#lighting is most def not accurate but i spent way too long on this so idgaf | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

crossedwithblue · 4 years ago

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tbh i had forgot the katara as jane i just remembered the zuko being stupid haha the post being ss well makes it great (i suppose they mean the narrative function of being the support and a contrast with lizzy. but yeah comparing her to katara who has such strong independence and standing up values sounds '???')

I read a lot zutara mainly because katara and aang getting together was always super uncomfortable to me

i am always here for Dumbass Zuko headcanons lmao. however I did unfollow that blog just the other day because while I love their art (give me allllllllll the accurately drawn PoC. if you draw PoC (or white people for that matter) as button-nosed instagram girls with dark skin and make no effort to learn how to actually draw different types of facial features i will come to your house and make you eat your wacom tablet and draw my giant nose and square jaw with pen and paper until you get it Right, there are enough resources about this and i am tired) I didn’t love their hot takes which I obviously did not want to say in the tags on their post but idk,,, I was getting this really bitter vibe from their meta, idk how else to explain it. I can understand being bitter about aspects of media you like and of course people are perfectly entitled to their opinions and headcanons, but I just don’t want that bitterness on my dash lol, I come to tumblr to shitpost and look at pretty pictures. and their opinions on zuko were definitely part of it bc they felt really unfair to me and the Pride and Prejudice post is def an example of something where I was just like ??? this makes perfect sense until I actually think about it at all?? why are you being mean to zuko for no apparent reason????? is it.... because he’s the only major character from the nation that is most similar to white colonising cultures, even though he’s doing the work to a) be aware of the colonising mentality he’s internalised and work on it and b) as the ruler of said nation, flag up and eradicate this mentality from his own country, which is evidenced by the FN’s policy of non-intervention in Korra (I think the almost-going-to-war plot in the comics was absolute bullshit by the way, like not its existence but just it not really being examined in that sense)? I am 100% here to examine those aspects of ATLA and again, I totally understand being bitter about them, but it just tires me out in a website I consider a leisure space

I do need to find more atla blogs to follow now, recs would be fab if you have any :)

oh yeah i basically dont ship any of the endgame ships (in ATLA, as you may guess from my header being Korrasami lol) because as i have said before, nobody needs to find their One True Love at the age of 13 lmao (i do kinda ship Suki/Sokka because they are a little older (still kids by our standards but most probably near adulthood by their own, if not actually adults in the full sense, and yes I do think cultural context matters when ascribing adulthood to people outside the modern West no matter what ‘you’re a baby until you turn 18 and then why don’t you instatnly have a job and a mortgage’ internet culture says) and their relationship is just so cute and feels really healthy to me idk we were Robbed of enough Suki screentime, we should have got more Suki and also she should have had her character explored a Lot more than Cool Ninja Feminist Gal) (also, witness the nested brackets, they are here)

I think a lot of people have issues with Zutara (and presumably by extension Zukka? though I haven’t seen this discussed as much or like. at all) because of the issues associated with essentially the heir to a colonizing empire which has decimated the culture of the indigenous-coded woman he’s being shipped with (im sure you’ve also seen those discussions if you’ve spent like. any time at all in ATLA fandom lol) which I... kinda have mixed feelings about, I’ve seen fics where it is definintely completely ignored and done really really badly but I have also seen fics where that conflict is a really essential theme and that’s been quite interesting (would recommend Southern Lights on AO3 if ou haven’t come across it before as a good example of that though it is very long and currently being updated (pretty regularly)). I feel like I’m too removed from that part of intercultural conflict that I have the right to comment on it, though I’ve definitely faced shades of those issues in the past, but I also feel like it’s potentially an example fo knee-jerk Tumblr purity culture to just say its Bad And Wrong so idk I’m conflicted.

In the politics of the world, I just don’t see how Katara being Fire Lady (ugh that’s a phrase that always makes me laugh, and not in a kind way), which is probs the most comon Zutara fic plot, would have Worked in any sense at all, and I definitely think she would have wanted to stay at he South Pole and rebuild her culture and bring bending back to them (as we see in the comics and obvs with her being Korra’s waterbending master iirc) and I can see Zuko wanting to help with that in whatever way possible because he rightly sees that as a really important part of the reparations owed by the Fire Nation. and obviously by the end of the series they were very good friends and definitely had better chemistry than fricking Kataang but yeah those reasons are basically why I don’t love Zutara but don’t necessarily hate it either

this was another ramble, not apologising for it this time because this is just what talking to me is like. I am very here for bringing back letter-writing because it lets me ramble to my heart’s content but also it would take up All My Time

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sraawrats · 6 years ago

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🦇🎃Kana’s Halloween Hangover Rec List🎃🦇

Love Halloween? Not ready for it to be over? No worries! Old and new, these are some of my favorite spooky, suspenseful, and supernatural Kylux reads--perfect for drawing out your favorite month a little longer!

which is 100% why i’m posting this on november 1st, definitely not because i didnt manage to finish it before yesterday. nope, not at all

My Baby’s a Devil in the Bedroom | @callmelyss

- E - 4/5 chapters, 14 645 words - “Oh, obviously.” Kylo let out a shaky laugh and ran both hands through his hair. “Wait, no, you’re serious. You’re a fucking demon.”

“Well, yes, not to put too fine a point on it.” Hux smiled, clearly pleased with himself at the joke. “Or more accurately, I’m a succubus. A sex demon.”

—

Kylo has an unusual squatter. He's pretty fine with it. -

This fic is seriously amazing. It’s a super fun idea, the dialogue is hilarious, and it perfectly balances the sweetness and humor with angst/intrigue. Plus, I’m absolutely taken with snarky, smug, candy-tasting succubus Hux <3 <3

strange phenomenon | @brawlite, @kyluxtrashcompactor

- E - 8/8 chapters, 65 756 words - Kylo Ren is haunted by recent tragedy. He answers an ad posted by one Armitage Hux for a roommate, and he thinks a fresh start will help him begin to heal. He brings next to nothing with him from the past when he moves in.Or so he thinks. -

This fic is wonderfully suspenseful, and perfect if you’re looking for something to keep you on the edge of your seat. I also had a lot of Han feels when reading this one. Overall it’s just really nicely well-rounded with heartfelt and genuine characterizations, good spooks, and some searing sexual tension.

Something Wicked | @marlonbookcase

- G - 7/7 chapters, 22 514 words - Kylo and Armitage have been friends since they were kids. Now in university, they run a semi-popular YouTube channel called "London Below" where they investigate all sorts of haunted and paranormal happenings in and around London and try to answer the question, are ghosts real? When they take on the mysterious and tragic case of the Pendle Witches, they come face to face with the spirit world in a way they never have before. Will they make it out of Pendle alive? Are ghosts real? And most importantly, does Armitage return Kylo's affections? -

I love Buzzfeed Unsolved. I love Kylux. I love this fic. A lot. As it says in the description, it’s not an exact Unsolved AU, but it really captured the format/feel of the “paranormal investigator” genre, so if you’re a fan of that, you’ll love this. Bonus points for some mutual pining and sugary fluff 👀👀

Second Spring, First Fall | @huxandthehound

- T - 5/? chapters, 7 018 words - Nothing brings people together quite like the holidays. Well, maybe not Halloween... After a scare, Hux has to confront his neighbor. Lucky for him, Kylo might be a little sweeter than his tricks let on. -

A cute multi-chap made of Huxloween prompt fills! Lighthearted, but it’s still got that Halloween spirit. Plus I’ve got a soft spot for sweet modern AU Kylo :))

Some Strange and Unnerving Events | @longstoryshortikilledhim

- E - 10/10 chapters, 158 815 words - As a boy in a dreary school on the moors, Kylo Ren had only one friend, a red-headed boy whose sharp tongue and wit drew Kylo to him. But that friend was taken from him. Now grown, Kylo goes into the service of the master of Stormfield Hall, the enigmatic Lord Arkanis, who is seeking a tutor for his charge. Kylo's past will come rushing back to him, both in his new employer and some unusual circumstances that bring to the fore powers that Kylo thought long-suppressed. -

This fic hit me like a ton of bricks. This fic hit me like TWO tons of bricks. Start this one when you’re ready to be feeling it for a few days afterwards. It’s an incredible historical AU with magic and a great murder mystery--it basically pushes, like, all of my buttons. And it’s /genuinely/ spooky, I had to start keeping a light on while I read it. Oh, and it features definitely my favorite Millicent ever. If you’ve got the time for something long, go for this one.

