blood. If this type of blood enters the human body, roll 1D6.

1-5: The blood counts as arterial, as the poison ruins any medicinal properties of the venous blood.

6: The blood counts as venous.

If a character attempts to extract venous blood from a gorgon, the Narrator makes a hidden Medicine check for that character.

Full Success: Up to 2 HP worth of venous blood may be extracted.

Partial Success: Up to 2 HP worth of venous blood may be extracted, but causes an additional 1 Superficial Damage to the gorgon.

Failure: The gorgon takes the same amount of Superficial Damage as with venous blood, but the extracted blood is contaminated with arterial blood, unbeknownst to the characters.

Serpent’s Jaw (Gorgon True Nature)

Gorgons need to devour human beings whole as part of their diet.

The following sections deal a lot with “size” and “capacity,” which in most cases we handle abstractly. We advise that players and Narrators use common sense when working with these mechanics. Go with what seems to fit in the moment based on the rules provided, rather than pausing to calculate the exact volume of people or objects.

The gorgon regains no Composure from eating normal food, but does gain Composure from sleeping. They will lose Composure from skipping meals or skipping sleep. A gorgon’s diet works very differently from most characters’, see below for details.

Composure loss from skipping meals: Yes

Composure restoration from eating three meals a day: No

Composure loss from skipping sleep: Yes

Composure restoration from full night’s sleep: Yes

Normal Food

Gorgons are obligate carnivores. In order for a meal to count towards their daily meals, it must be primarily composed of meat. When gorgons eat normal food, they need to eat one exceptionally large meal and subsist off that for some time. Gorgons need only eat one meal per 48 hours, but the Wealth roll for buying this meal has a -3 penalty.[1] Food Budget for a gorgon costs 3WP, and only covers a single meal.

[1 Off to the side in the final formatting] Ordering this much food in public may attract attention.

Eating this one meal of normal food will prevent Composure loss, but will not restore Composure. At the start of an adventure, they are always assumed to be in need of food that day.

If a gorgon attempts to eat multiple smaller meals over the course of a day like a regular person (or eat people piece by piece) they will suffer intense indigestion and lose 1 point of Composure each day they attempt this. Snake digestive systems aren’t built for that.

Swallowing Large Objects

Despite being outwardly near indistinguishable from the shape of a regular human, the internal muscular and skeletal structure of a gorgon resembles that of a snake. Their lower jaw is comprised of two separate mandibles attached by elastic ligaments, allowing their mouth and throat to stretch to incredible size. The back teeth in both upper and lower jaw are hooked backwards like those of a snake.

Their collar bone and sternum are similarly only attached by elastic ligaments, and, where needed to accommodate their eating habits, their skin and musculature are able to stretch well beyond the limitations of a regular person.

A gorgon can effortlessly swallow anything up to about the size of a baseball.[2] For anything up to a little larger than 3 feet in diameter[1] the gorgon must make an Athletics check.

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] About the diameter of a large beach ball.

[2 off to the side in the final formatting] This does not prompt a supernatural ability Composure roll.

Full Success: One Movement

Partial Success: One Action

Failure: 3 Actions (or 1 Tick)

Objects that are larger, but are elongated and able to pass through an opening a little larger than 3 feet in diameter (such as a human body), take longer to swallow:

Full Success: 1 Action

Partial Success: 3 Actions (or 1 Tick)

Failure: 6 Actions (or 2 Ticks)

The gorgon can still attempt to swallow objects of even larger size, but may hurt themselves. The gorgon takes 2 Superficial Damage[2] and a -2 penalty to the Athletics for every 1 foot or so of diameter the object increases beyond that of a human body.[1]

[1. Off to the side in the final formatting] If the target is around 4 feet in diameter (your average hula hoop), that would be 2 Superficial Damage and -2 to the Athletics roll. If it’s around 6 feet in diameter (a large dinner table), that would be 6 Superficial Damage and a -6 to the roll

[2. Off to the side in the final formatting] This damage should only be applied after the object is fully swallowed (or after a Failure).

Full Success: 3 Actions or 1 Tick, but takes no Superficial Damage

Partial Success: 6 Actions or 2 Ticks

Failure: They can’t swallow it, but still take the Superficial Damage from the attempt. They may try again.

Spitting Out Objects

Reversing the process is much trickier. To spit out any swallowed object, the gorgon must make an Athletics roll. If the object smaller than about a 3-foot diameter sphere (such as a beach ball), the item, use the following results:[1]

[1. Off to the side in the final formatting] After a victim has been digested, only one roll needs to be made to spit out all or most of their clothing. Particularly protective articles of clothing (such as a motorcycle helmet) may still contain bones.

Full Success: The gorgon can spit out the object as 1 Action.

Partial Success: The gorgon either:

takes 2 Actions (or 1 Tick) to cough up the object, as well as 1 Superficial Damage,

loudly belches (drawing a lot of attention) as they cough up the object,

or, if they were trying to retrieve a specific object, coughs up a different random object from the Random Gorgon Contents Table.

Failure: The gorgon fails to cough up the object, and either:

takes 1 Superficial Damage

loudly belches, drawing a lot of attention

Larger objects (including most people) are a bit more difficult to spit out and use these results instead:

Full Success: The gorgon is able to spit out the object with 3 Actions (or 1 Tick).

Partial Success: The gorgon is able to spit out the object with 6 Actions (or 2 Ticks), and both take 2 Superficial Damage.

Failure: The gorgon not only fails to spit them out, but belches, either:

drawing attention

or, if the gorgon was hoping to get them out alive, reducing the time they have before suffocation by 6 Rounds.

Stomach Elasticity

An experienced gorgon’s stomach can stretch virtually indefinitely, though weight and bulk can quickly become an issue.[1] The gorgon may take penalties or encounter other difficulties based on how much volume they have in their stomach, as seen below:

[1. Off to the side in the final formatting.] Any gorgon without Full-Coverage Scales is very likely to have noticeable stretch marks around their waist.

Less than a Basketball: No penalty. One of a gorgon’s “normal” meals is about the upper limit of this.

Less than One Adult Person or Equivalent Mass: No penalty. Could pass for pregnant.[1]

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] The stomach is quite a bit higher up than the uterus, but the likelihood of anyone shouting “Hey, her pregnancy is too high up!” is pretty low.

One Person or Equivalent Mass: -1 to Athletics, Close Combat, Reflexes, and Stealth. Could pass for pregnant with nonuplets.[1]

[1. Off to the side in the final formatting.] At this point the gorgon must lean back as they walk to adjust their entire center of balance.

