#samurai street fair

[missneko-otaku]

I can't remember if Ranmaru has ever appeared in some mini short stories in slbp, like in Samurai Street Fair events? I feel like he hasn't? I think Kansuke, Kojirou and even the weird Hojo kid had a short story..

I remember when I first encounter him in Nobunaga's route, he stuck into my memory the most bc of his unique hairstyle XD Also, if I remember correctly, I love how he was kinda there always for MC reminding her or supporting her or even comforting her a little whenever sometimes moody Nobunaga is hard to understand or hard to reach.

He is very loyal to Nobunaga yes, but I like how he is there for MC as well, especially when Nobunaga is out on war and MC is left in the castle worrying about her lover. Guess, I wanna read a story about him and know him more XD

Well, just random thoughts that I wanna let out. Pls don't mind me lol

[unoislazy]

Masterlist

Oldest to newest

(The only things out of order are the Headcanons which can all be found at the same spot, specifically for BES)

If I did it correctly you should be able to click the underlined places and they’ll send you right to the story!

Special Information

Request Information

Y'all will never believe what I forgot to add

RDR 2

How To Aim

Arthur Morgan x Reader

One Part

Th actual fic that started it all

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HTTYD

Question? What Question?

Hiccup x Reader

Part 1

Word Count: 1.2k

Summary: Hiccup accidentally lets it slip that his father is expecting him to ask someone a question. Who could that someone be… and what’s the question?

Part 2

Word Count: 1.1k

Summary: You and Hiccup go out to figure out where that smokes coming from. You decide to return back to Berk to tell Stoick what you saw. However, Stoick had other plans in mind.

Somethings Off About That Boy

Hiccup x Reader

Part 1

Word Count: 1k

Summary: Hiccup has always been weird but lately he’s been acting… weirder than usual. What could he be hiding? Maybe you should try to find out on your own. Who knows, maybe he’s just going to the woods to make weird outfits.

Hiccup Haddock Headcanons

Word Count:459

Hiccup x reader headcanons : just general ones, no specific focus.

What Can Never Be

Hiccup Haddock x Reader

One Part

Word Count: 2.3k

Summary: You and Hiccup fight together during the battle against Drago Bludvist, what could go wrong?

Warning: a bit of angst

Trapped With You

Hiccup x Reader

One Part

Word Count: 3.4K

Warnings: if you’re prone to second hand embarrassment this one’s gonna be a doozy

A Dragon Trappers Fate

Eret son of Eret x Reader

Part 1

Word Count: 1.5k

Summary: You’re forced to tag along on the quest to find Hiccup after he went off, determined to find Drago. While you there you happen to stumble across a certain dragon trapper. You feel… weird when you look at him. Why?

Part 2

Word Count: 1.7k Words

Summary: you thought you’d only have to see Eret once and never again, that way that weird feeling you got when you looked at him would disappear. Well, turns out you need him again so you an find out where Drago Bludvist is located. No one better to interrogate than a dragon trapper.

Just Talk To Me!

Hiccup x Reader

One Part

Word Count: 2.8k

Summary: You and Eret have gotten pretty close due to your constant fighting practice. Of course, a certain chief isn’t too happy about it but he has a bit of trouble trying to tell you this.

The Outsider

Hiccup Haddock x Reader

(Shocker I Know)

Part 1

Word Count: 2.2k

Summary: You wound up on the shores of Berk after something… had happened to you. Thankfully someone had found you and reported your presence to the Chief.

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Blue Eye Samurai

Spar With Me

Mizu x Reader

Part one

Word Count: 2.7k

Part Two

Word Count: 2.1k

Summary: Not much sparring actually happens this time. But you still somehow wind up in an embarrassing position.

Disclaimers: light language, has not been proofread, shorter and way more embarrassing than the last chapter

Part Three

Word Count: 3.2k

Summary: after dealing with a situation in town, Mizu helps you calm down a bit.

Disclaimer; a small bit of violence

Healing Takes Time

Injured! Mizu x Reader

One Part

Word Count: 4.9k

Summary: you’re just a simple healer minding your business, avoiding a fight that had broken out along your street when suddenly an extremely wounded strange man ends up at your door.

Disclaimers; very soft angst, nothing too bad.

Part Two

Jealousy Looks Good On You

Mizu x Jealous!Reader

One Part

Word Count: 3.6k

Summary: You and Mizu have been close friends for quite some time. You truly enjoyed each others company, that was until Taigen showed up.

Disclaimers; light language, has not been proofread, I am currently delirious from packing and moving all day but I had to write this out to feed the starved mizu lovers. A fair amount may not make sense at this point in time. My apologies ❤️

'Til The Caged Bird Sings

Mizu x Mixed! Fem! Reader

Part One

Part Two

Word Count: 3.9k

Content Warning: Contains violence and mentions of SA

Part Three

Cw: A bit bloody, mentions of SA

Headcannons

Mizu Dating Headcanons

Mizu Fluff Headcanons

Jealous Mizu Headcanons

BES Characters and pets

BES College Au

NSFW Mizu Headcanons

Fucking Brat

Mizu X reader

Part One

Disclaimer: light cursing obvious

Heated but no NSFW

Your Touch

Mizu x Reader

One Part

I lied, here's

Part Two

Fem! Reader

a bit heated, but doesn't go all the way

I Am No Coward

Mizu x Fem! Reader

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Art

Mizu Drawings 1

Mizu Drawings 2

Mizu Drawings 3

Mizu Drawings 4

Mizu Drawings 5

Mizu Doodle (w/ Progress picture)

Mizu Drawings 6

Mizu Drawings 7

Mizu Drawings 8

Mizu Drawings 9

————————————————————

ARCANE

Promises

Vi x Reader

Childhood friends to ? to lovers

Part One

Part Two

[lalunanymph]

Riding on the nanami brainrot!!!! dawn as a bewitched!au enthusiast, it had me thinking about retired army general!nanami and a geisha!reader 🫶 what if after leaving the gojo clan, he settled down and became reader’s patron and they lived happily ever after 🥰

- 🍎

i couldnt get this idea out of my mind and had to write something for it grrr thank you sm apple nonnie ily and your beautiful brain

tw for love making and suggestive themes

The ex-general of the great Gojo clan should be a man who was intimidated by many.

For truly, his countenance, stoic mien, and even the shock of fair hair on his head (so unnaturally light and a contrast to every common passerby on the street) would’ve marked him as a man who would not be into foolhardy pursuits.

But, in your months of living under his roof, you had come to find that General Nanami Kento was indeed an incredibly kind man.

“What are you doing?” 

Kento had awoken from his slumber, padding into the kitchen to find you standing by the stove, hair still in a disarray. A light scruff shadowed his chin, and his face was pinched with fatigue.

In answer, you tightened your silk sash, a teasing grin pulling on your face. “About to surprise you, of course.” 

The general is not a man to be trifled with. Hence, when he tilted his head to the side, unsure of what your coy entendre was supposed to mean, you were slightly terrified of his rejection.

What would he say to your next plan? Would he ridicule you and find it foolish? 

“Surprise?” His rough, low voice involuntarily sent shivers down your spine. “What kind of surprise?” 

The general does not like to be blindsided. Your answer was meek, almost like a girl who was about to be berated by her superior.

“I wanted to… I wanted to dance for you, Kento-san.” 

Now, his attention was piqued. Nanami’s back went ramrod straight, those dark eyes widening infinitesimally. “Dance for me? Why ever for?” 

He did not sound disappointed or peeved. Instead, you detected a note of curiosity in his genuine question—the first stirrings of a man who had never been indulged in such finery.

You had to hide a smirk behind your fall of hair. Only General Nanami—a man who brought an infamous geisha under his wing—would be taken aback by her natural want to charm and appease him. 

Your smile was partly patient, partly abashed. “Because,” you started, and walked over to him slowly. Nanami did not cringe back or let himself be bowed over by your sudden proximity; keeping his reactions fastened to his chest. “I want to do it.” 

His throat bobbed with a hard swallow. You could see the ripping flow of emotions erupting across his handsome features; a thread of desire overshadowed by his strict samurai stolidity.

“You do not have to do this.” His voice was soft, cottoned with gentleness. Giving you a route of escape should your mortification catch up with common sense. 

You shook your head. “Please, Nanami-san. Let me do this for you. I wanted to show you some lessons I remembered.” 

It had been a considerable amount of time since you last put on a Natsu wa Hotaru for men. Your nerves were getting the best of you, but you strapped on your armour of gratitude towards this man who had housed, fed and clothed you with little to no expectation of any returning sentiments. Why General Nanami had chosen you—perhaps you may never know. But, you had learned to never question providence whenever it fell into your lap like a sleepy, curling kitten. 

Kento was in no obligation to give into your whims, but he eased himself into a cross-legged position onto the tatami floors, the split in front of his striped blue yukata showing off a web of whitened scars. 

You didn’t have any music to accompany you, but Mama-san always did say you had a beautiful humming voice. 

