#sometimes your most hated enemy becomes a kindred spirit

[storms-path]

Day 17 – Destruct

The waves crashed against the cliffs far below, sending a spray of salty water to batter the barren rocks. Fareena watched the waves with apparent interest, but her mind was elsewhere. While Werlyt was celebrating the fall of the final dreadful Weapon, there was no mistaking the sombre air to the proceedings, the bitter tears shed just as easily as the peals of joy and reunion. Such were the horrors of war, its echoes leaving families shattered and people broken like so much smashed pottery. It reminded her of Bozja, in its own sad way.

Sanda was doing what she could for the unlucky ones, hearing their stories and offering what kind words and sympathy she could. Fareena had heard a few bars from her latest piece, dubbed The Sorrow of Werlyt. A fittingly painful name for the major players involved, Fareena supposed, though a little overdramatic for her tastes. Still, Fareena was not one to linger on tragedies. A century of strife and turmoil had built up the necessary defensive mechanisms to shrug off such things. Time would not reverse its flow, no matter how desperately people begged for it. If even the mighty Alexander refused to do so, what hope did mere mortals have? A certain red-headed miqote excepted, of course. He probably cheated anyway.

Approaching footsteps interrupted Fareena’s musings. Someone else had come to admire the view. Or, more likely, to pay their respects at the memorial. Without looking back, Fareena gave a distracted wave to let the newcomer know she didn’t begrudge the interruption. There was a pause, then the footsteps continued. Fareena resisted the urge to sigh. Probably Stalwart with a laundry list of tasks still left to do.

“Apologies for the interruption,” said a very not-Stalwart voice. Baelsar. Fareena gave the man a wary glance as he came to a stop nearby, leaning against the railings and looking out to sea. The Black Wolf may have shed his old pelt, but he was still a dangerous man, and Fareena preferred to give him the wide berth he deserved where possible. Even if a certain part of her did want to examine his gunblade techniques more closely. She could learn a great deal from his hybridised style.

From the look on his face though, now was clearly not the time. Fareena had seen that look before. Lost in grief and regret. Feeling the full weight of his mistakes more than ever. Four children lost to the flames of war and hate, so many more dead or enslaved by a cruel empire he gladly expanded. A lifetime of achievements and valour spent in favour of immortal puppetmasters. Gaius looked less like a seasoned military leader and more like a broken old man. For a moment, Fareena felt a spark of true pity for him.

“I still keep expecting to hear them.” Gaius’s voice was quiet, soft, totally without his usual undertone of calm and authority. “Rex will say something hotheaded and foolish, which Milisandria will retort with some cutting remark. Ricon will choose Rex’s side, of course, and it will be up to Allie and Alfonse to act like parents and talk sense into them all.” Gaius shook his head, rubbing his eye with a bandaged hand. “I should be thankful. I still have Allie.” Such a faint, ill-fitting silver lining to a storm cloud of pain.

Fareena kept her silence, digesting the man’s grief with all the dignity she could muster. Gaius took it the wrong way, straightening. “Of course, you don’t want to hear an old wolf’s ramblings. Not after what you and yours have been put through by my hand.” He turned to leave the way he came.

“Stay.” Fareena’s voice rang out before she could stop herself. Gaius stopped in his tracks, turning. He didn’t quite believe she’d said it either. “Stay,” she repeated, voice firmer now. “Talking will help.” She didn’t quite know why she was extending this olive branch to a man who all-too-recently had threatened everything she held dear. She just knew it was right to do it.

Gaius relented, heavy footfalls taking him back to the railing as if drawn there by some invisible force. He turned his head to look at her, questioning. Fareena had no answer for him, just more questions. “How did you find them, the first time?”

Gaius paused a moment, then spoke. “It was several days after Werlyt handed us its terms of surrender.” His eyes took on a faraway look, memories taking him away. “We were touring Terncliff, ostensibly to show the people we meant them no harm. In reality, we were hunting for the last few pockets of resistance. There was crying, down one of the alleys. Rhitahtyn tried to stop me, brave lad. He didn’t want to see me get hurt in some foolish resistance counter-attack. Instead, I found children. Four staring back at me with fire in their eyes, one cradling the fifth. Poor Allie couldn’t hold back her tears.” Gaius sighed softly, but a small smile curved his lips. “I took them in shortly after that, gave up my quarters, tried to find their families.” A shadow of pain crossed his face again. “All dead. Fighting my legion. I did what I could for them, tried to find them new homes, but they’d decided already. It was me or nothing.”

Fareena nodded. She hadn’t known the children as anything more than adversaries, but their stubbornness was practically a defining trait. “Sometimes family chooses you,” she murmured. “Despite your best efforts.” Gaius scoffed, looking back out to sea.

“That it does,” he muttered. “That it does.”

The pair lapsed into silence after that, staring out at the brilliantly blue waves. Gaius, lost in his memories. Fareena, content to let him stew. Neither of them noticed the Au Ra girl watching them both, hand to her chest. Allie thought for a moment, then chose not to interrupt. How long had it been since either of the pair had a moment of peace? It would be cruel to interrupt.

Fareena had lost track of time when Gaius finally spoke up, tearing her eyes away from the approaching clouds. “Why?” A simple question with such crushing weight behind it. “You should hate me, for all I’ve done to you. Why let me stay here in the first place?”

It took Fareena several moments to finally respond. “I don’t know,” she said, choosing honesty over honeyed words. “Perhaps you’re right. Perhaps I should hate you. But was it your hand that razed my homeland to the ground? Was it your order that turned the shining crown jewel of Bozja into a smoking wasteland? No. You have done terrible things, ordered terrible deeds to be committed in your name. Arashi will never forgive you for the Waking Sands.” Fareena let the words hang for a moment. “But I am not her. Just a tired old woman speaking to a tired old man, both trying to make sense of a broken world.”

It felt freeing, letting the words out. Letting the inner conflict she had felt over the days and weeks of clashing with the Weapons finally resolve into clarity. Letting the past remain in the past, so that a new beginning could finally… begin. Letting go. Fareena looked at Gaius and saw the understanding in his eyes. Black Wolf, Nightmare of Bozja, Warrior of Light. All poorly fitting titles. All confining those that wore them, choking out the person beneath. Time to let a few be scattered to the wind, so that they might be their real selves once again. If only for a little while.

[no1else-but-me]

Book Recs if you love Jaime and Brienne

This is a collection of all the book recs I could find from @briennesjaime​ tumblr books rec, the reddit, and my own. Please reblog your own if you have some. 

1. The Queen of Attolia which is book#2 of the The Queen’s Thief series

This is definitely more for the enemies to lovers trope. The thief even loses a hand like Jaime but under much different circumstances.  The Queen is like the colder version of Brienne.

Revenge When Eugenides, the Thief of Eddis, stole Hamiathes’s Gift, the Queen of Attolia lost more than a mythical relic. She lost face. Everyone knew that Eugenides had outwitted and escaped her. To restore her reputation and reassert her power, the Queen of Attolia will go to any length and accept any help that is offered…she will risk her country to execute the perfect revenge. …but Eugenides can steal anything. And he taunts the Queen of Attolia, moving through her strongholds seemingly at will. So Attolia waits, secure in the knowledge that the Thief will slip, that he will haunt her palace one too many times. …at what price? When Eugenides finds his small mountain country at war with Attolia, he must steal a man, he must steal a queen, he must steal peace. But his greatest triumph, and his greatest loss, comes in capturing something that the Queen of Attolia thought she had sacrificed long ago… 

2. The Lumatere Chronicles 

One of my favorite series of all time. It’s character driven and it’s has many surprises. Starts off with Finnikin has lost hope like Jaime but gains it slowly over time. Evanjalin her honor and her pursuit of her quest reminds me very much of  Brienne. 

Finnikin of the Rock and his guardian, Sir Topher, have not been home to their beloved Lumatere for ten years. Not since the dark days when the royal family was murdered and the kingdom put under a terrible curse. But then Finnikin is summoned to meet Evanjalin, a young woman with an incredible claim: the heir to the throne of Lumatere, Prince Balthazar, is alive. Evanjalin is determined to return home and she is the only one who can lead them to the heir. As they journey together, Finnikin is affected by her arrogance … and her hope. He begins to believe he will see his childhood friend, Prince Balthazar, again. And that their cursed people will be able to enter Lumatere and be reunited with those trapped inside. He even believes he will find his imprisoned father. But Evanjalin is not what she seems. And the truth will test not only Finnikin’s faith in her … but in himself.

