#the Sable Vanguard

[blackbrownfamily]

Marva Collins

[akiboosl]

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[msmc-796-official]

// Here we go, folks! Y'all ready to go?

> I've just finished a cursory inspection of the mechs; everything seems to be in fighting order. Though, I must ask - where has Slipshod disappeared to?

// Huh. Y'know, I'm not sure, exactly. Last I heard, they said something about going to find their headse- oh no. Cover your ears, Commander, I suspect it's going to get-

LLLLLLADIES AND GENTLEMEN; GIRLS, GAYS, AND THEYS; PILOTS, HANDLERS, AND NHPS OF ALL PERSUASIONS!

ARE YOU READY... FOR A SQUADRON SHOWDOWN???

that's right folks, for ONE NIGHT ONLY you'll get to witness two of the greatest mercenary companies this side of the Rocky Mountain Line duke it out to see which squadron comes out on top!

as my co-announcers Broadband and Dial Up aboard the Sylvia's Requiem have so kindly introduced our competitors from CORSAIR Mercenary Company - those being the one and only Saber Squadron - I feel it is only my duty as our company's resident technophile to give our gals a proper introduction

without further ado, it is my pleasure to introduce to you our challengers from Mirrorsmoke Mercenary Company - MSMC-796 Heaven's Fury!

first on the roster - you know her well folks: resident voice of MSMC and high-flying sniper elite, PR extraordinaire and pilots rights activist; demons beware her righteous wrath, for she is... ANGEL!

---

MC Phoenix "Angel" Michaelis-Landers, MSMC-796-3

And The Voice of Apollo Spoke From On High

-- SSC Dusk Wing @ LL9 -- [ LICENSES ] SSC Dusk Wing 3, HORUS Goblin 1, HORUS Minotaur 1, HORUS Kobold 1, HRA Antlion 3 [ CORE BONUSES ] Improved Armament, Neurolink Targeting, Reduced Signature [ TALENTS ] Hacker 3, Infiltrator 3, Crack Shot 3, Gunslinger 3 [ STATS ] HULL:2 / AGI:4 / SYS:4 / ENGI:1 STRUCTURE:4 / HP:15 / ARMOR:0 STRESS:4 / HEATCAP:5 / REPAIR:4 TECH ATK:+5 / LIMITED:+0 SPD:8 / EVA:16 / EDEF:12 / SENSE:10 / SAVE:16 [ WEAPONS ] FLEX MOUNT: Fusion Rifle AUX/AUX MOUNT: Tracer Autocannon / Tracer Autocannon FLEX MOUNT: Veil Rifle (Manual Fire Control) [ SYSTEMS ] Viral Logic Suite, H0R_OS System Upgrade I, Neurospike, Flicker Field Projector, OASIS Wall, Autotrigger

---

next up is yours truly on the mic - squadron engineer, shock jockey, and maestro of melee; attune your ears to the grinding gears, coming to you live from inside my tokugawa, it's... SLIPSHOD!

---

MC [REDACTED] "Slipshod" Schell, MSMC-796-2

One Flat Foot on the Devil's Wing

-- HA Tokugawa @ LL9 -- [ LICENSES ] HA Tokugawa 3, IPS-N Nelson 3, HRA Shamhat 3 [ CORE BONUSES ] Superior by Design, Sloped Plating, Wildstrider Frame [ TALENTS ] Ace 3, Nuclear Cavalier 3, Vanguard 3, Grease Monkey 3 [ STATS ] HULL:1 / AGI:2 / SYS:4 / ENGI:4 STRUCTURE:4 / HP:15 / ARMOR:2 STRESS:4 / HEATCAP:14 / REPAIR:4 TECH ATK:+3 / LIMITED:+2 SPD:5 / EVA:10 / EDEF:10 / SENSE:10 / SAVE:16 [ WEAPONS ] Integrated: Fuel Rod Gun FLEX MOUNT: Plasma Spitter / Plasma Spitter MAIN MOUNT: Hull Cutter MAIN MOUNT: Torch [ SYSTEMS ] Type-I Flight System, Ramjet, Thrustbooster Heat Conduit, Plasma Gauntlet x3, External Batteries

---

and finally, last but certainly not least - squadron commander and living legend, slayer of titans and champion of the Fireman Saga; batten down the bunker doors, because here comes... LOCKBREAKER!

---

MC Kennedi "Lockbreaker" Sable IV, MSMC-796-1

From The Ashes We Rise

-- IPS-N Caliban @ LL9 -- [ LICENSES ] IPS-N Zheng 3, IPS-N Caliban 2, SSC Black Witch 1, HRA Tarantula 3 [ CORE BONUSES ] Overpower Caliber, Superheavy Mounting, Utility Pack [ TALENTS ] Executioner 3, Nuclear Cavalier 3, Demolitionist 3, Pankrati 2, Vanguard 1 [ STATS ] HULL:5 / AGI:3 / SYS:1 / ENGI:2 STRUCTURE:4 / HP:21 / ARMOR:2 STRESS:4 / HEATCAP:7 / REPAIR:7 TECH ATK:-1 / LIMITED:+1 SPD:4 / EVA:11 / EDEF:9 / SENSE:3 / SAVE:16 [ WEAPONS ] Integrated: HHS-075 “Flayer” Shotgun Integrated: Fuel Rod Gun SUPERHEAVY MOUNT: D/D 288 (Supermassive Mod) // Overpower Caliber HEAVY MOUNT: SUPERHEAVY WEAPON BRACING [ SYSTEMS ] Armament Redundancy, Ferrous Lash, Spike Charges x3, Pattern-B HEX Charges x4, Smokescreen Charges x4

---

allllright folks - you've met our competitors, you've seen their stats, and hell, maybe you've even placed some bets. I've got a squadron waiting for me back in the hangar, so I'm gonna pass it back over to my partners in the CMC broadcast booth to describe the battlefield and conditions for the match. take it away, Broadband and Dial Up!

-- Angel, Slipshod, & Lockbreaker

GOOOOOOOOOD TIMEZONE OMNINET

This is Broadband! And this is Dial up! Both coming to you from within the Sylvia's Requiem showcasing and broadcasting one of our training arenas because do we have a show for you all! CORSAIR's own Saber Squadron is going head to head with MSMC's own @msmc-796-official HEAVEN'S FURY. We've got a brawl of titans lined up tonight! Before we introduce our sister company's stars I think we should invite you all to see our wonderful company head and her squadron. In order for this to be a fair fight Saber squadron has dropped licenses in order to be LL9 to make sure they don't pull any tricks.

First up we have the Pointperson Themselves, Aranessa Valencious the Fourth from the House of Stone... LEEEETS GIVE IT UP FOR DANCER! Running in a one of a kind Orchis and with years worth of Pankration and CMC contracts the folks at MSMC are in for a tough fight. For those of you who want to get a good look at the Specs will be linked to all of our pilot's builds at the end.

Second up CORSAIR's chief battle medic, Katherine Wainwright. But some you know her much better as.... SAWBONES! Our girl has a long storied history with Commodore and several battlefields across the long rim. Running in quite possibly the most armed Lancaster I've seen you best hope that Tacyon lance is not pointed at you.

Last but certainly not least. You know her. You love her. The owner of CMC herself. Let's give it up for COMMODORE! Do we even have to introduce her to you all? Piloting what's been her mech from day one (Well the build hasn't changed thats for certain) LEGAL ON PAPER an Everest still serving as hard as ever. It's time to show you all what someone like her can really do!

Grab your drinks, your meals and a seat. Get yourselves ready for a battle that's only beaten out by the Fireman Saga itself. And welcome our sister company MSMC to the proving grounds!

(Dancer Comp/Con Code: ZCRNP9

(Sawbones Comp/Con Code: 6L3VPE

(Commodore Comp/Con Code: BDNXQ3

[housetyrellian]

The Sable Vanguard 2: Non-guild Boogaloo

Some of you may have noticed that <The Sable Vanguard> was renamed to <Ashguard Company>. This change was largely made due to my no longer having the time to run a military organization.

Naturally, I can hardly expect everything to change back once I DO have time, so I’m relaunching the Vanguard as a non-guild organization. What this means is that members and member organizations (more on that in a bit) are welcome to join, regardless of guild affiliation or lack thereof.

The Sable Vanguard is a coalition of various people and groups united under one banner in order to serve the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas and her interests. While the reasons for serving can range from patriotism to personal loyalty to simple greed for mercenary wages, the Vanguard is willing and eager to bring the best people it can find to the table. The majority of the Vanguard’s personnel are Thalassian military, foreign “diplomats,” mercenaries, and martial nobility, but allies and auxiliaries come from most professions and all walks of life.

- Vanguard units are organized under three designations:

Regulars Professional soldiers of the Thalassian military. Regular personnel are held to higher standards and stricter discipline than Irregulars or Auxiliaries, but in turn also receive higher clearance and, generally speaking, more trust and authority.

Irregulars Volunteer militia, foreign personnel, noble levies, mercenaries on retainer, and other sworn-and-inducted members that are not part of the regular Thalassian military. They are expected to follow Vanguard law and policy, but are generally granted more leniency than Regulars, albeit at the cost of lesser trust and authority. Irregular units typically have Regular officers in command, if there is no particularly promising Irregular that is not eligible for induction into the Regulars or for whatever reason chooses not to. However, commissioned officers are held to the same standards as Regular officers.

Auxiliaries Vanguard personnel that are either not sworn in or whose unit exists outside of the Vanguard command structure, such as non-Vanguard allies or member organizations that opt to use their own command structure. This increased autonomy comes at a loss of authority within the Vanguard, however, and Auxiliaries usually have less security clearance. They are assigned wherever they are needed. New recruits are usually placed here to be vetted.

- While the Sable Vanguard is above all a military institution, many of its members and allies engage in politics and espionage, albeit under a strictly-enforced mandate that their intrigues serve Thalassian interests and abide by Vanguard law. It often supports various charities and public services, as well, such as orphanages and religious institutions. Even mercantile enterprises may find a patron in the Vanguard, provided they prove to be a long-term asset. After all, funding must come from SOMEWHERE.

Officially, the Vanguard is classified as a militia, the “Sable Vanguard Volunteer’s Battalion,” and presently receives State funding for a single company of Regulars. The Vanguard’s funding comes largely from member contributions and incomes from various investments such as dividends from sponsored merchants and privateers and permission to keep much of the income generated by the Southeastern Marches Resettlement Zone, an area in the Southern Marches under Vanguard occupation and provisional governance, pending restoration of civil administration and/or reclamation of occupied areas by the heirs of pre-Fall landowners, in exchange for protecting the area and enforcing Thalassian law (thus freeing up State resources and personnel for deployment elsewhere).

Presently, the NPC troops are assigned to garrison duties, while the special operations units (i.e., you) are deployed to the field.

- I’ll elaborate on what everything means later, but the basic structure will be:

Battalion Captain-General* (commander) Color sergeant All other units

Company Captain Sergeant major 2 squadron minimum, 3 is ideal

Squadron Lieutenant Staff sergeant 2 troop minimum, 3 is idea

Troop Cornet Sergeant Corporal 4 active enlisted minimum, 8 is ideal

Other positions:

Aide-de-camp: Chief administrative officer. Vacant. -Provost: Chief of military police. Vacant.

Chief Physician: Head of all medical personnel and operations. Incumbent: Komboloi Sunwhisper.

Master-Wizard: Chief magical advisor. Tentative.

Chaplain: In charge of the mental health and wellbeing of the Vanguard’s personnel, including making sure religious needs are met. Vacant. -Clerical representative: Represents a given religious denomination. There are none incumbent.

- I won’t have time to drive this very hard for a few more months, so I personally am not going to start recruiting in earnest until then. HOWEVER, I would be interested in peoples’ thoughts and/or interest, and I’ll still accept applications despite not actively recruiting.

Prospective Vanguard officers are more than welcome to recruit for their own unit, too, if they want to get started early. I can work on mini-events to do, or the unit can make their own content. Needless to say, this kind of thing will definitely be taken into account when we have enough people for there to be promotions available!

Organizations are invited to join wholesale, as well, either entirely under their own hierarchy as auxiliaries or as part of the established command structure as Regulars or Irregulars, or to send smaller delegations. We will try to put people in their preferred unit as much as possible which, especially this early on, should keep guildies together if they so choose. >

[nblood30]

Sablé de Marañón, compota de frambuesa/mangostino, mousse de suero costeño, merengue de old parr, esponja de suero costeño. #tartlovers #tart #pastry #pastrylove #pastrylife #pastrychefsofinstagram #vanguardia #vanguard #imago #ncd #raspberry #mangostino #whiskymeringue #oldparr #suerocosteño #spongecake #sable #marañon #cashew #cashewnuts #meringue

[microcosme11]

Murat is admired but he had to give up his watch

Les Cosaques, qui avaient vu constamment le roi de Naples, toujours habillé d'une façon remarquable, exposé le premier à la tête de l'avant-garde, s'approchèrent de lui avec un respect mêlé d'admiration et de plaisir : ce prince était le seul de toute l'armée qui portât sur son chapeau un panache de plumes blanches et qui fût vêtu d'une tunique polonaise gris de lin bordée de martre zibeline. Le roi leur donna tout l'argent qu'il avait sur lui, même sa montre; et, quand il eut épuisé tout ce qu'il portait, il emprunta du général Gourgaud, de ses aides de camp et de ses officiers, les montres qu'ils avaient. (Sa libéralité ne fut pas une charge pour les braves qui l'entouraient ; plus tard ils reçurent des présens d'une valeur supérieure aux objets qu'ils avaient prêtés. ) Ces Cosaques firent éclater leurs transports, et donnèrent à entendre qu'ils n'étaient pas étonnés que l'un des plus braves de l'armée française fût aussi l'un des plus généreux.

No, he isn’t giving them the Order of Two Sicilies. That’s a watch.

The Cossacks, who had constantly seen the King of Naples, always remarkably dressed, exposed at the head of the vanguard, approached him with respect mixed with admiration and pleasure: this prince was the only one in the entire army who wore a plume of white feathers on his hat and was dressed in a gray linen tunic lined with marten sable. The King gave them all the money he had on him, even his watch; and, when he had exhausted everything he wore, he borrowed watches from General Gourgaud, his aides-de-camp, and his officers. (His liberality was not a burden to the brave men who surrounded him; later they received gifts of greater value than the objects they had lent.) These Cossacks were transported with joy, and let it be known that they were not surprised that one of the bravest men in the French army was also one of the most generous.