Graciously picking up the uchiwa fan—one of the only items you had taken from your old life in the okiya into your new one as part of his household—you held it above your head, warming up with a low hum. 

Your arm arched overhead, easing in front of your body with a slowed, graceful swoop. You recounted the steps perforated deep into your subconscious from Mama-san’s rigid lessons—spinning on your heel, lifting your head and eyes to the sun to give thanks for the summer. All the while, your voice never broke or petered off, rich and warm like the rays streaming through the paper thin shoji windows. 

Nanami did not move nor you suspected, breathed. He was hewed of stone, fists clenched atop of his lap. The only sign of movement were his eyes, steadily following every motion of your body. Men would often compliment how you moved like water—Mizu no Megami—they called you. 

The water goddess.

There was a fluidity to your motions which would put rainfall to shame, and Nanami was starting to believe why his comrades used to say geishas were the spirits of grace put right onto this earth. 

From the arch of your back, to the curve of your arms in midair, spinning the fan in your lithe fingers like you were one with its fluttering disposition, made him firmly believe you were an otherworldly being. 

And your voice… it never faltered. A sweet, rich octave which brought goosebumps to his skin.

All too soon, your performance ended. You were bright-eyed and warm in your cheeks, waiting for him to thaw, frozen in your ending position of knees bent, arms curved close to your waist. 

Instead of applauding, like rowdy men were wont to do, Nanami slowly got to his feet. 

He approached you, careful not to scare you with too quick of a movement, and soft as down, his large, scarred palms cupped your face. 

You were petrified, not with fear, but with baited desire. He stroked your cheeks, rough pads of his thumbs soothing on your far softer skin, and there was a look you knew all too well on his dear face. They reminded you of watching your onee-sans stagger back into the okiya, drunk and whispering that they would kill you if you told Mama-san of their evening whereabouts. Not much of where they had been, but who they were with.

Older men. Soldiers. Politicians.

Everyone of them wore a secret, satisfied smile like they were sated from a huge meal after starving for decades. Now, years later when you were free from the constrictions of tight obis and etiquette, you could see desire plainly in the open air—finally free to indulge in it.

His lips touched yours in the softest of caresses, and you didn’t fight him off when he swept you into the seam of his embrace. Your body fell against his—like two pieces of Go flushed together, slotting perfectly in each other’s spaces, finding a clear path towards a release of intensity which brimmed and brimmed; eventually bubbling over.

Nanami removed your obi, pulling down your simple, sakura-patterned sobe panels, revealing the tender rise of your shoulders to his touch. He kissed a pathway down your neck, marking his territory right on your collarbones; bold enough to touch his tongue to your pulse point.

Your soft gasp thrilled through the morning air, drops of unfettered desire clinging between both of your bodies like a film of sweat. 

“Tell me to stop,” Kento’s gruff voice breached through the fog in your mind, drawing you down into deeper depths of rapture. “Tell me to stop whenever you want me to.” 

“I do not,” you replied back, heavy in breath and intention when you softly rested your palms on his scarred chest. Without a lingering second for him to chart your intentions and misconstrue them, you unwound his own yukata sash, feeling more of his rough, pale skin under your wandering touch. “I want you, Kento. I want you, it burns.” 

That was enough for Nanami to discard years of training to tame his emotions. The beast within was roaring to claim you, his blood singing like it would whenever he was about to rush into a battlefield. But, this time, it wasn’t severed limbs or broken bones awaiting him, but the terrains of your body drawing him to unleash his brute desire. 

Nanami was brash when he lifted you up, your feet dangling in midair, only to be swept into the crevice of his arms. He brought you to the bedroom with barely any effort exerted, not a droplet of sweat rolling down his sharp cheekbones and sunken temples. 

Gently this time, he laid you on the futon, covering your entire body with his bigger build. You had never noticed how starkly a man towered over you, until you were in this position to look up at him. Wonder stained your sighs, those wide eyes gleaming with a girl-like innocence charming as it tugged on his soul. 

Kento felt a warmth unlike any other he had ever encountered in his arduous life; like a thousand bees were swarming in his chest, warming up the cavities of his austere ribcage housing his equally stony heart. 

His large hands swept down your shoulders, parting your kimono further apart, until the panels were splayed around your naked body. Those dark eyes appraised the crease in between your thighs, memorising them like it was his next terrain to conquer. 

Nanami was never a man who gave into the screamings of flesh, but in this instance, he felt like his veins were sparked with gunpowder—igniting from the base of his spine to the tips of his toes. 

“You are beautiful.”

That lavish praise tumbled freely from his parted mouth, burying itself underneath your blooming affections. 

However, his next words sent you reeling, like a bare branch tumbling in a storm, when he uttered: 

“I want to ruin you.”

His lips descended back onto yours, kissing with an ardour that would’ve frightened a more modest woman. Modesty—thankfully—was not part of your script, and you returned his kiss with an equal zeal that many men would find loose and unbecoming. 

From the ends of your hair to the crest of your toes, your body pulsed with an unbridled heat for him. You were soaked in between your thighs. 

Such simple kisses were making you unravel, unlike a tapestry whose loose thread had the power to undo the striking masterpiece. You were crumbling for Kento, relenting to his relentless passion. 

The taste of sleep and his skin was strong with every curl of his tongue on yours. Something hard and foreign was poking your thigh, and Kento’s strong hips undulated, his mind losing control of his body.

“Fuck,” he swore lowly, eyeing the lines between both of your bodies with a gleam in those dark, unfathomable eyes. 

You cupped his face to yours, admiring every instance of those beautiful features with their scars and faint wrinkles. A part of you wondered—as he shoved his yukata off to one side of the room—if your children would have his blonde hair. 

Nanami’s cock was imposing and resting on your thigh. His kisses were unhurried now, and they were traversing lower and lower down your body. He nipped your collarbones. Kissed your jaw and scraped his teeth on your pulse point. That same mouth roamed in between your breasts, finding the peaks of your stiff nipples and sucking on them tenderly, mouthing on them like he was attempting to extract some deeper essence from your willing body. 

Your breathing hitched when he dared to roam lower—right towards the apex of your body where your lust was undeniable. 

Kento gently parted your thighs, resting deeper in between the promised crease. His mouth touched your pelvis first, sending what felt like hot flashes up your spine. And the moment you felt his mouth on your tender parts, you were sure you moaned loud enough to wake up the old teamaker next door. 

“Kento,” you gasped, disregarding all of your etiquette training to succumb to the lust like you were no better than the harlots walking down cobblestone pavements at night. “Oh! Oh…” 

His tongue was working you into a frenzy, and those thick fingers ran through the seam of your sticky heat, parting your folds to get to the heart of your desire. One thick, calloused finger rubbed firm circles on your sensitive nub, eliciting a tremble in your thighs you had only experienced when standing for too long on a hot day. 

“Kento,” you gasped out, almost purring his name like a wanton whore. “Oh—I-I’m—” you broke off, unable to speak past the pleasure knotting underneath your sternum, making you stutter and choke. Your eyes watered, tears dripping down your cheeks; smeared by loving kisses from the man above you who watched your fall with pure rapture. 

How your brows knitted together, how your mouth fell open, a scream rebounding across the room…

“Shit,” Kento cursed, unable to help himself from driving his hips deeper and deeper into your body. “Shit, shit, shit—I’m—”

His stuttered moan was heralded by a well of warmth filling you up. The ecstasy of belonging to Kento; of feeling him melt into your walls, was the sweetest sin unlike any other. You lived for his flushed cheeks, his feral snarl, his handsome face contorting like it was in pain…

He slumped atop of you, pushing you further into the futon until your chest was smothered from the full weight of him. But, deprivation of air was not your main concern, not when Kento was kissing down your forehead, cheeks and jaw like you were a precious jewel he had just found out was real. 

Your giggle was a sweet sublime balm for his soul, and he smiled like the first warm rays of a summer morning. 

A tenderness unlike any other rooted itself in your soul, and for the first time, you figured out why men would go to war for love; why women sacrificed parts of their souls and bodies for a mere sliver of hope that their love would bloom eternally. 

Your eyes were open, and your heart welcomed every drop of his presence. 

Kento brushed the back of his knuckles down your cheek, expression softening when you began to grin.

“I did not hurt you?” 

Soft as down, you pressed his knuckles to your lips, kissing them softly. “No.”

The stoic samurai tried his best to hide how pathetically his heart raced at your tiny gesture, but his growing smile told the full truth, slowly coming to light like the indentations of a secret message upon paper being shaded in with charcoal. 

“We should be getting up for breakfast.” Ever the worrier, Kento was concerned about your lack of nutrition; if you were already starving and he had overtaxed you. 

But, your returning grin was part deific and part exasperation for the older man before you; filled with a gentleness your scarred and scared heart had never felt in her lifetime.

“We should,” you hummed in agreement. Neither of you made a move to leave each other’s embrace, and the morning sun continued speckling dancing shadows of waving sakura branches against the shoji windows.

