#is it functionally the same as her original notes? yes but

[yuriko-44]

HOME – waiting room

I just wanted to make a post introducing my new main waiting room! My previous waiting room really didn't have much personality, I treated it more as a reality I wouldn't go back to. This new one, on the other hand, is much more interesting and whimsical! I genuinely cannot wait to be there and I'd gladly go back to it even after I shift to my main reality!

My script isn't over yet, but making this post helped me organise my thoughts. Also, I'm trying to make shorter scripts because I used to make bibles, so making a short script for this waiting room felt like a breath of fresh air!

For now this is all I scripted. I made this post very quickly because I really wanted to talk about it, so hopefully you'll enjoy it anyway! :')

General info and myself

I feel like my younger self possessed me while I was scripting this reality.

The whole concept of this waiting room is that all animals, insects and whatnot are shifters just like me!

We all have human forms that are only used in our "human house". Our normal house is accessible from our den/nest/etc. Basically there's a portal that brings us to a pocket dimension (where our human house is) that we can modify however we want!

In my den there are two portals: one to my pocket dimension and one that functions as a portal to my drs. You know when in Spyro 3 you unlock one of the other playable characters and when you need to go to their world you have to go through a portal (I don't mean the portals to regular levels)? That's basically how my portals look: black background with a purple spiral!

You can invite others to your pocket dimension and you can 'lock it' with the 'Lifa App' so that no one gets in (either on purpose or on accident).

In my younger self's typical 'cringe fashion' – but honestly who cares, let us all be cringe and happy – my animal form is a grey wolf!

This was heavily inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, in which Link transforms into a wolf, it's my favourite Zelda game!

To transform we have an accessory. It's not strictly necessary to have that accessory, but it's the best way to do it. Depending on the accessory and animal form, some may still show that accessory when transformed. For example, mine is a simple round blue earring that is still visible after I transform (this is also inspired by Twilight Princess, Link has the same earring that is still visible in his wolf form, even though that's not what makes him transform).

Since in my main reality I'm Japanese (and I started writing this reality mainly so I can script that reality better before going there), I'm the same in this reality.

My name is Matsumoto Haruto (松本 晴人). I can't find my notes in which I had the meaning, but basically Matsumoto is a common Japanese surname and, depending on the spelling, it has to do with nature, especially trees. Haruto has something to do with flying (I definitely didn't choose this name because in my main bnha reality my original quirk was supposed to be a flying quirk)- and yes, I'm a guy in my waiting room!

My friends and giude

In this reality, I'll meet two shifters: one is a fox and the other a crow.

I haven't scripted anything about how they are, except that the fox is a guy and the crow is a gal. That's literally it.

I also scripted that we become friends pretty quickly, so this implies that they're the kind of people I'd like to hang out and be friends with.

In general, I scripted that all the shifters in this reality are decent human beings, so I shouldn't worry too much about how my friends will be.

In this waiting room I have a shifting guide! She's basically Navi from the Zelda games (I'm not normal about these games- they fit the aesthetic of my waiting room so well-)! Except that her name is spelled 'Navy' instead of 'Navi' because I like it. She's super friendly and I can ask her for advice, opinions, etc.

Others

Everyone has a 'Lifa App'. Mine takes the shape of a rock with a moss spiral on it, in the middle of which there's a paw print. It's right outside my den! I can also access it through my phone when I'm human, so I don't have to go out every two seconds to use it.

Thanks to this Lifa App we can change our pocket dimension, open portals to our drs, change ourselves, make objects spawn and so much more – as long as it doesn't influence other shifters!

We can also make people from our drs spawn, but they can only stay in our pocket dimension.

Something that I really like about my human house in my pocket dimension is that I have a room dedicated entirely to shifting, in which I have all the materials I could ever need to work on my scripts! I'll probably make my scripts both on paper and on my computer/phone.

Attached to that room, there's another room that I like to call the testing room. There are some realities that I don't know if they'd look better with 'cr graphics' or 'canon graphics' (ex: I don't know if my main bnha reality would look better if it kept an anime/manga style or if it was more similar to the cr), so that room will help with that! I can basically run a simulation of what my drs are like so I script exactly what I want!

It's not limited to just show me what they look like. For example, I'll probably use that room to test out All For One's quirk before shifting to my main reality, just to make sure I'm satisfied with how I scripted it to work.

Another special room I have is a simulation room. It's similar to the testing room, but this one is just for entertainment. The reason why I have this room is because sometimes I get the best ideas for certain scenes, but they either don't fit my drs or I don't want to make a new dr exclusively for that scene. So I might as well enjoy it with the simulation room- and hey...it's consequences free! (So no trauma, no nothing)

[starlingsrps]

dorey mason, twenty five, codebreaker

dorey is a dorothea and she was raised comfortably middle class in london by people who were on the fringes of bohemia but went straight after having their first child, jessamine. bloomsbury turned into shepherd’s bush, writing jobs turned into teaching and keeping house and as the children kept coming, the names became less bohemian. jessamine (30) was followed by caspian (29), then dorey and then finally, exhausted, jane (23).

dorey’s father, gregory, always claimed to be more of a dabbler than an actual philosopher and while catherine had ambitions of greatness, she only plays the piano for pleasure these days. by the time dorey was born, gregory had taken a job teaching at a boy’s school and catherine was keeping then all from creative murder and teaching neighborhood piano lessons.

if they’re one of the odder families on their block, dorey really never noticed until she went away for school and learned not everyone was encouraged to do what made them happy or with a copy of married life hanging around on the shelves. they’re all still a bit liberal - jessa is a costume designer for theater, cas trains horses in rural ireland, jane is studying medicine in canada, and dorey does math for both fun and a living.

she was always the studious one in her family and if her parents stopped being able to make heads or tails of her math homework before she hit puberty, they were still supportive. she won a scholarship to newnham college at cambridge and holds a double first in mathematics. technically, she doesn't have a full degree but she should never be asked about that.

by the time she finished, the war had started and as absolutely no war jobs held much appeal to her (weak ankles, too many years in a library), she started working as an assistant to a professor at the university of london and biding her time. eventually, he was recruited to the government code and cypher school and dorey was very much part of the package. there were a few frustrating weeks where she was primarily doing clerical work before being assigned to hut six as a codebreaker on army and air force engima deciphering and that’s where she’s stayed.

she’s very good at her work and takes a lot of pride in it. she’s always enjoyed puzzles and problem solving and loves the rush of being the first to crack the cipher for the day. obviously for war effort alone. only the war effort.

(being right is dorey’s very favorite thing and winning is her second)

dorey’s work takes up the lion’s share of her time and attention. it’s on a need to know basis - she’s told her family she works for the war department and she couldn’t say much more if she wanted to. she’s become a little solitary since joining bletchley, due to the nature of her work, but she does her best when she can. she can be very selfish with what little time she does have and clipped and short when she's operating on fumes.

despite all of this, she is tender deep down. she's very close to her family and stays with jessa when she's in london. she keeps a steady correspondence with cas in ireland and jane in canada and while she worries that she's doomed to be the maiden aunt, she knows that they'll always love her. she can be sweet and thoughtful and blooms with the right people. she has a good, clumsy heart and being vulnerable doesn't come easily to her - having feelings? in wartime? hideous.

(absolutely aching to be cared for over here)

BUT until the war is over: she's got work to do and that comes first always.

[athenalvss]

FIRST LOVE ▬ ( Dick grayson! )

summary: A young Dick Grayson is in love with one of his father's younger teammates in the Justice League.

note: Dick wiil be like 16/17 and I write abt reader like she has 19/20, Just to communicate the age gap, enjoy :)

pairing:(platonic) yj!dick grayson x fem reader

open request - Dick masterlist

The first time you met was once when Bruce took you to the Batcave to accompany him on a mission, actually only Dick met you, he was not allowed to be there tonight, Bruce had forbidden him to go down to the cave that night and that they would not go out on patrol together, and there he was hiding watching the interaction between the most beautiful girl he had seen in his short thirteen years and his adoptive father.

You stood next to Batman, nodding as he explained the details of a simple reconnaissance mission. You were dressed in your suit, a modern design that combined functionality with style, and your posture displayed confidence… though a friendly smile softened your features.

Batman walked you toward the Batmobile, helping you get in, and Dick saw you laugh at something he said. Laugh. With Batman. As if that were even possible.

How unfair life was to him.

But the first time you officially met was shortly after Young Justice was created. Bruce, dressed as Batman and Red Tornado, had introduced you to the small group of teenagers with the intention of having you be part of their training, and perhaps even help them understand the great responsibility that this job entails at a young age.

But young Robin was too busy bragging that he already knew the pretty girl.

"Team," Red Tornado announced in a mechanically solemn voice. "This is the newest active member of the Justice League. She'll assist in your training."

You stood confidently beside Batman, smiling kindly at the group of expectant teenagers.

"Hey guys" you greeted with a friendly smile. "I hope we can learn a lot together. "

Robin almost fainted.

Of course he recognized you.

The goddess of the Batcave was there, in the same room, and this time... he could talk to you without hiding behind the Batmobile.

Wally nudged him. “Wow... who is she? She’s so f...”

"What are you saying, Wally?!" Robin interrupted quickly, his voice a little louder than usual.

Everyone looked at him, he cleared his throat, crossing his arms as if he hadn't just yelled in front of the team. "I mean, obviously I know her. She's been in the Batcave before. With Batman. And me. Nothing new for me. "

Wally raised an eyebrow, amused. "Really? And you didn't say anything?"

Robin shrugged, putting on his best 'this doesn't affect me' pose, although he was sure his ears were turning red under the mask.

"I didn't mean to brag," he said with a small smile. "But we've already talked. she was on a mission with B, and I showed her some things about the cave. She asked me for advice. The usual."

Wally chuckled. “she asked you for advice, sure.”

You stepped forward, smiling warmly as you watched them. “Robin, right?” you asked, addressing him directly.

The boy's heart almost fell to the floor.

"Yes," he replied immediately, straightening as if he were undergoing a military inspection. "Of course. Robin. You know, the first one. The original. The best. Your Robin."

Wally coughed to hide a laugh.

"Thank you for having me. I'm happy to be here," you continued calmly, then lowered your voice a little. "And.... I remember you."

Robin froze.

—I wasn't sure if I should tell you, but... I thought it was really cute how you hid behind the computer that night.

Robin blinked. “How…?”

"Boy, do you think I'd be in the League if I didn't see you hiding behind a piece of furniture? No one escapes a League member," you winked mischievously.

Wally squealed with laughter as Robin raised a hand to his face. "I'm going to need an identity change," he muttered.

ᯓ★

The Watchtower meeting hall was lively, finally the young league had been allowed to come see the place and watch the daily routine of the heroes who were there, what should have been a happy day for everyone, for Robin, the energy of the place had a slightly bitter taste.

From his place leaning against the wall, arms crossed and brow slightly furrowed, he watched the scene in front of him as if it were a movie he hadn't asked to see.

You were standing in the middle of the conference room, laughing with Hal Jordan, while he excitedly gestured about who knows about what. The way you laughed, with your shoulders slightly raised and that genuine expression of amusement… it didn't help at all.

Robin looked away with a silent grunt. 'Great,' he thought, now his special day at the Watchtower was ruined by the more annoying version of Green Lantern and his damn perfect white teeth and that jagged jawline.