Reach Out in the Darkness | unicornsandbutane

- E - 2/2 chapters, 9 321 words - Having spent a decent amount of time researching the history and folklore of Arkanis, Cadet Hux strikes out one chilly evening in search of some legendary creature that's supposed to be extremely powerful. If the myths aren't true, all he's wasted is time. But, if they are based in some actual fact, then what a boon such an entity would be to his cause. He doesn't know what he will find, but he is prepared for any (absolutely ANY) eventuality. -

Tentacle monster Kylo. I am unapologetic. It’s really good.

Witchfeather | Whatever21ism

- E - 14/? chapters, 16 015 words - Armitage Hux is a new witch trying to establish himself in a new town. One day he goes out seeking a familiar, particularly a cat, somehow instead he ends up with a raven who is much more than they appear to be. -

A favorite of mine! Apothecary witch Hux & his crow familiar Kylo. There’s some really nice worldbuilding and crow Kylo is super cute. Possibly abandoned, but defs worth checking out what’s there & showing the author some love.

First Order Investigations | @mistresseast

- Unrated - series, 3 works, 58 094 words, incomplete - Hux and Phasma have been running First Order Investigations since high school, and Dr. Snoke's metaphysical research graduate program seemed like the perfect opportunity to pursue their interests under the protective umbrella of academia. Unfortunately, that meant allowing Snoke's personal project, a taciturn medium named Kylo Ren, to join their team. Hux and Kylo mix like oil and water, or, more accurately, like fire and gasoline, and Hux is convinced that working effectively with Kylo is absolutely impossible. They hate each other, and Hux is content to leave it that way.

But then, a case in the sweltering heat of South Carolina begins to change things between them, and Hux finds himself questioning not only Kylo's feelings, but his own as well. -

Paranormal Investigator AU of the highest quality. The detail and thought put into each investigation site is incredible. I love this fic to pieces, and if you like ghost stories, you will too.

Undead | @heyktula, @splinteredscript

- E - series, 2 works, 6 855 words, incomplete - They’ve been circling around each other for years. Kylo Ren, the most powerful vampire in Supreme Leader Snoke’s house, and Armitage Hux, the human liaison between the world of mortals and that of eternal darkness. Baiting, taunting, the cord between them growing ever tighter.Sooner or later, one of them is going to snap. -

A lovely and dark vampire AU~~ Gives off some real classic Kylux vibes, and is an absolute pleasure to read :D

Fixer Upper | @irisparry

- T - 5/7 chapters, 10 034 words - When Armitage Hux starts with First Order estate agents, he thinks the house on Alderaan Drive is an insult, a patronising set of training wheels for the new boy. He is ... not correct. -

Adorable haunted house AU! I love both of their characterizations in this one, especially shy, grumpy ghost Kylo~

Hair of the Dog That Bit You | @theweddingofthefoxes

- M - 9/9 chapters, 21 597 words - Ren owns a popular tavern, and Armitage is a respected physician in town and the surrounding villages. Their years-long friendship will survive anything -- even the bite of a werewolf. Won't it? -

Full disclosure, I haven’t actually finished this one-- I have a tendency to get distracted unless I finish something in one sitting, rip. But I remember being SUPER stoked about starting it, and anything by weddingofthefoxes is guaranteed to be a treat, so I’m putting it on here anyway :D tbh now that I’m thinking about it again I’ll probably finish it tonight.

The Eldritch Effect | @generallyhuxurious

- E - 17/17 chapters, 67 899 words - For the last three years Major Donal A. Hux, formerly of the British Army's Parachute Regiment, and Kylo Ren, estranged son of US Defence Secretary Leia Organa, have been tooling around North America investigating "weirdness"- and they're plenty weird themselves. Their latest tip off is leading them towards a haunting in rural Alabama. But first they need to make a stop in Trinity, South Carolina... -

A real goofy Paranormal Investigators AU that I super love (but I also need to catch up on rip). It’s an American Gothic AU, but you don’t need to have any knowledge of the show to follow along (I don’t). It also comes with a series of oneshots set in the universe but outside the main plotline, so when you finish the fic and inevitably want more, you’re covered ;)

blackbird, fly | @acroamatica

- M - 19 265 words - One sunny afternoon in the mountains of Washington state, Ben Organa-Solo walked out into the woods.

He never came home.

Six years later, a journalist specialising in missing-persons cold cases decides to follow his footsteps and see where they might lead. -

This is a sad beautiful horror AU that is very close to my heart. The writing is just gorgeous and the suspense is beautifully done. Also, it about doubled the amount of emotions already attached to the song Blackbird for me (I still get a little heart-squeeze every time I hear it)

what’s real or isn’t | @brawlite

- E - 12/12 chapters, 57 398 words - Hux's new house is not haunted. It isn't. -

Super surreal haunted house AU. There’s also monster sex. This is definitely a staple of spooky Kylux fics :D

How to Kill a Living Thing | hedgerowhag

- E - 10/10 chapters, 25 394 words - It starts like any other horror movie: a young man moves into a strange old house full of relics of the past and becomes haunted by some strange entity. However, Ren doesn't find the monster that he expects. -

This one has got some of the most stunning, spooky visuals I’ve ever read. I could picture every scene and character so clearly. Plus, I love Hux’s characterization--he’s kind of a shit, and it’s beautiful.

Twenty-Six Weeks | @vmprsm

- E (eventually) - series, 4 works, 28 539 words, probably complete - Two mature adults need to do two things: live an a house with a stranger for six months, and keep their secrets to themselves. How hard could that be?

Apparently very. -

The author made a point of trying not to give too much away in the summary/tags, so I won’t either :D I’ll just say it’s one of my favorites, and definitely worth a read if you haven’t already~~

The Brief Wondrous Return of Vampire Boy | @hollyhark

- T - 21 190 words - Two days before Halloween, Hux hears a rumor that Ben Solo is back in town. While Hux does not believe the sensational version-- that his estranged childhood friend/enemy escaped from an asylum and is out for revenge --he is left on edge as to how to proceed. -

One of my favorite Halloween fics; it really encompasses the feel of fall/Halloween but also, like, good ol’ ~teenage bullshit~. There’s a lot of creepy Snoke stuff, some dealing with the fallout, and a nice hopeful ending :))

Ghost Encounters of the Hux Kind | carefulren

- T - 9/9 chapters, 25 610 words - Kylo purchases an old, abandoned house in order to get away from his family. He just wants the chance to be alone for a while, and he considers this house as the start of his new, isolated freedom.

Everything is going as smoothly as possible, until it's not.

Perhaps, Kylo isn't living alone after all.-

A sweet and soft ghost story AU. I adore the ending <3 <3

Spookylux Huxloween 2018 | @nofootprintsinsalt

- T - series, 31 works, 36 896 words, complete - Huxloween 2018 - 31 benarmie fics in 31 days -

A series of benarmie fluff/horror for the Huxloween prompts this year! These were so so fun to read throughout the month and I adore the little universe that develops as they go on :))

Of Our Time | @ezlebe

- E - 15 297 words - “Do you know how many people would think it’s weird you walk around in the day?”

