#lloyd’s has that carved bit

[cable-salamdr]

WAIT I JUST REALIZED

They both have a dadao (the sword)!!!!!!

[ohbueckers]

#⃝ HEART OF A WOMAN MASTERLIST. only thing that’s saving you is the heart of a woman. 〔 includes part links & all extras. 〕

ju speaks. 🙈🙈🙈 NEW FICCCCC & ITS SPARKS P (and toxic...) also new layout i think i like the smaller text more? i figured tcptg will take me a bit because it’s more of a slowburn, so i wanted to have something more fun and less challenging to write for me while i continue that. i have more of a layout for this so i should be able to get parts out quicker but sometimes life gets in the way so no promises. player p here i commmme, i’ve gotten a few requests for something like this so hopefully i can incorporate all of you guys’ ideas! ennnnjoy.

summary. paige and nailea “nai” have always been messy. since highschool, their relationship has been complicated by distance, other people, and paige’s habit of keeping nai at arm’s length. now, with paige in the wnba and nai carving her own path in la’s sports world, they’re back in each other’s lives, struggling to stay away despite knowing better. some ties are hard to break, even when they hurt.

warnings. incorporated before every chapter. specifically sexual content, language, toxicity, angst, cheating, substance use, drinking, etc…

playlist. heart of a woman, summer walker. / and this is just the intro, tory lanez. / drew a picasso, drake. / everything, kehlani. / come thru, drake. / blame game, kanye west. / hate sleeping alone, drake. / east liberty, partynextdoor. / still yours, bryson tiller. / freudian, daniel caesar. / player’s prayer, lloyd. / stretch you out, summer walker. / love me harder, ariana grande. / love language, sza & more.

chapters. all parts linked here!

00. and this is just the intro.

01. old sparks.

02. if i call, you gon’ answer?

03. come through.

04. one in the same / blame game.

05. you better start thinking.

06. somebody else’s girl (you were mine first).

07. we could quit delaying.

08. pick your poison, babe.

09. you win.

10. the reset button.

subject to change!

[medievalandfantasymelee]

THE HOT MEDIEVAL & FANTASY MEN MELEE

FIRST ROUND: 42nd Tilt

Will Scarlett, BBC’s Robin Hood (2006-2009) VS. Francesco de Pazzi, Medici (2016-2019)

Propaganda

Will Scarlett, BBC’s Robin Hood (2006-2009) Portrayed by: Harry Lloyd Defeated Opponents: - George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence [David Oakes], The White Queen (2013)

“YOU know Harry Lloyd as Viserys Targaryen and Every Other Shitheel in Every British-cast Show Ever, but I will forever know him as Mr. Herbert pocket in Great Expectations, and as Will Scarlett--both of whom stand as testament to the fact that Harry Lloyd can play characters that aren't shit-rags every once in a damn while. And OKAY, so he doesn't necessarily live up to the legacy of the "gaily feathered bird" like other Will Scarletts, but he's got OTHER virtues. He's SMART. He's PRETTY. He's got a little bit of the BROODING. He's got the knowing of woodcrafts: he can get you in and out of anywhere you wanna go and he can carve you things. He's a voice of reason, he has a plan when Robin doesn’t, and a dry wit--maybe a stick in the mud sometimes, but that's O-KAY, he's CUTEEE.”

Francesco de Pazzi, Medici (2016-2019) Portrayed by: Matteo Martari Defeated Opponents: - Geoffrey Chaucer [Pier Paolo Pasolini], The Canterbury Tales (1972)

“My problematic blorbo. My little meow meow. He did nothing wrong and then he did everything wrong and he's an idiot and I adore him. He gets a redemption arc and then an anti-redemption arc. He is sweet and he is lost, and he is cute, and he is hot, and he is angry, and he is scared and have I mentioned he's hot? Because he is!!! He has the kind of chiseled face that not even STATUES get to have!! And those eyes!!! And that hair!!! I will treasure him forever.”

Additional Propaganda Under the Cut

Additional Propaganda

For Will Scarlett:

For Francesco de Pazzi:

“The brooding bad boy of my dreams. He has cheekbones that could slice skin and very, very nice hair. And his HANDS? Let's just say... I am Looking™”

[jeannereames]

hello dr. reames! I've been wondering if you have some sources you can recommend on fashion and clothing in alexander's empire. greek clothing is a little easier to find, and military dress is decently enough documented, but I was wondering if you know of anything that would talk about the clothing in all the different provinces of persia and possibly cover more than nobility/royalty. image search results are a little lacking on this - many are either not described or the credibility is suspect, not to mention the influences of orientalism. do we have any legit documentation? were there any restrictions in who could wear what? how did the servants and working class dress? how different was clothing in the heart of the empire to, say, the easternmost provinces? how did persians influence dress in the greek city-states they ruled? that sort of thing.

Unfortunately, there aren't many recent books on this. Harry Thurston Peck did a lot of things in the late 1800s, and there are some others from the early 1900s, when there seemed to be a boom of interest, and not just in Greece and Rome. Textiles were a thing, but more in an "oriental exotica" way. There are also nationalist sites that sometimes elide when things started, to intentionally push back the advent of certain clothing trends. Some years back, I was told about a billboard in Tehran showing stone carvings from Persepolis of people wearing the face veil, meant to make modern veiling more palatable for women. Problem: the figures they were showing as "women" were actually MEN. Veiling in the ancient world had a different purpose (namely, the expression of power: I can see you but you can't see me). So there's that sort of thing to beware of. As well as just uncareful research. I've also spotted mention of "lemons" in Achaemenid cooking. Er, no. Citrons yes, lemons no.

Probably the best recent book for Greece is Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones's Aphrodite's Tortoise: the Veiled Women of Ancient Greece. But as the title suggests, it's almost exclusively about women. Fun fact, Lloyd was one of Oliver Stone's advisors on Alexander, at least for clothing. So most of what you see there is pretty accurate, except for whatever the hell that was Angelina Jolie wore as Olympias...because (I've been told) she refused to wear what Lloyd told her to wear. 🙄

Anyway, as you mention, military is easier to find. For others reading, I'll link to the Osprey series on military history that often includes illustrations that give some idea of clothing, but it's military specific. My other complaint is that they're a little too inclined to give the suggestion of "uniforms" in a modern sense, although maybe they've improved on that in recent years.

Harvard has a pretty good website (with long bibliography) about ancient Greek weaving, which would, of course, include a little about making clothing. And there's material on daily life--which includes clothing--in various collections of that sort. Robert Garland has a good one I use in class. But again...Greece.

The Getty has a website with pictures of Persian material from their own collection, but I saw nothing there about clothes.

For Persia...yeah, there's not a lot that I know of, alas. Again Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones might be the best name to chase, as he does both clothing and Persia. You could even email him and ask if he can recommend some material--probably going to be in article form. And it might be in German. A fair bit of good research on the ANE is in German. I just don't know what's out there on clothes, specifically. But he's probably the most likely to.

I do recall an article by Olbrycht that includes, inter alia, a discussion of what pieces of Persian royal wear Alexander adopted. But that's obviously royal, and probably not much help.

That's the best help I can offer. I'm sorry!

Perhaps other people know of reputable sources and can either reply with them or repost with them.