3. Howl’s Moving Castle 

This one might be a stretch but hear me out. Howl is pretty much the embodiment of Jaime but probably more vain. While, Sophie really conveys Brienne self-esteem issues but still noble in her own right. Plus, their banter very reminiscent to Jaime and Brienne. 

Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl’s castle. To untangle the enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl, strike a bargain with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Along the way, she discovers that there’s far more to Howl—and herself—than first meets the eye.

@temporiibus recommends The Raven Cycle!!

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.” It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive. Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her. His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble. But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little. For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore. From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before. 

The Winners Trilogy

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions.  One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.  But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.  Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone recommended by @realduality

Errand requiring immediate attention. Come. The note was on vellum, pierced by the talons of the almost-crow that delivered it. Karou read the message. 'He never says please', she sighed, but she gathered up her things. When Brimstone called, she always came. In general, Karou has managed to keep her two lives in balance. On the one hand, she's a seventeen-year-old art student in Prague; on the other, errand-girl to a monstrous creature who is the closest thing she has to family. Raised half in our world, half in 'Elsewhere', she has never understood Brimstone's dark work - buying teeth from hunters and murderers - nor how she came into his keeping. She is a secret even to herself, plagued by the sensation that she isn't whole. Now the doors to Elsewhere are closing, and Karou must choose between the safety of her human life and the dangers of a war-ravaged world that may hold the answers she has always sought.

The Mars Trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson. Hard SF, and the romance is definitely not a major plot, but one of the characters involved in the trope is legit my favorite fictional character of all time and that journey from enemy to friend to lover is a big part of it.

In his most ambitious project to date, award-winning author Kim Stanley Robinson utilizes years of research & cutting-edge science in the 1st of a trilogy chronicling the colonization of Mars: For eons, sandstorms have swept the desolate landscape. For centuries, Mars has beckoned humans to conquer its hostile climate. Now, in 2026, a group of 100 colonists is about to fulfill that destiny. John Boone, Maya Toitavna, Frank Chalmers & Arkady Bogdanov lead a terraforming mission. For some, Mars will become a passion driving them to daring acts of courage & madness. For others it offers an opportunity to strip the planet of its riches. For the genetic alchemists, it presents a chance to create a biomedical miracle, a breakthrough that could change all we know about life & death. The colonists orbit giant satellite mirrors to reflect light to the surface. Black dust sprinkled on the polar caps will capture warmth. Massive tunnels, kilometers deep, will be drilled into the mantle to create stupendous vents of hot gases. Against this backdrop of epic upheaval, rivalries, loves & friendships will form & fall to pieces--for there are those who will fight to the death to prevent Mars from ever being changed. Brilliantly imagined, breathtaking in scope & ingenuity, Red Mars is an epic scientific saga, chronicling the next step in evolution, creating a world in its entirety. It shows a future, with both glory & tarnish, that awes with complexity & inspires with vision.

The Folk of the Air

Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever. And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe. Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King. To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences. As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

Feyre's survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price ... Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre's presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.

 @swainlake recommends the darkest powers trilogy by kelley armstrong is really good

My name is Chloe Saunders and my life will never be the same again. All I wanted was to make friends, meet boys, and keep on being ordinary. I don't even know what that means anymore. It all started on the day that I saw my first ghost - and the ghost saw me. Now there are ghosts everywhere and they won't leave me alone. To top it all off, I somehow got myself locked up in Lyle House, a "special home" for troubled teens. Yet the home isn't what it seems. Don't tell anyone, but I think there might be more to my housemates than meets the eye. The question is, whose side are they on? It's up to me to figure out the dangerous secrets behind Lyle House... before its skeletons come back to haunt me

@imladriss recommends: We hunt the flame by hafsah faizal

People lived because she killed. People died because he lived. Zafira is the Hunter, disguising herself as a man when she braves the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the king. If Zafira was exposed as a girl, all of her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed his compassion, his father would punish him in the most brutal of ways.  Both are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya—but neither wants to be. War is brewing, and the Arz sweeps closer with each passing day, engulfing the land in shadow. When Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her suffering world and stop the Arz, Nasir is sent by the king on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter. But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds—and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine. Set in a richly detailed world inspired by ancient Arabia, We Hunt the Flame is a gripping debut of discovery, conquering fear, and taking identity into your own hands.

@moirindeclermont recommends  anything from Jacqueline Carey (she is a goddess and my favourite writer) but also Deborah Harkness (A discovery of witches) which is amazing, I’m obsessed with it. Nemesis by Isaac Asimov touches some themes similar to Brienne’s. Arn the knight

The land of Terre d'Ange is a place of unsurpassing beauty and grace. It is said that angels found the land and saw it was good... and the ensuing race that rose from the seed of angels and men live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt.  Phèdre nó Delaunay is a young woman who was born with a scarlet mote in her left eye. Sold into indentured servitude as a child, her bond is purchased by Anafiel Delaunay, a nobleman with very a special mission... and the first one to recognize who and what she is: one pricked by Kushiel's Dart, chosen to forever experience pain and pleasure as one. Phèdre is trained equally in the courtly arts and the talents of the bedchamber, but, above all, the ability to observe, remember, and analyze. Almost as talented a spy as she is courtesan, Phèdre stumbles upon a plot that threatens the very foundations of her homeland. Treachery sets her on her path; love and honor goad her further. And in the doing, it will take her to the edge of despair... and beyond. Hateful friend, loving enemy, beloved assassin; they can all wear the same glittering mask in this world, and Phèdre will get but one chance to save all that she holds dear.  Set in a world of cunning poets, deadly courtiers, heroic traitors, and a truly Machiavellian villainess, this is a novel of grandeur, luxuriance, sacrifice, betrayal, and deeply laid conspiracies. Not since Dune has there been an epic on the scale of Kushiel's Dart-a massive tale about the violent death of an old age, and the birth of a new.

Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

In a hail of fire and flashing sword, as the burning city of Acre falls from the hands of the West in 1291, The Last Templar opens with a young Templar knight, his mentor, and a handful of others escaping to the sea carrying a mysterious chest entrusted to them by the Order's dying Grand Master. The ship vanishes without a trace. In present day Manhattan, four masked horsemen dressed as Templar Knights emerge from Central Park and ride up the Fifth Avenue steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art during the blacktie opening of a Treasures of the Vatican exhibit. Storming through the crowds, the horsemen brutally attack anyone standing between them and their prize. Attending the gala, archaeologist Tess Chaykin watches in silent terror as the leader of the horsemen hones in on one piece in particular, a strange geared device. He utters a few cryptic Latin words as he takes hold of it with reverence before leading the horsemen out and disappearing into the night. In the aftermath, an FBI investigation is led by anti-terrorist specialist Sean Reilly. Soon, he and Tess are drawn into the dark, hidden history of the crusading Knights, plunging them into a deadly game of cat and mouse with ruthless killers as they race across three continents to recover the lost secret of the Templars. 

Irissa and Kendric Series

Irissa was the last of the sorcerous Torlocs, untutored in magic and abandoned upon this decaying world by her people. Kendric was one of the Six of Swords, gifted with a legendary weapon to guard the Realms from harm. But now he was an outcast, and his death was sought with reason by the other Five. Sorceress and swordsman, they were thrown together; each filled with ancient prejudices against the other. But only by combining her uncertain powers with his remaining skills could they survive. Survive they must, however. Rule was a world formed upon magic - but now magic was failing and there would soon be no place for it. And destiny in strange guise had chosen them to make one last stand against the dark forces that were waiting at the Gate of Valna, seeking to destroy their world

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Orphaned as a child, Jane has felt an outcast her whole young life. Her courage is tested once again when she arrives at Thornfield Hall, where she has been hired by the brooding, proud Edward Rochester to care for his ward Adèle. Jane finds herself drawn to his troubled yet kind spirit. She falls in love. Hard.

But there is a terrifying secret inside the gloomy, forbidding Thornfield Hall. Is Rochester hiding from Jane? Will Jane be left heartbroken and exiled once again?

