#like echolocation or magic sight

[ifellintothestyx]

Never forget when Shen Qiao cut a man's tendons, basically crippling him in one hand.

He could have cut off the arm or the hand itself to achieve the same effect. No, he cuts the tendons. This is even more chilling when you know that Xuandu Mt. also teaches medicine. Shen Qiao knows the human body so well he can cut out a man's tendons while in combat.

[falmerbrook]

How are the Falmer hitting me with arrows? (headcanons on how Falmer navigate and hunt/fight)

I'm keeping up the Falmer headcanon momentum.

So Falmer in Skyrim (the game) have a blind effect applied to them and fortify sneak. As I'm sure anyone who has plundered a Dwemer ruin has experienced, despite their blindness, those buggers sure can shoot and arrow. As a matter of fact, they have a surprising amount of archers in their communities. There's also a question of how they are able to navigate the often treacherous Dwemer cities filled with dangerous guarding contraptions and tall drops. So here's my thoughts on how they get around and navigate/fight/hunt so well.

Echolocation

You know what other (real life) creature has poor eyesight, big ears, and is able to pinpoint small targets for hunting? Bats.

I like to imagine that Falmer are in the early stages of evolving echolocation. While they don't have the precise echolocation capabilities of bats, I headcanon they can use it to get a general picture of the size and shape of their surroundings, so they can get a decent idea of obstacles, the size of a room/cavern, if there is a gap or cliff, and if an object or creature is moving around. Falmer moving about will use echolocation to navigate (akin to using something like a cane to just detect obstacles or walls), and while on guard or hunting they can use it to scan an area to get a baseline for what the area is like and therefore if something changes within it.

Bats that have evolved echolocation tend to have large ears to better pick up the reflected noises, and strange looking wrinkles and folds in their faces to help reflect or project the sound to the ears better. This could explain the wrinkles on Falmers' faces and the larger ears (I also tend to make their ears bigger than in the games in my drawings for that reason).

That all being said, for your consideration, please imagine if Falmer's faces looked like this:

(Wrinkle-faced bat, white-throated round-eared bat, vampire bat, horseshoe bat, great stripe-faced bat, slit-faced bat)

And if they sounded like this (as I picture it, it would be a sort of secondary noise set alongside their normal vocalizations that we hear in-game):

(in real life, this is more of a noise you can feel in your head than hear)

(this one is slowed and pitched down so we can hear it)

Clairvoyance

I've often wondered (these are the sorts of things I think about while I'm working) how clairvoyance would work in-universe, but I think it could be useful to someone (or a group of someones) who can't see. For those who don't know, clairvoyance is an illusion spell in Skyrim (the game) that shows a blue magical path towards the current objective (quest marker). They way I like to headcanon it, the way clairvoyance works in-universe can vary, but it’s mostly used for giving the mind’s-eye an “image” of the route/location of what the caster is thinking about. It’s like a mix of a clarity of understanding (a “eureka!” moment) and a mental picture. It’s a spell that requires pretty heavy concentration and mental training, since it requires not only casting the spell but maintaining a certain objective in your mind.

Falmer have figured out how to use it to “see” (understand) their surroundings in a way that allows them to fight, hunt, and navigate complex architecture. It’s not a replacement for sight though, just a way of adjusting without it. This is the skill that allows them to use bows with fairly good accuracy. They understand this spell more as a navigational skill than what the above world sees it as (a spell). I imagine they have their own very different system of understanding and classifying magic since they've been so separated from the rest of the world, but that's a post for another day.

While echolocation is mostly used for purely navigating and scanning the environment to get a sense of scale and placement, clairvoyance is used more for a specific purpose, whether that be to navigate to a specific point, navigate difficult terrain, pinpoint the position of a target/enemy, find something (an object they lost, a friend or family member, etc.), etc. While a guard or hunter may use echolocation to scan, they may then use clairvoyance to pin down a potential threat. Usually, unless one is very skilled in magic, they can only focus on a single target or subject at a time using clairvoyance, and it is a learned skill that most individuals have at least a basic grasp on, but only those more skilled in magic can use for complex, frantic, or stressful situations. They don't see it so much as a spell to learn and master, but rather a basic skill of life, like how we may see learning to read and write.

Of course, part of their ability to navigate also just comes down to having been born that way and just naturally learning the placement and arrangement of things in their environment. They don't know what they're missing, and like a blind person or animal, could adapt to it in their own non-magical ways as well. The magic and evolution just help them thrive.

Anyway, thanks for reading another Falmer Post™!!

[writing-intheundercroft]

Your Ivy Grows // Introductions

AO3 Link

Ominis Gaunt could not see, but he could feel.

He could feel the long thickets of grass outside of his Aunt Noctua’s home.  He could feel the sand down by the beach, grainy and coarse as he ran from her, giggling. He’d learn to feel the bumps on paper (braille, the muggles called it) from books Aunt Noctua bought from London so he could read.  Ominis could feel his little wooden sailboat splash through the water of the tide pools, the sting of salty air touching the tip of his tongue.

He could feel the disdain his mother had for him, and the indifference of his father and siblings. Everyone had told him how much his mother had wanted another baby boy, but it seemed her enthusiasm had died down once she realized the task of childbearing was finally behind her.  She’d produced an heir and a spare for the Gaunt lineage, as well as three daughters to serve the bloodline.  Mrs. Gaunt was done, a triumph in the eyes of other pure blood families.  What they didn’t know was that Ominis was always at his Aunt Noctua’s; for as long as he could remember, he’d been sent in a carriage, alone with just a house elf to escort him to the beach house. 

Ominis could feel Aunt Noctua’s love.  It was the only love he’d ever come to know.  She was more of a mother to him than his own, and despite the fear he felt traveling without sight in a thestral drawn carriage, the second the carriage landed and the doors opened, he knew he would be greeted by Noctua’s warm arms. Aunt Noctua read him bedtime stories, sat with him at the dinner table, and skipped with him along the beach.  Much to his father’s dismay, she’d taken him to buy a wand, and after an entire month of researching echolocation spells, she’d taught the little blind boy how to use his wand to see.

“Ominis darling, come here.” Noctua called.

He was ten years old, just about to turn eleven in July.  In four months, he’d be off to his first year at Hogwarts—his first time ever spending more than a month away from Noctua.

Ominis held his wand up, the tip glowing red as he guided himself to the garden.  Noctua was sitting in her garden beds, tending to her beloved flowers.  He knelt down next to her, feeling her linen apron before he fell to his knees in the dirt. He remembered his father complaining Noctua’s garden was too unruly; she’d merely laughed, claiming she liked it that way.

“What are you doing today?” He asked timidly, rocking back and forth on his heels.

“I’m working on the ivy.” Noctua announced. “You must be diligent with it; it can easily overgrow and take over the other plants.  You’ll be the steward of this house one day Ominis, I’d like for you to learn so you may take care of it yourself.”

“Won’t I have a gardener?” Ominis quipped.

Noctua snorted. “Not with the way your father spends.” She took his hand, helping him feel the leaves of the lush ivy below him. “Feel this—you shouldn’t let it grow any longer than this, otherwise my violets will be completely overtaken.  But take care not to trim it too far back, otherwise the snakes won’t have anywhere to hide.”

Ominis nodded, holding his wand up in his other hand. “Will I learn how to care for ivy in Herbology class?” he quipped.

Noctua let out one of her booming laughs. “Oh no, sweetheart. You’ll learn about far more exciting plants in your lessons.  Magical ones, with many purposes.  Ivy is just a regular plant.”

He wrinkled his nose. “Then what’s the point of it?”

Noctua put her palm on Ominis’s pink cheek. “It’s pretty, and I like it. It doesn’t need to have a point besides that.” She put down her trimming shears, dusting dirt off on her apron. “And besides, plants are living beings, and life itself is magic. They bring me joy.”

“You bring me joy,” Ominis stated.

“Sweet boy.” Noctua pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “You bring me great joy as well.  I fear this house will be quite lonely without you come September.”

“Can I stay?” Ominis pouted. “You can tutor me.  I don’t need Hogwarts; you’ve already taught me so much.”

Noctua sighed. “You’ll be happy to go to Hogwarts. I loved it when I was there–I made many great friends, and I’m sure you will too.”

He pouted even more. “I don’t need anyone else besides you, Aunt Noctua.”

“I won’t always be here, my love.” Noctua murmured. “A day may come when I need to leave, and you’ll need to be very brave and take care of this beautiful house for me.”

Ominis swallowed thickly.  He didn’t ever want to think about a day like that coming for her.

“Madame Noctua, luncheon is nearly ready. Would you like Golly to set it up in the garden for you?” a little voice rang.  It was Golly, Noctua’s house elf, a plump little thing with warm rosy cheeks. She’d been Noctua’s beloved house elf for as long as Ominis could remember, and was always the one to accompany him in his carriage rides.

“Thank you, Golly. Yes, let’s take lunch in the garden.”  Noctua announced.  She stood up, holding her hand out to Ominis to grasp. “Lunch, and then we’ll play down by the water, hmm?”

It had been a simple day.  There were no presents, no visitors, nothing particularly special about it to single it out from every other day Ominis spent with her.  But he could remember her being a little sad after their tea, shutting herself in her study afterwards.  She had sent a letter to Ominis’s father, supposedly about the research she’d been conducting on their renowned ancestor, Salazar Slytherin.

Ominis heard her muttering a word under her breath that haunted him for ages.  Scriptorium , she’d called it.  A secret room at Hogwarts that no one had ever found before, supposedly where Slytherin’s greatest research was being hidden.  Aunt Noctua had been sure it would prove the Slytherin had interests outside of blood purity, and that there was more for the Gaunt family to aspire to.

