#in the vault -> near the end of the main story

[menacingmetal]

vault fuck kid

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

octavinelle’s “happy endings”

***SPOILER WARNING: This post will go into detail about the dreams Azul, Jade, and Floyd experience in the book 7 part 10 update.***

OKAY, so there’s a debate in the TWST fandom about whether or not Azul and the twins consider each other “real” friends or just business partners. I’ve shared my own thoughts on this topic in the past (which you can read here!). After the most recent main story update, it’s now more clear to me than ever that they do treasure each other even if they don’t express that in traditional ways.

Let’s discuss them in order that they appear in book 7 part 10!! I know there’s some vagueness surrounding how much of the dream is Malleus actively controlling the scenarios (hence the limited and shallow scope of them) and how much the dreams actively pull from the innate desires of the dreamer, but for the sake of the argument let’s assume the latter is more influential in shaping and structure of the dreams.

First up, Floyd!

So Floyd is known as the “I do what I want when I feel like it” guy. He hates two main things: 1) being told what to do/having his freedom restrained and 2) being bored. To ensure that Floyd is happy, the dream consistently shifts to locations so he vanishes explore and experience new things.

What you might notice is that Azul and Jade aren’t around in Floyd’s dream. This doesn’t mean they don’t exist or that Floyd doesn’t know who they are though. When asked, Floyd replies that Azul is simply doing his own thing (focusing on his business ventures/schemes) and Jade is there supporting him, thus leaving Floyd to his own devices. The fact that Jade and Azul are still present in Floyd’s dream, just not in an immediate capacity, makes complete sense.

In the waking world, Floyd loves to stir up trouble with his brother and Azul. The thing is, Floyd also dislikes it when they tell him off, order him to do something he’s not in the mood for, or punish him for acting out. Yes, Jade for the most part enables Floyd to misbehave, and yes, Azul has largely learned by now that it’s best to sit back and let Floyd fuck off/finish throwing a tantrum rather than intervene. However, there are still times when they order Floyd around or get upset with him. For example, Azul scolds Floyd for damaging the vault where they keep the contracts in book 3 and for not selling the drinks he’s supposed to in book 5. We see numerous examples across vignettes as well: Jade forces Floyd to stand in line at a famous patisserie for Trey as penance for eating special fruits meant for a VIP client (Trey Labwear vignettes), Azul and Jade wring Floyd for his eel slime (Azul Ceremonial Robes vignettes), Azul orders Floyd to secure the rights to Sam’s Mystery Drink even though Floyd shows a clear disinterest in the task (Floyd Dorm Uniform vignettes), etc.

In spite of these grievances, Floyd doesn’t entirely despise Jade and Azul, nor would he be happier without them. They’re an important part of his life, hence why they still linger in the dream, just in the periphery where they can’t butt in with whatever Floyd wants to do. Jade and Azul aren’t present and compliant since that, too, would quickly bore Floyd. He loves those two goobers in part because they’re chaotic and unpredictable, not because they’re yes men to his every action. The dream might not be able to keep up with that demand; it only seems to operate in extremes rather than conjure enough nuance to keep Floyd stimulated and content. This is why all the places Floyd already visited bored him; he got showered with too many conveniences and eventually got fed up with it all.

If you need even more damning evidence, all previous dreams would manifest someone closely tied to the dreamer in an attempt to keep them in the dreamscape. Who does Floyd’s dream summon? AZUL AND JADE. If Floyd genuinely found them annoying or didn’t want them near, the surely the dream would spawn other people. BUT NO, it specifically spawned THOSE TWO in an effort to convince Floyd. It can be argued that they could very well be a source of hatred since Kalim and Neige showed up for Jamil and Vil respectively, but I genuinely think Floyd doesn’t feel that degree of negativity toward Jade and Azul; the kind of hatred that Jamil and Vil have for their respective counterparts has never been expressed by Floyd toward Jade or Azul.

Floyd reacts to dream!Jade and Azul in a manner that’s very different from the dreamers that came before him… with anger. And a LOT of anger too. He immediately clocks them as phonies and, he, fully waking, demands to know who the fakes are, because they certainly aren’t Jade and Azul. Floyd points out their faces and voices may resemble theirs, but they’re acting in a way that they never would (suggesting a “boring” way of living). That pisses him off to the point where he cuts the fakes down all by himself. Brutal violence aside, this tells us a lot about Floyd... as well as Malleus.

We see that Floyd has become lethargic and bored despite the dream's attempts to sate him, which just demonstrates that Malleus, whose magic has a hand in crafting these realities, has a shallow understanding of what makes people happy. (Edit: to be clear, Malleus having a “shallow understanding” of happiness is not a personal take; this is a direct statement made by Idia in-game and this is where I am pulling my phrasing from.) He thinks that removing all obstacles and challenge to what you want is what leads to a happy ending when, in truth, it clearly isn't the case for Floyd, who craves stimulation and change. While Malleus is motivated outright controlling the details of Floyd’s dream down to the wire, his autonomous magic has decided to get rid of any challenges Floyd may face in his pursuit of happiness. (I would continue about the Malleus portion, but since this post is about the Octatrio, I will instead direct you to this post, which shares many of my own thoughts ^^) I think that's why Floyd truly "woke" when he was faced with dream!Azul and Jade; a part of him recognizes how wrong it is for the two people he chose to spend his time with because they're so fun are now turning around and preaching complacency. It tells us just how well Floyd knows those two and values their... unique perspectives, shall we say?

Next, just Jade!

What's immediately fascinating about Jade's dream is that it's also underwater, despite Floyd and co. suspecting it would be on land/in the mountains. Floyd even changes from his merform to his human form prior to hopping to Jade's dream because he was under the impression that it would be on land. This ends up not being the case, although Malleus's magic does manifest the underwater equivalent of "mountains", which are volcanic vents at the bottom of the sea.

We see Jade happily exploring alongside a dream!Azul and dream!Floyd, who are both very different than the real ones. Dream!Azul has big, watery eyes and is much more of a coward and crybaby than the real Azul is. He also seems to be very dependent on Jade, who derives great joy from watching dream!Azul flail about while trying to attain his goals (in this case, access to a gold vein). This is in-character with what we already know about Jade; he amuses himself by watching others struggle--especially Azul, whom Jade frequently teases, such as tricking him to dance as a mummy in the first Halloween event and comparing Azul's greedy attitude to the positive traits of other dorm leaders. Jade also prefers to have control over the circumstances, so he likes it when people defer to his word or advice. So what better to hand him than an Azul that listens to his every word and also provides entertainment value in his tears?

As for dream!Floyd, he presents with a very goofy face and seems to lack his usual aggression and flippancy. Instead, he has a fixation on eating other sea life around him (crabs, shrimp, etc.) and happily goes along with Jade's mountain exploration. Like dream!Azul, dream!Floyd acts dependent on Jade to guide him and even acts cowardly in a fight. Now we can sort of get a glimpse of how Jade feels about Floyd too. Dream!Floyd's pliant and agreeable nature may come in part from the dream seeking to provide Jade with more free entertainment, but it could also be that Jade wants Floyd to share in his interests. But here Floyd is not gung-ho about mountains; instead, he acts very innocently, almost like a kid going along with whatever his parents decide to do for the day. It gives me the impression that Jade doesn't see Floyd as threatening but as someone cute and child-like. This idea is reinforced when, in an attempt to keep Jade dreaming, dream!Azul tells him that Floyd is cute and not some thug (like the real Floyd is). AND JADE 100% BUYS IT. He 100% believes that dresm!Floyd is the "true" one, that his Floyd and Azul would be useless without his support.

Idia makes an important comment at this point in book 7. He explains that Jade is having a hard time waking up because he believes in himself too strongly. That also means that Jade is distrustful of others; he is the only person he counts on. This reflected in how dream!Azul and dream!Floyd present. Both are heavily reliant on Jade to tell them what to do. In real life, too, Jade uses his competency to get into others' good graces (including the notoriously hard to please Vil; see his Dorm Uniform vignettes) so then he can reap the benefits that relationship offers. Jade is just that confident that he can succeed. Indeed, he often is the one coming close to tasting success when all others have failed. If we look back at Ghost Marriage, Jade was about to win over Eliza's heart before Floyd rudely interrupted and pointed out the flowers Jade was gifting were poisonous. Back to Idia's comment; because this is dream's Jade world, he's perhaps too invested in the dream that he has made, thus Jade is choosing to believe the dream that he conjured over the reality staring him in the face. It takes fistfighting with Floyd AND a jolt from Sebek's UM to properly shock some sense into Jade. He is otherwise too stuck in his own head to consider a truth that isn't one he has constructed for himself.

Still, I find it revealing that even though Jade is essentially stuck in his own headspace, dream!Floyd and dream!Azul are the only other people around. Floyd and Azul’s dreams feature way more NPCs, but Jade’s dream is pretty lonely. He could theoretically have several influential people to whisper in the ears of, but instead Jade’s desire is grounded… just being able to explore nature with his twin and Azul. They’re the ones he chooses to spend his time with. No one else. And Jade actively, fiercely defends this simple thing despite usually not being one to resort to violence right off the bat. The only major time in the main story where Jade does this is in book 2, when be noticed that he’s being tailed and does not appreciate the violations of his privacy. That’s exactly what this dream sequence is. It’s another violation of his privacy, and he detests that. You shouldn’t be here interrupting his happy, chill time with his friends business associates. It’s best for you to clear out.

I think it's also worthwhile to note that Floyd and Jade's waking sequences mirror one another. To quote myself from another post:

Something I find interesting is that the twins’ moments of waking mirror each other’s usual approaches to a task. Floyd usually foregoes a plan and prefers to use his fists to get the job done. However, he is slowly roused by reminiscing about his memories at NRC and the promise of being presented with a challenge. The final blow that shocks him awake is the presentation of a dream!Azul and dream!Jade who attempt to lure him deeper into the dream. Floyd doesn’t fall for it; in fact, he gets mad instead, and that fury, so biting and clear, snaps him awake. The opposite is true for Jade. He is someone who meticulously plans before acting, and would rather control the circumstances and use other roundabout methods before resorting to violence. But ironically, the master manipulator Jade is the one who falls for his own dream’s manipulations—all because he trusts himself above all else. He only wakes up because of a very strong physical force (ie Sebek’s UM) striking him. Prior to this, Jade was putting up a very good fight and the blows be was taking were not sufficient to wake fully him. So… Floyd, the brother who prefers brawns, woke up after reflecting and experiencing strong cognitive dissonance between his fake reality and bis true reality. Jade, the brother who prefers brains, woke up after being smacked the right amount. They woke up after experiencing an intense shock related to what is essentially the opposite of their preferred problem solving strategies.

And last but not least, Azul!

We’ve arrived at what I think is the juiciest part to dissect on the subject of the Octatrio’s friendship. To start off with, everyone suspects that Azul’s dream will be one in which he is a highly successful businessman with Mostro Lounge as a chain with even more locations stretching as far as the Coral Sea’s depths. That isn’t the case though! They quickly come to learn that Azul is the leader of Golden Trident, a reigning Coral Rush team. In this dream’s reality Azul was always popular and well-liked. Because he was never bullied, he never started up his shady business in middle school and thus never attracted the interest of the twins. Notably, Jade and Floyd still exist in the dream (as Azul remembers the Leeches from elementary school), but they never got close.

Before we get into the Octatrio’s dynamics, I want to say that the setup of this dream already tells us that a lot of Azul’s desire to become a successful business owner really stems from the longing to be accepted as he is. He uses his businesses and accumulation of contracts to reinforce and inform his self worth. Azul has formed a false belief and identity entering around the concept of success and likability equating to talent and material goods. This explains why he’s so fixated in his public image and being perceived as smart, confident, reliable, and trustworthy, and why he loses it so quickly when he’s denied his collection of golden contracts. Azul is insecure as heck about his shortcomings (athleticism being one of them) and the dream may be latching onto that, as well as his desire to be liked by his peers, to overcompensate.

A little thing I'd like to call attention to is that Jade refuses to divulge the private details of Azul's past in which he was bullied. This is significant because most other instances of the twins bringing up Azul's past usually results in them making fun of him for it and continuing to rag on him to the point where Azul becomes annoyed and tells them to quit it/reminds them that they swore to not talk about it. In those other instances though, the twins never tread that far; they'll at most comment about how different Azul looked or acted back then. They never went so far as to point out how badly he was bullied and here we see Jade respecting Azul's privacy by vocalizing that he refuses to release that information. And this JADE we're talking about, the one who has zero qualms with scoping out prospective new students for their personal info so Azul can later hold it against them (Jade Ceremonial Robes vignettes). Jade even blackmails older students to attain what he wants (Ortho Athletic Gear vignette). It says a lot that, when given the option to openly blab about what Azul experienced and have a laugh about it, Jade clams up.

sdjbaslidbasib OKAY I GOT SIDETRACKED, BACK TO AZUL'S DREAM. So he remembers the Leeches from elementary school, meaning that their existence was not entirely purged from his dream world. It's just a different timeline of events since he wasn't bullied in this reality. Azul is quite friendly to the twins and invites them to join his Coral Rush team at his mother's restaurant for a celebratory dinner. When we arrive at the restaurant, Azul and his team mates start to make fun of the land creatures for very similar things that he actually got bullied for in the waking world. (For example, being clumsy and uncoordinated in their swimming.) He's no longer the bullied, he is a bully. In a twisted way, Azul is getting validation of his own identity by looking down on others; this mirrors his behavior pre-OB in book 3, as he also mistreated his anemone'd peers back then. Tellingly, the only people he doesn't bully are... that's right, Jade and Floyd. Azul instead asks them to play Coral Rush with him. Again, this parallels what we saw in book 3: Azul is asking the twins to essentially "join" him in the midst of him abusing his power and lording over others. He still cares deeply about Jade and Floyd's approval specifically. Nowhere is this demonstrated so clearly as the method by which the twins finally get Azul to start questioning the construct of the dream. They start smashing up the restaurant but then grow bored and make as though they're going to casually leave. That triggers a memory from book 3 in which Azul is angrily shouting about how he'll always be alone. Alone. That's what Azul fears, being that lonely little octopus crying in his pot. That's why he's surrounded by adoring team members and fans in his dream. That's why he breaks down emotionally and OBs after the twins refuse to hand over their UMs to him in book 3. That's why he becomes distraught enough to shake the dream at the suggestion that Jade and Floyd, his two closest friends, are threatening to leave him. In book 4, Azul tries to be cool and play off this fear as the inevitable, that he's fully aware that the Leeches will discard him if he stops being entertaining to them, and that he's prepared for that when it happens. But... is that really the truth, given how Azul reacts in book 7? Everything leading up to this moment seems to imply Azul was just lying to himself, perhaps in an attempt to quell his own anxieties about the possibility. And given how Azul is shown to be calculated in cultivating a put-together public persona, I would not be shocked to learn that. It wouldn't make him seem strong or confident if he displayed weakness or fear over losing his right-hand men. I don't even know that he's purposefully telling a lie. It could very well be something Azul tells himself and believes in, but deep down he cannot truly know how emotional he would get if it ever happened.

