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jamie-leah · 4 years ago

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War of Wolves (21)

Season 1

Episode 21 - Kill Them All

Bucky x Reader

Summary: You have been on the streets for the past two years, ever since your accident that left you with the ability to tell if someone is lying. You work as an informant for the white wolf and his mob but you had never met him…until you overhear a phone call that leads you to saving his life. Now he wants you to work for him. Its an offer you couldn’t refuse…right?

Word Count: 2160

Warnings: Violence, death, injury, hospitals, swearing

A/N: Well Lovelies this is the penultimate episode. There is only 1 more after this. I feel this part is a little rushed, but the season can't last forever. Enjoy Lovelies and see you on the last one!

<---Previous Episode Next Episode--->

WoW Masterlist. Series Masterlist. Oneshot Masterlist

BUCKY’S POV

All the plans had been made. They had touched down last night and had made it to one of Bucky’s smaller estates.

The plan was to storm the castle. Noah had provided detailed plans of the place and more of Darren’s and Bucky’s men touched down a few hours ago.

The only thing now was timing. Bucky was waiting on a call from Noah to tell them when the best time to strike was. The waiting was killing him.

Agonising hours passed until Bucky got a call from Noah, “tonight. Strike tonight. Harry is gone on business and he’s taken a bunch of men. This is the best you’ll get numbers wise”.

Bucky shakes his head, looking at Steve, “I want Harry there, I can’t let him get away-“.

Steve cuts him off, “if we have a good chance to get her now, take it Buck. We’ll get Harry another time”.

Bucky stares at his friend a little longer before talking to Noah again, “okay. We’ll be there tonight, as soon as its dark. I’ll keep you posted”.

After Bucky hung up that call, he was nonstop, making sure everyone knew what they were doing and where they had to be.

It was pitch black outside when Bucky and his men arrived at the imposing stone structure. It took Bucky no time at all to disable the men posted outside.

Then once everyone was in place at entrance points around the building, he gave the signal. Everyone breached the castle together, Bucky, Steve, and Sam taking the front door.

They enter to find men already taken out and Noah waiting by a set of double wooden doors and knights armour.

Some men came down the stairs, but Bucky left them to Steve and Sam as he strides over to Noah. His only mission was finding you.

Noah guides him over to a knight’s armour and the door behind it. Bucky barely hears Noah over the chaos in the background, “go, I’ll cover the entrance”.

Bucky pats him on the shoulder briefly before stepping over the threshold. The gunfire and shouting sounds muted between the stone walls.

Bucky moves quickly, but quietly, ears straining, and eyes peeled for even a glimpse of you. It had only been a week, but it was the longest of his life. He might as well have gone without breathing for that long.

Urgency danced along every nerve ending and heightened his senses. Something was compelling him to go deeper, further. He could feel you here, somewhere.

As Bucky kept creeping along, he could see what looked like a few cells down the end of the hall. His gut clenched not only at the thought of you being in there for a week but as if he just knew you were there.

Bucky jogs past all the doors in the corridor until he’s standing in front of the cells. They were dark but he could make out a lump on a cot in the first cell.

He strides up to the door and uses his metal arm to rip the lock that was in place, letting the door swing open. He makes his way over quickly but pulls up short at just how small and fragile you look, worse than when he first saw you from the streets.

He almost hesitates to touch you for fear of breaking you. He gently pulls the thin blanket from you and hears you murmur. He released a breath he didn’t know he was holding at the knowledge you were still alive.

As he gets closer, he whispers, “Y/N, doll, it’s me, it’s Bucky”.

He hears you murmur again, “go away”.

Hurt blossoms in his chest at your words but they soon die when he hears you again, “I know it’s not you, you’re in my head. Please go away, it hurts too much to see that it’s not you”.

Bucky gently pulls on your shoulder until you twist. Anger spikes at seeing how hollow you look but he smiles at you softly as he watches you taking him in. He waits, noticing how you linger on his eyes before saying, ��Bucky?”.

“Yeah, doll”.

A ghost of a smile graces your lips, but it changes just as Bucky feels a blow to the head. It doesn’t knock him out though as he rolls with the impact further into the cell. He sees stars as he hears you scream from your cot.

He shakes his head to clear his vision in time to see a blonde guy punch you in the face, knocking you out cold. Red is all he sees, fury and rage propelling him to tackle the guy to the ground.

They hit the stone ground hard, rolling with fists flying. Bucky barely even registers the blows as he finally stops the momentum. He grabs the guy by the shirt with his flesh hand and uses his metal hand to keep punching.

Bucky keeps going until he hears bone crunching, until all he can see is the dark red covering his face, until the man stops moving.

Bucky pushes the guy away as he gets up to go to you. He notices how impossibly still you are and the trickle of blood coming from your nose. Bucky lays two fingers on your throat softly. He can feel a pulse but its faint.

He wastes no more time, scooping you up into his arms, holding you close to his body as he practically runs down the hall, urgency nipping at his heels.

As Bucky gets closer to the double doors back to the main foyer, he doesn’t hear anymore gunfire. The battle obviously won.

Noah is still standing by the door, his eyes looking like saucers when they fall onto you.

Steve and Sam hide their emotions better, as Steve says, “some surrendered, what do you want us to-“.

“Kill them”, Bucky doesn’t even stop his stride to the door.

“Buck-“, Sam this time.

Bucky turns to look at the men standing around him. His men. He looks at all of them before saying, “Kill. Them. All. I will not give that order again, are we clear?”.

Bucky doesn’t wait to hear their answers. The sound of gunshots was answer enough.

*2 Days Later*

Bucky had just hung up the phone when Steve walks into the hospital room, “who was that?”.

Bucky scrapes a hand down his face as he sits in the chair next to you again, “it was the doc back home, said he would have a look over Y/N’s medical notes and see if it was safe enough for her to fly back. I want her home when she wakes up”.

Bucky sighs before looking over at Steve, “any sign?”.

Steve shakes his head, “nothing, both of them are in the wind”.

Bucky resists the urge to break things in the hospital. He watches your face, peaceful in the afternoon light to calm down instead. All he could feel was one failure after another for you. The car crashing, letting you get taken, not finding you for a week, and now letting Harry and Isaac disappear.

“It’s not your fault Buck”, Steve says, somehow always reading the thoughts in his head.

Bucky replies, still looking at you, “tell that to her when she wakes up”.

“I won’t have to because she will tell you the exact same thing”, Steve says firmly.

“What am I meant to say to her Steve? That I let that fucker get away? Me? The man that swore to protect her?”, Bucky scoffs.

Steve shuffles until he can look Bucky in the eyes, “you haven’t failed her Bucky. You’re human-“

“Well, I can’t afford to be!”, Bucky roars.

Bucky clenches his fist, biting his tongue until he continues between clenched teeth, “I have too many people counting on me. We may have won the battle this time Steve, but it’s far from over. This is a war and I fully intend to win at any cost. This is a war and I want them all dead. Every last single one of them”.

The silence stretched. Steve didn’t disagree, especially since they went after Peggy and the kids. Bucky sighs again, as if he was being crushed under the weight of everything he insisted he would carry himself, “go home Steve”.

“I’ll head back to the hotel-“.

“No. Home. Go home Steve. Go and see your wife and your kids. Take some time, because it won’t get any easier from here. Not only will we have Harry and Isaac to deal with, but we took a hit. People will be talking, and we need to get a hold of that shit. I don’t want anyone thinking they can take us. I’m still the White fucking Wolf and I need everyone to remember why. So, go home Steve. I’ll be back soon with Y/N”.

Bucky registers Steve’s shoes against the floor, and the click of the door opening. It was a few minutes of silence before Steve murmurs, “you are the White Wolf…but you’re also Bucky Barnes, my best friend, Sam’s best friend. You’re godfather to my children and practically a brother to Peggy. And Y/N? She might as well already be your wife. What I’m saying Punk is, don’t lose sight of who you really are in the midst of this war”.

He lets the words sink in before Bucky hears the click of the door closing. Bucky goes back to studying your face. His eyes tracing the bruises changing colour over your sharp angles. The rise and fall of your chest.

He lets a tear fall as he lays his head lightly on your stomach, hugging you like a lost child would their teddy. This was the first time he ever felt, he ever wished that he was anyone other than a mob boss.

YOUR POV

You come back slowly. To the sound of beeping and the feel of a soft, slightly ridged bed beneath you.

You keep your eyes closed, trying to get a sense with your body if someone is in the room.

When it feels safe enough you open your eyes slowly, not having a choice against the lights in the room. Your eyes water and you let the tears travel down your cheeks as you try not to move.

A quick scan of the room shows there is no one around and the longer you look around the faster memory comes back. You don’t want to believe your eyes. You don’t want to believe that you’re in the med wing of your home, with the thought of Bucky somewhere within. You didn’t want to believe it for fear that you will wake up back in the cell or in that room with Isaac.

But the longer you lay there, staring at every piece of the room, focusing on your breathing the more you realised this isn’t a dream or a hallucination.

You sit up, muscles protesting the movement. It takes you longer to swing your legs out of bed and even longer to stand on your feet.

The first time you try, you crumple like a fawn on new legs, the bed the only thing stopping you from hitting the floor.

Your chest heaving, you try again, standing in one place a little longer before feeling your legs buckle again. You repeat the process a few times, until your shaky legs are strong enough to carry you.

That is when you decide to take everything out. The machines start beeping and you know your time is limited now, people will crowd the room within minutes, but you have to find Bucky first. You have to know this is real.

You hold onto the bed for as long as possible as you let your legs remember how to walk on their own. When you run out of bed you grab a hold of the door, letting it swing out as you follow the wall with your hands.

The halls are empty, and you couldn’t be more grateful as you start to take easier steps closer and closer to Bucky’s office.

As the office comes within sight you hear the door open and he steps out, looking one way and then the other, his eyes landing on you. He was holding a phone to his ear but the moment he sees you he hangs up.

You take him in, both in disbelief at either ends of the hall staring. Your lips part, “Bucky?”.

He strides towards you at the sound of his name, purpose filling every step. He doesn’t hesitate as he reaches you. His hands gentle against your skin as he sweeps you up bridal style. The smell of him fills your nose as you bring your hands up to cup his face.

You stare at him for the longest time, focusing on his eyes and you finally accept that its him as your eyes well up, “Bucky”.

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#bucky barnes #bucky x reader #bucky x you #bucky #bucky fanfic #james buchanan barnes #bucky fandom #bucky series #bucky fic #bucky x y/n #mob!bucky #james bucky barnes #marvel

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krayonders · 4 years ago

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hi if you could be so kind could u share hollow knight quix answers its my new favorite quiz I love hollow knight. apologizes if you posted it before I promise I looked for em

of course!!!

enter hallownest

i can’t decide if i diagnose you with reluctant hero or the same child-like wonder over the garden wall makes me feel

reflection

i think you’re someone people feel very safe being able to vent to. human equivalent of a save point. remember to take care of yourself as well!!!!!!

the white lady

you carry yourself with an air of regality. if you asked me to slay your foes with a cool sword, i’d say yes no questions asked

broken vessel

you fight. even when things seem hopeless, you fight. or maybe youre just stubborn. go off either way

kingdom’s edge

do u need a hug, bro?

crossroads

this song manages to make me feel comfortable but then gives me this underlying feeling that something is wrong. i’m diagnosing you with sad but making up for it by being funny

decisive battle

i think you should play a character who fights in melee range next time you play dnd

white palace

you seem really nice but why the fuck do you keep saws in your home. please i just wanna talk

radiance

if you were in a tv show, youd be the evil in a sexy way character that everyone loves

hollow knight

you’re hopeful. you’ve been Through It and you’ll continue to go through it. you haven’t given up yet and you don’t intend to. not yet. there’s still so much you need to do

hornet

hero complex (affectionate)

mantis lords

first of all, i want you to know that this is the song that i’ve listened to the most. of all time. uhhhhh. it’s also my favorite boss fight. this is the you are sexy and fun and everyone wants to be you answer. congratulations. you won the personality quiz

soul sanctum

do you ever feel so small in the big picture? yeah,..,..,.,,,

dream battle

please tell me how you feel about strong women with big swords i want to hear it

resting grounds

you give me the vibes of someone who has a hard time letting go

nosk

this song sets off my fight of flight response. in terms of this quiz, i think it just means youve made some brave choices and that i respect you a lot

dream

you give me the vibes of someone who either watch(ed) buzzfeed unsolved or who likes mystery themed dnd campaigns

dung defender

you radiate fun and enthusiasm. keep it up, pog champ

city of tears

a memory of what has been. a hope for what will be. whatever you’ve been through, things will change. things will get better. i hope you believe it too

crystal peak

women want you fish fear you mermaids feel very conflicted

fungal wastes

we really in it now, the mortifying ordeal of being known

queen’s garden

if you were a weapon, you’d be a rapier. which is pretty neat because rapiers are pog

greenpath

you are filled with wonder. about life, about what comes next. you give me the vibes of someone who watches video essays. i asked my friend how greenpath makes them feel and they said it makes them feel like they’re about to go through something that is much larger than them, but that they know they will come out on the other side

false knight

you’re willing to break the rules to protect those you care about. whatever it takes, you are here for them

dirtmouth

you feel like home

sealed vessel

i need you to take some of the responsibility you are carrying on your back and let other people help u with it

#answered #razberrybi #god i love this silly little bug game so much #silksong when

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bimboficationblues · 4 years ago

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So I’ve been running through the FROM Software games over the past month, here’s thoughts:

Dark Souls (Remastered)

The original Dark Souls really agitated me at first because of the one-two punch of the third and fourth bosses on the standard route, but once I broke through that wall I got really into it. I love the interconnected world and the tactically oriented combat; it really captures a great feeling of both adventure and foreignness.

Thematically I think it’s pretty interesting, even if I’m not sure the narrative is communicated in the best way possible. The player-character is essentially a sacrificial lamb for the powers-that-be (often without even realizing it as the player), and the boss encounters and world-building reveal the ultimate hollowness that stand behind thrones and crowns. Also, the bosses are great! I’ve been keeping track of which ones I’ve enjoyed most throughout the series and the vast majority of my favorites are from DS1; there are some serious low points (most of them in the Demon Ruins), but the high points are incredibly high. It makes me sad that the Remaster didn’t include anything new, like DS2′s Bonfire Ascetics, to allow me to refight Quelaag, Ornstein and Smough, or Artorias the Abysswalker.

The main things that keep me from lavishing DS1 with praise are certain tedious design choices (kindling bonfires, the inability to warp to any bonfire after unlocking warping, the incentives towards turtling up, and the incentives for finding cheap and unexciting ways to defeat bosses) and the truly disappointing last third of the game. The Duke’s Archives is a great level and I have mixed-but-positive feelings on the Tomb of Giants, but the Demon Ruins/Lost Izalith are hideous and full of boring encounters and bad bosses, and the New Londo Ruins is a slogfest from beginning to end (died to the boss? have fun on your way back to it, which requires going down an elevator, up a staircase, across a bridge, past five dragon enemies, through swaths of quick-attacking humanoid enemies that wear black in low lighting, all because there’s no bonfire in the vicinity).

Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin

Dark Souls II is not as bad as it’s made out to be and I disagree with the substance of most of the traditional complaints, but it is still pretty underwhelming. The enemy placements can be frustrating but are generally a good change for people already familiar with DS1′s approach to encounter design; the Shrine of Amana is singled out for this, but it’s really not that bad, especially if you summon for it.

The narrative--a falling into darkness, the cyclical decay and disappearance of states, the direct and observable involvement of Nashandra and the Emerald Herald in the plot--is arguably more interesting than DS1′s, though it takes longer to get off the ground. New quality-of-life changes, like the revised system for weapon durability, are also good. The introduction of new healing items was also helpful, although I disliked having to farm for them sometimes (the inevitable result of a very hard game tying healing items to currency, which is also an issue in Bloodborne).

“Dudes in armor” bosses are good, and DS2 does have some great dudes in armor (specifically the Fume Knight and the Looking Glass Knight), but the problem with DS2′s bosses (irrespective of whether they’re humanoid or monstrous) is that they are not well-served by the game’s camera direction, the arenas they’re in (which are consistently and observably just big empty circles), and their visual designs (which are generally drab). Ornstein and Smough felt like forces of nature, pale shadows of themselves who nonetheless tower over you and will wreck your shit through sheer inertia; their rough equivalents, the Throne Watcher and Throne Defender, feel like beefy standard enemies. Overall I think most of the bosses are “boring but practical,” which is not really what I wanted.

One thing I consider unforgivable in this game is the ruining of the parry system; not only are the timings very weird and hard to pin down, the changing of riposte attacks from a quick, desperate counterattack to a slow, arduous process of executing a prone enemy is really annoying. I would probably have made a parry-centric character as I did in DS1 and taken the time to learn the new attack timings, if it were not for how unrewarding it feels to riposte in DS2.

Dark Souls III

DS2 also makes changes that carry into DS3, namely the ability to warp at the start of the game between any accessed bonfire, the use of a hub world, and the need to regularly return to the hub for leveling up. These are all bad choices imo. Immediate access to warping is probably a good thing, but it instills a sense of relief at being done with a chore, as opposed to the unique atmosphere of curiosity and dread that DS1 instilled. In DS1 I was always excited and fearful to see what I’d run into next; in the sequels I was often hoping to barrel through to the next bonfire. The hub world also contributes to this lack of curiosity, and having to return to it to level up means you never really feel like an adventurer in a strange and terrifying land because you can--and must--just nip back home if things are getting too rough. DS3 is a little better about this with a slightly lower number of bonfires, but not by much. At the same time, DS3 abandons good ideas from its immediate predecessor such as the ability to refight bosses, lifegems, and the “power-stance” for dual-wielding weapons.

DS3 also introduces a god-awful mechanic; in DS1, there’s pretty much no real downside to being Hollow, while in DS2, remaining Hollow after repeated deaths will steadily decrease your max HP. DS3 instead puts a hard cap on your max health. (This is framed as losing a 30% HP “bonus” from being “Embered,” rather than a 30% cap, but they achieve the same basic effect, especially since being human is supposed to be the “base” state. If DS2 did this shit, people would be mad about it.) In general I dislike when these games punish players who are having a difficult time with a section or a boss by making the game even harder (which is also why I’m really not a fan of the PvP system).

DS3 also accelerates some of the frustrating things in encounter design from DS2; not only are there many areas with insane swarms of enemies, but those enemies are all often obscenely fast and hit like a truck. The new Silver Knights (who were some of my favorite foes in DS1) are the worst offenders so far; they were slow and methodical but punishing, but now they’re used as a gank-fight.

Finally, DS3′s narrative is mired in nostalgia-bait. While DS2 asked about Gwyn, Lord of Cinder, “who’s that?”, DS3 acts like Anor Londo was the most important kingdom to ever exist, undermining both previous games’ themes. It doesn’t really feel like it’s telling its own story. So even though DS3 is more technically polished than DS2, and I think definitely has a better selection of bosses and levels, I think it’s the inferior product overall.

Bloodborne

Bloodborne is definitely the most moment-to-moment fun alongside DS1 imo, but is less visually interesting so far compared to the hideous muck of Blighttown, the splendorous ocean of Heide’s Tower of Flame and grim industry of the Iron Keep, or the terrifying, frostbitten beauty of the Boreal Valley. But I also don’t own a PS4, so I only got a third of the way done playing on my friend’s. However, the new approach to warping, the streamlining of the weapons system, the emphasis on parrying, the rallying system, and the increased speed and flow of gameplay are all great developments and I’m excited to explore the game more in future when I’m able to.

Demon’s Souls and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Demon’s Souls is next if I can acquire a PS3 copy (or if one of my friends gets a PS5), and while Sekiro strikes me as very different in kind from the rest of these games, it’s still on my to-play list.