Hux grits his teeth in vain against an uncanny sensation, his own words digging and clawing up his throat to leave behind the taste of blood and bitterness thick on his tongue. “I could care less. I was made this way before there were movies – before fucking Stroker. Call me a demon if it makes you feel better.” -

I only read this really recently, and I was BLOWN AWAY. Seriously, this packs so much into 15k--it’s got feels, it’s got lore, it’s got steamy smut. What more could one ask for?

Shiver The Whole Night Through | @theweddingofthefoxes

- T- 5/5 chapters, 7 977 words - Ren's always loved hunting, so when he's told his paid time off won't roll over into the next year, he decides to take a week, get his gun and rent a cabin in the woods. But it takes no time at all for the hunter to become the hunted. -

This one’s very accurately tagged “Mind Games,” which really made it stand out to me--I do love a good spooky woods story~~

The Ghost Under My Bed | @longstoryshortikilledhim

- E - 19 525 words - Amateur witch, aspiring actor and full-time family fuckup Ben Solo discovers that his house is being haunted. Best part? His very own poltergeist, Armitage Hux, is kinda cute. Worst part? Well. He's dead. -

THIS IS THE SWEETEST GHOST STORY. I love it so so much. The sweetness of their relationship set against the sad backdrop of both of their histories gives this one a really unique feel. And the ending is guaranteed to give you the warm fuzzies <3

aaaand that’s all, folks! Lord, this post turned into a behemoth lmao. I just. really love supernatural stuff. (on that note, if anyone has read/written anything even tangentially spooky/supernatural, feel free to send it my way. I will happily give it a read ;)))

Happy reading! ^_^

#kylux #fic rec #halloween #huxloween #spookylux

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priincesspacificaarchive · 5 years ago

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💍 + Elipper *

WEDDING MEME||ACCEPTING

[under the cut bc it’s looonngg.]

where they get married

gf probs??? outside. there’s a a chuppah, and elise+her side of the wedding party are wearing yellow and flower crowns (except elise is wearing white i guess?) the chuppah has daisies and the crowns are made of daisies.

when they get married ( ie what time of day, what month and season etc. )

it’s summer, daytime, maybe early june. like when they first met or something else rly sappy.

what traditions they include ( do they get married under a chuppah and crush a glass, garter toss, ‘something borrowed, something blue,’ etc. )

they definitely try very hard to combine their two traditions. i’ve always loved the idea of the pines family being jewish and with pacifica and elise being puerto rican and wanting to reconnect with their own heritage i think it’d make perfect sense for them to try and combine their two traditions. like there’s a chuppah, but the flowers on it are daisies and ampola flowers. elise carries a fan, but she and dipper also circle each other. they sign a ketubah, with their twin sister’s signing as witnesses. dipper’s parents walk him to the chuppah, but paz walks elise since their parents are in jail. they break a glass and cheer “mazel tov”. there’s the bedeken. the Seven Blessings are read, and soft music is played as in puerto rican tradition. not only do i love cultures in general, but i love blending them, and i think elise and dipper would try very hard to incorporate their heritage into their wedding. obviously i’m neither of these things, but i’ve done some minor research and i’m hoping these are accurate. (google don’t fail me now.)

what their wedding cake looks likes

it’s pineapple flavored, as puerto rican custom decides. and white with blue and yellow seashells. i was originally gonna ind a cake thing and try to make it but honestly i’m too tired of these things i just want them out of my drafts!

….who smashes cake into whose face

elise in dipper’s first, then he goes to feed her a piece all nice like and smashes it into her nose to keep from ruining her hair or makeup too much. boy knows that shit takes WORK.

who proposed to who firsts

lowkey wanna say elise at least brought it up first. dipper def got the ring and officially proposed first.

who walks down the aisle and who waits at the altar ( or neither )

dipper is walked to the chuppah ahead of elise by his parents, then elise follows being guided by pacifica.

what their wedding dresses / suits / other look like

elise’s is white with yellow accents and it’s just long and flowy and soft looking with minimal beading/embroidery.

what their wedding colour scheme is and what sort of decor they have

light yellow and probably light blue? like sky blue and sunflower yellow. idk about decor okay i’m cLUELESS ABOUT WEDDING DECOR.

what flowers are in the bouquet ( if applicable. bonus: what do the flowers mean?)

daffodils (meaning new beginnings) and forget-me-nots (meaning, well, forget me not), wrapped in baby’s breath (meaning everlasting love) (sunflowers mean false riches and yellow roses mean infidelity so those were NOS) there’s also ampola, as tradition states, and elise also carries an ampola fan.

what their vows are ( eg poetry, traditional, improvised etc. )

they def had they’re own vows but dipper’s ended with “i promise to be your earth and your sky forever.” and elise’s was like “i promise to be your sun and your flame, forever and ever

if anyone’s late to the wedding

it’s gideon bc he didn’t wanna come xD no fr it’s probably no one. everyone they invite is very excited to see them get married so they wouldn’t try to be disrespectful like that.

who’s in the bridal parties / groomsmen / other

elise has paz and robbie, dipper has wendy and mabel. robbie and wendy get paired up but they havent been together in half of forever so they dont care. tbh robbie’s probs married to tambry w a baby on the way by now lets face it. and elise only picked him bc she knew he’d be easier to pair w wendy. also sorry dip u have no friends outside the galaxy square. (psst, actually none of them do bc fuck it i’m no good w npcs.)

what their bridal party / groomsmen / other are wearing

paz’s bridesmaid dress is soft and flowy and bright yellow with a daisy flower crown. robbie/mabel/wendy are wearing black tuxes with ties that match the bridesmaid dress. everyone is wearing a daisy flower crown. except dipper.

who gives speeches at the reception ( bonus: what do they say? recount a sweet memory or two between them? tell an embarrassing story? )

pacifica talks about how she’s watched their love blossom since they were twelve, mabel tells embarrassing stories about some of the adventures they went on together. the mic is then opened to the floor and gideon and stan rush it to tell embarrassing stories next. stan’s turns tearful when he talks about dipper finally becoming a man. it’s a very emotional day.

who catches the bouquet( s )

candy. who promptly looks at her date with “oh shit” eyes.

what their wedding photos are like ( are they sweet, with the couple holding hands or kissing or ~gazing into each others eyes~? are they silly, with a snapshot of the ‘cake-smash’ moment? or are they artistic, with one of them facing the sunset or holding their bouquets? )

most of them are sweet, pictures of them smiling and laughing together. there’s photos of the cake smashing, dipper gives her a piggyback ride in her dress and heels in one. some of them are silly. capturing goofy faces they make at each other to get them to laugh. it’s like taking pictures of the essence of their relationship. they put them in an actual album that mabel helps with.

what sort of food they have at the reception

they probably try to continue to combine their traditions by using some of purto rico’s local dishes and some traditional jewish dishes. (look i’m doing some minor research here okay. if i keep googling this stuff my family’s gonna think i’m secretly engaged or something.)

who cries first during the ceremony

it’s definitely a close tie but it’s dipper, cause he sees her first. then elise. then mabel. then paz. then stan is bawling in his seat but like. in a manly way. also soos is crying.

how wild their reception gets ( who dances the best, who gets drunk first, etc. )

mabel and elise set off ffirecrackers and almost get arrested. thank god for sheriff blubbs and deputy durland. toby determined crashed and got shitfaced and tore up the dancefloor. paz and elise danced together instead of a father/daughter dance, which they’d done for pacifica’s wedding the day before. they had a joint celebration dinner the night before that. robbie and tambry like, barely left each other’s sides but it’s fine bc dipper barely left elise’s. they had one of those photobooths and the main four spent like hours getting amazing pictures. those ALSO go in the album.

what their rings are like

simple gold bands. elise’s wedding ring is probably the ring dipper gifted her during the ceremony. her engagement ring is a gold band with a white diamond center surrounded by yellow accent diamonds.