As soon as Azul starts to wake, the mermobs of his Coral Rush team are the ones who come in and pull him deeper into the dream. Interesting to have just mobs doing this rather than a dream!Jade or dream!Floyd, given how important they seem to be to Azul. Maybe that's just how the surface level of the dream works? Like, it prioritizes lavishing Azul with general attention rather than the attention of two specific people since, in this dream's reality, Azul never bonded with Jade and Floyd (so those two wouldn't be as convincing?).

When Azul is being dragged into the darkness, Jade and Floyd don't go after him. Instead, they kinda just sit back and claim it's Azul's choice to dream more deeply so who are they to interfere? It takes some convincing from Ortho to convince the twins to pursue Azul into the next layer of the dream--but after the twins depart, Ortho wonders if Jade and Floyd being this cold is actually their way of showing trust. This sort of behavior is why I stress so often that we cannot take what the Octatrio do and say at face value all of the time. They have completely different ways of expressing that they care, and they don't always mean what they insist they mean. (KEEP THIS IN MIND BECAUSE IT COMES BACK INTO PLAY SOON.) In the second layer of Azul's dream, we revisit the events of book 3 had he been successful. He's setting that final class trip picture on fire and relishing in his total conquest of Night Raven College. Azul has ~500 golden contracts, the UMs of the other dorm leaders, and even has Crowley under his thumb--and this time, there's a dream!Jade and dream!Floyd to enjoy that victory with him. The rescue squad has to trick Azul into accidentally sanding his own contracts again, and it's that loss that finally breaks him. Again, we see how much of his own self-worth and value Azul places in that which he collects. It all ties back to that fear of not having anything of worth--not even allies to call his own--if he loses what he believes makes him desirable. At this point, Azul begins to sink into that final layer of his dream (the part where he confronts his OB self). This time, the twins lunge after him, calling out Azul's name and instructing him to grab onto them (+ Jade tells Floyd to help him pull). UM, HELLO????? The "take my hand" imagery, that symbol of trust and connection, from all the way at the start of the game is rearing its head here 😭 AND YOU KNOW WHAT'S EVEN CRAZIER???? The twins just... let go after that??? But not because they don't give a crap about Azul--no, it's because they care and believe that he can fend for himself, that he's no longer a weak person who cries and needs their support to stand on his own. Jade sends him off with a "good luck" and Floyd asks of Azul to not go to hell. Azul casually says the same right back to them before descending. And, just as the twins suspected, Azul is able to win against his inner demons and return to them, safe and sound. They were right about Azul, and Ortho was right about the Leeches. For as cold as Jade and Floyd seem to act, it's actually a front for how much they care.

In the segment where Azul faces his Phantom, he cites that the weight of everything he has taken from others has made it difficult to move. Taken literally, it of course could refer to the tentacles of his merform making it hard for him to swim. Metaphorically though? It can easily mean that he can't achieve personal growth if he's burdened by the weight of his sins (stolen talents, items, etc.). These things he stole may glitter, but they are not gold and he now realizes they aren't things he actually finds valuable. Azul wants to go out there and find things of "real value". I interpret this to mean intangible things that can't really have a price put to them, things that cannot be bought in stores... like friendship, the very thing he has with the twins but failed to call it that this entire time.

Everything in these dreams, and more specifically Azul's dream, demonstrates the Octatrio's mutual respect and trust in one another. Jade and Floyd acknowledge Azul as a strong individual, and Azul's subconscious reveals that he deeply values the twins and seeks their approval even when they've been removed from the picture.

[shithowdy]

can we ask about those fallout ocs from the trailer?????? i wanna know about everybody 👀

Hello anon have a seat beside me

Thank you for asking about them!! 'Trailer' bears such heavy implications of a followup project and while I can dream... well, I can dream. 🥲

The characters are from an ongoing RP I am doing with @ninamodaffari and @sakom75 that takes place a few years before New Vegas. It surrounds the personal story of our main three guys unraveling their extremely fateful connections, while at the same time being the origin story of our setting's Courier Six as a recurring antagonist.

Some character blurbs! I tried to make these brief but I failed.

The cowboy ghoul is my boy Oliver, who began as a cowboy death knight in world of warcraft back in 2009 (who remains my avatar, my brannnnd). His past as a paladin now living a life as a near-immortal deformed ex-human at risk of losing his mind at any moment translated so well into the setting. After being forced into retirement from his 30-year army career due to a "medical discharge" (had a heart attack inside power armor after being given experimental stimulant drugs) he returned to his roots and bought a ranch, which is where he was when the bombs fell. After he and his employees failed to drive their herd toward a radio signal calling for mutual aid due to the radstorm that began his ghoulification, he instead rode west through the desert to begin his completely delusional quest to find the resting place of his son, who he only knew was in a non-vault-tec vault around Southern California. He was obviously stymied by the impossibility of it, and eventually became a nameless fixture of the wasteland along the I-10, with the recent nickname of 'Matador' by locals due to his skirmishing with the Legion operating out of the growing Fort Blythe.

Dallas (larger, in coat) and Emil (little guy) belong to Sako and Nina respectively. Dallas was born to a Legion officer in the faction's infancy and was raised to be a brutal killer at a young age, which made his eventual defection as a teenager very easy. He surrendered himself to a ranger named Sancho, who after it became clear he was a true defector ended up "adopting" him and helping him integrate and, eventually, become a ranger himself. While dodging bounties offered by his father, his goal is to find his mother and, after he was swept away in the Colorado a few years ago, Sancho-- he does not believe him to be dead. (He's correct)

Due to his search, he tries to take a lot of solo scouting missions to cover as much ground as he can, and it's on one of these missions he met Emil near the central coast while pursuing some fiends with a captive. Emil had recently emerged from an underground facility further north with only the name E412, a mutant resulting from very similar experiments to those from Vault 4 except with the purpose of manufacturing psykers in what was supposed to be some kind of new world governance scheme but flopped with the bombs. Except the robots overseeing it weren't programmed to consider the bombs, and kept the scientists that had previously been tricked into working there on orders even when there wasn't a world left. Also, the program was nonsense and relied on harvested DNA from a dwindling staff. Most of the staff died by their own hand, resulting in the on-and-off cryo cycling of those that remained, leaving them frostbitten husks with numerous replaced parts working for an impossible goal. They conspired secretly to end the facility, but it was difficult. One such place to drop notes was near the composting area, where one could even at times hear rain through the vents. A scientist one day found mushrooms growing here, and introduced them into his process just for something different.

He didn't expect it to work.

Oliver was wrong, his son Chadley was not in southern California. He had been tricked with hundreds of others into a new contract of secrecy, and before he could communicate his fear aboveground, the world ended. His death was not two hundred years ago but mere weeks, when he finally sent the facility into shutdown, leaving the creatures there to fend for themselves against the robot overseers. E412 escaped at last, only to find a bag on his head. After being rescued by Dallas, he was given a proper name and it was insisted he tag along.

Weeks later the pair found themselves sheltering from a hunting party after Dallas: mercenaries on Legion hire, accompanied by a Centurion and his own party. A convergence of fates had them shelter in the Matador's home of all places, and after reversing a staunch refusal to help them when he realized helping them = annoying the Legion, he agreed to guard and guide them so they could get to a Followers base in Arcadia so Dallas could get some shrapnel from a prior assassination attempt removed. In charge of this base is Dr. Wei Song, another of Oliver's young wasteland rescues from decades before and the only person he has a continued relationship with.

But rejecting extended companionship, Oliver left them at Arcadia after having barely learned about them and went home, where the same failed assassin that left shrapnel in Dallas waited for him in the rafters with a dartgun full of RadAway. This was Frumentarius Lupus Rex, who was supposed to be kind of a one-off dollar store Vulpes Inculta (which says a lot i know) for our own plot but got oops'd into being a real character when he showed a smidgen of honor and Oliver, his captive, asked him his "real name".

Thus began the conflict of Lupus Rex vs. Vasco Sawtooth, the tribal boy repressing years of trauma and hate for the sake of simply surviving. He realized, like Dallas, there are other options and resolved to undo what happened but was caught by his superior, Princeps Peregrinorum Scaevola, and lost his arm in the process.

A former Brotherhood paladin who valued power more than the Brotherhood's goals, Scaevola defected when he saw the Legion growing in power as a "tribe" and knew he could secure a position he could abuse there much more easily. Which he did, by throwing himself at Caesar's feet with a whole host of energy weapons/ammo/powerfists. While remaining loyal he did retain old connections (and made new ones, such as a close friendship with Dallas' father Viator) and with these connections he had his traitorous pet "remade", rank stripped, left nothing but a living weapon operating outside the bounds of typical Legion method.

Kind of the Shadow to Emil's sonic, he pursues without choice until the favor is finally able to be returned. We haven't gotten to this point in the RP yet, but eventually he will find his freedom and guidance under Francine, a [redacted] recently emerged from cryo and rather than following operations destroyed her facility and started a diner.

Through her he'll learn how to function like a normal person and, eventually, find a job of his own as a courier. A nice, normal, easy job.

If you read all that I'm kissing you with tongue.

[shewolfofvilnius]

What single track would you use to introduce your bg3 OC?

double-tagged by BOTH @wasteful-sam AND @irondeficienttav.

No-pressure tags: @ashprince-of-bel-air, @vividdreamer, @kimberbohwrites, @purpleasters-inseptember @forget-me-maybe @tiefliing @tsabhira05 @ladyofcrowsandcoffee @wakacreations @yeetmeoutthewindowdaddy @reverieblondie and anyone else who wants to join, of course! :)

🗣 Rules:

Pick 1 song for each OC!

Include a link to the song/artist/composer

You can add more than one OC (but no more than 3)

brief canon/lore (I'm a curious sort)

Tag people!

(Note: Any fandom is welcome to join!! And please, don't forget to link to your fanfics so we can find them! It's time to shine, babes!)

Name: Tavaria (Pictured here being a dork)

Race: Asmodeus Tiefling Bhaalspawn.

Found: Athkatla, Amn. (GASP! NEW DETAIL!).

Background (Has an entire book-length set of lore, but long story short). She was raised by a pair of travelling tiefling bards named Sofija and Mikolaus - and their son August. They travelled all across Faerûn but Tavaria seemed happiest in Elturel, where she befriended several tiefling kids, including a feisty young scrapper named Lia - and her older brother Rolan, Tavaria's first crush (and kiss!).

While Tavaria was a perfectly proficient entertainer, she was more skilled with plants and animals, and was a known animal speaker. In her later years, Tavaria was known to integrate both plants and animals into her portion of the family's act.

Eventually her first family died in a horrific accident in a thunderstorm, and Tavaria was taken in by her 2nd - a pair of farmers a day outside Baldur's Gate. Her talent with all things nature made her a natural and any hesitation that the human couple had to take in a tiefling teenager evaporated.

Near the end of the first harvest season, Bhaal's dark urge manifested and the entire farm was led to slaughter, with only Tavaria herself, their blood on her hands, escaping.

A couple of years later she usupred the previous head of Bhaal's cult, a white dragonborn named "The Boss", and became her father's true chosen. During this time she developed a relationship with an arms dealer named Enver Gortash.

The pair eventually managed to raid Mephistopheles' vault in Cania and retrieve the Crown of Karsus. In the shadow of their plan to dominate an Illithid Elder Brain, Tavaria got pregnant with Gortash' child and was betrayed by her 'sister, Orin, abhorred at what her sister had done.

Tavaria eventually awoke on the nautiloid in Avernus, before hours later crashing down on a beach just a stone's throw from a druid's grove where she found her childhood friends Lia, Rolan, their brother Cal, Tavaria's little childhood 'shadow' Alfie (Alfira), and several other Elturians waiting for her. Now she's trying to put her life back together while trying to remember who she could be and forget what she is.

Class: Acts 1 through Orin Fight in Act 3: Rogue/Druid, 3 Rogue levels to every 1 druid level.

End of Act 3, All Epilogue Fics: Rogue/Druid/Bard. 1 level of Bard re-emerges, otherwise 4 Druid levels to every 1 Rogue level. Bhaal's influence wanes so her druid talents come to the fore, but her abilities as a rogue are weakened not eliminated.

Love interest(s): Rolan, Enver Gortash. (psst: love triangle!)

Fanfic: Tavaria features as either main character or deuteragonist in the following fics:

Prequel Fics: Ascension Day, The Parasite Within

Story Events/Initial Epilogue: My Own Soul's Warning

Post-Epilogue : The Sorceress of Ramazith's Tower (Gale x Lia fic, as deuteragonist)

Setup AU: Found and Lost

Mentioned in: No Taste for Revelry (Cal x Lae'zel)

Song: Runaways - The Killers

I actually named my game events fic after ANOTHER song of theirs, but this song says a LOT about Tavaria's relationships with TWO different men, Gortash and Rolan.

Blonde hair blowing in the summer wind A blue-eyed girl playing in the sand I'd been on her trail for a little while But that was the night that she broke down and held my hand A teenage rush She said, "Ain't we all just runaways? We got time" But that ain't much We can't wait 'til tomorrow

In her younger years, Tavaria's hair was a more blondeish brown, only taking on it's (blood) reddish-brown look after she left Elturel and the Urge began to emerge. Her eyes? Turquoise-blue.

Anyway, Rolan and Tavaria as young teens (he 14, her 13) had had crushes on each other for months. Lia had teased them BOTH relentlessly. On Tavaria's last night in Elturel, she'd showed up with Rolan's mother's heirloom necklace, one of the only things of hers he still had. Bullies had taken it, and Tavaria and Lia had taken it back. This caused Rolan's crush to erupt into a full declaration of love. Hand-holding had rapidly become a (very well-supervised) first kiss. But they had no time. They couldn't wait until tomorrow.

You gotta know that this is real, baby Why you wanna fight it? It's the one thing you can choose, oh

We shift further ahead now. Tavaria's an adult. Her life is controlled by Bhaal's cult and the dark urge's influence on her life. Her capabilities as a murderer. Her bardic gifts had been turned into murderous art (an inspiration to Orin). Her gifts for nurturing life has a druid had been turned into her being a purveyor of death. But falling in love with Gortash? The Chosen of Bane? She chose that. Everything else was Bhaal's, but Gortash? That was her. (Yet still, she was reluctant. He's Bane's chosen. But gods (literal) they're into each other).