Ominis went to Hogwarts that September, and wrote to Aunt Noctua every week.  He met his two best friends, Sebastian and Anne Sallow, and he told her all about the twins and their antics.  Come June, he wrote to Aunt Noctua one last time, apologizing that he would not be able to spend the summer at the beach house; he’d be in Feldcroft with the twins and their uncle.  

Noctua wrote back to him, sorry that they’d miss one another, but sincerely happy that he’d made honest, good friends.  She told him that she’d be off on an adventure, and that she’d write to him as soon as she could. Feldcroft wasn’t far from her destination, she’d teased.  Perhaps if she was successful, she could visit him before summer’s end and meet his friends.

Ominis never heard from Aunt Noctua ever again.

_____

Ominis had been coerced by his mother into dinner at Gaunt Manor; he should have known there were strings attached and that Marvolo would have an assignment for him. The three of them now sat in silence at the long, splintered wooden dining table; Marvolo, seated at the head of the table, with his cold, austere mother on the right.  Ominis was to his left, poking at the remnants of his dinner.

“So, I have a new charge,” Marvolo said easily, setting his cutlery down. “And a job for you this summer.”

Ominis raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me, a charge?”

Marvolo hummed. “Yes. A gentleman I work with has left his daughter in my care for the summer, and I need someone to mind her while I’m in London.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Ominis grumbled, playing with the tarnished silver fork in his hand. 

“I most certainly am not,” Marvolo sneered, his attitude shifting swiftly, as his moods often did. “And if you ever want to see a knut of your inheritance, you’ll do as I say.”

Ominis inhaled sharply. “You can’t seriously be asking me to play governess for the entire summer.” 

“I need someone to mind the girl,” Marvolo explained. “Someone to supervise her, make sure she keeps herself in line. You do this for me,” Ominis could sense his brother’s heavy hand pointing at him, “And you and your little farm boy will get the money you need to take your world tour.”

Ominis frowned at the mention of Sebastian. He loathed whenever his family mentioned him. His chosen family would always take higher precedence than those of his blood. Sebastian was his real brother; the two of them had planned to take a year-long tour around the world together, but Sebastian was still trying to come up with enough money to sustain their travels.  Ominis could get the money easily enough from his family’s trust, but Sebastian was toiling day in and out working at Flourish and Blotts to fund his travel expenses, and refused a single galleon from Ominis.

“That,” Marvolo took a sip of his wine. “And you can finally have Noctua’s house.”

“You have her up at Noctua’s house?” Ominis’s ears perked. 

His Aunt Noctua’s home was dear to him; he’d spent most of his childhood there, cast away from the family manor. Out of sight, out of mind, Ominis thought. His mother had no patience for his blindness, and his father nearly forgot his existence. As Aunt Noctua had never been declared dead, merely missing, the home sat unoccupied. Marvolo had brought it up in conversation a few times–mostly to complain about it being a money pit, or about it being too close to a muggle village.  It was a modest manor off the coast, hours away from any wizarding kind, perched on the ledge of a seaside muggle town. Ominis hadn’t been there since the summer before his first year at Hogwarts.

Ominis knew Noctua was dead, having discovered her body with Sebastian and their peculiar friend during their fifth year.  They’d had to leave her bones behind; despite feeling horrible about her final resting place being the door to the Scriptorium, Ominis would never, ever be put in a situation where an unforgivable curse was his only way to safety. He was sure Aunt Noctua would understand. 

“It’s been cleaned up; the old house elf is still there, minding her at the moment.” Ominis could sense the frown on Marvolo’s face.  “You’ll live there, keep an eye on her, and stay out of trouble.”

“Why does she need minding?  Does she not have a nanny of her own to do so?” Ominis inquired.

Marvolo sighed. “She’s rough, I’ll leave it at that.  Feral little alley cat of a child, already scared off the three governesses we’ve tried to stick with her.”

“And pray tell, why has her father left her in your care?” Ominis crossed his arms and leaned back against the wooden chair.  His brother was the last person who should ever have the responsibility of a child; he had no patience for it, nor a modicum of emotional intelligence. 

“Her father owes me a debt–and a daughter is all the currency he has. Can’t risk him ‘accidentally’ misplacing her, like he’s done with all the rest of his collateral.” Marvolo explained.

Ominis soured at the thought. He knew his brother dabbled in unsavory business, and no matter how he tried to frame it, he was clearly extorting this man with his daughter’s life.

“Last question.  Why me?”

Marvolo snorted. “You’re the only chap available.  Given your deficiencies , I don’t think you’ll be too busy during the social season this summer. Perhaps another year.”

Ominis tried his best not to flinch at his brother’s insult.  Ever since their father had gone senile, Marvolo had taken up place as head of the family. He was responsible for the family trust, and had carefully chosen each of their sisters’ husbands. Ominis was nearly twenty one, and he was surprised his brother hadn’t surprised him with some meek, sniveling pure blood bride. Marvolo himself had been married for a few years already, with no children in sight.  He hardly spent enough time with his own wife, choosing the company of his many mistresses in London instead. Ominis knew Marvolo blamed his poor wife for their misfortune, but he secretly hoped it was his brother’s own misdeeds that caused their inability to procreate.  However, if times truly became desperate for the Gaunts, it would mean the family lineage was left to Ominis’s hands—an idea he truly loathed.

Ominis stood in the foyer, fastening his cloak around his neck as he made his departure.  With his wand securely stowed in his pocket, he didn’t notice Marvolo sneak up behind him. The two brothers couldn’t have been more different, physically and emotionally. Marvolo had the typical Gaunt look, with dark hair, hooded eyes, and terrifyingly large figure.  Ominis greatly favored his mother’s side of the family with his blond hair and lithe figure.  Thanks to Noctua, he also had a trait most of his family lacked—kindness.

“Don’t fuck this up, brother.” Marvolo sneered. “It’s a simple job, get it done and you’ll have what you need.”  

Ominis shuddered as his domineering brother backed away, and apparated back to his London flat as quickly as he could.

_____

Ominis stood at the edge of the blustery cliff, gazing out onto the water.  He’d do so often with Noctua when he was a boy, punted off to stay with her so he’d be out of his older siblings’ way when they returned from Hogwarts.  He never minded it though–Noctua had been the only light he’d ever known before he met Anne and Sebastian.

Speaking of friends, Sebastian had begged him not to take on the job.  He’d have the money by the end of the year, he reassured Ominis.  There would be no need to stoop down as low as Marvolo to fund their trip.  But Ominis couldn’t bear to watch his best friend spend seven days a week peddling books for sickles, and anyways, he wanted to see how the old house was faring.  So now, he stood just yards from the house’s gates, clutching his suitcases, ready to take on the role of guardian. Ominis’s stomach churned with nerves; he’d never spent much time around children even when he was a child himself, so he wasn’t even sure how he’d talk to a girl.

When he pushed through the front door of the house, he took in a deep inhale.  Despite the musty smell, it reminded him of his childhood.  Ominis raised his wand, alerted to the presence of a smaller being in front of him, and let a smile grace his face.

“Golly, it’s good to see you.” He knelt down, getting on the same level as Noctua’s house elf.

“Master Ominis, it has been so long,” the old house elf croaked, patting his hand.  “My, you have grown into such a fine gentleman. You look so much like my Mistress Noctua.”

Ominis’s smile faltered. “Yes, I do miss her.”

Golly the house elf beckoned him in. “I’ve prepared the mistress's old chambers for you to sleep in during your stay. Let me take your cases.”

“Absolutely not, Golly. I’m triple your size, I’d never let you carry any case of mine.” Ominis declared. “Leviosa,” he muttered, the suitcases now floating behind him as he ascended the creaky stairs. 

As he pushed the door open to Noctua’s bedroom, Ominis bit down on his lip.  It all felt so familiar to him as he walked around, feeling everything—the four poster bed, the big bay window with a deep seat attached to it.  Even the smell of the linens felt familiar, despite being freshly washed.  The sea breeze always left a salty note on the cotton.

“I could’ve stayed in my old apartments, you know.” Ominis murmured.

Golly shifted back and forth. “Your new ward is staying in them.  I thought the mistress’s apartments would be best suited for you.”

“And where is she?” Ominis quipped. “I should meet her before supper.”

Golly sighed. “Probably down by the beach.  She’s not very good at following rules—reminds me quite a bit of your sisters when they were younger.  Master Marvolo hired three ladies to oversee her, and each quit within a week.” Golly uttered the girl’s name, tutting her tongue. “You shall see her at supper, I suppose.  Please, get some rest and freshen up.  I’ll have the meal set in two hours.”

Ominis dallied for half an hour, laying about the bed before he decided to unpack his trunks. He only brought clothes, books, and some parchment and dictation quills to write home to Sebastian. The desk had been cleared of its former mistress’s possessions, and it felt odd to set it up with his own belongings. Ominis dragged his hands against every square inch of the mahogany desk; he remembered exactly where things belonged.  Noctua’s perfume bottles would be in the center, letters and notes littered on the left edge next to her quills and ink pot. 

Ominis shook his head. If he were ever to be master of the house, he had to start getting used to the furniture being his. He splashed water on his face to freshen up, and got dressed for a formal dinner.  Ominis only ever dressed up for meals with his family, but it felt far too casual to be informal in front of his ward.