Two People or Equivalent Mass: -2 to Athletics, Close Combat, Driving, Reflexes, and Stealth. Can’t reasonably go out in public like this.

Three People or Equivalent Mass: -3 to all Physical Skills except Senses. Can’t reasonably go out in public like this.

Four People or Equivalent Mass: -4 to all Physical Skills except Senses. Can’t reasonably go out in public like this.

Five People or Equivalent Mass: -5 to all Physical Skills except Senses.. Can’t reasonably go out in public like this.

Six People or Equivalent Mass: -6 to all Physical Skills except Senses. Gorgon cannot move more than a bare minimum speed.

Seven People or Equivalent Mass: -7 to all Physical Skills except Senses. Gorgon cannot move more than a bare minimum speed.

Eight People or Equivalent Mass: -8 to all Physical Skills except Senses. Gorgon cannot move at all without a Full or Partial Success on an Athletics roll, and even then only bare minimum speed.

Nine People or Equivalent Mass: -9 to all Physical Skills except Senses. Gorgon cannot move at all without a Full or Partial Success on an Athletics roll, and even then only bare minimum speed.

Ten People or Equivalent Mass: -10 to all Physical Skills except Senses. Gorgon cannot move at all without a Full Success on an Athletics roll, and even then only bare minimum speed.

Beyond Ten: -10 Athletics, Close Combat, Driving, Reflexes, and Stealth. Gorgon cannot move at all, period.

On a per-Scene basis, a gorgon can make three types of roll to make their stomach appear one size smaller for the duration of the Scene. With a Full Success on an Athletics roll, the gorgon can suck in their stomach. With a Full Success on a Stealth roll, the gorgon can adjust sufficiently baggy or form obscuring clothing to hide their stomach size. With a Full Success on a Manipulate roll, they can act nonchalant so as not to draw attention to themselves. These methods can be combined, for up to a total three size category reduction in visibility and attention drawn.[1][2] Each of these rolls counts as one Movement if time is measured in Turns.

[1 Off to the side in the final formatting] These methods do not reduce the penalties, just the amount of staring.

[2 off to the side in the final formatting] A gorgon with the Just Built Different Trait can have their stomach counted as one size smaller all the time by default.

Neither of these methods of reducing the conspicuousness of the gorgon’s belly will hold up under direct scrutiny, it only “passes for normal” in the sense that even for people who do take notice, their first guess won’t be that there is a body in there, and it would be very rude to ask.

If anyone inside the gorgon’s body is attempting to struggle or scream for help, count the gorgon’s stomach as two sizes larger for both conspicuousness and penalties.

Swallowing Live Prey

If a target is (very understandably) resisting being swallowed the gorgon must first Grab them. Once a gorgon has a target Grabbed, they can put them in a Hold as normal, or put them in a Swallowing Hold.

Swallowing Hold

Mechanically this works exactly like a regular Hold except where stated otherwise. The gorgon has stretched out their jaw and begun to swallow the target whole. There is no Submission with a Swallowing Hold. If this is being done head-first, start to apply the Drowning/Suffocation rules to the target immediately.

Once a gorgon has their target in a Swallowing Hold, at the next opportunity, they may make another Swallowing Hold to finish the process and fully swallow their target.[1]

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] Experienced gorgons often prefer to start with the hands. It also helps to lift a victim upside down, bringing gravity on one’s side.

Once a victim is cut off from air, the Drowning & Suffocation rules come into play. Optionally, once a victim is fully swallowed, the Narrator may simply declare them as good as dead with no need to play out their struggle mechanically.

Once a target is swallowed fully, the gorgon no-longer has any of the penalties associated with putting anyone in a Hold. Instead, refer back to p.xx Stomach Elasticity.

Internal Struggle

As mentioned earlier, living victims can struggle and fight, causing trouble for the gorgon inside and out. While in the stomach, they count as Held. If armed with a small piercing blade or a small firearm, they can attempt to attack the gorgon from inside, dealing normal damage. In this case, a Partial Success on a Firearms attack will still hit for full damage, and a Failure would fail to correctly operate the firearm and pull the trigger under these conditions. To escape, a victim will have to succeed at two Escape attempts, the first to reach up to the gorgon’s mouth, where they will count as being in a Swallowing Hold but without Drowning/Suffocation, and the second to pull themselves out of it. If the gorgon is taking a penalty to Athletics rolls because of stomach size, this penalty is not applied for the purposes of Weight Class with the victim’s Escape attempts. Attacking or trying to Escape will count as exertion for the purposes of the Drowning/Suffocation rules.

Digestion and Composure Restoration

Regardless of which option is chosen, the gorgon’s player should track the Ticks for digestion separately on their own. It should be noted that gorgons get more nutrients from live prey, but can subsist on recently-dead victims as well, as long as there is no decomposition. Choose only one of the options below:

Serpentine Enzymes (Option): The gorgon will digest person-sized meals over the course of a full week, and is able to fast comfortably for some time after. The size of the stomach will gradually decrease by one degree (see “Stomach Elasticity” above) every 48 hours or 40 Ticks. For 14 days, the gorgon will not lose Composure from skipping meals. For 7 days, the gorgon will regain 2 points of Composure per day per victim.They will regain an additional 1 point of Composure per day if the victim was eaten alive. Inorganic materials swallowed (such as a victim’s clothing) may sit in the gorgon’s stomach indefinitely until spit out. Neglecting to spit out clothing for several meals may result in being unable to reduce the size of the stomach past a certain point.

Additionally, at the start of each adventure, roll 3 times on the Monster Stomach Contents Table (see p.XX). The results are leftover objects that are still in a gorgon’s stomach from their last several victims.[1] Write these objects in the gorgon’s inventory but mark that they are in the stomach. Once per Scene, at the cost of 1 Superficial Damage, a gorgon with Serpentine Enzymes can attempt to spit out a single random object from the Random Gorgon Contents Table that they forgot was even in there.

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] The random results that this table spits out[1.1] will tell a story, and could imply a lot about the gorgon in question, but the intent is to leave creative leeway for the player to work with. A shoe belonging to the whole party’s mutual friend Jennifer could imply that Jennifer is never to be seen again, or that Jennifer is alive and well after she and the gorgon made a drunken bet.

[1.1 off to the side in the final formatting] Pun intended.