what sort of favours they have ( heart shaped sparklers, mini champagne bottles, personalised candy etc. )

they definitely had something sun and sky-themed. idk what tho. also they passed out capias for puerto rican tradition.

where they go for their honeymoon

they go camping out in some really nice woods and like, mountain-y area. elise fucking loves it.

something memorable that happens during the party / ceremony ( do they run out of ice and someone goes to get it in full formal wear on foot, does anyone fall asleep in the middle of the party, etc. )

its gf so lots of things happen but tbh the most memorable is people drunkenly asking the twins (even w their VERY different hair) why they’re not dancing w so-and-so and still getting them confused. also if anyone is running out for ice in full formal wear its robbie bc ngl that shits hILARIOUS to my currently sleep-addled brain.

who officiates the ceremony

i want it to be mayor tyler for some reason

what song their first dance is to

‘close to you’ by the carpenters bC IM A SUCKER FOR IT. also the soft sound is too perfect for elipper im cry. if not that it’d be a soft live rendition of “i can’t help (falling in love with you)” bc that’s literally on the elipper playlist.

who gives who away as they walk down the aisle

as it’s a chuppah it’s dipper and then elise. (ngl i love all this tradition stuff i feel like my wedding is gonna be some boring christian traditional thing and that makes me wanna cry bruh.)

#tiitaniumxwill #[you have one new message][asks]#[the princess has answered][answered asks]#[twingenuity][twin au]#[when icarus touched the sun][elipper]#[queue makes problems go away][queue]

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bubble-tea-bunny · 7 years ago

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merewif

[arthur x reader]

author’s note: wow this took forever to write and i don’t like how it came out much tbh but i thought of this premise not long ago and really wanted to get it out. left it open so i could def continue this, if y’all wanted idk. also not proofread so please excuse the typos D:

word count: 4,418

The first time he sees you, he’s fifteen and he chalks it up to just being his imagination.

The moon and its light are Arthur’s only companions at this late hour. He steps out from the bustling, well-lit brothel and into the dark outside, with its empty streets and eery silence. Only the brothel and the taverns are still open. Everywhere else the windows are dark and the doors are locked.

Arthur can feel the beginnings of a black eye. He’d stepped out for fresh air after trying to fight off one of the… rougher, patrons, only to be punched and shooed away. There will come a day when it will be an even match, when he will be their size and can adequately fight and actually come out successful.

The first place he thinks to go is the docks. It’s the first thing active in the early mornings, the fishermen trying to make it there before sunrise. On more than one occasion Arthur has sat out there until such a time, watched from his place perched atop a crate as they hauled their equipment onto their boats and pushed out to more open water. They look so small at that distance. Arthur wonders what it would be like to be there, feeling not the stable earth beneath him but the steady rocking of waves, feeling the way the boat gives way for his every movement and the giant lurch as a netful of fish is pulled aboard. It must be so freeing to be out there, where not even the ground is unmoving.

But currently the boats are still moored, swaying gently as the small waves lap at the dock. It’s easy to hear them because there’s so little going on, so little activity at this time. Arthur considers it his favorite sound. It’s peaceful. There are stacks of crates set against a wall nearby, that seem to never move, and he’s taken it as his little spot from which to gaze out at the water. When he settles down there, he spots a figure that hadn’t been present during all the previous times he’s been out here late at night, and so it’s jarring. It’s an interruption to his small instance of serenity.

He squints his eyes, wondering first if he might be hallucinating, if maybe he’d been hit a little too hard. But you remain even after he’s blinked and rubbed at his eyes. You’re sitting at the edge of the dock, your back to him. The moonlight is gentle as it washes over you, and he can hear you humming a song he doesn’t recognize. As he continues to observe from his place, he decides perhaps you’re not so much an interruption as you are an addition.

When he readjusts his position to be more comfortable, he accidentally shifts one of the crates next to him. This sound might be quiet in the daytime, but right now it is as loud as firecrackers. His heart seems to stop beating in his chest as you hastily twist around, as if to look for the source of the sound, but you don’t try to pinpoint it exactly. You just know there could be someone watching. Though instead of standing back up and leaving, you retreat into the water.

Arthur stands, brows furrowed in worry as he runs to the dock, thinking you might have fallen in your haste, and is fully prepared to dive in after you. By the time he reaches the edge, peering into the water, it is undisturbed, and the moonlight can’t pierce very far down into the murky depths. There had been absolutely no sounds of struggle nor sight of one—you’re nowhere in sight. It’s like you’d fallen and sunk immediately. He turns to his left and his right for any sign of you popping up further down, but when you don’t, he jumps in.

It’s no surprise the water is hard to see in. The rays of light shining down from the moon only go so far. But he strains his eyes, listens hard for muffled movements of struggle, but you’re nowhere in sight. He swims back up to the surface, gulps down air when he comes up. He remains for a moment, wondering if he had imagined you. Maybe he’s so tired he’s conjuring up things from nowhere. It’s like you’ve disappeared into thin air.

When he’s back on dry land, clothes soaking wet and feeling heavy on his form, before he returns to the brothel, he gives one more glance at the scene in front of him—moored fishing boats, a full moon, an empty dock.

He doesn’t see you again after that.

Now what seemed to be the most perfect image he’d ever laid his eyes on didn’t seem so perfect anymore. You fit so well, your absence is now what he finds jarring. He tries to find you in the daytime, but the darkness had done well to conceal your face. Anytime he thinks he might’ve found you, a feeling in the pit of his stomach tells him he’s not right. To keep looking. And he does. For years. Londinium is small and faces become familiar, but it also receives its fair share of travelers. Maybe you were a traveler? It would explain why he hadn’t ever seen you before and why he’s never seen you after. Which then lead him to believe this would be best left alone. No use in searching for what’s already gone.

You are in the back of his mind as the years go by. Not forgotten, but most certainly not a priority. All he has of you is a face obscured by shadow and a quiet voice which he hadn’t even heard formed words—just a melody that’s begun to fade with time. He used to hear it when he slept, a lullaby only he could hear. But when it comes to relying on his own memory, the song became less accurate, until soon there was nothing to lull him to sleep except silence. He dreams of what you might look like.

Tonight he sports no black eye, though the man he’d just fought most certainly will. He’s reached the point of time where he is an even match for those brothel patrons who think they can throw around the girls however they please. And Arthur is there to remind them as harshly as necessary that that is most certainly not the case, nor will it ever be.

The crates he used to sit on have finally been moved, he doesn’t know where. So nowadays he leans against the wall, just out of range of the torch in the sconce several feet away. The moon is bright and beautiful as ever and the boats are looking a little worn, a little aged. Arthur’s timeless painting is not so timeless.

He catches the sound of movement in the water and his brows furrow as he listens harder, for more movement. It’s strange because he hadn’t seen anyone fall in, not even the drunkards. So he’s not entirely sure what it’s owed to. Nonetheless, he stands up straight, prepared to check just to be sure, and to save someone if there is indeed someone drowning, but a figure emerging from the water stops him short.

His breath catches in his throat and he is frozen when he sees you. It’s as though you’ve finally come out after diving in all those years ago, as though you’ve spent all those years beneath the surface of these Londinium waters. He wants to say that maybe it’s someone else because there is no way that it can be you—it has been so long—but then you’re humming that same tune and suddenly he’s fifteen again and he’s lulling himself to sleep by playing that song over and over again in his head.

He remains still as a mouse, intent on not scaring you away again. He didn’t get nearly enough time to study you the first time. He listens to the song in its entirety, observes the way your body sways back and forth as you swing your legs over the edge of the dock. You hair is long and stuck together from being in the water. As he stands here now, looking at you and the way you integrate so well into the scene, he feels all is at it should be.

Arthur stands, quietly, so as not to startle you. You seem to not have heard him. This time he plans not to lose you. Because if it has taken this much time to see you again, this might be the last time he ever will. He carefully walks over, transfers from the stony ground to the wood of the docks. When he does, his boots thud quietly, and you twist around, eyes wide. They’re [eye color]. He hadn’t been able to see them before. They glow in the moonlight. He wonders if they’re that magnificent in daytime.