©️ LALUNANYMPH

[gear-project]

Annon-Guy: I know you're not too keen of the Capcom Vs. Series, but I hope you can humor or etertain the question here.

If there was a Arc System Works Vs. Capcom Game, which 10 Guilty Gear characters and 10 BlazBlue characters would you choose for the Arc System Works Side?

Years ago, I discussed the idea of an ARC versus SNK roster (which largely consisted of Last Blade and Samurai Shodown characters by the way)...

But I think it's a different story when talking about Capcom.

I would largely argue that Capcom's roster would determine which characters to choose from.

I don't think it's fair to strictly use Street Fighter characters in this instance, since most GG characters could easily wipe the floor with SF's roster on a good day (even Bridget, believe it or not!)

I'd argue that if Capcom wanted to bring their very best to bear against ARC System Works... they'd have to go all out:

And by "go all out", I mean Warzard, I mean Plasma Sword (Star Gladiator), I mean Cyberbots, I mean Darkstalkers... characters that aren't human to begin with! Even Power Stone, Tech Romancer, Monster Hunter, Dragon's Dogma, and Biohazard would be good choices.

That's exactly how strong the cast of Guilty Gear and BlazBlue potentially are combined!

Narrowing each side's roster down to 10 is a little heavy handed, especially in regards to BlazBlue which has a very rich cast of characters.

Still, if I ABSOLUTELY had NO CHOICE but to narrow it down (11 Characters each to match Capcom's 22):

GG Side: Sol, Ky, Ramlethal, Happy Chaos, Goldlewis, Bedman, Asuka, A.B.A., Raven, I-No, Bridget

BB Side: Ragna, Jin, Noel, Arakune, Alpha 01 Apocalypse, Sechs, Juusan (Another Nu-13), Another Dark Mai, White Justice (Another Tsubaki), Kokonoe, Another Dark Kagura

Capcom Side: 22 Characters to Match the other side

Valgas (Power Stone) Jack (Power Stone) Hayato Kanzaki (Star Gladiator) Vector (Star Gladiator) Leo (Warzard/Red Earth) Blade (Warzard/Red Earth) Reverto (Monster Hunter Stories) Avinia (Monster Hunter Stories) Ethan Winters (Resident Evil Village) Alcina Dimitrescu (Resident Evil Village) Strider Hien (Strider 2) Strider Hiryu (Strider) Kage (Street Fighter 5) Oro (Street Fighter 5) JP (Street Fighter 6) Luke (Street Fighter 5/6) Gill (Street Fighter 5) Seth (Street Fighter 5) Jin Saotome (Cyberbots) Devilotte de Deathsatan IX (Cyberbots) Pyron (Darkstalkers) Huitzil (Darkstalkers)

THAT'S MY TAKE, AND I'M STICKING TO IT!

[kaccvcate]

Nice mjölner necklace :3

Thank you! It was a gift from my first boyfriend in high school, he got it for me on a date to the renaissance fair. We both dressed up and everything, it was so romantic (I was some sorta medieval street urchin and he was a samurai.)

[shiratamako]

Dull Blade, Keen Edge Chapter 1: Convergence Ilberd/WoL, Haurchefant/WoL

“I still don’t understand why I was required to accompany you,”

After their liaison with the Flame General Raubahn, Shira spoke little between the two men, observing what seemed to be a spirited and hearty reunion between two old friends. Her being there was entirely inconsequential to their affairs, a silent observer to their shared history. Ilberd stepped out from the shadows of the Hall of Flames into the wider streets of Ul’dah. The figure of Raubahn was out of sight, his scarred and rough-hewn face giving only a sliver of a smile bade the two of them farewell after he departed with Roaille, the rose-haired Elezen woman who was his second-in-command.

Shira followed after Ilberd, her smaller strides keeping pace with his effortless footfalls. The blue of Ilberd’s Crystal Braves uniform dazzled in a lurid hue under the strength of the desert sun, in stark comparison to the silhouette of Shira’s black nameless togi, the vestures of a budding samurai. The two of them as a pair drew great contrasts of sheer opposites: his white hair, swarthy skin and imposing figure — her dark hair, fair complexion and diminutive height. Even though she had to crane her neck to look at him, she firmly insisted that she was quite tall for an Au Ra.

Ilberd spoke warmly to Shira, gazing down at her. “We should be glad for such an expeditious outcome, Scion. As I stated before, I wished for you to remain on hand to see that things go smoothly.”

“Did you expect an attack?” she said.

He paused for a moment, casting a hint of reverence on her. “Not with your presence, at least.”

She turned her face away, cheeks warm. She was certain there was some shame in only being there as some deterrent or token. Yet the reasoning was different. Even though Minfilia and others in the realm acknowledged her aptitude with a blade, Shira was never concerned with the accolades of combat. The compliments felt different coming from Ilberd: much too formal to be considered awe, too impartial to be considered praise. The only thing they could be considered was fact. In the end, it was hard to come to terms with the reality of ever-increasing renown. Shira bit the inside of her lower lip. She resolved to find more secluded fishing holes in the future to elude any further tales of heroics.

To Ilberd, she appeared as though she were pouting. Sensing her disappointment through her taciturn sulking, Ilberd laughed heartily. In his deference to her mood, he bared a disarming smile.

“Come now. We can stop for a brief meal at the Quicksand before returning to the Rising Stones.”

It was a welcome promise, making her lift her gaze to meet the smile on his face, however subtle it was. He had already strung her along to the steps of the Adventurer’s Guild. Shira was so used to following that she scarcely registered where they were going, though that was also on the account of how she wandered Eorzea. The opportunity for some food at least put more vivacity in her step. She entered without protest, no other words spoken. They had time to spare before reporting back to Revenant’s Toll. 

The dimly lit surroundings of the Quicksand’s cavernous hall were a welcome reprieve from the harsh light on the streets outside. Already, she felt her dark hair and clothing warm with heat. Sitting across from his immense figure, the table seemed so much smaller than she remembered. Shira stole glances at Ilberd as she perused the menu. Every so often, their eyes met. His dull green eyes would gaze into her, entranced by the faint glow of her limbal rings, a lighter blue that surrounded her irises. When their passing gazes stopped to reflect on each other, he would always smile with gentle, broad lips in silence. She still did not know what to make of him. He was friendly enough, polite and formal in his address to her. He insisted on paying for the meal, even though she had more gil than she knew what to do with. 

The question she asked was abrupt. “You’re not interested in me, are you?”

“Romantically? Seven Hells, Shira. You’re at least twenty summers younger than me.” Ilberd cast her a firm gaze.

“ Twenty? Just how old are you?”

“I just turned forty-four — the same age as the Flame General. Did you think me younger?” a deep chuckle played on his grizzled, yet smooth voice, his arms folded over his chest as though flattered by her naivety. At this, Shira turned away at his self-assured confidence. She felt her cheeks suffused with colour with the shame of finding him admirable. 

“I’m not the best at guessing ages,” she muttered in defeat. She thought he was at best, thirty. Raubahn looked wearier and more scarred than Ilberd did, whose complexion still had traces of a youthful lustre. He merely smiled, amused at her unworldliness. 

He dropped the ruse of playful teasing. “In any case, what gave you the impression of romantic interest?”

“It’s been a while since I’ve had a date, so to speak. Or rather, I just… had my first date.” she hesitated, her eyes furtive. She wasn’t sure if she should tell Ilberd. ”The last time was with Haurchefant.”

“Haurchefant Greystone, of House Fortemps? Did he do anything untoward?” His tone was concerned.

“Not quite. Aside from some strange dining habits, he was pleasant.”

Shira idly twirled a fork with her fingers, examining it for a seal or a maker’s mark before deciding that was probably crude. She set it back down. After witnessing the etiquette regarding the communal salt rock, Shira had to decline to partake in the Ishgardian custom. Haurchefant did tell of his interest to court her if she so chose. Her heart was not swayed by the prospect of romance, and they both agreed to remain as friends.

Ilberd spoke firmly, in caution to the Scion. It was plain to see that she had not been tempered in matters of love. Recognising her awkward and unworldly attitude, his words carried the weight of well-intentioned advice.

“I’d best stay on your guard around him. I heard accounts of his character that he’s an eccentric who is no doubt leering at your body. His friendly mannerisms likely hide some hidden intent to gain your favour, so that he has a chance to lie with you.”

“Haurchefant would?” she frowned. “I can scarcely believe that.”

“Commander Leveilleur told me he was taken aback at the uncouth implications of Haurchefant providing you with a warm bed .”

Shira was silent. She tried to search her memory for such a mention if his construed hospitality was instead some thinly veiled innuendo she failed to catch. A warm bed, and a warmer welcome — it was indeed something Haurchefant might offer when they parted, as part of his eager hospitality. Or was it a warm hearth? Amid these accusations, finding Haurchefant’s words felt impenetrably murky. 

For Ilberd, he felt glad in his heart to see Shira’s ambivalence. He knew at once: that the innocence of the Warrior of Light would be her downfall. 