Aqua Regia (Option): The gorgon digests food with shocking rapidity, burning calories like a jet engine[3], and nothing can remain intact in their stomach for long. Eating an entire person still only sates the gorgon for 48 hours. The size of the gorgon’s stomach decreases by one degree every 2 Ticks. A victim is considered “digested” after 4 Ticks, and the gorgon regains 1 point of Composure from that victim (or 2 points instead if they were eaten alive). The gorgon can continue to swallow more prey while they are digesting - track the Ticks for each victim separately.[1] There will be nothing left to spit out, as this gorgon’s stomach even rapidly breaks down inorganic material into vapor.[2]

Victims in the stomach of a gorgon with Aqua Regia suffer from damage equivalent to Lethal Poison, not representing actual poison, but rather the rapid dissolution of their flesh. (Lethal, OT: Immediate, DF: Per Round)

Additionally, Wealth rolls to buy food for this gorgon have a -4 penalty instead of -3, and they lose 2 Composure for skipping a meal instead of 1.[4]

Gorgons with Aqua Regia cannot spit out random objects. No small object can survive more than a single Tick in their stomach. If they do try to spit anything out, double any relevant damage penalties.

[1 Off to the side in the final formatting] Note that with Aqua Regia, each victim only restores Composure once, not continuously like with Serpentine Enzymes.

[2 off to the side in the final formatting] The large amount of vapor created by this digestion means that the gorgon will have to expel it after eating - often with a small burp.

[3 Off to the side in the final formatting] While gorgons with Serpentine Enzymes can be found to have all manner of body types regardless of their diet, gorgons with Aqua Regia struggle to put on any weight at all.

[4 off to the side in the final formatting] Sometimes there are people who simply require more than others to live at the same standard of health. Can they simply curb their greed?

Cold Blooded Killer (Gorgon Weakness)

Cold-Blooded

Though they still have mammalian features, a gorgon’s body temperature is not self-regulated. Their skin will feel room-temperature to the touch, and they will not be easy to spot with thermal imaging.

Gorgons have nine levels of body temperature (seen under “Body Temperature Levels” below), and their body temperature can have significant effects on their ability to function. At the start of an adventure, a gorgon’s body temperature will always start at Ideal. Under most circumstances, their body temperature will decrease by one level at the beginning of every Scene, not counting the very first Scene of an adventure.

Because gorgons can not regulate their own body temperature, they are at the mercy of ambient temperature. In average ambient temperatures of 90°F and above, the body temperature will instead increase by 1 level each Scene. In average ambient temperatures of 50°F to 32°F, the body temperature will drop by 2 levels every Scene. In average ambient temperatures or 32°F and below, it will decrease by 3 levels every Scene. With no internal body heat, jackets and blankets are of limited help, though in temperatures of 50°F or below, they reduce the temperature drop by 1 level.

In real life, temperature fluctuates from day to day, and throughout the day and night. However, to keep bookkeeping from being a nightmare for the Narrator and player of the gorgon, for game mechanic purposes we recommend you set a single average outside temperature for the entire adventure based on the region and time of year it is taking place. For interior locations, most buildings are kept at a “comfortable” temperature between 65°F and 75°F.

Body Temperature Levels

At high body temperatures, gorgons digest more quickly. When an entry says “double digestion speed,” that means count every Tick that passes as 2 Ticks for the purposes of how quickly something is digested. At colder temperatures, gorgons cannot continue digestion at all - spending extended periods of time at this temperature will count as not eating for that amount of time, even if they have food in their stomach.

Overheating: Double digestion speed. -3 to Composure rolls. -5 to all Skills. 2 Superficial Damage for every Tick that passes at this level.[1]

[1. Off to the side in the final formatting] Overheating is the only body temperature that will make a gorgon’s skin feel warm to the touch like a regular person’s skin.

Too Hot: Double digestion speed. -1 to Composure rolls. -2 to all Physical and Interpersonal Skills.

Hot: Double digestion speed. +1 Contextual to Reflexes. -1 to all other Physical Skills and all Interpersonal Skills.

Warm: +1 Contextual to Reflexes.

Ideal: No bonus or penalty.

Cool: +1 Contextual to Stealth

Cold: Do not advance digestion. +1 Contextual to Stealth. -1 to all other Physical Skills and all Knowledge Skills.

Too Cold: Do not advance digestion. -1 to Composure roll. -3 to all Physical and Knowledge Skills.

Freezing: Do not advance digestion. -3 to Composure rolls. -5 to all Skills. 2 Superficial Damage for every Tick that passes at this level.

Warming and Cooling Sources

Spending 1 Tick engaging in the listed activities or standing near the listed objects will raise or lower the gorgon’s body temperature as noted below. With no internal body heat, jackets and blankets are of limited help, though for Moderate Cold Sources or colder, they reduce the temperature drop by 1 level.

Major Heat Source: Increase by 3 levels. Examples: bonfire, furnace, “hot” bath or shower (around 100°F or higher)[1].

[1 off to the side in the final formatting.] What is “hot” or “warm” to a warm-blooded individual is very different to a cold-blooded individual.

Moderate Heat Source: Increase by 2 levels. Examples: Heat lamp, campfire, space heater, heated blanket, “warm” bath or shower (around 90°F), sharing body heat with a warm-blooded individual under a blanket.

Minor Heat Source: Increase by 1 level. Examples: hand warmers, heat vent, hot water bottle, strenuous exercise[2], ambient air temperature of 90°F or above, sharing body heat with a warm-blooded individual through skin contact[1].

[1 Off to the side in the final formatting] Having the warm-blooded individual in the gorgon’s stomach counts.

[2 Off to the side in the final formatting] Muscle movement generates heat.

Minor Cold Source: Decrease by 1 level. This is the default for ambient heat loss in the environment, which is why gorgons lower 1 body temperature level in most Scenes.

Moderate Cold Source: Decrease by 2 levels. Examples: AC unit, open refrigerator, ambient air temperature of 50°F to 32°F.

Major Cold Source: Decrease by 3 levels. Examples: Open freezer, ice pack, cold bath or shower (around 50°F), ambient air temperature below 32°F.

Monster Eyes

Most gorgons have learned the hard way not to look too closely at other people’s faces without a good reason. Gorgons have a -1 penalty to Social Cues and Charm. Additionally, if a gorgon sees their own uncovered eyes in any way, such as through a reflection, photograph, etc. they must make a Monster Composure Roll.

Yawning

If a gorgon gets less than a full night’s sleep the previous night, the Narrator rolls a hidden D6, and that many Ticks later, the gorgon will feel a monstrous yawn coming on, and must make a Reflexes check to stifle it if they don’t want anyone to see their enormous maw.

