#you would think they would want the mind controlling elf on their team during fights

[lotusishere]

If I were Neverseen and I saw Grady appear in the fight. I’m surrendering. This isn’t me just being a slut for him. (I mean I am but-) I would genuinely be horrified to go against this man.

[wolfsong-the-bloody-beast]

Finally, I found some time to start my rambling and finish it, too. And it got much longer than I'd wanted or expected, but it was a good exercise to develop the blorbos. I don't do that enough.

Yevanna

The background I imagine for her is that when the Black Ring started moving into the elven homeland, she was but one of many fighting them off in various skirmishes around the borders. She became a necromancer, because if there's anything always present on the battlefield, it's death and corpses. When her homeland was destroyed, she was unlucky to witness things first hand, but lucky enough to be sufficiently far to be able to escape the deathfog. Naturally, that's something she's carried with her ever since. She's bitter, pragmatic, cynical. She's seen too much shit, and for what? She didn't forget right from wrong, but sometimes she finds it hard to care. A lot of the remaining elves seem to still cling to their culture. Yevanna, during the events of the game, is over her attachment to her people, their culture, and their obsessing over the past. What's the point? Just be grateful you're still alive. It's one of the reasons why she discourages Sebille from taking back any of the responsibilities of the Prime Scion.

For her background, I chose mystic and barbarian, because I originally started her as a mage, primarily necromancer and polymorph. I imagined her as sort of a "shaman" character at first. I also play her in multiplayer and after a while I realised our team could really use an archer, so I adjusted her for it and now I just pretend it's always been the case. She pretty much exclusively deals physical damage with both arrows and spells.

Considering the fact she's a multiplayer character, let's say that on their trip to Fort Joy she befriended a certain lizard summoner who she was first locked in with and who then took her under her wing. Her new friend became her impulse control, at least partially, as Yevanna tends to be prone to acting in anger. More people would've ended up dead if it weren't for that. Without her, it's possible Yevanna might have ignored the whole voidwoken thing and been on her way. Not her problem, is it? Well, it's good she now has people to motivate her.

She quickly develops a thing for Sebille. Initial tension aside, her bloodthirstiness doesn't bother her, considering her background. Sometimes it rather amuses her. Who wouldn't find interest and satisfaction in a beautiful and slightly deranged elf succeeding, step by step, on her path to revenge? After all, revenge, especially violent revenge, seems an utterly reasonable goal. As a necromancer, she can also hardly hold Sebille's love for bloodshed against her. I think they're great together, because they both like to be fairly stabby. Eventually, Yevanna realises that not only is Sebille attractive and fun to be around, she finds herself caring deeply for her and her wellbeing. So, after a long time, she has something, or rather somebody, to fight for again.

I'm fairly happy with the options in the character creator for Yevanna. Her hair is blood red because blood and necromancy was the main theme I had in mind for her at the beginning. I mean, I chose to play an elf to begin with, because I wanted to try the corpse eating thing, without having a companion do it for me. Just, I would love for her to have orange eyes, so she resembles a fox, but in the game they're blue.

Eliette

Eliette is another elf of mine. Between DOS2 and BG3, I was just really into cannibalism this year, you see. This is getting too long, so I'll put her under the cut.

Unlike Yevanna, Eliette wasn't anywhere near the elven homeland during the deathfog disaster. She was young. Well, younger. Hard to say how elves actually age in this setting. Either way, she's always been fascinated by other cultures and wanted to see the world, experience the delights it has to offer, so she did. She liked to think or perhaps pretend that things back home weren't as tense as they sounded, though nobody probably could've predicted what a messed up turn things would take. The fact is that in the end, whether or not she could've helped, she is haunted by the fact that she refused to see what was happening and wasn't there when her friends and family might have needed her the most. This failure turned into an obsession with gathering knowledge, trying to find a way to safely cleanse an area as large as her homeland from deathfog in its entirety. She tends to hide her struggles behind her cheerful and sweet demeanour, though she gets easily excited or stressed out, which sometimes leads to her acting (seemingly) uncharacteristically unhinged. I originally wanted her to be a bit like Merrill from Dragon Age 2 in personality, but she ended up taking her own shape. I made her in part because I wanted to do a solo playthrough and do it with a nicer, more caring, and in the end a bit more heroic character, in addition to my Yevanna, who is a lot darker and exists only in multiplayer.

Eliette's focus as mystic and scholar is magic. Her talents lie mostly in manipulating elements, that is primarily the hydrosophist and aerothurge schools of magic. She can unleash elemental horrors, but also heal and protect her friends. She definitely wouldn't beat most of them at arm wrestling, though.

She falls for Ifan pretty fast. He's the first friendly person she encounters on the ship to Fort Joy and then he's the first friendly person that she finds in Fort Joy, standing up for another elf, no less. They've had each other's back ever since. Since in the game, the first time I tried the *ask if he ever gets lonely on the road* conversation pretty much right after he lets her shoot from his new crossbow, it kind of stuck with me that's the moment she realises she really enjoys his company. Though they're both idiots about it. Ifan tries to conceal his feelings a lot of the time, as he finally admits just before Arx, while Eliette tends to be insecure and misunderstands his lack of action as possible lack of serious interest. So they're just both kind of clueless and driving each other crazy. I do try to play along with Larian's dialogues, indicating that since the interrupted intimate moment in the Undertavern, they haven't actually had the time and privacy to even as much as kiss until getting stuck on the Lady Vengeance after the Nameless Island, but not for the lack of trying. At least they have plenty of time to develop their friendship and strengthen their bond. And then there's the deathfog thing! With Eliette's guilt over not being there for her people, the revelation that it was Ifan, somebody who she really cares about, who brought the device that destroyed her land and people, even knowing he was tricked into it, it was a massive shock she needed to process. They both did.

As far as appearance goes, I'm pretty happy with what I could do in the character creator. I imagine Eliette a bit shorter than she is in the game. Not shorter than Ifan, but considering that the narration insists on multiple occasions that he looks down at her or plants a kiss on top of her head and so on, the mental image is now irreparably stuck in my head, so I settled for the idea that they're both about the same height, both rather tall. I also originally wanted her to have long, wavy hair, but that wasn't an option, so this bun with her hair tied up like that is the next best thing.

So, is anybody still with me here? If so, you deserve a cookie.

DOS2 fandom, show me your Godwoken? Tell me about your Godwoken? (For example:) Who are they? What is their damage? What do they look like? Are there any differences between their in-game model and how you imagine them? What is their fighting style? Who do they love and why? Anything else you'd like to share about them?

Everyone who sees this post, consider yourself invited. And feel free to tag your friends if you'd like.

@flower-khajiit, @divinityiswasted

Just do it. This is a threat.

[smaidjor]

and i pay for my place by the ring (Chapter 1)

Hey guys! Welcome to another angsty fic by yours truly, provider of flower husbands pain.

Some things you should know before you jump into this:

1. This is a companion fic to my fic "i know they're losing". You can understand it without having read the other one, since it's the same story from two different POVs but I think the overall experience is better with both!

2. The overall title of each fic is from the mitski song I bet on losing dogs. Chapter titles are from the Last Goodbye from the Hobbit films.

3. There is a lot of lord of the rings lore in both fics, and I mean a lot. You may be kinda confused if you've never read tolkien's works. It will all be explained eventually, though!

4. With the fact that it's a companion fic and a lot of people came here from Jimmy's POV in mind- this is a lot heavier of a fic. The content warnings are heavier and the angst is more intense. You have been warned.

(Obligatory disclaimer that this is about characters, not ccs, and do not ship real people, as always!)

Chapter Title: to these memories i will hold

Chapter Wordcount: 4000

Content warnings: suicidal thoughts, self-esteem issues, panic attacks, past death, very frank discussion of death. (In general, if suicide or death are triggering topics for you, this is probably not the fic for you. Stay safe and take care of yourself!)

AO3

Actual fic under the cut:

Scott didn’t expect to survive 3rd life. No one did, he thinks, but especially not him. Clever, clever Scott, who knew his fate too well for his own good. He could have chosen his allies carefully, he knows, could have played on their emotions to make them think he was loyal until the moment he turned on them to win. He knew who the strongest factions and warriors were, the most cunning and intelligent participants in this death game they were forced into. Instead, he chose Jimmy. Sweet, dopey Jimmy, who had the personality of a golden retriever and only a handful of braincells at any given time. Jimmy, who was worth more than all the stars in the sky to him. Who made him feel alive . No, Scott didn’t expect to win. Not when it was Jimmy by his side- when it was Jimmy by his side, winning didn’t matter. All that mattered was Jimmy’s blush when Scott pressed a kiss to his cheek, the way his hair looked like gold in the sunlight and his smile lit up Scott’s whole world.

After Jimmy died, Scott stopped wanting to survive 3rd life. What was the point? The stars can shine on without the sun, but all life on Earth would wither and die. The same happened to Scott’s broken, bitter heart, he found. Jimmy was the first person in years to love him truly, wholly, with no strings attached; it was terrifying how quickly Scott fell for the first person to look at him and not expect him to be anything but what he was. Scott’s world, which used to be mountain peaks and endless blue sky, narrowed to warm brown eyes and a grin like sunshine quicker than he could comprehend. Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy, it all came back to him. What was Scott without Jimmy? The unwanted twin, the unloved child, the un-elven elf. Because who cared if he was a good shot with a bow or good at organizing teams or building pretty little houses? He would always be second-born, second-best.

It was fitting, really, that when Scott died, he died alone. Some might find it ironic that the man who knew enough people to fill the roster of a championship held by a god every month died without a single person to witness it save his enemies, but in the end, it was always going to be like this, Scott knew. He hadn’t been there to see Jimmy die, he hadn’t been able to hold him in his final moments and soothe the agony of death. Maybe this was his punishment. He wouldn’t be surprised; the gods of this world did not smile on him and never would. Why should they, when he had failed the only person who had ever found him good enough?

When he woke up in Rivendell, he was almost disappointed. Almost. He considered ditching the rest of the elves, up and leaving to somewhere that didn’t make it feel like the noose of immortality was slowly tightening around his neck. If nothing else, Noxite would let him crash at the MCC server for a bit until he found somewhere to go. And yet, in the end, Scott’s stubborn sense of duty won out. The elves needed a ruler. Xornoth had disappeared to god knows where, and though they had been braver, wiser, better in every way, Scott was the one who had stayed. Who was willing to take up the crown that weighed so heavily on its bearers. So Scott, who no one ever expected to rule, took up the burden of leadership.

