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quirkwizard · 5 months ago

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Battle Report: A Retrospective on the Final War Arc

The Final War Arc is finally over. It's been a wild ride. And while I had my issues with it, I ultimately think was a good arc. I think it may go somewhere in the 7/10 to 8/10 range for my tier list of arcs. Who knows though. With all of that done though, I wanted to take a chance to look back on this arc and talk about what's transpired. Now, is this a little premature? Kind of. At the time of writing and posting this, the epilogue is still going on. The series has not ended and any of my complaints may be null and void after all of this is over. However, the arc is massive. It's eighty chapters long with dozens of plotlines and characters all mashing up against one another. I want to take the time out of focus on everything that has happened and leave the epilogue to it's own post.

And with that context, it is a lot to cover. Even if it's not the epilogue, it's still everything from chapter 343 to 423. So this post is going to be more disjointed, stream of conscious writing about my thoughts on specific parts of the arc that are worth talking about instead of doing some deep dive on the whole thing. Sure, I think the civilian stuff with Eri and everyone else in the bunker is nice in it's own way and I think how the pilots are used is hilarious, but that isn't enough for me to talk about. If you want me to discuss something in particular or expand on something here, I may talk about it later or add it to the post. With all of that being cleared up, my retrospective on the finale of the Final War Arc.

Shoto vs Dabi: This is the first fight of the arc, and we are definitely starting strong. I've already gushed about how much I enjoy this bit ever since it happened, so I will keep this brief. Of course, seeing Dabi back and all of his spiteful glory is great. Though, if we're being honest, the real start is Shoto and his new Super Move. The Phospher reveal is such a cool power-up for Shoto, and it works great in so many ways. It's a unique and clever way to counteract Dabi's firepower without just trying to overpower him. And it all leads to this beautiful and distinct art of flowing ice. It's so cool. And the best part is that it acts as the perfect cap to his character arc of trying to define himself, combining the two halves of himself into a combination that is completely his own. That's not even getting into the numerous references to phosphor, giving this even more depth.

All For One vs Endeavor: In spite of having a lot of focus, I don't have a lot to say about the forest fight. It's a lot of the same stuff as the Tomura fight, though not as egregious. I will say that I think Enji's bits in this arc are rather underrated. Having Enji fight All For One is a good way to wrap up that part of this character, finally growing past his own insecurities relating to Izuku and All Might while still achieving something that would make him worthy of being the top pro. The flashback about his father dying saving someone adds so much context to who Endeavor is as a person, and I'm really glad we got it. And having Endeavor burn away the past version of himself is such a cool image and a good moment for his character. Honestly, I think Enji continues his hot streak as one of the best written characters in this story.

Tomura vs Everyone: I didn't much care for this part. It felt very repetitive. Characters attack Tomura. It doesn't do anything. Tomura starts monologuing. Repeat. They couldn't do anything to Tomura, but as Hori has shown, he's reluctant to kill off named characters. It's why, despite getting ragdolled, none of them died. It didn't feel like the threat of death was looming over any of them, making this big battle feel relatively low-stakes. So we're stuck in this cycle of Tomura beating all of them up for dozens of chapters, only for neither side to really get anywhere. It feels like we're stalling. That Hori simply needed Izuku out of the picture to delay the final fight for him and Tomura. Which, sure, I get, but he could have at least made what was happening with Tomura more interesting. What's worse is that this is so much time spent with AFO Tomura. A character who isn't nearly as interesting as some of his parts and is a watered-down version of both.

Spinner's Assault: This is by far the worst part of the entire finale. Let's ignore the politics and message and how they may or may not apply to the real world. This mini-arc is focused on Koda, Shoji, and Spinner. All characters I like to varying degrees, but none feel like they have earned this kind of focus. The whole mutant discrimination plotline feels woefully underdeveloped, so having it be the center point of this part feels jarring. And saying it only happens outside the city is such a handwave. Not only does that make no sense, as bigotry can happen just as much, if not more, in metro areas, but it has little showing within the world. Hori, if you wanted to set this up, maybe you should have actually had some major focus on stories out of the city. So having so much time dedicated to it just feels wasteful and frustrating. I could go on a longer rant, but I will save it for another time.

Bakugou's "Death": What a waste. Come on now, did any of you really think Bakugou died here? Or would stay dead? And having his resurrection tied to his clustered sweat feels like a slap in the face of Edgeshot. The guy who reduced himself to a thin string just to save Bakugou's life. On that note, having Edgeshot be the one to save Bakugou feels… out of place. Edgeshot is a pretty minor character with no connection to Bakugou. Many figured that this sudden change would lead to some boost for Bakugou, but it didn't. So why Edgeshot? Why couldn't Best Jeanist be the one to do it, the one that is more important to both Bakugou and the audience? And this doesn't feel like a major change for Bakugou. If you have your character die and come, there should be some greater change to them or how they act, but it doesn't. At least, nothing as major as a death and resurrection should have. The biggest effect it has is on Tomura, bringing him out of the control of All For One, and Izuku, showing that he wouldn't lose control and break again. Once again, Bakugou's grievous injury is more important to the characters around him.

Rewound All For One: One of the more controversial parts of the arc. Is it a reach for Garaki to make the drug? Kind of. Is it annoying to still have All For One around? To a degree. Does it lead to some frustrating moments like All For One not unleashing his biggest area-clearing attack to start with when he knows he's on a time limit? Yes. However, I ultimately feel as though this does more good for the story than bad. By giving All For One this timer, it gives him a more definitive weakness to exploit and a ticking counter in the form of his body degenerating. And by keeping him around, it gives him a chance to go against Endeavor, Toshinori, and Bakugou. That way, they're completing their own arcs without feeling like any of their efforts are wasted or overstepping each other's time in the ring with All For One.

Dabi's Quirk: This is going to be a more personal annoyance, but I'm really frustrated with how Hori handled Dabi's Quirk. First off, him instantly using Shoto's technique against him is such nonsense. You're telling me that seeing it is enough for him to replicate it with no training?And him suddenly making ice for himself also makes zero sense. He hasn't shown anything like that before, and nothing about his power implies that he could. And don't tell me it's literally Rei's Quirks, but that makes even less sense. I could explain that as an evolution of his ice resistance, but that's more me trying to make sense of it. Could you justify it as being Shoto's sibling and their powers having similar mechanics and traits? Sure, but a lot of it comes across more as a convivence to keep Dabi's corpse moving. At least his design is cool.

