#instead of bringing it on a quest to look for the other tribes

[sarilolla]

Silly Trolls au idea that I might do more with (probably shouldn’t, I have a lot of other stuff on my plate lol) (Long post so more under Read More, this is just a ramble of an au honestly)

What if during the Great Escape from the Troll Tree, *Viva* had the Pop String? She was still lost along with multiple other Pop Trolls, and now her family have to deal with the loss of her, and the possible loss of ALL THEIR MUSIC

Would that mean that when they didn’t lose their music, they suspected she survived? Or at least someone else got it and there are some survivors? Or would the suspicion be that it’s buried in the tunnels to be forgotten, existing in a limbo as the Trolls are still able to sing and dance? Or maybe the Bergens got it, and they’re now finding a way to use it to make them happy, instead of eating Trolls?

Would they lose their music anyway, just from the assumption something bad happened? Would they be more open to gray Trolls, as it could be a possible after effect of their tribe being separated from the source of their music?

Would King Peppy reveal its existence to other elders, in case they lose their music and he needs someone to rely on? (Probably not, but let me imagine he has like two more brain cells and to not keep it hidden) Would the Pop Trolls know other music and Trolls were out there, but only know a false version of the story?

And then when Barb’s World Tour happens, how will that work out? Will Barb find a Pop Village without a String, and have no clue how to go from there? The Pop Trolls will be practically forced to reveal what happened to them, and how they lost so many Trolls over the years, and how it’s possible that the String isn’t even held by a Troll?

Will she go looking for this lost princess, or try to enter the Tunnels of Certain Death despite the warnings from Pop (if that’s because the tunnels are unstable, or that they haven’t befriended the Bergens, you decide)? Will she have to give up her whole tour, and now deal with the consequences of her actions?

The other tribes have to deal with the fact that because of the schism Pop caused, they lost many Trolls over the years to being eaten alive, cooked, baked, prepared in all sorts of culinary ways (headcanon that the Pop Trolls were captured for a LONG time, my own stories use 150 years at least). Obviously they didn’t deserve that, but in a twisted sort of sense, now they won’t lose their own music, since the Ultimate Power Chord can’t be completed

And then there’s Viva, probably only 12-15 years old, having defended her people, started a community, and hold the ENTIRETY of their music in her hands. Would she keep it on her at all times? Would she switch the harp/lyre for another instrument, one that’s not so suspicious? Would she find a way to hide it in Putt Putt Village, scared but content it’s the only way to keep their music safe? Paranoia says Bergen might show up, and even if she’s a happy-go-lucky Pop Troll, who’s to say someone might try to steal it? It’s powerful, honestly a weapon, it will keep her people safe and hopeful. And she promised her dad to take care of it, and she doesn’t want to disappoint. Her people’s legacy and music is in her hands, it’s a lot of responsibility. Might she even think that the other Pop Trolls lost their music since she has the String, and it’s clear they’re far away from each other. (She wishes she could share the magic of their music with her baby sister)

Anyway that was a lot of ramble for an idea that struck me 15 minutes ago

(Ps: if anyone wanna do something with this concept, feel free to do so, all I ask for is credit and to be tagged so I can see :D )

[disgruntledexplainer]

Deltora, a subversion of fantasy tropes (or perhaps more accurately going back to it's roots)

@yellow-eyed-green-crocodile OK, here we go.

Deltora Quest is a children's book series. It consists of 16 books, though it exists in an expanded universe which contains another 12 books, not counting Tales of Deltora, Secrets of Deltora, and Monsters of Deltora (as well as the little-known extra book The Land of Dragons, which contains about half of what's in Tales of Deltora plus 3 additional stories which you can't find anywhere else).

The books were written during that time when Scholastic was doing it's darnedest to get kids to actually pick up a book and read. You know, the era of Animorphs, Secrets of Droon, and other books like that. Pre-harry-potter stuff. But deltora always stuck out as somewhat... odd.

For one thing, the setting. Deltora is a land absolutely INFESTED with horrifying monsters. we're talking lovecraft-level stuff. indeed, these things are so powerful that going toe-to-toe with them in conventional combat is laughably absurd. I mean, just look at this thing:

each of those little globes is a stomach the size of a PERSON. a sword ain't doin SHIT against that thing. and it wasn't even the primary monster from the book it came from. do you know what was? THE SAND IT'S STANDING ON. YES, THAT ENTIRE DESERT IS A SINGLE MONSTER.

there are also dark sorcerers, capable of, for example, turning an entire town into a fetid swamp in a split second, and deflecting any weapon directed at them. the main villain is a sorcerer of such incredible power that he makes zeus and odin look like chumps.

in order to defeat these creatures, the main characters are consistently forced to use their wits instead of their weapons.

but this isn't what I am writing this post about. every fantasy book has monsters of some kind. probably. no, what REALLY stands out about the Deltora Quest series is the BELT.

this is the Belt of Deltora, a composite magic item formed from 7 gems, each linked to the power of the land, bound together by a belt made by a simple blacksmith who united the seven tribes of deltora and became it's first king. it is considered the single most powerful mystical object on the continent, and uniting it is Deltora's only hope for survival.

except from a generic fantasy perspective, it kinda sucks.

in most generic fantasy settings, the characters are attempting to accumulate magical power which they can use to engage their enemies directly in combat; alternatively, they may be trying to build a big enough army or something similar. but the gems don't work like that. lets take a look at what the gems can actually do, shall we?

the Diamond: Gem of Strength or Fortitude, can give physical strength, fortitude, and courage to the wielder, as well as the ability to cure diseases in the person who touches it. it punishes those who attempt to take it in a dishonorable manner with misfortune. It can allow the wearer to telepathically communicate with and heal Diamond Dragons, and a nearby dragon of it's type boosts it's power, and vice versa. it also has this weird synergy with the topaz where the topaz can summon the strength of everyone who believes in the wearer (in a metaphorical sense) and the diamond transforms that belief into physical strength.

the Emerald: Gem of Honor, dulls in the presense of evil or at the location of a broken vow, is a remedy for sores and ulcers, and is an antidote to poison for whomever touches it. It can allow the wearer to telepathically communicate with and heal Emerald Dragons, and a nearby dragon of that type boosts it's power, and vice versa. Note that out of all the dragons, emerald dragons are arguably the biggest and most powerful. It might have other powers as well, as it's potential isn't as well explored as the other gems.

Lapis Lazuli: Gem of Luck or Providence, protects the wearer from evil and brings good fortune. also may have some subtle effect on the weather, though that hasn't been confirmed. it is arguably the most powerful of the gems for the protection it provides, but the nature of it's power is ill defined, and certainly outside of the wearer's ability to control. It also allows you to detect the location of the Opal as if it were a compass, and is more powerful when in close proximity to it. It can allow the wearer to telepathically communicate and heal Lapis Lazuli dragons, and a nearby dragon of that type boosts it's power, and vice versa. If the opal has it's power boosted by a nearby opal dragon, the Lapis Lazuli's power is also boosted if they are close to each other.

Topaz: Gem of Faith, can allow the wearer to make contact with the spirit world during a full moon. the character can see ghosts, and sometimes the spirits of the hallowed dead (those who are in heaven) will appear to the character and given advice, those this is extremely rare. It also clears and strengthens the mind and protects the wearer from the terrors of the night (also ill-defined). It's powers are all strengthened during the full moon. It can allow the wearer to telepathically communicate with and heal topaz dragons, and a nearby dragon of that type boosts it's power, and vice versa.

Opal: Gem of Hope, has the power to give glimpses of the future and can enhance the wearer's vision, and it can also fill the wearer with hope for the future (which helps counteract the panic that the visions of the future often produce). It can detect the Lapis Lazuli like a compass, and is more powerful when in close proximity to it. It allows the wearer to telepathically communicate with and heal opal dragons, and a nearby dragon of that type boosts it's power, and vice versa. If the Lapis Lazuli has it's power boosted by a nearby lapis lazuli dragon, the opal's power is also boosted if they are close to each-other.

The Ruby: Gem of Happiness or Love, it grows pale in the presense of evil, or when misfortune threatens it's wearer. Can be used in conjunction with the emerald to fully distinguish between danger, evil, and vow-breakers, since their powers overlap a little. It wards off evil spirits (also ill-defined) and is an antidote to snake venom, and also apparently repels snakes and venomous creatures in general. It allows the wearer to telepathically communicate with and heal ruby dragons, and a nearby dragon of that type boosts it's power, and vice versa.

The Amethyst: Gem of Truth or Wisdom, changes color in the presence of illness, pales near poisoned food or drink, and guides the wearer toward sincerity, security and peace of mind (AKA calming the wearer when touched). It also boosts the power of Toran Magic. By A LOT. It allows the wearer to telepathically communicate with and heal Amethyst dragons, and a nearby dragon of that type boosts it's power, and vice versa.

True, this is a lot of variety in powers, but with the exception of the Diamond most of this is pretty useless in combat. Especially given that the sorcerers in this world can do things like call lightning down from the sky, or create and control thousands of soldiers made out of goo. And compared to the combat capabilities of end-game weapons of other setting? it's chump change. it should be noted that the gems DO NOT allow the wielder to control dragons, only telepathically communicate with them, meaning that the King of Deltora must still negotiate to get any help, and the Dragons are rarely cooperative, even in the face of their own extinction. The gems don't give you the ability to control the elements, warp space and time, kill with a thought, fly, or turn into a glowing giant (whatever the anime adaptation might say to the contrary).

No, what the gems allow the user to do is: keep a level and clear head, detect potentially dangerous situations, and heal people of ailments.

but here's the thing; given what I said about the monsters in deltora, any of the spectacular kinds of magic would be pretty much useless. The Shadow Lord is beyond anything any mortal is capable of fighting; he has integrated his twisted will with the spirit of half a continent, and has experimenting with new and more twisted kinds of magic for thousands of years. Frankly, even by the standards of most "dark lords" like Sauron, Melkor, and Galbatorix, he is unimaginably powerful. a direct confrontation with him is laughable.

so then, why is the Belt considered one of the most powerful objects on the planet?

Well, because what it grants isn't power.

it grants FREEDOM.

freedom is defined as "the power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, to do this or that, and so perform deliberate actions on one's own responsibility. By free will one shapes one's own life. Human freedom is a force for growth and maturity in truth and goodness[...]" -Catechism of the Catholic Church section 1731

in other words, Freedom, properly defined, is not the ability to do what one wants; that is power, not freedom. Freedom is the ability to do what one NEEDS to do. Freedom to protest. Freedom to preach. Freedom to worship. Freedom to defend oneself both physically and legally. These are freedoms.

Now lets look again at what the belt enables one to do. It allows one to clear and calm one's mind and strengthens one's will, heals, protects from certain kinds of danger, and allows one to heal others. These are not powers, they are FREEDOMS.

oh yeah, and I forgot one more of these freedoms:

WHEN ALL THE GEMS ARE PUT IN THE BELT TOGETHER, THEY PRODUCE A MAGICAL SCREEN WHICH BANISHES DARK MAGIC AND THOSE WHOSE SOULS ARE TAINTED BY IT.

it is not combat power, but it is a power FAR GREATER THAN ANY COMBAT POWER COULD EVER FEASIBLY BE

In a sense, this subverts normal fantasy tropes by going back to its roots. When JRR Tolkien wrote the Lord of the Rings, he wrote a book about simple working class and middle class people defeating an evil by DESTROYING POWER (with a One Ring being a kind of stand-in for power itself in all it's forms). yet, it seems that every writer since has taken a look at his work and gone "look at all this cool world-building and monsters and magic! but the protagonists and themes are kinda lame. I KNOW, i'll REPLACE those complex and nuanced themes with EDGY GRIZZLED WARRIORS AND POWER-HUNGRY SORCERERS, and make the story all about CONSOLIDATING AS MUCH POWER AS POSSIBLE TO DEFEAT SOMEONE WHO HAS ALSO CONSOLODATED AS MUCH POWER AS POSSIBLE, BUT IN AN EVIL WAY. sometimes they even have their characters performing actions which are completely morally bankrupt (razing cities, killing civilians or surrendering enemies, etc), and justify it because "main villain is worse". because in other words, most fantasy writers decided to completely rip off all of tolkien's world, down to the very creatures that inhabit it, but HORRIBLY INVERT the themes

Meanwhile, Deltora seems to do the opposite. It doesn't copy Tolkien's world. there are similarities; the Shadow Lord is kinda like Sauron if you squint a little. but the world is populated with plenty of creatures that don't line up at all, and even those that are similar are only superficially so. meanwhile, Emily Rodda (the author) took a look at Tolkien's themes, smiled and nodded, and proceeded to ELABORATE UPON THEM. The kingdom of deltora fell because the rulers detached themselves from the needs of the common man and physically separated themselves from them out of cowardice. the shadow lord twists and destroys nature to produce his horrific experiments which mirror in many ways modern genetic engineering. the battle is won not through force of arms, but through planning, cleverness, and uniting the tribes under a common cause.

there are other things, like how each gem corresponds to one of the seven virtues, or how so much emphais is put on using logic to solve problems, and similar things, but this post is long as it is, so i'm going to stop here.

[c6jpg]

natlan 5.0 brain dump

i did this in a lot of small chunks so i already forgot all of my detailed thoughts so i'm gonna try to keep it brief

general environment/exploration:

first off music and scenery is 💯💯💯

i particularly like how much wildlife there is and i really love the saurian gameplay (for me its hydro > dendro >>>> geo)

i feel so awful every time i accidentally kill a capybara they should be immune like the rhinos

it makes sense that there isn't "one huge city" like the other nations since natlan is composed of tribes, and each tribe looks like it gets a decent amount of attention, but i was still kind of disappointed by how small the stadium of the sacred flame feels in comparison for being the "main" area. i feel like they could have done a lot more with it

archon quest:

tldr; it was... not good? or at least very underwhelming? especially coming off fontaine/sumeru which had incredibly strong opening acts

act 1 was particularly like. whatever. felt more like a kachina story quest that rolled right into a mualani (but npc-focused) story quest

like for how important the pilgrimage is it just felt so. underwhelming and anticlimatic. yes yes i know kachina is precious and everyone loves her but i wish we spent less time doing kachina support group and focused more on the pilgrimage itself like can we at LEAST see some of the other playable characters participating instead of just hearing about it in passing

literally was soooooooooo fucking annoyed with the entire atea plotline. i wrote a whole rant in my first write up but basically that entire arc only existed so that they could bring back the purification plot device which WE HAVEN'T SEEN SINCE MONDSTADT

i was just incredibly annoyed with how that was all handled lol atea is also just such a non-character how am i supposed to care about her. she didn't even die in the end!!!

also mualani's tribe's whole thing being super stereotypical hawaiian tourism left a really bad taste in my mouth i wanted to get out of there as fast as possible

act 2 was weird because like. i felt like they were saying a lot of things that were like "this is a serious national crisis" but it didn't... feel that way? and a lot of the lore itself was pretty glossed over

i think a problem with the natlan story is that you need the first acts to set up the stakes but we just spent the first act gallivanting around with kachina/mualani and then when they DID get to the "main problem" in act 2 it just info dumped so hard to the point that i. didn't care?

pacing in general just felt all over the place

the only investment they gave us is through caring about kachina and i guess hating the abyss/not wanting a nation to be destroyed on principle but idk. especially with the "nah we gotta wait for the last 2 heroes first" the stakes are Not there for me

reminded me of when nahida was like "yeah i needed you to figure this out for yourself bc if i told you directly your head would explode." but at least that one was fun/could just chalk it up to nahida being cheeky and didn't like. prolong the plot for too long

SHOW US DON'T TELL US DAMN IT. i might just have recency bias but i genuinely feel like natlan might be one of the worst cases of telling and not showing as far as archon quests are concerned

also capitano's appearance felt so random LMAO he really showed up, said some cryptic shit, got his ass beat, and then left. at least the cutscene was cool?

chasca girl i'm shaking crying throwing up somebody get that girl a full pair of pants and brown contacts PLEASE

i find it interesting how detailed/fleshed out chuychu (chasca's sister) is, both in terms of design and personality/character. it kind of felt like they originally intended for her to be playable but turned her into an NPC instead

also citlali is definitely some kind of faruzan situation where she's old but young looking

night kingdom was cool i guess nothing really to say here. i am very interested in the wayob lore though especially in regards to how it ties into the rest of teyvat/why natlan has particularly weak leylines

i feel like mavuika's younger sister might also become relevant in the future... in a bad way. like the insistence to not being forgotten/seeing mavuika again, the fact that mavuika doesn't "really" know what happened to her. also she also got a pretty unique npc model. or maybe she won't be brought up ever again idk

in general that whole reminiscence sequence with mavuika was like. fine but again you just info dumped the shit out of me i have no emotional attachment to feel anything about whats going on right now???

also we all know that was fucking ororon at the end with capitano like lmao come on. but im willing to bet both he + chasca are the last two heros bc like. who tf else do we have left LMAOOO

capitano was supposed to be cool but he's just giving goofy villain right now. sorry capitano fans they flopped so hard with him in this act

[electronickingdomfox]

"The Covenant of the Crown" review

Novel from 1981, by Howard Weinstein. This is the first novel set in the TMP era (not counting the movie novelization), though strangely enough, they still refer to Kirk as "Captain". I didn't love the story A LOT, but it was a fine read with good characterization and entertaining plot. This author seems to love McCoy, so he receives the main focus, while Kirk moves to a secondary position, and is absent from most of the novel. Spock and McCoy's bickering is fun, with a really bitchy Spock, and a somewhat pitiful, somewhat childish McCoy. The Doctor is going through a middle-age crisis, and his vulnerable portrait is kind of tender.