Ominis descended the stairs, the scent of a rich roast chicken guiding him to the dining room. Golly had set up a full seven course meal, which was far too decadent for Ominis’s taste.  She had always spent time laboring over Ominis’s favorite foods as a child, and he didn’t have the heart to tell her that he no longer liked figgy pudding. But it had been years since he’d seen the little house elf, and he wanted to make her feel useful after being lonely in the house for so long.  Golly hummed as she set the dishes on the table, clearly happy to no longer be alone in the house. 

Ominis listened to the clock chiming and frowned. “Where is she?”

Golly sighed loudly. “Wouldn’t count on her to be on time, Master Gaunt.”

“But your feast will have gone cold.” He complained. Disrespectful child , he thought.

Ominis sat at the table for another thirty minutes, waiting and tapping his feet against the marble floor. He was about to stand and barge out of the house looking for the girl, when he sensed a figure sauntering into the dining room.

“Golly, I’m back.” A feminine voice called out. “What’s for dinner?”

 Ominis raised his wand, a bit taken aback.  When Marvolo had said she was a girl, Ominis assumed a child–but the person entering the dining room was a woman , probably his age. She was tall, and he could sense her hair swishing around, as if it were in two long braids. He could smell the scent of the coast lingering on her frock, and the mud on her shoes.

Ominis stood up abruptly.  The girl stopped in her tracks, glaring at him.

“Who are you?” she snipped.

Ominis cleared his throat, bowing his head slightly. “I’m Mr. Gaunt. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

She said nothing, slowly approaching the table. “You aren’t the Mr. Gaunt I know,” she stopped right in front of him, appraising him. “You’re…much younger.  Certainly more handsome.”

Ominis brushed the back of his neck, fighting the blush he could feel creeping on his face. “You’re referring to my older brother, Marvolo.”

She sniffed. “Yes, much more handsome.  Your brother is quite brutish.” He could feel her eyes raking over him.

“I may be blind, but I can sense you staring,” Ominis snipped. “And it’s rather unladylike.” He maneuvered to the chair next to his, pulling it out for her.

“I wasn’t raised to be a lady, Mr. Gaunt,” she taunted him as she sat down. “But if that’s what Marvolo desires of me, he’ll have it.”

Ominis frowned as he sat back in his chair. He wasn’t sure how his older brother was so well acquainted with the young woman, and he certainly didn’t want to know.

The two of them sat at the dinner table, the silence thickened the air.  For quite some time, Ominis could only make out the sound of teeth gnashing on meat, and Golly humming from the butler’s pantry.

“How did you find your travels?” The girl quipped, the soft clatter of her silverware breaking the silence of the room.

“Quite nice.  I used to spend a lot of time here as a child, and I missed the journey.” Ominis hummed. “Weather is delightful this time of year.”  He felt silly, exchanging pleasantries about the weather with his house guest.  If he were truly to be the man of the house, he should brush up on better conversation topics.

The girl cleared her throat. “I didn’t know Marvolo had a brother,” she admitted. “How much younger are you?”

Ominis stiffened, blinking his unseeing eyes at the table. “Fifteen years.  I was born while he was away at Hogwarts, so we’re not very close.” He paused for a moment, narrowing his eyes. “You didn’t go to Hogwarts.  I would’ve known you.”

“Father wanted me to stay close to home; his profession is quite dangerous, so he couldn’t imagine me being far away.” she said simply. “Mother tutored me though.”

“And what does your father do?” Ominis inquired.

She hesitated. “Rare artifacts.  One might call him a treasure hunter. We traveled frequently with him.”

“And life on the road is much safer than Hogwarts?” Ominis probed.

“I quite liked it.” she sniffed. “I’m well traveled, I’ve studied all over the world, rather than being cooped up in a dodgy old castle.”

“It’s not dodgy,” Ominis rolled his eyes. “It’s fantastic, one of the best places to be.”  Ominis counted Hogwarts as one of his happiest places–Hogwarts, the Sallow cottage in Feldcroft, and Aunt Noctua’s home.

She shrugged. “Then you haven’t traveled enough.” She tilted her head, changing the subject. “I find it strange they sent a man to watch over me, not another governess.”

“Well, I’ve heard you’ve chased all the nannies away.” Ominis chuffed.

She smiled at that, and he bit down on his lower lip to hide his smile. “I’m twenty, I don’t need a governess. I was hoping they’d send a companion, but I suppose you’ll have to do.”

Ominis set his cutlery down, wiping his mouth politely. “Look, I don’t mean to imprison you here. I won’t say that I understand exactly why I’ve been charged with your care, but I promise to treat you with respect and make sure you have everything you need for your own comfort.” he hesitated. “We both clearly have duties to our family to attend to, but I won’t restrict you.  Go about your day as you wish, and I’ll do the same.”

Ominis could feel her heated stare.  She leaned back in her chair, playing with the end of one of her braids. “You and your brother couldn’t be more different.”

He tipped his wine glass towards her. “I consider that a high compliment.”

_____

His ward had retired to bed, and Ominis decided to take a walk around the property.  He swirled a glass of wine in his hands as he stomped through the yard towards Noctua’s garden.  Perhaps he could hire a groundskeeper to tend to the land once the house was passed down to him.  Poor old Golly deserved a retirement; he could free her once he became the master of the house. He’d pay her a fair wage, just like Noctua used to…

Ominis wasn’t much of a drinker back in London; Sebastian always enjoyed hanging out with their classmates at the Leaky Cauldron, and he was a happy drunk.  Ominis, on the other hand, would be drunk just from social exposure.  He normally found drinking alone a bit depressing, but something about being in a house that was almost his made him feel like celebrating. Golly had opened up one of the good bottles from the cellar, and he wouldn’t let it go to waste.  He felt good; the tangy red liquid had him feeling warm all over, and the salty breeze from the nearby ocean was just as intoxicating.

He didn’t need his wand—Ominis could retrace his exact steps to the garden gate, having made the journey hundreds of times as a little boy without a wand.  Once, Noctua had made him count his paces, and he still found himself doing so as he approached the wrought iron gate.  He put a hand out to pull it open, frowning when his hand met air instead of the handle.

It was already open.

Ominis pulled his wand out of his pocket, taking a large gulp from the glass in his other hand.  He knew it was ungentlemanly, but he wiped his mouth with his billowing sleeve.  Wand raised and tip lit red, he pushed forward to see who might be in the garden so late.  It was nearly eleven o’clock at night, and he was the only one out of the house.  Ominis readied himself for a duel in case it was an intruder–his heart raced, hoping he wouldn’t have to defend the women in the house.

Ominis heard the soft hum of a voice in the distance; they were singing to themself, kneeling on the ground.  he could also hear the sharp slice of shears, and the sound of branches and leaves being piled up on the ground.  He held his wand in the direction of the sound, sensing the outline of a young woman on the ground.

It was his house guest; she was kneeling on the ground in her nightgown, her two braids dangling as she leaned over the garden beds.

“What are you doing?” Ominis barked.

She startled. “Oh, Mr. Gaunt.  I didn’t realize you’d be walking out here so late.”

“What. Are. You. Doing.” Ominis seethed.

He could sense her standing up, wiping her hands on her lap. “I was tending to the garden—Golly mentioned the old owner was a dab hand at herbology, and the whole thing was teeming with weeds, it was a shame.  I’ve been trying to fix the garden beds, they’re all so overgrown with ivy.  You know, it can be an invasive species if planted too close—“

“Don’t!” Ominis yelled, kicking the shears away. He knelt down on the ground, his wand discarded, feeling the garden bed. “You’ve trimmed it too far back.”

The girl scoffed. “Excuse me, I know what I’m doing. Besides, if you let it overgrow, snakes can start burrowing underneath.”

“You’re disrupting them,” Ominis growled. “Leave it be!  This isn’t your garden.” He patted the ground; Noctua’s violets were gone. “What have you done with all the flowers? Where…where did you get those shears?”

He knew the girl was staring at him oddly. “I found them in the garden shed; Golly said I could use them and the apron.  Mr. Gaunt, I’m only trying to help—“

She was wearing Aunt Noctua’s apron, he realized. Her apron, her shears, her garden, all in the hands of a stranger.

“Well, stop it.” Ominis growled. “You’ve ruined it. And take that apron off, it isn’t yours.” He bellowed, perhaps louder than he should’ve been, given the late hour. He patted around the ground, trying to get a sense of the landscape.  It all felt so different, everything familiar was missing.  Noctua’s daffodils, violets, and her beloved bluebells were all gone . “What are you even doing out of bed?” Ominis barked. “It’s terribly improper for you to be out here at this hour.”

“I’m sorry,” The girl mumbled. “I could go to town, get some seedlings. It was just in such bad shape–”

“Get out,” Ominis hissed, waving her off. “Go back to the house, go back to bed, and stay out of the garden!”

She backed away. “I-I-I’m sorry. I’ll leave you.” Without his wand he couldn’t see her retreating form, but he could hear her bare feet thumping the ground as she ran. 

Ominis took a deep breath. He knew it was unkind to have yelled at her—he didn’t even know the girl.  But the garden was Noctua’s, no one else’s.  It was up to her to decide what was a weed, what was overgrown, what to take away or prune.  When Ominis was little, he only ever acted on her orders, making sure the garden was exactly to her liking.  Noctua loved her little plants, each and every one, even if they didn’t have any magical purposes. 

Life itself is magic, she once said.  

But Noctua was dead, the garden was too neatly trimmed, and the snakes didn’t have a refuge to hide in. The house no longer had Aunt Noctua’s warmth; it no longer felt like her.

Ominis stayed in the garden and wept.