Disclaimer: Bausset is today thought to be a real jerk.

Mémoires anecdotiques sur l'interieur de Palais de Napoléon by Bausset-Roquefort, Louis François Joseph, v.2

[illegiblewords]

ILLEGIBLE’S TOTALLY SUBJECTIVE FAVORITE EORZEA COLLECTION DESIGNS | SEASON II: TANKS

I compiled a list of designs in the past to share some favorite Final Fantasy XIV glamours from the Eorzea Collection website. With the Endwalker expansion released, there are quite a few new options available and people have developed even more incredible looks. So I decided it was worth doing a follow-up. I’ll probably do this every expansion or so. As before, this list comes with a disclaimer that it’s personal opinion and purely in the interest of going ‘LOOK HOW COOL THIS IS’ at people! Anyone could theoretically do the same, I’m not an authority.

This post focuses on tanks.

Season I Tanks

PALADIN

FEMALE

- Blinding, brilliant by Louise Aquitaine

- Consecrated Crusader by Ecclesia Albion

- Smite of the Valkyrie by Selerity Faire

- Maid of Eorzea (Jeanne d’Arc in Final Fantasy XIV) by Jehanne Pucelle

- Praefectus by Nitus Hyenborn

- blade of valor by Girl Boss

- Mitron’s Familiar by Ko Kiri

- Emerald Protector by Arkania Ravinna

- Executioner’s Fury by Sarafina Vadrel

- Imperial Paladin by Widler Crisp

MALE

- Ishgard’s Holy Crusader by Syhroeya Lionheardt

- Seraphim Protector by Epsilon Saber

- The Blossom Sentry by Hali Blossom

- Blue Knight by Tarn Supreme

- Silver Savior by Tenchi Tora

- Northern King by Tyr Kolbeck

- The Chosen King by Lucky Bobbie

- Sable Knight by Endymion Crow

- Fallen Paladin by Dandy Space

- Jungle Prowler by King Kotal

WARRIOR

FEMALE

- The Warrior of Light by Runa Herja

- Ala Mhigan Marauder by Mavari Khatayin

- Season of The Wolf by Iliete Godriquelain

- Northern Wind - Justice by Thorime Marr

- Palaka’s Warrior by Peij Fei

- Inquisitorial Executioner by Ecclesia Albion

- Blood Warrior by Yna Matsunaga

- Dotharli Khagan by Ko Kiri

- Bam! by Plu Patredis

- Street Warrior by Tess Tosteroni

MALE

- Tropaios by A’ Aracari

- Mountain King by Sahl Suh

- Royal Protector by Nakrik Valentus

- Bulwark by Yannick Ostheimer

- river phlegethon by Tattl Tael

- White Knight by Oscar Eden

- The Sea King by Robin Zlobin

- Eastern Warrior by Val Forsyth

- Snapping Turtle Tank by Yayonzo Poponzo

- TechnoDwarf by Lujan Dijanasch

DARK KNIGHT

FEMALE

- Champion of Darkness by Norta Marmannwyn

- Gordian Grace by Kiehun Byrne

- Limbo by Nya Nya

- Mini Demon Knight by Lulunya Lunya

- Knight of Tartarus by Ecclesia Albion

- Dark Innocence by Eri Aisaka

- The WarWolf by Katt Lauren

- Judge Magister by Matots Riversaw

- Sin Eater by Syla Sidhe

- Cardinal Virtues by Elysee Citroen

MALE

- In Darkness Clad v2 by Animus Luthienos

- The God King by Sentient Being

- Ignominy by Nya Nya

- The Apocalypse Bringer by Syhroeya Lionheardt

- King of Babil by Kyary Yukino

- Chaosmourne by Orrin Hawke

- The Raid Leader by Xennon Song

- Vanaspati Shade by Amaris Palazzo

- Field Commander by Mathael Bourbagne

- Serpent’s Relic Researcher by Nergui Darga

GUNBREAKER

FEMALE

- creachadair by Yaelle Aubrenard

- Hypervelocity by Kyary Yukino

- Zbunt by Zeuphy Zali

- Vagabond by Maya Deraya

- Ishgardian Gunblade by Sudenmarja Villilehto

- Ishgardian Scout by Ayla Konatsu

- Sky Vanbreaker by Louise Aquitaine

- Nomad Lone Ranger by Siddh Brumedecendre

- Blood of the Wolf by Ko Kiri

- Homesteader by Louise Aquitaine

MALE

- the traveler by Tattl Tael

- Makai-Vanguard by Xennon Song

- Phlegethon’s Cuirass by Radio Jackun

- the golden order by Tattl Tael

- Garde Royale by Rogan Hunter

- Alliance Special Armor by Braddock Steele

- Mythbreaker by Olvir Halfnight

- Mechbreaker by Eibon Kingsley

- Battle Scavenger by Skodr Wheidhemsyn

- CROUCHING TIGER by Mountain Miyamoto

[muses-of-ideen]

💩

((Okay, so I scoured the last 24 hours of my dash, and the only thing I could find that had this was a Munday Meme reblogged to my Pokémon Ranger RP blog.  I’m going to answer it, but if this isn’t what or who you meant to send it too, I’m really sorry but I’m completely lost.))

💩 = What do the mun and muse usually do when they feel bad? 

It depends on the muse, but I for one only have two kinds of ‘bad’: one is the one where my anxiety is really acting up in which case I am trained to tell it to shut up, sit down, and stop being such a crappy backseat driver.  And then I turn on my I-Pod and start imagining scenarios, and that’s the end of that. The other is on the days when I’m hurting.  Something happened with my medicine or my body just really hates me that day, but regardless I feel like someone’s trying to crush something in my abdomen.  For that I usually sit back, take some Advil, watch a crap ton of anime, and maybe allow myself to buy a decently priced book online to read when it gets there.  If I have to do anything or go anywhere, I try to not over-exert myself (doctor’s orders.)  I can take care of myself.

As for muses… I’ll go with Truman and Bane.  Truman and Bane are prime examples of what not to do when you’re having a bad day.

Truman likes to go down to the dungeon and torture prisoners.  (And if you honestly didn’t think he had a dungeon then I am very disappointed in you.)  And, when he’s out of prisoners (because they all died of terror or something) he goes and complains to Sean to let him use Sunniva as bait so he can get more (he knows Sunniva won’t get hurt, if anything she’ll enjoy beating the crap out of any would-be assassins.)  Sean, of course, has none of it.  When rejected by Sean, he will then proceed to start hanging his own guards from the rafters by their toes.  You become a member of the Umbran Royal Guard at your own risk (and at the King’s amusement.)  He usually lets them down after an hour… or ten (he then compensates them for their time and gives them a day off because while he’s mean, he’s not cruel.)

Bane, on the other hand, throws a whiny fit.  Yes, he still throws tantrums.  And Shiela is usually the one that has to deal with it.  While she’s the one that understands his hardships the most, there are times when she really cannot stand him, and this is one of them.  He’ll be obnoxiously passive-aggressive, whine and complain when he doesn’t get what he wants, and then when you give it to him, he’ll pout.  He is impossible to deal with and Shiela has taken to dealing with it by ‘making him sleep on the couch.’

[demifiendrsa]

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade details Nero, Scarlet, battle mechanics, Fort Condor, and Ramuh

■ New Key Visual

■ Characters

Last month, we introduced you to the AVALANCHE allies who will be assisting Yuffie in her mission to Midgar. Today, we showcase a couple of characters who are… decidedly less friendly.

Nero (voiced by Sean Chiplock i[ENG], Ryoutarou Okiayu [JPN])

Nero is a member of the Tsviets—an elite unit within Shinra’s secret military group Deepground. The younger brother of Weiss the Immaculate, he practically worships his incarcerated sibling.

The experiments that brought Nero into the world also left him with the power to control darkness. Some call him ‘Nero the Sable’ and he lives up to the name by engulfing whoever and whatever he pleases in a vast abyss.

Scarlet and The Crimson Mare

Scarlet is Shinra’s Director of Advanced Weaponry, and in charge of the very materia that Wutai wants to steal.

When Yuffie and Sonon infiltrate her division, she graciously lets them become test subjects for a suit of battle armor called the Crimson Mare. I mean, that’s just being a good host, right?

Scarlet developed the awesome armor personally and takes the pilot seat against the heroes. They’ll have their work cut out for them – the Crimson Mare comes equipped with interchangeable weapons, such as sabers and makocannons. True to its name, it’s more than capable of painting the arena red with the blood of its foes.

■ Battle Mechanics

Next up, we’ll explain a little about how the battle mechanics work in Final Fantasy VII Remake EPISODE INTERmission. For Yuffie and Sonon, it’s teamwork that makes the dream work. Of course, they also have their limits…

Synergized Attacks

Although Sonon can’t be controlled in battle, he can be given orders. What’s more, with co-ordination, he can work with Yuffie to deliver more powerful attacks.

If both characters have ATB available, pressing L2 will engage synergy with Yuffie and Sonon, allowing them to team up for special attacks that can stagger enemies more easily.

Here’s an example of some of the synergized attacks they can pull off:

—Synergized Art of War batters an enemy with a barrage of blows and all subsequent attacks deal increased damage.

—Synergized Windstorm creates a gust of wind that hurts nearby enemies and launches them toward you.

Limit Breaks

Just as in the original Final Fantasy VII Remake adventure, characters’ Limit gauges will fill as they take damage. Once Yuffie and Sonon have taken enough abuse, they’ll be able to unleash a devastatingly damaging attack.

—Yuffie’s Limit Break is called Bloodbath.

—When used, she’ll unleash a flurry of blows that deal large amounts of damage.

—Sonon can utilize the Limit Break Dance of the Dragon. This lets the character deliver multiple hits with his staff, dealing incredible amounts of damage to any foe unlucky enough to be on the receiving end.

■ Minigame: Fort Condor

If Yuffie needs a break from clandestine ninja work, she can check out the hot new craze in the Midgar undercity: Fort Condor.

Inspired by one of Shinra’s military campaigns, it’s a game of strategy in which two players deploy units to conquer their opponent’s base and defend their own. Here’s how it works:

First you select the board, which determines the number of ATB charges and materia available to you. You can also set the units you wish to deploy.

You use ATB charges to deploy a unit. Once deployed, it will march toward your opponent’s base and automatically engage any enemy units it encounters.

A unit is assigned one of three roles: vanguard, ranged, or defense. These determine which enemies it will be effective against.

Materia can be used to cast powerful spells. Timing matters as each orb can only be used once per match, so it’s up to you to decide when is best to use it.

Fort Condor is gaining massive popularity and word on the street (or under it) is that anyone who can defeat the grandmaster can win some rare materia.

Now, does that sound like something a certain Wutaian ninja would be able to resist…?

■ Summon: Ramuh

He’s here at last!

Quite a few people expressed regret that the lightning-launching Ramuh didn’t make an appearance in FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE – including Co-Director Naoki Hamaguchi himself! That’s about to change.

The fabled Lord of Levin is able to bend lightning to his will to strike down enemies. It’s said that he once cast judgment on the wicked with mighty bolts and exhorted humanity to accept law and order.

He’ll aid our heroes in battle with some shocking skills.

Voltaic Lance

Ramuh brings down a lance of lightning that deals damage to nearby enemies for a short time.

Judgement Bolt

Judgment Bolt is Ramuh’s ultimate attack, which he’ll use just before he leaves the field of battle. It conjures a spectacular lightning storm that lays waste to all enemies on the battlefield.

■ Final Fantasy VII Remake Item Pack Downloadable Content

Free downloadable content including three summons, three armors, and two accessories due out alongside the game on June 10, 2021.

It includes:

Summon Materia: Carbuncle

Summon Materia: Chocobo

Summon Materia: Cactuar

Armor: Midgar Bangle

Armor: Shinra Bangle

Armor: Corneo’s Armlet

Accessory: Superstar Belt

Accessory: Mako Crystal

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade will launch for PlayStation 5 on June 10, 2021 worldwide.

[bookofjin]

Records of Han, 1st Year of Jiaping (311 AD)

An eventful year

1st Year of Jiaping, Summer, 4th Month [6 May – 2 June], Han's Zhao Gu and Wang Sang attacked Pei Dun, and killed him.

5th Month [3 June – 2 July], used the Commandant of Guards, Huyan Yan, as Envoy Holding the Tally, Great Chief-Controller of the Vanguard, and Great General of the Van Army. He paired him with 27 000 forbidden troops, to enter the Luo river-lands from Yiyang. He instructed Mi of Donglai, the Dragon-Prancing [General], Liu Yao, and the [General who] Garrisons the Army, Shi Le, to advance the armies and meet with him.

By the time Yan reached Henan, Jin host had from beginning to end been defeated twelve times, the dead were more than 30 000 people. After a long chase, he besieged Luoyang. Mi and others had not yet arrived, so Yan halted the supply wagons at Zhang Fang's old ramparts.

On guiwei [29 June], he first arrived at Luoyang.

On jiashen [30 June], he attacked the Pingchang Gate.

On bingxu [2 July], he overcame it. Thereupon he burnt the Dongyang and Xuanyang Gates, and the various registries and offices. Emperor Huai dispatched the Intendant of Henan, Liu Mo, to resist him, the kingly host was defeated at She Gate.

6th Month, dinghai [3 July], New Moon, Yan, since the outer connections did not arrive, set out from the Dongyang Gate, carried off kings, excellencies and below, more than 200 men and women, and left. At the time the Emperor wanted to cross the He and escape eastward, he prepared a boat on the Luo River. Yan burnt it utterly, and turned back to Zhang Fang's old ramparts.

Mi and Yao robbed Xiangcheng, and then met up with Yan to besiege Luoyang. At the time within the city there was considerable famine, people all ate each other, the hundred officials divided and scattered and were not of firm purpose, and the excellencies and ministers ran to Heyin.

On gengyin [6 July], the Minister of Works, Xun Fan, and the Brilliantly Blessed Grandee Xun Zu, ran to Huanyuan. The Leader of the Left to the Heir-Apparent, Wen, Ji,at night opened the Guangmo Gate, and ran to the Xiaoping Ford.

On xinmao [7 July], Wang Mi arrived at Xuanyang Gate.

On renchen [8 July], Liu Yao, arrived at Ximing Gate.

On dingyou [13 July], the Xuanyang Gate fell. A crowd of twelve kings were with bound hands at the military gate, with sable tail, cicada wings, to thereby make whole the kingly offices. Yao, Mi, and others thereupon entered into the southern palace, they climbed to the Grand Eminence Front Hall, let loose the troops to greatly plunder, and thoroughly gathered the palace people and precious treasure.

