#pirate queen alliance for the win!

[joaniejustwokeup]

I propose Zheng Yi Sao’s new love interest should be Grace O’Malley with a buzzcut. Mostly so they can unite their pirate fleets and collectively fuck over the English but also because the Queen deserves someone on her level who could match her chess moves and mind games tit for tat. Also because gay.

[jaynovz]

Madi Fic Rec List

Well hello again! I’ve been compiling this list for quite awhile, but I finally sat down to finish it. 

To me, Madi is characterized by this strict balance between her fiery spirit and the poise she must display as someone raised from birth to be a leader, to be royalty. She’s wicked smart, but also desperately young and inexperienced. She’s thoughtful and conscientious, but with an underlying desire to just go, explore the world, be part of something big, and effect change for her people.

Anyway I just love Madi a lot, and these are some of my favorite stories featuring her in the fandom. They’ve been helpfully categorized into sub-sections! 

Enjoy~~

--

Madi-centric:

Burial at sea by le_mru:

Summary: Two years after Skeleton Island, Madi sets out to find Flint and recover the treasure for the Maroon community, Flint is adjusting to a life after death, and Silver interferes as usual.

in a vault of starlight by whimsicalimages:

Summary: The distance between Nassau and Savannah can be measured as: six hundred and thirteen nautical miles, five thousand pounds’ worth of pearls, or four extraordinary lifetimes.

Alternatively: in the aftermath, Madi writes her own story.

Lightbringer Verse by ElDiablito_SF:

Summary: After failing to fix her relationship with Silver, Madi sets off to find Captain Flint again.

i’m a black ocean leaping and wide by loosedindecember:

Summary: “I am going to Jamaica,” she tells Long John Silver, pirate-killer and pirate king, “and I will have my war after all. And you are going to help me.”

Madi gets her war, and a life beyond war, too.

Quid Pro Quo by annbonny:

Summary: "Trust is a strong word, particularly pertaining to pirates.

She trusts John Silver, but with every day that passes, she is gradually realising that he may not always be around. If Flint ends up killing him- or more likely, she suspects, they kill each other- who will guarantee that the alliance will hold? What is to keep Teach from wiping out her and her people when he feels they inconvenience him?”

OR: Madi adjusts to her role as queen. It is a steep learning curve.

armed with the past and the will by whimsicalimages:

Summary: The language of winning and losing, this language that men favor – Madi can speak this language, though she disagrees with its precepts. Success takes different forms, and failing once does not mean failing forever. It does not even mean failing the next time.

lacuna by doomcountry:

Summary: Madi loves him, and that is her misery. She hates him, too, and the two are at war without ceasing in her breast; the torment, now, after sixteen years together all told, is that it has all dulled, all settled out like water undisturbed.

SilverMadi:

Where There Is Great Love by stele3:

Summary: A brief interlude in the Tether series that jumps back in time to...establish certain things.

“Do you not have a comb?”

Twitching with surprise, Silver turns. The princess—Madi—stands on the shoreline, only a few feet away. Silver quickly glances around and finds her bodyguard standing back near the treeline. Kofi, that’s his name. (Stoic man, much taller than Silver, always has a knife and knows how to use it. Silver would need the captain or Billy with him to survive an encounter.)

He smiles for the princess. “I fear that would only make the problem worse. We had little to eat in the doldrums, and that made all of this quite breakable.” He gestures to his hair but lets his hand trail longer through the air. Better that she think them weak and easily overcome. If his own body is to be a metaphor, well, at least he finds it apt.

Love and Kindness by Wildehack:

Summary: “This is insulting,” John complains, as Madi fastens the shackles around his wrists, looping a chain through to the hook in the bulwark above his bed. “I’m not rabid.”

(Or: the inevitable sex-pollen AU.)

anything for your queen by urca:

Summary: the Silvermadi pegging fic, as promised!

lover please do not fall to your knees by lucystonersix:

Summary: Despite themselves, despite everything, Madi and Silver fall in love. Missing scenes, with spoilers only through the end of season 3.

Into the Blue Blue Sea by Magnetism_bind:

Summary: Madi slowly realizes she's drawn to the pirate with the blue eyes.

FlintMadi:

Maybe in Another Life by samedifference61:

Summary: At the rail of a ship James doesn’t command, they stand shoulder to shoulder.

"John still thinks you’re dead,” James states, because it’s something that needs to be said aloud before they continue.

With eyes unblinking toward the rolling sea, Madi says, “And he still thinks you should be dead.”

James’ lip curls in anger. The wounds of betrayal are too fresh for either to say anymore.

your legs are the north star by jaynovz:

Summary: Then there’s a hand on his shoulder, warmth seeping through his shirt. He peers up into deep solemn eyes. Madi. They've struggled, side by side, ruling in concert, for weeks. Through the toil of retaking Nassau, hardening themselves from this feeling which weakens his knees in its intensity, the sheer hopelessness swamping him like dark waves.

Flint cannot let himself fall away into the abyss, he cannot fade and forget. There is at least one thing left, standing strong and entrenched as a mangrove tree, even as she mirrors his own sorrow.

"Come, Captain, it is late. Let us rest."

taking orders by le_mru:

Summary: Written for the Black Sails Rare Pair Week:

“To be entirely frank,” Madi says, her voice loud and clear in the silence of the evening, “I am concerned if you can take orders, Captain.”

���Orders?” He scoffs. “From whom? Blackbeard?”

There has been some discussion around making Teach Admiral of the fleet, which Flint was, of course, firmly against.

“No.” Madi takes a step to the side and turns graciously, facing him fully. “From me.”

she hangs upon the cheek of night by ElDiablito_SF:

Summary: Madi won't let Flint sleep, but he secretly doesn't mind.

(Set after 4x05)

Line of Sight by samedifference61:

Summary: Flint leans in close so the others won’t hear him. “She wants me to teach her how to use a blade.”

Or, Flint finds it difficult to refuse Madi, and Silver has insecurities.

On Gossamer Wings by khazadspoon:

Summary: It was the first time he had seen a woman naked since Miranda.

Miranda had been slender. Her skin was pale and soft, her hands lightly calloused but still delicate when they touched him. She had been commanding in her sexuality and he had loved her because of it. She had taken control from him, taken the reins and lead their lovemaking with confident and caring hands.

But Madi… Madi was not Miranda.

stitched with its color by x_etoile_x:

Summary: He is my friend too.

She’d reached out to him for the first time after he’d said those damning words, slipping her small hand into his and leaning against his side. Had duty not pulled them back into the world, he thinks they might yet be standing on that beach, like silent watchers in some myth, fading away to nothing with their eyes fixed on the sea.

-

The scene where Madi tells Flint that Silver is alive.

let it rain, cuz you and I remain the same by jaynovz:

Summary: “We have some time yet to wait,” Madi says, taking note of the sun’s position. Their contact isn’t due at the tavern until after dark.

James strides over to the bookshelf. "What would you suggest?" he asks, humming. He strokes a finger along the spines. "I bought a new book in the last port. If you wish, I could read it aloud." James casts her a hopeful smile over his shoulder, standing at a loose parade rest, eyes crinkled and warm.

Madi is so helplessly fond of him in this moment, the way he brims with excitement at the thought of such a simple pleasure. It is appealing, she admits, the thought of settling against James’ sturdy chest as he reads to her, feeling his voice rumble against her back while Madi is charged with turning the pages. Madi stretches languidly and rises from her seat. As much as she enjoys that type of quiet domesticity, she has a more adventurous suggestion for how to pass the time. In truth, it’s something that she's been considering for a while.

Madi cuts James a sly glance as she approaches. "Do you remember the time I caught you in here with John?"

something beyond by eleutherya:

Summary: "The bay isn’t visible from the rebel encampment, but he faces it as surely as a compass points north. Up on the fort, Flint stands with his back straight and his shoulders set, his hands folded neatly behind him. He stands there as though, if he simply waits long enough, if he hopes hard enough, the sea will return John Silver to him."

Madi and Flint have a discussion about grief after losing John Silver. Set directly after 4x01.

By Faith of My Body by x_etoile_x

Summary: Flint is unmoored in the aftermath of the battle on Maroon Island, struggling with grief and his troubled relationship with Silver. Discovering an unexpected bond with Madi prompts a difficult conversation, and perhaps the start of a new friendship. But what evolves between them quickly becomes more complicated, and Flint is forced to confront parts of himself he'd thought buried.

This fic started as a response to a prompt asking for more FlintMadi content, with a special request for non-sexual BDSM, building on the special deference he shows her and the beliefs they share. However, the dynamics between all three characters are explored and it's building toward OT3.

Written for the Built On Sand Black Sails Event 2023

OT3, MadiSilverFlint:

I’m getting tired, and i need somewhere to begin by lacecat:

Summary: Madi watches him steadily as he approaches her. “Perhaps one day,” she begins, but cuts herself off with a swallow, blinking back tears. They won’t be able to fill the hole between them, but maybe they can try to build around it, accommodate it.

He lays a rough palm on her cheek, gentle. He loves her so much. “Perhaps,” Silver says, even though they both know it’s the furthest from a promise. They have survived on far less, after all.

how we could be brought here by love by mapped:

Summary: A 4x03 AU where Flint receives a minor injury in the battle of Nassau Town and Silver is very shaken by it.

I wish for once we could stay gold by jaynovz:

Summary: Madi has discovered that pirates truly are a grimy bunch, but her two have managed to keep fairly clean the last few months when they had access to fresh water.

The governor’s mansion is filled with bustle, men scurrying about, seeking answers from both Captain Flint and their new King, but there is time enough to steal them away. Time enough this evening for some respite, to cleanse the grief and violence from the last few days alongside the dirt.

Good Morning by bana05:

Summary: As Madi prepares to take care of her lovers, they instead decide to take care of her first.

the only way out is the way back in by samedifference61:

Summary: And Silver obviously means to further agitate Flint’s state when he says, “Do you know what she said to me this morning? She said, ‘I cannot understand why the two of you have not been intimate yet.’”

a shared bath, a conversation about death, and a promise

a three way knot by jauneclair:

Summary: Flint knits; Silver pries; and Madi secretly doesn't mind at all.

your heart is the only place I call home by vowelinthug:

Summary: Madi learns the secret of John Silver's past: he used to be the worst.

pass on your way, then, with a smiling face by youremyqueen:

Summary: Flint sleeps in the spare room until he doesn't.

join your hands to your hearts by jauneclair:

Summary: Madi's approach to diplomacy in negotiating relationships is not what Flint expected.

Two Points In Space by illgiveyouallofme:

Summary: Since Silver returned from the dead, Madi has watched him and Flint dance around each other. She decides to take matters into her own hands.

And then everyone takes some things into their own hands.

--

As always, if you have a potential inclusion, feel free to DM me and I will check it out! Thanks.

[richincolor]

New Releases

A few new books out this week by some amazing authors to start us off right for Women's History Month. 

The Marble Queen by Anna Kopp & illustrated by Gabrielle Kari Dark Horse

Princess Amelia’s kingdom, Marion, is in shambles after months of their trade routes being ravaged by pirates, and now the only seemingly option left is for her to save it through a marriage alliance. When she gets an exorbitant offer from the royalty of Iliad—a country shrouded in mystery—Amelia accepts without question and leaves her home to begin a new life.

But she lands on Iliad’s shores to find that her betrothed isn’t the country’s prince, but the recently coronated Queen Salira. ​ Shocked, Amelia tries to make sense of her situation and her confused heart: Salira has awakened strange new feelings inside her, but something dark hides behind the Queen’s sorrowful eyes. Amelia must fight the demons of her own anxiety disorder before she can tackle her wife’s, all while war looms on the horizon.

The Encanto’s Daughter (The Encanto’s Daughter #1) by Melissa de la Cruz G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

MJ Rodriguez has spent her life hiding in the human world, keeping a heavy secret. She’s half-encanto. As the only child of King Vivencio of the Sirena Court, she’s also next in line for the throne. And now, upon her estranged father’s sudden death, MJ must claim her place as rightful heir.

In wondrous Biringan, the road to the throne is paved with thorns. Without a reigning monarch, the realm has spiraled into disarray. MJ has to win over a backstabbing council that objects to a half-human ruler. And when it looks like her father’s passing wasn’t natural but possibly inflicted by a curse, she must hunt down the sorceress behind this merciless magic.

In a bind, MJ forges an unlikely alliance with the striking Sir Lucas of the feared Sigbin Court, and soon, she loses her heart to the mysterious knight. But with peril looming over Biringan, the princess must decide if she can both open herself to love and carry the weight of the crown.

Defy the Storm (Star Wars: The High Republic) by Tessa Gratton & Justina Ireland Disney Lucasfilm Press

One year after the fall of Starlight Beacon, the galaxy is in chaos. An anarchistic group known as the Nihil has taken over a section of space now known as the Occlusion Zone. Jedi Knight Vernestra Rwoh and scientist Avon Starros team up in an attempt to find a way through the Nihil Stormwall to save those on the other side.

