#quality fencing materials

[fencingcompanyjacksonvillenc]

Choosing the Right Fence Company Jacksonville NC for Your Needs

For purposes of increasing the security of your compound and also beautification, then you should consider getting a fence. Jacksonville NC is a hub of numerous companies, but choosing the right fence company is very important. Whether you’re planning to have a wooden privacy fence or aesthetic vinyl fence, or a secure chain-link fence, it is important to work with the right people who can offer quality work and outstanding customer relations.

The Importance of Choosing a Professional Fence Company

A fence serves multiple purposes: it offers protection, defines ownership and can add beauty to your compound. However, the effectiveness of a fence depends on the quality of installation that is done on it. Here are some reasons why you should consider working with a reputable fence company in Jacksonville NC:

1. Expertise and Experience

Fence professionals have the ability, skill, and expertise required in providing different kinds of fencing services. They understand the local laws, boundaries and the zoning laws and make sure that the fence that you want to put up complies with the law.

2. Quality Materials

If you hire the right fence contractor in Jacksonville, then you stand to benefit from the best quality brands and material. These companies usually purchase their products from reliable manufacturers hence your fence will last long and can also withstand harsh weather conditions.

3. Customized Solutions

Each property is different and a proper fence company will be able to provide the best solution for your individual case. If you need to improve the security level, want more privacy, or just want to make your home look nicer, an expert will be able to help you choose the most suitable style and material for your job.

Why Jacksonville Fence Pros Stands Out

We take pride in being one of the top fencing companies in Jacksonville, FL at Jacksonville Fence Pros. We offer value added services such as high quality work, excellent customer relations and affordable prices.

Our Range of Services

We offer a comprehensive range of fencing services to meet all your needs:

Residential Fencing: We know how crucial it is to make a home environment secure and attractive for your family members. If you are in need of a privacy fence, an ornamental fence, or a fence for your garden, we will be able to assist you on the right type of fence to complement the exterior of your home.

Commercial Fencing: Security solutions are needed by companies. We focus on commercial fencing to guarantee your property security is enhanced by our fences while creating a positive corporate image.

Custom Fencing Solutions: Every property is unique, and that is why customers can get a unique fence design from us. We will sit with you and ensure that you get the fence that you want by offering you the best services.

Repairs and Maintenance: Fences are not permanent structures and can look old over time but our team is always on hand to fix or renovate the fence to make it look new again. Our services will help maintain your fence in the best condition as it was from the time of installation.

Commitment to Quality

Our team of professional fence contractors is composed only of experienced individuals. We invest our time in listening to you and then producing a product that will meet or surpass your expectations. We do not only deliver quality fence installation services but we also provide maintenance and repair services.

Choosing the Right Fence for Your Property

When selecting a fence for your property, there are several factors to consider:

1. Purpose of the Fence

Are you searching for security, privacy or beauty? The use of the fence will dictate what material and style you should use in the construction of the fence.

2. Local Regulations

It is also important to review some of the zoning laws before putting a fence around your compound. Some local laws may prohibit the height of the fence, the type of material to be used or even location of the fence. A professional fence company will be aware of these laws so as to be in a position to assist in compliance.

3. Material Options

There are different types of materials out there such as woods, vinyl, aluminum, and chain link. Each material is unique in its strengths and weaknesses, and our team will be glad to guide you to the most suitable choice depending on the cost, design, and required level of care for the selected material.

4. Budget

It is important to set your budget before you embark on your fencing project. You should also talk to the company you select about your budget since they can suggest options that meet your spending limit while being high quality.

Benefits of Installing a Fence

Investing in a fence offers numerous benefits:

Increased Security: A strong fence can act as a barrier to the potential intruders and help homeowners to have a good night sleep.

Privacy: Privacy fences are important since they give one that area a close expectation free from observation by the next door neighbor or any onlooker.

Property Value: A good fence helps to make your property more valuable and beautiful if it is well maintained.

Defined Boundaries: Boundaries are well defined thus minimizing conflicts with neighbors and improving interaction.

[i-demand-a-good-username]

Been playing a TON of palworld and I am so autistic over it 😭 it's literally just me and my little goober animal friends that go around and explore just a beautiful open world map and build and try to survive 🫶 what more could I really ask for

[dothanfencecompany]

Choosing the Right Fence Company Dothan: Your Guide to Quality Fencing Solutions

In as much as it is an important investment to choose a right fence company in Dothan to improve security, privacy and beauty of your compound. Whether you need a new fence, want to replace the old one or just want to improve your outdoor area, the results will highly depend on the contractors you hire. In this guide, we’ll discuss the advantages of hiring professional fencing contractors, what characteristics should a good fence company possess, and some tips on choosing the right fence companies in Dothan.

The Importance of a Quality Fence

Fences have several important functions to society especially for the homeowners and business people. They offer protection, set limits, increase seclusion, and may even increase the value of your property. A good fence is an investment on your home and may also help you in gaining a sense of security.

1. Security and Safety

Another benefit of having a fence is to protect the property and one of the most common reasons people install a fence. A good and sturdy fence discourages intruders and ensures that kids and pets do not wander off your compound. If you are in a position where you require security fencing, it is imperative that you engage a fence company that can meet your requirements and provides suitable products for your security fencing needs.

2. Aesthetic Appeal

Apart from security, fences are very important in adding beauty to your compound or home in many ways. A good fence can enhance the look of your home and the compound by blending with the general architectural plan. There are many types of fences starting from the traditional wooden fences to the new vinyl fences. A good fence company will assist you in choosing the most suitable type of fence that will suit your needs and your sense of fashion.

3. Increased Property Value

This means that putting your money in a good fence can greatly enhance the value of your property. Potential consumers are always in a position to benefit from the security and the good looks that a well installed fence will provide. When you hire a professional fence company in  Dothan, you are sure to get a fence that will not only suffice your current requirements but will also be a value addition for the future.

Choosing the Right Fence Company Dothan

Like with any other services, there are many fence companies in Dothan, which means that choosing the right one is not easy. Here are some essential tips to help you select the best contractor for your fencing needs:

1. Experience and Expertise

When looking for a fence company it is advisable to work with a contractor that has been in the business for many years. The employees of the fencing contractors that have been in the industry for a long time have the skills and knowledge of the right type of fencing materials and designs. They can help you make the right decisions for your case and guarantee the work is done to the best effect.

2. Customers’ feedback and recommendations

Honestly, one of the most effective means of determining the quality of a quality fence company on the market is by reading the feedback of other customers. Reputable companies can be identified using Google or Yelp or even visiting the actual company’s website. Be careful with remarks regarding the quality of work, attitude to clients, and time management.

3. Variety of Services

Any good fence company should provide a large selection of fences to meet the needs of the clients. From wood and vinyl to chain-link and wrought iron, the availability of many options will help you choose the right material and design for your premises. Make sure the contractor offers special solutions according to your tastes.

4. Licensing and Insurance

Another important thing to do is ensure that the fencing contractors that you want to hire are licensed and insured. A licensed contractor has complied with the legal procedures of practicing in your region, and insurance shields you from legal lawsuits in the event of an accident or destruction of property during installation.

Benefits of Working with Dothan Fence Company

Dothan Fence Company is one of the best fence companies in Dothan because we offer quality services to our clients. Here’s why you should consider us for your fencing needs:

1. Quality Workmanship

At our company, our fencing contractors are professional and determined to offer the best services in fencing. We pay a lot of attention to the aesthetics of the fence so that it is not only practical but also beautiful.

2. Custom Solutions

At Dothan Fence Company, we know that every piece of land is different. Here you can find out about our individual approach to each client’s needs with regard to the fences we provide. No matter if you require a fence for your house, or for your business, we will help you decide on the right materials and designs.

3. Competitive Pricing

This is why we think that everyone should be able to afford quality fencing. That is why our prices are reasonable but still we do not scrimp on quality. Our detailed estimates help you understand what we are charging for so that there are no surprises.

[sakurafarron]

Craftsman Landscape - Front Yard

[spookygibberish]

Funeralworms comprise a genus of Juggernaut characterized by a heavily-built, serpentine form, the absence of eyes, a single pair of broad, paddle-like forelimbs, and a prominent array of individually articulated, crushing jaws. They are employed in the disposal of organic materials, the production of high quality fertilizer, and the reclamation of Ibis tissue from corpses. The latter function earning them a central role in Bibat funeral rites, hence the name.

In Bibat, it is believed that Ibis tissue, while a powerful creative force in life, is equally capable of corruption, especially when touched by death. It is therefor not adequate to bury the Ibistouched, since Ibis tissue, if allowed to decompose, has the potential to render the earth fallow and breed illness. By consuming the Ibistouched dead, Funeralworms collect the Ibis tissue from the flesh, freeing it from corruption, purifying it, and accumulating it in their bodies to be returned to the Oracle System. It is mandatory that the corpses of all dagnyds, Sansin, Thrones and Throne-children both headless and unbodied alike, be fed to the Funeralworm. This is not a necessary funeral rite for those who are not Ibistouched, but the devout often choose to have it preformed upon their death. If a funeralworm is not available, cremation is an acceptable alternative.

Funeralworms are semi-aquatic dagnyds that reside entirely in special pools (bymūt)constructed for their housing. At their least elaborate, bymūt are little more than shallow ponds dug into clay soil, but they are often encircled by a low, stone fence with an offering platform at one end, and a chamber for dung collection at the other. These pools are usually located several kilometers from areas of habitation, although many larger cities have grown to encircle bymūt that were originally constructed a more acceptable distance away. These tend to be the most elaborate of their kind, ending up with bespoke temple complexes erected around them. As the functions of the Funeralworm are deeply linked to Bibat customs, their husbandry is entirely handled by Sansin, though the service they offer is a public one.

The design of the bymūt is necessary for the survival of fully mature funeralworms, who are not only so large as to be incapable of freely moving over dry land, but risk being crushed beneath their own weight without the support of water. Newborn funeralworms, at about a meter and a half in length, are the most mobile of their kind, and often attempt to escape their bymūt to explore. This is usually permitted (with supervision), as such young individuals have limited processing capacity, and rarely exist in a context where the sole burden of waste management relies on them. Many Sansin are sympathetic to the plight of the Funeralworm, and see little purpose in restricting the movement of a creature which never approaches agile at any age, and for most of its decades long life will be confined to a single small pool.