[alexthesillybilly]

My Takes on Springtrap's Senses

So. Obviously being mostly robotic, his human senses would be very messed up. So here's my takes on how they work!

Touch ~ I like to think the suits' wires work somewhat like sensory nerves. When something touches the outside of the suit, he's able to feel it, but it's duller than it was when he was alive. Directly touching the wires inside the suit would elicit a more similar feeling to human touch, though still not the same.

Hearing ~ We know the suit has sound sensors due to it being programmed to walk towards sound in FNaF 3. So that's how he hears things! Loud noises will trigger him to walk towards them involuntarily.

Taste ~ Not there at all because for one thing no tongue and also he can't eat so there's not really a reason for it

Smell ~ Not really there either since the suit wouldn't have a reason for it.

Sight ~ I assume he can't quite see like he used to. The suit is able to free-roam, which I think it was able to do through high pitched noises and motion sensors, almost like echolocating, to locate close objects and avoid them. Through the power of magic I think he could see through the animatronic eyes but it's more like how you can see in a dream where you can't quite make things out right.

Idk just my take on stuff if you have ur own ideas feel free to put them in the tags or replies :P

[cursedonyx]

I keep seeing more fics and the occasional fanart popping up on my feed celebrating someone curing Ominis of his blindness, and I’ve got to say, it does bother me a tad.

While the fics and art are often depicted as very sweet and are well done, (and this isn’t a criticism of the creator’s talents at all, this fandom is one of the more wholesome and loving ones I've been part of) I personally find it to be quite distasteful, as such things are often presented as a way to “fix” Ominis or make him “better.”

Having a disability isn’t anything to be ashamed of at all, but I do understand the desire to gift Ominis with what many people take for granted. As such, as the prevalence of these fics does seem to be on the up, I thought it might be useful to explain a little about how difficult enabling him to see would actually be (assuming that we ignore the canon establishment that no magic can reverse his blindness).

It can reasonably be assumed that Ominis has complete blindness, otherwise known as No Light Perception (NLP) because if you look closely at his eyes, they’re not just clouded over, he’s got no pupils at all. If he’s been blind from birth, as has been stated in canon, then Ominis not only is totally blind, but most importantly, he would have no idea how to perceive visual information if he was granted sight.

Ominis explores the world around him through sound, touch, scent, and the use of his wand. There’s lots of ways to interpret how his wand provides this information, but I’m fairly certain it doesn’t put pictures in his head – perhaps it emits vibrations or sound, similar to echolocation, increasing in frequency if he approaches an object? It’s up for debate.

If you’ve ever seen videos of a person who was blind from birth gaining sight (there are some out there) as well as reading reports on the matter, you’ll know that a blind person who has been granted sight will not recognise an object simply by looking at it. Placing an apple in front of them, for example, they wouldn’t be able to identify it because they’ve never seen it before, and they have to touch it to confirm what it is.

It’s all rather fascinating, really.

As such, giving Ominis sight would likely leave him confused and more than a little lost – it would take him weeks, if not months to come to terms with the veritable tsunami of new information he’d have to process. It's enough to give anyone a headache. A simple does of Polyjuice Potion (that canonically can last anywhere between twenty minutes to several hours, depending on how well it’s brewed) wouldn’t enable him to process everything as if he’d been sighted for his whole life.

And then what about when it wears off? Why show someone the beauty of the world, only to take it away again?

Aside from people forgetting that “no magic can reverse” his blindness, I get the impression that Ominis, being rather proud, wouldn’t want to be “cured.” He’s already seen as a failure by his family, so I have my doubts he’d want to be seen as less than anyone else, using his blindness as a source of strength, rather than weakness.

Anyway, this is just my two cents on the matter.

[greydoesthearts]

i mentioned a little bit in my tags about this but the thoughts have been stewing around a little more so hiiiiii i would like to talk about blind!marvin :3

like i said, marvin with magical guide dog would be very very cool i think. but the thought stewed a little more and i came up with the magic that marvin learns (at least this specific version, i now have another marvin under my belt) is extremely, extremely old and admittedly quite dangerous as well if not handled with extreme caution. marvin, however, being ~19 when he discovers this magic... admittedly doesn't take the warning in the book he found that contained said magic very well. "what's the worst that could happen?" he thought.

i'll give him one thing, he wasn't entirely reckless with this new magic. but he didn't exactly heed the warning about only using it if you absolutely have to. this old magic has a give and take relationship with whoever uses it. it gives you wonderful powers, and each time you use it it takes a little something from you (this varies from user to user, in extreme cases it will literally take years off of someone's lifespan). and for marvin, it started taking his sight.

now it wasn't super alarming at first. just some slight blurry vision, nothing that glasses couldn't fix. mostly everyone gets glasses eventually, right? his best friend jackie's had glasses since he was 7, this was an average thing! ... until it started getting noticeably worse. it seemed every few months he was having to get his eyes checked, and each time his vision has decreased. it really hit when he used a spell and right after realized his vision had gotten a little darker. he probably should've heeded that warning in the book. and he wanted to stop, but he was helping so many people with this magic, how could he stop?

well... you could probably guess where it lead.

........ okay, i don't have an eloquent transition into this admittedly- but after he finally decided to mention his increasing blindness to his fellow magic users, some of them suggested getting a seeing eye familiar to help him a little more (obviously most of them were also like "hey stop using the magic", but it was kind of too little too late advice, y'know?). familiars were extremely common among magic users, and some disabled users summoned familiars specifically to be service familiars. (walking, seeing, alerting when someone's speaking to them, even some are used by users with chronic fatigue to help them cast spells :3)

and so, with the last spell that he could use with this old magic that was hurting him, he created something nice from it. a dog to help him. and sure, it was scary at first to suddenly navigate the world without sight, but now that he's gotten used to it it's simply just another part of him. he now uses his dog (who's name is storm) to cast spells if he needs to (shoutout to the idea of him using an echolocation spell, i think that's cool and i'm taking it), so he doesn't have to keep using that old magic. his life is very different now, he never thought he'd end up where he is, but honestly? he wouldn't really change it, he's happy with where things are now :3

...................... oh i should've just made this its own post oh god this is long i'm sorry uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh [skitters away]

(obviously, y'know, not blind myself, so i'll take any criticisms for this and change it, i just had a thought blurb and you were asking for disability headcanons soooooooo i just started writing and it... turned into this

uhhhhhhh for a smaller headcanon i like the headcanon of jackie being an amputee. i don't know why i don't mention it more, but i think he has a cool mechanical arm that he uses when he's out fighting :3)

Agaksgkslsh I love love love this so much. I'm also not blind (I mean, legally almost but yk glasses do help to an extent as you mentioned) but both of my parents are to varying degrees which is why blind!Marvin means so much to me (and my mom, obviously).

Magic having severe consequences in certain circumstances is such a good fucking trope. I hope you do something with this because it's very cool. No pressure. (And anyone who wants or needs help writing a blind character can feel free to ask questions!! Like I said, my mom and dad are both varying degrees, but of course they're not professionals by any means, I just know my mom would love to be included lol)

[lepoppeta]

so despite the fact that i love vox as he is i also have given myself a metaphorical headache figuring out exactly how hes supposed to WORK. hes the only non-organic character in the entirety of hell - of course nothing is done with it but it could imply so many different things.

that being said, its really awkward to write about a flat screen television trying to kiss people, so i tried my hand at turning vox into what i think he would have been if he was more animalistic like a lot of other characters - he gets to be a shark.

hes of no particular species so any kind of accuracy is coincidental. im not sure how many shark-ish attributes he would actually have, so below the cut are some brainstorming bullet points i had.

i really like voxs canon hypnotic powers via his eye(s), but iirc sharks have pretty lousy eyesight and generally navigate the world around them using smell and touch (by putting things in their mouths). whether or not he keeps the hypnotism, i think it could be fun if he was pretty near-sighted (he sees well enough to read maybe a foot away from the end of his nose but anything further than that and its a lost cause).

he hates wearing glasses because he feels like they ruin his vibe - he has a pair of perscription sunglasses because they at least look a little cooler, and also hes mildly sensitive to bright light. since he doesnt even wear those all that often, he spends a lot of time squinting, making him look shrewd and narrow-eyed purely by accident.

vox can use a form of electroperception (which is a very neat aspect of real life shark biology) by sending pulses of electricity out within a certain range and feeling what it hits and how far away it is via his magic, almost like a form of echolocation (electrolocation?) - very useful for navigating in the dark!

he has naturally-occurring bioluminescence - his eyes and at least the stripes on his tail will glow in low light.

[cruelfeline]

Because I am Totally Normal about this game and its characters, I spent the better part of my free time today considering Cuff's senses; namely, his sight.

It's occurred to me, after thinking about various dialogues and in-game situations, that I don't think he can actually see anything on his own. At least not, like, in terms of our concept of vision.

Cuff can sense things. His "compass" ability seems to work almost like a sort of echolocation, except with tiny birds instead of sound. And he appears to have some ability to sense magic, or power. He can, for example, sense the power of some of the necklaces Frey puts on and says as much. He can likewise sense the power in the Breakshards Frey collects after battle.

Actual sight, however, is different. And it's initially a little hard to pin down because, in certain circumstances, he appears very much able to see things that have no magical signature he could otherwise sense.

He can read, for one thing. At the beginning of the game, Frey cannot read Athian, but Cuff can, and so he reads things for her (while also teaching her, which I find perpetually precious!). Clearly, he is able to see with enough clarity that he's able to accurately make out Athian letters and words. He does this with generic signs and books: nothing that might have some sort of magic he could sense and decipher. It's all just plain old written script.