Wasted Students: While the manga actually does a good job of distributing attention, there are some students that I feel were shafted. A special mention goes to Sero, Ojiro, and Sato, whom Hori pretty obviously just shoved together to get them out of the way. The ones I'm thinking about are Iida and Momo. Momo was one of the 1-A characters who had some arc, so having her be relegated to a living printer feels wasteful. However, I can at least forgive this a little. Her moment was during the PLF War, and her position makes sense. But shoot, Tenya was done dirty in this arc. He doesn't have any really cool moments of his own and very little in the way of character moments. I thought he was going to have something done with Stain, but no. Most of his time in this arc is spent supporting Shoto, quite literally in the case of the Ice Jet maneuver. Wait, why was he even fighting Dabi? Tenya himself admits he's a bad match for this, so why was he there?

Shiketsu Students: This is one of the few moments in the arc that actually surprised me, and it's a welcome surprise at that. As someone who thought that the Shiketsu students were interesting but underdeveloped, it was cool seeing them act as reinforcements. What was even a better surprise was Camie's "Glamour" trick with the fake Hawks. That has got to be the funniest movement in this entire arc, bar none. Of the three, Inasa gets the most focus, and I think he does pretty well with it. While I do like his soft cap on his arc with the Todoroki's, reflecting his growth as well as their own, I really enjoy how much he just shuts All For One down this arc. All For One is trying to do these big speeches and one-liners, and Inasa is out here yelling him down like any other two-bit criminal. It's equal parts hilarious and awesome.

Tokoyami: On the flip side of my statement about students, I think Tokoyami is really good in this arc. Tokoyami is one of the less prominent characters in terms of development and actual emotional moments to support him. The arc did a good job of giving him some kind of arc for his character. About how he sees his powers and how hard they are to control. And I'm going to be totally transparent here, I just think full-power Dark Shadow is really cool. There isn't anything deep or nuanced here. Seeing this giant shadow mecha loom over the whole battlefield and make All For One go pale is super sick. It's not just all action and character, either. He probably had one of the best reactions to anything ever in the whole series when illusion Hawks "died". So in spite of my issues with the other students, at least Tokoyami was done well.

The Big Three: Yeah, I didn't really care for what was happening with a lot of the Big Three. They ultimately fall into the same issues as everyone else in the UA Battle Zone that I talked about before. And while their massive railgun attack was cool on paper, it all amounted to nothing. It all feels like such pointless fluff to tide the user's over. It's not even like they have anything interesting going on character-wise, either. Mirio is easily the biggest victim of this. Ever since Mirio got his Quirk back, he hasn't really been given any chance to act outside of the costume or really be his own character. Seriously, the biggest moment he has is him acting as the butt of the joke in order to distract Tomura so Izuku can get in. Was there really no better way to do that? And as much as I want to remember him for other stuff he did, like yelling at Izuku, there really isn't anything else that sticks out.

Gearshift: Again, a more personal gripe, but one that bugs me a lot. I really don't like "Gearshift" as a power. Like "Fa Jin", it doesn't feel like it expands on any of Izuku's capabilities, only doubling down on what is already there. Unlike "Fa Jin", this had way more potential that went unused. Being able to alter the speed of an object or person is such an interesting concept. And for all of the hype surrounding it, it doesn't feel like it's used to its full potential. Really? We couldn't think of a better Quirk for him. Or at least come up with something more interesting for this one to do? All it's used for is to give a power boost to Izuku and make him go faster. The only time it's used to do anything else is when he uses it to speed up Bakugou. Why couldn't we get more stuff like that? Or at least maybe giving it a chance to interact with Izuku's other quirks for combinations?

Gigantomachia Battle: I like this well enough. As much as the reappearance of what's his face frustrates me, that's more of a carryover from my problems with Midnight's death and not the fault of this arc. It's a good follow-up for the brief arc with Mina and I like how much her new move ties into their growth with its name. Plus, it gave Shinso a cool moment that felt natural without stepping on anyone else's toes. I will say that I'm pretty confused at the sudden turn with Gigantomachia, who only really seems mournful over what All For One did once. And the one time he did, it seemed more regretful that someone as pathetic as Tomura was the successor. Otherwise, he just seemed like a loyal thug without much personality.

Todorokis vs Dabi: For the dramatic resolution of the Todoroki family storyline, I find myself having very little say about it. It's good. I really like seeing the feral, demented version of Dabi who is barely held together. Enji's lines about people watching him and taking responsibility become twisted with Dabi's view of him and his actions. I like the monologue Shoto gives as he's flying to stop Dabi. I guess my issue is that the rest of it doesn't stand out as much to me. And the actual resolution doesn't feel any different from the way Shoto fought him. It came across like the earlier fight with him was just there to keep him occupied so Enji could fight All For One and didn't serve any real purpose for the characters. That there needed to be this resolution for everyone else in the Todoroki family and for Dabi as well, but doing it like this lessens some of the punch.

Uraraka vs Toga: One of my favorite parts of the arc. This entire section was such a dark horse for me, someone who didn't put a lot of stock in the Uraraka and Toga storyline. It shocked me how invested I was in the fight. Just seeing how hard Uraraka fights is so enthralling to watch, going through so much to help Toga. And this is one of the few points in the series where Awakenings work, with an Awakening that actually feels earned and relevant to the character at that. All because she wanted to help and connect with Toga in order to save her. And if Toga did die here, I wouldn't mind because I think it fits. She was able to live and die as her own person, making her own choices. All in all, it's a highlight of the arc and a great capstone for both of the characters.

Aoyama's Section: Why does Aoyama have so much focus on him? I don't dislike Aoyama, and I'm glad one of the more minor characters is getting attention in a way that feels relevant to who they are. I just don't think he really needed this much space to himself, having his own battlefield and major villain to fight, with little to no other focus on other characters. Having him stand up against All For One felt like more than enough of a final beat for his character arc. It was him acting in spite of his fears, facing down the scariest person in the entire series. Hagakure's presence bugs me here as well, since it just reeks of convivence. And man, giving out yet another Awakening? Were these not supposed to be rare? It's yet another example of an Awakening that barely feels any different from before and doesn't feel earned.