"Relax, Wonder Boy," Wally told him, appearing at his side, munching some cookies from the base's kitchen. "They're just talking."

"Who said I'm not relaxed?" Robin replied, a little too quickly.

—Your face. You have a “I want to throw a batarang at Green Lantern” vibe.

Robin snorted. “I wouldn’t throw a batarang at him…” Pause ."…very strong. "

At that moment, you turned your head slightly and smiled at Batman, who had come over to review some files with you and Hal. Batman said something to you in a low voice, and you nodded with a warm smile.

Dick felt a small emotional short circuit.

Bruce now too? Bruce?!? Since when did you smile like that with him?! I thought your thing with Batman was respect, professional admiration… not those kind of smiles that gave you stomach cramps!

Wally spoke again, his mouth still half full of crackers. “I think you should take a deep breath before you explode like an overloaded microchip, buddy.”

At that moment, you said goodbye to Hal with a gentle pat on the arm and walked toward the group of young people. Your eyes lingered on Dick for a second, and your smile widened.

"Wally, Robin," you greeted him in that warm tone you only used with him, even though he refused to admit it. "How was your visit?"

Dick cleared his throat and straightened his back as if he hadn't been frowning with dramatic intensity for five minutes. Wally, for his part, smiled as if nothing had happened.

"That's great!" the speedster replied. "I mean, it's not every day you see Superman eating a giant salad for lunch, right?"

You laughed softly, and that laugh was enough to make Dick forget for half a second that he was angry at Hal Jordan, at you, at Bruce, and at cosmic injustice in general.

"And you, Robin?" you asked with a nod. "What did you think?"

Robin opened his mouth, but for some reason the words didn't come out immediately. His brain, which normally ran at the speed of a supercomputer, seemed to have rebooted.

"I'm... fine. Everything," he murmured, before clearing his throat and adding in a firmer tone. "The security design of the north corridors is quite efficient. Although there is a minimal leak in the retinal scanner in room 6B. Nothing serious, but... I noticed it."

Wally looked at him as if he had just quoted an engineering manual in the middle of a conversation about movies.

You smiled with genuine amusement and nodded, as if you didn't find it ridiculous at all. "I knew you'd notice something like that. Good eye."

Dick felt like he was floating.

"Yeah, well... efficiency's my thing," he said with a slight shrug, trying to sound casual. Wally nudged him, not conspiratorially this time, but to keep him from falling over because of his inflated ego.

"You're adorable."

Dick felt as if the ground disappeared for a second beneath his boots.

And Wally, behind him, lost it: he put his hand to his mouth to hold back a laugh.

"See you later, little guards," you added sweetly, ruffling his hair before leaving with Hal, who was waiting for you at one of the doors.

Dick stood still, as if struck by lightning.

"I'm not little..." he murmured.

Wally patted him on the back with a laugh. "Bro... you just got lethally friendzoned with love. You're going to remember this for years."

Dick didn't reply. He just touched his messy hair with a silly half smile he couldn't stop.

ᯓ★

It was your first time accompanying Young Justice on a mission, and everything had gone to hell so fast you couldn't believe it.

No one understood what was happening, but since you were the oldest of all, you were supposed to stay calm and find a solution for this strange moment.

The rift in the sky had exploded without warning. A blinding white flash enveloped them, and the next thing they knew, they were no longer in their timeline.

The technology, the architecture, the atmosphere: everything indicated they'd traveled several years into the future. Just enough to make some familiar faces unrecognizable... and others too recognizable to not send shivers down your spine.

“Where… are we?” Aqualad asked, cautiously assessing the spot where they had landed.

"That's what I'd like to know," said a deep, confident voice behind you.

You turned around as a reflex .

And there he was

Tall, imposing. In a black suit with a light blue symbol in the middle of his chest, he looked like a boy about your age, one you definitely didn't know.

"Are you...?" He looked at everyone, his attention finally settling on you. "Oh, damn."

"I'm surprised to see you here. Although I must admit… so far, this has been a pleasant visit."

Robin narrowed his eyes .

"Do you know us?" you asked cautiously.

"Let's just say I have good memories," he said, in a tone that made you raise an eyebrow.

Dick, in the background, clenched his fists. Good memories? What kind of memories?

Nightwing winked at you before looking back at the group. "But don't worry, I won't leave you trapped in my time. We'll figure out how to get you back... after we catch up."

Robin couldn't stop staring at him. Would this be what he'd be like in the future? Would this be how he'd behave? Would this be how he'd talk to you...?

And the worst part is, you didn't seem upset. In fact, you were smiling.

Maybe you weren't recognizing Dick as Nightwing, they didn't look much alike, but it was inevitable for Dick not to recognize himself. .

"We need to talk alone," he said in a serious tone.

Nightwing hesitated, but nodded, and the two of them walked off into a darker hallway.

And there, when they were far enough away, Robin turned to him with a frown. "Hey... you," he began, somewhat awkwardly, "I mean, me. Major. Can I ask you something?"

Nightwing looked at him curiously. “Shoot.”

"She..." he swallowed. "You know, she... In this time... you and her, are you...?"

Nightwing looked at him for a long second before answering. "No, Dick. We were never together."

Silence.

Dick blinked . "Excuse me?" he said with an incredulous chuckle. "Never as in 'not yet'? Or never as in never, never?"

Nightwing gave him a sympathetic look. That was worse.

"As in “never ever.” As in “your eternal crush will eventually marry someone else.” As in “you had zero chance, bro.”

Dick opened his mouth. He closed it. Then he opened it again, only to complain with all the drama his frustrated little teenage body could muster.

"Are you telling me that neither growing up, nor having this cool guy demeanor, nor having that deep, sexy voice, I achieved anything?! Nothing at all?!"

Nightwing shrugged. “Well… you managed to maintain a nice friendship. That’s something.”

"A NICE FRIENDSHIP!" Dick repeated, his face one of existential outrage. "You flirted with her five minutes ago! You flirted with her in front of me like it was the most natural thing in the world!"

"Sure, but she didn't know it was me, or rather, you."

Dick pointed at him as if it were evidence in court. "That makes everything worse!! You flirted with her like someone else and it failed!"

[violetasteracademic]

Contributing some of the thoughts I've had to the active conversation about the world building laws of mating bonds in SJM's universe!

Here is the very first on page introduction of the *highly* discussed term mate in Sarah J. Maas's world. I think it's quite important to consider both A. The fact that Wyrd, Urd, and The Mother, the creator of Fate and all creation, is the same entity under different names in the three different worlds and B. Prythian is arguably the most popular/read/analyzed series of SJM, but functions as the outlier/rule-breaker when it comes to mates. The chronological development is worth noting:

Our first ever mates in the multiverse are Emrys and Malaki. They are a same sex couple! Mated and husbands. Right off the bat, mates are described as an unbreakable bond, deeper than marriage, that lasted beyond death. Erilea and the world in Throne of Glass, in addition to their gods, is governed by and founded by Wyrd, which is not a word made up by SJM, but the Anglo-Saxon concept of fate:

In Crescent City, we discover a few things. One, that the Fae definition for mates is exactly the same as it is in Throne of Glass. A bond deeper than marriage. However, we also know that the shifters are in fact also the Fae originating from Erilea, and that their mates are their true lovers pre-destined by Urd. Then there are the breeding mates that the Asteri force in the archangels- akin to forcing animals to breed in a zoo.

And of course, the fact that Urd is in fact Wyrd. Who is, in fact, The Mother.

Urd, Wyrd, and the Mother. Fate. Destiny. Not a goddess, but a force that governed worlds. A cauldron of life, brimming with the language of creation.

It is not the Mother's intention to breed. It is the Mother's intention to guide ones fate and destiny. To match true, soul bonded lovers in a connection that lives beyond death. Procreation does not play a role, and there is no particular drive for such things in Throne of Glass or Crescent City. M/M mates set the stage. Crescent City deals with fertility, sterilization, and denounces any living soul being valued or paired for the goal of breeding.

Starfall. Will-o-the-wisps. Souls that stay connected as they journey from one life, one world, to the next.

And then we get to Prythian, where the pattern breaks. And suddenly, mating bonds are not soul bonded pairs. They are not ones true lover. They are, in fact, more in line with what the Asteri have created: breeding animals in a zoo. People who do not love each other are forced to be together. Poor pairs that are not a match on a soul level. A threat of violence if a woman rejects their mate. And even that term, rejection, is one only brought up in Prythian. It brings my attention to another interesting passage in HoFaS:

Consent. Yes, this is talking about consent for the tithe and the giving of power. However, I think it's incredibly noteworthy that the Asteri have a goal of getting around the tricky issue of consent to enact their goals. They have found a way around that on Midgard.

They also are able to force "mates" amongst the archangels without their consent.

How interesting that in Prythian, the one world where the Cauldron lives, the language of creation, the object of the Mother, Urd, Wyrd, and fate has been tampered with by the Asteri, the zoo animal breeding masters, consent is also required for a mating bond.

This does not exist on the other worlds. I believe by the time the Asteri reached Midgard, they figured out a way to circumvent consent not only for taking power, but also, the creation of the Archangels who are brainwashed from a young age to serve the Asteri and give up their consent.

I know a lot of people don't like to have this conversation, because it's a threat to the existing mates on Prythian. Obviously I'm an Elriel, so I don't think that's true. As I believe myself and many others have mentioned before, Elain's mating bond also breaks pattern. She is immediately snapped with her mate the second they lock eyes. This is akin to Rhysand's mother and father, who also had an immediate snap of their mating bond upon first locking eyes.

Rhysand's parents bred the most powerful High Lord in all of Prythian's history. So powerful, that other High Lord's are essentially humans to him.

Nessian and Feysand took time. The female did not experience the bond before she wanted to. They fell in love before accepting the bond. Their souls bonded before their acceptance, and it was a slow, consensual journey into love. This is akin to the other true mates. Ones true lover. A soul matched pair.

These are the genuine written words to differentiate the different kinds of mating bonds. There are different kinds of bonds.

Both the Asteri and the Mother's will live on in the Cauldron. Yes, the mating bonds are affected. But the Mother is not gone from Prythian. She was not erased from the Cauldron. She is governess of worlds. Creatures like Maeve and the Asteri actively interfere with bonds to interfere with the course of fate. These are the stories on the table.

It is wonderful and fascinating and endlessly exciting!

*ps I am still largely on my theory, inbox ask, and SJM scrolling break. I've been mostly living in the writing, poetry, and Agatha All Along tags. But I became violently ill in the middle of the day, then saw there were some great discussions about the mating bonds and Cauldron corrupted theories (I read @wingedblooms and @psychologynerd !) and I've been sitting on my little cluster of thoughts for this forever, so I am in bed doing this 🤣 enjoy! Apologies if I've repeated anything that is already largely out there!

Stay kind out there fam. Please promote positivity in the reblog tags should you feel moved to share!

[charlie-shmarlie]

▪︎Sweet & Low (David 8 x shy! fem reader)

-Super short little fic in which David finds a distracted Y/n humbly singing along to the tune in her head as she works in the repair shop.-

Song name: Lida Rose/Will I Ever Tell You?