Despite a life spent entirely in water, Funeralworms are entirely air-breathing, and are not particularly good swimmers. They are protected from flooding by the high fat content of their bodies, which renders them buoyant and unlikely to drown. The greatest risk floods pose is temptation. Rising water allows Funeralworms the opportunity to travel freely from their bymūt, and many die after becoming stranded once the water level recedes, especially those which are particularly old and heavy.

[m3dieval]

If one was looking for armor, not just for the look, but for jousting and fighting. How would someone go around and do that? You seem to be more knowledgeable than most about these things and I’m lost on what to get. I’ve foolishly gotten pieces that were really for decoration rather than practicality.

This is going to depend on what sports/activities you plan in doing with your suit. Buhurt and balsa jousting for example will have different requirements. But the main things to look for are: material and fit.

Spring steel (properly tempered) tends to be the gold standard for combat sports. But mild steel (for more historical) and titanium are also used. Some groups/leagues have specifics on minimum thicknesses of material based on what it is and where it's protecting.

Stainless steel is generally not recommended if you plan on doing anything with metal weapons, but I have seen it used in some older jousting suits.

Chainmail is the one easy answer I have: if you want it to hold up to any of the armoured combat sports you need riveted mail. No butted mail!

For buhurt armour, which has a reputation of being made of good material but having a questionable fit, Buhurt Tech and Medieval Extreme are the shops that come to mind. One of the reasons I think buhurt is popular, is because they've made armour relatively affordable. You can get a full suit for as little as $3000 USD at Medieval Extreme and it will hold up to buhurt hits. If buhurt is popular in your area, you might also be able to buy some secondhand pieces.

Buhurt style suits are generally teased by the historical community for the fit. They're made to be more heavily padded, so they usually fit a little too big. They're made to be easier to fit, so often there is basically no shape at the waist. And there are other sport-specific adaptations that aren't based on history. But that's okay, most people in buhurt aren't trying to pass themselves off as reenactors. When looking at armour it is helpful to be able to spot the difference (look at the fit and proportions):

For historical armour used in jousting, harness fencing, and reenactment battles: either find a reputable armourer or buy a secondhand suit. Finding an armourer can be challenging. If you're part of a group (jousting, medieval society, etc), ask around about where people got their stuff. The United League of Armourers on facebook might be able to help you locate someone (even just reading the discussions there can be educational).

Sometimes there's a decent local armourer who you doesn't have an online presence (usually they are found though said group). This unknown hobbyist armourer is going to be significantly more affordable than a well established armourer who's getting international clients (and their waitlist should be a lot shorter) but there is a bit of a gamble on quality. If you find one, make sure you see what they've already made first.

Armourers whose work I've seen in person and can vouch for the quality (just looking at their portfolios should give you an idea of what quality looks like):

Jeffrey Wasson:

Eric Dubé:

TBH I usually forget to ask who made someone suit 😅 But if you're on the market for armour it's a good habit to get into asking that.

My helmet is made by Jeffery Hedgecock (he makes the armour at Historic Enterprises). My suit is made by Marc Hamel (he doesn't take online commissions). These were both bought secondhand from a jouster I met when I was working as ground crew years ago (it was over $600 CAN just to get it shipped from Quebec to Alberta).

My gauntlets are the worst part of my suit, they're these hourglass ones from Armstreet. They don't fit will enough for jousting, but they have protected my hands for sparring with synthetic swords. I am looking to replace them soon.

Armstreet is hit or miss. Definitely do your own research before you go browsing there.

The secret third option is to do a massive amount of research, get some mild steel and tools, then make your own armour. I'd start with watching videos about this (I recommend Greenleaf Workshop). Some armourers also sell classes, like Eric Dubé.

And we haven't even gotten around to discussing arming garments! We'll save that for another post.

Long story short: I probably can't make better recommendations than whatever group you join to participate in the activity you are requiring armour for (there are many types of jousting, there are many types of foot combat). But hopefully these resources give you somewhere to start looking.

[brodygold]

Twelve Days of Christmas: Day Three

On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: three French hens.

Brody stepped off the bus, suitcase in hand, and took in the familiar sight of his grandparents' farm. Rolling fields, the smell of hay, and the cacophony of clucking chickens greeted him like an old friend. This year, he was visiting for the holidays, eager to spend some quality time with his grandparents and older cousin, Travis. Among the usual farmyard chaos, Brody’s eyes caught sight of three French hens clucking daintily near the coop, their feathers pristine amidst the muddy surroundings.

Standing by the weathered fence were his grandmother Marylou, his grandfather Hank, and Travis. All three waved enthusiastically, their southern drawls carrying over the breeze as they hollered their welcomes.

“Well, ain’t this a sight for sore eyes! Lookit you, all fancy and grown up,” Marylou called, her voice warm and rich with Southern charm. She adjusted her apron, which was stained with flour and dirt from a morning spent baking and gardening.

Hank tipped his wide-brimmed hat. “Got here just in time. Chickens ‘bout ready for feedin’. You up for it, boy?”

Travis leaned against the fence, his plaid shirt untucked, chewing a piece of hay. “City life ain’t softened ya up too much, has it, Brody?”

Brody chuckled, playing along. “Not at all, y’all. Let’s get to work.”

As they continued working throughout the day, Brody couldn’t help but notice how out of place he truly felt. He’d grown used to being in the city and being with the Golden Army. He was used to working hard at practice and giving 100 percent in everything he did, but this still tired him out even more than any of that ever did. The sight of muddy boots and fraying overalls gave him an idea—one that made him smile.

Once they reached the coop to gather eggs, Brody pulled out a sleek, golden badge etched with the insignia of the Golden Army. He held it up, the sunlight reflecting brilliantly off its surface.

“What’s that there?” Marylou asked, squinting at the badge.

“A little something special,” Brody said with a mischievous grin. “Trust me, it’s going to make everything better.”

Before they could ask questions, Brody pressed the badge, and a pulse of golden light radiated outward, enveloping all three of them at once. The air shimmered around them, and their bodies froze momentarily as the transformation took hold.

Marylou’s apron and dress dissolved into shimmering particles that floated away like fireflies. Her weathered hands smoothed, and her hunched frame straightened as years melted away. Her gray curls darkened into a sleek cut, and her face reshaped into sharp, youthful masculine features. Her outfit reassembled into a sharp, golden button-down shirt tucked neatly into khaki shorts. A golden bow tie materialized at her collar, and loafers appeared on her feet. Her southern drawl vanished as she blinked, a refined, posh voice replacing it. “Oh my, Brody, this is simply marvelous! How dreadfully uncouth I must have seemed before.” He touched his face in awe. “I feel absolutely splendid.”

Hank’s plaid shirt and jeans melted into golden light, revealing a polished golden button-down shirt and crisp khaki shorts. His rugged face softened, his skin smoothing and his posture straightening as he grew more youthful and vibrant. His thinning hair thickened into neatly combed waves, and his work boots disappeared, replaced by polished loafers. A golden bow tie appeared at his collar, completing the look. His southern drawl faded as he adjusted the collar of his shirt, speaking in a crisp accent. “Well, this is a revelation! Manual labor is such a tiresome ordeal, don’t you think?” He flexed his fingers, marveling at the transformation. “Quite the improvement.”

Travis let out a startled yelp as his tattered clothes evaporated, replaced by a tailored golden button-down shirt and khakis that fit his newly muscular frame. His lanky build filled out with lean strength, his hair styled itself into a fashionable cut, and the hay fell from his mouth as a golden bow tie appeared at his collar. His voice emerged posh and articulate, his southern twang erased. “Brody, old chap,” he said, straightening his bow tie, “this is far more agreeable. The farm is positively dreadful, don’t you think?”

Brody stepped back, admiring his handiwork as the three of them examined their new appearances. They looked every bit the part of Golden Army recruits—poised, polished, and exuding confidence.

Martin clasped Brody’s shoulder. “Well, dear boy, shall we leave this place behind? The Golden Army could use individuals of our caliber.”

Hank nodded, inspecting his new loafers. “Indeed. This farm life is a thing of the past. Let’s move on to greater pursuits.”

Travis adjusted his bow tie, glancing back at the chicken coop with disdain. “I couldn’t agree more. Golf or lacrosse sounds infinitely preferable to this mess.”

Brody smiled and pulled out his phone. “Before we leave, let’s get a picture of this transformation.”

"Tell us something we don't know, bro." The trio lined up, their golden button-down shirts and bow ties gleaming in the sunlight, standing tall and confident. Brody snapped a picture, capturing their polished new appearances against the backdrop of the farm they were leaving behind.

“Perfect,” Brody said, slipping his phone back into his pocket. Together, the four of them strode away from the farm, leaving the clucking chickens and fields behind. Brody felt a bit disappointed that his family wouldn't be running the farm anymore, but he was sure the polo drones would be more than willing to help out.They'd do anything for the team after all!

[raayllum]

More Than Anyone or Anything

or why I think Callum is Like That: The Meta.

AKA because I realized that while I've talked about Snake Boi Callum and why I view him that way before, it was mostly in regards to explaining his canon traits that aren't usually very disputed. These being:

His sometimes obsessively dangerous qualities, specifically surrounding magic (1x04, 1x05, 2x04, 4x01, 4x02, 4x04)

His ambitious side (man heard from the one magical 'expert' he knows that humans just flat out cannot do primal magic naturally, said fuck that, and got it in a week after one week of practice)

His temper (1x01, 1x06, 1x09, 2x07, 3x08, 4x01-4x04, 5x01, 5x05, 5x08)

His ruthlessness (turning on Viren the second Ezran is in danger despite trusting him for years beforehand; his attitude towards Claudia in 2x07 after she's likewise betrayed him; smiling when killing corrupted soldiers in 3x09 even when Ezran expresses grief and Janai expresses horror when she was facing a similar scenario during the timeskip; arguing to take the violent route in 5x05 whereas Ezran and Rayla pick the more preventative one).

Therefore, for this meta, I will be focusing specifically on why I interpret Callum as Selectively Loyal to the point of being willing to help free Aaravos in order to spare, specifically, Ezran and Rayla's lives (and not necessarily anyone else's, such as Zym and Soren).

Strap in boys — this is going to be a long one.