The Emperor opened the Hualin Park Gate, and set out for the Heyin Lotus-root Pool, wishing to favour Chang'an. He was pursued by Yao and others and caught. They secluded the Jin Emperor at the Duan Gate. Yao entered from the Ximing Gate to station at the military treasury. Yao and others thereupon pressured and humiliated August Empress Yang.

On wuxu [14 July], Yao killed Jin's Heir-Apparent, Quan, sent out to dig out the mounds and tombs, and burnt down the palaces and temples, the city offices were washed clean entirely. The King of Wu, Yan, the King Jingling, Mao, the Supervisor of the Left of the Masters of Writing, He Yu, the Supervisor of the Right, Cao Fu, the Masters of Writing Lüqiu Chong, Yuan Can, Wang Gun, the Intendant of Henan, Liu Mo, and others were all murdered. The dead among the hundred officials, gentlemen and commoners, men and women, were more than 30 000 people. To the north of the Luo River, they made there to be a capital watchtower.

Moved the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, the Palace Attendant Yu Min and others, and the six imperial signets transmitted to the state, to Pingyang.

On dingwei [23 July], a great amnesty, and changed the inaugural to be the 1st Year of Jiaping [“Excellent Peace”]. Used the Emperor as Specially Advanced, Brilliantly Blessed Grandee of the Left, and Duke of Ping'e. Used the Palace Attendants Yu Shi and Wang Jun as Brilliantly Blessed Grandees.

During Mi's plundering, Yao forbid it, but Mi did not follow. Yao beheaded his Serrated Gates Wang Yan to thereby display. Mi was furious, he and Yao blocked the troops and attacked each other, the dead were more than 1 000 people. Mi's Senior Clerk, Zhang Song, admonished,saying:

Your Enlightened Excellency and the House of State are together rising up the great affair, and the affair began just now, that is all. To readily attack and chastise each other, how can you face seeing the Ruler and Sovereign? The merit of pacifying Luo truly is the General's, however Liu Yao is of the august clan, [you] ought to be little a below him. Reflecting on Jin's two Wang pacifying Wu, they are then not distant. [I] wish the Enlightened General to consider them a likelihood. Even if the General hinders the troops and does not return, how is he similar to the sons and brothers of the lineage clan!

Mi said:

Good. If not for Sir, I would not understand this mistake.

Hence he went to Yao to apologize. They mended their differences so it was like before. Mi said:

That this low official understand his mistake then really was the merit of Senior Clerk Zhang.

Yao spoke to Song, saying:

You, Lord, are Zhu Jian, why is it you have standard life!

Each bestowed on Song 100 jin of gold.

Mi spoke to Yao, saying:

Luoyang is at the centre of Under Heaven, and strengthened by the mountains the He and the four passes, the walls moats, palaces and houses are without provisional designs and constructions. We ought to clarify to the Ruler and Sovereign to move the capital from Pingyang to it.

Yao, since Under Heaven was not yet settled, and Luoyang faced enemies on four sides and could not be defended, did not employ Mi's stratagem, he burnt it down and left. Mi angrily said:

Son of the Tuge, how do [you] have the thoughts of kings and emperors! What Under Heaven is the explanation for you!

Thereupon he guided the multitudes to go east and station at Xiang Pass.

Earlier, Yao, since Mi had first entered Luo, and had not waited for him, was angry with him. Reaching this point, the mistrust and grudges was thereupon driving a wedge between them. Mi considered the former Colonel Minister of Retainers, LiuTun his countryman with long-held reputation, and for that reason he escaped from the difficulties. Tun because of that advised Mi, saying:

Now the gallant and valiant are contending to rise up, the hems of the Nine Provinces are splitting. Those who have merit not of this generation within the firmament are not made space for. General, from when [you] rose up with troops and onwards, which attacks did not succeed, which battles did [you] not win? And again when [you] and Liu Yao did not cooperate, [you] properly thought of the faults of Wen Zhong and used Fan Li as your teacher.

Moreover if the General possibly is not in the thoughts of kings and emperors, [you can] be king of the east in the home province, and accordingly observe the tendencies of the times. At best [you] can thereby uniting Under Heaven, at worst [you] can complete the affairs of the tripartite balance, how are [you] worse than Sun and Liu! Kuai Tong has spoken, the General ought to make plans for it.

Mi considered him to be correct.

Autumn, 7th Month [1 August – 30 August], the King of Nanyang, Mo sent the Serrated Gates Zhao Ran to defend Puban. Ran requested to become Grand Warden of Pingyi, but did not get it. He was angry, and led the multitudes to surrender to Liu Cong. Cong used Ran as General who Pacifies the West.

8th Month [31 August – 28 September], Liu Cong dispatched his [General who] Pacifies the West, Zhao Ran and [General who] Calms the West, Liu Ya, to lead 20 000 cavalry and attack the King of Nanyang, Mo, at Chang'an. Can and Yao led a great multitude to maintain them. Ran attacked the kingly host at the Tong Pass, General Lü Yi died there. The army arrived at Xiagui. Liang province' general Beigong Chun led his multitudes from Chang'an to surrender to Han. Mo sent Chunyu Ding to resist them. He was defeated by Ran. The gentlemen and multitudes left and deserted, the granaries and treasuries were empty and exhausted. The Libationer Wei Fu said:

Matters are urgent, an early surrender can be the escape.

Mo followed him, and thereupon surrendered to Ran. Ran sat with legs spread and rolled-up sleeves to count out Mo's crimes, he sent him off to go to Can. The cast off people of Chang'an, more than 4 000 families, ran to Hanzhong.

9th Month [29 September – 28 October], Can murdered Mo and his son, the King of Fanyang, Li. He used Mo's Consort, Ms. Liu, to bestow on Zhang Ben of the Hu as wife. He sent off the General of Guards, Liang Fen, Mo's Senior Clerk, Lu Yao, the two Cavaliers in Regular Attendance, Du Ao and Xin Mi, and Beigong Chun and others to Pingyang. Cong was greatly angered due to Can's murdering Mo. Can said:

Your Subject killed Mo actually not for the reasons of his tardy recognition of Heaven's instructions, but though him being the lungs and bowels of the Jin clan, at Luoyang's difficulties, he was unable to die for duty, the first of crimes Under Heaven. For that reason [I] executed him.

Cong said:

Even so, I fear you will not escape the calamity of executing the surrendered. The Way of Man and Heaven reaches the divine, in its order there is nothing which is not repaid.

Winter, 10th Month [29 October – 26 November], West of the Passes there was hunger and famine. White bones covered the countryside, those among the gentlemen and population who survived were not one or two out of a hundred. Cong used Liu Yao as Great General of Chariots and Cavalry, Opening Office with the Same Ceremonies as the Three Ministers, and Shepherd of Yong province, changed his fief to King of Zhongshan, to garrison Chang'an. Wang Mi became Great General, ennobled Duke of Qi.

Earlier, Shi Le detested Wang Mi's bravery and valour, and often privately made preparations for it. At Mi's routing of Luoyang, he very much turned over to Le beautiful women and precious goods to accordingly connect with him. At the time Le had captured Gou Xi, and used him as Marshal of the Left. Mi spoke to Le, saying:

Your Excellency captured Gou Xi and then employed him, how divinely marvellous of you! Make Xi be on Your Excellency's left, Mi be on Your Excellency's right, and Under Heaven will be insufficient to settle [us].

Le was more and more hostile to Mi, and covertly plotted against him. Liu Tun again recommended Mi to summon Cao Yi, and rely on his multitudes to thereby execute Le.

11th Month [27 November – 26 December], Mi sent Tun to go to Qing province, and order Cao Yi guide the troops and meet with him, and then deceptively entice Le towards Qing province. Tun arrived at Dong'e, and was captured by Le's drifting cavalry. Le saw Mi's letter to Yi and was greatly angered, and therefore killed Tun. Mi did not yet know about it. Le hid troops to assault Mi and kill him Shi Le killed Mi at Jiwu, and combined their multitudes, and petitioned that Mi had a rebellious appearance. Cong was greatly angered, and dispatched messengers to chide Le for arbitrarily murder a public support, and having no heart for his sovereign. He also feared Le's disloyal aspirations, and used Mi's section multitudes to pair with them.

When Liu Yao had occupied Chang'an, the Grand Warden of Anding, Jia Ya, and the various Di and Qiang all sent hostages. Only the Inspector of Yong province, Qu Te, and the Grand Warden of Xinping, Zhu Hui firmly defended and did not surrender. The Army-Protector Qu Yun and the Prefect of Pinyang, Liang Su, wanted to run from the mountains south of Jingzhao to Anding. They happened to meet Ya's hostage son at Yinmi, they took him into their arms and turned back to Linjing. They pushed forward Ya to be General who Pacifies the South.

Ya led 20 000 (or 50 000) people of the Rong and Jin, and wanted to attack Chang'an. The Grand Warden of Fufeng, Liang Zong, Qu Te, the Grand Warden of Xiping, Zhu Hui, and others likewise led a multitude of 100 000 to meet with him. Liu Can heard about it, and sent Liu Yao, Liu Ya, and Zhao Ran to resist Ya. They first attack Hui, but did not overcome him. Ya intercepted, struck, and greatly routed them.Yao again exhausted Chang'an's keen soldiers to fight with the various armies at Huangqiu. Yao's multitudes were greatly defeated, and he was hit by a fleeting arrow. He withdrew to protect Ganqu (or Ganquan). Ya pursued him. He turned around from the Wei bridge to assault Dangzhong, and killed him.

People of Du, Wang Tu, Ji Te, and others attacked Liu Can at Xinfeng. Can turned back to Pingyang. Yao attacked and captured Chiyang, and carried off more than 10 000 people to return to Chang'an.

The Filial and Lamented [xiaomin] August Emperor, taboo Ye, courtesy name Yanqi, was Emperor Wu's grandson and King Xiao of Wu, Yan's son. He set out to continue the posterity of his elder uncle, King Xian of Qin, Jian, and inherited the fief of King of Qin. In the 2nd Year of Yongjia [308 AD], he was designated Cavalier in Regular Attendance and General who Consoles the Army.

Yan Ding, courtesy name Taichen, was a native of Tianshui. He began as Army Assitant to the Grand Tutor, the King of Donghai, Yue. He moved to Prefect of Juan, and acted on the affairs of the Inspector of Yu province, stationed at Xuchang. He came across mourning for his mother, and therefore within Mi county collected refugees from the western provinces, several thousand people, wishing to return to his home district.

When Luoyang was upset and overturned, the King of Qin set out and ran to within Mi. He and his maternal uncle the Minister of Works, Xun Fan, and Fan's younger brother, Colonel Minister of Retainers, Zu, came across each other. Fan, Zu, the Army Leader of the Centre, Hua Heng, and the Intendant of Henan, Hua Hui, were in Mi county were they founded and established an Acting Tribunal. Since Mi was close to the thieves, they hurried south to Xu and Ying.

The Senior Clerk of the Left to the Minister over the Masses, Liu Chou had become a fortifications master in Mi. The Prefect of the Palace Writers, Li Heng, the Army Advisors to the Grand Tutor, Zou Jie and Liu Wei, the Senior Clerk of the Garrison Army, Zhou Yi, and the Marshal Li Shu all came to Chou. Everyone considered Ding to have talent for employing, and moreover he held in his hands strong troops. They recommended Fan to make use of Ding as General of the Best of the Army and Inspector of Yu province. Wei and others became aides and assistants.

Ding as young had great aspirations, because the people of the western land thought of returning home, he wished to establish merit in his home district. He therefore, with the Senior Clerk who Consoles the Army, Wang Pi, and Marshal Chuan Xunhuai, (and the Gentleman of the Palace Writers, Li Xin?)  had plans for sheltering and supporting the King of Qin. He spoke to Chou, Jie, and others, saying:

East of the Mountains is not the place for hegemons and kings, it is not as good as Guanzhong.

The Prefect of Heyang, Fu Chang, presented Ding a letter, advising to serve the King of Qin, go beyond Luoyang, pay respects and bow to the mountains and tombs, straight-away occupy Chang'an, appease and unite the barbarians and Jin, raise up troops to rise in righteousness, carry out the restoration of the ancestral temples, and wipe away the humiliation of the altars of soil and grain. When Ding got the letter, he readily wished to go to Luo. The refugees said the northern road was close to the He, and feared it had been taken and cut off. They wished to go south and head towards Chang'an from the Wu Pass.

Chou and others were people from east of the mountains, and all of them had no wish go west and enter. Xun Fan, and Chou, Jie and others all deserted and scattered. Ding pursued Fan and Zu but did not catch up. Heng and others were killed, only Yi and Shu fled and managed to escape. Thereupon he served the King of Qin on the march. They drove an ox chariot, and hurried from Wan to Wu Pass. They halted in Shangluo, again and again they came across mountain thieves. Ding killed more than a hundred people, and led the remaining multitude west to arrive at Lantian. Ding told the Inspector of Yong province, Jia Ya. Ya at once dispatched provincial troops to welcome and guard.

12th Month [27 December – 24 January], Yan Ding and others served the King of Qin as August Heir-Apparent, and entered Yong City. Of the Rong and Jing of Guanzhong, nobody did not resound in response.

[youngster-monster]

day twenty-eight // Dance

[a.k.a the masquerade fic]

[Lek belongs to @arcquos. Sable and Thyme belong to baronetcoin]

The Revelry is a novelty. A festival of rebirth for a City that has only begun the process of healing from the wounds left by the Red War. It's a celebration of survival, of hope and joy. Traveler knows they need those.

And that’s all well and nice, but it’s lacking something. A climax. A final event that says, we did it, we're alive, we'll make the most of it. A way to truly relieve pent-up energy, a party like none other. Something bright and colorful and terribly, wholeheartedly extra.

"A masquerade?"

Ikora shrugs lightly. The idea is odd but sound: Guardians are used to keeping their faces obscured but never in a way that is more fun than practical, and civilians never say no to wearing a disguise. Eva Levante nods absently, her mind already miles ahead, considering the costumes she could design.

"Isn't is dangerous, to gather so many masked, anonymous strangers into one place?" Zavala asks. They couldn't check everyone – anonymity is the point, after all.

"What major threats are we still facing? Uldren is back in his prison cell, and it's not like any other enemies of humanity could easily disguise as human with a mere mask," Ikora says. She stirs her tea once, twice, slowly, giving him time to come up with a response. When he doesn't she adds, "We won, my friend."