Now, he tries and fails to get out of bed and wonders what the point of that even was. He’s fading, and worse than that, he’s fading over a human. His ancestors are probably rolling in their graves. Rivendell will be leaderless within a decade, and this time there are no heirs to take control. Not even a ‘spare’ like Scott used to be. What a mess.

There are footsteps on the stairs. They’re unfamiliar, meaning they could be a threat, but he’s too tired to bother sitting up. If he dies, well- it’s inevitable, really, in the same way watching the mortals he loves dies is.

The person comes around the corner, and Scott realizes with no joy that he won’t be dying today after all. Katherine looks both curious and concerned, but her voice tilts towards the latter when she asks “Scott?” and then, more hesitantly  “Lord Smajor?”

He blinks at her, exhausted. “Hi, Katherine.”

“I came to talk to you about some empires stuff, but, I mean, if this is a bad time, I can come back later…?” She sounds so thrown off by his state that Scott almost feels bad.

Whatever it is, it must be important if she’s come all the way here, though, so he gestures her to a chair. “No, no, stay. I can muster the energy for a meeting, just don’t ask me to get up.”

Katherine takes the seat. “I came to talk about the corruption on the server, but- are you okay? Are you sick?”

Nothing about the question is funny in any way, but Scott laughs regardless. “In a way, yes.”

“What do you mean?”

“Take my hand.” He offers it out, knowing the unnatural cold is unsettling no matter if you’re elven or not. Katherine does as he asks, the concern on her face only growing as she grips his icy hand.

“Elves don’t get sick like mortals do,” Scott explains. “Nor do we die of old age. But we get...heartsickness, you might call it. We call it fading in our tongue- the cold hands are a symptom of that. Our souls are fragile, and the grief of the mortal plane can be overwhelming. If an elf is too struck by it, they fade away and die.” The words taste bitter on his tongue, a frank reminder of the slow and painful death that awaits him.

Katherine gasps, and Scott knows he’s alarmed her.

He goes on, though. “It usually happens to old elves, world-weary.” Ironic, it’s ironic that he’s saying that as a young elf explaining his own death. “Those who are tired of existence. But any elf who has experienced enough grief is at risk.”

Her face is nothing short of horrified. “You’re- fading? But doesn’t it usually happen to old elves? Wait, are you old?”

“I’m fifty-five.”

“Is that old?”

He has to laugh. “Fifty is the elven equivalent of eighteen for humans, the age of maturity.” Though he feels so much older than that, both in elven terms and in human.

“Oh.”

There’s a moment of silence, then, “How can you be so calm if you’re dying?”

“I’m tired, Katherine. The world tore me away from the people I loved, and..I’m tired of fighting it.” He’s so, so exhausted. So sick of having to claw and scrape and struggle for the barest scraps of happiness.

“Is there a way to reverse fading- to fix it?” Katherine sounds so hopeful that the question seems almost naive even though she’s far more capable of a ruler than he is. Naive in the affairs of elves, maybe, much as she’s intelligent in so many other ways.

Scott tries not to flinch at the innocent inquiry, thinking about the deaths from fading that he’s watched. “Technically, yes. If an elf recovers enough emotionally, it’s reversible. But whatever caused them to fade the first time can- and often does- cause it again.” And again, and again, until there’s nothing to be done but let them die , he finishes in his head.

Katherine nods, a look of determination overtaking the hope. “We’ll just have to reverse it, then.”

“That’s sweet, Katherine, but I’m dying.”

“No. You’re not going to die. Now come on, you can show me your empire while I fill you in on what’s happening on the rest of the continent.” She sounds so firm that he doesn’t dare disobey, though his exhaustion makes a fair effort at convincing him to. Will this really fix anything? Unlikely. But it’s worth it to try, if only to humor Katherine. At least this way she’ll have the comfort of having tried to save him when he inevitably fades away into nothing

Scott takes her hand, though it brings him little warmth, cold from her trek here. “Alright.” He swallows the bitter grief in his throat before it can seep into his words. “We can try.”

He leads Katherine around Rivendell, taking some pride in the way she oohs over the decor. If there’s one thing he can do right, it’s building. While some elven rulers might see it as below themselves to help build houses for their citizens, Scott finds building soothing. It’s one of the few skills he picked up during his time away that people really appreciate; no one wants to live in a shitty house.

As they walk, she also tells Scott about the demon, Xornoth. “The demon’s already visited a lot of people, I think. Gem and Shubble for sure, and Fwhip and Sausage. That’s not even mentioning the corruption that’s been spreading.”

If Scott said that the name Xornoth didn’t make him flinch, he would be lying to himself. It’s not your sibling , he tells himself. It’s just a coincidence .

It’s through the virtue of years of lying that his voice comes out steady. “There’s corruption in Rivendell too. Likely Xornoth’s work. And given that Jimmy still has Vilya-” his heart doesn’t ache when he says Jimmy’s name, it doesn’t- “well, I haven’t been able to do much.”

“Vilya?” Katherine asks.

“A ring of power. My inheritance from the Noldor.”

“Why does Jimmy have it?”

He doesn’t answer. He won’t- can’t talk about Jimmy, not without remembering how he looked with an arrow through his throat, bright smile gone and face frozen in fear. How does he explain how much Jimmy meant to him? How much he’s now giving up, knowing he’ll have to lose it one way or another?

Katherine drops the topic, seemingly sensing that she’s stumbled on something sensitive. When she has to go home, she leaves with a friendly goodbye and a promise to visit, and Scott believes neither. Who would put the effort into visiting him? He’s not a good friend, he’s not a good king, and god knows he’s not a good husband. In fact, he’s actively avoiding his husband. He may have kept the pufferfish Jimmy gave him, but that doesn’t mean anything. He can’t fall in love with Jimmy again. Loving Jimmy will kill him. (Scott ignores the small voice at the back of his head that whispers that he’s still in love with Jimmy and it’s already killing him just as he always knew it would.)

To his surprise, Katherine does come back next week, and the week after that. He’s ashamed to admit it, but there’s some part of him that’s pathetically grateful when she shows up at his doorstep. It’s a chance to not be alone . Much as he dreads the day when she finally gives up on him, it’s nice that someone cares enough to try and save him from himself.

The third week, Katherine doesn’t show up. Instead, the footsteps on the stairs are familiar in a way that makes Scott’s heart twist painfully.

He takes a deep breath. “Hello, Jimmy.”

“How’d you know it was me?” Jimmy asks. Scott can tell he’s startled by the way his voice goes up, almost frightened.

Scott steels himself, taking a deep breath before rolling over to face his ex-husband. “Do you think I could ever forget the sound of your footsteps?” He forces himself to not get distracted staring at Jimmy, instead going on before Jimmy can open his mouth. “What are you doing here?”

“Katherine asked me to visit, I’m not sure why, but...here I am. Say, why is she visiting every week?” Jimmy’s so curious. So naive, as always.

Scott laughs, bitter. “Katherine thinks she can save me.”

“Save you from what?”

Scott hears the concern in Jimmy’s words, and he can’t bring himself to break the news. It’s not as if it matters. It’s not as if Jimmy would care; he came here because of Katherine. Maybe he cared at the start of Empires, but Scott’s been nothing but rude to him since. There’s no reason for him to care. (He cares. Scott’s lying, like always. Jimmy cares and Scott knows it.)

“Save you from what?” Jimmy asks again, more insistently.

He refuses to say it. He needs Jimmy out, out of his room and out of his life before he does something he’ll regret. “You should go.” To prove his point, he tries to stand, finding himself too dizzy to quite pull it off. Jimmy rushes to catch him, and Scott hates himself just a little for how that still gives him a warm feeling.

“Scott, what is going on?”

He brushes Jimmy off, letting go of his arm and hurrying for the stairs. He can’t let Jimmy work his way into his heart again; Scott won’t be strong enough to let him go this time.

“Scott, seriously! Answer me, are you okay? What’s happening?” Jimmy sounds almost angry, but Scott can hear the distress under it and that’s what breaks him.

“I’m fading, alright?” His voice nearly breaks at the concern on Jimmy’s face when he whirls to face him. “I’m dying, now leave me alone!”

Jimmy sputters, seemingly caught off guard. “You- what- but elves don’t die, right?”

“We do. From poison, from swords-” Scott thinks back to third life- “from arrows through the throat, from grief.” The words come out more raw than he intends, leaving him scrambling to recover his composure. He takes a deep breath in and out, forcing his voice to steady again. “Come on. If you’re not going to leave, I might as well show you around.”

“You can’t just drop something like that on a man, you know!” Jimmy calls after him, although Scott can hear his footsteps following as well.

“You did ask, to be fair.” Scott replies. His voice is calm. He’s fine.

“I guess so, but- but still, dude.”

Scott pushes open the side door, holding it for Jimmy. “Here.”

Jimmy nods and slips through the door.  “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Scott starts towards the bridges, intending to show Jimmy the enchanting tower and then the door. He doesn’t care about how fast he’s walking, Jimmy can keep up. He’s taller than Scott and probably has better balance at the moment too. Scott’s struggling not to fall, honestly, but his pride won’t let him go slower.

Jimmy breaks the awkward silence with the question Scott least wants to hear. “So, uh..are we going to talk about 3rd life?”

“No,” Scott says firmly.

“Why not? We need to talk about it some time-”

“I said no .” He can’t talk about it.

“It’s literally killing you to not talk about it!”

The words strike right at the raw wound of Jimmy’s death, and Scott freezes. Inhales. Exhales. Tries to keep calm.

“Tell me I’m wrong, Scott!” Jimmy cries. He sounds so upset, Scott’s heart aches. “I dare you, tell me I’m wrong! Tell me you never cared about me, tell me you didn’t bother to bury me, tell me it didn’t hurt even a little when I died! Tell me I was just stupid little Jimmy, a toy for an elf who’d live far beyond my lifespan! Tell me whatever, just tell me the truth! ”

Scott takes a deep breath. “Fine. You want to know what happened after you died?” He can’t think straight through the rage clouding his head, the desperate need to prove that Jimmy’s wrong , that Scott loved him so much it’s killing him. “You want to hear about me screaming until my throat went raw? You want to know that I kissed your face and sobbed and begged you to wake up, over and over until I couldn’t speak at all? You want to live with the knowledge that Grian had to physically pull me away from your body? Is that what you want to hear, Jimmy? ” His voice damn near breaks on his husband’s name, and Scott thanks the gods he stopped believing in a long time ago that it doesn’t.