But what are the Nihil’s real plans? And what of the nameless creatures that can destroy the Jedi Order? The battle has just begun. . . .

[deathmetalunicorn1]

I just wanted to say I love your blog!

What if pirate!reader, her crew and the ROR cast have an after party for when she becomes pirate queen? And they see how close she is with some of her alliances? they’re still protective even if she’s strong?

(just imagine reader’s tryna give orders to the crew and mama eve in the back like; “YOU’RE DOING GREAT SWEETIE🥰 and the rest of them with a banner in the back😭)

-You stared at the marines, your army of your friends and alliances and your family all behind you standing on the figurehead of your ship, hands on your hips as you grinned widely.

-You turned to your massive family, both your actual family and your pirate family, “Let’s party!!” a roar of cheers filled the air and you quickly leapt down and went on the attack, being followed by your crew and everyone else.

-You fought valiantly, losing a few of your precious allies, which only inspired you to fight harder, so you could honor them afterwards, shouting out orders for those on the ship to fire cannons and ranged attacks.

-Eve, who remained on the ship was cheering you on, “You’re doing great, sweetie!!” several men of other crews had hearts for eyes, asking you who that babe was, and you scowled, “That’s my mom guys! Lay off!!”

-You grinned as Hercules swept you up, putting you on his shoulder as he swung his club, knocking several marines back, “I got your back Y/N!!” you thanked him and stood on his shoulders, leaping off to guillotine kick another marine.

-You were so happy to see the members of your family that you hadn’t see in a while, all of them defending you if you got close to them, just like always.

-By the end of the day, you were pretty banged up, but you stood atop the marine headquarters building, holding your flag up as the pirates below you all cheered loudly, celebrating the massive win.

-The marines who survived escaped on your mercy, as you ordered everyone to leave them alone, to serve as a warning to others that this was now the age of pirates! This was your age!!

-The party was glorious, tons of food and drinking, dancing, celebrating, and honoring the dead; tears were shed for those who were lost, but you raised a toast for all of them, honoring their sacrifice that heralded in a new era!!

-Your family could only lean back and relax, seeing you so happy with your crew, Loki and Buddha included, celebrating with each of them.

-You were so strong now; you were the pirate queen.

-However, to them, you would always be their little girl, and nothing would ever change that.

[horizon-verizon]

It’s insane how the soft feminine crowd committee hates Rhaenys when she’s graceful, playful, warm, loved music, dancing, and poetry, and had the levity and courtly manners that would later make her a much-loved queen. She used soft power and understood the importance and image of royal power, and the subtle way singers can transmit important political messages. She cultivated positive opinion among the smallfolk as another step in her campaign to promote the fledgling Targaryen dynasty. She also helped to win the nobility to the Targaryens’ side by matching sons and daughters of noble houses to forge new alliances and tie all of them to the Iron Throne.

She was genuinely concerned for the plight of the smallfolk and made strides for women’s rights, banning the practice of pirates kidnapping women, and made it illegal for a husband to beat his wife to death for infidelity.

I talk about Rhaenys and Visenya HERE, concerning femininity and Andal perspectives of them. I mention Rhaenys using the court and men for her dynasty's sake as you mention, anon. So I can't help but agree. I also said once that she was my fav of the original 3 Conquerors for all of these reasons plus her cleverness in being able to twist the rule of thumb and six into the customs of wife beating. Admittedly, part of it is that I don't see myself as using swords or being a consummate swordsman (I always pictured myself with a bow and arrows if I was to be a warrior at all; swords are too personal and limited, I can't go up to a boar and kill it for food with a sword and expect to have minimal injuries), so Rhaenys is easier to relate to for me.

[lilyharvord]

It ain’t my business to come up with another AU cause I’ve got four in the oven cooking and one that almost done rising and is waiting to go in the oven, but I’m a feral gremlin and I love Red Queen so its not my fault. Anyway the Star Wars AU is once again on my mind, so I will pull a chunk of my brain out and somehow project what I see to you all. 

- Mare is a smuggler/pirate who works for a medium sized smuggling organization that specializes in playing both side of the divide (Rebel and Imperial). They’re clients kind of know but because they are so good at getting their hands on everything (information, tech, weapons, codes) they’re allowed a free pass from both sides to do what they want so long as they don’t try anything serious. She gets to wear sick ass pants with lots of pockets that she likes to put things in (steal more like), a hip gun holster (the kind that sort of wraps around both legs and the waist) and a white loose shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. Sometimes she wears a cool hat with a low bun that lets her hair fall out in chunks on the sides. Aka she’s a sewer rat that somehow got into a fancy organization and made her way up to the top levels by just being fucking ruthless and also very good and getting people to give her what she wants (aka she has the Force but has no fucking clue). 

- Cal is an Imperial Colonel for the Navy who comes from a very, very wealthy and important family that is very close to the Emperor. He is young, and everyone says he has a super bright future ahead of him. He’s good at war, and that makes him dangerous. Secretly, he’d rather be in his garage tuning up older speeders and racing them. And he may or may not be soft to the Rebellion’s cause, on an ideological basis of course. He’s a stauch believer in the Empire and “what they do for the galaxy by providing protection, support, and management to what would otherwise be a system riddled with anarchy and collapsing infrastructure”. Someone did start a rumor (which may or may not have actually been true, but the grunt was very drunk in said cantina and their word was very suspect) that they saw him in disguise listening to what was Rebel propaganda in a backwater cantina while they were planet side. He mostly plays by the rules but he’s not afraid to get his hands a little dirty or bend the rules to win. He finds out about a smuggling organization that straddles the line and hires them to get him information that he needs for an up coming campaign. Which is how he meets a scrappy, no nonsense smuggler who he believes is more like a pirate, that makes his start to question exactly what the Empire does. 

- Maven is from the same wealthy, prosperous family as Cal. He holds a military position (much lower level, he does not see much action), but is more involved in the government (or the sham of it provided to the people to keep the placated). He is very close to the Emperor, and for good reason. He has unique talents of his own that he keeps to himself but uses them when and only if they are needed. He is a spy, and his mother has brilliant ambitions for him and their family. He may have his own ambitions though, and his teeth while sharp are hidden well... 

- Diana Farley is a leader in the Alliance, who has been fighting most of her life against the oppression of the Empire. She fights with her teeth and her claws, but when a seriously dangerous bit of information is stolen along with a datapad that holds Alliance base locations and other important information from a member of her squadron, she enlists the help of a member of a smuggler organization that’s not afraid to go behind Imperial lines to retrieve things. She refused to be left in the dark though, and ends up joining the hunt, even against her superiors wishes...

- Shade Barrow is given orders to retrieve a data pad with invaluable information on it. Deeply sympathetic to the Alliance’s cause, he is more than willing to go behind Imperial lines in his beat up ship to save them all. He’ll need to enlist the help of his little sister who has a deep foothold in a certain Colonel’s camp to retrieve the information which could put them both in the line of deadly fire, that is... if he doesn’t get killed by the beautiful and dangerous Rebel stowaway he somehow managed to pick up. 

[amuseoffyre]

Fyre’s OFMD fic masterlist - Anniversary edition :)

Well, it’s been a year and the pirates still have my whole heart and brain. 560+k later and still going strong.

SERIES/COLLECTIONS

Immersion ® - 13k A series of short soft scenes of Stede and Ed being soft, featuring the clothing swap, Ed’s introduction to the lavender soap, some shaving and bath time

Toxic (E) - 7.3k Izzy has an urge and Calico Jack knows just how to scratch it, whether Izzy likes it or not. (Please heed all warnings and tags if you venture into this series)

Penetrative Gays (E) - 13k A silly series following every post-e3 stabbing incident in the smuttiest possible way :)

Turning Tides ® - 81k My novel-length speculative season 2, picking up immediately after the end of S1, featuring everyone, multiple POVs, drama, shenanigans and fuckeries galore.

Storm Surge ® - 62k My second novel-length series and my speculative S3, following on directly from Turning Tides. Even more POVs and far, far, far more fuckeries than you can shake a stick at.

Our Flag Means Death - JanAUry (Mixed) - 17k A series of 1k one-shots based on the Jan-AU-ry prompts list

Write It Through As a Crew (Various) - 12k A collection of 1k prompts/one-shots/missing scenes from Turning Tides and Storm Surge

ONE SHOTS

The Biblical Sense (E) ��- 2.6k The first time for the lads, written before David Jenkins dropped 9 & 10 and irreversibly hurled me into pirate hell.

Ties that Bind ® - 3.3k Stede has an extensive ribbon collection and Ed realises it’s a way for him to feel vulnerable. Shibari-with-ribbons.

Bit of a Clothes Horse (E) - 9k Written in collaboration with Aivelin - the missing scene where Stede helps Ed get ready for the fancy party boat. And all that comes after ;)

Type ® - 2.3k Mary Allamby Bonnet gets a bit of a fright when she finds a scary-looking man with a sword in her front room.

Magnolia (E) - 5k When Ed - no, the Kraken - catches Stede Bonnet, he wants to use him and ruin him, but it… doesn’t quite go to plan.

Fancy (E) - 7k Written in collaboration with Aivelin - After a successful raid, Stede and Ed find some unexpected enjoyment in some interesting items of clothing.

Co-Captain Duties (E) - 3.5k After the treasure hunt, Ed tries to use bath time as a way to drop a less than subtle hint that he wants to… push forward their relationship.

Maketh the Man (E) - 6.6k When Blackbeard is captured by Hornigold, Izzy Hands is forced to turn to the only person who might be mad enough to be able to save him. Naturally, Stede rises to the occasion.

Sweet/Tart (E) - 4k When Stede returns to the Revenge, he brings a little sweet treat to try and win Ed over

A Beginning (M) - 2k Sometimes, you meet a nice girl and you get along and you start to think maybe yeah, this one might be something special.And then she murders your boss’s favourite husband.

In Slumber (E) - 15k When Stede admits he might find Ed attractive, even asleep, Ed encourages him to pursue that train of thought with his full and enthusiastic consent.

Regulations (PG) 1.2k “It had to go”

Accord (R) - 2.6k Crossover with Black Sails - James Flint comes seeking an alliance with Blackbeard

Adrift (R) - 7k Canon-divergence AU where Chauncey catches Ed instead of Stede at the academy

Bits (R) - 4k Ed Teach’s not-good very-bad week after he hears about Stede Bonnet’s demise   

  NON-SERIES LONG FIC

Thunders of the Upper Deep ® - 4.4k - WIP Started as part of mermay. Only this is were-mermay and Ed is the kraken :D

Renaissance (E) - 26k What if Ed heard that gunshot in the woods that night?

Bark and Bite ® - 75k Vampire & werewolf AU - take s1 and sprinkle in a generous dose of supernatural nonsense and that’s this fic.

A Good Impression (R) - 17k WIP What if Stede had accepted Izzy’s invitation to the Queen Anne’s Revenge?

Lady Trouble (R) - 23.5k WIP The runaway wife of a wealthy landowner, Stede Bonnet Allamby set out to find adventure and freedom on the high seas. Things did not go as planned…

Don't Tell Mama (E) - 93k WIP Drag/Burlesque Social Media AU - Stede Bonnet runs off to be a cabaret Emcee and crosses paths with the bone-weary Drag Impresario Lady Blackbeard

Wonder of Infamy (R) - 3.3k WIP My anniversary fic :) It’s already 20k written and rising rapidly.

[sapphoherselz]

prove your love:

To boost office morale, Andrew and Aaron’s company puts together a week-long Valentine’s Day event, complete with increasingly embarrassing activities that must be completed as a pair. The winners get two free vacation days.

Andrew picks some random man off the street. Aaron asks his long-time work crush and lunch buddy.

Guess which couple wins.

Something True:

The Six Kingdoms have been at war for five years, ever since Prince Riko kidnapped the younger brother of the Sea Kingdom's queen. With no end in sight and resources strained, the other rulers are desperate for some way to end the conflict.

When the recently-escaped son of Riko's strongest ally proposes a daring plan that could end the war once and for all, they jump at the chance. The only catch? In order to secure an alliance with Prince Nathaniel, Andrew must marry him.

parental guidance recommended

Was Sorta Hopin' That You'd Stay:

Neil and Andrew have HATED each other since an incident in college. They really, really do. The Minyard-Josten rivalry is not a sham.

But now Andrew's transferring to Neil's team and all hell is about to break loose.

Neighbor prank wars. Mutual pining. Banter.

What else is there? :)

stars may collide:

Moonlighting as Abram, member of the city's crime-fighting Foxes, Neil is doing a very bad job at staying under the radar. He's busy enough between his friends, patrol, and bickering with Andrew at work, but with the Ravens gang finally within reach and the reappearance of the Monster, he might have bitten more than he can chew.