Toshinori Yagi vs All For One: Unlike a lot of fans, I wasn't as bothered by this part. On paper, Toshinori fighting All For One with a massive mecha suit kind of flies in the face of one of the core ideas of the series. That people without Quirks cannot be heroes. However, the story makes it clear that this is something that cannot stand up against All For One, requires all the resources of his decades of hero work, has decades of experience as the top hero, and he's only doing as well because he's fighting All For One because he's acting irrationally. My only reservation is that All Might is using parts inspired by the students. While I think these are cool, it seems like this is supposed to be his big moment as a teacher. And... I guess the story wants us to believe that. I don't know. It feels like Hori hasn't really put in enough work to have this be a satisfying payoff. He only really has two or so scenes involving the other students outside of Izuku. I believe he's a proper mentor to Izuku, sure, but as a real teacher for the whole class? Not really. Don't get me wrong, the idea and execution of it were fine, but the set-up needed more legwork.

Stain's "Moment": Yeah, this is something I can't forgive. Stain is such a major figure in My Hero Academia, both in and out of universe. He's the guy who changed the whole trajectory of the story and brought a whole new level of respect for the story. Hori brings him back to restore Toshinori's motivation and give them plans for All For One. And then he comes in for a big moment in the final fight. Only to be ragdolled, having accomplished nothing. There was no final moment of sacrifice, no heroic last stand. Just slapped aside and exploded. Not only does All For One's escaping feel like a mass convenience, just so happening to have a Quirk to push all the blood out of his body, but it's so disappointing for Stain. It feels like an afterthought. Like Hori remembered that Stain was around and threw him in to die. He doesn't even get a moment in the ghost realm. Come on, Hori. If you went through the trouble of having his Quirk stolen, why not do something more with it?

All For One's Backstory: Yeah, I still think this part of the story is hilarious. This is so over the top and dark that it comes full circle into being funny again. All For One's backstory feels like some edgy teenager fanfiction. Like he was born to a drug-addled mother, literally drained the life out of her to the point she died. He was nearly eaten by rats at birth, he was the real first Quirk user, he's been killing people since he was four years old. It was to the point that I thought All For One was lying about it to make himself seem cooler or more inhuman than he really was. But no, we're actually supposed to believe all of this and take it seriously. I really have to wonder what Hori was thinking with this. Is it supposed to show All For One as evil to the core? But doesn't that go against the idea that it's nurture over nature? Or maybe it's to show that the worst circumstances made the worst evil? Okay, then why is All For One so unapologetically evil, supposedly even before he was born?

Bakugou vs All For One: I find myself having very little to say about any of this. It's a big-ole fight scene with Bakugou and All For One. It doesn't feel like it really completes anything from Bakugou arc outside of his hang-up with All For One and All Might retiring. Yeah, I'm glad it got tied up and that Bakugou got to save Toshinori, but it hasn't felt all that relevant to his overall arc. Maybe I'm downplaying this a lot more than I should, but that's just how I see it. The only major hangup I have is with the whole "people wanting it bad enough changed the future for All Might." I chose to interpret this as more metaphorical than literal. Like everything that's motivating Bakugou is pushing him forward, or that all of the steps everyone took up to this point defied fate. Otherwise, we are getting into some stuff the series never talks about and never explains. At least this fight gave us the "Bakugou deals bonus damage to children" meme.

Dream Hawks: Okay, this isn't so much a real problem, but I feel like this is a big missed opportunity: why isn't Stain the one getting the vestiges to rebel? You know, the guy who had such focus and determination that he was able to ward off an entire squad of top heroes from attacking him with sheer force of will. The guy who ironically sparked a whole villain renaissance with his words about the rot at the core of the world of heroes. It'd give his death some purpose and give him one final amazing scene against All For One, giving him a chance to redeem himself after all the problems he caused the world with his dogma. Ironically, he'd be dying a hero and stopping one of the biggest threats to the world. But sure, give another scene to Hawks. It's not like he's been already been a heavy focus of the arc.

Izuku vs Tomura: We've been waiting for this fight for a while, and it did not disappoint me. Not only is the part where we finally get Tomura back, immediately making this fight far more enjoyable, but the fight itself is so cool. You can feel the struggle, exhaustion, and desperation in each of Izuku's panels. We get to see more of feral Izuku. Who doesn't want to see more of feral Izuku? What's better is that we actually get Izuku using some interesting strategies against Tomura, like pushing up the rocks to stop the spread of "Decay" while using it as cover to perform a counter attack. And having this be topped off with the sacrifice of "One For All" makes this all feel that much more harrowing of an experience, with Izuku piece and piece of himself just at a chance of victory. It's one of the few final fights of a series where I was actually worried about the main character.

Shared Dreamspace: This might just be my favorite moment in the whole arc. We get all the shared visions as our two protagonists begin to understand each other more. And for all of this talking, it never once tries to excuse Tomura for what he did. Even Tomura talks about how he doesn't regret what he's doing or why he's destroying everything. He's doing it all for himself and the League. And while Izuku can understand this, he can't condone it, and it doesn't excuse what Tomura did. It's a good way for both sides to get their points across in order to get some kind of resolution without feeling like it's breaking either of them. It's all about understanding and learning from each other, which is what this conflict has been all about. It's all so well done and pretty much exactly how I imagined a confrontation like this would go down between these two.

All For One's Return: Is it kind of frustrating that All For One has returned yet again? Sure. I can understand people getting sick and tired of him, now more than ever. However, I think it's explained well enough not to bother me, and ultimately, the only way for the story to have its cake and eat it as well. It's a clean way to remove Tomura from the story without having to dirty Izuku's hands. Tomura has made it pretty clear that he has zero intention of ever stopping, and redemption was not on the table for him. It also gives Izuku a final fight against All For One, who, while not as personal to Izuku, is the biggest evil in the series. On top of that, it fits with the idea of everyone coming together to be the greatest hero by getting their licks in on All For One. It's what the story has been pushing for the whole time: One For All fighting back against All For One.