“It’s plain to see why he’d be enamoured with you.” He offered this with the same objective impartiality as he did when he spoke of her accolades. “You are a formidable combatant and strikingly beautiful. Any man would be lucky to win your favour.”

“That’s quite enough,” Shira shook her head disapprovingly, unable to bear such a truth from Ilberd. “You said you had no such feelings for me.”

A smile flickered on his face. “Have faith, Shira. I would never dare lay a finger on you. That I can guarantee.”

═══════════════

They descended into silence after that, retreating into their inner worlds. Ilberd had done naught to further her discomfort after he initially made her uneasy, carrying himself with dignity afterwards. Still, Shira was uncertain how to carry his warning about Haurchefant. That ambivalence was all that Ilberd needed. For the rest of the time spent together, he was a pleasant conversationalist and exceedingly polite.

After a meal of spiced meats, a small partaking of liquor and refreshing mulled tea, and conversations about homelands of the Azim Steppe and Ala Mhigo, they departed the Quicksand after Ilberd settled the sum with a naturalness that bordered on parental affection. Their small tryst in Ul’dah seemed to improve Shira’s opinion of him slightly, though being from differing generations, she still found it difficult to relate to him. 

They could no longer keep Alphinaud in wait at Revenant’s Toll, departing Ul’dah to reach North Thanalan, then to Mor Dhona. A carriage had to be arranged.

“You paid for the meal. I’ve got this,”

He conceded, giving a cockeyed smile. “Very well.”

Shira paid the sum in gil, adamant that she paid the fee for the transportation. She would have had no trouble getting on normally, though she stumbled on the last step. The liquor was stronger than she thought, her head abuzz. She scarcely realized that she hooked her hand around the crook of Ilberd’s arm. It was only until they sat down, she withdrew her hand from him awkwardly. She spoke nothing to him, watching the scenery and horizons change. Her eyelids grew heavy as she desired rest. 

As soon as they had set foot on the cobblestone ground of Revenant’s toll, she roused from her sleep. She found herself resting against Ilberd’s arm. Looking up to him, he cast an inscrutable glance at her. She sat up straight, unaware she was resting on him. 

“Sorry. I must have been more tired than I expected,”

He merely gave a thin smile. “Then it’s fortunate that you were able to get some rest. No doubt, more work awaits us at the Rising Stones.”

The carriage rolled to a stop. Ilberd was the first to step down, followed by a reluctant Shira.

“Let us not tarry. We should report to Alphinaud post-haste,” Ilberd had already started walking towards Seventh Heaven, expecting Shira to follow. 

Even back at the Rising Stones, she contemplated his words, watching the ripples of the gloom in its suffused violet hues. Without a choice, she followed him inside, watching his back as he strode in tall towards the sanctum.

“Strikingly beautiful,” she mouthed the words silently to herself, scarcely believing he told her that. It should not have had such an impact on her as it did. The image of his well-structured face, the scar that grazed his temples and his invariant, deep eyes seemed to dwell for far too long, unable to empty her mind of their peculiar convening in that one, quick moment. She carried that unspoken desire, wishing the answers turned out differently had she not been dispirited about their differences in ages. 

[shadowron]

Troll Bodyguard: A Better Troll Archetype for Shadowrun (1st Edition)

Art by @skullchicken

In my experience, Trolls are like Deckers: everybody basically makes the same one.

Trolls are the only metatype that get modifiers to all of their attributes, and the only one to get a -2 penalty (to both Charisma and Intelligence). This naturally cuts out several runner roles: 

deckers and riggers (quickness/intelligence/reaction based), 

magicians (willpower/charisma based), and 

rockers (charisma).

Rockers! They make the most useless archetype suck even more

Sorry Bambi

Which isn’t fair! 

For 1st edition, they are the only metatype worth playing!

Trolls get +5 Body and one level of natural dermal armor, so really +6 Body: the most fragile troll is more rugged than the buffest human. Between that, the +4 Strength and +1 Reach - trolls are made for melee combat. 

So what kind of troll character builds do we see in 1st edition?

Core rulebook: None. No dwarf either.

Street Samurai Catalog: Troll Street Samurai

Who, famously carrying an Ares MP Light Machine Gun and Panther Assault Cannon, is ranged combat primarily, with only an Armed Combat of 3. Want to make a real samurai?

Give them one of these:

For those who didn’t bother to click through and read my razor sharp take on the Troll Sam - give them a pole arm (like the actual historical samurai weapon shown above), (Strength)S3 damage with +2 Reach, so against non-trolls with non-reach weapons they’re at Target Number 2. With Armed Combat 6 they’re getting 5 successes on average, staging up the damage to Deadly.

For an unarmored target, this will mostly likely remain fatal. An “average” troll will have a Strength of 7; rolling a Body 6 will only get 1 success on average. Sorry! Need 3 to stage it down to Serious.

But hey - this is why you wear armor! Need at least an Armor Jacket (Impact 3) to survive a troll pole stabbing, and Full Heavy Armor (Impact 6) to have a chance to stab it back.

Pictured: Troll Pole

Sprawl Sites: Former Troll Bounty Hunter

Not sure if this is an improvement over the Troll Street Samurai -- too much reliance on ranged combat.

Also from Sprawl Sites is the Troll Bouncer contact:

While this would actually be a great background for a character -- after all, how many adventures include a club or bar? But I think we can do better. We will do better. 

Let’s make a better troll shadowrunner.

Troll Bodyguard

Following in the tradition of the Decker & Elven Decker, Merc & Ork Mercenary & Dwarf Mercenary, we’re going to make this the metatype counterpoint to the Bodyguard:

Gotta have the Tres Chic clothing...

The human Bodyguard archetype has Attributes at Priority 4 (30 points), Tech at Priority 3 (400,000 ¥), Skills at Priority 2 (24 points), with Race (human) and Magic (none) taking up the rear. Looking at the table:

Always look at the table.

The Troll Bodyguard will have Race at Priority 4, and can still have the same Tech Priority as the human Bodyguard; we can just take the exam same set of equipment and cyber. Take Attributes at Priority 2 (20 points, a ten point drop) and Skills as Priority 1 (20 points, a four point drop). 

Here’s were we blatantly abuse the rules.

Trolls get -2 to both Charisma and Intelligence, but ability modifiers are assigned after attribute points are assigned, with a minimum of 1 and maximum of 6. Other than Essence, which can take on real number values, all other attributes must be positive integers. So if you assign 3 points to Charisma, it drops to 1. If you assign 2 points to Charisma, it still drops to 1, since that’s the lowest it can go. So unless you’re going to assign 4 points (to get a 2), you may as well only assign 1. 

Yes, this erases the attribute penalty, but you are ending up with a 1 for an attribute, so it’s not so bad.

Attributes

Body: 9 (12) Quickness: 3 Strengh: 8 Charisma: 1 Intelligence: 1 Willpower: 5 Essence: 0.2 Reaction: 2 (6)

Since we’re just porting over the Bodyguard’s stuff, we have factored in Wired Reflexes 2 (compensating for the low Reaction) and Dermal Plating 3 to factor in, on top of the natural troll dermal armor of 1, giving us a body of 12. 

Plus Partial Heavy Armor. 

And Skillsofts! 9 of them, to be precise, which will compensate for the loss of skill points. 

Skills

Armed Combat: 6 Firearms: 4 Negotiation: 4 Unarmed Combat: 6

Cyberware

Air Filtration: 5 Dermal Plating: 3 Skillwires: 3 Smartgun Link Wired Reflexes: 2

Gear

Skillsofts:

Bike: 3

Car: 3

Computer: 3

Electronics: 3

Etiquette (Corporate): 3

Etiquette (Street): 3

Etiquette (Tribal): 3

Etiquette (Military): 3

Projectile Weapons: 3

Colt Manhunter (Smartgun Link, Firepower Ammo, Reactive Trigger, Extended Clip) Ammunition (Heavy Pistol, 50 rounds, Explosive) Armor Clothing Tres Chic Clothing Partial Heavy Armor High Lifestyle (2 months prepaid)

Contacts: Choose 2 from

Bodyguard Gang Boss Ork Mercenary Mr. Johnson

[fotzepolitic]

She Is Conann

She Dies Tomorrow

The Red Shoes

Reds

We're All Going To The World's Fair

Donnie Darko

Righting Wrongs (1986)

Cop (1988)

Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978)

Mean Streets

Taxi Driver

Hidden City (1987)

Pinocchio 964

Artists And Models

Gambit (1966)

Pretty Poison (1968)

Fantasmas

Problemista

Seven Samurai

Crocus (1971)

Jefferson Circus Songs (1973)

Pinball (2013)

Joy Street (1995)

El doctor (2006)

Visitation (2011)

[gaymer-hag-stan]

PS4 / PS5 Era Fighting Games Ranked By How Many Female Fighters Are Playable

If you're like me, and I know I am, you always pick the cunty bitchy girlies in fighting games over the gross sweaty guys so I decided to make a tier ranking of all the (decent) modern fighting games that actually matters!