We got engaged on a Friday night I swore on the head of our unborn child That I could take care of the three of us But I got the tendency to slip when the nights get wild. It's in my blood He said she might just run away somewhere else Someplace good We can't wait 'til tomorrow

As Gortash climbed the ranks socially, Tavaria was often seen at his side. Enver knew that any patriar who took umbrage to his 'associating' with a tiefling was a liability who needed to be dealt with regardless. As the pair were seen together more and more, Gortash even floated the idea of getting engaged, though they both realized that would cause issues with their respective gods.

Unfortunately, an issue was caused regardless when Tavaria became pregnant after a particularly wild night with Gortash - and she slipped up, having been off-schedule with her prevantatives.

Tavaria swore she could make it work; her pregnancy even played a part in the Absolute plan via the decision to have the tadpoles skip their usually-rapid growth and takeover for a much, much slower almost pregnancy-esque incubation until activated.

But Orin learned the truth, and so Bhaal knew the truth. And Tavaria having the child of Bane's chosen was unaccceptible. Would she flee? Run? Hide? Turn to fight? On whose side? Bhaal's chosen was going to create life not take it. Unacceptable. Even on the eve of their great victory, Tavaria had to die. So Orin did her best.

You gotta know that this is real, baby Why you wanna fight it? It's the one thing you can choose Let's take a chance, baby, we can't lose Ain't we all just runaways? I knew it when I met you I'm not gonna let you run away I knew it when I held you I wasn't letting go

She lives though, and who the fuck does she run into but ROLAN? It's real! And the two have an immediate chemistry (egged on as always by Lia and Cal) but they're in far different places as people. Rolan's future's locked in to this apprenceship with Lorroakan; Tavaria wants her mind back and wants to deal with the Absolute. But each other? They can choose that. Tavaria's fled (unwittingly) her old life with the Bhaal Cult and the Absolute, Rolan's been made to forcibly leave Elturel. They're runaways.

And somewhere, in the back of the two's heads, I think they knew when they saw each other that day in the grove, it was endgame. Rolan eventually parts from Kaldani, Tavaria will eventually confront Gortash (once she remembers him), and these two dorks won't let go again.

We used to look at the stars and confess our dreams Hold each other 'til the morning light We used to laugh, now we only fight Baby, are you lonesome now?

Gortash and Tavaria are ultimately very compatible people, though, and eventually they reunite. Gortash is delighted; he wants to pick up exactly where they left off. This is the woman who once knew most of his secrets, the few he'd reveal to anyone. But she's changed. When they reunite, Tavaria's gone heroic? Wants to stop the Absolute Cult?!?

Perhaps this was to be expected. Those nights when the Urge was quietest, when Bane had no demands, they'd lay on the roof of the city. As the candlelights and oil lanterns gave way and more and more of the sky became visible, they'd admit their truths. The real aspirations outside of Bane and Bhaal's control.

To his last, Gortash doesn't believe Rolan truly understands Tavaria. He might know the idealization he's built in his head, he might be powerful enough to help take down Lorroakan, but Gortash knew Tavaria's dark side and loved her all the same as in the light. Does Tavaria feel alone, knowing that she's hidden part of herself from him?

At night I come home after they go to sleep Like a stumbling ghost, I haunt these halls There's a picture of us on our wedding day I recognize the girl but I can't settle in these walls

Even after being liberated from Bhaal's control, even after Gortash' death at the Netherbrain's control, even after everything, Enver had a point, though. She sleeps less and less. She's not cut out to be The First Enchanter's Wife, she's not content to be some bound married thing locked away in Rolan's tower. She led a cult. She's the Hero of Baldur's Gate. She's also a fucking druid, as Halsin and Jaheira take turns trying to get through her thick-but-drilled head, she is NEVER going to be happy locked away in the middle of some giant city sitting away in her tower.

the wedding day represents both her and Rolan's idealizations and her onetime dream - and the closer it comes, the more she realizes she doesn't want it, at least not like this, and the Tavaria that's being increasingly relegated to Rolan's tower isn't the woman she wants to be.

So eventually, she talks Rolan into leaving, the both of them. They plan to leave Ramazith's Tower, leave Baldur's Gate, and settle out in Reithwin - he as it's First Enchanter and Town Librarian, she as it's master farmer. It won't quite work out that way.

We can't wait 'til tomorrow Oh, we're caught up in the appeal, baby Why you wanna hide it? It's the last thing on my mind (Why you wanna hide it?) I turn the engine over and my body just comes alive

spoilers.

Ain't we all just runaways? I knew it when I met you I'm not gonna let you run away I knew it when I held you I wasn't letting go

Ultimately there's a POV-shift in the final reprise of the chorus that leads to a shift of the lyrics. The last rendition is from Rolan's point of view. Because again, spoilers, but while Tavaria saves Rolan from Orin, it's going to be Rolan who saves Tavaria from the hellish experience awaiting her in the next fic.

[rinravenkeep]

The Trees are part of the Squid's Plan! (major main quest spoilers)

After spending way too long playing through the new quests in SSO, I've come up with a theory. A real long theory. That the Life Wardens are siding with both Dark Riders and Soul Riders in order to repair the Wild Weave and reconnect with one another, inadvertently helping the Dark Riders to free Garnok.

Lemme explain.

This is the map in the Fort Maria portal room. It shows the seven major Life Wardens that we know of, but it also gives us some clues about the story going forwards.

First, the obvious.

Yeah, there's no way that little illustration in the corner is anything but Ol' Squiddy's Tentacles. But we knew he was imprisoned between worlds, in neither Pandoria nor Jorvik - so finding out he's been chilling in the Wild Weave, or a location only accessible by it, makes sense.

Next, when it comes to putting a name to each of these trees I think most are fairly self explanatory. We've known about most of these trees for years, even if they've never been a part of the story, such as with the Ice Tree by the Stonecutter's Vault in Dino Valley, and the Unnamed Tree way up near where you finish the Red String Trail in the Firgrove Mountains.

Where it gets interesting is with the two trees I couldn't place; such as the one between the Sentinel Tree in Mistfall and the Ice Tree in Dino Valley; and the one on the far left, signified by floating islands.

In my mind it makes sense to have a couple of the trees sprouting in Pandoria, since the two worlds are connected by the tree roots - and the only floating rocks I know about are in Pandoria - but who knows.

Overlaying the normal map on top of these locations makes it pretty clear that they're supposed to correspond to real map locations. The only anomaly is the Ice Tree and Sentinel Tree, whose positions are reversed on the portal map.

What's interesting is that Garnok, if I'm following the map's logic correctly, would hold exactly the same positioning as the Dark Core Oil Rig.

(For context, we know the Rig's position from old skybox errors that used to show it when stood in the right spots, some maps from the books (which I know aren't always canon anymore, but hey it's the best we've got) and, most recently, if the player looks South when entering Devil's Gap, thanks to that little black hole we helped Sunshine open up recently.)

Where am I going with all this? Okay!

Firstly, we know that the trees have helped the Dark Riders in the past. The Life Wardens have repeatedly said the only loyalty they have is to each other, and quite frankly after what the Jarl did, who can blame them. (Thanks Jon).

This is going into massive spoiler territory for the most recent quest as of 17/1/24 so if you haven't completed it yet, flee.

The Sentinel Tree in the Wildwoods has been corrupted by Pandorian magic for a while now. But in the newest quest, we saw Sabine using the Runesmasher to break into it and create a portal to free Erissa.

Side tangent about the hammer:

For those who didn't play the Halloween quests, basically one of the Jarl's servants got the ice valley smith to make a hammer that could destroy runestones, broke one open, and a Vala witch gave him immortality. Aka. Sive (or an identical Vala witch), who is deeply connected with the Life Wardens and who probably gave Sabine the hammer when we saw her in Devil's Gap, has no problem with this action.

The Life Wardens, or at the very least Sive, their ally, wanted the portal opened and Erissa freed.

Why?

To re-grow the Wild Weave.

Assuming Garnok's position on my map was correct, the only way the Dark Riders now have to free him is to go directly through the Wild Weave.

And since we're good people who like nature... yeahhh the Soul Riders are totally going to end up healing some trees and inadvertently opening the path to Garnok wide open.

Oh yeah. We're going to mess up royally.

[seththepotate]

I dunno, I feel like people saying the Fallout show retconned New Vegas are making a *lot* of assumptions based on a few tiny pieces of info.

It's a very self-contained story. We did not learn much of anything regarding the outside world of the current West Coast besides what was important to our characters. Our main characters are a Vault Dweller who of course knows nothing, an apathetic Ghoul who if you don't remember, spent a lot of time prior to this season imprisoned in a casket underground, and a BoS initiate who was plucked out of Shady Sands as a child. Three people who either do not know or do not particularly care about the NCR or its dealings.

*Shady Sands* fell. Not the NCR as a whole. Also it's implied that Shady Sands maybe was not the capitol when it fell ("the FIRST capitol of the NCR). But yes I will agree that the fact of it getting destroyed by Vault Tec bullshit kinda sucks.

I've seen people say New Vegas looks like a ruin? And yeah sure it doesn't look perfect but:

For one it's a wide shot from very very far away and let's be real, NV never looked amazing aside from the casinos. It is very very weird that the surrounding area (camp McCarren, the outer vegas ruins, etc) aren't really present but also let's remember the reason so many big locations were so close were due to map limitations with the game. In the show the scale of these places is much more in line with real life.

For two, even if it is a ruin, Fallout: New Vegas *itself* gave many potential near future issues that could plague the city. Divide Storms, the Cloud, Tunnellers, continued problems with Fiends, hell even the Legion could have still caused problems depending on what ending ends up being canonized. We just don't know yet. And I'm sure we'll find out.

This series so far seems to be really leaning into accepting the past non-Bethesda Fallouts (really liked seeing the original 10mm) and I'm sure we will see some really great shit in the future seasons.

Just my two cents. Maybe season 2 will come out in three years and prove me wrong but I think some people are jumping the gun on their outrage.

[betterillusionist]

Not Quite Friends

_...-~-..._

~-..._...-~

Headcanon context:

Simeon Firemane - ex-spy from Dragonspyre who managed to escape to Ravenwood near the end of the Dragonspyre Titan War. He's married to Roland Silverheart.

Roland Silverheart - a druid born in ancient Ravenwood who watched his people be killed by the Dragonspyrians fleeing from Rydall's Plague. He has since been able to overcome (most of) his grievances and has married Simeon Firemane. Can be easily gaslit over simple details due to his age.

Boris Tallstaff - minor deity-type entity with the power of stories. His physical body is made up of hundreds of magical talismans. Lives/Imprisoned inside of the Ravenwood Library because of Roland.

Ivan Soulsinger - former Dragonrider whose spirit is now stuck inside of his family's heirloom sword.

{Written & posted at the request of @raynee-main}

_...-~-..._

~-..._...-~

"We're here, daemon," Roland growls as he holds the heavy vault door open without a care in the World. The heat of lava streams into the space first, invading the cold air and consuming it whole.

"Oooh!" Boris hums with great interest as he rushes inside. He curls around the mysterious device with immense curiosity. A bright crystalline blue gem pulses in its affixed slot in a small black box, humming with otherworldly resonance. There's a second, smaller slot on top, which is currently empty. It sits at the bottom of an elevated dais, upon which sits an intricately carved piece of wood. The runes, however, are dormant.

Once he's finished with his inspection, Boris' chest flutters open, and from the cavity within he retrieves a short stack of papers and a green crystal that he can just barely cover in full with his fingers. He lets the papers float before him - three in total, two informational and one note - to make it easier for him to scan them.

- Place the Knowledge Crystal in the receptacle on top of the main panel (one with blue crystal) - Touch the blue crystal - Wait for the portal to fully open before entering - If the runes don't light up, flip the Knowledge Crystal and try again

Note p3.4 -> If you think this will ruin Roland's opinion of Simeon, please don't bring him with you. I know it's unfair for him to not know where he came from, but seeing it first-hand is not something to be taken lightly. It will be as real as it had been for us. Not just the war, but who we were to each other then, too.

Boris does exactly as the instructions say. The green Knowledge Crystal slides perfectly into the small slot atop the forward black box. Once it is nestled into place, it starts to shine with silver sparkles and hum along to the crystal below it. Then he carefully places a single papery finger to the one right below. The moment it connects to its smooth surface, the whole machine whirls to life. Bright blue energy rushes up the steps and fills the runes of the arch, bathing the two in its brilliant glow. A portal appears in its center, expanding outwards from a single central point. Its surface is murky red and purple as its hazy edges swirl like storm clouds. Distant echoes emanate from within, though the words are far too hazy to make out in full. At least the thing works.

He turns back to the instructions.

Once inside: - Don't stray too far from the crystal's owner (me), or you'll risk leaving the past and you will have to start all over again - Don't stop events from occurring. History must fly its course - Each memory only lasts for so long and contains a gateway that leads further in. Its appearance is different every time, but it will usually glow

Note p3.5 -> This is "the past" through my memory. As such, I can't tell you how it will flow, but there should be a pattern to it. You'll just have to figure it out on your own. But interact with the world as much as you want. Don't worry, it won't change anything in reality. It will all stop on its own whenever you get to the point where I die, if it brings you that far.

He turns to Roland, who stands quietly in the vault's opening, still supporting the door with a tireless arm. His long white cloak hides away most of his knightly armor, a red cross painted over the polished metal chest plate. His silver eyes gaze curiously at the Bookkeeper and the machine, though he is still quite grumpy on the inside.

"Explain," he demands at last.

Boris raises a fist to his mouth and "clears his throat", as the mortals say. "I had expressed some interest in learning more about what happened during the Dragonspyre Titan War, and Ivan graciously loaned me his Knowledge Crystal-" He stops his spiel abruptly as Roland scowls with skepticism. "Hey, I'm not a thief!" Boris defends.

"Simeon is aware of this, oui?" Roland checks.

"Well, uh, that I don't know," Boris admits with a shrug. "It all happened kind of fast. But Ivan's okay with it, so…"

"Morceau de papier volant ignorant…" the knight growls beneath his breath. Boris keeps back an eye roll of his own. Of course he's embellishing the story a fair bit - basically all of it - but only to try and dissuade the brute from following after him out of his knightly obligation. This is not that important and he can do this on his own. What harm can he be to the greater Spiral inside of a memory anyway?

"It's just archival work, Roland, it's nothing fancy," Boris says, waving a hand back at him dismissively. "I just need someone to stand guard while I poke around."

Roland, as he (sadly) expected him to, shakes his head. He steps into the room properly, releasing the vault door and allowing it to swing shut behind him. His cape very nearly manages to miss getting caught between the door and its bolted frame.

"You will not leave my sight, daemon," he declares.

"For the love of Creation, I'm not a child!" Boris exasperates. "I've done this stuff before without-"

"This is the deal we struck. Vous vous conformerez."