[richea]

I've been thinking a lot lately about the concept of "paths" in Symphonia and how it impacts each of the characters, so I wanted to talk about this a little bit. It's such a big theme of the game and it's pretty interesting just how much the narrative hinges on it, with Mithos' final line talking about how he would never sway from his.

Leaving this under the cut because it's long.

Lloyd: His path is something that he carves with his heart and resolve. It is resolute but not to the point where he would make sacrifices to reach his destination. Essentially, he sets a destination but is willing to take detours if the situation calls for it. When there's a split in the road and when he must make a choice, he will forge a new path if he doesn't like either option. The path he paves can be a form of salvation to those who are lost and cannot find their own.

Colette: Colette's path was set in stone from the minute she was born. It is something unavoidable. Even should she lose herself, she must take each and every painful step down it. While it's a beacon of hope to others, it is one many would turn around and run away from at any cost, should they know what lies at the end of it. It is stained in the blood of those passed but at the end of it, Colette hopes to find peace.

Genis: There are many branching paths on his road. Some lead to Mithos and some lead to Lloyd. Perhaps in a different world, he would have his own, drowned in tears and loneliness, spiraling in various uncontrolled directions, but thankfully, the beacon known as Lloyd's helps prove he's going in the right direction.

Raine: Of everyone in the game I would argue Raine has the most agency in her own path. Of course her mother placed her on the road she walks, but from there, Raine paved her own way. She takes guidance when necessary, but ultimately she trusts herself enough to do what she believes is right with the things that she has learned. Rather, she has to be the one to carve her own path. Not only is she doing so for herself, but for her brother too. For all of the people who trust her. She is a role model, but not without her own struggles.

Sheena: This path has many branching points but there are pressures that set her down in certain directions. It's one not unlike Lloyd's, though the expectations placed on her decisions are far greater. When it comes down to it, no matter how resolute she may feel, she never fears running down a different path if the situation calls for it. If her emotions are screaming to her that "this isn't right". Perhaps some may call her a coward, but is there any such thing as a wrong walk of life?

Zelos: What Zelos wants is change. He is being pulled in different directions. He cannot decide whether to go with his gut, or to listen to his friends, or to follow his fate. That is not an easy choice to make. All he knows is he wants change. He wants to break the status quo no matter what, and if that means going down the dark path, so be it. But, like Sheena, is there any such thing as a wrong path to take. No matter which road he goes down, there are people who are going to resent him. That is the price he must pay for being alive. Or so he believes.

Presea: This path started with many, many branches, but tapered into one, stagnant, incredibly dull route. There were no other options for her but to keep pressing down it in hopes that eventually, maybe, there would be something at the end. It was not due to her resolve, but rather a lack of direction. A lack of agency. If you don't like the path life hands you, why not find a new one? This was an ability that had been robbed from her. Cold, steel gates were put up around the path, after all. However, perhaps at some point, she would―with her excellent strength and crafting skills―forge a new one for herself after coming to her own conclusion of where it should lead to next.

Regal: Like Presea, this path had many options at the start, but Regal himself put up a wall to block it off. Why would he do this? Surely there is no need to? It was because he wanted to trap himself within the path he had already taken. Should he press forward would mean presenting himself with new options, and new opportunities to forget. He wanted the blood behind him to seep into his very skin. He wanted it to always be in sight. He did not feel he deserved to press down the path further out of risk of losing sight of it.

Kratos: Kratos has no path. He lives in an aimless existence, only looking to tread down the paths others have long paved. Like Genis, he looks to Mithos and Lloyd's as beacons. However, unlike Genis there was a time where the only path he knew of was Mithos', despite the horrors that he could see strung along it. There was a brief period of time where he discovered Anna's, but it unfortunately reached a dead end. Where else could he go, but of the place he had known prior? Where could a man with no path of his own belong if not to the one he knew of horrors?

Yuan: It feels as if he's reached a point in his life where he rejects the idea of having a path at all. He's almost going through the motions. Rather, he's trying to roadblock off other paths. His own does not lead to anything that personally benefits him but he does not care. He believes he's lived for too long. If anything, he wishes he could go back and take a different path than the one he did. To start over. To not abandon Mithos in his time of need. However those are merely pointless thought exercises at this state. The road he is on is firm and there is no deviating from it. He will get his hands dirty in whatever means necessary to reach the end of it.

Mithos: His path is resolute. It is blood stained. If you look back, you may squint and see some flowers budding around it, but looking forward all you can see is a heap of bodies. Despite this, he stomps down the path, fist clenched in his hand. If there are any branching points, he kicks over them with dirt. While it is adjacent to Lloyd's the two will never touch. There is a fork that extends in its direction, but nothing will make him waver enough to tread it.

[asmolguy]

Gonna make a list of characters that are so painfully little coded everything in my brain just goes “baby” whenever I watch them. Plus one caregiver. (And one real dude which feels kinda rude since he’s just like. A guy. Living his life. So you can ignore that one. But I wanted to point it out.)

Lloyd from Lego ninjago. Dude. Canon family trauma + canon forced to end his childhood early. Prime agere material. There are so many good fics of little Lloyd just littling. He’s tiny boi. So baby. So perfect.

Cole from Lego ninjago. He is. So caregiver built. I think it hurts to watch sometimes. So gentle so sweet. Get this man a child or a little or something to care for I swear. He just needs to parent. It’s in his blood and carved into his bones.

Branch from trolls. Ya’ll did you watch movie 3? The family trauma times two. The way he uses a pacifier to lock in. Someone was straight up weaving that into the fabric of his being as a character. He’s not little coded he’s little written. Plus in the show he has a little stuffie named Croco and I love that for him. There’s also some good agere Branch fics, but not enough. I need more. Pwease. He is so smol and so grumpy just everyone write him as the baby boi he deserves to be I beg.

Spider-Man but specifically for ultimate Spider-Man (btw if anyone’s looking for good regression shows and you fall around like 5-10 it’s a very good show because it’s long and has a good mix of humor and that show is my jam dude when I’m big and little). But anyone. Ultimate Spider-Mans Spider-Man is so stressed all of the time. He is just a teen. And he’s handling so many unruly teens. And in the later seasons when he’s handling the entirety of shield while being worried about nova. Give the boy a break and let someone take care of him. He’s both little and caregiver coded btw. I adore the fics where everyone calls him daddy longlegs because that is straight up what the last season is. Just him being a father to all these troubled ass powered teenagers while being so troubled himself. But then he’s also so little. He pouts and needs so much love and he’s scared all of the time and he is traumatized and then that one ep where that got turned into those weird chibi things the show tried to convince us were children I want to believe awakened something in him and he is now little sometimes.