No Boys Allowed - No games in this tier because our world is imperfect

Almost... - Skullgirls gets pretty close to nailing things but they went and added TWO whole MEN and ruined things!

Let's Just Meet In the Middle - Melty Blood, Dead or Alive 5 and Cross Tag Battle feature a pretty healthy amount of female characters with Granblue, Central Fiction, Under Night, Persona 4 Arena and Chronophantasma following cloaw behind.

This Is Practically a Sausagefest - To be fair, the situation in SoulCalibur VI, Street Fighter 6, KOFXV, Samurai Shodown, KOFXIV and Guilty Gear Xrd is salvageable, but the situation gets progressively worse from SFV onwards. MK11 only has 12 girls, Strive has 8, Tekken 7 has 16... In a cast of 50 and so on...

...Boys Are Gross! - By far the worst offender though is Dragon Ball FighterZ where only FIVE female characters are playable, and one is just a different version of Android 21!

In all seriousness though, I'm just joking here, all of these games are great so if you haven't already go pick any of them and play!

Although more female fighters is obviously always a good choice. Tell me who is your favourite!

[mutagn]

𝐌𝐈𝐘𝐀𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐎 𝐔𝐒𝐀𝐆𝐈 𝐀𝐍𝐃: 𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐘.

changed the whole layout of my day just to get on and make this post. anyway below the cut i'm going to outline all of the things i'm stealing from usagi's source material, usagi: yo.jimbo, to add to his 2003 characterization. i AM going to be pretty picky because i think it's fair to say that the character in 2003 is not exactly the character from the yojimbo comics - this is just to help flesh him out a little. bear in mind that usagi is canonically around 16 when we're introduced to him at the battle nexus tournament, so things will have to be adjusted from his canon proper in order for his age in the show to make sense. tws for death/death of a parent, murder, other various gritty samurai things.

usagi was raised as the only son of a village headman, though he did not spend much time at home. he loved and respected his father, and, later, was granted leave from his training to travel back to his home village and pay his respects at his father's grave.

at age 3, typical for most young boys being trained to be samurai, he was given his first wooden katana to train with. he learned to fence very quickly.

eventually he was sent, along with childhood friend/rival kenichi, to train at the dogora school of bushido. while travelling there, a group of dishonourable students set about attacking an old man (he's literally a lion) in the street. the old man held his own and beat the students despite being vastly outnumbered. usagi, enamoured with his technique and style, set about trying to convince this man to become his sensei instead.

the man (lion), katsuichi, initially refused to train usagi - until usagi convinced him by standing outside of his house, morning and night, for days on end, through rain and sun, displaying his tenacity and determination. he is so annoying i love him

usagi was katsuichi's only student, but he was mischievous and sneaky enough to make this poor guy feel like he had a whole class. stole a sword from a dead soldier once. nearly got his hand cut off trying to return it. just usagi things

around here is usagi's first foray into the battle nexus; he's 13, still training, and about to beef a fully grown dragon

when usagi 'graduated' at age 15 he was brought to a fencing tournament hosted by the dogora school and won the fuckin thing because of course he did. the last bout of the tournament was up against kenichi, who did in fact attend dogora school and became its top student. upon winning this tournament, usagi was gifted the daisho he uses still today; the katana, yagi no eda (willow branch) and the wakizashi, aoyagi (young willow).

the guy that intervened and stopped usagi getting his hand cut off for the thieving thing up there turned out to be the daimyo, mifune. he was in attendance at the tournament and was like. i gotta get this kid on payroll

so he did

im not giving this child a son. i just don't think that would be fair to anyone involved. jotaro i love you though good luck out there kid

it's just hit me now that they call usagi a 'ronin' during his introductory episode which means all of the trauma must have happened before he turned 16. this is the most miserable i've ever been

i won't even sugar coat it man ninjas were hired to assassinate mifune and killed his wife and son. this sparked a big war in which mifune was killed by a barrage of arrows on the battlefield. usagi had to perform his final duty, i.e cutting off this guy's head and burying it somewhere secret to save it from desecration

oh also one of usagi's closest friends goes turncoat that battle and runs away. dw though usagi murders him for it later!

happy 16th birthday usagi. do you want to go to the battle nexus tournament and get a boyfriend. cool

now we're all caught up. he's going to kill gunichi soon-ish. at around 17/18 i figure. after the events of samurai tourist.

[basedkikuenjoyer]

Akazaya Reputations

This is one of those things I wish had been spelled out a little more, it could be a really cool SBS question down the line so fingers crossed. The idea is simple; each member of the gang was legendary in Wano. What for? A lot of little bits suggest how people saw the samurai, so think of this as an attempt to fill in the gaps. A rough idea of how the average person in the country saw their future heroes pre-Kaido. The stories people told waiting for the return of the Kozuki.

Kin’emon: This man’s freakish luck knows no bounds. Remember his bungle looking like a masterstroke of brilliance before the Raid? Yeah...no one in the gang was really surprised by this. To the general public though, this makes the goof look like a genius. Bet he’s always been pretty popular and well, I was shocked to learn it but he wasn’t lying about being popular with women back home.

Denjiro: He’s one that depends on who you ask. Merchants in Bakura? Hated him, dude was the one doing the shopping and he had to be merciless when it came to haggling. See him as someone scoundrels had more respect for but average citizens thought was a little sketchy. Attracted a lot of strange rumors, many encouraged by Denji himself.

Izo: More a trivia piece before too long. Ringo and Kuri remembered him a little better but people either knew he never came back, have some crazy story about how he died, or forgot him. If people did remember him, it’s either as Kiku’s big brother who faded away early or older folk who remember the Hanayanagi Dance School scandal.

Kiku: Well, we know she had a reputation for beauty and people recognize the mask over her. Like...I can buy the idea if an average person on the street saw Kawamatsu and Raizo strolling along with a fair-faced samurai they’d guess who it was, but if she ditched the mask and went into town wearing a pretty kimono could blend in. Well, as well as someone 9ft tall can. Bakura though, it was an open secret and the people who saw her grow up there just let it go. Last one of the group you’d want to find you if your crime was against innocent women or especially children, but otherwise likely one of the more forgotten members being so young.

Kanjuro: Everyone thought this jerk was a weirdo before and nothing you can say will change my mind. Or really, people probably did think of him as a bit of an oddball or clown. Imagine his doodles were popular though, that’s such a fun power to see in action. Given his ulterior motives he probably wouldn’t want to stand out.

Raizo: Old face was a meme to begin with apparently. Poor guy. He was pretty well known as a ninja though so I’m sure people respected his skills far and wide. Definitely one of the group people would think of as a respectable retainer to follow Oden. But like, with a humorous underside. Probably the victim of “The Franky Effect” for the people of Wano. Men wish they had his ninja skillz. Women can’t see past his...well, I don’t know if I can explain it to someone outside that sphere. Desperation isn’t sexy, learn more ninpo with flowers.

Ashura: I think the big guy is the one that’s the best representation of the group as a whole. People remember he had a career as a bandit, but that he reformed his ways as Oden came into his own. Obviously probably had a lot of respect for his strength. I see him being a huge deal to the people of Kuri though. Almost like a big, flashy measuring stick. If he can be that civilized, I can be better too. I could see there being a Kabuki comedy about the bandit learning to be cultured. 

Neko/Inu: Treated as a matched set because I feel like people would too. They’d definitely have a rep as something standout. A sight to see if nothing else. Imagine Inu’s character would appeal to the more sober high society set and Neko has a bit of a reputation as a goofball the masses love. Part of the problem is that they were young enough you wouldn’t expect them to be the strongest, so they’d likely just be a spectacle for being Minks.

Kawamatsu: One of the most interesting ones! Did he earn the title of Yokozuna? Who says Sumo matches in Bakura Town were a new thing? A retainer competing in his spare time, especially as a youth, wouldn’t be strange at all. Now, a Kappa would be but then again that’s something more Wano than the Minks. His lore is more friendly so it’s less of a barrier if that makes sense. I could see Kawamatsu being rather famous as an athlete on the side.  

[ga-yuu]

Yoritomo & Yoshitsune Chapter 1

WARNING! Story contains creepy zombies and gore.

----Part 1----

Yoshino: "...The two heroes I choose are----"

Yoshino: "Yoritomo-sama and Yoshitsune-sama---"

Yoritomo and Yoshitsune: "...!"

Yoritomo: "Together with Yoshitsune..."

Yoshitsune: "Together with Yoritomo...?"

(Out of all, I feel like these two are more suited for this job)

Eight-headed serpent: "The Oracle has come down."

The serpent grabbed the bewitching ball of light and its glow intensifies.

Yoshino: "Ah."

Just then, I saw something appear in the center of it.

All light is sucked into it at once.

(So bright!)

I closed my eyes and after a moment when I opened it----

Two hard objects fell into my palm.

Yoshino: "These are..."

(Earrings? Looks like a pair)

Yasuchika: "---It's a spell binding tool."

Eight-headed serpent: "Exactly."