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lessrthanthree · 4 years ago

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Ahoy! I wanted to let you know that I started playing Hollow Knight yesterday, and I'm seriously loving it. Wow. The work that's been put into it is phenomenal. I knew the soundtrack was good, but the art is gorgeous and I can already tell the lore is going to be deep and very cool. But, man does it show my lack of gaming experience 😂 I died like 5 times on just those bugs in the first section that shoot the little fireballs, and before that I died 3 or 4 times on that bug that spawns tiny bugs out of itself (when I say died, I'm meaning full-on all soul depleted and having to find my black ghost self again. I lost so much money). Both my friend and a letsplayer got through them in just one try, so now I'm wondering how long it will take me to get past the first boss. I guess I'm looking for other people who had such a hard time, and wondering if any of yall out there feeling my pain were still able to get through the game, because I know it is LONG.

AHSJDKDLFLFLG I'm so glad you're enjoying it so far!!! It's truly a wonderful game in all aspects really :D except for uh... yeah. the difficulty level. This game has a HARSH learning curve. Like ouch.

I started this game with it being my first ever platformer. And yikes. I could barely do the tutorial. But as I explored (and got lost. A LOT. Had no idea where I was ever bc my sense of direction is nearly nonexistent) I became more used to enemy patterns and how to dodge and attack and jump. It really just takes a lot of time honestly.

Bosses will take a few attempts of course *makes direct eye contact with hornet...* but the most important thing to remember when it comes to hollow knight is to ✨stay calm✨

Really,,,

Just keep trying but make sure to take breaks, and watching others play helps a lot too :D

#ask #asks #avo speaks #mintbrownieangelfish

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pauldron-pieces · 4 years ago

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Destrier Revel: For Leofore

Fandom: Dungeons And Dragons (5E)

Pairing: N/A, Leofore-Centric

Rating: Holy shit M.

AN: This is a hypothetical narrative boss battle scenario featuring original characters in a world created by my Dungeon Master. As usual, this is non-canon and I own nothing aside from intellectual properties specifically attached to Destrier Revel. This installment is mechanically unsound in a multitude of ways and ignores certain important lore facets. Trigger warnings are listed inside. Enjoy!

Taglist: @sporadic-fics and @cookiethewriter!

Inspired By: Fire Emblem: Three Houses OST: The Apex of the World (Rain) and Written By Wolves: To Tell You The Truth

Destrier Revel’s Backstory: Burn The Wicked

[Leofore is a human Oathbreaker/fallen paladin, and his appearance can be found here.]

[!TRIGGER WARNING!: This installment contains multiple triggering scenes including vivid descriptions of gore, emotional/physical duress and character death. Stay safe!]

When we last left our party, Knight-Commander Leofore was believed to be dead, a casualty of the war. To the shock and dismay of the party, Leofore returned on the eve of their most ambitious push against the Urgals, their former friend and mentor twisted nearly beyond recognition and wearing a strange mask. Leofore proceeded to berate the King's Elite for their inaction before kidnapping both the prince and the queen and escaping into the night. The party has tracked him down in an effort to rescue the queen and prince, and possibly, Destrier's mentor as well ...

He knew they had arrived before they even entered the portal. Thranrok was always so loud .

The sound of their voices filled him with melancholy he did not entirely understand. Leofore's mind seemed to be in a fog, a daze that stole the strength from his very spirit. Was this what being undead was truly like?

The queen was still secured beside the throne, her regal poise maintained throughout the ordeal. Frail hands trembled ever so slightly as his gauntlet wrapped around her bound wrists, but other than that she gave no indication of her fear while she was pulled upright. King Jonathan's wife had always been the picture of composure, whether dealing with unruly nobility or Urgal hordes.

Leofore offered her a smile devoid of warmth. "It would seem your salvation is at hand, your Majesty. Better late than never. Unfortunately though, you will not live long enough to be rescued."

"I pray that your friends will be able to rescue you from the inky depths you've sunk to." The queen replied softly. "The Leofore I knew would never surrender so easily, would never stoop so low as to condone murder and kidnapping."

The torches lining the room suddenly flared bright, no doubt in reply to Thranrok's talents. A forlorn fondness swept the paladin when his old friends were revealed in the rising torchlight, his dagger moving without his input to slit the queen's throat.

Leofore couldn't remember why that caused him such distress, his thoughts clouded and confused while her hands weakly pawed at his blackened breastplate. He shoved her body away gracelessly, opening his arms in greeting instead. "My friends!" The paladin said gladly.

"Why the hell would you do that?!" Thranrok squawked, the sorcerer already bristling.

Naero advanced cautiously, his attention obviously split between concern for the queen and wariness for Leofore. " Easy big guy, we did what you asked for. We're here. Your negotiating skills could use a little polish, but whatever gets the job done."

Leofore could hear the judgement in his quiet words. Naero had always been good at reading him.

Knight Revel silently gathered the queen in his arms and Leofore's gaze was drawn to the large shield strapped on his back, identical to the one he himself had carried. The knight passed the rapidly fading woman off to Ganymethios, who looked as grim as a dragonborn could while he began to softly murmur a spell that would no doubt steal her back from death.

Pity they never afforded you such courtesies.

Leofore paid the queen's removal no further mind, predatory focus shifting to the two who now stood at the foot of the dais. The elf at least had the wherewithal to keep his expression neutral, but Destrier… "It is good to see you again." Leofore announced, his smile all bared teeth and false pleasantries. "How I wish that I had been able to see you all one last time before I died. Alone on the battlefield, eyes fixed to the horizon where I expected my aid to come from."

Died rang hollow in his head. He knew it was wrong , but he was unsure why. Why would that be wrong? He had perished.

Right?

The spectral grip at the nape of his neck tightened, phantom fingers digging in like iron talons. Right . "Would that we could meet under happier circumstances," The paladin mused.

"The feeling's mutual, trust me." Thranrok muttered.

Argon already looked ready to tear Leofore limb from limb, the werebear sampling the air briefly before affixing those beady little eyes on the paladin atop the dais.

He will be a problem. Get rid of him. That cold voice in his head again, the claws digging deeper. Leofore shook off the sensation, straightening his shoulders. "After you all so callously abandoned me to die , really, what was I to do?" He asked no one in particular, clasping his hands behind his back as he surveyed the room.

Destrier's voice cracked when he spoke up, "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, Knight-Commander. I had never seen King Jonathan weep so openly before that day, the day that he gave us the order to march on the main encampment instead of dividing his senior officers."

Leofore glanced at the young man he had trained and he was perturbed by the expression Destrier wore. The blond looked like someone had ripped the soul from his chest. And the idea of his dear friend King Yokam ordering the battalions forward with tears streaming down his face...it was-

Exactly what you wanted! He abandoned you, let him suffer!

Bitterness soured his mouth.

"We grieved for you, we mourned your loss!" Destrier continued when he did not comment, his fists clenched at his sides. "And when Gany told us that he may be able to return you to your former state-"

"I needed some time to work on the spell and gather resources, but yeah. We weren't letting you go without a fight." Gany inserted himself into the one-sided conversation, placing a hand on Destrier's shoulder to quiet him. "Thranrok and I aren't one hundred percent sure on what's going on, but for you?"

"Of course we would try!" The hairless dwarf chimed in. Leofore's throat tightened. "Leaving you behind-- none of us agreed with it! They called us heroes, honored your memory, but without you there…"

"An inescapable void in our team where our compatriot used to be." Naero paused, sharp eyes meeting Leofore's own steadily. "All the poetic words in the world won't cure the horror your lost soul must feel, therefore I won't bother with them."

Despite their relative proximity, Leofore suddenly felt as though there was a bottomless pit between himself and his stalwart brothers in arms.

Destrier raised his lance in a knightly salute. "You will never die alone again, my friend. We will lay you to rest as many times as it takes. I swear it." He promised fervently. "Whatever power dragged you from your grave, we will dismantle it and grant you the peace you deserve."

"I think all this is pointless." Argon rumbled bluntly. "He's not just gonna' lie down no matter how much you idiots talk at him. Even if he wasn't all screwed up, this is Leofore ."

"Too true, my ursine friend!" Leofore agreed with another smile, genuine this time. It was good to see them all again-

The angry mask of his helm slammed down without warning, the ability to control his own motions entirely removed.

What am I doing?

A terrible oath in Urgal left the mouth he did not own and then a pinpoint of black flame tossed itself lazily into the center of his former allies. Fick was the only one quick enough to sidestep the attack, the elf having the audacity to look bored.

What am I doing? Stop!

Knight Revel and Ganymethios were unable to avoid the hellfire explosion and were thrown back from the throne dais, the knight striking a pillar sickeningly hard and the wizard tumbling across the floor with a loud clatter of scaled limbs.

Stop!

His lance felt unwieldy and clumsy in his hand. Leofore advanced on the individuals he had fought beside so many times, his attention fixed on Argon. Argon, First General, was the largest and strongest of the group, the werebear towering head and shoulders over even Knight-Commander Leofore himself.

Get rid of him or he will cause trouble.

Thranrok struggled to help Gany rise, the sorcerer hurling angry verbiage in Dwarvish at Leofore. With those two preoccupied, Leofore was free to attack Argon uninterrupted. The werebear stared him down, then opened his mouth and let out a fierce roar of challenge.

An arrow sang through the air, Leofore dodging the shot to the face with a speed he did not possess. Fick grunted something that sounded like a swear under his breath and Leofore knew he was supposed to hear it, simply because the Spymaster didn't speak for his own benefit even when he was frustrated.

The familiarity was ice cold down his spine. He would have to kill them. Argon would feint left, then strike right. Destrier would use the haft of his lance to knock him off balance before going in for the kill. Ganymethios was the wild card, but even he had predictable routes. Thranrok would attack from the air, and Naero-

Gods help me. I will end up killing them.

But then, Argon bolted right . Leofore was caught off guard, unable to get his lance up in time to fend him off and the werebear grappled him with massive paws. Claws raked through his armor and Leofore snarled, words foreign to his tongue imbuing his lance with a terrible power. He pulled his arm back as best as he could to strike, to stagger, to kill -

He had forgotten about Destrier, more was the pity. "Garuda denies it!" the blond man barked sharply, his hand outstretched to render Leofore's spell null. The Knight-Commander was not even allowed the time to be irritated as Argon proceeded to maul him. Or try to, anyway. The blood hunter was certainly making quick work of his armor! Leofore was strangely lighthearted about this turn of events. Argon had factored in that he knew their methods inside and out. To change such tried and true strategies mere moments before battle-!

Revel was abruptly inches from his face and Leofore blinked, unsure if he had hallucinated the curled onyx horns he had seen briefly on either side of Destrier's pale visage. The younger man's lance roared like a bonfire when he struck Leofore, pinpricks of strange light arcing around his form.

The dark-haired paladin was then subjected to an ethereal weapon colliding with the side of his mask, catching the barest glimpse of a glassy obsidian battleaxe--no! A double-bladed spear, laced through with stars and flanked by those horns. It vanished as quickly as it appeared. Since when could Revel do that?! That was also a variable. It seemed Argon was not the only one who had adapted his strategies! Bittersweet pride surged in Leofore, seeing the determined look in those familiar brown eyes.

Please, my friends, stop me. I am lost to you, please stop me.

Kill them all, you insolent fool!

The decaying bodies of his men rose from the shadows beside the pillars, shambling corpses heading for the recovering wizard and unconscious queen. Thranrok flew into the air, fire whirling to life and immolating their would-be attackers. The stars that began shimmering around his bald pate warned Leofore that he was about to have much more than the angry First General werebear, his fierce Knight-Captain and their potshot-taking Spymaster to endure.

Get rid of Argon, before it's too late! He is the largest threat!

Leofore struggled wildly against Argon's grip, his lance puncturing the blood hunter over and over in a frenzy. Argon held on doggedly while the necrotic energy seared his flesh, one enormous paw swiping at the mask.

Destrier had entirely abandoned any pretense of composure, his attacks little more than frantic swings until Argon yelled at him to focus on the damn mask, Revel! Instead of stabbing his deadly lance through Leofore's head like a sane man would have, Destrier spun the weapon around and rammed the blunt end of it up into the underside of Leofore's chin.

Colors exploded across his limited field of vision and Leofore feared for a moment that Revel had shattered his jaw. The older paladin tasted blood in his mouth, viscous liquid spattering down his breastplate when he gasped for air. Argon's hold on him tightened even further, grim blackened pauldrons creaking in warning; another arrow glanced off the mask, chipping the bridge of the nose.

"Keep him still , will you?" Naero complained.

" Look Fick, he's hellbent on making me into a damn pincushion-- will you knock it off?! " Argon interrupted himself to pound a furry fist into the side of Leofore's head, the blood hunter sounding more like he was berating a child than fighting for his life.

Destrier abandoned his lance in favor of fumbling with the smooth edges of the mask, the knight swearing a blue streak when Leofore jerked his face up out of reach. "We are here to help you, Leofore!" He cried, clearly distraught. " Stop! "

Leofore silently bent his legs at the knee and planted his black sabatons in the center of Revel's chest, using the solid wall of Argon to his advantage so he could knock Destrier flat on his back. A mote of pure starlight struck Leofore squarely in the temple and he heard a loud crack as the mask lost a small piece from the forehead.

"Ha!" Thranrok sounded pleased, which boded poorly-

You stupid fool, kill him now!

Another Urgal spell left his lips and paralysis rippled across the battlefield. Thranrok tumbled helplessly to the ground, the dwarf landing hard beside Ganymethios and the queen.

Leofore wordlessly flipped his lance around and thrust it into his own stomach. His plate and chainmail shrieked in protest before giving way and the pain from his wounds (which had been a far-off, dreamy sort of thing), rushed to clarity. Radiant energy cut him to the quick and he choked down his yell, shoving the lance through himself and into Argon.

The werebear roared at the explosion of power and loosened his grip, finally allowing Leofore to tear free.

The man dropped heavily to the stone floor, another mote of starlight crashing into the mask and knocking him onto his hands and knees. Leofore was dimly aware that he was slavering as he clawed at the mask, beating a fist into the ground in frustration when it would not budge.

He scrabbled frantically at his belt for his dagger, drawing it and feeling bile surge up his throat when he realized the blade was still stained with the queen's blood.

Leofore then jammed it under the edge of the mask, trying desperately to pry it off. Fight it, Leofore! That was Thranrok's voice in his head, concerned, loudbright , grounding him in reality. Knight-Commander Leofore, leader of the King's Elite, reduced to this?

The dagger cut into his cheek while he struggled, the paladin digging and scraping like a rabid animal until the blade suddenly snapped with a sharp pang!

I warned you, thrall. Now, kill Argon.

" No! " Leofore screamed, slamming his face into the floor one last time and then staggering upright against his will. The chainmail covering his stomach was slick with blood; Leofore could feel it trickling into his greaves. He pressed a hand to the wound and gripped his lance even tighter, his breathing coming in harsh, liquid gasps.

The werebear lay still on the flagstones several feet away, badly bloodied. First one foot, then the other, Leofore slowly advanced the prone blood hunter.

"Don't make me do this." The paladin whispered, fighting for control with every step. "Gods, don't make me do this." The icy fingers dug deep into the nape of his neck, making him grimace.

You have no choice.

Destrier grabbed his lance arm, the knight digging in his heels when Leofore tried to shake him off. " I won't let you! " Destrier raged, his voice hoarse from yelling as he roughly dragged the larger man back a step.

On the opposite side, Thranrok wrapped his entire body around the paladin's other arm, the stocky sorcerer slowing him down even further. "Gany, get it off him!" Thranrok exclaimed urgently. " Hurry! "

The dragonborn's talons sank into Leofore's face before he could even think about dodging, Gany not even attempting to remove the mask so much as he was skinning it off of him. A crack formed down the center, the mask giving out under the strain.

No!

Thank you, my friends .

Pain shot through his veins, fever-hot and furious. Leofore couldn't help but cry out, a weak shudder of agony rocking his battered body. Ganymethios carried on with his grisly task and Leofore finally felt something at the nape of his neck snap off with a dull crunch.

/x\

Leofore collapsed face first, mere inches from his intended target.

Destrier couldn't keep from dry heaving at the sight of the bloody mask Gany now held, the dragonborn shooting him an apologetic grimace before stating, "Nasty stuff, but it had to be done."

Naero sauntered forward, already putting on his gloves. Destrier gripped his lance tightly while the elf reached down, two fingers tapping on the side of Leofore's neck in habitual search of a pulse. He wasn't sure what on earth Naero hoped to find, Leofore was-

Fick's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "He's still circulating, boys."

"What? But I thought that he was undead!" Thranrok voiced what they were all thinking, scratching where his sideburns would be.

Destrier hardly cared, digging his gauntlets in at Leofore's sides so he could roll him over onto his back. He glanced to Gany, opening his mouth to ask for help, but the dragonborn was already muttering theories to Thranrok. The two of them were scrutinizing the inside of the mask pieces in the torchlight, holding the objects gingerly between them. Better not to interrupt if I can do it myself.

Destrier gave his healing freely, the hole in Leofore's stomach and his mangled face knitting themselves back together at a glacial pace. Revel's abilities may be able to keep himself alive in battle, but Ganymethios would forever be the better healer. Destrier's help had always been more akin to filling a pond by flooding it.

The Knight-Commander was breathing, the blond realized in stunned silence, watching the rise and fall of his chest. Destrier leaned forward, resting his forehead on Leofore's breastplate so he could feel the steady motion of his breath. " Please ." He implored softly, not sure of entirely who or what he was even asking for. He felt Naero's hand on his shoulder, the elf giving it a brief squeeze between pauldron and gorget.

Argon groaned, sounding more annoyed than pained. "Excuse me, senior officer over here? Guy who did all the work? Anyone want to give me a hand?"

Gany chuckled, absently tracing a well-worn sigil in the air. "Relax, Argon. We wouldn't leave you out in the cold."

The werebear grumbled at the quip, slowly moving to sit up after a moment or two. "So is he alive or what?" He asked. Destrier was uncertain who he had addressed, the Knight-Captain still slumped with his head bowed against Leofore's chest. Gany's healing spell washed over them all, but even after that Leofore did not stir.

"He breathes, anyway." Naero answered. "We should also make certain her Majesty is safe, and sweep the room for any further threats."

A gauntlet fumbled to grasp the back of Destrier's neck heavily. "Are you alright?" Leofore rasped, his voice barely audible. The younger knight was not particularly proud of how loud his sob of relief was, turning his face against his own shoulder in a futile attempt to muffle the pitiful noise with his tattered mantle.

"And lo, our sleeping beauty awakens." Fick said dryly. "The real question is, do we have to have Argon knock some sense into you again or will you behave this time?"

"I offer no promises." Leofore's laugh was a shadow of its former glory, the sound ragged. "I feel like death warmed over. Help me sit up, boys." Gany assisted Destrier with shifting their Knight-Commander into a sitting position on the stairs to the dais, Leofore nodding his thanks to the pair before glancing around the room. "What has happened?" He asked worriedly.

"We were hoping you could tell us." Fick replied. "This is lich business, after all. And someone didn't do their required reading the last time we dealt with one!"

"Hey! I can only apologize for not knowing about phylacteries so many times!" Thranrok protested. "Lich books are always so damn dry ."

"Well the one who reigned here was so damnable proud of his phylactery, he practically put the thing in my hands." Leofore shook his head. "That may have been the worst part of this whole endeavor, removing the reign of this lich while languishing under the tyranny of the previous one! That blasted mask-"

"Won't be able to do anything ever again." Thranrok interjected. "Gany and I will see to that."

"I thank you, my friends." Leofore sighed. "Near as I can recall, the prince is secured beneath the throne. The queen..."

"Already acquired. She lies over there, unconscious but alive." Ganymethios assured as Naero bolted for the throne.

"We must convene with Jonathan, discuss how to approach dealing with that other lich." Leofore rose slowly, clearly still weary from their pitched battle. He extended a hand to help Argon up from the floor, and was nearly toppled for his trouble.

The blood hunter grinned toothily, slapping the man on the shoulder. "We'll save you coming to my rescue for some other time, eh troublemaker?"

"Aye, I suppose we shall." Leofore paused for a moment, then turned to Thranrok. " Please tell me you can teleport us out of here, something . I am ready to be rid of this nightmare."