(Or, how both Neil and Andrew accidentally fall in love with the same person twice. Lame.)

the bittersweet between my teeth:

In which Neil Josten is a Time Jumper, and everywhere he goes he keeps seeing one man.

Neil's throat dried; the sound of keys rang in his ears, but so did his voice.

Andrew Minyard stared back at him, expression inscrutable.

Fear No Fall:

They found it in the locked room of a Royal Navy's vessel, The Fox waiting to take her crew and their new spoils across the deep blue.

It was beautiful. It was rarer than any diamond.

“A mermaid,” Dan laughed, taking a step back and sweeping her hat off her head to hold to her chest. “They were transporting a mermaid.”

It was going to make them rich.

( wherein the Foxes are pirates, Neil has gills, and no one quite trusts the magic. )

The Continuing Adventures of the Nine-Nine:

A series of short, ridiculous, mostly plotless stories featuring the Foxes as the cops of the Ninety-Ninth Precinct.

Scents Of You:

Neil Josten is on the run from his father, grieving his mother's untimely death, when he happens upon a large wolf in the woods. To his surprise, the wolf protects him, unbidden, from his father's men. Neil finds himself drawn to the wolf, in a way he can't quite understand or put words to. When he gets closer though, he has to ask himself, what has he gotten himself into?

--

Werewolf AU where the monsters are a pack and Neil is just struggling to survive

sugar, sugar & everything sugar:

Neil comes to The Foxhole Court to do one thing: play Exy. But with the stress of avoiding Andrew's interest, meeting Kevin's expectations, and keeping his real identity a secret, he picks up an old habit: baking.

howdy!! two literal people have asked for some andreil rec so here they are!! my most favest fics EVER in the first 30 ao3 pages (I'll keep updating tho as I read!)

Not yours to bleed

The Sun Still Rises

TALE OF A MARTYR IN XII PARTS

Hearthlines

Scared to Live (But I'm Scared to Die)

Amor Vincit Omnia

The Real Thing

mad girl says she's wolf-proof

lessons in caretaking

prove your love

https://archiveofourown.org/works/30322476

Something True

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18258203

parental guidance recommended

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14508768/chapters/33520203

Was Sorta Hopin' That You'd Stay

https://archiveofourown.org/works/30095445/chapters/74125386

stars may collide

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15862551/chapters/36952188

the bittersweet between my teeth

https://archiveofourown.org/works/6534436/chapters/14948920

Fear No Fall

https://archiveofourown.org/series/483226

The Continuing Adventures of the Nine-Nine

https://archiveofourown.org/series/926220

Scents Of You

https://archiveofourown.org/works/43869147/chapters/110300982

sugar, sugar & everything sugar

https://archiveofourown.org/works/29014485/chapters/71212512

Too Good to be Good For Me

https://archiveofourown.org/works/10093832

heaven and hell (were words to me)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18741292/chapters/44455519

Sent to Drain

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24431827/chapters/58947172

Pretty

https://archiveofourown.org/works/40949364

Secrets and Honesty

https://archiveofourown.org/works/32075422/chapters/79459522

Andrew's Kill List

https://archiveofourown.org/works/43845351/chapters/110243043

In Flanders Fields

https://archiveofourown.org/works/23100721/chapters/55268146

changing tides - titanic au

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15540483/chapters/36075780

Sauntering Vaguely Downwards

[hergan416]

Thoughts on this week's episode - Otama and Freedom

(5/29/22-- yes I know that's two weeks ago, I schedule One Piece spoiler content two weeks out so people have a chance to watch the show first.)

I really like the narrative choice to include Otama in the battle for Onigashima. Read more for my discombobulated thoughts.

1. So most obviously, Otama serves to drive home the point about Kaido's cruelty. The fact she is fighting for something as basic as being able to eat is extremely meaningful, and it's cool that we have some of the many many people whose lives ride on this battle able to take power into their own hands and fight for their own destiny.

2. It seems like Otama is going to be extremely important to making sure the Pirate-Samurai-Ninja-Mink alliance has a chance to overcome Kaido's greater numbers. As the shady government folks from last week's episodes mentioned, bringing down Kaido will not be enough. The engine will continue to turn without a head, Kaido's people are loyal (and Big Mom's too for that matter, I think that is going to be Katakuri's future role tbh). They won't stop just because you pulled the head down.

So, converting them to Luffy's side is going to be paramount, but Luffy can't have a heart to heart battle with the second in command this time. He is needed where he is, fighting Kaido. His crew and friends will have to deal with the remaining Beast Pirates in Onigashima. And here is where Otama shines. So not only is Otama taking her fight into her own hands, but she's so important to actually winning the fight.

3. Otama's fruit. This is really where things get interesting. What Otama is doing is essentially brainwashing sentient beings so that they help her. They fight for her. They already made a choice, and many don't seem to have existing regrets about the choice. Yes Kaido is bad for the people of Wano. But he doesn't seem bad for his crew (Queen is an entirely different story here, I suspect there is a reason he was given charge the prison camp where his destructive tendencies could be directed outwards instead). So it is hard to believe that what she is doing anything other than limiting freedom, no matter how happy everyone seems to be about their place with Otama as Master after eating the Kibi Dango.

Thus, in a way, what Otama is doing to the Beast Pirates is not that different from Doflamingo, or some of our other villains, who control others without concern for their wishes. Who limit 'freedom.'

And I think that is actually really important. Because Otama being righteous (which I not only think is intended, but also true) differentiates Luffy's freedom from say the freedom of My Hero Academia's League of Villains. The freedom Luffy stands for isn't about the freedom to do anything you want without consequence. It's the freedom to pursue your dreams as long as you aren't oppressing others along the way.

Otama literally is taking the power to oppress away from the oppressor so that she can eat.

I think that's really cool.

[ginazmemeoir]

Mughal Women

Ok while I was scrolling through tumblr today on women’s history, one thing struck me odd - there wasn’t a single post regarding the women of one of the richest, most powerful empires in the history of the world. So here’s to you ladies - icons, role models and most of all - badass queens.

1. Isaan Daulat (lit. Good fortune) : Grandmother of Zahiruddin Khan or as he is famous, Babur, the founder of the Mughal dynasty, Isaan Daulat regularly advised her son on statecraft and warfare, and carried out most of his diplomatic missions. According to a source, Isaan Daulat’s husband was once killed in a war against the Shah of Persia. The Shah thereafter proceeded to “gift” Isaan Daulat to one of his generals. However, the same night, Isaan Daulat had her retinue murder him in the courtyard, “while she sipped wine reclining in the moonlight courtyard” as a witness claimed. When the Shah arrived, he questioned her about this action, to which she replied, “Islam gives me a right as a widow to marry by my convenience. You just handed me to him like cattle, and therefore his killing is perfectly justified by Islamic Sharia. You should consider yourself lucky.” The Shah of Persia then sent back Isaan Daulat with the wealth and assets he gained from that war, and declared her and her lineage as his sister and nephews. This later helped to back the Mughals’ legitimacy. Sadly, Isaan Daulat could never enjoy the land her descendants called home.

2. Gulbadan (lit. she with a rose like body) : Gulbadan was Babur’s eldest daughter, and was quite adventurous. She had famously chronicled the lives of her father and her brother Humayun, the second Mughal emperor. She looked after administration while her brother fled from place to place. She had also embarked on a seven-year voyage to Mecca and Medina for The Hajj, encountering the malicious Portuguese (she had to bribe them with a fricking town for guarantee of safe passage), pirates, kings, sufis and many more, and was thus also called Hajji Begum. She held a special place in Akbar’s zenana as his aunt.

3. Hamida Banu : Princess of Sindh, she was married off at the age of 15 to a much older Humayun at the age of 15. She had accompanied Humayun in all his wars and also on his journey to Persia, for asking the Safavid Shahs to help them recapture Hindustan. She was Akbar’s mother.

4. Maham Anagah and Jiji Anagah : Akbar’s wet nurses, they had raised up Akbar while his parents tried to win their empire back. Maham Anagah was Akbar’s chief advisor and head of his zenana, before a failed coup by his son, after which he was killed and later on she was relieved of her post, despite still holding Akbar’s favour. Jiji Anagah’s children extensively married into the Mughal family, and her husband Mirza Aziz Koka was Akbar’s head of finance. Her family, wealth and power grew so much, as the Emperor’s favourites, that they were collectively known as the Atka Khail.

5. Ruqaiyya Begum : Akbar’s first cousin, and also his first wife, Ruqaiyya Begum was Akbar’s chief queen and Padshah Begum of the zenana. Though she remained childless, she reigned supreme in the zenana and commanded her husband’s respect in a society where a woman’s existence was through her children. She was the main force behind Noor Jahan and Jahangir’s wedding, and was also the person who raised Shah Jahan.

6. Salima Sultana Begum : Wife of Akbar’s general Bairam Khan, she was later married to Akbar after Bairam Khan’s assassination. Her son Abdur Rahim was later made Khan-i-Khanan or Commander of the Mughal Army. She was the one who had brought up Jahangir, and thus he was also called Salim. An erudite scholar, she managed Akbar’s library along with her own private collection, commissioning new works and translations of others. She later protected Jahangir from Akbar’s wrath after Jahangir had him poisoned in a bid for the throne.

7. Harkha Bai : Bollywood knows her as Jodhaa, while history knows her as Maryam-uz-Zamani, Harkha Bai was the Rajput Princess of Amer and the daughter of Raja Bharmal. She was married to Akbar as part of a political alliance, and later became Jahangir’s mother. She was the richest woman of her time, her wealth being more than Akbar’s, and she also had one of the most valuable lands (jagirs). There are 2 famous anecdotes on her - 

Once, an English merchant had bought her indigo farms at Bayana, Rajasthan. When she got to know of this, she practically destroyed that merchant, bought back that farm, and later had it burnt.

Another time, the Portuguese had captured and set fire to her ship the Rahimi, one of the largest and finest ships in that time, in a last bid to maintain their hold in India and the Arabian Sea against the increasingly powerful English. In retaliation, Jodhaa had all of their ships burnt, snatched their powers and wealth, and basically made paupers out of them. She died as the richest woman in Mughal history, before Noor Jahan.

8. Anarkali : A courtesan, with whom Jahangir (then Prince Salim) fell madly in love, many historians now consider the very real possibility that she never existed and was instead “invented” by the Mughal family as someone to blame for the tension between Akbar and Jahangir. According to the folklore, Akbar didn’t approve of Salim and Anarkali’s relation, and after she and Salim refused to end things, he had her entombed alive in a wall.

9. Maan Bai : Harkha Bai’s niece, she was Jahangir’s first wife. She later committed suicide by an overdose of opium when Jahangir had her son Khusrau blinded and imprisoned in a bitter war of succession. Her brother Man Singh was one of the Nine Gems (navaratna) of Akbar’s court, and had defeated Rana Pratap in the famous Battle of Haldighati.

10. Jagat Gosini : Princess of Jodhpur, she was the Padshah Begum of Jahangir’s zenana before Noor Jahan, and also the mother of Shah Jahan. She was the biggest obstruction in Noor Jahan’s historic rise to power. She was not on good terms with then Dowager Empress Ruqaiyya Begum (see above) and hence, Ruqaiyya Begum demanded that Shah Jahan be handed over to her so that she could raise him up, and also helped Noor Jahan against her. A local folklore also suggests that she had been the one behind the miscarriage of Noor Jahan after she had come into the zenana. She faded after Noor Jahan’s rise, but still held respect and power.

11. Noor Jahan (lit. Light of the World): The most famous and powerful woman in the history of the Mughals, Noor Jahan was born as Mehr-un-Nisa (lit. Sun amongst Women) to Persian immigrant parents. Brought up in Agra alongside Akbar’s court, Noor Jahan was an intelligent woman full of talent and potential. She was married off at 19 to Sher Afghan, a commander in Akbar’s army. The marriage was a failure, and moreover Noor Jahan suffered through 8 miscarriages with him, before the birth of her daughter, Ladli (lit. Darling or Beloved). After her husband was murdered in a coup, Ruqaiyya brought her to the Imperial Palace as part of her retinue, and later helped her and Jahangir get married, with she being Jahangir’s twentieth and final wife. Her rise to power was quick, owing to her own ambition and intellect, and some help from her father Itimad-ad-Daulah (Royal Treasurer of the Mughals), brother Asaf Khan (a prominent minister in Jahangir’s court) and Ruqaiyya Begum. Her seal as the Padshah Begum became second only to that of Jahangir, and later even surpassed his own. She brought great innovations to fashion, cosmetics, administration, architecture and gardening, city planning, and many more. She was the one who had arranged the marriage between her niece Arjumand Banu and Shah Jahan. Her marriage with Jahangir was a success – both of them were tempestuous and cared and loved each other deeply. Later, as Jahangir’s health started failing due to asthma and alcoholism, she took over the reigns and took the Mughal empire to great heights. The first British ambassador, Sir Thomas Roe, arrived in her time. However, she gave the British no rights or privileges till the Rahimi incident, and extracted a great many gifts from him, including a carriage made entirely of silver. She had designed her parents’ tomb near the Yamuna river in Agra (it was later copied by Shah Jahan), and she also designed Jahangir’s tomb in Lahore (modern day Punjab, Pakistan). She had tried to get Shah Jahan to marry her own daughter, but he refused and so she completely withdrew her support from making him the emperor, and instead opposed him. Shah Jahan thus had to flee to Burhanpur, with his eldest children Dara Shukoh, Jahanara, Aurangzeb and Roshanara in Noor Jahan’s custody. Later, he waged war against Noor Jahan with help from her brother Asaf Khan. Noor Jahan was ultimately defeated in Kashmir. She was deprived of her wealth, status and power and exiled to Lahore with her daughter and granddaughter. Her influence still remained, with Shah Jahan keeping her legacy alive by copying the Taj Mahal from the tomb she designed for her parents.