As for the plot, is a bit unusual, since sci-fi elements are scarce, and instead, the story takes the form of a traditional quest to restore the rightful king to the throne.

Some spoilers ahead:

The neutral planet of Shad, rich in valuable minerals, has been torn by civil war for decades, between the Loyalists (partial to the royal family and supported by the Federation), and the Mohd Alliance (warlike and secretly aided by the Klingons). Whoever wins the war, will determine if Shad enters the Federation, or becomes a Klingon satellite.

Almost twenty years ago, Kirk had been a Federation envoy in the planet, and had befriended the King. But back then, the advance of the Mohd Alliance forced the royal family into exile. Things are looking more hopeful now, and it's about time for the King to return and finally bring unity and peace to Shad. The Enterprise is thus tasked with the mission of bringing him there. Problem is, the King is very, veeery old now, and he dies soon after arriving to the Enterprise. The full weight of Shad's restoration falls then on his only daughter, Kailyn. But she's in her early twenties, and very inexperienced. (Why is it that these fantasy kings always wait until they're at least 60 to produce a heir? Seems very risky, if you ask me. I guess this is something that Kailyn has in common with Disney princesses). Anyway, Kailyn lacks confidence in herself, compounded by her chronic illness, which she doesn't know how to treat herself, and forces her to take shots regularly or die. Also, before being accepted as Queen of Shad, she must retrieve the crown (hidden in a different planet) and pass a test. Rightful heirs to the throne always have some psychic powers, which make the crown's crystals react upon touch.

The plot diverges then, with the main story following Kailyn, McCoy and Spock going in a shuttlecraft to a most inhospitable planet to find the crown. As Klingons are likely to sabotage Shad's unification, Kirk stays in the Enterprise, hoping the Klingons will follow him, and not notice the shuttlecraft's course. Kirk's subplot revolves around him trying to find out who in the ship is the Klingon spy, who's been feeding info about the mission to the enemy.

Meanwhile, Kailyn and the others aren't having a fun time looking for the crown. The shuttle crashes upon landing, there are horrible storms in the surface, Kailyn falls ill, a savage tribe captures them and wants to sell them as slaves, McCoy is feeling too old for this shit, and Spock has to babysit the two princesses (Kailyn and his dear Doctor). If this wasn't enough, Klingons have, in fact, noticed the shuttlecraft and followed them. So it seems there won't be much landing party for the Enterprise to rescue later. And at this point, I have to ask: "Why, Kirk, WHY did you send this landing party to such hostile planet!!?" Spock, I can understand, but McCoy and the only heir to the throne? (you know, the one who should be ALIVE, in order for the mission to be successful at all?). As it turns out in the end, Kailyn's presence was necessary, because the crown's guardian wouldn't give it to anybody else. But I'm not sure Kirk and the others were aware of this at first.

Throughout her adventures, Kailyn matures a lot and grows confident and self-sufficient, so of course she becomes a worthy queen. However, she had developed a misplaced crush on McCoy. And when the Doctor finally rejects her, and explains that he loves her "but not like that", she has a hard time. Now, McCoy's attitude had been less than stellar, and he shouldn't have been such a flirt and mislead her. But at least this receives the proper criticism, and the author doesn't turn Kailyn into a trophy girlfriend for McCoy to feel younger.

Spirk Meter: 0/10*. Judging by Weinstein's Star Trek comics, this author leans much more into...

McKirk: The novel opens with Kirk in McCoy's cabin, while the Doctor counts his gray hairs in the mirror and complains about getting old. And Kirk (as the good husband he is) assures him that he's not that old and still looking fine. Later Kirk pulls him out of bed, where McCoy is lying depressed, to bring him to his surprise birthday party (and Kirk's very anxious about McCoy not liking the party idea, since he's feeling so bad about his age). Then Chapel is gossiping about how Kailyn follows McCoy everywhere, and probably has a crush on him, and Kirk hears this. Chapel is like "uh, oh... spoke too much in front of the wrong person...". As result, Kirk has a bedroom discussion with McCoy (no, literally, McCoy was just getting into bed). And Kirk confronts him with the typical "what the hell are you playing at!?". And McCoy retorts with a "what about ALL the things you did in the past!?". You get the idea... There's not a lot more, since Kirk almost disappears from the story later. But consider McCoy's literal definition of love in the novel:

"Caring about someone more than I care about myself... enjoying someone’s company through thick and thin... trusting completely..."

Reminds you of anyone?

There's also a bit of Spones, though they spend most of the time bickering with each other. But Spock is protective of him, and McCoy is a bit clingy. Specially in the latter parts, their dynamic becomes more like that of two proud dads for Kailyn. There's also this exchange:

“Spock,” McCoy said slowly, “Kailyn’s in love with me.” The Vulcan raised an eyebrow. “Indeed?” “Don’t act so surprised. I happen to be quite lovable.” “I have never doubted that, Doctor,” Spock replied wryly.

*A 10 in this scale is the most obvious spirk moments in TOS. Think of the back massage, "You make me believe in miracles", or "Amok Time" for example.

[mandalorianchronicles]

Din and Grogu’s Story Arc

So one of the things that a lot of people seem to be struggling with this season is the direction of the storytelling. Where is the plot? Why is Din being made a side character in his own show? Why is Bo-Katan getting such a prominent role, when she’s barely been in the series thus far? When is the bad guy going to come into play? 

One of the things that the Mandalorian has always done is blend its storytelling techniques - balancing the episodes that have a specific crisis, solution, execution, and conclusion within that one 30-50 min block with episodes that are more focused on advancing the ongoing narrative. Allow me to offer a brief recap of the story as it pertains to Din and Grogu:

Season 1: 1-3 - Din is hired to deliver Grogu to the Empire and saves him instead 4-6 - Din makes a living doing what he does, but now as a single parent 7-8 - Din protects his child from Moff Gideon who is trying to steal him  Season 2: 1-3 - Din is looking for Mandalorians who can point him to a Jedi so Grogu can be with his own kind 4 - Din goes on a side quest that reveals why the Empire wanted Grogu 5 - Din meets an ex-Jedi who won’t train his son, but who shows him how to reach other Jedi 6-8 - Grogu is taken by the Empire; Din works with Mandos + friends to get him back; Din accidentally acquires an important heirloom; Grogu leaves with Luke The Book of Boba Fett Grogu decides to leave Luke and return to Din Season 3:  1-3 - Din redeems himself so he and Grogu can be accepted back into the Covert - they bring a now homeless Bo-Katan with them 4 - Din begins training Grogu as a Mandalorian; he and Bo work to save another Mandalorian’s child 5 - Din (with Grogu) and Bo lead a mission that gives the Covert a new home on Nevarro where their children can be free to “play in the sun” 6 - Din, Bo, and Grogo begin a quest to find other Mandalorians so they can reclaim their home planet and have a permanent place to call home; Din returns the Darksaber to the person he believes will best lead their people

There are two chapters left of season 3, but when we recap the story just focusing on Din and Grogu, is there any real confusion about what the focus of the plot is? It’s the same as it always was: Din is trying to do what is best for his little clan of two (perhaps soon to be three). First, he was just trying to protect Grogu from those who would harm him. Then, he was trying to what was best for the child by returning him to the people he thought were better suited to raise him. Then, in Book of Boba Fett (which is mostly about finding your tribe, a central theme to Mandalorian culture), Grogu returns to where he truly belongs - with Din. 

Now that Grogu is with Din, Din’s focus changes. He is no longer content to just be a bounty hunter or a mercenary for hire. He is a father now, so he is looking to lay down roots. He wants what all parents want most - a better life for their children than the one they had. His many adventures along the way have broadened his understanding of his own culture. He wants to restore Mandalore, but he doesn’t want to do it with the motivation of leading the clans. He wants to do it so his son can have a stable and fulfilling life. He never wanted the Darksaber. He never wanted to be Mand’alor. He just wants to be a dad...but if I’m reading the room right, I believe he’s starting to consider the possibility of raising his son alongside someone who he trusts and might be beginning to love. And in typical Din “reluctant main character” Djarin fashion - the person he is beginning to care for is the once and future Mand’alor, Bo-Katan Kryze. And I believe she is beginning to care for him. 

That’s the story they’re telling - it’s a story about a growing Mandalorian family. We’re still in the early days of “will they, won’t they” with Din and Bo-Katan, but the writers couldn’t be more obvious that they’re hinting it as a possibility. That may please you or disappoint you - but if you’re stuck on the idea of Din Djarin needing to be a powerful leader in order to be relevant to the show, you probably ought to be rooting for him and Bo-Katan to get together. If you want it to go back to being the adventures of Din and Grogu, Clan of Two...you won’t be rooting for the “Dinbo” ship to put to sea.

One last thought: if this isn’t the story that you envisioned them telling, I can empathize. After all, I did not enjoy the story they told in the Sequels, for all that it damaged the stories already written. But just because something did not go the way we wanted it to, does not necessarily mean that it is a bad story. We, as fans, must remember that we are not the storytellers. Sit back and listen to story being told. If, when you reach the end of it, you decide you didn’t like it - that’s your prerogative. But there are a great many fans who do enjoy the story that The Mandalorian is telling. And trust me, the plot isn’t lost. The story isn’t disjointed. It’s all right there. 

[mama-qwerty]

Lost and Found - Chap 1

Okay, so in the spirit of full transparency, this is entirely inspired by @appendingfic story Anywhere But Here, in which Tails is adopted by Wade. I’m feeling really self-indulgent lately, so I thought, “What if Knuckles were adopted by Callie instead of the Wachowskis?”