He panics when you jump into the water before he can say anything and he runs the rest of the way. “Wait!” he calls out. “I’m not here to hurt you.” He stands at the edge, in the spot where you sat, waits desperately for you to pop back up because this would be a cruel trick for Life to play. It cannot expect him to act nonplussed to see you after years of nothing, then to treat your disappearance once more as no big deal. In fact, it is the exact opposite. He’d resigned himself to the idea that you were a traveler, but that is all too hard for him to accept now that he’s seen you come out from the water, like a continuation of the first night he’d spotted you out here, like there hadn’t been years separating that moment and now. He’s not one to believe in any higher beings yet he thinks a prayer, hopes with all his being that you will come back up.

And almost silently, you do. Though not fully. The top half of your head is visible to him, only down to your eyes, and nothing more. You watch him expectantly. But if he’s honest he’s too in shock to form words. Would you have stopped for him if he’d called out to you the first time he’d ever seen you? Well, that doesn’t matter right now, because what’s more important is that you’ve listened, you hadn’t fled, and he can finally talk to you.

But now that he’s given the opportunity, he doesn’t know what to say.

It makes him angry. Because all he can do is watch helplessly as you wait in the water, for him to say something, anything. He was the one to stop you, so surely he’d had something he wanted to talk about. But truthfully, he hadn’t. He just wanted to see you better, and he hadn’t even expected to be able to do that. He was expecting you to leave anyway. He hadn’t planned this far.

“Why don’t you come out of the water?” Arthur decides to say. “It must be cold.” He knows it’s cold. It’s been cool lately and the nights cooler still. You could get sick staying in there.

You don’t move, but your eyes crinkle at the corners—you’re smiling, but it’s concealed by the water. You watch him closely as he squats down, holds his hand out for you to take. Your eyes are trained on the outstretched limb, trace it back to the man whose eyes are gentle. And you slowly shake your head, your hair which floats like tendrils about you swaying with the movement. The man tilts his head in confusion.

Before Arthur can assure you once more that he’s here to help you, not harm you, you disappear beneath the water again. When you dive down, it is not legs that he sees kick up—it is a fish tail.

He can’t sleep that night.

His mind is a jumbled flurry of emotions and replays of what had just transpired. He’d seen you after years of accepting he never would. He’d stopped you, gotten a good look at you—at least at your eyes, which are brilliant and unforgettable. He’d spoken to you, and you listened, which is good enough for him even if you hadn’t said anything back. You’d left him alone on the dock once more, which disappoints him, saddens him. But that was overshadowed by shock to find you had a tail where two legs should be. He wants to say he’d imagined that, but if he hadn’t imagined you in the first place like he previously thought, why would he have imagined that?

Would he ever see you again? He’s honestly not sure, but the desire to is multiplied tenfold, a hundredfold, he doesn’t even know anymore. This cannot be the end. Will he need to wait another several years for you to settle back down at the edge of the dock. What will life be like for him then? Would he even still be here in Londinium the next time you decide to be back? He might have left, gone to find adventure elsewhere, leaving behind Londinium with its brothel and its fishermen and its mysterious girl at the dock, humming a song Arthur is determined never to forget this time. Maybe in his travels he will hear it again, in the waters of some other distant land. Perhaps you are a spirit to remind him of home, no matter how away from it he is.

He’d always associated your melody with the nighttime. That’s when he’d heard it, both times, and it’s what he uses to help him fall asleep. So when he hears it in the daytime, he’s caught off guard.

This doesn’t happen years later either. It is the next day.

Suddenly whatever Wet Stick is talking about is like white noise. Arthur looks around hastily, searching for the source of the sound. While Wet Stick doesn’t notice this, Back Lack does.

“Hey,” said man starts, prompting Wet Stick to pause in his story, “you all right, mate?”

Just as he says this, Arthur spots you. You’re at a fruit stand, apple in hand and humming that damned tune. As if feeling his gaze on you, you glance up. Your eyes are unmistakeable. It’s you.

“Yeah,” Arthur responds, eyes never leaving yours. “Just gimme a minute.” He doesn’t give his friends the chance to respond, leaving them and navigating through the throng of people to walk to you. It’s not until he gets closer that he realizes you’re on land, standing on two feet like everybody else.

“Who are you?” he questions lowly the moment he reaches you. “What are you?”

You watch him, not unlike the way you did last night, but this time all your face is exposed. Your features are elegant and soft and Arthur swears you emanate an air that is not human. Well, he knows you’re not human, not completely, but not everyone knows that, and he wonders if they get the same feeling, if they sense that same air about you, that there is something you’re hiding.

“Come back to the docks at midnight,” you instruct. “I will tell you then.” Your voice is quiet and in the midst of the daytime commotion, Arthur wouldn’t be able to hear you if he weren’t standing so close.

You set down the apple and then you disappear into the sea again. The sea of people conceals you, like waves coming to cover you as you dive down, down, down into the water. Until suddenly, Arthur can’t see you anymore.

“Seen a girl, did you?” Wet Stick teases when Arthur joins him and Back Lack again. “Must’ve been awfully pretty for you to just up and leave out of nowhere.”

“We couldn’t tell,” Back Lack pipes up. “Your big head was blocking her from view.”

Arthur laughs and shakes his head, playfully shoves Back Lack. “She was pretty, believe me. Beautiful even.”

Wet Stick whistles. “Really?”

“Really.”

“Wish we coulda seen.”

“You’ll just have to take my word for it.”

“Yeah, yeah…”

Come midnight, Arthur is at the docks. But this time he doesn’t remain in shadow, leaning against the wall. He’s standing at the docks, looking out at the water, waiting. Just as he had for years. But now he’s actually getting somewhere. Which he still can’t quite believe.

The sound of water shifting breaks his train of thought and his eyes shoot to the source. Your head breaks the surface, and there are several moments of silence as the two of you just stare at each other. You smile slightly, and swim a little closer. Without looking away, Arthur sits down at the edge, feet dangling, so he doesn’t have to look so far down at you. When he’s settled down, you swim the remainder of the way to the dock, setting your hands on the aged wood so you could lift yourself slightly. But you don’t get out all the way. You rest your arms on the dock and that’s it. At this distance, Arthur can study you in detail. Drops of water rest on your skin, on your eyelashes. Your long hair is the only thing that hides your bare chest from view. As his eyes trace down your back, the water hiding your lower half, he can’t help but think of the tail you hide beneath.

“My name is [Name],” you introduce yourself. You rest your cheek on your arm and look up at him.

“Arthur,” said man responds. There’s more silence, but you don’t look uneasy. You watch him easily, allow him to study you all he wants. He wants to ask questions, instigate a conversation, learn more about who, what you are, but he’s still a little in shock that you’re here before him. He can’t get the words out of his mouth.

You notice. But you’re fine with it. You smile comfortingly. “I’m sure last night you saw I wasn’t…entirely human.”

Arthur nods. “You have a tail.”

“That’s right. I have a tail. I can show it to you, if you’d like.”

Arthur nods again.

You lift your head and heft yourself up onto the dock, twisting your body so you can sit next to him. The scales of your tail glisten from the water and the light of the moon. It is iridescent and Arthur is mesmerized. He’d read of your kind in books when he was younger, but never did he think they were real. Mermaids seemed entirely too fantastical for him. They were beings who would remain as characters in children’s stories, and nothing more. If that should be the case, then fantasy and reality are combining before his eyes, as he stares down at your magnificent tail and observes the way the tips of the fin brush against the water.

His eyes find yours again, which are already looking at him. “You disappeared for years,” he begins. “Why show up again now?”

“The time was right,” you reply simply.

Arthur tilts his head.

