#wounded stag arc

[djarinsbeskar]

Out of curiosity, for the Kai/Luke Arc of Stitches, would people prefer third person or a male reader (Kai POV)?

It just struck me that I hadn't decided on a narrative style yet.

[meta-knight-is-bisexual]

hi everyone i’m back with a short storyboard animatic thing i made

warning for minor sketchy blood :]

i don’t think this arc has been talked about by either me or @pumpkinnkidd before but uuhh essentially trouble goes to hell!! he’s tricked into training in the auburn plains, and is sleeping in the sage den due to his initial assumption that the cat in his dreams was from stag colony instead of the auburn plains. pumpkin is their colony’s sage rookie, and the two of them are very close friends. however, trouble is now carrying the guilt of “lying” about training with stag colony as well as the wounds he gets every night from his training. he feels as though he’s betrayed his colony, since they believe he’s some chosen child, and pumpkin just wants to save her friend from this hell he’s stuck in <<33

[fatalism-and-villainy]

Piggybacking off of my thoughts here a bit, here are some further musings on the distinction between Will and Bedelia in how they relate to Hannibal -

To put it briefly, they’re both afraid of Hannibal, but Bedelia is afraid of what Hannibal will do to her, whereas Will is afraid of what Hannibal brings out in him.

That Bedelia is afraid Hannibal will eat her, and that her general objection to his entire deal is the risk he poses to her, is pretty obviously established. She’s intrigued by his extra-moral tendencies, but balks when confronted with the reality of what he is. In Florence, her therapy is motivated by a genuine desire to help him, imo, but also by self-preservation, pitting him against Will and continuing to be useful to him so as to prolong her survival. And once she gets away from him, she’s got no inclination to see him again - as she tells Will, “I’ve seen enough of him.”

But while Bedelia certainly has trouble stomaching actual murder (as seen in the cases of Neal Frank and Anthony Dimmond), she doesn’t seem particularly fazed by the mere fact that violence appeals to her. When talking to Will, she owns her urge to crush a wounded bird without any compunction. She might not actually do it, but she’s not troubled by the impulse itself. She doesn’t believe in thoughtcrime! Hannibal recognized her sadistic and destructive impulses, and perhaps even helped make her more aware or accepting of them, but they don’t instill guilt in her or destabilize her sense of identity - she simply finds acting on them disturbing and unpalatable. So the horror in her relationship with Hannibal stems not from having to confront herself, but in the creeping threat of what he’s capable of - and the fact that it’s so much more than what she’s capable of, that she's bitten off more than she can chew.

Will, on the other hand, is surprisingly unconcerned with Hannibal’s murder and cannibalism - at least, insofar as he himself could become a victim of it. He snarks about the cannibalism a few times - “I haven’t been gorged, drowned, plucked, and roasted” in Ko No Mono, and “If you’re partial to beef products, it is inconvenient to be compassionate toward a cow” in Wrath of the Lamb - but unlike Bedelia, he doesn’t seem seriously preoccupied the threat of it. When he discovers that Hannibal has had other murder protégés in Randall and Margot (and makes a connection to Bedelia), what upsets him about the implications as to his possible disposability to Hannibal seems to be less the idea that Hannibal might kill him, and more that the authenticity of their bond is in question - that Hannibal might not be wrestling with the same conflicted feelings that Will is, and that Will is nothing but another toy for him to play with (“wind me up and watch me go”, etc.)

The horror of Hannibal, for Will, initially comes from the shock of the realization of his true nature - starting with Savoureux and continuing into early season 2, the stag man indicates the terrifying dissonance of the fact that someone Will trusted and opened up to so much could have such a monstrous nature, without him realizing it. But in the second half of season 2, it shifts into the horror of Will’s own transformation, and of the blurring between him and Hannibal. He comes to feel, as Chiyoh sums up, that he has to kill Hannibal to avoid becoming him, and that’s reflected in a lot of the most overt horror elements of the latter season 2 arc. The beginning of Ko No Mono - imo, one of the most genuinely unsettling nightmares sequences in the show - features the imagery of Will emerging, screaming, from the stag, which is rendered chrysalis-like - Hannibal’s nature is secondary to the horror of Will’s own becoming. That same episode features the extraordinarily uncanny few seconds in Hannibal’s office in which Hannibal’s face is swapped with Will’s, seemingly listening to himself talk, and then Will is in turn swapped with Hannibal - like the blending of their faces in the final shot of Naka-Choko, the unsettling horror elements are centered on the fear of Will’s loss of himself, of not knowing where he ends and Hannibal begins.

The summation of this is Will’s rejection of Hannibal in Digestivo. It’s not on the basis of Hannibal trying to eat his brains, which in a different story would easily be the “you’ve tried to hurt/kill me too many times” last straw. It’s “I don’t have your appetite.” Yes, it’s deliberately chosen because it would hurt Hannibal the most, but I’d also say it’s true in that it’s the main reason Will wants to be able to walk away from Hannibal - the fact that Hannibal brings out a part of Will that Will himself doesn’t want to face.

To put it another way, Bedelia is pretty thoroughly amoral, and in this she’s actually more akin to Hannibal than Will is. Will does have system of morals - one could even say an overly rigid and punitive one - but his moral compass just starts going haywire whenever Hannibal is around because of Hannibal’s irresistible magnetism (really getting some mileage out of this metaphor). Hannibal sees himself as God, and his values are centered on his own whims and aesthetic preferences. Bedelia’s values are centered on her own self-preservation first and foremost. But the fact that she has this particular quality in common with Hannibal is exactly why it’s so easy for her to walk away from him when she’s had enough. She’s self-possessed enough that she doesn’t need him the way Will does. For Will on the other hand, Hannibal brings about a rupturing of his sense of self. So he’s inclined to set himself up for pain and violence, over and over, in seeking Hannibal out, just to find some kind of clarity. And whether he rejects Hannibal or embraces him, there’s always a sense that he’ll lose some fundamental part of himself.

I would say this is part of why it’s important to Will that Hannibal take something from Bedelia, as she puts it in 3.12. Part of it is his belief that “if you play, you pay” and his moral outrage over her ability to escape without consequences. But I think another part of it is more personal resentment - resentment of the fact that she’s able to let Hannibal go so easily, using her experiences with him for monetary gain without much emotional turmoil. That she doesn’t dwell on Hannibal, doesn’t struggle with her feelings about him, doesn’t feel the same confusion and anguish and longing that Will does. The fact that it’s possible for anyone to have a brush with Hannibal without feeling that.

[nightly-ruse]

Need to share my thoughts I haven’t so finally making my Transfem Dustpelt/Buckpelt post that is who she is in the rewrite and in my heart.

So Buck has a lot of abandonment issues and after a long life of figuring things out after a rough youth he feels better. That is until her first litter comes about with Ferncloud. As the little kits squirm at his mates belly he feels odd. Itchy in his pelt. Every time he’s called a dad it gets worse. After asking Sandstorm she hold his paw and asks if he’s trans. It clicks after a moment and after that she goes on her journey of becoming a molly. With the help of gnc Sandy she starts taking fennel to transition, comes out to her mate who welcomes her with love, and sees her sibling Raven again to come out as the true her, Cowflower the molly.

(Under cut is the full drawn out version for more story liking ppl to enjoy, it is long tho so beware, tho is makes more sense of the arc I love so much)

Buckpelt is the affair child of Robinwing and Stagleap, taken by his dad as a kit before being given back after Stag hated being a dad. He grew up with a rocky life right off the bat and when he’s given back to Thunderclan he’s not fully welcomed. Even as kit little Buckkit was bullied and outcasted especially by his older siblings Cherrypaw and Chestnutpaw. While Fuzzyflower cared for him he couldn’t push the anger towards his cheating mate Robinwing fully out of his parenting.

Buckpaw is made a apprentice and given to Redtail in hopes the wise deputy could help the misguided cat, and it worked. Redtail made him more aware of others as well as acting as a dad figure to him. Redtail never had a dad of his own and knew the pain even if his own didn’t just abandon him like Buckpaw’s did. But he started getting bullied more. Sandpaw disliked how much attention he was getting from her dad so she’d tease him, his older siblings would, and many other headstrong warriors.

Maybe if Redtail had lived all the way through poor Buckpaw’s training and taught the scrap how to handle it and make it into a skill it would’ve be great. But he didn’t. Redtail was murdered and Buckpaw felt the same abandonment he felt when Stagleap gave him up except even worse, because he couldn’t hate Redtail or see him again next gathering. He was gone. And now given to the crueler Darkstripe wasn’t doing well.

Instead of opening up more he closed off. Becoming sharper, quieter, meaner. His anger turned inwards and outwards. He started teasing Firepaw the moment the little kittypet came into camp just beside Sandpaw, both apprentices fueled by grief from Redtail’s death was rough on the clan. And even lashing out at Ravenpaw, his brother and only sibling to ever show a lick of kindness, for any perceived fault.

He never would’ve known how much it’d hurt when Ravenpaw never came home. Ripping that grief wound that barely even scabbed over right open. Instead of becoming more aggressive like before he became emptier. Barely even cared when he was named Buckpelt.

Tigerclaw betrays the clan, he refuses to follow the cat who abused his brother, Darkstripe shames him and all he does is bite his tongue.

It felt like moons of emptiness. No good or bad just nothing at all.

But then he felt something. Buckpelt went to lay down like he always did, following his same routine everyday, when Fuzzypelt came over. He didn’t expect much but instead his whole life changed. His parent showed him how to weave things, while it was rather bad his first try it got better. He asked if he could do secondary training for weaving and excelled.

(Fernpaw was born later and a new apprentice at the start of tnp, trained by Frostfur so by this time she’s already named Ferncloud)

That’s when a new cat comes into his life. Ferncloud. She had always been in his life but they never really talked or hung out. But the more they did they got closer. She had a similar past, a father she never knew, no siblings, outcasted. Except she was so emotional. Not in a bad way but in a way he wished he could be. She shared her every thought and knew how to help everyone.

The two learned to weave things together and slowly crushed on each other for a long time. She was his biggest comfort and he was hers.

And then the battle comes about and Ravenpaw, just called Raven now, is alive. Buckpelt is so overwhelmed with uprooted feelings he can barely breath looking at the cat. Finally they talk. Raven tells Buck about why he left, how their doing, how happy they are. And most importantly who he is now, a non-binary jack and mate of a tom. Buckpelt takes a while to understand but once he does, his own little cracks forms.

At the end of the battle they reunite, Raven introduces Barley and he introduces Ferncloud, and Raven tells him where they live so if he needs a place he knows how to get there.

Ferncloud announces she’s expecting kits, his kits, and the two official date. He is overjoyed and overwhelmed by the idea of a litter making a lot of things for the coming kits.

And then their born. Two little toms named Spiderkit for his odd lanky legs and Shaggykit (Shrewpaw) after Fuzzyflower. Staring at their kits Buckpelt feels the crack that first came about become bigger. Unsure of how to bring it up to his usual source to vent to since she’s now busy with the kits he goes to Sandstorm.

Being the awesome gnc cat she is Sandstorm listens to Buckpelt talk about how he feels odd in his own pelt, how it’s almost itchy and yet he has no fleas. She looks him in the eyes, plants a paw on his shoulder, and asks if he might be a molly instead of a tom. Of course he’s shocked and immediately goes to say no but stops. The egg has cracked open. After a full “oh mouse dung” moment and Sandy helping him through the realization he asks more questions. The more he asks the more she feels better. So many words and things she never knew before.

While it’s hard fully understanding it Buckpelt finally comes out to Ferncloud when their kits are just a moon old and of course Fern congratulates her mate. When asked if maybe she’d like to change her name she agrees and after a loooongggg few days of discussing with those she trusts Buckpelt renames to Cowflower.

Cow in the female deer and flower after her own parent Fuzzyflower (who is actually super genderfluid as well just never explained it lol).

She goes to the farm and tells her sibling who welcomes their new sister with purrs and hugs.

And there- my way too long story of Cowflower who I love with all my freaking heart

[thethiefandtheairbender]

Excuse me for being an uncultured, uneducated swine, but I've never heard of "Spider Riders" before.

Would you mind giving me a basic rundown of the premise? I might go check it out

it is a fucking canadian-japanese 2006 anime that ran for two seasons that i have never seen anyone else watched but i loved it as a kid, remembered like 3 things (so i didn't have like, actual nostalgia, just distant memory of it), rewatched it as an adult last year and it wound up, i'm not kidding, in my top 5 tv shows with stuff like ATLA, the dragon prince, infinity train, and transformers: prime (in that order)

ok so the first two episodes (basically just the pilot) are Not Good and premise wise it's not anything that special, i.e. Boy gets isekai'd to a world where humans (??) and giant spiders exist and some form pair bonds, and fight evil Invectids (big insect people). Main bad guy has his council of four who are the main roster of villains, there are power ups, etc. It's like very basic

However

Series has a surprising amount of inversion (aka I totally thought main kid was gonna have a Rival in the main group bc that's the red-blue trope, isn't it? But nah they're all just big brothers to him and it's honestly pretty wholesome)

The world, lore, and history is so good?? For no reason??