Full Success: The yawn is fully suppressed.

Partial Success: The gorgon yawns wide, but not noticeably wider than a normal person could. However, anyone looking directly at them may notice the other serpentine features of their mouth.

Failure: The gorgon yawns, momentarily opening their mouth at least wide enough to swallow a football.

Loss of Eye Coverage

Gorgons will typically wear dark or mirrored sunglasses, dark veils, or other means of covering their eyes. This eye coverage is always at risk of being lost in some way. If any offensive roll is made against them, and at least one of the dice on this roll shows a 6 [1], the gorgon’s eye coverage is knocked off, knocked away, or otherwise slips[2], regardless of the outcome of the roll. Additionally, if the gorgon gets a Partial Success or Failure on an Athletics or Close Combat roll, their eye coverage is also knocked off if either of the dice show a 6.

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] To be perfectly clear, this is not about a +6 modifier, or a cumulative 6 made by adding things up. If you roll the dice and see a 6 on the physical dice, that is when the glasses are knocked off. This also applies when any roll happens to use a D12, still look for a 6.

[2 off to the side in the final formatting] Just go with what makes sense - if the gorgon is wearing glasses, they are knocked to the ground. If they’re wearing a veil, it might just blow aside and require an action to readjust. If their eyewear is firmly secured to their face (such as ski goggles or a tightly tied blindfold), then don’t use this rule (though wearing ski goggles indoors is going to turn heads).

To recover their eye coverage after losing it, they must take 1 Action to retrieve it. Another character may also use their own Action to find and retrieve the glasses.

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gffa · 10 months ago

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I'm going through my screencaps from Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade and it really kills me that I can't recommend this book to more people because it's from the point of view of a character falling to the dark side, so on the surface it comes across as very Jedi critical, but as someone who constantly keeps a hawk's eye out for what the other Jedi say and do so I can put it in my citations project, let me tell you, this book drives me absolutely up the wall with how much I was handed on a silver platter for how it's structured. It's a book that's set from the point of view of a troubled young Padawan, Iskat Akaris, and everything in her thoughts is about how she does try to let go of her anger, which she finds very difficult, but she also constantly craves battle and violence and seeks to find ways to justify that. She's offered by multiple people to find avenues to help her, but she always turns away from them, because they're not exciting enough for her. She never tells anyone directly of her struggles and any time another Jedi expresses support, somehow it's never good enough, she assumes it's not real empathy (because she thinks they wouldn't agree with her feelings--she doesn't want to be an archivist, she wants to fight, she doesn't want to take a regular position with the children in the creche--despite that she was really good with them and felt calmer afterwards--because she wants to be out in the galaxy fighting), and when she makes mistakes, she looks to justify why it wasn't her fault (she doesn't actually care about the civilians her actions hurt, she just cares that Adi and Yoda are telling her she has to be more careful). She's offered mentorship multiple times, by Jocasta, by Josk, Master Klefan talks to her frequently, Adi and Yoda make a point to tell her that two specific Masters are available to speak to, the Council offers her a position in the creche because they think she'd do well there--but that's not the excitement she craves, it's not the admiration for her battle skills that she wants, so she turns away from it. She's offered a position that's clearly very dear to them, it comes with multiple compliments and that they say it's meant to be beneficial to her as well (with the implication of how much it calmed her), and yet she sees it as a demotion, because it's not a mission with action and fighting. Everything that is the opposite of what a Jedi needs to seek. And it's done with such deftness to Iskat's point of view that, if you're not paying attention, it might seem like she is justified in these things. But when you look beyond her, you see how hard the Jedi are trying to help her, how many hands they hold out to her, and I want to write entire essays about this book but arrrghhhh I'm probably the only one who read this book in this specific way and who still has tolerance left for unreliable narrators who unfairly criticize the Jedi, but I can see the consistent pattern of how compassionate they are beyond it, so I feel I'd just be yelling into the void even more than I usually do, so instead I just sit with my feelings, like, I enjoyed this book through this lens, but it's a lens that scrapes a lot of people's nerves raw, so I can't blame them, but also oh man there's so much to chew on in this book and I just have to delete these caps as I make my way through my backlog. Arrrghhh.

#lumi.txt #novels #novels: inquisitor: rise of the red blade

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bizbat · 1 year ago

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your jason todd hcs are sooooo good omg!!! do you have any hcs specifically for when he has a crush on the reader, like how he might act, specifically if the reader is oblivious and really doesn’t think that she’s his type / thinks he’s joking if he says anything flirty?

When They're In Love - Jason Todd (Crush Edition)

🕸️Spiderverse Masterlist🕸️

🐼JJK Masterlist🐼

~ Fem terms + Pet names used for reader.

~ You can find part one of these hcs here, and part two here.

~ You can find more of my works here.

~ These can be read as a sort of part three/prequel kinda.

~Fic at the end.

~ Tw for : Blood, Knives, Needles, Vomit. (All slight)

~Thank you for asking! Hope you enjoy, sorry this took so long :(

You would never know that Jason has a crush on you.

For the most part, he wont talk to you any differently than he will anyone else.

Maybe he won't jokingly insult you, or be super sarcastic around you, but I think that's kind of as far as he'd go.

Unless you're a close friend or family member, you'd probably have no clue he had a crush based on the way he talks to you.

But the little actions and things he does for you are so obvious.

He's the type to hold open doors for you, all the while staring other people dead in the eye as it shuts in their face.

He somehow always just "randomly" has your favorite snack on hand, or a whole collection of books by your favorite author.

I think he'd be touchy, unless he knows you don't like being touched.

If you like or don't mind it, he'd have his arm constantly thrown over your shoulder, always be leaning against you, always resting a hand on your hip.

If you're shorter than him, he does that super annoying thing where he rests his elbow on your head.

He is so lame omg.

But bc he's kinda like this with everyone, no one would fault you for not understanding his hints.

He's like the opposite though.

You said hi to him this morning? You must be in love with him.

You smiled at him today instead of Dick? He's already planning the wedding.

What's that? You said he smells nice? Have his babies. (If you can/want to)

Our delusional king.

He doesn't think you don't get his flirting.

He'd think you're fully aware and are flirting back.

Again, our delusional king.

You probably won't get it until something really serious happens and he comes to you instead of Bruce or Roy.

He'd probably try to get into things you're interested in.

Listens to all your favorite songs, reads your favorite books, etc.

And he's not subtle about it bc he is in fact, a loser.