Since its immediate success in 1813, Pride and Prejudice has remained one of the most popular novels in the English language. Jane Austen called this brilliant work "her own darling child" and its vivacious heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, "as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print." The romantic clash between the opinionated Elizabeth and her proud beau, Mr. Darcy, is a splendid performance of civilized sparring. And Jane Austen's radiant wit sparkles as her characters dance a delicate quadrille of flirtation and intrigue, making this book the most superb comedy of manners of Regency England

In the medieval and fantastic realm of Tortall, Keladry of Mindelan (known as Kel) is the first girl to take advantage of the decree that permits women to train for knighthood. But not everyone in Tortall believes a woman is up to the task, and Kel faces harsh discrimination. With unparalleled determination and a knack for leadership, she captures the hearts of her peers and proves that she is not a girl to underestimate! 

[crassussativum]

Mass Effect Asks Masterlist- Cato

(Originally posted by thenerdcommander, credit where credit is due.)

1. What would their recruitment mission look like? ((Cato’s recruitment mission, if it even can be called such, would be after Menae. Primarch Fedorian has fallen. Cato finds Shepard on the Citadel after that mission and demands to come along with them. Shepard might be reluctant at first, but eventually allows it.)) 

2. Would they be a romance option?  If so, who would the option be available to and what would their romance look like?  Would there be any special scenes? ((Cato is a shy thing in the ways of romance and sex. And another species? That’s just too confusing for him).)

3. If there is one, what would their sex scene look like?  How would the scene change if Shepard or Ryder turned the sex down? ((On the off chance, we’d get to see a naked turian that’s probably never had sex before and certainly never with a human lol it’d be awkward but sweet with a quick fade to black.))

4. If left unromanced, do they hook up with another character?  If so, who is it?  Is it a canon character or another OC? ((Nah, probably not.))

5. Would they be available as a fling option?  What would that scene look like? ((Also probably not))

6. Is there any way Shepard or Ryder could get them to turn on them or betray them?  How?  Is there any way to get them to back down once the betrayal is triggered? ((Shepard would have to do something big and horrible for Cato to betray them. Like genocide big. And yes, not doing the right thing with the Shroud mission, but then how would Cato know that?))

7. What would their loyalty mission look like? (Cato’s loyalty mission would be simple. All he’d want is a day to pretend the galaxy might not actually be ending, a day to be normal. He’d want to go somewhere the Reapers haven’t touched yet and while that may be hard, he’d just need Shepard to pretend everything’s okay with him for just a little while.))

8. Is there any way to lose their loyalty after it’s earned?  How? ((No, I don’t think so.))

9. What would their relationship with Renegade Shepard look like?  Paragon Shepard?  If they’re from Andromeda, what’s their relationship with Ryder (pick any two alignments)?  ((I think Cato would greatly look up to a Paragon Shepard, the always doing what’s right would speak to him on a Spiritual level. Renegade Shepard would probably rub him the wrong way because sometimes doing what’s right in the moment in a way that’s not right is a grey concept he just doesn’t have the experience to grasp.))

10. What phrase(s) would they shout during combat? ((“Incoming!” “Outta the way!” for biotic attacks/charges. Otherwise I think he’d be verbally keeping count of enemy positions.))

11. Any squadmates they don’t particularly get along with? ((Honestly? I think it’s less that he wouldn’t get along with Jack but that she would scare the hell out of him. He’d find how powerful she is totally fascinating, and that her body is her own canvas would intrigue the artist in him. But she’s outwardly abrasive, crudely spoken, and volatile. Waaaay too intimidating for Cato. I think, were he to go along on her loyalty mission, he’d view her as something more of a kindred Spirit, but still be too skittish to make friends. ALSO since ME3. Javik. Javik would terrify him. He’s mean, he’s battle weary, he’s bleak and he finds no joy in the little things.))

12. Are there any instances where rivalries between them and another squadmate could potentially jeopardize their loyalty or views of Shepard or Ryder? ((Maybe? Like I can’t think of anything right now, but I’m sure there’s something. Cato mostly just follows along with the flow, but he’s moody so... it’s possible.))

13. Which squadmates are they likely to make friends with? ((Everyone but maybe Javik. Tali he’d adore. Garrus is a role model. Liara is asari and he loves their artwork and history so much. James I think he’d warm up to fast. Ashley/Kaiden are in the air but I don’t see why not.))

14. In which game would they be introduced to the franchise?  ME1?  ME2?  ME3?  Andromeda? ((In ME3))

15. Would they make multiple appearances throughout the games or are they limited to one installment?  If they reappear, do they remain as a squadmate or do they become an NPC? ((He’s just a squadmate in ME3 but maybe we saw him as an NPC in ME1 or ME2. He’d have been on the Citadel a lot then.))

16. Which skills are available to them?  If they’re from the OT, pick four active powers and one unique passive class power (ex: Turian Agent, Asari Commando, Turian Smuggler, etc).  If they’re from Andromeda, pick three active powers and two passive (one of which should be a unique class power). ((So... this is hard. Cato’s an Adept, so his top four biotic moves are: Warp, Shockwave, Throw, and a Biotic Charge just for fun. Idk what passive class powers are, sorry.))

17. Write a quick exchange of banter between them and one other squadmate of your choice.

Cato: “I could use my biotics?”

Mordin: “Yes. Turian biotics, burn bright, burn hot, strong in bursts. Sufficient.”

Cato: “Or you could reach up there and pull it down. ‘Cause you can reach.”

Mordin: “….Small for a turian youth. Still growing? No, stunted. Lack of nutrition? Genetic mutation? Hmm Could take samples….”

Cato: “No samples! Spirits, I’m still growing, everyone says so….”

18. What weapons would they use?  Pick 1 minimum, maximum of 2 firearms, 1 melee weapon, and/or 1 special or unique weapon. ((Cato’s got an M-3 Predator, a Phaeston, and an omniblade for close quarter emergencies.))

19. Name one thing that players would remember them most by (ex: Garrus’ calibrations, “Lola”, Mordin’s singing, etc).  (Folks would remember that Cato’s the baby! He’s so young and idealistic, kind and caring. Like… he’s great as a squad member bc biotics and small arms fire, but… but he’s still a kid that wants to do kid things. Like go somewhere and eat nothing but junk food, or hit the movies or whatever. He would always need to be supervised bc he has no impulse control either.)

20. If they’re from the OT, what ways could they be killed on Virmire, during the Suicide Mission, or the events of ME3 (pick one)?  If they’re from Andromeda, are there any ways they could die?  If so, how and how could Ryder prevent it if prevention is possible at all? ((So ME3 and I think he could maybe die during the final battle on Earth, but only if Shepard didn’t do his loyalty mission which reminded Cato “normal” was what they’re fighting for.)) 

21. Can they be Indoctrinated or Exalted?  If so, what would they be like?  What options would Shepard or Ryder have to handle the situation?  Would there have been options to prevent it? ((No, I don’t think so))

22. How would they react to other squadmates, Shepard, or Ryder being Indoctrinated or Exalted? ((Aghast confusion. Sadness, fear.))

23. When on the Tempest or Normandy, where do they like to stay?  Do they roam around?  What about on the Citadel or Nexus?  ((Cato likes to hang around Garrus or the galley on the Normandy. Turian biotics are always hungry and Garrus is another turian that he can look up to. On the Citadel, he either loiters near the embassy in hopes of visiting with his grandpa -pre 3- or he’s down at the docks praying to see someone he knows. ))

24. Do they have an opinion on the way Shepard drives the Mako?  Or how Ryder drives the Nomad? (At first, Shepard drives the Mako way too recklessly and fast…. but Cato is still a child in many ways and I think he’d gradually have fun with Shepard driving, if Shepard was willing to teach him how.))

25. Are they vocal about their opinions of the Council or Nexus Leadership?  If so, what is their opinion?  Do they make a passing comment to another squadmate or do they say it to Shepard or Ryder directly?  (I’d say Cato is vocal about his opinions. His grandpa’s the Primach, he kinda has room to be, lol. And I’m sure he’d willingly talk about it if asked. He hates how the Cabal/biotic turians are ostracized, he doesn’t really understand why. He hates how barefaced and outer colony turians are looked down on. He’s sure that the Turian Councilor has turian people’s needs in mind but how can you see the scope of the big picture if you’re not looking at all the pieces that make it whole too?)

26. What decisions could Shepard or Ryder make that they greatly disapprove of? ((If Cato was aware-somehow- that Shepard put the fake cure in at the Shroud mission, he’d really disapprove of that.)) 

27. What decisions could Shepard or Ryder make that they greatly approve of? ((Doing that mission for the new Primarch and SAVING Tarquin. Fight me on this. My biotic Shepard could’ve saved him, damnit.))