Thranrok looked offended. "Ex- cuse me, Leofore? Do my ears deceive me, or do I detect a hint of doubt in your tone?" A scroll was drawn from one of his many pockets. "The nerve of you, thinking that I wouldn't be prepared!" The sorcerer blustered.

"Wait, wait, we definitely shouldn't go directly to the castle." Naero called, hauling the prince's unconscious body out of a small cell beneath the elaborate throne. "King Jonathan is likely to slaughter us first and ask questions later if we just appear with his unconscious family and Dread Knight Leofore in tow."

"Too true!" Thranrok tapped his chin in thought, then snapped his fingers. "I've got it! Grab her Majesty, Gany."

"Wait, perhaps we should-"

Whatever Leofore was about to suggest was cut off as Thranrok enthusiastically rattled off the power words written on the parchment in his hands and the party was unceremoniously teleported away.

The familiar storage room of Maplecrest solidified around them and Destrier realized a split-second later that a wicked-looking cudgel was being swung at his head. His shield came up on instinct, deflecting the blow and making the metal ring loudly. "Illeria!" He said gladly, not really caring that she had come remarkably close to taking his head off.

The diminutive innkeeper dropped her weapon, her eyes wide in the dim light of morning. "Destrier! And--oh. And...Prince Timothy. Is that the queen? " She hissed, starting to hastily smooth out her skirts and apron.

She halted when she noticed Leofore and Revel reached out a steadying hand, certain that the young woman was preparing to grab her cudgel again. "It's alright, Illeria." He soothed.

Thranrok sidled to the main door of the inn, quickly scrawling a sign on a spare piece of vellum and then tacking it to the outside of the door. "We're buying you out for the day, Illeria. Y'know, for the trouble." The dwarf explained, the tips of his ears tinged slightly pink.

Illeria nodded dumbly, yanking on Destrier's arm. The knight allowed himself to be dragged into her living quarters, caught between laughing and crying when she whirled on him. "What the hell is going on, Revel?! You all-"

"I know. I can't even tell if I'm dreaming or not." Destrier confessed. "We had thought Leofore was lost to us, but he was working under the influence of a threat we believed we had destroyed."

"What, more Urgals?" She asked incredulously.

"Something akin to that, yes." Whatever Illeria muttered was decidedly uncharitable, the young woman holding her head in her hands. Destrier hesitated, then opened his arms. "Would you-?"

She tucked herself into his embrace without another word. The knight rested his chin on the top of her head, feeling a peace he had not known since Leofore had vanished.

"It is good to be home again." Destrier whispered.

"Home?"

"Aye. Home ."

/x\

Leofore stood in front of King Jonathan, his body language pensive. He still wore the blackened armor, stating that he felt unworthy of his gold and white plate, so he made quite the bedraggled sight. Once the king was done squeezing the breath out of his wife and son, he turned a stern look to the Knight-Commander.

"Fallen Knight Leofore."

Destrier grimaced at Leofore's wince. They had known this would come, but it still hurt. Leofore dropped to a knee, his shoulders rigid. "Your Majesty." He replied evenly.

King Jonathan meandered off the throne dais. Naero elbowed Destrier in the ribs, pointing surreptitiously at Jonathan's hands. More specifically, at the gauntlets he now wore. Destrier's brow furrowed in confusion, since when did his Majesty…?

Jonathan bade Leofore to rise, placing his right hand on the taller man's shoulder. Before anyone could react (though Destrier suspected Leofore knew the punishment was coming), he balled his left gauntlet into a fist and slammed it squarely into Leofore's nose.

Argon huffed out a breath that sounded suspiciously close to a snicker. Ganymethios was taken by a sudden coughing fit, Thranrok slapping him as high up on the back as he could reach.

Leofore staggered back with a grunt, cupping his face. Jonathan looked a fair bit pained himself, shaking off the impact of the blow. "Return to your duties, Knight-Commander Leofore. There is much work to be done." Despite his fierce expression, the king's eyes fairly danced with good humor. "It brings me great joy to have you back, my friend."

"Aye, the feeling is mutual." Leofore replied with a rueful smile, wiping the blood from his nose off his upper lip. "We bring news of enemy plots, my liege."

"Naero has informed me. We will tackle this topic ere the morn. Tonight, we feast." The king clapped Leofore's shoulder once again. "The queen and prince have returned, as well as the brave Knight-Commander we thought had been slain and the rest of the King's Elite. I would say that is cause for celebration!" He gestured a manservant forward, distributing tankards of fine ale amongst the adventurers before raising his own goblet. "A toast, my friends, for the new era! An age of peace shall finally dawn."

"For Leofore!" Prince Timothy exclaimed, saluting the Knight-Commander who waved it off with a quiet chuckle.

" For Leofore! " The King's Elite echoed, and there was the sudden snap of leather straps giving way as Destrier's shield flung itself off his back to hover at his side.

"You...gods, really? " Argon sighed.

Destrier rubbed the back of his neck, clearing his throat awkwardly. "It had to be a phrase I would remember." He tried to explain, feeling thoroughly embarrassed. "I wanted it to serve as a reminder of what we fought so hard for and why we fought as hard as we did."

"Well spake, my flushed friend!" Timothy teased, knuckling the other man's shoulder. "But come, we have a feast to prepare and drinks to indulge in!" Leofore's expression was unreadable when Destrier dared to glance over, and the younger knight feared that he had offended him.

Leofore approached him once the festivities were truly under way, asking for Destrier's presence while he circled the grounds. "It is very loud here, but I do not wish to be alone." He said by way of explanation, blue eyes strangely mournful.

Destrier agreed and the two of them made their way to the ramparts, walking at an easy pace and making inconsequential conversation.

Once there, Leofore ran a hand along the rich buntings that bore the kingdom's colors and insignia, his gaze far away. " Wars are not won or lost, merely ended ." He mused. "I know not who coined that phrase, but I have always found it to ring true." The dark-haired man leaned against a parapet and fixed Destrier with a calculating look. "Have we won this war, Revel? Or are we simply ending it?"

"Does it matter overmuch?" Destrier replied pragmatically with a question of his own, fixated on the bonfire in the courtyard far below crackling merrily away. "History will remember us as the victors and the people will recover with our help. Our work will not be over when the fighting is, you know that."

"Aye," Leofore nodded. "About the shield, Destrier…"

"I can change it." Revel rushed to assure him but Leofore waved him off.

"It brings me comfort to know that you would hold me in such high esteem." Then, "do you think Argon will forgive me for trying to turn him into a kitchen sieve?" Destrier tried to stifle his laugh to no avail. Leofore grinned at him, the older knight mussing his hair teasingly before returning to staring out toward the horizon. "Many things have changed, and yet even more stay the same. I will not be so foolhardy this time." He promised solemnly.

"I do not think we would be able to carry on with this new era if you were absent, my friend."

"Surely you jest. The strength I witnessed from all of you, the tenacity? I feared I would burst with pride. I understand your sentiment, though. I shall not go looking for my death, nor rush headlong into danger."

"Not alone, anyway." Destrier amended. "That is all I can ask for, Knight-Commander." He extended his hand and they clasped forearms in the typical knightly fashion. Leofore searched his eyes for a long moment and then nodded, seeming to have found whatever he was looking for.

"You have changed as well, Knight-Captain Revel. For the better, I would wager."

Part Three: Light And Home

#destrier revel #leofore #fallen paladin #dnd #dungeons and dragons #I loved the character of leofore so much #I'm sure my DM is sick to death of hearing me yammer about Leofore #but I am a simple man #angst #character death #conquest paladin #paladins #all paladins #of liches and those who fight them #NPC ruminations #a paladin and his mentor

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therainroguefanfiction · 4 years ago

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🔥 ℝise Ⱥbove I̾t ◈ Chapter 022 [Winchester’s Starting Line]

📑 Table of Contents | ◂Backward

Word Count: 3,282

⊱ ────── {⋅. 🔥 .⋅} ────── ⊰

〈“You know you’re fighting in a losing battle, Making a noose out of your hollow crown. I hold a match up to your paper castle, and watch it all burn down.” Ellie Goulding, “Hollow Crown”〉

⊱ ────── {⋅. 🔥 .⋅} ────── ⊰

The smoke cleared and the boss was on the other end of the room, his body embedded in the back wall. The male standing in front of me was breathing heavily, sword poised in front of him in both hands. Wait, I recognize that mop of green hair!

“Izuku?”

He glanced over his shoulder, giving me a nervous smile. “H-Hi, Jen-san.” He was wearing a long-sleeved white shirt under a green vest. His hands were covered by gloves and he wore a brown utility belt around his waist, legs covered by blue pants. He’s also a swordmaster.

“Deku?! What the fuck are you doing here?!” Bakugo yelled, stomping over to the boy.

“U-Um, I… you looked like… you n-needed help…”

“Hah?! As if I’d ever need help from a nerd like you!”

“You say that, but Winchester would have been a goner if he hadn’t stepped in when he did.” Iida approached the two, dressed in a suit of armor, his helmet tucked under his arm. He’s the knight class.

“That’s her fault for being a fucking weakling!”

“Gee, thanks.” I rolled my eyes, coughing again.

“Don’t worry, Jen, I can heal you!” Ochaco smiled brightly as she kneeled beside me, dressed in a short tan dress with a red hood over her head. Black leggings covered her legs, disappearing into brown boots. She carried a wooden staff, her right hand wearing a red glove. She’s the mage class. Ochaco hovered her hand above my stomach and it started to glow purple before my health shot up. “There, all better!”

“Thanks,” I pulled myself to my feet, dusting off my pants.

Iida snapped his gaze to me. “Why are you here? You’re not even level fifty yet!”

My eyes narrowed. “I’m half a pubic hair from being fifty. Fuck you.”

His cheeks burned. “E-Either way, this area is far too advanced for you! Show some responsibility for your actions.”

“You know, you really fucking piss me off, Prep.”

“P-Prep? My name is -!”

“I don’t fucking care,” I scoffed. “Oi, Bakuhoe. You got five minutes to finish this bitch off before I call it quits. I’m fuckin’ hungry and now in a bad mood.”

“Che, don’t tell me what to do!” He turned his back to me. “Let’s go, shitty hair!”

“Right!” Kirishima blew smoke from his nose.

Izuku and Iida joined the fight, while Ochaco stuck close to me with a magical shield up in case the boss decided to attack me again. Ten minutes passed and Kirishima dealt the finishing blow with a swipe of his clawed hand. Or is it a paw? Dragons don’t have paws right? Feet? But that makes me think of the back legs not the front.

As the boss shattered, an annoying jingling started to go off in my ear like I had just won the fucking jackpot on a slot machine. My level shot through the roof, jumping from forty-nine to seventy-nine. My body feels lighter, stronger, and now I have a shit ton of power points to assign again. For fuck’s sake.

Kirishima’s body started to shrink back to human form and he fell back onto his ass, a bright grin on his face. “I can’t believe we did it! You’re super strong, Midoriya!”

The greenette flushed at the praise, not missing Bakugo’s glare. “N-No, I’m really not -”

“Of course he is!” Iida pushed up his glasses. “Not only is he max level, but he also has the legendary Allmiber!”

Allmiber? What, is that the fucking love child of All Might and Excalibur?

“How the fuck did you hit max level?! And where the fuck did you get the most OP weapon in the damn game?!” Bakugo demanded, trying to grab the front of Izuku’s shirt, but the anti-PVP system prevented him from doing so.

“That’s so cool!” Kirishima jumped to his feet, eyes sparkling. “Only five people in the entire game have managed to find Allmiber!”

“And you, shitty hair!” Bakugo’s vermillion eyes snapped to the red-head, pointing an angry finger at his face. “How the fuck are you a Dragonling?!”

“What’s a Dragonling?” Ochaco whispered from behind me.

Izuku answered, his eyes shining. “Dragonlings are the rarest race in the whole game! They can’t be chosen or even bought, you can only get it as a drop from a powerful boss. The drop rate itself is only .01% and the drop location changes every week. They say that Dragonlings are unbeatable because of their massive health bars and insane defense and armor. They’re also the only race in the game that can change their forms in battle! Their dragon forms have been called the gods of the game! Did you know that the creator -”

I glanced over my shoulder at him, sweatdropping as he continued to ramble on about the game. A simple, ‘it’s rare!’ woulda been fine, ya know. But Ochaco and Iida are listening intently to him, as usual, nodding their head every few words.

Kirishima laughed as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I was just killing some scarecrows for a quest and it dropped.”

“You got a Dragonling from a fucking level five quest?! I’ll kill you!”

My lips tugged down as I watched the two groups interacting with each other. Why do I feel a sudden pang in my heart? I cursed, turning toward the exit portal that had opened up after the boss with destroyed. It took me back to town and I quickly logged out of the game, pulling myself off the wooden floor and turning the console off. I can still hear Bakugo screaming over the phone and I hesitated.

Should I say something? I decided I didn’t want to bother them and just ended the group call without a word, glancing at the clock. Nine-thirty.

The front door opened and closed, Toshi stepped into the living room looking tired and ragged. He smiled when he saw me. “Hello, young Jen. What would you like me to make for dinner?”

I grunted, pushing past him before he could step into the kitchen. “I wanna work on my cooking skull. You don’t mind, yeah?”

He sent me a confused look, but it soon melted to one of warmth. “That’s fine with me. I’m guessing tacos since I lifted the ban?”

“Nah. I’m in the mood for some curry.”

“Oh…” he shifted in the doorway, watching me closely. “Is anything bothering you?”

I sent him a small smile. “I spent all day playing an RPG with Bakugo, so I’ve just got a bit of headache.”

He sweatdropped. “That’ll do it. I’m gonna go take a shower.”

My smile dropped as soon as the bathroom door closed. To be honest, I don’t really know why I’m suddenly feeling so… isolated and down, I guess? I don’t wanna worry him, especially when I don’t even technically know what my problem is. Thinking about it, a lot of time has passed since I came to this world, since I started at U.A.

While everyone else has been forging friendships, I’ve been too damn busy keeping people at a distance. I haven’t made any efforts at all. Bakugo only asked me to play with him because he had no one else, but now he knows that the golden trio and Kirishima also play. They don’t need a low level to babysit that knows nothing about the game.

I groaned, rubbing my forehead in frustration. “Why is this bothering me? Get a grip.”

⊱ ────── {⋅. 🔥 .⋅} ────── ⊰

My phone buzzed for the millionth time and I sighed, opening my messages. From Bakugo:

‘Where the fuck did u go?’

‘Oi, fuckin answer me’

‘…somethings wrong aint it?’

‘Stop fucking ignoring me!’

And from a number I didn’t recognize:

‘Hey Winchester! Got ur number from Bakugo!’

‘This is Kirishima btw’

‘Whyd u log out so suddenly? Everything ok?’

‘That sword u got is really cool btw, it costs a million gold!’

My brow furrowed. Why did he give my number to Kirishima? Why’d he want it in the first place? Are they really worried about me? And that sword… why did Bakugo give me something that’s worth so damn much? I don’t understand anything.

I sighed, throwing my phone onto the couch before plopping down onto the floor so I could put my sneakers on. I heard shuffling behind me as Toshi walked quietly down the hall, pausing when he noticed me.

“Young Jen, you’re up early!”

“Don’t sound so surprised, Toshi.”

“You’re never awake when I leave in the mornings.” He commented, sliding his feet into the over-sized loafers. He suddenly grinned, his body expanding as he took on his muscle form. “Shall I carry you to school today? Ahahaha!”

I rolled my eyes as I pushed the door open. “I’m not a kid, but I’m sure Izuku would take you up on that offer, though.”

He laughed again, closing and locking the door. “I’m sure he would! By the way, I wanted to thank you for befriending young Midoriya. I feel more at ease knowing that you’re there to watch his back.”

“I’d hardly call myself his friend,” I muttered under my breath.

“Hm? What was that?”

“I said you’re welcome.”

He smiled brightly, slapping my shoulder. “Be safe on your way to school, young Jen!” He kneeled down, kicking off the ground as he took to the sky. I waited until he was out of sight before starting to walk, stuffing my hands into my pockets.

It was still dark outside, the neighborhood peaceful as the residents slept. Crickets chirped tiredly in the distance, pausing when the wind blew through the trees. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always found solace in the darkness. I’ve always been a night owl, preferring to be awake through the night rather than during the day. Maybe it’s because I hate the sun, or maybe it’s because there are fewer people around at night… I don’t really know the reason. This little strip of time before the sun starts to rise makes me feel at peace.

I took my time walking to school and the sun was just starting to glare over the horizon as I walked through the archway, casting shades of orange and purple across the sky. It was beautiful, sure, but I ain’t fond of the sun.

I entered the school building, heading for class 1-A. The room was empty and, for a minute, I just stood in the doorway. It felt weird without the loud chatter of the other students. It was eerie, like I had just stepped into an alternate dimension or some shit.

“Fuckin’ creepy,” I muttered, flicking on the light before heading to my desk. What do I do now? I left my phone behind, so I can’t play any games. I guess I could work on my homework… I started it last night but couldn’t concentrate so I ended up giving up and going to bed. Scrunching my nose up, I grabbed my notebook and the worksheets we had been given and got to work.

The door slid open a few minutes later and I glanced up, meeting surprised heterochromatic eyes. I returned my gaze to my notebook, where I was working on a doodle of Deadpool wearing a taco hat. At least he ain’t glaring at me, but the day is still young.

The legs of the chair scraped against the floor as he sat at his desk. He was quiet for a moment before speaking up, almost hesitantly. “Good morning,”

I raised a brow at him, but he was staring down at his desk. “Uh… sure.”

“Are you all healed up?”

“Yeah,”

“That’s good,” he nodded his head, pulling his notebook from his bag. “Does my voice really keep you calm?”

I nearly snapped my pencil, a bead of sweat rolling down my cheek. Damn, talk about being blunt. I cleared my throat, “Why are you even talkin’ to me?”

His eyes met mine, growing wide. “Should I not be?”

I shrugged. “You’ve always seemed perfectly content just glaring at me.”

Peppermint quickly looked away, his hair covering his eyes. “I’m sorry. You just… remind me of someone.”

“Who?”

He was silent for a moment and I figured he wasn’t going to answer. When he finally did, his voice was like ice. “My father,”

I raised a brow, humming. So a pretty boy with daddy issues, huh? Interesting. “Right. Good to know I remind you of an old man.”

“That’s not what I meant,” he mumbled, his cheeks gaining some color. “Will you answer my question now?”

“Yes, you have a calming voice. Happy?” I sighed, turning back to my notebook. Man, I accidentally stabbed Deadpool in the face.

The door slid open again and Fumi stepped inside, tilting his head as his eyes met mine. He approached my desk with a smile. “Good morning, Jen-san.”

“Sup, Fumi.”

“You’re usually one of the last to arrive. It’s quite alarming to see you here so early.”

“Sheesh, a girl tries to be a diligent student and everyone thinks the world is comin’ to an end.” I grinned, leaning back in my chair. “I wanted to try somethin’ new, but don’t worry, I hate it and won’t be doing it again.”

He chuckled, his eyes scanning my notebook. “You did this problem wrong,”

“Heh?” I glanced at the math problem he was pointing at. “Fuck math,”

“If you’d like, I can give you a hand.”

“For sure, thanks Fumi. The last thing I need is a lecture from Ectoplasm about not paying attention in his class.”

He nodded toward the pencil. “May I?”

“Go for it,” I watched as he scribbled down a number on the corner of the page.

“You can message me anytime you find yourself stuck and I will do my best to assist you.”

“Yeah, I will.” I smiled at him. “Thanks, Fumi.”

He nodded, returning the smile before heading to his desk. I caught Peppermint’s gaze but he quickly looked away. What’s his deal today?

Students slowly started to filter into the room and the silence morphed into loud chatter. In a way, their loud natures is annoying as all hell, but… I think I prefer it over the alternative.

“Wait, who are you?”