Ian Hecox. Listen. I am aware that he is just a dude. Like a real guy. Who cannot be coded because he just exists. But I see. So much of myself in him. It kind of makes a part of my heart hurt that no one like every really seriously criticizes his more childish behavior (even for the bit on a YouTube video) because it makes me feel better about the small ways I slip in public or with my friends sometimes. There’s literally “everyone babying Ian hecox” comps online. His habit of saying scawed or newvous is unironically a blessing and curse since now all my friends who also watch Smosh do it so it’s not weird if I do it but then sometimes I have to pause and be like “is this for the bit or am I slipping right now. Both? Neither?” That one tntl (#91) where they did the blind pairs (btw one of the funniest ones ever in my opinion absolute hall of famer, the fish one, burning the pool, m’lei, all incredible bits. It’s like. The video I show people to try to get them into Smosh.) and Ian puts on overalls and walks out with an Elmo and is like “I’m five” and then after the bit is over he stays in character and when he’s like “elmo…” and damien is like “yeah bud I made sure to miss him with the spit” and then Ian drags the toy through he spit and everyone in the room is just like “aww man” like everyone is truly just like Ian dude you got your stuffed animal wet. Also Anthony being able to fully pick Ian up and carry him multiple ways. If you watch the behind the scenes for the my best friend is dead video Anthony 1. Is pumped to pick Ian up. 2. Does a baby cradle with Ian more than successfully. 3. Says “I got you bud” when Ian gets nervous and Ian goes “ok” in this tiny little voice and instantly relaxes. 4. When Anthony puts Ian down Ian follows him making grabby hands and says “I want uppies”. More little Ian caregiver Anthony fics when. Except not really because again don’t really want to put any of this on real people just doing comedic bits that I happen to feel in my soul a bit too much.

And finally, Max thunderman. I mean. Just watch the show. The pouts. The frequent fake sobbing and sniffling. The fact that he needs a childhood back after Phoebe was put on a pedestal. Someone give me soft thundertwins fic where max is a little and Phoebe is a cargegiver please I need it. And I am. So bad at writing. I would love you forever and ever if you did.

[seastarblue]

Tumblr Games: OC Prompts: Character Profile

thanks for the tag @bardic-tales here !

Rules: Answer the prompts for an OC—buttttt I kinda wanna do the interview style again! Partway at least. Gotta work on them character voices, ya know?

So I’m already making profiles for my OCs, but I figured it might be fun to do one for an OC I wasn’t planning on profiling:

✨Saffron✨

Let’s go!

———

Full name? “Saffron of Gentlebright. At least that’s the one easiest to pronounce for humans.”

Age? “Er… maybe… 450…? Give or take a few decades— I’ve lost count. Whoopsie!”

Gender? “Gender? I hardly know her! HAHAHA! You can use she/her for me though.”

Species? “A ✨fairy✨.”

Appearance: Saffon is a short (nO im NOT), red headed fairy with bright yellow eyes and shimmering purple dragonfly wings. She’s got a collection scars here and there.

Occupation? “I’m the captain of the Fifth Order.”

Family:

Spouse? “None. Never was one for romance!”

Parents? “…No.”

Siblings? “…also no.”

Best Friends? Tell me a bit about them!

“Alrighty! First and foremost, we’ve got Aris! Aris min Qultaar, if we’re being specific. He’s my partner-in-justice! Now as for the rest of my team: I love them equally—some are just… more equal than others, HAH! Like, uh, Nero di Accardi, Thannis of Spring, Tembris Quicksilver, and Percival Whitlock.”

Pets? “No, but I did have a cat called… Baby Kitty. He died :(“

Describe your room? “Ah, there’s not much. A bed, nice soft blue sheets, it’s got holes in the mattress for my wings—I tuck em in, don’t want them to get crushed, ya know—I’ve got a nice little nightstand that Thannis carved for me with some knickknacks Aris gifted me. I don’t spend enough time in there to really decorate.”

Way of Speaking: Saffron’s speaking style wildly changes depending on who she’s talking to. With her team, it’s casual, easy, gentle at times. With superiors, it’s formal, tense, very eloquent. With criminals… well let’s just say she doesn’t stop to chat much.

Physical Characteristics: Apart from what was listed above, Saffron has white diamond shaped pupils, and blue blood, as she is a Fae.

Items in your bag RIGHT NOW: “Oh, uh, let’s see… a knife, some food, a broken pencil, another knife, some vials of potion, and… another broken pencil. Who put those in there…?”

Hobbies: Sparring, planting, dancing, writing, interrogating people

Favorite Sport: “Hm… I’m a fan of wingball, but I don’t play often.” (Wingball is just football but in the air)

Abilities: Saffron has a lie detecting ability, as she is a fairy. She also has some very good Glamor skills, as well as mean Fire magic.

Relationships:

Her team: very good! :>

Lloyd Santhuff: very bad :<

Vivirette Hawthorne: she thinks the noble is weird.

Fears: She fears losing her entire team without being able to do anything. It’s a very real fear… also slugs.

Faults: She tends to freeze up, which isn’t a good quality to have as a leader. She also has a problem with taking things seriously—she doesn’t.

Good Points: Saffron is very honest (not by choice—long story, still counts), and she’s very good at giving advice, having lived for literal centuries (don’t make me feel old :[ )

What they want more than anything else: all Saffron wants is to be free to keep them safe.

———

phew this took a while. Note that you don’t have to answer as an OC, just for one!

Tag game list! Lemme know if you want on/off via DM or ask!:

@sableglass @vsnotresponding @dioles-writes

@paeliae-occasionally @astor-and-the-endless-ink @allaboutmagic

[ninja-knox-ur-sox-off]

Sorry for the random asks, I just get random thoughts.

If the Wobbly Hearts AU Ninja were in a band AU who would be doing/playing what?

-froginninjago

bro ur asks are fun so this works out HGLKSJDF

Okay, i had to think a bit hard on this one but here we go

Jay - Lead Guitar: Bro has some wild speed which would be dope for shredding amazing for finger picking, this, ofc, is in reference to his elemental power of lightning. I'd think he can play several different types of guitars ranging from a standard electric to the banjo. He also likes to be front and centre a lot of the time and absolutely thrives off of attention so guitar solos would really give him a chance to shine. I imagine he'd play with a speed similar to this guy though likely not with that type of guitar

Kai - Bass guitar/backup vocalist: I'd actually give Kai the bass cause it's criminally underrated (like kai in the show it feels like sometimes) and it kinda lends itself to the fact his character ends up being more of a supporting role (specifically to Lloyd in the show) in the background rather than the main protagonist. He's extremely skilled in a way that not a lot of people notice, an avid bass defender and hype man and only slightly annoyed that Jay has more fans than him. He likely posts lots of bass shredding vids online

Cole - Drums: I mean come on you had to have seen this coming. I know it almost feels basic to put him but it fits so WELL. He's the one who keeps the team on track in the show and on beat in the band. He's so steady and consistent that it kinda blends together and you forget he's there sometimes. He's the one band member who can go out in public and not a single person will recognize him and he's cool with that. He has an amazing voice and could easily be a lead singer but he's content where he is. He's wildly skilled on the drums and I imagine people would start taking notice in him when he has like a drum solo that happens and its kinda like how Jay is crazy on the guitar he'd be outrageous like this dude

Lloyd - Lead Vocals/drums: Lloyd's currently learning drums from Cole and he's having a lot of fun with them. (a nod to my hc of Cole teaching Lloyd how to lead in the show.) He has the best voice out of the group with an INSANE range in his vocals. He can go from more like straight up angelic sounding to like hardcore screaming and so he's pretty versatile. (A nod to his oni/dragon sides.) He doesn't enjoy singing as much as he does drumming but he's good at it so he doesn't mind being the lead. Though he's not a huge fan of his fans. They're a little crazy. If you want to see him smile ask him to play the drums for you, he gets really winded and is always grinning with his hair a complete mess afterwards. He gets a lot of dopamine from da drums. He also enjoys helping Nya out with writing their lyrics