Oboro, Aizawa, and Yamada: As much as I wanted to get excited about this part, it did feel woefully undercooked. Oboro's condition and Aizawa and Present Mic's reaction to it feel pretty minor in the grand scheme of things. They only get one chapter to hash things out, and it feels very rushed. Which is odd because it has some of the biggest impact on the arc itself, with Kurogiri teleporting everyone around and being the lynchpin in the two major paradigm shifts in the arc. It's Spinner's whole motivation for attacking the hospital, it removed Aizawa from the playing field at UA, and it ends up sending all of the doubles from the island to the fight in the forest. What we got was nice, especially Kurogiri saying he wants Tomura back when they are all fighting All For One, but sadly, it wasn't enough.

The Final Run-Up: Look, I am the biggest sucker for moments like this. Izuku is still standing in spite of losing both arms. Then everyone is coming out of the portals to the final fight, all firing out their attacks to go down. It's like Endgame, but actually thematically relevant to everyone coming together to beat the greatest threat to the world. And the part where all the good guys are helping the protagonist forward just so they can deliver that final blow. I can't help but feel hyped up as each of the other students and heroes fight back against All For One. We get All For One going out like a total punk. And we can share a final vision between Tomura and Izuku. I cannot say anything analytical or in-depth about this. I just think it hits all these different sweet spots in me while still ending things on a good note, and it brings me so much joy.

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fastestmanalive333 · 1 month ago

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Wally West/Kid Flash Reading Order

Flash (1959) #110/Born to Run in its place as it adds a lot more context from Wallys POV while 110 is more from Barrys

for Born to Run

Flash Vol. 2 #62-65

afterwards Wally has his own backup within the flash title you sorta see a bit of his school life and him doing things.. it falls short with unlike barry we see his personal life and his relationships with people wallys parents rarely show up in his earliest stories, theres no deep storytelling its moreso just some fun little slice of life thing)

Flash Vol. 1 #111-112

Flash Vol. 1 #114/2

Flash Vol. 1 #116/2 (first appearance of Rudy West)

Flash Vol. 1 #118/2

Flash Vol. 1 #120 (Barry and Wallys First Team Up, this ones referenced in Johns run fun fact and its pretty good i enjoy it)

Flash Vol. 1 #122/2

Flash Vol. 1 #125 (Barry and Wallys second team up)

Flash Vol. 1 #127/2

Flash Vol. 1 #130/2

Flash Vol. 1 #133/2

Flash Vol. 1 #135 (Barry/Wally Team Up #3, Wally gains his iconic Kid Flash suit)

Flash Vol. 1 #138/2

Flash Vol. 1 #144/2

Brave and the Bold #54 (Technically the First Appearance of the Teen Titans)

Flash Vol. 1 #149 (Barry and Wally 4th team up)

Teen Titans: Year One #1-3

Brave and the Bold #60 (First Appearance of the Teen Titans as a team)

Flash Vol. 1 #156 (Barry & Wally 5th team up)

Showcase #59

Teen Titans Vol. 1 #1-3

Teen Titans: Year One #4-6

Flash Vol. 1 #159 (Barry & Wally 6th team up)

Flash Vol. 1 #161 (not in costume)

Flash Vol. 1 #164/2 (return of Wallys back up)

Teen Titans Vol. 1 #5

Flash Vol. 1 #165

Teen Titans Vol. 1 #6-7

Flash Vol. 1 #167/2

Teen Titans Vol. 1 #8-10

Flash Vol. 1 #173 (Jay, Barry & Wally)

Teen Titans Vol. 1 #11-19

Brave and the Bold #83

Flash Vol. 1 #189 (the last Wally and Barry team up of the 60s)

Teen Titans Vol. 1 #20-30

Flash Vol. 1 #202/2

Teen Titans Vol. 1 #31

Flash Vol. 1 #204/2

Flash Vol. 1 #207/2

Flash Vol. 1 #209/2

Teen Titans Vol. 1 #32-33

Brave and the Bold #94

World's Finest Comics #205

Teen Titans Vol. 1 #35-36

Flash Vol. 1 #211/2

Teen Titans Vol. 1 #37

Teen Titans Vol. 1 #39

Brave and the Bold #102

Flash Vol. 1 #216/2

Teen Titans Vol. 1 #40-43

Flash Vol. 1 #220-221

Flash Vol. 1 #232

Flash Vol. 1 #239

Flash Vol. 1 #240

Teen Titans Vol. 1 #44-45

Teen Titans Vol. 1 #46-53 (Teen Titans Disband)

DC Special Series #11

Showcase #100

Flash Vol. 1 #265/2

Flash Vol. 1 #266/2

Flash Vol. 1 #269 (Barry and Wallys Last Team up)

Brave and the Bold #149

Flash Vol. 1 #277 (appears in Iris' funeral)

Legends of the DC Universe #18 (Raven and Wally issue its very good)

But thats everything with Wally leading up to NTT where his characterization is overall changed and he is written as a douche mostly cause Wolfman and Perez didnt like the character nor wanted him in the run but DC editorial had them add him due to his popularity at the time.. but this is how you get a good sense of who his character was as Kid Flash he was nothing like he is potrayed in NTT he was a fun character and he grew.. so greatly after NTT he does show up in Trial of the Flash here are his issues but its best to read the entire storyline in whole

Flash Vol. 1 #343-345

he does show up in NTT again in Vol 2 in issue 2 all the way to issue 6 then Crisis happens and then his flash run begins!

#wally west #kid flash #barry allen #the flash #flash comics #flash family #dc #dc comics #teen titans #new teen titans #bronze age #silver age #jay garrick #flash

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stephofromcabin12 · 5 months ago

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I didn’t know that canonically Dionysus sometimes gets loose and presumably that’s when he has his kids. I always read it as his exile to camp was relatively “recent” in terms of him probably having been grounded in the like. Last few years before the story picks up. I had always assumed his current kids were born before that and so that also helps account for their low numbers (before Rick specified his stance on two being the best number of children or whatever that quote was from TOA)

Well, like most things we learn about Mr D in the books, it’s pretty subtle and mentioned like twice (bc Rick loves to torture me by adding lore and then not developing it further)

Before we look at that, we have to establish that, yes, his punishment seems to be recent. He’s given 100 years to be at camp, and in TLO he explains to Percy that Zeus cut his probation in half, leaving him with 50 years. Which would mean he had just begun his sentence in The Lightning Thief.