“I’ve been observing you your whole life, Arthur. From the waters. I was never completely gone, as I know you’ve been lead to believe.”

“I don’t understand.” Had you really been residing here all this time? Just beneath the surface, to nobody’s knowledge? You’d been so close when Arthur thought you must’ve been miles away from Londinium, or even nonexistent, on his more cynical days—the first few after he saw you for the first time, and had failed to see you anytime afterward.

“Have the women at the brothel told you how you arrived here?” you inquire gently.

“They have.”

“That’s the first time I’d ever seen you.” You look away from him then, looking out at the water, not really focusing on anything as you recall a memory you’ve had stored away for a long while now. “You were just a small boy, in that boat all by yourself. I followed you here and made sure you made it safely.”

Arthur looks at you, takes in your features.You look to be the same age as him. “How old are you?”

You smile slightly and look back at him. “Older than I look.”

He smiles too, feeling more at ease. His eyes trail down to your tail again. He doesn’t mean to, but he’s just so… entranced. “You were walking on land earlier,” he states.

“I can, for a brief amount of time. I’ll always need to come back to the water eventually.”

The two of you devolve into yet another bout of silence, staring at the expanse in front of you. There’s a half moon out tonight. You lean back on your hands, while Arthur sits up straight. You take a second to glance at him—he seems to be very deep in thought. It is a lot to take in. You let him alone, returning to looking at the way the moonlight shines on the water.

“You said you followed me here,” he says suddenly. “Why did you?”

You sigh quietly. “The time isn’t yet right for me to tell you that.”

Arthur looks at you, and you can tell he wants to press further, but your gaze is pleading for him not to, and to simply trust you and understand that there is a reason for why you said what you did. “Okay.”

“Would you like to go for a swim?” you suggest, already aching to get back in the water. You feel more at home there.

Arthur furrows his brows. “At this time of night? I’ll freeze!”

You laugh, and it is musical. “I won’t let you freeze. I promise.” Before he can say anything else, you slide off the dock and back into the water, then twist around to look up at him, waiting expectantly.

“I don’t know…”

“C’mon.” You grin and hold a hand up, and Arthur is reminded of the night before when he’d done the same for you. You hadn’t taken his hand then, but you did finally emerge tonight, so it would only be right to return the favor.

He smiles and shakes his head, pulls his shirt off so it doesn’t weight him down. He slides off the dock as well and joins you, and he is acutely aware of the cold temperature of the water that now assaults his skin. You gently take his hands, and he’s about to ask what you’re doing, but then warmth floods his whole being, and he’s no longer shivering.

“It’s just for a little bit,” you explain. “But plenty of time to enjoy the water.” You disappear beneath the waves and Arthur follows. You remain close to the surface, close to the docks, since Arthur can’t handle the pressures of deeper water, nor can he hold his breath long enough to even get that far down.

You’re close enough to the surface, in fact, that the moonlight that pierces the depths can still reach you. Arthur had begun to move, but then comes to a stop, too busy watching you in the environment you feel most natural in, which shows. You move so easily, so fluidly, tail carrying you through the water like a bird’s wings carry it through the air. When he can no longer hold his breath, he lifts his head out of the water. You too emerge, but a little ways away. You swim over to him, and you’re about to ask if the water is feeling cold to him again, when you hear footsteps coming towards the dock.

You grab Arthur’s hand and lead him to hide beneath the dock. You keep your movements to a minimum, the sound of the waves hiding your breathing. You listen carefully to the footsteps that come to a stop right above you. You wonder who it could be. Usually no one is out here at this time.

You sigh in relief when the footsteps retreat, and when the sound of them fades completely, you swim out from your hiding spot, Arthur following behind.

“No one’s seen you the whole time you’ve been here?” he asks.

You shake your head. “The water is deep, and it’s only so far down your kind can go.”

“I can’t believe a mermaid has been living in Londinium this whole time.”

You laugh. “This town has so many interesting people to watch. It doesn’t feel as though I’ve been here long.” You sigh lightly, smile to yourself as you think of all the curious passerby you’d had the pleasure of observing over your time here. When you glance at Arthur, he’s already staring at you, smile on his own face. “What?” you ask.

“You really have been watching me my whole life?” he inquires. He seems practically in awe.

You nod, and he lets out a breath, one that sounds of disbelief. “A mermaid…”

You watch each other for a moment, the waves lightly shifting the both of you to and fro. As you look at him, at those bright blue eyes illuminated by the moon, your heart twists. You know what’s coming, what’s in store for the man in front of you. And it is not an easy road. You hurt for him but you can’t let that show, because for now he’s just Arthur from Londinium, and nothing more.

Suddenly you lean in, kiss him softly on the cheek, lips passing over the wet skin and scruff. When you pull away he looks at you surprised, and you smile, corner of your lips upturned slightly.

“I’m sure the water’s feeling cold to you again,” you remark. “I won’t keep you any longer.”

Arthur smiles and hauls himself back up onto the dock. He stands and grabs his shirt to throw on. It doesn’t matter that it’ll be wet. He’ll just change when he returns to the brothel.

“Goodnight, Arthur.”

“Goodnight, [Name].” A few beats of silence. “Will I see you again?”

“I’ll be here, should you ever desire my company.”

“I’ll hold you to that.” A smile. A beautiful smile.

You're true to your word. Any time Arthur is at the docks, you’re right there to meet him. He is no longer merely an onlooker to the picture of serenity he’d spent so many nights gazing out at. He is a participant, and it is much, much better than merely observing from afar.

#arthur #arthur imagine #arthur x reader #charlie hunnam #charlie hunnam imagine #charlie hunnam x reader #bubble-tea-bunny #king arthur #king arthur imagine

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elkian · 7 years ago

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Ch 16, from Eirika’s side

Yeah, this is a much better proposition. I totally forgot to adjust bencher’s inventories last chapter and ended up with the convoy full of crap I didn’t need and empty of the crap I did need.

Ewan is both faster and more magical than Knoll, so he can put those heavy tomes to good use. Knoll’s Skill isn’t so great that I want to throw Eclipse his way - he’s got some weak points, but I hope I can train him up, because I know his Summoner promotions is excellent.

The opening narration does not differ from the referenced LP in any way.

Once we get on the map, though.... originally this starts with Eirika saying ‘Brother’ and Ephraim saying the line she’s been given. Considering he’s been running around out of sight and we know where Eirika has been the whole time, this works way better.

(I think the constant use of ‘Brother’ is left over from the original Japanese, which was probably a variant of ‘Oniichan’)

(Also, Eirika says ‘desolate’ rather than ‘desolated’, the latter of which is used often, which I think is also another translation quirk.)

This line is unchanged, as is the dialogue up to it, but it interests me in the way the game is written. It’s actually pretty reasonable - the known king gone, his replacement uncaring, the country is falling apart.

Ephraim’s lines are chopped in half and switched a bit with Eirika. Again, this mod does well at making somewhat stilted dialogue flow more like a real conversation.

I didn’t gif it, but the scene where Orson runs in and grabs ‘Monica’ is pretty interesting to see in action - it makes good use of gameplay movement mechanics to tell a story.

This line isn’t changed, Orson’s whole deal just makes me sad.

No change, just compare the line with Orson’s portrait.

The original line apparently did not include ‘Ephraim?’. Huh.

Lyon’s entire dialogue has been replaced, as has the response.

Gee, Lyon. Hit a little close to home?

I like this change. Not entirely sure what they’re building up to, but it’s very interesting to see Lyon with agency and clarity here.

I have Metis’ Tome, which boosts a single character’s stat growths by 5% across the board. Not entirely sure who to throw it at. Maybe Ephraim, he has not been doing great compared to his sister.

At one level lower, Ephram is +8 HP, +2 Str, -6 Skill, -3 Speed, +0 Luck, +3 Def, -2 Res on Eirika. That Skill in particular hurts him - Lances aren’t nearly as accurate as swords.