Disclaimers: As always, this is just my opinion, and an interpretation being popular in fanon does not automatically mean it's better or more valid / rooted in canon than any other kind of (less popular? maybe common) interpretation. I will also be making it clear when I'm drawing on sections/snippets from supplementary material (TDP short stories, novelizations, and Tales of Xadia) but give that it's supplementary material, feel free to take it with the ultimate grain of salt.

Related Metas (that's worth reading if you're interested in other Snake Boi aspects that are not going to be heavily touched on here):

Callum's temper (S1-S3) and how it links to him typically feeling helpless to fix/aid his loved ones, causing him to lash out even sometimes at them

How Callum operates differently from Ezran and Rayla (S1-S4), but very well embodied I believe by the scene in 5x05 where Ez and Rayla side with the "violence as a last resort" option and Callum does not

How Callum views Zym and the egg in Arc 1 differently from Ez and Rayla, or how Callum sees things as tools and why he gets fixated on / what he projects onto objects (much like Viren with the mirror)

Differing Priorities for Callum and Rayla in TTM, in which Rayla only engages in their scheming because she thinks Viren is a threat to the whole world, and Callum comes up with their scheme because he just wants to give her closure

What does the Trio's Tales of Xadia's bios actually mean? (this one will be touched on the most down below, so feel free to skip unless you want a more detailed refresher)

Specifications:

If you're someone who doesn't see Callum this way, but you're genuinely interested in reading a differing perspective, please read on. If you're someone who doesn't necessarily see Callum this way, but you're curious and/or on the fence, please read on. If you'd like to add your own thoughts to this post, feel free to add on if it's in support; if it's differentiation, please make your own post (I'll engage respectfully with if it I want to).

If you're someone who is only going to get upset with my viewpoint, please curate your internet experience and do not read this post. If you're only going to make thinly veiled meta rebuttals of this post in a rude way ("even though some people may think...", linking to this post, general assholery), please do not read this post. You would be far happier if you were less obsessed with an opinion I've held for 5+ years and months & months before you likely joined the fandom. i just want to chill in my corner, please do not chuck pillows at me for doing what I've always had a good time doing that doesn't hurt anyone.

With all of that out of the way, let's get into it

What do I mean when I say selective loyalty?

Loyalty has always been an interesting trait to me, simply because in the bulk of storytelling, it is a necessary character trait for a story to function. One of the biggest things that a character can do to be disliked is be a traitor towards someone that trusted them, and if a character is too disloyal, they can be hard to engage with due to a lack of consistency. Characters who start out loyal to no one/nothing inevitably have arcs, provided they stick around in the story long enough, of garnering loyalty for someone (usually found family loved ones > a cause) in order for them to be able to progress as a character. We want characters to bond, and we want them to be there for each other, and if they're not at all, we want to see what happened or what other bonds they might form with other people. If not loyal, we want to see why they're working with someone at the very least.

Therefore, everyone in real life or in fiction has some elements of 'selective loyalty,' since we all have people (the people we know and love) we are more loyal to, fundamentally, than others (strangers / people don't know at all). It's just a natural normal thing to adhere more to valuing and looking after the people in your immediate circles over people you don't know at all, even if that doesn't mean we're void of caring about strangers, either. Our empathy or compassion, as well as the social structure of our living units and lives, are more cohesion for caring for strangers than it is for competing with strangers or being wholly indifferent.

For a quick overview of the way selective loyalty can work, I'm actually going to talk about Claudia quickly, and her internal hierarchy. While she is loyal to the princes ("Their Dad is dead and you lied about it. Plus they're our friends. It's wrong") to the point of that possibly being an opportunity for severance, initially, with her father ("Careful, if you tell the truth you will lose her"), Claudia's loyalty to her father ultimately trumps her loyalty to the princes, and even to her family with Soren.

For the opposite approach of selective loyalty, I'm going to talk about Rayla, who regularly bails out strangers (the boys in 1x03, Phyrrah in 2x07) and enemies (Bait as a frenemy in 1x05, Nyx in 3x05) as well as the people she grows to love (the boys on regular intervals). She and Runaan, as is Soren, are all willing to put their perceived missions/duties not only above but in direct opposition to their familial loyalty / family ties.

Callum, TO ME, is not, and here's why.

When I say that Callum is selectively loyal, I mean that there is ultimately nothing he will put above Ezran and/or Rayla at any interval with very few exceptions (aka if they're still breathing, he's still going to be fighting for them). This is for a few reasons.

I'm going to talk more about why it's Ez and Rayla specifically later, but for now I want to talk briefly about how they factor into his decision making and what see of them from people who have lost his loyalty.

Despite knowing and having trusted Viren for the bulk of his life ("Claudia! Lord Viren! Anyone!"), as soon as Callum learns that Viren has put Ezran substantially at risk ("Two [targets]? What do you mean?" "I'm here for the king, and I'm also here for his son, Prince Ezran") Viren is fucking Dead To Him.

It's not just that Viren lied, it's that Viren's lies and choices put Ezran in danger, and that's just not acceptable. We see this happen again with Claudia in S2, even after Callum defending her and trying to give her chances. She lied, yes, but she scares Ezran and attacks Rayla again, and that's the breaking point.

When you threaten the people he loves, when you scare them, if he trusted you, he will never look at you the same way again. Any loyalty he felt towards you will snap and snap hard, permanently, like a wishbone.

Callum loves and cares for other people. He loved and cared for Viren and Claudia. But unlike Ezran, who is willing to give Claudia a chance in 3x09 to the point of running after her, helping hand extended, and unlike Rayla, who still adamantly loves Runaan even after their fight and with no hint of change from him, Callum does not take other people hurting his family lightly, at all.

He loves and cares for Amaya, and Soren, and Harrow. But even Harrow, his father, is someone he's willing to put on the backburner — despite having an offered chance from Rayla to save him — in order to do what Harrow asked and what Callum's first instinct is: to look after his brother, because it is fundamentally unsafe for Ezran to stay at the castle for any longer, and he knows it.

Callum knows what the egg might mean, but he does not follow Rayla out the dungeon door blindly. He runs only after Ezran does, and only after Claudia might hit Ezran with lightning. Then he acts. Then he makes a choice. Because his loyalty to his brother outweighs after other substantial relationship in his life, at this point, but it doesn't necessarily stay that way.

Inner circle

In Tales of Xadia, all the characters are given values. While the values have more generic explanations (i.e. Callum's highest one, Liberty, is labelled as, "Have you ever resisted the control of others? This value is about freedom and autonomy. You’re motivated by a world without oppression or suppression") the characters individual bios help offer more clarity on their specifics. Callum's, specifically, states, "I am beholden to my inner circle, not some silly kingdom." Ouch, from Katolis' crown prince and Ezran's heir apparent.

It is, of course, important to not take this trait entirely literally. If Callum truly valued his own personal autonomy over everything else, he would've taken Finnegrin's deal in 5x08 in a second if all he wanted as his own freedom. Instead, Callum's highest value being Liberty is far more about his place with Freedom as a Theme more than something he wholly actively desires; again, we see in 5x08 he's willing to risk more of his freedom by doing dark magic in order to save Rayla.

There are things that Callum values more than his own personal freedom and there are things that he values more than magic (2x04: "Callum, you're being an idiot! Why would you do that? You can't risk your life to learn magic") vs throwing himself off the top of the Storm Spire at the slimmest chance of, once again, saving Rayla.

That said, this value and quote is still very useful, as it does then, beg the question, of who exactly is Callum's inner circle? Well...

Ezran and Rayla are the most important people in the entire world to him. Full stop. There is nothing he will fundamentally put above them. He only stays behind in 1x06, thereby not sacrificing the egg by proxy, because Rayla points out "We'll need to be up here to pull [Ezran] out." Even when he was stressing about whether they'd gotten to the Sea of the Cast Out on time, the second Rayla showed a hint of major discomfort/potential self-deprecation, he was offering to get back into the goddamn boat to comfort her ("I'm getting out—" "No. I can't do it, but you have to"). He's hesitant to go into town to find a vet for the egg because "We will definitely find some elf hating humans," pouting further when Rayla brushes him off, and flings himself off his balcony when he thinks there's even a chance that Ezran isn't okay into what he knows would subsequently be a trap. He's the first to say that they need to leave Rex Igneous' chambers after protecting Ezran from falling rocks with his own body, and the last to actually leave, almost being crushed by rocks himself because he's so committed to standing there and watching Rayla leave.

He equates Rayla's love for him with his love for Ezran on Day Nine (2x03: "I couldn't tell him. And I understand why you couldn't tell me. When you care about someone, it's hard to hurt them. Even when what you're saying is the truth.")

Hell, he even forgets that Sol Regem is there in 3x01 because he tunnel visions on Rayla needing his help so intensely she has to point out the massive ton dragon actively trying to kill them to him.

He's a nurturer, a fixer, a solution seeking. He wants to make you feel better ("See it's working right? Don't you feel a little better?"), he is a kind reassuring word ("Don't be so hard on yourself, Ez") always, he thinks of your problems even when you don't (Rayla's binding in 1x07), he will lay his life down for you without question ("I am Prince Ezran"), he will get mad at you for treating yourself poorly (3x04, like almost all of S4), he dotes, he notices, he will compromise his beliefs for you ("Could he really bring himself to go through with his plan? What if he didn’t succeed? What if he compromised his beliefs and it was all for nothing? [...] But Rayla was in trouble"—S2 novelization).

You mean everything to him: "Rayla's strong, thin arms wrapped around him meant everything" (S2 novelization of the hug scene in 2x04) / "You're my brother, and you mean everything to me" (2x06).

You are his whole world.

If you're part of his inner circle, and not everybody is, so let's talk about it.

[ Callum, excluding Claudia and Soren from their support system, even though the siblings haven't yet betrayed them, while including Rayla, even though he and she haven't made up yet. ]

What about Soren and Zym?

As stated before, Callum's selective loyalty does not mean he doesn't care about other people in his life, such as Claudia (in the past) and people like Amaya, Soren, and Zym in the present. Merely that, slightly like Claudia, Callum does have an internal hierarchy of care — the way you might have friends vs best friends — of who takes priority, and we see S1, S4, and S5 in particular demonstrate this quite well.