I glanced up at the sound of Alien’s voice, seeing Rin standing in the doorway. What’s he doing here?

He bowed, offering a kind smile. “My name is Hiryuu Rin from class 1-B next door. I’m looking for Winchester,”

Her eyes fell on me, half-hidden behind Momo. I stood up and approached him, grabbing his wrist and tugging him from the room. I could already hear her excited whispers. I swear if she starts spreading some stupid shit… I brought Rin to the stairway, which only had a few students passing by. As soon as I turned toward him, his arms were thrown around my neck, my body tensing at the contact.

“Uhh…”

“I’m so glad you’re okay.” He spoke with a voice full of emotion, his grip tightening around me. I could feel his heart hammering in his chest. “I heard about the attack, about two students being seriously injured along with Aizawa-sensei and Thirteen-sensei. I came to see you yesterday, to see if you were okay, but your entire class was gone. I was so worried about you, Winchester!”

My body relaxed as I wrapped my arms around him, gently rubbing his back. “The faulty thought it would be a good idea if we took a day off after the attack. Me and Izuku were a bit reckless, but it ain’t a big deal.”

“‘A bit reckless’?” He pulled back, eyes narrowed in frustration and worry. “You could’ve been killed.”

“I didn’t think you cared that much,” I muttered, scratching my cheek as I glanced to the side.”

“You’re my friend, of course, I care!” He sighed, letting his arms fall to his sides. “You’re okay, that’s what matters.”

My heart skipped a beat, my chest growing warm as my lips curled up. My hand rested on his head. “I’m sorry I worried you, Rin.”

“Call me Hiryuu.”

“Only if you call me Jen.”

“Deal,” he grinned.

“Hey, Rin! Class is gonna start soon!” An orange-haired girl smiled at us as she walked by with a girl that looked like she just stepped out of My Little Pony.

“Be right there, Kendo!” He called before turning back to me, pulling his phone out of his bag. “Can we exchange numbers?”

“Oh, uh, sure. I forgot my phone at home, though, so I’ll text you back after I get home.” I gave him my number and we parted ways, entering our own classrooms. Two numbers in one day? You’re turning into a player, girl. My good mood fizzled a bit when I entered class 1-A, eyes locking with angry vermillion.

“Morning, Winchester!” Kirishima grinned. “Last night was so much fun, let’s play again sometime!”

“Ooh~ What did you two do last night?” Alien asked, clapping her hands excitedly. “And who was that boy? Is he your boyfriend, Winchester?”

Satan, grant me the strength I need to not kill anyone today. “No, he’s just a friend.” I ignored her disappointed pout as I headed for my desk. I was almost there when a hand grabbed my shoulder roughly. Green met vermillion as we stared at each for a moment.

“You didn’t fucking answer my messages,” Bakugo’s voice was surprisingly calm as he gauged my reaction.

“I fell asleep after getting offline,” I lied, keeping my expression blank.

“Why the fuck didn’t you answer when you woke up, then?”

“Forgot my phone,”

“Stop fucking lying to me!”

I grunted, pulling myself from his grip and plopping down at my desk. Why do I suddenly feel so guilty about lying? Why did I even lie in the first place? It had been an instant reaction, I didn’t even consider it. We’re not even friends. He just tolerates me because I do the same for him.

He clicked his tongue in annoyance before stomping back to his desk.

“Hey, you guys! Did you watch the news?” Invisigirl asked, excitedly. “It was so cool that we got a few seconds of screen time. Though I bet nobody noticed me hanging out in the background…”

“Probably not,” Octo agreed.

Tail sweatdropped. “It is difficult to stand out when you’re just gloves…”

“We’re totally big deals.” Sparky’s voice was full of arrogance. “Those news channels love us, we’re basically celebrities!”

“Yeah, it’s kinda crazy, right?”

“Get over yourselves. The hero course that pumps out pros was attacked and that’s what they care about.”

“Who knows what woulda happened to us if the teachers hadn’t shown up.”

“Death. That’s what woulda happened.” I commented, dryly.

“Why’d you say that?!” Grape freaked out, his eyes full of tears. “I’m gonna pee myself just thinking about it!”

My lip curled back in disgust. Why is this fucking brat even in the hero course? I’ve seen more heroism from a fucking cockroach.

“Ah, shut up! Grow a pair, loser!!”

“Did you guys see All Might fighting the bird guy? That guy was super strong and he still destroyed him!”

“Yes, his strength is truly a thing of wonder.”

“Attention! Homeroom class is about to begin! Everyone stop talking and take your seats!” Iida ordered as he stood at the front of the room.

“Uh, we’re all sitting.”

“You’re the only one standing.”

Iida fell into his chair, body shaking. “Dang it,”

“Don’t sweat it,” Ochaco smiled. She’s honestly too precious for this world.

The door slid open and a heavily bandaged Aizawa appeared. His face was still covered, and both arms were in slings across his chest. “Good morning, class.”

⊱ ────── {⋅. 🔥 .⋅} ────── ⊰

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aaaa-mpersand · 5 years ago

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Why I Love Hollow Knight

aka a super long essay I wrote about why this game is,,,, ridiculously good. Spoilers, though I’ve tried to keep them minor for the most part and as cryptic as possible, if you want to go into this game blind, this is not something you want to read. It’s part prose part essay part me waxing poetic. TW: bugs, minor character death, existential dread some quotes are taken directly from the game. They are usually in bold or italics. - - - Higher beings, these words are for you alone. Beyond this point you enter the land of King and Creator. Step across this threshold and obey our laws. Bear witness to the last and only civilization, the eternal Kingdom Hallownest. It was a long trek to the city, and even the nail that has kept all enemies at bay is starting to feel heavy on your back. You have braved acid lakes, fended off husks gone mad with The Radiance, climbed Crystal Peaks, and fought the Mantis Lords. Now, you are finally here. Past the city gate, into the cavern that houses what was once the heart of a great kingdom. The City of Tears

You stand in one of the city’s large spires, the endless rain pattering like piano notes against the embellished windows. These architectural feats were marvels of their time, a testament to Hallownest’s greatness, an open declaration of defiance against the water pouring down from the lake above the caverns. They were made to stand for eras, a love letter to the eternal kingdom. Now, Hallownest is a rotting corpse, and only the rain cries for it. Zombie soldiers, eyes yellow with Radiance, continue their endless patrols. Husks of citizens sit, glowing eyes unblinking, in their homes, dead enough to rot but alive enough to attack any living thing that comes by. The foundations of the buildings are already starting to wear. One day, they will crumble. One day, the lake above will run dry. One day, the rain will stop, too. You find a bench. There is already someone sitting there, a traveller you met along the road named Quirrel. He is a mysterious but polite fellow, with the simple goal of seeing all the marvellous sights of the world. On his head is a hat that looks more like a mask, black holes for eyes carved into it. On his back is a nail, one that looks much like yours. Travellers do not get far without them. He gestures for you to sit beside him. Even if you could speak, you would be too tired to say your thanks, much less argue. “The capital lies before us, my friend. What a sombre place it seems, and one that holds the answers to many a mystery,” he says, “I, too, have felt the pull of this place, though now I sit before it, I find myself hesitant to descent. Is it fear, I wonder, or something else that holds me back?” The only sound between the two of you is the soft patter of rain. If your silence disturbs him, he does not let it on. “Isn’t this a wonderful place to rest? I so love the sound of the rain upon glass.” You rest your fill, and you move on. At the center of the city, you find a collection of four carved statues. Three smaller ones surrounding a large––far larger than you––horned figure with black, hollow eyes. City of Tears––the rain pouring off of them certainly makes them seem as if they are weeping. Hornet, a spider-like creature with a shell that looks similar to yours, lands in front of you. Unlike your last meeting, her needle is sheathed. ‘Little ghost,’ she calls you. She tells you to seek the Grave in Ash, if you wish to play a part in Hallownest’s perpetuation, knowing the sacrifices that keep its crumbling remains upright. Using a thread of silk as a grapple, she leaps back into the murky shadows of the city.You cannot speak, so you only stare as she leaves. Turning, you read the inscription of the statue. Memorial to the Hollow Knight: In the black vault far above. Through its sacrifice, Hallownest lasts eternal. You look around at the empty streets, the pouring rain, the husk of a Radiance-crazed sentry with a nail driven through it lying on the cobbled pavement. Hallownest is already dead. --- Gameplay and storytelling: Immersion is a large part of every story, but Hollow Knight really takes it a step further. It is a metroidvania game, so immersion and storytelling through settings is pretty much a given in its genre. All things considered, Hollow Knight has a good, but not really amazing, storyline. Rather, it is the way that it tells its story that makes it memorable. Hollow Knight is a videogame first and a story after, utilizing its gameplay to tell its story better than words could. This is why watching let’s plays is enjoyable, definitely a wonderful experience, but there is a difference between dying five times trying to beat a boss or platform through an area versus watching someone die five times trying to beat a boss or platform through an area. There is a moment of surprise you wouldn’t get if you only watched the lore video, to see a character alluded to only by other people in an awed or fearful tone, only to find the hilarious but horrible truth of their fate, and their small stature. However, it is definitely possible for a person to enjoy this game without personally playing it. The setting and music are enrapturing. There are small stories in every new room and every enemy and npc you meet, the love put into every detail is astounding. Evidence of previous battles, the cracked husks of beings that look suspiciously similar to you, a hostile enemy still unaware of your entering, staring out over an endless lake, Hollow Knight makes the player feel like their story is a small part of something bigger, something more than themselves. A good example of this is a minor character named Tiso, a proud warrior who says he wishes to travel into Hallownest and challenge the colosseum there. If you decide to challenge the colosseum yourself, you’ll meet the enemies that he had to face, too––and maybe die more than a couple times trying to do it. If you travel to the Kingdom's Edge, you’ll find his shield and hat with a pile of other remains––all that is left of those who fail the tests of the colosseum. It is possible to go through the whole game and come out knowing not much more story than when you went in. Of course, if you did that, then that’s a whole waste of 15 dollars, and why the hell did you buy this game in the first place. Rather, through the large map and its immersive storytelling, the game makes the player work for the story. A lot of the storytelling is open ended too. Instead of info dumping everything, the game assumes that you are capable of putting the pieces together yourself. It is a strong case of showing and not telling, but it definitely works. This greatly encourages players to go out of their way to find out what happened before. Lore tablets––and text in general––are very sparse in this game. Rather than loading you with information and npcs to talk to, you’ll be overjoyed to find an npc hidden away at the corner of the map. Each one is important, each one has its own story to tell. There are no characters that feel like throwaways or filler. In addition, the player can obtain the Dream Nail, used to reveal any npc or enemy’s true intentions and thoughts. This adds yet another layer to the game; most players immediately go around swinging their Dream Nail at everything they can find after discovering this. In conclusion, Hollow Knight uses a lot of very interesting storytelling elements and tools in the most effective ways possible. Music, characters, text, setting, flashbacks. Nothing ever feels like filler, or something to be disregarded. Instead, there is a joy in discovering and in asking questions. In a way, the playable character is a vessel through which the player can hear the stories of other characters as much as they are going through a journey of their own. --- Story: Hollow Knight’s story is a very interesting take on the “Chosen One” trope, among others. It starts as a story we’ve all heard before, “oceans rise, empires fall.” Maybe it’s for that reason that the game keeps most of the backstory elements secret until the very end of the game, forcing you to dig for it and spend time on it. Meanwhile, you grow attached to the playable character, the characters around them, the world, and the story, so when the curtain finally rises on the hidden secrets of Hallownest, you feel its meaning as if it were your own journey. In the most plain terms, to avoid completely spoiling the game, the story is this. The playable character travels into the remains of a kingdom long fallen: Hallownest. Along the way, you meet characters that tell you more and more about the kingdom and how it got here. The Pale King, a god in and of himself, travelled to this place to build his own eternal kingdom, but in his goal to unite all caverns and areas of the region under his rule, he trampled the already existing gods past recollection. One of these is The Radiance, who in a desperate effort for revenge and self-preservation, sent a sickness upon the kingdom that turns bugs mad. In an effort to combat this, The Pale King created the Pure Vessel, the Hollow Knight, to contain it, and recruited three dreamers to seal it. But when the moment of truth came, and the Radiance was to be sealed away, they found the Pure Vessel was not entirely empty, it was filled with a hope for love and recognition from the Pale King. Hallownest fell to The Radiance. Now, your goal is to find a means to an end for Hallownest, caught in a fate worse than death. Along the way, you will find the truth behind your own creation, the story of the dreamers, and the extent of the sacrifices Pale King made to preserve his eternal kingdom. This story, if not driven by its storytelling, is driven by its characters. You meet, or at least hear of, most of the key characters in the story by the beginning of the game. The Pale King is referred to in one of the lore tablets extremely early in the game. The Temple of the Black Egg, its door sealed, is where you meet Quirrel. The Daughter of Hallownest, Hornet, tries to cut you down, claiming she knows what you mean to do. All of these happen in the first two areas of the game. For the rest of your game, you learn about these characters bit by bit. You interact with them. You find them in corners of the map you wouldn’t expect, and find yourself happy to see them. By the end of the story, you realise that you are much more entangled in this than you realised. The Pure Vessel and the story surrounding him is one of the best ‘chosen ones’ I’ve seen. Even the playable character is technically a ‘chosen one,’ though it takes the role because they are the best candidate, and not because anyone wanted or forced them to. Its fandom has one of the best found families, and the endings are open-ended enough that it doesn’t feel confining. This story has a lot of things to say about imperialism, power, ambition, sacrifice, fate, and relationships, and sometimes all of that can be found in the spires of a city, watching the endless rain patter against the windows as the piano plays in the background. --- My Interpretation: For a large part of my life, I was scared of the dark. I couldn’t bear to go outside to throw the trash out when it got too dark to see. It took me a long time––far longer than most––to learn how to sleep quietly in my own bed. For a long time, I didn’t understand this fear. Nobody around me seemed to understand either, when I asked them for help. Logically, I lived a sheltered life, and my neighborhood was safe. Demons, ghosts, monsters: they didn’t exist. It’s only now I realise that that childhood fear was rooted in this fact: you are a very small person in a very big world. You don’t know what’s going to happen to you. You don’t know what’s out there. You know, instinctively, that you are an ant. The universe is very big, much much bigger than you could ever imagine, and that it doesn’t care for you. Not for your ambitions, your dreams, your fears, your safety. Hollow Knight takes this and deals with it in a way that I love. It’s indicative in the first few moments. Your playable character is smaller than almost every other character in the game. You travel deep into a bug kingdom, much much bigger than you would have dreamed. Everyone around you is a bug too, from the meek to the courageous to the regal. Outside this kingdom is a bigger world, just as harsh as this one, maybe harsher still. All you have is your nail to keep you safe. Travellers before you have fallen. You are the only person left to pick up what’s left of their stories. The world is endless, it stretches in infinity through time and space. People have tried to conquer it before. They have tried to build eternal kingdoms, immortal cities, taking what is not theirs in the hopes that finally, finally, they will be big enough, they will be good enough. They have tried to delay the inevitable––that all things end. Mistakes have been made, evils have been committed. “This place is not a place of honor. No highly-esteemed deeds are commemorated here.” The world is big. Kingdoms are small. You are smaller. Still, you move on. Someone needs to put this coughing, dying part of the world to rest. You will get no lore tablets in your name, no statues to commemorate your deed. Yet you cannot find it in you to be affected. Somewhere, Hornet wakes up and finds herself no longer tied to protect a monstrous ghost of a kingdom, her future now her own. Somewhere, you put your siblings to rest, their lost souls and empty eyes now at peace. Somehow, that is more important, more eternal, than any city or any god. It will follow you even after you are gone. There is strength in being small. There is strength in not knowing where you come from, or where you will go next, but going anyway. There is strength in achieving great things, not because of recognition or greatness or immortality that could brush the stars, but because that is the story you want to live through. That is the footprint you want to make, even if it fades away with time. You enter a large world with a nail on your back, looking for the means to an end, and you leave with less. Perhaps there is wisdom in that. (and can you believe that this is an indie game, made by like, idk 3 people?? And it’s 15 dollars for a game you can spend 48 hours or more in total on. Absolutely insane sksksksks i love this game)

#games #videogames #tw bugs #spoilers #hollow knight #ghost #pure vessel #hornet #silksong #writing?#writing #me waxing poetic #existential dread #i get really passionate about something and then i write 2500 words on it haha #essay #prose

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queenofthefullmoon · 6 years ago

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An exhaustive list of Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin bosses I would or would not date

The Last Giant

Listen… The Last Giant has No Face. I like dating people who have faces. Also, his arms detach and he’s like, at least 10 meters taller than me, so I think that would be a hazard. I think he’s more in need of a friend than a romantic partner. I’d gladly sit down with him and discuss his feelings, but we are not meant to date.

The Pursuer

The Pursuer is great because he’s just so… Rotund. He’s shaped like a friend. Or maybe… More than a friend… He’s got a biggass sword that glows blue, which is great if you need to get up at night to get water or a snack, and a big shield he can use to protect you from the hot Drangleic sun when you’re on a date. You never have to worry about losing him because HE WILL FIND YOU. I think he’s a catch.

Dragonrider

He almost didn’t make it in the list of bosses I would date, but encountering him so often made me have a soft spot for him. Plus he’s a little bit round and I’ve gotta say. Rotundness is where it’s at. He’s fun to fight so I feel like you could have some fun jousts together and then chill… And go, like, I don’t know, ride dragons*? Fun couple activities.

*although dragonrider is his name I’m not sure we saw any dragonrider ride a dragon so this is a shot in the dark

Old Dragonslayer

The Old Dragonslayer has a very sexy armor, I’ll give him that, but he 1. Has a furry mask (a terrible fashion faux pas that I cannot forgive) 2. Is just sitting in the Cathedral of Blue while a DRAGON is outside, unslayed, which says something about the quality of his work. I had to kill the dragon myself, while the Old Dragonslayer was sitting around… Being old, I guess. Not for me.

Flexile Sentry

DISGUSTING AND WRONG.

Ruin Sentinel

The Ruin Sentinels are arguably the sexiest armor bosses in all of Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin. Something about these long lads and their eldritch identities and behaviors just tickles me the right way. The shape of their helmets looks a little bit like a turtle which gives them just enough cuteness while not taking away from the fact that I’m absolutely terrified of them and that they are in fact very scary (which is good). They’re also very tall which means they can carry me around and make me feel tall too. Definitely a good thing in a partner.

Belfry Gargoyles

I wouldn’t date the Belfry Gargoyles, but I’d be friends with them. I feel like they’d be fun at a sleepover. Girl’s night! Girl’s night!

Lost Sinner

I’d date the Lost Sinner. It might be a little bit controversial because yes she is a little bit nasty, I’m aware of that, but I think she just needs a little bit of company. I don’t want to change her, I love her right like she is, but if she wants me to teach her how to shower, I might just do it! I am a little bit biased because she’s got a big sword that looks really cool? Perhaps.

Executioner’s Chariot

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

Skeleton Lords

I think the Skeleton Lords are neat but I don’t really see myself dating them. Firstly, I’m not a skeleton fucker, so that puts a little bit of distance between us (given that they are in fact skeletons). They also have an army of skeleton children, which I’m just not ready to raise. I’m trying to find a date, not to become a skeleton mom. I feel like we’d be great friends though, I’d probably invite them over so they can practice their standup routine at my house while they leave their 30 skeletons children with the babysitter and we can like drink wine or something.

Covetous Demon

I would not date the Covetous Demon, but I would keep him as a mean dog in my yard to discourage my enemies from entering my property.

Baneful Queen Mytha

I’d be all here for the sniddies if Mytha kept her head on her neck but alas she is headless.

Smelter Demon

Mh… Yes. He’s big and large and he’s got horns. He could put me up on his shoulder and walk around and I’d be warm up there. Sounds like nothing but a good time.