12. Mumtaz Mahal : Born as Arjumand Banu, she was Noor Jahan’s niece and Shah Jahan’s most beloved. She died in childbirth while giving birth to her fourteenth child – a girl called Gauhar.

13. Jahanara : Eldest daughter of Shah Jahan, she was the one who headed the empire after Shah Jahan was left heartbroken following Mumtaz’s death, and became active in the construction of the Taj Mahal. Noor Jahan is often described as being fond of her, taking care of her education personally. She was known as Padshah Mallika, and her flower-shaped seal was the most powerful. She was an accomplished dancer, poet and a patron of the arts. She conducted the most expensive wedding ever, between her brother Dara Shukoh and Nadira Banu Begum, valued at 2 lakh rupees then, approximately 2 billion USD in today’s time.  She supported Dara Shukoh in his bid to become emperor. Later, she was imprisoned by Aurangzeb after he imprisoned Shah Jahan and killed all his remaining brothers.

14. Roshanara : Shah Jahan’s younger daughter, she was also an accomplished poet, but always at loggerheads with Jahanara. She later supported Aurangzeb as emperor.

15. Dilras Banu Begum : Aurangzeb’s first wife and Padshah Begum of his zenana, Dilras Banu belonged to the Safavid dynasty of Persia. She was mother of all of Aurangzeb’s children. However, she died an year before Aurangzeb’s succession. The Bibi ka Maqbara (Tomb of the Lady) in Aurangabad, which bears a striking resemblance to the Taj Mahal, was constructed by Aurangzeb in her honour.

16. Zeenat-un-Nisa : Aurangzeb’s eldest daughter, she was the Padshah Mallika after her mother’s death. She survived Aurangzeb by a great many years, and was respected by his successors as a remnant of a magnificent past. She was known for her charity, and was buried in the Zeenat-ul-Masjid built by her in Dlehi.

17. Zeb-un-Nisa : Aurangzeb’s favourite daughter, Zeb-un-Nisa was the most accomplished poet in Mughal history, with her works still surviving and enjoyed. She was an atheist, but later converted to Sufism. She led a secret society, and lead a rebellion against the oppressive and harsh rule of her father. She was subsequently imprisoned by Aurangzeb, where she died. She was buried in the Tees Hazari Bagh (Garden of 30,000 Trees) near the Kashmiri Darwaza (Kashmir Gate) in North Delhi. Her tomb was later shifted at Akbar’s Mausoleum in Sikandra, Agra when Delhi was expanded following Independence.

Well people, this has been an informative post. You’re welcome.

Sources : Daughters of the Sun by Ira Mukhoty, Empress : the Astonishing reign of Noor Jahan by Ruby Lal.

[dimiclaudeblaigan]

I believe the part about the Church is that it's the information he has/was given/is aware of and that's where that statement comes from, or it's like I mentioned before, a case of them using him as a scapegoat to get a certain narrative out and fucking up the Lorenz he's supposed to be.

While I agree with you on Hilda, since she does say some pretty awful things about Almyra, I'm guessing the reason she doesn't argue is because it's Claude saying it, and she's fond of him. Her disagreeing with Claude is very infrequent in Houses (unlike Hopes once in a while where she actually voices her concerns about the Alliance having a central authority in their supports!).

Also worth noting is how the pirates faking being Almyrans thing is basically copied and pasted into Hopes for Claude's paralogue.

Hilda would also die for Claude in AM if she's not recruited, since she defends the bridge there too!

I am very angry that they never had Claude confront Hilda at literally any point in either game about her racist views. You don't have to be a bad person to be racist. You could be like, you know, my favoritist Tellius mans evur, and be racist based on sheer ignorance and lack of interaction (basing one's perceptions on the only things you know, and thus having no awareness of what the truth is but starting to come around after understanding the truth of the situation, re: his supports with Janaff).

I know they mentioned they never found a proper place to namedrop Claude's real name, but like... I really think he should've gotten mad at her, maybe even snapped at her. I mean, like... they're supposedly such good friends and all, but Hilda isn't aware that all the shit she's talking is inadvertently what she thinks of Claude as well. She's saying what she feels about Almyrans, and in a way it's a slap in the face to Claude. It's like when someone talks shit about someone/something for xyz reason(s) and you don't realize you're actually talking shit about the person you're talking to.

Even for Claude I imagine there's only so much of that shit he could handle. Hilda isn't a bad person in and of herself, but the fact that they magically have an ending together where they get married and she's suddenly the next Almyran queen is... disturbing, tbch. It wouldn't be if they'd talked things out, but in game, we never see her change her mind all that much if at all about Almyrans. We don't see the development could even possibly lead her to accepting them enough to be a queen of theirs.

TO AVENGE LEKAIN'S DEATH LMFAO FJKSGFJS okay thank you i needed a laugh like that.

Dimitri couldn't give a meaningful reply because he heard the absolute obscenity of what she said and was like "...nope. can't do it. not even gonna bother with this. would win an argument faster with a deluded twitter user."

I am still angry we didn't get proper Dimitri and Lorenz conversations. Dimitri is everything Lorenz agrees with in a noble and I can only imagine Dimitri would respect his dedication to his people, because Dimitri is the same way. WE WERE ROBBED. TWICE. okay so we did get lorenz saying "our fine leaders" and standing near dimitri when you can recruit his lil group in ag BUT THAT WAS SUCH A CRUMB THAT I MUST CLING TO IT.

It's still wild to me that people will go to bat for the nothing characters that are Randolph and Fleche as proof of Dimitri being bad; we know next to nothing about them, they have miniscule screentime, what little we do know of Randolph paints him as human scum who'd do horrific things if it meant a chance at a promotion, and Fleche illogically only ever holds a grudge against someone for killing her brother if that someone is AM!Dimitri, with her completely vanishing from the game in every other route.

Eh,

I'd say they play the same purpose than this random child in TS in Roland's story - at this point, both lords want vengeance, and they have to face someone who also wants (misdirected!) vengeance at them, smth smthg like war sucks because people die.

But it's completely wasted in FE16, because, as you said, Randy isn't a random or a civilian or a war orphan, he is a general leading an attack on refugees/civilians/randoms to gain more fame, and dies in the process.

Now, can we say Flèche's anger and death are ultimately directed at Randolph, who died for nothing and took his sister down with him in his quest for "muhrit" ? Or are we supposed to think that this scene is important because Dimitri, the Blue Lord, isn't supposed to fall as low as the Imperial Army - something he comes close to (apparently?) ?

And yet again, it completely fails.

Because for one Randolph - who also had a family and loved ones - we have 50 Waldos and Baldis, whose lives aren't given any fuck about.

We don't see a war prisoner, or an Adrestian civilian accusing Supreme Leader of having sent her/his wife/husband/daughter/son to death with a conquest they never asked and trying to off her.

Only Dimitri receives this backlash from - invaders who wanted to invade and suddenly remember they have loved ones so are very sad when their loved ones dies - Flèche, but not Claude nor Billy, as you rightfully pointed out.

And Supreme Leader never receives any backlash - or wake up call - from a real third party/civilian/casualty who could have done the exact same thing.

Emile mentions how, during her attack, the Holy Grounds near Garreg Mach were turned in a slaughterhouse, why don't we have any civilian who survived from that try to take a jab at Supreme Leader? Waldi's best friend? Baldo's mother? A war captive from Leicester/Faerghus or a conscripted Adrestian?

I laughed about it with friends earlier, and again with the teatime paralogue, but it truly feels as if only 1/3rd (since the church doesn't count) of the cast will face consequences for the war and suffers backlash from the constant fighting (they didn't even start!).

Whenever you have to deal with serious stuff in Fodlan, it'll be for the BL members.

The rest? Will sip tea, talk nonsense, try to solve "mysteries" and live as if nothing is happening in the background.

Just imagine how both deer routes could have been much more impactful and interesting - instead of being a recycled Billy route with a different infodump at the end - if Raphael's sister popped up to a War Council, asking Claude to stop coddling the Empire because their lands were invaded, her grandfather put to Aymr and her inn destroyed by the Imperial Army, or how Ignatz's older brother discovers how Adrestia is burning pieces of art and history and every material related to Leicester and Faerghus history because they want to push an "Adrestia Eternal" narrative. Heck, Claude could even discover more "lore" by picking a Leif route, sort of rescuing the people "handpicked" to become new Baldos and Waldis, discovering the secret of the artificial crest stones and maybe having an infiltration map where, lo, instead of receiving an info dump, they maybe witness Rhea being turned in a relic or used to "produce" artificial crest stones.

War BaD, but only when we can make the BL suffer for it, for the rest, it's just a bgm.

And even then, it can't be too critical of Supreme Leader, because she was made to sell alts in FE heroes or dubious Cipher Cards.

"Supreme Leader", "cute girls" and "I want to see how Faerghus and its knights will deal with the aftermath of the Tragedy while defending against the invading forces".

Tl; dr : Flèche and Randolph are named, which is a cheap way to make people care for them despite their role in the plot, but the demonic beasts and the civilians dying aren't mentionned nor talked about.

Hell, why do you think I gave names to the artificial demonic beasts? The game doesn't want you to think too much about them, but if I talk about Baldo and Waldi, maybe the fandom will?

[danco110]

If you ever start thinking “Hey, maybe I have too many Commander decks,” let me tell you: you don’t. I do:

WARNING!!! EXTREMELY long post below, describing each deck and a brief summary of its strategy in overly abbreviated and nerdy Commander lingo. I mean, I’m talking a real wall of text, here. I mean it! Read more at your own risk!

——

——

THE A-TEAM: These decks have all been around for a while, and have all seen their fair share of wins.

-Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain. Artifact storm, and probably the closest I’ll ever come to cedh. WARNING: my Mana Crypt is in here!

Gisela, Blade of Goldnight. OHKO tribal. Seeks to blast people wide open with either Embercleave, Kaya’s Onslaught, or Uncaged Fury.

-Bruna, Light of Alabaster. Voltron that can either play nice and fetch Eldrazi Conscription, or not, and grab Spectra Ward.

-Sigarda, Heron’s Grace. Human tokens tribal, and the rightful recipient of my only Doubling Season.

-Admiral Beckett Brass. Pirate tribal. Taking commanders and wincons is fun. WARNING: somewhat unfun to play against!

-Gishath, Sun’s Avatar. Dino tribal.

-Hallar, the Firefletcher. Kicker tribal.

-Syr Gwyn of Ashvale. Knights and equipments and equip 0 Colossal Hammers.

-Nikya of the Old Ways. A creatures-only deck that probably has more interaction than most of my other decks!

-Atemsis, All Seeing. Azor’s Gateway / Twiddlestorm / Untap shenanigans. WARNING: somewhat unfun to play against!

-Gnostro, Voice of the Crags. Flicker tribal with a non-Narset commander so as to not draw too much heat.

-Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty. Cascade / big spells / Simic is broken change my mind / tribal

-Aragon, Roar of the World. Cat tribal, and my first-ever Commander deck!

——

THE B-TEAM: My decks with fairly good performance across their games, independent of wins and losses

-Halana, Kessig Trapper and Alena, Kessig Ranger (Partner). Big bodies / EtB tribal.

-Khorvath Brightflame and Sylvia Brightspear (Partner). Knights and dragons tribal.

-Virtus, the Veiled and Gorm, the Great (Partner). Quietus Spike / force block shenanigans. WARNING: somewhat unfun to play against!

-Linvala, Shield of Sea Gate. Azorius party aggro.

-Zagras, Thief of Heartbeats. Phantom Rakdos party control.

-Tazri, Beacon of Unity. 5C party +1/+1 counters.

-Kazarov, Senior Pureblood. “I can’t play against Krenko anymore today” Pyroclasm tribal.