“[…] Zeus has cut my probation at that miserable camp in half. I now have only fifty years left instead of one hundred.” (The Last Olympian, p. 343)

But even so, there are a couple of ways he could have snuck out and had some kids.

Firstly, there’s the fact that the gods can be in multiple places at once, as explained by the wine dude himself in The Last Olympian:

“Your concern is touching. I did crash-land. Very painfully. {note: The gods feel pain…Interesting} In fact, part of me is still buried under a hundred feet of rubble in an abandoned coal mine. It will be several more hours before I have the strength to mend. But in the meantime, part of my conciousness is here […] Wherever there is a party, my prescence is invoked. Because of this, I can exist in many different places at once […]”

(The last Olympian, p. 266)

If we assume that gods at their full strength can exist more physically in multiple places, by dividing their “essence” or whatever, we can assume Dionysus would be able to sneak out by being present— seemingly automatically— wherever a party is happening.

It’s pretty much assumed (by me, I don’t think anyone else thinks about his exact whereabouts as much as I do lol) that he does this, or something else, because he is not gone very long in BOTL and TLO, and yet, in The Blood of Olympus, Dakota is seen talking to multiple Dionysus kids, which shouldn’t be possible, since yk. Pollux is the only camper (and should be in college by now but whatever, maybe he came back anyway or took a gap year, who knows) and even if he did take advantage of being away from camp in BOTL and TLO, his kids would be like, 2-3 at most and therefore not old enough to fight (I would certainly hope, although toddlers turning their enemies frantic and crazed is kinda metal ngl) So he must have had more kids before that….Or Rick forgot he killed Castor, which is hilariously possible.

“[…] Dakota shared Kool-Aid with the kids from the Dionysus cabin […]” (The Blood Of Olympus, p. 474)

(Stephanie Olive Overbaum canon confirmed. Its the only possible explanation lmao. If you have a Dio kid OC, you can’t prove they weren’t there. Huge win for the cabin 12 kids lmao)

So, he probably didn’t take advantage of his time away, if he did we wouldn’t know for another couple books, and Rick seems to have lost interest in ever elaborating on his character so we’ll probably never know.

Besides the splitting himself up theory, we have the possibility of him simply leaving lol.

He’s stuck at camp, yes, but the interesting thing is that he seems to be barred from entering Olympus, not so much that he’s barred from going anywhere else. He does leave camp in The Titan’s curse, seemingly without issues. Again, he could have split himself up, but since he’s able to make vines grow and all that, I’m assuming he was physically present. And he mentions paperwork in The Lightning Thief, if I remember correctly, so we can assume he has to file a report everytime he leaves his station to make sure he had a good enough reason to leave (Like a camper sneaking out, for example)

I don’t know how he would get around that one, but he’s sneaky, so I wouldn’t put it past him to sneak out and pretend to be doing something more important.

Of course, there are lines here and there suggesting he does leave every so often.

Ahem:

“As for Seymour, Mr D liberated him from a long island garage sale […]” (The Lost Hero, p. 88)

He couldn’t really have gone to a garage sale without leaving, again, yes he could have split himself up but that’s so easy and boring so I prefer to think he just fucks off and takes a day off here and there. It is a Long Island garage sale, so it’s not like he went far. Even funnier, we can imagine the camp went on another field trip and he came along, finding the garage sale along the way.

“[…] Our camp director, Dionysus, was recalled […]” (The Lost Hero, p. 20)

Ah yes, the recalled era. In HOO Mr D is not present, having been recalled to Olympus.

Technically, we don’t know where Mr D went in the time he was recalled, since we don’t know how exactly that period of time worked for the gods. We know they had no means of communicating, and that Zeus forbid the gods from seeking out their kids.

Even so, Aphrodite sneaks out and meets up with Piper. Athena/Minerva is out and about. Lots of the gods don’t hang around on Olympus the entire time. We’ve established Mr D is A. Sneaky (sneaks up on Percy more than once) and B. Doesn’t give any fucks that Zeus has told him to stay at camp (Garage sale) so I don’t think it’s unfair to assume he dipped and shrugged to Zeus like “I can’t help that I go where parties to🤷🏻‍♂️”

“Yeah but the gods had the headache thing going on, so he probably didn’t want to go anywhere”

I hear you say and you’re right BUT!

In between The Blood Of Olympus and The Tower Of Nero, we have zero clue where Dionysus is, and what he’s up to. Like nothing. We don’t even talk about it. He’s just GONE.

“After the fight with Gaea, I thought Mr. D might return to camp, but he never did. I hope he’s alright.” (The Hidden Oracle, p. 129)

And then in The Tower Of Nero he shows up and nobody discusses where he went.

Can you tell I’m peeved? I’m peeved. Where the fuck was he, Rick?

I don’t even have a quote to show you because no one mentions it.

Hmpf. Anyway. Then we have the interesting tidbit that Dionysus thinks two is the perfect number of children, although it’s important to keep in mind that he thinks this after staying with the twins, which would’ve had to have happened before The Lightning Thief, when he’s already at camp.

So, perhaps in the time of him staying at camp, he simply doesn’t have any more kids, since he doesn’t want to be further outnumbered. (*In canon, in fanfiction anything is possible)

I can imagine a lot of the gods deciding to cut down on their amount of kids if they had to help raise them for a bit lol so that’s actually fair.

Anywho….I forget what we were talking about.

He probably just sneaks out or splits himself up lol

#meta #pjo #pjo dionysus #cabin 12 lore #cabin 12 dionysus #cabin 12 #mr d pjo #asks and answers

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one-flower-one-sword · 10 months ago

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"Gege, don't panic just yet. I'll repeat those words to you. Give them a listen."

"...Alright," Xie Lian said.

Hua Cheng's memory was exceptional, and he clearly and precisely repeated the words as soon as they left the area where the corpse-eating rats had gathered. Xie Lian stared intently at his lips as he pronounced a series of moderately paced and somewhat bizarre-sounding phrases. The words had a strange, ancient rhythm to them. Hearing them spoken with such steady control through Hua Cheng's lips made the notes deep, beautiful, and pleasing to the ears.

TGCF Volume 5, page 343

Mu Qing rolled all the silk veils into a ball and tossed them to the side, his veins popping slightly. "How would I know? Because all your clothes, accessories, and daily living needs were my responsibility back then. I washed for you, I mended for you - and every item in your wardrobe was unique. These statues are too detailed - everything is there, exactly the same, completely! When I saw those clothes, of course I knew which face they would have!"