He'll recommend a song by your favorite artist and then be like "idk why but this just reminded me of you lol"

LOSER. Can you guys tell i'm a big believer in the "jason todd is secretly a massive loser" agenda? Cuz I am. :|

And then he listens when you go on rambles about how great the things you like are and how much they mean to you.

I said he'll do things just to hear you talk about them, and I think he'd do that when he has a crush on you too.

He just loves your voice and likes hearing you talk.

He smiles at you so softly when he thinks you aren't looking.

You could be bumming out and he'll look at you with heart eyes like yeah, future spouse right there.

I don't think he'd be a big user of social media, but if you were, he'd get a whole account just to like and comment of your pictures.

user94820860038466 commented: You look very pretty in this picture.

Comments like an old man bc he has very little understanding of the internet.

He'd probably help you take pictures and fight with other people in your comment section if they're too down bad or creepy.

He doesn't strike me as the jealous type bc once again, he's so delusional he pretty much already thinks you're dating.

Nicknames nicknames nicknames.

Calls you so, so many nicknames.

Angel, doll, sweetheart, maybe even babe.

He constantly talks about you when you aren't there.

Lian and Roy know so much about you before they even meet you.

He'd do anything for you.

The store is actually about a mile in the other direction, but yeah he can get you your favorite drink.

He does not like that food at all and the owner of the store despises him, but he will not return to you empty handed best believe.

He was actually going to wear that hoodie today, but it looks so much better on you you should keep it!

~ Drabble Starts Here. ~

It's just like every other night in Gotham City. It's cold, and wet, and it smells like smoke and garbage that's been left out in the sun.

The only barrier between you and the chilled, musty air outside is a single sheet of glass; the fire escape window of your fifth floor apartment. It's comforting. The glass is, of course, bulletproof, and the seal around the sill is tight, so no gases ever manage seep in. It pays to have a decent landlord, especially in Gotham.

It's funny, but you really never think about that window. You mostly keep it shut and locked, except in the summer, when you can smell your neighbor in the building next door cooking all types of delicious aromatic dishes, or when it's just too hot and you decide the risk of heatstroke is greater than the risk of airborne psychosis. It never occurs to you just how well it keeps you safe, just how well it keeps things out.

It occurs to Jason, though. In fact, it's the only thing on his mind as he's gripping his side, frantically trying to prevent too much blood from seeping out of his body.

He'll probably chastise himself later for not being more gentle or respectful, but he's lost too much blood to be thinking straight. With his free hand, he bangs on your window, praying that you're A) at home, and B) not listening to music. He's not too worried about the first one, he knows you never leave your lights on when you're away, but the second one, he's not too sure about.

He bangs, and bangs, and bangs on the glass, a loud, thunk thunk thunk thunk thunk that immediately rouses your from your sleep. You jump up from your spot on the couch, an open book falling from your lap as you dart into your room to grab the knife Jay gave you for protection, before returning to your living room, keeping your back to the wall.

You hold the blade in front of you, nervously gripping the hilt as you listen to the banging, making sure to stay just out of sight as you cautiously creep closer and closer to the noise. It isn't until the banging dies down that you finally get close enough to see the cause.

You gasp at the sight, dropping the knife and trying to tug the window open, before mentally yelling at yourself to unlock it. You drag the weakened behemoth of a man into your apartment, carefully placing his upper body on the floor in front of your window and removing his helmet. Your hand moves to his side, firmly pressing down on his wound, as you stare at him, mouth agape and eyes flooding with concern.

He laughs, a dry chuckle that just sounds like it hurts. "What took ya' doll?" You wanna smack him, but you can do that when he's not bleeding all over your hardwood floors. You tell him to wait, as if he could go anywhere in the state he's in, before rushing to grab the emergency kit he forced you to keep.

"Let-ngh- let me do it." He groans as he attempts to sit up, trying and failing to pull the tweezers from your hand. He doesn't even have the strength to sit back up when you gently push him back down. You clean his wound, all while he holds back winces and groans. You don't hold back, focusing on cutting and cleaning and stitching and wrapping, berating Jason for coming to you of all people.

"What d'ya mean? Of course I'd come to you?" Jason manages between harsh breaths. "Who else would I go to?" He seems genuinely confused, you're his girlfriend, you always come to him when you need help. Why wouldn't he come to you?

"Oh, I don't know, Jason, maybe Bruce, or Roy, or literally anyone else with training to handle this kind of thing!?" It comes out mean, but through his pain he can tell it's coming from a place of true care. You're worried. One of the strongest, most skilled people you know is bleeding out on your floor and you're panicking. Of course you are, you've never had to sew someone up, or dig a bullet out of someone, or try to hold down bile from the heavy smell of blood.

Your hands are shaking like crazy. This isn't a slight graze you can put a bandaid over and seal with a kiss, this is a life threatening wound on someone you care about, and all they've been doing since they came to you is make stupid fucking jokes and try to take things from your hands.

Jason can tell it's getting to you.

It should be the other way around, what with him bleeding out in your living room, but he quiets down, gripping your wrist with his non-blood covered hand. "Hey," He gently strokes your skin with his thumb, repeating himself when you don't move your eyes from his wound. "Hey, look at me Y/n." It's just stern enough to make you obey, without sounding like he's mad at you. "It'll be okay. I'm in good hands." Jason smiles at you, tired and reassuring. It calms your nerves just enough for you to finish sewing his wound shut.

You sit back when you're done, taking in your work once you wrap his stomach with gauze. Jason turns just enough to catch a glimpse, smiling up at you with his stupid, charming smirk. "Not bad, doll. Told ya you had it covered." He lays back, smiling up at you as he lays his head on his arm, the one on his non-injured side. Though he doesn't seem to bothered by the end of it all, you can't say the same.

He takes in your features, your tired, glossy eyes and your pouting lips. It makes his smile drop. You look away, your sad eyes not meeting his own. "I . . . what? What's wrong Y/n?" Jason winces, moving to rest on his elbows to get a better look at your face. "Was it the blood? Or the- was it the window? I'm sorry about that, by the way." You shake your head no at all of his suggestions, taking a breath before turning back to face him.

He can feel his heart hurt at the sight of unshed tears in your eyes. "I . . . I was scared Jay." He pushes himself all the way up when you take your lip into your mouth. He ignores the pain shooting through his side when he pulls you into his arms. "Hey, hey, hey, scared of what? I'm okay. You did good." Those tears finally spill when your arms wrap around his waist, loose as to not further irritate his wound.