Word count: 1,002

Warnings: none

I'm currently taking headcanon requests for David and Walter :)

____________🪐🎼♡

"Dream of now, dream of then..."

The Prometheus' assigned synthetic walked through the brightly lit corridors with purposeful strides, the soles of his sandals surprisingly silent against the floor. His hair, as usual, was styled to perfection; his clothes smoothed out and containing not a single wrinkle. The LED lights that lined the halls bounced off of his glassy, silver-blue pools, giving them an almost mirror like quality as they passed overhead.

​​​​​He was currently heading for a likely displeasurable meeting with Ms. Vickers,  who had called for him from her quarters not long ago. He was neither looking forward to it, nor dreading it.

"Dream of a love song that might have been..."

But it was only then when he stopped, coming to a complete hault seemingly out of nowhere. Somewhere, somebody was singing. Their voice gentle and sweet, a refreshing but surprising sound to hear in such a place. The muffled tune echoed quietly throughout, and David's system immediately recognized it as Will I Ever Tell You? Originally sung by Shirley Jones in the 1962 film adaptation of The Music Man. A timeless musical love story.

A sudden spark of curiosity flared within him, and he swiftly set off to find the source of the pleasant song. Yes, his little conference with Ms. Vickers would just have to be put on hold for longer than planned. She would be pissed, but her fury wasn't his main concern.

"Do I love you? Oh yes, I love you..."

After coming around a corner or two, it was then that he happened upon the ship's repair room; the place where everyone dropped off their faulty equipment or any other malfunctioning things to be fixed. The only light sources for the space were the ones pouring in from the open doorway, along with a single dim desk lamp that shone onto the surface of a table riddled with metallic parts and wires. David's eyes then landed upon a young woman who sat there, working hard at a flickering circuit board, her lips parted just slightly as that same familiar tune flowed out.

"And I'll bravely tell you, but only when we dream again..."

He took note of the way she sang the piece. Her voice was softer and not nearly as powerful as the original vocalist's, and the tempo was slower than it should be, which actually brought about a rather soothing melody. He stood still for some time studying her, his stoic expression unchanging. She was quite an attractive creature, he thought anyway; even though his programming prohibited him from feeling anything real towards people.

"Sweet and low, sweet and low..."

He stepped into the doorway, causing a tall shadow to fall over the mechanic's work from the side.

"Please, forgive my intrusion, Ms. L/n--"

"SHIT! Oh--dammit David, you scared me to death!" she breathed out, relieved that it was only him, yet at the same time, horrified that it was him.

"My apologies again, Ms. L/n," he smiled politely, unfazed by Y/n's violent reaction to his presence that had sent one of her tools clanging to the floor.

She sighed and bent down from her chair, swiftly picking it back up, "what's up? Need something fixed?" she questioned causally, her e/c eyes flickering back and forth from her project to him.

David stepped further inside and continued to observe her movements, "thank you, but I do believe all of my systems are in proper functioning order," he explained, "I rather came here following an impulsive curiosity upon hearing your voice."

"How sweet that memory from long ago..."

Y/n's cheeks heated up at the thought, and she kept her gaze locked on the work in front of her, silently cursing herself for being so careless.

David took note of her sudden awkward demeanor and quickly recognized it as one of the many symptoms of human embarrassment.

"Forgive my rash statement, but I found it to be quite pleasant. I haven't heard that tune in some time," he continued, hands clasped behind his back.

"Oh, thanks.." she muttered a little quieter, attempting to hold back a flattered smile, "it's always been one of my favorites."

The android nodded in understanding, "I was hoping you might be inclined to continue with it."

Y/n paused for a few seconds, unsure of how to respond. Such an odd request, especially coming from him, but where would the harm be in complying? It's not like she could get much more embarrassed..

Slowly, she took a shaky breath into her lungs.

"Forever? Oh yes, forever..."

The first few notes that fell from her lips were noticeably off due to her being nervous under David's unwavering, but not harsh, gaze. Although that feeling soon began to melt away and her voice progressively steadied itself. After some time, she resumed tinkering with the circuit board in her hands, an absentminded smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

David found his way to a second chair not far away and sat down to quietly admire the beautiful melody. It seemed even gentler yet this time, almost intimate; as if it was meant for him and him only. His eyes trailed over her features once more. A content expression appeared on his face as he listened intently, eventually closing his lids to fully appreciate this sense of peace that he didn't come by very often.

In time, Y/n noticed and softened at the sight. She didn't have the heart to do anything but keep going, even repeating the entire song a few times.

What a strange thing he was.

​​"Will I ever tell you? Oh, no..."

[drakorn]

Rewriting Veilguard Part 9 - The Dumat

Rewriting Veilguard Part 8 - The Inquisition

Disclaimer: I don't hate the game, I actually think it's quite great given the development hell Bioware went through in those 10 years. This is more of a hypothetical universe where there was less of that behind the scenes drama. Just a fun writing exercise.

Exploring the Dumat Submarine

Last time we decided to use the original concept of the Dumat submarine as our hub for the game, so I thought to dedicate this next entry to the ship alone, as we just entered a little breather phase between main missions. We just finished the prologue, got our title card, were recruited into the Northern arm of the shadow Inquisition, and are about to embark on our quest to stop the Dread Wolf. But before we can do that, we must acquaint ourselves with our base a little, so we shall do just that!

We shall now take a look at what immediately happens once the title card fades away, the Dumat as a ship, its contents, the NPCs you can meet there, and the upgrades you can perform on it. Let’s get right into it!

The Inquisitor Departs

Once the title card fades, we have another cutscene that shows the Dumat quietly floating beneath the moonlit waters.

Rook and Varric meet the Inquisitor and Charter at the captain’s cabin. Lavellan informs us that she and her Spymaster must depart the ship now, for their presence is bound to eventually draw some unwanted attention from the enemy, especially in the Inquisitor’s case. We notice that she seems a bit hesitant when speaking about the Dread Wolf.

NOTE: In this World State, the Inquisitor romanced Solas and swore to redeem him.

We do not get to question that yet. Charter lets us know that Harding has her contact details if we ever need to reach her, whereas the Inquisitor remains silent about her future whereabouts. She just says that she will monitor the proceedings of the war between Tevinter and the Antaam and use her resources to help however she can, as well as perhaps draw the attention of Fen’Harel’s agents to distract the Dread Wolf from us. But she’s confident we will meet again, and sooner than we think. Leaving the operation to Varric, the two bid each other farewell.

Isabela enters and informs them that their transport is ready. The Inquisitor and Charter depart, leaving us in charge of the Dumat.

Varric tells us to get accustomed to the ship before doing anything else; it truly is a masterwork of magic and technology blending into one. When we’re ready, we must make to the meeting chamber and discuss our first moves. He leaves us to it.

Now we get to control Rook again, so let’s…take a little tour, shall we?

Exploring the Dumat

The Dumat is a submarine in every sense of its functions, that much is true. But we must not forget that this is still a fantasy game, so the goal isn’t to make it look like a submarine as we know one from our time. We’re going to have some fun.

It should be mentioned that the Dumat isn’t made from metal, but from the same dark rock as most buildings in Minrathous. But that’s only one part of it. The Dumat may have been built in Tevinter, with Tevene materials, but she was built by dwarves and mages alike. Enchantments and runes are carved into the walls in aesthetically pleasing ways, the entire construction lives and breathes magic, just like Minrathous.

When we move through the submarine, it looks like we’re walking through an underwater mansion. There are arcane lights everywhere, floating orbs, and so much more. The Dumat is a submarine, yes, but it is very much integrated into the setting. And now, we get to take a look.

The Captain’s Cabin

The captain’s cabin is Isabela’s place, where she resides and plans. It is filled with trophies from her past exploits, as well as one or two memos from her time in Kirkwall. Isabela herself frequents either the cabin or the bridge mostly, but it is to note that NPCs can and will change rooms occasionally.

We can talk to Isabela here and ask her about her life and past adventures, even about that business with the Tome of Koslun if we pry hard enough.

Isabela is also the person we see about upgrading the Dumat, but we shall return to this topic later.

The Bridge

The bridge is located not very far away from the captain’s cabin and is one of the central locations on the Dumat. It is located above the majority of the ship, in a room with magically protected glass, allowing us to see what awaits us ahead. Isabela will occasionally be found here, steering the ship where it needs to go.

Rook’s Chamber

Rook’s chamber is a very comfortable and relaxing place. And I’m actually going to go out on a whim and say that it looks pretty much like the one we see at the Lighthouse in Veilguard, just a bit larger and containing an actual bed. But I love this whole aquarium window idea.

Here’s where we can find missives addressed directly to us. Personal stuff, mementoes, things like that. Here, we can also find the appearance-changing mirror that will allow us to enter the character creator once again.

The Common Area

The common area is this big lounging area, positioned in front of this transparent glass wall that lets us look into the ocean. A magically-powered arcane fire roars in a nearby fireplace. There are tables, couches, and books aplenty. Here’s where we shall be having some more relaxing times later. Many characters will often converge here for banter-related purposes.

The Armoury

The armoury is pretty self-explanatory. Here’s where we can purchase weapons and armour, as well as upgrade them! It is located somewhere in the back of the Dumat, where the loud sounds won’t disturb anyone.

And here’s where we’ll meet two more members of our crew. As Rook enters, a man immediately jumps at her and begins taking her measurements, exclaiming that yes, finally, finally, he can begin crafting new masterpieces! Another, much calmer man, pulls him aside and says “Wade, not this again. Take a deep breath.”

Yes, we’re bringing back Wade and Herren, the iconic duo from Origins. They did have a small war table quest in DAI, but here they are back in the flesh. Rook and her team need a true master craftsman to equip them, so a master we shall receive, as well as his very much needed stop button called Herren.

Wade immediately insists upon crafting the most amazing things ever, to which Herren quickly calms him down, apologising profusely to us. While Herren sells us normal stuff, Wade can do the special items for us. Just like in DAO, we’re gonna need pretty exquisite materials.

The Room of Runes

The room of runes is a pretty mysterious place aboard the Dumat. It’s pretty much the anchor for all runic activity that protects and powers the ship. Yes, there are dwarven runes all over the place, but this is the heart of it all. Each rune that can be found on the Dumat has its larger replica here. Powerful enchantments everywhere. It actually looks rather beautiful, as though we stepped into a glittering underground cave filled with various little stars.

As soon as we enter the room, we see a dwarven man with short blonde hair and piercing, striking blue eyes. When we greet him, he only has one word for us: “Enchantment!”

Another dwarf joins us, older, with greying dark hair, who introduces himself as Bodahn Feddic, and the young man next to him is his dear boy Sandal. “Say hello, Sandal!” “Hello!”

Yes, there is the other iconic duo form DAO that I’m bringing back here, because…why not? If this is the last entry in the saga, we may as well start tying up all lose ends.

The Feddics are back, oh yes! They are much older, true, but they are still the same people. Bodahn tells us that Varric brought them here from Kirkwall to, once again, do some good. Bodahn wanted to retire, but if his boy is meant for great things, he won’t be far behind to support him. I also need Sandal for something later in the story, but we’ll talk about that another time.

As you guessed, this is the place we go to for rune crafting, whenever we need enchantments. Sandal is going to be very happy to provide some. Bodahn, as always, is a merchant from whom we can buy our everyday stuff. He can also be found in the common area for the sake of ease.