Diverse array of villains in terms of arcs and personalities. Villains who are being manipulated; villains who genuinely love their people; villains who are honour bound even to their detriment. Villains who have realistic redemption(s)

Series has super interesting explorations of its concept of God (the Oracle) and what a relationship between mortals and god should look like that legitimately changed my own viewpoint on it?? Fucking wild

More than one female character with prominent screentime!! Pretty cool I think

There's a siege on a floating city at one point and that shit was baller

Some of the spiders have a backstory and it's fun and vaguely depressing

Stags. I just love Stags. Also Igneous is gay as hell and it's barely subtext

Really strong thematically and consistently? I remembered the end of the show going in and I was about 17/52-ish eps in when I was like "oh my god they're gonna thematically stick the landing" which is just lovely

Series is also obsessed with "Okay say we win the war? What then? How can we end the war without fully understanding why our enemies were driven to start it in terms of addressing the needs that make people inclined towards war in the first place" and then again stuck the landing, like that shit ate

Anyway I love it and it's so good for No Reason. Truly a 10/10 show

[citrusreadstoa]

Reading The Dark Prophecy: Chapter 27 (SPOILERS)

Alrighty, I'm back from the holiday season! It went fantabulously, thank you so much for asking.

"when a bronze dragon smashes into them." *chanting* FESTUS! FESTUS! FESTUS!

"If you ask me, she's just jealous of their beautiful faces. BOOM!" Another good insult lost to the BOOM... Do you think Apollo would get smote if he insulted the gods? Do you think he's more or less likely to be smote than the average demigod (I say average because we know no one can top Percy's eagerness to piss off the Olympians)?

"Hello, we are your friends. You're going to die. Come with us." Oh, no. Twenty bucks the Hunters will at some point try to recruit Meg. She's exactly the right age and has exactly the right amount of murderous zeal. She probably wouldn't join, but the thought of Apollo having to work for one of his sister's immortal Moon cultists is funny.

"with choppy black hair" THA-LI-A!

"Lityerses, get out there!" "Sire... you were about to relieve me of duty. By killing me?" LMAO the ultimate entitlement.

"Something inside me, no doubt a character flaw, made me feel pity for the wounded Cornhusker." Something doesn't align with your traditional godly morals? Gotta be a character flaw. Honestly, I'm surprised he admitted he had a flaw at all instead of just blaming it on the mortal body.

"What's up, Lesteropoulos?" Apollo had a choice between telling Leo his mortal name and keeping it to himself, letting them continue to refer to him as Apollo. Clearly, he made the wrong decision.

"Can't I just let Festus stomp him?" Valid point, but have you considered: I am a sucker for a redemption arc. "Commodus betraying this swordsman made me almost as angry as . . . Zeus abandoning me in the mortal world for the third time." On that level? That's quite a leap.

"Thalia Grace climbed up behind me on the elephant--which fulfilled a daydream" Very specific daydream. Also, didn't Thalia renounce her last name? Thus, she wouldn't be Thalia Grace anymore, just Thalia. It was mentioned at the start of The Titan's Curse, I think, and definitely reiterated at the start of The Lost Hero when Jason asks what Thalia's last name is and Annabeth says she doesn't use it anymore but says that it used to be Grace, and that's what jogs his memory to recall his own last name. In short, everyone calling her Thalia Grace has been stomping all over her wishes. Thalia is not Thalia Grace -- she's just Thalia.

"Iphigenia, get the rest of the Hunters out of here." IPHIGENIA! I know I'm talking too much through this, but Iphigenia was the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra and when the Greek armies going to Troy could not proceed because Agamemnon had killed one of Artemis's sacred stags (like the dickhead he is), Artemis demanded her as a sacrifice. Agamemnon agreed to kill his own daughter so the armies could proceed to Troy and sacrificed her. In some versions, she just dies. In other versions, they all think she died but she was whisked away by Artemis to who-knows-where. I guess PJO Iphigenia was taken to join the Hunters! This little nod brings me so much joy.

"I'd forgotten how wonderful sunlight felt!" You... really? Ha... really?

"I drank, and my vision cleared immediately." I was going to say, I guess we have our answer to whether Apollo can still have nectar and ambrosia, but the elephant also drank it. "It's moonwater." Ah? So Apollo doesn't know about it. Is it supposed to be a secret and they've just had a serious info leak by Thalia telling it to Apollo? Or is this fine?

"Zeus has forbidden her from seeing you." Bitch (Zeus). "She's not even supposed to give us orders to help you." This was expected, actually. Of course he would forbid Artemis from helping her brother and from directing her cultists to do the same. Still, gods get around rules like this all the time. She must show up at some point. Then again, I just looked up her character art and SHE HAS NONE. So...

"We've been searching for a particular monster for months now" And every time they say that, the monster in question shows up within the book. Tell me it's not Sssssarah.

"Britomartis . . . urging them to come here . . . let's-pretend-that-never-happened." Oh, so Britomartis is good for something other than trapping sofa cushions and looking pretty.

"I was younger then" You have been frozen in time since then, but it's true mentally you've still matured. "I'd just spent several years as a pine tree." You specifically said you hardly felt those years go by. "My vision and reasoning were impaired from sap damage." That is hands-down the stupidest excuse I've heard come out of her mouth.

"he launches a reprisal." REPRISAL (n.): an act of retaliation

[mediaevalmusereads]

How to Catch a Wild Viscount. By Tessa Dare. 2009.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Genre: historical romance, novella

Series: N/A

Summary: Luke Trenton, Viscount Merritt, returned from war a changed man. Battle stripped away his civility and brought out his inner beast. There is no charm or tenderness in him now; only dark passions and a hardened soul. He has nothing to offer the starry-eyed, innocent girl who pledged her heart to him four years ago.

But Cecily Hale isn't a girl any longer. She's grown into a woman--one who won't be pushed away. She and Luke are guests at a house party when a local legend captures their friends' imaginations. While the others plunge into the forest on a wild goose...er, stag chase, Cecily's on the hunt for a man. She has only a few moonlit nights to reach the real Luke...the wounded heart she knows still beats inside the war-ravaged body...or she could lose him to the darkness forever.

***Full review below.***

CONTENT WARNINGS: violence, animal death, dubious consent, threat of sexual assault, explicit sexual content

OVERVIEW: I'm trying to read some fall and Halloween-themed historical romances this year, and this novella popped up on a list. I'm aware that it's one of Dare's first published works, so I wasn't going in expecting much. Overall, there were some things I liked and some things I didn't, so this is a fairly middle of the road novella. It still does have some characteristics of Dare's writing that I appreciate, so this book gets 3.5 stars from me.

WRITING: Despite this being one of Dare's earliest publications, it still contains a lot of characteristics that I associate with later works. The sense of humor is the same, as is the ease at which the sentences flow. I think it does a good job balancing showing and telling and the pace feels appropriate.

PLOT: The plot of this book follows Cecily, a twenty-something year old lady who encounters her former love, Luke, at a fall party hosted by friends. To pass the time, the friends tell the story of the Curse of the Were-stag, prompting everyone to explore the woods surrounding the estate. As the party continues, Luke and Cecily have to work out what they mean to one another after many years apart.

I appreciated that this book was limited in its scope. It didn't try to pack the plot of an entire novel into a novella-sized format, so there wasn't really a point at which I felt things were being rushed or not explored fully.

I also appreciated that the themes of the curse of the were-stag paralleled the themes of the characters' personal arcs. The story touches on things like humanity and violence and longing, which are worked into both Cecily's and Luke's inner thoughts and struggles. It was satisfying to see, especially after reading many books where the intertextuality didn't seem to fit at all.

Still, I had to knock this book down a few stars because there were moments that made me uncomfortable. For one, there's a scene where Luke is kissing Cecily, and after telling him to stop multiple times, she has to slap him to get him to do so. In another scene, Dare writes an encounter as if Cecily is going to be sexually assaulted, but pulls a "gotcha" and just has a character take one of her stockings instead (to use as a bandage for a wound). Personally, I hate it when issues of sexual assault and dubious consent are used to create tension, especially between romantic interests.

CHARACTERS: Cecily, our heroine, is rather charming in that she encourages her friends to throw themselves into the story of the were-stag. I liked that Dare didn't write her as naive and frivolous, but instead used her fascination with the legend to explore Cecily's discomforts, troubled feelings, and desires.

Luke, our hero, was one of those self-hating heroes that I tend not to like. He felt he was a beastly monster devoid of humanity because he returned from war as a broken man, and while I can sympathize, I usually don't enjoy the angst that comes with it. Still, Dare did a good job exploring his insecurities and hang-ups, even if it wasn't my favorite.

Supporting characters were fine and about as present and complex as they needed to be. I liked how they all seemed to genuinely adore and support one another, wanting the best and teasing in ways that only close friends can.

ROMANCE: The romance between Cecily and Luke was small enough in scope that it felt appropriate for a novella. Because the two knew each other and had feelings years ago, there was already a rapport to build upon instead of starting from scratch. Dare did a good job at making that past feel consequential without making me feel like I was missing something by not having a full-length novel.

I also liked the themes of the romance - namely, Cecily's desire to have a husband that would fight for her and not treat her like some delicate thing, and Luke's utter inability to accept that Cecily has changed and doesn't need to be coddled. It made for some interesting discussions between the two, and even though Luke was a little angsty, I could appreciate what Dare was doing.

The only thing I didn't like was the consent issue and sexual assault switcheroo that I discussed above. It didn't make Luke seem like a good guy at the core, and at those times, I really struggled to understand what Cecily loved about him.

TL;DR: How to Catch a Wild Viscount appropriately handles it's themes and narrative for the novella format. However, I would have enjoyed this story more if it didn't make use of issues surrounding consent and a "gotcha" almost-assault.

[ladyborealiswrites]

Current Warlock Exotic Armor Changes - I'll be detailing the changes I'd like to see with current Warlock exotic armor pieces, without adapting them for the proposed changes I suggested in my previous Warlock or subclass post.

Hoods) 

Aphotheosis Veil - Insatiable: Immediately regenerate health, class ability, and melee energy, and grant Devour to you and nearby allies upon casting your super; nearby allies gain Devour when you are granted Devour. When your super ends, you gain +800% melee and grenade ability regeneration, and +400% melee and grenade damage for 5 seconds. 

Astrocyte Verse - Your Blink is enhanced; you travel 25% further, have a shorter cooldown between uses, and damage and cause nearby combatants to become Volatile. Your weapons are ready quicker, and your Radar remains active as you come out of Blink. Nova Warp’s Dark Blink does not consume super energy, and gains the same effects as your Blink movement. Your weapons gain +15 Airborne Effectiveness. 

Cenotaph Mask - High Priority: Steadily reloads a portion of your held and stowed Trace Rifle’s magazine from reserves. Damaging a boss, Champion, Hive Lightbearer, mini-boss, Subjugator or Tormentor with a Trace Rifle visually marks them. When you or an ally defeats the marked target Trace Rifle ammo is generated for you, and Heavy ammo is generated for your allies; and you gain a 30% damage bonus to Trace Rifles. Your Trace Rifles gain +25 Airborne Effectiveness. 

Crown of Tempests - Conduction Tines: Defeating Jolted combatants or collecting Ionic Traces increases your Arc ability damage and range, while also extending the duration of your Arc supers. 

Dawn Chorus - Rites of Ember: You apply 25% more Scorch stacks and you gain a small amount of ability energy when your Scorch damages a target. Your Daybreak projectiles deal more damage, increase the damage of the next projectile, Scorch targets on impact, and extend the duration of Daybreak upon defeating targets. Your Solar weapons gain +20 Airborne Effectiveness. 

Eye of Another World - Cerebral Uplink: Highlights powerful combatants and Guardians in their super that you can see. You deal 15% increased damage to highlighted combatants, and gain ability energy upon damaging highlighted combatants with weapons matching your ability damage types. Defeating highlighted targets with those weapons fully recharges your ability energy. 

Fallen Sunstar - Ionic Conductor: Your Ionic Traces are enhanced; Ionic Traces have a shorter creation cooldown, have a chance to be created from Arc ability damage, move faster and grant you additional ability and super energy. Nearby allies also gain ability energy when you collect an Ionic Trace.  

Felwinter’s Helm - Warlord’s End: Final blows with abilities that match your equipped super generate a damaging and Suppressing pulse of Void Light. Finishers and final blows against more powerful combatants or Guardians in their super increase the damage, radius, and duration of this effect. 

Nezarec’s Sin - Abyssal Extractors: Void final blows increase melee and grenade ability recharge rate by 300%, and class ability and super regeneration rate by +200%. Activating a Void ability increases your Void damage by 20% for 5 seconds. Your Void weapons gain +20 Airborne Effectiveness.

Skull of Dire Ahamkara - Actual Grandeur: Your Nova Bomb super deals 100% more damage, and Nova Bomb final blows grant up to 50% super energy. Pocket Singularity deals 30% more damage, travels further, and has a larger effect radius. 

Speaker’s Sight - The Lost Voice: Healing grenades spawn a Restorative Turret. Healing allies and being healed occasionally spawns an Orb of Power. Healing Rift provides faster healing to you and allies. Your weapons that heal you or allies gain +40 Airborne Effectiveness. 

The Stag - Dearly Departed: Your rift provides 25% damage reduction to you and allied guardians standing in it. When you become critically wounded with full class ability energy; your class ability energy is spent, you are granted an overshield, class ability energy, and create a Healing Rift at your location. Kinetic precision final blows spend 25% class ability energy and create a Healing Rift at the victim’s location. 