"The peace might not last."

"Another reason to celebrate it while we still can."

He nods, conceding the point. "It's... Not a bad idea,” he admits. “Guardians and civilians could both use the distraction. Cayde?"

The Hunter Vanguard startles out of his thoughts. "Yeah?"

"Your opinion on the matter?"

"Huh- yeah. It's good. Good idea! Dancing's fun. And it would be a fun challenge for my Hunters. I can make them run around and play Guess Who."

"So it's decided." Zavala claps his hands with finality, signifying the end of the meeting. "Eva, I trust you'll be able to organize this event yourself?"

"Amanda Holliday mentioned her involvement in similar events before I came back. I'm sure she'll agree to help me if I need anything."

"Good. Send any requests for funds and materials my way, I'll make sure they're fulfilled in the shortest delay."

-

If there's anything Eva enjoys, it's putting Guardians to work. They're a dutiful, hardworking lot and follow her directives with few questions and great effectiveness. And they always seem so... Impressive. Untouchable. Larger than life. It's fun to see a little old lady like herself boss them around.

"No, no- this banner isn't straight.”

A few of the guardians helping her giggle as one shoots back, "Neither am I, maybe that's why this isn't working."

She rolls her eyes. "Higher on the left side, please."

"Yes ma'am!"

So polite too.

Guardians also like to be bossed around, she thinks as a Warlock jumps up to the banner. They hover next to it, lifting it inch per inch until their friend back on the ground gives them a thumbs up. Something cracks as they let themselves drop down, and they briefly buckle as their broken ankle stops supporting their weight.

Eva can't help a brief moment of worry, even as their Ghost appears to heal them. Guardians are so reckless! She gets halfway to a heart attack whenever she sees them take undue risk out of habit or disregard of their personal safety.

"Miss Levante, ma'am? We put the flowers up like you asked."

She turns to the second group of Guardians. They're covered in flower, petals stuck in their hair and the folds of their ornate outfits, as if they tried to clean themselves up but gave up halfway through it. The Titan has a whole branch of wisteria hanging over her shoulder pad. Someone has been throwing flowers around. All three of them, she guesses.

Still, a glance behind them shows the job was done well enough. She claps her hands. "Good work! Why don't you help your friends here clean up, and then you can go help yourself to the cookies on my desk?"

They exchange excited looks before running off toward the first fireteam, throwing her hasty goodbye as they go.

She shakes her head fondly. Mention sweets – or festival garments – and they're like children again, running around, desperate to please her in exchange for a treat.

She takes a look around to check their handiwork while they chatter in excitement in the background. The City square they have taken over for the Masquerade is looking quite festive already. Flowers cover the walls of nearby buildings, sometimes hiding and sometimes highlighting the colorful flags and banners hung alongside them. Garlands of lights and dyed cloths are strung overhead, casting colorful shadows on the passerby. It wouldn't look too out of place in a fairy tale. She's pretty proud of their work.

It's a group effort. The best things usually are.

-

"I'm hungry."

"I know, Lek."

"And my feet hurt."

"I know, Lek."

"And I'm tired..."

"I might repeat myself, but I know, Lek."

Lek hits Razel over the head with her stack of paper.

"Hey!"

She tries again, but this time he's expecting it. He parries the attack with his own stack, feints, and aims for her side. She dodges. When he tries to follow after her she trips him and he goes flying, only avoiding falling on his face by some Warlock bullshit miracle even he isn’t sure how he pulled off.

"Asshole," he says without bite.

She giggles, though she’ll deny to her death that’s the sound she made. "Yeah."

The two of them were put on street corner duty because of those kinds of antics. They weren't trusted to do anything else. Turns up being competent and successful Guardians means jack shit in terms of party planning. Neither of them know how to hammer a nail in a way that doesn't threaten the structural integrity of the entire wall – something they discovered only after the fact. Whoops.

Which is how they ended up here, handing out flyers for the upcoming masquerade. No one can fuck up flyers-handing. Well, maybe they could, actually: Lek's original plan was to go somewhere very high up and throw them down so they'd fall all over the City, saving them the effort. Ralek would have gladly gone with it, too, but Ikora saw them climb up a building and sent them back down with a stern warning to stay out of sight for at least a whole afternoon.

But an afternoon is a long time to be hanging out flyers for, and they're so bored.

Nothing good ever comes out of the two of them being bored.

"You know," Razel muses after giving a curious woman one of his flyers, bringing his stack down to a little over half of its original height, "This would go a lot faster if we'd split up."

"Yeah but imagine how boring that'd be. I'd probably be asleep already."

"A nap sounds good right now..."

She waves her own stack. "I think you're missing the point of the exercise."

He hums, unconvinced. Stares down at the flyers, wondering why he never learned how to nap with his eyes open.

"Hey," He says after some reflection time. "Bet I can get rid of these faster than you."

Lek's eyes come alight at the word 'bet'. She turns her laser focus on him and lifts a hand – bets are a tradition, among Hunters, and so is the use and abuse of loopholes. Better lay some ground rules. She counts off her fingers and rattles off, "One flyer per person, no throwing any in the trash, thirty minutes time limit, whole city is fair game-" She pauses, waits for an objection that doesn’t come. She grins like a cat and bends her last finger. "Have fun."

Then she's off like a shot, jumping to the roofs with her stack of paper clutched in her fist. Razel blinks, processing the last seconds, then takes off the other way.

He throws flyers at passing people, stuff them in bags and mailboxes and the unsuspecting hands of small children. They're not exactly the target audience but a child technically counts as a person, and that's one more flyer to give once he's already thrown one to each parent.

He doesn't try to give out stacks or to throw them away. A bet is a bet: he's honor bound to the terms of the contract. And it's more fun that way anyway. He laughs at the baffled look on strangers’ faces when he runs past them, barely slowing down to slam a colorful paper in their hand.

He's down to a single flyer when the comes back to the rendezvous point with fifteen seconds to spare. Lek appears moments later, her stack reduced to one as well.

They look at each other.

Ten

Razel runs toward her–

Nine

She jumps to the side, rolls and jumps back to her feet–

Eight

His momentum makes him stumble on the pavement–

Seven

He skids to a stop–

Six

Flails his arms to keep his balance–

Five

Turns around–

Four

Leaps–

Three

Reaches out–

Two

Gives a little boost of Warlock power to his jump—

One

And stuffs his last flyer in her pocket, just as the thirty minutes alarm rings.

He loses balance a second after and falls over her, sending them both to the floor in a tangle of limbs.

"I win," he says, breathless from the exercise and the cape twisted around his neck.

"I'll buy you a drink," she says, and kicks him in the stomach to get him out of her cape.

-

"Hey is it me or is Zavala having fun?"

Ikora is busy watching Zavala when Cayde appears out of the blue and comes sit on her desk. She’s used to it enough she doesn’t even jump, just scout to the side to make space for him.

A dozen feet from them, Zavala and Eva are talking animatedly about... Costume designs, she hazards. By the look on her face, Eva doesn't approve of the Commander's taste in color schemes. No one sane of mind ever does.

"He enjoys having an occasion to dress up," she tells Cayde, eyes never leaving the spectacle of Zavala trying to look firm and dignified while waving his arms around.

"I thought he could only have fun with military strategy and crocheting. And reading poetry. Maybe building model ships in bottles.”

"He has the heart of an artist."

"And the fashion sense of a four year old on a sugar high?"

She chuckles. "Yes, that too."

Bold colors make bold statements seems to be his motto in most aesthetic-related things. And Zavala do love making bold statements.

They watch as Eva seems to beat some sense into him. Zavala nods, apparently satisfied by her proposition, and they bend together over the papers scattered on Eva's desk.

"I'm glad," Cayde says out of the blue.

Ikora mentally traces back the thread of their discussion, trying to find what he's referring to. "That he's having fun?"

"Yeah. He needed that. We all did." He leans back on his perch, somehow never dislodging the precarious piles of books behind him. "A stressed Vanguard isn't good for morale. Guardians can sense those things, you know?"

She smiles, almost despite herself. Out of all of them, Cayde is the closest to the guardians they guide.  It's always heartwarming to see how concerned he gets for their well-being, and how much he tries to pretend he doesn't.

"About stress relief-" he turns fully to her, scooting as close as he can without falling off the desk. "You said you'd come eat ramen with Razel and me tonight."

She sighs. "I know, Cayde, I'm sorry. I was busy. I'll come next time."

"You won't have to."

She blinks, startled, and turns to the new voice. Razel grins, the way he does when he manages to sneak on someone — a rare occurrence — and bounces up to them. His hands are full with white plastic bags, so he greets her with a gentle bump of their shoulders.

"You got the goods?" Cayde asks.

He drops the two bags on the table. "Spicy ramen for three, two cans of beer and one cup of tea, to go," he rattles off like something learned by heart. "Also, dumplings."

They high five. Ikora watches, bemused.

"If you don't come to the ramen, the ramen will come to you," Cayde says wisely.

Razel nods very seriously and jumps on top of her desk, next to Cayde. Fitting them all in what little space there is in-between the books is a balancing act he only partially succeeds at. A few piles wobble worryingly as he settles in place. He steadies them with a panicked glance to Ikora.

She only shakes her head, long suffering, and chooses to ignore she near catastrophe. "Thank you, Cayde," she says.

"You're welcome! My only contribution to this was coming up with the genius idea and making Razel pay the bill." He ducks the balled up napkins thrown at him, laughing. “You owed me Glimmer! And a few favors.”

Razel squints at Cayde, unwilling to concede the point but aware Cayde is right. He huffs, crosses his arms. “You’re lucky it was for Ikora, you lazy tin man.”

Ikora picks up her ramen cup with a soft smile as they keep bickering.

Cayde and Razel don't do much eating, in the end. They're too busy trying to pilfer slices of meat and dumplings from the other's plate, and stabbing each other with their chopsticks in retaliation. They get into a vicious chopsticks war for a minute, trying to get a hold of the last dumpling.

They're having fun, though. So is she, she realizes as she takes advantage of the distraction and deftly picks the dumpling off the plate, shoving it in her mouth before they can try to reclaim it.

Maybe Cayde is onto something with that whole "stress relief" thing.

-

They're playing cards when Cayde brings it up.

"Are you coming?"

Razel looks up quizzically. It's not wise to look away from a game with a Hunter it’s not like he’s not losing already. He's pretty sure Cayde isn't even cheating this time. Holliday might be but her poker face is too good for him to tell. Being half raised by a gambling addict robot will do that to you. That’s the thing, though: she’s gonna beat him whether or not she’s cheating. She's got year of training with Cayde, and he only got into cards like... Two months ago.

He didn't they were going anywhere, but he's been wrong before.

"Coming where?"

Cayde snickers, opens his mouth to reply, but Holliday kicks him in the knee before he can say whatever he had in mind.

"To the masquerade,” she says. "You know, the thing you gave out the flyers for?"

"Bold of you to assume I read those."

She snorts. "I kinda assumed so, yeah. Do you have any threes?"

"Go fish."

Cayde leans back, stretching his legs under the table. He nudges Razel with his foot. "So. You. Masquerade?"

"Oh, right. Yeah, I'm going, if I find anything to wear. You?"

"Free drinks and the opportunity to watch Zavala dance? You bet your ass I am. Amanda?"

"Ellie has been dragging me around the City looking for a couples costume," Holliday says, looking kind of dead-eyed at the thought of shopping. "At this point I don’t think I have a choice."

He's not sure he has ever seen her dressed in anything other than her usual shipwright outfit. He doesn’t quite manage to imagine her in civilian clothes.

"What are you going as?" He asks Cayde, who seems to have it all figured out.

Cayde winks.

"You'll see," he singsongs.

"Come on!"

"Give it up, pal, I already tried," Holliday sighs. "He won't talk."

Cayde shrugs, unapologetic.

"It's more fun that way."

Razel drops his cards on the table and falls on his back, groaning. "I don't know what to wear," he whines.

"Ask Eva. Or Ikora."

In the corner of his eye he sees the two of them pick up his cards, share them between their hands. He doesn't think they're playing Go Fish anymore.

He likes watching them play, the easy confidence with which they slide cards in and out of their sleeves, the distracted way Cayde drums his fingers – bare, for once, metallic blue scratched to chrome in places catching the light of the hangar. It speaks of an old habit. Years playing together, learning each other's tells.

He yawns.

"I'm gonna... Take a nap," he says quietly. "Wake me up for dinner."

"Sure thing, buddy."

He's going to wake up with a backache, but that's a problem for future Razel.

-

Razel did end up going to see Eva Levante for his costume. And because she's a bit of a miracle worker, a bit like magic, she managed to make him one in the few days left before the Masquerade.

The sun sets on the last day of the Revelry, setting the City alight in shades of pink and gold. The streets fill with people, in groups or alone, all covered in colorful outfits and fantastical masks. The air rings with excited chatter and laughter. With the way they act one could think they have been waiting for this night for years, not weeks.

Considering it’s the first of its kind, maybe they have been waiting for years, unconsciously, for an occasion to dress up and dance like nothing else matters.

Razel is in Eva's tent so she can do last minute adjustments on his outfit. He shakes his head left and right while she pokes him with needles, grinning at the jingle of the bells on his hat.

She dressed him like a jester from old Earth stories, all in shades of blue and green and purple. All his clothes bear pattern. His pants are striped, his billowing sleeves covered in colored diamond shapes. It’s a wonderful, vibrant headache. She covers the lot with a long sleeveless coat, embroidered with flowers and vines and little skulls. Shiny pearls and baubles hang off the high, flared collar, catching the light when he moves around.

"Do you like it?" Eva asks.

He grins. "Hell yeah. It looks incredible."

She smiles in return, satisfied. "Good. Try the mask on."

He obediently ties the mask around his head. It only covers the top half of his face and doesn't do much to hide his identity. But he feels like anonymity isn't really the point of the event, in the end.

It’s about the drama, the extravagance, she told him. He trusts her professional opinion on the matter.

Eva takes a step back to admire her handiwork. At her command he spins slowly in place, showcasing her own handiwork.

She claps her hands with a huge grin.

"Well, I think we're done here," she says brightly.

He looks at her in confusion. "What about payment?"

She waves him off. "No need for that. You're the hero of the Red War. It's the least you deserve."

It's way too nice a title considering the only thing he did was shoot in whatever direction the Vanguard pointed him toward. But it is nice, and Razel never says no to free stuff.