Eight-headed serpent: "The chosen heroes must wear them if they wish to seek hero's might."

Eight-headed serpent: "If you don't want to shorten your life, don't use it unless necessary."

Yoritomo: "What a pain, but it can't be helped. Yoshino, give it to me."

Yoshitsune: "..Me too."

Yoshino: "Yes..."

I handed them the earrings.

As soon as they received it, it twinkled once in response.

Yoritomo: "Don't lose it in the doldrums, eh? Yoshitsune."

Yoshitsune: "Don't act like you care."

Yoshitsune-sama sharply glared at Yoritomo-sama.

Morinaga: "It's kind of, well..."

Akihito: "Is this what you call fate?"

Tamamo: "I never thought that the two men who started the last war are now going to have to fight together to save the world from doom."

(That's right...can they really fight together?)

Benkei: "Yoshitsune-sama..."

Kagetoki: "If I may ask, what are the restrictions for these trials?

Yoshino: "Restrictions?"

Kagetoki: "If there are an infinite number of corpses to fight, then no matter how much hero's might power you have, the people of Hinomoto will die in a single night."

Kagetoki: "I suppose there has to be some sort of restrictions to make the trials fair."

(I see...)

Eight-headed serpent: "The dead cannot come from the Underworld to the Human world on their own."

Eight-headed serpent: "They are brought in by necromancers and will be limited in numbers at a time."

Eight-headed serpent: "One necromancer will appear per trial."

Ibuki: "So you're saying we must stop the necromancer?"

Kurama: "So after defeating the necromancer the corpses will no longer show up?."

Yoichi: "But the way you say 'only one necromancer can show up per trial' means there is gonna be an infinite number of trials they have to fight it over and over again?"

Yasuchika: "That's gonna be a never-ending battle."

----Part 2----

Yasuchika: "That's gonna be a never-ending battle."

Eight-headed serpent: "No ordeal will be given that you cannot overcome."

Eight-headed serpent: "If the Underworld recognizes that the living is qualified to retain their lives through a grueling battle the corpse-remains will no longer appear."

The serpent's tail moved swiftly.

Eight-headed serpent: "Let me show you your first trial."

(Eh?)

The air in front of us ruptures and the landscape is squishily distorted.

There was something being projected on it...

We see a bell tower...

Shigehira: "That's the center of Kamakura city."

Sueharu: "I've got a bad feeling about this."

Kurama: "---Something is coming."

The street where people come and go slowly cracks.

(That's!)

Earthly-colored limbs could be seen crawling out of the black cracks.

Townspeople: "What the...!?"

One by one, corpses start to emerge and crawl around.

Decomposed bodies and somewhat vacant eyes...

Their boney hands held rusty sword and bloody spears.

(Don't tell me those are the corpses we have to face...!?)

Wild samurai: "...! Oi!"

Several wild samurai who were looking at the armoury in a shop pulled out their swords as if in a panic.

Wild samurai 2: "What the hell are these!?"

Corpse 1: "---We are the army of the dead. We are here to judge the living."

Wild samurai 3: "Go away...I'll kill you!"

Corpse 2: "Judgement of the Underworld---"

The wild samurai takes a step towards the corpses, who show no signs of stopping.

(Ah)

Wild samurai 3: "....!"

The sword of the samurai who swung down easily sliced through the body of the corpse.

Corpses: "........"

(They didn't die)

Not a drop of blood flowed, not even a groan spilled.

Wild samurai: "M-Monster!"

People can only stand there looking shocked.

Meanwhile, the corpses are crawling out one after another as if they are trying to become an army.

Wild samurai: "Ah..AARGHH..."

One of the corpses silently raises his sword at a wild samurai who has fallen on the ground.

(No! Run away!)

The scene disappeared suddenly.

Eight-headed serpent: "Interesting isn't it? A whole army of dead bringing Kamakura down."

Yoshino: "Why are you attacking these innocent people? They have nothing to do with this!"

Eight-headed serpent: "Death is unreasonable. Otherwise, an innocent man would be no better than a newborn baby."

The eight-headed serpent shows its sharp fangs in mockery.

Eight-headed serpent: "Well-a hero has been chosen and from now on the world is doomed."

Eight-headed serpent: "Salvation or demise?"

Eight-headed serpent: "Take hold of them with your own hands. O children of mortals."

Eight-headed serpent: "If only that could be achieved by two people who hate each other."

Eight pairs of eyes caught Yoritomo-sama and Yoshitsune-sama.

Yoritomo and Yoshitsune: "......."

(.......)

At the same time, two swords are drawn and pointed at the eight-headed serpent as if to challenge it.

Yoshitsune: "The will of the Underworld is apparently even more stubborn than Yoritomo."

Yoritomo: "Also a pain in the ass to deal with, than Yoshitsune."

-----Part 3-----

Yoshitsune: "The will of the Underworld is apparently even more stubborn than Yoritomo."

Yoritomo: "Also a pain in the ass to deal with, than Yoshitsune."

Eight-headed serpent: "I buy into the spirit of defiance and have one last piece of advice for you."

Eight-headed serpent: "---No hero can escape his past. As long as they live."

Eight-headed serpent: "If you are tired of being pursued you may choose to sink your soul into the Underworld."

(Ah...)

The fog thickens and covers the eight-headed serpent entirely.

Soon, the sound of the waves breaking beyond the fog are heard.

(....The air feels lighter)

Yoshitsune: "It's gone, I guess."

Yoritomo: "The fog is also clearing up."

The eight-headed serpent is no longer visible in the surface, which is starting to become faintly visible.

Yoritomo: "Let's talk about this later. Our first priority is rescuing the townspeople."

Yoshitsune: "You're right."

The glances exchanged between them were still hardly friendly.

(But that's not our priority for now)

We left the beach, and all the soldiers and horses who were unconscious woke up.

We all ran towards the city.

Then two messengers, each from the SHogunate and the Rebels, rushed in from the front....

Shogunate messenger: "Yoritomo-sama! I've been looking for you!"

Rebel messenger: "Yoshitsune-sama...! Thank god you're safe."

Yoshitsune: "We are aware that there have been attacks by unworldly beings.:

Yoritomo: "We don't have much time. Report while we run."

Soldiers: "Yes!"

Shogunate soldier: "We have been informed by our contacts on the scene that the two military units that were searching nearby are engaging in the battle...!"

Shogunate soldiers: "They are stopping the monsters from heading toward where the townspeople are."

Shogunate soldiers: "Other units are in the process of being assembled by the messenger requesting support."

(As expected in this extraordinary situation. But...)

Neither the supposedly brave Shogunate soldiers nor the Rebels soldiers could hide their fright.

Yoritomo: "We've got the situation under control. I and Yoshitsune will take the lead."

Yoshitsune: "Continue to call in other units."

At the calm words of Yoritomo-sama and Yoshitsune-sama, the soldiers look relieved and run again.

Yoritomo-sama looked back at everyone again.

Yoritomo: "As soon as we get to the scene, we'll split up and lead the squad."

Yoritomo: "I and Yoshino will be in the same squad, while Yoshitsune will be working on the frontlines with us."

(Okay. If push comes to shove, I'll have to stop the two of you from your powers that will be running amok...)

Yoshitsune: "...."

-----Options 1-----

Leave it to me. (Yoritomo +4/ Yoshitsune +2)

I'll do my best (Yoshitsune +4/ Yoritomo +2)

----------

Yoshino: "I'll do my best, and I look forward to working with both of you!"

Yoshitsune: "When you say something like that, how can we refuse."

Yoshino: "Eh?"

Yoshitsune: "I used to respect you as an enemy for your commitment to your fellow man."

Yoshino: "Yoshitsune-sama..."

Yoshitsune: "There is probably very little I can do for you."

Yoshitsune: "But I'll do everything I can to help."

Yoshino: "....Yes! Thank you."

(I couldn't have ever thought that Yoshitsune-sama would say something like this to me before)

Yoritomo: "Your majesty----"

Akihito: "I, Yasuchika, and Ibuki will lead the evacuation of the people."

-----Part 4-----

Akihito: "I, Yasuchika, and Ibuki will lead the evacuation of the people."

Akihito: "If all the soldiers are sent into battle and the people will be less protected."

(That's reassuring)

Yoshino: "If we all work together, we'll be able to protect the people of the town...."

Yoshitsune: "But the situation is unpredictable."

Yoshitsune: "Adding up the number of soldiers that I and his majesty brought are..."

Yoshitsune: "THere must be less than a thousand soldiers available to operate here in Kamakura at the moment."

Yoshino: "Is that so?"

Yoritomo: "Most of the warriors who follow me usually govern their own lands and come to me when war is called."

Yoritomo: "Now that the war has started without warning, we are certainly limited in the forces we can provide."

(In a normal war, the enemy's approach would be known in advance, so sufficient forces could be called in...)

(When you're dealing with the dead, the conventional wisdom doesn't apply)

A feeling of dread and unease runs down my spine.