In comparison to their averages:

Eirika- -2 HP, +0 Str, +1 Skill, +1 Speed, -2 Luck, +1 Def, +0 Res

Ephraim- +0 HP, -3 Str, -3 Skill, +1 Speed, -1 Luck, +1 Def, +1 Res

In fact, I’m going to toss a Seraph Robe Eirika’s way right now, because two Wyverns attacking her at 13 damage a pop last map scared me juuuuust a little.

Natasha is underperforming, and Artur’s low Skill makes him a poor choice for Sage, so he’s going Bishop and manning the heals this map.

His Luck is still abysmal, but as long as he doesn’t get near a physical foe with a Killer weapon he should be alright. And high Magic is very nice.

I may have accidentally erased the commentary, but Garcia is doing well basically everywhere - a little low on Defense, but with so much HP he’ll be fine. His speed is actually above average for him - not great, but his Con is so monstrous that he can wield practically anything without a penalty. And his Skill is fucking absurd for an axe wielder. If I promote Ross he’s most definitely going Berserker, so this is basically my only chance for a Warrior, and I think it’s a good choice.

My current loadout.

This asshole and the two upper Shaman are carrying Luna. On the other hand, this freaking Level 8 Druid has 14 Magic. Kind of sad.

Aside from turning into a dragon, Myrrh is grabbing over 80 EXP a kill, so this comes in in two fights. Very nice.

I snag Neimi and Amelia’s C Support, which is literally unchanged. Neimi is already doing pretty great on this map, so this’ll make her even more unstoppable.

Well, she’s fast.

Myrrh got poisoned, which is great for Artur’s staff training (though at least some kind soul at IntSys said, ‘Hey, what if promoted units started with weapon levels about E in this game?’)

One issue with this map is that the second half of every Player Phase is spent moving the rest of your army up into the narrow halls. Maybe I should have brought Tethys after all.

There’s this weird pause on the enemy phase, as if every single unit up here is passing manually before the Player Phase begins.

This Knight refused to move on the Enemy Phase, netting Knoll a delicious free kill. I’ve been carefully feeding him up to this point.

Was it worth it...? Well, he now has more Magic than the level 8 enemy Druid, and Skill is important for Dark Magic, but we’ll see.

Also, Eclipse is actually useable in Ewan’s hands after all. We don’t do this yet, but it may be useful later.

The Luna Shaman does not get baited out by Neimi. I drop a save and carefully approach.

It is IMPERATIVE that your bait units have at least 13 Luck or more than 50 Avoid. Luna is bad enough without the crit chance, even on these doofuses.

Amelia’s Avoid is actually so high that she cannot be hit by the Luna Shaman or Druid. It’s incredible.

Colm wastes the Druid for an acceptable level.

Attacking the Shaman+Druid appear to trigger the Warrior’s move. Or maybe I crossed an invisible line.

I don’t know what’s more laughable, that hit rate or the damage.

Joshua effortlessly wastes a Warrior (the Iron Blade gave him enough damage w/out slowing him down too much) and gets a good level for it.

Oh yeah, a bunch of Cavaliers and I think Great Knights filed in last turn. They’re all out of the way at the moment. There’s also a thief, but there’s no chance they’ll get the treasure first so I’m not too concerned.

Oh right, this asshole. Good thing that Warrior didn’t land, cause this does.

Forde kills his own Warrior. Eh....

Eirika wastes a Killing Edge use on a redundant crit for an okay level. Her opportunity to promote comes at the end of this chapter, although thankfully Sacred Stones is nice enough to make it an option rather than mandatory.

Myrrh isn’t quite strong enough or fast enough to one-round a Warrior alone, but managed a great crit when I forgot to soften it up. Maybe a waste of promoted EXP, but I’ll live.

Unfortunately, a second Thief appears on the right side, a signal to hurry up. I sent Forde racing after them, but he got eaten alive by a Hero-Sage-Sage combo and I had to reset.

See, this Sage is holding a Purge (Light-type Siege Tome) and a Divine tome. Whichever they’re not using when they die gets dropped. This means I need to get someone in their face to make them switch before they run out the remaining 4 Purge uses, but I also need to get someone to the right side to beat out the Thief there.

The other Sage has Bolting, and a Gem that can only be stolen, and those Heroes are packing Silver weapons and decent stats, and they move.

Here’s some good news: see, the AI doesn’t ‘see’ Myrrh’s Dragonstone bonuses, so it reads them as if they had actually 7 Res etc. This makes for excellent bait.

wait, FUCK

This is the second goddamn time this bastard has finished Forde off, too.

(Forde got a great level this attempt, too ;_;)

The worst part of these resets is having to watch every single one of these chucklefucks think seriously about how they want to move.

Ow, what??? Myrrh was right there! How freaking low is Cormag’s Res...?

Yeah, sending Myrrh up to handle the Purge Sage was a good plan. They attract a ton of attention but are hard to kill.

This poor Hero can neither double nor harm them.

WHAT I DELIBERATELY PLACED HIM OUT OF RANGE

Oh thank fuck. All the Cavaliers broke themselves on Eirika’s Rapier Of Redundant Criticals, but this still would have been annoying as hell.

shiiiii

YES

Knoll doubles this Druid to death, which is... sad, for several reasons.

His level? Not sad at all.

(Although I really want to know why this game has so many Luck-screwed units, especially magic users. I mean bad levels are part of it, but what the hell?)

Ewan puts a Hero out of their misery for a good level.

In a moment of hilarious redundanct, Colm steals the left-side thief’s Lockpicks to max out.

+2 HP, +2 Str, +3 Skl, +0 Spd, +1 Luck, -3 Def, -2 Res. I thought Colm was doing poorly but he’s actually in good shape, provided nothing ever, ever hits him.

I already have Rennac as a Rogue, but I’m not sure I want Colm to go Assassin - though with that Skill,he’ll be in good shape re: Silencer (Lethality, but based on crit rate).

Ow.

Fortunately, this misses.

Oh goddammit. I have to get Ewan out of range before my plan goes sideways.

... you’re supposed to prioritize stealing, but I’m not complaining.

However... RENNAC! WHY CAN YOU NOT DOUBLE AN UNPROMOTED THIEF!?

He can at least rob them, for a depressing level.

Thanks to Rescue-Drop shenanigans, everyone but Myrrh is out of range now. Here’s hoping.

I love Myrrh.

Yanno, the LPer referred to these Great Knights as sardine cans full of delicious experience. I thought that was a joke. It was not.

Eirika crits this poor fool for their audacity.

Basically a perfect level.

She crits the second and normally kills the third, launching her to the cap.

The level could be better, but that’s frankly nitpicking at this point.

Pretending she didn’t get the +7 HP from the Angelic Robe, she’s:

-3 HP, +0 Str, +1 Skill, +0 Spd (but capped MUCH earlier), -1 Luck, +2 Def, +1 Res.

So aside from HP, which I’ve already patched up, and Luck, she is on or ahead in every single stat. Outstanding.

That was also the last Great Knight in range this phase, so i don’t have to worry about wasted EXP too much.

Rennac, do you think I am above replacing you wholecloth with Colm?

yessssssssss

yesssssssssssssssssss

yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

This Great Knight has the same HP as Ewan. Ewan.

....that..... is not what I meant.

Forde chips a GK for a much worse level than he got in my alternate reality. Sigh....

The bad news is the GKs know he’s the weak link. The good news is not only can they not kill him in one turn collectively (the one with the Steel Axe didn’t even land) but they’re feeding EXP straight into his mouth.

God fucking dammit Rennac.

Finally. Myrrh, dinner!

Good dragon.

....

Anyways, Cormag breaks the leftover Priest in half, and the victory music starts playing. Rennac dumps his loot at the supply and heads for the unopened chests.

Sadly, I did not bring Seth or Kyle, so there’s no chance of seeing those conversations with Orson.