28. Would they have any special scenes or dialogue in the Citadel DLC or for Movie Night? ((Maybe to Shepard in regards to their clone and is that like having a sibling? Cato always wanted a sibling. He probably drinks too much at the later party and ends up passed out in a cozy, secluded spot.))

29. Would they have any special scenes or dialogue in the final battle against the Reapers or the Archon? ((The final battle against the Reapers, he wouldn’t be able to just sit on his hands, he’d be on the ground driving whatever vehicle transported the survivors to safe locations.))

30. How would they react to meeting Shepard’s clone?  Or Ryder’s twin? ((Much confusion. By that point, I like to think Cato would’ve intergated himself into Shepard’s day-to-day. And why doesn’t Shepard talk to him as warmly? Or joke with him the same? Clone? Oooohkay then.))

[veliseraptor]

okay, been meaning to make this post for ages so finally buffing this off (har, har) and posting these recs over here for @jaggedcliffs. (old fics, basically just ported from my very old Livejournal reading list.)

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER/ANGEL FICS

Disclaimer one: a lot of these are very old and I haven’t reread most of them in a while. Disclaimer two: most of these are Angel-centric and most of them are also Angel/Buffy. Disclaimer three: no I think that’s about all the disclaimers.

Backstage 26: Walking After Midnight by Aadler

Sometimes the enemy you can count on is the friend you need most. Angel+Xander.

Windows to the Soul by HonorH

Kate is of two minds concerning Angel at the end of "Somnambulist."

One Lucky Guy by HonorH

During Riley's visit to Spike's crypt in "Into the Woods," Spike lets Riley in on a few things re: love, hate, vampires in general, and Angel in particular.

Artistry by Estepheia

Rumors of another souled vampire lure Angel back to Sunnydale. Set in an alternate S7.

Damnation's Castaway Awakening by Kairos Impending

Angel is back from Hell. Buffy does what she can.

That Chanuka Spirit by Katriena Knights

Xander confronts Angel. Somewhere between "Lover's Walk" and "Amends."

The Chat by Katriena Knights

Joyce learns the truth about Angel, and confronts him about his relationship with Buffy. S3, somewhere post Amends.

This Innocent by Eurydice

Giles is confronted for his betrayal of Buffy, and does some confronting of his own.

Grief That Does Not Speak by Estepheia

What else could bring them together? Angel+Giles, post-The Gift.

Ties That Bind by chrisleeoctaves

Angel/Buffy, post Not Fade Away.

And All the World Besides by Willa

Spike and Angel after the battle. Spike/Angel, post NFA.

Baker's Dozen by chrislee

Buffy/Angel, post Not Fade Away.

Smoke Damage by Kairos

Something very personal got left behind in the wreckage of Angel's LA apartment. Now it's resurfaced, and it may be all that's left of him. Kate, post-Not Fade Away.

Waiting to Exhale by biggrstaffbunch

Buffy might never get over Angel (or Spike, as this story suggests) but in the end- she must still choose to live her life. Post Not Fade Away.

Guilt Trembling Spoke My Doom by a2zmom

Angel's post NFA journey (and his reunion with Buffy). Angel, post Not Fade Away Shanshu.

Kindred by Ares

Buffy is in Los Angeles one week after Angel and his team stood and fought in that alley.

Intermezzo by Maren

Intermezzo: a short dramatic, musical, or other entertainment of light character, introduced between the acts of a drama or opera. Buffy/Angel.

If I Had Another Chance by Fleur

Angel's been through so much that he isn't sure what redemption is any longer. Buffy/Angel, post NFA.

Ever After by White Rain

"Did you draw up visitation rights?" Connor asked casually. "True, it's normally reserved for kids. But I've learned not to take anything for granted recently."

In the Waiting by R Ellen Hanna

Angel does therapy.

Reflections Revealed by Mike Dewar

Angel finds himself transported into the realm of the Wishverse by an unknown force, leaving him fighting for his life in the much darker reflection of his world. Meanwhile, Wesley and Cordelia, with the help of an old friend, try to fend off a new enemy, who's hungry for revenge and about to strike at a weakened A.I...

Bloodbath by Kelsey

After the return of Angel's soul in "Orpheus," everything seems to return to normal. But what's going on in Angel's head, after Angelus' ruthless actions?

Here, Your Wandering One by Marenfic

Several years after the events of Not Fade Away, Buffy moves to San Francisco and does her best to try to grow up and move on. Buffy/Angel.

Talk Like Lions by WesleysGirl

It's Buffy's turn to remind Angel how to be strong. Buffy/Angel, post NFA.

What Am I To You by a2zmom

When Angel unexpectedtly shows up at Buffy's door, she realizes how little she knows him and wonders if she ever did. Buffy/Angel, post-NFA.

Gamble On Destiny by Leni

Suppose Angel avoided getting staked, and then managed to save Buffy from the Master. The story starts an hour after the worst of the battle has passed.

Revolutions by bite_or_avoid

So, she was a little late for the first act. But it totally wasn’t her fault. It’s not like anyone called to invite her, right? Buffy/Angel, post-NFA.

Weight of Life by bite_or_avoid

Absolution is not his to have. Post-NFA. Angel, Buffy/Angel, angst with a happy ending.

And Heaven Burns by Lar

How bright can the future be for Angel?

Miles To Go by Rachel Anton

Two souled vampires with a long way to go. Angel/Spike, post-Grave/Tomorrow.

Secrets We Keep by chrisleeoctaves

Giles and Angel share a secret. 

Left Behind by chrisleeoctaves

Angel/human!Spike, post-NFA.

The Confessional by tkp

Angel visits Faith in prison.

Splinter by Yahtzee and Rheanna

"listen; there's a hell / of a good universe next door; let's go" - e. e. cummings. Longfic.

Counting the Days by Dira Sudis

Dawn needs to get out of the house, so Spike takes her to L.A. Dawn and Spike/Angel (and company), post-The Gift.

Five Times Angel Drew Buffy by a2zmom

Drawing her was the only way he got to keep her. Through post-NFA.

A Human Condition by chrisleeoctaves

Post-NFA. Why we fight. Spike/Angel.

Stasis by Head Rush

Picks up immediately where 'Grave' leaves off.  Giles and Willow (and others), post Grave.

Five Ways Buffy and Angel Never Meet and Never Have to Say I Love You, Post NFA by LAndrews

What it says on the tin.

Testament by Beer Good

The Angel gang's last stand didn't go unnoticed, especially given their last communications on the eve of the battle. Two letters and a phone call force the survivors to re-evaluate their situation.

Best Souvenir by Lettered

Whistler never existed. Buffy meets Angel for the first time after the End of Days is over. Futurefic, alternate reality.

Orion by sweptawaybayou

Spike/Angel, post-NFA, angst.

Summerbreeze by doyle_sb4

Spike/Angel, human!Spike, post-NFA.

Vampire Winter by glassdarkly

On the run from Wolfram & Hart, Angel and Spike come to Rome intent on seeing Buffy. Spike/Angel, Angel/Buffy, Buffy/Spike, post-NFA.

Five Ways to Kiss the One You Love: A Valentine by seraphcelene

The kisses Buffy and Angel have exchanged over the course of their relationship have a story to tell. Angel/Buffy.

Valley of Ashes by Hannassus

Post-episode for "The Gift"/"There's No Place Like Plrtz Glrb."

Reconstruction by AriaAdagio

Post-Epiphany. The A-team struggles to get back on track, but with Angel's soul in jeopardy, things are tense, at best.

Rough Magic by karabair

Season 5, post-"Origin," Angel and Wesley have a talk about the aftermath of the memory wipe.

Those We Wish Were Here With Us by Kairos Impending

Buffy wanders around a post-Apocalyptic wasteland with her loved ones, doing what they do best.

Windows to the Soul by Taaroko

Wishverse. Thanks to better timing with her crossbow than she demonstrated in the episode, Buffy takes out the Master in one shot. She and Angel survive to continue the battle for Sunnydale another day.

Saved the World, But I Never Saved You by thenyxie

There are some things in life you never get over. This is one of them. Buffy/Angel, post series.

vicarious (the buffy-in-the-mix remix) by lynnenne

Buffy is bossy. Angel and Spike like it. Buffy/Angel/Spike.

Five Ways of Becoming Someone Else by Kyra Cullinan

Five Willows who never were. A study in transformations.

Vivere by Rheanna

What does it mean, to be alive? AU.