"You could've died Jay, a-and I wouldn't be able to-to help you! I can't help you!" You sob into his shoulder. He holds you tightly, pressing his lips to your head as he rubs your back. "Please, please don't cry. I'm okay now, you helped me. I'm all better now." He rocks you both gently, trying to console you. "Sides, if I was gonna die, I'd be happy if it was with my girl."

What?

You freeze in his arms, and he knows he said something wrong. He just doesn't know what. His brain moves a mile a minute as he tries to figure out what it was before you get even more upset. Though, his brain completely shuts down when you stare up at him with those cute, confused eyes. The tears have slowed down, and he's at least thankful for that. "Your . . . girl?" Now he's confused too. "What-what do you mean by that?"

He has to do a double take. "What do you mean? You're my girl, like . . . girlfriend, you know?" Every second that passes only confuses the two of you more. "I'm your girlfriend?" "Ar-aren't you?" You blink at him. Were you? Are you? "Am I?" Somewhere there was cognitive dissonance, Jason just doesn't know for who. "Yeah, we're dating, I thought?" Though, he doesn't feel so confident about that now.

"Oh," You feel your ears grow warm, for the second time now your eyes don't meet his own. "I . . . I didn't know that." You wish you could hide right now, but he's still got his arms wrapped around you. "I mean, unless you don't want to, then-then I'm sorry-" Jason feels maybe even more embarrassed than you as he finally drops his arms, grabbing his helmet and moving to crawl back out the window he came in through. His bullet wound is completely forgotten by now.

He stops when you grip his jacket, shyly staring at the floor as you speak. "No! I w-want to." Your eyes darty up to his, before losing confidence and dropping back to the floor. "I want to be your girlfriend," It comes out a whisper, and when he's silent for a beat too long you worry he's suddenly changed his mind.

"Good. Great. Yeah." He drops back to the floor, sitting cross legged beside you. Internally, he's doing backflips in his mind. "Cool." Later on, he'll ask more questions, but for now, he's satisfied. "Yeah." You shyly play with your clothes, twiddling your thumbs as you sit in silence. You feel like a little girl who just admitted to her crush that she likes him. "Are you-" "I didn't-" You interrupt each other, both of you gesturing for the other to continue. It's a bit of a fight, but Jason makes you go first.

"I was gonna ask if you were hungry. I have some, um, pretzels and stuff. If you want." Jason nods. He follows you into your kitchen, where the two of you quietly and contently eat the iron rich foods you looked up. "What were you going to say, by the way?"

Jason looks up from his plate, the haphazardly prepared meal helping him feel better, though his heart feels pretty good right now anyways. "I didn't know that you didn't know. I thought," he laughs nervously. "I thought, we were dating this whole time." He laughs again when you shake your head. "I didn't know! I thought . . . I don't know, that I wasn't your type, or something."

That's probably the most surprising thing he's heard you say today. Okay it's not, but it's the thing that most catches him off guard.

"Of course you are! You're so sweet, and cute, and nice, and pretty, and you smell really good, and you're funny, and I like your voice, and the way you d-do things . . . and . . . other stuff." Jason stops himself before he can ramble for hours about every single things he loves about you. You wouldn't mind if he did, though. You hide your pleased expression with your hand.

"Me too." It's quiet, but no longer shy. "I like all that "stuff" about you too."

#bizbat #dc #jason todd x reader #jason todd headcanons #dc headcanon #red hood x reader #red hood #jason todd #dc x reader #lian harper #roy harper

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sheeezu · 5 months ago

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Lately I've been struggling to even attempt to shift because I don't know where to go. You mentioned that your 'DR' was more made from scratch and piecing things together and I was wondering if you had any advice on that since I think it would be a good idea for me aswell but I don't know where to start.

My DR was actually very carefully made, and it took a lot of time, without a doubt (like i said, a year or something)

It was basically everything i loved about existing, compiled into a single reality.

It wasn't easy with me being a perfectionist, i'd get upset if i didn't get good enough crockery recommendation from pinterest (but in the end i did it, expensive and delicate looking china teacups, which got a crack the second day i was in my DR)

Ok-

Your DR self:

So my DR self was made from imagination, i don't even think anyone has any trouble with face claims, so we'll skip this portion.

Now for the personality, i'd always recommend going in the opposite direction of how you are in your CR.

A compelling personality would not only attract potential DR suitors but also yourself to your DR.

Try to balance your personality - a cold and sarcastic personality layered with sweetness, since in my opinion being either the biggest jerk or just being a doormat is unappealing.

Your DR personality is the most important part of your DR, even more important than your face claims, a good understanding of your personality basically guarantees a shift.

I'm a little short on words for this post since all of this is supposed to be personal to yourself, but i'm trying to write advice anyways.

Improve your environment, look at your CR, try to see what's lacking, try to figure out what's so irrational that you want to shift?

Make your DR engaging, script it's like a movie, a lot is happening, and you're often dragged into stuff which you've never signed up for (just like a romcom- trust me, you'll thank me on this one, even in my home reality, or even just now, i recall the memories very fondly to the opportunities and main character vibes i got to experience)

Try to be creative, do not care about it being quirky or weird, make notion notes (...? is that what they're called?) and write down all of the in the moment and full of life scenarios you'd like to experience, it'll induce a certain longing and excitement for your DR.

Read and or watch media. Read books and watch movies, this will increase your world building skills, and there's no shame in taking the plot of a entire movie and making it your DR's, it's your DR, no one is judging, it'll be just you there.

Balance. A good balance in a reality is what you want, if your DR has lot of action, don't just make it just about that, you'll burnout. Add other elements, soft moments, during which you can enjoy living in the place you've worked hard to come to.

Don't just make yourself perfect! Let yourself have flaws, trust me, your loved ones will love you anyways, in my DR, i made tea for my family and it was absolutely terrible, and to not hurt my feelings they drank it with a smile hiding there grimaces, it was only after i tasted it, i figured it out. (point of the storytime being, there is no issue with being authentic)

Visually appealing DR. Colorful lights and colors, lanterns, scenic nature, a "glow" to everything (like a calm filter of your choice, in my DR i just made the sunlight be bright golden, it added magic to everything :)

Let yourself experience unconditional love, care and respect. You deserve it.

Make pinterest boards, spotify (or any other music app o.o) playlists, use notion (my beloved)

Romanticize your DR (make everything beautiful- except perhaps not committing felonies)

Ok that's it, i suppose, all the actual DR, who you are, who are your loved ones, what you do, what your aim is, you're supposed to ponder on that yourself (trust me, it'll come to you) , i can't exactly make it or script it out for you, but you know what you like, take bits and pieces from already popular drs, and follow the corny statement:

Just be yourself.