And thus, here we are.

~~~~~

“Bring it in!”

“Yay, hugs!”

Knuckles watched from the side as the fox and hedgehog leaned in for a hug from the two humans. Each participant wore a happy smile, as relief from a positive ending flooded over them. Robotnik had been defeated, the giant robot destroyed. The chaos emeralds Sonic had used to stop the mad doctor were now dispersed to unknown locations across this strange planet.

The danger was over. The doctor gone. Lives had been saved.

And yet, he was not content.

A pull at the back of his mind made him turn, and he stared at the shattered remains of the Master Emerald. Tiny green shards of crystal lay in a heap near the battered hulk of the vehicle the humans had been driving as they rescued Sonic.

It was gone. His life’s quest. The only thing that gave him purpose. Gave him a reason to keep moving. Keep fighting. The one thing that was supposed to restore the honor of his fallen tribe. Gone. Shattered. Lost. It was lost.

He had lost.

The echidna turned back to the little group, and let out a long sigh through his nose. They laughed and exchanged more hugs, and the humans seemed especially relieved that Sonic was safe. A happy ending for them, it would seem.

Not so for him.

They didn’t even seem to notice him missing.

He supposed it was fitting. What was he to them, after all? An adversary? A reluctant ally? Something else? Even he wasn’t sure of his status to any of the others. His place in this world, or their lives. He was a warrior, proud and brave, and had been since his tribe fell. It was all he knew.

Yet, now, he felt embarrassed and ashamed. He was the one who had led the madman known as Robotnik back to this planet. To the Master Emerald. He was the cause of all that had happened. Had he simply left Robotnik on the mushroom planet, the Master Emerald would still be hidden and intact, and this town would not be partially destroyed.

His blind pursuit of that gem had caused so much trouble. Not just here, not just for the people of this town, this planet, but in his entire journey to get here. Finding the Emerald was all he had wanted. All that had mattered. Everything he’d done as he searched had been justified as necessary to complete his quest.

Now he wondered just how righteous his actions truly were.

The hedgehog and others separated now, and spoke quietly between themselves. Knuckles didn’t have to hear what they said to know the context. The danger was over, and now it was time to determine what’s next.

Sonic seemed to have a home here, with the humans. Knuckles didn’t know the fox, but had no doubt the others would see to his safety. He seemed a smart child, with much bravery. His distraction in the robot had been invaluable to allow Knuckles the chance to separate the Master Emerald from Robotnik.

Thought of the Emerald made Knuckles look back once more at the broken gem. There was still that feeling in the back of his mind, that pull, but he ignored it as nothing more than the fading remnant of his life-long quest. He’d spent so long looking for the Emerald, it was hard to believe it was gone. He’d never even had a chance to actually take it into his own hands.

His people’s legacy, their destiny. Gone. All because of him.

With another sigh, Knuckles turned and ran into the forest surrounding the town. He thought he heard the hedgehog calling his name, but ignored it. With no portal rings, Knuckles was stuck here. And he was sure he would not be welcomed, or comfortable, in the company of those he had attacked just hours before.

So Knuckles the Echidna ran. Into the forest, into the trees that reminded him so much of his home. Of his village. His tribe.

He had failed his heritage. Failed the single most important quest of his tribe. And in doing so, had brought even more dishonor to his people.

Tears burned his eyes, and he blinked them away as he ran faster.

~X~X~X~

“Where’s he going?” Sonic asked, taking a few steps in the direction Knuckles had gone. “I’m gonna go talk to him.”

He pulled back in preparation to run when a hand fell on his shoulder. Looking up, Sonic found Tom going to one knee next to him.

“Maybe you oughta let him go, bud,” the sheriff said, glancing in the direction the echidna had fled. “Maybe he needs some time alone.”

Sonic shook his head. “But he’s been alone all his life. Ever since that day back on my planet. He doesn’t have to be alone now. He shouldn’t be alone now.”

“He’s a warrior, Sonic,” Tails said, pulling his backpack from beneath some rubble. “Maybe he likes being alone. He’s been on his own for a long time, taking care of himself. Maybe . . . maybe he doesn’t really know how to be with others anymore.”

Sonic looked between the fox and Tom, before turning back to scan the trees for any sign of the echidna. He could see where they were coming from—he himself didn’t know Knuckles all that well in all honesty—and it was possible the older boy really didn’t want to ‘join the family’ so to speak. Maybe the echidna really was better off on his own. He’d been on the run for a long time, and going from ‘tough warrior fighting for his life’ to ‘family time’ might not be something he was capable of, or even interested in.

Still . . . something poked at the back of Sonic’s mind. The sadness he’d heard in Knuckles’ voice when he spoke of his father. The look on his face back on the island, after Robotnik had stolen the Emerald. The way he had eagerly joined Sonic and Tails and worked together to fight. It really felt to Sonic that Knuckles wanted that connection. That sense of belonging.

But if that were the case, why had he run away?

The hedgehog heaved a sigh, and shook his head. “I guess I can’t force him to stay if he doesn’t want to. I just hope he’ll be okay.”

“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Tails said as he walked over to the pile of Emerald shards. He passed his electric device over them, and furrowed his brow. “These shards seem to still be emitting some chaos energy. Strange.”

“We can’t just leave them here, then,” Sonic said, hands on hips. “We’ll take them with us. Keep ‘em safe.”

“Right.” Tails carefully scooped the shards into his backpack, making sure to collect each and every one.

“Right!” Maddie called, clapping her hands together. “I think after all this excitement, we’re due some food and ice cream!”

“YES!” Sonic cried, pumping a fist into the air. “I’m starving!”

“Off we go then,” Tom said, herding his family toward town.

~X~X~X~

Knuckles sighed as he made another loop around the town, well-hidden within the trees of the forest surrounding it. He’d lost count of how many times he’d circled the place in the two days since the Robotnik fight. Getting his bearings. Watching from the shadows.

Many large black vehicles moved in and out of town, as a group of humans dressed in black uniforms disassembled and removed the giant robot Robotnik had created with the Master Emerald. He didn’t know who they were, but the feeling he got around town was even the other humans weren’t happy they were there. These new humans behaved a little like warriors, but seemed more interested in keeping secrets than protecting the weak.

Knuckles made sure to avoid them.

In his numerous circuits around town, he’d come to know what places to avoid. One property on the south side had a number of barking animals, who would growl and snap whenever he moved past. To the north was an old man, whose metal home was surrounded by traps of all kinds. Dealing with these two areas was more trouble than they were worth, so Knuckles simply gave each property a wide berth as he passed them.

To the west was the home of Sonic. The large hole Knuckles had caused in the back of the house, as well as the destroyed shed and fence, all dredged up feelings of guilt and embarrassment. What a fool he’d been. Not only for trusting some strange human he’d found on another planet, but also for attacking the hedgehog without warning. Hardly an honorable way for a warrior to behave. But he’d been so blinded by the possibility of his quest finally coming to an end, of finding the Master Emerald, he’d reacted without thinking. It seemed a trait he’d developed during his travels. A bad habit.

Now it would seem the humans taking care of Sonic had taken the fox in as well. He’d seen them outside, cleaning the damage he’d caused, during his numerous passes. His heart had clenched slightly at the sight. While Knuckles was glad the fox had found a safe place, the fact that he had no place to similarly call his was like a knife in his heart. He had no home, or way off this planet.

But then again, where would he go if he could leave? Back to his empty village? Return to roaming the galaxy, where any fighter eager to make a name for themselves would challenge him? He’d gained quite the reputation as the ‘most dangerous warrior in the galaxy’, and, for better or for worse, that would follow him wherever he went. Essentially paint a target on his back. He would never be able to lower his guard. Ever.

Being stuck on a backwater planet where no one knew him was actually preferable to a life of endless fighting. Especially now, when his reason for fighting was no more.

So he kept moving. Making countless circles around this isolated town.

On the east side of town sat a house that he found himself drawn back to, time and time again. The property itself wasn’t significant in any way—it looked to Knuckles like most other houses on the outskirts of town—but the occupant drew his attention. A woman with long red hair, nearly the same color as his own fur. He’d seen her outside in the evenings, humming to herself. He didn’t recognize the melody, but the feel of the song, as well as the serene surroundings he found himself in, reminded him of his childhood. Of the women of his village, singing as they performed the daily chores.

Sitting in the trees hugging his knees to his chest, watching as her red hair shone in the fading sunlight, hearing her soft hum as she moved around her garden or sat on her deck . . . it all made him terribly homesick. He missed his home. His family. His tribe. He hadn’t given himself the luxury of thinking about it in his travels, but now, when he had nothing but time on his hands, he realized how lonely he was.

Knuckles closed his eyes, letting her music wash over him.

Sometimes it helped him forget where he was. Sometimes, it made him feel like that child he once was, watching the warriors of his village train. Watching his father stand tall as he instructed the others. He remembered the feeling of pride, of excitement as he thought of when it would be his turn to join them. His turn to become a noble warrior of his tribe. He had been too young then. His father had told him that next planting would be his time to start his warrior’s journey. And Knuckles had been so impatient to start. To be like his papa.

And then they’d gotten word of the owl warrior’s location. Nearly the entire tribe had gone to do battle. None had returned. He’d gone to investigate when a full day had passed, and found evidence of a battle, but nothing else.

No one else.

He was the last. The absolute last of his kind. When he finally went to the Great Battlefield in the Sky, would anyone remember him? Miss him? Or would that simply mean the great echidna warriors his people had been would be regulated to a footnote in history? A subject of myth and legends. A people spoken about in passing, as though they were simply folklore and not real individuals who’d had dreams and lives of their own.

The thought saddened him. No one would remember. He’d made a name for himself in his short life as a warrior, the most dangerous in the galaxy. But was that truly how he wanted to be remembered? The echidna were an honorable and proud people. They fought for a purpose. Not for fun. For thrills. For notoriety. He’d done things he wasn’t proud of in the name of his people’s quest. Had he inadvertently tarnished the echidnas honor in his desire to finish the one quest they held most dear?

He huffed a breath through his nose and lowered his forehead to his knees. Too many thoughts. They were too big. Too powerful. It hurt his heart to think that the mighty echidna line would end with him. Dishonored. Forgotten. Alone.

With a soft grunt, Knuckles abruptly stood and moved through the trees. Sitting still let his mind wander and ruminate over things he couldn’t change. Couldn’t control.

But he could control his body. His focus. So he walked, starting yet another lap around the town.

~X~X~X~

The sound of something moving through the trees near her house drew Callie’s attention, and she turned, squinting into the darkness. Whatever it was sounded bigger than a squirrel, but not large enough to be a bear. (Thank goodness.) But still, it sounded . . . heavy. Solid. And its gait sounded bipedal. Like a person.

She’d heard this a few times over the past couple days, and in the beginning, it freaked her out a little bit. Living away from town was nice in some ways—it was quieter, and she could see the stars better—but in terms of safety, it was a toss up. She’d never had a problem with burglars or intruders, but the wildlife could be a bit . . . well, intrusive. One particular raccoon seemed to have crowned himself king of her deck and she’d had to give him a good swat of ‘encouragement’ to hit the bricks with the business end of her broom on numerous occasions.

But this newcomer was odd. It made no sound or calls that she could determine, and its bipedal nature was strange. She supposed it could be some person wandering through, but it had been a few days and it was still out there. And she didn’t exactly live in the heart of town—if it were some hitchhiker or backpacker, they would have had to take quite the detour off the main road to get to her property in the first place. And why stick around?

And there was something else.

She never really got a good look at whatever it was that was stalking

(no, don’t say stalking, that’s just too creepy)

visiting her, but she did manage to get a brief glimpse of the thing moving around. It appeared to stand upright, and had what looked like red fur. She caught a flash of white as well, which swung back and forth as the . . . well, whatever it was, moved.

Now Callie listened as the strange something moved away, the sound of snapping branches and crunching leaves fading into the distance. Despite the understandably off-putting feeling of being watched, she didn’t really feel like she was in any danger. If the thing wanted to hurt her, it would have by now.

Well, that was the theory she was going with, anyway. It seemed logical and left her mind at ease instead of running like a runaway train with visions of being torn limb from limb by some rabid mountain lion.

Uttering a thoughtful hum, the redhead headed back inside her house, thoughts of supper overtaking the curiosity of her strange visitor.

~X~X~X~

The next morning, Callie sat before her computer at the front desk of the Green Hills library. Her mind wandered back to her mysterious visitor, as it did more often as the days wore on. Something about it, and the very tiny glimpse she’d caught of it, poked at the back of her mind.

As if the universe were tossing her a bone, Sonic and Tails walked through the front doors then. The little fox carried the books he’d checked out just a few days ago, a little smile on his face.

“Hey, little man,” she greeted, leaning on the counter as the kit placed the books there. “You can’t be done with those already.”

“They were so interesting!” the boy cried, a wide smile on his muzzle. “C-can I look at some more?”

“Of course!” Callie said with a smile, waving him toward the science section. “They’re not here just to look pretty. Have at it, kiddo.”

The kit gave a happy squeal and zipped down the aisle. Sonic smiled and gave his head a little shake while following, before Callie held a hand out to him.

“Hang on, Sonic. Can I talk to you sec?”

The blue boy paused, a questioning look on his face. “Sure. What’s up?”

“You said you had help bringing down Robotnik? Another boy . . . what was his name?”

Sonic’s face fell slightly at that, and the redhead wondered if she’d hit a nerve somehow.

“Knuckles the Echidna. At first he was helping Robotnik, but only because Eggman had lied to him. When he found out he was tricked, he helped us get the Master Emerald away from Captain Crazypants and save the town.”

“He didn’t happen to be red, did he?”

The hedgehog blinked, an eyebrow raising. “How did you know that?”

“I think he may be skulking around in my trees, for whatever reason.”

A combination of shock and excitement lit Sonic’s face. “He’s still here?? I thought he left!”

The librarian shrugged. “I’m not completely sure it’s him, but there’s some . . . thing wandering around in my part of the forest the past few days. If it is him, any idea what he’s doing?”

“Not a clue. He ran off right after the Robotnik fight.”

Callie gave a little hum as she absorbed this information, just as Tails came around the bookshelf, two new books in his arms, and his ears flicked back. The redhead cocked an eyebrow at him. She may not know a lot about these specific creatures, but she knew a look of anxiety when she saw one.

“What’s with the ears, kiddo? Something wrong?”

The kit flicked his eyes to Sonic, before ducking his head a little. “Knuckles can be dangerous. Be careful if he’s hanging around your house.”

“Dangerous?”

Sonic turned to the kit, his brows furrowed. “Tails, he helped us take down Robotnik. He’s not a bad guy.”

“He’s the most dangerous warrior in the galaxy, Sonic,” Tails said, returning the furrowed brow. “You don’t know the stories I’ve heard about him.”

The hedgehog waved a dismissive hand. “Oh those types of stories are usually 10% truth and 90% exaggeration. Trust me.”

Tails frowned, dropping his new books on the counter. “One story says he single-handedly took on an entire army and toppled a kingdom.”

Sonic rolled his eyes. “Oh come on. You really think that’s possible?”

“Another says he took down a giant monster, twenty times his size.”

“Meaning it was probably only about twice his size.”

The kit grit his teeth, obviously frustrated Sonic wasn’t taking this seriously. “He challenged the reigning champion in a gladiator type of death match and WON.”

Sonic paused. “Okay, that one’s probably true.”

Callie had been watching this back and forth like a tennis match, and now held up her hand. “Okay, hold on. Is this kid dangerous or not? I don’t want some aggressive space echidna wandering around my yard.”

The hedgehog pulled his lips tight, casting his eyes to the side as he thought. “I guess, if you wanna get technical, he has the potential of being dangerous. When Robotnik made him attack me, he punched me right through a couple walls of my house. He’s strong. Like, Incredible Hulk strong.”

“And angry,” Tails added, his namesakes curling around him. “He always looks like he’s angry.”

“Okay, I’ll give you that one,” Sonic said, nodding. “Dude’s one big ball of rage.”

“But he helped you when he realized he was on the wrong side, right?” Callie asked, crossing her arms before her. “When it was clear Robotnik used him?”

Sonic nodded. “He seemed really upset that Robotnik had lied to him. I think he blamed himself for leading Eggman to the Master Emerald.”

Tails tilted his head to the side. “He did seem pretty determined to get the Emerald away from Robotnik.”

Callie chewed her cheek as she thought about this. Assuming the mysterious being wandering her woods was this Knuckles kid, he sounded . . . unpredictable. He could be dangerous. He was incredibly strong. He may or may not have anger issues.

She wasn’t sure she liked what she was hearing.