Another Life by Rheanna

Even now, she finds it difficult to believe that this is real, this is her life, that this is who she is.

Showing Sunnydale by huzzlewhat

“Tonight, I’m going to tell you a story. And it’s up to you, what you do with it.” Post-series.

No Place Like Home by Chrislee

There’s a curious comfort to be found, in the most unlikely places. Buffy/Angel/Spike. Post-series.

Blood and Water by Rheanna

When LA's vampires start falling prey to a mysterious plague, Cordelia's unsympathetic. Then Angel gets sick, and she and Wesley have to find a cure -- before it's too late.

Prelude With Tears by Katriena Knights

Sensing something is wrong with Buffy, Angel seeks her out in LA, where she's come to attend the Ice Capades with her father. All is not well in Buffyland.

Together Again For the First Time by femmenerd

Buffy/Angel/Spike, post-Not Fade Away.

Cunctari Moribundum by Lint

Willow struggles in the aftermath.

A Brief History of Time (A Love Story) by Lamia Archer

Now she realizes that, had they never met, she wouldn't be. She'd be some other girl, some other Buffy. Buffy/Angel.

All These Things That I’ve Done by Taaroko

Angelus killed the Romani elder woman before she could complete the Ritual of Restoration in 1898. A hundred years later, Janna Kalderash finds the old curse amongst family heirlooms while spring cleaning, and after months of the seemingly unstoppable Fanged Five terrorizing Sunnydale, the Scoobies are desperate enough to use it. Buffy/Angel. AU.

Baked Goods by Leni

Buffy makes a call. "Hi, Angel. If it’s not a bad time – I mean. I probably shouldn’t be calling you. In fact, if you ignore this call, I'll understand. I just - I need…. You know what? Never mind. Forget I called."

[boredom-kills-braincells]

Present Tension

It's wild to me to constantly be reminded of how often we as human beings can just operate through life daily on a sort of autopilot, not really considering why it is we sometimes say what we say, do what we do, agree with what we agree with or rather pretend to in order to maybe keep things as even keeled and "safe" as possible. I dunno, man. I see it all. I really do observe everything and, while I am sincerely and fucking genuinely my worst enemy and harshest critic, I've done soul searching that could border on obsessive, simply from feeling so out of place around most everyone in the world, save for a few beautiful kindred spirits I meet along this journey. I've analyzed more and more as I've gotten older, and grown, and evolved, and lost, and failed, and learned, and made the same mistakes a million times, etcetera...point being the journey has shown me, and continues to show me, so much about myself and other people. Psychology and sociology are subjects I've studied deeply, philosophy just as much so, and all of it helps me to better understand human beings, which subsequently helps me in adhering to that old adage: "don't. sweat. the. small. stuff" Yet, simultaneously, the small things are everything. I've learned that there's just so much importance on where to put your energies, your focus. Some people seem to love to talk about what they hate more than what they love. Some motherfuckers for real just cannot get away from the bottomless pit that becomes judging everything and everyone, choosing to give power to the negative rather than indulging themselves and immersing their surrounding loved ones in light, in the things that are the very reason for struggling through and enduring the everyday mundane - the tragedies, the inescapable consequences of simply fucking existing here under the influences of all that we're subjected to. And there are so many reasons as to why - there's so much we just can't escape. We aren't given options as to what we're born into, yet there is so much power to be found in ones self, and with such there's the potential to either create or destroy, to build or to deconstruct. Both play equally important roles. I myself just can't get with anyone who chooses to carry themselves solely as a vessel for hate or just shit vibes in general, and I am admittedly someone who is a whirlwind of fucking emotions and moods, unstably so in some cases. Let me just be all the way real about the shit. I am extremes of so many things. What I am is not easily defined. What I am is simplistic yet infinitely complicated, and these words I'm choosing in an attempt to describe myself are not my own. A close friend literally told me once that she took a legit ten minutes pondering on whether or not I was an alien. A recent girlfriend (now ex-girlfriend) once said that my energy is that of both a king and a queen. I feel like all of those things, interestingly enough, and always have. I am a heterosexual mixed race male residing on the west coast of a country run by systems designed to keep me and my people (of all colors, mind you, but specifically speaking my oppressed and underrepresented kinfolk - all my women too, particularly women of color) blind, dumb, silent and ignorant, and yet still I'm in love and lust with living. I've been spit on and walked over, I've been kept down and discouraged by strangers/friends/relatives/classmates/teachers/co-workers and employers alike, often times when they weren't even aware of what they were doing (subliminal brainwashing is real, get woke). It took me years to have enough love for myself to acknowledge and thus stand and educate against it, but it took love for humanity despite its flaws to truly understand where it comes from. Even people I know and associate with now, people I love and cherish...even they can be jaded by what's forced upon us due to the ills of Western society. I feel even they count me out and think me unintelligent or unperceptive. Really tho, I let people do their shit. I'm not someone who always needs to throw their dick around just to prove I have one. I'm not the one who always feels their opinion is forever necessary and relevant and shoves it up everyone's cunt, believing their own bullshit is fact, discrediting other people's feelings, beliefs and passions in the process. I see the shit everyday, everywhere. I feel everything, all the time. I feel from you what you're feeling when you can't determine whether it's real or it isn't yet. I don't know everything and I barely survive myself most days but goddammit if I don't have human beings nailed to a T most times, most especially and always when they're on the fakery tip. I've grown to give less of a fuck, even with my compassion in tact, about who feels it to be smug when I say these things. We all know what we know, and I'm not one to speak aloud about all the shit I have inside or how I think I'm this that and the third, whatever the fuck. In fact it's one of my least favorite traits in people: the need to ALWAYS HAVE A FUCKING SAY. I have opinions on hella topics, shit some people never even hear me talk about though I am interested in them. It isn't always necessary to spit your two cents, especially if it's negative shit talk just to be "that guy", like it's cute. I'm the type you could spend two years around almost everyday and unless you actually care enough to listen and give a shit about the people you surround yourself with, you'll still be finding things that are engrained in me, things I could show you, teach you that would surprise the piss out of you most likely. I play most shit close to the chest,so I'm aware I also play a vital role in their obliviousness to the depths of my intelligence and character in some cases, but more so I'm at an ends with those who are just too busy incessantly talking about themselves most the time to hear much else, or even take half a second to acknowledge you when you walk into a room and speak to them. How self important do you have to be to feel you just acknowledge the people you say you love whenever you feel like it, sometimes not even at all, until you decide you want their attention solely to serve your own interests? I see it for what it is, trust and believe. However it is a perfect example of opportunities to exercise patience and understanding. I just can't connect to that mentality. Really, I'm just more clear in recent years. I'm aware of who I am and very honest about what I need to achieve in order to grow and evolve. I'm open to being wrong, but it's always interesting to me how often people assume. What if we could all just search ourselves more and stop wasting time on platitudes and bullshit? What if we could say what we really mean and what we really feel, without being shitty or disrespectful to each other and free of predetermined judgements? What if heads could just get over themselves and get what they really need to be content as to keep from feeling the need to dictate how other people live? Some people really out here thinking I'm just another one dimensional nigga not taking in everything and every move, noticing every step and all the while honestly just cooling because I want everyone to grow and do their thing if it means peace and love. People love to think they got you pegged. The underdog always surprises niggas and comes up though. Every. Damn. Time. I ride and die for every single person in my circle and big up their strengths as often as possible, because I choose to use my powers for good. If I had less restraint and fuckin let the devil out, swear to fuck man people wouldn't know what to do. I'm about knowledge, respect and love vibes universally, period. Please miss me with any of the immature, self-righteous, prideful, arrogant, selfish, jealous, petty ass fuckery. L.A. kids just wanna live. Take care of your people, do you and shut the fuck up. I'm just out here doing the same trying to not to let my own shadows overtake me and have me waking around toxic as fuck. I've been studying and learning daily since I took my first breath on this earth, and I've come to peace with the fact that that one time my best friend in 9th grade described me as a "closed book" to his girlfriend, though it low key broke my heart - it became the catalyst for a wealth self discovery. And the beginning of a battle I feel may last forever. For as much love as I have and give out, there's so much to sift through. Sometimes, so much never even gets a chance to escape the fucked up confines of my own self doubt and insecurities. It's been that way for as long as I can remember. Through it all though, I feel I've finally begun to believe I'm worth shit, and trusting in the ones who've been hella good to me (many times when I was a complete shithead even and absolutely didn't deserve such grace) and have shown me such patience, kindness, acceptance, love and compassion. The ones who've taught me how to be the best version of me through being such incredible fucking creatures themselves. I owe all the goodness I have to the unconditional goodness of others, and that fact alone reminds me of why it's so important to be that person. To put the good ones first, educate the jaded, know when to let go and when to push forward and how to just fucking be open, present and aware, doing all with some semblance of goddamn meaning and passion and love in your heart. Forever shouting out the realest who've selflessly shown me the way as to never succumb to how fucking bitter so many people become as they carry on through this life. There's too much dope shit to experience. There are always more people to help, more to learn, so much more to create.