“No,” Jimmy says. His voice is soft, gentle, almost as if Scott is a wounded animal that needs a delicate touch. “That’s not what I want to hear, not at all. I’d rather you be happy than love me.”

The words punch the air from Scott’s lungs, raw and soft and real. Scott is an excellent liar. Jimmy isn’t. Scott knows that Jimmy is telling the truth. What he doesn’t know is how to handle that level of devotion. He wonders again how Jimmy- sweet, genuine Jimmy who wears his heart on his sleeve and is hopelessly devoted to an elf who can’t be fully his- chose Scott of all people. Scott, who’s as bitter as Jimmy is sweet, who’s sarcastic and snarky and hasn’t been good enough for just about anything in his life. He certainly wasn’t good enough to save Jimmy, Scott thinks bitterly.

He shakes off the thought. “I buried you on the hill above our houses. I planted a poppy over your grave.”

“Oh.”

“Grian came over the next day. I didn’t want to see anyone who wasn’t you, but I let him in because I had to. He helped me do the straps on my armor and asked me if he could do anything else to make things easier. I told him to bury me next to you.”

“Did he?”

Scott almost laughs at the innocent question. “How would I know? Grian was honorable enough, though, loyal to his allies. I like to think he did.”

“He was a good guy,” Jimmy agrees. “A little bit bloodthirsty, I guess, but good. I don’t suppose he survived any better than the rest of us, though maybe being bloodthirsty helped.”

“Maybe.”

“Can I- can I ask you why you hate me so much now?” Jimmy’s tone is uncertain, hesitant and it hurts . “I mean, if you mourned me in third life and all.”

Scott looks away from his earnest gaze, but he can’t stop the truth slipping out. “I don’t hate you.”

“You don’t?” Jimmy asks, seemingly bewildered. “But you burned the pufferfish-”

“I didn’t. I kept it.” Scott doesn’t want to think about this, wants to say it even less. “I never hated you. I don’t think I’m capable of it.”

“Then why do you keep avoiding me?”

“I’ve been kind of busy dying,” Scott says wryly, unable to resist a bit of morbid humor at his own expense.

“Scott! That’s not funny!”

“It was a little funny.”

“No!”

Jimmy sounds genuinely distressed, and Scott drops the wry smile. “Jimmy, I’m an elf. I won’t live far beyond you, but only because I’ll fade without you.” It’s a simple statement. The truth, as much as he can give.

“So your solution is to isolate yourself and fade now?” Jimmy’s outrage is justifiable, but Scott just shrugs.

“It does sound stupid when you put it like that, doesn’t it?” It really does. “But I lost you once, and I don’t think I could bear it again.”

A hand lands on Scott’s arm, and he turns, startled. Jimmy doesn’t give him time to react, throwing his arms around Scott and pulling him close. Scott almost lets out a very undignified squeak at the sudden contact, though he slowly relaxes into Jimmy’s hold.

He should pull away. He shouldn’t give Jimmy false hope like this. But Jimmy is so warm , and Scott is so unbearably cold. Every fiber of his being is screaming that this is what’s right; screw Rivendell and obligations and too-heavy crowns, Jimmy is home to him. He’s warm for the first time in months, and the most heartbreaking part is that it can’t last. He can’t do this again.

He pulls away, ignoring the painful hope on Jimmy’s face. “I’m sorry, Jimmy.” For the first time all conversation, his voice well and truly wobbles. “I can’t. Not again.”

“But-”

Scott shakes his head. “Losing you will destroy me. We dared to love, and now all we can do now is lessen the pain when it all comes crashing down.” The words are like glass in his throat, but he forces them out anyways. They have to be said.

Jimmy’s silent, and it hurts more than if Jimmy had yelled at him.

“Goodbye, Jimmy,” Scott manages, turning away before Jimmy can see the way his face twists in pain. He makes his retreat as quickly as possible, stumbling and nearly taking a tumble just before he reaches the door. Unlike before, there’s no helpful ex-husband there to catch him, to make sure he’s alright and ask a million questions until Scott’s forced to admit that he’s not okay and hasn’t been in a long time.

He fumbles with the latch, hands shaking and vision blurring. Finally, it clicks, and Scott stumbles inside and slams the door shut before sliding to the ground. He won’t cry. He won’t . He doesn’t love Jimmy, he can’t love Jimmy anymore. Jimmy was never meant to be his. They might have carved out a few precious moments, stolen them from the universe and giggled like kids with their hands in the cookie jar as they kissed amongst the flowers, but those brief moments were all they were ever going to be allowed. It was always going to end this way, Scott tells himself. There’s no use crying over a mortal who will be dead in the blink of an eye to an elf. What would his parents say? That this was typical of him, probably. Typical Scott, always wanting what he would never be able to have. Typical, predictable Scott, loving a mortal who shouldn’t be worth anything to him.

He’s crying. There are tears spotting his cyan robes, splashing onto the wood floors he worked so hard on. Scott rubs at his eyes furiously, but that only makes it worse, sobs shuddering through him and leaving him hollow and aching. He’s so cold . The ache in his chest has returned tenfold, stealing away his breath, and he curls further into himself, struggling for air.

He’s going to die. He is going to die , alone on the floor of his house because he fell for someone he couldn’t have. For all that he’s spent every minute since Jimmy’s death in 3rd life wishing for some way out of this cruel world, he’s terrified now that it seems inevitable. He’s scared in a way he hasn’t been in forever, breath coming quick and shallow. He's scared, and he is so, so tired of this ache that haunts him, the chill that he can never get rid of.

“Jimmy,” Scott whispers. There’s no way for the human to hear him, but the name brings him some comfort. “ Jimmy .” He wants his husband. He wants someone to hug him. He doesn’t want to fade away freezing and alone, no one there to hold his hand or reassure him that the pain will be over soon. Internally, he begs for someone, anyone who cares to come looking. To find him, even if they’re too late to save him. Someone. Anyone. Please.

No one comes, and Scott lays on his floor until his breathing steadies out again. His head spins when he forces himself to his feet, and he has to lean against the wall for a few moments. There’s no time for dramatics, he tells himself sternly. He has a kingdom to rule. He cannot afford to break over a mortal he never should have fallen for in the first place. He doesn’t love Jimmy anymore, he can’t .

(He’s lying. But Scott has always been an excellent liar, even when it’s to himself.)

[medea10]

Medea’s Worst Year of All-Time Anime/Game Superlative

Nobody saw this year coming…except for maybe Barbara Walters! Who could have predicted that this year would bless us with Australia burning, the entire west coast of the U.S. set on fire, stupid people setting fires because they wanted to reveal a baby’s gender, murder hornets, Ruth Bader Ginsburg dying, an almost war with Iran, serial killer mascots arrested, policemen killing unarmed black folks for having a counterfit $20, policemen killing unarmed black folks for breaking up a fight, policemen killing black folks for holding sandwiches, policemen killing unarmed black folks for fucking sleeping, a wide variety of “Karens” coming out of the woodworks, the end of Bojack, the end of Steven Universe, the end of Empire, and a pandemic so huge it’s killed the economy, canceled fun, and given the U.S. president the dumb-fuck idea of injecting bleach to kill the virus!?

SERIOUSLY, WHO COULD HAVE PREDICTED ALL OF THIS WAS GOING TO FALL IN OUR LAPS LIKE HOT COFFEE ON THE CROTCH?!

At least there was anime this year.

…

At least there was SOME anime this year.

…

Biden won the election and Vickeblanca came out with Black Catcher this year.

Hey internet, it’s Medea here to give you her trashy opinion on this years anime and games that she’s watched or played. Because for some reason, my loser-ass loves to do out-dated as fuck memes! I shouldn’t complain, this shit brings a lot of attention to my page every year when I do this. Yes, 2020 was a complete dumpster fire so large that Domestic Girlfriend is crying foul. Many of us had to go on lockdown and ended up binge-watching the entire 957+ episodes of One Piece. I did no such thing. I am one of those “essential workers” so I didn’t hunker down for 9 months straight. But when I was home, I was watching anime. Actually, I would have done that even without the pandemic. I’m an introvert and find the human race to be deplorable.

You all know how this goes. I go over the best this year had to offer me. I had to search really hard to find the good in this year, especially in the anime world. Many things had to be put on hiatus or were delayed to a later date. Just a reminder, I don’t discriminate in what year the anime or game came out. If something came out in the happier times of 2007, that anime or game counts! Let’s get at it!

First Fandom of 2020: Interspecies Reviewers

Did anyone expect a fan-favorite of 2020 was going to be a hentai? Did anyone have on their batshit 2020 bingo card that a hentai was going to grab everybody’s attention? At the beginning of the year, my mind was set on the Railgun sequel and Eizoken. It wasn’t until licensors, streaming sites, and TV stations in Japan dropped this series that I started to pay attention. And got immediately hooked! It’s about three men going to different brothels and reviewing their time with the ladies. And these ladies are of different species! So with every bang comes possible enlightenment, new kinks, or a night of having your dick sucked off more than humanly possible. This anime blew away all of my skepticism and first impressions right out the window. Maybe it’s because I’m a degenerate and am often curious about sexual content, but this was a guilty pleasure of mine this year.

Favorite Main Character of 2020: Moroha from Yashahime

I know the majority of this story is going to revolve around Towa and Setsuna, but can we please focus a little more energy on the spunky, quarter-demon girl?! I know they’re pitting Moroha as the comic relief, but I’m hopeful that she’s going to surprise us one day. We fans of InuYasha would spend the past decade and some change wondering what InuYasha and Kagome’s daughter would be like. This year, we got our answer with Moroha. She’s got this wild side to her, probably due to the fact that she’s spent her entire life on her own. And while she’s silly at times, she can get down to business in a pinch. She has her father’s sense of smell. She has a sword. She’s able to shoot sacred arrows much like her mother. And to top it all off, she has this special rouge that if she puts it on, she’s able to unleash that ¼ demon power inside her and become Beniyasha! Yeah, I know the power only lasts a minute, she’s only 14, give her a break! I will gladly go through another week scratching my head at the confusion this story gives me if I get to see one more second of Moroha and her crazy antics or her bad-ass slaying.