-Liesa, Shroud of Dusk. Angel and demon tribal (NOTE: no synergy there, I just wanted to stick to the flavor of “alliance with a demon lord”)

-Orah, Skyclave Hierophant. Clerics tribal that always tries for an Angel of Destiny win before it (always) defers back to aristocrats.

-Bruna, the Fading Light. Angel tribal that tries to meld Brisela every game.

-Anafenza, the Foremost. +1/+1 counters tribal, and the deck that made me realize Outlast really should’ve been instant-speed.

-Samut, Voice of Dissent. Exert tribal with vigilance, untap, and extra combats.

-Juri, Master of the Revue. Sacrifice tribal, with a burn subtheme.

-Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas. Big tribal, and the deck that made me realize Experience counters were busted. Run Suncleanser, people!

-Quintorius, Field Historian. Reanimate and blow up your graveyard. Also, Purify the Grave is hilarious!

-Vaevictis Asmadi, the Dire. Chaos warp tribal, and a Primal Surge deck that doesn’t have Primal Surge because that card is extremely boring.

-Ishkanah, Grafwidow. Spider tribal that seeks to make opponents forget about Ishkanah’s activated ability until it’s too late.

-Omnath, Locus of the Roil. Landfall and elementals.

-Savra, Queen of the Golgari. Grave Pact tribal. WARNING: somewhat unfun to play against!

-Feather, the Redeemed. Haha, combat tricks go brrrrrr!

-Adeliz, the Cinder Wind. Wizards spellslinger aggro. Also one of the few decks of mine that actually uses cantrips!

-Aryel, Knight of Windgrace. Knights tribal with a removal/control subtheme.

-Aurelia, Exemplar of Justice. Mentor + Double Strike tribal. I only built this deck because I pulled a borderless Outlaws’ Merriment, ok?

-Araumi of the Dead Tide. Self mill encore, and the deck that made me appreciate the singleton rule in Commander.

-Kaza, Roil Chaser. Big spells. BIG! I mean, Electrodominance for 10, into a Karn’s Temporal Sundering, big!

——

THE C-TEAM: My decks that just don’t cut it at a lot of pods, sometimes even against those at appropriate power levels. That being said, however, these tend to be my more storied decks, that I still enjoy playing.

-Syr Alin, the Lion’s Claw. Mono-White go wide, with commons and uncommons only. Part of my cycle of Eldraine uncommon legendary knight decks, 1/5.

-Syr Elenora, the Discerning. Mono-Blue Voltron + draw power, with commons and uncommons only, 2/5.

-Syr Konrad, the Grim. Mono-Black aristocrats...kind of...? It’s complicated, but with commons and uncommons only, 3/5.

-Syr Carah, the Bold. Mono-Red storm, with rares and mythics for Underworld Breach and Past in Flames, because I feel like storm needs those, 4/5.

-Syr Faren, the Hengehammer. Mono-Green infect, with rares and mythics for Phyrexian Swarmlord, because I really wanted a deck that could run that, 5/5.

-Jodah, Archmage Eternal. Avengers Assemble! legendary tribal. I had a lot of bulk legends at the time, and wanted to make something of them!

-Abomination of Llanowar. Literal elf ball. Built in response to my irritation at someone’s Lathril, Blade of the Elves deck.

-Licia, Sanguine Tribute. Lifegain is good, I swear, built in response to my disbelief at the $200 price tag on a store-built Licia deck. Mine costs maybe $100, if you count the sleeves and box?

-Thalisse, Reverent Medium. Tokens tribal that breaks Anointed Procession even further, which made me wonder why green gets all the token doublers *cough*adrixandnev*cough*

-Hamza, Guardian of Arashin. +1/+1 counters, with commons and uncommons only, built because someone at my store wanted to play commons and uncommons only with an uncommon Commander. Thanks for getting me into Artisan Commander, Will!

-Siona, Captain of the Pyleas. Enchantress, with a tokens subtheme. Built because I and a friend both commented that she looked like Wonder Woman.

-Mina and Denn, Wildborn (NOT Partner). Landfall aggro, with all the creatures that pump on landfall.

-Ghired, Conclave Exile. Populate and tokens. Built because I was bored one Saturday and saw I had an extra set of sleeves.

-Obuun, Mul Daya Ancestor. Landfall tribal, (again? Sheesh!) built the same lazy Saturday as Ghired, above.

-Armix, Filigree Familiar and Eligeth, Crossroads Augur (YES Partner). Artifact tribal, with a super janky 4-piece Marionette Master loop wincon! Built because Eligeth turns Preordain into “Draw 2 cards, then draw a card.”

-Akiri, Fearless Voyager. Equipment tribal, with an asymmetrical boardwipe subtheme. Built because I pulled an Akiri from a pack, and someone said “ooh, sorry,” from over my shoulder.

-Exava, Rakdos Blood Witch. Unleash counters tribal. Built because I found a Chaos Imps in my bulk!

——

THE MEME-TEAM: These decks...are. Yeah, they are. Not necessarily good or bad. Just...are.

-Kenrith, the Returned King. The game plan is “Get to Trostani’s Summoner, and either flicker it or make a bajillion copies of it.” One day, I found a card named Trostani’s Summoner, and it was love at first sight! My Demonic Tutor went in here!

-Phylath, World Sculptor. Landfall tribal...with 99 basic land cards.

-Rograkh, Son of Rogahh and Keleth, Sunmane Familiar. (Partner) Kill one guy and die tribal.

-Etrata the Silencer. The “I wanted a non-Koma Mirror Gallery deck” deck. Also with a guest appearance from flicker!

-Lazav, Dimir Mastermind. Literally just “Oops! All Control!” Draw, counter, and remove. WARNING: don’t play against this.

-Ravos, Soultender and Livio, Oathsworn Sentinel. (Partner) War of attrition, etb and control. WARNING: don’t play against this. It has like 15 boardwipes!

-Valki, God of Lies / Tibalt, Cosmic Imposter. (NOT Partner) “I want to piss off the table” tribal. It mills your opponents, it plays their stuff, and it removes the stuff it doesn’t play. WARNING: don’t play against this. It runs Jokulhaups, Obliterate, and Decree of Annihilation!

-Svella, Ice Shaper. Colossal Dreadmaw tribal, as in, anything that’s roughly 6/6 makes the cut! It’s actually won games!

-Brion Stoutarm. Hijack and fling tribal. “You know, I’ve never had an Eldrazi titan before. Can I borrow it? Well, see, I wasn’t exactly...asking...?”

-Grumgully, the Generous. Non-human ���uno mas” tribal. Tries to run all the counters cards like Renata and the Rhythm of the Wild.

-Subira, Tuzuldi Caravaneer. Small tribal. Just think “mono-r blitz in Commander,” and you’ll get the gist.

-Neheb, the Worthy. Minotaurs and discard tribal. Not as oppressive as Tinybones, or as explosive as Nath, and that’s a good thing. Trust me.

——

THE ALL-RAVNICAN REJECTS: These decks are... *sniff* no longer with us. They were broken down for pieces, for sleeves, or because I slept through each time I played them.

-Najeela, the Blade Blossom. Boring warriors extra combat steps. Broken because I wanted her tri-lands, and I wanted some of her warriors for my party decks.

-Golos, Tireless Pilgrim. Maze’s End lands. Golos is broken and we all know it. Broken for sleeves, and because my first land tutor was always Field of the Dead because of the incoming hate, and not Maze’s End, and I wasn’t happy with that.

-Arcades, the Strategist. Walls. As it turns out, not a lot of decks can contest 3-mana 8/8’s. And against those that could, the deck was put in the ground extremely quickly. Broken because it just wasn’t fun to play.

——

THE DRAWING BOARD: These decks are in the works. Will they see the light of day, and the protection of sleeves? Well, we’ll see, will we not?

-Borborygmos. Go wide and SMASH! My first attempt at a pile of cards; I’m trying for a goblins/saproling hybrid tribal, because both make lots of tokens, but we’ll see how well that translates into actual play.

-Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer. Thopters and artificers and myr, oh my! All joking aside, I just wanted a deck that wants to run cards with Fabricate, because I thought it was a really cool mechanic!

-Garna, the Bloodflame. Reanimator/sacrifice, AKA corpse carousel. It’s a revolving door between the graveyard and the battlefield, yknow, and most of my store’s meta does not run graveyard hate.

I tried to warn ‘ya!

[omgsquee2001]

Safe and Sound; Ace’s Ending; Forever and Always

~Ace's POV~

Law had just brought [Y/N] back to the Moby Dick from treating her at his ship, the Polar Tang. Marco walked over and opened the Infirmary, letting Law take her inside and lay her down on the bed. I walked over to the two. My eyes were filled with fear and hope. 

"H-how is she?" I asked. Law looked at me. 

"She'll live. But she was put under a lot of stress and abuse. I found a lot of lacerations, burns, whip marks and her ribs were showing from how much she had been starved. If I hadn't been able to treat her when I did, it might have been too late." Law said. I clutched my hands into fists and squeezed my eyes shut. How dare those bastards hurt my love! How dare they lay their filthy hands on her! Marco placed his hand on my shoulder. 

"Ace, you're steaming," he said. I tried my best to calm down. The last thing I wanted was to burn down the Moby Dick. Marco turned to Law. "Thank you, for everything you've done. I'll let Pops know about [Y/N]'s condition." He said. 

"I want to stay with her until she wakes up," I said. Marco nodded at me. Both men left and I walked into the infirmary. I pulled up a stool and sat next to her bed. Tears came to my eyes as I looked over her. There were deep bruises under her eyes. If only I had searched for her as hard as I did Blackbeard when he killed Thatch. Then maybe I could have saved her from all of that grief and torture she had endured. I stroked her forehead and kissed it. "Wake up soon, My Love." I whispered. 

________________________________________________________________________________

~[Y/N’s POV~

Darkness.

That was all I saw. One minute I saw my friends and my family standing before me and the Celestial Dragon, the next, I saw only darkness. I then remembered being held gently in the arms of someone I knew. Their body was warm and comforting. It had to be Ace or Marco. They were the only ones who produced fire, so their bodies were constantly warm no matter what. It had always sparked envy in the crew when they docked on winter islands. The next thing I knew, I was laying on something soft. The sounds of a creaking ship and the smell of disinfectant filled my nostrils. I scrunched up my nose, and opened my eyes, letting out a groan. Once my vision became clear, I saw that I was in a wooden room, laying on a bed. The white sheets covered my pajama clad body. I was wearing my favorite lavender colored nightgown. I felt some pressure on the side of my bed, and I looked over. I smiled and tears formed in my eyes. There, sitting on a stool next to my bed, was my lover, Ace. I squeezed his hand. Ace jolted up, and squinted, looking at me. His eyes widened and he held my hand tighter. 

"[Y-Y/N], you're finally awake!" He shouted.  I let out a sob mixed with a laugh as I reached out my hand for him. He took my hand into his warmer and larger one, kissing the back of my hand. He reached out his other hand and cupped my cheek, gently rubbing his thumb against my cheek. I leaned into it and smiled up at him. Before I had been lost, I had slowly fallen in love with the fire user Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, and he had slowly fallen in love with me, and thus a happy and lovely relationship blossomed. My Father was happy to give me over to Ace, knowing full well that he would love me and protect me as long as he lived. “I’m so happy you’re alright. Trafalgar barley managed to save you.” He said, tears formed in his eyes. I smiled and brushed the tears away as they fell, cupping his cheek.

“Don’t count me out just yet, My Love,” I said softly. Ace chuckled and brought me in for a tender kiss. When I pulled away, my eyes looked around the room. “Where’s Father and the others?” I asked. Ace smiled.

“They’re all here, on the Moby Dick. They’ve been anxiously waiting for you to wake up.” He said.

“May I see them? With the Commander's permission, of course.” I said. Ace smirked and put a hand to his chin in mock thought.

“Hmm, give the Commander a kiss and maybe he’ll let you see your family and friends.” He said. I giggled and wrapped my arms around his neck, bringing him in closer. Our lips clashed in a passionate kiss. I blushed as something prodded at my lips, asking for entrance. I opened my mouth and Ace's tongue invaded. I moaned slightly as our tongues fought for dominance, Ace winning. He pulled back a little, looking at me through half lidded eyes. He bent his head down to kiss my neck gently. I sighed in content, placing my hand over his head knocking his had off of his hat. My other hand resting against his cheek. I had almost forgotten how good his soft and slightly chapped lips felt against my smooth skin. Ace pulled away from the side of my neck. He gave me a kiss before ducking down and kissing my throat, making sure to run his tongue against it, making me moan louder. He pulled away, knowing I was anxious to see my family. He looked down at me, breathing heavily. I smiled up at him, giving him one last kiss before pulling away completely.