Veritiy’s Brow - The Fourth Magic: Weapon final blows with a damage type matching your grenade grant Death Throes, which provide a grenade damage bonus and grant you grenade energy; you can have up to 5 stacks of Death Throes. When you have Death Throes and throw a grenade, nearby allies gain greatly increased (10x) grenade regeneration rate for a short time.

Gloves) 

Aeon Soul- Aeon Energy: This Exotic has three selectable perks; 

Sect of Force: Aeon's Wrath- Ability final blows increase the damage of your weapons that match that ability’s damage type by 10%. Weapon precision final blows increase the damage of your abilities that match that weapon’s damage type by 10%, 

Foebreaker Chant- When you stun a Champion or defeat a boss/miniboss, you and your nearby fireteam members gain a burst of grenade and melee energy. Aeon allies who do not have the Sect of Force role equipped also gain a burst of Super energy.

Sect of Insight: Aeon's Inspiration – Rapid weapon precision hits have a chance to drop an Orb of Power for you and your allies.

Armsbearer Chant – When you use a finisher on an Elite, you generate Special ammo for your fireteam; when you use a finisher on a boss or miniboss, you generate Heavy ammo for your fireteam. Nearby Aeon allies who do not have the Sect of Insight role equipped also gain a bonus to weapon damage for a short time.

Sect of Vigor: Aeon's Vow – Rapid precision weapon take downs heal nearby allies. When nearby allies become critically wounded, you gain a +20% bonus to weapon damage until your next weapon takedown. 

Lightgiver Chant – Activating an ability grants your nearby allies 10% damage resistance. Casting your super grants nearby allies 20% damage resistance. Aeon allies who do not have the Sect of Vigor role equipped also gain a burst of healing.

Ballidorse Wrathweavers - Hearts of Ice: Your Winter’s Wrath deals 50% increased damage, and the Shatter shockwave deals +100% Shatter damage and has a larger radius. You and allies who are inside the radius of the Shatter shockwave, or your Frost Pulse are granted 3 stacks of Frost Armor and 30% increased Stasis weapon damage. You and your allies’ Stasis weapons gain +40 Airborne Effectiveness while Frost Armor is active.

Briarbinds - One with the Void: Your Void Souls have longer duration and gain escalating damage and durability as they defeat targets. You can retrieve your Void Soul by interacting with them, allowing them to be redeployed. (Up to +100% damage, and +50% resistance) 

Claws of Ahamkara: Gain an additional Melee charge. Melee final blows generate an Orb of Power. Collecting an Orb of Power grants melee energy, and grants 10% melee damage. Your Kinetic weapons gain +20 Airborne Effectiveness for 10 seconds after collecting an Orb of Power.

Contraverse Hold - Chaotic Exchanger: Gain 20% damage resistance while charging your Void grenade with Chaos Accelerant. Taking damage while charging your grenades increases your grenade damage by 30%. Charged Void grenades return grenade energy on hits. 

Getaway Artist - Dynamic Duo: Consume your Arc grenade to gain the following benefits: You become Amplified, nearby enemies are damaged and Blinded, and you gain an Arc Soul with 50% increased base duration. Your Arc weapons gain +30 Airborne Effectiveness while you are Amplified.

Karnstein Armlets - Vampire’s Caress: Melee and finisher final blows instantly grant Cure and provide Restoration for3 seconds. Powered melee final blows and finishers grant Cure x2 and Restoration for 6 seconds. You have 10% increased melee damage while you have Restoration. 

Necrotic Grip - Grasp of the Devourer: Weapons of Sorrow gain +10% damage to their direct and secondary effects. Damaging a target with a powered melee poisons them, dealing increasing damage over time. Defeating a poisoned target with melee damage spreads the condition to nearby combatants. Weapons of Sorrow gain +40 Airborne Effectiveness.

Nothing Manacles - Scatter Charge: Your Scatter grenades are enhanced; gaining an additional charge, increased throw speed, and damage after landing rapid Void weapon final blows. Scatter grenade hits and final blows return grenade energy. 

Ophidian Aspect - Cobra Totemic: Weapons ready and reload very quickly. Your equipped weapons gain +15 Airborne Effectiveness.

Osmiomancy Gloves - Fervid Coldsnap: Your Coldsnap grenades are enhanced; gaining an additional charge, faster throw speed, faster and further seeker movement speed, increased effect radius, and grant grenade energy upon landing a direct impact with your Coldsnap grenade. 

Sunbracers - Helium Spirals: Increases the duration of Solar Grenades. Solar melee kills grant 5 seconds of unlimited Solar Grenade energy. 

Winter’s Guile - Warlord’s Sigil: Defeating targets with Stasis abilities increases your Stasis ability damage. Targets frozen automatically Shatter 2 seconds later. Your Stasis weapons gain +20 Airborne Effectiveness, and +40 Airborne Effectiveness after Freezing a target.

Robes) 

Chromatic Fire - Crystalline Transistor: Precision final blows from Kinetic weapons create an explosion in the element of your equipped super and apply a matching elemental effect. Kinetic special weapons larger and more powerful explosions, and apply an elemental effect on rapid precision hits. Kinetic Power weapon final blows create even larger final blows, and apply an elemental effect on precision hits. (Arc - Blinds Targets, Solar - Scorches targets, Void - Weakens targets, Stasis - Slows targets, Strand - Severs targets) Your weapons that match your super damage type gain +20 Airborne Effectiveness.

Mantle of Battle Harmony - Absorption Cells: Final blows with weapons and abilities matching your equipped Super damage type grant you additional super energy. When your super energy is full, you instead gain a temporary bonus to weapon ability damage of that type. (up to +35% for weapons, and 25% for abilities.)

Mataiodoxía - Stylostixis: Your Arcane Needles are enhanced; gaining increased tracking, range, Pierce Barrier Champion shields, and cause combatants they damage to emit a damaging and Suspending detonation on defeat. Landing three Arcane needles on the same target triggers a larger, more powerful detonation (30% more damage and duration.) 

Phoenix Protocol - Battle-Hearth: Kills and asissts you make while standing in your Well of Radiance return up to 50% super energy. Allies you make Radiant gain an additional 5% damage bonus to Solar weapons. 

Sanguine Alchemy - Blood Magic: Defeating combatants with a damage type matching your equipped super gain a stacking 7.5% damage bonus, up to 30% for 10 seconds. Casting your class ability grants the highest-tier damage bonus. While standing in any rift, weapon final blows pause the rift’s countdown, extending its duration. 

Starfire Protocol - Fusion Harness: Your Fusion grenades, Empowering Rift, and Radiance effects are enhanced. Fusion grenades gain an additional charge, increased throw speed, 10% grenade energy on hits, 20% class ability energy on hits, and 40% on final blows. Empowering Rifts and Well of Radiance grant 2% grenade energy for every second you are in them. Radiant weapons grant 2.5% grenade energy for every precision hit you land. 

Stormdancer’s Brace - Ascending Amplitude: Your Arc abilities and supers increase their damage for each combatant they defeat. Stormtrance takes less time to reach maximum damage while hitting targets, has increased chain lighting capabilities, and jolts combatants after being damaged by Stormtrance for more than 1 second. Hits and final blows with Stormtrance return up to 50% super energy upon Stormtrance ending. (Grenades gain +15% damage, Melees gain +25% damage, and Stormtrance grants +30%) 

Vesper of Radius - Planetary Torrent: Your Rifts release periodic Arc shockwaves at their location; Phoenix dive releases a singular, high-damage, Blinding pulse. Final blows with these shockwaves create Blinding explosions. While you have an Arc super equipped, these shockwaves gain increased range, damage, and frequency; combatants damaged by these shockwaves while you have an Arc super equipped become Blinded, and defeating combatants with these shockwaves creates a Jolting explosion. 

Wings of Sacred Dawn - Tome of Dawn: You can aim your weapons while you are airborne. While you have a Solar super equipped, aiming weapons while airborne reduces flinch and incoming damage; aiming Solar weapons while you are airborne and have a Solar super equipped Scorch combatants on hit. Rapid Solar weapon final blows reload a portion of their magazines. Your Solar weapons gain +30 Airborne Effectiveness.

Boots) 

Boots of the Assembler - Blessing of Order: Standing in a healing rift creates Noble Seekers that seek out allies that are not in a rift and heal them. Standing in an empowering rift creates Noble Seekers that grant both you and your ally a damage bonus. Each time a Noble Seeker finds one of your allies, the duration of your rift is extended while you are standing in it. 

Geomag Stabilizers - Close Enough: While you have more than 65% of your super charged, Arc weapon precision hits and collecting Ionic Traces grant additional super energy. While Chaos Reach is active, successive damage increases its damage and duration up to +100%. Hits and final blows with Chaos Reach restore up to 50% super energy upon ending. 

Lunafaction Boots - Alchemical Etchings: While inside any of your Rifts or Well of Radiance, you and your allies gain +50% weapon reload speeds, and 10% increased weapon precision damage for weapons that match the equipped supers of the Guardian wielding them. Your Empowering Rifts and Well of Radiance grant extended weapon effective ranges. 

Promethium Spur - Embers of Light: Your rifts release pulsating Scorching waves, and your Phoenix Dive creates a heavily Scorching burst when you land. Landing weapon precision hits while you are Radiant, or landing rapid weapon final blows that match your equipped super create a combined Healing and Empowering Rift at the victims location, spending 20% class ability energy. While a Solar super is equipped, standing in a Rift makes you and allies Radiant, and super final blows create a Healing and Empowering Rift at Victims’ location. 

Rain of Fire - Soaring Fusilier: Icarus Dash reloads all of your equipped weapons, improves Fusion Rifle and Linear Fusion Rifle accuracy, and Scorches nearby combatants. Final blows with Fusion Rifles and Linear Fusion Rifles make you Radiant, with precision final blows making you Radiant for 5 seconds longer. Radiant Fusion Rifle and Linear Fusion Rifle hits Scorch combatants. Your Fusion Rifle and Linear Fusion Rifles have +40 Airborne Effectiveness.

Secant Filaments - Devouring Rift: Gain 20% increased Void weapon damage while you have Devour. While using a Void super, casting an Empowering Rift grants you Devour. Damage dealt by you and allies from within your Empowering Rift disrupts combatants Stuns Overload Champions, and precision hits grant class ability energy. 

Swarmers - Swarmers: Tangles you create are more durable; damaging a tangle with Strand damage spawns Threadlings. Destroying a Tangle with Strand damage creates 3 Threadlings. Threadlings you create travel further, have increased tracking, deal additional damage, and Unravel combatants. You can have up to 8 Threadlings perched at once. 

Transversive Steps - Strange Protractor: Your sprint speed is increased. After sprinting for a short time, your equipped weapons are reloaded. Sprinting while Amplified overflows the magazine by 50%. 

Bond) 

Solipsism - Exotic Spirit: This exotic can have two exotic perks, of which carry the Spirit of the original perk; carrying a weaker version of the original Exotic perk. 

First Column) 

Spirit of the Armamentarium: Gain an additional grenade charge. 

Spirit of the Claw: Gain an additional melee charge. 

Spirit of the Coyote: Gain an additional class ability charge.

Spirit of Apotheosis: Immediately after your super ends, you are granted +400% melee and grenade regeneration rates, and +150% melee and grenade damage for 5 seconds.

Spirit of the Chromatic: Kinetic weapon final blows create a damaging explosion that matches your equipped super damage type. 

Spirit of Osmiomancy: Gain an additional grenade charge, and grenades restore energy upon damaging combatants.  

Spirit of the Swarm: Destroying a Tangle creates a Threadling. Threadlings Unravel combatants. You can have up to 6 Threadlings perched at a time.

Spirit of Winter: Combatants you Freeze automatically Shatter after 2 seconds. 

Second Column) 

Spirit of the Star-Eater: While your Super energy is full, picking up two Orbs of Power grants up to 6 stacks of Feast of Light, which grants +8.2% bonus damage per stack.

Spirit of Synthoceps: Improves melee damage while surrounded by 100%.

Spirit of Verity: Weapon final blows with a damage type matching your grenade have a chance to grant a 10% stacking grenade damage bonus, up to 5x.

Spirit of Duos: Convert your grenade into an Arc Soul and become Amplified. 

Spirit of Chorus: Your elemental effects and abilities that deal damage over time gain +15% increased damage. 

Spirit of the Necrotic: Powered melee hits poison the target, dealing damage over time. Defeating poisoned targets with melee damage spreads the condition to nearby combatants. 

Spirit of the Sunstar: Ionic Traces have a chance to be created from ability damage, and return additional ability energy upon being collected.

Spirit of Vesper: Your Rifts release periodic Arc shockwaves that damage and Blind combatants. Your Phoenix Dive releases a singular, high-damage and Blinding explosion.

[thatsadorbsyo]

Kyros - The King’s Bow

(cw: mentions of gore, putrescence, violence, and death of people and animals.)

Five weeks prior to the battle at the Duchy of Glenvale.

A murky drizzle coats the forest of the Hunter’s Glory in a dim light, even in mid-afternoon. The menagerie of creatures that dwell here are unnaturally quiet in this atypical gloom, but for once these beasts of sport are not Kyros’s quarry. Brother Guidry is still out here, somewhere, with nothing but a holy bow and a prayer to protect him from unforeseen dangers. Valorous fucking fool that he is.

The signs of woodland corruption grow thicker as Kyros travels deeper into the creeping rain. The Keepers’ scouts had warned him of the violent changes to the landscape, but he was ill-prepared for what he would face as he searches for his temple brother:

A tree with its bark melting away in a great claw swipe, leaving a rotten blackness in three gaping slashes that steam wherever raindrops patter into them. The wispy smoke burns his fingertips with a heat that cannot be borne from fire.