Favorite Villain of 2020: The Devil Believers from Black Clover

This was one hell of a year for Black Clover. It would have been an easy choice to pick the devil and possible super devil that appeared during the elf fight. But I’d like to give a nod to the filler arc villains. And you can’t blame this group for wanting the power of the devil. They’re literally the bottom-rung of the Clover Kingdom and ones with little to no power or mana. So I can agree with why they would want the power of the devil. For one thing, they’d have more power. And for another thing, they’d be able to exact revenge on those who have wronged them. On some occasions I agree with exacting revenge and when it comes to the nobles and some characters in Black Clover, some folks do deserve death. I mean, have you met the king of the Clover Kingdom? Plus, this town and many other poorer towns get looked over by the kingdom. Peasant uprise! Anyways, I thought these people were really crafty in their crimes. I mean, they were able to knock Asta out on his ass with specially made poisons. I was actually hooked to this story of Black Clover (despite it being a filler arc). I know we’ll never see them again as they have been exiled, but it did have me semi-rooting for them.

Favorite Video Game Character of 2020: Honey from Pokemon – Sword & Shield (Expansion Pass)

Sorry Raymond from Animal Crossing!

Honey is the saucy wife of Mustard…I did not expect that to come out the way it did, but here we are! She has one hell of a team you can fight once a day. She looks out for her husband, the dojo, and the students of the dojo like they were her own children by providing food, drinks, and others. However that does come at a price as you do have to give up a sizable chunk of your watts that you collect in raid dens. I’m sure a bunch of MILF chasers were more than happy enough to give her all their hard-earned watts just so they can have their one-on-one moment on the beach with Honey.

What won me over was when that one guy from a rival dojo bad-mouthed her husband’s dojo and she…I think she kicked this guy’s ass herself. I don’t think she used any of her pokemon. Game Freak won’t show it, but we all know she kicked this guy’s ass to a point where he’s begging for mercy.

Honey, for the win!

Favorite Game of 2020: Animal Crossing New Horizons

This game was just Zen for me. I know the release of this game came with some controversy like Gamestop saying it’s an essential business and will remain open for people to get their copies of the game. Hell, I was one of those assholes in line waiting to get a copy on March 20th. Did I predict that a pandemic was going to rage out of control when I got a prepay copy of this for Christmas 2019? NO! I only predict political things, not deadly pandemics! The good news, we social distanced, didn’t catch the covid and got the game.

Anyways, this game has been a non-stop calming and fun ride. I can even forgive their botch-up of Bunny Day. They even have events for holidays I never thought they would ever touch. I mean, does anybody know when Museum Day is? Probably not until Animal Crossing had an event for it! I’ve been able to let my freak-flag fly with designing my island. And this goes way beyond New Leaf for the 3DS. I can make a sign post with the words “Fuck Trump” on it and post it in my yard. I can dig up trees and plant them elsewhere. I can poop in a toilet. I can craft furniture and put my own design on it. My furniture can have Tracey Sketchit’s beautiful mug on it. I can sit on Tracey Sketchit’s face. I am a sick fuck and I don’t care. I can give Raymond and Bob maid outfits. Magical time in my game! My hopes for next year…I don’t know, get the Festivale furniture, get Papi and Olivia to join my island, maybe visit Danny Trejo’s island, who knows, sky’s da limit!

Favorite Het Couple of 2020: Nasa and Tsukasa Yuzaki from Tonikawa

This is one of the most unorthodox marriages I’ve ever seen. But in this 90 Day Fiance world we’re living in, I shouldn’t pass judgement on these two getting married in episode one and not knowing much about each other. Nasa meets Tsukasa as he was about to be plowed by a truck. Tsukasa saves his life. Nasa says she’s beautiful. Tsukasa says she’ll be his girlfriend if they get married. He agrees. She disappears. Four years later, Tsukasa appears in front of Nasa’s front door with a marriage registration form. Congratulations buddy, you’ve got yourself a waifu! In some way, this felt like watching Yamato and Takeo from My Love Story. I was fascinated with them progressing through their relationship. The only difference is that Yamato and Takeo took the old-fashioned route. This couple did everything ass-backwards in terms of having a relationship. But I couldn’t take my eyes off Nasa and Tsukasa’s relationship during each episode. I find them cute.

Favorite Yuri Couple of 2020: Karin Asaka x Emma Verde from Love Live Nijigasaki High School Idol Club

AAAAAAAAAH! I’M IN IDOL HELL AGAIN! Yeah, no kidding! I came this close to putting Miu x Nicole from that abomination 22/7. But thank God for Love Live! There’s no telling if any of the girls from the Love Live franchise are confirmed to be lesbians. But fuck it, all of them attend all-girl schools, no males exist anywhere, and Sunshine gave us Kanan x Mari! Yeah, you know Kanan and Mari is canon as fuck, don’t at me. So naturally, I found more third-years to ship in the new Love Live series. Now I know I should have put up Ai x Rina or Ayumu x Yuu. Especially the latter due to recent events! But Emma x Karin is my OTP.

Now Emma is an exchange student from Switzerland and in coming to Nijigasaki, she first meets Karin and they became instant friends. When Emma said she wants to become an idol, Karin helped her quite a bit. Even though Karin had no interest in being an idol as her modeling career is starting up, Karin would occasionally help Emma out. And surprise, surprise, Karin ends up fascinated with the idol world and Emma helps her come to the light to be herself there. Okay, I’m totally reading this in some fragmented way, but I’m currently playing Love Live School Idol Festival All Stars and the app game has a lot more stuff involving stuff the anime has yet to talk about. Confirmed or not, Karin x Emma for the win!

Favorite Yaoi Couple of 2020: Eiji Okumura x Ash Lynx from Banana Fish

It took me a while to get here, but I finally made it to 2018’s overlooked gem. Forgive me for not being fully caught up, but from what I’m watching at the moment, I’m sticking to my guns and supporting the hell out of this. I mean, I could have mentioned The Titan’s Bride here…but fuck no, I ain’t goin’ down that mess! Ash has gone through a lot, I mean a helluva lot in his past. His cute boy looks have made him a target on the streets of New York, with mafia dons, and with prison inmates. But dude can kill if you mess with him. Then you have Eiji, who is just a literal example of a “pure cinnamon roll (until episode 8)”. These two are as opposite as you can possibly get. Ash is from New York and Eiji is from Japan. Ash likes hot dogs with everything on it. Eiji likes grilled fish and natto. Ash spent the majority of his life killing on the streets. Eiji was a track superstar. You get my meaning. But when we got these two together it’s quite adorable. Ash is really able to change when he’s around Eiji. Ash isn’t some heartless killer on the street about to kill a thug with prosthetic fingers. When he’s with Eiji, he’s a joker that can easily get scared of pumpkins. And even in later episodes, you got these two acting like a husband and wife.

Fandom That You Didn’t Expect to Get Into: Les Miserables ��� A Girl Named Cosette

Let me explain a little something. Les Mis! I have never seen the play, watched the movie, or read the novel prior to picking up this anime. Not a single one of those! And that’s a bit of a head-scratcher when you realize I was a bit of a musical theater nut in my teenage years. But one thing I do like is when Japan does an anime based on plays or historical events (like Romeo x Juliet or Rose of Versailles). The second I popped in Les Miserables the anime, I wanted to binge watch the whole 52 episode series. It is by no means a perfect adaptation of the Victor Hugo novel. Several key players end up surviving all the way up to the end of the story! But because this was my very first viewing of anything Les Mis, I took to the story of Cosette and was eager to see what was going to happen next in her tale. Unlike the movies and play, Cosette was the main focus of the story besides Jean Valjean and Javert. And thanks to watching the unfortunate stories of Cosette, Jean Valjean, the Thenadiers, Javert, Marius, and the rest, I thought it was time to watch the OTHER adaptations to Les Mis.

…

Russell Crowe sucks.

Fandom That Made An Unexpected Comeback: Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni

Higurashi or When They Cry is one of my favorite fandoms of all time! So naturally when we heard that it was making a comeback, I was excited. It was also very odd that Higurashi was given this sequel or reboot. Ahem! There’s another franchise that needs a face-lift. Umineko still deserves a better treatment. Plus, now that this series was out of the faulty hands of Studio Deen, Higurashi will get the special care it deserves. Believe it or not, it wasn’t just the anime that made a comeback for me, but the manga as well. Since 2009, I’ve read several volumes (out of order) and would every now and then come back to read the story. Back to the anime, this reboot or sequel…you know what, I’m gonna call it a “rebooqual”! This rebooqual sucked me back to the town of Hinamizawa and all the murders. Every week, I find myself comparing the current episode to one from the 2006 version. But then the fourth episode of each arc seems to catch me off guard.

Where are they going with this story and these twist endings to our favorite arcs? I did not expect Rena to turn a simple attempted murder into the end of School Days! I didn’t expect Rika to die in the most disgusting fashion they could think of. Could someone kill Teppei fucking Hojo? I will pay ¥5000 for someone to do that job. So yeah, because I know how much of this plays out and who does what, I’m usually watching and reading while making wise-ass remarks. But I still have fun with it.

Fandom That Inspired the Most Crack: Konosuba

In a year where I caught up with the popular Isekais like Shield Hero and Re:Zero, I found the wacky misadventures of Kazuma Satou to be amusing as all get-out. From the first 5 minutes, I found myself laughing at Kazuma’s misfortune. Seriously, how the fuck do you mistake a tractor for a car, have a heart attack, piss yourself, and fucking die in the first couple minutes to the series? You can only get away with this shit in gag animes! But it’s not just Kazuma’s dumbass, there’s a mage who only does explosions, but loses all her energy after one blow-up. Then there’s a busty, blonde who gets turned on by getting hurt and can’t strike anything with her sword. Anime’s biggest masochist or Cheryl Tunt incarnate, I haven’t decided which one to believe! Then you have this loud, crazy goddess chick named Aqua. She’s also useless about 86% of the time! Watching their unfortunate missions is all the crack that I need to get through this year. Seriously, Darkness is just all kinds of fucked up, but we love her.

Last Fandom of 2020: Yashahime

That’s right, the InuYasha sequel gets top spot here! Even though week after week I find myself asking more questions than when the episode started, I’m still hooked. If you’re like me, you watched and fell in love with the series InuYasha. So if they’re doing a sequel, you’re expecting to see all of your favorite characters from the prequel like InuYasha, Kagome, Miroku, Sango, Sesshomaru, Koga, Rin, and the rest. Actually, no! Quite the opposite! We’ve got Sesshomaru’s daughters, but no Sesshomaru. Rin is sleeping in a tree we think! We’ve got InuYasha and Kagome’s daughter, but they’re M.I.A. None of the girls even know a thing about their birth parents.