“What’s his connection to this Master Emerald?” she asked, brow furrowed. “Seems like he was pretty intent on finding it. Why?”

Sonic sighed. “Long story short, a long time ago his people used the M.E. to cause trouble, and the Owl Warriors fought them to take it back. The owls hid it on Earth to keep it out of the echidna’s hands, and the echidna fought the owls for generations to find it. Knuckles said it was their ‘destiny’ to get it back and restore their honor.”

“Woof,” Callie said, cringing. “That’s a pretty big responsibility for a kid. Where’s the Emerald now?”

“It shattered during the fight,” Tails said with a shrug. “We’ve got the pieces at home, but . . .” He shrugged again. “It’s gone.”

“Double woof. That’s gotta hurt.”

“Can you call me next time you see him?” Sonic said, giving her puppy-dog eyes. “I really need to talk to him.”

Callie pulled her lips into a tight line. “I dunno, Sonic. I’d think if he wanted to talk to you he’d find you himself. This isn’t exactly a big town.”

“C’mon, please Cal? The guy’s all alone here. He needs a friend.”

The hedgehog’s pleading look didn’t normally work so effectively on her, but right now, when the well-being of another kid hung in the balance, it seemed more powerful. Callie gave a little sigh and rolled her eyes.

“Alright. I’ll let you know if I see him again.”

Sonic pumped a fist into the air before pulling it back to his chest. “Yes,” he hissed, and flashed her a wide smile. “I swear he’s not a bad guy. A little angry, a bit gullible, but overall he does what he thinks is right.”

“Uh huh. I’ll take that under advisement.” Callie turned to Tails. “You ready to check out, little floof?” The kit nodded, a small smile on his lips. “Okay then. Let’s get you on your way.”

Tails checked out his books, while Sonic programmed his number into Callie’s cell. The librarian wasn’t sure how her evening would go, but she anticipated a little confrontation with the echidna who may or may not be roaming around her trees.

[azertyrobaz]

Causatum (1/1)

Spoilers for Chapter 23 of The Mandalorian, “The Spies”.

An attempt at figuring out where the season might lead to. Angsty but not without hope. Din, Grogu and Bo survive. What next? For Din especially? This is my attempt at figuring out his next quest for Season 4. Let me know what you think will happen!

Read below or on ao3.

************

“Are you supposed to say something? Sing a song perhaps?”

Din turned towards Greef Karga and slowly shook his head. The time for speech was over. The songs would come, too. But later. Now was only meant for silent reflection and reverence. He looked at the figures gathered around the pyre. So few of them had come back. And the ones that had were now doing their best to appear the least affected, when he knew very well what was going through their heads – this could have been me. This should have been me.

Din exhaled deeply and focused on what would come next. Once the flames had done their part, the Beskar would have to be collected, and purified. It would then either be given back to the clan it belonged to, or reforged. He glanced at the two apprentices who would soon be tasked with this duty, and felt yet another pang of despair. He’d been certain he’d run out of tears, and yet he felt them prickle at the corner of his eyes as he noticed the two young women shaking quietly in sorrow. They’d lost more than their leader – they’d lost their mentor, and he knew looking at a forge would never be the same again for them.

Grogu stirred against him and opened his eyes, but it was still a struggle for him to stay awake for long. He wouldn’t be standing there if it wasn’t for the young boy, and he held him tighter as the images resurfaced, unbidden. His throat burned with the memory of screams and fury. Of shame and despair. Of death.

He forced himself to look at the pyre and the pile of bodies, to stare at the flames and have that image burn into his mind instead, but all he could see was how small and lost the remaining members of his tribe looked. There was no defiance, no wrath. Only a deep sense of foreboding.

What now?

He’d witnessed it already during the return journey aboard the Kom’rk-class transport Bo had given him. Borrowed, he’d insisted, and she’d smiled in answer. The N-1 had been lost in the battle, and he didn’t know when he’d find the time to acquire a new ship. He would never forget the realization that had come to him then, as the survivors looked up at him with expectation, waiting to be told what to do.

When plans had been made to leave Mandalore while Bo-Katan’s tribe had expressed their wish to rebuild and welcome in more clans, she’d remarked they were no longer quite so different. He thought it had been a joke – Lady Bo-Katan of house Kryze, victorious Mand’alor, comparing herself to him? She’d been the one who’d shown him how little he actually knew about their people, and yet on that painful flight, the number of bodies they were bringing back to Nevarro far greater than the number of passengers, he’d understood.

The Armorer was dead. Paz Vizsla was dead. Countless others had died. And they’d chosen him. Somehow.

His first attempt at a speech after their return had been awkward and hesitant. He’d wanted to tell them as much as he could, how brave their fallen brothers and sisters had been. He’d wanted to tell them about Mandalore and the hope that one day, they would all be able to live there. He’d wanted to tell them that they no longer needed to hide, that they could all choose their own way, walk their own path. Something the Armorer herself had started to realize.

But he knew the right words hadn’t come, and that it would take him time to find his marks as leader, something he’d slowly, grudgingly come to accept.

And yet there was one thing he could attempt. One thing that would certainly get a reaction, but perhaps this was exactly what his tribe needed right now, to remind themselves they were alive, and that Mandalorians could have a new, better place in the galaxy if they so wished.

Din slowly removed his helmet, the edge rubbing against the cuts and bruises that hadn’t had time to heal yet. But this was for the best – they should all see. He was just as fallible and he could have just as easily found himself on that pyre. Greef gasped loudly next to him, and Grogu woke up again at the sound. Before he decided to gauge the other’s reactions, he wanted to share his first unobstructed look with the little boy. The child smiled up at him, his expression the exact opposite of the one he’d given him the last time he’d seen him without his helmet, all of two days ago, when he thought he would die alone in his cell.

“You okay there, buddy?” he whispered, and the child nodded sleepily. Grogu would heal, and so would he.

Finally, he raised his head, and let the smoke cloud his senses and burn his eyes. The fire looked that much brighter, and it was impossible to ignore where he was and what was happening around him. Soon, there were tears rolling down his cheeks and he did nothing to hide them. He looked at each Mandalorian in turn, with an expression he hoped shown sincerity and confidence.

Slowly, as the dusk sky turned pitch black, a small number of his brothers and sisters copied him. A couple of the survivors, who barely looked out of their teens, wounds also visible on their faces. The Armorer’s apprentices, who were crying freely, and with renewed vigor, the moment cathartic. Young mothers and old men who’d been forced to stay behind and whose guilt and anger was hard to miss.

His tribe. His family.

************

“It’s her fault he’s dead.”

There was one particular member of his tribe he’d been hoping to have a chance to talk to since his return, but the boy had made himself scarce, and completely disappeared during the ceremony the previous day. Din couldn’t blame him, nor could he condemn him for his harsh words.

“He chose a warrior’s death, Ragnar. He fought valiantly.”

“She should have fought harder,” he countered.

“She did, she saved me.”

The young boy raised his helmet defiantly – it wasn’t hard to figure out what was going through his mind. Paz should have been the one Bo-Katan saved, not him.

“They captured and tortured me, if it wasn’t for her and Grogu, I would be dead.”

“They say the Imps ambushed you, is that true?” he asked, slightly mollified.

“Yes.”

“And the Armorer fell into a trap.”

“That’s right.”

Ragnar shifted and clenched his hands into fists, having a hard time sitting still. Din knew exactly how he felt. He wanted to do something, hurt something. The pain inside him needed to come out. Losing his parents once hadn’t been enough, he was now twice-orphaned. But Din knew better than pointing out to him he’d suffered the same fate. This wouldn’t help him.

“The Imps were crushed,” he said instead.

“Good.”

“They’re slowly working on building a base on Mandalore, and relighting the forges. There’s a lot of Beskar there, and Lady Kryze bestowed a sizeable quantity of it to us. I think you should come with me next time. You should see the planet. See the place your father fought for. I think he would want that.”

“I’d like that,” Ragnar agreed immediately. “But I don’t want to remove my helmet. My father never did.”

“That’s alright,” Din replied. “It will always be up to you, the same as for everyone here.”

He still wasn’t ready to remove his helmet at all times – probably never would. But having a choice was important, and he wanted all the foundlings especially to realize this.

“What’s he doing?” the boy grumbled, as his own foundling was attempting to climb into Ragnar’s lap.

“I think he wants to apologize for that one time he beat you,” Din guessed.

“Yes!” Grogu intoned, no longer requiring the help of IG-12 to verbalize the simple word.

“You beat me fair and square,” Ragnar sighed, still sounding pretty sore about the subject.

“Yes!” Grogu repeated, and Din tried not to laugh.

“Probably wants to give you a hug, too.”

“I don’t need a hug,” Paz’s son declared.

“Yes!”

[thewoollyviking]

I've just finished rewatching all of Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal recently, since a friend of mine had never seen it before. And since starting Season 2 I've been curious as to how they'd react to the finale. Since I myself have felt conflicted about it since I first saw it.

For a while, I had been feeling conflicted about the finale myself. I understand that a big theme of the season was touching on Spear's status as a relic of a bygone era. Especially as his quest to rescue Mira seems to lead him further and further away from the Prehistoric world he had lived in his whole life.

But I can't help but feel like that entire message is undercut but the simple fact that... Fang doesn't feel that way. Sure, even if Red was the last of her kind she'll see, she still has a family now. She's found something to fight for besides just survival.

And where does that leave Spear?

Whenever I see people talk about how he can't interact with humans and how he's too primitive, they make it seem like this essential part of him that he can never let go. But I don't believe that.

Before Mira, he really didn't have any other humans to interact with after losing his first family. It was always just him and Fang fighting off all manner of Dinosaurs, Mammoths, Ape-Men, what have you.

So when he was in the company of the Celts, who were all complete strangers to him, it's no wonder he felt like an outsider to them.

But with Mira and her people it would be different. Mira knows him, they've been through some serious shit together. The chance for Spear to find that same happiness that Fang eventually found was there.

And I think a simple change to a scene or two in the finale would have reinforced that.

First off; Mira is there when Spear tells his life story on the walls of his new home. I think it would have complemented the scene before, where it looked like Mira's people were telling their story to Spear with their dance around the fire (even if Spear and thus the audience didn't totally understand it). But it would have been sweet if, after Mira led Spear and Fang to their new home, Mira watched as Spear told HIS story.

Maybe Mira puts the pieces together about some parts of his past, like noticing that Spear lingers a bit at a cave drawing of his family. Showing that even now he still misses them. She might even notice to some extant how he still feels like an outsider, and could help show him that he does have a place now with her and her people.

Basically have them bone the night before the transformed Viking Chieftain arrives lol.

And second; Have Mira's people try to help Spear and Fang in their fight against the Viking Chieftain.

To further cement Mira's people being Spear's new people, show how they have set up defenses since the Vikings last came. Nothing would be enough to put him down themselves, of course. But having archers rain arrows on him, or creating rock slides or pouring water over him, it would help to slow him down and show Spear that he and Fang no longer have to face the world alone.

That's part of why Spear and Fang have both survived for so long. More than anything they could bring to the table individually was their effectiveness as a functioning team. And it'd be a nice way to cap off the series to show that instead of the two of them having to wander from them place to place, the two of them seemingly against the world, they'd instead have finally found a people that would have their backs.

They'd have finally found their home.

With these changes to the finale, you wouldn't need to kill of Spear. But it'd at least feel less jarring than what we got. And it would still be a mystery as to what happened to Kamau and his people, but you could have them reach Mira's tribe to warn them of the Chieftain.

The final shot of Primal I still think is beautiful, but I feel this would have felt like a more satisfying ending. Of two relics of an archaic, prehistoric world finding a place in this new world and carving out a new home.

[starzpsychics]

The wolf power totem animal

You may have heard people refer to power animals as tutelary spirits, which means deity or guardian spirit, patron or protector of a specific culture, place, person, lineage, or nation.

Over your lifetime you will probably have more than one power totem animal with you, in Shamanism it is the belief that we all have tutelary spirits or power animals that empower, protect, and teach us.

Out of all the power totem animals the Wolf has one of the strongest symbolisms. Native Americans have long regarded the wolf as a teacher and pathfinder, the wolf is also thought of to find and connect to the deepest levels of self and inner knowing. Having a wolf power totem animal implies a strong connection with instincts and is thought to be an aid in understanding and perceiving the world around you.

Probably one of the best known stories surrounding the history of the wolf comes from Rome, legend has it that Romulus and Remus the two founding brothers of Rome, were raised and suckled by a she-wolf.

In astrology, the Wolf is characterized by the Dog, Sirius, believed by many Aboriginal tribes to be the home of the Ancients. They also believed that animals and humans shared the same spiritual essence between each other and that animals are attracted to us or present themselves to us during specific moments in our lives to reveal messages.

In Asia, the wolf is the guardian of the entrance to heavenly, celestial realms. It is also said that the Wolf is among the ancestry of Genghis Khan.

Wolves are very much misunderstood despite their friendly, intelligent, and social traits people still believe the wolf to be a cold bloodied killer. The Wolf has emerged noticeably right through history, with negative qualities for example as the darkness that mythical Werewolves represent.

The wolf is a symbol of the night, a time which for many can be quite scary, it is a time where we dream, during our dream time we revitalize, and re-energize, it is also a time to discover through your dream’s things about yourself.

The wolf power totem animal typically symbolizes:

Intelligence, deep connection, and expression of instincts

Appetite for freedom

Leadership and loyalty

Feelings of being threatened

Having a lack of trust in yourself and someone else

Social and Family Values

Symbol of Wildness

Communication

If you have the wolf as your totem power animal the likelihood is that he is with you to teach you about your inner strength and self-discovery. To do this you must face your deepest fears. The wolf provides extraordinary powers and endurance to help with our quest of discovery he helps you to listen to the inner voice within you. The wolf totem power animal guide whether appearing id dream or meditation may imply you are using your instincts and intuition to grasp a situation well. The fact that the wolf totem power animal guide appeared could be a call to use this capacity to deal with a recent challenge you have experienced in your life.

The wolf as your power totem animal is probably a signal that you are a great teacher or thinker. But if this is not so this wolf appears to ask you to consider if there is something perhaps you need to expand your views about. The wolf totem power animal guide therefore is asking that you be open to new concepts or ideas.

When you are open and receptive to innovative ideas you gain wisdom! Wisdom is also gained through experience as well as knowledge.

Let us look at the social order of the wolf pack; typically, this pack will have a highly ordered and structured base. The wolf will mate for life and be loyal to their mate the other adults in the pack will all help with raising the young. Even though ordered wolves remain free spirited and will go out of their way to avoid a fight a shift in posture, a growl, or a glance gets the point across without violence.

The message therefore that the wolf power totem brings you is to attempt to avoid trouble or confrontation and instead try and reason things out, be diplomatic! It also denotes the ability to make quick yet firm attachments. The wolf also wants you to trust your own instincts and reminds you that he will be there to guide you. You must regain control of your own life and restore harmony and discipline.

Although free spirited wolves are typically very social animals and are good at communicating with each other and having this power totem animal can imply the need for freedom within you, as well as the need to lead life by following your instincts. It may also imply the need to have more freedom, ask yourself if you are being to restricted or limited.

Wolf is a social animal, enjoying the company of others. Therefore, the message of the wolf power totem is that there does not need to be a hard separation between the solitary and social paths.

Therefore, when you spot a lone wolf in the wilderness it symbolizes freedom. When seen in a pack it symbolizes community. If the wolf has come into your life and appears on its own or in a pack this is a symbol to you to do the same - either take alone time or gather people around you!

This can also be implying that you may need to go it alone right now to achieve your desires and goals.

When you have the wolf power totem animal beside you it can also be a sign that there is loyalty and trust issues in your life. Quite often a wolf totem is a message that you have become too apprehensive of bonding with another or that you have trust issues.

Power totem animals the wolf may also appear as a warning to you and be speaking about your preconceived idea that someone or something is acting in a threatening manner and wants you to take time to consider why you feel this way.