As already stated, Callum prioritizes Ezran over the egg in 1x06 and is held back emotionally by Ezran fuelled logic and physically by Rayla. In 1x07, he doesn't want to risk going into town — even to potentially find help for the egg — because of his last disastrous experience with humans and Rayla. In 2x04, Callum is perfectly happy to walk around a sea to let Rayla avoid her fear of water, and approximately 5 minutes later is getting on Ez and Rayla's case for goofing off (with Rayla's thinly veiled and fallible disguise) because "Sometimes getting someplace slightly faster is important, like right now." Wasn't quite the tune he was singing earlier, now was it? For Zym, we see this again in 3x04 — Rayla is having a breakdown, so she has more of an excuse, but Callum should conceivably be much more clear headed, and he still tunnel visions into leaving Zym alone with Nyx leading to the theft. Likewise in 4x07 when the group thinks Zym might be gone, Ezran is the one who states, "I'm not leaving without him," and Ez and Rayla are both pretty broken up about it; Callum is sad, for sure, but he mostly focuses on taking care of Ezran and placing a hand on his shoulder.

Then you have Amaya, who Callum loves dearly, but isn't particularly torn up over not trusting or lying to (1x04, 5x03) in spite of being close to her, and isn't as vexed even when he thinks that maybe something bad has happened.

Even when Callum thinks it was bad, and potentially very bad ("The way Gren was talking, I thought maybe the world was ending or something!") he doesn't get angry and he doesn't get demanding. This is very different from how he responds to Ezran and Rayla being potentially in danger or just in trouble.

Which on that note also highlights another key importance between how Callum treats Rayla, in particular, versus how he treats Soren. Now, you could argue that Callum in 5x01 has emotionally matured/healed further than he has in 4x01 prior to Rayla's return, and that would be perfectly fine to do. However, it doesn't change the fact that just the hint of Soren keeping a secret — even before Callum thinks, at all, that it's about Ezran — makes him wait on the battlements to coldly and sternly interrogate Soren about it. With Soren, he demands,

C: I know this — the ties are true as the ocean is deep [...] It means I trust her. Unconditionally. Let her go. Now. R: About your key and the bow. I can explain. C: No, I meant what I said. You don't have to explain or justify anything to me.

Even when Rayla engages in actually shady behaviour — omitting the truth if not outright lying, stealing his key, and retrieving a painfully poignant weapon — Callum doesn't get mad, at all. Soren just implied he was potentially keeping a secret from Callum at the council meeting and lowkey got his ass handed to him, with Callum literally shoving him out of his way and needing Corvus' help to coral the angry step-mage.

Furthermore, even when Soren goes missing in 4x06, although concerned, Rayla is by far the most broken up about it. Ezran is optimistic because he's, well, Ezran; Rayla is torn because even though she doesn't know Soren that well, she feels like it was 100% her fault he's gone missing and has possibly gotten hurt; and Callum, well... mostly focuses about how she feels about it, and less so about his actual friend (because if Ezran or Rayla are emotionally hurting, they will take priority to him). He's focused on making sure she feels better.

Again: Callum loves Amaya, and Zym, and Soren. He loves them dearly. He wants to and does protect them. He can and will take care of them. But push come to shove, they're not in his inner circle — he doesn't trust them the same way, and he doesn't focus on them the same way, because when it comes to his inner circle, he loves them

More Than Anyone or Anything

So after seeing Callum like this from S1 onwards, you can imagine I was pretty thrilled upon opening up his bio in Tales of Xadia — which seems to be the most 'canon' of the supplementary materials thus far (scenes and ages are changed in the novelizations; timelines get a little wonky in the prequel graphic novels; some designs from "Callum's Spellbook" ended up being different; the art book is full of beautiful concepts, of course, that never understandably got off the ground) except perhaps for Though the Moon — said the quiet part out loud. Not only does TOX have plenty of lore drops and hints at future arcs that are coming to fruition (Aaravos' connections to Elarion, mentioning the Great Bookery of Lux Aurea and Leola, etc) but they did something very interesting when it came to what values which character had. There's some leeway as this is very much an Arc 1 reading (probably most clearly seen in Soren's bio) but there is still plenty of bleed over into Arc 2.

Now, as I said before, we don't want to take the Values too literally. As talked about previously, a lot of the characters highest values seem to be things their arcs are set up to thematically test rather than being a 1:1 what they value the most. But I feel like you can glean a good deal from them, so let's look at the trio:

EZRAN:

Justice — 10: I expect the best of people and try not to become an agent of cruelty.

Devotion — 8: All creatures—regardless of origin—deserve love and appreciation.

Liberty — 8: I value the liberty of everyone, sometimes even more than my own.

RAYLA:

Devotion — 10: Love and devotion compel and define me.

Justice — 8: At great personal cost I will strive for what’s right.

Liberty — 8: My only allegiance is to my heart and those who know it.

CALLUM:

Liberty — 10: I’m beholden to my inner circle, not some silly kingdom.

Devotion — 8: I value those close to me more than anyone or anything.

Mastery — 8: I aspire to know the great wonders of every primal magic.

Out of all the more 'heroic' characters listed in the handbook (Amaya, Janai, Aanya) only Callum and Lujanne do not have Justice, "Have you ever been compelled to fix what’s wrong? This value is about balance, virtue, and reward. You’re motivated by adherence to fairness and what you think is right" among their top 3. Each have it at a 6, instead, which the guide labels as, "This matters, but so do many things" and is the second lowest ranking a value can have. None of the main cast have any value at the highest ranking, 12, either, to help indicate scale perhaps.

Devotion, then, is the one we're currently the most interested in for Callum, since as said before, while the general value descriptions are useful, the specific ones help show more indication. Devotion is referred to in Tales of Xadia as, "Have you ever been obligated to others? This value is about duty, faith, and friendship. You’re motivated by the bonds of loyalty and your love for others."

Although devotion is Rayla's highest value, her devotion value makes no indication of who/what she is Devoted to. Whereas Ezran's reflects his deep love and appreciation towards animals (hence saving the baby glow toads in S5) and Callum's we'll get to in a moment, Rayla's we're not privy to. Instead, we can look at her Liberty value, as it states that her allegiance is to her heart ("My heart for Xadia") and to her loved ones (her friends, her family). Much of her arc is therefore feeling torn between what she thinks/feels her duty is versus what her heart is telling her, indicated by her letting Marcos go in 1x01 and the subsequent fallout.

We can also see her state this more clearly in Through the Moon, in which Callum is the one primarily concerned with her parents ("he’s stuck worrying about her parents. About what happened to Runaan. She can’t move on, not without knowing the truth of what happened [...] I hope you find your parents. And Runaan"), versus Rayla going along with the plan, "Callum, listen. Soren was worried about Viren too. Worried that we never found a body. We need to know what happened to Viren. He’s a threat to the whole world! This might be the only way to be sure he’s actually gone! [Upon entering the Portal...] Okay. Viren. My parents. Runaan" and then 5x01 spells it out even more directly.

R: Callum and Ezran need me. A great evil is trying to return to Xadia and we have to stop it, at any cost. I think this is what you would want me to do. I love you, and I haven't forgotten about you. I never will. [...] It hurts me to know they're trapped like this. It's agonizing. But our mission comes first. The world is in danger, and you can trust me to stay focused.

Now this makes sense, as Rayla having this push and pull has not only been a defining feature of her arc most seasons, but is ultimately what's going to be the most challenged when the Callum possession plotline rears its head. Does she kill/incapacitate the man she loves in order to protect the world, or does she fight to get him back no matter what, even if that may lead to ruin and chaos? (I'm hoping for the second one, but I will eat either up, lemme tell you.) Does she finally refuse to sacrifice, or does she barrel on hoping she'll only have to sacrifice herself?

The reason I bring Rayla up at all is because I think it provides a good contrast to how Callum operates, specifically in 5x04, in which case he reaffirms his devotion ("I would do anything for you") and then risks everyone's lives by staying late at the Great Bookery, even when Rayla says three times that well, this isn't the time: "Not yet, Callum... Believe me, I want to do something, but... Callum, we need to leave!"

Rayla cares about everyone, and is willing to risk her life for enemies and for strangers. She will abandon her mission for the world in favour of looking after individuals because they need help, regardless of what it asks of her: "Live or die, this dragon goes home." (And because she believes Ezran and Callum can accomplish the mission without her, but that's a post for another day.) As Bloodmoon Huntress makes explicit, as Ethari says:

Who I love, where I love, what I love, are all specific. But to Runaan and those like your parents... love is rooted in all families, all creatures. Souls like that feel called to protect everyone as fiercely as those they hold close. Each time Runaan leaves, it is with the weight of knowing that he may not come back. That to fulfil his duty, he may need to sacrifice everything, himself, and all that we have here.

Rayla likewise feels called to protect everyone, and that's precisely why by the end of Bloodmoon Huntress she's chosen to literally and figuratively follow in Runaan's career path, in order to be able to help protect and save people like Suroh (a stranger she immediately becomes entangled with). As Rayla says to the vision of Runaan and her parents in 5x01, "I think this is what you would want me to do," because they are ultimately all more alike (even in the occupations Rayla holds, such as assassin or dragonguard) than they are dissimilar.

The reason I highlight Rayla here is because 1) it is her highest value, being the only character to have it as said highest value (Claudia's, likewise, is only an 8 — but everything she does is indeed for her father, and unknowingly herself) and 2) I think it provides a clear contrast to Callum.

Because Callum's devotion does outline who, or what, he's loyal to. He isn't loyal just to causes and he isn't loyal just to concepts. While he cares about the world, when his back is up against the wall and it's a choice between that kind of security vs the life of a loved on (Ez, Rayla), Callum will always choose the latter. He cares about the world — to a Point.

I've talked about it before, but merely a statement of "I value those close to me more than anything" would accordingly be a lot more vague. There could be discussions and debates on what the 'anything' constitutes (morals, responsibilities, hurt feelings) with a lot more grey room as to whether it would include people (strangers).

“Maybe there is something I can do,” Callum said. “Ezran, you stay here. Protect Bait and Zym. Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon—with Rayla.” [...] Could he really bring himself to go through with his plan? What if he didn’t succeed? What if he compromised his beliefs and it all ended up being for nothing? […] But Rayla’s blade bounced off with a clang, sparks flying. She reeled back and tried again. Nothing happened. She was in trouble. Callum inched toward Claudia’s [book].

—Book 2: Sky novelization

But the inclusion of "more than anyone" changes that. It does include people. There is no wiggle room about that.