Now are these new characters a catch like the ones from the previous series? Some are! The three main girls, yes! Especially Moroha! I’ve already praised her name earlier in the superlative. Towa and Setsuna do take on some personality traits from their parents. Setsuna is definitely serious like Sesshomaru and Towa sometimes has a carefree yet loyal aura to her like Rin. I know I’m always skeptical when a series gives us a sequel featuring the offspring of the main characters. Especially when you’ve got some lame examples like Boruto and Eureka Seven AO (I might retract my diss on Boruto later)! As each week gives us a new episode, we’re unraveling new clues into a lot of things involving our old favorite characters, as well as the new ones. So I have high hopes for Yashahime for the time being!

[timeforelfnonsense]

A Chance Meeting

ASTARION x DAFNI

Rating: G

Ao3

Dafni is a Spring Eladrin, Cleric of Corellon Larethina/Fey Wanderer Ranger as a point of clarity. Elvish Translations: Hei-Corellon shar-shelevu remedium: Corellon, by your grace grant *healing ebrath: Friend

It was her! That woman from the ship. He’d seen her strutting about when he was confined to the pod. Astarion watched her from a safe distance, assessing the threat. She didn’t look like those beasts on the ship, rather she appeared to be a winsome elven maid. She was of small, unassuming stature, fuller-figured than most elves. Her petal pink hair was tied up in a loose ponytail, a few lose, curly strays framing her soft heart-shaped face.  Her freckled, sage green skin stood out against the battered and torn, puffy-sleeved cream blouse beneath her armor. She seemed a bit disoriented. Her brows pinched and her lower lip stuck out in a girlish pout. Deep purple foxgloves sprouted through her locks as she scowled. 

That was different...

He heard a loud cry followed by a string of elven cursing. One of those foul brain creatures had captured her wrist in its tendrils.. She gave it a punt, sending it a few feet back with a wet thud. From her back, she drew an elegant longbow nocking and losing two swift arrows into the wrench. The creature seized, collapsing into a heap of ichor. 

Perhaps she wasn’t with those tentacle monsters after all? Why would their servants attack her if she was? Still, she was his best chance at answers. 

Her reaction had been rather swift. She had dispatched her attacker with little effort and what appeared to be a fair bit of skill. That could prove dangerous. He watched her wrap a shaking hand around the angry red mark left on her arm. He could smell the blood even from a distance. His throat burned as a heavenly floral fragrance filled his lungs. 

“Hei-Corellon shar-shelevu remedium.”

 A brilliant azure light radiated from an amulet around her neck before flashing beneath her palm with a silvery chime. She had healed the gash leaving behind no trace of injury. Of course, she was a cleric. He almost laughed at the irony. It seemed he had been spared being set aflame by the sun only to be staked in the heart by a cutesy cleric of Corellon Larethian. 

 Corellon Larethian.

He could work with that. He crouched low beside a fallen tree, setting the scene. He did his best to look shaken and meek. “You there! Cleric!” He shouted, “Can you help me?”

Dafni’s focus snapped to a beach, littered with mind flayer wreckage. Huddled among the debris was a frightened high elf. Her feet could hardly move fast enough. Another survivor and Protector bless her, it was an elf! Her heart swelled at the prospect of a friendly face after all she’d been through. 

“Are you hurt, ebrath?” She asked, “I’m not sure I have another spell in me. A bit of old fashioned field medicine will have to do I’m afraid.” 

“I’m fine but hurry, I’ve got one of those brain things cornered” He beckoned her closer as he knelt low. “There, in the grass. You can kill it, can’t you? Like you killed the other.”

She looked him over as he hunkered down behind a hollow log. By his finery, she assumed he was out of his depth when it came to combat. She giggled under her breath. It was quite the reverse fairy story, the pretty damsel saving a princely fellow for a dangerous monster. A warm blush crept across her cheeks. He was rather handsome despite his current disheveled state, with snowy hair and porcelain skin.

 Drat!

 This wasn’t the time for lingering gazes or flirtation. It was her duty to aid and protect her people. She couldn’t let his striking cheekbones and perfect jaw distract her! 

“Of course!” She said before nocking an arrow on her bow.

In a flash he swept her legs out from under her, sending her bow clattering into the sand. The wind was knocked from her lungs as she hit the ground with a crash. 

She could almost hear her mother’s chastising all the way from the Feywilds. See Sprout, you should never have left. Mind flayers! Cutthroats! These are the things you traded your home for?

Damn it.

“Shh. Not a sound.” He whispered, his breath cool against her ear, “Not if you want to keep that darling neck of yours.”

“You bastard!” She spat, “Spider Queen take you!”

“How vulgar.” He scolded tipping her chin up to face him with the edge of his knife. Her eyes were brimming with anger so palpable she hoped he could feel it burning a hole through him. “ I believe I asked you not to speak. Now, I saw you on the ship, didn’t I? Nod.”

How dare he! 

How dare he be so ruff with her! How dare he threaten a cleric of his creator! Dafni could feel the hot rush of summertime rage building in her chest. The bitter, metallic smell of foxgloves burned her nose as a fresh batch sprouted from her head. She struggled against the stranger’s hold but he had her held tight against his chest. Did he think her some helpless child, unable to fight back? He was woefully mistaken. 

 With a sharp jerk, she slammed her head into his jaw. Her captor winced breaking his hold on her and allowing her to slip free. A dull throb began in her own head but better that than a slit throat. He snarled at her spitting out a mouth full of blood.  Both elves scrambled to their feet. Dafni drew the long sword at her hip, holding it out in front of her.  

“Come near me again and I will cut that smug head right off your shoulders!” 

“You rotten little brat!”  He growled. “You’re in league with them, aren’t you? Those tentacled –”

Astarion winced as his mind twisted with the little elf’s. Memories and fleeting feelings flashed through his head as if they were his own. A wanderlust so deep he felt it in his bones as he stared out a tower window. A statuesque elven woman with a loving but firm expression scolded him for venturing outside the village yet again. The heavy feeling of the material plane washing over him as he stepped into a ring of mushrooms. The disorienting sensation of being plucked from a city street and confined to a pod.

“They took you too. I saw it during... whatever just happened.” He put on his most charming voice a playful smile curled at his lips, “And to think I was ready to decorate the ground with your innards. Apologies.”

He saw her relax a tad as he sheathed his dagger. He slowly scooped her bow off the beach floor offering it to her with an extended hand. She let out a huff but accepted the peace offering. 

“Apology accepted. I suppose I might have done the same if I thought you were a thrall.” Her expression softened. A painfully sweet smile formed her full lips as she extended a courteous hand to him, “You can call me Dafni.”

He chuckled, “A kindred spirit. My name’s Astarion. I was in Baldur’s Gate when those beasts snatched me.”

“Oh! I’m a baldurian as well!” 

“Is that so? clearly move in different circles. ” He kept his voice flat and casual as he shifted the conversation away from himself, “So do you know anything about these worms?”

“Well, I met a gith woman aboard the ship…” Dafni hesitated, her brows knitting together again, “She told me they would turn us into mind flayers.”

A bark of wicked laughed burst out of him in response to her admission, “Of course it will turn me into a monster. What else did I expect?”

“Hey,” She spoke in a quiet comforting voice, “Things look pretty bad but that just means they can only get better!”

He had to stain not to roll his eyes at her naïve optimism. Things could- And often did go from bad to worse in his experience. Still, he was free of Cazador. Standing out in the afternoon sun. With a cleric, he had half expected to ram a stake through his ribs on sight. Perhaps his luck was changing? 

“If we could find an expert- Someone who can control these things there might still be time.”

“That’s the spirit! We could travel together!” She chirped, “Our odds would be much better as a team.”

How was she so cheerful and trusting after all of that? No one was that nice for no reason. Regardless, she made a good point. There was safety in numbers. Foolish and over-enthusiastic as she might be, the little elf had proven herself a good fighter. He could do worse for an ally given the circumstances. Besides she was quite eye-catching…

“You know I was ready to go this alone but, maybe sticking with the herd isn’t such a bad idea.” He mused,” You seem like a useful person to know. Alright, I accept.”

“Oh! Thank you!” She squealed in delight, “I was so worried I’d be in this all alone after I woke up without my friend from the ship! But between the two of us, we’ve got this thing as good as beat!” 

[itsbenedict]

Two-Faced Jewel: Session 2

Zero and @eternalfarnham are Looseleaf and Saelhen du Fishercrown, a mothfolk animist and a half-elf conwoman. A botched heist forces Saelhen to keep up her fake identity and embark on a quest to places unknown, with Looseleaf to keep a watchful compound eye on her. This time, they prepare to set out for the jungle city of Thunderbrush.

[Campaign log]

It's less than a week after the incident with the pit under Yoshimimoto Plaza. Looseleaf returns to school with Saelhen in tow, and Looseleaf's roommate Oyobi spends some time training them up in basic monster self-defense- the two of them are now level 2! Saelhen gains a Cunning Action, and Looseleaf embarks on the Path of the Mutable Spirit. (There's no combat this session, so more on that later.)

In spending some time with Looseleaf's roommate, Saelhen picks up on... certain nuances.

looseleaf: what you know about your roommate is that she is very friendly and outgoing. the reason she's barely home most of the time is that she's always out partying or fighting or otherwise living it up on campus, and she's pretty well-known and popular amongst the student body. she's technically Martial Arts but takes a few Natural Arts classes, including your archaeology class. she wants to be an adventurer and join the Deathseekers' Guild, and she's taking multiple periods of Severe Zoology to learn to fight monsters. she thinks you in particular are adorable and has probably invited you to various social gatherings. she seems kind of spacey and unreliable, though, and doesn't seem to take you seriously.

saelhen, what you know about looseleaf's roommate is that she a freak nobody else seems to pick up on this, since there's not a lot of other elves at Blacksky, but you can tell from the way she wears her clothes and how she interacts with strangers to the uninformed observer, her fashion sense is sort of rugged and sporty and normal to an elf, her usual outfits are the equivalent of going around dressed in torn booty shorts, a spiked choker, and an ahegao t-shirt she is very obviously making a statement, and that statement is "i can do whatever i want, and if you have a problem with that you can [insert grossly offensive euphemism here]" her super-smiley friendly attitude is clearly part of this- she is breaking every single rule in the elf book, going right for the friendship throat in every social interaction and ignoring every single nicety that's supposed to precede friendly contact she acts a little different around you- like, she expects you to be in on the joke she's playing on everyone around her. she'll say something seemingly innocuous that's a actually a horrendous boundary violation in Kanzentokai, and then look at you with an expectant smile, to see if you appreciated the hilarious prank she just pulled. being around her is like being in the studio audience for a cringe comedy sitcom

Why are we learning so much about Oyobi? Well, partially because I can't help but overthink every single bit character, but also for reasons that'll become clear shortly.