Nya - Stage Manager(previous)/Backup Guitarist/Second Lead Vocal/Songwriter: Nya is pretty versatile in what she can do. She knows the basics of base, is a pretty solid contender for lead guitar, she's also learning drums from Cole alongside Lloyd. She used to handle the behind the scenes stuff at some point before she actually joined the band. Her ability to both carve out her own place and easily fill in for the other's if they need to tap out lends itself to her element power of water something something. I kinda think of Walk Off the Earth with their two lead vocalists and how their voices blend together really well and the harmonies are really nice for how Nya and Lloyd would sound together. She also has a huge hand in writing the bands songs obviously. Kai did a lot of the lyrics for a while but he's not the most creative person. The whole band kinda has a hand in writing and its a group effort but Nya's usually the one leading it

Pixal - Stage Manager (current): I'm thinking Pixal used to be like, a solo act for a while or something? I dunno I actually couldn't get many ideas for her. But a soloist songwriter and maybe singer and she eventually retired from that and runs things behind the scenes for the band, booking stuff, getting transport, she's great at her job and the whole band loves and appreciates her, Kai regularly dramatically falls across her lap to ask "What would we do without you?" when she hands him a juice box after a set. She also handles the technology (with some assistance from Nya and sometimes Zane) and any more digital sounds they want added to their music

Zane - oh screw it, it's gotta be violin doesn't it??: come on just listen to his Falcon Chase song what else would he play??? All his songs in this show are literally strings!!! Cello, viola, violin, fiddle. i imagine he's classically trained in a lot of the bow + stringed instruments. I'm thinking Lindsey Stirling type playing probably or something. It lends itself to his controlled but emotional?? way of dealing with stuff? You can get a wide range of emotion from these types of instruments and he knows how to pull at your heartstrings (get it cause strings instrument--[gets hit with a chair])

Am i well versed enough in music to know if all these instruments would work well together? No, no i am not. But the concepts are cool and I guess i can be a lil silly goofy with it

[the-ninja-legacy-whip]

HELLO YES I´D LOVE TO KNOW ABT JAY´S EYE??? i´m guessing skybound related?? (i am SOOO curious abt your plans for skybound btw aaaaaa!!!!)

(adgsfgsdfass i actually hadn´t noticed it first, my dumbass went and looked at the pretty lights of the ferris wheel and brain shut down lmaoo, gotta step up my game >:0)

also damn!! those are some GOOD colors, the atmosphere is amazing!!!! been to the beach when the weather is like that, scary stuff!!!

Operation Rainbow Lights Distraction is successful *-*)9

Kidding, but it's good to know that his eye is both subtle yet striking! S'what I was going for!

Anywaaaay, explanation time! Grab popcorn and really think about if you're ready to discuss fantasy eye trauma before jumping in <3

So we all know Jay gets an eyepatch in Skybound, but in actuality Clancee just gives it to him for aesthetic reasons, even though Future!Jay was seen to have one back in S5. And, of course, the fandom has run rampant with all sorts of deliciously angsty ideas (blinding him, making it a different color, gouging his eye out, etc), but I...can't do that lmao

-Blinding his eye completely would cause too much of a butterfly effect for a lot of the things he does in later seasons, and I am already juggling enough subplots lmao. Besides, this is one of the common go-tos for him and I wanna take a different approach. -I can't change the color of his eye without going against my own established lore (I did consider just making it a light blue but a) that's also a common thing and b) would wind up looking too close to Zane SO—) -I don't have the stomach to gouge his eye out completely. I can tear Zane limb from limb, carve into Kai's face like a Christmas ham, and have Lloyd nearly lose a hand but I can't bring myself to do that aaaaaaaAAAAA–

BUT I wanted to do something interesting with his eye, and to do something at least a little bit different from what I've personally seen.

Soooo then instead of some kind of external injury (that is, a physical trauma caused by someone/something else), I started looking into the effects that Lightning can have on the eye (so for my purposes, something Jay would inflict on himself). Turns out there's actually possible "lightning injuries" that can occur on the eye (rare though they are), ranging from star-shaped cataracts, electrical burns, iris collapsing (kinda cool, but also ew and horrifying), and ofc effects on vision itself without just straight up blindness.

There's also that I haven't seen very many changes with his sclera (white eye part) either. From scleritis to simple eye strain, the eyes can become bloodshot...but, what if it was permanent, and what if it was from electricity?

ANYWAY I put all this info into a blender and made the following smoothie out of it:

So during Skybound, Jay gets chained up in Vengestone on Nadakhan's ship and mercilessly tortured, yadda ya, but instead of one of the pirates inflicting harm onto Jay, he still tries to force the use of his powers even through the Vengestone, which causes an internal surge within him (as his powers "run in circuits", and applying Vengestone essentially makes his powers an "open circuit", meaning they have no current to follow/no outlet to head towards, so all that power/energy just gets channelled back inward and goes nowhere)

...meaning that the force of the attempt "blows" Jay's eye out from the strain (not literally, but think of it like he's having a contained Outburst, with all that power trying to channel out through the eyes as it would naturally but it can't). The resulting flash/pain turns his eye glassy, makes his eye bloodshot (but instead of "blood" its with electricity, hence the blue), and affects the shape of his pupil (making it diamond star-shaped, though you can't really tell in the tarot card unless you squint).

Resulting complications of this are that his one eye becomes extremely sensitive to certain amounts of light, his eye tears up randomly and get easily irritated, it causes chronic pain on that one side of his head, there's a on-and-off haze around his gaze, and he does start to gradually get worsening vision as he gets older (but not until he passes on his powers to whomever).

He wears the eyepatch when the environment is particularly bright (or he's meeting someone new and doesn't wanna freak 'em out), but without both his eyes his precision and evasive ability gets hindered (which is inconvenient when you're lightning. Also inconvenient when you're trying to teleport and lack depth perception). So, sometimes it's a gamble of if he wants to miss his target, or to avoid excruciating, crippling pain.

But other than that he's fine <3

[finn-m-corvex]

Whumptober Day 30: Bridal Carry

We are almost there. I am almost free from this burden; I can finally carry on! (with more writing ;-; it never ends) BUT I think you guys will like this one because it's more Bruise angst and wow I have a lot of Bruise lovers on my feed.

Taglist: @splinnters @abigailxoxo @tornoleander @mondothebombo @ghostwalloper @toastingpencils37 @lightning-chicken

Words: 2.2k

“No.”

“Come on! Please?”

“No, Jay.”

“Please please pleaseeeee?”

Cole sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Jay, you are too old to be carried. I am too old to be carrying you. You’re the one always telling me I’m three steps away from falling into the nearest grave.”

“I don’t mean it!” Jay pouted, still holding out his hands and making grabby motions. “C’mon, just for a little bit. Until we’re done with our chores and then I won’t ask you ever again.”

“We both know that’s not true,” Cole said, and Jay just pouted more. “Look, is there a reason you’re asking me now? And why are you being so pushy?”

Jay bit his lip, rolling his eyes in faked annoyance. “You’re the one always telling me I’m too pushy. Fine, I’ll just walk to the chores like a normal person even though my brother has super strength!”