"Thanks ma'am!"

"You're very much welcome. Now shoo. Go have fun!"

He nods, grinning right back at her, and leaves.

-

Lek is dressed as a white duck.

Razel was not aware that she’d be dressed as a white duck.

Incidentally, Razel almost died tonight when he burst out laughing at the sight of her costume.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” He screams, laughing too hard to dodge her fist. He staggers back, every bell sewed to his costume jingling at the brusque movement. “You look good! It matches your hair!”

“Damn right I do,” she says, in a way that implies he will definitely be thrown over a railway if he contradicts her.

In his defense, the idea is hilarious. Well executed, but ridiculous.

The white mask is bordered with fluffy white feathers that melt into her hair, and the bright yellow bill shadowing the lower half of her face almost doesn’t look ridiculous. Her round, feather-covered dress is another thing entirely. It isn’t goofy, not quite, but… The image of Lek in a dress is just way to weird for him to take seriously.

Well. It is kinda goofy.

But it’s true: it looks good on her. If only because she wears it with the same dignity and certainty as her usual Hunter getup. It gives it a certain air of class.

“Anyway, you can talk, you clown.”

“I’m a jester!”

“Aren’t jesters just another type of clowns? Like fools? And buffoons?”

She’s right. But she shouldn’t say it. He strides off with a huff.

“The party’s in the other direction, idiot!”

He spins around. The bells on his hat jingle merrily, and one of the pointy sleeve things actually slap him in the face when he turns. Lek cracks up as he freezes, confused.

“It’s- a good costume,” she gasps in-between bouts of laughter. “Real fitting!”

Honestly, there’s nothing he can say against it. She’s right. He stills kicks her in the shin as he passes, for good measure.

Night has fallen by the time they finally make it to where the ball is held. The square is already filled with people in garish costumes, a riot of colors and fabrics. It’s… overwhelming. Razel grabs on to the back of Lek’s costume as they weave through the crowd. The feathers slipping between his fingers help ground him. Still he breathes easier once they’re a little out of the way on one side of the square.

“Alright?” She asks.

“Yeah, I’m just not used to… you know.” He waves vaguely, not sure what he’s gesturing at. “People. Didn’t even know there were that many in the City.”

“It’s the last city on Earth, of course there are many people in it.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t expect that many!”

She shakes her head. “We need to get you around more people. You spend too much time alone in space.”

She’s not the first to tell him that. Won’t be the last, either. He shrugs — if they miss him they can always vidcall him. He gets bored too fast, in the Tower. Lek knows it, too: most of the time she flies off with him, she just comes back more often.

She nudges him with her elbow. “Hey. Wanna go get some drinks?”

He look at the sea of people, then back at her. Then back at the people. Thinks about the fact that he hasn’t eaten anything today.

“Think they got chips back there?”

“What kind of monster doesn’t bring chips with the beer? Of course they do. C’mon.”

-

In principle, masks are supposed to hide their identity.

In practice, there’s no disguise in the world that could ever hide Shaxx’s voice.

A crowd has formed around him, clearly separated from the rest of the people milling around the square. He’s wearing a knight armor, the kind from far before the Dark Age, and holding a tankard of beer in each hand. His helm doesn’t have any opening yet the cups keep emptying. How he’s doing it, now that’s the real mystery of the night.

They’re playing ‘Who can out-drink Shaxx’, even if it’s not much of a game. The answer is a clear and simple ‘no one’, though Cayde-6 has come very, very close to before, by virtue of being a robot.

(Shaxx not being one is still up to debate, so it’s still an impressive achievement.)

But a drinking competition is always a fun challenge. The guardians flocked to it. If the Crucible taught them anything, it’s that Shaxx and a good, competitive time are near synonyms. Civilians were quick to join in once they noticed the commotion — they like competition just as much as Guardians, they’re just more likely to get alcohol poisoning.

One thing leading to another, they ended up with two teams facing off next to the drinks table in some unholy combination of beer-pong and a drinking contest.

The goal, officially: get the opposite team trashed before yours. Then someone suggests Shaxx finishes the remaining drinks of the winning team, and it becomes a race to get the Lord of the Crucible as drunk as possible before they run out of participants sober enough to compete.

One of the competitors sways in place as she throws the ball. It goes wide and the momentum of the throw seems to throw her back as well. She falls over her team and almost bring a few down with her like bowling pins. Her friends appear out of the crowd to drag her away, ribbing her for being a lightweight.

Cheers rise in the crowd as they wave her off. She manages a sloppy salute in return before a friend pushes a cup of water in her hands. She focuses all her attention on it, staring down the cup as if it holds the secrets to the universe, Darkness, and everything.

"Who will take her place in the red team?" Shaxx bellows. "Come on! You cannot know yourself without testing yourself!"

Someone steps out, wearing a wolf pelt over their head. The muzzle shadows their face; it's hard to discern their face in the low light of the square.

"I'll show you how it's done," the stranger says as he joins his team.

Laughter rings through the group. "Sure you will, old man!" Someone on the other side calls out.

As a matter of fact, yes, he does.

His aim is excellent – he almost never misses. And he sure can hold his liquor. By the end of the round his team is winning by a rather large margin and his luck holds for a few more rounds after that.

He loses a few games, almost by design. Whenever he's in a team with players too drunk or too incompetent to aim, suddenly he can't aim either and the other side ends up winning with most of its drinks intact. Meaning Shaxx ends up drinking most of them.

He's... Definitely trying to get Shaxx wasted. It seems to be working decently, too. The Titan is clearly feeling the effect of so much alcohol in such a short span of time. His voice gets even more excited, he rambles on, gestures more aggressively.

Finally, when he looks properly inebriated and people have started wandering off, too drunk to keep playing, the stranger turns to him.

No words are exchanged and they both have their faces hidden yet an entire conversation happens in a single look. Shaxx puts down his tankards and joins the team opposing the wolf-man. He cracks his fingers, his neck, and takes the ball.

"Try to keep up," Saladin says, mocking.

"Oh, you're going down, old man."

-

Suraya is not a fan of parties. She doesn't like how stifling the place feels, how closed off, doesn't like the loud music. The costumes are nice and free food is always a plus, but–

She's an outdoorsy kinda woman. She fares better when she can see beyond three feet ahead of her.

She sighs and lifts her mask up to take a sip of her drink.  It's nice, she thinks begrudgingly. Not the cocktail – although that, too – but... Seeing people so happy and alive, guardians and civilians alike. She has to admit it was a good idea.

Once again she looks over the people dancing to the tune of a popular song. Out of all the wiggling, jumping people, one of them catches her eyes. His costume – all in shades of brown and black – seems dull compared to the more colorful ones of those surrounding him, setting him apart. The mask entirely makes up for it.

It's a skull. Just... an entire bull skull. That's neat. Bit morbid, but neat.

That's not what makes her notice him, though. Not entirely. It's the weird... thing he's doing with his body. At first she thinks a Fallen somehow managed to infiltrate the City, with how weirdly he's moving. It would explain how he's filling up these sleeves: it's not muscles, it's arms, plural.

But no, closer inspection reveals it's just a regular old human or close relative, doing some approximation of dancing.

There's bad dancing, and there's bad dancing. This is definitely the later. There's no rhythm, no grace, no–

Suraya narrows her eyes. She knows this guy, somehow. The mask slips forward a bit, revealing a flash of bare blue skin before he adjusts it. And by the Light, she'd recognize this bald head anywhere.

"Zavala?" She blurts out, incredulous.

The man, busy looking at whatever his feet are doing, lifts his head at the sound of his name. How he heard it among the noise is a mystery she’s too surprised to linger on. He notices Suraya and makes his way towards her in an awkward shuffle. It’s almost in tune, but it’s not dancing.

Once he’s close enough he greets her with a nod and a simple, "Hawthorne."

She whistles. "Damn, Commander, they let you in with a weapon of mass destruction like that?" She says, gesturing to the dance floor he just vacated.

He glances behind his shoulder, then at her, trying to understand her meaning. She sees it happen when he does, in the jerk of his shoulder, like a repressed laugh. He replies, entirely deadpan,

"I know. My dancing skills have blinded more than one before."

Well, he's not wrong. She has half a mind to poke her own eyes out in the hope of wiping the sight from her memories. Unfortunately hers wouldn't grow back so she'll have to refrain.

He holds his composure about a second before letting out a chuckle. "Ikora has been teaching me for decades," he says. "It's starting to pay off."

"Well if that's the improved version, I'd hate to see the original."

"I'm sure Cayde has recordings somewhere."

She mock-shivers.

"No thanks. I like being able to sleep without nightmares."

They fall quiet, both knowing Zavala's dancing is the least of their problems when it comes to nightmares. Both keenly aware of how rare a dreamless sleep has become, since the Red War.

After a short, tense pause, Zavala clears his throat and says, "Nice mask, by the way."

"Thanks."

"Owl?"

"Yeah."

She takes another sip of her drink. The poncho she's wearing as a costume is bulkier than what she's used to, covering her from head to toe. She went for a creepy barn owl look: from the stares she got from some, it's a success.

"It's good, to see them have fun after-"

"Yeah," she repeats. "I was thinking the same thing. It was a good idea. It's not healthy to hold on to the dead so much and not do anything for the living."

He nods. "Less grieving those we lost, more celebrating those we still have."

"Cheers. I'll drink to that." She salutes him with her cup before taking a long gulp of it. It's sweet and fruity, with a hell of a kick. The gal dealing with the drinks sure knows her job well. He mimics her movement, but doesn't drink. She gets the impression their Commander isn't big on booze. Makes one wonder why he even has a drink in hand. Cayde is her first guess. Or Razel, though one rarely needs to make the distinction, attached at the hip like they are.

For some time after that the two of them stand next to each other in silence. Somehow it's more comfortable than awkward. Though maybe she shouldn’t be so surprised. The two of them are similar in more than a few ways. It makes for easy companionship.

She goes to take another sip of her cup and is disappointed to find it empty. She eyes Zavala's drink.

"You're going to drink that?"

"Ah- no. Here, you can have it."

He doesn't have to say it twice. He watches her take a tentative sip – it's unexpectedly sweet – and only looks away once she's nodded in approval. She wonders, again, why he bothered to get a full cup if he wasn't going to drink it.

With his now free hand he gestures to the dance floor. "See them?" She follows the movement to a matching duo. They're both decked in red. One's an Exo, with just a simple red mask to cover her identity. The other is harder to recognize, dressed as what she guesses to be the Red Riding Hood. "That Exo is one of my Titans."

She looks again, and – no, she can't see it. Without the shoulder pads it's impossible to distinguish a Titan from any other guardian.

Guardians and civilians, it's easy. Guardian have that way of walking around, not quite military, rather the way one walks when they are wholeheartedly attuned to their own body. Combat and repeated resurrection will do that to someone. But guardian classes? Without their pseudo-uniform, it's hard to tell.

"Huh. I wouldn't have guessed. Guess without their whole getup they're just people underneath."

He tilts his head to the side, giving off the impression of a contemplative look despite his masked face.

"Yes," he finally says, his voice weighed down with an odd emotion she's a little too drunk to determine.

He shifts on his feet, adjusts his mask, starts to turn his head towards her and stops. He seems almost— flustered?

She throws him a curious glance. "Something on your mind?"

She expects a few things. She does not expect him to ask, "Do you want to dance?"

Flashbacks of his atrocious dancing comes back to mind. On the one hand it looks as painful to take part in as it is to watch, if not more. On the other, she's pretty sure it would be considered a service to humanity to stop him from embarrassing himself and the art of dancing even further.

She looks at him for a long time, mulling over the question. She chugs Zavala's drink in one go.

"Alright," she says, throwing the two empty cups in a trashcan. "Let's go."

-

There's something off about the masquerade. No, not off, not quite, but – something strange, definitely.

Ikora can taste it on her tongue like smoke in the air, like ozone before a storm. The arcane energies of the Universe hum around her, static tingles on her skin.

A feeling worth exploring, she thinks.

She rests her back against a nearby wall and closes her eyes. Full meditation is impossible to achieve in such a noisy, bustling place, but she doesn't need a full meditation. She just needs to concentrate–

There.

A burning fire in the midst of candle flames, bright as the sun to her inner eye. She can feel it at the edge of her consciousness, moving...

Coming closer.

She opens her eyes.

"Hello, Osiris."

He's dressed as himself, mostly. It's been so long since he's been in the City, it might be the best costume of all. Who would recognize him as the former Warlock Vanguard or a banished Guardian? Especially in this crowd.

He stops a few feet from her. Not quite hesitant but wary of encroaching in her space. Of what she may do if he poses himself as a threat to her city.

"Ikora," he says carefully. "It's been too long."

And whose fault is that? She doesn't voice the thought. It has been a long time. She moved on from her resentment.

Well, most of it. But she’s not looking for a fight tonight.

"It has," she says, detached. "What are you here for? It must be important, if it could drag you away from your simulations."

He shakes his head. "Sagira insisted. Apparently I need to get out more, or I'll truly become as insane as you think I am."

As insane as we know you are, she thinks ruefully. Though he does not look the part, now. He looks... happy?

His eyes crinkle, betraying the smile his mask covers. "I can see gears turn in your head. What are you thinking?"

She waves her hand. The red fabric of her sleeve seems to glow, embers-warm, under the fairylights. "Nothing important." Then, because it needs saying, for her sake if not his, "It's good to see you. Have you been well?"

He shrugs. "As well as one can be when neck deep in Vex. But what about you? How has the Vanguard position treated you?"

It has been too long, she realizes. After all it was Razel who went after him, the last time. Razel who's been in contact with him, as well. They saw each other, but only briefly. Only in passing.

"I've been well. I enjoy my work, and the people I do it with."

"Silver linings," He says. She can hear his grin and answers it in kind. They both know this position would give them grey hair, if it was possible. "It's hard work, but you've always been a hard worker. I saw you kept up your study, as well."

She blinks. How does he know? "Yes. Yes I did."

"Impressive. I could barely do anything else but Vanguard business, in my time. Makes you admire the wonder of good delegation, hm?" He chuckles wryly. "I liked your papers on the Taken – especially the latest, on the Taken Techeun. It was brilliant."

She has to admit, she's touched he kept up with her. It's good to know he still cares in his own way, even though she wonders when he found the time to read her work. Typical Osiris: never calls but reads all her dissertations.

"Razel helped me gather much of the data," she says, for the sake of honesty.

"And he helped me get a hand on your researches," he replies in kind. "He's a good kid. Helpful."