After a few days, Saelhen and Looseleaf are invited to the Provost's office, up at the top of Blacksky Tower. (Ominous sort of place, for a faculty building- hewn out of a single chunk of sparkling black stone, oldest building on campus.) They are not invited to sit- the office contains no chairs.

Provost Hamori Los has good news for them! The people she's had secretly monitoring Saelhen for the past few days- did she forget to mention that?- have determined, by triangulation, that the arrow on Saelhen's bracer is currently pointing in the direction of Thunderbrush, deep in the giant-spider-infested jungle. So that where they'll be going, on a fun field trip!

Looseleaf could not be happier about this. Or less happy. She's really got precisely the amount of unhappiness that she's obligated to feel about giant spiders, being a giant moth.

Luckily, they won't have to trek through the jungle- Hamori has arranged for transportation via the ferry at the town of Cauterdale, which should allow them to bypass a treacherous trek into the depths of the Remoline Rainforest. They'll each be provided 100gp as funding for this academic enterprise- and Headmaster Goodcrest of Thunderbrush Metropolitan University has agreed to provide lodging for them on arrival. Everything is handled for them- so there shouldn't be any problems!

There is one more thing, though- all the different schools want in on this trip, so one school doesn't get all the credit. They're required to bring along a representative from the School of Arcane Arts and the School of Martial Arts, on top of Looseleaf from Natural Arts. And on top of... the representative from the School of Restricted Arts.

This dude is named Vayen, and he's not much for conversation. Or explaining what he's even doing here. Or doing anything besides skulking a careful distance away from the party, staring and listening. What does the School of Restricted Arts even study, again?

Anyway, Looseleaf has someone in mind from Martial Arts, so she leads the party to the School of Arcane Arts to do some recruiting! After being chewed out by Two-Brains for trying to post notices outside the official student notice board, she puts up her ad:

It's not long before she gets a bite!

Orluthe Chokorov is a cleric-in-training, under Diamode, the Goddess of Family. He's been enrolled in Arcane Arts at the insistence of his family... but he seems to think he's a "fake", and is desperate to go somewhere, anywhere, as long as it means he passes his classes without having to actually... be able to do whatever it is he's taking classes in. He says he can fight, though- in fact, he's eager to fight! He once beat Bud Chestplate, did you know?

There are perhaps less delinquent candidates they could go with, but there's something nice about a party member with secrets Saelhen could use as blackmail.

Saelhen du Fishercrown: "...rest assured that I shall be the soul of discretion. As will Looseleaf." "Though I fear that deception of this sort does not come easily to me..." Looseleaf: "Noeru, if he doesn't want to get into it, he doesn't have to- oh my god."

Having recruited Orluthe, the party heads back to Looseleaf's dorm to ask Oyobi about the Martial Arts students- maybe she has some idea as to who would make a good candidate for the trip!

(This isn't me foisting her on the players, though I did suggest it- after the party of two squishies got wiped in the first encounter, I offered them the chance to put together two NPCs who they'd get to control in combat. Their character sheets were more or less created by the players, and I matched their mechanical requirements to NPCs. We may end up having multiple characters per PC, later- this is sort of a trial run.)

With a cleric(?) and a ranger on the team, plus whatever Vayen is that he won't tell them, they're feeling ready to hit the road- right after a shopping trip.

Saelhen buys...

1x bag of 1000 ball bearings

1x traveler's clothes

1x hooded lantern

15x doses of insect repellent salve (much to Looseleaf's great offense)

2x uses of sealing wax

1x tinderbox

fuck it, 4x more bags of 1000 ball bearings

Zero: 'what are you going to do with five thousand ball bearings' 'when the time comes, i'll know'

Looseleaf buys...

1x pint of oil

1x bag of 1000 ball bearings also

5x healer's kits, to distribute to the party

1x pouch of various plant seeds

1x map

Notably absent is any food, since they have Oyobi in their party- she's a ranger with the Goodberry spell. (I've reflavored it to just mean she's good at foraging and always has rations on hand, because holy crap, Goodberry rules-as-written is totally worldbreaking- why would farms exist?)

During their shopping trip, Saelhen manages to get Oyobi alone, without the rest of the party. Oyobi's shtick has been fun, for her, as someone with very little regard for elven rules of politeness, but... it's still a little much. She asks Oyobi to tone it down.

Oyobi Yamatake: "I mean, I thought you had to no-sell it to keep up the fake noble act- I didn't think it was actually getting you!" "That's priceless, oh my god." "What's there to take a 'break' from, anyway? What's wrong with just living?" Saelhen du Fishercrown: "Primarily, the fact that I really need not to twitch in front of the Provost's silent murder goon." Saelhen jerks a thumb over her shoulder, then belatedly checks to make sure that Vayen is not in fact literally right behind her. Benedict I. (GM): Make a Perception roll? Saelhen du Fishercrown: aw, hell, he definitely is, isn't he

She rolls a 13, and no one in particular rolls a 17. So, everything is fine. They keep their voices down, anyway.

Oyobi Yamatake: "I mean, is it really a problem? Can you really not keep a straight face?" Saelhen du Fishercrown: "I mean, I can." Saelhen sweeps a hand over her face and is the picture of serenity. "Why should the lady Noeru de la Surplus concern herself with small lapses such as these?" "Surely someone shall find it in their hearts to forgive all trespasses." Oyobi Yamatake: She snorts. "Okay, I get your point." "But really, don't you think it's weirder for an elven noblewoman not to react?" "You don't think he thinks it's suspicious that you take it all in stride?" Saelhen du Fishercrown: "The character is admittedly kind of a freak. I'm making allowances. I mean, this is fun and all, but if no one sees through the bit at all and I'm stuck in it long-term, which it seems like I am, it's like..." "Just being back in Kanzentokai, except worse, because no one is making me." "And drow catch a lot of crap anyway. They don't need me to teach them that elves can be assholes." Oyobi Yamatake: She frowns. "You can't make me try to keep up with the rules, y'know. I'm not going to put up with that garbage ever again." "But I can tone it down with the..." "Y'know, the stuff I'm going out of my way to do, if that helps." Saelhen du Fishercrown: "The wink-and-nudge, yeah. That would help." Oyobi Yamatake: She sighs. She seems a little put out by all this, but pretty quickly puts her happy face back on.

Meanwhile, Looseleaf and Orluthe seem to have lost track of Vayen. It doesn't take them long to find out where he went (well, after Looseleaf rolls a nat 1 on investigation and accidentally pisses off an old lady she mistook for Vayen). Turns out... he's hiding behind a statue of Ccorde, spying on Saelhen and Oyobi.

Looseleaf doesn't buy his crappy excuses, but also... she isn't altogether opposed to the concept of spying on "Lady Noeru de la Surplus", who really ought to have someone keeping an eye on her. So, she just hands him a medical kit- a kit she happens to have used her animist class feature Soul Link on, so she knows where it is at all times. (She's done the same to the bracer.)

Now, with the shopping done, it's time to hit the road! They have a couple options: go on foot, or requisition some giraffes.

(In this world, they domesticated giraffes instead of horses. Why? Because it's a fantasy world and why not?)

The city's main giraffe rental is run by the Ecumene of Understanding, based out of the Temple of Andra. You can rent giraffes for free, as long as you're willing to serve as a courier for the Ecumene- their convoluted legal system requires them to send mail between cities frequently, and they've only got so many clerics on hand. So, anyone wanting to travel the roads can receive a delivery quest from the Ecumene, and rent mounts for free in exchange!

They meet with the Bishop of Understanding of Oyashio, Sarat Aerens.

Aerens has a simple request for them: in addition to visiting Thunderbrush's Temple of Andra with a mail delivery, they're to bring back a report from said temple on the whereabouts of the Siren's Arraignment, a ship that departed from Oyashio and never arrived at its next destination, Snowhold. There's suspicion that the Siren's Arraignment never departed from its supposed origin of Thunderbrush to begin with, either- so the Ecumene put some clerics on the job to investigate, and the party's job is just to relay their message.

With that, they're given giraffe passes, and directed down to the stables, where they find the stablehand, Updraft, having some difficulties.

Benedict I. (GM):There's no one at the pickup window, but there's a sparrow aarakocra just behind, trying to get a giraffe several times her height to get up and out of the damn water trough. Updraft: "...not a bath, ye stubborn git!" "Ye drink from that, lackbrains!" "Y'really want t'be tastin' yer arse?" Looseleaf: OH I CAN HELP WITH THIS FINALLY, A PLACE WHERE I CAN APPLY MY ADVANTAGE ON ANIMAL HANDLING

Looseleaf uses her Soul Read ability to tune in to the giraffe's feelings and recent history, and discovers that someone fed it a hot pepper and it's in, um, anal distress.

Orluthe volunteers to do some healing to the giraffe, with his Lay On Hands ability. Is... that a cleric thing? Do clerics do that? Probably. In this world, clerics perform magic by inviting their god directly into their mind to borrow their brainpower and work miracles directly, and it sure looks like he does that when he does his healing. He channels a god, for sure!

Benedict I. (GM): As he touches the giraffe, you see his body begin to glow, and his facial features are overlaid with another face. "...A giraffe?" "A waste, I suppose, but... perhaps it'll win us some favor." The voice he speaks in sounds more feminine, somehow.

Some religion checks reveal that this doesn't seem quite right for a cleric of Diamode, the goddess of Family. But hey, healing's healing, right?

With that, they're able to get their giraffes no problem- and next time, they'll be on the road to Thunderbrush!

[northoftheroad]

Hi! I'm really sorry to bother you! But I was wondering if you could give us a list of recommended stories with dick after his Robin days. Like after bruce fired him and he became nightwing? All up to the time he had to become batman? I really love your content by the way ☺️!!!

Gosh, this turned out to be even more tricky than the Robin list, and it's frightfully long!