He can take note of various enemy characteristics, commenting positively or negatively on their appearances. He can see the paintings Frey finds on her journey and comments on them, too.

Then, of course, they're this fun example:

Essentially: Cuff appears able to visually see things when he needs to.

So! Why do I think he can't see on his own? And what, exactly, does that mean?

Well, take a dialogue like this:

Besides being deeply endearing to me, it's also quite interesting in that it appears to imply that Cuff is totally unaware of his currently very small surroundings. Frey and Cuff are in a Pilgrim's Refuge. It's a small space. There's not really anywhere for anything to hide. An enemy would be exceedingly easy to see. So why is Cuff momentarily panicked and asking Frey if there's something there?

Furthermore, why does Cuff, in various battle-related dialogues, ask Frey if they're surrounded, or how many enemies there are? A simple glance around would tell him, wouldn't it?

My personal headcanon is that Cuff sees through Frey's eyes. We know, after all, that he senses what she senses via the following:

What I believe, however, is that he only does so when he specifically focuses on the action. It's not automatic; he has to expend some effort and concentration in order to do it.

It would explain why he's able to do something like read to her: she's already looking closely at the text, and so he's able to reach through their connection and access her own sight. Same thing with something like the tower: she sees it, and he's able to briefly reach out and see it with her.

In other situations, it's simply not convenient or viable for him to look through her eyes. In sudden combat, it's quicker to ask if they're surrounded than to access her sight. It may also be a matter of... how to say... the stability of the image. If Frey is focused on reading and is looking at words on a page, her vision is more stable than if she is in battle, eyes flicking from place to place. In said battle scenario, it may be quite disorienting for Cuff to borrow her eyes, so it's easier for him to ask. Not to mention something like combat featuring much more stress and activity, hampering the concentration that may be needed for accurate sight-borrowing on very immediate notice. Especially if Cuff is more focused on, say, scanning or guarding.

In terms of the moment with the torana-teasing: I expect that, safe in a Refuge, he relaxed a bit and wasn't focused on gleaning information from Frey's vision. When he heard her supposedly opening a torana, he assumed there was an enemy immediately near and either felt he didn't have time to reach through their connection or - amusingly - was too panicked to focus enough to do so. Thus, he asks Frey if there's something there.

This is all just speculative, of course. But it makes sense to me! It offers what I feel is a reasonable explanation for why Cuff seems perfectly able to see at certain times, yet appears totally unaware of his surroundings at others.

It's also just... interesting to me. That this could be yet another way that he's so reliant on Frey. That without her, he's limited in what exactly he can sense and identify and interact with. To his perpetual frustration, I'm sure!

[hordraomin-sketches]

A turned speidek called Fergei

lore that i dumped into the server chat under the cut

His name is Fegrei and he is a Turned (meaning he willingly underwent a permanent transformation ritual) Speidek.

Speideks are keepers of the night and nature, protecting forests and keeping humanity from overtaking too much or spreading too far. There are Firstborn, Pureborn, Humanborn, Turned and Cursed speideks. >Firstborn were the first speideks ever, appearing as spirits of specific locations and geological features (like cracks in the mountains, natural shrines, rivulets, ponds and such). >Pureborn are speideks born from two speidek parents (no matter their origin). >Humanborn are speideks who have one human parent (male or female). They are always full speidek though, never really half-speideks the way half-elves are for example. >Turned are those who learned speidek culture and are allowed to undergo the turning ritual. >Cursed are, well, the ones who were enemies to speideks and discriminated against them racially. It's like turning a racist into the race they want dead. Those share markings on their body signifying their origin.

their skin is always dulled/unsaturated, and can be any of the color spectrum (but never white, gray or black).

their tails have unique spade formations, combining the forms of playing card suits, as well as other shapes (teardrops, leaves, geometric shapes et cetera). the tail is usually from two to three times their height.

their feet have an opposing thumb and claws - all Firstborn, Pureborn and Humanborn have them being really similar to those of an owl, sometimes with feathers

they have horns that merge together behind their head. this serves as a protective helmet in some situations. the merging of horns is considered a mark of maturity

speideks do not need food, water or sleep, and their comfort temperature range goes from winter blizzards to the raging blaze of a wildfire

speideks are able to hide features of their bodies such as: tail spade, claws, navel, nipples, breasts, mouth, nose, pupils, genitals, butthole. as well, all speideks are capable of assuming the "neutral essence", or "kohp foi" - a universal and impersonal shape that is one and the same for all speideks, hiding all personal appearance features, from height to skull shape and posture

speideks can:

cast strong powerword magic, like "fall" or "begone" which is very hard to resist

talk telepathically (in sight range)

see telescopically, limited only by the horizon

possess darkvision (on level with cats) and echolocation (optional skill for them to learn)

can teleport anywhere limited by a patch of grass (say, in a park square, in a triangle of grass between three roads, they could teleport anywhere within the triangle while standing on it. it looks like they get "sucked" into the grass and appear out of it again

cast other magical spells, only limited not to harm the forest

command animals, animate and command flora

absolute nature knowledge

speideks are weak to:

metal (toxic to them, wounds from it are almost always lethal)

direct sunlight (blocks teleportation abilities and covers the areas they can teleport to on the grass)

destruction spells

divine magic

Here's some extra info on speidek types, compressed:

Basically Firstborn are superior, but the cost is being fuckin' Bald.

Also, spedeks (with the exclusion of Cursed) don't age, and upon death reconnect with nature, becoming higher nature spirits.

Cursed speideks though, have their pre-speidek lifespan extended, cannot kill themselves, and can die of old age.

[that-one-i-think]

A penny for your thoughts on the Guardians and Elder Guardians?

Sorry for the late response but I got college n stuff

SO in the MCD universe there is very little know about the sea and absolutely no lore given to it SO THAT MEANS I GET TO HAVE A FIELD DAY!

One of the reasons why the ocean isn't well explored is due to the fact that there are much more dangerous creatures lying beneath. For everyone knows the tales of beautiful mermaids and selkies, but only sailors know the truth of what lies beneath. Monsters.

For those stupid enough to aspire to gain wealth from the monsters, there is no better place than a sea temple. They are full of riches from cavillations of old, with gold and magical items for those stupid enough to venture down, for it is a stupid mistake that only the bravest and the dumbest commit

Inside those temples lie guardians, giant pufferfish that roam the temples protecting it. These pufferfish are hostile on sight, rushing towards any thing they view to be an intruder in their home and using magical beams to disarm and kill. It is unknown if these creatures were placed to guard these by the rumored mermaids or killed the previous occupents in order to secure protection.

It is obvious that these guardians of the temple listen to no one except the Elder of the pod. There is only one elder per tribe and much like bees, it controls the pod through a hive mind. Using it's magical form of echolocation to reign over the others with an iron tail. Until the elder either dies or is murdered by a stronger and fully developed guardian.

[numbugwritingblog]

Welcome to the New Realm! (Chapter 3)

Previous Chapter

Index

---

03/05/2018

It was just like any other morning. Jett would wake up in his home, reach over to his desk and sort out the potions he’d have for the day. After taking a moment to read braille names, he would take the potions of speed, strength, and echolocation, as he always did.

He’d then spend a few seconds making a clicking noise, until he was sure that the potions had taken effect. With that he’d get ready for the day, changing into a clean set of clothes and eating his breakfast (Old Realm toast with some New Realm golden jam spread), before finishing up with gathering a selection of potions he may need for his job. Tracking (to track an individual through unique features, typically one’s DNA), Reverse Injuries (to heal up), Invisibility, and Teleport Sense (to sense when someone would teleport and where to) were the first four he took, as always. Though a quick check would confirm he was down to his last potion of Reverse Injuries.

That should be fine for today, right? Jett considered it briefly before putting it in his belt and continuing as normal.

With everything ready, Jett would recite the spell to teleport, focusing on the verbal version given he was safe to do so. Instantly, he was at the front of the bounty hall. The New Realm had more traditional methods of tracking criminals, but with the flexibility and power of magic it was easy for specialised witches to slip through the cracks. So bounties on them, with specialised witch hunters to track them down, were set up, and were a part of most New Realm governments (though Jett could recall that Anmacca still refused to do so).

Making his way in, as he would often do when he wasn’t already working on a bounty/taking time off, Jett would confidently stroll up towards the front reception, putting an elbow at the desk. “Hi, pretty~” He’d say with a hum to the receptionist.

“Hi Jett,” the squirrel woman said without flinching, putting a small book onto the desk. “Here’s the current bounty list.”

“Thank you,” Jett would say, taking the book and sitting on the nearest available chair. He flipped it open and put a finger on each page one at a time, the book’s enchantment letting him know of its contents without needing to read. Frankly he’d prefer braille over the strange impulse abrupt knowledge gives him, even if he can trust the methods have been tested for safety.

He would stop once he reached the one on Scythe, growing silent. This is… an interesting bounty, to say for sure.

Name: Scythe (presumed alias based on weapon of choice, real name unknown)

Gender: Cisgender female

Date of Birth: Unknown

Place of Birth: Unknown

Equipped with: Enchanted scythe

Known spells: Echolocation, enhanced senses (sight, smell, and hearing), speed, strength, and weaponry (scythe: inflicts rapid necrosis on injuries); plant growth (niche combat application if any), reverse injuries, teleportation, teleportation tracking

Combat style: Highly aggressive, relies on speed to land hits early and let necrosis finish off targets.