“Just because I have super strength doesn’t mean I automatically just carry you everywhere!” Cole grumbled, and Jay didn’t bother to give him a response. They were supposed to be going out and chopping up firewood for the evening, mostly because Zane and Lloyd were wanting to have something like a barbecue outside; Jay didn’t know all of the details, but he did know that whatever Zane was planning on making better be delicious. Kai should be with them, but instead he and Nya were out doing last-minute supplies shopping because apparently someone couldn’t survive without his ten gallon thing of hair gel.

There was another reason that he wanted to be close to Cole, though; he hadn’t quite shaken off the nightmares he had last night, and if he thought about them for a second too long then he could feel his lungs start to tighten in panic. He didn’t even remember what they were about. Being with Cole always made him feel better, and Jay was sure that if he told Cole then the earth ninja would have no problem with carrying him down the stairs and staying close by.

But Jay didn’t say a word, because he was stronger than that.

Walking down the steps was a bitch, and he could feel his ankle throbbing from where Zane had knocked it out from under him in training only the week before. Jay iced it like he was supposed to, but it never really healed, and if he were to lift up his pant leg he would be able to see the smattering of purple bruises around the same ankle that was chained up on the pirate’s ship. Bruises meant something different to him now.

He snagged the back of Cole’s jacket, feeling the soft fabric between his fingers and letting the sensation soothe him. Cole was walking down the stairs at a brutal pace that Jay struggled to keep up with, feeling the wind whip against his face as they went. He never tried to shrug Jay off, and Jay wondered if his inner distress may have shown in the way he was bickering; Cole always had a special way of being able to tell whenever he wasn’t at a hundred percent.

After quite a while of walking down the seemingly endless flight of stairs (they really did need to put in an elevator), the pair finally made it to the bottom. Cole picked up one of the axes that they kept locked up in a hidden compartment carved into the mountain, tossing it to Jay without even looking. Jay struggled to catch it, eyes as wide as saucers when he finally managed to do so and he still had all of his fingers.

“You couldn’t have looked before you threw it?” Jay said sourly, and Cole shrugged as he heaved up his own axe.

“I knew you could catch it,” Cole said, starting to walk into the forest. “I wouldn’t have thrown it to you if I didn’t think you could.”

Warmth filled his chest, and Jay hurried to walk side-by-side with his brother. The axe was a familiar weight in his hand, one that he hadn’t felt since he and Cole were still boys doing this exact same thing for Master Wu, and the grooves of the wooden handle brought a sense of nostalgia. Smoothing his thumb over the sanded surface, Jay felt where he and Cole had carved their initials into the wood; this was the same axe that Jay used when he was younger.

“Cole, are you holding your original axe?” Jay asked, looking over to try and get a glimpse of Cole’s axe, but the earth ninja’s hand was too big for him to see anything.

“Of course I am, Sparky. What other one would I be using? We haven’t done this in years, so may as well do it in style.”

“Damn right,” Jay said, and the anxiety from the night before started to dissipate. He was going to be spending time with his brother, doing something that they used to do and that Jay had done a thousand times before. There was nothing to be worried about. Maybe he could even afford to daydream about Nya for a little bit—

Until he finally came back to his senses, and Cole was nowhere to be found.

Looking around, Jay’s heart started hammering in his chest when he couldn’t see his brother through the treeline. “Cole? Buddy?”

No answer.

Walking forward again, Jay didn’t realize that he was starting to climb up a hill. The trees extended for what seemed like forever, and Jay felt the fear start to set in when even the vantage point yielded nothing. “Cole!”

He didn’t want to be in the forest by himself. There was no telling what wild animals might be out there, ready to eat him up for dinner like the snack that Nya said he was! What if there were wolves? Or bears? Or wallopers hellbent on revenge?! The axe wasn’t going to be enough to protect him.

“Okay, okay,” Jay said to himself; he always started talking to himself when he had to calm down, “okay, okay, okay. I’m sure Cole’s fine, he’s probably just chopping wood like you should be doing. If I chop some wood and pass some time, then I’ll go back to the monastery and wait for him at the bottom of the stairs.”

Yeah, that sounded like a good plan. He ignored the small voice in his brain telling him that he didn’t know the way back to the monastery, because other than that it was a great plan.

Finding a fairly thick tree, Jay pulled back his axe and took his first swing. The first few swings were always the hardest ones and this time was no exception; Jay cringed as he felt the blowback from his axe hitting the tree, shockwaves rippling up his arms as he hit the tree again and again and again. He tried to find comfort in the repetitive movements, turn his brain off like he would’ve been able to when he was younger, but he couldn’t. Not when Cole was still out there and he had no idea where his brother was.

Jay really should’ve been paying more attention to what he was doing when he was swinging a sharp and heavy object.

He lost his footing after yanking the axe back a little too hard and suddenly he was tumbling down the hill behind him.

Letting go of the axe before it could slice him in half, Jay tucked his face down into his chest and let himself roll. The hill was larger than he remembered, and he scrabbled along the ground for anything to grab onto so he could stop himself. The only things on the ground were wet leaves and sticks that wouldn’t do anything for him. Okay, this wasn’t the farthest that he had ever fallen, so he would be fine—

Until the sound of rushing water reached his ears.

One of the rivers. He was about to plunge straight into the river and he didn’t know how deep it was.

“Cole!” Jay cried out before his back slammed into one of the trees. Winded, Jay gasped for air and kept trying to dig his nails into the ground, only succeeding in tearing his nails down until he was sure that they were bleeding; the dirt was sure to get them infected. “COLE!”

And without a warning he was underwater in an instant, smashing his head against one of the rocks on the riverbed before sinking like a stone.

The water was freezing, soaking into his jacket and weighing him down. Jay tried to keep his head above the water, feeling himself get pulled away by the current despite his best efforts to try and free himself. The panic from before was setting in again, and Jay started to feel a little floaty with oxygen loss as his jacket became too heavy to fight against, and he could only hope that there was a shallower section of the river up ahead because he definitely wasn’t getting back up for a while.

A hand latched onto the front of his shirt and Jay was hauled upwards, the sunlight exploding across his vision before he slammed his eyes shut.

His face was squished into Cole’s shoulder, the earth ninja picking him up and setting him down quite a bit away from the riverbank. Jay couldn’t stop shivering, clinging onto Cole’s still dry jacket in an effort to warm himself up. Cole held him tightly despite Jay dripping water all over him, and Jay was beyond grateful.

“Hell on earth, Jay,” Cole said, stripping the sopping wet jacket off of his brother’s shoulders. Jay whined when the autumn chill started to bite at his skin before Cole was shrugging his own jacket off, wrapping it around Jay like a blanket. “I take my eyes off of you for a second and you’re gone and tumbling down into a river. What happened?”

“S-S-Sorry,” Jay’s teeth were chattering viciously, and he anxiously kept his tongue towards the back of his mouth to make sure that he wouldn’t bite it. “W-Was trying to chop down a tree.”

“Looked more like you were trying to go for a swim,” Cole grumbled, and he helped get Jay’s arms through the sleeves of the jacket before tucking him against his chest. He lifted Jay off of the ground in a bridal carry, one arm under the blue ninja’s knees and the other around his back. Jay was just glad to be near his own personal heater. “We’re getting you back to the monastery.”