One reason is that storytelling has changed since Dick was Robin. Back in the Golden and Silver age, with very few exceptions, comics were stand-alone short stories. In later decades, it's usually arcs that span at least a couple of issues. Some themes can run for a very long time. For instance, Dick was brainwashed by Brother Blood in New Teen Titans vol 1  # 22 (in 1982), and that would have consequences until The New Teen Titans vol 2 #31 (1987). 

There are also a looot of stories – apart from guest appearances, Nightwing is a regular/lead character in several books named New Teen Titans/Titans and suchlike, 1980-1996 and 1999-2009; Outsiders vol 3 (2003-2007); Nightwing vol 1 (1995) and vol 2 (1996–2007). In team titles, several characters compete for attention. Also, I have read and know the Nightwing books more than his team titles, so they will be more prominent on my list. 

There are a bunch of stories where Dick has a pretty small role and won't be in a lot of panels, but those panels can be "important" and often quoted when it comes to Dick. For instance, Bruce Wayne: Murderer/Fugitive, Hush, Under the Hood... 

So, you'll have to take this for what it is. A very personal list, with stories I like (and remember), or have some fun panels, or are "important". Because certain stories are essential to the character's history, regardless if you like them or not. (And if you want more of Dick with Kory/Starfire, read the New Teen Titans titles.) If you'd like to see a synopsis before you commit to reading – because did I mention it is a very long list indeed? – the dc.fandom.com wiki page will often provide. 

(Or you could do the sensible thing, and see this as more of "the complete history of pre-Batman Nightwing, and ask somebody else for recommendations...) 

The Judas contract (when Dick becomes Nightwing). The New Teen Titans # 39-40, Tales of the Teen Titans #41-44, Annual #3. (1984) 

Trivial Pursuits. NewTeen Titans vol 2 # 32. (A nice breather, when the Titans try just to relax together. It goes as well as can be expected.) (1987)

Batman # 416. (First post-Crisis meeting with Jason Todd) (1988)

The Cheshire Contract. Action Comics Weekly # 613-618 (Dick helps Roy find his daughter.) (1988)

The New Titans # 55. (Dick learns about Jason's death when the Titans return to Earth after a long period in space. He goes to Bruce to talk and what follows is the infamous scene when Bruce hits Dick, says he should never have had a partner and tells Dick to leave and leave the keys with Alfred.) (1989)

Batman year Three. Batman # 436–439. (Flashbacks with a retelling of Dick's origin, during Bruce's third year as Batman. In the "now", Dick tries to reach out to Bruce and Dick's parents' murderer is about to be set free.)  (1989)

A Lonely Place of Dying. Batman # 440-442, New Titans # 60-61. (1990)

The New Titans # 65. (Tim turns up at Dick's place to learn what it is to be Batman's partner.) (1990)

Total Chaos. (In issues of Deathstroke the Terminator, New Titans and Team Titans.) (Mirage, a woman from an alternate future and who has illusion casting powers, takes the form of Starfire and sleeps with Dick, who is shamed by his team members for being unfaithful to Kory, even though this is rape. So, an important fact to know but not something I would recommend to read.) (1992)

Knightfall Prodigal (Dick's first longer stint as Batman. And he takes care of Tim and the Manor on his own!) In Batman #512-514 and three other titles. (1994-1995)

Nightwing Alfred's Return (Kind of fun, when Dick seeks out Alfred, who left Bruce's service because Bruce wasn't taking care of himself, in London.) (1995)

Nightwing vol 1 # 1-4. (I don't love this, but it is a milestone in that it's the first Nightwing solo series, Dick momentarily decides to leave the hero business, and gets his by now classic fingerstripe suit.) #1-4 (1995)

Like Riding a Bike. (Donna checks up on Dick.) The Batman Chronicles # 7. (1996)

(Nightwing vol 2 began in 1996.)

Nightwing vol 2 # 6. (Tim and Dick talk and fight crooks.) (1997)

Nightwing vol 2 # 12-16. (Batman pays a visit and Dick makes his custom made car.) (1997) 

The Flash plus Nightwing. (Dick and Wally on vacation.) (1997)

Then & Now. Teen Titans vol 2 #12-15. (The original four Titan boys find themselves fighting their past selves.) (1997)

Nightwing vol 2 # 25. (Tim and Dick talk and ride on train roofs. Dick has decided to become a cop.) (1998)

Detective Comics # 725 (A heart-to-heart between Bruce and Dick.) (1998)

The Technis Imperative. JLA/Titans #1-3. (1998-1999)

The Titans (1999) # 2. (The start of a new Titans team, Dick tells Superman to give them some room.) (1999)

Nightwing vol 2 # 32–34. (Dick at the Police Academy.) (1999)

Nightwing vol 2 # 35–39. (On a mission from Batman: To take control of Blackgate Prison. Afterwards, he recuperates at Barbara's when her place is attacked.) (1999-2000)

The Titans (1999) #15–16. (The original five Titans try to work out some difficulties.) 2000.

Transference. Batman: Gotham Knights #8-11. (2000)

Nightwing vol 2 # 45-46. (The Hunt for Oracle.) (2000)

Action Comics # 771. (Nightwing and Superman hang out and work together – what's not to like!) 2000

Gods of Gotham. Wonder Woman # 164-167. (2001)

Nightwing vol 2 # 54-58. (Blockbuster, Nightwing's main adversary in Blüdhaven, hires an old enemy of Dick's to deal with the vigilante: Shrike. A character from Robin Year One.) (2001)

Matatoa. Batman: Gotham Knights # 16-17. (Bruce adopts Dick.) (2001)

Who Is Troia? The Titans (1999) # 23-25. (A visit from the Titan's children from the Kingdom Come universe.). (2001)

Retribution. Batman: Gotham Knights # 20-21. (2001)

Nightwing vol 2 # 64. (Nightwing as Santa's elf.) (2001)

Bruce Wayne: Murderer and Bruce Wayne: Fugitive (in several titles). (Dick refuses to believe that Bruce can be a murderer and it causes friction with for instance Tim. Also, a big fight between Dick and Bruce when the latter says he is going to abandon his Bruce identity.) (2002)

Nightwing vol 2 # 75. (Flashback's to Dick's early years with Bruce. Plus the first appearance of Tarantula (Catalina Flores; a controversial figure in Dick's history, she straddled the line between vigilante and villain.)) (2002)

Hush. Batman # 608–619. (# 615 for Dick, but it might be confusing only to read one issue.) (2002-2003)

The Obsidian Age. JLA vol 1 # 68-75. (The Justice League members disappear, Dick leads a new team for a few issues. In # 73, Bruce is quoted:" The only time I ever feel pride is when I look at Nightwing. Sometimes I think he's the only thing I ever did right."). (2002-2003)

Titans/Young Justice: Graduation Day # 1-3 (Donna is killed. Dick is devastated and declares that the Titans are finished.) (2003)

Nightwing vol 2 # 80-83. (Deathstroke is in Blüdhaven to kill someone close to Dick. Bruce asks when he will quit the force, Dick wants to stay as a cop, but when he saves Amy Rohrbach, she recognizes that Dick is Nightwing and fires him.) (2003)

Nightwing vol 2 # 86. (Dick, forced to rest after being injured, solves crimes on America's Most Wanted and drives Barbara up the wall.) (2003)

The Outsiders vol 3 # 1 (Roy talks Dick, who dissolved the Titans after Donna's death, into leading a new team, promising they will not be a family.) (2003)

Nightwing vol 2 # 87-100. (Definitely one of the darkest periods points in Dick's life pre-Flashpoint. Tarantula breaks up him and Barbara. Blockbuster destroys his circus, his home and kills people just for talking to Dick. Tarantula kills Blockbuster and Nightwing is too exhausted to prevent it, and afterwards, she rapes him (# 93). Not necessarily an arc I would recommend to read, but fans discuss it a lot.) (2003-2004)

The Outsiders vol 3 # 11 (Roy is angsting about going back to the hero business after narrowly surviving being shot, sparring and heart-to-heart with Dick follows.) (2004)

Under the Hood. Batman # 635-641, 645-650, Annual # 25. (2004-2006)

Nightwing Year One. Nightwing vol 2 # 101-106. (I honestly don't care much for this story, but it's good to know that it's one of several retellings of how Dick became Nightwing.) (2005)

Supergirl (2005) # 3 (Supergirl has a huuuge crush on Nightwing... ) (2005)

Silent partner. The Outsiders vol 3 # 21-23. (Dick goes ballistic when he realizes Batman has been funding the Outsiders, Roy admits Batman has been feeding him information. Only it wasn't Batman – it was Deathstroke in disguise.) (2005)

DC Special: The Return of Donna Troy  # 1-4. (2005)

Nightwing vol 2 # 107–117. (Dick leaves Nightwing, starts working for the mob and trains Deathstroke's daughter. I think the author has some kind of resolution to the crisis Dick had gone through the last years in mind, but Infinite Crisis got in the way. Blüdhaven is destroyed in a nuclear explosion.) 