Appearance: Black, full body cloak; glowing red eyes. Appearance is otherwise unknown. Does not speak, but displays understanding of languages from common language spells.

Wanted for: Kidnapping (6 known cases), presumed murder (6 cases); murder (117 known cases), murder of a witch hunter (12 known cases), trespassing (6 known cases).

Reward for capture/death: 30,000 crystals.

Accept with extreme caution.

… That was a disturbing amount of kills under her belt. Despite that, she should’ve been good for Jett to take on, not many combatants even had a firearm from the Old Realm, yet alone went through the effort to enchant it and its bullets. He should be able to subdue her if he kept his distance and has his healing potion at the ready.

“‘Ey, there’s the #1 hunter!”

The short fennec fox woman approached Jett with a wide grin, peeking over to see the bounty.

Eugh, Luciana. A reminder of one of the reasons he even became a bounty hunter.

“Scythe, huh? I’m goin’ after her too, so I guess we’re competition today.”

“You can’t be serious, right?” Jett turned to face her, scowling. “She’ll slaughter you!”

“Yeah, yeah, she’s the highest bounty this week. Or, this month now that I think about it. … I think she’s even the largest bounty this year…” She stopped, putting a hand on her chin as she considered what other bounties she’d seen… She snapped herself out of her thoughts, a grin abruptly forming on her face. “I’ll be set for a while once I claim her head.”

Jett shook his head, getting to his feet. “You won’t need to worry about it. I’ll catch her. Alive.”

“Oh that’s boring!” She huffed out, turning her head to the side. “Why are you a bounty hunter if you don’t even try killing them?!”

… And that’s why she was such a reminder.

She evidently caught onto his grim demeanour, rolling her eyes. “I guess I’ll never figure out the mind of the #1 bounty hunter. What’s your secret to catching twice as many bounties as even #2?”

… Why would he tell her that most bounties hide off in the Old Realm, when hunters like her are the norm? No, she’d just endanger the people living there as well. “... Generally, people tend to fight less when their lives aren’t on the line.”

She broke out into laughter at that, falling down onto her back. “Pfft hahahah, you’re too much! Hahah!” She finally got herself under control, wiping away a tear as she sat up. “Everyone knows that if you’re bad enough to get a bounty you’re gonna be sentenced to death anyways, so why bother wasting time catching them alive?”

Jett let out a sigh, shaking his head. “When one of my bounties isn’t given the death penalty, I’ll be sure to rub it in your face.”

“Oh fuck off,” Lucianna said with a huff, turning away. “I was willing to let you tag along, but now Scythe is all mine!”

Tag along? Not in a million years.

Jett walked back to the receptionist, putting the book back onto the table. “Can you get me Scythe’s signal?”

The receptionist paused, hands clenching up. “... Alright. It is your job.”

Jett would let out a chuckle. “I know, I know, every job is one I might not come back from.”

She would force a smile, nodding. “Right, it’s just… nobody who has gone after Scythe so far has come back alive.”

“I know, I’ve read the profile,” Jett leaned on the desk as he brushed off the concerns.

“No, I mean that she’ll track teleports to finish off the job, both the witch hunter and every witness. It’s how we know of so many counts of murder on her profile.”

“...” This was concerning. But also good to know.

“Please, I want you to reconsider.”

Jett would gently place his hand on hers. “Thank you. I appreciate it, I really do. But if I refused a bounty because I was scared for my life I’d never have started.”

She would blush lightly, taking her hand away. “Oh… That is true… Sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“Don’t be,” Jett said with a hum, holding his hand out to receive the sigil to track Scythe. “It’s good to know when people care for me.” Wordlessly, she’d pass it over to Jett.

With the sigil in hand he’d teleport back home.

But he wasn’t going to rest just yet, it was still fresh in the day. He drank down the potion of tracking, the tracking sigil in the other hand, and then he waited for it to kick in.

…

Most witch hunters would be stumped at the lack of a signal being provided by now. Jett, however, knew what it meant.

He’d teleport once more, ready to track wherever she was in the Old Realm.

---

“Don’t come back until you have a new subject.”

That was the order Scythe had been given. And whether she wanted to or not, that was the order she was going to follow.

Today’s location was a small tropical resort on an island nation. As a popular tourist location, it had people from all over coming in to visit. All Scythe would have to do would be to wait for nightfall, where there’d be less witnesses. She was only waiting because she was ordered to minimise her known presence when possible. A cloaked figure such as herself was still conspicuous no matter what she did, but a long straggler or two would be quick enough to grab to make up for that.

“Hello, are you here to book a stay at our hotel?”

Scythe’s attention was taken by the woman - a receptionist, from her guess. She glared at the woman, not saying a single word. Then she’d shake her head.

“Then I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

She would let out a faint, yet deep and guttural growl. She’s going to stay whether this woman wants her to or not.

She would turn around and begin walking, still growling. She didn’t want to let this stranger tell her what to do, but she was ordered to minimise her presence. As much as she hated it.

Even outside, as the sun’s warm rays shined down on the busy streets, it would seem to fade before reaching Scythe’s face, keeping her visage cloaked in darkness.

She walked, on the lookout for anyone on their lonesome.

…

It was a few minutes when she found someone. A child, sobbing at being lost. It would be so easy, and so quick. The realisation that this might be the choice made her freeze up, not moving a step…

… Fortunately, she was not ordered to find one as quickly as possible. Only to not come back without. With this came a faint breath out, but no other external reaction from the cloaked figure.

She would keep on walking, leaving the sobbing child alone.

…

As she continued looking around, a lot of people were going around wearing sunglasses. Normally this wouldn’t be worth noting, but she’s sure that she saw one of them more than once. A lurcher who certainly wasn’t dressed up for the beach. What with his open coat flowing free.

He wasn’t looking at her, though. This might be a coincidence. Scythe then took a left turn, walking for a bit as she’d continue looking around for anyone alone. Him again.

Another left. There he was.

Another left. It was no coincidence now.

Another left put her back where she was. There was no reason for him to go a loop around the block unless he was following her. Well if he wanted to volunteer so freely, he should’ve just said so. She just needed her weapon first.

She would keep walking, feigning ignorance until she saw a turn into an alleyway. Instantly taking it, she would vanish the moment she was out of sight.

-

Jett stopped at the turn into the alleyway. Scythe was gone. He casted a teleport tracking spell, and just as he figured she had teleported. Back to the New Realm? But why? Following her through was an easy trap, so Jett waited, hand near his gun.

A faint scrape of metal served as his warning, Jett leapt up to the rooftop as a claw grabbed the air he occupied a second earlier, Scythe’s sneak attack barely failing. Jett whipped out his gun just as she whipped out her scythe with a loud screech.

Before even landing Jett swiftly casted a teleport spell, landing in the middle of an empty field over in the New Realm. Immediately he began backing up, weapon at the ready. She was going to follow in 3, 2, 1…

…

Maybe a few seconds off, but his prediction was otherwise spot on as she appeared in the field as well. To which Jett fired off a single bullet.

Kaching!

… What?! She wasn’t even facing him, and yet she had just contorted her body just for her scythe to deflect the bullet back at him. He nearly tumbled from dodging the shot, and was certainly not ready for her launch forward. With a burst of searing pain through his leg he knew that he hadn’t backed away in time - despite that (or perhaps because of it), he immediately kicked forwards, feeling a heavy thud as his foot connected.

Jett didn’t even stop to check the wound, taking out his healing potion and taking a swig immediately, before the necrosis could set in. Even before the wound finished healing Jett fired out his gun at full automatic - only for the bullets to be deflected back at him one by one, her body - especially her weapon - moving at blistering speeds.

Taking quite a few shots as a result, Jett bared his teeth through the sharp pain and the bleeding wounds.

Deflecting bullets. One singular spell that wasn’t on her profile was enough to ruin the planning he did. He couldn’t just escape, she would follow him and finish the job.

… Unless…

But first he needed a moment to cast the spell. He was on his knees, vulnerable, Scythe would absolutely predict he’d flee from her.

Instead, Jett charged forwards, getting ahead of her weapon’s overhead swing and tackling her. He dodged out of the way of the scythe’s return swing, immediately casting the teleport spell in front of her.

Open fields replaced with an open sky, a blue ocean right below, Jett steadied his breathing, fumbling for his potion to drink some more (a prospect made more difficult with his freefall). He managed to take a swig, bottling up what he could before taking a deep breath.

Landing in the cold waters, Jett steadied himself. Jett would keep himself still as he waited for his weapon’s aim to take effect.  Once he felt his arm abruptly jerk forward, gun perfectly steady, did he know Scythe had followed after him.

Even then he wouldn’t fire yet, keeping himself steady until he heard a splash, as Scythe landed in after him. Some flailing made it clear she wasn’t expecting this sudden dip, and with that Jett fired from below.

He was still struck with bullets in kind. But, just as he predicted, the extra weight the water imposed lead to some bullets hitting her. So he kept on firing, bearing the pain and the salt water. Until his aim stopped. He resurfaced and took a deep breath of fresh air, before he frantically tracked where the teleport led.

Then he went back home instead, soaked and panting.

Taking the last of his potion, Jett felt the pain vanish as his wounds spat out the salt water before closing themselves up.

Okay. Good news, he wasn’t dead, and he knew one more spell she had access to. Bad news, he was out of healing potions, and he was freezing cold.

Okay. Warm up, dry off. Then he could plan.

---

04/05/2018

Jett was ready to continue, having drunk an extra potion on top of that. An instinctive dodge potion, so that he’d be able to dodge his own bullets as well. Not often he needed one of those.

… He still lacked a healing potion.