The Garden

This is Harding’s place, a beautiful garden area located in the more central area of the Dumat. Originally intended as a place of quiet meditation, Harding found a better use for it by repurposing it into an underground garden. A magical light causes the plants here to grow.

This is the first time we can have a proper, long conversation with Harding, where we learn about her relationship to Varric and the Inquisition as a whole, and how she came to serve in the first place.

We also get some info regarding her and Varric’s hunt for Solas, as well as her opinion on him. She tells us that, yes, as a Dalish, we may see Solas as this purely evil trickster god, but he was something else at Skyhold. As a very devout Dalish, we quietly dismiss this as Fen’Harel tricking everyone into believing that he is more than irredeemably evil.

The Garden also serves another function: Here, we can plant and gather ingredients to brew or increase the potency of potions to help us along on our adventures.

The Meeting Chamber

This is basically Dreadwolf’s version of the war room. Here’s where all the mission briefings happen. We can also often find reports from across all Thedas. Who knows, we might even have our own version of war table missions later.

This is one of the areas Varric often occupies, like in this case. We can ask him about how his story began, even though we know the official, famous version of it. If we like, we can listen to some brief recaps of the past few games through his point of view and how it seems like he just can’t get out of this shit.

We can also inquire as to what’s happening in Kirkwall right now. Varric, who is still the Viscount, says that he left Aveline in charge while he’s on this job. It is still the shithole it was years ago, but it is improving, at least he hopes so.

Of course, there are more rooms on the Dumat, but we shall unlock them as we move on through the story and add to her expanding crew. So I shall simply add on to them as we go along.

Upgrades

Let’s touch on the topic of upgrades now. I think the Dumat is an excellent opportunity to bring back a proper system to upgrade your base. Vigil’s Keep had one, Skyhold had…a very lite version of one, the Normandy had a pretty cool one in ME2. If anything, I believe we should be inspired by the Normandy when it comes to this.

There are story-relevant upgrades, as well as flavour and aesthetics. And all of them can be purchased from Isabela. The upgrades we have available to us at the beginning of the game are as follows:

Cloaking Runes: Give the Dumat a way to blend into the environment, rendering her effectively invisible seamlessly.

Dragon’s Breath: Provide the front of the ship with a powerful runic beam that she can fire from her maw.

Greater Movement: Provide more freedom of movement to the ship, causing her to be more fluid and less static.

Restoration Pool: Add a green-shimmering pool to Rook’s chamber, allowing her to reskin and respec.

Now comes one of the effects of disbanding the Inquisition: none of the upgrades have been commissioned and applied yet. Isabela explains that the Inquisition doesn’t have as many resources as it once did, and what it did have was mostly used to construct the Dumat.

Had we kept the Inquisition the big official organisation, we would be having more funds now, and those starter upgrades, as well as some decorations, would have already been purchased. But as it stands now, we’re going to have to provide the cash.

Mission Briefing

When we’re done exploring the currently accessible areas of the Dumat, Rook, Varric, and Harding all gather in the meeting chamber, where Varric will introduce us to the first two missions we can choose from:

The Dread Wolf is one of the most elusive beings in Thedas right now. As such, we need someone who is an expert in finding even the most cunningly evasive people. That would be Neve Gallus, a detective operating from Minrathous. From what we know, she’s currently looking into those blood collars that are meant to be used in the war against the Qunari. If we help her out, she can be persuaded to join us.

The Dread Wolf is an ancient elf, a god even. As such, it takes someone with great knowledge of the ancient elven world to figure out how exactly he plans to tear down the Veil. Varric would have usually suggested Merrill, but…we know how that worked out. As a Veil Jumper ourselves, we will immediately suggest Bellara Lutare, who has a track record of investigating the most ancient and dangerous artefacts found in Arlathan Forest. Varric is pleased, for he would have suggested her himself.

We now have a choice between us. Do we travel to Minrathous and assist Neve in her blood collar case? Or do we return to Arlathan Forest and seek out Bellara? One way or another, we need both of them.

And there you have it! A bit of a shorter entry this time around, but I really just wanted to give a bit of an overview as to what the Dumat is going to be like. There will be more, of course. Next time we shall see whether we help Neve or Bellara first, so get ready for some exciting location returns/introductions. Stay tuned!

Rewriting Veilguard Part 10 - Neve Gallus

[matt-murdockk]

I need a hero (save me now)

in which (y/n), resident guitarist of Corroded Coffin, makes Steve Harrington feel things TM while performing

pairing: steve harrington x genderneutral!reader

warnings: reader is physically described to have hair, i know its not a tw or anything, but i tried writing gender neutral reader for once and i fucked up slightly, so

a/n: yeah okay so I've been obsessed with this song and I had the revelation like an hour ago that the lead singer sounds like Eddie. Now, I know Eddie is the guitarist, but for the sake of the fic, we are going to pretend that he's on just the vocals and (y/n) is on the guitar and backing vocals. Also, we are pretending this song is a Corroded Coffin Original. Yeah, yeah, I know.

Steve didn't know why he'd agreed to come to The Hideout that evening. He had never considered himself a music guy. Sure, he liked a good mixtape on a long drive, but this? This was something else. In fact, he never would've come if Robin hadn't dragged his ass out of Family Video.

"Dude, come on. Please. It'll be fun, I promise."

"I don't know, Robin. I just don't think cheap beer and Eddie screaming for 2 hours is my thing," he argued.

"It isn't mine either! You know I don't even like metal, man."

"Well, then, don't go. It's that easy. Jesus Robin, I don't even know you want to go this thing."

"Take a guess. Just, take a wild guess."

"Oh, God."

"I won't see her another month, dude. Like, have some compassion."

"So not only do you want to go ogle at your crush-"

"Love of my life," she interrupted.

"-crush, for two hours, you want me there to third wheel your yearn fest."

"Basically, yes."

He sighed, knowing there was no way he'd have let her go there alone anyway. It's a bar, and there'll be alcohol. How bad could it be?

That’s how Steve found himself in a dimly lit dive bar with sticky floors and a barely functional neon sign buzzing in the corner. The crowd was rowdy but not overly intimidating- just a mix of locals, regulars, and a handful of metalheads waiting for their local heroes, Corroded Coffin, to take the stage.

Robin had already abandoned him, off in a corner chatting animatedly with Vic, leaving Steve to nurse a questionable beer and wonder how long he could hold out before making an excuse to leave.

He was half-listening to some guy at the next table rant about the state of rock music when the lights dimmed, and the chatter gave way to the sound of a mic crackling to life.

“Good evening, Hawkins!” Eddie Munson’s unmistakable voice boomed through the speakers. “We are Corroded Coffin, and tonight, we’ve got something special for you. A Corroded Coffin original. So buckle up, kiddos.”

Steve rolled his eyes but couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at his lips. Say what you wanted about Eddie, but the guy could work a crowd.

And then he saw you.

You strode onto the stage behind Eddie, guitar slung casually over your shoulder, looking effortlessly cool in a way that made Steve’s breath catch in his throat. He blinked, half-convinced he’d imagined it. You’d been friends for months, running in the same group since all the Upside Down craziness, but this? This was different. Sure, he knew you in passing and almost having died together a handful of times, but he didn't know that this side of you even existed.

You adjusted your guitar strap and glanced out at the crowd, your eyes scanning until they landed on his. Steve felt rooted to the spot, like he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t. And then you smiled- a slow, knowing curve of your lips that hit him like a sucker punch.

“Ready?” Eddie asked, throwing you a grin.

“Always,” you replied, your voice low and sure, and Steve suddenly felt like he was in way over his head.

The first strum of your guitar echoed through the room, electrifying. When your voice joined, belting out the lyrics with a raw, unapologetic edge, Steve’s heart stumbled over itself.

You weren’t just playing- you were commanding. Every note, every word, every flick of your fingers across the strings- it was like a spell. He stared at your hands unapologetically, and quickly shook his head at where his stupid mind went.

If he hadn't seen you differently before, he sure as hell can't look at you the same way anymore. The way you joined in on the chorus like your life depended on it, the way you manhandled the guitar, Steve Harrington was shamelessly enamored by all of it. Every movement made his chest tighten, his stomach twist in ways he couldn’t explain.

By the time the song ended, Steve felt like he’d run a marathon. His pulse was racing, his hands were clammy, and there was this unfamiliar heat simmering under his skin. He barely noticed the applause erupting around him; all he could focus on was you, the way you tossed your hair back and exchanged a quick laugh with Eddie before taking off your guitar.

When you jumped down from the stage, a cocky grin on your face as you headed toward him, Steve’s heart skipped a beat. He didn’t have time to process his thoughts before you were right in front of him, wiping sweat off your brow.

“Oh, God,” he muttered under his breath, setting his beer down before he dropped it. He wiped his palms on his jeans, his mind scrambling for something to say.

“Hey, Harrington,” you said, that smirk still tugging at the corners of your lips. “Didn’t think I’d see you here.”

“Uh- yeah, well, Robin dragged me. You know how she is. Couldn’t say no.” The words tumbled out in a rush, and he winced internally. Smooth, Harrington. Real smooth.

You tilted your head, studying him with a glint of amusement in your eyes. “Dragged you, huh? So, what’d you think?”

Steve blinked, caught off guard. “Think? Oh, uh, yeah- you were good. Like, really... good. Great, actually. I mean- damn, you can really play, and, uh, sing too. Not that I didn’t think you could, I just- ” He cut himself off, running a hand through his hair.

You raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying his flustered state. “You okay, dude? You seem... tense.”

“Tense? Me? Nah, I’m good. Totally fine. Why wouldn’t I be fine?” He laughed, but it came out strangled.

“Right.” You leaned in slightly, your voice teasing. “Well, if you’re done being weird, I’m gonna grab a drink. Catch you later?”

Steve nodded dumbly, watching as you disappeared into the crowd. It took him a full thirty seconds to snap out of it, and when he did, he groaned, burying his face in his hands.

“Jesus Christ, Harrington,” he muttered to himself. “Pull it together.”

But deep down, he knew he was screwed. Completely, utterly, hopelessly screwed.

[co-mixed]

Who will rid us of Moon Knight? 

It’s the 1980s and Moon Knight is just a one-time adversary-turned-ally in a Werewolf by Night comic book. He got some solo stories but he’s still mostly a question Marc (oh yes, I did). So what could go right if he got a solo book? 

Moon Knight was introduced as a mysterious mercenary hired by a group of rich baddies to capture Jack Russel (the title Werewolf). They gave him the signature costume and insisted that he call himself Moon Knight — something that Marc himself didn’t quite appreciate. But this origin didn’t stick around for too long and when the time had come for Moon Knight to swing into the pages of his own title, his story changed as well. The retcon even tried to honor that early story, turning the whole thing into Moon Knight’s operation. Instead of a sudden change of heart, he now died and came back to life with the help of a certain deity. Back then, Khonshu was a silent statue that may or may not have had any extra powers. But it was enough to birth Marc’s identity crisis that later was turned into DID. 

The new look

So Marc is gliding through the streets of New York, looking for trouble. Despite the city being infested with superheroes of all kinds, trouble he still finds.