Worry creeps its way across Boris' face as he can only bring himself to straighten his posture. He does have a point, unfortunately. So now it's time for him to be blunt. With a sigh, he opens his mouth once more, speaking firm and clear so that there is no room for the knight to misunderstand him, "Ivan thought that it's important for… at least one of us to know what kind of people they used to be back then. If you think you'll be able to handle that-"

"Bien sûr," Roland states with confidence as he glides forward. As he passes Boris, he wills the papers back into their stack, hiding Ivan's notes from his gaze. He can't help but worry as he follows the knight through the ominous portal. Hopefully he's overthinking the outcomes. He just has to have faith in Roland. Yeah… This won't destroy any relationships... hopefully.

>>> [ Memory 1 ] <<<

An armored dragon crashes out of the ashen sky, leaving a crater in its wake and ejecting its passenger. Although armored, the boy bounces and rolls down the destroyed street, crying out in pain as he tumbles uncontrollably. A staff flies from his hand - a bright red shaft capped with a golden dragon curling itself around a perfectly spherical ruby - along with his sword. He lands with his back to Roland's feet, huffing and puffing in an attempt to gather what little of his senses remain.

Boris takes the liberty to slap a talisman to the knight's shoulder. The runes painted on its surface glow with brilliant blue light as it makes contact with his metal. Before Roland can give him a wary glare, Boris states, "It's just for translation."

The boy's hand wraps around his sword and swings it wildly through the air behind him with an angry cry. Roland catches it with ease, the blade's spectral blue metal clanging against his gauntlet. Startled, he looks up. It's Ivan, not too much younger than his ghost. His face is horribly scraped, with little pieces of stone and dirt lodged between bright red streaks that tear his face open.

He's tired, broken, and shell shocked. Tears start to glitter in his eyes as they dull, fearing the worst. That his life is over.

But that time has not come just yet.

Boris flashes him a warm smile, bending forward to get a clearer view of the wizard's face. "Hi there! Don't worry; we're here to help you. Right, Roland?" He raps the back of his hand against Roland's gleaming chest plate. In answer, Roland releases the sword and lowers his arm, his head raising up at the sound of another, more immediate threat. The marching of heavy boots and the rustle of wings echo across the ruined landscape of what once was a lively city street. Roars of bloodthirst and war rise with warning. Roland goes for his greatsword in an instant, the long blade flashing beneath the darkened sky.

Ivan, however, turns to the limping dragon. Its massive body blocks the road beyond it, shielding the wizard from its view. And beyond it is a wall of hazy color, an incomplete picture that Ivan never got to see, or perhaps blocked from his mind. Its wings spread and mill uselessly at its sides, revealing holes in its leathery skin. Broken arrow shafts still lodge themselves in its underbelly. "Blitz!" he cries out, scrambling to his own injured feet. He doesn't get two steps before his legs give out, making him stumble down to a knee.

The downed dragon turns its armored head to Ivan. Its voice is deep and smooth, with only a hint of pain in its throat, as it speaks, "Ivan, run."

"But-!" the wizard tries to argue, his grip tightening on his sword, only for Blitz to beat its tail against the ground and roar at the sky. "A rider's promise is his word. I will buy you time. Go, Ivan! Live!"

The result of a conversation driven to breathlessness finally arriving at its climax. And with the dragon's words, Ivan's sword flares with brilliant white light. The wizard doesn't react to the sudden change, still enraptured by his dragon. Roland raises an arm to shield his eyes. Boris is the only one that takes action, understanding exactly what's going on. The memory must be ending, and the gate has opened.

>>> [ Memory 2 ] <<<

His finger draws away from the blade as he looks up. No longer do he and Roland stand on the battlefield surrounded by ruins. Here, the houses are whole, and, while the sky remains ominous, there's the sounds of life all around them. Soldiers walk up and down the street. Dragons with their young dance overhead. Some hold aloft other wizards clutching little red and gold sticks - staves similar to Ivan's. No one pays the two obviously out-of-place strangers any mind, as if they had been standing there all along.

Roland lowers his arm and blinks in surprise, taken aback by their sudden change in surroundings. "What did you do, daemon?"

"Brought us to the next memory, I suppose," he answers.

Ivan himself is standing not far away, a brown satchel hanging down from his shoulder to rest by his hip, a white roll of bandages in his hand as he gingerly tends to an injured dragon. His sword, which is inside of a leather scabbard now, is left resting against the side of a metal fence. He must have taken it off so that he could treat the injured beast.

From the busy and faceless crowd then emerges a red specter that glides across the way, emitting an air of importance. It walks right up onto the sidewalk and stalls at the fence's edge, not daring to enter. The dragon's weary eyes open to peer at the newcomer, though it hardly moves much for Ivan's sake.

"Ivan Soulsinger?" a familiar voice asks. It's with a thick and sharp German accent that has all but gone by present day, but there's no doubt in Boris' mind that Simeon has made his first appearance.

Ivan's head tilts but doesn't turn as he remains focused on his duty. "That's me. Did another drake-?"

"Don't worry, it's not important," Simeon reassures him. "I'm here to inquire about your dragon, Blitz."

Ivan's face contorts, even as the rest of his body fights to remain calm. He continues to wrap the bandage around the wing, but his fingers are starting to shake. "He's still injured from patrol," he lies.

"After five days?" Simeon hums.

"It's pretty deep. He'll need at least another week-"

"What if I told you he was dead."

Ivan comes to an abrupt halt. His fingers curl around the ball of bandages, trying to crush it with his might. At last, he turns around, and the red specter takes shape. It is, indeed, Simeon, though it's hard to tell. His outfit is sharply different from what Boris is used to seeing. A red cap hides his eyes from view with its long bill, with half of a golden star embroidered on its front. He wears a red suit and matching pants, a cape fluttering behind him, its metal clasp hanging above his heart. Dark silver shoulder guards glint at them, a curled dragon painted on in black ink. His boots are slim but firm and appear slightly cushioned, too. His arms are wrapped around his back, and an empty smile is spread across his face.

"You-!" Ivan breathes through gritted teeth. He looks just about ready to cut down this man where he stands.

"Don't worry, I'm not here to write you up, either," Simeon promises, holding up one of his hands in a calming gesture. "I'm just here to figure out what happened."

Ivan lets out a huff. "How did you find this out?"

"I work reconnaissance," Simeon replies. Boris can't help but release a skeptical huff of his own. Simeon just lied right to Ivan's face, so easily and without skipping a single beat. Reconnaissance? That's only half of his job description. He looks to Ivan, fully expecting him to call out his bluff, but looses that hope just as fast as it had built up. This is but a memory. Ivan doesn't know anything about Simeon yet.

Ivan's shoulders slump, his eyes straying to the ground. "We were ambushed while out on patrol. Blitz… didn't make it. As you saw."

"And you didn't help him," Simeon asserts.

The wizard inhales sharply, a cord having been struck within him. "I… I did. I tried. But…" He shakes his head hopelessly. It would have been him against an entire army. If he had stayed, he would have most certainly died. But it's not like Simeon knows that.

"So you fled from the enemy and left your dragon to die," the Pyromancer sharply accuses.

Ivan steps forward, pushing his enraged expression right up to the bill of Simeon's hat. He dips his head low so that Ivan can't get a good look at his face.

"You would have run, too, if you were me," Ivan replies.

Simeon frowns, though it's just as emotionless as his smile. He's thinking, but Boris can't tell what it could be about. Ivan eventually steps away, returning to the bandaging he had abandoned. Simeon lingers for a moment longer before turning to go.

"Thank you," he says, his voice rather flat. The tat of his shoes fades away into the busy air. Once he senses that the stranger is gone, Ivan releases a heavy sigh. He rests his head against the side of the dragon, who doesn't seem to mind much. As he leans, the bandage he holds begins to glow. The path forward is now open to them.

Boris doesn't hesitate. He pushes himself over the fence, leaving Roland behind on the sidewalk, still enraptured by the moment. His sudden movement breaks the knight's concentration, however, but he's too late to hold the Bookkeeper back. He's already upon the second gate, hand outstretched…

>>> [ Memory 3 ] <<<

"Ah-!" Ivan yells in alarm. His hand rears back, abandoning the bundle of bandages he was reaching for. Boris lifts his hand as well, yanking his head away. He wasn't expecting to be that close to his face! "You again!" he breathes at last, anger boiling just beneath his words. He shifts on his knees, preparing to stand.

A young drakeling bounces at Ivan's side and hisses up at the floating boy, sputters of flames curling from its nostrils. Boris lifts himself away from the tiny creature in an instant, raising his legs as high as they can go to avoid catching fire. The curse of having a physical body… But Ivan moves fast as well, curling his arms gently around the agitated beast's neck to hold it at bay. "Calm down. It's okay…" he reassures it, though he eyes Boris with great suspicion.

"You remember me?" Boris asks, intrigued by this sudden development.

"Of course I do!" he snaps back. "Where did you go? You said you were there to help!"

"Oh, uh… yeah, about that…" Boris replies with a weak chuckle. How much should he say to the memory? It seems like they're moving forward in time, so it makes sense that some past knowledge will be retained. Ivan didn't warn him about stuff like this happening, though this could all just be his Crystal's unique quirk. But if that's the case, he doesn't want to wind up in a situation where the story strays so far from what it's supposed to be that he'll have to restart from the very beginning.

Though as luck would have it, Ivan's gaze becomes distracted, flickering beneath the floating being before him, farther down the path. Boris can hear it, too, soft yet firm. Marching footsteps. Ivan blows a breath through his teeth, his face turning livid. He releases the drake from his grasp and finally rises.

Simeon is waltzing down the slope - this time, they're situated along a spiraling pit bustling with hyperactive drakelings and their elders - arms behind his back just like last time. His march falters as he lays his eyes on Ivan's new friends, clearly not expecting the extra company. Boris can feel a cold, judgmental air pass over him. But he doesn't need to finish his trek, as Ivan storms right up to him, his trembling hands latching onto his collar. Simeon doesn't seem fazed as the boy shakes him around with all his might.

"You wrote me up!" Ivan spits, trying to keep himself from yelling too loud.

"No, I did not," Simeon corrects him calmly.

"How else did I get reassigned so quickly?"

"Did you really think you could hide a dead dragon for very long? Someone was bound to find out-"

"You found out!" Ivan states, shoving him away.

Once he regains his footing, Simeon simply raises a fist to his mouth to clear his throat. His other hand slides into a pocket and withdraws a small green Knowledge Crystal - the very same one Ivan is letting them use - and presents it to the boy before him, jumping right to the business he is here to conduct, "I am Officer Simeon Firemane from the Dragonspyre Intelligence Agency. I would like you to become my informant."

Ivan is quiet, though he emits an aura of stunned surprise.

"I stand by my promises, Ivan," he continues, lifting his chin a little higher. "I did not report you. That is not within my purview. But I promise that if you work with me, I will help you however I can. Starting with this." He waves the Knowledge Crystal higher. Ivan's head tilts forward, obviously staring at the thing with restrained interest.

Suddenly, Roland surges forward, a mass of muscle and might barreling towards the two echoes. Simeon snaps his arm back, narrowly avoiding Roland's blade as he swings it between the two, severing their conversation. Ivan as well takes a step away from the knight, startled.

"Roland-!" Boris can't help but call out in alarm.

"You are not Firemane," the knight growls down at the spy. His grip tightens on his hilt. A subtle warning that he isn't to be trifled with.

Simeon frowns ever so slightly beneath the knight's stern gaze, as if this were but a minor inconvenience to him. He gives the Knowledge Crystal a toss, flipping it over the greatsword that divides him and Ivan, whom hastily catches it on the other side with clamoring hands. He doesn't relax until the Crystal is securely in his grasp.

"Think about it," Simeon says to Ivan as he takes his leave once more.

"What do you think you're doing?" Boris exclaims, finally darting forward himself. "We're supposed to be observing, not getting in the way!"

But Roland shakes his head, his face firm. "That is not Firemane's aura."

"Of course it won't be! Alignments can change! Just look at Ivan and-"

Ivan is staring back at him, the Crystal being held gingerly in his hand. His expression is blank, but he is aware. Very aware. A pang of panic shoots through Boris. Did they say too much?

"Who… are you two?" the echo asks.

Boris whips his head around, trying to find the next gateway to no avail. They - and by "they", he really means "Roland" - must have cut what was supposed to be a much longer conversation incredibly short. Now they're stuck needing to explain to the memory of a dead man that he's… well…

Ivan slowly bows his head, his eyes straying to the Crystal he now holds. Simeon wasn't shy about who gave the thing to Ivan in the first place, though he had framed it like a peace offering or a gift. Here, it's more like a token. A promise. A desire. His fingers curl around its smooth edges, and he releases a long, shaky breath. It sounds like he's figured it out all on his own.

"I don't really have much of a choice, do I?" he asks.

"Um… not really," Boris admits with a shrug.

"And you're already familiar with that officer?"

Boris lets out a long sigh. "Yes."

Ivan's gaze remains fixed up the path. Simeon stands nearby the memory's wall of haze, his face clearly turned towards them. He's not trying to hide the fact that he's stopped to observe the group for himself. If Ivan's echo can retain memories, then surely Simeon's can as well. Which means they'll just have to be extra careful.

"I hear the DIA is quite ruthless with hiring and promotion," Ivan comments, fiddling idly with his new trinket. "He must be above exceptional to be an officer already. And to have spare Knowledge Crystals to hand out…" He can't help but return to the gem again as his thoughts trail off.

"Are those things rare?" Boris inquires.

"They are now. Dragonriders used to get them, but with this war, all the blank ones have gone to the more… 'important' people." He can't seem to help but roll his eyes. "I guess the preservation of dragon riding isn't 'important' anymore."

"Scum," Roland comments quietly.

"But you're not here for that, are you?" Ivan guesses, returning to the two visitors as he pockets the Crystal, removing it from his sight. "To learn about dragon riding, I mean."

"No, we're not," Boris replies a bit more comfortably. "We're actually trying to stalk Simeon-" Roland shoots him a glare, driving daggers through Boris' thin skin. "-but since he wears his Crystal 'round his neck all the time and won't tell us anything, you're letting us use yours as a substitute!"

A weary and mildly hurt smile tugs at Ivan's lips. "I see…"

"You wanted us to do this," Boris tries to reassure the echo. He reaches back into his body and retrieves the handwritten note and instructions, holding them out for Ivan to see. "Even wrote a whole essay and everything!"

"Is this wise, daemon?" Roland asks as Ivan stares at the papers with interest. "Letting the dead read his own handwriting?" Ivan stands a little more rigid at the sound of his comment as he shuffles to the next paper.

"You don't just call it out like that," Boris mutters back, pinching the bridge of his nose. "He's already figured it out anyway. Why not?" Roland still releases a disapproving huff, turning back to observing their surroundings.