Old Iron King

Ngghghhh….. I wanna say no but he is Ripped… Absolutely jacked! I’m also a hoe for horns and wings! What can I say. Call me out if I ever make fun of scalies again? (im gonna do that like in a few paragraphs anyway)

Scorpioness Najka

Given the fact that her own fiancé, made miserable by her, asks you to murder her, I don’t think Najka is a fine romantic partner. In addition to that, even though I was here for sniddies, scorpions are scary and gross me out, so no, I would not date Scorpioness Najka.

The Duke’s Dear Freja

She’ll remain dear to the Duke only and she is NOT invited in my yard.

Royal Rat Authority

Wouldn’t date the big rat that makes all of the rules, but similarly to the Covetous Demon, having him on my property to scare people away would be pretty neat.

Prowling Magus and The Congregation

Prowling Magus has a SICK aesthetic I can absolutely get behind (« look at my cool sorcerer boyfriend wearing his goat helmet ») and I’ve stated before I Am a Hoe for horns so we could have something going on.

The Congregation is however BANNED from this house so since they’re probably his buddies that would most likely be a point of tension. Ultimately it might be better for me to keep a platonic relationship with Prowling Magus, as I do not want hollows to crawl on my floor when he invites his friends over.

The Rotten

Oh no lol

Looking Glass Knight

NNNYES absolutely I would date the Looking Glass Knight. He’s not only really cool looking and a Very Dramatic Man (standing in the rain when you meet him… the scenery… the atmosphere… he knows how to make an entrance), but he’d also be a great person to bring with you for a night out.

Exhibit A: he’s really fucking tall and scary which would dissuade anyone from approaching you uninvited

Exhibit B : he carries a FULL BODY mirror around everywhere which means you can fix your hair and/or makeup at any time without needing a shitty pocket mirror or going to the bathroom

Exhibit C : if you need help he can summon a limitless amount of people through his mirror

Just a great partner all around.

Demon of Song

Ohhhhhh noooooo Lord nooooooooooooooo please! Please spare me

Velstadt, the Royal Aegis

Velstadt is very loyal (a real man for following Vendrick all the way to the Undead Crypt) and he’s also very tall, very large, very strong, and very stylish (see the scales cape he wears). I would’ve put him at the top of the date list, but he’s no dating material — he’s husband material. A little downside is that he might put his job before me but I get it. It’s career before everything. I will not limit my husband’s ambitions.

King Vendrick

Vendrick is taken by an eldritch entity and still very much in love with her despite the fact that she destroyed his kingdom and brought the entire civilization down and also caused him to become a war criminal and kill a pacific race of giants all on his own like a big boy so I’m not very interested in him.

Guardian Dragon & Ancient Dragon

I’m putting them together because they essentially boil down to the same thing : I’d offer them a home but I wouldn’t date them. The Guardian Dragon can stay outside and be feral with everyone else that I put in the yard, while the Ancient Dragon can have his own room and like is invited for tea sometimes, but that’s all.

Giant Lord

See Last Giant

Throne Defender & Watcher

I’m a little bit torn on this one because I’m experiencing bisexual panic. We’ve got cool large dude with a beard ; cool slender lady that jumps around everywhere ; they could both beat me up and they both look hot, help me. However, I have to say if I had to pick I’d got with the Throne Watcher because she is hot and looks slightly cooler. I’ve always wanted a very tall wife who could suplex me into the sun, which she could do in a heartbeat.

On the other hand, they do look like a power couple that I’d love to have for dinner and I’d hate to break them up while there are so many fish in the sea and they look so great with each other.

Nashandra

Human Nashandra looks pretty and soft, however anyone who witnessed my first blind playthrough of Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin will tell you that she did not have me fooled and I was very wary of her from the beginning. Anyone who has witnessed my first fight with her looking very skeletal will also tell you that I screamed « WHAT IS THAT » for at least 5 minutes, so that probably gives you an idea of if I’d date her or not.

Also, her weapon of choice is a scythe, which looks cool, but is very unpractical, and just for this fatal mistake, she becomes undatable.

Darklurker

Wings… Four arms = twice the hugs… Cool hood… Yes…

Elana the Squalid Queen

She’s nasty and told me I was undeserving of the mire, which is pretty mean of her. Even if she thinks it, she could at least be nice about it. I would not date her.

Sinh the Slumbering Dragon

Sinh is BANNED from this house because he’s not just feral, he’s RABID and POISONOUS and if I let him live in the yard he could poison my entire property and I do not want that.

Fume Knight

Alas! The Fume Knight looks really cool and has a pretty sexy armor, but tales say that he was infatuated with another woman (whether he met her when she was already an Ashen Idol or not remains a mystery but I’m no one to judge his taste in women). I respect people’s crushes so I will let him be in love with whoever he fancies and they may come over for dinner, as long as they behave.

Aava, Lud and Zallen, the King’s pet

They are very welcome to live in the yard. They may come inside the house, but they are not allowed on the couch.

Burnt Ivory King

No… He loved his wife very much… I’d invite them over for dinner and MAYBE try to seduce one of his knights (they have sexy armors, what can I say).

Aldia, Scholar of the First Sin

Aldia is a weird dude and I wouldn’t feel safe around him. I think he’d probably kidnap me while I’m asleep and go do some experiments on me in his cursed mansion. It’s a no from me chief. Not to mention the fact that he’s a… tree?

Afflicted Graverobber, Ancient Soldier Varg, and Cerah the Old Explorer

I wouldn’t date them, even though their armors are pretty sexy, simply because they seem like a good group of friends and I wouldn’t feel comfortable inserting myself in the group. I think I’d even be too shy to befriend them, but if they wanna come by my house and have a good time, they’re welcome to do so.

Blue Smelter Demon

See Smelter Demon, but with more vigor because this one is blue.

Sir Alonne

Yeah… he’s got the eldritch factor that I like in the Ruin Sentinels while also seeming more human and he’s also a pretty stylish man. I feel like he’s one of the strongest contestants in the game and he wouldn’t mind my long nose, as he’s got one himself. Pretty sexy armor and he is a man of honor. Definitely a yes.

#oh boy i did it!#dark souls #dark souls 2 #dark souls 2: scholar of the first sin #blue's adventures #my posts #what can i say i love lists #ds2

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tamgerines · 6 years ago

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KH3 First Impression and Complete Thoughts

BACKGROUND: i've played kh1, com, kh2, bbs, 2.8, and a bit of khux. i've watched coded and 3d on yt, so i know the story relatively well. this is an impression of my first playthrough. i did my run on standard mode and watched the secret ending on yt. i mostly did this for story, so this will have my initial impressions based on my run that will not cover extra content like the phone mini games and cooking. my opinions are subjected to change if i ever do any later playthroughs. pls, feel free to disagree w/ me.

!!! WARNING: THERE WILL BE A LOT OF STORY SPOILERS!!!

AUDIO:

Music: utada is queen!!! that opening song!!! also i kept noticing how lit the songs are in each world esp frozen??? and aqua's. worth a replay just for the soundtrack alone.

Voice Acting: everyone sounded great for the most part. sora’s va have certainly improved and sounds less strained. his vanitas voice has suffered significantly though lolololol. i think i read that someone called it a wannabe dark knight voice? the organization sounded incredible, w/ my fav being xemnas, marluxia, and larxene. the disney and pixar va’s are incredible w/ my fav probably being randall in monster’s inc.

some ppl did not get vas like xaldin and laxeaus. and phil in hercules. which were all very disappointing bc in the scenes that they were in, they would just stand around woodenly, and it’s very noticeable.

VISUALS:

mostly a+. environments are beautiful. water and frost textures are amazing!!! you can really feel that waterga and blizzaga. fur textures in monster's inc. could use some work. little details like the sails moving in potc rly make the worlds come alive. this could be a me prob, but environments in certain worlds make it very hard to see map markers, treasure chests, and disney emblems (which are supposed to be hard to find, but still). mostly in tangled.

strangely enough, this is the only game where i prefer in game graphics to cgi. it's already highly expressive and there's something creepy and uncanny about the cgi esp in the final fight. and it's mostly bc sora's thin chapped lips throughout the entire game suddenly becomes full.

DESIGNS:

i don't love everyone's outfit or sora's outfit changes in this game besides toy story. this is something i alrdy knew going in, but i've always felt like the outfits in kh1 and 2 rly suited each of the character's personalities. and this is not just destiny trio but even chars like roxas, the twilight town kids and the hollow bastion crew. the move towards a uniformed look makes no sense to me like is it to unify the key bearers as one force against the organization? i could understand why destiny trio was wearing plaid but why the twilight town kids also? by the end of the game, almost everyone was wearing black and it's just boring to me. like there's a right way to do uniform while retaining characters' individual looks, and that's the wayfinder trio in bbs. in this game, not so much.

an aside, but i'm sort of disappointed in the hud moving to 3d too. the 2d portraits have always been part of kh so it's kinda a bum to see it go away.

i don't love the lvl designs but it might also be due to a narrative and pacing issue that i'll expand on. any case, vertical maps are a challenge to figure out. i don't consider myself bad at directions but there are so many moments, esp in hercules and tangled where i would be like where the heck do i go next (and i have the map) only for me to look up and find a shotlock teleport point (and this isn't so much a thing that heightens the difficulty but a time waster).

lvls and bosses in previous kh games have always been known for their gimmicks and mechanics, but in this game particularly i found it to be more tedious? and this mostly applies to frozen: who the fuck designed frozen? who the fuck thought it's a good lvl design to have sora climb a mountain, get kick off it twice, and climb it again as good lvl design? who?

all the disney bosses started blending together for me bc they're literally all giant monsters and rly easy. i think the mistake here is the fact that the disney worlds are put back to back whereas in kh1/2/bbs you have the interruption of original worlds and an actually playable important parts to the main story, in this game all the important storyline in radiant garden are locked in cutscenes interspersed throughout the game between finishing disney worlds.

a lot of ppl might disagree w this, but i miss the cinematic reaction commands and limit attacks. we still have them but i find them to be on a much smaller scale in the form of drive finishers and situation commands, but i find them to be less imaginative in kh3 in order to be less """"disruptive""" to the gameplay. i've always found cinematics charming in previous games as a way to show sora interacting with his party members during combat. little things like beast putting a hand on sora's shoulder, aladdin leaning on him, or riku bumping his fist have a way of making the friendships he forms feel organic. outside of link commands/ summons, in this game, he........just throws a lot of ppl around or is thrown around?

GAMEPLAY:

already sort of went through parts of it in the previous section, but overall combat was smooth. i love how mobile sora is in this game. the improvement to his running speed and addition of all the mobile skills like dodge roll, super slide, flow motion, blizzard skating, etc. makes combat feel fast paced and juking so easy.

magic is super improved on ever since 2.8 and feels satisfying to use esp bc i feel like ur given a lot more mp now and with the ability to save the last of your mana for cure, it feels like you're not always budgeting your magic.

underwater combat was smoother than i expected.

it's a mistake putting almost all the commands on the triangle button. there's so much options you can do in combat and you'd mean to activate one thing, but then an attraction flow comes out and you just want to die. it gets a bit easier as i went on and got more used to the controls, but in general, i still think it's a mistake to not to have an ability or something to disable certain features like in kh2 fm.

gummy ships continue to be a thing. why. i don’t like how i have to turn the camera myself now ;;;.

i'm not a speedrunner or anything, so i can't say too much else about fighting. the physical combos to me did feel like he was spinning a bit too much tho.

STORY: oh, fucking boy.

i'm not mad, i'm not disappointed, and i'm not even surprised. i already knew that post bbs, kh has already departed far from the franchise i loved as a kid and still today, at least story wise. but let's walk through it.

Disney Worlds: the disney worlds was literally a retelling of their movies. and unlike in kh2 and bbs, where visits to disney worlds were split into two parts, with the first part following the disney story and the second part being heavily tied to the main kh story and thus having original content, the disney worlds in kh3 only get one long visit. and the integration of kh into disney was just done so poorly. remember how kh villains used to kidnap princesses? remember how they used to actually conspire to take disney characters' hearts and turn them dark? remember, you know, when they were still evil and actually interfered with the worlds? in almost every world in kh3, an org member just comes says vague menacing things to sora, calls him stupid, and then leaves. yeah. and oh, maleficent and pete looks for a black box only to not find it, and leaves. AND THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING ELSE FOR THE REST OF THE GAME.

the pixar worlds + bh6 were the only ones with any actual new content and they feel so fresh. i esp loveeeeeeeed toy story omg. the script was so good, funny, and heartwarming. the pixar consultants should have helped kh all the way tbh.

like previous games, there's an attempt for each disney world to thematically tie into the main kh story. in this game, it was as heavy handed as ever, probably even more so.

Original Worlds: onto the meat of kh, the main story was rushed up until the end. you have a slew of disney worlds, then bam, they slam you with all the human bosses and the important story stuff.

the ‘awakening’ of roxas, xion, and ventus were very rushed. you literally have one moment they’re no there then two seconds of white screen and all of a sudden they’re there.

there’s a shit ton of shoehorned character redemption arcs: vexen, demyx, saix, eraqus, xehanort, xemnas, ansem. all were done either offscreen or by some miracle, they reached an epiphany after sora beat his keyblade into their heads.

the only death scene that i actually liked, that a lot of ppl complained about, was vanitas bc yes, although i thought his character had so much potential, it was at least a consistent and sympathetic death. bless him, born a villain die a villain. same with xemnas bc i loved his last speech.

xehanort was a shitty villain through and through. no one understood his motivation; it’s like nomura took a page from thanos’ guide of how to write villains, gave him some stupid ass goal to have a keyblade war to restart the world, and then just have him...get everything he wanted? his estranged friend comes back in ghost form for whatever reason and is just like ok we’re cool man even tho u took my student and indirectly murdered me and then gets taken up to heart heaven, like O K. and like what’s the most frustrating is that it’s implied they’re keeping him as a villain??? bc fucking ymx is like ooohh imma just go back to my own time via time travel. it’s too late for u sora hurdur.

and the younger members of the organization, the ones that we do know were in khux. we don’t get to know how they became nobodies and they don’t get a redemption??? really???

you can tell they tried, TRIED, hard to give everyone closure. and they miserably failed to close plot points. they actually opened more. who the fuck is the unnamed girl in lea and isa’s storyline? why the fuck did you mention her if you were going to play the pronoun game and not name her??? what the fuck was in the black box??? why are they looking for it when no one know what’s in it??? why the fuck was repliku inside of riku the whole fucking time??? why have org members be norted if they can still have agency and choose to betray xehanort??? why the fuck was BOTH sora and riku in different worlds in the secret ending????? ? ? ?

and tho i’m very glad that wayfinder and sea salt trios get their happy ending, the destiny trio had their characters assassinated. kairi was teased to become an independent character of her own and fight alongside sora, only to get shafted to become a damsel in distress, again, literally replaced by xion in one of the last battles, AND referred to as ‘motivation’ for sora by xehanort lol. sora, the guy who’s always going my friends are my power, ONLY grieves about losing kairi, accrediting all of his strength ONLY TO HER. riku, who spent the first game desperately trying to get kairi’s heart back, and who protected her from saix in the second, suddenly doesn’t give a shit about her and is just there as sora’s moral support. it’s so frustrating that nomura has the audacity to say that this series is primarily about friendship and then pull this shit lol. it’s transparent.

CONCLUSION:

i think for me, the quintessential kh trilogy has always been kh1, com, and kh2. as far as i’m concerned, the story should have ended there for destiny trio. and it’s like nomura said, how he feels more sympathetic towards villains now, i think nomura’s ideas have outgrown his main character.

sora’s journey worked in 1, com, and 2 because he had an overarching goal to find kairi and riku and return home. not everyone has to understand heartless vs. nobodies or dark vs. light but at least, anyone can understand the desperation of saving your friends. when that framework is taken away, sora’s goals and motivations become unclear; he’s a kid and has little reason to be caught up in xehanort’s plans, the keyblade war, or the organization’s agendas. and his failure to grow with the increasing complexity of the plot, to investigate for himself the bigger picture or even come into a similar realization of his own darkness/ balance like riku, makes him unfit; he’s a reactionary character instead of an active one. that’s why this game, being experienced from his point of view, felt mostly like a catch up to speed for sora and a set up to nomura’s next big thing instead of a genuine ending. i honestly don’t think nomura knows what to do with him and with kingdom hearts anymore.

kh3 is a game wrapped in nostalgia and promised something bigger than it could fulfill. and aside from better graphics and improved gameplay, the story wasn’t worth the wait.

#kh3 spoilers #my thoughts #i didnt mean for my ramblings to get so long but #yeah im im sad

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tenacityamplified · 6 years ago

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alright peeps so i dont use tumblr for anything except shitposting into the void so i dont know how many discussions are out on this site about the silksong trailer and i know im late to the party but like fashionably late thats my thing now get with it

in case anyone wasnt aware and im somehow the first source of information for them hollow knight was a hit game by team cherry and recently came out with the trailer for their sequel game silksong wherein you play as hornet who is a character present throughout the events of the first game

as usual all spoilers will be put under the readmore which i will put up now just to make sure nobody wants to shoot me with a glock for flooding their feed looking at you lads

so initial reaction to the trailer already has me hyped to high hell i mean like the first game is clearly enough of a success for them to release three dlcs and then a new game yknow the results speak for themselves team cherry has done it again

obviously a sad departure from the knight themself but the combat looks to have a lot more depth to it other than the classic dash and slash

not like there was anything wrong with it obviously i love hollow knights gameplay to death but the way hornet moves and her kit looks absolutely incredible

also the soundtrack kicks the atmosphere up to eleven again a huge credit to the cherries i love that shit it gets me so pumped

now as i was writing up the original post i realized i had quite possibly fallen into team cherrys trap of assuming that because the game follows another it is therefore a sequel because as far as i can tell there is no actual concrete visual evidence to betray the fact that the game takes place after the events of hollow knight which i will now dub vanilla knight

i think that the cherries might be trying to pull a fast one on us by proclaiming all of this stuff as new when in actuality it might be a ploy to distract from the fact that it takes place as a prequel chronologically speaking

i think the theory is supported by the intro where hornet is being escorted in either a good way or bad way probably a bad way by some weird buggos and she ends up breaking the f out

it doesnt seem like hollownest either has the manpower and or leadership and or desire at this point to lock up hornet what would they do arrest her for war crimes

additionally upon watching my friend play through the beginning the kings pass has a message proclaiming hollownest as the last great kingdom which says that this quote unquote new kingdom that hornet is gonna explore is either something that pops up after the sign or something that is destroyed before they put that damn thing up

now the weird thing is that near the end of the trailer hornet might be going super saiyan in front of a mask resembling herrah or else one of those deepnest silk weaver fuckers i cant remember the name its almost midnight where i am and im tired

now i could debate past or future all i want but in reality all we need to accept is that this is almost certainly gonna be a dope ass game and i cant wait and neither should you the combat looks sick the music looks baller the story is no doubt gonna be incredible

weve got new friends new enemies new secrets everyone is here its the most ambitious crossover of all of bugkind dont even fuckin at me vanilla knight

i dont have much to say except about the colors of the bosses but like that can be a post for another day to keep the traffic flowing or something

thats it for now hope you all enjoy

seeya

#hollow knight #team cherry #hollow knight silksong #discussion post #spoilers beneath readmore

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homesception · 6 years ago

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May 31, 2013 - part 1: wherein Lobac eats a cookie.

To be fair, it has been like two hundred years since my last update. That’s a pretty good nap. Just means I’m all the more rested to work on new stuff, right? I mean, I need to keep a spritely pace up if I still plan on catching up to Lobac’s liveblog before said liveblog catches up to the comic. Which for sure is still an actual thing at all, and not a bit of exclusive humor between friends.

Last time Lobac was getting into some theory crafting and analysis of the classpect system. I didn’t have much to say about that at the time, particularly not much that wouldn’t qualify as spoilers, so iirc I was mostly just responding with random thoughts and video links, half of which are dead now. There was a bit left over looking at the troll’s perster names, which was also good stuff, but lacking anything coherent to say about it, I’ll just gloss past the rest of that post, apart from:

Lobac said:

Thank you all for sticking around °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°

As if you could ever get rid of me. ~{@PQ}~

Moving on, we rejoin the comic with PM visiting the Black Queen to retrieve the mysterious GREEN PACKAGE, which had been impounded by agents of the Black Court as a result of a traffic violation. The Black Queen cuts an imposing figure, and Lobac is, of course, duly imposed.

later, Lobac said:

Are those… tentacles ( ´ _ ｀) I thought only the imps were affected by the prototypings?