When he gives up his merc ways, he adopts the persona of a rich boy Steven Grant who occasionally drives around in a cab and calls himself Jake Lockley. 

There is a strong early Batman vibe during these years, only Marc is struggling with more identities. His main one is Steven but he is way more comfortable with Jake. That’s not something he admits, it’s taken out of the creator’s notes. And a part of why he refuses to confront or even consider that fact is Marlene. 

Marlene is Steven’s girlfriend, and when I say Steven’s I mean just his. Jake calls her “lady”, and with Marc, it’s even more complicated. He was one of the mercenaries who killed her father, he was also the one who saved her from the same fate and we never learn how, but they do end up together. Marlene is the 1980s version of a badass – she fights, she’s not helpless, and while she does occasionally try on the flowery hat of a damsel in distress, that doesn’t happen often. 

In the beginning, she mostly waits for him by the bathtub (and I’m not joking, Steven has a bath in his bedroom and that bath serves as a secret entrance for Moon Knight). As the story progresses, though, we learn more about her but we’ll get to that. 

We mostly don’t interact with Marc - he is the one side MK is running away from and considers to be dead. Truth is, he replaced Marc with both Jake and Moon Knight. One satisfies the thirst for violence and the other is a simple down-to-earth guy, just like Marc was. Marc himself, he died in that tomb next to the statue of Khonshu. 

Marc’s lifestyle is what’s put a rift between him and his family, it got pretty bad too but what I like is that he doesn’t get that beautiful reunion. He doesn’t get anything — he can’t make peace with his brother or his father. Marc has to live with his mistakes lingering around him and that’s another reason he’s so eager to become someone else. If it was up to Marlene, he’d stay as Steven and give up Moon Knight. But we know better, he can’t do that (the Moon will haunt him). The only part of Marc MK is not getting rid of is ironically the baddies from his past.

Backup dancers 

Moon Knight is trying to help everyone else and fails quite often at that. I think that’s what I like about him. He can compromise, he operates in the grey area where he can let a murderer go if the murder is justified. His justice is never black-and-white. Like the Moon, it has spots. 

But he has a backup team to keep him balanced. To help all three personas survive and function. 

Marc has his old friend Frenchie. Frenchie hangs around the helicopter waiting to pick up MK from wherever and the only thing we really know about him is that he had the love of his life and he lost her. 

Steven has Marlene.

But Jake is the most outgoing of all. He hangs out at Gena’s diner, where he orders food and never eats it. He comes to Crawley (a street dweller) for information, and he even knows a cop (although that’s Moon Knight). 

It’s a big cast of characters and all of them get their own moments in the center of the story. Those moments though, are often tragic.  

Crosses 

While other comics of the time are careful with death, this one never shies away from it. Almost every character has a loss to face and each story is quite brutal. Redemption is never a given, certainly not for everyone, and that’s the leitmotif of the whole run. The good fight never truly stops not for Moon Knight, not for anyone. There probably isn’t enough good for Marc to do to erase his past. 

MK’s early stories have a similar vibe to Ann Nocenti’s Daredevil run. It’s always something socially relevant, from nazi sympathizers to crime on the streets as a result of poor economy. Moon Knight is a hero of the people, and his baddies are either unfriendly neighborhood criminals or some overseas crime lords. 

As the run finds its rhythm though, the genre changes. It now borders on mysticism and touches upon horror without crossing the lines of realism. It maintains this grounded approach, the possibility that it all could actually happen. In the world of Khonshu, Moon Knight is still very skeptical when it comes to magic, so his team-up with Strange feels like a door to the bigger universe of superheroes, not just street vigilantes. 

Brushes

There is no talking about Moon Knight without his significant look. For half of the run Bill Sienkiewicz serves as the lead artist, and that’s reason no.1 why this run is a must-read. If nothing else (and there is definitely something else), then check it for the stunning art. You can see how with every issue the visual style matures and changes, finding the perfect tone and balancing between impressionism and pop art. There is magic in these panels, and it makes more sense to see them than to talk about them. 

Stunning covers are present too. 

Early Moon Knight is not Moon Knight as we know him today. It’s a different book and it’s a product of the 80’s. It’s a special vibe and something you have to be ready to submerge into. If you are, you’re gonna have a hell of a great time. 

[savior-of-the-ink]

A couple more Harley Walker headcanons:

you wouldn't tell, but he consider his hair as sacred and puts a lot more effort in taking care of it since he started working at the bar

he actually finds it quite soothing to have his hair combed by somebody else (especially by Helene), but it is quite a vulnerable state for him to be in and rarely allows anybody to do it

he often winds up bringing his αὐλός to work for convenience's sake (makes it easier to switch between the two jobs, since he finishes late most of the times), but when he is having a particular hard day or everybody is just getting on his nerves, he uses his smoke breaks to get somewhere secluded and play to calm himself down: in three years he has been working at Playtime, nobody can guess who this mysterious flautist is and it admittedly drives Leith crazy

on that same note, he is not as much of a smoker as when he started off: he needs functional lungs to play in the first place, after all

can't be on time to save his soul and neither Leith nor Diana go easy on reprimanding him, but he doesn't mind working overtime to make up for it (he works better at night anyways) (yes, his sleep schedule is a disaster because originality is banned on this plane of existence lol)

he doesn't have the chance to properly get in a fight with Helene after they start living together, but the one time they do, when he returns home, he takes her hand in his while getting on his knees, apologizing in the most solemn autistic-kid-raised-reading-Greek-tragedies way to ever be witnessed (Helene finds it endearing and exasperating at once, but how can you deny forgiveness to a pair of doe eyes such as his?)

[six-musical-refs]

Hi! Do you think the general "Alternate" credit used in the Broadway and US Tour productions since the 2020 Bway previews is due to wanting more flexibility in assigning covers, which could change over time or during the rehearsal process? I believe Keirsten Nicole Hodgens was also credited as "Alternate" in the playbill insert when she joined the tour cast as Emergency Cleves for the first show.

On a sort of related note, would you consider Alts in the UK productions "Alternates" for their 2nd/3rd cover roles as well, or are they "Alternate" only for their 1st covers and "Swing" or "Cover" for any other queens they may cover? I remember Jen Caldwell mentioning before that she was "swing for the other four." Always wondered about this since they are usually only credited as Alternate for their two 1st cover queens, and I'm curious if they have an official term internally for their role in relation to their 2nd/3rd covers.

The credit terminologies are always interesting to me. If I recall correctly, when it was announced Alicia Corrales would be Alt K Howard on the UK Tour, it was also mentioned that Jen was an Alternate for West End for the time being, though she was technically on standby for any of the queens who needed covering.

Another show I find interesting where the credit terminologies are concerned is Beetlejuice. Will Blum, who was in both the original and revival Broadway productions, mentioned that he was credited as a Swing because he covered Otho, technically an ensemble role (and he only covered the "Otho" portion of the track). In the revival, he was no longer listed as a Swing and was credited as "u/s Beetlejuice, Adam, Otho" and I believe later it was changed to "Standby Beetlejuice, Adam, Otho". Similar case for Natalie Charle Ellis for her cover roles, though she did also cover the ensemble portions of the Maxine/Juno track and I believe internally she was still considered a Swing.

Thanks!

Wrt to "Alternate" in the US: yes, I do think the lack of specified roles is likely (in part) for flexibility or possibility of things changing. Holli' Conway would be a good example - her covers changed after her official announcement.

Re the UK: The term "alternate" refers to an understudy/cover who has scheduled dates where they cover the principal actor. This typically means an actor who functions as a sort of 1st cover understudy or standby who goes on for at least one performance every week (as opposed to just periodic vacations etc). With that definition the UK system of alternates having a show per week as each first cover would apply to first covers but yes, wouldn't apply to second covers. So, yes, technically, the term alternate describes their coverage of first covers but doesn't really technically work for their second/third. For second/third, I'd probably be more inclined to call them a cover (especially in the UK, where the term "cover" is used more than the US). Since "swing" has a specifically defined usage in Six as someone who covers all six roles, cover feel like it does a better job of differentiating those two positions.

That being said, when someone serves multiple roles that may have different titles (like your example of Beetlejuice, where Will Blum primarily functioned as a standby but also served a "swing" role in covering an ensemble track) I think getting into some of the semantics can be unnecessarily complicated, so I doubt most shows internally differentiate between some of the nuances outside of official billing. And even when these differences exist (and most people in theatre would understand them or be able to differentiate, at least in this day and age) it's still fairly common to just sort of aggregate under assorted names - ie, even the more-recently-standardized "swalts" title in the UK. In terms of what the UK might use internally for those 2nd/3rd covers, different people have used different terms externally which makes me think the same is true internally, but I think the most common terms would probably just be referring to them as 2nd/3rd tracks and/or covers.

[blueares]

Ender Magnolia Mini Review/Ramble

So, it's been a couple days since I beat Ender Magnolia, and I have some thoughts. Right off the bat, though, I wanna say: absolutely amazing game, definitely worth playing. About as close as I feel like one can get to a 10/10 Metroidvania.

That said, I've been conflicted on whether or not I think this game beats out Ender Lilies, and I have come to a conclusion: mechanically yes, narratively no. The gameplay does feel like a pretty solid evolution of Ender Lilies.

While I did initially miss having two sets of spirits you can rotate between, having four homunculi at my disposal at a time, all with unlimited uses, was definitely a worthy trade-off. The system as a whole was also streamlined significantly. Not counting traversal abilities, you only really get eight combatants this time around... But since each of them has three abilities you can swap between at respites, the number is functionally more like twenty-four.

I am slightly saddened the lack of primary spirits this time around, but I suppose Nola's three forms really do cover most of what you'd want for your default attack. Just a little weird to me that the ranged equivalent doesn't come in until quite a bit later, but that's really more a nitpick.

Now, as for the story... Spoilers below, but I'll just say here and now that I don't think it was bad by any means, just a little confused.

In Ender Lilies, the story has basically already happened. You play through the aftermath of the kingdom's downfall, following a breadcrumb trail of memories and mementos to peace together who you are, what happened to Land's End, and ultimately where the mysterious woman who looks like you has disappeared to. You can choose to either forego the danger of your quest to seek respite in another land, or uncover the truth and save the souls of this doomed nation, letting hope for a better future bloom when the Rain of Death finally subsides.

In Ender Magnolia, you start out doing much the same: waking up in a strange place with an amnesiac protagonist and guardian, both of whom seek answers as to who they are. This time, though, the nation isn't completely screwed just yet. Blight is still an issue, but the Land of Fumes is surviving thanks to advancements in technology and there are actual people to interact with.

The issues really start when you reach the Central Stratum and meet Gilroy: a Homunculus who both oversees the entire country while running rampant due to Blight infestation. The story basically diverges from here as you now have two objectives: continue to search for Lilia, the woman in Lilac's memories, and bring an end to Gilroy's reign of terror.

You ultimately have to face Gilroy as the final boss either way, but doing so without a certain Relic means that Nola sacrifices herself to refresh the barrier, keeping the Rain of Death at bay... The Blight itself, however, is still very much a problem.

Ending B involves uncovering the truth behind Lilia, the mysterious woman and basically Fretia equivalent this time around, and by association you learn more about Lady Abelia: a character who feels like a potential antagonist in her own right.