The carcass of a stag, bleeding out into the underbrush in a slush of viscera. Its wounds spread in round, cankerous arcs as its flesh is eaten by the acid that puddles against its bones. Its milky eyes stare up at him, frozen with long-passed horror.

Soft vegetation cored out in a scar across the landscape, burned straight through by an unstoppable blight. The now-empty passage of some great beast, its magnitude intimated by the blank space it leaves behind for Kyros to walk through.

Fresh pools of acid still line the path, collecting in the deep pawprints of a fleeing tiger. Thick enough to choke, the air in his chest betrays him. His next breath trembles, a shaking leaf on the dying trees. Is it for fear or from effort? The hunter tightens his grip on a spear held in both hands, making the wood creak against the silence of the forest. Where is Guidry?

Soon enough, he gets his answer. A body lies fallen across the path up ahead, bearing the colors of the Huntsman’s priests. Guidry, the champion Kyros seeks. Is he hurt? Off to the left, a murmur of voices can be heard through the blighted thicket. The snapping of twigs under passing feet. Who could that be?

And where is the fearsome beast that ravaged the Hunter’s Glory? Dare he speak the word that sits on his tongue? To suggest that a dragon stalks the forest would be nothing short of blasphemy. The god of the hunt himself, Cudorix, is said to have shot the last wyrm from the sky at the beginning of the age.

Something must be done. Kyros grits his teeth and...

1. ...continues his search for acid-spewing monster. It has to be taken down. 2. ...sprints up to the body. Guidry could still be alive. 3. ...turns into the thicket to investigate the voices. Whoever they are, they’re going to get hurt out here.

---

The air prickles his lungs with every pounding footfall as Kyros charges up the path. Tension spirals, clenching his grey knuckles to pure white when he bears down on his weapon. His steel gut is braced for what he will find, but his tender heart doesn’t want to believe it. Not yet.

His sprint slows to a jog as he approaches the body, and then to the halted stuttering of fearful backpedalling when the scene comes into horrible focus: Though his armor retains the shape he held in life, Guidry himself has been reduced to a pool of gelatinous, half-dissolved fat and tissue oozing from the space beneath his bronze breastplate. The mark of the Huntsman, a bow encircled by a halo of stars, sits brazen and untouched on his chest, while under the dome of metal his body seeps out from his clothes to taint the soil.

Kyros turns his head with a grimace, averting his gaze from this nauseous perversion. He’s seen all that he needs to see. The King’s Bow, the most holy relic of his faithful patron’s house, is missing from the shapeless corpse. He can return with neither the body of his brother nor his Baroness’s artifact.

In short, he’ll go back to Naffor as a fucking failure. Again.

Focus. There must be something he can do to make this right. He can still do some good for Brother Guidry, even in this piteous state of dissolution. Kyros swallows an aborted whimper and bends down close to the fallen hunter to...

1. ...rip the still-intact breastplate from the body’s muck. He can’t return empty-handed, and in lieu of remains, this may give someone closure. 2. ...say a prayer of rest for the slain priest. Denied a proper burial, Guidry will find his grave on the forest floor, amid the remains of both predators and prey.

---

The armor tears away from Guidry’s body with a sickening suck, like dislodging a boot from thick mud. The pain is immediate: a foreign burn in his palm, a searing sensation that should not be, not on someone like him. Kyros snarls with a furious curl of his lips, weathering the pain, and plants his foot in the dirt to yank the etched breastplate free.

Victory finds him panting in the tainted air with his paltry prize, hands singed and lungs screaming. The armor is difficult to hold. Kyros trembles with the phantoms of countless needles bearing down into his fingers, into the fleshy pad of his palm, through his calluses, into the cracks of his knuckles. He can’t breathe. The acrid taint, it’s coming from Guidry. It’s coming from the forest all around him, from the wounded grove opening like a canker to the rain-dark sky.

Somewhere, a rumbling roar echoes through the forest, vibrating with fear and agony. Kyros can’t see the panther, but it sounds close. Close enough to make his heart leap in his seizing chest, a lodged brick.

Panic makes him toss his head like a wounded bull, searching for something -- anything -- on which to anchor his focus. The scythe sweep of his horns cuts the air audibly with every feverish whip. Woosh, woosh...

1. ...woosh, this way. The susurrus of cracked branches where a wounded tiger escaped through the underbrush. 2. ...woosh, that way. Voices in the thicket, someone still oblivious to the danger, or perhaps too stupid to care.

---

His attention latches onto the dissonant murmuring, and with pinpoint focus, Kyros forces his way through the vines and brambles of the thicket. The underbrush is thicker here, relatively untouched by the vile secretions that eat away at other parts of the forest. With every step, his breath comes cleaner and the voices grow louder.

The thorns that rip at his clothes are nothing compared to the hellish acid he leaves behind. They dig grooves into his leathers and etch scarlet lines across his cheeks, but Kyros barely feels it. A familiar sting, mundane. He can take it, but his endurance isn’t without a cost. Something stirs in him that’s better left to sleep.

The insensate hunter stumbles into a clearing to find a small cluster of bodies huddled around an object of apparent intrigue. Its radiance glows through the dim curtain of their muddy cloaks.

“It’s made o’ wood, yeah? Should be as ruined as the rest, by all rights,” observes a stout figure. “Don’t trust it. Prob'ly cursed or some odd thing.”

“You’re not new enough to be that measure of a twit.” Disdain cuts through the leaves cleaner than the blight. “Of course it’s pristine, it’s holy.”

“Quiet,” hisses a third voice. The lanky thief turns to regard Kyros’s careless gait as he approaches the trio with a spear clutched in one hand and a breastplate dripping with congealed viscera in the other.

The hunter towers over them, a full head above even the tallest of the three bandits. Framed by his horns and clad in dark leather, Kyros cuts an intimidating figure in the unpredictable gloom of the Hunter’s Glory, even when his face isn’t wracked by a fury that threatens to crack his composure. The slumbering thing in his belly sits poised to burst through its thin veneer at any provocation and twist him into a meaner, larger beast. All it would take is a little more pain. A little more outrage. Come on, he wants to do it anyway. He’d like that. Come on.

His skin itches with the primal burn of impending transformation. It’s so close, he can taste the flood of excitement under his tongue.

Kyros...

1. ...calls out to the thieves. They can still be reasoned with, and he is still capable of reason. 2. ...gives himself to the rage. Criminals are naught but prey for the Huntsman’s hounds.

---

“My name is Brother Kyros of Saints,” he announces himself as though reading a royal decree, voice booming in the drizzle. The speaking of it reminds him who he is and why he’s here, snuffing out the rebellious fire in his core. Kyros holds up the stained breastplate like a badge of station, showing them the mark of Cudorix emblazoned on its dome. “I care not for you, I come only for the bow.”

The sight of him is magnetic enough to stun, halting their retreat for a few precious heartbeats. It’s time enough for him to cross the distance, clustering the four of them together in the center of the cramped clearing. Perfect targets, too focused on the scramble of limbs and shouting of obscenities to notice what approaches them through the trees.

“Go tell it to a nun’s quim,” spits out the halfling as he draws a handaxe from his belt, stepping between Kyros and the half-elf who struggles to notch a mundane arrow to the glowing bow in his hands. The third figure, still veiled by his cloak, is the only one who sees the unstoppable gait of the tiger barreling through the underbrush just moments before it’s upon them. One fucking surprise after the other. Nobody ever said thievery was predictable work, did they?

The white and black bolt crashes through a wall of brambles, oblivious to how thorns catch and pull at its sagging fur to reveal the muscle working below. A whole shoulder of bare pink fibers is exposed as its pelt peels away to drag like a bloody curtain, eaten alive by the acid that stays wicked to its fur. The tiger is mad with pain, all sense abandoned for the roiling throes of fearful misery. Claws and teeth are bared for anything that blocks its blind retreat, and it sprints in a furious dash toward the scuffle.

There’s no time to think. All Kyros can do is...

1. ...chase the bandits out of the thicket. His objective is singular, and this hasn’t changed. To return without that bow is dishonorable. 2. ...release the pitiful creature from its agony. His spear is swift, and his aim is true. To allow it to live like this is unthinkable.

---

There was never another choice, was there? Kyros’s mission was laid upon him by Cudorix’s faithful followers, but his duty to uphold the dignity of the Hunter’s Glory is a divine directive from the Huntsman himself, held above all others.

Or maybe it isn’t that lofty. Perhaps he’s just a scared man with nothing but a spear in his grasp, being charged down with murderous intent by a grotesque panther. The hunter drops everything but his weapon and digs his feet into the squishing mud, lunging forward with the point of his spear at the same moment that the deranged beast pounces.

The arrowhead pierces its skin, sinking far too easily into the meat under its shoulder as momentum carries the tiger carcass up the shaft nearly to Kyros’s knuckles. His whole body quakes with the force of impact, bones and muscles bearing down with every ounce of his considerable might to force the shuddering weapon in his hands into compliance. Do not splinter. Do not break. He wills it to be so, just as Cudorix would see it done by all His champions. His form is perfect, valiant and brave, but there is no one here to see it. Guidry is dead. The bandits have left with their prize, leaving the foolish hunter, the acolyte, to save their hides without a breath of thanks.

If Kyros would take a blessing of gratitude, let it be from the tiger that quivers on his shaft in its final moments. Its loping charge slows to a feeble stop mere inches from his face, a snarling muzzle close enough to kiss his flared grey nostrils. He feels the heat of its last breath, smells the stink of its delirium on the air vented between its fangs right before it stills. A dead weight, mad eyes open to the sky with an empty black gloss.

Suddenly, all is quiet, and Kyros is alone with nothing but his messy kill and the metal shell of a man who won’t be coming home. The only sound is his cracking breath, hiccuping with impotent terror as the weight of the moment crashes into him at considerable delay. Kyros drops his spear, and with it sinks the ruined trophy to the boot-tread earth. His hiccups gain mass, rolling into heaves and sobs -- and why shouldn’t he cry? Everything went to shit so godsdamn quick.

A hunter trembles on the edge of a bloody thicket, pawing at his face with his forearm until he is composed enough to retrieve his things from the mud. It’s a long hike back to Naffor, and he returns with heavier burdens than those his arms will carry.

[lover-of-trash-and-people]

shadow and bone rewatch s1e6 while drinking mid-range scotch

I wish I have a face that is as unlined and pretty as Ben Barnes' when I'm 39

Arken you dirty dirty liar

the face Alek is making at his lies that he knows are lies firstly because he knows the art of lying so well and also because he can read people very well

okay Ivan is kind of a bad bitch with his smirk at Arken's lies

alek's eyes narrowing and his little smile when Arken says 'im an entertainer' bitch I love this show

*grabs hand, pulls up sleeve, and discovers Arken's hand is full of marks indicating successful passages through the fold* 'well, that is certainly entertaining' I love this man with all my heart

him screaming is so fucking hot, is that weird for me to say

Nina being the Darkling's spy is quite interesting

Ben giving the Darkling crazy eyes when Arken owns up to his guilt is so cool

also wtf is Arken a fool trying to negotiate with possibly the strongest man in the world

kind of loved the darkness literally eating him

also love Alina learning to use her powers better when she is alone than when she is with anyone else, wish we got to see the cut in this season as per the books, ah can't have everything I guess

the camera pan to Jesper's gun at his side, amazing

god Jessie is literally so beautiful I need to see her bring Alina to the peak of her power so bad

netflix you better renew this series to let the plot run to its completion

HOW THE FUCK DID THEY CAST THE CROWS SO PERFECTLY

INEJ FUCKING TREMBLING JUST THE TINIEST BIT AS SHE BOWS SLIGHTLY TO ALINA SGSHSBSJJSJSSJ MY TWO QUEENS

'And where is my Summoner?' my little Darklina heart ouchie I really wish you hadn't used and manipulated her like this Alek it was incredibly fucked up especially considering you actually caught feelings

'Ivan and I won't fail you' oh Fedyor my baby, my angel, you don't deserve what is coming

Helnik literally recreating Titanic lmao stop this is a joke

I too would jump off the raft if I came to consciousness to see a gorgeous woman with magical powers with her hand on my back

omg but why is ryevost so pretty though

'I know exactly how she felt. The King's soldiers treated me the same way... I'm not myself today.' why must you do this to me, why must you fuel my darklina soulmates agenda idiocy

I don't quite think I have a problem with the Zoya Darkling relationship as much as I have a problem with the line they chose to reveal it to use with.

my drink's over and I don't know if I should have another, considering that it's 7 am

the tenderness with which he looks at Zoya and takes her hand and then when he says 'I shall relax when I have Alina' makes me believe more that the man that is reduced to tears time and again in front of Alina could in fact be the master manipulator I know him to be

god I can't wait for Zoya's character arc

'I speak six languages, it's part of my job' why is Nina literally the fucking coolest

Alina blinding the oprichniki was so hot, I can't wait to see more of her power and her ruthlessness

I know I've said it before but good god is Jessie Mei Li gorgeous

HER LITTLE SMILE AMONGST ALL THE PANIC AS SOON AS SHE SEES MAL, THE AUDACITY OF THIS SHOW TO MAKE ME FEEL THIS WAY

THE SCORE COMING IN AT THE RIGHT MOMENT, THEIR HANDS MEETING, HER SMILE AGAIN DHDHSBSNSNSNSNAN IM IN PAIN

REALLY?! YOU'RE GONNA GO DIRECTLY FROM MALINA TO HELNIK WITH NO CONCERN FOR MY HEART?