It takes Ivan a while to read it all, but when he finally reaches the last page, he laughs. "Damn, you weren't kidding! I never write like this in class!" His smile falters as he reaches the bottom of the page, however. That, Boris will admit, was perhaps an oversight on his part.

"Anyway, we're stuck here waiting for the next gate to open," he says, quickly ripping the papers from Ivan's hands with a casual flick of the wrist. "Don't know when that'll be or where."

Ivan nods, though his attention diverts itself away from Boris and back towards the drakeling he had been trying to care for earlier. It plays with the bandage ball with happy snorts, using its sharp nails to roll it between its paws. He steps back over and retrieves the ball from the ground. "That's not a toy," he chuckles softly, lowering himself down to his hands and knees. The drakeling lets out a disappointed whine that's only soothed by the Dragonrider's soft touch along its snout. "Sorry about that. Where does it hurt?" The drakeling turns over one of its front paws, revealing a small cut that bleeds a dark gold substance.

As Ivan sets about fulfilling his original duty, Boris takes a glance over his shoulder. He just barely manages to catch a glimpse of Simeon's boot disappearing into the fog. He stuck around for quite a while…

But there's still no gateway, which is what's troubling him. And with this being only the third scene, he doesn't have enough information to try and predict what it is they should be looking for. First his sword, then the bandages… His eyes dart to Ivan's Crystal-shaped lump in his pants. It can't be that, can it? If it is, his armor is doing a good job at blocking the light. And if he's right, he can't help but wonder where they will wind up next.

"Ivan," he speaks up, floating down to the Dragonrider's side. He points to his pocket and asks, "Can I see your new Crystal real quick?"

He blinks back, confused for a moment. But then it dawns on him why he is being asked such a random question. "Sure." He shifts his leg to reveal the small cut in the fabric of his outfit. Sure enough, barely managing to leak out into the ashen air are the lightless rays of white he's been waiting to see.

"Perfect!" he beams back. "See you in the next scene!"

"Uh… yeah," Ivan breathes back as Boris reaches out for the Crystal.

>>> [ Memory 4 ] <<<

"Thirty-two dragons."

A paper rustles. "It says there's six still out on patrol."

"That report is getting updated tomorrow. Two were sent out yesterday and they haven't come back. Another went missing two days before-"

Ivan pauses as his eyes go wide with surprise. Boris keeps down a gasp as he flies backwards, pressing his hands against Roland's armor. Simeon's head snaps back not even a second later, his cold gaze scanning the empty space behind him.

The four have been crammed into a small room constructed out of blueish-purple brick. It's only slightly larger than one of the dorms at Ravenwood. Bed, closet, desk, and pots of dirt, all decorated with the Dragonspyre crest. Besides the obviously pre-provided basic necessities, an air of Death magic hangs in the air. A black banner adorned with a white skull hangs over the bed. A hanger has been nailed into the brick, where Ivan's satchel rests at the ready. Beside it is an empty staff mount with a bright red backing. His Knowledge Crystal has been set out on his desk, next to his writing tools and a small stack of books.

Roland's massive form shifts behind Boris as he crouches down, the ceiling not quite high enough for him to stand completely straight.

Simeon finally turns back to Ivan. "Is everything alright?"

"Ah… yes," Ivan stammers back, trying to downplay his shock. "Sorry, I just… remembered something that I forgot to do."

The Pyromancer lets out a hard hum. It's doubtful that he believes such a weak excuse. Boris certainly doesn't, even though he knows the reason why the Dragonrider freaked out.

"The Dragonriders have been instrumental in keeping track of the enemy's movements," Simeon says at last in a flat, matter-of-fact tone. "Of course, there's always certain risks that come with such a task, as you no doubt know." Ivan slowly nods back, his eyes dulling as Blitz springs to his mind. "Don't worry too much. The Hatchery is well secured, and casualties are few and far between overall."

Ivan shifts his weight around uncomfortably. "Right…" he mutters back.

Simeon's swagger isn't even fazed by the dour student standing before him. In fact, he's already turning towards the door, his business concluded. "If you have something else to get done, I will take my leave. Honor and glory, Ivan."

"Honor and glory," Ivan halfheartedly echoes.

The spy strides across the room, luckily skirting around Roland's brutish figure on his way. It's not like he can see the two at the moment, though Boris can't help but heave a sigh of relief once the door snaps shut and the three are left alone in the small room. He lifts his fingers away from the knight at last. Ivan has to blink a few times to comprehend the sight before him.

Finally, he pinches the bridge of his nose. "Couldn't you two have picked a better time to appear?"

Boris smiles and shrugs back. "Sorry! We can't really control that."

Ivan just shakes his head and sits down on the bed next to him. His shoulders slump, seeming exhausted.

"Well, thanks," he says. "It's been… hard talking with him."

Boris just hovers in the air quietly, his lips pursed as he swirls with sympathy. Poor Ivan. It's hard to not make comparisons between the echo and the ghost. He's never seen the Dragonrider look so down before since he first met him. Of course, it could largely be because he's dead now; the normal trials and tribulations no longer apply to him in quite the same way. But in here, they plague the boy as heavily they once did.

In the silence, Roland sees it fit to kneel. His eyes shut so that he can think, his jaw stiffly clenched. A low, rumbling hum emits from deep within his throat as he thinks. Boris can't help but feel bad for him, too. As much as he hates to admit it, the druid is getting up there in age; he's probably struggling to find his footing with how fast the Knowledge Crystal has been moving. It's a young mind eager to show them everything. Boris would love to slow things down for him, too - he barged right in without letting Boris prepare him in advance, and already that's caused a small problem - but he doesn't know how he'd be able to do that.

"Is he okay?" Ivan asks, nodding towards Roland.

"Oh, yeah, of course he is!" Boris replies with a smile, patting the knight's shoulder. "He's just getting a little old for this sort of stuff."

"Silence, daemon," Roland demands beneath his breath.

"Look, you could have stayed behind," Boris points out, poking at one of the wings on his helmet. "But you didn't."

His eyes crack open, shining silver staring off into the distance of his own mind. They eventually shift over to Boris, slow and smooth, and he demands, "His papers."

Boris flicks his eyes as he produces Ivan's written instructions. Only his instructions. The knight yanks them from his hand and begins to read them over as Boris drifts to Ivan's side.

"Hey," he whispers into the echo's ear, his voice becoming the soft rustle of papers blowing in the breeze, "I'm going to need you to play along with me. He's going to ask where the note is, and we're going to pretend like it doesn't exist. Okay?"

"Why?" Ivan breathes back.

Roland is already weighing the two sheets of paper in his hands, scanning them both at the same time. He's starting to scowl, something amiss deep within his gut. Boris probably shouldn't be saying this at all, but Ivan's already seen the papers. And once the two of them leave, all that Ivan knows in this instance will be forgotten.

"Because him and Simeon are married," he replies. Ivan sucks in a sharp breath, shifting on his bed. Boris rests a hand on his shoulder to steady him.

Roland looks up, his glare sharp and accusing. "There are three."

"No there isn't," Boris retorts, forcing a frown across his face. "It's just those two."

"Don't play games, daemon," he growls back. "I saw you with-"

Boris shakes his head. "All he gave me were those two sheets."

A chip carves itself into his face, confusion slowly tinting his annoyance. He takes another glance at the papers in his hands. "There are references written here-"

"Yeah, I saw that," Boris sighs, trying to sound annoyed by the "small, unexplained detail" scrawled beneath each checklist. "I guess there was supposed to be a third one that he just forgot to hand over." He gives an exaggerated look towards Ivan to get his attention. He lifts his eyebrows at the Dragonrider expectantly, his eyes darting back towards Roland. Now is as good of a time as any for him to speak up.

"Yeah…" Ivan speaks slowly, turning towards the knight, "I, um, I only read the two, too. Sometimes I leave that kind of stuff in for personal reference and I forget to erase it. It's not really meant to mean anything to other people…"

"Ah, so that's why," Boris hums.

Roland releases a heavy sigh and, shifting the papers into one hand, rubs his aching forehead. Boris gives Ivan a soft pat on the back, even as he wears a troubled frown. It's for the best.

He floats back over to the knight and gently reclaims Ivan's instructions. He lets them go without hassle. Boris opens his cavity once more, careful not to show it to Roland or rustle the note still inside or else immediately expose his lie. He can't help but feel bad. He likes to mess with Roland's ailing memory so long as it's about something benign and silly. But this time he's treading on thin ice with his perception of Simeon. He still can't tell for sure how Roland will emerge from this experience yet. The last thing he feels the knight needs to read is big, bold, block letters screaming at him,

DON'T TRUST SIMEON

He might take that advice back into the real world with him. That would almost certainly bring about an early end to his newest partner, a man he already had to break down his own ancient barriers for to trust enough to fall in love with.

A growing glow of light catches Boris' eye. On Ivan's desk, one of his books begins to take on the gateway's bright halo. Boris almost jumps at the mere sight of the gateway, but he flinches just as hard, holding back. Dread settles on his papery form. For the love of Creation…

Roland looks up once more, alerted to the change in his environment. He follows Boris' outstretched arm towards the glowing book. "That means… it is time to move on?" he asks, recalling the instructions he just read.

"Yes," Boris confirms with an airy breath. Roland shifts on the ground with a grunt of effort, climbing back up onto his feet slowly and carefully. He has to hunch forward at the waist to keep his head from ramming into the ceiling. Seeing that Boris isn't moving, he lumbers up to the desk, an armored arm extending from beneath his cape.

"Bye!" Boris manages to chirp, giving Ivan his best cheerful wave. The Dragonrider blinks back at him, though he does manage to raise his hand in a parting gesture just before the book drags the two forward into time.

Please, please, please, don't let this next memory happen in the library…

>>> [ Memory 5 ] <<<

Roland lifts his hand and his head as the colors of the world clear up once again. Boris keeps back his first visceral reaction - panic. It's the Academy library. For the love of Creation, why did Ivan's memory have to bring them here?!

The book itself rests on the central desk, waiting on top of a pile of others to be returned to their rightful places on the shelves. There's not many people here milling about, and those that are present are dressed head to toe in armor. To be fair, there is a war going on presently; who has the time to pick up a good book anymore? Ivan is nowhere to be seen, though he must be around here somewhere.

He turns his gaze to the second level, searching… Ah! The faintest rustle of a book just barely reaches his ear.

He taps Roland's shoulder, causing the knight's head to turn ever so slightly.

"I'm going to look for Ivan up top, if you can look around down here," he proposes.

Roland heaves a reluctant sigh. "Do not cause trouble."

"I won't, I promise," Boris semi-lies. He should really be the one telling that to Roland. He doesn't know if this will count as causing trouble, but he still must go. He best deliver a warning now, just in case…

He rushes off before his smile can falter and dives into the outer-ring of bookshelves. Almost instantly, he feels a second presence latch onto him, staring at him with a heavy air of confusion and panic.

The papers rustle. You…?! How is there…? Why is Roland…?

Don't worry, he tries to reassure his past self, we're inside a Knowledge Crystal.

An air of understanding passes through the space between them as the Bookkeeper settles down. Interesting…

I don't have much time, Boris starts. I need you to stay away from Simeon Firemane. You know who I'm talking about, right? That officer from the DIA?

Ohhh, him! Why?

If you're not careful, he's going to find out about… us- you- yeah, you. And for my sake, I don't want that to happen. Memories are retained from moment to moment here, so-

Oh… his other self hums quietly, stiff with disappointment. He takes a moment to breathe, the books nearby gently fluttering. I'm sorry, that… that already happened yesterday. You're too late on that.

'Yesterday?' Boris breathes back, the tomes near his consciousness tremoring. What? There shouldn't be a yesterday, should there? But then he remembers some of the comments and reactions Ivan has made. How he kept reacting like many, many days have passed by between each scene. Does that mean that the time when him and Roland travel between memories still simulates itself? And that the characters within the Crystal still live through history, but can also act in accordance with the knowledge that the two Crystal travelers impart onto them?

He had been getting close. It was only a matter of time, the Bookkeeper confirms. It was like… he knew what he was looking for already.

Did you two talk?

No. But he knows. I'm sure of it. I'm sorry.

No, it's okay… Boris mutters. But just… just don't talk to him, whatever you do.

…Okay…

With that, Boris breaks free from the shelf, leaving his past self to zoom off. Peering over the railing of the second floor, he doesn't see Roland anywhere. Has he found Ivan yet? He hopes he has. He also hopes that he isn't causing any more trouble…

Boris doesn't have much of a hard time locating him once he floats back down to the first floor. The bookcases are quite low, letting Roland's towering head stand well above them. If he were to stretch his arms up above, he'd come close to touching the underside of the second floor. His head is already bent, his gaze engaged by whoever stands before him. Boris holds back a relieved sigh as he approaches, not wanting to jinx himself just yet.

"...be surprised if he's done... things," he hears Ivan comment, his voice muffled by the environment. The Necromancer lets out an airy breath full of frustration. "He... really likes that little piece of paper."

Boris comes to a gliding halt on the ground, his footsteps soft. He runs a hand along the side panels of the bookshelves. The brute's large back faces him as he peeks around the corner.

Roland's cloaked figure heaves, releasing a conflicted hum. "He has reasons for his methods."

"Of course you'd say that," Ivan grumbles.

Roland's head tilts to the side, unsure what to make of his comment.

"Ah, you found him!" Boris says at last, making his presence known. Roland turns his body, revealing the short wizard standing before him. Ivan's eyes are weighed down with black bags. He doesn't even try to put on a friendly smile as he regards Boris. "For the love of Creation, Ivan! You look-"

"Yeah," he yawns. "I've been studying."

"In the middle of a..." Boris' thought trails off as Ivan shoots him a glare. Right. What a stupid question for him to ask. Classes will keep going right up until the Academy is destroyed.

Roland shifts, making his cape sway behind him. His silver eyes are locked onto Boris so intensely that they appear to begin vibrating. Boris kicks himself up into the air to lend the knight's stewing thoughts a private ear.

"Firemane's alignment has darkened again," Roland confides. "It is..." He doesn't finish, but Boris can interpret. It's making him worried. Boris can't help but frown back, trying to imagine in his mind what it is Roland can see.

"Well, time still seems to simulate itself-" Boris starts to explain, only for Roland to shake his head.

"No," he states. His eyes shift to the side, gesturing to Ivan behind them, who stares up at two whispering Crystal travelers with a rather annoyed expression. "He... made it."

Seeing as Ivan has quite a clear view of Boris' face, he does his best to keep down his bewilderment. Ivan did what? What in the Spiral happened down here while he was off on his short detour?

He's about to ask Roland to clarify his extremely vague statement for him when a small ray of light peeks out from beneath Ivan's sleeve.