TGCF Volume 6, page 50

For he had remembered something else: the tale of the red-clad ghost who set hundreds of civil and martial temples ablaze. Hua Cheng became famous overnight when he defeated thirty-three heavenly officials and obliterated every single one of their temples and shrines across the entirety of the Mortal Realm.

Xie Lian had long forgotten how many heavenly officials had fought him over that blessed land; their titles, their faces, and even the words they said were lost to him. He could only vaguely recall that there were about thirty of them.

TGCF Volume 8, page 24

Was thinking about Hua Cheng's memory while rereading these scenes and how he appears to basically have perfect recall. Yes, we know he can "record" things with his butterflies, but he only seems to be doing so during strategic moments. If he had recorded what the corpse-eating rats were saying, there would have been no need for him to repeat their words himself, but he does. And they were words in a language he could read but not understand when spoken, and he only heard them spoken once and when there was no reason for him to memorize them. And yet he can recall them perfectly.

Xie Lian wonders if the extreme accuracy of the statues' details is because the sculptor's mind was so filled with images of him and only him, and while that's not wrong, I do think it's remarkable that Hua Cheng was able to remember all those intricate details. After all, they're from a time where he mostly was only able to watch over Xie Lian from afar, and even when they were close for once, it was usually during very stressful circumstances. Yet years later, he can still recreate it all perfectly, to a point that, according to Xie Lian, not even Xianle's most renowned sculptors were able to.

Same with the thirty-three heavenly officials - Hua Cheng was a ghost fire during that time and again it were very stressful circumstances where he was actively trying to defend Xie Lian with what little power he had. And yet, even years later, even after he was almost dispersed as Wu Ming and out of his mind, he can apparently recall every single one of their faces and knows exactly who was there. It's a stark contrast to how Xie Lian has no idea anymore even how many there were, much less their names and faces.

Of course, at this point it's been several hundred years, so that's not surprising. Still, there are many moments like these where Xie Lian is confused and taken aback by Hua Cheng's strong reaction to things he himself can barely remember and often doesn't even really think about anymore. That's a multi-layered issue of course - for one thing, trauma messes with memory, and Xie Lian himself has stated things like that he'd rather remember the delicious meat bun he ate the day before than how he'd been trampled to death years ago. For another, Hua Cheng has reason to cling to those memories Xie Lian would rather forget because of his immense anger on Xie Lian's behalf.

This doesn't explain moments like with the corpse-eating rats though, since like previously stated there was no reason for Hua Cheng to actively try and memorize what they were saying. It can thus be extrapolated from these examples that he always remembers everything this precisely, whether he wants to or not, even if he only heard or saw it once, and no matter how much time has passed since then.

On the one hand, this would evidently serve him very well in cases like his worship of Xie Lian or his goals in aiding and protecting him. On the other, this would mean that every moment of suffering he went through - or that Xie Lian went through, which to Hua Cheng is the worst kind of suffering - will forever be present in his mind in perfect detail. To him, it will always be as if it happened just yesterday. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't forget, because there's no "off setting" to his perfect memory, it's always "on" and can't be overwritten.

I think this might also be a small but not insignificant part of what makes up Hua Cheng's palpable intensity and sharpness, and also contributes to the strong emotions he surpresses beneath his controlled exterior.

#tgcf #rereading tgcf #hua cheng

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bratshaws · 8 months ago

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through the hourglass 380. brb x oc

a/n: SORRY HAD CONNECTION ISSUES (comments and reblogs are super welcome and encouraged!)

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: just some suggestive stuff uwu

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

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/367/368/369/370/371/372/373/374/375/376/377

(pls let me know if you want to be added to the taglist! )

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@lyn-js

She could spend hours just looking at him with Nicole on his lap as the twins were checked on. She smiles, leaning on a hand with her eyes shining the longer she looked at him, Rooster was amazing and ever since he got the promotion…well,it looked like he was glowing even more if possible.

Watching him seated not so far from them, with a fussy Nicole who demanded attention was…really sweet. Beatrice’s lower lip slid into her mouth, the curl of anxiousness making it’s way into her stomach.

She knew that once he was promoted, things would change but…hell,she wanted him to be alright. She frowns, looking down at both Gavin and Aurora,who unlike their older sister, were chilling on the soft cushioned table as they waited for the doctor to return with the results.

“Gorgeous.” she hears him say, “You alright?”

Beatrice's gaze snapped up from her children to meet Rooster's concerned eyes. She offered him a small smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'm okay," she replied, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "Just a little nervous, that's all."

Rooster reached over and took her hand in his, his touch warm and reassuring. "It's going to be okay," he murmured, “You’ll see.”

Beatrice nodded, feeling a surge of gratitude for Rooster's unwavering support. She squeezed his hand tightly, drawing strength from his touch as they waited for the doctor to return.

It felt like an eternity before the doctor finally reentered the examination room, a warm smile on her face. Beatrice's heart raced, in more ways than one.

The doctor took a seat across from them, her expression calm and composed as she began to speak. "I'm happy to inform you that the twins are healthy and developing as expected," she said, her words a balm to Beatrice's frayed nerves. "There's no cause for concern at this time."

Relief flooded through Beatrice as she processed the doctor's words, her eyes closing in relief, “Thank god.”

Rooster smiled back at her, his eyes shining with the same relief. "See, I told you everything would be fine," he murmured,kissing her forehead.

“Now,” the doctor begins, “Let’s see the separate exams so you can be even more relieved,alright? Since they are preemies, it’s always good to know more– albeit you two are doing a great job, they are amazing 3 months old babies.”

“Oh,okay, sure.” Bea says, holding Rooster’s hand as the doctor turned her eyes to the papers.

“Let’s start with Gavin,” she begins, smiling down at the little baby boy who was just staring around curiously, “He is…a big boy, as you noticed. Both of them are big, but Gavin is showing a huge difference from his sister.”

"Gavin is doing exceptionally well," she said, "He's hitting all his milestones and is in excellent health."

Beatrice let out a sigh of relief, her shoulders sagging with the weight of tension released. She looked over at Rooster, her eyes shining with gratitude. "That's wonderful news,"

Rooster squeezed her hand tightly, his own relief evident in his expression. "I told you everything would be fine," he said softly, his voice laced with affection.