She smiles, fond. Mentally she notes to warn Razel about the danger of handing Warlock researches to rogue agents, for good measure. Then again Osiris is a bit of an exception.

"He also told me you got married."

She tenses, expecting... reproach, judgment, resentment, she's not sure. The impulse is irrational – he hasn't been his teachers for an eternity – but she can't help it.

He notices it and only looks sadder when she forces herself to relax.

"I did," she says coolly. "We sent you an invite."

"I wasn't in a good place then," he tells her, almost pleading. "I'm... Sorry, Ikora."

She looks at him for a long time, wondering... Osiris has never been to admit he's wrong. So why ask forgiveness tonight? Why not years ago, when she still felt betrayed over his actions?

But for better or for worse, it is tonight. So she extends a peace offering – if not forgiveness, then something close enough. It’s not often that one hears an apology from the great Osiris, after all.

"Her name is Nasreen. She's a Guardian too – a Titan. We met in the Crucible."

They met on opposing teams, to be exact. After Osiris was banished, Ikora felt... Lost. Uncertain. With the loss of her mentor, she turned to the only other thing that truly felt familiar to her. The Crucible. Her and Nasreen had a brief but legendary rivalry, the undefeated champion against the rising star. Then Ikora left again to focus on her duties, and Nasreen...

Followed after her. Asked her out for drinks. Held on to her, first as a friend then a lover, when Ikora sorely needed an anchor. She will eternally be grateful for Nasreen’s impact on her life, and she couldn't ask for a dearer friend or a better wife.

She's so, so lucky to have her.

"She's- beautiful. The bravest and kindest person I've had the fortune to meet." She smiles, warmth pooling in her guts at the thought of her wife. She tries, maybe pointlessly, to summarize a whole person in a few words – to show Osiris what she sees in this woman. "She loves cats, keeps conspiring with Razel to make me adopt strays. She always tell me I don't eat enough, and she bakes me sweet and stashes them around my work station so I have no choice to eat them."

It seems too little. There isn’t enough time in a single night to explain the impact Nasreen had on her life. But Osiris looks at her as if he gets it.

"I'm glad you have someone like her in your life," he says. "Is she here tonight?"

"No. She's working a rescue mission in a remote part of the EDZ, couldn't make it back without putting it in jeopardy."

They've been married for long enough Ikora doesn't mind. She does wish she could share this experience with her wife. But there's always next year, and the one after that. Neither of them is going anywhere.

Osiris takes a step back. "Well, then it's my duty to entertain you in her absence."

"Your duty?"

"As- your mentor."

"You're not my mentor anymore," she reminds him, not unkindly. Neither of them can fall back on old habits, act like they’re still master and student. They're equals now, in power and position. She doesn't look up to him the way she used to and he doesn't look after her like he was supposed to.

He nods, conceding the point with a kind of sadness she’s unused to seeing in him. "True. As your friend, then." He extends a hand. Hopeful, maybe, that she sees him as a friend too. "Would you like to dance?"

She takes it. "With a friend? Always."

They move to the dance floor, slotting themselves between groups of dancers. The light is brighter away from the sides, and it reflects off the metallic details of her costume. The peacock feathers-train of her dress fans around her as he makes her spin, a graceful arc of reds and golds.

"A phoenix?" He asks, jerking his chin at her costume.

"The theme was birds of a feather. For unity."

She smoothly steps out of the way of two men passing through the crowd. She recognizes Shaxx’s shining knight armor hanging off the shoulders of a wolf-headed man, both roaring drunk. She can't help a snort of laughter as she watches them go, stumbling over each other and breaking out in fits of drunken laughter.

Osiris follows the movement easily. She's not surprised to see he can dance: he never could bear the thought of not knowing something.

"We match," he says, nodding to the feathers covering his shoulders.

"We do," she says, and is surprised to find her words weighed down by a deeper meaning than mere fashion. She compensates with a smile. "Though you could have made an effort."

He sniffs imperiously. "I had better things to do than to find a costume."

"More like you wear one everyday."

He spins them around sharply, almost making her stumble. She adjusts her stance and doesn't bother covering her chuckle. She’s right and they both know it, he’s just sensitive about his fashion choices. As he should be: they’re horrendous. She dearly hopes he’s not responsible for whatever the Followers of Osiris are wearing.

She gets three dances with him before the Vex overtakes his mind again. He draws back, somewhat reluctant, bows, and strides off without a word. There no explanation, but she didn't expect any. He would never apologize for his single-minded obsession and she has long stopped waiting for him to.

Yet, before he's swallowed by the crowd, he stops and turns to her.

"I'm happy for you, Ikora. Truly. And I'm- I'm proud of you."

He's gone before she can find summon up a reply.

She breathes out, not quite a sigh, and a weight seems to lift off her chest with it.

-

      [Tanz mit mir]

Razel has been dancing for Traveler knows how long. It feels like hours and mere seconds all at once. The evening is a blur of colors and sounds in his mind. He aches all over, his legs from the dancing and everything else from laughing too hard.

He spins Lek around one more time as the music comes to a stop. She stops gracefully, arms extended, throwing her head back. The effect is quickly ruined as she wobbles dizzily.

They high five and she slips back into the crowd, not bothering with words when their surroundings are so noisy. She'll be back by the banquet table, he suspects. It won't be a problem to find her again once he's got tired of dancing like she did.

He has a few more songs in him, he thinks. He's ready to dance through them alone – or maybe find another single dancer to keep him company – when he catches a glimpse of a familiar Ghost in the crowd.

She disappears quickly, but he'd recognize Virgo anywhere. He makes his way to her Guardian. She's already turning to him before he reaches her, her attention caught either by the high-pitched jingling of his many bells or a warning from Virgo. Pretty sure she got into the habit of keeping tabs of his approach when he got into the habit of jumping on her back when she least expects it.

"Sable!" He calls out, waving. He closes the remaining distance at a jog and catches her in a hug. "Hi! You look stunning."

She returns the hug with a quick squeeze of her arms. "You too! I love the little bells."

He shakes his head to make them ring and giggle helplessly.

"I'm a little drunk," he says.

"I can see that."

"I tried to beat Shaxx at his... Alcohol Crucible. Drinking Royale. Whatever." He shakes his head again to get his thoughts in order. "How are you? Are you having fun?"

"Not as much as you," she says. "I just got there."

"Bet you were in your lab and forgot the time."

She rolls her eyes and punches him lightly in the arm. "It's not a bet if you already know you're winning."

"You guys keep telling me I shouldn't take losing bets!" He takes her hand between his and grin in excitement. "Wanna dance?"

The abrupt change of subject throws her off-guard. She tilts her head in confusion. He bounces on his toes, waiting. When no explanation offers itself she asks,

"Why would I want to dance?"

"Because it's fun?"

"I don't know how to dance," she says like he's a bit dense.

"Never stopped me before."

She's about to say something else – a clever comeback, he guesses – when she glances over his shoulder and her eyes widen under her mask. She freezes all over, briefly, before startling into a flurry of movements. She grabs his hand and drags him toward the dance floor, almost frantic, shoving people out of the way in her haste. She only stops when they're some way into the crowd and pins him in place with her hands on his shoulders.

"Sable?" He asks, puzzled, and reflexively rests his other hand on her waist as if they were about to waltz. Ikora tried to give him dancing lessons – some habits stuck. Not that he can waltz, per say, but he can make it look like he knows, and that's almost as good.

She shushes him. Then, realizing it is far too noisy for anyone to hear him over the music, she says, "I just saw Thyme."

They start to sway gently with the music. He nudges her back, stepping with her, and slowly they sink in a sort of slow dance where neither participant is paying any actual attention to the movements.

"Don't you wanna see her?"

She blushes. "I mean, yes, but-"

She steps on his foot and is too flustered to notice. He looks down and endeavor to not do the same. They both have that typical slender Warlock figure but he's far heavier than her – she does too much lab work to put on muscles the way he does. He doesn't think she'd like it if he stepped on her toes.

Still keeping an eye on his feet – they move out of rhythm but at a safe distance from Sable's – he says, "Don't tell me you're shy."

"I'm not used to dressing up!" She hisses, taking them in a clumsy spin. They bump into another couple. Luckily the two are too drunk to care and let themselves be pushed over. "What would I even tell her?"

"I don't know, I've never asked anyone out before."

She shakes her head. "No, no, no, it's not right. It should happen-"

That makes him smile, it's just so... Sable. "Like in the movies?"

She blushes harder but doesn't deny it.

He spins them around again, no less clumsily but with more enthusiasm. There, a few feet away, stands an exo in a beautiful red dress. He doesn't know her personally, but he's heard enough from Sable to recognize Thyme at a glance.

(The many times he stumbled on her staring dreamily toward Thyme help, too.)

He grins. "I spy, with my little eyes-" He moves his hand to her chin and turns her head the way he's looking, "The most gorgeous Titan in the room."

She makes a noise like she's choking on her spit. Somehow, her blush deepens, gaining her entire face and the tip of her ears. He snorts, trying to stifle his laughter at his expense. This time, when she stomps on his toes, he knows she meant to do it.

"Easy for you to laugh," she hisses. "You wouldn't know embarrassment if it kicked you in the face."

He spares a brief, drunken thought toward the mechanics of such an event and pulls a face at the subsequent image it inspires him.

"True," he concedes. "But I win way more bets that way."

"Good thing I don't take bets as seriously as you then."

He glances above her shoulder, toward the red Titan. She's making her way on the dance floor, not far from them.

Razel shifts on his feet and spins them in a circle. He lets go of Sable so that they're only holding hands. Her momentum forces her to take a few stumbling steps back in an effort to keep her balance.

"Have fun," he tells her, winks, and lets go entirely.

She trips and falls backward, confusion turning to panic. But instead of falling flat like she probably expected her back collides with the strong chest of a certain Titan.

Thyme closes her arms around her to keep her upright. "Are you alright?"

Sable turns Crucible red. Razel mouths 'Thank me later' at her and sinks in the surrounding crowd before she can reply with a rude gesture.

-

Razel moves to a side of the square to nurse his drink and his sore toes, unfortunate victims of his benevolent act on Sable's love life.

Lek dropped by to hand him a cup and immediately disappeared, distracted by a particularly fashionable woman walking by. Lek is either pestering her about her clothes or trying to get into her designer pants. He never knows, with her.

The good thing is she forgot her own drink when she ran off, which means he gets double the alcohol for none of the effort of making his way to the bar. Sweet victory. He chugs it in one go, less for the taste than to get his buzz back. Lek is more of a 'straight tequila with a hint of lime' kinda person. He likes his cocktails fruitier.

He throws the empty cup in the nearest trash can and startles when a voice says, just behind him, "Nice dunk."

By the sound of it, it belongs to an Exo. His voice is low in a way that isn't natural, the way people sound when they're playing a character. It has a nagging familiarity to it, known but hard to place.

It's the alcohol, Razel thinks, and the noise surrounding them. He has a good memory for voices usually, recognizes them better than faces.

He turns and yeah, at least he was right on that front. He's an Exo, though it's hard to tell with his head covered as it is with a hood shaped like a chicken's head. Its beak, glinting copper in the fairy lights, covers the top half of his face. Tawny feathers trail down his neck like a mane, spill over his shoulders in a cloak.  Some have that same copper-shine to them as the beak, catching the lights as every movement the Exo makes.

There's nothing majestic about a chicken, but this costume sure makes a valiant effort at it.

"Nice costume!" He says in return, gesturing wildly to the kind of man-shaped pile of feathers. His drink spills over his fingers, soaking the fabric of his glove. "Ah, shit."

He takes the cup with his other hand and stares, unsure how to proceed. Then he shrugs and takes the glove off with his teeth, the wet fabric sticking slightly to his skin. He juggles his drink one more time and gets rid of the other glove for good measure.

The Exo makes a choked noise. Razel throws him a confuses glance as he stuffs the gloves in his pocket. The man waves his hand in dismissal.

"Do you-" he clears his throat, oddly flustered. A glance at the (now notably emptier) cup in Razel's hand and he seems to come to a decision, his shoulders straightening as he does. He plucks the cup from his grasp, finishes it in one go and throws it with pinpoint accuracy into the trash. Before Razel can protest, he bows and offers him his hand. When he speaks again it's with the same pretend assurance as before, low and sweet. "May I have this dance?"

A giggle escapes Razel. He pitches his voice high, as well-bred-lady-of-the-Dark-Ages as it will get. "You may," he says, putting his free hand in the Exo's.

The Exo chuckles as his fingers close gently over Razel's, cradling his hand the way a Dark Age gentleman might have. His touch is warm even through his gloves, the heat of his internal hardware seeping through the metal.

He pulls Razel forward. His hand comes to rest on his lower back to guide him through the crowded dance floor. Somehow they don't bump into anyone. To Razel it's almost second nature to follow his lead, step in his track, place his hand on his shoulder. The feathers tickle his bare skin.

"I hope you're not too attached to your toes," he says brightly. His bells jingle merrily as he dips his head forward, coming closer so as to be heard over the current song. "I'm a bad dancer."

"I'm sure you'll be fine." The electronic song fades and lets place to a slower, softer one. "Just follow my lead."

Razel glances down to their feet. Left, right, left. Back, side, together. Right, left, right. Forward, side, together. With the Exo leading it's easy to keep the rhythm.

"Don't focus on your steps too much, you'll lose the music."

He looks up again, counting in his head. One, two, three. Back, side, forward – no. He fumbles, almost tripping them up.

The Exo doesn't waver, stepping around his blunder easily. He dips his head forward, the side of his feathered hood brushing against Razel's cheek.

"It's just three steps, alright? Back, side, together. Forward, side, together. Good. Keep it up."

He counts in Razel's ear until he can find his way around the steps on his own, the Exo's fingers tapping the rhythm against the small of his back.

When Razel manages a spin without getting his steps mixed up, he presses him closer and says, proud and fond, "Attaboy."

And Razel finally manages to put a name to the voice.

In surprise he stumbles, trips them up, sends them sprawling to the ground in a tangled heap of limbs and clothing. A flailing elbow catches him in the chest, knocking the wind out of him.

Cayde lets out a squawk of surprise on the way down, smothered by Razel's weight dropping on top of him. He starts to say something, but it's drowned out by Razel's laugh.

"I didn't recognize you," he chokes out in between fits of giggling. "I just-"

He collapses in giggles again before he can explain how hilarious this is. Cayde looks at him for a second, puzzled. Then the situation dawns on him – the mistaken identity, the sheer... Masquerade cliché of it all. He bursts out laughing.