Oh no, it looks like the gateway is opening again. He'll just have to pester Roland for more details in the next scene!

"Oh, well, looks like it's time to go!" he announces suddenly, gesturing to the Dragonrider. Ivan scowls and looks down at himself, trying to find what it is that Boris is waving at. It takes him a moment, but he eventually rolls up his sleeve to reveal a simple leather and iron bracelet clinging tightly to his wrist.

"This?" he asks, holding it up to Boris. The Bookkeeper nods back with a smile he feels is probably a bit too wide. "My... Academy bracelet?"

"Yep, that's it!" he says, darting forward, one hand already outstretched. Only this time, Ivan yanks the gateway away from him.

"Hang on a second!" Ivan demands. "Don't you realize what's going to happen?"

"What? Do you want me to apologize in advance for appearing in your face again?" Boris sighs.

"Well, uh... I don't know. But I'll probably be at school! You can't just show up on campus grounds like that!"

"Why not? We just invaded your dorm-"

"Simeon, you flying bucket of dragon dung!" Ivan hisses back. "Simeon's going to be there!"

"I mean, he's already been present-"

Ivan makes a small, strangled noise as he blasts Boris with a burst of air. With it, though it's hard to say for sure, the entire library - the memory - feels to tremble ever so slightly in response. It makes his papers rustle anxiously as his magic tries to figure out what exactly he just felt.

"Ivan, please, we have to move on now," Boris tells him gently. "Whatever it is you're worried about, we'll just have to deal with it whenever it happens."

Ivan remains steadfast in his decision for just a few seconds longer before finally relenting, holding his bracelet up for Boris to touch. But his tired gaze fixes itself elsewhere, not wanting to watch the floating stranger flash out of existence.

>>> [ Memory 6 ] <<<

"Eighteen dragons."

That's about as far as the conversation gets before the world snaps back into focus. Two sets of eyes turn to the newcomers. Boris lifts his finger from Ivan's wrist. The Dragonrider hardly reacts at all this time. His tired silver eyes simply stare on.

The group is tucked away between two buildings etched into a stony wall. Other children around Ivan's age chatter amongst themselves as they mill about the nearby courtyard in their colorful robes and gleaming armor. Despite the light murmuring, there's an unspoken tension lingering in the air.

Simeon quietly folds the piece of paper he holds in his hand and stashes it away. Whatever plans he had in mind have been foiled once more.

"Perhaps it's time you introduced me to your new friends, Ivan."

Ivan takes a deep, hesitant breath. He doesn't know what to say, where to begin, or if he should even speak at all. So Boris jumps in for him with a wide grin. "Don't mind us! We're just here to observe."

Simeon purses his lips. His head remains still, making it hard to tell if his gaze shifts around at all, if he can even see in the first place.

"Observe by raising a sword," he hums.

"That was just a mistake-"

"Hmph." His mouth twitches, keeping down a smile. "No one simply 'observes' for the pleasure of it."

"Yeah, well, we do," Boris lies.

Ivan shifts his foot forward, annoyance radiating from his figure. "I thought we were going to talk about the dragons, Simeon. The war?"

"Until we were rudely interrupted," the spy responds.

Silence descends on the group. Boris shifts in the air, waiting for the conversation to start.

Roland taps his shoulder at last. "Let us leave them."

"But-" Boris starts to argue back. He wants to listen in to what they have to say! Every time they try and have a normal conversation, the two strangers have always ruined it. He just wants to hear one…

But the knight simply clamps down on his arm and drags the Bookkeeper away, leaving the two students in peace. Boris lets out a frustrated huff, scowling all the way.

Roland brings the two of them to the foot of a tall golden statue, a magnificent brass sculpture of Merle Ambrose, where he finally lets Boris go. The students pay them no mind at all, their faces all blurred and their chatter but whispers on the wind. Looking back, Ivan and Simeon are engaged in conversation once more, though Ivan looks to be quite annoyed with the cold and uncaring stone wall before him.

Boris lets out a sad sigh as he stares back at them. Roland does, too, his eyes narrow and intense. His body is tense, alert and aware. Waiting for something to happen…

Suddenly, a ripple of unease shakes his silver armor. "Again…" he mutters beneath his breath. Boris tilts his head curiously. As far as he's aware, nothing has changed.

The man swallows hard, his lips pressed together tightly. He turns to Boris, his eyes lost for words, searching for a way to explain what he saw.

"Tell me," Roland hums, "how does one change their alignment through speech alone?"

Boris shifts, folding his arms as he racks his inner-library for an answer. All he knows about the shifting of "good" and "evil" come from Roland himself, so... not much. As far as he understand it, the aura the knight sees is the culmination of a person's karma - all their deeds weighed against one another. Of course, there's variations within the color too, that he's briefly described but don't make a whole lot of sense. Either way, he can learn quite a lot about a mortal from one simple glance.

"Wishing harm?" Boris guesses.

Roland shakes his head, his stare becoming sharp. "Non. Thought and speech are hollow unless acted upon. It is not something that happens."

"Not like I was going to know that..." Boris grumbles back. It wasn't even a trick question!

"So then explain why Firemane continues to grow darker whilst doing nothing," the knight challenges rather gruffly.

Boris is just annoyed now. Being asked questions he has no answers for isn't fun for him. "I don't know, Roland."

He's inclined to believe that there's something else going on here. Something that they're not privy to. Or that it's just a quirk of the Crystal. Perhaps all of Simeon's unknown deeds are being compiled in real time as Ivan learns of them. But he doesn't want to speak on what he can't see.

"What do you think about all this?" Boris asks instead, gesturing to the memory.

Roland releases a thoughtful hum, his silver eyes scanning the shadowed sky. "It is... mélancolique. To measure progress by dragons..."

Or the lack of progress. It's eighteen now. It was thirty-two not that long ago. Well, the passage of time between memories is hard to read accurately, but... it's been quite the sharp drop.

"Ivan is a strong spirit," Roland comments. Boris can't help but nod in agreement. It's hard to see Ivan's smiling, happy-go-lucky face floating in the air of the modern day in the midst of these painful memories. He suffered through much in his short, bittersweet life. And yet he's still somehow able to find joy long after all this heartache. It could be that he's been dead for so long that he's been able to reconcile everything that has come to pass...

Fire cuts through Boris' thoughts, as well as his gaze. Bright, swirling flames suddenly appear from nowhere, a red arrow engulfing the two beings standing peacefully off to the side. Wind claws at Boris' body, threatening to rip the papers from his thin form. Instinctively, he twists away from the gust and tucks his arms and legs in, contorting into a small floating ball. Beside him, Roland raises an arm to protect his exposed face, shielding his eyes from the blinding light-

>>> [ Memory 7 ] <<<

-and when next they know, they stand at the top of the spiral pit, positioned at the edge of the sidewalk at the very top. A new memory. But… how?

The wind still roars, but now they stand in its weak tail. A bright fiery arrow explodes over the pit in what would be an awe-inspiring display if not for the given situation.

Taking a quick glance at their surroundings, Boris can see Ivan's small figure far below as he mingles with the drakelings. And Simeon stands on the pit's edge as far as he can safely go, one foot flat and the other resting on the toe of his boot as he slides his rapier back into its sheath. Flames swirl and sputter as the hilt clicks into place, one last display for the gathered crowd. When he raises his hands, he quite proudly flaunts a strip of yellow paper aglow with bright blue light trapped between two fingers.

Boris can't help but grow cold as he darts over to Roland. The knight, too, is surprise, one arm raised to his empty shoulder with wide eyes. There's a thin scratch against his armor that's already in the process of fading away.

"Today," Simeon speaks casually, "I'm supposed to walk down there and ask him the same question I always do… But I don't think I'll do that this time." His head turns slightly, revealing the corner of his mouth that has curled into a cold grin. "You two have been quite the exciting mystery to unravel instead."

Immediately, the two Crystal travelers stiffen. Roland's hand tightens around the hilt of his sword. Boris can only rest a tentative hand on his shoulder to try and ease his sense of impending danger.

Simeon half-turns, raising Boris' talisman with twisted pride. "I must thank you first, Bookkeeper. You have been quite… cooperative with my endeavors." His head tilts ever so slightly as his gaze strays to Roland. "Did you know, sir knight," he hums with glee, "that your little companion here was-"

In an instant, the runes of the talisman darken beneath Boris' sharp glare. The spy stops the moment he feels the hum of magic die. He takes one glance down at the paper still between his fingers before rearing back and letting out a rather amused laugh.

"Bold of you to assume that would silence me!" he mocks. His accent gets in the way of his English, but it's good enough for even Roland to understand.

Still, the damage has been done. Roland's ire lands on Boris, his silver eyes narrow. "Daemon?" he asks with heavy warning.

Boris takes the opportunity to part himself from the knight at last, his hands flying out in front of him in preparation for the worst.

"He," Simeon begins again, waving the paper at Boris, "was in the Academy library all throughout this war."

The air trembles with the might of magic as Roland begins to take on a bright halo of ancient light. His eyes glow with sharp fury. Boris' gaze can't help but dart between him and Simeon standing so small yet so large right beside him, grinning coldly from ear to ear.

"Look, Roland, I-I can explain-!" Boris tries.

"YOU," Roland roars, "LEFT RAVENWOOD WITHOUT TELLING ME?!" Simeon jolts, keeping down an amused chuckle.

"I was trying to save what books I could, okay?" Boris replies in a panic. "I didn't have the time to ask! I didn't want them all to-"

Despite his age, Roland still moves faster than Boris can react. His strong, plated hand latches to his neck. He has no qualms over clenching his fist tight, crushing the papers that make up Boris' neck before pulling back, ripping them from his form completely.

He backs away in an instant, raising a hand to the new gap in his form. The core of his being aches with a cold throb; he is not in pain in the slightest, but mourning. A part of its light has died, and he has already forgotten what that was.

Then he raises a glare to the spy. He must have made them move forward. Like he knew what the next gateway was going to be. Or maybe he forced it. And he stole the talisman in the process, which he then used in that simulated time frame to leverage - threaten - information out of the Bookkeeper - him.

He knew the boy was a spy at the time, and quite good at his job, too, but never did he seem to be so… cutthroat with his methods.

This could all just be a consequence of meddling with the Crystal's history. And yet… he can see it now for himself. A scheming, secretive, ruthless spy, reveling in his unknown atrocities openly. This is not Simeon. This is a caricature of him, and quite a disparaging one at that.

Roland releases a breath, soothing his momentary burst of rage. He opens his hand and lets the crinkled papers fall. Some of their edges bear small rips already. Not knowing what else to do with them, but also not wanting to leave them lying around either, Boris summons them back to his side and stuffs them into the cavity of his chest. They're useless to him now. He doesn't want a crooked neck. Even the talisman that Simeon holds; it worms its way out of his grasp, answering the call home.

"So he knew all this time?" Roland asks, a stiff growl still in his throat.

Boris dips in the air in defeat. "...Yes, he did. But we only ever talked twice!" The first time was when they met. The second time, he was seeking advice-

"And you," Roland draws his greatsword, leveling it with Simeon's face, "dare to weaponize us with your words?"

Simeon can't seem to help but laugh back, amused by the knight's assertion. "I merely seek truths and share them with others. What you do with that information is up to you. But..." He gives them a sharp glare, his smile cooling in an instant. "...I don't quite like it when strangers stalk me inside of a Knowledge Crystal that isn't my own."

A heavy silence passes between the two parties. Honestly, Boris is past the point of being surprised now. Only Simeon would have figured something like that out all on his own. He was the one that gave Ivan his Knowledge Crystal, after all, and the two travelers have been appearing by the Dragonrider's side quite consistently.

After a moment, Simeon casually places a hand on the hilt of his weapon, shifting his weight. He purses his lips, his expression switching to that of disappointment.

"Ivan doesn't know what he's doing," he sighs. "He never does. All he is good at is taking care of the dragons. I don't know why I ever decided to stick with him for as long as I have. Tell me: how long did I consult with that disgrace of a rider?"

The travelers don't respond right away, taken aback by his crass assessment of the Dragonrider. Boris quite literally has no words. He doesn't really know what to make of this whole situation.

Does Simeon actually hate him this much? Or is this a perception that Ivan has ascribed to him?

"You still do," Roland speaks at last. "He is far from being a 'disgrace'."

Simeon scowls, confused.

But Boris nods along before he can speak up. "After Dragonspyre gets destroyed, you two become good friends!"

Simeon's entire demeanor shifts in an instant, a sharp blast of heat radiating from his lean form.

"Excuse me?" he asks, his tone flat and dangerous. "After Dragonspyre is... destroyed?"

The young spy has gone deathly pale, his swagger draining from his form. It's an odd sight to behold. How could he accept being within a Knowledge Crystal so readily, yet panic at the news that his home has fallen in the present day?

"Yes," Boris confirms. "Things didn't go so well for-"

"Not possible," Simeon interrupts. He shakes his head hard; it looks like he's trying to snap his own neck. "Dragonspyre can't fall. It will not fall!" His feet shift, his hand finally latching onto the rapier's hilt. It sings as he slides it from its sheath, flames already curling around the sharp silver blade. A brief flash of his eye reveals a burning inferno itching to be unleashed, consuming all common sense and rational thought. "HOW DARE YOU SUGGEST US TO BE WEAK!"

Roland's massive silver frame shifts in front of Boris. "Go. I will keep him here."

"R-Right-" Boris stammers. He doesn't waste any more of his time near the raging pyromancer. He flings himself down into the pit towards Ivan as a blast of scalding hot air presses against his papery back, threatening to make him combust there and then.

His eyes scan the area around Ivan as the dragons and drakes and riders themselves turn their attention to the explosions happening above their heads. Flames of impossible size curl their way across the air, some taking on the shape of roaring dragons breathing fire down upon their enemy.

"What's going on up there?" Ivan calls out. "Where's that senile guy?"

"Simeon's lost it!" Boris answers in a panic. His hands clamp down on the necromancer and shakes him sharply. "We need an out, Ivan! We need it now!"

"Simeon's up there?"

"GATEWAY, IVAN!"

"I-I can't do it on command!" he stammers back.

"Well he did it somehow! Just... focus or something!"

Ivan's amethyst eyes dart around, trying to make sense of his own racing thoughts. The small collection of young drakelings that linger near his feet, sensing his distress, shuffle forward and snake themselves around his ankles, looking up at him with their beady yellow eyes. His moment of confusion ebbs away as he glances down at them with a small smile. There's four of them, their scales an ashy black, freshly hatched.

It takes a second, but one of them starts to take on a white hue.

"Thank you!" Boris rushes out as he reaches down to pet the shimmering scales.