Long story short, Abelia is basically a sleeper agent for the Ancients. A lone note you find in the Land of Origin reveals that she's not merely a descendant of the White Priestesses; she was one that actually lived during the Time of the Ancients, back before the First King basically wiped them off the map.

We already knew that the Blight infestation plaguing these lands was their final, spiteful act toward the invaders, but what we didn't know was that the Ancients had placed their trust in a lone White Priestess to help them reclaim their home after the Blight had torn down the invaders. Abelia was apparently reincarnating herself over what I presume to be at least a couple centuries by placing her soul into new bodies, and Lilia was meant to be her next vessel...

Until Nola and Joran intervened, basically putting a halt to that entire plan by killing Abelia off-screen. That just feels... A tad wasteful to me, if I'm being honest. Like, Abelia is playing the longest of long cons, acting as a major political figure in the Land of Fumes while seemingly plotting its downfall (and presumably that of the other nations as well), all to enact vengeance on behalf of her people.

While the rest of Houses Frost and Milius have their own concerns, Abelia is basically the true villain hiding right under their noses, but the most we ever get of her is the Lorna flashback that shows her sudden death. It really feels like she should have had a bigger impact...

Similarly, Lilia feels a little underbaked as well. Not quite the same extreme, but as I said before: she is effectively this game's Fretia, even sacrificing herself and hiding away deep underground to keep a Blight infestation in check (or try to.) We learn from flashbacks that she's effectively Lilac's adopted mother, goes around tending to and befriending several boss characters, has a whole motif with white flowers... Again, basically everything the Priestess of the Fount did in the first game.

In spite of that, the reunion with her felt less... Impactful this time, I suppose. Like I'm not saying I wanted or needed another Blighted Lord (definitely not), but it's a serious shame that we don't at least get see to Lilia doing her part with the Pillar of Purification when the True Ending hits.

Really, I think that's the single biggest issue with the game as a whole: despite having a cast of actual characters you can interact with, it feels like a lot of their individual storylines and quests aren't as fleshed out as they could be. Gordon, Levy, Heath, Yarrow, Cassia, No. 7's friends... It feels like they just kind of stop mattering to the plot after a certain point, which really sucks. Like, the crew from the Arena Tower basically just get themselves killed off-screen, and most of the humans just linger in one spot forever once their quests are complete, not even getting new dialogue to reflect changes in the story.

At the very least, it would have been nice to know how everyone else reacted to the sudden disappearance of magic in Ending B, or maybe have some brief dialogue with Lilac discussing the plan with them get a feel for everyone's thoughts and feelings on the matter.

All of that aside though, again: the story itself isn't bad. If anything, the fact that I like these characters enough that I wish they got to say and do more is a testament to the quality overall. If there's ever a third Ender Flowers game, I do hope they'll continue to expand on this idea. No idea what Origin Magic disappearing means for the future of this franchise, but I'm sure the good folks at Binary Haze can think of something...

[littlevices]

Mononoke Movie

I wasn't sure what to expect with this movie, but the fact I dove down a rabbit hole of potential lore, including the different medicine sellers, was not it. The surprises are pleasant, but I truly wish to know more. This character and series has me invested now.

I've already talked some about both Ayakashi and it's Spin-off Mononoke. If interested on my thoughts, mostly about Mononoke, you find it here (beware some spoilers). If not, long story short - I thought Ayakashi was alright, I thought the Bakeneko arc was the best arc, then watched Mononoke, and now here I am, lol.

Disclaimer: Spoilers for the first Mononoke movie - The Phantom in the Rain. However, there will be little to no spoilers concerning Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales and Mononoke (2007). Also note, when I say original series, I mean Mononoke (2007). When I mention Bekeneko, I specifically mean the arc from Ayakashi.

So, yes, this thing. First off, I am very happy they kept the animation style and look of the original Mononoke series. The style of the 2007 series was one of the reasons my interest was peaked in not only looking into Mononoke, but also watching Ayakashi as whole (even if I've heard people say you only need to watch the bakeneko arc for that).

This style is still beautiful, they kept the vibrant colors and lines, and even the paper textures. They didn't have to do all that, especially for something that was from early 2000's, but they did and the dedication is appreciated. However, it is a little different from the original. The colors seem much more vibrant and bold, whereas in the 2007 series and Bakeneko they had a more muted tone. I'm not surprised by this given how much older the original series is (almost 20 years old, huzzah -_-), so it was probably just limitations back then. Granted, even then the original series was still very colorful and bright with its colors. This is just an observation, though, not a nitpick. It is more or less the same visual style.

Before I point out the elephant in the room, or rather the seller, let me just touch and talk on the main story a moment.

Much like the original series, the movies touches on some fairly dark themes. Despite the rating on netflix being 14+, this movie takes place in an Ooku, a place where many women are gathered to be concubines for the emperor. Okay, there's actually a lot more to an Ooku than that, but it's a lot of information and I tend to ramble enough as is, so I won't get into it here. Just know that's what the basic function, at least, became by the time period the movie takes place in.

A number of the characters were very interesting here, especially when we are given glimpses of what the other women in the Ooku gave up before working there. The dynamic between Asa and Kame is very interesting. I like how at first, Kame was willing to give up what's important to her for a chance at a better status, but Asa wanted to hold onto what was dear to her. The fact this got turned around at the end was an interesting development, and I wonder how that might affect them later if we see them again in the second movie. Mugitani and Awashima giving up a ball and kaleidoscope respectively make me wonder what they were like before the Ooku. Clearly they were characters with a more carefree lifestyle, so in a way it's sad to see them lose themselves as they did.

I wish we'd gotten more about some of the other side characters, such as Fuki, Saburoumaru, and even that Hokuto man, but I suppose I'll have to wait for the next movie.

The horror elements, while a bit toned down I feel compared to the original series, are still very catching. This movie was definitely more geared towards action, but I thought that was fun. Especially seeing Kon Kusuriuri in action. The animation was stunning, and the scene where the characters were falling down the well was a great way to display how they had all let go of something valuable, important, but Asa hadn't lost everything yet. I loved Kon and how he first, uh, "subtly inserted" himself into the Ooku. Yes. Very subtle. I don't even think Ri could be more subtle than that. Nope.

Oh, yes, the local medicine seller.

So, apparently, this medicine seller is different from the series medicine seller (Kon and Ri, respectively). It's a whole thing, and hopefully it'll be better elaborated on in the next movie or even the third, but I found nacch-an's crash course post very helpful, they even have links to source material for extra learning! (Thank you! I really liked this post!)

As far as this medicine seller goes, I like him. He's clearly got energy and seems rather playful, or more openly playful than Ri, lol. I like his design and the moves he pulls are very eye catching. However, I think I still like Ri more, if only because his whole attitude is a mood and I feel for this man. It's also because I haven't known Kon long, and I might become more attached by the second movie. However, he seems to be a bit more energetic than Ri so far. He's certainly a little more loud, lol. I feel like he's a bit more of a little shit, though Ri had his moments in the original series and bakeneko.

Overall, I thought what the movie was going for was great, but I'll obviously have to watch the next movie and, what I believe, is supposed to be a third one, to get the whole story. Not that I mind.

A part of me is sad that I didn't know about Mononoke before, back when the original series released. However, I don't know if my younger self would have like it the way I do now. Ah, well. I've seen it now, and I am definitely going to see this ride through.

[somepsychopomp]

So I like to do this thing when I'm sick and low on energy where I make Pokemon teams for my fav characters. So yeah here's what I think Odysseus' team would look like if Pokemon existed in his world. (Ignore that his character icon is Sycamore imo they're somewhat similar in aura so like...)

Also I am quite frankly too sick to care about proper team comp & chose these 6 based off aesthetics and story. Here's why ⬇️

Kingdra (Gender- F, Ability- Sniper):

Started off as a cute little Horsea that Ody found as a child. The poor thing was trapped in a tide pool and Odysseus thought she was in trouble. But when he tried to pick her up, the Horsea blasted him in the face with a jet of water. And no matter how often he tried to "save" her, the Horsea was having none of him. Eventually, Odysseus figured out how to gain her trust by offering berries and pets. And once he had that, he had no qualms with using Seadra as a weapon, wielding her to spray his little sister and friend Polites with water.

After she evolved, Odysseus became a particularly strong swimmer because he would play in the currents, jet streams, and whirlpools that his Seadra would make. She'd also help Ody get back to land if he grew exhausted or swam too far out from shore. Overall, having a Seadra was a great boon to someone living on an island nation. (Plus, the two of them would have tons of fun sailing together.)

And as as adult, when Odysseus goes off to war, his Kingdra would guard the Ithacan ships from sabotage and helps patrol the shore outside the Greek encampment.

After the war and on their way home, Kingdra does her best to help Odysseus navigate the storm that threatens to swallow the fleet whole. She can even use her powerful jetsreams to negate some of the waves, but not all of them. Odysseus, sensing her growing fatigue, is given even more reason to attempt to reach the island in the sky.

Years later, when Odysseus faces Charybdis on his way home, he confidently declares that he already knows her tactics. He's had a lifetime to learn because his Kingdra also liked to dive to the deepest parts of the ocean and stir up whirlpools that can reach the surface. Odysseus has no fear or difficulty evading Charybdis due to his experience with Kingdra.

Decidueye (Gender- F, Ability-Long Reach):

I originally wanted to give Odysseus a Noctowl as a nod to his bond with Athena, but then I got hit by a Jimmy Neutron brain blast. In this setting, Athena can essentially function as a Pokemon professor. And what would be the perfect starter for Odysseus? An owl Pokémon that's also literally an archer.

(Well, technically his first Pokemon would be Kingdra, but still.)

After taking Odysseus as her student, Athena gifts him a Rowlet and tells him to learn from his new friend. And Odysseus does. Rowlet flies silently, strikes quickly from afar using her razor sharp feathers, but in tight quarters can also defend herself using swift bites and kicks.

Odysseus learns from both Athena and Rowlet how to move through even dense forests with light, nearly noiseless steps. His fighting style develops into one that uses swift strikes to incapacitate prey or enemies as swiftly as possible. He also becomes accustomed to navigating at night since Rowlet is largely nocturnal.

(Side note- YES anytime Odysseus has a cloak or bag on his person, Rowlet is in there taking a nap.)

Rowlet also likes to watch Ody train and takes special notice whenever Odysseus is wielding a bow. Together, they take turns aiming for the same target. Even though Rowlet is more accurate with her feathers, Odysseus soon learns to strike with equal accuracy with his arrows.

By the time the Trojan War has come, Odysseus fights alongside his Decidueye, who can fell a Trojan soldier from over a hundred yards away. Her impeccable vision allows her to target the chinks in armor that no man would be able to see at such great distances, and her aim is even better at night.

While other soldiers and especially the other kings might rely on bigger, bulkier Pokemon, Odysseus was trained to be stealthy, swift, and precise.

And when Odysseus finally returns home, he dons his bow and quiver, felling the suitors as if he were a Decidueye himself.

Slowking (Gender- M, Ability- Own Tempo):

His Slowking started off as a tubby, dimwitted Slowpoke that Odysseus found on the beach one day as a child. He was helping his father harvest Slowpoke tails to make stew, as the creatures are quite abundant on Ithaca. While wandering, Odysseus came across a Slowpoke with its tail already eaten. Though the Slowpoke was oblivious to its own misfortune, it also bore a few other bite marks suggesting it'd been recently attacked.