I simply cannot get over Calahan's accent lmao it's really funny

'im not afraid of you' he says to the insanely gorgeous girl with magic

HIM HANGING HIS HEAD IN DEFEAT TO INDICATE NINA HAS MADE VALID POINTS YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND I CAN'T BREATHE

'You're just a man. Like all the others.' she says and then forgets her train of thought looking at him as he strips. god I love this

not sleeping all night and then scotch is not a good idea, I think

'I promise not to ravish you' 'I hate the way you talk' her hand on his chest, his hand gripping hers, my fucking heart feels like it's about to explode

good god these shooting locations and sets are so beautiful

Alina throwing the flask at Mal and Mal going 'OI!' I fucking can't, I guess I am a

simp for childhood friends to lovers, give me more of that banter and childhood friend energy, I am thriving

wow it literally seems like they took book! Mal sl*tshaming book! Alina and made show! Alina sl*tshame show! Mal, hmm, interesting

'They would have split us up!' MAL'S LITTLE SMILE AT THIS, and the 'You wrote me letters?' Mal's nod, the Malina yearning stare, the Malina hug, 'thank you for finding me' 'always. I'll always find you.' NO MALINA YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE MADE ME ABSOLUTELY FUCKING FERAL

I understand they had to split time between my ravkan babies and the crows and that is why there were several aspects that were sort of not reflected on enough but Alina's training at the Little Palace, Alina's cut, Mal's personality, a teensy bit of backstory for the crows, maybe one lockpicking scene from my boy Kaz

random note: we have far too many idols and paintings and pictures and whatnot of Hindu deities in our house apart from the specially designed temple (we are Hindus, so maybe it's not that weird but it's a little weird)

Kaz's cane is a literal star, it's so beautiful my heart wants to explode

'Why would Heleen get the Crow Club?' *literally fucking gets up and walks aways instead of answering the fucking question* I LITERALLY CAN'T BREATHE I'M LOSING MY MIND

'I know that voice' WHO GAVE YOU THE RIGHT TO MAKE ME FIGHT FOR PLATONIC SHIPS IN FANDOMS

'We won't starve' omg get you someone who packs food for you when you go on the run together hiding from your ex who wants to capture you and use your powers as a weapon against your consent

Mal looking surprised at her summoning sunlight, Alina looking cautiously at him waiting for him to disapprove or run for the hills in fear or smth like that, 'I'm sorry it took me this long to see you... But I see you now' my dumb little shipper trash heart ouch

they really said we're gonna feed you this part asian couple as the protagonists in this show in 2021 and guess what I'm eating it's really tasty I'm very satisfied as a south asian

NINA'S LITTLE SMILE WHEN MATTHIAS WAKES UP WITH HIS ARM AROUND HER

'I can feel how much you hate sleeping next to me' 👀👀👀 BITCH SAID IMMA SPILL THE TEA AND THEN SHE DID

it's 8 am and guess what I'm getting another drink my parents have c*vid and are in govt qu*r*ntine centres there is nobody to supervise or stop me

I too say 'Why do you have to say things like that?' to my pretty crush when she flirts with me

Nina smiling at Matthias bragging about his conservative ways is my aesthetic

'No, it's not natural for someone to be as stupid as he is tall and yet, oh, there you stand.' MY FUCKING QUEEN

Matthias laughing uncontrollably at Nina saying something which isn't even that funny is a whole ass vibe

Kaz Brekker saying 'The Black General' ooh fuck yeah

YESSSS STEP OUT OF THAT CARRIAGE ALL SEXY BLACK GENERAL

isn't alcohol supposed to like kill germs? well, the amount in my system definitely will

I love my crows so much (always but this time particularly for setting that alarm in the stolen carriage)

ooh Polina recognising Inej by the knife yesss let's go writers

this Ivan Jesper showdown is all I needed from life and yet did not know about

Ivan taking off his cloak was, um, sexier than I wanted it to be

I just realised how thirsty I am going to sound in this post

'Has no one told you that keftas are Fabrikator-made and resistant to bullets, hmm?' 'Oh, I do love a challenge' LITERALLY EVERYTHING

im sorry to be pointing out flaws in a perfect show and adaptation but the line delivery on 'You robbed me of my brother, now I'll rob you of your life' from Polina was kind of weak

'You're a-' *gets knocked out with the back of a gun* LMAO we love the hints

got excited at the prospect of kaz v. zoya until I realised they will not be letting the opportunity of kaz v. darkling pass up

my goodness is Amita Suman a splendid actress

I AM NOT KIDDING WHEN I TELL YOU I SQUEALED WHEN I SAW DARKLES EMERGE OUT OF THE SHADOWS IN FRONT OF MY BABY BOY KAZ

THERE BEING ACTUAL FEAR OR ATLEAST DOUBT ON KAZ'S FACE, THE LITTLE BACK STEPS AS

THE DARKLING WALKS TOWARDS HIM, AAAAH I CAN'T

THE DARKLING STOPPING AT KAZ SAYING 'SHE FLED ON HER OWN' AND THE HINT OF TEARS THAT WE SEE IN HIS EYES

'IT WAS PRETTY CLEAR SHE WASN'T INTERESTED IN BEING A CAPTIVE ANYMORE' YOU TELL HIM, KING

*ACTUAL FUCKING TEARS IN THE DARKLING'S EYES AS THE SHADOWS APPROACH*

NOT ME YOWLING LIKE A HYENA THAT THIS CHILD OUTSMARTED THE MOST POWERFUL MAN IN EXISTENCE WITH A FAKE MAGIC TRICK

'Are you sure you added enough cloves?' literally warranting a wide ass smile from my queen Alina making my entire fucking day

for some reason, no matter how much I push it from my mind, Ben Barnes dressed up as the Darkling, dancing to 'push it' keeps coming to mind, it's absolutely ridiculous

I got somehow distracted with interviews but good things came out of that as it gave my body the time for the booze to kick in

and I would just like to say that I love Leigh for all she has given me

Alina is so fucking compassionate, I have no much love for her. I can feel her guilt and her sorrow as Mal talks of Mikhail and Dubrov

don't particularly like how the stag plotline is woven in, could have been executed better

'You're afraid you might start to like me?' *flaps furs like a bird's wings in frustration*

'I DO like you' my fucking heart you idiots

the sexual tension is so palpable and the moment is so intimate I simply cannot

OMG SHE FUCKING FELL

that moment where you think he might let her fall despite having read the books and he doesn't and he tells her his name I- <3

YOU DARE TRANSITION FROM A HELNIK SCENE TO A KANEJ SCENE YOU REALLY HAVE NO MERCY FOR MY HEART HUH

people have talked about this endlessly but Freddie's little jaw tic after he says Inej because Inej is wounded and he can't physically bring himself to help her I fucking cannot

THE MUSIC PICKING UP AS KAZ LOOKS TO THE DARKLING'S CARRIAGE I CAN'T WITH THIS SHOW ANYMORE

and now for one of my favorite scenes in television and cinematic history, David Kostyk throwing a book at Jesper Fahey without even knowing who he is merely because he opens the door of his carriage and says hello to him before getting knocked out by Kaz Brekker while trying to run away

Immediately followed by another, the scene with David Kostyk raising his finger to put forward his point in front of the Darkling and the Darkling trying to let him know he doesn't have to before obliging is one of my favourite scenes in the world

also sir please stop being devastatingly attractive in your glorious appearance with your face and your black kefta and cloak because all that comes to mind is Ayesha Erotica's Emo Boy and I'm afraid that is terribly inappropriate.

'No, you look great.' *literally looks down from embarrassment or blushing* MALINA RIGHTS?

THE LOOK ON THE DARKLING'S FACE BEFORE HE SAYS 'NO ORDINARY TRACKER, NO ORDINARY GIRL' BITCH IM OUT OF BREATH

'ORPHANS OF KERAMZIN, REUNITED.' 'ADORABLE.' HE FUCKING SNEERED IRL I FUCKING CANNOT

GOD IT'S SO GOOD

[djarinsbeskar]

Din Djarin x Fem!Reader 

Genres: Smut, action, fluff, angst.

Rating: 18+ nsfw will be marked with **

What is a former combat medic to do when an injured Mandalorian stumbles upon her clinic one night on Klatooine? Updated sporadically - I try to keep it once a fortnight but that is contentious at best. Arcs are listed chronologically and begin pre-Season 1 and will extend beyond the finale of Season 2.

| Main Masterlist |

.

Prequel Arc - pre-season 1 of The Mandalorian. You encounter Mando suffering one misfortune after another. [complete 15k]

| Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 |

The Interlude - Season 1 episode 8. The Mandalorian sends his most precious cargo to you. [complete 15k]

| Part 1 |

Exploration Arc - Canon divergent. Before the beginning of Season 2. It’s mighty hard to distract yourself from your mysterious and alluring shipmate, so why bother?  [complete 120k]

| Part 1* | Part 2* | Part 3* | Part 4* | Part 5* | Part 6* | Part 7* | Part 8* | Part 9* |

New Republic Arc - Between Season 2 Episode 1 and throughout Episode 2. Din’s recklessness this time was a step too far. [complete 55k]

| Part 1* | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4* |

Pamarthe Arc - Immediately after New Republic Arc. The lead you pick up brings you, Din and the Child to a familiar planet. [Companion Guides]

| Part 1* | Part 2.1 2.2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 |

[optional miniseries] Wounded Stag Arc - Season 2 Episode 3 to Season 2 Episode 6. A highly sensitive and dangerous mission has Senetor Organa teaming one of her best pilots with the person she trusts the most: her brother. M/M Luke Skywalker/OMC Kai Carria

| Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 |

The Jedi Arc - Season 2 Episode 3 to Season 2 Episode 8. Note: some canon events are mentioned in passing to avoid repeating episodes line for line.

| Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 |

The Lost Arc - Two months after the events of Season 2 Episode 8.

| Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 |

Descendants Arc - Three weeks after the conclusion of The Lost Arc.

| Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 |

Heart of Mandalore Arc - Immediately following the Descendants Arc.

| Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 |

to be continued...

**

Stitches Verse Extras:

Mandomedic One Shots | antigen | negative |

Mandomedic Drabbles | one |

OC Drabbles | one | two |

| Din Djarin NSFW Alphabet |

| Stitches Art |

| Headcanons |

[dameracrystmon]

Trolloctober 5 Day Romantic

English: In the future. Kyvrina grew up to be a young and beautiful lady. Her father, a storm dragon, inherited her brown skin and blue scales, while her mother, a lf Draenei, gave her beautiful lavender hair locks, golden eyes and a tail and tentacles. Horns are also slowly taking shape. Walking around the fortress, you will hear voices. Curious, she peers from behind a tree and sees a young man, but she doesn't know who or what he is. He had beautiful brown hair and eyes, blue skin and big fangs, so he thought he was a troll. Others would be startled at first sight, but she was more curious and watched in silence. Garkinu is hunting for food. His father had taught him well and all he had to do was practice. He finds the right prey. He concentrates, waits, watches and shoots with his arrow! He hits. The deer you have chosen for yourself does not give himself easily. It rushes at him and its antlers severely injure him. Garkinu takes out his hunting knife just in time and gives the stag a coup de grace. He pushes it off with great difficulty, but his wound is bleeding profusely, so he staggers and leans against the tree. Kyvrina is frightened and rushes to him. Garkinu's face flushes with pain and he puts his hand to the wound, swearing softly. He hears someone, so he looks up. Garkinu: An angel? Is this the end? Kyvrina: * blushes * No, but I can heal. * kneels down beside her and begins to heal * A few minutes later, tearing off a piece of his clothes, he stitches the boy's wound. Garkinu: Thank you. What is your name? Kyvrina: You're welcome. Kyvrina. And yours? * smiles sweetly * Garkinu: Garkinu * smiles back and then is surprised * What do you mean? You are Draenei. Kyvrina: Half, my father is a dragon, so I learned many languages from him. I thought you were a troll. Garkinu: * blinks, then corrects the girl * Half, my father is a troll, my mother is half blood. Orc and oggre. They both laugh and tell each other stories about themselves. But the time comes to say goodbye. Kyvrina made a flower wreath during the conversation. She puts it on Garkinu's head with a kiss on the cheek. Then, saying goodbye to him, she turns into a dragon and flies away. Garkinu blushes a little and waves to her. Magyar: A jövőben. Kyvrina ifjú és szép hölggyé cseperedett. Apja, aki vihar sárkány, barna bőrét és kék pikkelyeit örökölte, míg lf draenei édesanyjától szépséges levendula hajfürtjeit, arany szemét és kunkori farkincáját és csápjait. Szarva is lassan alakot ölt. Sétálva az erődben hangokra lesz figyelmes. Kíváncsi, így egy fa mögül kilesve meglát egy ifjút, de nem tudja mi és ki lehet. Gyönyörű barna haja és szeme, bőre kék és nagy agyarai voltak, így trollnak vélte. Más első látásra megijedne, de ő inkább kíváncsi volt és csendben figyelt. Garkinu épp élelemre vadászik. Apja jól kitanította és már csak gyakorolnia kellett neki. Talál is megfelelő prédát. Koncentrál, vár, figyel és nyilával lő! Eltalálja. A szarvas, amit kiszemelt magának nem adja magát könnyen. Neki ront és agancsa súlyosan megsérti a fiút. Garkinu vadász kését épp időben veszi elő és megadja a szarvasnak a kegyelem döfést. Nagyon nehezen löki le magáról, de sérülése erősen vérzik, így meginogva a fának dől. Kyvrina megijed és oda siet hozzá. Garkinu arcát fájdalom önti el, kezét a sebre teszi, közben halkan káromkodik. Hall valakit, így felnéz. Garkinu: Egy angyal? Itt a vég? Kyvrina: *elpirul * Nem, de tudok gyógyítani. * letérdel mellé és gyógyítani kezd * Pár perccel később, ruhájából letépve egy darabot, beköti a fiú sebét. Garkinu: Köszönöm. Mi a neved? Kyvrina: Szívesen. Kyvrina. És a tiéd? * kedvesen mosolyog * Garkinu: Garkinu * vissza mosolyog majd meglepődik valamit * Hogy hogy érted, amit mondok? Draenei vagy. Kyvrina: Félig, apám sárkány, így sok nyelvet megtanultam tőle. Jól gondoltam, hogy troll vagy. Garkinu: * pislog, majd kijavítja a lányt * Félig, apám troll, anyám fél vér. Orc és oggre. Mindketten nevetnek és mesélnek magukról egymásnak. Viszont eljön a búcsú ideje. Kyvrina a beszélgetés közben egy virág koszorút

készített. Ezt Garkinu fejére teszi egy arc puszival. Majd elköszönve tőle sárkánnyá alakul és elrepül. Garkinu kicsit elpirul és integet neki. This day is all about romance and love. Will it be a budding love in the future? Kyvrina my Garkinu @shirodai

[dragonrajafanfiction]

Genji Heavy Industries (Part 7) The Elevator Shaft

I’m such a dork. I have Snake Eater stuck in my head now.