[thevalicemultiverse]

Things You Need To Know About: The Forgotten Vows Verse

Tag: ~V: Forgotten Vows

Premise: Victor thought his adventures after the corpse bride incident were over – but, instead, they were just beginning. Torn from Victoria by the flight of her parents from the village, called insane by his own family and demon-possessed by Pastor Galswells, Victor began despairing of ever having a happy life again. And then he was shipped off to The Houndsditch Home For Wayward Youth – where he met a young lady by the name of Alice Liddell…

This AU is based around the idea “What if Victor’s parents, who missed out on the whole ‘raised the dead’ business, thought Victor had lost his mind when he told them about it -- and sent him to Dr. Bumby to be treated?” You can read the fanfics that make up the verse here: The Forgotten Vows Verse. But for the newbies:

The verse picks up literally seconds after Corpse Bride, with Victor seeing Victoria home after all the excitement. He drops her off at her door and goes back to his house to finally catch up on some much-needed sleep and await the arrival of his parents from wherever they've disappeared to. When they finally do return in the morning, Victor tells them the whole story --

And, to his shock, they don't believe him. Nell in particular thinks he's lost his mind and hallucinated the entire thing. Not even a visit from Pastor Galswells to declare Victor damned for "necromancy" and "consorting with demons" changes their minds. Worse yet, when they go to the Everglots, they find the mansion abandoned -- the viscounts apparently absconded sometime in the night with their daughter. Nell and William start a country-wide search, while at the same time bringing in psychiatrists to sort their son's head out. Victor gets along all right with the first, one Dr. Wilson, but Nell and William reject his diagnosis of Victor being just fine. The other psychiatrists are rather less understanding of Victor's insistence that the dead rose, especially since the villagers won't back him up anymore, and Victor takes to locking himself in his room whenever one comes around after the fourth one attempts electric shock therapy on him.

Eventually, the Everglots are located -- just in time for the Van Dorts to discover Victoria has married another man. Victoria explains to Victor that she'd thought he'd killed himself to follow Emily (based on a misinterpretation of a report on Galswell's rantings) and thus moved on. Victor is understanding but heartbroken. Briefly entertaining the idea of trying to find Emily in the Land of the Dead, he discards it when he realizes she really has moved on and falls into a deep funk -- one that isn't broken until his parents announce that they've finally found a psychiatrist that should be able to cure him.

One Dr. Angus Bumby of the Houndsditch Home in London.

Victor is taken to the Home, where he meets Dr. Bumby's star patient and dogsbody, Alice Liddell. Their initial meeting is a bit rough (with Alice taking brief offense to the existence of the Land of the Dead and the idea of the dead returning), but as the months go on, they become close friends, finding kindred spirits in each other. In fact, by September of 1875, Victor discovers that he's falling in love with her -- though he's deeply reluctant to admit it, given his past record with romance.

And then, on a routine trip to the chemist after her session with Dr. Bumby one day, Alice goes missing. Victor, frantic, starts pounding the pavement in search of her, egged on by an equally anxious Dr. Bumby. Despite receiving all sorts of disturbing reports on her behavior from various Whitechapel residents, he doesn't actually catch up with her until a fortnight later, saving her from her nanny's burning brothel on the Billingsgate docks (after first punching out the local pimp, Jack Splatter). After a brief incident with her family lawyer that leaves her locked up in the Bow Street cells overnight, Alice is finally able to tell him what's going on -- her childhood playland turned psychological fixer-upper, Wonderland, has called her back to deal with a new threat to its safety -- the Ruin. She's been wandering the streets in a hallucinatory daze as she slaughters her way through her imaginary enemies and tries to track down the source of the infestation. Victor is naturally worried over her mental health (as is she), but encourages her in her pursuit of the truth.

The pair get a month of quiet (relatively -- Victor finds himself tangling with Splatter again when the pimp comes seeking revenge) before Alice is decisively yanked back to her imaginary world, leaving an increasingly anxious and frustrated back on the hunt. While he reconnects with Victoria and her husband (in town to visit one of his friends), makes some friends on the police force, and recovers Alice's beloved rabbit toy, he does not find her no matter where he looks. A chance visit to Dr. Bumby's office to protest his parents authorizing "radical treatments" for him leads to him finding out something about the doctor, though --

Namely, that Houndsditch is in fact a front for a child prostitution ring, and that Bumby has plans to make Alice a star whore while using her himself.

Unfortunately, Bumby catches him when he tries to escape with the information, turning his worst fears against him and breaking him -- erasing all his memories and turning him into his slave Thirteen. Happily, Victor only spends a week in this state before Alice, having discovered the source of the Ruin is in fact the Wonderland counterpart of her own psychiatrist and thus realized Bumby's dark secrets -- not only is he selling the children as prostitutes, he is in fact the one who raped her sister and burned down her home to cover up the crime -- confronts Bumby at Moorgate Station and kills him by shoving him in front of a train. Victor, though freed from his control, spends the next month struggling to resist his "programming" and regain his memories -- which he finally does in epic fashion via a battle in his mind.

Most people would consider that more than enough adventure for one lifetime, but Victor and Alice aren't done yet. Befriending a local chemist who turns out to be an actual wizard, the pair descend into the Land of the Dead to catch up with Victor's friends and Alice's family (conveniently in the same place, now that Lizzie is dating Bonejangles), and enter Wonderland so Alice can show him around the place. The latter trip reveals that Victor's not quite free of Bumby's influence just yet, and a second trip into his mind results. After a few rough fights, Victor finally manages to push past his worries that he's weak and burdening everyone by not being able to just get over his time as Thirteen, and his fear that he's like Bumby because he's started looking at Alice in a rather less-than-innocent way. With Alice similarly in control of her residual guilt over the children and the fire, the two marry, and find themselves a house in Victoria's new home of Sandford.

Which turns out to be a magical hot spot. Seems like a truly quiet life isn't in the offing for them...but Victor's decided he really doesnt mind that much. After all, he could have lost so much more.

Be advised that this universe deals with some adult themes, including mentions of rape, sexual slavery, and child prostitution. I try to be discreet and not mention anything too horrible on-screen, nor should any actual rape scenes be played out here, but if you’re triggered by that sort of thing, these are not the fanfics or the verse for you!

This verse has four distinct time periods/locations that threads can be set in:

Beginner’s Houndsditch: Early April 1875 to mid October 1875 -- in story terms, “Finding You” and about two-thirds of “Forgetting You.” Victor's still relatively new to Houndsditch and Whitechapel in general, making friends with Alice and learning how to get along in a city so very different from his quiet hometown. Advice on how to survive in this kind of world would be welcome -- attempts to mug or proposition him, not so much.

Forgetting Is An Art: Early November 1875 to early December 1875 -- “Remembering You.” Bumby’s dead and Victor’s been freed from his control -- but his memories remain rather elusive. Could anyone please help him figure out just who he is, beyond Bumby’s “personal assistant?”

Expert’s Houndsditch: December 1875 to July 1876 -- around the time of “Fixing You.” Victor’s got his memory back, but he’s still dealing with some of the aftereffects of being Bumby’s “assistant.” Plus he’s not thrilled about still being in Whitechapel. If you’re looking for an angrier, more cynical Victor, this is your man. Just be careful if your intention is to call him names to rile him up. 

We Are The Village Green Preservation Society: Post-July 1876 and post the main canon arc. Victor and Alice have escaped Houndsditch at last! Now they’re living in the quiet little town of Sandford -- which, as it turns out, is a very high-magic area. Enough so that sometimes, things, animals, and people come through from other places and times altogether. Victor found this out when he went out the nearby woods one day and came back with an alien mini-dragon bonded to him. He’s in a better place these days (comes from marrying the love of your life and getting out of a city you hate), and willing to give anyone a chance to at least talk. But if you have foul intentions, be warned -- he is never letting another Bumby into his life. If a time period is not specified for a thread, it’ll probably be set here, as it’s the easiest for introducing Victor to characters outside his natural time period and was the “era” I was basically playing him in on the old “Forgotten Vows” blog.