>>> [ Memory 8 ] <<<

The colors blend together as formless voices chatter incoherently in their ears. The memory is not quite yet clear…

{Check back later!}

[hexarcana]

❁ (any AU)

❁ what moment made them realize they're in love?

—-

For the most part, regardless of what verse Aggie has a very “love at first sight” vibe with Stan. However there are big turning points that are a bit more specific.

⭐️ Canon - Aggie has a hard time nailing it down in the main canon. It was such a gradual thing that grew so steadily that she genuinely can’t recall a time where he wasn’t the number one subject of her affection. From the moment they met to the moment she left him in Jersey it was an ever-growing feeling. The time apart did allow the flame to die down, especially after she went back to Jersey only to find that he wasn’t there. She buried her feelings and tried to forget but she never really could nor did she really want to. She never completely gave up hope, even after nearly 50 years. It was different when they reunited- It was much faster, actually. The embers of the feelings shed had were there and it didn’t take much to bring her back to the point of extreme fondness. It all came back into place after having a few casual meet-ups in town or out at her house or at the shack to catch up. In the shows timeline it happens in the aftermath of NWHS. The thing that seals it though (not the best timing sadly) was during Weirdmageddon. She and Olive ended up separated and Olive spent most of the event with Stan at the shack. Knowing that he went out of his way to look after her made her sure that what she was feeling was very very real, and the devastation of thinking she’d lost him JUST as she got him back with almost too much for her to take. After Weirdmageddon before Stan’s memories started coming back she wouldn’t leave her bedroom and was in deep like??? Near catatonic mourning, as if he’d died. Once he was coming back into himself she restrained the true nature of how intense her feelings for him had become but once the door was nudged open, that was that. Partners in crime and life from then on.

🌀Relativity - This was truly a love at first sight moment. She took ONE look at this goofy boy trying to solve the murder of a wax figure WITH SUCH EARNESTNESS AND DETERMINATION she was instantly very drawn to him. The moment she knew she was good and stuck though was after he started crushing on Carla and she tried to articulate her feelings about it to Mabel who informed her (with much excitement) that she a crush. Aggie had heard of crushes and knew they existed but had never had one. And she never had another one, either.

💰Vegas - Her side of the story is virtually unchanged up until they meet again in Vegas, but when she knew she was good and stuck on him was after one of their earliest performances or even when they were still testing and rehearsing things. He was so excited and happy and he was so much like the boy that she was so taken with back then that she found herself falling love all over again but with the added complexities of navigating these feelings through a business partnership, being a single parent, and wrestling with some self esteem issues… All of those things combined with a heightened physical attraction what hadn’t been present at 13/14.

☢️ Fallout - Similarly to canon they grew up together but it was even more prominent bc there were fewer children for them to interact with and less world to explore. I feel like their attachment in Fallout verse is perhaps one of the more intense attachments that’s possible between them, at least as children. But the dynamic shifts in early adolescence as they started to learn about “grown up stuff” and there is talk about potential marriages and what next generations of vault dwellers could look like. It was after a sort of vault-wide dance for the teenagers in the vault that Aggie’s eyes were opened to just how special her best friend was to her. All spiffed up she basically couldn’t keep her eyes off him. She knew that night that he was gonna be the boy she wanted to marry and gave a family with. Unfortunately the powers that be had other plans.

Later on when they reunite, it’s probably pretty similar to canon in that it happens sort of quickly. They’re so lucky to even be alive so why waste of of their time left denying feelings? We haven’t quite nailed it down for them yet but I feel like it’ll have to do with him interacting with her family or with Junktown, since she has a pattern of falling all over again after he’s nice to her family.

⚠️ 1984 - The exact moment she knew she was falling in love with him (again) was during his first visit to her house in the woods. She’s given him a quick tour and then they were just talking, partially about serious stuff but honestly they were just fill in each other on what’s happened with them since they were teenagers. Bobby was with them, listening and chiming in until he eventually fell asleep. Aggie got up to pick him up and carry him upstairs and Stan (who probably didn’t realize he was offering rhis until it had already been offered) offered to carry Bobby for her (he is getting a little big for her to carry without a little fuss) so he picks her boy up and she leads him to Bobby’s room. Once they were in Bobby’s room Stan put the boy in bed and then (clumsily but endearingly) patted his head before he and Aggie left the room. She knew right then, she was in trouble.

Ooos I did basically all of them ✌🏻

[foreverambrosia]

Revisiting my old D.emon S.layer s/i, currently thinking she was taken in by a Circus, yall know my deep deep love of anything circus related, after finding herself in Japan as a child. She traveled with them exclusively for years until one day they were traveling between shows and the village they stopped by got attacked by a demon and several members of the circus were hurt. She witnessed a demon slayer fight it off and begged them to train her to fight demons too, because now that she knew they were out there, she knew everytime her circus traveled overnight they weren't safe and she wanted to help protect them by getting rid of the demons.

So she got trained to be a slay demons, and her fighting style uses a lot of acrobatics and circus moves she learned from traveling, nimbly vaulting around and evading the attacks of her opponents. Probably going to keep her breathing style as the crystal breathing technique. Eventually she earns a name for herself and becomes a hashira.

I was also thinking her weapon is either a glave, halberd, or poleaxe she can also use to vault with and swing around, maybe duplicated with something more flexible like a bullwhip/some type of lasso that can both be used to attack and function as some sort of grappling hook she can use to swing herself around with all trapeze like.

Originally when I started rethinking her I thought a rapier would be cool, but that's more to slash with and probably wouldn't be super viable for severing the heads of demons.

And so yeah as far as Tengen is concerned, she only met him after becoming a hashira like a few years prior to the main story. He took a liking to her and they became pretty quick friends and he started thinking he wanted to marry her too. Talked to his wives and stuff and after they met her they also thought she'd be a good addition and were fine with it. So then he just like straight up proposes to her her and she's like "yknow people used to say hello at the start of a conversation", and she is a little confused but like kinda amused to, she ends up just telling him she'll think about it. And so he asks her to marry him at least once every time they see each other and she always tells him she'll think about it. Its not until after Muzan's defeat and quits demon slaying that she agrees to marry him.

Also I think after the entertainment district arc she has an arc where like, the circus she traveled with has gone missing near a forest they were getting a lot of missing person reports around and even some scouts haven't returned from checking things out, like theres evidence if them arriving in the forest but none of them lesving and even theyre belongings vanish, so she's going to try and confirm if it's a demon and save everyone if she can rescue them and Tanjiro and friends end up going with her which she allows because she saw how tenacious they were in the entertainment district. Upon investigating they realize a demon is manipulating the entire forest to turn it into a maze where the more you try and find your way out the more lost you become, and he just has his victims wander around until they loose hope of escaping which is when he likes to devour them. And the demon is kinda circus themed too so amongst the forest the surroundings blend in with warped circus structures and decor. The whole troupe that went missing is there and they haven't lost hope yet because they believed the demon slayers would save them so none of them had gotten devoured. They even use what talents they have to help hold down the demon so it can get beheaded and free everyone lost within the forest.

[mercymaker]

hi okay i am IMMENSELY curious and idk if you've talked about it before but what is maleane's like, "canon" lifetime?? it seems you have mentioned a few times that she dies young. and i'm curious if that was like. something you knew from the beginning when you made her? or was it something that came up later? how? why?? i love her and i love seeing her little face on my dashboard. she has become my blorbo

Hey! Receiving this ask got me all excited, i get to yap about my blorbo 😅

But yes, in the 'main' or 'canon' verse she does die pretty young. Mal is around 120-140 years old (I'm bad with numbers so I tend to go by approximates) when she is killed, which is not much considering she's an elf!

And it wasn't really my plan to kill her off so soon when I first created her, but I just got absolutely compelled by this idea of writing a story where a character retrieves their injured lover and is kind of lost, not knowing what to do, only for the narrative to slowly unveil the fact that the lover has actually been dead this whole time. And that's how I wrote Above the Vaulted Sky.

I really struggled writing it because I was sort of grieving alongside Astarion and couldn't really make peace with the thought of killing Maleane, so I convinced myself that this whole story was just a 'what if', perhaps an AU where everything goes wrong. But as I was nearing the end of the first draft, it felt... right? It made sense for this to happen, story-wise. And then I just told myself that this is a pretty magical setting and if I ever wanted to, I could always find a way to resurrect her and that thought was the final push that allowed me to commit to this plot point.

Afterwards, her death and its aftermath had me thinking of and developing other characters, namely Astarion and Thoriel, and their relationship, which was a lot of fun and opened the doors to some new creative challenges, so with time I really settled on her death being a canon event. Like.. it really shuffled all the cards and I feel like for a character like Astarion, it would take something truly devastating to shake the foundations of his character. So, it's been fun trying to conceptualize what direction a selfish, immortal man would go once you take away something extremely important from him, something that, for the longest time, he took for granted. Seeing someone who tends to deflect and avoid thinking about and processing uncomfortable feelings try to tackle grief and regret is an avenue I find quite intriguing and fun to explore!

[helpfandom]

Yandere Zane Flynt x Platonic! MiniVH! reader HC

@yandere-plague/ Mad Moxxi did this before, and this is a tribute?? If it can be called that, to Yandere Plague / Mad Moxxi.

HC's under cut.

n my head, a mini VH is kind of like Ava, but way better, an apprentice who's main purpose is to make sure no one dies too much. Or to curse out people we don't like, either one.

Mini VH follows Zane around having a blast with him, because he treats everything like it's just either a normal Tuesday, or since he's on retirement, he might as well have fun with it. But! Because Mini VH has fun around him, he tries to keep that going when they talk about going back to Sanctuary 3 or something of the sort, he tries to manipulate and distract you (which works quite easily because Zane is like an endless party) by dragging you along with driving and doing crazy stunts while in a tank or attempting to do something that a 'kid' shouldn't do.

Yandere tendencies may start whenever, although it's hard to see the red flags since it likely started early on; maybe when the two of you met, or when you became an apprentice for him.

As the story progresses and he becomes more of a yandere for Mini VH, it's easier to tell, not because he wants Mini VH to stay at Sanctuary 3, but because he wants Mini VH to CONSTANTLY be near him, he treats his Digi-clone like a real person (even if it is meant as a joke in the franchise) and you expect him to not want you around him all the time??? Blasphemous!!

Before kidnapping: Would probably try to trick (In a playful way) you with his Digi-clone, but not have the scheme end up working, simply because the reader has been around him enough to be able to tell the differences.

After Kidnapping: Would absolutely use Digi-Clones to spy on you. If Mini VH escaped ever, Digi-Clone would be an obstacle because one, it will tell him when [clone] has spotted you, and soon you'll be in his loving [NOT really] arms, since he can switch spots with them quickly.

Before Kidnapping: Asks Mini VH which guns he should keep or sell, for their opinion on how to kill bandits and psychos faster and definitely not because he wants to know more about the type of guns you like so he can gift you them. No definitely not.

After Kidnapping: would do the same with the guns, but since Mini VH is upset with him, (And likely always will be) Mini VH will lie or tell him to keep the wrong ones. He doesn't want to upset his kid so he pretends to throw out the ones you said to, but would keep them anyway.

Before Kidnapping: Constantly be near him, He will always want Mini VH, his little kiddo to be near him. It's not worrying that I [Zane] blew up an entire camp looking for them while they were talking with Marcus! It's totally normal to want to keep your kid- Apprentice safe!

After Kidnapping: Surprisingly, CL4PTR4P has a purpose than the franchise's punching bag. Since CL4PTR4P has been shown to not care about 'Enslaving' (Keeping humans in rooms) humans, he enlists CL4PTR4P to help keep you in his room [The room for the Vault hunters]. He keeps CL4PTR4P doing this with promises of helping him create Veronica. If this is after Baylex is on the ship, he also enlists Baylex into keeping you trapped in his room because Zane uses the fact that he got Baylex out of the situation, surely he can help with this one itty bitty thing; Keeping you trapped.

Fl4k would be a big helper for his Kidnapping phase to happen sooner, rather than later. Because Fl4k doesn't know that Kidnapping is viewed as horrible, he spurs on Zane to keep his kid- Apprentice safe while Zane 'hunts'.

(PRE BAYLEX) If you ever made it out of the room on Sanctuary 3 while Zane is out on a mission, (which would be easy because it's CL4PTR4P.) There isn't anywhere for you to go. Lilith has no reaction OR [if Ava fucked things up at this point and Maya is dead] she is happy to turn a blind eye to Zane's obsession because it means Zane has a reason to come back, and Mini VH can't screw anything up like Ava did. (Thanks Ava. /Sarcasm)

(Post Baylex) You ain't making it out of that room. Ain't no way. Baylex has control of the EINTIRE ship and he keeps that room in lockdown mode when Zane isn't there. The only way you would ever get the chance to escape is if Zane was on Sanctuary 3 and well... Zane is there so unless you got out to see him, (which would be the only acceptable thing) Zane will find you and put you back in the room. The telezapper [Map teleport thing] won't work because you need Zane to do it [because when you were an apprentice, you needed to be around him at all times.] And Ellie's Drop pod won't work because Ellie lost Scooter and ain't losing someone else again just because you're 'uncomfortable' being kidnapped by Zane.

Best chance of escaping is either the common route [Pretending and going along with their delusions] or to exploit the father/kid delusion he has. "But, how am I supposed to learn how to take care of myself, if I'm stuck here on Sanctuary?" The mini VH asks, with full intentions of trying to escape. Because of the Father/Kid delusion he has, it would be easiest to exploit that, and would give you the biggest chance of escaping. If Mini VH can get on the surface of [any planet], they have the highest chance of escaping Zane's clutches. If this version of Zane has all of his Special skills, I highly doubt your chances of staying un-kidnapped are high.

The room is cold, and you are often left bored out of your mind since only the vault hunters can open the vault in their rooms, and since he often leaves for a great period of time... he accidentally isolates you and makes it so you rely on him for companionship. Accidentally, because he didn't realize it would work this way of manipulating you, he just didn't think about how it would affect you.

[chempack]

thinking about edith and her sister.. i don’t think i’ve posted much about her yet. her name is gretchen, she’s edith’s baby sister and only sibling. at the time of the bombs dropping edith is late twenties (around 28/29), so gretchen is early twenties. they were close as kids but once edith moved to boston — and especially once she married nate — she didn’t talk to her family often. the last time they talked was a couple weeks before the bombs; edith called gretchen for advice on what to wear to nate’s event at the veteran’s hall

(read more so i can rant freely)

eventually — not sure when, loosely after the main story? — edith discovers that gretchen survived the war as a ghoul. lately i’ve been thinking about their dynamic then. to edith, she had been faced with the sudden, definite surety that everyone she’d ever known was dead, had been bombed or irradiated or died by plain old age years and years and years ago; but at the same time she feels it’s only been a year or two (depending when they meet again) since she talked to her sister. to gretchen, it’s been 200.

in edith’s perspective, she watched her husband be murdered and lost her son and was forced to learn to fight and kill and desperately try to save her baby; in gretchen’s perspective, edith survived without having to deal with the early turf wars and the lack of resources and the radiation killing any and everything and mutating anything left. edith emerged from the vault and found new community, established herself as a leader, made new friends and family; gretchen lost her future before it could begin, has had to watch as nearly every person she meets dies while she remains, and only finds edith again because she has nothing to do but wander and ends up near the commonwealth

gretchen didn’t go to boston on purpose. by now, she doesn’t even always remember that that’s where edith had lived. her birth family is so far removed from her, through the years and the grief, while edith is still grieving

how do you deal with a baby sister who’s older than you will ever be? how do you deal with an older sister you hardly remember?