Odysseus didn't think much of it, but Athena appeared before him and told him to take the creature in. So Odysseus smuggled the Slowpoke into the castle and tried to nurse it back to health. His father's prized hunting dog (maybe a Boltund or Arcanine) tried more than once to break into Ody's bedchambers, smelling fresh meat. Odysseus kept asking Athena why he was even bothering with such a dumb Pokémon, but she held her tongue as Odysseus, despite his complaints, began to grow fond of his new friend.

Once Slowpoke regrew his tail (and his other missing chunks of flesh), Ody brought him down to the beach so he could meet Seadra. While there, a Shellder attacked his slow-moving Slowpoke and- you guessed it- it evolved.

While Athena is Odysseus' mentor and plays an active part in shaping his mind and body, Slowking came to be something of an advisor to Odysseus in all manner of topics- governance, philosophy, the art of war, and so on. Really, Slowking behaves more like an oracle. Though Odysseus might ask him a question, Slowking will only nod or shake his head, leaving Ody to interpret his message on his own.

During the Trojan War, Odysseus seldom used Slowking in battle despite his impressive psychic abilities, appreciating his Pokemon as more of a friend and sage than anything else.

After the war, Slowking (and to an extent, Lucario) attempted to help Odysseus guard the wind bag, sensing its grave importance. Slowking even joined Ody in his 9-day long sleepless vigil. However, once Odysseus succumbed to sleep, Slowking was bested in battle and the bag was still stolen.

Later, on Calypso's island, as Odysseus fell into a deeper and deeper depression, Slowking tried to use his psychic abilities to ease his trainer's despair, often to little success.

Lucario (Gender- M, Ability- Justified):

Lucario was an easy pick for me largely because a lot of its design and lore matches w/ Odysseus'. I don't have as much of a story drafted for Lucario but here's a few reasons why I picked it:

It's dog-like features match the wolf imagery that Ody and Telemachus have

Lucario can read people's auras to sense incoming threats, or to root them out. Odysseus & his sense of perception (ex. the lotus eaters) is similar.

Come on. It's Lucario we're talking about. I have to give him to Ody.

Its Pokedex entry from Shield says that Lucario can read thoughts and that only a trainer "with justice in their heart" can befriend it. So I think a Lucario would get along well with a younger Ody who's still possessed by thoughts of right and wrong.

However, as Odysseus goes through the events of Epic and grows darker/more hardened, I think his Lucario would, too. Perhaps on his travels, Odysseus finds a mega stone compatible with Lucario and is amazed at his friend's newfound power. But multiple Pokedex entries characterize Mega Lucario as extremely merciless. So, I think as Odysseus grows increasingly jaded, he would not only take advantage of Mega Lucario's ferocity, but match it himself.

Zoroark (Gender- F, Ability-Illusion):

Another 'mon that I chose for mostly symbolic reasons.

I feel like it's self-explanatory. Odysseus is an infamous trickster, so is Zoroark.

However, I feel like in Odysseus' case, maybe it's expected of him to have a Zoroark. Like as a descendant of Hermes, the most famous trickster ever, Anticlea gifted him a Zorua to remind him of his godly heritage. From there, Odysseus raised up the wily little thing until she evolved. But a Zoroark isn't just a trickster- they're also ardent protectors of their packs and gladly use their shape-shifting abilities to do so.

As a Zoroark, she became an invaluable ally to Odysseus over his travels. She would be able to easy sneak past enemy lines during the Trojan War, donning the facade of a Trojan soldier to earn their trust, and do things for Odysseus like steal weapons, correspondence, etc.

Later when Odysseus faced Polyphemus, she would confuse the cyclops by darting around his legs faster than a man could, rapidly changing her shape to make him think there were many more soldiers swarming him than there actually were.

I also think it'd be fun if Odysseus' monster when he faced off against Circe was something of a ruse. Like the Holy Moly temporarily granted him the ability to make his Zoroark's illusions real, so together, they imagined a great and monstrous beast that could actually hit like one.

And being a talented illusionist, Zoroark did her best to guide Odysseus through the underworld with minimal distractions. The calls and songs of the dead couldn't sway her like they did with the men. Together, she and Slowking navigated the underworld and helped lead Odysseus to the prophet.

And lastly, Dhelmise (Gender- none, Ability-Steelworker):

Okay so Dhelmise very much has a story behind it. And by story, I mean that Odysseus never wanted Dhelmise to begin with. The original 6th member of Odysseus' party was once an Armarouge.

In the early years of the Trojan War, Odysseus came across a feisty little Charcadet running around the Ithacan's encampment. The tiny thing was fighting anyone that challenged it, whether it be man or Pokemon.

It turns out, the Charcadet was born of the smoldering charcoal from one of their fires. Odysseus surmised that, in a time of war, such a creature could easily come to life in an army's campfire.

He bested the Charcadet in battle, but instead of casting it out, he decided to adopt the little guy into his party. And the Charcadet became something of a mascot for the soldiers of Ithaca. The men would teach it how to fight, battling as often as it wanted, and cheering with delight as the Charcadet grew in skill and strength. It ended up becoming quite the moral booster as the war dragged on.

Eventually, Odysseus figured out how to evolve his Charcadet. After consulting with his Slowking, he scavenged the battlefield of Troy until he found a worthy breastplate. When presenting the armor to Charcadet, it evolved into Armarouge, a fearless and deeply loyal companion.

At night, Decidueye & Zoroark would run stealth missions with Odysseus. But during the day, under the heat of the blazing sun, Odysseus would charge into battle with his Lucario and Armarouge.

After the war ended and everyone was set to go home, it took some convincing to get Armarouge onto Odysseus' ship. It'd never been on a moving vessel before, especially one meant to navigate water. Odysseus could tell that his young Armarouge was afraid and promised that he would protect it as thanks for all the times Armarouge protected him in battle.

That is, until Poseidon arrives.

In the wake of the sea god's wrath, Odysseus is nearly thrown overboard to drown in the frothing surf. Moving faster than anyone else, his Armarouge saved him... at the expense of its own life.

Odysseus watched, helpless, as the youngest member of his party fell victim to Poseidon's domain, its bright flames forever extinguished. He was then forced to bear witness in ever mounting horror as the vast majority of his fleet is destroyed before his eyes.

But that's not the end of things.

It starts once they find themselves on Circe's island. Odysseus notices something moving across the water toward them, but it's not Poseidon. Even as he has to deal with Eurylochus wanting to abandon their men & Circe's witchcraft, Odysseus watches in horror as a Pokemon unlike any he's ever seen makes for land.

It turns out, he will be literally haunted by the deaths of his men and the destruction of his fleet. The Pokemon pursing him resembles an anchor (idc if it's anachronistic given the time period), and was seemingly born of a sunken ship's wreckage.

Most ghost Pokemon were once living beings. Everyone knows this. But Odysseus is terrified by the sight of the Dhelmise and assaulted with memories of losing his men. He has no idea if this creature was sent by Poseidon to torment him, or if it's the soul of one of his brothers that's come back to seek revenge against Odysseus for his failures as a captain. Whatever it is, he wants nothing to do with it. But this Dhelmise refuses to stop following him.

Even into the underworld, Odysseus can see it trailing behind them. It follows at a great distance, too far for even Decidueye to attack, but it never loses them.

It follows them through the sirens' waters, threatening to reach them if they linger for too long. It even enters Scylla's lair in pursuit of Odysseus.

The ghost Pokemon finally reaches him after he's been shipwrecked due to Zeus' intervention. It wraps Odysseus in long tendrils of frigid kelp and he thinks this is it, this is the day he drowns.

But the Dhelmise simply pulls him along. For hours even, just pulling him through the water until they come across land. Odysseus collapses on the shore out of exhaustion and grief, content to let this monster devour his soul if it so wishes.

It doesn't, of course. It's still loyal to its captain and trainer.

[fourwingedwriter]

Of the Divine - Rewritten - Part III

AN: A sort of jarring difference between the two sections of this part, but I need it to be like this so we can have Fun Things all at once next part :P

First Part - Previous - Next - Master Post

Tagging: @tildeathiwillwrite @whumperofworlds @rainbowsandwhumperflies @mysticalshadow351

----

Something familiar can become difficult to face when you know you're leaving it. None of this ever had so much value to him before. But this, all of this, it was home. It was safety.

The stairs he once fell down and broke his wrist on, the same day he and Ryn learned to treat it and what to do if they were alone. It didn't truly mean much, but knowing he was leaving felt almost like betrayal. He would never again tap the bar going across the low ceiling, remembering how he used to jump so high for it. He would never admire the framing this corridor gave to the rolling hills in the distance, wishing he knew how to paint. He would never again look upon this door, hand up and ready to knock, wondering if Ryn was ready for the day's activities.

Would she be ready? How fast has this curse taken her? Would he have to help her stand like he had the previous night?

Ryn will be suffering, and he won't be there to comfort her. He won't be there to hold her hand and tell jokes to ignore the pain. He won't be there to play games for hours so they could keep their mind off of things.

But he's here now, and he can't waste any more time.

Knock knock "Can I come in?"

A pause, a ruffling of cloth, then a small "Yes."

He stepped in slowly, looking to the right to find her sitting on a stool before her mirror, carefully wrapping her robes. She was clearly struggling, her arms shaking slightly as she attempted to pull the cloth over her shoulder.

He watched for a moment, silently shocked by her ability to put on the robes of a god who was killing her. Her undying loyalty would always amaze him. She truly was the model of a follower, and it only made him grieve more.

Despitw this, Hylen stepped over, taking the cloth from her and laying it carefully, just the way she always did. He tucked it, adjusting the folds so they sat properly.

He could once more see those accursed markings up close, bright red against her tanned skin. It almost looked painted on, her skin a different texture all along it. They would start seeing it on other parts of her body pretty quickly, watching as it slowly sapped all of the energy out of her before her body could no longer function.

She moved slightly under his prolonged touch, a hand reaching up to take his. She held it for a moment, eyes tracing his outfit in the mirror, quickly resting on his ring, "You don't hav-"

"No." He finally met her eyes, voice gentle but firm in his stance, "If you're trying to tell me I don't have to do this, I'm not listening. I'm going. I can't just sit and do nothing."

She turned and looked up at him, holding his hand tighter, "Hy, you know that means- you- we..."

"I'm doing this because I love you. I will always love you. Please let me save you. We've always said we would die for each other, don't make me break that promise." He lowered himself onto his knees, now eye to eye with her.

She hugged him, "Fine. Just come back to me, you dumbass."

---

Hylen knew Kipo could topple a large scale government, but he didn't quite understand what those words meant until she started pulling out documents. She'd brought everything she had deemed "important to the mission", which happened to include a set of highly classified documents and maps she made him promise would only be seen by him.

"Is this what you've been doing when you used to go there? I know they had you hired out for a decade, but by the gods-" he picked up a map showing a set of hand-drawn towns set in places classified as wilderness by the original document. The roads connecting all of them were highly detailed, with small notes giving advice on how to avoid being detected while traversing them.