As the doctor finished her assessment of Aurora, she looked up with a smile. "Aurora is also doing very well," she announced, her tone warm and reassuring. "She's a little smaller than her brother, but her development is right on track. And she’s much more active, but that’s completely normal, their personalities are already showing at such a young age."

With a sigh of relief, Beatrice felt a weight lift off her chest. She glanced down at Aurora, who was wiggling next to her brother, a smile spreading across her face. "That's such a relief to hear," she said softly, her voice filled with gratitude.

The doctor smiled warmly at their exchange, pleased to see the bond between parents and children. "It's clear that you both love and care for them deeply," she said, her tone gentle. "And that's the most important thing for their development."

"Thank you, doctor," Beatrice said sincerely, "For everything."

The doctor nodded, a warm smile on her face. "It's my pleasure," she replied, her tone warm and reassuring. "Just remember to schedule their next check-up in a few months, and don't hesitate to reach out if you have any concerns in the meantime."

"We will," Rooster promised,. "Thank you again."

With that, the doctor bid them farewell and left the examination room, leaving Beatrice and Rooster alone with their children once again. Beatrice let out a shaky breath, feeling the tension drain from her body as she relaxed against Rooster's side.

"See?" Rooster said with a grin, his eyes shining with relief. "Our little ones are healthy as can be."

Beatrice nodded, a smile spreading across her face. "Yes, thank god," she replied, "I don't know what came over me.”

“You were just nervous.”

‘I know, but…” she sighs, “...we are good parents.”

“Mhm.”

“We have three kids together.”

“Sure do.”

She frowns, “...I don’t know,I guess I’m too into my head.” she mutters, gently picking Gavin - Rooster picked Aurora as he put Nicole down, the little toddler stood by his feet with her eyes wide and mouth open - “I don’t know what came over me.”

As they gathered their belongings and prepared to leave the doctor's office, Beatrice couldn't shake the lingering sense of unease that had settled in her stomach. She watched as Rooster settled Aurora into her stroller, his movements gentle and loving as he tended to their children.

"You're not alone in feeling that way, Bea," Rooster said softly,kissing her forehead "We're both navigating this journey together, and it's only natural to have moments of doubt and uncertainty."

"I just want to do right by them," she admitted, her voice tinged with emotion.

Rooster reached over and squeezed her hand, his touch warm and comforting. "And you are," he said sincerely, his eyes meeting hers. "You're an incredible mother, Beatrice, and our children are lucky to have you."

Tears welled up in Beatrice's eyes at Rooster's words, her heart overflowing with love for him. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "I needed to hear that."

Rooster leaned in and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead, his lips lingering against her skin. "Anytime, gorgeous," he murmured, his voice soft and reassuring.

With a deep breath, Beatrice composed herself and wiped away her tears, determined to focus on the present moment. She smiled at Rooster, gratitude shining in her eyes as they prepared to leave the doctor's office and return home.

"Ready to head home?"]

Beatrice nodded, a smile spreading across her face. "Absolutely," she replied, her voice tinged with excitement. "I can't wait to cuddle up with our little ones and just relax."

Rooster grinned, his eyes shining with love. "Sounds like a plan," he said, taking her hand in his as they walked towards the parking lot. "Let's go home."

“Hrrm.”

“What?”

She turns her head to see her husband glaring at his phone, “Rooster,what happened?”

“...I got another fuckin’ message asking me to go to that stupid reunion.” he growls, “I’m going to ignore it.”

"Another one?" Beatrice asked, her brow furrowing with concern. "How many times have they asked you now?"

Rooster sighed, his frustration evident as he tossed his phone onto the coffee table. "Too many," he replied, his voice tinged with annoyance. "I've lost count at this point. But I'm not going, that's for sure."

"I don't blame you," she said, her voice quiet. "It's not like you owe them anything."

Rooster sighed again, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "I know," he muttered, "But it's just...annoying, you know? They keep pestering me, even though I've made it clear that I'm not interested."

Beatrice nodded in agreement, her heart aching for her husband. "I know it's frustrating," she said softly, "But try not to let it get to you. You have more important things to focus on."

“I know,gorgeous.” he mutters, then pats his lap so she’d settle on it, “I know it’s just…ugh,I don’t know, part of me wonders if I should…just go.”

Beatrice settled into Rooster's lap, her arms wrapping around his neck as she looked into his eyes with concern. "Do you really think you should?" she asked softly,uncertain in her tone. "I mean, if it's causing you this much stress, maybe it's not worth it."

Rooster sighed, leaning into Beatrice's embrace as he mulled over her words. "I don't know," he admitted, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "Part of me feels like I should just suck it up and go, you know? But another part of me just wants to forget about it and move on."

Beatrice nodded in understanding, her fingers gently tracing patterns on Rooster's back. "I get that," she murmured, her voice soothing. "But ultimately, the decision is yours to make. Just know that whatever you choose, I'll support you."

“Hm.”

“What are you thinking now?”

“Just…some of my old teachers will be there– you know, kinda like your reunion was….but,” she clicks his tongue, “I’m just– going to Virginia,now, it’d be a lot…and next week I’ll be deployed.” she could see the hesitation in his eyes, “...I don’t know,I kinda miss them.”

“Well…It's natural to feel nostalgic and want to reconnect with people from your past. But you also have to consider what's best for you right now."

Rooster leaned into Beatrice's touch, his eyes searching hers for reassurance. "Yeah, I know," he murmured, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "I just...don't want to regret not going, you know? But at the same time, I don't want to add more stress to an already busy schedule."

"It's a tough decision," she admitted, "But I know you'll make the right choice. And whatever you decide, I'll be right there beside you. Do you want me to go with you?"

“If I go? Fuck yeah I do.”

“...really?”

"Of course," Rooster replied with a small smile, his eyes softening as he looked at Beatrice. "Having you by my side would make it a lot easier."

Beatrice returned his smile,"I'll go with you," she said firmly, "Whatever you decide, I'll be there to support you."