[ruvviks]

🔺🍎 💘 🍔 😊 🤩 and 😓 [:

oc asks for tiberius!

🔺 RED TRIANGLE POINTED UP — does your oc know how to use any weapons?

tiberius has never used any weapons in his pre-war life. his father loved hunting but since it was mostly just trophy hunting, tiberius wasn't all too interested in any of that and only ever joined him on hunting trips to get away from his mother. they played some video games from time to time (my fallout 4 canon is like, a mix of that universe + ours so there's some more modern technology but with the same vibes as in the games!) but not a lot of shooters either so they still basically had zero experience. not a veteran like in-game nate either because tiberius is the younger brother of stella (who's like, in-game nora), it's stella's husband clark who fought in the war

in the post-war wasteland he has no choice but to use weapons since everything out there is out for blood </3 when he first emerges from the vault, he ends up in sanctuary which by then is already a big settlement and preston garvey teaches him how to survive out in the wasteland, which includes handling weapons. it takes a while before tbierius gets comfortable with using guns because they cling to their pre-war life a lot, so at first they mostly use melee weapons of any kind. later on he also gets his hands on a ripper, which becomes his favorite pest control weapon (goodbye bugs)

🍎 RED APPLE — where was your oc born? do they still live in/around their place of birth or do they live somewhere else? how do they feel about their birthplace?

tiberius was born and raised in a small town in maine! before the bombs fell, he still lived with his parents in the house he grew up in but he spent a lot of time over at friends' places in the big city, near the art school he went to. he also spent a lot of time at his sister's place in boston, he really did not like his parents and wanted nothing more than to finally move out and start his own life

now, post-war, tiberius is stuck in the commonwealth very far away from where they grew up. they don't mind at all because they didn't like that place anyway, but it does feel very alienating; he barely knew the city before the bombs fell since he mostly just hung out at stella's home, and now it's even more unrecognizable :(

since i'm reworking their story a little bit, tiberius currently still lives in sanctuary in stella's old home. they do spend a lot of time away from it, traveling between settlements and such, because it hurts to stay there for a long time; at some point he ends up moving elsewhere but i haven't decided on a good settlement location yet so that's to be determined :]

💘 HEART WITH ARROW — what and/or who do(es) your oc consider the most important to them?

tiberius' sister stella is the most important person in his life forever and always even long after her death (thanks for that kellogg). she's always been there for them even when their parents weren't and no one else has ever been as understanding with them

post-war, tiberius makes a lot of new friends and they all become very very important to him. his closest friends are: max, magnus, roxy and nikolai, all my ocs, and then also maccready, preston, piper, nick, and glory :]

🍔 HAMBURGER — is your oc good at cooking? are they good at baking? which one do they prefer?

tiberius is decent enough as a cook and a baker but he never really did much of it pre-war. now post-war he does make his own meals basically all the time because he is VERY suspicious of basically any other meal served to him ESPECIALLY in diamond city or goodneighbor. they've come to trust the food served in the castle (it's a very big settlement, there's a lot of good street food without the use of mystery meat there) as well as food made by a few close friends but still prefer to just make something themself

😊 SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES — what are your oc's career/general life desires? what do they want to get the most out of life?

tiberius went to art school pre-war! he did creative media studies with a side of art history and writing and reallyyy wanted to do something with that, but then the bombs fell :( nowadays they live from day to day and often don't expect to make it through the night so every morning is a surprise. they just want to live as peacefully as they possibly can and enjoy the time they have with friends

🤩 FACE WITH STARRY EYES — is your oc a planner, or are they more spontaneous in their actions?

tiberius is VERY spontaneous they do not plan anything ever at all. his strategy is always very straightforward and whatever happens on the way there happens, he doesn't care, he has never cared and he will never care. it's whatever. only when they're doing something important with friends they'll try to plan some stuff out just to make sure their friends won't get injured, but they care very very little about what happens to themself in the meantime

😓 DOWNCAST FACE WITH SWEAT — is your oc open-minded or stubborn? are they inquisitive or do they prefer to keep to their bubble of knowledge?

tiberius is very stubborn and generally speaking doesn't like debating with others about basically anything, especially close-minded people because it feels like a waste of time to him. he's not one to argue quickly in general, especially not post-war, because he feels like there's more pressing matters at hand and wasting time arguing doesn't help anyone

tiberius used to love learning but nowadays since the wasteland is completely new to him he learns new things every day against his will and that's more than enough for him. he's not much of a reader anymore, if anything he just steals mac's comic books and thumbs through those if he's feeling REALLY bored but it's like. very low on his list

[princess-of-the-corner]

Similar to the tone shift in KH2, the Pirates of the Caribbean storyline would have to be some of the darkest material I have going on in Kingdom Hearts - Destiny Vault. I started with the midpoint of Dead Man's Chest, and I will eventually recount At World's End, with the plotline poking through the story in between, and I am not doing much to bowdlerize it.

Preceding it is standard Agrabah fare taking inspiration from the sequel series, then the deranged comedy of Emperor's New Groove, then a fairly lighthearted episode in Cinderella's world with some Birth by Sleep-related angst. Then there's drama and conspiracy among the pirates and East India Trading Company, Davy Jones' cruelty and the destructive force of the Kraken on full display, the Dutchman's crewmen who cannot be incapacitated or killed, a desperate battle with the Kraken that ends with Jack's sort-of death, and a net loss for the good guys. Afterward there is a breather episode in Twilight Town before more heavy main plot-related stuff.

The next encounter with Davy Jones turns a lighthearted and silly episode dark and the heroes (and villains they team up with to face the Dutchman's crew) get pretty violent in fighting their foes.

I think the only other world I've written that has gotten anywhere near that dark is the Final Fantasy VII world. (Not Radiant Garden)

Honestly I just love the way this makes everything a touch darker.

[dsandrvk]

Wednesday, April 16 - Kinvara to Ennistymon

After another substantial breakfast, we headed out on the "major" road along the coast, looking for several places on our maps and anything else that caught our fancy. First up was a little peninsula with a walk called Flaggy Shore. It basically followed a road along the sea, and seemed to be a popular local spot for walking and jogging. From a parking area on the south side of Galway Bay, it runs westward to a narrow point with a commanding view to the west. We walked along for a couple of kilometers, initially facing a very strong Northwest wind. It was still in the 40's, so we actually put on our rain pants and jackets for wind protection and bundled up with most of our cold weather gear. At one point we looked back at the "beach" in this little community and saw folks getting into the water. At first we thought they were wearing wetsuits, but upon closer examination of the photos, it was obvious they were ladies wearing simple bathing suits. Brrr!

To save time, we did eventually walk back to our car and drive down to the end of the point of this little peninsula to a very large Martello Tower. Once again, it was built in either 1810 or 1814 according to the signs, and had had two large cannons on top. I don't think by the time it was built the French ever came, but it has survived, although the nearby barracks building is in significant disrepair.

From here we drove inland for a short distance to the ruins of Corcomroe Abbey. This abbey was built in the early 1200's and has a lot of lovely Gothic details, including a stone vaulted presbytery on the east end. Much of the floor is covered in gravestones, mostly quite old. Although the church hasn't been used in many centuries, it is still an active burying ground for the local community, and it seems odd to see so many modern gravestones in front of this ruined, medieval place. The OPW crew were mowing here today, too ,just like yesterday at Killmacduagh. We think it was the same couple of workers doing a rotation of sites.

We headed back to the bay to a small town called Ballyvaughn, which had a little municipal park and pier that we explored a bit before heading west to an unmarked site (at least on the road) that we had seen on our maps - Gleninagh Castle. We drove down a lane that appeared to go no where, parked the car near a farmer's field, and were immediately greeted by a friendly dog who apparently accompanies visitors to the site. She set off in front of us down the lane, continually checking to make sure we were following and finally slipping under the gate by the "no dogs" sign onto the site.

Gleninagh Castle is actually a "tower house", with an L-shape. The smaller wing is the stairwell, while the main "house" is square and five stories tall. It is set quite close to the bay, with wonderful views, and has its own little white-washed rock church nearby. Our "guide went off to play in the waves while we walked around the tower taking pictures, and then hurried to catch up with us as we headed back up the lane. She also tried herding our car as we backed out later - circling us, which made the proximity alarm on the car go crazy. Nice little spot, though, and like the Martello tower, we had it to ourselves.

We debated continuing on the coast road, or going on to our lodging on the more major road, and decided on the latter, since there were a couple of other places we wanted to stop, and we were getting a little tired of the wind coming off of the bay and open ocean. We stopped at a newer tower - this one called Newtown and built in the late 1500's, around the same time as Gleninagh, but it has an entirely different look. The square base leading to the circular tower and the resulting supports give it sort of a rocket ship appearance. Unlike many of the other sites, which are public, this one is owned by an art college that specializes in the Burren area, and attracts students from all over the world.

Our last stop of the day was a stone fort called Cahermacnaghten. This was another OPW managed site, but it is so close to a local farm that the farmers just extended the outside of the fort into their own stone wall, and built their house within about twenty feet of the structure. As a result, we could only access about half of the perimeter and the inside was unexcavated. Hopefully we will see better examples of stone forts in coming days, as they were a common sort of residence in early times.

We got to Ennistymon in plenty of time to check in to our B&B and wander back through the town. We didn't find any music planned for tonight, but our host's favorite pub has music on Friday nights and we will still be here

We haven't fully decided on our plans for tomorrow - we could go to the Cliffs of Moher, or do some more Burren hiking, or go see some more prehistoric sites, since this area is so dense with them. We'll wait until the morning and see what the weather will be. We have been so lucky that although it has been cool and windy, we haven't really had any more rain than a couple of afternoon sprinkles. So far, Ireland is treating us quite well.

[barbiesimadventures]

Join here for the adventures of Barbie Sim (aka Eris Nyx) who is just here, living her Extra™️ Barbie Life like she is the Anakin Skywalker of Barbie Sims. She got nicknamed Barbie Sim when I made literally everything she owned some shade of magenta, and despite the fact that I love her absurd name (and I think the Goddess would approve of the chaos!) I still call Eris “Barbie Sim” in my head, so that’s what she’s gonna be called.

I have been thinking of making some kind of simblr for a long, long time, and was finally convinced to do it because there were actual people enjoying this absurdity that I posted as humor when I realized how I was leaning into the pinkness of this blonde Sim I made. Some posts may be about other Sims I have going, and I may post my progress on the Soul Sickness challenge here, too, but I promise I’m a good tagger!

I will post a mods & CC Masterlist at some point in the near future, but I can pretty much promise that most of the shit I use comes from PralineSims, MySimRealty, nraas (bless them), Nightcrawler, treeag, douglasviega, and Around the Sims3. Like I said, full mod & CC list incoming. I might even post up a list of my nraas settings because unlike all the people I’ve seen who post theirs, I don’t do rotational gameplay, and there aren’t a lot (or any easily findable) settings pages from people who just play one household in a town.

I’ll also post a list of tags as they’re created so you can blacklist if you want to avoid seeing Barbie Sim’s Soul Sickness run, attempt #97 (I finally made a damn Notion page for the fucking complicated ruleset because FUCK I could never keep track of the difference between a Farmer and a Provisioner! Might do the same for the Legacy Challenge because I’m using Notion for goddamn everything these days!)

Barbie Sim has been so fun in the few days I’ve been playing her that I’m super likely to recreate her and play her as one of my main characters for that Soul Sickness challenge, and while I’m not a Fallout fan (nor do I dislike it, I’ve just never been interested enough to play the games), the Vault-Tec challenge looks pretty fucking awesome, too! I’m not about to do them both in the same world, I don’t hate myself that much, my dudes, but I do use Overwatch to export my tuning files/settings for the rest of my nraas mods so that I don’t have to spend the whole first five hours re-setting them. Haven’t gotten to it with Story Progression, yet, but a lot of my settings were based on SarahSims, who I won’t tag because I don’t t know them and I’d feel weird? I might have taken it to a different place on certain things (like making harvesting plants take way less time dammit) and PleasantSims.

This post is under construction, is basically what I’m saying here and probably always will be as I adjust my gameplay over time.

But one thing that is never going to change is that my language is never gonna be “family” friendly, unless yours and mine are a lot alike and the word “fuck” drops from everyone’s mouth. I laughed my ass off the day my kid got a Critical Mission Failure in Mass Effect and dropped a muttered “fuck” right after. I also use some skins and such which have actual nipples, and I don’t use the mosaic blur (except on children, yikes). So I’m probably going to end up marking this simblr as NSFW and just post away, but I’ll wait until the first time my nude sims show up.

I also play a lot of sims that are inspired by and named for various fandom characters (I’ve got an Ember McLain sim from Danny Phantom who is a fairy because I don’t like playing as a ghost in-game and I’ve had a lot of fun getting her to the finish line of her career). I play a lot of fairy sims, tbh, because I like the extended lifespan. I am Attached to every sim I make. They’re almost always one I downloaded and then altered (and I sometimes really want to ask the original creators WTF they were smoking when picking out clothing for those sims, especially the ones that come with CC that I’d never download in a million years if it hadn’t come with the sim!). So, like, don’t be surprised if a lot of my male sims look like Thor, is what I’m saying here! I turned a PralineSims Gwen Stefani into Darcy Lewis and I think I did a great job! I’m never worried about total accuracy when it comes to the face, my dudes. If my sims are pretty to me, and they are close enough to the original that I’m gonna know who they are meant to be? That’s good enough.

I don’t create things, I’m sorry. I’m not here to make shiny things because I don’t know how, though I’ll probably reblog those that do because maybe I’ll be able to find them again, too. I’m just here to chronicle Barbie Sim and her adventures, along with my adventures into various challenges. I am honestly expecting 0 follows on this, so if you’re here and reading this hella long intro and you still wanna stick around? I am 100% in love with you.

Barbie Sim and I will return soon for fun and laughs in pink. Lots and lots of pink.

Love, luck, & lollipops,

Neph (that’s me, Barbie Sim’s Simmer)