OH SHIT OH SHIT THAT LOOKS SO COOL HOT DAMN (゜▽゜) Wowow look at her joints! Look at all the carapace-y stuff going on there!

These days, Lobac’s soft spot for this particular sort of shiny, black, possibly betentacled monster-type aesthetic is well documented. I’m pretty sure she would have loved the black queen’s design even if it wasn’t just objectively cool as hell, but that certainly doesn’t hurt. I’m kind of sad that we never got a proper fight scene out of this particular version of her.

That’s not a spoiler is it? I’m pretty sure that’s not a spoiler.

Yeah, the random objects the kids threw in the general directions of their seizuresprites are directly affecting the final boss. NOTHING COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG HERE EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE

I don’t see the problem here. Nothing the kids could possibly put in those sprites could be at all unsettling or dangerous.

haa haa. hee hee. hoo hoo.

Her face is so weird though It’s Jaspers-shaped, and her eyes are constantly narrowed, I can’t even tell whether it’s in distaste or amusement

Why not both?

Andrew sure is proud of that hand’s close-up She’s not even dramatically pointing she’s literally just saying “yeah I dunno anything about that kinda shit you best go down there and ask my pretty princess, I mean, subordinate”

It is a pretty great hand, honestly. I think this particular image gets called back to a few more times yet.

Yeah Rose! You go and fulfill your as of yet unclear vaguely Seering-related destiny

Yeah, Rose! Get on that, maybe!

ROSE NO YOU ARE 13 THAT IS GONNA TASTE AWFUL TO YOU Heh I legitimately don’t know whether her mom would be proud of or disappointed in her if she could see her now Is this an act of defiance or emulation Just silly teenage antics, probably, but I’d like to think she misses her

Rooooooose Rose nooooooooooooooooo （ ´ω｀） Ehehe I love how the artstyle turns super silly to reflect how upset/surprised she is

These two panels constitute one of the most iconic funny moments in the comic. It works really well. Shoot, I should have done the post topper-edit based on these, huh? Oh, well. The one I already did took like four hours, mostly due to my extreme rustiness, so I’m not going back now.

Otherwise, I also like to think of Rose missing her mom here. Maybe not admitting it to herself, but still. I also still ascribe to the “everything Mom ever did was 110% unironic, Rose made up the whole passive aggressive conflict between them in her head, her mom wasn’t passive agressive she was just a bonkers drunk rich lady” headcannon that I think I spoke about ages ago in this very liveblog.

Anyway, yeah, this is both a hilarious joke and a fantastic little character moment for Rose. Another contributing factor to Rose being my big early favorite with a seemingly insurmountable head start in the ‘best character’ race.

Actually, lately, since the end of the comic, she’s been gaining ground again for me? I mean, one of the trolls definitely surpassed her for most of my Homestuck fan life, but... eh, whatever. There’s no way I can getting into how my feelings about those characters developed over the comics life without being way more spoilery than even I’ve already been, so that kind of talk will have to wait for later. Even if later means ‘years from now’ or ‘never’.

BOO FUCKING YAH, IT’S THE WHITE QUEEN Or Windswept Questant, for now She’s also as of yet uncorrupted by the kids’ silly sprite shenanigans

Lobac had been waiting for this reveal for a while, I think.

PM: Command John to put the carved tablet into a pyxis.

You follow the command telling you to command John to put the carved tablet in the pyxis and type, “John, put the carved tablet into the pyxis.” You successfully do that, and he successfully does that too. Everyone is friendly and cooperative.

Ah yes, you so rarely get this kind of friendly cooperation from narrators these days

It was a rather uncommonly tidy sequence, for this comic.

Shit I just remembered those typing hands we saw when trying to name Jack, the reader is like a physically present entity??? Maybe???

What prompted this thought? The earlier black queen hand image hanging in your head, then a bit about narrators entering text, and that old bit just pops up? It’s cool how brains work, making intuitive connections and all that.

What if we eventually zoom out to reveal a human exile commanding everyone. We’ve only been watching that human mess around up until now. The real story begins when they just suddenly go “whelp that was kinda fun. gotta look for food tho” at an incredibly dramatic moment.They turn away from the console. And then we watch them slump through the desert for thousands of pages and their journey of introspective self-discovery is the actual story. Yes.

Shit, Lobac just predicted the whole narrative! No point in continuing this liveblog, I guess. “[#P%]t

Well, obviously this means that WV has an uncanny knack for distances and PM has one for sounds AR can probably track down crimes by their scent He’s like McGruff the Crime Dog, but a little less fluffy

I used to love McGruff the Crime Dog. Until I grew up and realized he was a tool of THE MAN.

dear gOD SHE REALLY IS PUTTING JACK IN DRESSES (*≧▽≦)ﾉｼ He and Slick are basically the same person, right? Oh man he is gonna stab the shit out of her one of these days

~{%|%}~

Jack Noir, more like JACK NO. NO YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE OUT THERE MURDERING PEOPLE AND FROLICKING THROUGH THE STREETS WITH YOUR ASSHOLE CREW. WHAT ARE YOU DOING THIS IS PATHETIC o(`д´ ｡)

I’d say this is a “be careful what you wish for” moment, but I think Lobac knew exactly what she was doing here.

Ticket? Oh, this thing. Ha, ha, look at that, you are holding a ticket. How did that get in your hand? It belongs on the desk with the others. No, you are not here to pay a parking ticket. You explain to the frightening man that you are here to pick up that green parcel.

GIVE ME A C! GIVE ME A U! GIVE ME A T AND I AND E! sheeEEEE’S A CUTIE!!!!

Honestly, they’re all cuties. the cuteness of the entire cast, even the villains mostly, in both visual depiction and personality, really is a big selling point of the whole comic.

There was a time when I wasn’t super into cute things. I was never viscerally opposed to cuteness, never when through a virulently anti-girly-stuff phase, but these days I’m MUCH more into things being cute. I just like cute characters! Sure, I like things that are somber and spooky, but the best is when they’re somber and spooky AND super cute!

Like, Hollow Knight. That whole game is like exactly my favorite aesthetic these days. Sad and morose and dark and adorable.

But more often than not homestuck still comes pretty close to that ideal. You just want to hug the shit out of all of these doofuses, a few stab wounds here or there be damned. Speaking of stab wounds...

WHOOPS TENSION. THIS IS NOT WHAT I MEANT. I DO NOT ACTUALLY WANT YOU TO START KILLING PEOPLE OK

Maybe Lobac didn’t know what she was asking for earlier.

Wait, the crowns, what the fuck, he wants her to KILL THE KING AND QUEEN??? SHE’S JUST A MAIL LADY ヾ(´･-･｀)ノ”

How does he even know she’s desperate enough to kill people just to get one package?

The PARCEL MISTRESS departs with her mission of double agency. You wonder if she’ll actually be so foolish as to attempt to uphold her end of the lopsided bargain. You make a policy of handing out a REGISWORD and a HITLIST to just about everyone who enters your office. But you never think anyone’s actually going to GO THROUGH with it.

What a phenomenal asshole That explains that

pretty much. As for the box itself...

Yeeeeah you’re not actually gonna show me so, go ahead, taunt me, get it over with

PFFFFPFPFPFPFFF WHAT SOMETHING COMPLETELY RIDICULOUS APPARENTLY? NOT AS RIDICULOUS AS HIS FACE THO. Magnificent asshole cutie

Hahah, \[&P%]/

Anyway, at this point the action cuts back to the kids, and that seems a good a time as any to take a break. I could just save this as a draft and finish the rest of lobac’s post later? I mean, then I wouldn’t have to take extra time for another panel edit? But I kind of want to post something now, so I guess well do this one in parts again. part 2 scheduled for, let’s be ambitious and say may 2022

How did I ever use to have the time for this blogging shit? I’ve been working on this for like six hours, and only got like a third of the way through one update? I guess I was just younger then.

I’m so old now. Time just gets away from me.

And my back hurts all the time.

#homestuck #homestuck liveblog #homestuck liveblog liveblog #lobac #chaos chaos #i can do anything #apparently tumblr mobile displays #this neatly and cleanly formatted post #as a nightmare mishmash of different font sizes #and text styles #with no particular marcation for quotes #oh well #if you're 'reading' this on mible #i'm sorry #it looks fine on desktop I promise you

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spinneryesteryear · 2 years ago

Text

Shadowbringers Reactions

- finally transcribing the notes I took while playing through 5.0 three years ago and posting them here so I can find them again later. For context’s sake, I played through SHB on DRK.

-- honestly, who DIDN’T already know that was G’raha Tia?

-- he’s like half my character’s height and several years younger. So tempted to channel my inner mom/big sister friend and ask him if he knows how much trouble he’s caused. Buuuuuut I also don’t want to be too harsh on him bc he seems lonely and desperate for help. (Sorry, G’raha, but if you have a crush on me, you’re outta luck bc Sidurgu is my husband and I’m not cheating on him for some mere catboy, no matter how adorable.)

-- so glad the first Viera we meet is professional and properly clothed. So glad.

-- thank u G’raha for actually giving directions. Now if only the quest markers were taken away and we had to fumble our way through an unfamiliar city like in Morrowind haha

-- I just met Moren but he’s adorable and I hope nothing bad happens to him (*hollow laughter*)

-- G’RAHA U LITTLE S*** I KNOW IT’S YOU DON’T LIE TO ME

-- I suppppooooooooose they could want use to theorize that it’s G’raha’s body puppeted by some ancient Allagan archmagus like that one girl possessed by Noah who appears in Mor Dhona after you complete the Crystal Tower storyling, but lbr we all know it’s G’raha Tia and nobody did that quest Noah gave anyway

-- NOOOOOOOO NOT POETICS AGAIN

-- that is not at all the voice I expected from Feo Ul but it seems fitting. Still don’t wanna make a pact, tho. I fear the fae, quite rightly

-- pixie duuuuuuuuuuust!

-- where’s my option to have Feo Ul tell my husband and kids I’m alive and well?

-- ngl I kept expecting making a pact with a fay to backfire on us horribly and so I was side-eyeing Feo Ul something fierce all the way to lvl 79 in anticipation of betrayal or sudden shrubbery

-- ARBERT I LOVE YOU

-- okay so like if dark knights can summon Fray can we summon Arbert as some sort of ‘inner light’ bc that would be awesome

-- my inn room looks like a train station

-- instant suspicion: meol is somehow cannibalism

-- Alphinaud may have better financial sense now but he’s no better at stealth

-- *wandering around Kholusia* imagine how embarrassing of a death it would be for a lvl 70 to die pecked to death by toucans

-- those red and blue jongleurs are going to be boss fights, aren’t they? I remember the twins from the Ghimlyt Dark

-- Alphinaud once again demonstrates a greater sense of justice than tact

-- I genuinely have no idea how we’re going to get out of this situation in Eulmore

-- Vauthry giving me Aldrich Devourer of Gods vibes here

-- just let me go full Fray on this fatty already

-- so, wait, just HOW did we get out of Eulmore without having to fight anyone trying to detain us?? Did they seriously not try to stop us in any way???

-- that’s *definitely* not the voice I expected to hear from a kobold (Ghen Gen)

-- well, a Sin Eater transformation is suitably horrifying. Why did I watch this cutscene right before going to sleep. Why. (Flashbacks to Nina & Alexander in FMA.)

-- so... are black mages and white mages wholly to blame for the flood or was it mainly due to another shard getting swamped with water? Also was the 7th calamity of ice, seeing what befell Ishgard? (HC: Nidhogg hijacked some of the Calamity’s aetheric fallout to blanket Coerthas in snow. He cnaonically controlls the weather and aether around the Aery, so why not?)

-- I SPLIT OPEN THE SKY AND RESTORED THE NIGHT AHHHHHHHHH

-- Ardbert making a cameo in the background like a lil warrior lightbulb

-- so apparently they’ve revealed the ‘true’ names of the Warriors of Darkness, after I went to the effort of memorizing their original names on the Source :|

-- so does Ran’jit mean beastmaster is confirmed as a future job? or is he just a monk with a pet flying snake?

-- YAAAAAS THANCRED

-- why do these villains thing they can beat me down so effortlessly when I do the duty on DRK and keep up my health just fine until the fail-safe OHKO kicks in (basically Zenos only defeated me the first time bc I went AFK for dinner)

-- the Crystal Exarch makes me like Allagan stuff for the first time

-- I distract myself from wanting to punch Solus in the face by mentally comparing his hi-poly model to the lower-poly models of everyone else around him (that cutscene with Varis was particularly jarring in this regard) and laughing to myself

-- okay so the pixies are just straight up fae folk, yikes yikes yikes

-- I laugh so hard every time the camera does its ‘pan from multiple angles’ thing to show off a character’s new outfit. Especially when it’s Urianger.

-- so in Urianger’s vision of the future the WoL apparently goes down next to Alphinaud and Alisaie and, man, it just makes my heart hurt to see the three corpses lying together like that. Especially since my character is the total mom friend and has reluctantly come to consider them both almost as her own kids.

-- it IS interesting that Urianger and Alisaie always address each other first/have the most interactions

-- Alphinaud be like ‘at LAST, someone else who cannot swim and can help me bear the brunt of Alisaie’s teasing!’ and Urianger be like ‘Imma just waterwalk’

-- I like Dohn Mheg

-- they’re really amping up the horror aspect with these Sin Eaters and Lightwardens, huh

-- so I’m guessing the Nu Mou are brownies or smth

-- brb sobbing over Seto and Ardbert

-- heck yeah, protective dad Thancred for the win. The unusual camera angles (for FFXIV) really sold how furious he was at Ran’jit

-- the fae defeating Ran’jit’s forces is such a mix of eucatastrophic and horrifying that I don’t know how to quantify or qualify it further

-- the fairies are genuinely fae in all of their eldritch rule-bound glory (or horror) and I am enjoying the novelty just as much as I wish to avoid them

-- ah, yes, Miinfillia makes a good addition to my collection of magical blond daughters (Sylphie, Rielle, Gatty, etc.)

-- so is Emet-Selch just throwing a tantrum or is he trying to manipulate us further. I’m assuming the latter. I’m also assuming the ‘Emet’ comes from the Hebrew ‘emeth’ ‘truth’. And I still want to punch him in the face. His rhetoric does not impress me.

-- I keep reading his name as ‘Emet-Selech’ to match the Biblical ‘Ebed-Melech’ but I guess that’s just the Catholic in me

-- Urianger going all-out Yu-Gi-Oh here, throwing cards at people like Seto Kaiba

-- I am greatly enjoying Urianger’s updated hi-poly model, i must say

-- Ardbert is #1 best bro, hands down

-- DON’T EVEN BREATHE IN G’RAHA’S DIRECTION, YOU ASCIAN CRETIN

-- nah, man, I’d greattly prefer to beat up Ascians again. It’s like annihilating worlds wins you few friends and less good will, wow.

-- does Thancred now have, like, Ascian radar? He’s the first to react when E-S pops up in our vicinity. I would not be surprised if Lahabrea’s possession of him had its lingering efffects

-- LAAAAA-HEEEE

-- Emet-Selch talks about conquering nations as his ‘halcyon days’ and then wonders aloud why we don’t want his commentary

-- “Uh... kupo?” Sorry, I had to do it. I don’t actually hate moogles quiiiiite as much as I pretend to, although I do hate them (I’m sorry, Sidurgu; I have failed you *sobs*) and I naively assumed humor would dispel some of the tension. Thancred’s reaction was great, too (hearkens back to his frustrated, “All right, who triggered the obvious trap?” in the Ala Mhigan Saltery.)

-- I will gladly bore you any day, Emet-Selch!

-- I prefer Lahabrea too, Thancred, Never thought I would see the day.

-- the Echo flashback of Ardbert and Lamitt meeting was so beautiful and pure in the most painful way

-- I shouldn’t laugh at Granson. He does have a sad past. But he’s trying to shard to be edgy, it just amuses me. Sid manages to be edgy even when surrounded by moggles and small children - AND there’s so much more to him than that. At least Granson has a nice coat.

-- getting real invested in this father/daughter relationship between Thancred and Mini-fillia here

-- I was genuinely moved by that funeral. I’m gonna have Thoughts when I finish SHB on how we as the Warrior of Darkness are embodying essentially their religion’s (benevolent) Angel of Death to restore order to the world and ensure souls pass peacefully to the afterlife. Because, like, I already got chills.

-- a day in the life of Indiana Jones (again)

-- I just kinda figured that Y’shtola pulled some wacky magic trick out of her pocket as she always does and Flow’d herself to some random place again so this part didn’t even emotionally affect me other than, “Not *again*.”

-- called it

-- since AST has that Gravity spell I’m going to assume that’s how Urianger froze Ran’jit midair and also how Thancred and the WoL got back to the other side of the bottomless pit. Because we learned in Dohn Mheg that Rescue doesn’t work across chasms or on hostiles.

-- Thancred’s utter disdain for Emet-Selch gives me life

-- like why the heck does he want our trust so badly, anyway

-- at least Y’shtola got clothes this time

-- still kinda miffed at her for being reckless, even if my character just smiled and nodded to keep the convo and plot moving along

-- how do I get Urianger and Alphinaud to keep me alive during large pulls??? Maybe I”m just doing DRK wrong, idk man

-- primal!Hydaelyn theory confirmed

-- still emotional over the Night’s Blessed religion because it actually strikes me as, y’know, an actual religion

-- Y’shtola, looking at her massive pile of books: “Oh, no, I’ve become my mother...”

-- I look forward to returning to the Crystarium to speak to my no. 1 best bro, Ardbert (nope, not G’raha)

-- Estinien and Gaius’s wacky wild Garlemald adventures

-- great, Zenos is more yandere than ever towards us

-- no, Mini-fillia! stay with Thancred!

- holy crap

-- noooooo, poor Ardbert trying so hard

-- yes, thank you, sad lonely remix of the expansion theme

-- Lyna’s voice actor out here killing it

--oh, great, a tub of lard on a blimp. How does it take off with him on board? Or is it just a recording of his voice? The latter seems more likely

-- Thancred’s just concerned about Mini-fillia being worried - lol, don’t think I haven’t seen this I’m-totally-being-a-dad-without-realizing-I’m-a-parent behavior before with Sidurgu

-- Emet-Selch just lurking in the background like the terrible skunk man he is, ready to further the drama

- oh NOOOOOOOO NO NO NO

-- this is truly the most delicious and painful of angst

-- I’m just like constantly lowkey screaming over Thancred and Mini-fillia

-- my character yet again having to give parenting advice to a white-haired tank

-- yay, more hours of running around alternate dimension Camp Drybone

-- so like what’s up with Ran’jit’s darkened sclera?

- AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH

-- oh gosh oh gosh oh gosh oh gosh

-- NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

-- BRB I’M SOBBING

-- IMMEDIATELY followed by watching the Warriors of Darkness sacrifice themselves (again) to help stop the Floor by absorbing enough light to become top-tier Sin Eaters, holy crap

-- Ardbert begging Minfillia to let him sacrifice himself as well, holy crap I’m sobbing

-- THANK THE TWELVE

-- Alisaie dragging Alphainaud for stating the obvious for the benefit of the dullards

-- happy tears now

-- everyone else looks at you when you approach but Thancred and Ryne are still watching each other *clutches heart*

-- wait... Ran’jit didn’t die... is HE the Lightwarden? *dons tinfoil hat*

-- doing trials w/trust system would be wild

-- how appropriate is it that we fight Storge after this development between Thancred and Ryne?

-- Malikah’s Well is easy to tank tbh

-- how exactly is everyone continuing to exist as fragments a greater tragedy than murdering millions, Emet-Selch? Hmm? I don’t care how pretty your borrowed face is or how sad you sound, I’m not impressed.