…

No, he should be fine. If he’s fast enough to dodge bullets he’d be fast enough to dodge her scythe. Besides, she should still be recovering after repeatedly getting shot in the cold ocean.

With some help of a map maker, he managed to pinpoint Scythe’s new location to be in the middle of an old, abandoned prison in the New Realm. And that meant he should be good to teleport nearby and find an opening.

He teleported, ready to take her down once and for all.

---

“She doesn’t want to go back home until her name’s back to normal.” Jett finished explaining his perspective to Grace, from first going on this mission to finding and saving Sal, and everything that had happened since then. “And that should be everything.”

“Jett, dear,” Grace shook her head. “Don’t ever go on a witch hunt without a healing potion. Please.”

Jett let out a sigh. “What? It worked out fine enough, I managed to save Sal here thanks to that, right?”

Silence.

“... Sal?”

“She’s asleep,” Grace explained. “I’m not surprised, with how much has gone on.” She stood up, grabbing a blanket and gently laying it down on Sal, who would instinctively cuddle up to the blanket.

With that Jett stood up, reaching over to grab a walking stick (left just for his visits in the Old Realm). “Do you have her, then?”

“Excuse me?” Grace asked aloud, turning back to him.

“I need to restock and then go after them.” He hadn’t even reached the door before feeling a firm hand against his shoulder.

“You should get some rest too,” Grace insisted.

Jett - gently - forced the hand off of his shoulder, turning back to Grace. “I can’t. The Final Spell isn’t some ordinary spell.”

“Then what sort of spell is it?” Grace asked, moving around until she was in front of him.

“Nobody knows what it does, but it is known as a spell that’s so powerful you would never need to learn another spell again, and one that was feared to end the world. They cannot get their hands on such a spell. I need to stop them as soon as possible.”

“Then you can at least wait for me to prepare some potions, can’t you?”

“I guess…”

“Great! I’ll get started now, but I want you to get at least some time off. Then you can go, and I’ll keep an eye on Sal here.”

Jett let out a sigh, taking a seat back on the chair. He leaned over to the radio, flicking it on to check what channels were on.

---

Valentine was furious. Scythe had personally killed countless witch hunters on their trail, and yet she couldn’t handle one who relied on some Old Realm weapon. But there was no need to dwell on that, to Scythe’s benefit.

After all, she’d die by that very weapon in the vision. This Jett must’ve had some clear strengths to achieve that.

More importantly, the Final Spell. She’d have her hands on it. Ultimate, unstoppable power would be within her grasp.

So instead of punishing failure, Valentine stood in complete darkness, the only light present being the small, dimly lit orb in the middle of the room. Valentine put a hand on top, funnelling arcane energy directly into it to charge it up. Tracing her claw slowly, carefully, deliberately. “I named her Calamity. She has escaped from me. I need you to find her, and show her to me.”

She then pushed her index finger down onto the very top, the faint glow coming to life as it showed some type of city. From the layout Valentine recognised it as Old Realm architecture.

She pushed her index finger down further, and it focused from that city down to a rather large singular building. One sign naming it as an orphanage. “Hiding amongst children? Poetic.” She pushed her index finger down further, the orb starting to crack from her claw piercing the shell. With that, it would show Sal asleep in the room, Jett sitting down next to her.

Then the orb cracked open, the vision vanishing instantly as her hand sunk in abruptly. She slowly pulled her hand back out, completely unharmed amongst the broken shards of glass.

“This is perfect.” Valentine turned to the darkness behind her. “Change of plans. Scythe, you are to follow us in our next step. The hunter is after you, if he takes the bait we’ll be able to get our newest recruit back without competition and kill the only one of them that is worth considering as a threat.

If not… We’ll get closer to the Final Spell without resistance.”

Scythe let out a low growl from within the shadows to indicate her approval.

“Ouroboros.”

“Yes, mistress?” a new, feminine voice spoke out from the darkness in a distinctly formal tone.

“When we leave, either bring her back… or kill her. We cannot have a loose factor that can see the future against our wishes.”

“Very well.”

Valentine let out a wide grin, her canine teeth illuminated off the only light they were getting. Then, that one little light went out, seeping into complete darkness.

---

Next Chapter

[riften-rogue]

Taliesin commented on the aurora twice tonight, admiring it greatly. Sadly, Lilywen is blind (low vision, not complete) and can only just barely see some of the colors lighting up the sky.

More on her blindness under the cut!

She's been able to hone her magic skills to compensate and sort of... echolocate with magic. She sends out a very slight aura of magic all around her and can sense everything that "touches" the magic. This is very helpful when exploring dungeons and uneven terrain, but unnecessary when navigating a familiar location like the college.

Her family didn't teach her to read or write, as they saw it as a lost cause for their blind daughter. The teachers at the college and Taliesin are helping her learn.

These are some simulations of what some people might see with low vision, and it's how I imagine Lilywen's sight to be, but worse. Her vision would be darker and cloudier than these examples. Ty to Perkins School for the Blind for these examples!

[laxyaklovesloz]

The Legend of Zelda: Real Courage | Chapter Three: The Water Dungeon

The journey to Lake Hylia was uneventful. They had arrived at the lake, a vast pool of water a deeper blue than the sky. She marveled at the sight; she had never seen anything so huge nor so bright. Leaving the desert for Hyrule Field was one thing, with the yellow sand giving way to richly green grass. Now, though, a whole new world lay in front of her.

The lake was nestled among a set of mountains. They were brown and green, quite unlike the black peaks surrounding the desert. A few islands dotted the lake, as well as something that looked like a viewing platform grown right out of the rock. A waterfall flowed in from the east, and a tributary took water out to the south.

Lila regained her senses and asked, “Now, Mori, where do we go?"

The keese flew off to the northern side of the lake. "It's hidden in a cavern over here."

Lila hurried to keep up with him. "A cavern?" she asked. "Okay, you know best." He led her to the edge of a marsh. Across the swamp, set right into the rock wall of the mountain, was the cavern she sought. "I just need to cross this marsh, right?"

Mori bobbed up and down. "Exactly."

"Okay. Good thing I have boots." Lila started carefully picking her way through the muck. Bugs swarmed around her, probably checking to see if she was food. A few even bit her, and she slapped them away.

"Blasted things," she muttered.

Inside the cavern, the cave walls were slick with dripping water. The downward-sloping ground was bumpy with rocks and things, but at least it didn't pull her feet in like the marsh had. The light was quickly swallowed by darkness, and all Lila could see in front of her was black.

"This way, Lila," Mori prompted. "Not afraid of the dark, are you?"

"Of course not!" she retorted. "I just like to see where I'm going. This might be a little difficult if I keep stumbling on rocks."

"I don't know what your problem is," Mori joked.

"That's because you have that sound thingy that lets you see in the dark."

"It's called echolocation, deary."

"Don't act all superior just because you know a big word!" Lila waved a fist at the keese, but he flapped quickly to get out of her reach. "Do you know of something to light the way?"

Mori thought for a moment. "There's a torch a little further in. No need to get mad." He made a giggling sound.

"You're just messing with me!"

"No, I wouldn't do that to you."

Lila continued blindly into the mountain, hoping she would recognize the lantern when she got to it. Her eyes were adjusting to the darkness, so it wasn't as bad. After a few seconds, the keese flew to an object on the ground.

"Here it is," he said.

Lila knelt to examine the object. It was made from bronze, but it had been tarnished from the years of resting in the cave. She gingerly lifted it from the dirt floor. "This thing isn't enchanted, is it?"

"No. What put that silly notion in your head?"

Lila closed her eyes to contain her anger. "Lady Ganondra said you had the ability to find magical objects."

"That doesn't mean every object I show you is enchanted."

"Whatever. How do I light it?"

"You're so dependent! How will you get on in the world if you keep asking me for the answers?"

"Just give me a straight answer for once!" Lila pulled her sword out and slashed at her companion, who flew away again.

"There's probably a torch ahead," he said frantically. "I'll go look!"

And he was gone. Lila slowly sheathed her sword again, straining to regain control.

"Are you coming?"

"Yeah." She continued down the tunnel. Eventually, she saw a dim light ahead, slowly growing larger. The tunnel was getting wider and wider until finally, she couldn't see the walls or ceiling anymore. The only thing she saw was Mori circling a single torch, as though he had found the greatest treasure in the world.

"See, told ya'."

Lila held the lantern up to the light, trying to understand it better. She moved it closer to the flame, and suddenly it sprang to life.

"Woah!" she exclaimed and almost dropped it. "You said this wasn't enchanted!"

"It's not. The oil must have lit. Or wick. I never really understood lanterns."

"That makes two of us," Lila said. "Well, might as well explore this place, right?"

"Yeah," Mori agreed. "I can sense something in this direction."

He flew off to the right and Lila hurried to follow him. The lantern didn't give much light, but there was enough that she was able to keep from falling. Every now and then she passed an unlit torch and waved her lantern near it. Soon the whole right side of the cavern was lit.

"Wait a moment, Mori," she said, examining the room. The edge, which Lila had been following, was about wide enough for a carriage to pass safely through. Inside it was a moat, just as wide. Then in the center, larger than both the ledge and water was a sparkling blue castle.

"What is this?" she asked. She had never seen anything like it.

"I'm not certain," Mori replied. "It could be the realm of the Zoras, but I thought they were further east."

"Don't tell me there will be fish people here," Lila muttered, looking into the water. It flowed slowly away from the cave's entrance, but she could see nothing beyond the surface. She touched the water experimentally. "It's cold!"