Common NPCs:

Alice Liddell (throughout)

The Houndsditch Orphans (Abigail, Elsie, Reginald/Reggie, Dennis, Charlie) (throughout)

Dr. Wilson (Forgetting Is An Art/Expert’s Houndsditch/We Are The Village Green Preservation Society)

Victoria Everglot White (Forgetting Is An Art/Expert’s Houndsditch/We Are The Village Green Preservation Society)

Christopher White (Forgetting Is An Art/Expert’s Houndsditch/We Are The Village Green Preservation Society)

June Thatcher (Forgetting Is An Art/Expert’s Houndsditch/We Are The Village Green Preservation Society)

Dr. Jeremiah Jack “J.J.” Fixxler (Expert’s Houndsditch/We Are The Village Green Preservation Society)

Bayard the husky (We Are The Village Green Preservation Society)

Splatter the black-and-white cat (We Are The Village Green Preservation Society)

Moonlight the silver Pernese fire lizard (We Are The Village Green Preservation Society)

Dr. Bumby (Beginner’s Houndsditch)

Shipping: Purely Victor/Alice. Pre-Bumby, he’s too anxious about the possibility of being rejected to consider any other advances; post-Bumby, his trauma has made him basically Alice-sexual. Other people making advances will be met with reactions ranging from polite refusal to a fist in the face, depending on time period and how the advances are phrased.

NPC Ships: Victoria Everglot/Christopher White

Important Facts:

Victor does not take being snuck up on or grabbed from behind well. Before Bumby, he’s just easily startled. After Bumby -- well, being grabbed that way brings up traumatic memories (particularly if you happen to touch his rear while doing so). In Forgetting Is An Art, Expert’s Houndsditch, or We Are The Village Green Preservation Society, doing so is basically going to get you elbowed somewhere as he tries to escape -- and he has pointy elbows.

Victor’s greatest fear is total darkness. He will not take well being trapped in a pitch-black room, and will do whatever he can to escape. Threats to blind him will be met with resistance to the point of violence, and I will not actually let anyone succeed in doing so. He’d snap within minutes.

Victor’s not fond of hypnosis, given that before Bumby’s mind-warping, he associated it with the psychiatrist being an ass and giving him headaches, and after -- well, he associates it with how the doctor made him his “personal assistant.” Anyone trying to put him into a trance is going to be met with a hell of a lot of resistance.

Victor has always been pretty protective of his loved ones, and is not afraid to throw down should you threaten them -- especially Alice. (Never mind Alice is perfectly capable of taking care of herself -- he’ll soften you up before letting her destroy you.)

On a slightly nicer note, Victor actually quite enjoys sparring with friends. A friendly fight with refreshments afterwards is fun and keeps him in shape for any real danger that comes along.

Victor has a distinct soft spot for children and will basically go into “father/big brother mode” the moment he sees them. He also doesn’t tolerate anyone trying to hurt kids, for obvious reasons. The same goes with animals, especially dogs.

Victor quite likes to cook and particularly enjoys baking. There’s a good chance a lot of my open starters will involve him making food and wanting to share it.

Victor loves animals and, by the time of We Are The Village Green Preservation Society, has three pets -- Bayard, a friendly and excitable grey and white husky; Splatter, a black and white cat so named because he looks like he was splattered with black paint (it wasn’t until later they remembered Jack); and Moonlight, a lazy but sweet-tempered fire lizard whose egg came through one of those magic portals and was found by Victor just in time for him to hatch and bond with the young man. Moonlight may seem like a rather odd outlier (especially since I also have an AU where fire lizards are just a fact of life due to an earlier surprise teleport from Pern to Earth), but -- well, he was Forgotten Vows’s pet first on the old blog, and I didn’t want to separate them. His noncanon color is actually a result of his being from the DW journal Nest O’Flitts, which makes posts in meme communities randomly giving out fire lizards in both canon and noncanon colors. It’s completely up to roll of the dice, and their roll for Victor landed him a silver. So yeah.

Victor knows magic! Or, at least, he does in Expert’s Houndsditch and We Are The Village Green Preservation Society, thanks to Dr. Fixxler. Victor and Alice become friends with him around the time of “Fixing You” and learn a few spells from him. Victor’s “signature” spell is Glowing Orb, which summons a small ball of light (gee, can’t imagine why he’d like that best). He also knows a healing/rejuvenation spell (Spring’s Breath), a summon-an-object-from-your-imagination spell (Imagination Into Reality), a send-messages-instantly-to-anyone spell (Write Across The Miles), a create-water-in-any-container spell (Nile’s Blessing), a cleaning spell (Scrub & Shine), a shield spell (Protection), and a enter-into-someone-else’s-mind spell (Travel Into Fantasy). NPC Alice’s spells include Imagination Into Reality, Travel Into Fantasy, Protection, and a natural affinity for a personal disguise spell called False Flesh (that’s my explanation for her gaining her Wonderland look in front of Bumby at the end of A:MR). Other spells may be added as time goes on!

This verse is open to everyone!

[kickoffme-blog]

Destiny 2 Gameplay Event: We’ve Got the Game Details!

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Destiny 2 Gameplay Event: We’ve Got the Game Details!

Destiny 2 Gameplay Event: We’ve Got the Game Details!

We hit the Destiny 2 gameplay event and got all the details from Eric Osborne, Head of Community

Earlier today in Hawthorne, CA, Bungie and Activision held a Destiny 2 gameplay event. The presentation was streamed live (you can watch the replay here) and revealed all sorts of new information. We learned that the PC version will be hosted on Battle.net, that we’ll get a new map that shows live events and allows you to quick travel, and that the game will now support clans and guided games, allowing solo players to join a clan or just run multiplayer content. There are new weapons slots, subclasses and a villain named Ghaul. There was even a new gameplay trailer. There was a lot in the stream, but we got a chance to sit down with Eric Osborne, Head of Community, to talk in more detail. We also have a gallery from the event with pics of some new Destiny 2 toys, weapons and more, which you can check out below.

RELATED: Destiny 2 gameplay reveal trailer: Your journey ends here

ComingSoon.net: So the PC version of the game will be hosted on Battle.net. Can you give us more info?

Eric Osborne: Obviously, we’re working with Activision, and they work very closely with Blizzard and we’ve had cultivated relationships with Blizzard as a studio for a long time. Luke Smith, our game director is a Scarab Lord [in World of Warcraft] and spent a lot of time in their world and they’ve spent a lot of time in ours, so it just felt like a really great pairing and partnership. We look at them as sort of kindred spirits. We’re trying to build big, diverse, global audiences of diverse, positive and welcoming gamers. It just feels like a super great fit. And what an amazing opportunity, right? It’s our first foray into PC gaming in forever…what better way to take our first step there than to have a partner in Blizzard and Battle.net.

CS: Tell us more about the upcoming PC version of the game. What sort of differences will we see? Anything you’d like to point out?

Osborne: Everywhere we ship Destiny 2, obviously we want to make sure the core experience is there. So on Playstation 4 you’ve got 4K support and all the activities. And on PC it’s just far more tunable based on what hardware you have. So things like widescreen format support, 4K resolution, uncapped frame rates. FOV sliders, we have fully customizable configurable controls. You can play on a keyboard and mouse. You can play on a controller and hot swap if you want. So we really want to make sure the first thing we do with Destiny on PC is a true PC build experience. We know that the PC gamers are a discerning bunch. As players ourselves, we want to make sure it lives up to the community who’s playing it. We want to make sure it’s super tunable, so if you’re playing on a moderate PC, you can have that experience, and if you’re playing on a Founder’s Edition 7700 with 16 gigs of RAM, you can kind of do whatever you want.

CS: The idea of clans in the game and guided games is something new and something that’s going to allow solo players more access to the game. Can you talk about the genesis of that?

Osborne: Yeah, I mean, personally, my wife plays. She’s a fairly solo player. She’s not antisocial, but playing when our kid is at school or when she has some downtime on a weekend and she’s primarily playing activities that she can play alone or matchmake into. But that means she’s missing out on some of the best experiences we have to offer. So we recognize that we have these people who want to play some of the pinnacle content that we created, some of the most challenging content. And we have these groups and communities that have formed that are incredibly positive. Not just for a first person shooter, but for video games in general. Pairing them together just feels like a great way to introduce solo players to social groups without commitment and that we can also allow clans and social groups that have already formed to have that pool of players that they can pull from when they need one or two more players on any given night. It’s difficult on both sides sometimes.