“What about the wood—”

“I’ll come back for the wood with Kai later, but we need to get you home first. Where did you leave your axe?”

“A-At the top of the hill.” Jay pulled the sleeves of the jacket down over his hands, feeling pins and needles start to spread throughout his body as the feeling came back. But with feeling came the pain, and Jay hated the cold clawing at his lungs; it was already so hard to breathe. He cuddled closer and closer to Cole like he wanted to do earlier at the monastery, and Cole kissed the top of his forehead.

“You’re bleeding, you know.”

Jay looked down at his hands and saw the blood running down his fingers, just from the nail beds like he thought. There was more from the various scrapes and scratches, caked in the dirt and even some bits of fallen leaves, and it would be a miracle if at least some of them didn’t get infected. Some of them started to sting in protest, and Jay tensed against the pain, clutching at Cole’s shirt and hoping that he wouldn’t get blood all over it. First Master knows how many clothes he’s already ruined.

“You’re awfully clingy today,” Cole remarked, “did something happen?”

“Had a bad night last night and got spooked. Need you to be here.” His head was pounding, like he kept hitting that stupid rock over and over again.

“Jay, you could’ve said something. Is that why you were asking me to carry you?”

“Y-Yeah.”

Sighing, Cole lifted Jay up a bit more so that the blue ninja’s face was hidden in the crook of his neck. “You really should’ve told me. We could’ve waited until Kai and Nya got home, or I would’ve been paying more attention. Either way, I would’ve taken better care of you.”

“That’s not your job,” Jay mumbled into his neck, and Cole forced himself to not flinch away from the blue ninja’s cold nose brushing against his skin. “Where’s your axe?”

“On my belt,” and there it was, hanging from one of the beltloops in Cole’s pants. The metal glinted in a way that made Jay’s skin crawl, and he was quick to duck back down and look away. Something about the sharp edge tugged at the corners of his memories, and he didn’t want to go back to that place right now.

Cole walked for a little while, and Jay was glad that he wasn’t on his feet. At least one of them knew which way was the right one, because Jay wouldn’t have had a clue and probably would’ve gotten even more lost. “Would you have sent a search party out for me?”

“I wouldn’t have left this forest until I found you, bluebell,” Cole affirmed, and Jay relaxed. 

“Good thing you found me, then.”

“Yeah, although next time it better not be bloody and beaten up at the bottom of a river.”

[mannatea]

The World Could Be Beautiful, a Tales of Symphonia ‘fic (Chapter 8)

Word Count: 43,770 Summary: After a chance encounter in Izoold, Raine and Regal both get a lot more than they bargained for. (A one-night stand 'fic with consequences.) Chapter Summary: Feelings have a way of coming out. Pairing/Characters: Regal/Raine, Genis, George, and assorted OCs as the story requires. Lloyd, Colette, and Zelos all show up later. Warnings: Blanket warnings for the entire fic: pregnancy (and all that comes with it), discussion/mention of abortion, power imbalance, fantasy racism. Rating: Explicit. (This chapter has sex in it. It's not detailed.) Genre: Romance/angst/friendship vibes.

The title is the link to Ao3 for Chapter 8!

Notes (to be read after the chapter) under a cut:

FINALLY we get some of Regal's perspective from the one-night stand and we get an exploration of his complicated feelings about Raine.

I know someone's going to laugh at how he keeps thinking that it's not love (and then proceeds to think things only someone in love would think) but it's all a part of the process. Trust!

He tries not to dwell too seriously on the George thing, though most of his thoughts of Raine circle back to George. He ran into her by chance (or was it fate?) and if he hadn't this truth regarding George might not have been discovered for a much longer period of time. It adds a silver lining to the situation: what happened with George really sucks, but at least Regal knows the truth now—and he knows to be careful moving forward.

--

Sara getting to try out the role of VP might seem a bit far-fetched but she can handle at least some of the position already, knows what the rest of it entails, and frankly with the world being the way it is, putting SOMEONE in the position ASAP is probably best for the company's stability.

At this point the average random employee will just assume George retired suddenly due to his health.

--

A lot of time passes in this chapter.

The first scene has Raine's pregnancy at about 15 weeks.

When Raine feels the baby move for the first time she's around week 20 (5 months).

For the last two scenes in this chapter, she's a little over 6 months along (which is when others start being able to feel the baby move).

--

As to that last scene, I absolutely knew the moment I typed it that I had to end the chapter there. 😎

It's funny because just like Raine at the end of the last chapter, I was waiting for the "right" time for her to confess. I knew I wanted to write a scene in the nursery between them where Raine felt like she didn't belong among all the furniture Regal had picked out for the baby because it was all so elegant and she was drab (fitting in with the weird "out of place" sentiment she gave off earlier in the story) but at a certain point in the scene I just knew it was the the kind of situation where she wouldn't be able to help but say what she was thinking.

If you can't tell, I'm very pleased with the outcome.

Regal is in full on Nesting Mode and Raine feels a bit off because she lacks the knowledge to nest. Her mind just defaults to necessities-only and she struggles with thinking of/wanting more. Even though she knows they have the money she doesn't know what to want.

With Genis she could only ever have what she could afford...which meant they both often went without even the things they needed. Having the necessities (food, clothes, a roof) is all that she can make herself really care about. It's almost like she can't think further than that.

So Regal gets the room ready in her stead and she has to deal with this weird mix of feeling like she didn't contribute at all (and that this might make her a bad/uncaring parent) as well as feeling completely overwhelmed by how beautiful the furniture is that Regal chooses. She never had the luxury of even a bassinet for Genis, so it's indescribably hard for her to understand a changing table, let alone an expensive ornately-carved one. She would have never chosen this for herself. She wouldn't have even thought to, and she doesn't know what that says about her.

Normally I think she wouldn't let "feeling like the odd one out" get to her to the point of actually crying about it, but she's hormonal and six months pregnant; there's a lot on her mind and the pregnancy is taking a toll on her body.

Regal explains why he did this (when he realizes she didn't pick up on it on her own). He knows she didn't have anything when she had to raise Genis and wanted to make up for that and ensure she had everything, even the things she couldn't think of for herself. She's spent her life taking care of other people so this is his way of trying to take care of her.

Raine's assumption that it was literally for the baby activated an almost competitive fear: that she doesn't belong with him or with the baby or in this world.

But Regal's admission that it was for her changes the whole meaning of the gesture in her mind.

And better yet, he sees her hurt and acknowledges it! He apologizes and offers to change what he needs to in order to actually help her. He doesn't get hung up on his pride of having done something elaborate for her. He just tries to work with her to find a solution that will make her happy.

The combination of realizing it was a gift for her to help her feel safe + how quickly he's willing to acknowledge he failed is ultimately what makes her FEEL SAFE & moves her to confess how she feels. 🤍

I'M SORRY YOUR HONOR BUT I LOVE THEM.

--

Thanks for reading! As always, feedback of any sort is appreciated.