Now, I'm not going to base my whole thing on one (1) statement from a supplementary material. As previously stated, I've seen Callum with that exact same sentiment for years now, well before Tales of Xadia (March 2022) was released, and well before S4 or S5 premiered. I've gone over a lot of the reasons I thought Callum had selective loyalty even in S1, but I haven't touched too much on one of the biggest reasons why I think that selective loyalty includes a devotional component that borders on dangerous (at least, in a story). And that's, well...

“Rayla told me you used Dark Magic,” [Ethari] said, more stiff and cold. Callum shrank a bit, but his eyes hardened. “I couldn’t just let her die.” “You’d do it again." The prince scowled. “I’m not like Aaravos. He twisted the primal to be like Dark Magic. I would never do that.” “Unless you felt like you had to,” [Ethari] reiterated. “To save Rayla.” “Wouldn’t you do anything to save the person you love?”

—chapter 13 of a fic I co-wrote called in search of silver linings (we discovered gold) from july 2019, respectively

As soon as Callum opened up the door with dark magic in 2x07, I knew it was something he likely would never be able to entirely close. Not for lack of trying or wanting — but that his willingness to engage in dark magic at all spoke to a few different things. The first was the effectiveness — what spell to use, what would be most useful, and what Rayla's biggest problem would be (her swords unable to cut chains) — but most of all was what pushed him there: his devotion.

While magic has always been the thing presenting Callum with paths (to be a mage or not a mage, to be a primal or a dark mage), his bonds with other people, and his love for them — Rayla in particular — has always been what's actually pushed him down certain paths. His love for his mother, and her love for him, is what helps him unlock the sky arcanum. Callum unlocks his wings out of his love for Rayla; he goes down on the path of mage because "you called me a mage, and that felt right."

Although mastery of magic is one of Callum's highest values (an 8, just like his devotion), it was always clear to me that magic is not something Callum values above the people he loves. He can be obsessive, and his love for magic can sometimes put himself and other people unintentionally at risk, but thus far we've always seen him course correct the minute he realizes what's happening. The second things begin to go south at the Banther Lodge, Callum reflects, "We never should've come here," and completely forgoes the quest for the cube. He tries to risk his life just for magic in 2x04, but as we've gone over, he's unable to go through with it, but he will risk his life for his loved ones.

His rejection of dark magic was, to me, of being a dark mage, of not also pursuing primal magic, of relying on dark magic. Not that he would never, under any circumstance, ever do dark magic again if the show put him in the right circumstances. And then he did, in spite of knowing it would make him more vulnerable to Aaravos, in spite of not having any confirmation it wouldn't bring on a second possession, in spite of the fact he was fine being tortured if that meant not doing it or participating.

Then we have Callum giving up the spell, and the fact that the Ocean arcanum is linked more directly to love within his arc — "To love is to simply know this: the tides are true as the ocean is deep" (5x01, 5x08) — in addition to being aware that there are unknown depths in what he's willing to do for said loved ones/Rayla.

This is not to say that none of the main cast would do dark magic — although I don't think Soren or Ezran ever would, and I think Rayla would but only perhaps using herself as spell parts — but that, as the primary mage character, it's going to and is playing a much bigger part in Callum's arc than the others, who are given other thematic considerations.

He hates dark magic. He doesn't want to let Aaravos control him. He refuses to help Finnegrin. He folds on all of those things motivated by love. It's a weakness and a strength; something that, in my eyes, will likely lead to his fall to Aaravos ("Seems to me love's got a tighter grip on you than those chains around your wrists, so I'll do you a favour [by killing Rayla] and set you free") as well as what might save him. But to focus on the fall, with everything already said behind us:

Why Love Instead of Curiosity?

Now, obviously the theory of "Callum will free Aaravos because of [insert non possession reason here]" could be wrong. There's merits in having arcs about the tragedy inherent in losing your agency, it would still open up an interesting arc after the fact, and all that good stuff.

Callum has also very much always been an Icarus figure. He can be obsessive with magic, he can take it too far, and he does have a deep curiosity and thirst for knowledge that has already gotten him in trouble by not excluding dark magic from the bunch.

And deep curiosity is already hinted to be what partially causes him to fall further into Aaravos' clutches in a few different places. The mirror ("What secrets are you hiding?") and the cube ("Perhaps it will be you, Callum, who discover's the cube's secrets") seem accordingly linked and fittingly so, for the Mystery of Aaravos, as is magic: "it's the secret of the primal".

Zubeia also warns regarding curiosity, citing that, "Aaravos was able to give them something they wanted very badly. Aaravos chose as his instruments people who had strong minds and strong hearts… but who had an insatiable thirst and fascination with magic. Aaravos could offer them access to the great mysteries of the universe. Mages were his prey," which implies that this thirst for magic is what got them (primarily) into trouble. This is reflected (pun intended) in both Aaravos' reading of Viren as "You are too curious, hungry for knowledge and power," and while Callum is hungry for knowledge (and not necessarily power), his short story in which he finds the mirror highlights one of these things as well:

Callum’s eyes prickled with dust and tears. He rushed back to the spiral staircase—but as he reached for the figurine that would activate them, he noticed one last door he hadn’t checked. The small chamber beyond it lay dark and silent. A gleam caught his eye. Callum blinked at his own reflection. Curious, he stepped through the door—and there it was. A mirror.

With all that in mind, and I'm sure there's ones I've missed, too, why on Earth am I arguing that while curiosity may play a factor, I think it's going to be love that ultimately causes his initial downfall / playing into Aaravos' hands?

Well...

For starters, I personally find "doing terrible things for love" to be not only a primary theme of arc 2, but much more fundamentally sympathetic than just getting in over your head because you were a dumbass who couldn't read the signs. I know for myself that if Callum fucks around and accidentally gets himself into a place where (under possession at that point or not) he helps free, or just flat out helps, Aaravos knowing everything that he knows, if he does it for love I will defend his choice every step of the way. If it happens just because he wants more power or magical knowledge (hello Viren 2.0 beat for beat) I'm gonna be a lot more critical of him. After all, Claudia has done a lot of awful things but I still have sympathy for her because they were for her family, in their own fractured way, and operating out of a place of deep emotional pain. If she was doing that just because she wanted to be Powerful and Knowledgable, then no, I'm not going to be that sympathetic.

The other half of it, which you might have already guessed, is that curiosity is not a Motivation. It's a manifestation of a character's pyschological makeup. Even for a character like Viren, who very much chased power, ultimately, for the sake of power, we take time to dive into WHY he wanted those things ("To know that I mean something to you, it means everything to me" / "I dream of a bright future for humanity") and his internal justifications, no matter if some of those turned out to be lies.

Characters who are curious are curious because they want to solve puzzles and have a hard time letting things go; or else they are curious because they want to prove themselves by solving things first; or else they are curious because they deeply love and want to understand and protect the world; or else they are curious because they want to know and have access to tools so that they can fix problems; or else... Well, you get the idea.

Even if it is primarily Callum's curiosity and love/thirst for magic that gets him into trouble (and thus far it largely hasn't been, as we see in S2 with his motivation for doing dark magic — yes, there was a part of him that was undeniably curious about what it would be like, but I don't think he would've pushed himself into doing it without the dire straits of "I had to, to save my friends")... That doesn't answer why he's curious.

Either he will pull a full Greek tragedy and be so scared of freeing Aaravos he accidentally walks into it by trying to prevent it directly (and one of the main reasons he's scared of Aaravos is because he's scared he might hurt people he loves through possession) or he needs another motivation, but it can't just be "Callum really wants this [insert magical knowledge here] and it ends badly," because that offers a plot summary, not an emotional character beat. There's no motivation. They'll have to explain why he wants the magical knowledge, why he's chasing it, why this level of curiosity is something he cannot or will not put down even with all the risk factors at play. It has to be grounded in some kind of sympathetic emotion, and love or fear or a desire to be helpful/useful, or all three makes the most sense to me and with all the prior setup.

Conclusion

As a closing note, as well as thank you for reading this far if you have because this got wildly long and out of hand, I want to reiterate that in many ways, to me, Callum's devotion to his loved ones — that he says "I would do anything for you" and mean it — is indeed his saving grace and biggest difference from Viren, who would rather offer up himself or others or have Harrow die than relinquish the egg, because he would never put a weapon into Xadia's hands. Being devotional — valuing the individual — is not always a good or bad thing, nor is prioritizing the 'greater good' always a good or a bad thing. TDP is deeply interested in exploring all the different circumstances of motivation, sacrifice, and choices.

Nor is selective loyalty a bad thing. I'm not wired that way, but some of my closest loved ones are (and of those in the fandom have, overall, greatly aligned with this perceived aspect of Callum). Merely, this meta is meant to examine the claim in Tales of Xadia that "I value those close to me more than anyone or anything," why I was surprised but delighted to see my view of Callum be so directly spelled out, why I had that view and continue to have it, in addition to aspects/pieces of the text that I think support it.

I believe that Callum is loyal to Ezran and Rayla on a fundamental level he does not really extend to anyone else (including many other people who are also his family) and while this is in many ways something that creates the best sides of him — his nurturing, compassionate, thoughtful and protective traits — it is also something that can be exploitable and dangerous, particularly in a narrative where he is set up to be controlled/coerced by the big bad.

And this meta hopefully explained why.

You can take it or leave it.

—Dragons out

[oneriderratbug101]

YAY THE REST OF MY KINGSISLE MERCH CAME

Now, to help anyone on the fence out a bit, review time for anyone interested in the merch!

I've already spoken a bit about what I got, and my opinion of the El Toro canvas art in spread around posts, but I'm gonna put them all in one spot here!

Beanie - To recap I got the storm school beanie! The black is very nice, the school symbol is like knit or woven in or something of the sort (sorry I'm not a crafty person, not sure how to describe it properly) but it's like. Part of it. And not just yk one of those beanies where they plop a seperate material rectangle on the middle and that's where the art goes. The material for the symbol feels nice too! The beanie's texture feels like a cousin to like scratchy sweaters but thankfully took a few right steps in life, and avoids that awful sensation. Overall very good beanie! The only concern I'd bring up is that the "one size fits all" size is a little larger than the beanies I personally usually grab, but it's not big enough to really affect much except giving me more style options. If you have a smaller head though you MIGHT have a bit of excess beanie to style when you put this on your head. Great beanie though, very pleased.