Yoshitsune: "Surrounded by mountains and the sea, and cut through a narrow mountain face, Kamakura is an impregnable town."

Yoshitsune: "But I don't think they've been trained for the kind of hordes that have sprung up from within this time."

(That's...)

Yoshitsune: "I never thought that after the war against the Shogunate was over, I would see the defenses of Kamakura crumble."

Yoritomo: "You talk about it like it's someone else's business, but you've been forced into the role of being the bulwark of a crumbling defense too."

Yoshitsune: "I wouldn't go so far as to say it's appalling because the lives of people are at stake."

Yoritomo: "Really now? Your idealism brings tears to my eyes."

Yoritomo-sama lifted one edge of his lips and ended the subject with a sarcastic smile.

...............

(Over there!)

As the place shown by the eight-headed serpent approached.

Before we have the time to make up our minds, we see a terrible sight.

Corpse 1: "Humans, perish----"

Corpse 2: "Hehehehe....die die die die die die die die die die die..."

Shogunate soldier 1: "Don't come closer!...Ah...ARGHHH..."

Shogunate soldier 2: "Don't be afraid! If we fall here, then the people will be....!"

Rebel soldier 1: "Damn it! No matter how many times we cut them, they never die!"

Large numbers of corpses were trying to cross the bridge and into the river, heading towards the town center.

The soldiers kept slicing the corpse while slowly stepping back.

Yoshino: "If we don't do anything, they'll step on the soldiers..."

Yoritomo: "Hurry up."

----Part 5----

Yoshino: "If we don't do anything, they'll step on the soldiers..."

Yoritomo: "Hurry up."

They sorted through the large number of troops who were able to join us to reach this point.

Everyone else is already in place leading their own squads.

(Kamakura troops are ordered by the Yoritomo-sama, while the Rebel soldiers move on Yoshitsune-sama's orders to encircle the army of the dead...)

(That was the plan, wasn't it?)

(I and Yoritomo-sama's squad will go to the front line in coordination with Yoshitsune-sama's squad)

Yoritomo: "Yoshino, try not to bite your tongue."

Yoshino: "Yes!"

With me in front of the horse, Yoritomo-sama grips the reins tightly from behind.

Yoshitsune: "I'll go first."

As soon as he said it, Yoshitsune-sama kicked his horse's belly and ran beside us.

The Rebel soldiers soon followed his back.

Yoritomo-sama also gives a signal to his soldiers and they run like the wind.

Rebel soldier 2: "Surround them! Though they outnumber us."

Rebel soldier 3: "Even so, how many times do we have to kill them!?"

(When you're dealing with the dead, the advantage of numbers means very little)

(...I knew it, but it's quite an uphill battle)

Yoshitsune-sama and Yoritomo-sama ride their horses into the ford at the foot of the most heavily fought bridge.

Soldiers on both sides of the line looked up in surprise when they recognized their figure.

Shogunate soldier: "Yoritomo-sama! Yoritomo-sama is here!"

Rebel soldier: "Yoshitsune-sama, you came..."

The fire of hope burns in everyone's eyes, even in these circumstances.

Yoritomo: "You have held up well so far."

Yoshitsune: "I shall use this sword to apologize for keeping you waiting."

Two men at the head of a galloping column, with horses alongside---both, wear earrings at the same time.

(...! This light)

In the murmur, the stones in the earrings sparkle mysteriously...

Yoritomo: "Now let's get down to business."

Yoshitsune: "Power comes with resolve."

Multiple colored lights flash wildly and eventually converges.

(Ah...)

I stared at the two of them.

Bewitching eyes that seem to have melted into the light that was flitting about earlier, hair that has changed like a different person...

(It's not the same appearance change that I, Yoshitsune-sama, and Akihito-sama go through when we use our demonic powers. It's a completely fresh look)

(It's as if they are no longer human anymore...)

Yoritomo: "...Heh, you look quite handsome, Yoshitsune."

Yoshitsune: "...."

Yoshitsune: "You don't look good."

Yoritomo: "You insolent man."

The swords raised by the two men glowed so brightly that they could be mistaken for flames, and were pointed at the corpses-----

[frostedlemonwriter]

Get To Know A Character From My WIP

Thanks a lot @saltysupercomputer

Logan Erikkson is a human woman from the City-State of Seattle who gained its independence from the N-USA, the New United States of America. In a world full of elves, dwarves, gnomes, aelotai (fairies who can't fly anymore), orks, and trolls, alongside magic and even evil dragons who plot the downfall of metahumanity through corruption and politicians. Logan is a former orphan who now works as a street samurai - a mercenary.

@late-to-the-fandom is the one I am tagging

Relationship status: I've only had one true relationship, but I do have a huge crush on the lead singer of my favorite band. An indie rock band comprised of all elves called Knife Ears. They play at The Morgue later tonight!

Favorite color: That's easy - purple! The same as my best friend Emily, but she is just copying me.

Favorite food: Oh! The synthbeef in noodles with Korean spices down at the noodle stand outside my apartment building. If'n I can't get that, I'll just eat the dehydrated steak ya can quickly nuke in the micro.

Song stuck in their head: Witchy Watch by Knife Ears. It is literally sonic gold!

Last thing they searched on a BBS: I hate to admit it, but a dating website for elves. I have a type.

Time: 4:43 pm

Dream trip: Oh! Me and Emy went to Mount Rainier a couple years back. We've talked about going on a week-long trip to Alaska and just escaping technology for a bit. Seems impossible, considering I have a CPU in my brain.

Last thing they read: Other than this? I usually troll Shadowlands BBS and read the flame wars.

Last book they enjoyed reading: I haven't really read a book since I escaped school.

Favorite thing to cook/bake: I make a pretty good cup of soykaf in the morning.

Favorite thing to do in their free time: BDs are awesome. Just slot them in and get a full sensory experience! Action movies, horror movies, hell even smut! I also like to play online games.

Most niche dislike: I can't stand Ork and Troll Heavy Metal. Far too hard for my tastes.

Opinion on circuses: What the fuck is a circus? Is that like the street fairs? Sector 10 has one every year and it is awesome!

Do they have any sense of direction? I don't need one! The CPU will uplink to a GPS and the HUD will tell me where to go!

[gear-project]

Annon-Guy: Forgive if I already asked this before, but what was your first Guilty Gear game and what drew you into the series?

You weren't the first to ask me, but I suppose, since I have a ton of new followers lately that a refresher is in order…

It all started with a Magazine Article I read sometime back in 1999.

At the time, I was still playing games like Mortal Kombat 3 and X-Men versus Street Fighter, and Marvel Super Heroes, but most chances I had to play them was still strictly in the Arcade Scene (I wasn't a rich kid, by any means, so playing these games was few and far between). Even playing Darkstalkers was a rare occasion.

At the time, it wasn't easy to get Japanese games, let alone obscure "unpopular" fighting games that nobody heard of… Guilty Gear: The Missing Link was one of those games.

I was lucky enough to have my step-father buy me a PlayStation game console for my Birthday… but to be honest, even back then, getting decent games that ran on it wasn't easy either.

XMvSF was a disappointment on that console, so at the time I was playing stuff like Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Soul Blade (Soul Edge in Arcades, the precursor to Soul Calibur), and once in a blue moon I got my hands on demos of obscure things like Tekken 2 and the original Beastorizor (Bloody Roar), as well as demos of Battle Arena Toshinden.

Again, like I said, getting the full versions of these games wasn't easy… I was a poor kid in grade school and moving on to high school and my parents didn't like my gaming habits to begin with…

It wasn't until the summer of 2000 (roughly, my memory is a little hazy at this time), that I went with one of my old friends to visit our old local State Fair in the hot summer.

After having a little fun and eating some fair food… we left to head home, but on the way back, we came across a very rustic-looking used-record store.

The name of the place is Record Head… back in the day, they were more famous for selling old speakers, used drums, VCR parts, and guitars, but they also sold used records and… USED GAMES.

On that hot summer afternoon… Lady Luck gently put her "Golden" hand upon my shoulder.

For a measly $15 I bought not one but TWO FAMOUS FIGHTING GAMES.

Guilty Gear: The Missing Link

and

SAMURAI SHODOWN 3: BLADES OF BLOOD (better known in Japan as The Peerless Blade of Zankuro).

I was so excited… I couldn't wait to go home and play both these games… my friend at the time could probably tell how elated I was.

My early first impression of Samurai Shodown 3 was the infamous "Samurai Slowdown" moniker that the game was known for having ridiculous load times… but even back then, it was still pretty to play and fairly arcade accurate.

However… the first Guilty Gear was EVEN BETTER.

Faster combat, almost NO load times, ridiculous mechanics… not to mention being able to CHARGE UP YOUR ATTACKS AND DESTROY SOMEONE.

Outside of Alpha 3's World Tour Mode and dipswitches, I had never known such freedom in a fighting game before.