[xherry7816]

ok nother post but this time its about the au harhar ALSO omg i have my first foller that is so exciting anyways

ok onto the moon universe idk what else to call it,, yeah so ive decided that each character is going to have their parents names or variations of it just because im not very bright. so NYA is MAYA, ZANE is JULIEN and then i changed LILLY to LILIAN for COLE and JAY'S name is CLIFF but they call him FRITZ as a refernce to that show as a nickname. i refused to call LLOYD by his fathers name idk i think itd be a bit weird so im calling him MIZUKI which kinda only a little bit sounds like MISAKO.

previously on this au i said that NYA is the master of fire i think, even if i didnt i have now, and this is when KAI finds out NYA is an elemental. this isnt because NYA holds the power of fire but its actually because in this universe KAI will actually be able to temporarily control water (wow how crazy!) so he makes this connection between him and NYA and their parents in a way that reveals to him that MAYA was the water elemental and so would NYA. in SONIC PRIME the reason why SONIC'S look changes each universe is because the paradox prisms energy is like in him or smth and each universe ts adjusting to the shards so in my au i dont really have an excuse,, i kinda want to add the realm crystal into the au but im not really sure how id add it in but im pretty sure itd be helpful in explaining the universe jumps and stuff. anyways i said that bc this controlling water thing would only be temporary bc its just his body adapting to the universe's history and i think that if i were to put him in a universe with no elements he wouldnt be able to use them either (i will indeed do that)

anyways MOON UNIVERSE yes thats what i was doing. the moom has essentially been carved into a space base covering everything above and underneath the moon, the ninja are being held in the core of the moon and thats when KAI meets them also being thrown into for imprisonment. the kinda route for this universe is that he helps tjem escape and destory the base, how ??? i have no idea but i have the vauge idea that its got to do with MIZUKU (LLOYD) and SENSEI WU and GARMADON down on earth.

OMG EARTH i just remebered that was a thing, so i imagine that the earth below is obviously not a happy place being dictated by the OVERLORD and everything (omg pythor too). i guess it would be that the OVERLORD oversees everything and controls it all at all times, there used to be a resistance (lead by the ninja on the ground and the elementals) but most were eventually captured and put on the moon :P

[medievalandfantasymelee]

THE HOT MEDIEVAL & FANTASY MEN MELEE

QUALIFYING ROUND: 95th Tilt

Will Scarlett, BBC’s Robin Hood (2006-2009)

VS.

George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence The White Queen (2013)

Propaganda

Will Scarlett, BBC’s Robin Hood (2006-2009)

Portrayed by: Harry Lloyd

“YOU know Harry Lloyd as Viserys Targaryen and Every Other Shitheel in Every British-cast Show Ever, but I will forever know him as Mr. Herbert pocket in Great Expectations, and as Will Scarlett--both of whom stand as testament to the fact that Harry Lloyd can play characters that aren't shit-rags every once in a damn while. And OKAY, so he doesn't necessarily live up to the legacy of the "gaily feathered bird" like other Will Scarletts, but he's got OTHER virtues. He's SMART. He's PRETTY. He's got a little bit of the BROODING. He's got the knowing of woodcrafts: he can get you in and out of anywhere you wanna go and he can carve you things. He's a voice of reason, he has a plan when Robin doesn’t, and a dry wit--maybe a stick in the mud sometimes, but that's O-KAY, he's CUTEEE.”

George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence The White Queen (2013)

Portrayed by: David Oakes

“The ideal scheming medieval nobleman, constantly trying to steal the crown from his brother, and his plots ultimately come to nothing. Which is very sexy of him. Snide, arrogant, bitchy, messy, chaotic. Betrays the king multiple times and just keeps getting forgiven and welcomed back to court inexplicably through sheer dumb luck— to commit even more treason. Everything you could ever want in a man.”

Additional Propaganda Under the Cut

Additional Propaganda

For Will Scarlett:

(+ bonus Allan-A-Dale)

For George, Duke of Clarence:

"(excerpt from above propaganda): Ultimately gets executed via drowning in a giant barrel of wine. Iconic, frankly."

[alunyna]

. ˚♡  @fangedjustice​ asked:

"Lady Nyna," Lloyd greets, his tone and body language a bit more reserved than when he'd approached Ophelia or when speaking with Julia. It was similar to how he'd tried to go about it with Andrei, not wanting to assume any further familiarity than had been extended to him through their shared experience. "I am glad to see you are well, after everything. I...wished to thank you again. Your gift with the healing arts is astounding; if you weren't there, I'm sure we would have had a much more difficult time of it."

Where he might have been a little hesitant with some of his gifts, mostly because he wasn't exceptionally good at giving them, with this one, Lloyd was more concerned if it would taken poorly for the meaning.

"Do not feel obligated to keep hold of it, but I wanted to give you something. Not just as thanks but...well, the season, I suppose," he murmured, retrieving the small item from his jacket. 

A raven, perched solemn but proud. The wood was black and had a lovely sheen to it, adding depth in the light where there might not have been any otherwise. For the most part, the carving was smooth, but instead of an indication of ridged feathers in the wood, there was instead the blossoms of slightly rounded, star shaped flowers along the bird's wings.

"I know ravens are often seen as a bad omen or a bringer of sadness, but...they are intelligent and playful. They can form such strong bonds. I have watched them visit people over years, and I have seen how they integrate themselves with wolf packs for the better of both. They are survivors, they adapt and they learn how to thrive."

“Ah, Sir Lloyd.”

A polite dip of her chin in greeting. Surreal, almost, to see him stand outside of the dream. Unharmed, safe -- alive and breathing despite the moments that she had feared he may be otherwise.

He produces a trinket from his pocket, holding it between them for her to see. Nyna blinks, taking in the carving in its every detail. The bird, featherless, given petals in the place of wings. It’s beautiful.

Delicately, she accepts the gift into her own hand, turning it slowly to watch as light dances over each carefully carved line. Lloyd continues, explaining his intentions further, and something like warmth swells in the frigid hollow of her chest.

A raven. All of her life she had been a rose, a dove -- something white and pure, regal as the name that she carried and the title that accompanied it. Strange, that she had never even considered that there may be other options, only ever despising herself when those laid before her became too heavy a burden.

A bad omen, he says, and yet every word to follow is contrary. Crystal gaze flickers to him, finally, swimming with a thousand unnamed emotions.

“Thank you,” words do not feel enough to express her gratitude, but she has little else to offer. “I will cherish this gift just as I have our time together. It means more than you could ever know.”

[fangedjustice]

"Happy holidays, Sir Lloyd," Julia stands, bundled up in a thick scarf and woolly coat. She runs over to him, smile bright as the sun. "I know it's not much but I was making some gingerbread cookies and I'd like you to have some. 'Tis the season, after all!" Their pace slows and small hand tentatively grasps his sleeve. "Thank you, for looking out for me."

Lloyd registered the sound of footsteps before a strangely familiar voice spoke his name, hazel eyes glancing up to find the bundled up form of Julia. For all the different attire he saw her in during that dream, he thinks this is much more fitting-- not just on account of the weather, but it looks soft and warm; a comfort to have against winter's presence, as hers had been to their ragtag group.

"Lady Julia, it is good to see you. I hope you've been enjoying the winter holidays," he greeted in return, his tone fond as she closed the gap between them, a delicate hand hesitantly gripping the rough sleeve of his own coat. "That's...That's very kind of you. It's more than you had to do, certainly, and I appreciate the gift."

Truly, he hadn't expected anything, so this was a pleasant treat.