-- welp, I knew something fishy was up with the meol from the start. How exactly do the Sin Easter produce enough to feed everyone, though?

-- so is Vauthry like a light-elemental primal now? is he tempering people?

-- he’s actually much less violent than I expected, however. He’s not calling for our heads, just that we be kept away from him. Huh.

-- okay, what’s up w/Ran’jit’s final words? is he talking to past Minfillias?

-- where are Vauthry’s Sin Eaters?? Let’s not make the same mistake we made outside the Vault and attack w/o checking where all of the big bad’s minions are

-- oh, look, he has a boob face like Edo Tensei Madara. How nice. Except this one has glowing eyes.

-- wouldn’t the manacutters work in this environment? Or does ‘abundance of light’ not equal ‘abundance of aether’? Oh, it’s for safety reasons. Seems fair.

-- Alphinaud has to give at least one (1) dramatic speech per expansion, doesn’t he? Or even per patch, maybe

-- Chai-Nuzz be like, “Did my wife just sign me up for this?”

-- hello, yes, I love the Chai’s

-- LALI-HO!

-- the dwarves kinda remind me of the Jawas from Star Wars, except with helmets and visible beards

-- if Norvrandt had trains, Jeryk would totally be a train fanatic

-- are we turning this giant Talos into a primal? That’d be the sort of thing we would totally do by accident *cough Susano cough*

-- I can’t help it, I crack up every time the shoebill running gag appears

-- G’raha, I remember what happened the last time an Important NPC had a crush on me. Don’t die on me now. You’ve let slip some alarming hints, and no matter how irked I am by your secrecy I don’t want someone else dying in my arms.

-- what am I gonna do after all this is over? Go home to Ishgard and see my husband and kids

-- SORRY G’RAHA I’M MARRIED

-- Mt. Gulg actually has a rather tasteful palace

-- DRK is great. Don’t know what that boss move does? TBN. Don’t feel like moving out of an AOE? TBN. Party member gets hit w/stack marker and you don’t wanna move? TBN.

-- Innocence gets me in the Catholic by giving me St.-Michael-depicted-in-art vibes and that kinda makes me uncomfortable in a ‘this is something holy that has been perverted’ sort of way

-- yes, mayor dude, trust the creepy dude in black robes who teleported into your chambers w/o warning and proposed drastic magical experimentation on your unborn child for political gain

-- but Urianger, you have no sleeves

-- G’raha, you’re trying too hard to lie, and Urianger’s emotion gives you away anyway

-- THE MUSIC AAAAUUUUGHHHHH

-- Emet-Selch w/a gun is just the most random thing

-- can we just harness our light, leap on him, and eat his soul like in Skyrim? Maybe his darkness would balance things out?

-- why does anyone like this skunk man anyway

-- he didn’t invest all that much time or energy in us. It’s not as if he joined us in fetch quests or dungeons or anything. (Editor’s Note: EW says hello.)

-- wait... how is Elidibus keeping Zenos’s corpse from rotting? Or is it ‘alive’ now that it has a soul to occupy it?

-- doing that Crystarium/Lakeland sidequest chain with the elf soldier who has PTSD right after waking up from the Innocence fight was an inspired, if accidental, decision

-- ngl, the healer role quests are actually kinda sad. Also, Giott is best girl

-- I love Feo Ul. The music when we finally remember to call their name made me smile, it’s so triumphant and joyful right after some sad and heavy story developments.

-- haha those two dudes watching Bismarck’s dive

-- lol Grenoldt is Gerolt with hair

-- Granson is TOO edgy

-- I love how they demonstrated that Tadric is evil with a think black scale moustache.He’s also an inferior black mage because his hat isn’t pointy enough.

-- who else finds it interesting that Voeburtite’s royalty are white-haired, white-skinned Xaela when the only one who fits that description in Ishgard is Sidurgu? Am I thinking too deeply into this?

-- Auri princess turns into quasi-Elezen Sin Eater. Yup. Makes perfect sense.

-- okay, Granson, you’ve finally grown on me. Brandon’s character arc had an effect on him. And Sul Oul was wonderfully patient with him. And we can turn Granson’s favored form of address right back on him, haha.

-- I hit 80 DRK in the middle of a FATE in the Tempest and first summoned Fray to fight some jellyfish. I’m 100% certain he was cussing me out for that.

-- so Ascians/Amaurotines speak the Alltongue, okay

-- the helpful robed giant is at once creepy and soothing, idk. I’m calling ghost shenanigans

-- yup

-- sad piano music like smth outta KH

-- soooo the Final Days phenomenon emerged from deep within the earth and hijacked the Amaurotines’ creation powers to give life to their worst nightmares? And their plan was to give *will* to the very earth itself? Hmmmm.

-- I wonder how efficient and/or beneficent the Amaurotine bureaucracy really was. The very title ‘Concept Clerk’ unnerved me. And this disdain for ‘cultivated individuality’ when all Amaurotines wear the same hooded robes and masks unless they’re official figures... Emet-Selch *does* know St. Thomas More wrote Utopia as a parody, right? These places that purport to be utopias seem to inherently devolve into dystopias of various sorts.

-- “To delight in disparity is a mark of the morally deficient.” *shudders*

-- “The eyes of the collective are ever watching and weighing your worth.” *shudders harder*

-- okay, creepy communist ghost Amaurotines, hiding their distorted worldviews behind civility and smug notions of equality

-- The problem with dialog choices is that sometimes you want to pick both. Yes, but also no. No, but also yes. Go not to the Elves for counsel.

-- Amaurot has a vaguely Art Deco, turn-of-the-century big city feel to it IMHO

-- I’m a max-height Roegadame at 7′3″ and I’m not quite half the height of these Amaurotines. I can only imagine what Lalafells look like next to the them. They must be the size of newborns, maybe toddlers.

-- ...*did* the Amaurotines even procreate normally? Did they design their own children? Have to apply for a concept permission slip to have children? I mean, children at least seem to have existed in their society, based on reactions the WoL garners, but my mind is swamped with other horrible potential implications

- so you can check out concepts like aetheric instructions and then make stuff. Is it just like a patent office, or do you usually need permission to make things?

-- who gets to pick which ideas further the greater good? That’s always a scary thought

-- as much as Amaurot instills a deep sense of dread in me, I’m actually rather enjoying it

-- the Addled Amaurotine’s design is going to try to kill me, isn’t it

-- oh, look, talking flans that poison me. yaaaaaaaaay

-- okay, which Amaurotine was responsible for these cubuses (cubi?), what exactly are they/what were they intended to be, and why are they infesting a public plaza? Do they just use them as free living aether sources? Do they have no ethical qualms with that?

-- were there no other sentient peoples during the time of the Amaurotines? And why can’t I stop mentally turning that name into ‘Ammonites’ or ‘Ammorites’?

-- gotta say, those glass-breaking and cocoon-crackling noises when we have an episode are pretty worrisome

-- Thancred’s not usually this openly sentimental, so his words in front of the Capitol hit the hardest. Plus, he’s the Scion I’ve trusted the most this expansion to be the sensible one, my fellow tank whom I trust as the Responsible Other Person in the party and whose judgment of the situation I rely on the most.

-- Emet-Selch’s amity is entirely dependent on us being exactly what he wants us to be, and players still love him?

-- whoo, Y’shtola being savage as usual

-- still don’t know exactly why Zodiark would offer the Amaurotines a refund of the souls he initially consumed, especially when all the supposedly lesser mortals would be a poor compensation. Appeasing a dictator leads to a black hole. What would Zodiark demand next? What then?

-- y’know, Emet, possibly people want to stop you for a reason. People don’t exactly WANT to be sacrificed to an evil god. He claims to be so superior but he fails to understand humanity. I don’t care how emotional he gets. I’d actually claim the Amaurotines were spiritually and mentally *lesser* for not having to deal with mortality the same as the rest of us.

-- we don’t have to be entrusted with the Amaurotine legacy. We just want to live.

-- let me punch him in the face

-- somewhere in the Sil or HoME the Ainur/Valar are described as “greater in majesty but equal in dignity” to other sentient souls and honestly that’s why I trust only good Catholics to write this sort of existential philosophy

-- yes, because magical power determines the worth of a soul. Emet-Selch is an ableist, plain and simple. Why can no one see this

-- move along, just an eternal child throwing a hissy fit, nothing to see here

-- the guy unable to manipulate aether actually got physically the closest to landing a hit on Emet-Selch; if that isn’t irony at its most beautiful, I don’t know what is

-- so I started crying when Ardbert offered me his axe and the main theme kicked in

-- Hades was fun, in the sense that we wiped several times but demonstrably learned. And I loved the chance to throw around my high-level spells and not cast a single Cure II

-- heck yeah Thancred

-- gonna assume he was chosen (in a Doylist sense) for that role with the white auracite for his inability to manipulate aether, ability to pull off crazy sword parkour, and his white coat literally being a beacon in Hades’s darkness

-- couldn’t help but hear Emet-Selch’s plea to be remembered in Mufasa’s voice

-- okay, this music with the admonition to “stand tall” is making me cry

-- I don’t condone your actions and behavior, G’raha, but I forgive you

--I’m liking the WHM AF4 gear, might not glamour over it for a while. No ridiculous stiff lace collar, no random uncovered shoulder, yes a floor-length skirt, no healer panties/bootyshorts/visible thigh. It’s great. I love the traditional AF1 gear, but this silhouette is very nice as well. It gives my character more of the motherly feel she’s earned.

-- hello, yes, I still love the CHai’s

-- we get washed out on the shore like Jonah spat out of the whale’s belly

-- the running saga of Alphinaud’s (and Urianger’s) inability to swim, haha

-- so, wait, Mt. Gulg is gonna fall one day and we’re just gonna leave it in the sky? If I learned anything from Lie Rock in Morrowind, it’s that mini floating moons are a BAD idea.

-- AAAAAAUUUUUUGGHHHHHH, Ardbert reuniting with his old comrades

-- yep, let’s quote “Answers”, not like it will make me cry or anything

-- aaaaand here comes the expansion theme to finish the job on my emotions

-- lol, Urianger refuses to learn how to swim, instead decides to learn magical waterwalking or how to part the sea like Moses

-- HAHAHAHAHA Thancred was going to have a drink but Urianger dragged him by naming all his drunken conquests so he just had water instead. Water. Pffffft.

-- Y’shtola has one move and that is: SAVAGE

-- despite his kidnapping of our friends and spying on us unseen without our consent, G’raha is GENERALLY an exception to that ‘Red Eyes, Take Warning’ rule

-- oh, yeah, what nonsense are Estinien and Gaius engaged in?

-- lol, Estinien is not the Leeroy Jenkins for once

-- so Imma assume Zenos got his body back and killed his dad? Ah, yep. Yay, we’ll get to deal with our yandere ‘friend’ again

-- dang, Gaius’s gunblade is as long as a DRK greatsword; I assume it has rifling for bullets? Is it feasible as a long-range weapon?

-- pls don’t let Zenos mantle Zodiark and the WoL mantle Hydaelyn

-- nice cliffhanger, Squeenix

-- Estinien watching this alll like ‘dude wtf’

-- I’m not the only one to theorize that Estinien still carries Nidhogg’s soul in some fashion and that he thereby can’t be tempered; pls let us have him in the trust system 2021, idec if he steals LB and yeets into AOE’s like ALisaie, I want the man who embodied the rancor of freaking Bahamut’s brother and survived on my side

-- gotta buy this soundtrack asap

-- had to troll G’raha by immediately popping back to the First. Had to.

-- y’know, I wouldn’t be mad if in a future expansion they gave fewer new lands and instead expanded the old ARR maps and unlocked flying for them

-- lol I REALLY need to hear the story of how Tataru and Krile strong-armed Estinien into working for them

-- Elidibus now on the moon like, “All my friends are dead.” I still wanna know why he wears white (and if it’s because he’s ‘Emissary’, what’s the importance of that title?)

-- how is the body Elidibus stole breathing on the moon??!! Or does he always just grab corpses and reanimate them? But if he revived Zenos’s corpse and revived this one, still how is it breathing? Does Zodiark’s moon have a thin atmosphere? or is it just another ‘aether’ handwave?

-- just discovered this galaxy-brain theory: the Amdapor gremlins are actually sin eaters, confused as voidsent by the Souce

DRK 80 -- *checks in on the husband* Hoo boy, looks like our daughter is definitely entering her teenage years -- Fray, I swear if you make me pay all these teleport fees for no reason... -- DUDE, IT’S *THAT* GUY -- redemption for the arrogant merchant guy who so spectacularly angered Fray? And in this wholesome way? Dark knight is best knight, confirmed once again

WHM 80 -- it’s Alaqa! I’ve missed her! (Yes, I actually cared about WHM 50 - 60, shut up.) It’s great to see she’s getting along with my other two magical blond daughters. -- ‘mister smashy branches’ is the best name ever; I will now call all treants that. Thank you, my magical blond daughter #1. -- secret wish: A-Towa Cant to reappear, just to complete things -- but I get girls’ day out w/smashing tree monsters and appeasing bloodthirsty forest spirits instead, so that’s just as good.

MELEE/PHYS RANGED ROLE QUESTS -- *starting the questline * Tbh, I like Lue-Reeq even less than Granson. *finishing questlie* He’s still a little idiot, but he’s trying now.l He gets headpats. Reeq >>> Kai-Shirr. -- ngl, seeing Ardbert charge out of the forest to Renda-Rae’s rescue during that roleplaying sequence just about brought a tear to my eye. I love him so much. He is #1 best bro.

CRYSTALLINE MEAN -- ALC/CUL deifnitely has the best story. Eismon and Thiuna are also faves, but Bethric was amazing. -- The MIN/BTN questline was also good. I felt like a paleontologist or zoologist for the day. -- clearly, the Loch NEss monster also employs glamours to hide itself -- FSH: The Importance of Nutrition (starring simultaneous Shakespeare and Star Trek references; Koji, you sly Fox) -- ALCH/CUL: Don’t Mess With The Alchemist -- LTW/CRP/WVR: Man Does Not Live On Bread Alone -- MIN/BTN: Life, Uh, Finds A Way -- The Mean capstone quest made me tear up, I admit.

BOZJA -- Bajsaljen has manificent whiskers. At least, I assume they’re whiskers. I’m also interested by an authority figure who’s a medic rather than a warrior... not that I expect anything to come of it, story-wise. -- The Gangos BGM is so good. -- Cid has such a good heart. He’s been one of our staunchest and most longterm allies, and imho he’s a little underappreciated because he is in fact so reliable. -- He’s also tiny compared to other Garleans. I suspect 1.0 limitations.

#FFXIV #Spinner plays games #Spinner plays FFXIV #Spinner reacts #blah blah blah

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trifoliate-undergrowth · 7 years ago

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(source)

@unexpected-profundity

So apparently some people actually read my blog! Here’s a shout-out to all of you seeing my new obsession with Dark Souls:

DO NOT RECOMMEND.

It’s depressing and stupid hard. It doesn’t look that pretty. I started playing it because a friend liked it and had a copy I could play, and because I knew that it was stupid hard and Do Not Know How to Back Down from a Challenge. (In certain situations. My brain is weird...?)

Here’s why I do like it, now that I’ve been playing a while. (long post under the cut)

It’s hard, but (with the occasional minor exception) fair. You really feel it when you beat a boss. You really feel yourself getting better. When you pick up a new weapon you have to get the feel of how far the reach is and how hard it is for your character to bring it around. Whether chain attacks are feasible against this or that enemy. Wiki please tell me what this boss is allergic to because all my usual attacks do nothing. Oh I need one of those specific knives that cause Bleed, thank goodness I kept a few.

There’s an enemy that degrades all your equipment with ACID when you fight it.

There’s an enemy that pukes lava on you.

You can get poisoned. You will get poisoned. You will probably have to backtrack to buy stuff that will un-poison or un-toxify or un-curse you. Un-cursing yourself is especially pesky because being Cursed doesn’t go away once you die and respawn, like the others; no, Curse straight up kills you AND THEN after you revive your health is stuck at half of the maximum. Good luck finding your way out of the Labyrinth of Absolute Death where you got yourself Cursed to find the remedy, on half health!

Here’s the thing though, I fought through all of these things. And I feel like such a badass now.

I feel it a bit less than in other games, but in Dark Souls I do feel the thing that’s really compelling for me personally, in games: a story. There was once a whole world here, and now the world is decaying. I think somewhere there are still people, there is still civilization. I’m not welcome back there because of what I am, but what I am gives me the capacity to save everyone, perhaps, if I can just be strong enough. So I keep going, keep uncovering secrets about what this land once was, before the darkness came.

The story that’s there isn’t simple, either. It’s fairly realistic in that you spend a lot of time running around blind just trying to figure out what’s happening based on a couple cryptic and generally unhelpful remarks from the few survivors you’ve met.

But as you grow stronger and stronger, what was once terrified floundering becomes a sort of dance. You’re still dying a lot but that’s because everything’s getting harder and yet you can still keep going. When you first go into a boss arena, the first several attempts are just terrified screaming as you try everything and it doesn’t work, but then there’s a period where suddenly, you understand. You’ve memorized their moves without really thinking about it and you can respond accordingly. Everything after that is like a dance, and it feels so satisfying. And at the end I feel what Teanjel mentioned in the source linked above. There’s pride, and there’s also regret, because you got to a place where you understood this boss and you were enjoying the fight, and now it’s gone.

And as you do this again and again, implacable in your advance, you realize that you have the power of good and evil. Perhaps an unexpected reference, but it does share one thing with Undertale; the protagonist is special not because of skill or background or what have you, but because of their determination. You are by no means the first hero to come to this land seeking a cure. You are, in fact, possibly one of the least heroic. You got sprung out of Undead Jail by a knight in shining armor, who promptly died, bequeathing you with his quest. If you’re decent enough to take it.

I haven’t reached the end yet, not even close, but I know the gist of what happens (vague spoilers?) You’re given a choice to renew the mystic flame keeping this world as we know it alive, or to let it fade away and for all that we know to fall into darkness.

It sounds simple but it’s not, quite.

On the one hand, knowing that you have the power to save and renew, how could you stand back and let everything that still lives in this world come to darkness?

But then again, why should this be your fate? You’re no hero. You were cast out of your homeland for something not your fault. You owe your people nothing. The gods chained humanity to this burden by their actions, and have only made everything worse. You owe them nothing. And in the end the fire will always fade and a new sacrifice will be demanded. Perhaps this is the way it really ought to be. Perhaps it’s better in the long run to let nature take its course.

Realizing that this was a viable option, even considered the “better” or “correct” path by some people, nearly broke me, but this post sums it up very well.

this

Neither is supposed to be ‘the right path’ because you’re just a lowly human. You literally don’t know. But unfortunately, you’re in a position where you have to choose anyway. And I think that’s the most cosmically unfair and depressing thing in Dark Souls.

On the inability to know whether one path or the other is “correct:”

In Dark Souls II, there are these two assholes who’re having a blood feud, Creighton and Pate. You’ll encounter both of them separately and discover that they’re having a blood feud, for which each blames the other entirely and asks fr your help against them. You’re never going to figure out exactly what started this feud and who, if anyone, is more in the right, but what’s true about both of them? They’re both con artists and neither one of them wants to be your friend.

The serpents who offer you guidance and groom you towards taking one path or the other in Dark Souls I both have very strong biases in opposite directions, and interact with you accordingly. I don’t think it’s a mistake that the developers used serpents, symbols of deceit. It’s not that I think they’re both lying. I think they both tell you pieces of the truth, mixed in with a lot of personal bias.

Damn this got long.

Tl;dr: Dark Souls is depressing and weird and hard and potentially traumatizing, but play it if you want a tough game that gives you a real feeling of accomplishment when you manage to progress. It has the melancholy of Hollow Knight with very little of the beauty. Play Hollow Knight. Just. Play Hollow Knight.