Thank for coming to my ted talk

(Btw, i'd love to upload my script and about my DR or something, but eh, if i feel like it, my already existing script is cringe, and it'll definitely need dusting up)

oh and yeah forgot i was answering to someone, so i hoped this helped (:

#reality shifting #shiftblr #shifting #shifting blog #shifting motivation #shifting antis dni

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mrscarpenter · 2 months ago

Text

“We were always meant to burn together.” 3

Summary: i’m gonna be cruel and say just read 🤭

Includes/warnings: targtower!reader, aegons twin. Y/N has been used on multiple occasions. There is an age gap in this (whatever daemons canon age is). Some high valyrian with translations, i am not fluent so ignore if it sucks. Lmk if i missed anything

🪐notes: its been a while since i’ve seen season 1 so please ignore any timeline mistakes. Daemyra does not exist in this. :)

"Se Blākuata Rāsho drāñot vilinio viārtis," Gerardys said in High Valyrian. A maester of the Citadel renowned for his exceptional capabilities as a healer, he was assigned to serve as Princess Rhaenyra's personal maester. Such a prestigious appointment bears testament to his expertise and unwavering commitment to the art of healing. "'And landed at the Blackwater Rush.'"

Rhaenyra, entered the room. She was proud of her half-sister and watched her. The Realm's Delight wore a decadent off-the-shoulder black dress with two red dragons stitched to the bodice of her garment, paying to her family of House Targaryen. "'Drāñot,'" she assisted. Despite her sisters commitment, Rhaenrya did feel you were pushing yourself a little too hard.

You noticed your sisters presence. "Drāñot. Drāñot..." Come on; you know this word. "'At the end'?" You asked.

"The mouth."

"Mouth! Mouth, mouth, mouth. Come on, Y/N, you knew that. You've been told this word countless times! Drāñot. Drāñot..."

"Drāñot vilinio viārtis―" Gerardys resumed his instructions. "Drāñot," you muttered as you strived to improve daily, never letting yourself off the hook for any mistakes or slip-ups. "Drāñot... Ah! Come on, Y/N. You know this one. Gods, where is Daemon when you need him..." you reprimanded yourself.

Rhaenyra walked to the other side of the room where her third son, Prince Joffrey, was reading a book with one of Dragonstones many septas. At six years old, his brown eyes, hair, and pug-nose had become more distinct, similar to his older brothers. "Perhaps that's enough for this morning," she recommended.

"Mother's right, Y/N," Lucerys agreed. "You've been pushing yourself a little too hard―"

"No! No, no. I want to keep going," you were distressed as you waved your hands frantically, begging them not to end your tutoring.

You took a deep breath, composing yourself before finally exhaling. "Maester," you motioned.

"Guēsi ropakakson Āegon ūndas." Gerardys repeated in High Valyrian.

"Ahem! Well... 'Aegon... ordered that the trees should be... killed.'" You looked around confidently, eagerly seeking confirmation on whether you had gotten it right or not.

"'Felled.' It is a related word that can be interchangeable with the word killed depending on the context," Rhaenyra gently corrected her sister. However, you didn't seem too pleased about it as you slapped yourself on the forehead with your palm in exasperation. "But I don't expect you to learn High Valyrian in a day, Y/N. Knowing its dialect and fluidity is a process that requires a considerable amount of time, patience, and practice."

You stubbornly shook your head. "I am a princess of the royal House Targaryen; I'm expected to possess a fluency in the tongue akin to that of my predecessors. Moreover, this proficiency is of utmost importance."

"Learning a new language can be challenging, especially when starting later in life. However, I, too, speak the Common Tongue fluently just as much as anyone else and empathize with your journey to learn High Valyrian, which began around when I was Joffery's age. So unless you're determined to tire yourself out, you have plenty of time to study. I understand it may feel like time is running out, but it won't be the end if you rest your mind for a moment. You are young, Y/N. One and Twenty years old. And the future is always uncertain. It can be overwhelming to carry all of life's burdens alone. But remember that your family will always support and pick you up when life knocks you down. They'll be a strong and dependable presence in your life. Do you understand?"

You, the targaryen princess, faced yet another obstacle in your journey to self-improvement. Despite your unwavering dedication to bettering yourself, there were times when you would forget that you were still a mere mortal with limitations.

This realization often left you feeling disheartened and frustrated. However, your sister always reassured you that you had time to overcome these hurdles and move forward.

After a considerable period, Daemon ultimately returned from the shoreline. You noticed your uncle-husband's return. "What is it?" You asked.

Daemon handed Rhaenyra a message, the wax seal broken and left open. "Read it for yourself," he stated.

As Rhaenyra scanned the letter, her heart began to race, and she couldn't help but notice the seriousness etched onto Daemon's face. Even though they were exiled, they still had their connections to the world. Daemon had friends in the City Watch, while Rhaenyra had her allies in court, such as Lord Allun Caswell. However, the letter's contents widened her eyes, and her jaw clenched tightly with anger. The tension in the room was palpable as they both realized the gravity of the situation. "What's the meaning of this?!" she demanded.

"Sister? Husband? What is it?" You ask, concerned.

"Lord Corlys, was wounded in battle. They speculate he might not survive." Rhaenyra clenched the letter in her hands. "But instead of having the dignity to pray for his brother's safety and being concerned for his well-being, Ser Vaemond has instead gone to the capital to press that he should be made heir of Driftmark."

Rhaenyra's thoughts raced. It was clear that Vaemond intended to question Lucerys’ legitimacy and, in turn, the legitimacy of all her children.

The mere thought of it made her banish the idea from her mind. She was not going to let that happen. After all, Vaemond was a greedy eel. However, she couldn't let such a challenge to her children's claim go unanswered. "He means to call into question Luke’s legitimacy," she told her sister, and Daemon. "And, by extension, Jace and Joffrey."

"Vaemond only cares about Driftmark and the Velaryon line. Not about our politics," Daemon dismissed.

Meanwhile you shook slightly, your mind racing. This shouldn’t be happening. Surely your father wasn’t gonna allow for this to happen?

Daemon could sense that his niece-wife was going through a tough time. He gently placed his hand on your pregnant belly, providing you the comfort you needed.

Not long after you claimed Grey Ghost, you allowed Daemon to bed you. Your relationship has since progressed, as you had gotten with babe. But you were still very estranged, not quite knowing what to do with what you felt for Daemon, and not knowing if he felt the same.