"Of course, it was--" He has to stop himself from saying it was his duty to do so. While it was certainly his duty as a knight here to put others first, and his father had instilled a sense of dutiful protection in him for others that needed it, those had not been his immediate motivations towards his allies in that place. He'd not known any of them before that dream, but in what had to have been a short, slapdash amount of time, they had all come together to fight for the safety of each other.

It had been pure instinct on his part, the desire to not see any harm done to innocent people. It had not been guided by guilt or a need to prove himself, and that realization was surprisingly grounding.

"Of course. I'm glad I was able to help, even if I wish I could have been a bit more effective in some regards. But, I owe you my gratitude as well, Lady Julia; you kept us all going, and the magic you used...you have quite a talent for it," Lloyd responded, "I look forward to seeing what you decide to do with it. Whatever you choose, I've no doubt you'll make everyone proud."

Julia had reminded him of Nino quite closely, and even if the words tasted a little bittersweet on his tongue, Lloyd meant it. It's what he wished he'd told her when he'd last seen her, and perhaps one day, he'll be given a chance to, but if saying them now to Julia is helpful in any way, Lloyd wasn't going to miss speaking them out loud again.

"Ah, before I forget!" he said, his tone pitching more towards something lighthearted than just a moment before as he pawed around in his pockets. With a satisfied noise, he withdrew something small from his jacket -- in his palm it seemed a touch too small, but in Julia's it fit better. A tiny bird, wings spread mid-flight, carved from holly wood; the feathers of its wings and tail were rougher compared to the rest of its body, its head and beak smooth to the touch.

"We used to see these birds all the time, back where I'm from. They're small and some might consider them fairly unassuming, but they are brave and playful, and they are beautiful when they take to the sky," he explained, clearing his throat a little when he realized he was rambling just a bit. He passed the little carving to Julia with a smile, "Put me in mind of you, if it's not too forward to say."

[theaviskullguy]

@galax-dragon

alright so lemme preface this with please go watch either "Four Scouts Deep Dive" by Nork and "Deep Rock Galactic After Dark" by RumbleVR as they explain the game a lot better than i could but essentially

it's an fps/mining game where you play as a dwarf employed by Deep Rock Galactic, exploring Hoxxes IV.

Without further ado, au time. And I am warning you now. This Is Fucking Long

The S4 are a hyper-elite crew for DRG on Hoxxes. There are other miners, and other planets DRG is exploring, but Hoxxes is the main one, and the S4 are the main team. That's not to say they're that professional, just that they're Good. I'll go over them and then the supporting cast

Army is the team's gunner. He's armed with a machine gun, a revolver, and for his traversal tool, he's got a slow-ass zipline (ive played gunner a few times and when i tell you that thing is slower than a traffic jam on the freeway I Mean It)

However, he is the only dwarf on the space rig. He may be one of the more competent ones, but he's also very crass and rude. Compared to dwarves he's a sweetheart. He's introduced the gang to dwarven tradition like the "Rock and stone!" Salute. He refers to the gang all as dwarves and it's kinda caught on. Even though all but Army are human, they repeat the phrase "No Dwarf Left Behind!" when racing to the drop pod to get home. He has a huge crush on Aloha and flirts with him in dwarven ways, which looks a lot like engaging in some friendly rivalry to humans

Speaking of Aloha, he's the scout! The most mobile of the classes, with his traversal tool being the Really Fucking Useful grapling hook. He's got himself a shotgun affectionately nicknamed "Boomstick" for a secondary, and his main weapon is an assault rifle! He has THE MOST useful tool when exploring the dark caves of Hoxxes- The Flare Gun. Everyone has throwable flares but Aloha can light the place up with the flare gun.

Personality-wise, he's a wisecrackin' fast talker who still likes to party like the Aloha we all know and love, but he's been a lil bit hardened by his time on Hoxxes. He still loves to make jokes and poke fun at people- but he lives to spite mission control. He kicks barrels into the loading bay, he pings the most random things and says stupid shit about it. He has a huge crush on Army- but his more human flirtatious advances are seen as platonic, since Dwarven culture makes a lot more intimate compliments towards others and love gifting precious things as a sign of brother-like trust. Though romantic partners do it too.

Mask is next- and she's the Engineer! She's got herself a shotgun and something the wiki only calls a "Heavy Weapon" so i have to assume its a machine gun. ive never played engie i have no way of knowing. She also has a platform gun that creates platforms in an instant, and can create sentries to fire at enemies with her only needing to reload them.

She's not a people person, and actually prefers the company of the robots DRG employs. She always tips the bartender Lloyd, she's the only person other thank Skull who's somewhat nice to Molly, she makes sure to take Bosco with her out of caves, and always saves Dorreta the Drilldozer's head- she managed to keep the head of the first one she saved alive and now she's Mask's best friend. She's always working on improving her gear and focuses the most on the mission.

Now. I main drillers. So I can describe Skull in A LOT more detail. He's armed with a flamethrower, a pistol, and his class namesake, a set of drills he can use to carve paths in the terrain more easier navigation. He's also got C4 to deal damage to larger groups of glyphids when they come up. He's also the only one with overclocks!! For his Flamethrower, he's got Face Melter (Which deals extra damage), and for his pistol, he has Explosive Reload- whenever he reloads his gun, enemies he's hit with it explode.

He's the most experienced of the group. Skull's led a team before the S4 and has serious survivor's guilt as Paisly (a gunner) died due to Rockpox- a seriously deadly infection. Avi survived, but needed an emergency removal of his eyes, which were also heavily corrupted with rockpox. More on him later. Skull also didn't escape unscathed, needed a prosthetic leg after his old one got infected and needed to be amputated. He's a little overly protective of the S4, and outright refuses to let them go on any Lithopage warning missions, or in any zone marked with rockpox. He's still a little oblivious, and also absolutely in love with Avi- making a habit of going to the medbay to talk with him whenever the oppertunity arises.

Now. The extras shall be dealt with in rapid-fire.

-Goggles is a scout in training. He's working under Aloha.

-Rider is a gunner who's a bit of a loner and prefers to do missions himself. Although Goggles has tagged along a few times

-Hachi is an engineer who ALSO tags along with Rider and Goggles. Rider now has a proper crew. Whoops!

-Emperor is Mission Control. He lives on the space rig with the others though and is thoroughly annoyed by Aloha's antics.

-Prince is a mechanic for DRG who does maintenance a plenty on the drop pod and other amenities on the rig. Xe help with Dorreta when Mask is on missions. Despite being a Legal Adult, Emperor still treats xem like a child (Prince is 22 in this btw)

-Regent is another mission control. But where Emperor is your normal DRG mission control, Regent is the Passive Aggressive Mission Control mod. I have it. its great. Check it out

-Vintage is also a miner for DRG on Hoxxes IV. He's an engineer and was on the mission when Paisly died. He was the only one to escape unscathed and refuses to even LOOK at Skull or Avi because the thought that it could've been him- and the idea that it actually SHOULD HAVE been him eats him up

-Avi, due to having No Eyes, was given a visor by DRG so he can see and a cushy management job. Though, Avi turned it down and decided to use his medical knowledge and is the on-site doctor, working in the medbay. He's also very in love with Skull. its sweet

so does anyone else want my Incredibly Silly, Highly Self Indulgent deep rock galactic/coroika au because Hyperfixations Be Like that