Freedom… to cancel your attacks in to anything…

Freedom… to airdash anywhere you want to go, jump where you want to go…

Freedom… to do over the top skills, and pull off ridiculous combos…

The original Guilty Gear for PlayStation (PSX as we called it back then) was also a glitchy mess… some hitboxes would shift from one end of the screen to the other… people could accidentally input instant kills just by button mashing…

I'm actually more surprised it didn't crash like later fighting games might be prone to doing!

But to me… all that chaos was just proof of the freedom I was getting, instead of the restrictive precise inputs that Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat were known for.

I still very much enjoyed games like Samurai Showdown and Soul Calibur of course… among other fighting games I could get my hands on (I still regret not getting in to the Bloody Roar Series, and Toshinden… but I was too poor to afford those games…)

Perhaps one day I will revisit them on my YouTube Channel… but I digress!

Some time later… I met a man who would become a major rival to me for many years, who also introduced me to Guilty Gear X Plus… but that's a story for another day.

If I had to say the character that left the biggest impression on me… it was Justice. Not Sol Badguy, not Ky Kiske… not even Baiken or Testament.

Justice was the character who left that huge impression on me in the very first Guilty Gear that came out in the summer of 1998.

And I've been playing this series ever since.

Nowadays I play less Justice and more Ramlethal… but the excited and fierce feelings I had back then haven't changed very much.

I still face challengers with gusto… and I take my losses with honor…

I think I've also gotten a lot stronger than I was back then.

The "me" from back then was… very immature and impulsive… I got hot under the collar more times than I care to admit.

I'd say my "old self" would throw a tantrum and rage quit if he fought against "the current me" today.

But that's part of growing. And nowadays I play a lot more than just Guilty Gear.

Perhaps one day I'll forgive Capcom for their past betrayals and even play Street Fighter 6 one last time… we'll see…

[lyinar]

For fairness, FFG's Genesys ruleset is a generified version of what they came up with for their Star Wars game. I've run both, and the weird dice system makes for some amazingly cinematic combats because you can fail but still get some benefit out of it and succeed while something still goes wrong. I've found that how it works clicks on about your third roll with it.

As an example of the cinematic combat, the Genesys game I ran was in a mashup setting that started as Shadowrun and had stuff like the Dresden Files and The Secret World and Assassin's Creed folded into it. In the fight that was the culmination of the PC Shadowrunners' op to take out a combination soy plantation and blood magic research station run by Aztechnology, a guard shot at the party's Street Samurai, and failed badly enough to give a free shot to his target. The Street Samurai managed to hit but also rolled a disadvantage that dropped them prone. So, the end result was that the Street Samurai, who was using rollerblades built into their cyberlegs to quickly cross the compound, hit a rock and fell as the guard fired, causing them to miss, and flawlessly head-shotted the guy with one of their pistols on the way down.

If your players are fans of The Witcher (and are okay with far more crunch than any version of D&D), one of the more interesting byproducts of R. Talsorian and CD Projekt Red working together on Cyberpunk 2077 was a Witcher RPG heavily based around The Witcher 3 and using modified Cyberpunk rules.

If they're fans of Avatar The Last Airbender and/or Legend of Korra, there's an EXTREMELY well-made AvataRPG that's very much built to be a cinematic collaborative-storytelling style game where your characters' big moments of awesome come from finding balance between their conflicting ideals.

Star Trek Adventures is mechanically built to support the fact that your characters are crew members of a ship who work together, and has fast-creation rules for Supporting Characters so the person who plays the ship's Counselor can control a Redshirt on an away mission that they know isn't going to need someone with their main character's skillset.

Age of Sigmar Soulbound is set in Warhammer Age of Sigmar and is all about playing excessively badass characters regularly doing the impossible in a grimdark setting, and the personal costs of being a beacon of hope in such a universe. Or you could play a group using the Champions of Death rulebook and effectively run black ops for the God of Necromancy (or against him, because he REALLY deserves it). Or for the Ultimate Murderhobo Experience, you could play using the Champions of Destruction rulebook and be a merry band of Orruks and Ogors and Troggoths and Grots wreaking mayhem wherever they go. No matter what you play, basically all the player Archetypes have actual extremely high-quality models from Games Workshop.

Speaking of Warhammer, there are now three different rulesets for Warhammer 40k RPGs. The old FFG system had entire games focusing on different game styles, Wrath and Glory is very much an action-focused game, and Imperium Maledictum is focused on lower-level operatives working for a patron within the Imperium of Man.

And, of course, there's also the upcoming Daggerheart, made by the people behind Critical Role, which very much leans into an improv-heavy collaborative storytelling style.

D&D has its place, and is actually a well-made game for what it does, but it's far from all that's out there.

Not an original observation but it's legitimately insane how common of a story "I don't want to run d&d 5e anymore but I'm stuck running it because it's the only thing my group will let me GM for them" is. It's fucking everywhere in any non-D&D focused ttrpg space.

Like. I think "the person who does like 90% of the work to make the game actually happen gets to pick what game we play" should be the bare minimum of courtesy towards a GM.

[jadeatyonsei]

#1 blog post

Hi everyone! Welcome to my brand-new blog. My name is Jade and I am currently doing my semester abroad at Yonsei University in South Korea. In my first post I wanted to tell you more about what kind of person I am and what I’m looking forward to in the future.

First things first, let me give you a quick backstory about who I am and what got me here. I was born in the south of Poland in a tiny countryside. I lived there up until I finished high school and moved to Austria to attend university there, where I am part of an English-taught program “Business and Economics” at the Vienna University of Economics and Business. I am currently in my 3rd and final year of university and after my adventure in Korea I will be left with writing my bachelor thesis. For my master’s degree I would love to switch fields and learn more about Computer Science, AI or related topics and move to a new country to do that. Studying abroad has been my dream ever since I can remember. I first heard of Yonsei when I was about 15 years old, and never in my life did I expect to end up being an exchange student here. I studied hard all of my teenage years to get into an international university, making sure to take part in school contests and get the best grades possible. I am really happy that every day I get to fulfill my dream and I hope I can get the most out of this experience.

Now that you know a bit about me let me tell you about some things I love. As a kid I was always told that I’m good with languages – I suppose that’s what sparked my interest in them in the first place. Apart from speaking English and Polish, I also know German and a fair bit of Korean. Once I feel confident with my command of those, I want to return to learning Spanish and Ukrainian, since I’d like to be able to speak six languages. Other than that, I love learning about other cultures – either through travelling, watching travel vlogs on Youtube, cultural exchange with other foreigners or trying out new cuisines. I also experience cultures by reading books, which is another thing I love. Given enough time, I would read pretty much any book – I read nonfiction, fantasy, contemporary romance novels and comic books alike. Right now, I’m finishing “The Poppy War” trilogy by R. F. Kuang and I absolutely love it! I am also a big fan of taking walks – ideally, I would take an hourly walk every day in a different part of the city. In this regard living in Seoul is perfect for me, since I can explore new streets and parks all the time and build my stamina by walking up all of the city’s hills. Nowadays you will often catch me at the Han riverside, on Ansan or in the various parks. I also love watching movies and series, either with my friends or by myself. In another life I would love to attend film school to learn about the intricacies of filmmaking, but I try to compensate with watching behind-the-scenes content and informational videos with directors and other professionals. Among my favorite movies are “The Grand Budapest Hotel”, “Talented Mr. Ripley” or “Little Women”, while my favorite series are “Blue Eye Samurai”, “Arcane” and “Interview with the Vampire”.

I want to share with you some dreams and aspirations of mine. I am currently in the process of exploring my fashion style, and I love seeing others express themselves with clothes. In the future I would love to attend a professional fashion show – the brand doesn’t matter to me as long as I can enjoy the atmosphere and gather inspiration. In Seoul, I want to check out smaller Korean brands and expand my jewelry collection with unique pieces. My longstanding dream is travelling all around the world. This is the first time I’m travelling outside of Europe, and I hope that I can continue doing it in the future. While I’m here I want to visit other Asian countries, but I want to continue learning about the world all throughout my life. When it comes to my career goals, I dream of running my own business and being financially independent. I hope the rest of this year inspires me to create something great and allows me to improve the skills that will be necessary to achieve that.

This is precisely why I decided to take the course “Research Methods in Cognitive Science: Human-Computer Interaction in the Post-LLM Era”. At my university I specialize in Data Science, and I wanted to get more practical knowledge when it comes to developing models and apps and understanding the user’s perspective. I am also taking the course “Introduction to Computer Graphics” and I hope that the two will complement each other well. I am looking forward to learning how to create a satisfying experience for users, how to understand them better to know what their needs and wants are. Digital media strategy is a field which requires staying on top of the current trends and developments, and I’m excited to learn about them in class and get inspired to conduct individual research and delve deeper into topics especially relevant for my future education. If I decide to open my own business, I would like to learn what I should pay special attention to and how to approach this process from a strategic standpoint.

That’s it from me today! I am looking forward to connecting with like-minded people while I’m here in Seoul and making memories for my entire life. If you want to follow me on this journey, make sure to check this blog often!

Until the next time,

Jade.