If the wolf is your power totem animal, it may be implying that you feel threatened by something or someone.

For example, the wolf could represent something which feels predatory and has made you feel vulnerable – therefore the message of the wolf power totem is to look at what it is that makes you feel this way!

Wolves are not domesticated and having this power totem animal can imply a need to consider this area of your life, and what needs to be altered, it also tells you to trust your natural responses. It teaches the need to stay loyal to the pack, whilst not losing your own identity. Look also at where you are being too reliant and where you may be too self-contained.

A wolf has a high intelligence in addition to powerful instincts which is observed in their hunting tactics, habitation habits and their migration behaviours.

The Wolf is believed to be an independent explorer returning to his pack to impart what he has learned. Your message here of the power animal guide wolf is to explore the hidden paths, you may uncover new truths to share with the rest of your pack.

The message to be taken also by the power animal guide wolf is that of faithfulness, inner strength, and intuition. This power animal the wolf might be asking you to consider the role of instincts, and how you trust or mistrust your instincts and intuitive guidance.

This power animal the wolf is a path finder and is with you to give you the message to trust your instincts to lead you back onto the right path.

Consider whether this power animal the wolf is asking to look at personal boundaries, is it that you are too exposed within a situation and need to withdraw for protection? Perhaps your message is to not be so trusting of a person around you at this point.

Or consider whether this power animal the wolfis telling you that you are too closed and need to be more open, have you shut yourself off too much? It can be asking that you look at your own trust issues and wants you to look at whether you are being loyal to your own beliefs and principles. It can also be asking you to trust your own gut feelings.

Or are the people around you acting like a pack of wolves, maybe the competition is stiff?

When it comes to hunting though wolves hunt in packs, depending on perseverance and determination to to run down weak and older animals, it has been noted that wolves can run sometimes up to thirty-five miles a day in pursuit. The message of the wolf power totem therefore is of endurance and strength, teaching you to know who you are, and to develop strength and belief in what you do.

The wolf will use its howl to find pack members or to let other wolves that are not in their specific pack know their territory boundaries. If you hear a wolf howl, this may be telling you to stand your ground and defend your boundaries.

If you have the wolf as your totem power animal the likelihood is that you are intelligent and have strong instincts, if your wolf appears through meditation or the dream state your message could be either you are using your intelligence wisely at this time or you are not using it at all!

To learn more about power animal spirits’ visit: https://starzpsychics.com

[fmp1cieranshippy]

EXTENSIVE RESEARCH

One: Review different pixel style games and how are the stories and level designed are organised.

Super Mario Bros

Websites:

Image:

Videos:

Story: How they explain the story is with visual imagery relying on the players playthrough, learning and beating the levels to understand what is going on within the story, with the simple premise of "princess kidnapped, save princess and mushroom kingdom"

But here is a run down of the story in worded format, from the Super Mario bros Wiki

One day the kingdom of the peaceful mushroom people was invaded by the Koopa, a tribe of turtles famous for their black magic. The quiet, peace-loving Mushroom People were turned into mere stones, bricks and even field horsehair plants, and the Mushroom Kingdom fell into ruin.

The only one who can undo the magic spell on the Mushroom People and return them to their normal selves is the Princess Toadstool, the daughter of the Mushroom King. Unfortunately, she is presently in the hands of the great Koopa turtle king.

Mario, the hero of the story (maybe) hears about the Mushroom People's plight and sets out on a quest to free the Mushroom Princess from the evil Koopa and restore the fallen kingdom of the Mushroom People.

You are Mario! It's up to you to save the Mushroom People from the black magic of the Koopa!

Level design:

The level design in each world is put down in different sectors, you have the basic platform level where it is relatively easy to come by and understand and is straight forward to understand, with different variants of this level with underground variants and sky variants / water.

Some have twists to keep it interesting, as others will have you jump on slippery platforms, or unstable platforms, fast moving platforms etc, while others rely on patients and slow processing of what to do, with tricky obstacles and challenges to come by.

By memory I remember how the level design was organised, with 3 / 4 normal levels with the exact definitions of simplicity and difficulty I went through, then you have the Tower levels basically a warm up to the final battle in the final castle within that world, the towers act as what they are towers you go up, dodging obstacles in many different difficulty, sometimes old tricks will repeat with jumping on platforms that are unstable or new tricks like climbing on walls or to try and get away from rising lava.

The bosses within the tower again are warm ups to teach you how to fight and to defend yourself from the final boss of the level, where with the other levels are more teaching you how to defend yourself from basic enemies.

Image:

Mario vs Donkey kong mini land mayhem

Story: where Mario has made toy versions of himself and friends, to give to customers, which help him in puzzle based levels to save and bring back Pauline, after being kidnapped by Donkey Kong.

Image / links:

Level design: The Level designs follow the typical Mario style, with different 8 or more worlds like, fields, jungles, deserts etc with always a boss fight.

However the levels are very interesting and unique, way different from any other Mario style game, as instead it follows the basic rule of Mario and Donkey Kong combine with each level looking like both, with puzzles and challenges to get through to try and save 2your love interest" As you have to get the mini toy versions of you and other characters to point A to B without destroying them, destroy them all you lose.

The Boss battle again follows the same rules as Donkey Kong but the difference is instead trying to dodge obstacles and going up a zig zag path, you have use the environment around you like platforms and create them to get the mini toys to the top while dodging fire enemies, pulses from him ground pounding, tog et the toys to the top where they flip a switch to zap him, which then follows the basic Mario rule or any basic game rule in boss fights general 3 hits and you win. With each moment getting harder the more you get closer to beating the boss.

DOOM 64

Dead cells

Terraria

Celeste

Rain world

Pixel games I have played: (Explore them)

Mario vs Donkey Kong: This was in fact a game I played in my childhood and even though there isn't a lot to go in depth with this game as I already did so above. I will be honest This was one of the games as a child and a teenager where I never gave up and asked for help (that much in any case) I was always engaged to keep trying and trying and trying over and over again until I got it right, as the puzzles and challenges weren't that hard, just instead was a learning process to calculate simply and navigate in a simplistic format to get to the next level, it really taught me throughout my childhood on how to process everything slowly and take my time and not to rush and actually come up with a plan and accept when you make a mistake, but things I learned from this game is that you can't always have the toys follow each other you have to stop some from moving and take your time to do the puzzles and take your time getting to one part to the other. while taking your time, flipping switches while having fun. What kept me motivated was the colours, story and the fact how cool and unique this game was in terms of my opinion, i never seen a game like this before therefore I was interested to try it out and see how I will go. Even the bosses despite being simple once you catch on what its trying to ask you, have some moments where you want to give up. While also having moments of perseverance This game is trial and error and taking your time, which is why i loved it as a kid.

Another thing that I loved is the way the levels are layered out and how the bosses are layered out etc, Which helps me among on other things on how my levels can be played out following a similar concept but also feeling very different. Having the player choose options and calculate the right way and wrong way to change and expand the story or to end the story for that required character.

Pac man:

I loved this game as a kid, i use to have it on a very old computer before that computer had to be taken away r removed. But I remember the simple blue maze with a simple goal in mind collect as many orbs actually called (Pac dots) as you can, while running away from the four main ghosts who are hunting you down "but actually just wander around and are looking for you but they follow a pattern and if you are in line with this patterns they will get you" but despite the weirdness of the game that's what makes it cool and the best game I've played or watched someone play.

The aspect or concept I want to take from this is, I could make a cave level that is "more" simple, with any of the characters needing to venture through the maze keep away from the threats while also looking for the entrance into the nest or the way out giving the player an option on what to do to change the story. This is just an idea concept and not a consideration it all depends on how much time i have if I want to consider this idea. But for now I will be focusing on the basic level designs I have or concepts of those levels designs and might add more consistent level designs when I have enough time.

WolrdBox: Recent game I have played (still am to this day)

This game right here is so cool I am playing it and its just so fun.

Basically it is a god Simulator game as you control your world, you can keep it safe and update it and prolong the human race (any race for that matter) or you can destroy it in many funny stupid and scary ways as you possibly can.

The style of this, taking on board on how simple pixel art can be but just to create an illusion that hey this is something we know and we see in almost everyday life, like a person, like a campfire etc etc. The style for my project is good for map building and location building, however I am not going to take the style it is just a close style to what i want my maps and location of the town etc to look like, simply with few details but not enough to look strange and weird to the point that it looks like a jumble mess.

Two: Pegi rating

Each Pegi sector is defined to a group of audiences or a specific group of audiences, for example if a game is (really) gory have sexual content and have swearing it will be in Pegi 18

But here is each definition for each Pegi.

Pegi 3

PEGI 3 is a rating from the Pan-European Game Information (PEGI) system. This label does not necessarily dictate that it is unsuitable for toddlers under three years old. Instead, it confirms that the video game content is more or less completely suitable for all.

Pegi 7

PEGI 7 - recommended for ages 7+ Game content with scenes or sounds that can possibly frightening to younger children and very mild forms of violence (implied, non-detailed, or non-realistic).

Pegi 12

PEGI 12 is a rating from the Pan-European Game Information (PEGI) system. Having this rating may indicate that the title has violence of a more graphic nature toward a fantasy character that could not be recognised as human, and so it may be given instead of a PEGI 7 rating.

Pegi 16

PEGI 16 - suitable for 16+ This rating is applied once the depiction of violence (or sex) reaches a stage that looks the same as would be expected in real life.

Pegi 18

PEGI 18 - suitable for ages 18+ The adult classification is applied when the level of violence reaches a stage where it becomes a depiction of gross violence, apparently motiveless killing, or violence towards defenceless characters.

If I would guess on where my game stands, it would be between 16 and 18, as the gore, violence is more noticed and seen more in the game, as the bugs become more and more like they are taking over and attacks begin to happen more frequently with them getting more worse.

[aikoiya]

Well, I don't mean to say that it would be easy. All I'm saying is that it's possible. I have no real world experience with living in a desert myself, so you should take my words with a grain of salt.

So, I'll take your word for it instead.

I guess I don't like that they go the angle of "desert is an uninhabitable wasteland" because it's just one more way to force the Gerudo to be dependant on Hyrule. Like, no matter what, they're always going to be dependant upon other societies so long as they only get 1 dude every century. Making them dependant upon others for something else, something that they don't have to be dependant upon others for based on real life, just feels... unnecessary...

And when it comes to the BotW Gerudo, they have a seemingly endless supply of water & a select number of crops that we know for a fact can grow there (Spicy Peppers, Voltfruit, Safflina, Zapshrooms, Wildberries, Hydromelons) & then TotK gives even more things that can grow there (Shock Fruit, Dazzlefruit, Stambulbs), so I just don't understand why they don't have an area where this is being taken advantage of. Like, in BotW you get a side-quest where a little girl starts growing Wildberries in a plot inside the town, but in the next game, they're gone.

I guess I just feel like it's a wasted opportunity.

Also, I definitely wanna bring up how effed Ganondorf is just by virtue of the fact that he's a man who was raised in a woman only society (where men are forbidden unless they prove themselves worthy, mind) with no father figure to look up to, no male peers, & no male contact possibly at all. No one to explain "things" to him or teach him how to be a man. Because wtf do women know about what it means to be a man?

I just... I can't even imagine what it'd be like to be the only woman in an all male society. Like, I love dudes, but that honestly sounds like a very special kind of hell to me. So, it's no wonder Ganondorf so frequently becomes King of Evil or Demon King.

It's actually highly possible that all the information he really had to go on was either misandristic stereotypes or heavily idealized. Either way, it wouldn't surprise me if this resulted in him becoming unbelievably insecure in regards to his own masculinity. And I don't even wanna think about the amount of pressure he must've been under to always be the perfect pinnacle of masculinity in his tribe. Which, as mentioned above, no one to show him what that even means, so how tf would they expect him to do this?

Because think about it. Yes, he's Gerudo, but there's no one else in the world like him, even amongst other Gerudo. No one that isn't already dead anyway. It must feel so incredibly isolating to be him.

Keep in mind the slight misandry apparent in their culture & that couldn't have been good for his psyche. I recall one Gerudo even saying something like, "I thought all men were useless except for Lord Ganondorf." Which... woof... the odd mix of man-hate & Ganondorf-worship is very weird there... Which is another thing! A Gossip Stone said that the Gerudo "worship him as a god." And, if true... oof... that uh... that couldn't have been good for him mentally...

And that isn't even taking into account the monumentally detrimental effect that living in an almost entirely sexually segregated society must be having upon the women! Like, we get a very small idea of it in BotW by the fact that they seem to need a required class to teach them how to interact with men. But then in TotK, I think it goes ever deeper by showing us that one woman can't even look a little twunk in the eye! Not only that, but evidently, it is tradition to remove a little girl from her home & her father, even sometimes her mother, at as young as 3-5 & forbid her from interacting with men until at least 18! All over some superstition that says "for young Vai, interacting with Voe results in misfortune."

I'm sorry, I just... it makes me very upset... I know we don't have any confirmation as to whether these poor girls are totally forbidden from interacting with their fathers at all, but it's very much not looking good on them...

In the end, I just want the dude to have at least 1 guy friend.

You make a good point about Kōme & Kotake hiding their dealings from Ganon though.

Though, I didn't mean to say that he was unrependantly evil, so much as "if he were then *insert assertion here*."

Honestly, I too think that Ganon def has some serious control issues.

Now I'm thinking about the "Save The Gerudo, Save The World" AU again.

Twinrova kills Nabooru in front of Link, and that's when he finally realizes that all the Sages are dead. They're all dead. He didn't know—his body may be an adult's but he is still a child, he didn't understand, and nobody had the heart to tell him outright in the very limited time they got to meet him after he defeated the monsters that killed them. In Ocarina of Time, in order for a Sage to fully awaken to their power, they have to die.

Link knows that Ganondorf's main motivation, prior to all this, was the safety of his people. He's off the deep end by the time Link is an adult, but it's possible that in the past, seven years ago, there's still enough Gerudo King in there to be swayed.

Navi says this is the worst idea ever. Link says he has to try.

So Link makes the decision to go back in time and offer himself—his allegiance, his Triforce, his life—in exchange for Nabooru's safety. Hero of Time or not, champion of Farore or not, Link is just one person; he knows he can't defeat the monster Ganondorf will eventually become while on his own and crippled with the knowledge that everyone he loves is dead. That isn't the future he's fighting for.

So he turns himself in to the Gerudo. He's brought before Ganondorf—and now he's a child, but he acts like an adult, he carries himself like someone who's been through every bit as much war as Ganondorf has—and makes his offer. Ganondorf can have whatever Link can offer him, if he saves Nabooru.

Ganondorf responds, "...What happened to Nabooru?"

And just like that, the horrible future Link was thrown into against his will is smashed to bits.

[sockendrache]

Egg

Inspired by my own dissatisfaction that Kyle didn’t get a Monstie and @magicallynormal ‘s idea of Kyle’s Monstie being a Tobi-Kadachi, I wrote this little ff in like 2 hours because I had nothing better to do

I wanted the Rider to stay gender-neutral but it just sounds like Kyle never bothered to ask them for their name-

___________________

“This is a terrible idea.”

“You should’ve thought about it before we left Kuan, then.”