"I was talking right into your ear!" He says, almost laughing too hard to talk. "How did you not recognize me before? I'm hurt, really."

"You changed your voice!"

"Only in the beginning!"

Razel can't manage a shrug with his shoulders shaking with laughter. He shakes his head and pushes himself on his forearms, staring into Cayde's face. The hood is askew, the beak falling over one of his eyes. It's him alright, with the horn and the bright blue eyes and every single scuffs and scars. Razel can't believe he didn't see it sooner – even the way he walks is unique and familiar.

He brushes his thumb under Cayde's eye, to a small scuff in the paint there. A shiver goes through Cayde at the touch, when he scrapes his nail lightly against a nick in the metal. It seems to travel all the way through his cloak, the feathers shivering with him, puffing up before settling back.

"Buddy," Cayde says, "We're laying in the middle of a crowd."

Indeed they were. "Maybe we should move," he replies, distracted. There's a bit of motor oil on Cayde's cheek – he wipes it with his thumb, scratches the part that stubbornly sticks to the metal.

Cayde's hand spasms against his back.

"Alright, get up," he says, voice strained. Razel rises easily, holding out a hand to help him up. "Let's get out of here."

Razel nods, bumps his shoulder against Cayde's once they're both on their feet. The space they occupied is immediately filled with dancers and he has to hold on to Cayde's hand to avoid losing him. Cayde tugs lightly on his hand and guides him off of the dance floor only seen in glimpses of his glittering cloak through the crowd.

"Where are we going?"

Cayde points to the closest wall. "Up," he says. "C'mon. I have something to show ya."

Razel doesn't question it. He follows Cayde, climbing over a dumpster, a wall, a roof; using his Warlock power when an obstacle proves to be too high. It turns into a bit of a race, at some point, but not one he ever expects to win. His aim sucks, with a gun or with a jump, even worse when he's drunk.

He misses his last leap and hits the edge of a roof, scrambling to keep hold on it. Cayde catches him by the wrists, pulls him up before he can slip down.

And then, just like that, they're on top of the world.

[Better love]

It takes Razel a moment to notice, still unbalanced from the run, the fall, the alcohol. But when his eyes finally adjusts he gasps in wonder.

They're – high up, higher than he thought despite having climbed here. The whole City is spread up under them, a gigantic spiderweb of light like a reflection on water of the stars above.

"I know, right?" Cayde moves to stand next to him, resting his hand on Razel's shoulder. "It's not the highest spot in the City, but... Close enough."

Razel grins. He lifts a foot, feels the pull of gravity, almost pitches forward. There's a hum in his bones, the cold, empty air taking all the space in his bones. He feels light, buoyant. Altitude has that effect on him, like battle but softer, quieter.

Music drifts up from the party below, the melody clear and the lyrics lost to the wind. He turns on his toes, flirting with a fall. A step forward, another, then he's spinning, feet walking a loose circle as he goes round and round. His coat fans around him, bells jingling along with the music. He goes faster. The lights below and the stars above blur together, vertigo making his heart beat faster and faster–

He stops, abruptly, when he bumps into Cayde. Strong arms loop around him, steadying him. He's laughing, he realizes, shoulders shaking with it. He lets his head fall, resting his forehead against Cayde's. Cayde chuckles under his breath, pressing his hands against Razel's back.

The music fades away. For a moment, it's just them, laughing like idiots again.

"You really can't stay standing tonight," Cayde says.

"Easier for you to sweep me off my feet," he replies, breathless from laughter.

He lifts his hand to Cayde's face, pushes the hood back, pulls him in. Cayde goes easily.

There's a kind of deep-seated satisfaction in touching him. Fingertips lodges in the gaps of his metal plates, dry lips against his mouth in a clumsy, smiling kiss. Like the breathtaking relief of pouring cold water on a burn. The fire inside him, the restless, burning energy that drives him, dimmed to low embers. Warm and comfortable, seeping in his bones in place of the altitude high.

The arm Cayde has around his waist tightens, pulling him in until they're flush together. His other hand travels upward. He strokes his back, feather light, up his neck. He knocks Razel's hat off his head and tangles his fingers in his untied hair, tugs at it just enough to angle his face right.

It's a spark to his embers, setting him alight once more. He wants more – no, he wants everything. Every inch of Cayde against his skin, every breath lost between them.

He clings harder, dips a hand under Cayde's collar just to feel the warmth of his whirring core against his skin. He lets out a needy whine smothered by a gasp as Cayde makes up for it by kissing his jaw, his neck, pushing his coat out of the way so he can follow the line of his neck to the junction of his shoulder. He lets go, briefly, to take off his gloves. His hands don't stray from Razel's skin for long. As soon as they're bare they find their way back to him. One dives in his hair again, running through the loose strands, the other stroking the skin of his waist before dipping under his shirt. It runs over the slight jut of his hipbone, the hard plane of his stomach, his side, his ribs. Almost greedy in its climb up his body. Razel shivers, at the touch and the cold wind against his skin where his shirt rides up.

In retaliation he rips off the feathered cloak — definitely shredding the lace tying it in his hurry to get it off. It falls in a flutter like a bird taking flight. He rakes his fingers down Cayde's back, blunt nails digging into the soft leather of his armor. He didn't dress any differently under the heavy cloak. Part of Razel is glad for it. He knows how to get him out of these clothes and he's not sure he would have the patience to understand the workings of a costume right now.

He digs his fingers in the vulnerable spot to the side of Cayde's spine, where a few naked wires come close to the surface. Cayde gives a full-body shudder, chokes out a moan.

"Yours or mine?" He says, voice ragged and low.

It takes a moment for Razel to get his thoughts enough in order to process and answer the question.

"We can transmat directly to mine," he gasps out, almost feverish from Cayde's touch.

Pros of living in your ship: you never have to bother walking home.

"Yours it is."

A flick of his wrist and Cubix appears, transmats them home without a word.

Cayde's cloak and Razel's hat remain on the ground, forgotten.

[nemossubmarine]

Warhammer 40k: Wrath & Glory RP #18

Things start getting spicy in Civitas A on this session of Wrath and Glory RP!

Our heroes head into the metro tunnels by hitching a ride on the back of a metro (standard practice by Saef’s account) and dropping off near the spot where Gorm heard the wail. 

They have about 4 minutes to search around before the next metro comes and flattens them. 

Gorm listens for another wail, and hears one right after the metro leaves the next station. 

Following that leads them to a stairway, that drops them off at a lower-level metro tunnel, where they find a door with a ”Keep out” -sign. 

Everyone tries to open the door, but the lock proves to be tougher than regular.

Gimlet manages to crack it. 

They get to a small room with two doors and an air-vent. 

One of the doors has a sign requesting protective gear, before entering. 

Gorm sniffs the air and catches three scents, Andrew Andrés, his birds and, for some reason, the AdMech sergeant they left behind on the Necron planet. 

As the birds are closest (in the vents), our heroes check on them first. 

Saef uses crumbs from the korvapuusti to lure the parakeets into the cage Gorm has been carrying around. 

One of the birds talks, mostly saying ”hello” and ”blessings of the Emperor”. 

Gorm tries to teach it to say ”fuck”, but it only says ”shit”. 

As a talkative lil’ birdie is not great for their stealth mission, they leave the cage outside the door. 

So then there’s two doors and two smells remaining. 

As neither Saef nor Gorm have any stakes in finding Andrew Andrés, it is decided to check the AdMech sergeant’s smell first. 

They open the door and get into a small room that appears to be filled with computers controlling the metro system. 

A servitor is manning the computers, they pay no mind to the intruders.

There’s also a tank, attached to the wall with a pipe, and filled with some strange liquid, and the sergeant’s severed, somewhat de-composing head (yikes). 

There’s no real reason our heroes can think of why the head would be there.

They leave it for the moment, in case grabbing it will cause alarm.

Then it’s the last door. Our heroes are somewhat lacking in protective equipment (well, Gorm isn’t). 

Saef gives Gimlet the Skitarius Vanguard helmet he picked up in the Necron planet, and Gimlet puts it on. 

Saef will stay behind while Gimlet and Gorm investigate the room. 

The second room is much larger than the first one, and it’s filled with tubes that are filled with goop and with people. 

Few of the tubes light up, and they can hear people screaming and then another voice saying that ”Number 12 has failed, extraction required”. 

That spurs something to life in the room as two servitors suddenly appear and make their way among the tanks to a certain one. 

Gorm and Gimlet go check it out and see the servitors extracting a man in horrible condition from the tube. 

Gorm smells that this is Andrew Andrés. 

The Servitors take Andrew to a side room filled with bodies, and Gorm follows in. 

He notices that Andrew is actively dying, so he gives him some first aid. 

Gimlet looks around and surmises that what’s going on here is that they are gathering energy from the people to power up the metros. 

Then he goes to let Gorm out and they debate on what to do with freeing these people. 

Saef is waiting at the door and suddenly starts hearing singing. 

He waves at Gimlet and Gorm, who hide in the room with the bodies. 

Saef goes to the control room and hides in the closet only to realize that the singing was coming from inside his head. 

Before he can really do anything about it, the earth around them moves as if an explosion has happened somewhere above them, and the glass tanks crack and break, letting out the people, some who collapse to the floor, but some who are very much alive, very much angry and very much psykers. 

Gimlet texts Saef to grab the head of the sergeant and hide until there’s a chance for him to escape. 

Saef does so, barely missing a psyker who blasts the control room’s computer and the servitor to bits. 

Gimlet orders Saef to go to the surface and teleport back to the ship, while he and Gorm see if they can clear the way for themselves. 

Most of the psykers have escaped, but there’s two still remaining in the room. 

Gorm sneaks out of the room towards one, only to realize there’s a third being in the room, a demon of sort. 

Gorm switches targets. 

Gimlet pulls out his extra-special anti-psyker arrows and shoots two of the psykers, killing one and severely hurting the other.

He does receive some smites as a response. 

Gorm has a hard time hitting the slippery demon. 

So he goes after the remaining psyker, so that Gimlet use his flamer to position the demon a bit better. 

It ends up with all three of them at the door to the room with the bodies.

Gorm tries to taunt the demon into the room, which sorta works? 

Except now the demon has its grip on Gorm. 

Gimlet shoots his flamer, forcing the demon and Gorm apart, and setting the corpses on fire. 

Gorm grabs Andrew and Gimlet closes the door. 

And off they run before the demon can come after them. 

Gimlet does grab the bird cage with him, while they run past.

Meanwhile Saef has waited for a good moment before rushing out of the room with the sergeant’s head under his arm. 

He tries to text Cayenne to get hold of Inpax, but Cayenne only replies that there’s a ”situation”. 

He gets to a metro station, but drops the tank when climbing onto the platform so he wraps the severed head into a piece of cloth and continues to run. 

On the surface it quickly becomes apparent what the aforementioned situation is, as the Tyranid invasion on Dew Mountain has begun. 

There are Sable Swords battling cultists and Santa Maria seems to be in battle with a Tyranid vessel in the skies. 

Saef calls Molly and gets himself a teleport up. 

When he is about to leave the teleporter room he hears a familiar voice and turns to see Kane Bullard, of BBS fame, and his cronies, with them his mentor Ahram, just like Rat said. 

Saef flees the scene, and gets to his room, where he stuffs Kuru’s head into the fridge.

Gimlet and Gorm on the surface also request a teleport from Saef, which Saef arranges, as well as getting a teleport for Rat. 

Waiting for the teleport, Gorm takes a chainsword from a dead Sable Sword. 

He also leaves Andrew on the ground, and Gimlet protests, but Gorm doesn’t seem to care. 

So Gimlet grabs Andrew’s hand and up they teleport. 

Immediately on the platform Gorm rushes off towards the infirmary. 

Gimlet leaves the birds on top of a crate and starts dragging Andrew through the ship. 

Saef gets to teleporter, where Molly complains about not getting the second person Saef asked. 

Saef feels a hand on his arm and says it’s alright. 

He goes to his room, grabs Theo, head and cat and as many fridge magnets Theo’s body can hold and starts towards a bomb shelter. 

Gorm gets to the infirmary where he finds Layla safe, helping a doctor. 

Layla asks for her mother, and Gorm promises to find her. 

As Jennifer works the arboretum, and as that was in the part of the ship that was badly damaged, Gorm heads there. 

The arboretum is in bad shape. Gorm calls out for Jennifer and gets a faint answer. 

He finds her, still alive, but her legs are crushed by a fallen tree. 

Gorm cuts the tree, picks up Jennifer and starts heading towards the medbay. 

Jennifer asks after Layla, and after learning she is alright, seems to lose consciousness. 

In the infirmary, Gorm inquires from Tabasco the state of the ship. Tabasco says there’s no xenos on board, only bombing, but same can’t be said of Peach Blossom’s neighboring ship. 

So Gorm starts for the teleporter. 

Gimlet finally gets Andrew to Tabasco, and Tabasco helps him put Andrew on a bed. 

Tabasco asks if Gimlet is okay, and Gimlet says he can self-medicate. 

Tabasco says he doesn’t recommend it, but Gimlet says he means just basic first-aid. 

Tabasco then gently pushes him out of the medbay, as they’re swamped with patients. 

Gimlet goes to Saef in the bomb shelter. 

Saef says he needs to go get his parents, and by the way does Gimlet have Inpax’ number. 

Gimlet nervously asks why Saef needs it. 

Saef says he needs to put Theo somewhere where he’ll be safe, and the only place he can think of is Inpax’ room. 

Gimlet reaches out for his contacts, and gets Saef the number, but unfortunately the message doesn’t get delivered.

Saef decides to get Theo & co there anyway, so he breaks in. 

Gimlet follows and if he notices Rat, he says nothing. 

Only the room is not empty, but has Lu Yan from the casino there. 

She says she can explain. 

Saef just drops his wards there (placing the head onto Theo’s lap so to not get into trouble) and off he goes. 

Gimlet stays behind to talk with Lu Yan. Lu Yan says she had been working on a BBS office for a bit, after the casino thing went bust and Inpax came to pick her up. Except there was something she needed to grab and then she never followed Lu Yan. Lu Yan is supposedly a prisoner of Inquisition, so she can’t really go after Inpax, so she orders Gimlet to do so, as that is her girlfriend and she’d like her back alive, thx. (wasn’t she your wife? Gimlet asks. We didn’t have the time, Lu Yan replies.) Gimlet says he’ll do so.