Pros: Massive world, incomprehensible background lore, variety of options in combat and play style, cool lookin armor, also IT HAS SOLAIRE IN IT (and Oscar. My Dear Oscar. *cries*)

#the cosmic horror of dark souls bothers me on a really visceral level #dark souls #long post #rant #ramble #oh dear this is long #I am sorry #DAAARK SOUUUULLSSS #so if you do play this game make sure you research how to save Solaire or else he'll die #...that happens with a lot of NPCs #some of them you just can't save

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soriseerakyra · 7 years ago

Text

Nice To Meet You -13-

nerdrucaEnjoy!

He feels silly. No silly isn’t the word. Nothing about him is silly. He is the Dark Knight. Gotham’s protector. Yet here he is, perched on a rooftop holding a picnic basket, waiting for his estranged son to show so he can bring him giftwrapped sweets. It was a strange feeling, and now that he was away from the woman who had influenced him to bring the treats, he’s not sure that bending to her will was the best idea that he ever had.

He waited for what felt like hours, menacingly holding a basket of baked goods in hands as he waited for the younger man. Oracle told him that this was one of the stops that he frequented at night, and Bruce understood why. It wasn’t a particularly tall building, but the angle that the building sat at provided a full of view of some of the most crime ridden areas of Gotham. It was the perfect place to pick up intel on case where there are few leads.

The familiar thump of boots catches Batman’s attention. Turning his gaze from the street, he isn’t surprised to find Jason standing there, gun outstretched waiting for Batman to make the first move.

“Jason,” he starts.

“So, you found me, huh? Oracle?”

“Naturally.”

A frustrated sigh leaves the young man’s lips and he mutters, “I knew my channels were being bugged.”

“That’s not important right now, Jason. People are being hurt, and I need to analyze the device you’ve taken so that that I can find a lead.”

“Why don’t you go find one yourself? Oh, that’s right, you got your ass kicked when you tried. Maybe you should leave this to me, old man. You’ve seem to have lost your step in your old age.”

“Now isn’t the time to be childish. People’s lives are in danger and you not sharing that information is slowing this investigation down. You and I both know that you don’t have the facilities to process the devices that you found and that you’re probably just as stumped as I am. Being stubborn isn’t going to help anyone, Jason.”

“And you are?” The boy scoffed. “What have you been doing? I’ve been out here every night looking for these people. Do you know how many people are missing already? It’s not just people from that stupid firm, it’s all kinds of people. Sex workers, drugged out kids, homeless people. But did you notice? No. It wasn’t until your little girlfriend said something that you even cared.”

Batman, taken aback by this information, remained silence. How many people were gone? Why hadn’t he noticed?

“You want to pretend that you care about the people, but how many of the forgotten have you actually paid attention to? How many of them are you eager to help?”

Batman doesn’t say anything, guilt eating at him. Was Jason, right? Had he been ignoring people who needed his help? What had he been distracted by that he hadn’t noticed something that had clearly been happening right under his noses. He needed time to think, but right now wasn’t that time, he needed to figure out some way to get Jason to give him what he needed. That would be the only way he could begin to make right everything that had been going wrong.

He clenches his fist and at the movement the forgotten picnic basket hit his leg.

“I know I haven’t been everything that you’ve wanted me to be, Jason, but you have to help me help these people. We won’t be able to solve this separately, you and I both know that.”

“There you go again, underestimating me. I can do more than you think I can, more than what you’ve been doing anyway.”

“Take this,” Batman says holding out his arm presenting the basket of baked goods.”

“The fuck is this?”

“The woman,” he starts. “She made these for you, she thought it would help. She wants you to help find her friend.”

“What’s in it?” Jason questions skeptically.

“She made you some things to eat and she told me she left you a note.”

“A note?”

“Like I said, she wants your help.”

“How do I know this isn’t a trick?”

“Didn’t you just say that I was ignoring people in need? Are you going to do the same? You’ve met her, saw what they were going to do to her if she had been in her apartment. She’s in just as much danger as all the others, but her main concern is finding her friend and the people have been taken. She thinks you can help.”

Jason doesn’t say anything and instead uses his gun to motion for Batman to put the basket down. He does and he backs away from the basket.

“Make the right decision, Jason.”

Jason doesn’t respond and instead he keeps his gaze on the basket. When he looks back up to the spot where Batman had been, the man is gone and he’s left alone on the roof with his picnic basket full of sweets.

***

Technically, you aren’t supposed to be on the premises. If they wanted they were going to be sticklers, they could decide that your presence in the building, was proof that you didn’t need the time you requested off. Hopefully, they wouldn’t be complete assholes about it.

Sitting in Bruce’s big house, by yourself made you uncomfortable, and using your time off to wallow and cry in your room wasn’t something that was productive either. You strongly believed that Bruce would do everything that he could to help find Camille and the others, and hopefully Jason would help too. However, there were still things that you could do that they couldn’t. It would look strange if Bruce Wayne suddenly bust in to your firm and started asking questions about the missing employees, but you could do that. And that’s what you decided to do when you left the manor this afternoon.

Taking the elevator up to the top floor of your building, your heart was thumping in anticipation. You recalled how strange your boss, Johnathan Preston, had been acting the day you met him in the copy room. Hopefully he was better now, and you’d be able to get answers out of him and Carlisle.

The elevator stops with a thud and a ding and your let out into the lushly furnished top floor of you accounting firm. It was different than the other floors, much more traditional than the modern offices you and your colleagues were used to working in. You supposed that when courting potential clients, who tended to be older, it wouldn’t be considered to professional to have a bean bag and lava lamp corner in the offices of the CEO’s. And while you would allow them that caveat, in your opinion, needing the entire floor for two people was a bit much.

The whole floor was sectioned off into three sections. The entrance hall, a room where the moment you step out of the elevator is set up like a traditional waiting room at any large company. The secretaries desk sat imposingly in the middle along with dark brown chairs that matched well with the cream-colored tile that decorated the floor. From there the room grew a little more eccentric. The walls where a shade or two lighter in color than the chairs and decorated with auctioned pieces of art. The remaining to two sections where kept behind these walls. The first, to the left, was a pale silver door, with the name Johnathan Preston inscribed in gold cursive lettering. You’d been in Preston’s office before to get a commendation when your floor had over performed one quarter in a way that hadn’t been expected. With such a large amount of space available, it felt like going into someone’s apartment more than it did feel like going into another person’s office. To the right of you, the same door was nestled into the wall with the name Michael Carlisle inscribed in gold rather than Preston’s. You imagined his office was similar as well.

The moment that your foot to ouches the tiled floor of the office, the familiar click of heels rings through your ears and you’re accosted by their secretary.

Kristen Trainer was an interesting woman. A naturally tall woman who opted to accentuate her height with high-heeled shoes. She sported unnaturally fiery red hair that she always kept at in a tight bun. The tightness of the bun aged her as it tightly pulled at the skin around her eyes, assuring that there would be premature wrinkles as a result of the displacement. You figured she did it on purpose though, with her hair pulled away from her face, she could easily intimidate any unwelcome guest with her hawk like blue eyes. Cold orbs that judged anyone rather harshly if they worked anywhere lower than two floors down from her boss’s office. People like you were peasants.

She approached you quickly as you walked on to the floor she occupied. Walking over to you with long limbs that were strangely accentuated in a dour gray pantsuit, you felt dread fill your mind as you realized that you would have to engage with the woman.

“May I help you?” She questions with a thin lipped hollow smile.

“Uh, yeah I just need to seem, them.” It sounds bad coming from your lips. You know her eyebrow is going to arch in suspicion. That the first thing that she would ask you would be if you had an appointment. If you didn’t and couldn’t make a reasonable case as to why you should be able to see them, you’d likely be thrown out of the building and taken off your leave of absence.

“Appointment?” She asks with a cock of her head as her eyebrow expectedly lifts in question.

“No,” you state. “But there is something I need to speak to them about, concerning the safety of the employees.”

Her lips purse skeptically and her body shifts so her weight rests solely on her heels. This results in her being able to get a full look at your form and being able to judge you and your appearance. You didn’t look particularly bad today, just weren’t wearing anything that would be considered anything appropriate in such a distinguished firm. Her hand strangely comes up to rest on her chin. You can see her roll something metallic in her hand but can’t make out what it is.

“Perhaps you can tell me what this is about and I can relay the message to Mr. Preston or Mr. Carlisle, when they return.”

“They aren’t here?”

“They are very busy men,” she says smoothly. “They won’t be in for the rest of the week. If you leave a name and number perhaps I’ll be able to squeeze you in next week.”

“Alright?” you say slight confused by her willful compliance. You know from experience that woman is usually like a shark, and hunts out anyone whom she thinks may just be a minor annoyance. That she micromanages their schedule to the minute. For her to be so forgiving about your intrusion is strange.

“I’ll get going then,” you say beginning to turn around and head back to the elevator.

“Enjoy your day,” she calls with a strange tone as you quickly make your way back into the elevator.

When the elevator closes, the smile falls from Kristen’s lips. The hand by her face never moving.

“Did you hear that? Our lost lamb is on the way down.”

***

The moment that you realize that something is wrong, comes when your elevator goes past the ground floor.

As the light passes from G to L and continues descending you begin to rapidly press at the buttons. There is no response from the buttons. Even the telltale signs light behind the plastic fixtures don’t react to your rough pushes.

There is a bright red emergency button sticking out and your finger finds it quickly. As you press rapidly, you hear clicks, as if a phone is trying to connect, but no matter how many times you press, there is no actual response.

Your hand rubs against the pocket of your jeans you reach for your phone but think better of it. So far down underground, the likelihood of getting a signal was low.

Feeling your spine tingle with worry you begin to panic. Looking up at the ceiling you began to jump, hoping that you would be able to reach at one of the panels that rests on the celling. Perhaps there would be away to escape and search for help. Unfortunately, there are no rails or anything that could be used to increase your height to reach on of the panels.

You were stuck in a situation in which you had no control over and one in which you were likely in danger. This is what you’d been worried would happen your entire life, and now that you were trapped, it felt like all the precautions and observations that you normally took all counted for nothing.

The elevator comes to a stop finally as it hits the ground with a thud that causes the cab of the elevator to rock with the impact. The doors of the elevator ding but they don’t open immediately.

As time begins to pass, your heart begins to thud in your chest, and despite the fact that you find yourself huddled and motionless in a small corner of the elevator, your skin begins to get dewy with sweat.

The inhale and exhale of your breath seems loud and, reflexively, your had comes up to your mouth in order to try and quiet the sound. There is no point to that though, being quiet won’t help in this situation. The lights in the elevator are, unfortunately, in peak condition. Your huddled form is more than easily visible.

Five minutes go by and there is not a sound made from outside of your temporary safe haven. The only thing you can here is the creaking of the metal frame of the box that your trapped in. Each second that your left in this box, the warmer it becomes, the harder the air gets to breathe. You aren’t sure if that is because there is an actual lack of circulation in the box or if your panicking is making it worse.

Finally, to your horror and relief, there is a slight pounding on the door. A sharp tap raps at the door followed by and achy creek as the doors of the elevator are smoothly wrenched open.

You can’t see the form that is standing there at first. The light in the elevator makes it difficult for your eyes to separate the figure from the darkness that is surrounding them in the hall.

There is a deep chuckle that spews from whatever waits for you. The timbre of the voice is unsettling, and the deepness of it gives you and image of a rather large man. Your guess is proven right as a large boot cladded foot takes its first step into the elevator.

The rust stained metal boot is large and square in shape, it’s so big that you are certain that it has been exaggerated for effect. To make you feel afraid, there is no human on earth that has foot that bag, no matter how tall they are. As the figure leans forward, the light begins to spill over their form. Large thighs, both with muscle and fat, are tightly encased in brown stained khakis. A large rounded belly is covered in a black apron that is stained form indecipherable liquids. Thick muscled hairy arms give way to butcher gloved hands.

You try to take in all that you can about the man, but you are stopped when you reach his face. There is nothing to memorize. A clean, plastic, white sheep mask is positioned over his face. It’s eerie, with its pink tongue hanging slightly out his mouth. The eyes of the mask are dark, making it nearly impossible for you to make the color of his eyes.

“There you are, little lamb,” he coos. “We missed you at home the other day. Some naughty boys were there instead.”

If you could push yourself further into a corner you would. His voice is chilling, its deep but he’s using a sickeningly sweet affect that makes your skin crawl.

As he moves upon you he continues, “Your poor friend, she’s been so lonely. It must be so hard at such a crucial time.”

“Y-you’re the one who took Camille?” You question voice small.

He cocks his head, “Well, yes and no. But that’s not important.”

“Where is Camille?” You push, voice stronger than it previously had been. “Did you hurt her?”

“Oh my,” he hums as he watches you attempt to stand. “You are feisty.”

“Where is she?!” You question fists balling in anger. It’s not smart, you know better. There is clearly something not right with this man, and his size and weight alone would be enough to squash you, especially as you have no place to run in such a small area. But you can’t help it, something in you is pushing you to be brave.

“Don’t raise your voice to me, little lamb!” he says harshly, large gloved finger pointing at you in an almost accusatory fashion. “It’s not the prey’s job to question.”

“Stop calling me that!” You hiss. “Did you take the others too?”

“Be quiet!” He hisses as he starts to advance upon you. Despite his size, he quickly closes the distance between the two of you and his hand goes for you neck almost instantly.

The gloved hand has a putrid smell and you almost gag as it wafts in your nose. As you begin to struggle and claw at the hand around your neck, he tightens his grip and it sends a shiver of pain down your spine. He uses his left hand to dip into the pocket of his apron. A damp gray cloth is produced and he begins to move it toward you face.

“Maybe this way the little lamb will behave better.”

The cloth his pressed over your mouth and nose and your forced to breathe through as you gasp for air.

It’s not long before you can feel yourself losing control of your limbs and soon your vision is dark.

***

The Brownie Woman’s brownies were something Jason was willing to admit were amazing. They were perhaps his favorite thing to come out of that stupid bask that Bruce brought him. The fact that he was currently on a stake out, and he couldn’t stop thinking about them was a testament to how good they were. It also didn’t help that he had received such soppy letter from a woman he didn’t even know. Even now he could hear her unspoken words in his ear.

“Dear Jason,

I know you don’t know me or my friend, but I feel like you know what it’s like to be alone. That’s how I feel right now, all alone. And it’s a feeling that is almost too much to bare. I told Bruce that I trusted him, and that I know that he would be able to help me find her, but I don’t think that he understands how much I need her. How much I need to know that she’s safe. Camille is probably the most important person to me. Without her, I don’t know if I would have survived my first two years in Gotham. She saved me from caving in on myself. When I first came here, I knew no one besides my bosses. I’m used to living in big cities, but everyone should know that living in Gotham is different. I was robbed three times the first month I arrived, and had never been more scared. Every corner held a new monster for me and my paranoia sprang forth like it never had before. It got to the point where I wouldn’t leave my apartment, unless it was to go to work, and most of those days I would stay and work from home. I was afraid of the people would deliver my groceries or my mail. I was even afraid when my landlord came to check up on me to make sure I hadn’t hurt myself. I was in a dark place.

On her first day of work, Camille approached me with the widest smile I ever saw. She tried to get me to shake her hand, but I couldn’t. She was a stranger and I was afraid. I was afraid of a tiny woman who can’t even open her own jam jars. She left me alone that first day, and for the week after that, but every day I noticed that she would move her work station a little closer to mine. She traded artisanal and imported teas for whatever desk she wanted, until finally she was next to me. Even then she didn’t speak. She didn’t force me to do what I wasn’t ready to. And then one day I realized I didn’t start my work until she was there, and that the tea that she would sit on my desk in the morning helped me work better. That I knew her birthday and she knew mine, and I knew the name of her first boyfriend, and that I was suddenly in her wedding. We were going to the movies every two weeks and I was spending the night at her house and giggling like school girls while we watched scary movies. She had saved me and I didn’t even know it. I was able to live again because of her. I want to be able to do the same thing she did for me.

I’m not strong like you or Bruce. I don’t have fancy gadgets that helped me track down bad guys, but I can ask you to help. Please help him find my friend, Jason. It would mean the world to me if you would. I can’t offer you anything but these sweets and if you want I’ll make you more. I know it seems selfish to ask you to save one person, especially when so many others are missing, but please help.

-Thanks.

P.S., I didn’t know what you would like so I made some of everything. Enjoy.”

She didn’t leave her name, he didn’t why, so he’d been calling her Brownie Woman. Like Bruce, he’d been roped into doing her dirty work. He found himself sitting outside of the accounting firm she and her friend worked at. Bruce mentioned something about there being over twenty people working at the firm going missing. Single people who lived alone or not, there should have been more of a fuss made about these people going missing. Someone should have noticed. The fact that the company itself hasn’t reported anything is suspicious is suspicious in and of itself.

Perched on a building across the street, he watched the comings and goings of the people leaving from the building. He’d wait for a little longer to make sure that most people were out of the building.

Soon he’s down on the ground, sneaking into the employee parking garage. With the guard gone, the only difficulty was opening the gate that guarded the remaining cars, but he’s able to overcome that barrier easily enough.

The dank gray of the parking lot was made extra creepy due to the unappealing yellow lights lightening the first floor of the garage.

There are more cars here than what he anticipated. How many people worked here?

He doesn’t have time to think on it more as the ground under his feet begins to shake. The dark concrete seemingly begins to split open. He is able to make out that there are metal spokes poking out where the ground is splitting, and he realizes that it’s not splitting, but just opening up.

He makes to move behind a pillar, to hide, whatever was coming out of the ground was clearly a danger, but the familiar hint of blue that appears causes his eyes to widen.

‘I know that van.’ He thinks to himself as the large vehicle appears from what looks to be an underground hatch.

He’d seen the vehicle before, driving around where some of the poorer members of Gotham’s citizens resided. It was a label less pasty blue van, rusted at the bottom, giving away how old the vehicle was.

“Holy shit,” he mumbles as his gaze sticks to the wind shield. A familiar visage sits behind the driver seat. The large man that he’d fought at Brownie Woman’s apartment sits there, and he seems to recognize Jason as well. His grip on the steering wheel seems to tighten and soon the engine begins to rev and Jason knows that its best to jump out of the way.

He moves from his position at a rapid pace and he narrowly misses being slammed against the garage door. The van begins to back up, a dent left from the impact. Jason quickly pulls one of his guns and aims for the tires. The back two blow up without issue and this seems to send the driver into a rage as he begins to slam back into the garage over and over again.

Jason notices that there is a lock on the back of the van, and it swings wieldy every time the man slams into the door. A well-placed shot and the lock falls limply to the ground.

Hearing this, the driver sticks his head out of the window and he sneers at the masked young man. He shifts gears and begins to back up rapidly, slamming his foot on the gas. Jason jumps out of the way again, and the van slams into the concrete wall of the garage. There is a bit of smoke that fills the air, and a pause in the action in the area.

The driver seems to come to his senses and revs the engine once again. As he begins to speed toward the garage door again. The momentum, however, forces the damaged back doors of the van open and a very large full black bag falls out of the back. Jason is quick to grab at the bag as the driver is successful at ripping through the garage door. He knows, with the shot tires that he can catch it, but the heavy bag that he was trying heave is breathing.

When he’s certain that the man isn’t coming back, he kneels beside the bag at his feet.

He takes the large zipper and begins to pull it down.

He pulls away in shock at presence in the bag. Her face slightly pale from the lack of oxygen but red where the man had tapped her lips, no doubt to keep her quiet if she’d woken up. There is a bit of blood on her forehead, likely from the tumble out of the van, but she looks to be intact.

With a sigh, he slips his phone out of his pocket and dials a familiar number.

“Bruce, I’ve got your Brownie Woman here.”

Taglist:

@capitan-amelia-bradley, @drunkprocrastinator, @nerdboylover

#bruce wayne #bruce x reader #bruce imagine #bruce wayne imagine #bruce wayne x reader #batman #batfamily #batmom #batman imagine #batman x reader #Jason Todd #jason todd x reader

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