Without sparing Kyle another glance, the Rider entered the Monster’s nesting-area without any hesitation showing on their face; Ratha close behind them. From within the depths of the cave, the Hunter could hear distant roars and predatory clicks; instinctively, he straightens his back, hand hovering over his bow.

The Rider, kneeling besides the huge nest, doesn’t seem bothered by the sounds at all; way too busy examining the brightly colored eggs.

Off to the sides, Kyle spots various piles of worn-down bones, all sporting teeth-marks and scratches, some entirely broken open. Along with a few stray chunks of flesh, almost blending into the ground of the den. They don’t look very fresh; probably a few days old already. His instincts tell Kyle to quickly gather up a few samples of whatever he can get his hands on, maybe let his scoutflies out to take in the scents; then leave the den as quickly and quietly as possible. Not taking anything valuable with him, not disturbing the Monster’s home in any way.

Though... the weight of the kinship-stone, strapped to his left hand, reminds him of the reason for this “expedition”.

He’s not here to take samples for the ever-curious Research Center, nor to track down a Monster. He’s not here to deliver chunks of flesh or eggs.... however, maybe he should just imagine he’s here for a delivery-quest. Maybe that would help calm his poor nerves, still absolutely shot to hell.

Kyle, who was born and raised a Hunter, who knows nothing else; he’s here to get his first Monstie.

It’s absolutely unheard of. A Hunter, whose sole purpose is to hunt these beasts down –maybe capturing them after tiring them out in battle, if the quest calls for it- is about to form a bond with one of these creatures, who he spent years of his life learning the weaknesses of, training to take down beasts several times his size.

Kyle takes a strained breath, his mouth suddenly feeling dry. Over their shoulder, the Rider shoots him a look; their eyes warm, their glance almost comforting.

“Come closer.”, they calmly say, gesturing with their hand towards the nest.

Feeling drastically out of his element, Kyle follows the command; takes a few brave steps towards the nest and promptly freezes up again.

He knows the process of this; hell, he’s already lost track of how often he stood guard while his new Rider-friend sifted through a Monster’s nest. He knew how to hold Wyvern-eggs, how damn heavy these things were and how stupid you looked while carrying one. He knew how these things were goddamn predator-magnets, and how easily they broke.

That, perhaps, was one of the things that frightened Kyle the most about this whole situation.

How often had he accidentally broken an egg while out on a transporting-quest? How often had he washed the yolk and slimy egg-whites off his armor in a nearby stream, before tracking his way back to the nest to pick up a new egg? And how often had he not wasted a single thought on it...?

It’s just eggs, he used to think. Eggs that he’ll bring to the canteen after returning to the base, eggs that he’ll probably eat sooner or later before leaving the base again, set out on yet another quest.

And yet, here he was. Standing at a Monster’s nest, containing eggs that he, before he met the Riders, used to scoop up without thinking about it twice. His muscles feel stiff beneath his armor, his throat scratchy and dry; what if he broke this egg too?

“Kyle?”, the Rider’s calm voice rips him out of his violently spinning thoughts. “You okay?”

Was he okay? Good question; if only Kyle knew the answer.

“I... I don’t think I can do this.”, he mutters, hating how small his voice is sounding. Cold fingers brush over his kinship-stone; a gift from the Rider. Apparently, it once belonged to them- before this Wyverian girl gave them their grandfather’s kinship-stone.  “I mean- if I should do this. I’m- I’m a Hunter, we don’t just.... ride Monsters.”

They, like so often, only shake their head the slightest bit. And calmly, they reach for Kyle’s hand.

“Then why does Ratha love you so much?”

Almost as if on command, a big, scaly head bumps into his back; Ratha’s idea of a hug. After having spent a little time on Hakolo-island, it was almost frightening to see how.... human Monsters -or Monsties, as Kyle learned they were called- could be. He’s seen Ratha pick up on emotions, display human-like behavior; and not just on him. The Rider loved to point out the Monster’s behaviors whenever they took on a quest together, and as someone who’s spent his whole life learning about Monsters, it felt so entirely.... different, watching their behavior in packs, or see something as innocently as an Azuros teaching its cubs how to fish.  

It felt almost unreal.

As a Hunter, most, if not all of his hunting-quests were targeting Monsters wrecking havoc; and when he’s out collecting ingredients or samples, he rarely ever got the chance of seeing Monsters in their natural habitat. And admittedly... seeing these beasts; even the ones that were known for their hostile behavior, completely unbothered by his presence... it shook something deep inside Kyle’s core.

Gently, cold fingers intertwine with his; pulling him down to kneel next to the Rider. Kyle peers over the edge of the massive nest; its inside carefully laid out with tufts of fur and moss. It’s like a giant bird-nest, the Monster clearly having put a lot of work into the making of it. Upon closer inspection of the fur, Kyle has a vague idea of whose nest he’s sitting at right now; though, following the Rider around, he quickly learned that there’s often a few “imposter”-eggs in a nest, smuggled in by Monsters not bothering to care for their young one hatched.

The silence feels tense; so, Kyle attempts to ease it a little.

“Why didn’t Navirou come along? Wouldn’t he be of help, sniffing out a good egg?”

Quietly, the Rider shook their head, giving Kyle an almost apologetic smile. They weren’t a big fan of words; he quickly caught up on that. However, this look didn’t need any words; after all, Kyle did tag along to a few egg-hunts before, watching from the sidelines as Navirou ushered them out of the den, barely giving the Rider enough time to get a good grip on the newly acquired egg. It’s not like Kyle had anything against the Felyne personally; but he had to admit that he was glad he wouldn’t have to rush through this process, only to prevent Navirou from having a Monster-induced heart-attack.

After all, he had a feeling that time would be an important factor in picking out his first Monstie.

With a huff, the Rider pushes themselves up, gently pulling Kyle with them as they step into the nest. Twigs crunch under his weight as he kneels down, getting onto the same level as the eggs.

The Rider placed their hand on Kyle’s shoulder; he’d lie if he tried to tell anyone that it wasn’t comforting. “Just pick the egg you have a connection to. Good smell or not, doesn’t matter. Don’t tell Navi I said that, though.”

The instructions are clear, yet awfully vague; and Kyle can’t help but note how it’s one of the longest sentences he’s ever heard from them. “Take your time, but.... not too much. Before an angry Mama Monster sees us.”

“....sounds reasonable.”

As he looks over each of the large eggs, most of them brown in color with yellow-ish ovals on the shell, he notices the odd one out. Between the egg of an herbivore, if he recalled correctly, laid a pale blue egg, the shell littered with dark blue, almost black zigzags.

Apparently, his gaze lingered a little too long on the lone Wyern-egg, as evident by the look the Rider gave him.

“That one?”, they asked, gingerly reaching out to guide Kyle’s hand towards the egg. Despite the cold air having slowly numbed his fingers, the egg’s surprisingly smooth texture is one of the first things that he notices. At first glance, it’s just like any other Wyvern-egg he’s transported before; and yet, in the back of Kyle’s mind, there was something.... else to this egg.

As if he could feel the Monster calling out to him from within its protective shell, only waiting for a Rider to bestow it their blessings and allow it to awaken into this world.

“I- ….is this normal?”

His fingers now shivering, he places his entire hand on the egg, frightened yet amazed how small his hand is compared to the massive egg. The Rider gives him a look that Kyle can’t quite place.

“I feel like-... this little guy wants to come out...?”

Before he knows it, Kyle is protectively clutching the egg to his chest; holding onto it just a little tighter than onto the ones during his transport-quests. The Rider and Ratha lead the way out of the Monster’s den, practically shielding him from the hungry eyes of the predators waiting in their path.

On the flight back to Kuan, Kyle could swear that his kinship-stone was pulsating with life.

__________________________________

“....is this really necessary?”

Back in the village, their first stop was the stables. And under the watchful eye of the Felyne running the stables, Rider and Hunter were preparing to hatch the little Monstie.

The egg –a pulsing fanged Wyvern, as Kyle now knew- was placed in a little nest, and Kyle could think it was staring at him from beneath the shell.

The Rider doesn’t bother answering, instead handing him a stick, with which they –to Kyle’s horror- performed something apparently referred to as “Dance of the tribe”, a ritual meant to pray for a healthy Monstie to hatch from an egg. Though, Kyle wasn’t entirely sure if they were just fucking with him, or if it was a legit ritual back on Hakolo-island.

Though, he doubted he’d have time to fly back to Mahana-village and ask the chief for confirmation before his Monstie hatched, and... something told him that he didn’t want to miss this.

And so, with the utmost raise of his eyebrow Kyle could possibly muster, he gingerly reached for the stick.

_________________________________________

By the time he was done, his face bright red and radiating more warmth than the oven inside his house, the egg hadn’t budged. Other than the soft cackle of the fire and Kyle’s tense breathing, the stables were silent, everyone’s eyes fixed on the egg... before suddenly, it shuddered with life.

Kyle, utterly overwhelmed with the situation, could only stare helplessly as the egg started to crack, pieces of the shell starting to fall off and revealing tiny spots of blue fur. Though, the Rider is quick to help; promptly instructing him to hold his kinship-stone towards the egg.

“To help it hatch,” they explained, their eyes practically glazed over with excitement. But hell, in comparison to Kyle, that was nothing. There might have even been tears in his eyes, he didn’t know- not even if they were from excitement or fear.

His kinship-stone starts to glisten in a bright blue light; he’d probably be scared if he hadn’t seen this during his battles with the Rider. The shell continues to crack open, tiny pieces falling off, until the egg shattered with a burst of life, a shrieking roar piercing the tense atmosphere of the stables.

As Kyle is face to face with the little Monstie, his throat starts to tighten.

“A Tobi-Kadachi! What a fine little Meownster,” the Felyne purrs as the Monster looks up at Kyle with –surprisingly- innocent-looking eyes.

Instinctively, something in Kyle wants to reach for his bow- thank the sapphire-star he took it off after entering the village. A tingling heat starts to spread throughout his body; the first hints of adrenaline starting to pump into his blood stream. He’s reminded of the piercing roars of the adults he’s encountered during his hunts, of their bursts of electricity when they glide through the trees and pounce onto their prey.

A bead of sweat collects on his brow; and as always, the Rider seems to notice. Calmly, they appear at his side, taking his clammy hand into theirs and holding it out- that way, Kyle can clearly see how his fingers shake.

The tiny Monster curiously looks at his hand; and just like that, his eyes squeeze shut and Kyle finds himself praying that the little creature is more interested in sniffing him than chewing his fingers off- at least until he feels something soft press up into his palm.

Upon forcing his eyelids open, he sees this newborn Monster rub its unbelievably tiny head against his palm, the smallest chirps coming out of its throat, and the Rider- they carefully let go of his hand, grabbing a hold of the other one and guiding it towards the Monster-…. No, guiding it towards his Monstie and-

The Tobi-Kadachi, this freshly hatched creature; it outright jumps into his arms- a poor attempt at gliding, it seems, and just like that, Kyle’s instinct to reach for his bow is replaced by the instinct to catch the Monster and-

By the gleeful little churr it makes once its settled in Kyle’s arms, he promptly finds himself nuzzling his face into soft fur. Still utterly overwhelmed by the idea of this tiny creature being his Monstie, but as he looks into the Wyvern’s big eyes, so full of innocence and wonder, he suddenly feels very much like he- no, they can do this.

[e-m-christina]

Thank You 

Ivar The Boneless x Reader

Requested by @porgsandtheirplace and Happy Birthday to your friend! I hope you and her enjoy!

Pairing: Ivar The Boneless x Reader

Warnings: Violence, Fluff, Romance. 

Summary: Childhood friends to lovers.

MASTERLIST

***

The longboat was fashioned from an ancient oak, with masts that stood tall against the brilliant blue sky. Instead of its once green foliage, it was adorned by sails of white to dove grey. Though to some, these sails were a symbol of the devil. 

You were sitting in the corner, lost in thought as the crew rowed with ease through the calm waters. It has been four years since you had last seen Ivar, but you had agreed to help fight in his Great Heathen Army, and get revenge for the death of Ragnar Lothbrok. Twirling a knife between your nimble fingers, you stared down the Saxon river. You were close now. Just a league ahead, you could make out the last of Ivar's fleet, sailing downstream like toy boats. Ivar and his brothers had already taken York and were waiting for the reinforcements: You and the rest of the Great Heathen Army, in case of another attack from the Saxons.

A smile worked its way onto your lips as you remembered when you and Ivar would talk about fighting side by side as children. Floki made you wooden swords so you could play fight with one another, and as young teens, you would devise elaborate battle plans for imagery wars. Up until two years prior, you were practically inseparable. You would stand up for him when others teased him for being disabled, and he would threaten anyone who as much as looked at you the wrong way. Though you could never bring yourself to tell Ivar, you were in love with him. You didn’t want to tell him, in case it would ruin your friendship, so you tried (unsuccessfully) to push those feelings down. But it didn’t work, because all those years later, the mention of his name made your heart beat faster. But you both had ambitions that sadly pulled you away from each other. Ivar wanted to conquer England, but your heart lay outside of England. You wanted to find new lands to explore and create settlements in. 

Within the first three years of your quest, you had conquered parts of Francia, made a trade deal that lent in your favour with the City of Kyiv and created Viking strongholds and settlements throughout Scotland. In all, you had created a name for yourself. Y/n The Red. A byword for the terror that was known from the bustling Silk Road to the tropical Mediterranean Sea. 

But your proudest achievement took place over the past year. After a storm had blown your fleet off course on your way to the outer Hebrides, you had found yourself travelling towards a new land. A land that was untouched by outside forces. The Golden Land. A land of plenty and beauty. The soils were rich and fertile, the water fresh, and the climate was welcoming. You had come across a native people that lived there and they called themselves the tribe of Navajo. And so you created the first peaceful settlement on the land that would later be named ‘America’. 

You often thought about Ivar and his brothers. Wondered what they had done with their lives. You had heard that Bjorn had sailed to the Mediterranean in hopes of finding new land. You could already hear his disappointment when he found out that you had already made your mark on an island named Sicily. After Ragnar’s death two years back, you were sure that the other sons of Ragnar would seek their revenge on England. It was during a trade meeting with King Harald that he mentioned that Ivar wished for you to fight alongside him to avenge Ragnar and take the city of York. After careful consideration, you had decided that it could strengthen your position, but also you would get to see your best friend again.

“Ubbe!” You grinned, jumping off the ship that was being unloaded by your men. “You haven’t changed a day!” 

“Neither have you, my old friend. Though, I think you have grown a couple more inches.” Ubbe laughed and you got a faceful of wolf skin as Ubbe tackled you into a bear hug. 

“Yes, yes, it is all heartwarming, but we need to get out of here before the Saxons come and murder us all.” You said with a chuckle, pulling away from the embrace with a smile. 

“I suppose you are right. On our way back to York, you can tell me all about your adventures. I’ve heard quite the tails.” Ubbe said, weaving you through the flurry of your warriors who were docking as quickly as they could. 

“I’m sure you have.” You said, beckoning the first wave of your men to follow Ubbe and you from the river bank and into the forest. “And I have heard a tale or two about this ‘Great Heathen Army,’ and how they defeated the King Aella and the Saxons. Very impressive. So, how are your brothers?” You asked, hopping over a fallen oak. 

“Hvitserk has become quite the warrior, and twice as hungry, since the last time you saw him,” Ubbe said, making you laugh. Why didn’t that surprise you? As children, Hvitserk would steal food off your plate at mealtimes when you weren’t looking. That continued until you were fifteen years old, and he was seventeen. After catching him in the act, an unspoken war had broken out between the two of you - stealing as much food from each other without the other noticing. 

“And Ivar is still a pain in the ass. But he still talks about you a lot. ‘Y/n this, Y/n that. If Y/n were here, she would call you all stupid.’” The thought of Ivar still talking and thinking about you, made your cheeks burn slightly. 

“What of Sigurd?” You asked. You were not close to Sigurd, but he was pleasant enough to you. It was his constant bullying of Ivar that made your blood boil, and on more than a few occasions, he wound up with a black eye. You looked at Ubbe, watching his smile drop.

“He died last year. Ivar killed him.”

***

After an hour of creeping through the lush Saxon countryside, you came to a clearing in the forest. Just ahead, lay the city of York. Its walls were tall and mighty, growing from the ground like grey, looming mountains, and had great wooden gates that were still slick from the blood of the last battle. 

“Here we are,” Ubbe said, pausing in front of the gates, with you and your men in tow. 

“Well are you going to let us in, or do we have to knock?” You snorted, swinging the huge gates open. You were instantly plunged into a town preparing for battle. Everywhere you looked, there were men and women hard at work, making swords, training, building up defences and drinking. The homes were turned into smithy’s workshops and ironmongers, and the ground had turned to sludge from hundreds of feet walking back and forth. 

“I will take your men to start getting prepared, and then I will go and get the rest of Ivars men from the river. Follow the screams, and they should lead to Ivar.” Ubbe said, waving your men through a tall stone archway. 