Saef and Gorm and Gorm’s wolf he had picked up from Alex meet at the teleporter. 

Gorm says he’ll be going to Peach Blossom’s ship. 

Saef says he’s gonna go get his folks. 

And off they teleport. 

Gimlet arrives soon after and asks Molly where the others went. 

He decides to follow Saef and teleports back down to Civitas A.

And that’s that for this session. Next time some actual war in this Warhammer 40k game I’ve been running for the past 5 months. Who would’ve thought.

[coldwall-collective]

The 22nd Monthly Bloodsport Brawl has concluded!

Another night, another moon crowns the sky hidden from those tucked away in their warm beds. But while they sleep, others feel the compulsion once more to share their fury, their violence, and their blood in the pits. So another Bloodsport comes to a close, seeing again some of the best brawlers and finest fighters in our city’s depraved depths.

In the end, there can only be one champion. And at the conclusion of the brawl one woman stood above the carnage.

Odessa Felicity

Followed by a most worthy runner up, making it to the very last fight before falling to our champion.

Rhiangena

The full final ladder with accompanied scores can be viewed ->HERE<-.

We hope to see all of you and many more at the next brawl, hosted on the 4th Saturday of every month at 7pm ST! All of us in the Coldwall Collective thank you for your time and your participation!

OOC Note

As always, we owe the continued success of this event to the fantastic people who come out to share their characters and writing with us. Your participation and support is what makes this event work, and we can’t thank you enough.

Shout out to the following guilds who were in attendance:

Ashwood Vale Consortium Bladesworn Vanguard Brotherhood of Valor Death by Assassination Handstan Contractual LLC The Heart of the Raven The Nocturne The Sable Sun Company Unit Eight

Also, sincere gratitude to the many unguilded names there as well.

Special thanks to @ahn-qiraj @druid-of-the-swarm @elenata-moonsong and Kalanea for assistance in moderating! Also, special thanks to @the-royal-courier @wraconnect @wracentral and @wowrpevents for their assistance in advertising! See you all next month!

[vulpixelates]

My OCs: The Master List

Guild Wars 2

Kaia Darkbrand - norn thief/daredevil, disaster bisexual

Ingunn Wildslayer - norn ranger/druid, valkyrie goddess

Isoldra of Dawn - sylvari guardian, sunshine plant mom

Sajaa Eren - human revenant, magical girl chic

Rune Valiante - human elemental, big bitch/bush energy

Mass Effect

Ro Shepard - Vanguard, Spacer, Sole Survivor, Renegon - ♡ pansexual, Garrus & Aria - canon

Letha Shepard - Adept, Earthborn, Sole Survivor, Paragon - ♡ queer, Liara

Ben Shepard - Sentinel, Earthborn, War Hero, Paragon - ♡ straight, Tali

Sara Ryder - Casual, Emotional, Vanguard - ♡ pansexual, Liam & Peebee - canon

Quinn Ryder - Professional, Emotional, Infiltrator - ♡ pansexual, TBD

Dragon Age

Luce Cousland - Noble rogue - ♡ bisexual, Alistair

Aden Brosca - Dwarf rogue - ♡ bisexual, TBD

Amatia Amell - Human mage - ♡ pansexual, Morrigan - canon

Nora Hawke - Mage - ♡ demisexual lesbian, Isabela - canon

Leven Hawke - Rogue - ♡ bisexual, Merrill

Ioren Lavellan - Dalish elf mage - ♡ bisexual, Blackwall & Alistair - canon

Julien Trevelyan - Human rogue - ♡ bisexual, Dorian

Elera Lavellan - Dalish elf - ♡ heteroromantic & asexual, Solas

Hessa Adaar - Qunari rogue - ♡ lesbian, Sera

D&D

Elen Arel - chaotic good, half-elf, arcane trickster, smuggler - ♡ bisexual, Kilgore - retired

Arrora - rebel good, half-elf, circle of the moon druid, outlander - ♡ demisexual lesbian - retired

Caerellia Asperanas - chaotic good, aboleth tiefling, wild magic sorcerer - ♡ queer, Volusena & Mahraz & Lilith - active

Kara Avasdottir - lawful good, valkyrie paladin -  ♡ lesbian, Leira - played

Leda Damaris - chaotic good, Tiamat tiefling, fist of the forest druid -  ♡ queer, Faeruit - retired

Gadget Qirie - chaotic good, orc/gnome/elf arcane engineer -  ♡ queer - active

Medal “Whit” Whitforge - rebel good, mountain dwarf artificer, revolutionist -  ♡ bisexual- played

Thea - neutral good, forest nymph godkin, druid/monk, folk hero - ♡ pansexual  - to be played

Rhialla Stormhaven - chaotic good, aasimar champion, haunted one -  ♡ queer - retired

Ryla Anzar - neutral good, tiefling of the Morrigan, witch, spirit medium - ♡ pansexual - active

Wynrie Iathromi - neutral good, orc/elf, fist of the forest druid - ♡ queer, Reima Agaestil - played

Lodden Rhithron - chaotic good, sea nymph, swashbuckler pirate - ♡ bisexual, Aelius Evenwind & Eila Vorasil - played

Elixaris Iloeni - chaotic neutral, changeling, rogue mastermind - ♡ bisexual - played

Ru Evenwind - neutral good, half-elf/half-gnome, hermetic mage - ♡ lesbian, Kaza - played

Rowan Orda - chaotic good, half-elf/forest gnome fate cleric, acolyte -  ♡ clueless bisexual, Qadri - on hold

Aja Sky-Bearer - neutral good, elf/aasimar, order of the immortal mystic, hermit and herbalist -  ♡ panromantic demisexual - on hold

Ubati Rahazur - neutral good, orc/goliath ranger, monster hunter - ♡ lesbian, Cleo Eronette  - on hold

Cosima Colwycke - chaotic good, aasimar arcane trickster, noble -  ♡ lesbian, Alys Keenseeker - on hold

Canary “Ary” Longshot - chaotic good, gloom stalker ranger, war deserter - ♡ queer, Cybil Winddriver - for one shots

Brigh Orlaith - neutral good, wild fey sidhe bard, sapphic poet -  ♡ lesbian, Hera - on hold

Verna - chaotic neutral, half-elf, illusion wizard, archaeologist - ♡ queer, Sigrun - retired

Ellywick “Wick” Coppercrank III - neutral good, rock gnome gunsmith/hexgun warlock, astronomer -  ♡ bisexual - on hold

Ashes Orra - chaotic good, infernal tiefling ill-rigger turned retribution cleric -  ♡ lesbian, Theodora Conyver - to be played

Erasmia Diagoras - chaotic neutral, reincarnated eladrin sorcerer, revolutionist - ♡ queer, Nisea Minos - to be played

Aaliyah Rahal - neutral, aasimar tattoed temple monk/rogue, tomb raider - ♡ pansexual, Andrea Colwycke - played

Vanja Velikova - chaotic good, fetchling shadow sorcerer/grave cleric, charlatan -  ♡ bisexual - for one shots

Stranger Still (RPG)

Poppy Harris - strange forest ranger - ♡ pansexual, Callie Hayworth  - active

Renna “neuralc0re” Hezal - amnesiac space hacker, punk ass rebel - ♡ lesbian, ET - active

Lo Mistrel - chosen one ghost whisperer -  ♡ bisexual, Tula Chochokpi - active

Kit Wright - private detective, conspiracy nerd - ♡ bisexual, Neya - on hold

Vela Warders - jack of all trades scientist, mutant - ♡ pansexual, Cy & Vier - on hold

Margeaux Darkeaux - possessed tattoo artist, wannabe chosen -  ♡ lesbian, Jude Jinx - on hold

Audre Amador-Ripley - nosy journalist and witch - ♡ bisexual, Violet & Vivienne - active

Sable Calabar - cursed witch, seer -  ♡ lesbian, Harriet Still - active

Ramona Beaumont - engineer and future chosen  -  ♡ lesbian, Alex - for one shots

Leilani Palmer - mystic witch, sculptor - ♡ pansexual, Demetria Garza - played

Priya Goodspeed - artificer witch, video game dev -  ♡ lesbian, Nyla Fuentes - played

Valerie Flores - witch, paralegal, secret superhero -  ♡ queer, Noor Rahmanzai -  played

Fallon Escamilla-Tao - alteration witch, social worker, enchanting bard - ♡ lesbian, Hadley Escamilla-Tao - played

Juniper Rosegrove - transmutation witch, writer, nature lover - ♡ bisexual, Rafi - played

Liere Pilar - witch, tattoo artist, liberator and rebel - ♡ lesbian - to be played

Imani Jelan - abjuration witch, occupational therapist, wellness enthusiast- ♡ pansexual, Olivia Flores - to be played

[nblood30]

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Игровые новости от AddonGame https://addongame.com/news/ratchet-clank-rift-apart-i-deathloop-lidiryut-po-kolichestvy-nominacii-na-d-i-c-e-awards/

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart и Deathloop лидируют по количеству номинаций на D.I.C.E. Awards

Академия интерактивных искусств и наук (Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, AIAS) объявила финалистов 25-й премии D.I.C.E. Awards. Лидером по количеству номинаций оказалась Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart — она претендует на девять наград, в том числе главную. Deathloop, также заявленная в категории «Игра года», упоминается восемь раз.

Третье место делят Inscryption и It Takes Two — каждая присутствует в шести категориях. Returnal может получить пять призов. За звание игры года поборются все пять названных проектов. Четыре из них (кроме последнего) претендуют на приз за достижение в гейм-дизайне (вместе с Loop Hero) и режиссуре (пятый номинант — The Artful Escape).

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart также могут наградить за достижение в технической составляющей и звуковом дизайне. В обеих категориях она сразится с Returnal и Forza Horizon 5, а во второй — ещё и с It Takes Two. Помимо этого, приключенческий экшен Insomniac Games могут отметить за художественное оформление, анимацию и создание персонажей. Во всех трёх номинациях ей противостоят Kena: Bridge of Spirits, Resident Evil Village и Deathloop. Вдобавок Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart рассматривают в категории «Лучшая семейная игра».

Deathloop могут признать лучшим экшеном (конкуренцию ей составят Returnal, Halo Infinite и Metroid Dread) и отметить за саундтрек (здесь её соперники — It Takes Two и Returnal). Игре Hazelight Studios может достаться титул лучшего приключения — шансы получить его есть и у Resident Evil Village и Psychonauts 2.

Inscryption поспорит с Loop Hero и Age of Empires IV в категории «Лучшая стратегия или симулятор». Карточный хоррор может быть назван лучшей инди-игрой (во второй категории он попробует обойти Loop Hero и Death’s Door) и проектом с лучшим сюжетом (здесь заявлена Psychonauts 2).

Полный список номинантов (59 игр в 23 категориях):

Игра года:

Deathloop;

Inscryption;

It Takes Two;

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart;

Returnal.

Лучший экшен:

Deathloop;

Halo Infinite;

Metroid Dread;

Returnal;

The Ascent.

Лучшее приключение:

Death’s Door;

It Takes Two;

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy;

Psychonauts 2;

Resident Evil Village.

Лучшая семейная игра:

Animal Crossing: New Horizons — Happy Home Paradise;

Cozy Grove;

Mario Party Superstars;

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart;

Warioware: Get it Together.

Лучший файтинг:

Guilty Gear -Strive-;

Melty Blood: Type Lumina;

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl.

Лучшая гоночная игра:

F1 2021;

Forza Horizon 5;

Hot Wheels Unleashed.

Лучшая RPG:

Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker;

Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous;

Shin Megami Tensei V;

Tales of Arise;

Wildermyth.

Лучшая спортивная игра:

FIFA 22;

Mario Golf: Super Rush;

NBA 2K22;

Riders Republic.

The Climb 2.

Лучшая стратегия или симулятор:

Age of Empires IV;

Gloomhaven;

Griftlands;

Inscryption;

Loop Hero.

Техническое достижение в области VR-игр:

Lone Echo II;

Puzzling Places;

Resident Evil 4 VR;

Song in the Smoke;

YUKI.

Лучшая VR-игра:

Demeo;

I Expect You To Die 2;

Lone Echo II;

Resident Evil 4 VR;

Song in the Smoke.

Выдающееся достижение в инди-играх:

Death’s Door;

Inscryption;

Loop Hero;

Sable;

Unpacking.

Лучшая мобильная игра:

Behind the Frame;

Fantasian;

League of Legends: Wild Rift;

Moncage;

Pokémon Unite.

Лучшая мультиплеерная игра:

Back 4 Blood;

Call of Duty: Vanguard;

Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker;

Halo Infinite;

Knockout City.

Выдающееся достижение в гейм-дизайне:

Deathloop;

Inscryption;

It Takes Two;

Loop Hero;

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.

Выдающееся достижение в игровой режиссуре:

Deathloop;

Inscryption;

It Takes Two;

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart;

The Artful Escape.

Выдающееся достижение в анимации:

Call of Duty: Vanguard;

Deathloop;

Kena: Bridge of Spirits;

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart;

Resident Evil Village.

Выдающееся достижение в художественном оформлении:

Call of Duty: Vanguard;

Deathloop;

Kena: Bridge of Spirits;

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart;

Resident Evil Village.

Выдающееся достижение в создании персонажей:

Deathloop — Кольт Ван (Colt Vahn);

Kena: Bridge of Spirits — Кена;

Life is Strange: True Colors — Алекс Чэнь (Alex Chen);

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart — Ривет (Rivet);

Resident Evil Village — леди Димитреску (Lady Dimitrescu).

Выдающееся достижение в оригинальном саундтреке:

Deathloop;

It Takes Two;

Kena: Bridge of Spirits;

Psychonauts 2;

Returnal.

Выдающееся достижение в звуковом дизайне:

Forza Horizon 5;

Halo Infinite;

It Takes Two;

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart;

Returnal.

Выдающееся достижение в сюжете:

Before Your Eyes;

Inscryption;

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy;

Psychonauts 2;

The Forgotten City.

Выдающееся техническое достижение:

Battlefield 2042;

Forza Horizon 5;

Moncage;

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart;

Returnal.

Победителей определят участники AIAS — более 33 тысяч экспертов из разных областей игровой индустрии. Церемония награждения пройдёт 24 февраля в Лас-Вегасе в рамках мероприятия D.I.C.E. Summit. В роли ведущих вернутся Джессика Чобот (Jessica Chobot) и Грег Миллер (Greg Miller).

В 2021 году игрой года по версии D.I.C.E. Awards стала Hades.

По материалам: 3dnews.ru