You’d scarcely gotten ten feet from the bottom of the elevator shaft when a flickering light came from above. The light sparkled like a roman candle and for a brief second you can see into the cavernous elevator shaft. 

What was revealed chills your heart.

The orange light illuminated layers of scales. The steel framing deep in the elevator shaft was crawling with sphinxes just like the ones you fought in the basement. They wrapped their long tails around the steel beams and climbed with their monstrous claws. They moved like apes, snakes and spiders. It is impossible to count the number of them, maybe dozens or maybe hundreds. There were also several elevators that were still operational. The metal cars go up and down, brushing past groups of beasts at very close distances. The elevators that are still running at such times are inevitably packed with people  - humans covered in cold sweat from panic, sweat mixed with hormones and adrenaline, perhaps mixed with traces of blood. The smell mixed together and formed a drug-like stimulus for the sphinxes. They rubbed their sharp claws against the cars as they passed by, not having figured out how to rip open the tin can and eat the meat inside. 

The people in the elevator must have heard the eerie scraping and the sound of something breathing heavily outside the car. They screamed in shrill alarm. They had no way to escape.

You were only equipped with the pistol and armor piercing rounds. There was no way you could save all these people yourself. Just like the time in Black Swan Bay when facing such an overwhelming force, the best chance for survival was to hide or flee. But there was no way to hide in the elevator shaft, and there was nowhere to go. These people were dead meat.

You climb high enough to get to the next basement floor. It was marked in Blue paint with the letters B12. The doors were sealed shut. You tried to force open the doors by squeezing your fingers in between them but they were closed tightly and refused to budge. That was probably for the best. The only people in danger at the moment were the ones in the elevators. If the doors were sealed during the earthquake, it was unlikely that many - if any- of the monsters had escaped into the building.

But someone had thrown that flare - you recognized it as a flare - into the shaft. Which meant at least one elevator door was open. It was very high up, but not at the very top of the building, about midway, near to where you had initially boarded your elevator to hell.

You climb with carefully measured steps so as not to make a sound. The shaft you were in had an elevator that was smashed at the bottom of the shaft so it should not be nearly as attractive as the ones with moving trains. You count one step per second, twenty seconds per floor, three floors a minute.

It would take you about seven minutes to get to the floor where the flare was thrown. 

As a way to pass and count the time, you sing to yourself, softly in your mind. It was one of the movies you watched, secretly in the shed, the light glittering on your face under the drop cloth that covered the stacks of firewood. The woman’s voice came through soft and smooth and seductive. You remember it so clearly.

Hey baby…

Thought you were the one who tried to run away…

Oh baby…

Wasn’t I the one who made you want to stay?

Please don’t bet that you’ll ever escape me

Once I get my sights on you.

I got a licence to kill…

Your mental tune was suddenly interrupted. The sphinxes were moving and they were moving all at once in such numbers that you had to cling to the elevator shaft as it shook and vibrated with the combined tons of muscular bodies thundering overhead. Their screams and howls were like a storm of demons that combined with the wailing of the trapped people in the elevator cars in a devil’s chorus.

You were halfway up to where the flare had been thrown. A glittering shadow rushed by you and you catch sight of his long fangs. It was literally smiling ear-to-ear since the cross section of its mouth stretched nearly to the back of its head. The powerful tail struck you in the back. Panting heavily, it didn’t seem to notice you in its haste to get up the shaft. You duck your head against the saliva that rained down on you. 

In that moment, your body shook from the deafening roar of a machine gun and in the next few seconds you were showered, not with saliva but with hundreds of shell casings! It was Caesar and Chu Zihang, it had to be. You were right in assuming they weren't going to run away.

Looking up, the light from the gun’s muzzle flash revealed a heaving ball of bodies, writhing in a single mass where you were trying to go.

A great wind pulled your hair. One of the massive creatures fell very close to you. It hit the side of the shaft and continued to fall into the void, ping-ponging as it went..

“Shit!” 

You press yourself against the elevator shaft and climb as quickly as you could, now jumping rungs and scrambling in a panic. In seconds, you’re covered in blood and gore. Bodies plummeting felt like cars passing by, missing you by mere inches, bristling with razorblade claws as they spin in a freefall. The buzzing sound of bullets whizzed by you. The walls ran with blood like a waterfall and your fingers were starting to slip.

All it would take was one bullet to strike you and you’d be dead. You’d prefer it that way. Your world would just go dark and you would lose all sensation and you would fall into Hell for real. Worst case scenario you would slip on the blood and fall, your voice joining the chorus of deathly terror one last time.

You’re now in the thick of it, bodies were jostling you and bumping into you with crushing force. But you could see him, Caesar, standing on a cross beam behind a Gatling gun. His ears were covered and he was wearing eye protection as if he was just on a trip to the gun range for daily practice. You were covered in gore. He wouldn’t be able to tell you apart from the massive swarm. And he couldn’t hear you scream.

You pull your pistol and fire once. 

The flash of the muzzle and the bullet pinging off his gun got his attention. His jaw dropped and he stared as  though looking at a ghost. But then his jaw clenched. A rain of bullets came again, this time directed at the face of the monster that had opened its mouth wide enough to devour your head in a single snap. 

Caesar reached his hand down to you but you’re too far. “FIRE!  GIVE ME COVER FIRE!”

He leaped down to dangle by one arm, coming well within range of the beasts’ searching claws. You reached for each other, your fingertips brushing, desperation reflected in your eyes.

“Jump!”

You let go of the rung and jump. His hand snaps around your wrist like a vice. His powerful arm lifts you up on the crossbeam.

But there was no time to celebrate or embrace.

The storm of metal slugs killed the joy of this Devil’s banquet. The rushing front of the group have been shot, but most of the others are only wounded. Their snake-like body is exceptionally strong. The bullets splash a little fire on the scales, a few bullets lodge in the hard bones. Dozens of huge mouths in the elevator shaft opened to the limit, and issued a shrill cry to you and the others above. 

It was actually a roar of rage. Unlike the corpse guards, whose sensory nerves had been killed in the embalming process and whose broken limbs were just like getting a haircut, the sphinxes could still feel some of the pain. The pain was not enough to make them retreat, but rather to inspire their ferocity. 

Caesar retook firm control of the Gatling heavy machine gun, pouring a storm of metal down below.  You two weren't the only ones up here. Chu Zihang was firing an Uzi and Chisei Gen was there, dressed in period armor and shooting as well. Your pistol wasn’t enough to kill these creatures unless you shot them in the eye. You even blew half the head off one with C4 and it fought ferociously despite grievous injury. Finally, you get entrusted with a gun and it's useless! 

The guns quieted slightly as everyone reloaded. "This isn’t enough to kill them effectively! We're just stalling for time!" Caesar yelled.

He was right. The monsters had retreated but were learning to hide behind beams and dash out when the group reloaded. They were pushed down eight or nice floors, but were regaining that ground quickly.

Chisei looked like he was about to toss an empty gun down the shaft but you catch it and start shoving bullets into it. He nodded to you and kept firing with a second weapon. Had another Hydra member been here he would have fallen off the beam in shock. Chisei did not give commendation to just anyone. Only rare shows of bravery and demonstrations of undeniable competence earned nods like that. Chisei had seen you crawl out of Hell only to immediately assist the team. He couldn’t help but nod.

He didn’t know you, but in a few seconds you’d proven to belong among the Cassell Aces.

Since he didn’t have to focus on reloading, Chisei began to scan his dark eyes around the space. You then see the whites around his black pupils. “Look out!” He drew his sword in a shining arc and cut above you.

Black blood showered down and a sphinx’s body fell down the shaft from above. They were moving away from the gunfire to surround you, attacking from below and above! The wounded creature was about to fall into the elevator shaft, but it turned in the air and swept its long, steel-like tail at Caesar. Caesar leaned back and dodged. The long tail knocked the Gatling heavy machine gun off the beam. With the snake tail wrapped around the heavy machine gun, it fell into the elevator shaft with it.

The dark shadows fell continuously from their elevated position, and there were more coming.

Chisei Gen walks along the steel beam with the grace of a stag, swinging his sword to force back the sphinxes and deny them a chance to find a foothold. Caesar drew his Desert Eagle and sent the mercury core rounds into the bodies of the sphinxes one by one. The bullets, developed for dragons, were so effective against them that those who were shot fell with a cry. 

You take the hint, raising your pistol with the mercury rounds and firing into them, aiming for their beaming golden eyes. You don’t waste a single shot, extinguishing those glowing orbs, like blowing out a candle with a bullet. The one-eyed corpses fall limp around you.

The steel beams above and below and to the left and right were occupied by monsters, black and red blood splattered between the beams, the black blood was the Dead Sphinxes', the red blood was Chisei’s. The Sphinx who had sneaked in from above had cut into his back.

Chu Zihang pulled out the Uzi from his waist, wanting to help Caesar and Chisei clear the monsters around him first, but he looked down and the cold air rushed by his head from behind. In the dozens of seconds without the barrage blocking the swarm below, they’d dashed upward, with the closest ones less than twenty meters away from them. Their crying converged into an eerie wave of sound tumbling through the elevator shaft. You must block this wave of attack, or your defense line will completely collapse. 

Chu Zihang violently knocked over the carry bag hanging in front of him. Thousands of bullets fell like brass-colored rain. He threw another item into the elevator shaft, a piece of C4 plastic explosive stuffed with an electronic fuse. He had another carry bag beside him, which was stuffed with even more plastic explosives!

The explosive fell twenty meters and exploded, the air wave and fire compressed within the confines of the elevator shaft and could only spread upward or downward. You watch the beautiful sight of fire-colored clouds rising from the deep shaft. All the bullets exploded simultaneously in the blaze. Thousands of missiles bounced in the elevator shaft at high speed. The serpentine black shadows were engulfed by the rain of bullets and fire, and those bullets fired in a disorderly manner whizz by you, barely missing. But Caesar actually yelled "good". 

Caesar's two-handed Desert Eagle fired in unison at a sphinx that was hissing with his mouth open. It was so close to Caesar that the fire from the muzzle and the last mercury core bullet penetrated its mouth. The mercury destroyed its brain. This one fell into the darkness with a mournful cry. To your right, Gen Chisei also stabbed another through the heart. 

Black blood clung to his body and flowed slowly as all four of you fell silent.

You had the advantage of weapons and terrain, but probably no more than fifteen Death Servitor Sphinxes had actually been killed. The explosion didn't kill these dangerous creatures either, and they continued to climb up with their long tails wrapped around the steel frame after plunging a few levels, covered in blood. The human side had lost its most important weapon, the Gatling heavy machine gun. 

The positions on the steel beams could no longer be held. Caesar gathered you in a powerful hug and together you jumped into the building. You’re a room that’s filled with huge murals, Torii gates and curtains like an ancient temple. Fire was serving as the light to his place, eating up the walls and the curtains in a rapidly progressing blaze. Caesar set you down and, together with Chisei, pushed a heavy iron wheel shrine to block the elevator door. 

Chu Zihang rushed out from a room that was filled to the brim with weapons and he threw a submachine gun and magazines at you. Without a word you load up. Everyone knows that this is just a delay.  Soon these beasts will charge into this temple in the middle of Genji Heavy Industries to enjoy the feast. 

Even if they don't rush in you’re still going to die. The fire is still burning, although there are not too many flammable things here, sooner or later the fire will go out. The burning will soon consume the oxygen in the air and you will suffocate.