“Am I all clear to see my family and friends now?” I asked. Ace chuckled and nodded, helping me sit up. He took my hand, and opened the door. My vision was blinded by the bright light of the sun. I covered my eyes with my hand, squinting. Ace placed his arm around my waist, leading me to where my friends and family were. My eyes widened and tears filled them. There, sitting in his throne, sat my father. His eyes met mine and he smiled, tears of his own falling. He opened his large arms. Ace let go of me, and I raced towards my father and jumping into his arms. Our laughter mixed as we embraced each other, tears of happiness falling. Father sighed and he pulled away, holding me in his large hands. I sat in his palm.

“My daughter, I am so happy to see you.” He said. I smiled, but then frowned as tears fell from his eyes. I stood up and pressed my hand against his cheek.

“Father, why are you crying?” I asked, worried. Father brushed his tears away, but they were replaced by more.

“I-I’m crying because I feel like a terrible father.” He cried. My eye brows furrowed.

“A terrible father?” I asked. He nodded.

“W-when your mother died, I-I promised I would p-protect you with my life. I-I failed at that when I lost you at sea. T-then I find you beaten and starved half to death. P-please, forgive me, [Y/N].”  Father sobbed. I smiled and kissed his nose.

“Oh father, there is nothing to forgive,” I said. He looked at me in surprise, his tears still falling but slowly now. “You would have had no idea where I was, if not for Zeo giving Luffy my location. It’s not like the World Government would have just told you where I was,” I gave him a closed eyed smile. “Besides, I knew you would come for me.” I said. Father smiled and closed his eyes. He opened them and the tears stopped falling.

“You are so much like your mother. You iron strong will, your loving heart and most of all, your sun bright soul that is willing to forgive anyone, only if they deserve it,”  he said. He gently lowered me to the ground, and I joined Ace, intertwining our fingers. Whitebeard smiled at the happy couple as Ace kissed the side of my head. He looked out across the people gathered on the Moby Dick. “Now, let us have a feast to celebrate my daughter’s recovery and the alliance of the Heart and Straw-Hat Pirates with the Whitebeard Crew!” Father shouted. My eyes widened and I looked behind me. There stood Law, Luffy, Sanji and Zoro. Nami and Robin stood with their captain and crew members. I smiled and rushed over, giving each of them a hug. Nami and Robin pulled me into a hug.

“It's good to see you, Tiger Lily.” Nami said. I giggled.

~Later That Night~

I laughed as Izo and Jozou had a drinking contest with Marco and Zoro. Nami had joined, only because there was Belli involved. I had changed out of my nightgown and into a red, off the shoulder dress. My hair had been pulled back and into a beautiful French braid updo, courtesy of Nami and Robin. Ace sat next to me, his arm wrapped around my bare shoulders. He smiled down at me.

“You can choose, you know.” He said. I looked at him, confused.

“Huh?” I asked. Ace gestured to the Straw-Hat and Heart crews.

“You can choose to go with them,” he set down his drink and wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed my shoulder. “Or you can stay here with your Father, and with me.” He said. I smiled and cupped his cheek, bringing him into another passionate kiss. We pulled away.

“I think I’ll stay here with you and Father. It’s where I belong,” I said, looking out across the activities. I then looked back at Ace, smiling. “I'll stay here with you, forever and always.” 

The next morning, with a heavy heart, I said goodbye to my friends. Luffy waved up at me. 

"Bye [Y/N]! See you some other time!" He shouted. Ace smiled as he stood next to me, his arm wrapped around my waist. Nami looked up at my lover. 

"Yo flame brain," she shouted up. Ace looked at her, ready to give a smartass retort, when he noticed Nami's smile. "Take care of our Tiger Lily! We'll be back to check on her in the near future!" She shouted. Ace smiled and kissed the side of my head. 

"Don't you worry, Cat Burglar. I'll take care of this one, forever and always." He said, smiling down at me. I smiled and we both waved as the two crews departed from the Moby Dick.  

~Whew, finally done with this one. I hope you all like it. Next up, Pirate Queen;  Luffy's Ending~

[tory-ben-hi-shelton]

my favourite quotes from seizure

That's what we call ourselves. Virals. It seems appropriate to have a group name after becoming a gang of genetic mutants. It's good for morale.

Observing Ben'a struggle, Hi scratched his chin. Glanced at me. Shrugged. Then he quietly slipped around Ben. And, without ceremony, kicked him in the ass. Hard.

Faster than thought, Ben grabbed Hi and wrapped him in a vicious bear hug. "Smart ass."

Hi sputtered, gasping for air. "Back off! I don't like you that way!"

Ben laughed.

Hi slogged back to the beach. "I let him win. He needs the self confidence."

"Right."

"Hey, I'm a giver."

"A saint."

It was good to see Ben laugh again.

"Not nice," I joked. "You'll sour Jewish-Sewee relations."

"It's true, I take it back," Hi said. "Our people have a rich history of mutual respect. Long live the alliance!"

"Score one for your honker."

"Thanks, I think." I cocked my chin at Hi's substantial midsection. "Nice abs."

"Yeah, I work out twice a month. No exceptions. But stop hitting on me, it's embarrassing."

Then, almost as one, the boys looked at their screens. Directly at me.

Huh? I was the youngest. The only girl. Why was I in change? No matter. I was in totally agreement.

"You can't be serious." Shelton groaned, eyes returning to his laptop. "I'd nearly hacked Ben and Jerry's website when you called. We could've been eating free Chunky Monkey right now."

"This is a rip-off dude. Twenty pages, and I still don't know what these people do. But here's a JPEG OF A DIAMOND RING. VERY HELPFUL."

"We need some kind of plan," Hi said. "We can't allow ourselves to be split up. I don't want to be a freak alone. Been there, done that. I like having friends."

"Stop whining, hippie." Ben crossed to Hi and mussed his hair. "We'll figure something out. But no spazzing inside the bunker. I won't allow it."

"I have a cotillion event. Some yacht-club charity fundraiser thingy. Whitney is insisting and Kit took her side." Three wide smiles. "Oh shut up."

But now Ben was here. For some reason. "Fine by me." A wry smile crossed Tom Blue's lips. "But you don't have to ride with my boy if he's bothering you, Tory."

Ben scowled, reddened, but kept quiet.

"No, that'd be great!" I said quickly. "Thanks, Ben. Thanks anyway, Tom!" Ben cast off with more haste than usual. I could hear his father chuckling as as began to pull away.

It occurred to me that Ben was an attractive guy. Even when brooding. Hell, especially when brooding.

Wolf: Haha. Come over now. Grab Shelton if you can.

Green Lantern: Boo. I thought you were hitting on me.

Wolf: Nope. Still intimidated by your good looks.

Green Lantern: Understandable.

"Why does everything girlie smell so delightful?"

"Because we acknowledge the importance of basic hygiene. And periodically clean our bathrooms."

"Brilliant. I should write that down. After all, it takes a village."

"She's famous, really famous, because..." He stopped dead. "Wait."

I met his gaze levely. No point in being discreet now.

"No." Shelton shook his head. "You can't be serious. That's your plan?"

"What plan?" Hi asked.

"You have a better idea?" I crossed my arms. Defiant. And a little self conscious.

"But that's not even a real plan. It's a joke. Why not just chase rainbows looking for lucky charms?"

"What plan?" Hi repeated.

"I'm not claiming it's a slam dunk." I said.

"It's not even a full court shot," Shelton said. "Blindfolded. Underhand. With a bowling ball."

"We have to try something."

"WHAT. PLAN." Hi. Exasperated.

Ben walked in and popped the back of Hi's head.

"WHY. ARE. YOU. YELLING."

"Wonderful." Hi slid to the floor. "First ignored, then attacked. I need new friends. And a lawyer."

"I meet very few people your age who know of her."

"We're very advanced," Hi said earnestly. "I can even zip my own pants. Most times, anyway."

I glanced over my shoulder. Ben, Shelton, and Hi stood behind me, shoulder to shoulder. Scowling. A solid wall of opposition.

Deep breath.

"Guys..."

"Absolutely not!"

"Crazy woman!"

"I just got out if trouble!"

Okay. Bad start.

"Who sold you that box, anyway?" I asked.

"Piss off."

"Hey!" Ben shouted. "Watch your mouth."

Ben stepped towards the counter. Hi grabbed his arm as Shelton placed a restraining hand on his shoulder.

"Thanks, but Ben is picking me up."

"Ben." Jason shook his head. "I guess you're taking community service to heart," he quipped.

"Out of bounds," I warned. "Ben's a good friend."

"He's a prince. Enchanting. Tell him I miss him."

"Fine." Not a care in the world.

Hi leaned close to his screen. "What'd do you mean, 'fine'?"

"Don't come with me," I said. "I'll go by myself."

The boys all spoke at once.

"Don't be a drama queen." Hi.

"You can't go alone." Ben.

"Somebody has to watch your back." Shelton.

I grabbed Hi's shoulder. "Go! Do your thing."

"You're pretty casual with my life, you know."

"Go!"

"Let's see those elbows," Ben demanded. "You left a bloody streak in the shaft."

I let him inspect my wounds, glad he'd forgotten to be mad at me.

"Hi." Shelton panted. "I love you, man."

"Back at you." Hi spat globs of filth. "I'm going to kiss Ben now, in case some of you don't want to watch."

"I'll pass." Ben ruffled Hi's hair.

My head broke the surface. I took a giant breath.

"Tory!" Ben's face was inches from mine. "You okay?"

"Fine," I said. "Dandy. I bonked my head."

Ben looked at me oddly.

Hi shuffled over, grasped my hand, and deposited a sloppy kiss. "I'm in your debt milady."

"Tory!" Eyes popping. "What in God's name are you doing here?"

"You said you needed rescuing. I haven't slain any dragons yet, but the day is young."

"Humouring you means getting in the water." Hi grumbled. "It better be worth it."

Shelton slapped Hi's shoulder. "Seeing you in a wet tee is reward enough."

"Thanks, guys." Flat on his back, rubbing a shoulder. "Don't worry about me."

"Suck it up," said Shelton. "You dropped our fearless leader."

"Just hear me out!"

"I don't wanna!" Shelton whined. "You'll start talking, and pretty soon we'll all start nodding, and then the next thing you know, I'm hang gliding off the Effiel Tower at midnight chased my ninja vampires. No deal!"

Ben smacked the back of Shelton's head.

Once I got them listening, their curiosity always won out. It's what I loved best about them.

"I already counted them," Ben said. "Lose any, you'll be less a few fingers."

"That's twice you've insulted my honour, Blue. Pistols or swords?"

"Correction. That was your last warning. Test me again, and you'll limp for a very long time."

I caught the other Virals in the corner of my eye. "What?"

Ben was staring, jaw open. "Good Lord, Tory."

"Nice shooting, Scarface." Hi handed me Duncan's weapon. "Remind me to never owe you money. Who taught you to fire a gun?"

"Long story." I wasn't answering 'drunk grandfather' true or not.

"Tory, a father isn't suppose to fear his fourteen year old daughter. That being said, you terrify me."

"We need to thank my great-great-great pirate grandma."

Kit's eyebrows shot up. "Your what?"

"Nothing. Just kidding."

Maybe.

Kits generosity had benefitted the Virals as well. Though a shockingly long list of museums, landmarks, and wildlife organizations had banned us for life, we'd avoided criminal charges.

[blueares]

Ruination Rewrite: Character List

Sentinels

Vayne

Having devoted her life to fighting back monsters that prowl in the dark, Vayne joined the Sentinels to aid in their struggle against Viego and his ceaseless tide of the undead. Her years of experience and hatred for monsters of any kind makes her a perfect fit for the order, though her cold and ruthless personality sometimes puts Vayne at odds with some of the team's more unscrupulous members.

Olaf

In his relentless pursuit of a worthy death, Olaf joined the Sentinels hoping that the Harrowing will conjure a foe capable of slaying him at last. Having lost an eye to the corrupted Barbarian King Tryndamere, Olaf charges headlong into the swarm of wraiths spreading across Runeterra with his newly-forged Relic axes, hoping to solidify his legend in a world on the brink of Ruination.

Riven

After narrowly escaping Draven's arena with the aid of the Sentinels, Riven found herself lost and seeking purpose. A wanted fugitive in Noxus and unable to return to Ionia, Riven was prepared to wander alone in search of a new home until she was unexpectedly invited to join the Sentinels of Light. Now, she wields a new blade for a new cause: to drive back the Ruined King's forces in the hopes that doing so will at last bring her the redemption she seeks for her past.

Shen

When the Black Mist came to Ionia, the Eye of Twilight felt the scales of balance tip in favor of darkness. Seeking to rectify this imbalance, Shen confronted Viego on the beaches of his homeland, only to be overwhelmed by the Ruined King's power. Narrowly saved by the Sentinels' intervention, Shen agreed to an alliance between their orders, taking up a Relicstone sword in place of his Ionian steel saber to better combat the forces of the undead.