The shirt - I got the school button up shirt! It looks great, the school symbols are even more pronounced than I'd expect, and really weird compliment but I really like the choice of buttons? I've got two notes on this one. The first is size, I can't remember if this is one they warn about or not but definitely make sure to buy a size lower than you're used to, as these run a bit big. Luckily for me that works out fine for what I want out of this, hence me not caring too much, but heed this warning if you're NOT okay with that. The second note is the material. The material's fine, it feels like an alright quality shirt, but my warning is to those with sensory issues. I think a lot of things on the KI site are polyester, and while I have no issues with polyster (from a shirt quality, feel, and appearance standpoint. I do have a few issues with polyster but yk like for the purposes of this review they are irrelevant), polyster stuff can come very close to sounding the sensory alarm bells, and this is no exception. If you have sensory issues make sure you're okay with polyster first, I'd specifically recommend going to a store and finding a polyster swimsuit to feel, as this feels the most similar to that. Those aside the shirt looks great, and I love it. Very solid clothing.

Canvas Art - I specifically got the El Toro canvas art. 10/10 no notes. Great quality, appearance, the art itself is fantastic, I seriously have no concerns here. Only possible error is with where you place it, as with all art if you get the placement wrong it could look out of place. I know this is a super cheesey statement but I'm being 100% truthful, the El Toro art has really brought the room it's in to life. Definitely pick up the canvas art if interested.

A few concerns here and there but overall great! If you see this and have some more specific questions I didn't cover feel free to reach out :)

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

jw, if you clock a fandom submission that doesn't have a reveal but also isn't obvious, do you always make some kind of post about it or do you sometimes just delete them and say nothing

Normally I reach out to the groupchats and go "okay I know this is something, but does anyone know what?" And if I'm on the fence about whether or not it's posting quality, I give the people who know the source material the final call

If no one I know can tell what it is, I figure the audience will probably be equally confused and usually toss it. Asks where everyone's like "well I think this is probably fandom but I don't know what" are just no fun because no one knows whether to take it seriously

[bxttxrflybxddie]

|Nigel "Roudabout" Braithwaite x Male!Tall!Faculty!Reader|

a/n: im so sorry this took so long!!! i started a new job and school, life's been a mess lol. i hope you enjoy!!

pairing: Nigel "Roudabout" Braithwaite x Male! Tall! Faculty! Reader

requested: yes! by @st0r-fruit

word count: 1k

warnings: alludes to intimacy once, one brief mention of emotional and physical harm (not by roundabout!), criminal activities mentioned

Nigel has had a puppy-love crush on you since first sight. Your personality drew him into the depths of unrestrained affections, and he was more than happy to drown in you. Your presence made his day brighter and your talents gave him the confidence to sharpen his own. The brit had felt knots in his stomach at the thought of you, twists and turns that he hadn’t felt in years– he embraced them. Ever since that first mission the two of you were partnered on, you reminded him of his humanity between his double lives.

One of the pieces of you that he noticed first was your staggering height. Nigel isn’t considered long-legged by any means, but his neck hurt when he looked up at you for the first few weeks of your meeting. Little did he know how much of a sight he was from above. 

Nigel had climbed the ranks of VILE faster, but nothing could stop him from keeping his senses open for you. He craved the smell, mention, and look of you. Sadly, your taste and touch were only in his dreams. 

Using his positions with his day job and VILE, he requests you as much as possible. You’re in the area? Please, join him for some tea! Or which activity you’d prefer; he only wants to appeal to you! You’re countries or continents away? Allow him to fly you out! You have orders from the faculty? He can join if you deem it necessary! It’s always a great idea to have another lookout! His employees have realized he can’t stop rambling about you if he tried, and the current faculty is hesitant to allow him to indulge. Once you begin asking for his whereabouts as well, they give up, there are more important and red matters at stake. 

He wants to dazzle you away! He can charm just about anyone with ease, but given that he genuinely cares for you, his skill suddenly becomes a challenging test!

When the two of you are on dates spending time in each other's company he accomplishes all he can to impress you. He is boasting through riches, knowledge, or expertise in most subjects. It does sound like bragging at the start, but make one confused face in his direction and he’ll backpedal and apologize. This includes missions together, as well.

“No need to worry about me, dearie. I’m well-studied in the ways of defense.”  “Roundy, You fenced in school.” “The material still stands.”

When Nigel gains a leadership position at VILE, he requests that you join as well. He’ll repeatedly make a case for you to receive that popular vote. He almost jumps for joy when he sees the other hands raised in unison. Between so much at stake and Carmen’s relentless attacks against their fortunes, maybe 6 isn’t such a bad number. For now, at least.

Nigel admits his feelings for you just as they’ve become so obvious you could guess. He desperately wants the moment to go smoothly, but almost spits out the words from nervousness. He shudders at the touch of your palm against his cheek- fingers gently caressing what skin they can find. Hearing your words of reciprocation makes him melt.  

When together, you’re on cloud nine. Nigel had been hiding just how kind and attentive of a lover he truly was. Between missions and expensive dates, quality time is spent in each other’s arms; inhaling the other’s musk before another caper. 

Prepare yourself for graceful nicknames. “Dearie”, “Lovely”, and “Darling” are popular ones falling from his lips, but he may pick up some personal ones like your favorite gem/flower to use as well! He also likes to include “My (nickname)”.

Call him “Roundy” when it’s just the two of you. Nigel likes hearing you say it. He loves hearing you address him in general, please keep talking! To him!

Nigel breaking a sweat is a privilege to see. ;)

He knows his usual wherever you two may dine, but he’ll try a sip or bite of what's yours no matter if he’s had it before. Indirect kisses!

Speaking of kisses, his are slow but powerful. You can sense every drop of his passion for you since he’s practically telling you. Quite handsy, since your jobs keep you both apart often. His fingertips are begging to memorize you. Bites.

Now that he's in the comfort of an affectionate relationship, he will now lovingly make fun of you if he uses a fancy word you don’t know. However, he makes it clear with his tone and vocabulary that he doesn’t nor will ever see you as “dumb”, “cute” is what he’s thinking of.

Is a little nervous being out with you in public. Yes yes, you’re both wanted criminals, but he knows not everyone on the streets nor that work for him are accepting of lgbtq+ couples. Is quick to defend you against (and ruin the life of) anyone who tries to harm you emotionally or physically.

He wants to keep you around. Will also see it to that, no matter what.

Nigel is a little possessive. Nothing unhealthy though! 

Leading a double life is no easy feat. There are days when you both reunite and he just needs to be taken care of. Open your ears while he rambles and you’ll be rewarded how you see fit.

Lets you play with the cane. Shows you the secret blade and preens under your praise for his secrecy. 

Listens to classical music, but will learn to enjoy your taste in music as well. Asks frequent questions about certain musicians he notices are played often.

Visit him while he’s sitting in his office, do it! He’s overjoyed you decided to see him!! (He needed to see your face before he says something he’ll regret to someone at VILE or otherwise)

New closet? New closet. After many months of being in a relationship, quite a few items of yours are left at his place(s). This includes items you previously owned (including you swiping them) as well as items he purchased (or also swiped) for you as well. Likes seeing you in a classic dark green and gold combo. 

Loves you fiercely and proudly. No matter his worries, he’s more than delighted to be yours.

© BXTTXRFLYBXDDIE

[not-wholly-unheroic]

A Comparative Analysis of Hook’s Ship and Cabin in Popular Media Portrayals

Part 3: Steven Spielberg’s Hook

Not gonna lie—visually, Hook is one of my favorite versions of the character because both the captain himself and his living space are just so incredibly over-the-top with lots of attention to detail. The costuming and set designers really went all-out on this one.

Dustin Hoffman’s Hook has a ship like no other! His Jolly Roger leaves absolutely no doubt from the second you lay eyes on it that it is a pirate ship and throws all sense of practicality out the window in favor of lavish decadence fit for a king. From the outside, the cabin itself is reminiscent of a large skull wearing a bicorn hat with two large windows serving as the eyes. Perhaps most interestingly, the very center of the hat bears what appears to be a slightly altered version of the Eton crest with a skull and crossbones over it. This “knock-off” Eton crest (which was probably altered in the film for legal reasons) or one similar to it, shows up in multiple places inside the cabin as well.

If you look closely and zoom in on the two images above, you’ll notice one (not colored) crest over the piano, one on the desk, and one over the fireplace (which, by the way, does not seem practical on a wooden ship). Some other neat details I noticed in these shots include what looks like gramophones on the desk, images of fencing stances on the wall, and that the bottom of the bed which lowers down from the ceiling appears to be painted. I don’t know for certain but believe that the painting is meant to be this image used for promotional material but not ever actually visible in the film. (Thanks to the HookPosting community on Facebook for the image.)

Interestingly, it still features the hook on the right hand. Perhaps that’s why it was never shown in the film. If this godlike portrayal is how Hoffman’s Hook sees himself, it borders on pathological narcissism.

Back to the cabin itself… When the camera pans over to the other side of the room, we see another mock Eton crest in the background. In another, closer shot, we can clearly see the words “Good Form” over this one. This guy is Eton OBSESSED! (Which, to be fair, is pretty canon.)

We get a few more interesting views of the cabin in the scenes where Hook is attempting to teach Jack and Maggie. There is another self-portrait—though this one is a bit humbler and more realistic. Again, narcissist much? But what’s especially intriguing to me is the fact that if you zoom in close, you will notice that below the painting, there are black and white photographs. Now, so far, everything else about this Hook screams 17th century with the one odd exception of the gramophone(s) on his desk. But one might explain that away as something he picked up while visiting the outer world. But to have photographs would seem to imply that he (or someone he cares about) is from a much later time period. The one seems to be a photo of a young man (Perhaps Hook himself?) while the other is, I think, a couple (His parents? A younger Hook and his former love?). There is another black and white photo, too, that you can see in a shot behind Jack and Maggie that looks like it might be of a sports team… Might this be a team photo from his time at Eton? Unfortunately, without better quality close-ups on these images and input from the set director, there is no way to know for certain, but it certainly is intriguing…and it might explain Hook connecting with Jack over his love of sports.