Wordlessly, you finish taking in the situation. Dying here doesn’t bother you too much. After all, you figured that sooner or later your luck would run out. What hurts your heart is that Lu Mingfei is not here. You hoped he wasn’t dead, or trapped in an elevator. You hoped he got out. But all you could see was his panic and concern as he rushed around with his box of documents and your hope died.

[prairiedust]

I’m attempting a rewatch ahead of the Final Seven-- I’ve made it to 15x05 Proverbs 17:3 and guh. This is an episode that Chuck ostensibly Authored but the folklore themes I pinged on in season 14 are so freaking loud!

The cold open shows us three golden-locked girls camping in the woods-- ding ding ding threes again! They make three toasts, one of which (the last, of course) sets the third young woman apart as a “downer.” (“Of the three potential vessels, Ashley had the best hair”) This merging of Authorship with the reemergence of magical “threes” is important at a time when the Season Plot surfaces for the brothers.

(Even the tent is gingham. Seriously.)

“Ashley,” it turns out, is the only one to escape, even though it’s clear that she doesn’t actually do anything differently from her friends other than be slightly more practical about leaving the tent-- she ends up running through the woods being chased by the werewolf brothers, too. It’s only Andy’s “mercy” in the woods that ensures she lives. When we get to the bros, Dean asks about the three prior mountain lion victims. Three times Dean catches crap for using old photos on their new fish and wildlife identification cards (which, btw, except that he made up new aliases for himself and Sam, he might as well have used their old cards from Wendigo? Then asserts that “nothing has changed” which begs the question. What has? is that… foreshadowing?)

Maybe the three’s hearkening back to folklore is a statement that all stories come from ur-story-- every one of Chuck’s Ultimate Stories end in “brothers killing each other.” That’s his favorite motif, and it’s something that finally gets verbalized for the Winchesters after seeing it play out with some of Chuck’s auxiliary cast. 

Everything in this episode is so ridiculously staged-- the campers are wearing “camping costumes” and are in a tent that looks like it was made by LL Bean to resemble a tent. the sheriff’s office looks like the Smoky Mountains Sugarlands visitors center, the hospital is too open, empty, and pristine, Ashley dresses later like an American Doll while wearing the yellow neckerchief of the BSOA “Wolf Scout” of all things,* and her name is evocative of “Ashputtel,” a German Cinderella. The cabin with the cute blue shutters evokes a fairy tale cottage.

(Those shutters are Quaint.)

I mean, starting with 15x01 everything on screen has looked weird-- shot compositions are gorgeous in some places, weird in others, signage seems too on point, even the proliferation of blossoms in Harlan is over-the-top-- but this ep is strange squared. The hotel! The hotel in which Dean mysteriously falls asleep-- dun dun DUN-- is called The Sleepy Bear Inn, and that evokes/subverts the story of Goldilocks, but also serves as a callback to Tombstone where Cas tells us that Dean is “an angry sleeper, like a bear.” Later, Dean mysteriously falls asleep…. hmm.

(Fwiw, a sleepy bear used to be the mascot of Travelodge. I love the way this show side-eyes real life stuff.)

(This might be my favorite still from the entire episode.)

I found all of the antler symbolism to be really, really loud, as well-- on the wallpaper of the Sleepy Bear there were rams, a stag, pronghorn antelope, (all animals with built-in weaponry) and then finally a bear depicted in little vine-covered shields ….

(All ungulates and one dude looking in a mirror.)

(All ungulates and one bear. Also, I love the midcentury national parks vibe of that wallpaper.)

Then at the were-brothers’ cabin, the red painted and taro-covered walls were saturated with antlers on wooden plaques (totally shield shaped) and various taxidermy (note the fish on the yellow wall)…

(Those antler lamps were ugly but also looked like hands holding lights in their palms.)

...a set of which Dean even attempts to use as a weapon and upon which later “Ashley” is accidentally impaled. (I apologize for the crappy screengrab lol.)

(Antlers are an ungulate’s own handmade weaponry...)

Now Sam, with his visceral wound-connection to “the Author,” is able to pick up on the weirdness, but on a preconscious kind of level. It’s weird that the sheriff goes right to “monster.” It’s weird that they pick up the brothers’ trail so quickly. The brothers act weird when confronted. And weirdly, Dean falls asleep and the were-brothers spirit “Ashley” away.

The fight scene in the cabin is interesting, too. Ashley!Lilith clings to a bookcase while the Winchesters fight the weres, of all the things to do. The only books with titles that I can make out are-- hilariously-- ComparingTheories of Child Development and Elementary Composition. In fact, a few of the books look like they were put on the shelf upside down as well as sideways-- carelessly, because they’re “just scenery.” The production team often uses these older books sans book jackets on sets like, “here are some books.” But sometimes they’re funny [LINK]. Anyway, there are several reaction shots of “Ashley” literally climbing the bookcase as the brothers fight one another. Also, Lilith is literally scaling a symbol of Authorship to stay out of the fray-- subtext that makes her reveal later as Chuck’s agent very satisfying.

(I get that she couldn’t run with all of the Heroic Fighting going on, but she’s also weirdly exposed. Also, as a parent, I was acutely aware of how tippy that thing looks, haha.)

Dean is the one who is most heavily influenced by the Author in this episode-- it is he who brings the corny Fish and Wildlife costumes, he who is interviewed and manipulated by Lilith, and he who is literally put to sleep in the Sleepy Bear Inn. However, he is surrounded by an aura of “wildlife”-- visual symbols like fish, bear, stags, antelope, moose, and wolves. 

Again, visual shenanigans, we have a bear screening the shot inside the motel room-- then we immediately see Dean and Lilith coming through a red door that is marked with an “exit plan.” While certainly in keeping with Spn’s tradition of funky motels that usually explicate some aspect of the setting, again this one feels, like the trueform sleepy bear outside, gently aggressive.

(Is this a bear cub? Does it make anyone else thing of Smokey the Bear’s origin story?)

(Is it just me, or does that hospitality table tent look like Dean’s “I wuv hugs” shirt from DSOTM?)

There’s also an element to the production of this episode that might be mimicking “Chuck’s Wounded Writing,” like “The Winchesters pull up to a quaint, run-down cabin, which was decorated with the usual antlers, taxidermy, and old books,” so you get a rundown cabin with cute shutters and yes, antlers inside it, or “The walls of the murder room dripped with blood, and various tools hung menacingly from the ceiling racks,” and if you look, there are just like ball peen hammers and animal traps and shit hanging up in there lol. I believe there is even a scythe. Josh is going to kill “Ashley” with a tomahawk, of all things. The word “proverb” means “words put forth.” Details that typically get filled in with whatever the matrix of reality can churn up were Described ™  and that had ramifications in the product of the text. I just can’t help thinking of Chuck just, wording the hell out of his story. 

The whole episode, as the text we’re experiencing, gave us the same sense of hyper-reality that was goosing Sam.

It isn’t until they are back at the Bunker that the brothers are free for the moment from Chuck’s Writing. Here, figures of speech and writing conventions take on different meanings. For instance, the roles that the car and the bunker play as settings in the overall “story” of Supernatural are made really explicit-- the Impala is the setting for the emotional debriefing that we had in the previous episode (which shines a light on Lilith’s conversation with Dean on the way to the Sleepy Bear Inn) but it isn’t until they get back to the Bunker in Proverbs that they can apply Logical Communication and Dean tells Sam what Lilith told him, and then Sam comes to understand that he has A Connection with Chuck.

(Look at all the books under the lampshade, in a scene where Dean and Sam finally figure out the plot of the season. Visually, this show is just bonkers.)

I just wanted to sort of map out where the folklore themes were possibly appearing before moving on to 15x06 Golden Time where we get that beautiful Orpheus and Eurydice allusion and move into more mythic territory. Like Dean himself says in the next episode, we don’t know where Chuck’s Writing ends and the freeplay of his characters begins. Golden Time seems like a welcome respite from the advance of the mytharc, but everything is called into question later. This whole season reminds me of this poem-- if you read it straight through, it feels absolutely apocalyptic, but upon reflection, the previous half of a line makes sense once you see the first half of the line below it. I think that structurally, this season is brilliant like that.

So this is where the Winchesters are at-- Chuck still somehow has strings on them. While that connection goes to an unknown degree in both directions, they’re back at square one-- no family, no friends, no allies, no arc ahead of them but fratricide. 

On to Golden Time...

*My brother was, at one time, a wolf scout, and I went to the interwebs to verify that the wolf scarves were indeed yellow like I remembered, only to find out that interestingly BSOA changed the wolf scout neckerchief to red last September. Also at one time in the near past generic scout bandanas were yellow. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[freddy-hughes]

LFC - Fredrick “Freddy” Hughes

The Basics ––– –

Name: Fredrick Dominic Hughes

Preferred Name: Freddy

Nickname(s): Freds, Freddy-Bear, Fredsters, Big Fred

Age: 28

Birthday: May 23rd

Race: Human

Gender: Male

Marital Status: Single

Alignment: Chaotic good

FC/Likeness: Alexander Ludwig

Physical Appearance ––– –

Hair: Strawberry blond

Eyes: Green

Height: 7’1

Build:  Large and in charge, but not really

Distinguishing Marks:  Bite mark right forearm | Claw scratch left thigh | Gore wound beneath his navel on the right side that will not heal | Two puncture wounds on the neck / shoulder that do not seem to heal | Drust runes in bands below each elbow | A burn mark on his palm in the shape of an eyeball | 

Tattoos: Two bands run down either side of his spine, Celtic knots weave between the two bands. Two trees cap the shoulders, the boughs on one living, and the other barren. Stylistic representations of a few animals can be seen around the trunks: the owl, the fox, the spider, the goat, the boar, the stag, and the bear.

Piercings: Neither ears are pierced

Common Accessories:  A steel band on his right ring finger, a more intricate silver on the middle | a leather bound journal | several herbs, and remedies in a bag | a bag full of what is essentially junk: buttons, earrings, rings, mushrooms, bits of metal, other shiny things  | a large branch cut from an oak tree, decorated with feathers, bits of leather, beads, and other baubles. A green gem rests in the gnarled end of it, humming softly with magic. | A wooden mask cut in the shape of a bears head, though appears to have been carved straight from a stump. It has no eye slits | 

Personal Information––– –

Profession:  Thornspeaker | Traveling Healer | 

Hobbies:  Wandering the forest | Healing injured animals | Collecting trinkets | Drawing | Creating Terrariums and Curios   

Languages: Common, Drust, Tree-Speak 

Residence: Drustvar

Birthplace: Fallhaven, Drustvar

Religion: The old ways

Fears:  Getting lost in the forest. Dying slowly. Forgetting who he is, and his loved ones. Signing his name fully in the Horned One’s book.

Relationships ––– -

Spouse: None  

Children: None

Parents: Emmett Hughes - Father (status unknown). Bridgette Hughes - Mother (Alive)

Siblings: None

Other Relatives: Cousins who’s names he does not remember

Pets:  No pets to speak of, but a fox kit with mismatched eyes follows him around. He’s named him Haskell. 

Sex & Romance ––– -

Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual / Asexual

Preferred Emotional Role: submissive | dominant | switch

Preferred Sexual Role: submissive | dominant | switch

Libido: Low

Turn ons: Body worship, bondage, delayed gratification, rough, tender, long, and slow. Compassion, curiosity, and empathy.

Turn offs: Undeath, controlling behavior, poor hygiene, closed-mindedness, cruelty, abuse to animals, or those weaker than oneself.

Love Language: Gift giving - especially things he’s found that he likes, and remind him of them. Drawing them pictures, or showing them his sketch book. Time spent together. Quiet enjoyment of one’s company. 

Relationship Tendencies:  Quiet, and shy. Though prone to respond to teasing, doesn’t dish much out. Reserved, and often oblivious. Usually too stuck in his head to initiate anything, but once hooked is a dedicated, and fierce companion.

Traits ––– -

* Bold your character’s answer.

Extroverted / In Between / Introverted

Disorganized / In Between / Organized

Close Minded / In Between / Open Minded

Calm / In Between / Anxious

Disagreeable / In Between / Agreeable

Cautious / In Between / Reckless

Patient / In Between /  Impatient

Outspoken / In Between / Reserved

Leader / In Between / Follower

Empathetic / In Between / Apathetic

Optimistic / In Between / Pessimistic

Traditional / In Between / Modern

Hard-working / In Between / Lazy

Cultured / In Between / Uncultured

Loyal / In Between / Disloyal

Faithful / In Between / Unfaithful

Additional information ––– –

Smoking Habit: Occasionally - but has taken to it more recently.

Drugs: Thistle, and only occasionally, or when the thoughts get to be too much.

Alcohol: Also only on occasion, and honey wine is preferred.

RP Hooks ––– –

Creepy Forest Goblin - Freddy has spent much of his life wandering around in the woods. Due to a few unfortunate run-in’s with the Coven, Freddy has found himself a little damaged. He’s prone to disassociation episodes, or losing his train of thought, or having a poor time remembering places, things, or people. He can usually be found deep in the woods, or otherwise wandering. Gentle, and calm, but initially a little intimidating.  

Drust - A traditional Thornspeaker, Freddy is keen on the Drust, and their magic. He is often found speaking their language, using their runes, and seeking to connect with them in an effort to grow closer to the forest. 

Witches in the Woods -  Though not a member of the Order of Embers, and hardly keen on making their acquaintance, Freddy knows that the Coven is no good for anyone living in Drustvar. He has made it a goal of his to travel, find the corruption they’ve planted, and undo it. He will be outwardly friendly to other Thornspeakers, or those of the Drust, and though not hostile towards the Order of Embers, he will treat them with a mild sense of unease, and keep them at arms length.