She smirked, glancing at the map he was holding, "There was no limiting clause to my work in that contract. They also didn't say anything about destabilizing their government, so I took the advantage."

Hylen turned to her, dumbstruck. He'd been partially raised by this woman and was just finding out the shallow levels of the 'extra work' she had been doing for most of his teen years.

"Stop looking at me like that, I need to show you the route to follow. They won't let your white ass through the gate without questioning." Kipo teased, hitting him upside the head with a rolled up map.

Hylen tried to snap out of his disgruntled state. He'd been zoned out and had difficulty focusing ever since they hit the road. Even after hours of travel, he couldn't keep his mind from dwelling on her. Ryn and all of the things leading up to the state he left her in. Had he known earlier, would things have changed—

Kipo whacked him again, "Pay attention, for gods' sake."

"Sorry."

She pointed to a dot marked on the map of the southern border wall, "There's a maintenance tunnel right here they forgot to fix up. You'll see it pretty quickly, they don't bother making it pretty since it's nowhere near town. You need to go through when the guards aren't near, which shouldn't be too hard. They don't bother guarding our border too hard." At this she waved a hand, as if to illustrate just how little they cared.

He nodded, concerned with how casually she discussed this information. It was as if they were having a little chat over dinner, not a plan to invade a country.

She looked him up and down, considering something. Kipo opened her mouth, as if to ask a question, then immediately closed it, looking him up and down again.

"I'm sure you already know to be careful with strangers, but..." she considered him once more, "actually, I think I can trust your judgement. They'll find you easy enough."

Hylen was visibly disturbed by this, "Who is they?"

"I can't tell you," she smiled in a way he could only describe as devious, "it would spoil the fun."

This only made him more concerned, tempted to try and force the information out of her. But, after considering it, he remembered how easily she could defeat him, even at her age. Kipo may be old enough to be his mother, but he wasn't taking any chances with her.

She gently tapped him on the head with her papers once more, "I think that's about it. You have the route we discussed on the ride. Get some sleep, Fate knows you need it."

[iantimony]

big ol' tuesdaypost

listening: background noise for the week has been relistening to TANIS. not gonna lie, y'all, this podcast has not aged well! it is simply not very good! it was always kinda mid with regard to dialogue etc but now after listening to other narrative podcasts (TMA, Silt Verses, Wolf359, etc) it's even worse. all it ever really had going for it was Vibes and it's hanging on that by a thread. however, it is serving the purpose of essentially white noise. audio drama equivalent of eating packing peanuts.

I also got surprised in one of the early episodes because Elisa Lam's name wasn't censored - I could have SWORN that at the time there was a pretty large backlash to using a real person's tragedy and name in a narrative fiction podcast so they went and censored her name out? like, that's why all the following episodes have that disclaimer about "for legal and safety reasons we've elected to change some names and leave others out entirely"? okay yes live mid-writing of this I went and checked and the transcript of that episode literally says "Also, we have decided to entirely redact the name of one person who has passed away whose name was used in this episode. It appears in this transcript as [REDACTED]." did I somehow get an unedited version in my podcast app??? very odd.

when I got bored of TANIS or needed something more engaging/stimulating I got back on The Silt Verses season 2! on s2e3 now for reference. especially in contrast with TANIS it is so phenomenal lol.

you will notice that last week I linked "Pale Green Things" from the album The Sunset Tree by The Mountain Goats. this made me realize that a song I listen to a lot around this time of year ("This Year", obviously, lol) is on the same album. I have embarrassing news which is that I have listened to exactly one Mountain Goats album all the way through (Jenny from Thebes) so I resolved to listen to The Sunset Tree all the way through.

gang, this is not a surprise, or news, but man, this album fucking whips. it's so good. why didn't I do this years ago. oh my god.

Broom People

Dilaudid

Magpie

reading: "Bad Influence" by Mia Sato - duuuuuuuuuude lol. I am no legal expert but I think I know how this case is gonna go because let's be totally real. the beige home shade is really funny to me, not quite a maximalist but someone who loves her home with objects that are colorful, lively, full of sentiment, and secondhand where I can make it (i.e. not mass market sludge).

On the Origin of the Hebrew Deity-Name El Shaddai by F. M. Behymer - a discussion of the name 'El Shaddai' in contexts of fertility came up in weekly torah study this week and the rabbi was wondering if there were any real scholarly sources related to that beyond just noting it a few times in scripture. naturally I immediately went to jstor. interesting article, not sure if it's exactly what my rabbi was thinking about but I will be emailing it to him.

[Is] BookTok for Dummies[?] by Chels - I am not a tiktok girly (I have deleted social media apps from my phone because I find accessing them through web browser is less addictive, and tiktok simply does not function in a web browser so I don't use it) so I am very removed from these dynamics. call me crazy but I do not care if people on tiktok are reading porn because [looks at my ao3 history] glass houses, etc. the weird reactionary bent against romance novels is very strange to me.

Static by purplewhales on ao3 :3

watching: the death of personal style by Mina Le - I've definitely never been as extravagant as she is known to be but I do love a little Outfit(tm), especially since I have officially acquired my Good Leather Jacket this fall. cooking this one in my brain still though because it takes me SO long to get ready for the day and having a 'uniform' would probably. help that. lol.

The Winter Reset Guide by Morgan Evelyn Cook - she's kinda basic (in a positive way) but I've been enjoying her vids along with Caroline Winkler as background noise. ngl I love her high five thing it's very cute. I did stop everything to hold my hand up like I was high-fiving her. her dog is adorable too.

LED Christmas lights which don't hurt the eyes by Technology Connections. "this is not what christmas looks like. it looks like a vape shop. or, worse, a gaming PC." extremely funny thank you autism etc

I bought the world's most expensive yarn by Cinema Knits - the background noise while my soup was simmering and I was crocheting another mouse cat toy. cozy bliss.

The Online Gambling Epidemic by Drew Gooden - I'm becoming more of a hockey person (especially with the women's league coming up let's goooo) and while I'm not that tapped into it I'm sure gambling there exists, though it doesn't seem as plastered across everything as it is with football?

relatedly: watched a hockey game in the background on Saturday while I ran dnd! my mom and brother were there in person so I tuned in remotely to keep up :) also watched the Sirens/Frost game on Sunday yippee

playing: as above: ran dnd on Saturday! once again I spent time before it agonizing how I did not want to even a little bit but after actually doing it I had a lot of fun.

making: like a fool, I left the container with my winter wear open and my cat RIPPED THE POMPOM OFF the top of a hat I made a few years ago. it's no great loss - the pompom really wasn't big enough, I didn't have enough of the beige yarn I'd really wanted to use - and she didn't eat any of the yarn, just relished in tearing it all apart, so I made a new one with some leftover of the white. this one is bigger and fluffier and definitely matches the vibe of the hat better so I'm not mad. it's been deadly cold here, like windchills bringing it to single digits, so I've actually gotten some good wear out of it the past few days.

made what will hopefully be a lemon coaster but I think I gave it one too many rows of the interior yellow so stay tuned, plus a mousie for my cat :)

further work on the holiday card for this year! sketches followed by some inspo images:

sources: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

eating: yayy thanksgiving. many leftovers, etc. made a big ass kugel that was demolished over two different get-togethers, gonna make another one for a potluck at temple this coming Friday! might make that one with crushed pineapple because every time I mention it my grandma sighs wistfully and says how her mom used to make it that way.

I also made this sunchoke soup from some sunchokes that I blanched and froze about a month ago. I halved the recipe because I only had about a pound of sunchokes and this is soooo good. no picture because I'm ngl it looks like sludge lol. made waffles again too.

finally: little emotional support cheese board from the other day, lol.

feat. paesanella ciresa (soft vaguely mushroomy?), somerdale red dragon (very dijon mustard-y), cotswold (super chives and onion flavor), and appenzeller white label (swiss adjacent) picked up as little samples from the cheese counter castoff bin. and olives and mozz balls of course.

misc: really enjoyed these few days off. it is cold as fuck here which is not encouraging me to get back in the swing of things but it has put me in cozy mode. I did reformat my resume in LaTeX so now it's sexy for my conference next week because I am … printing out a few copies I guess ?? to bring to hand to people if needed. do people still do that. who fucking knows.

[perfectionistkilling-me]

Hazbin Hotel Paperwork

An observation about fandom that I have never been able to unsee is that "Original Media is usually taking place during a disruption from the main characters Day-to-day life. Meanwhile a lot of fanfiction takes place in the downtime. Meaning unsuspecting fanfic writers have to come up with what these characters actually do in their boring adult jobs. Often with little experience in what these jobs are like. The end result is a lot of fanfiction starting with our main characters staying late in the office doing miscellaneous, unexplained paperwork"

So, with that in mind. Here are a bunch of miscellaneous paperwork/paperwork adjacent tasks for each Hazbin Hotel Character.

Charlie

Property Taxes. There is no way property tax doesn't exist in hell.

Planning group therapy sessions. Probably with several behavioural psych books and self help books and So So many sticky notes and highlighters.

Generally freaking out surrounded by crayons, loose paper, several bulletin boards and red string.

Vaggie

Planning and reviewing training regimens. Looking for where she can improve.

Maintaining her weapons. Also maintaining any other weapons in the hotel because poorly maintained weapons are a safety hazard and under absolutely no circumstances is she letting Niffty or Alastor do it.

Being a soundboard for Charlie's planning, and probably consoling her about property taxes.

Alastor

Actually doing the taxes when Charlie gives up. Also every other bill payment. He is the accountant.

Managing whatever weird network of smugglers and killers required to get a whole forest and a deer into his room. This probably required a lot of weird phone calls.

General tinkering. Everyone knows old technology is a fickle mistress. Alastor absolutely has at least one radio that has to be poked, prodded and shaken to work just right.

Angel Dust

Probably has the most actual paperwork.

Reviewing filming schedules, scene requirements and special requests.

Learning lines. Script writing in Porn Studios is also most often done by the director or whoever says yes. Considering Val has maybe 3 braincells and shit eyesight. Angel has probably written a script or two as well.

Making marketing content for upcoming projects. Filming whatever hells version of Cameo is. (Cumeo?)

Husker

Bar inventory and orders. Date and Time labels on the perishables. Please imagine him with his clipboard right in his face and brow furrowed.

Sealing anything sugary in about 10 layers of cling film. (Do you want hellants. This is how you get hell ants.)

Cutting limes, longing for the days when he had barbacks. Pouring himself a glass of whiskey and then going back to cutting limes.

Sir Pentious

Drawing diagrams of inventions. Having a long drawn out internal debate about whether he needs to make a specific part custom or if he can just order the part. Vocalising this conundrum to the Egg Bois only to be met with "Fingers are just Toes with delusions of grandeur"

Looking at a perfectly functional small scale prototype. Looking at a full scale version of the same prototype, built to the exact same specifications, wondering why it doesn't work. Looking back at the small scale prototype, holding it lovingly, asking it why it's brother doesn't work.

Honestly, just document any weird shit you see your engineer friend do and it's probably Sir Pentious.

Niffty

I was going to say Niffty does not have paperwork, Niffty has an ongoing war against dirt and roaches in which she is a valiant soldier. But thats too easy.

She is Alastor's paper shredder.

Updating her scrapbook of bad boys with photos, hair, teeth and occasionally other. . .things.