You wandered from street to street, trying to ignore the rats that would scuttle out from the shadows when you least expected it. The streets have been stripped from all stalls and markets and were replaced by the beginnings of great spiked traps and holes being dug and filled with oil. You presumed Ivar wanted to set the Saxons on fire.

“Have you seen Ivar Lothbrok or Hvitserk?" You would ask the men and shield maidens, but most of them would shake their head, or completely ignore you. Until you came across a tall, older man with shoulder-length white hair, dressed in black furs.

"Who's asking?" He grunted as he dragged parts of a splintered carriage behind him.

"Y/n." You said, starting to get annoyed at this point. "Y/n The Red." 

The man stopped in his tracks, and looked over his shoulder, scowling.

"Follow me." He carried on down the street at a sluggish pace, pausing now and then to check on the progress of others, and muttering every time you tried to speak.

"I should let you know, I am not good at long, uncomfortable silences-" You were cut off by the man stopping abruptly, making you walk straight into him.

"Here." The man grunted, before carrying on down the street. You were standing in front of a large stone building - bigger than all the others. You could feel your heart beating ever so slightly faster, as you made your way to the door. The last time you had seen Ivar, he was eighteen, rather shy, but very intelligent. The anticipation of wanting to know what became of him, washed away your prior nerves, and you swung open the door.

Upon the throne that was covered in bearskin, sat the boy you fell in love with, only now, he was a man. His once short hair was pulled back in long braids, and his face had become more defined. Ivars piercing blue eyes shot up at the sudden intrusion, and when they landed on you, a familiar smirk danced along his lips. 

“What took yourself so long?”

***

The past six days had been, to put it simply - amazing. You and Ivar clicked immediately. It felt just like the good old days. Apart from the battle planning, and preparing for another attack, you and Ivar had spent most of the time talking about what the two of you had been up to in the past few years, and planning to make the biggest army in history. 

You were perched on the edge of your seat, sipping on a horn of Mead, ignoring Hvitserk as he tried to sneak half your meal onto his plate. 

“So, Y/n. You mentioned this ‘Golden Land.’ Would you mind telling me more about it?” You turned to Ubbe, who had come in from the rain outside, and took a seat opposite you, shaking off his sodden cloak. 

“Oh yes. It was beautiful. At first I thought it had thought that I had stumbled across the Land of The Gods, itself!” You said, with a smile. 

“And how did you get th-”

“Y/n, would you mind coming with me for a moment?” Ivar had appeared behind you, leaning on his crutch. 

“Very well. I will tell you more about it later, Ubbe. Goodnight, and take Hvitserk to bed already, before he drowns himself in Mead.” 

Ivar had already turned, and was making his way through the lines of bustaling tables. Once you had left the fall, you were met with a downpour of rain, soaking you to the skin within seconds. Ivar didn’t say a word as he led you through the muddy streets and into his warm throne room. 

“Why did you wish to see me?” You asked, once you were inside, watching as Ivar limped over to the stone slab that had the map of York sprawled out, over it. 

“I have reason to believe that the Saxons will attack tomorrow morning, after dawn. Some of our scouts reported that the Saxons were gathering in strength, East from here.” Ivar said, but you waited for him to continue. “I think we can improve our defence plans. And I believe we could improve our plans by using the layout of the city. But I do not know how.” Ivar finished, his eyes trailing from the map, to you.  

“Well, all plans can be improved, I guess.” You said, walking over to the slab and flicking your eyes down to the map. It was drawn with intricate detail, it showed the spiraling towers, archways, buildings, houses and the Villa. You and Ivar had planned to use the marketplace as the main battle area. It was big, flat and had many vantage points. You would place your men on the tops on the buildings and shoot arrows from above. You stared at the parchment, fingers trailing the outlines of buildings, unaware of the Ivars' gaze. Your fingers paused as they reached the sewers at the bottom of the map. Then it clicked.

“The sewers.” You said, looking up at Ivar. His brows drew together as he stared at you in confusion. 

“The sewers?” He repeated slowly. 

“Yes, look, they are identical to the streets - a mirror image.” You said, as relizastion started to dawn on Ivars features. 

“And it is underground. We could pretend that we evacuated-” 

“Lure them into a sense of security.” You grinned, finishing his sentence.

“Y/n, you bloody mad genius! This may just work.” Ivar said, smiling wider than ever. 

***

The pungent stench of rotten human waste made your nose wrinkle. You had been in the sewers for an hour, waiting on the Saxon warriors, and at long last, they had arrived. Their muffled cries of false victory sounded through the thick stone walls, making Ivar smirk at you. 

“How long should we give them, until we attack?” Ivar leaned down and whispered in your ear. The hairs on your neck stood up at the sudden closeness, but you tried to ignore it.

“Another minute I would say. They seem happy.” You whispered back, suppressing a chuckle, as you slowly started to wade through the shin high muck water. 

“I’ll take my men to the south side gutter, and attack from there, and meet you in the marketplace.” You said to Ivar, who nodded.

“Don’t do anything stupid. I know what you are like.” He said, patting you on the shoulder.

“I’d never do such a thing.”

***

The battlefield lay quiet, for it was now a graveyard of the unburied. Their corpses lay among the cobbled streets that were now a slick red. The sun still shone and the wind still blew, but somewhere mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters waited in vain for their Christian warriors to arrive back home. The battle was won against the Christians and yours and Ivars men cried in victory as they finished off the injured Christians that clung to life. 

“That was stupid of you to rush into that crowd of Saxons to save me. You could have gotten yourself killed.” Ivar said, as you bound his injured arm. The two of you were sitting alone in the room as your warriors celebrated outside. 

“But I didn’t get killed, and you are still alive. It is a win, win situation. But if you keep complaining, I might just send you to Valhalla, myself.” You said, finishing the binding of his wound, before flopping down on the ground next to Ivar. 

“I’m guessing you want me to say ‘thank you,’ then?” Ivar said, rolling his sleeve down with a smile. 

“It would be appreciated. But I don’t think I have ever heard you say those two words, in my whole life.” You said,  making you both chuckle. A silence fell upon you again as you sat there, enjoying eachothers company, and resting after the intense battle.

“Y/n?” Ivar asked, breaking the silence. You turned your head and looked at him.

“Yes?”

“Stay. I have missed you for years, and I don’t think I could bear you leaving again, so soon.” Ivars voice had dropped to whisper as he stared into your eyes, making your breath catch in your throat. 

“I have missed you too, Ivar.” You paused, locking eyes with him. “I’ll stay then-”

Before you could finish, Ivar enveloped your lips with his. Your eyes instantly  fluttered shut as his hand traveled to your waist. Your face burned as he applied more pressure. His slightly chapped lips tasted of blood and sweat, yet they seemed perfect against yours - dominating, yet gentle. A small moan left your mouth as he gently nipped your bottom lip, before he pulled away. Your heart was fluttering against your ribcage as Ivar rested his head against yours. 

“Thank you, Y/n.’

--

Thanks for reading! Request are open! Comment if you want tagged.

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[avatar-news]

The Fire Nation Awaits 🌺 An in-depth look at the ever-elusive islands in the era of Korra and when we will finally pay them a visit

[Artwork by Avatar News; not official.]

Note: This article was published before the official announcement of Avatar Studios at the Paramount+ investor day.

“Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked.” We’ve all heard those words a million times. The four elements, and the power to control them bestowed by four subspecies of giant lion-turtles, are at the very heart of the world of Avatar. The balance between them was once upon a time broken by one of the four, the Fire Nation, forming the main conflict of Avatar: The Last Airbender. For much of Aang and the Gaang’s quest at the close of the Hundred Year War, the Fire Nation was a forbidden, far-away location, until the curtain was finally drawn back in the aptly-named Book Three: Fire when our heroes entered the inferno, undercover behind enemy lines. A dramatic tropical destination! New outfits! Culture shock! Needless to say, it was a big deal.

→ 🌺 The big reveal of the Fire Nation in Book Three: Fire had its own marketing push, matching public anticipation.

When the Hundred Year War ended, the newly-instated Fire Lord Zuko dedicated his life to righting the wrongs of his forefathers and working with Avatar Aang to bring the Fire Nation back into the fold under peace. By the time Aang’s successor debuted as the next Avatar in the titular The Legend of Korra, Zuko had abdicated the five-pointed crown and his daughter, Fire Lord Izumi, took the stage leading a reformed, rebalanced Fire Nation.

There was no more war, no more enemy lines, yet the Fire Nation became more distant and mysterious than ever before.

Korra’s close encounters with the land of fire

To this day, Korra has never visited the Fire Nation, nor has it been seen at all, nor do we know anything about it in her era. In fact, practically the only thing we do know is that its leader is a noninterventionist, which conveniently gets it out of the way of making an appearance in Korra’s journey as the Avatar so far.

The closest we have come to seeing the Fire Nation in The Legend of Korra was in Book Two: Spirits, Chapter Five: Peacekeepers. In the midst of the Water Tribe Civil War, Korra sets out across the sea to get help from the royal family, however, she is intercepted by a dark spirit and never makes it to her destination. In the next episode, she washes up on a secret island home to the Bhanti sages, which probably technically counts as Fire Nation territory, but as we know from The Shadow of Kyoshi (more on that later), this faction predates the Four Nations themselves so it doesn’t really count.

→ 🌺 Korra washes up on the beach of Bhanti Island in Book Two: Spirits, Chapter Six: The Sting.

No, as cool as that location and the events of the Beginnings two-parter that happened there were, it wasn’t the main draw of seeing the Fire Nation that we’re still waiting for: seeing how the Fire Nation, which was already industrializing in Aang’s time, changed over the decades, compared to places like Republic City and Ba Sing Se; meeting new characters; visiting new and familiar locations; worldbuilding both new and expanding on what we already learned.

After this aborted tease in Book Two, we never come close to the island country again (at least not with this Avatar and in her era; yes I’m leading up to something...). Instead, the focus turns strongly to the Earth Kingdom in the third and fourth Books, and beyond.

Keep in mind that The Legend of Korra aired for about two-and-a-half years total from 2012 to 2014. Since then, the story has continued in comics. The comics era has lasted from 2015 to present-- seven years to the animated series’ two. In that time, there have only been two comic trilogies due to various production troubles, and neither have touched the Fire Nation. Instead, they directly continue the Earth Kingdom-focused threads started in Books Three and Four of Korra, both originally airing in 2014. Or, in perspective: we had a focus on Republic City in 2012, the Water Tribes in 2013, and the Earth Kingdom from 2014-2021.

Will we finally see the Fire Nation in the next graphic novel trilogy?

This question comes to mind every time new Korra content is supposed to roll around, and the powers that be know it-- it’s a pretty obvious gap in the world of Avatar right now. This franchise is iconically built around four elements and the Four Nations based on them, so one of them being MIA is quite glaring, and for that reason everyone is understandably always asking about it.

The most concrete confirmation we’ve gotten was this AMA answer from franchise co-creator Michael Dante DiMartino in 2016, two years after the show ended and a year before the first graphic novels did come out:

“Yes, hopefully in the [Korra] comics, we’ll have a chance to go to the Fire Nation and see how it has changed since A:TLA.”

Since then, as previously discussed, two comic trilogies have come and gone, obviously not getting closer to the Fire Nation-- and I would actually argue entrenching themselves further away from it.

I want to make it clear that I’m against fan entitlement. Creatives telling the tales they want to in service of the story and the artform is how the industry should run. I’m just hoping to offer some perspective on how we got to where we are almost a decade into the era of Korra and the metatextual pacing of the franchise itself.

Either way, the next Korra comic trilogy has been official confirmed by the editor for Avatar at Dark Horse Comics in this informal statement on Twitter:

We’re not ready to announce any details yet, but we are working on the next trilogy. I really appreciate your patience and hope it’s worth the wait! ✨

There’s currently some kind of holdup for which we really have zero context or information, and we of course have no idea what this next trilogy will be about. (I do speculate a bit on what it could be a few paragraphs down.)

But, like what turned out to be Ruins of the Empire before it, I faithfully made a mockup graphic for my post announcing the confirmation of the next The Legend of Korra graphic novel trilogy. And like before, I chose to completely speculatively and blindly make it Fire Nation-y, as if the next comic could/would(/should?) feature it. This is mainly because I feel like that’s what most people’s eyes would be caught by and thus result in the most successful post (hey, at least I’m honest), but also because it’s just fun.

Here are both images, from 2018 and 2020 respectively:

→ 🌺 Speculative edits I made for my posts on the announcement of previous and upcoming Korra comics before we knew anything about them.

In both cases, the response was huge, and people were super excited about the prospect of Fire Nation content just from my quick speculative mockups. I am of course hoping that the new artwork I made of the Krew for this post will have a similar effect (it’s the first time I just straight-up drew it instead of editing existing images) but again it’s really mostly just for fun.

Anyway, until the next trilogy is properly revealed, we’ll just have to wait and see.

However, that’s not the only place this could happen.

Are they saving the Fire Nation for an animated movie?

With Avatar’s HUGE success on Netflix last year, interest in the franchise rocketed to an all-time high. The streaming wars have begun, and Avatar’s owner and its parent company, Nickelodeon and ViacomCBS, have finally started to notice.

ViacomCBS is launching Paramount+ on March 4th, a relaunch of its existing streaming service CBS All Access. Paramount+ is meant to be a big expansion and refocus to compete with the big hitters: Disney+, HBO Max, and, yes, Netflix. (There’s quite an entanglement there, with Netflix being the home of Avatar’s big year and the upcoming live-action series.)

One of the keys to a successful streamer today is high-profile originals to drive new subscribers. ViacomCBS knows this and they know Avatar has just become among the highest profiles a property can have, breaking records and going toe-to-toe with other big-hitting sci-fi/fantasy/genre franchises. This knowledge goes right to the top of the food chain: the CEO of ViacomCBS mentioned Avatar by name when discussing potential originals for Paramount+.

I have previously discussed how The Search relates to this. The Search was the second ATLA comic trilogy, focused on the search for Zuko’s mother in the thick of the Fire Nation, and if you didn’t know, it was originally pitched by Bryke as an animated movie after the original series ended.

I just want to be clear that what I’m discussing here is purely speculative, but this is the only other piece of the Avatar franchise that we know was optioned for animation besides the shows themselves. It’s possible they would be interested in going back to this idea as a Paramount+ original (and it would certainly be popular among audiences), but it is of course set during the era of Aang and thus covers both a time period we’ve already seen, and also by nature of already being released as comics, events we’ve already seen too.

However, the whole point of this article is that there is one major, huge thing we haven’t seen yet, with massive anticipation building for a decade behind it: the Fire Nation in the era of Korra. So, again, this is just speculation, but it’s also possible that they could return to the very smallest seed of the original idea for a The Search movie, and do a Fire Nation-focused Korra movie now.

→ 🌺 ATLA’s Fire Nation-focused The Search was originally pitched as an animated movie.

You can skip this next part if you don’t want to see me embarrassingly promote my fan idea 😆 but this is where the artwork I made for this article comes into play. The general idea for it, and the reason I tried to replicate the show’s style as much as possible, is that it’s what a Fire Nation-focused movie could maybe look like. Something as standalone and unrelated to Earth Kingdom drama as possible, with fresh new looks for the Krew to get people excited for something fresh and new! I really feel like the Avatar franchise has so much potential for expanded content like this, that’s why I have high hopes that Paramount+ will make the most out of it! You can see the individual characters’ artwork in larger size here. Ok I’m done back to business.

If the idea of a movie seems too impossible to you, we can also take a deeper look at Bryke’s involvement with upcoming comics instead.

After Korra ended, they officially each went their separate ways. They vaguely consulted on Avatar stuff, and Mike of course wrote the Korra comics, but Bryan was planning on writing and drawing his own original non-Avatar comic series and Mike was releasing his own non-Avatar novels. This all appears to have come to a stop when they signed on to showrun the live-action retelling of ATLA at Netflix, officially reuniting the partnership and committing to Avatar again in a big way. Of course, they ended up leaving that project over creative differences, but it did result in a big, lasting change: this time they remained official creative partners and have indicated they’re still working on Avatar now, together. This is a far cry from the official breakup after Korra, so it begs the question what exactly they’re working on. I of course have my fanciful predictions of a sprawling expansion of the Avatar franchise at Paramount+, but what if it’s actually a combination of the ingredients from before the live-action series...