Freddy’s Freakishly Fiendish Findings: A new hobby, and a way to make use of the things he finds in the forests of Drustvar, Freddy can be found at several markets selling terrariums, curious, and taxidermy displays. Weird, creepy, and great conversation starters, Freddy offers a little taste of death to the living so they may grow comfortable with their own mortality.

OOC ––– –

While I do have a version of Freddy in-game, Tumblr and Discord RP are more reliable for me currently. I’m always open to new plots and contacts, whether it’s long-term story arcs or a simple one-off interaction, so feel free to shoot me a message if you’d like to set something up! I’m happy to throw a starter out, or vice versa. :D

Header by the amazing @dae-shadowvale​ (She’s seriously the best)

[stilwaterskeeter]

Rewriting Saints Row the Third

So I was messing around writing about my Boss earlier for @occorner and wound up kind of just rewriting entire pieces of SRTT rather than just making small alterations for the character.....So I went ahead and followed through on that accident and wrote out how I personally think a lot of the hollow writing and poor executions of certain parts of the game could have been better and improved. It ended up being a lot more than I was expecting so I’m putting it under a read more. I split it up into 2 parts: Story Changes and Character Changes. And then both of those are broken into smaller parts for each mission arc (the gangs/STAG/dlc) and each character individually.

Also this is just for fun, if you don’t like it then you don’t like it. There’s no point in reblogging this or replying just because you don’t like it yknow? Don’t waste both your time and mine just because you don’t agree with something I just did for the fun of it.

And if you guys like this uuuhhh shoot me a message/ask, I’d totally be down to chat about this stuff and maybe even make more posts like this for the other games in the future!!!

EDIT: Hi....somebody made me regret my decision to keep Kiki’s death canon...so I changed it...thankfully it didn’t have any huge affect on the core of the rewrite, and in fact only very little affect at all

Plot/Story Specific Changes:

Johnny Gat’s “Death”:

Johnny’s “death” wasn’t real obvs, it was like part of Gangstas in Space, like at the beginning that leads up to them going to space and stuff. But in reality Johnny was just kidnapped, cloned, and saved by the Saints after Act 1, but his kidnapping and everything gave the Boss the idea for Johnny’s “death” in the movie

You find Johnny about halfway through the Morningstar mission arc, but he would be seen in a few Syndicate cutscenes beforehand and a lot of implications that he wasn’t actually dead before that

Morningstar:

Loren actually gets like a better mission line following up to and including his death that isn’t just recycled activities disguised as missions

This also includes like a mini-boss fight with the DeWynter twins, that ultimately leads up to them joining the Saints as double agents

Loren gets a boss battle with The Boss, Shaundi, and Johnny fighting him while Pierce and Oleg keep other enemies out of the way and it ends with Johnny getting to personally deal the killing blow and give Loren a beat down like he gave Shogo in SR2 (although definitely not as intense or dark)

Deckers:

I think the biggest things I’d leave the same is the Deckers mission line, I actually don’t think those need to be changed hardly at all, outside of maybe having one or two more story missions without the compulsory activities

STAG:

I would downplay STAG a lot because they were just a weak Ultor carbon copy and took up way too much of SRTT than it should have

I wouldn’t change too much of the STAG missions but I would wait until later in the game to bring them in. Give STAG one or two missions before Murderbrawl XXXI and do the rest afterward

Miscellaneous:

This goes for like literally all 4 arcs, but replace a lot of the compulsory activities with actual unique missions. I think doing One iteration of each activity first is alright because it goes to be like something as a tutorial for them, but past Once, they shouldn’t be reoccuring

Add in one or two missions about The Saints trying to find where Killbane was hiding by interrogating Luchadores and stuff during the STAG arc and then Threeway happens and you find out Killbane is leaving while you’re fighting STAG

Also take out that last choice as a whole no question about it, The Boss lets Killbane get away and saves Shaundi, Viola, and Burt no matter what

While taking the decision out of Threeway, Johnny would go with Angel to try and stop and kill Killbane while The Boss goes to save Shaundi

Ultimately they don’t get there in time but Gat does get a few shots in, injuring Killbane pretty badly in the leg and probably having temporarily crippled him

DLC:

I think instead of the Trouble with the Clones DLC, instead you would get a DLC involving Killbane after he fled the city where you get to fight him and ultimately kill him yourself

It’d be called something like Winner Takes All or like Hell in a Cell which are two types of wrestling matches for those who don’t know. (Winner Takes All is exactly what it sounds like and Hell in a Cell is a cage match with no Escape Clause which is why I think either would fit for names)

Speaking of, make that DLC a double whammy and include Dex, as a business partner with Killbane that you get to fight as well

Angel is a required homie through most of these missions, he helps keep random enemies off your back so you can personally fight and kill Dex, and in turn, you get another mission similar to Murderbrawl XXXI where Angel gets to personally fight Killbane while you take out random enemies, however you also get to help Angel more directly by tossing him weapons to use against Killbane or to use something like a mounted gun to weaken Killbane when he’s cheating and getting the upperhand against Angel

Character Specific Changes:

Zimos:

His character as a whole is,,,,bad imo, so while I didn’t just totall omit him, he’s more or less just a character that The Boss works with to hurt the Syndicate, he’s not really a Saint, just like an accomplice. He would still become a homie at some point though

As a homie he has idle lines to ask how the twins are and The Boss will ask about the secret past and Zimos just says something like “Don’t ask, don’t tell, my man” or keeps the “That’s on a need to know basis, and you don’t need to know” line from the actual game

Angel:

Because I would take out the decision in Threeway and The Boss would let Killbane go, he holds a bit of a grudge and cannot be called as a homie until you have another quick cutscene and short mission where you talk and spar with Angel to help him get out some of his frustration at letting Killbane go

The Boss promises they’re still going to get Killbane because they’re not going to give up that easily

Maybe have The Boss tell Angel about Dex and relate to him while talking about how Dex was one of their best friends and then betrayed them, they never got their revenge but they haven’t given up just yet

Angel and Johnny friendship too!! You can’t tell me they wouldn’t be pals, they spar and talk shit about Killbane a lot

They also trade stories of past fights they’ve been in

Johnny also gives Angel a hardtime because he’s fuckin filthy and lives in such disarray

When Angel tries to snap back with the “so you hate discomfort” Gat shoots back with how the main Saints safehouse was ruins of an old hotel under an abandoned church in the really poor red light district and how before that it was an abandoned church also in one of the poorest areas of Stilwater. He’d definitely say something like “It’s not that I hate discomfort, it’s that I’ve lived that shit for way too long and got out, and I’m not planning on going back to that crap just because some bitch “shamed” me.” The banter becomes somewhat a weird and very Gat-esque peptalk

Viola & Kiki DeWynter:

They both join the Saints and work with them in secret against the Syndicate when Killbane takes over and Loren is killed

Viola and Kiki obviously both get more character development

Viola actually ends up being good friends with Shaundi

Kiki on the other hand ends up better friends with Johnny and they trade snarky remarks whenever everyone is planning out missions and when the Boss makes dumb decisions and shit

Johnny and Kiki end up bonding over small things like their concerns with their looks and just both being the more outspoken and witty counterparts in duos (Johnny’s other half being The Boss and Kiki’s being Viola)

Kiki and Johnny never fail to annoy the shit out of Shaundi because there’s just no end to the snark

Kiki also ends up liking Kinzie, meaning Kinzie gets TWO sisters, Viola AND Kiki, Kinzie couldn’t be happier

As homies, the twins have idle lines about how weird it is The Boss works for Zimos sometimes and ask to make sure The Boss never drags them along when they go to do jobs with Zimos, but they’ll never say why

Killbane threatens to kill Kiki after learning that the twins have double crossed him and are working with The Saints. He takes her as like a “hostage” and sends Viola to go tell The Saints to come “rescue” her while in reality it’s a trap and he’s using Kiki as the bait.

This adds depth to his character and makes him more than just some idiot meatsack who’s powerhungry. He’s a gangleader, he knows how to lead and how to manipulate and how to fucking plan things out further than “HUR DUR ME PUNCH THINGS AND MAKE THEM BLEED”

Viola, ever the realist, knows the likelihood that Killbane has Matt wired into her phone or The Saints’ crib or something so that he would know if she tried betraying him and told The Saints that it’s a trap. So she of course doesn’t tell them, she goes along with his plan all the while thinking of her own plan on how to get out of this problem.

Kiki on the other hand absolutely lets The Saints know it’s a trap as soon as she feasibly can, it’s not much but it does give them a slight upperhand for a minute in the ensuing fight

It’s like a miniboss battle with Killbane, towards the end when it’s obvious The Boss is gonna win, he picks Kiki up in preparation to snap her neck. But Viola shoots at his hand a few times and causes him to drop her sister, he then runs off and Johnny, Angel, and Shaundi chase after him but Viola and The Boss stick around to check on Viola

Kiki got struck by one of the stray bullets on her face, it definitely leaves a nasty scar and fucks up her left eye pretty badly in the long run

Kiki is for the most part out of commission as a homie after the whole kidnapping nonsense, but Viola is as ready as ever to fuckin’ go to town and kill some fuckers now

It’s her way of handling the guilt of almost losing her sister because they didn’t cover their tracks good enough and then by her own attempt to save Kiki, caused her sister to lose an eye

Johnny had taken Loren’s eyepatch kind of as a trophy after killing him, he very awkwardly gives it to Kiki after the mission claiming she probably needs it more than he does right now and seeing as it was Loren’s, she should probably have it regardless

Oleg:

Oleg actually has some of the most depth out of the new characters so I wouldn’t change much if anything?

He definitely would have a love/hate relationship with Johnny

They just don’t get along and butt heads but also they bond over their hatred of Loren/The Syndicate and having been used for the cloning experiments

Johnny also would think Oleg is like badass and cool as fuck and he’d make bets about what outrageous things he thinks Oleg can or cannot lift/destroy with his bare hands

Oleg would also have a lot of respect for Johnny for being such an seemingly average human but still having so much strength and being such a force to be reckoned with

Kinzie:

Kinzie is definitely the company’s favorite because she easily has the most content and depth of any of the other new characters and even more than pre-SRTT characters in SR4 so there’s little to no changes to be done

That being said, I really would want Kinzie and Johnny to also have a love/hate type relationship in SRTT that eventually drops the hate

Like Johnny does Not understand half the shit Kinzie says and she’s really pushy and he just hates it at first and Kinzie hates how he doesn’t listen a lot like the whole situation in SR4 where Kinzie’s always talking about how The Boss doesn’t listen to her and stuff? But with Gat,,,who is worse about it let’s be honest

But throughout the game they both start garnering more respect for the other

Like sometimes Gat’s headstrong guns-blazing outlook pays off a lot better than Kinzie was expecting and Gat’s also totally down to do whatever dangerous and reckless and heavy-lifting work she offers which is useful as hell for Kinzie

And sometimes Gat’s “wing it” planning bites him in the ass and Kinzie saves his ass because she planned how to finish the missions when he didn’t listen because he never listens and she wanted to be prepared for anything

Ultimately they have a very Older Brother-Younger Sister type relationship with Gat becoming really protective of Kinzie and totally laughing his ass off and siding with her when she and The Boss have disagreements/get into fights

Shaundi:

Give her back all that character development and exploration of her depression and survivor’s guilt!! why was that cut!! put it back!!

Additional cutscenes and stuff with Johnny and also The Boss sometimes talking about how Johnny going missing and being believed to be dead scared her and how it affected her

This also means we get to see some of Johnny’s soft side and his pisspoor attempts to comfort her

but also Johnny probably also gets on her case about it like Once because “Well I’m not dead so you can stop worryin’ about it, Shaundi” and it starts a whole little fight that The Boss eventually steps in and settles it

Also Shaundi & Viola friendship: I already mentioned it but just...think about it again ok...

It starts as a rivalry and then they start bonding when Kiki and Johnny are getting closer 

They both cannot stand Johnny and Kiki’s snark

And then both of their respective best friends are preoccupied hanging out which leaves them awkwardly hanging out at times

Turns out Viola was actually a fan of Shaundi’s show and at one point considered signing up herself just for the hell of it

Shaundi is completely shocked and they end up doing like impromptu joke-y rounds to get to know each other to pass the time

This includes idle lines when they’re both a homie where they’re laughing while Shaundi asks Viola random questions about herself and stuff and Viola answers

Also completely trash Shaundi’s weird jealousy/hate against Kinzie

Maybe have her as wary and holding a bit of a grudge because Kinzie’s an ex-fed at first, but ultimately they get past it pretty quickly 

Most of their conversations seen and stuff are them talking tech or talking about their relationships with other characters, there’s a few where Kinzie tries digging into Shaundi’s past and Shaundi tries to dig back though

Also definitely maybe talk/show her development between SR2 and SRTT more rather than just suddenly dropping such a dramatic collection of changes and “development” immediately and not really elaborating a lot yknow?

Pierce:

There’s not much I would change because I actually liked his character development a lot, it wasn’t as abrupt and dramatic feeling as Shaundi’s and he had a decent amount of depth so I don’t think there’s much to add aside from what you would expect from his dialogues with Johnny and Kiki

Johnny:

This is just here to be respectful, pretty much 99% of everything I have to say for Johnny has been said in all the other sections