Hoffman’s Hook is an enigma. His ship is unlike anything that sailed during the Golden Age of Piracy—far too gaudy and over-the-top, both inside and out, to be practical. And yet, there are details that no child would think to make up like the ever-present Eton crest and the black and white photographs. The clashing of time periods apparent in his wardrobe and personal effects lines up well with Barrie’s own conflicting information regarding Hook’s murky past, but it leaves us as the audience a little unsure what to make of this man. Perhaps, Hook and his ship are still the product of Peter’s imagination…but since Pan has grown up in this retelling, the details of Hook’s cabin have shifted to reveal the same larger than life character as imagined by an adult.

[kirkwallguy]

I'm upset about the lack of choices and the likelihood that the solas romance is going to be pushed more but bringing up the new characters as something that could have been replaced by old ones is a pretty bad faith arguement imo. It's a new game, of course there's going to be new characters? The cameos were never the forefront or the cornerstone of my enjoyment. I mean if you hate the game and only play it in the hopes of getting scraps of your favorite characters from the previous games then ok but why torture yourself like this lol

i mean as long as they don't repeat the mistakes of inquisition and expect us to have read extra material to understand what's going on, i don't care about the new characters THAT much, i just think it's funny to act like they're actual cameos when most people don't know who they are. a charitable read would be that they're rewarding hardcore fans but likeeeee... they're trying to sell books lol

tbh cameos wouldn't be a dealbreaker for me normally, i can take them or leave them in da2 and obviously there are none in origins. but combined with everything else we know about the game i AM still on the fence about getting it... no worldstates means it's unlikely they'll bring up any of the plots i was interested in having resolved or explored further 😑 so it all comes down to the quality of the writing and plots they introduce, which is very hard to judge from the promo esp since apparently everything they're showing is from act 1

[gamebunny-advance]

Kun3h0 Custom Doll Repaint

So, here's what I've been working on for the past month or so. I've wanted to do a custom doll project for a long time now, and I finally got the opportunity to actually do it. I don't think she's bad for a first doll, but there's a lot I feel I could do better and differently.

Once again, my pictures hardly do her any justice... mostly due to color balancing.

I tried to edit these pics to make them a little more accurate, but it also yellowed out everything else, so... yeah. A photographer/image editor I am not.

That said, aside from the poor quality of the images, I'd say that the pics capture both her good points and her jank.

(More about the process and other thoughts under the cut.)

So, she started with a Cave Club doll as the base (I believe her name was Fernessa).

I unfortunately didn't take any pics of this doll with her clothes on, but I'm sure you can search pics of the original base doll yourself.

Besides being very cheap, I really liked the proportions on this doll for Kun3h0. I like the short torso with the long legs and the huge feet. Even the face is kinda Kun3h0-esque (though, a little more on that later).

I've had the idea to customize a Kun3h0 doll for a while, and I always thought the best base would have been an LOL OMG doll since they also have the big head, small torso, and long legs. But, I was always on the fence about them because their hips are a lot wider than Kun3h0's, and I felt like that would always bother me. But once I found out about Cave Club and also found out they're bascially cheap as dirt for the amount of articulation you get, I knew that this was the best match for Kun3h0.

Sadly, the hands aren't as big, and I did consider resculpting them to be more accurate to Kun3h0, but I lack the materials to make that look good enough to be worth doing, so in the end I just repainted the original hands. So I guess this doll is gonna have the non-standard 5-fingers XP. (I forgot to take pics, but the back of the hands do have the heart detail on them. )

Because I have to tie this back to NSR somehow, I think this doll would be a great base for some NSR characters, or really any other stylized character like this. I could def see a cute Mayday coming out of one of these (but not from me~ If I made a Mayday, then I'd want to make a Zuke to go with her, and I just cannot imagine how to make a Zuke doll without him becoming way too top-heavy).

However, I did resculpt the legs to become her boots, so she stands a little taller than the base Cave Club. While I think doing this works for Kun3h0 since she's a robot, if I want to make some alternate outfits for her, they're gonna have to include these boots, or I'm gonna have to get another doll to make some alternate legs.

Unfortunately, my only material I have for body mods is air-dry paper clay, and it doesn't transition as well into the plastic the same way something like apoxie sculpt probably would have. It's not super noticeable at a distance when they're painted, but under scrutiny, you can see a clear transition. I also forgot to detail her heel, so the shoes are flat even though they shouldn't be~ They do help her to stand on her own though, so I guess it's not the worst thing in the world~

While I was doing the sculpting, I also made the wig.

Finding a yarn that would properly convey Kun3h0's hair color is nigh impossible, given the cartoony shading of them, so I settled for a median between the dark rasperry and hot pink and got this regular raspberry yarn. The unaltered pics make it look a little more purple than it actually is. It really is a warm raspberry color.

(I'd say that this is closer to the actual color, maybe a tad darker.)

Let me tell y'all, brushing out yarn wefts is not fun. I also felt like I wasn't doing it right since I lost a lot of material brushing it out. From the little research I did, this seems to be a common problem, but it doesn't sit right with me for so much of it to get wasted like that~

Another challenge I had is that there (of course) aren't very many resources for getting yarn wefts curly or how to make curly hairstyles using yarn wefts. I know that this is relatively easy to achieve with actual doll hair through boil washing, but that wasn't really a viable option for a yarn wig like this. Since I really wanted the hair to look naturally curly as opposed to looking like it was curled after the fact, I curled the hair before gluing it onto the wig cap, which was a mini-nightmare. I followed a video tutorial about how to make a pigtails wig, I just applied the methods to the curly hair.

I don't know if I just didn't make enough wefts to make the tails poofy enough, or if this method just wasn't suited for curly hair, but I just didn't get the volume I was looking for.

To achieve the fuller look that Kun3h0's puffs have, I glued some scrap yarn fluff in the center of the original puffs and just tried to manage the shape from there. It's not perfect, but I think I've more or less brought her original hair to life. It's hard to see since they get lost in the mess of hair, but I was even able to get those stray curls that she has to look nice~

However, for some reason, the wig really doesn't like to stay on. I dunno if it's the ears pushing it off, or if something else makes it loose, but it really doesn't like to stay on her head. I might try applying heat to the cap to see if I can get it to reshape around her head properly, but I don't have high hopes for that.

Overall, having made the wig and seen it in real life, I've confirmed something that I've kinda felt for a while: Kun3h0 really needs something on her head between her antenna. I feel like her antenna and the top of her head create a sort of "empty box" that is just asking to be filled with something. I recently did a drawing of Kun3h0 where I have her an ahoge, and I think it helps a lot.

It's a little too late to add this to the doll (and I don't even know how I'd go about it), but I think from now on, she's gonna have a curl that sticks up on the top of her head.

Moving on: the face.

I really wish I could get some clearer pictures here, because the eyes really aren't as bad as the pics make them look.

While I am trying to keep her right covered as much as possible, I did still paint both of them with acrylics. I don't have MSC or watercolor pencils like most of the pros do, so I made use of what I had. I'm certainly not getting that "crisp lineart" look that Kun3h0 is basically built on, but I don't think the results are horrible. They're sealed with a gloss varnish, so they don't photograph well, but I do like how the texture is very different from the skin, it almost sells that they're made of glass.

As for the other details, I did do the lining in dark purple, like I usually do for her lineart. I'm on the fence on if this works IRL or not. On the one hand, I feel like the purple lineart is a part of the character design, it helps balance out all the pinks, but when I only use the purple on the doll for the face (and her stomach paneling), I do wonder if it looks strange, and if I would have been better off lining her with dark brown instead.

In fact, I did the original sketch with brown for the paneling.

(Right eye not canon.)

But when I made the actual doll, I wound up doing purple anyway to match the eyelashes, so they wouldn't look as out of place.

Other details I wanted to mention are that the upper eyelashes/eyelid is actually a piece of painted foam that I glued on. I really wanted to achieve that cartoony look of how I usually draw the lashes over her hair, even if it doesn't make logical sense.

I wasn't able to do the same thing for the brows, but I still did something a little "special" with them.

Instead of making myself cry trying to get an accurate color-match with paint, her eyebrows are actually flocked using some of the leftover yarn. I've hardly seen anyone do this for a doll repaint, but I don't think this look would suit most brows anyway~

Overall, I'm only a *little* unsatisfied by the face-up, but my disappointment is mostly in the eye-shape. I didn't want to go against the face mold too much, but that meant that I couldn't really make the eye taller like Kun3h0's actually are. If the eye was any taller, the brows would have been right against the hairline, and that wouldn't be a great look IMO. I feel like 80% of Kun3h0's identity is in her face, so having it be even a little inaccurate does bring her down a little.

Lastly, I think all that's left to talk about is clothes and accessories.

I am personally really in love with the shorts and it's why I chose them to be the preview for this project. I added the beltloops after I took that pic, and I think they turned out so cute, even if you can see the stitching of the belt to the shorts.

I went through quite a few patterns trying to get them right. The Cave Club dolls don't seem to be super popular in customizer circles, so there aren't many if any patterns out there for them. At first I was just eyeballing a shorts pattern from this video and going through some trial and error trying to adapt them to the doll's body.

I made 3 or 4 pairs of shorts this way, but they all ended up too tight. In the end, I wound up using the "wrap-and-tape" method of pattern making, and made the shorts from there. I honestly wasn't too confident in the results, so I very haphazardly made the trial pair with this new pattern, but they fit so great that I wound up using the test shorts for the final product.

The top was not as successful. Unlike the shorts, I didn't start making test tops until I'd already done the wrap and tape. So the pattern making wasn't actually the hardest part: it was putting it together that was a nightmare.

While I was making the top, I would of course have Kun3h0 put it on to test the fit, which stretched out the fabric to a noticeable degree. This was one of the last things I worked on, so I was getting really fed up with working on this for so long, so I told myself that I would probably just hide it with paint later.

That was mistake number 1.

As I should have learned from painting Green's face, the paint hardened the fabric tremendously, giving it almost no stretch. Originally the plan was to use velcro to close the top in the back, but the pattern didn't account for the lack of stretch, so it's actually too small to close edge to edge. So, I had to cut velcro to extend beyond the actual clothes to close it up. So basically, there's a gaping hole in the back of her outfit and is the main reason why I refuse to post back pictures of this doll.

For the time being, I do consider this top to be a "prototype" and I'll probably remake it in the future with some improvements. But, painting the fabric after stitching it together is not the only mistake I made.

Since this top is a prototype, there's a lot of other things that I did in a bad order: I really should have done the hemming and put on the accents before putting the pieces together, but since I wasn't sure if the pattern would fit first, and thought I would have the energy to make a second better top, I didn't bother with it. This included the cuffs of the sleeve.