More speculation, but what if the reason for all the mystery behind the next Korra comics is because they will be made by Bryke, with the two of them co-writing and Bryan doing the art for the first time? If that’s the case, they could want to make them a bigger deal than the other Avatar comics have been so far, and maybe that’s why it’s taking so long to iron everything out, have a more significant story, have more of a marketing push, etc. If they’ve been saving the Fire Nation for something big, this could be it.

I personally think this is less likely than a show or movies or something, but it is possible. Anything is possible right now since we know so little about the large-scale direction of the franchise moving forward, just that it’s gonna get big.

⛰️🌋 The Fire Nation in the era of Avatar Kyoshi

We’re not done! Despite everything I’ve written here, believe it or not, the Fire Nation was actually the star of the show in the last year.

With the debut of the Avatar franchise’s first original novels, Kyoshi made a huge splash (in a way only she can). If you haven’t read them yet, you NEED to-- they’re some of the best Avatar content EVER. The Rise of Kyoshi hit shelves in 2019 and The Shadow of Kyoshi followed in 2020. The latter is of particular interest here, because it was almost entirely set in the Fire Nation and featured practically everything and anything you could want from a visit to elusive islands. Though obviously set in a historical period some four hundred years before Aang’s time, Kyoshi’s sojourn in the Fire Nation gave us a huge amount of new information, a depth and breadth of worldbuilding, culture, and character we’ve never really seen in Avatar before. It truly makes the most of the literary medium, so hats off to author F. C. Yee for the passion and effort he put in.

In The Shadow of Kyoshi, we learn about the era of the previous fire Avatar before Roku, Avatar Szeto. Through Kyoshi and her own Team Avatar, we learn about the different clans and islands of the Fire Nation, as they experience the fraught early reign of Fire Lord Zoryu and the conflict between the Keohso and Saowon clans, culminating in the Camellia-Peony War. We get a multitude of fleshed-out perspectives from the upper crust to the flea-bitten underworld, matching the heights of the worldbuilding quality of Republic City. It’s such cool, intricate stuff, and really shows Avatar’s potential (and that’s all just the worldbuilding-- the character work is also top-notch).

That’s not the only place the Fire Nation has shone recently. One of Insight Editions’ awesome scrapbooks, Legacy of the Fire Nation, gave us a tour through the royal family’s history, including never-before-seen looks at young Iroh and Ozai and much, much more.

All this just goes to show that the Fire Nation has been a hot ticket throughout the ages and there’s one conspicuous gap in that history: the era of Avatar Korra. With so much recent expansion and development of the Fire Nation in our world, it would be perfect to see the culmination of it all in the current time period in the world of Avatar too.

If this made you excited for the potential of what the Avatar franchise could look like in the coming years, same boat!

The next concrete date where something could be announced is February 24th, when ViacomCBS will host their investor day and present their streaming strategy, including Paramount+ originals. There’s no guarantee Avatar is mentioned, but I’m keeping a hopeful eye out.

As for comics, Dark Horse’s schedule marches to its own beat, so there’s no way to know when the next drop of information is coming our way.

Could this finally be the comics that take us to the Fire Nation, or could the much-anticipated visit be in another medium like animation? Stay tuned-- as always I’ll post as soon as we learn anything new!

[tjerra14]

I've brought this up on the Discord before but since I've been procrastinating from writing thinking about this instead I feel like I'll have to throw this on here as well so that at least I can point at it when I ask myself why there were no words added to the doc in the past hour or so. Talking about Ikrie, Mailen and their quest as one does on the regular has spawned a new brain worm regarding the White Teeth's initiation. Something about it always struck me as odd, but I could never put my finger on it. There's this trial to determine which young hunters are accepted into the werak. It has draconic rules, hunters regularly die to them, and what's more, the people in charge don't seem to care too much, at least not in front of an outsider (which will certainly be a contributing factor). In the end, the person who joins the werak is not the one that is portrayed as having finished the trial successfully. The quest name, The Survivor, clearly refers to Ikrie, and as survival is the end goal of the trial, Ikrie's the one who has prevailed, but she broke the rules. It makes no sense. Unless that's the point of it. Now hear me out (gonna put this under a cut because it got long.)

No one's watching the hunters. They send them away and wait at Keener's Rock, which is even with Horizon's warped maps, not exactly next to the glacier. They can do whatever they want. But they've been sent into a situation where it's more likely to survive if you can depend on each other, which is a quality you would want in a werak that's out for big fights and glory. The White Teeth test the limits of young hunters, and either they overcome them or die. But surely a werak that places survival over everything else would accept survival at any cost? So, what if the White Teeth's initiation was never about surviving on their own, but to see if they were willing and able to bend the rules and depend on each other in life-threatening situations? The ancestors weren't separated on that glacier, they endured together. Why would you ask the opposite of your hunters under the cover of tradition, especially when weraks generally are about community, and being stronger together? You wouldn't want someone to watch your back who refuses to adapt to the circumstances. So technically Mailen failed it the moment she insisted on sticking to the rules.

She argues her weakness would've put Ikrie in danger, so abandoning her would've been the right thing to do, but the Banuk don't strike me as a tribe that would just throw lives away willingly, not ones--like in this case--they could easily save. And yes, they're a proud people, but taking pride in abandoning people which will definitely lead to their deaths? What do they have the weraks for, then, if not to help each other, especially those that are in need of assistance?

You could argue the White Teeth only accept the strongest hunters, but they're also described as "one of the greatest weraks" of which "not so many are left". "Great" implies they have a reputation, a reputation is built over time, and to last, people have to help each other. Even the--by their definition--strongest hunter can have an accident, and if no one's there for them, the werak will inevitably grow weaker, and finally vanish. So they must look out for each other if they want to survive. Which brings me back to the initial point: a test to see who lives and who dies according to the rules is not to weed out the "weak" but those who don't cooperate, who are not willing to adapt.

It just doesn't make sense to found and lead a werak on the principal of the survival of the fittest because inevitably there will be no one left. They seem strict towards their initiates, but we never get to see how they interact with each other once you've been accepted. Mailen is injured, and badly enough that she would've likely died without Ikrie's and Aloy's help being in no shape to return, and will be a hindrance for a while. They seem to have no issue with that. I outright refuse to believe they just leave more seriously injured or sick people to die, like Mailen believes is the right way to go about it as in her mind, taking care of them would endanger others that are still healthy. Which is incredibly tortured logic I just can't see working in a group that has existed, in one form or another, for enough time to make a name for themselves. So tl;dr: I don't think the White Teeth and their rules are the problem, as they likely don't even care as much as they pretend to. Mailen's mindset is.

[sunnyrosewritesstuff]

Day 3 Birthday Plot Bunnies 2

If you want this to become my next WIP, be sure to shower it with lots of love!!  🥰 💖 All the story starters will be linked back to this masterpost.

Title: Soul Traitors

Summary: Betrayal among soulmates is unheard of in all the free races of Arda, yet that’s exactly what Durin, King of Khazad-dûm, endures. Heartsick and angry, he damns the Valar for their choice and earns their wrath in return. He and his former lover will be reincarnated until the wrong between them is righted. Thorin, Durin’s lastest reincarnation, believes nothing can break that curse and instead mounts a quest for the Arkenstone to free his people of theirs. Gandalf, the meddlesome wizard, offers a Burglar for their quest. A hobbit burglar who will help Thorin uncover more than just a gem.

Warnings: Character Death, Gore (I mean, it’s not heavily descripted gore, but it does mention the manner of the character’s death so just to be safe.)

Each of the races have their own views on soulmates and how you go about finding them. However, all seem to agree that to find a soulmate is a very special thing. To find the one person who you can trust with your whole heart and soul. That’s why to the dwarves, they called these people, Ones. None would ever consider betraying their Ones as that seemed a cruelness beyond even that of the orcs. Which is why King Durin stood in the high chamber of the court of Khazad-dûm staring down at the small figure below with such shock and fear, many feared a light breeze could topple their usually infallible king.

The curly haired creature in chains returned the king’s stare with heartbreaking indifference. Many of the court began to chant prayers to Mahal that this was not to be so. That the One of their dear king wouldn’t dare do that which he was accused. Durin’s flat and breathless voice finally spoke, silencing all in the hall.

“Madoc son of Maloch of the Holbyta Tribe Fallohide, you stand before the King of Khazad-dûm as the sole conspirator and thief of the Arkenstone. One of the great treasures of our kingdom. What plea do you make in your defense?”

With no hesitation, no change in emotion, the small being stated the same line Durin’s heard since his capture.

“I love you.”

The king leaned forward to bow his head as he gripped the stone podium tighter. 

“Madoc, this is serious!” Durin’s most trusted advisor, Gelbim, spoke up. “You have taken a sacred relic from our halls, and not just any, but the one that has the power to bring ruin upon our city and our people! Your crime is punishable by death. For the love of Mahal and the great Valar, please, tell us where you’ve hidden the Arkenstone.”

Durin slowly brought his eyes up as the silence persisted to see a small break in Madoc’s mask. His jaw trembled and a single tear leaked from his soft hazel eyes that Durin had loved from the moment he met him. 

“I...love...you.” He sobbed.

That was the moment Durin’s heart broke. Not shattered completely though. No, unfortunately that particular pain would come later that week when Madoc’s sentence was being carried out. But this...this was the first of a pain that would never desist.

“How can you when you hurt me so?” Durin asked softly, yet his words carried through the chamber as Madoc bowed his head in defeat. “You are given a traitor’s sentence. Death with no chance to appeal. Your name will not be spoken aloud again, your hair will be shorn and removed of any braids and beads, and your body will be burned rather than returned to the land and stone. In the Eyes of Mahal, so mote it be.”

Gelbim, his dear friend, told him he didn’t need to attend. None would think less of their king. Durin wished he had listened. He couldn’t bear to watch, but the sound of the axe going straight through his One’s neck would haunt him for the rest of his life. As it was, he stumbled to his chambers to fall and not rise from their marital bed for weeks after. When he resumed his reign, the toll of losing heart and soul was apparent to all. 

Durin became hardened in the final years of his reign. He demanded every ounce of mithril in the mountain to be pulled up and sold it to his allies for too high a price. What he didn’t sell, he forged. Weapons, jewelry, a particular handsome mailshirt, and if it were all the same size as his beloved holbyta? Well, none had it in them to point it out to their fading king. As demanded of a traitor’s death, the name Madoc was stricken from all records and replaced with the Amrâb Hufrel or “the soul’s betrayal of all betrayals”. The rest of the Fallohide tribe which was camped near the Misty Mountains was forced to pack up and resume their nomadic lifestyle west or face war with the dwarves. The sorrows of Durin were not to stop there. 

“The goblins of the Deep grow bolder.” Gelbim remarked as they watched the latest battalion return battered and worse for wear.

“Without the Arkenstone, they will not stop.” Durin growled.

“Durin, my friend, we’ve sent quest after quest after the gem. Wherever M-the Amrâb Hufrel has hidden it, we may not ever find it. It may be time to consider...alternatives.”

“What alternative is there aside from leaving my mountain and my mithril!” Durin spat.

Gelbim raised an eyebrow at his answer. “And is that worth more than the lives of your kin?”

Durin froze before spinning around quick as a flash. “Leave if that is your wish! This has been the home of MY line since the reign of Durin I and I WILL NOT GO!”

Go, Gelbim did taking a third of his kingdom with him including the young Prince Thrain and his mother. Crown Prince Nain, Durin’s only stone son, could not be moved to leave his father to his fate even as he saw the heartless path he wrought. For in their quest for more mithril, an ancient evil slumbering deep below the rock was awoken. The king led a frantic charge against the beast and was slain almost instantly. The war against Durin’s Bane lasted a year longer, but when the newly instated King Nain, was slain, the mountain and its riches were abandoned. In the lore of Durin’s folk, this was the first great curse of the Amrâb Hufrel’s theft.

Durin, who welcomed his death with open arms, awoke expecting to find the Halls of His Father. Instead, the nervous face of his treacherous One amongst a starry plane was the first sight he was graced with. 

“Oh Durin, my heart…” The holbyta began taking a step forward.

“You!” The king snarled, moving away as quickly as he could.

The Amrâb Hufrel looked miserable as his face twisted in anguish. “Please let me explain…”

“NOW YOU WISH TO EXPLAIN!” Durin boomed. “You had your chance! You had every opportunity to tell of your nefarious schemes, and instead you mocked me. You mocked my kingdom, a kingdom you once called yours. Well look at it now! All because of you!”

The creature before him was truly wretched and small as he hunkered against every blow Durin dealt. And the dwarf was yet to be finished.

“Peace, my son.” Came a great voice from above that Durin instantly recognized as His Father even having never heard it before. “You have made your point. Now let your Sanâzyung (Perfect/True Love) say his piece.”

“NO!” Durin roared against the very heavens themselves. “I don’t want to have anything to do with this...this...Amrâb Hufrel!”

Thunder rumbled, shaking the entire platform they stood upon. And while the holbyta trembled in the face of such power, Durin’s anger was too great to be cowed.

“You would reject this gift we offer, son of Aulë?” A female voice demanded, icy and iron.

“What gift?” Durin sneered. “Unless you offer me the chance to sever his head myself this time, I see no gift here.”

The other creature of blood released a gasp that was more like a sob, but Durin had no more patience for the likes of him. In fact, he had nothing left to give to him. Something that became apparent to the Valar watching.

“You have become cruel.” Another, softer female voice soothed. “You know only the truths you have seen with your own eyes.”

“And it is enough for me to condemn that thing and the Great Valar that thought to join my soul with it! Damn him and DAMN ALL OF YOU!”

If Durin expected the same booming show of power he received previously, he was sorely disappointed. Instead, it just all seemed to fade away. The stars, the platform, and the holbyta. His sorrowful face full of tears was the last thing Durin saw before he was swallowed by the darkness. The darkness allowed no sound, not even from Durin’s own voice, and no escape. He was unsure how long he wavered in that place: hours, weeks, years? He was utterly and completely alone until finally the voice of His Father broke through.

“You have shamed me, my uzfakuh (great joy). You have shamed me, you have shamed yourself, and you have shamed your Sanâzyung.”

Durin knew he could not speak back, but he still fumed at the Great Smith’s words. 

“We have thought long and hard on how you can atone for the atrocities you’ve committed today.”

And what of the Amrâb Hufrel’s atrocities?

“Your path will not be an easy one, especially if you hold tight to the stubborn slights of your mortal heart. For a soul is worth so much more. You and your Sanâzyung shall be reborn over and over as many times as needed until you can right the wrongs between you and hear the truth of his soul.”

Durin felt a burning on his breast and looked down to behold a glowing oak tree being inked in chains.

“You shall carry this mark in every life of yours henceforth, and it shall know the mark of Madoc in return. Only free of the chains that bind your soul, will you be welcome in my Halls.”

The legend of Durin’s curse and the theft of the Amrâb Hufrel passed down through the centuries until it had inscribed all dwarven mothers with fear. For any child to bear the mark of Durin was to lead a loveless and empty life. Likewise, any “hobbits” as they preferred that met with the dwarves were met with open hostility. Especially if they bore their own mark, though none knew for certain if it was Madoc’s or not. Still, the hobbits learned fast and stories of their own circulated that any child bearing an acorn on their palm would be hunted and killed by the dwarves. So as the stories grew wilder and edged with desperation, Durin and Madoc were reborn again and again just as Aulë promised, but were no closer to breaking the curse that bound them so.

It was many centuries later when a young prince from Durin’s own line was born to the immediate wailing and disappointment of every dwarf in attendance. Not even a few seconds old, Thorin, son of Thrain, Prince of Erebor bore the heavy burdens of his ancestor. It steeled his heart as he grew into adolescence and forced him to throw his all into his duties as prince. He would love Erebor for none would ever love him. And when Erebor was attacked by the dragon, it was Thorin’s foresight and friendship with the men of Dale that was able to send Smaug away. Thorin grew from prince into a king his people could be proud of, and he never wavered from his vow to his kingdom. Never knowing that almost a century and a half later, a hobbit was born with the death sentence of his people on his palm and a destiny he would not be able to escape.