Diana

After a near-death confrontation with Ruined Pantheon, Diana found her connection to the Celestial realm shaken by a blow from the war god's spear. As the Aspect of the Moon recovers, Diana must take up Sentinel armaments to combat the growing tide of Black Mist if she is to ensure that her people, the Lunari, live to see another moonrise.

Jayce

The self-proclaimed "Hero of Piltover," Jayce joined the Sentinels in a bid to save his city from Ruination. Combining Sentinel craftsmanship with Piltover engineering, Jayce has upgraded his beloved Mercury Hammer with Relicstone to better combat the undead. Unbeknownst to his allies, though, Jayce wishes not only to save Piltover, but also the one man he ever called a friend...

Graves

A lawless scoundrel from Bilgewater, Graves joined the Sentinels for one reason and one reason only: to find his missing partner. After Twisted Fate's mysterious disappearance at the start of the Harrowing, Graves deduced that the Black Mist must be behind the card mage's sudden disappearance and that fighting Viego may reveal Fate’s whereabouts. Though Graves’ attitude and complete disregard for Sentinel code grates on his allies, he more than makes up for it when blasting through hordes of undead with his custom-made Destiny III.

Rengar

Once the apex predator of the Kumungu Jungles, Rengar finds himself now relentlessly hunted through his own territory by the ghosts of his former prey. Seeking to drive out the Black Mist and restore his place at the top of the food chain, Rengar joins the Sentinels to hunt down the one responsible for its invasion: Viego, the Ruined King himself.

Ruined

Shyvana

Years of prejudice and discrimination in Demacia have stirred bitterness and contempt in Shyvana's soul. Though once able to find comfort in those few she called friends, the Black Mist has fueled Shyvana’s resentment for the world that so often tries to condemn her. Now, she embraces the monster that so many believe her to be, unleashing her burning fury on anyone who draws breath.

Tryndamere

When the Black Mist took hold on Tryndamere's soul, it unleashed the fury that he has spent years tempering as king of the Avarosa. Now driven to a near-constant state of Berserker rage, Tryndamere is more beast than man, rampaging endlessly and cutting down anyone or anything that dares to get in his way. Even Viego struggles to truly control the Ruined Barbarian King, instead turning Tryndamere on his enemies and letting the beast run wild.

Draven

Little changed when the Black Mist took hold on Draven's soul. In fact, Ruination has only stoked the executioner's ego even further. No longer content to be the best in Noxus, Draven seeks the eternal praises of all Runeterra: an undying global audience which can cheer his name for all time, even if he has to perform for the Ruined King himself.

Lillia

Once a peaceful and timid spirit devoted to safeguarding dreams, Lillia has now devoted herself to protecting one dream in-particular: that of the Ruined King. Lillia now believes that only the beauty and purity of Viego's twisted love can save her Mother Tree and restore peaceful dreams to the world forevermore.

Pantheon

Through the necromantic powers of the Black Mist, the fallen god Pantheon has returned. Seeking retribution for his demise at the hands of the Darkin Aatrox, Pantheon readies himself to wage war on the living world and bring Ruination to all Runeterra. Before he can see his ambition to fruition, however, Pantheon must first win the war within himself for control over Atreus's body, who remains stubbornly defiant...

Viktor

Seeing a new path toward advancement, Viktor has embraced Ruination as the next logical step in human evolution. Able to transform fragile flesh and remove unnecessary emotion, the Black Mist is all that Viktor desires and more. With it, he can upgrade not just humanity, but Runeterra itself...

Gangplank

Desperate to take back his throne as the pirate lord of Bilgewater, Gangplank turned to Viego in a bid for power. Through the Black Mist, Gangplank has not only resurrected his old crew and ship, but finally acquired the strength to challenge Sarah Fortune's reign over the city of Bilgewater.

Other

Rookie

A young Sentinel recruit with next to no combat experience or training. Despite this, Rookie was still chosen by the Wayfinder, a unique Relic capable of allowing instantaneous travel between Sentinel outposts and a means of instantly traveling to the organization’s headquarters. Though Rookie is oft considered the weakest member of the group, they possess a knack for words and inspiring others in dire situations.

Unbound Thresh

With the aid of Mordekaiser’s magic, Thresh has at last freed himself from the confines of the Black Mist. With this new freedom comes the ability to transform himself, taking on a guise similar to the flesh and blood he once possessed in life without any of the limitations. Thresh now wanders the world unfettered, gathering souls for his collection while aiding in Mordekaiser's conquest.

-----

When the Ruination came and transformed the Blessed Isles into the now-infamous Shadow Isles, Thresh embraced the change wholeheartedly. For years he delighted in tormenting the living and the dead alike by trapping them in his lantern, but it eventually became apparent to Thresh that he, himself, was a prisoner.

Bound to the Black Mist and unable to leave the Shadow Isles for much longer than the span of a Harrowing, Thresh realized that this existence wasn’t so different from the years he spent isolated in the darkness of the vaults of Helia. Eventually, he began seeking a means of escaping the Mist, even if it meant dethroning the Ruined King himself.Eventually, Thresh’s search brought him back to the Vaults of Helia, where he perused the forbidden artifacts once placed under his care in the hopes that one might contain the key to his freedom.

After searching tirelessly through the many forsaken relics locked away by his order, Thresh came upon one that thrummed with an eerily familiar power: the skull of an ancient tyrant said to have once conquered death itself. As Thresh grasped the skull, a voice spoke out to him in an ancient tongue the warden did not recognize, but somehow understood. It promised him freedom and power in exchange for one thing: to help restore the warlord’s spirit to the land of the living.

It was then that an unholy pact was formed, and Thresh soon learned the name of the ancient spirit in question: Mordekaiser. For years, Mordekaiser and Thresh cooperated in secret, working together to undermine Viego’s search for the fetters of his queen, Isolde.

When the Ruined King was foiled by the Sentinels of Light, Thresh and Mordekaiser seized their opportunity. Now, as the lords of undeath contest each other control of the Shadow Isles, Thresh ventures to Noxus to aid in infiltrating the Immortal Bastion... While relishing in the new powers granted to him by his patron along the way.

[bridgingdimensions]

An Assembled History of the United States 

The following contains a timeline of the history of the United States within my dimension. Information sourced from Gravity Falls Library, very roughly summarized.

1400s and prior - Various tribes and cultures lived on this land, but unfortunately written histories of these times are difficult to find. The earliest information found within the library was spare mentions of local history of the Klamath Tribes. 

1492 - Christopher Columbus sailed with three ships, one of which crashed in the shores of America and sank with the only 1 documented injury to himself and no fatalities.

1493 - Columbus sailed again to the American colonies with several ships and a large crew, again the ship Columbus was on sank with him on it and this time reportedly took several hours for him to reach the shore.

1494 - The Treaty of Tordesillas attempted to ratify and establish ownership of the lands for Spain and Portugal. It was not successful. 

1496 - John Cabot sails to explore the western hemisphere under authority of King Henry VII of England. signs an agreement for the western hemisphere to be explored under England and makes a second voyage the following year.

1498 - Columbus goes on his third voyage, a select crew willing to stay on the specific ship Columbus was on at the time. During lunch, the crew accidentally stranded him on one of the islands, remembering to turn back after five days. 

Cabot embarked on another voyage and mysteriously never returned.

1502 - Columbus on his fourth voyage sails to Central America where his boat gradually disintegrated and he kicked his crew off, he was last sighted on a wooden raft that was overtaken by a wave.

1507 - A world map is made by Martin Waldseemuller, but is never seen, reportedly lost due to ‘his dog eating it.’

1508 - First European colony settlement on United States territory was founded at Caparra, Puerto Rico by Ponce de Leon.

1511 - Catholic Church, Pope Julius II, establishes three dioceses with one in Puerto Rico and two in Hispaniola.

1512 - Ferdinand II of Aragon announces Burgos’ Laws to end exploitation of indigenous people in Hispaniola and Puerto Rico some time after the decimation of smallpox epidemics brought to the people of Hispaniola by Europeans.

1513 - Ponce De Leon looks for the Fountain of Youth. He then lies about finding it, quickly diverting attention by claiming land for Spain.

1524 - Giovanni da Verrazzano enters New York harbor during a French expedition, considered the first European exploration of the Atlantic seaboard in centuries.

1526 - Disagreement over Treaty of Tordesillas defused by marriage, more to follow.

1527 - The Narvaez expedition colonizes Spanish Florida under Panfilo De Narvaez.

1529 - The Treaty of Zaragosa makes a try at clarifying the Treaty of Tordesillas.

1539 - Hernando de Soto travels to Florida where they explore further inland.

Melchior Diaz searches for Lost Cities of Gold. He is unsuccessful and the job is shortly after given to Fernando Vasquez de Coronado, who is also unsuccessful and gets into the Tiguex War as well as burns down a city while continuing further on.

1542 - De Soto reaches his final destination, death.

1550 - The beginning of the forty year Chichimeca War between the Chichimecas Confederation and New Spain.

1551 - The Valladolid debate, discussing treatment and status of Indians in the New World.

1559 - Don Tristan de Lunda y Arellano established Spanish colony, Santa Maria de Ochuse.

Elizabeth I becomes Queen of England.

1562 - Charlesfort is established by Jean Ribault, but is later abandoned.

1564 - Rene de Laudonniere establishes French colony for the Hugeanots at Fort Caroline and befriends the Timucua.

1565 - Pedro Menendez de Aviles founds St. Augustine, the first permanent settlement of the US. Twelve days later his spanish soldiers attack the French colony at Fort Caroline and destroy the fort.

1570 - Abraham Ortelius publishes the first modern world atlas. Descendent of Waldseemuller claims the work was copied off of his ancestor’s lost map and attempts a rebranding scheme of the atlas under his name with minor changes which fails.

1579 - Francis Drake claims lands in California for Great Britain, names it New Albion. Completes circumnavigation of the globe.

1585 - Sir Walter Raleigh organizes expedition to settle Roanoke Island colony. The colony fails.

1587 - Raleigh attempts to colonize Roanoke Island again with governor John White. John White leaves and returns to an empty colony with the words ‘CROATOAN’ and ‘CRO’ left behind, carved. Raleigh doesn’t attempt the colony a third time.

1607 - Jamestown, the first English settlement in the United States is established by over 100 settlers.

1608 - Samuel de Champlain establishes first permanent colony of New France in Quebec City.

1614 - New France colony of Port Royal is destroyed by Samuel Argall and then abandoned.

1618 - Smallpox epidemic wipes out vast majority of Native Americans in Massachusetts Bay.

1619 - The House of Burgesses is elected in Jamestown.

Virginia Company of London establishes new colony at Berkeley Hundred, Virginia.

1620 - The Puritans establish settlement in Plymouth and form the Aprilflower Compact to establish government and laws.

1629 - King Charles I grants royal charter for the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

1630-1670 - Many colonies are founded and settled along with wars between colonists and native tribes. (The number of colonies and wars around this time period are their own lengthy history.)

1670 - Hudson’s Bay Company founded to combat New France in the Canadian fur trade.

1676 - Bacon’s Rebellion that resulted in the burning of Jamestown.

1677 - Treaty of Middle Plantation signed.

North Carolina colonists engage in Culpeper’s Rebellion.

1682 - France claims the lower Mississippi River valley.

1688 - King William’s War begins, lasts for 9 years.

1690 - First paper money issued in North America by the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

The first newspaper issue in the United States was published in Boston, and was then suppressed.

1692-1693 - The Salem witch hunts resulting in the death of nineteen and over a hundred arrests.

1695 - Captain William Kidd is sent on a mission to combat piracy, and goes on to become pirate of the high seas. (If you can’t beat them, join them, I suppose.)

1699 - Jamestown is abandoned.

1701 - New France signs the Great Peace of Montreal with 39 First Nations.

1702 - Royal Colony of New Jersey established by Queen Anne.

1704 - First newspaper that wasn’t immediately taken down publishes its first edition in Boston, started by John Campbell.

1711 - The Tuscarora War begins.

1716 - First theater in the colonies opens in Williamsburg, Virginia.

1763 - French and Indian War ends with peace treaty, the English getting Canada and the American midwest.

1764 - The Sugar Act, a duty is placed on various commodities in the British colonies. Less than a year later the Stamp Act is passed as well.

1765 - The Stamp Act is passed and later nine of the colonies had a Stamp Act Congress and adopted a Declaration of Rights against taxation without representation. 

1766 - The Stamp Act is repealed.

1767 - However, then the Townshend Acts are put in place.

1770 - The Boston Massacre, British troops fired into a Boston mob. 

The Townshend Acts were repealed on everything except tea. This would notably not turn out well.

1773 - The Boston Tea Party, caused by England allowing a single company to control the tea trade and the actual event being 342 chests of tea being pushed overboard into the harbor. 