Rooster's smile widened at Beatrice's words, a wave of gratitude washing over him. "Thank you, gorgeous," he murmured, leaning in to press a tender kiss to her lips. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Beatrice melted into the kiss, her heart fluttering in her chest as she wrapped her arms around Rooster's neck. They stayed like that for a moment, lost in each other's embrace, before pulling away with reluctant smiles.

"Okay," Rooster said, after a while. "I'll go to the reunion."

You sure?”

“....hrm…not really but,i feel like if i don’t I…I don’t know.”

Beatrice nodded, a sense of relief washing over her. "Well I'll be right there with you, every step of the way."

Rooster smiled gratefully at Beatrice, his heart overflowing with love for her. "Thank you," he said sincerely, "I don't know what I'd do without you."

They sat together in comfortable silence, the weight of Rooster's decision lifting from his shoulders. Beatrice sensed Rooster's inner turmoil and reached out to squeeze his hand reassuringly. "It's okay to be nervous," she said softly,. “But you’ll be okay"

Rooster smiled gratefully at Beatrice, a sense of warmth spreading through his chest. "Thank you," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. “I will.”

“When do we leave?”

Rooster smiled gratefully at Beatrice, a sense of warmth spreading through his chest. "Thank you," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. “I will.”

“When do we leave?”

“Uh…this Saturday, I think?”

Beatrice nodded, mentally preparing herself for the upcoming trip. "Alright,we'll make sure everything is ready by then."

“Hah…yeah…” god he hopes he wouldn’t regret it, “Me too.”

#im happy yall are still here #bradley rooster bradshaw #rooster bradshaw #bradley bradshaw x oc #top gun maverick #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw x female reader #bradley bradshaw x named reader #tgm oc #tgm fic #tgm fanfiction

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shipwreckedwithcaptainmarrow · 3 months ago

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After nearly 6 years of research and writing, “𝑃𝑖𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝐺ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑠 & 𝐵𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝘗𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘎𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘴 & 𝘉𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘛𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘊𝘰𝘢𝘴𝘵: 𝘈 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘈𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘗𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘭𝘬𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦” is not only complete, but you can pre-order signed copies now by messaging the page!

The book comes in at 343 pages, relaying all pirate folklore along the American shores of Maryland up to Maine. Tales within, consisting of pirate-relevant hauntings and buried treasures, are presented as they are known, and then extrapolated on regarding true pirate history, my own notes on their origins, and those who have sought them out. The book begins largely the same as my first title, the "𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘊𝘰𝘢𝘴𝘵," exploring the history of pirates and their associations with buried treasure and the undead, before delving into the mysteries of New England superstitions and William Kidd!

Every pre-order also comes with a color-printed slip on period-appropriate laid paper of a 1700 period pamphlet cover titled “𝘚𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘮𝘶𝘴 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘴, 𝘰𝘳, 𝘍𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘌𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘈𝘱𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 : 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 : 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦.” by Joseph Glanvil. This book, originally printed prior in 1681, heavily influenced puritan clergyman Cotton Mather regarding the 1692 Salem Witch Trials and his own publications, and is mentioned by name within the fictional short story “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭” by Rhode Island horror author H.P. Lovecraft.

PRE-ORDER: $25 + $5 Shipping (within US), Message this page to place an order.

-----------------------

PLUNDER EDITION PRE-ORDER PACKAGE: $65 + $5 Shipping (within US), message to place an order.

As a surprise for you all, for those interested, a deluxe pre-order package exists as well! In addition to your signed copy of Northeast Coast and your pamphlet cover, you will also receive the following plunder!

1x 9”x12” Aged map on laid paper of Fishers Island, New York. This particular island has a sizeable entry within the book’s chapter on New York, with numerous claims of buried treasure and ghost ships. This map is a more modern recreation of a 19th century map of the isle with many interesting locations noted, two of which are alleged “treasure sites” mentioned in the book’s entry. Note that this map will come tri-folded in your package.

1x 5.5”x8” Aged Wanted Poster on laid paper for Captain William Kidd. This poster, stylized after those within the movie Cutthroat Island, and utilizing a woodcut-style depiction of Kidd burying his Bible (turning his back on an honest life), is imagined as if issued by Governor Richard Coote, Lord Bellomont, who historically was responsible for Kidd’s capture. His name will come up a lot in the book - with this Wanted Poster you can look at his name one more time.

1x .999 Pure Silver Pine Tree Shilling. Through collaboration with The Black Spot Guild - shop in New Hampshire, included in your package will be one hand-struck silver shilling. These coins are of particular importance regarding the Northeast Coast’s colonial history, as one of the first types of coins ever struck in the American Colonies, minted in Boston, Massachusetts in 1652. This coin, however, features the date of 1692, noting the year of the Salem Witch Trials, which come up time and again within the book. The pine tree is depicted upon them as the New England area provided many pines, which were straight and tall - prime material as ship’s masts. One side reads "In Masathvsets," the other "New England An Dom."

Note that these Plunder Edition Pre-Order Packages are of limited quantity, first come - first serve (in order of messages received on my end)

-----------------

I am accepting payments of Zelle, PayPal, and Venmo. Please reach out stating your preferred payment option, state if you’d like the Plunder Package, and how you would like your book/s signed - either just the Author Signature or if you would like it to be addressed to a particular name/crew, or otherwise personalized message.

Please understand that I will be addressing messages as timely as possible, there will be enough books for all, and I will honor the timestamp of messages in order for the limited supply of Plunder Packages.

Those who place pre-orders within this first week will likely receive their copies before the actual Release Date of the book. I kindly ask that if you have a chance to reasonably check out the book before that date, and are comfortable doing so: Please leave a review of the book, if you will, on Amazon's listing the day it goes live - September 18th. Day-1 reviews help a ton for authors on Amazon.

For those placing orders outside of the US - please allow me some time to calculate shipping and get back to you with a final total.

For those attending the Northeast Coast Book Launch Party in Goose Creek, SC, on September 18th - feel free to place a Pre-Order now with no shipping costs, and pick up your copies in-person! Let me know when you message if you'll be opting for this, if not I will assume it's being shipped to you. Lastly, thank you all so much for your continued support over the years, and please, if you can: Share this post and help me reach friends and family interested in pirates and/or the coastal history and folklore of the northeast coast!

#pirates #pirate history #folklore #ghost stories #haunted #new england #captain kidd #coin collecting #coins #captain marrow #pgabt #maritime history #legends #myths and legends #halloween season #halloween #spooky season #indie author

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