That was mistake number 2.

The way I made the sleeves is that the arms are really just a large trapazoid with the shoulder shape at the top. The idea was that I would just sew the large side to a piece of shorter elastic band which would serve as the cuffs. I figured this would cause the sleeve to look "ballooned" at the end. And it kinda worked. You can kinda see how it turned out on her right sleeve in the first picture, but actually sewing it together was kinda terrible because the only way I could think of to do this was to sew the cuff and sleeve separately first, then sew them together, and that just seems ass-backwards to me, but I couldn't think of any other way to do it, and it came out with the cuff being mostly obscured anyway. I tried a different method on the left sleeve, so the cuff is more visible, but the sleeve shape is worse.

So if/when I remake this top, I'm still gonna do this in my ass-backwards way, I've just got to figure out how to keep the sleeve from eating the cuff.

Otherwise, I think the top would actually be pretty cute. I was really getting tired of working on it at the end, so a lot of the details are actually hot-glued on instead of being sewn. The faux-zipper pull is a *little* large, but it's something I had that I thought would work, and I actually really like the oversized look. It works for the proportions of the doll and helps bring in the heart motif that's getting a little lost in the sloppiness of my painting~

The last thing I think worth talking about is the mini GAB.

I thought I'd taken a pic of it by itself, but I guess not. Anyway, the only thing I wanted to say about it is that there's a little "clip" on the back made from wire that allows it to hook onto Kun3h0's belt and be held in her hand. I dunno, I just really like the little accessories, and that little feature amuses me~

But that's it for now. I am actually working on two other accessories for her:

The doll came with a pet dinosuar that I'm currently turning into her GAB.

It's just about the right size to be in scale with Kun3h0, and the hair is basically already the same as GAB's. I've already modified the base with clay and cut off the bits I don't need. It's mostly a matter of sanding and painting right now. I have no idea how or if I'm going to get the collar onto it without it looking bad, but I'll give it a try. If all else fails, I'll just make a tiny bow-tie like GAB!classic~

I don't have a pic of this one, but the doll also came with some sort of flower pot thing that I'm turning into her drill using a metal piping tip for the drill head~ I'll post about them in an "accessories DLC" when they're both finished.

But wait... if you've made it this far, and you saw my preview post, then you might notice that there's one accessory missing.

Well, this mask doesn't actually fit Kun3h0...

But it does fit someone else.

[lukedanger]

Owlcatober - Day 19 - Duty

Prelate Hulrun misses the meaning of certain signs in this @owlcatober while focusing on duty to get through them.

[Ao3 Link]

====

When all else failed, a man at arms could trust in his duty as a reason to go on.

That was what Hulrun Shappok used as his bedrock over the long decades. It was his duty to the Mendevian people, to Golarion as a whole, to stand firm against the horrors of chaos. 

The light of his torch flickered as he made his way through the night. Light always flickered when he needed it for himself. He could remember a time when it had not, back when he was young. Before the brutality of his first crusade - the third of such campaigns. Somehow, that was when he noticed the lights flickering more and more.

Nonetheless, his misgivings were irrelevant as he assessed the streets of Kenabres. They were blessedly quiet tonight. While he was too highly ranked to be wasted on patrols, he could still contribute to that duty as he moved between responsibilities. 

The market square was still in terrible shape, but the bodies had at least been cleaned and fencing had been set up to prevent fools from falling in. A shame that he did not have time to browse them as he once had, but then again with silver coins being heavier and more tarnished in his hands as the years passed on, perhaps it was for the best he had others to do that while he focused on his duties.

“At ease,” he said as a pair of guards - new recruits in the city watch - snapped firm as he walked through the former market.

“Nothing to report, Prelate,” one of them said, the torch post behind her flickering.

He nodded back, continuing past. Up the hill to the temple that had been opposite of holy Iomedae’s. A temple of chaos and lacking responsibility that had so nearly cost them the whole city, cost all Mendev if the Wardstone had indeed caused a reaction in others.

Hulrun had been true to his word and let Ramien and his brats leave unmolested, much as he regretted allowing his duty to go unfinished. He even deigned to respect the temple without a priest. He had instructed it to be turned into an infirmary, one that thankfully could soon be closed down as the wounded were healed.

“Prelate,” said one of the guards at the front - a halfling inquisitor-in-training. “I’m afraid that Sir Jacob is not present - he went to investigate the graveyard.”

Unsurprising - vermleks had infested the city and purging the remnants was time-consuming. “Thank you, squire. Maintain your vigil.”

Hulrun strode past, towards the graves, warding himself against evil creatures with a short prayer to the Inheritor. He listened keenly, for that might be his first warning. And he heard what he was looking for - a sword drawn. Rushing towards the sound, he found Jacob in conflict with a zombie. Jacob’s sword found its mark, but as the creature collapsed another erupted from it - as much worm as man.

“Back, foul demon!” Hulrun snarled as he dropped his torch and charged in, drawing his longsword and bringing it down with both hands for an overhead strike. The vermlek, distracted by the other inquisitor, was unable to dodge in time and was cut through by the cold iron.

Hulrun’s blade did not go all the way through, though, becoming stuck partway through. Unusually stuck as he almost stumbled down as the monster fell. Grimacing, he did not let this setback get in the way of duty: with another tug, he managed to free his blade from material that should have yielded against it.

“Thank you, Prelate,” Jacob said as he caught his breath. He was as old as Hulrun, but the years had not been kind to him - no doubt a result of having been badly wounded several times when he was younger, and not having had as swift access to healers as Hulrun had. “I believe we tracked the source of the lingering undead.”

“Perhaps,” Hulrun admitted as he looked over his sword. Was it just him, or was the quality of his swords dropping? This one had not broken in the ferocity of battle, but he had more than a few that had broken in the last stroke of an engagement. He put it aside - he simply wore them out in his duty. “Yet we must remain vigilant. Who knows what foolishness the Desnans allowed into their hallowed ground?”

Jacob nodded, and both called upon holy light as their torches had fallen dark in the fight. Jacob’s shone brightly, while Hulrun’s flickered occasionally. Annoying, but he could compensate with constant vigilance.

That was what his duty as an inquisitor demanded. No matter how many of his brothers and sisters in faith detested him (which seemed to be more and more every year), how heavy his blade became as he carried out the sentences he passed, no matter how much the light flickered, no matter what inconveniences came his way, he had his duty. To Kenabres. To Mendev. To Golarion. To Iomedae.

He would do his duty, no matter the cost. The myriad dangers of the Abyss and its lackwit lackeys were too great for anything less. Perhaps one day, the things he did would not longer be necessary. Until then, he would do them.

[saintbrown]

Idea for a Miraculous LadybugxRottmnt crossover fic:

Miraculous Ninja Turtles: Rise of Ladybug and Chat Noir

Here’s how it goes:

A month after Hawkmoth first appeared, Master Fu is concerned with the frequency with which Marinette and Adrien’s classmates (as well as people related to them) have been akumatized. Having no other choice, he sends out a mystical message that is supposed to make contact with a clan that in the past were great allies to the order of the miraculous, the Hamatos. Half an hour later, a blue portal materializes in his living room and out come a giant rat man and four teenaged turtles.

Because of the akuma situation, the turtles are given disguise charms so they can enroll in College François DuPont as humans, while keeping their identities as the akuma fighting turtles a secret. Master Fu also keeps from them the identities of Ladybug and Chat Noir, as a precaution.

Here’s what I was thinking in terms of their dynamics with the class:

Leo: mostly hangs out with Kim and Alix, participating in their competitions and showboating (skateboarding, maybe?), he also joins the fencing club (something he is familiar with, but is still entirely different from what he knows) and forms a friendship with Adrien through it, and a rivalry with Kagami later.

Raph: lets his instincts lead him to the only person in class with a strong older sibling, Alya, and by extension Marinette and Nino. Whenever Alya nosedives into danger for her blog, Raph nosedives after her to drag her out. He also gets along great with Ivan (and Milene, though she is a bit intimidated by him) as they bond over being big as all get out guys.

Donnie: while the other three get along, to some extent, with most of the class, Donnie is the only one who will avoid interacting with the class, unless his brothers drag him along or it’s either Max (duh) or Nathaniel, whom he sits next to in the back of the class and will partner up with him for science projects, as he is the one less likely to bother help him with them.

Mikey: he hears the words “troubled teen with mommy issues and a preference for the color yellow” and he latches onto Chloe (and Sabrina) for dear life, telling her what she wants to hear, but in a way that keeps her out of trouble, and busting out Dr. Feelings whenever the need arises. If, for whatever reason, Chloe isn’t available, he will hang out with Rose (and Juleka).

Master Splinter: him and Master Fu get along like old friends. Fu will tell him stories about traveling the world with the miraculous and Splinter will show him his old Lou Jitsu movies and tell him factoids about the filming. They both enjoy each other’s company greatly.

Hero dynamics:

Leo and Chat Noir are fucking insufferable together. Despite becoming friends almost immediately, they can’t help but to bring out each other’s most annoying qualities, which isn’t great for

Raph and Ladybug, who are reaching their wit’s end with the other two, even to the point where they will speak in unison when reprimanding them. There’s a sort of mutual respect between them, both as the ones in charge and as wearers of red.

Mikey is everybody’s friend, he laughs at Chat Noir’s jokes and goes along with Ladybug’s plans, unless Raph has anything to say against it.

Donnie will, for the most part, follow either Raph or Leo’s lead in a fight, as he can’t help but see Ladybug as an inexperienced kid and Chat Noir as one Leo too many for his liking.

Ladybug doesn’t trust the turtles at first, but relaxes when Alya shows her pictures of the day inter-dimensional flesh attacked New York and the turtles that saved the city.

Chat Noir loves them almost immediately, even if Raph gets on his case sometimes, he’s like the responsible older brother that Adrien always wanted.

The shipping:

Raph is an Adrinette shipper, through and through, and will join Alya and the other girls in making it happen.

Leo, despite being her rival, thinks that Kagami and Adrien would make the cutest couple and is constantly arguing with Raph about it, along side

Mikey, who thinks that Luka and Marinette are perfect for each other.

Donnie couldn’t care less about the whole ordeal and is, in fact, working on an anti-love serum out of spite. His work has yet to bear fruit, but his annoyance will keep him on track.