“To kings landing, then.” Daemon said.

Rhaenyra nodded, affirmed. "To King's Landing. It's time to end this mummer's farce," she said with a fiery resolve. If alicent wants a fight, it's a fight she'll get.

You stayed silent, not knowing what to do. Would you be expected to stand with your mother, or your sister? Could you really stand with rhaenyra and make that final act of betrayal towards your mother?

——————

Red Keep ― Courtyard...

"All hail Princess Rhaenyra of House Targaryen, Princes Y/N Targaryen and Prince Daemon Targaryen!" Ser Steffon announced.

As you stepped out of the carriage, you were surrounded by your three nephews, Princes Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey Velaryon. Your uncle-husband Daemon, cousin/stepdaughter Rhaena Targaryen and half-sister Rhaenyra Targaryen, were also with you.

It had been six long years since they had last been at the Red Keep, for you even longer. and you were completely unaware of the changes that had taken place in King's Landing.

You, and Rhaenyra stood in viserys’ chambers, daemon off to do god knows what, as Alicent, your mother entered.

"It is good to see you again after so many years, Princess Rhaenyra," Alicent politely greeted. "And to you as well, Y/N. It has been so long since we were granted the joy of your presence."

Rhaenyra silenced you before you could say anything that might aggravate your already delicate situation. After all, you hadn’t seen the red keep since you were five years old, your mothers doing. You spoke of having visited the king, and about the hand of the king. But at the end of the conversation, Rhaenyra could tell you were doubtful of attending.

Alicent left, parting with the words “I will see you in the great hall, i hope you’ll be by my side, sweet daughter.” Her eyes on your belly before leaving.

After moments of silence, Rhaenyra turned to you, “what is on your mind?”

You rest your hands on your slightly visible bump, “I do not know if i can stand with you.” You didn’t mean it in the way of betraying Rhaenyra, but more as in, you couldn’t betray your mother. “Maybe it is for the best, if i dont show up.”

“You always reminded me it was our duty to hold the realm united against a common foe. When i was named heir, it divided the realm. I thought I wanted it, but the burden is a heavy one. It's too heavy.” Tears are in her eyes as Rhaenyra speaks to you, her hand holding yours. “If it is one you wish for me to bear, then stand with me and your nephews. Stand with your husband, instead of those who have betrayed you and neglected you time and time again. Stand against those who wish to divide us at every turn.”

————-

As Rhaenyra readied herself, she noticed Queen Alicent standing across the room, accompanied by her children, Prince aegon, Princess Helaena, Prince Aemond. The Targaryen prince gave her a stern look, almost comical in its intensity. Rhaenyra couldn't help but notice the disdainful and self-assured gaze that Ser Vaemond fixed on her. The Velaryon commander's demeanor was something that rubbed her the wrong way. Even though Vaemond was more than twice her age, she was determined to stand her ground.

"Though it is the great hope of this court that Lord Corlys Velaryon survives his wounds, we gather here with the grim task of deciding the future of Driftmark's succession and the next Lord of the Tides," Otto began. "As Hand of the King, I speak with the king's voice on this and all other matters." He sat on the Iron Throne. "The crown will now hear the petitions. Ser Vaemond of House Velaryon will present his claim. Princess Rhaenyra of House Targaryen shall stand against him. Ser Vaemond, as Lord Corlys's kin, you have the honor of beginning first. Explain to the court why you should be named heir to the Driftwood Throne."

Vaemond approached the Iron Throne after receiving a reassuring nod from Alicent. He gazed disdainfully at Rhaenyra and her children with a haughty expression, curling his lip in derision. "My queen," he addressed Alicent. "My lord Hand," he addressed Otto. "Lords and ladies of the realm," he addressed the assembly. "The history of our noble houses extends beyond the Seven Kingdoms to the days of Old Valyria. For as long as House Targaryen has ruled the skies, House Velaryon has ruled the seas. When the Doom fell on Valyria, our houses became the last of their kind. Our forebearers came to this new land, knowing that were they to fail, it would mean the end to their bloodlines and their name. I have spent my entire life on Driftmark defending my brother's seat. I am Lord Corlys's closest kin, his own blood. The true, unimpeachable blood of House Velaryon runs through my veins."

"As it does in my sons, the offspring of Laenor Velaryon," Rhaenyra interrupted. "If you cared so much about your house's blood, Ser Vaemond, you would not be so bold as to supplant its rightful heir," she scornfully accused.

"You will have your chance to make your own petition, Princess Rhaenyra." Alicent reprimanded. "Do Ser Vaemond the courtesy of allowing his to be heard."

Vaemond turned to Rhaenyra. "What do you know of Velaryon blood, princess?" he said with a sneer. "I could cut my veins and show it to you, and you still wouldn't recognize it. This is about the future and survival of my house, not yours."

“My Queen, my Lord Hand. This is a matter of blood, not ambition. I place the continuation of the survival of my house and my line above all.

I humbly put myself before you as my brother’s successor… the Lord of Driftmark and Lord of the Tides.”

“Thank you, Ser Vaemond. Princess Rhaenyra, you may now speak for your son, Lucerys Velaryon.” Otto says.

“If I am to grace this farce with some answer, I will start by reminding the court that nearly 20 years ago, in this very…” Rhaenyra is cut off by the doors opening, and in comes Viserys with you by his side. You standing by Rhaenyra alone wouldn’t do the trick, but you could put her father on the throne, so she could properly be defended.

“King Viserys of House Targaryen, the First of His Name, King of the Andals, and the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm. And his daughter, Princess Y/N Targaryen.”

You help your father onto the throne slowly, before walking back down and standing in between Daemon and Rhaenyra, refusing to meet your mothers gaze.

“I must… admit… my confusion. I do not understand why petitions are being heard over a settled succession. The only one present… who might offer keener insight into Lord Corlys’s wishes is the Princess Rhaenys.”

“Indeed, Your Grace. It was ever my husband’s will that Driftmark pass through Ser Laenor to his true born son… Lucerys Velaryon. His mind never changed. Nor did my support of him. As a matter of fact, the Princess Rhaenyra has just informed me of her desire to marry her sons Jace and Luke to Lord Corlys’s granddaughters, Baela and Rhaena. A proposal to which I heartily agree.”

“Well… the matter is settled.” Again. Viserys struggles to speak, very out of breath. “I hereby reaffirm Prince Lucerys of House Velaryon as heir to Driftmark, the Driftwood Throne, and the next Lord of the Tides.” Viserys wheezes.

Part 4?

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