Oh, also, Orson is pretty dangerous. I’m just gonna let Cormag sit here this turn.

Ow.

Forde’s conversation is exactly the same (not that I actually use him to attack yet)

What a crying shame. The best shot at murdering him can’t benefit from Boss EXP.

Eirika’s conversation DOES differ:

“text disappeared too fast“

seriously

She landed, got hit, then critted. I’m almost mad. But that boss EXP should go to the needy.

Back in reality, Forde (armed with the Hoplan Guard), Myrrh, and Ewan sit in countering range. Ewan’s odds aren’t great, but at least he can’t be ORKOed.

Amazingly, both hits land.

The Rogue sprite was definitely made with solely Rennac in mind - Colm’s hair just blends into the headwrap. Oh well, Rennac is fucking useless and Colm is actually decent so here goes.

Those defenses were sorely needed. Definitely not a combat class, though. That’s fine.

Neimi finally makes it up but misses and gets countered, despite actually having the better hit odds. And Colm’s high luck is a godsend, since I don’t have to worry about him getting critted.

Oh yeah. Good thing we nailed that enemy thief, cause gold-the-funds CANNOT be restolen.

Neither hit.

Now Amelia is in range, making Neimi even more of a hope. The second chest contained a Hero Crest (Colm’s chest on the left side had a Tomahawk)

Neimi crits, but Orson had healed up to full in the meantime. It’s actually good for people to get hit, because it breaks down uses of his Spear and leaves him with a Silver Sword that’s much easier to counter.

The last chest contains a Talisman.

Artur gets a bad level from just healing this entire map. I mean, Skill is kind of handy vs our current foe, but really....

Dammit.

Neimi finally lands another hit and decides Artur is a role model.

...which I guess there’s a reason for. Huh. I totally forgot they could support.

Ewan also manages a chip-dodge, I’m so proud.

Ewan gets hit twice but counters twice-

And Neimi crits!

....let’s seize.

I’ll get the story changes tomorrow.

#elk text #28th #October #2017 #October 28th 2017 #elk plays fe8: resoration queen #elk plays fe8 Restoration Queen #Elkian plays FE8 Restoration Queen

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theliterateape · 5 years ago

Text

Top Best Highs To Play While Game

by Peter Kremidas

It’s happening, folks. Legal Marijuana is coming to Illinois in just a few short weeks. The thing you always spoke about while standing in a circle right before getting weirdly silent because a stranger walked by. Because standing silently in a circle and coughing is a completely normal part of every social gathering and therefore is in no way conspicuous.

At some point you may be in your home in the state of what kids these days call “stoned as fuck”. And you may think to yourself, “Tree branches look like nerve endings.” Or “I want to play a video game.” Now, according to research, marijuana makes everything better. This is most obvious for music, and extends into video games. Apparently. I am told.

After hours and hours of painstaking research, I have compiled in no particular order this list of video games that may just pair perfectly with Doritos and cheese dip. You’re welcome.

Super Hypercube

I want to get the VR game out of the way first, since not a lot of people have access to VR. But if you do, let me just say, holy shit. Imagine being inside tetris, but you’re looking around a giant mess of an ever growing mass of blocks the whole time trying to figure out which direction to turn it so it fits through a hole. All those words I just vomited for you to read are also a 100 percent accurate description of this game. The tension is delicious. Your motor skills are hopeless. Nothing matters because you are inside Tetris. Your smile is so big it gets mistaken for a light reflector for the tracking camera and your shit gets all kinds of fucked up. You are inside Tetris.

Proteus

Proteus will never hurt you. Proteus is a world you travel around in and nothing happens and it’s beautiful. It’s an 8-bit world to explore with a whatever-Brian-Eno-sleeps-to soundtrack that lulls you into a world of green and pink square box trees with pink square box leaves and yes there are animals too. This is a game for people who find objectives and deadlines just, like, stressful, man.

Local Host

Or, you know what? Fuck that. I’m the kinda of pot smoker who wants to think about the future, man.I say things like “I mean, right?”

That’s why I play Local Host. Because when I’m in a fragile state of mind, I want to see how well I handle moral quandaries. If you’re the type of person who gets stoned and watches Black Mirror, mouth agape in sweet sweet ethical dilemma, boy do I have the game for you. Local Host is a game where you are tasked with disabling a series of AI programs, while they talk to you and try and convince you to please not do that, please. If you’ve ever fantasized about your toaster begging for it’s life before you unplug it, you will love this game.

Journey

Journey shows up on every list with the words “games” and/or “best” in the title. The reason is because, somehow, this little escapade (it’s only about 3-4 hours long) takes you through an entire emotional arc.. All the while on your exhibition you may encounter other players playing from all over the world. Fear not, they cannot actually talk to you. Actual talking strangers are anathema to a good buzz. Especially, and this cannot be understated, when it comes to video games. But those same said strangers can and will chirp at you. And you can chirp back. “Chirp chip,” you will say to your new friend, who you can either stay with through the whole game or go do your own thing. Journey is all the fun of interacting with other people without any of the power (and therefore, crucially, responsibility. It is known.) of a real conversation. And an emotional jaunt filled to the brim with “whoa” moments. You will say “pretty” out loud, several times.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (character creation screen)

Imagine super mega high def Proteus, and it’s a country of shit talking villagers and very committed city guards. Also are a sword wielding sneaky wizard person. But best of all, you can make your character’s face look however you want. According to my research, if you are high, this is the part you will get stuck in. The game opens, you break out of jail, and you create your character. But before you break out of jail, that’s where the fun begins and never stops.

Also if you ever bother to play the game beyond this point you will lovingly lose yourself in it. If you get it on PC, you can also change up the game with hundreds of great mods. For the uninitiated “mods” means “breasts”.

Any game with the word “Katamari” in the title

There’s either 8 or a billion versions of this game, but there are at minimum 10. They all work, they’re all the same. The king of the universe tasks you to push a tiny sticky ball around a populated, DVD quality version of the Proteus world, and roll the ball around as it picks up everything from thumb tacks, to cats, to human homes, mountains, and beyond. It is absurd and colorful, and the soundtrack is literally series of relentlessly happy big Vegas showroom songs dedicated to the love and wonder that is Katamari. They are also genuinely catchy. Aside from the wanton destruction and disregard for the living things in this giant ball (the balls get turned into stars, long story), it is just a great big smile.

Paratopic

“Well, yes” you say, “but what if I want to be in a David Lynch movie?”

I give thee Paratopic, a huanting, 45 minute dream logic simulation that allegedly also tells a story. It’s a trip, and I don’t want to spoil this for you. More weird than scary. Do your thing, pay the seven bucks or whatever for this game, turn off the lights, put on headphones, and dive in. Trust me, it’ll be real weird.

Kind Words

Or you know what? Maybe you don’t even like video games, you just like lo-fi hip hop and saying nice things to strangers. Maybe you also like receiving nice notes from strangers. Perhaps you would even like those nice things to be delivered to you by a deer. All this plus decorating your room and no more can be yours with “Kind Words”. Feeling lonely? Some strangers (usually several) will write a bit of comfort right back to you. I have spent a few hours speaking to people’s worries and receiving their anonymous support. I have found shockingly zero toxicity along the way. Be nice, check it out.

Everything

I almost didn’t include this game because it’s actually the best game to play on acid. I’ve never done LSD, but I imagine this would buh-maze my eyeballs and brain. You play as...well, everything. A herd of buffalo, some clouds, and even a rock. You move as whatever group you are, rolling around in about 3 frames of animation, as Alan Watts poems are read to you. You can even set the game on automatic and just...watch. It’s deep thinking with no effort, which is a hallmark of marijuana culture. Say it. Say “whoa”. Now say it again. Congratulations, you are playing ‘Everything’.

Happy new year, everybody.

#videogames #marijuana

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