1774 - British Parliament closes the port of Boston. 

The Intolerable Acts are established, the First Continental Congress is held to protest this.

1775 - British government declares Massachusetts in rebellion.

American Revolution is started after 8 minutemen are killed while resisting British were coming to destroy their arms (the guns).

George Washington is appointed commander-in-chief of the Continental Army.

1776 - Thomse Paine publishes ‘Common Sense & Sensibility.’

The Declaration of Independence is penned and approved.

Washington wins in the first Battle of Trenton.

1777 - The Continental Congress adopts the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union.

France signs treaties of alliance and commerce, getting involved in the revolutionary war.

Washington loses at Brandywine and others, marches with Continental Army into Valley Forge.

1778 - South Carolina is the first state to ratify the Articles of Confederation.

France signs the treaty of Amity and Commerce with the United States.

1779 - Benedict Arnold, American general, turns traitor and aids the British in acquiring control of the Hudson River. This was soon after Washington first accompanied Arnold on a drive where Washington made the comment to him while Arnold was driving the horse carriage ‘Okay, you’re safe to go,’ as the pedestrians Arnold had been waiting on had finished crossing the street. 

1780 - The British siege Charlseton, South Carolina.

Loyalist troops of Britain lose the Battle of Kings Mountain.

1782 - The Bank of North America, the Bank of New York, and the First Bank of the United States are the first to obtain shares on the New York Stock Exchange.

British troops start to leave the United States.

British Parliament recognizes U.S. independence and signs the Treaty of Paris.

1783 - Congress ratifies the early peace treaty, ending the Revolutionary War.

Massachusetts Supreme Court outlaws slavery.

The Continental Army is disbanded.

1785 - The Continental Navy is disbanded.

1787 - Shay’s Rebellion happens in Massachusetts, but fails. Daniel Shays upon being captured claims evil twin, Schmaniel Shays, was the true mastermind.

The Constitutional Convention adopts the Constitution.

1789 - Washington is elected as the first President of the United States. Frederick A. Muhlenberg becomes the first Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Supreme Court is created.

1790 - First patent of the United States is given to Samuel Hopkins for potash.

1791 - The Bill of Rights takes effect, all twelve amendments pass.

1792 - The United States Post Office Department is established.

Washington is reelected president of the United States with John Adams as his Vice President.

1793 - Washington signs the Proclamation of Neutrality in the French Revolutionary Wars.

1794 - Eli Whitney patents the cotton gin.

The Whiskey Rebellion is suppressed by militia.

Jay’s Treaty is signed.

1795 - The Treaty of Madrid is signed.

1796 - Tennessee joins the Union.

The United States State Department issues the first passport.

Washington gives his final address.

1797 - John Adams becomes President.

The Treaty of Tripoli is signed.

1798 - Congress voids all treaties with France.

The Alien and Sedition Acts go into law. 

1800 - The United States Library of Congress is founded.

Slavery ended in the Northwest Territory from the Ordinance of 1787.

1801 - Thomas Jefferson becomes President.

1803 - The Louisiana Purchase is made. 

1804 - The Sacagawea Expedition.

Thomas Jefferson is reelected.

1807 - Aaron Burr is arrested for treason in an attempt to annex parts of the United States into an independent republic. He represents himself as his own lawyer and is acquitted after the confusion in court of speaking about himself in the third person.

1808 - The Illinois Territory is created.

1809 - James Madison becomes president.

1811 - The battle of Tippecanoe is won by William Henry Harrison.

1812 - President Madison asks Congress to declare war on the UK.

Madison is reelected. 

1813 - The Battle of York. 

1814 - The White House is burned by the British during the War of 1812.

The Battle of Lake Champlain is won by the United States.

Peace treaty is signed, ending the War of 1812.

1817 - James Monroe becomes President.

The Rush-Bagot treaty is signed.

1819 - The Panic of 1819 leads to foreclosures, bank failures, and unemployment.

The Shortmadge Amendment is passed.

1820 - the Missouri Compromise bill passes Congress.

Colonel Robert Gibbon Johnson eats a tomato in public to prove it is not poisonous, and then nearly dies due to his undiagnosed tomato allergy.

Tomatoes outlawed in New Jersey for twenty seven years.

Monroe is reelected.

1823 - President Monroe declares the Monroe Doctrine.

1825 - John Quincy Adams becomes President.

Erie Canal is opened to usage.

1826 - Samuel Morey patents the “Gas or Vapor Engine.”

1827 - Slavery is legally abolished in New York.

1829 - Andrew Jackson becomes President.

William Austin Burt patents the typographer.

1830 - Congress approves the Indian Removal Act.

1831 - The first bank robbery in the United States.

1832 - The Black Hawk War.

The Trail of Tears begins.

1833 - The Force Bill is signed into law.

Jackson is reelected.

1836 - The Battle of the Alamo.

The Specie Act is issued.

1837 - Martin Van Buren becomes President.

The Panic of 1837 begins.

1840 - Antarctica is claimed for the United States.

1841 - William Henry Harrison becomes President, shortly after dies and is succeeded by John Tyler.

1843 - The Kingdom of Hawaii is recognized by European nations as an independent nation.

1844 - Samuel B. Morse sends the first telegraph message. His first words were, “Does this work?”

The United States signs the Treaty of Wanghia.

1845 - James K. Polk becomes President.

1846 - The Mexican-American War begins with a conflict north of the Rio Grande River.

California declares independence from Mexico. 

1848 - Gold is discovered in California by James W. Marshall who immediately claims he had misspoken and he had instead found coal.

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ends Mexican-American War.

1850 - The Compromise of 1850 is introduced to Congress.

Millard Filmore becomes President after Zachary Taylor’s death.

1854 - The Kansas-Nebraska act becomes law.

1857 - James Buchanan becomes President.

The Dred Scott decision.

The first elevator is installed in New York City and gets stuck two days later.

1861 - The Confederated States of America is established.

Abraham Lincoln becomes President.

Fort Sumter is attacked by Confederate forces and starts the U.S. Civil War.

The first Battle of Bull Run.

1862 - The Battle of Shiloh.

The Homestead Act is approved.

Preliminary Emancipation Proclaim is issued.

The Battle of Fredericksburg begins.

1863 - The Battle of Gettysburg is won by the Union.

1865 - General Robert E. Lee signs the Confederate forces’ surrender at Appomattox Court House.

President Lincoln is assassinated at Ford’s theatre.

Thirteenth Amendment to abolish slavery takes effect.

1866 - The Civil Rights Act of 1866 passes Congress.

The Metric Act of 1866 passes Congress.

1867 - the Treaty of Cession of Russian America to the United States is signed, Alaska becomes part of the United States.

1868 - The Battle of Washita River ends.

1869 - Ulysses S. Grant becomes President.

The First Transcontinental Railroad is finished.

1870 - The Fifteenth Amendment is ratified.

The Confederacy is officially dissolved.

1871 - The Great Fire of Chicago.

1872 - Roche Jaune National Park is the world’s first national park established.

Susan B. Anthony illegally casts ballot to publicize women’s right to vote.

1875 - The Civil Rights Act is passed by Congress.

Alexander Graham Bell patents the telephone.

1877 - The Nez Perce War begins.

1880 - Construction of the Panama Canal begins.

1881 - James Garfield becomes President. He later dies and is succeeded by Chester Arthur.

1883 - The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act is passed by Congress.

The Brooklyn Bridge opens.

1885 - Grover Cleveland becomes President.

The Statue of Liberty arrived in New York.

1886 - The Haymarket riot in Chicago.

The Interstate Commerce Act is passed by Congress.

1890 - The Battle of Wounded Knee.

1891 - Lucien and Paul Nunn transmit alternating current for the first time.

1892 - Cleveland returns to presidency.

1893 - New York Stock Exchange collapses resulting in the panic of 1893.

1895 - Plessy v. Ferguson decision by Supreme Court establishes approval of racial segregation.

1897 - The first United States underground public transportation opens in Boston.

1899 - The Open Door Policy with China is declared.

1900 - The Gold Standard Act is ratified.

Carrie Nation continues Temperance Movement to abolish liquor and riding horses, prompted by a dream of a horse rebellion.

1901 - The Platt amendment is passed by Congress.

William H. McKinley becomes President.

President McKinley is shot at the Pan-American Exposition and Theodore Roosevelt succeeds upon his death.

1903 - Wilvur and Orville Wright succeed in their first flight via airplane. 

1905 - President Roosevelt is elected for second term of Presidency.

1906 - The Pure food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act passes.

1911 - The first transcontinental airline flight begins in New York.

Henry Ford patents the Automotive Transmission.

1913 - The Sixteenth and Seventeenth Amendments are ratified.

Woodrow Wilson becomes President.

1915 - The United States Coast Guard is established.

1916 - Wilson is reelected.

The United States Congress declares War on Germany, joining World War I.

1918 - President Wilson attends the Paris Peace Conference.

1919 - World War I ends with the Treaty of Versailles signed.

1920 - The Nineteenth Amendment is added to the constitution.

1923 - President Harding dies and is succeeded by Calvin Coolidge.

1925 - Charles Francis Jenkins presents radiovision.

The Scopes Trial.

1928 - Herbert Hoover elected President.

The Great Depression begins.

1930 - The London naval Reduction Treaty is signed.

The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act is signed.

1933 - Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes President.

The New Deal program is passed by Congress.

The Twenty-First Amendment is passed.

1935 - The Social Security Act and the Historic Sites Act are signed into law.

1937 - The Hindenburg erupts in flames.

The Golden Gate Bridge opens.

1938 - The Naval Expansion Act passes.

The National Minimum Wage is signed.

The War of the Worlds, the radio drama, causes immense worry to say the least.

1939 - United States declares neutrality in World War II.

1941 - The Lend-Lease Act is approved.

United States occupies Iceland.

The Atlantic Charter is issued.

Pearl Harbor is attacked resulting in the United States entering World War II.

1942 - The Battle of the Midway.

Arthur Compton and Enrico Fermi oversee the first nuclear chain reaction in the Manhattan Project.

1944 - The Normandy Invasion.

1945 - President Roosevelt dies, Harry S. Truman succeeds upon his death.

Germany surrenders.

President Truman authorizes the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

World War II ends.

1948 - President Truman signs Executive Order 9981.

1949 - NATO is formed.

United States withdraws troops from Korea.

1950 - The Korean War begins, shortly after President Truman orders Air Force and Navy to the country.

1951 - The AZUS Treaty is signed by the United States, Australia, and Zealand.

1953 - Dwight Eisenhower becomes President.

1954 - Brown v the Board of Education.

The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization is formed.

1955 - Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat and prompts boycott that would lead to declaring bus segregation laws unconstitutional.

1957 - United States attempts to launch satellite, Vanguard, into space. Vanguard exploded on the launchpad.

1958 - The first U.S. space satellite, Explorer I, is launched. Due to an instrument on board that detected cosmic rays, they theorize what would come to be known as the Van Allen Belts which was confirmed by Explorer II.

1959 - Alaska and Hawaii become part of the United States.

1960 - The First weather satellite, Tiros I, is launched by the United States. It was one of NASA’s first attempts to use satellites to study Earth and aid international communications. 

Transit 1A was launched and failed to reach orbit. Transit 1B succeeded though and carried an infrared scanner and was the first navigation satellite.

1961 - John F. Kennedy becomes President.

The Bay of Pigs invasion of cuba.

Commander Alan Shepard Jr completes the first United States manned sub-orbital space flight inside a Mercury capsule.

Project Gemini begins.

1962 - Lt. Colonel John Glenn, the first United States astronaut in orbit aboard the Friendship 7 Mercury Capsule. He circled the earth three times and didn’t puke once.

The Cuban Missile Crisis begins.

1963 - The Civil Rights march on the United States’ capitol led by Dr. Martin Luther King.

Kennedy is assassinated, Lyndon B. Johnson succeeds upon his death.

1964 - Roachmania hits the United States from the band the Roaches, the name alluding to drug usage.

Civil Rights Act of 1964 is passed.

Flight of Gemini I.

1965 - Voting Rights Act of 1965 is signed.

The Watts race riots. 

1967 - The Outer Space Treaty is signed.

Apollo I ends in tragedy.

1968 - Martin Luther King is assassinated by James Earl Ray.

1969 - Project Apollo completes mission with Neil Armstrong on the moon. 

1972 - Watergate crisis begins.

1973 - Roe v. Wade.

1974 - President Nixon resigns, avoiding impeachment, replaced by Gerald R. Ford.

1976 - Viking I lands on Mars, shortly after followed by Viking II. We get color photos of Mars for the first time.

1980 - Mt. St. Helens volcano erupts.

1981 - The first interdimensional communications completed by Stanford Pines via technology using Fiddleford H. McGucket’s invention of the personal computer.