CS: What sort of limit do you currently have for the number of players in a clan?

Osborne: The limit right now is 100 on your clan roster. But we’re in development so that could change down the line. It’s not definitive at this time.

CS: Where did the decision come from to do a game reset? I know there was a 10-year-plan and this was a bit of a surprise for some people. 

Osborne: Really, Destiny 2 is an opportunity for us to bring players that have been playing, if you’ve got 1,500 hours in the game, we can tell a really great story that matters to you. You’ve been serving the city and the vanguard and the leadership of the world and you become legend, to quote the marketing phrase. We’re pairing them with new players in a way that feels natural. So it just felt like a really great moment to bring everyone together, sharing that story and that kick off, having a villain that can destroy our power, destroy our city, take our home. It felt like a really compelling, really simple way to get people invested in the story. The 10-year-play, really that’s just code for we want this to be a franchise that people can enjoy for a really long time, but we’re also going to make big improvements, right? For Destiny 2, story is a really big focus for us, making sure it’s compelling, the characters that you run into that you want to spend time with. We wanted somebody that you love to hate. We wanted to make sure the worlds are more explorable than ever before, changing up our activity model to make it more free-flowing, our free form system so you don’t have to go back to orbit…guided games and clan support is obviously an improvement. It’s not a rigid ‘everything is going to stay the same for 10 years,’ but it’s about longevity. We’re committed to the Destiny franchise and committed to the people who are playing it and we want to continue to make it better and better.

CS: As you’ve said, story is a huge part of Destiny 2 and there are more cinematics here than before. Can you talk about what went into that?

Osborne: Yeah, story is a huge focus for us on Destiny 2, to have a simple but resonant story. I think everyone can relate to having a story scenario where your home and your powers are taken from you. How does it feel to be exiled from your home? It’s been your charge as a Guardian to protect humanity, and in the opening moments of the game, you fail to do that. You fail and now you’re left to wander and pick up the pieces and reconnect with humanity and figure out how we’re all going to grow powerful again and how we’re going to go back and take revenge against Dominus Ghaul, this villain that’s more rich and has deeper motivations than anything we’ve put on screen before for Destiny. He believes he should have been here for destruction’s sake. He believes this is his right. He believes he should be chosen, he should be a Guardian, it should have given him its divine power. So it sets him up for a perfect foil for you.

CS: Tell us a bit about the new weapons slots.

Osborne: Weapons slots — we really wanted to provide more freedom and weapons flexibility for players and add some gameplay depth. So in the first slot we have kinetic weapons, and you have a large variety of weapons you can choose from there. You can have hand cannons, you can have scout rifles, pulse rifles, auto rifles. You can also have side arms and submachine guns, and those same weapon archetypes can also live in your energy slot, so that gives you the freedom — if you’re a long range player, you can have a scout and a scout. If you’re a close range player, you can have a submachine gun and a side arm. The wrinkle in that is, the enemies that have shields…the energy weapon strips that much faster than a kinetic weapon. So you want to switch to your energy weapon, take down a fallen captain and finish him off with your kinetic weapon. It’s about the flexibility and the freedom to play the way you want to play, but also that extra little gameplay wrinkle. And then we can also move some of the weapons archetypes that are intended to be specialized weapons, shotguns, sniper rifles, fusion rifles, rocket launchers into the power weapons slot, so when you get a heavy ammo, you can switch over to that and have your moment of glory.

CS: There have been big changes in terms of the map. Can you explain a bit more about that?

Osborne: Yeah, so as you explore the world, things will just sort of populate as you discover them. So if you just discover a lost sector or pick up an adventure from a character, say in European Dead Zone, it will pop up on your map. You might be doing a story mission or you might be doing free roam, and then you can decide to go off the beaten path and pick that adventure up or save it for later. We’re also showing where public events are happening, the sort of convergence moments where enemies sort of land and do something nefarious and try to attack you, and then you and other players can meet for that moment of fun and then go about your separate ways. All of that is on the map. We have landing zones om destinations, so if you want fast travel around, you can do that. If you want to pick where you’re going to land, you can open up your directory at any moment in the game now and decide. All those map and directory features are about making it easier for you to get into the action faster. To sort of pick and choose what you want to do in the game faster. In the past you had to go to a website to find out when a public event was going to happen, which is cool that people supported that…but it’s more awesome to have that in the game.

CS: Can you talk about the new worlds we’ll get to explore?

Osborne: The worlds are all new. The campaign has it’s own set pieces that you’ll go through that will take you through four new worlds. We have the European Dead Zone, we have Titan, Nessus and Io. They all have their own beautiful, unique palates, ranging from sulfuric cliffs to planets that are just fully oceanic to lush forests that have been gouged out by the Red Legion. We really wanted to provide players with a lot of looks and variety, and destinations and different palates, different scores, characters that care about their world, enemies that have motivations for being there, and yeah, the campaign threads through it, but once you start roaming, you’ll find dungeons, treasure chests, lore, scan-ables, all kinds of things, random encounters that you can get into. Some people, of course, just drive around and look at the scenery and dance and hang out. There’s all sorts of stuff to do.

CS: So you now have three new subclasses in Destiny 2?

Osborne: Yeah, so we have three new subclasses that you saw in our trailer and our content today…

CS: Might there be more?

Osborne: Yes, there will definitely be more. You saw the warlock Dawnblade with air superiority, so you can throw yourself in the air, basically like a phoenix rising from the ashes and hurl flaming death down on your enemies. You can float in the air and do all kinds of fun stuff. Fly down and smash your enemies. We have the Titan Sentinel, which is all close quarters combat. You have a shield. You can be mobile while you’re in your shield and throw the shield. It will pingpong around the map and come back. Then you have the Hunter Arcstrider, which is sort of — you turn into a whirling acrobat of electric energy and just smash your way fluidly like a dancer through all of your enemies, just lighting them up and disintegrating them. It’s really fun. Each of those archetypes feel very much into those subclasses, like an extension of what’s already there. Then things like, the Striker Titan is coming forward and instead of having a fist of havoc, you’ll have fists of havoc. We’re amplifying those and adding a lot of flare and flavor. And once you dig into the subclasses, you still have a lot of customization you can do and choices you can make and still pick your movement modes and grenade types. But we’ve created branching paths to sort of highlight the things that pair well together, so if you play a certain play style, there will be a grouping you can pick from, a path, we’re calling them, that all works in concert for a certain build…then each subclass has native abilities that they can use. For example, every Titan, regardless of subclass can put down a barricade, every Warlock can throw down a rift that has a buff benefit for them and their allies. Every Hunter can dodge. Each of them has a bit of customization as well that you can tweak.

Destiny 2 will arrive on PlayStation 4 (with additional, timed exclusive content) and Xbox One on September 8. We’ll update you as soon as a PC release date is announced. Are you guys excited for the new game? What do you think of the details for Destiny 2? Let us know in the comments or tweet us @ComingSoonnet.

Destiny 2 Gameplay Event

Destiny 2 Gameplay Event

Destiny 2 Gameplay Event

Destiny 2 Gameplay Event

Destiny 2 Gameplay Event

Destiny 2 Gameplay Event

Destiny 2 Gameplay Event

Destiny 2 Gameplay Event

Destiny 2 Gameplay Event

Destiny 2 Gameplay Event

Destiny 2 Gameplay Event

Destiny 2 Gameplay Event

Destiny 2 Gameplay Event

Destiny 2 Gameplay Event

Destiny 2 Gameplay Event

Destiny 2 Gameplay Event

Destiny 2 Gameplay Event

Destiny 2 Gameplay Event

Destiny 2 Gameplay Event

Destiny 2 Gameplay Event

Destiny 2 Gameplay Event

Destiny 2 Gameplay Event

Destiny 2 Gameplay Event

Destiny 2 Gameplay Event

Destiny 2 Gameplay Event

Destiny 2 Gameplay Event

Destiny 2 Gameplay Event

Destiny 2 Gameplay Event

Destiny 2 Gameplay Event

The post Destiny 2 Gameplay Event: We’ve Got the Game Details! appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

Read more May 19, 2017 7:49 am