"Hm. That would explain the ice."

"That castle is made out of ice?"

"It appears that way. Let's move on. The sooner we get the chainmail the better."

"Agreed. Let me just finish lighting the torches."

Mori asked, "What for? I thought you weren't afraid of the dark."

"I'm not. I just want to get a better look." She continued along the path. It led to a bridge over the flowing water, which continued into a gaping hole. It sounded like there was a waterfall there. She decided it best to not fall into the water. She crossed the bridge and kept lighting torches. Soon she was back at the entrance, and she could see almost everything at about her height. She examined the castle a little longer, a little smile playing on her lips.

"What?"

"I'm just thinking," Lila replied dreamily. "Doesn't this castle look wonderful? Look at how it sparkles."

Mori stared at her. He couldn't believe he heard her say that.

When Lila realized he had gone silent, it was her turn to ask, "What?"

"Um, nothing. I didn’t know you were... sentimental."

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing. Doesn't matter. Let's just continue."

Lila glared at him. "Are you making fun of me?"

"This time, I'm not," he answered simply. She didn't quite know what to make of that, so she just decided to follow him to their initial destination.

Next to the castle entrance was a small wooden chest. Curious, Lila opened it without hesitation. Inside was a red rupee.

“Yes, twenty rupees!”

"Why do you get all the money?" Mori complained.

"Because I'm doing all the work. I lit those torches, remember? That’s got to count for something.”

“Yeah, sure. Such hard work.”

“Let’s just get inside.”

[rosebudpotion]

First day, how did he manage to sneak his way into becoming a teacher at this school was beyond him. Being able to charm and swindle various wizards to get here, all for the sake of power, of forever curing his one weakness, sunlight. He had mastered a spell that allowed him to survive its deadly rays at the cost of suppressing his vampiric powers but he wanted more so much more. This school was the only way, he would gather information and find a way to completely rid himself of this weakness. Now he just had to wait, a teacher’s aid was supposed to show him the way around, hopefully she would get here soon.

🌹Taking on extra hands at the school wasn't uncommon. Whatever made ends meet and in this ever-growing world of magic, it helped. Dumbledore had said something about his aid in the occult classes, did he think that the Dark Arts really needed up?

She shouldn't question the headmaster after all he'd brought her here as well. The brunette didn't know what to expect from the man she was about to meet but one thing was for sure, neither were expecting the type of people one another was.

Rosealine was blind, her eyes couldn't even take in shades of shadows like others in her family before her. Maybe that's why the headmaster had assigned her to the new professor, there was no way to use normal vampiric tricks on her.

That and her magical sight gave her a good idea of what magic he held. Everyone had a magical signature, those of the occult nature more so than witches and wizards. Wand in one hand and the other at her side Rose made her way into the empty classroom that Dio was asked to wait in.

Compared to the mounting blonde Rose was a small woman, who was barely even 5'5". Petite, soft pale skin and always dressed in nice green dress shirts or dresses; business formal. Brunette curls tumbled down her shoulders and past the back of her knees, all pinned just so for her doll-like appearance.

"Professor Brando?" Soft tones as she crossed the room to him, he could see a small red blip off the end of her wand. Echolocation to the none living objects in the room, a thing his race would understand.

There was a moment where Dio could tell she was looking at him in question before putting a dainty hand out. " Professor Roseline Remington." She'd gotten so used to hiding her true sir name nowadays, the pureblood running threw her veins had caused her so much trouble. Hiding what one was would be another thing the two shared. 🌹

[gori--demora--skellydemora]

Gori: "Wanna know a neat trick Killer? I'm kinda like a bat... We use sound, echolocation, and or vibrations to see in extremely dark places. But in my case I can see and hear your heart or soul beat, in which in itself is like x-ray vision but in the dark. So much like blood flow to a human I can see small bits of light or magic coursing through your bones. For blind folk they use the sounds around them or the vibrations in or on the ground to see, which can be a huge advantage against those with the disadvantages of still having sight but unable to see."

((She can see in the day but has extremely excellent night vision in the dark))

Gori: *Appears out of a random portal that I made surprising the bunch, except Horror who is a good friend of mine.*

"Greetings... Also, do you mind if I linger here for a bit? Hiding from monster hunters for the time being. Also, nice castle and or mansion Nightmare."

Nightmare: thanks also uh I guess just be with killer all times he will watch you

[kalu-luwa]

ever in your favor pt.1

a.k.a a twisted wonderland hunger games fanfic, featuring mostly everyone from here and especially sasha (@simpingseafood's oc)

based off of @tunabesimpin's​ hunger games event (link here, same as previous link lmao)

THIS IS A PROLOGUE TYPE OF THING I’LL ADD MORE LATER

cw/tw: OOC for many characters (sasha and canon characters included, sorry), violence, gore, swearing, mentions of alcohol, i’ll keep adding as i go along

(under the cut for dash length)

If there was any god out there, Nephtali was sure they hated them. 

Why else would they be sent as tribute to be killed in the name of entertainment?

It was a little too late for the fisher to complain however, as they stood before the Cornucopia. Any second now, and the gun would fire. Any second now, and the madness begins.

Any second now, and their fate would be sealed.

-

What did Neph even do to get here? The career tributes might’ve been a better choice. Hell, as far as they know, they probably weren't even on the census. Life in Panem meant a life of strict social castes and a large wealth gap. District 4 was no exception, with Neph being one of the unfortunate many.

Alas, not even poverty could keep them out of the Games. Nor their lack of sight, for that matter.

Their fellow tribute was, to them, one of the middle-class. A tall man with a lanky figure, who called himself 'Sasha'.

A wonderful name, Nephtali thought as they shook hands, defender of mankind.

But they didn't trust him immediately. Just because he was the District's other tribute didn't mean they were friends. What if he had something else to gain from this? Would he betray them for his own reasons? 

Would they get hurt if they trusted him?

-

The key to winning this, Neph concluded, was to keep the both of them alive for as long as possible. They were still on uncharted territory when it came to Sasha, but that was a can of worms they would open another time.

Right now, it was time for the sponsors to pick their favored tribute.

All these tributes had their own unique ability. Some of them could even control magic. One of them could turn anything into sand, so they heard. Another could shapeshift into a catfish. Everything was teeming with magic in one way or another. 

Everything, everyone, but them. 

Magic was valuable, highly sought after, a luxury only few could afford and a power less could reliably wield. Of course they wouldn't have any of those, what would they even do with it? 

Sasha was missing. Or, at least, Neph couldn't hear him nearby. Maybe he was finished for the day? But Neph wanted to maximize their chances of winning. If they could get even one sponsor, their chances of winning would increase… not like they were particularly lucky in the first place. But what could they do?

Their greatest asset was probably their hearing. Echolocation works wonders when your eyes are decommissioned. Maybe even their spatial awareness. Quick thinking? Rapid reflexes?

"Oi, herbivore, are you just gonna sit there?" A gruff voice called out to them, stalking its way towards them. "'Cause if you are, then move over."

The voice… it sounded like one of the District 2 tributes. Maybe the lion man, the one who could disintegrate whatever he touched. That made sense; the wealthy District 2 was known for its strength and masonry. 

"Are you even listening, or are you just deaf?" They snapped out of their stupor, lifting their head to where they thought the voice came from.

"Apologies, I was… just thinking about things,” they hastily stood up, dusting off their shirt. “I’m not- I can’t see very well. I didn’t notice you.”

“A blind tribute…?” The lion man chuckled, flopping down where Neph used to be. “Heh, how pitiful.”

“... excuse me?”

“You heard me.” He yawned, rolling over to stare at the fisher, “This is a game to the death. Herbivores like you… well, they don’t last very long.”

There was truth to his words. Truly, he was right… but goddamn, did Neph want to wipe the floor with his ass. “We’ll see about that.”

There was no point in garnering enemies this early on.

-

The rest of it went by in a blur. The sponsorships, the training sessions, the tribute interviews… All that really mattered to them was getting out of this shithole alive. See their family again. Run away from Panem… if that was even achievable. Sasha had come up with a plan, apparently, during his small disappearance earlier on.

Keep each other alive for as long as possible. Avoid the others as much as you can. Take only the bare essentials. Don’t ever get separated.

Today was their last training session before the games. Everyone was on high alert, suspicious of anything that even looked their way. The District 4 tributes were in their own corner, building strength and shaking their nerves off as best as they could. Sasha was still discussing their plan, his hushed voice keeping Nephtali tethered to reality.

“-and if we do this right, then we’ll be able to make it to the final day,” he finished, grunting as he completed a pull-up, “So, whaddya say, Neph?”

…

“Neph?”

“How do I know I can trust you?” The fisher blurted out, cross-legged on the floor.

“Huh?”

“How do I know you won’t betray me? String me along for the ride then kill me at the last minute?” They turned to face him, brows furrowed and eyes sharpened. “How do I know I’m not just a pawn in your game of 4D chess?”

The other tribute sighed. “You’re asking a very difficult question, Neph.”

“I’m still waiting on my answer.”

“Okay, okay, fine. How about this,” Sasha leapt down from the bars, hands on his hips, "When it's just the two of us left, we can force the Capitol to elect both of us as winners."

"What? That's impossible, no one's ever heard of two victors."

“We'll be the first,” there's an odd lilt to his tone, like he was planning something. “This is just a gameshow to the Capitol, we’re just here for entertainment. We’re only kept alive if we’re pleasing them, so if we play into their favor and keep away from the others, we’ll be fine.”

“What if they make us fight each other? What then?”

“Ever heard of Katniss and Peeta?”