Infinite Crisis. (DC had planned to let Dick die, he is central to the story even if he's not very visible.) (2005-2006)

Targets. Nightwing vol 2 # 125-128. (Dick hunts for a day job in New York and gets buried alive, which leads to some retrospection on his behalf. There's also fights with a guy with a weaponized armour.) (2007)

The Brave and the Bold # 15. Nightwing and Hawkman. (Deadman, inside Hawkman, says that Dick Grayson is the one guy that every crimefighter trusts.) (2007)

Outsiders: Five of a Kind – Nightwing/Boomerang. (It ends with Batman telling Dick: "Go back to the good fight, Dick. Leave the bad fight to us.") (2007)

Wrath Child. (A story from when Dick was fairly new as Nightwing.) Batman Confidential # 13-16. (2008)

Freefall. Nightwing vol 2 # 140–146. (Dick starts freefalling as a new hobby; Bruce is not pleased. And he gets a new daytime job, as a museum curator. Oh, and there's Talia al Ghul, too.) (2008)

Robin # 175. (Some fun panels with flashbacks with Dick and Tim.) (2008)

The Great Leap. Nightwing vol 2 # 147–151. (Two-Face wants Nightwing to save a life.) (2008-2009)

Titans (2008) # 10. (Dick leaves the Titans because he needs to go back to Gotham and "take care of my other family." (2009)

Nightwing vol 2 # 152-153. (That time when Ra's al Ghul called Dick detective. And Dick packed up and left New York to move back to Gotham.) (2009)

Batman # 682. (Just for the line about how Dick made colour come into their monochrome lives ;-) ) (2009)

Detective Comics # 85, Batman # 684 (Dick mourning Bruce) (2009) 

The Secret Six # 9. (Some of the members of the Secret Six feel they should be the new Batman.) (2009)

Battle for the Cowl # 1-3. (2009)

[today-only-happens-once]

Have you talked about your DnD PCs before? Can you talk about your game on tumblr? What's all been going on last few sessions :o

ANON you are one of my favorite people today this ask made me so freaking happy. (So is @psychedelicships  who said I had an invitation to ramble about my d&d campaign) Sorry for my excited gushing and rambling slkdfjdsklfjskldfj

My D&D Player Character

So my current D&D PC is named Kyssarda. She’s a half-elf neutral-good monk. I’ve rambled about her backstory before but the condensed version is that there’s a pattern of people leaving her/abandoning her in her life. Her parents died in a fire that her older brother rescued her from when she was four. She passed out on the way out, and when she woke up, she’d been told that she’d been left on the doorstep of the temple. Her brother was no where to be found. When she eventually made her way back home, her home was ash. Monks trained her, but they weren’t really equipped to raise a small child, so Kyssarda had a very lonely upbringing. The monks follow Sehanine (d&d deity), so she was raised on the tenants of her teachings and the teachings about following your own path led to her eventually striking out on her own. As a result of her upbringing and past, the people in her life (i.e. the party) are super important to her, because they are the first friends she ever chose and in some ways, they’ve chosen her too. She has abandonment issues up the wazoo, and hoo has she been reminded of that in recent sessions.

She’s very... empathetic and soft. She pays close attention to the mental/emotional state of her party members. Part of that is just who she is, but a lot of that is informed by her own loneliness. She doesn’t want others to feel like they’re alone, because she knows very intimately how much that can suck. Her loyalty and protectiveness of her friends leads her to sometimes not make the most tactically advantageous decision in combat, and also means that she has basically no self-preservation instincts (which is the main reason I’m pretty sure she’s gonna die before the campaign is over).

Campaign Stuff/Ramblings (under a cut because I’m literally just never going to shut up lets goooo):

So the original party consisted of a Teifling Paladin, a Wood Elf Rogue (who is multiclassing in monk), a Leonin Blood Hunter, and Kyssarda. We met during a fighting tournament and was contracted by the king to retrieve something for him. We teamed up for that, and convinced the king to come along too. So we traveled to some ruins, fought some stuff, and found the relic the king needed. We ran into a Jotenheim giant and fought that. In the process, the Leonin ended up attacking Kyssarda (cuz he’s basically a werewolf lion, and when he goes to his hybrid form and drops below half-health, he has to save on a wisdom saving throw or he just attacks the closest figure which happened to be meeee). 

Later on in a different fight in the same place, Kyssarda freaking died thanks to 2 chain lightnings (I took damage while unconcious and then rolled a Nat1 on the death save). But the king we brought along was a cleric who had what was needed for revivify. So Kyssarda came back, with a withered left hand. The Leonin felt responsible for her death because he’d attacked her earlier, and vowed to help her fix her hand. 

I forget exactly when, but during this journey, Kyssarda and the Leonin learned that there was a war brewing between two different kingdoms and that the Elf Rogue seemed to have a personal (but vague?) stake in the outcome of that war.

but ON OUR WAY BACK to the city, we got side-tracked with a quest to help a little girl rescue her family. So we also fought a troll and a hag. And when we were getting her family out, we also found (Surprise!!) the estranged (kinda) sister of the Elf Rogue. 

This lead to some downtime back at the main city. Kyssarda got her hand fixed at a temple. We got the sister of the Elf Rogue healed up at the same temple. The Leonin had a hilarious and embarrassing fight with a creature I can’t remember the name of. And lots of research was done by all about various things. Kyssarda did the most research, as she grew up working in the library section of the monk monastery so she’s always curious. So she starts looking into things about the war going on, and learns that Mr. Elf Rogue is in fact ROYALTY. He’s a prince of one of the countries at war. And we had learned already that he had fled the city with his siblings but not that he was royalty?? So that was a trip to learn. 

Meanwhile, Kyssarda is also helping the Teifling Paladin with some research because he’s been having weird dreams. And while they’re chillin’ in the library, the Paladin finds this book and gets sucked into it. Like. One minute he’s there, one minute he’s not and the book is floating before it closes and slams on the table. So Kyssarda (Ms. Abandonment Issues and also Freshly Traumatized By Havivng Died) panics and takes the book and runs. Our Paladin is still in the book. We sent him a Sending Scroll asking if he was okay and he basically said “Yeah im fine I’ll be back eventually”. Kyssarda also had a nice heart-to-heart with the Elf Rogue about the reemergence of his sister and told him a little about how her own brother abandoned her and encouraged him to just be patient with her (because the sister is not happy with him). 

But the show must go on, and our Elf Rogue really wants to get back to his home and help in the war effort somehow, plus find his brother who also is MIA. So Kyssarda, the Leonin, the Royal Elf Rogue, his sister, AND another human PC (a guy who helped sneak the Elf Rogue and his siblings out the city all those years ago and was being played by the guy who used to be the Paladin) all travel out headed towards the Elf Rogue’s homeland. 

But we get to the border at a bridge, and the party finds themselves facing down some harpies, some marrows, and a water elemental. In the fight, Kyssarda casts silence to help against the siren song the harpies were singing. Which was mostly a good thing. The water elemental was something else though. It engulfed both Kyssarda and the Elf Rogue, and Kyssarda was down to 1 HP when the Leonin yanked her out. However, because of a REALLY unfortunate roll by the human pc to save from a drop into the river (rolled a 2 and had a minus 2 on the modifier), he was unconcious and drowning. And none of our characters knew because. y’know. Silence. He kept drowning as the fight went on. And he eventually got washed up on some rocks and could make one death save after two failed ones. And he failed. And we had no cleric, and besides... it was more than a minute before we found his body down river. 

And all of our characters felt terrible. Kyssarda has a tendency to take blame for things that maybe aren’t strictly her fault, so she definitely feels a weight of responsibility for complicated reasons. The Leonin expressed that he felt some level of responsibility as well, and also hesitation about going forward with the journey though some conversation between Kyssarda and him lead to him continuing on regardless. The Elf Rogue was pretty torn up about it. 

We got some Elf Rogue backstory that addresses the fact that he was royalty (which was something Kyssarda had thought about asking) and more explanation of what’s been going on with him and his connection to the land we’re heading towards. We run into a fey creature that was an old ally of the Elf Rogue and Teifling Paladin, and we agreed to help him.

Cue the session last night.

We go to get some stuff of his back from an Incubus/Succubus pair. And sh!t hit the fan. Our Elf Rogue rolled really high stealth and decided that was a fine reason to dive through the broken window. Meanwhile, we were going on this side-quest with a half-orc barbarian (played by the guy that’s usually the paladin and who had the first PC death of the game the session prior). And the Incubus and Succubus can each essentially mind-control people, or try to. And both our barbarian and our Leonin Blood Hunter failed their wisdom save and so our two biggest heavy hitters were mind-controlled by the enemy. THAT went about as well as you’d expect. 

Over the course of the fight, the Leonin went unconcious twice. Kyssarda once. The Elf Rogue twice. And the barbarian would have gone unconcious but thanks to relentless endurance, he was brought back to one HP. In fact, we reached a point towards the end where the Leonin, Kyssarda, and the Elf Rogue were all unconcious and our barbarian was the only one standing...at one HP. That’s when the incubus (we’d killed his mate by then) took the Elf Rogue’s sister and made a break for it. The barbarian brought me back first (because I was dying in acid and therefore automatically failing death saves). Then I brought back the Leonin and we got the Elf Rogue up too. We managed to chase down the Incubus and save the sister as well. but HOLE. EE. SH!T. Most terrifying, stressful D&D combat of my LIFE. Kyssarda came very, very close for two rounds to offering herself up as a willing victim/slave/whatever if they’d let her friends go. She didn’t because the tide was starting to turn by then in the fight but it was a ROLLERCOASTER.

Before we closed the session, we went back to that fey guy and got paid though Kyssarda stormed off kind of? She didn’t vibe with the guy because she almost lost her friends over his stupid book and she was shaken and upset. But she had a conversation with the Leonin at the end of the session just kinda... dealing with the trauma of the past few days in-game. It was actually a really nice moment. I think my favorite RP moment for Kyssarda so far. 

So yeah! If you read all of this, I’m surprised and touched. Heh. I literally love D&D so freaking much, and I’m especially attached to this party and this character... though her lack of self-preservation does have me starting to plan for another back-up character just in case. ^u^

[skylanders-after-the-end]

Witch Hunt

„That doesn’t make any sense!” Spyro was marching from left to right, shaking his head. “Why would Hex work with Malefor and attack innocent people?”

“We saw her transform those molekin into the same monsters as the mabu you found, it was her all along.” Knight Light wasn’t sure why, but he had no doubts about Hex being behind all this.

“Why would she do that?” Spyro stopped and considered all the odds. “What if Malefor is controlling her as well?”

“She didn’t have black eyes.” Smash Hit, sitting on a chair with his arms crossed, was looking straight forward and talked. “She looked at us and then disappeared.”

“Malefor must have convinced her to join him after all.” Stealth Elf argued. “She spent months with him, who knows what he told her.”

“Guys, I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation for this. It has to be a misunderstanding.” Cynder was probably the most shocked to hear the news. Hex was one of her closest friends, she was always like a sister to her. For her to join the side of their mortal enemy, unimaginable. “If we could just talk to her-”

“Talk to Hex? Good luck with that.” Stealth Elf hissed. “She’s always been distant from us. I’m honestly not surprised that she would turn out to be evil.”

“You don’t know what she’s been through!” Cynder couldn’t stand by and listen to all those accusations. Someone had to defend the Undead Skylander. “We’re to blame as well! We left her with Malefor all this time and just ignored the problem instead of facing it!”

“We had more important things to do!” Stealth Elf turned around and looked the furious dragon in the eyes. “She went with him willingly. She’s the only one with the power to keep Malefor at bay, what were we supposed to do?”

“Calm down!” Smolderdash stepped between the rage engulfed Skylanders. “Fighting over this will not solve anything. We have to do something.”

“This outcome is logical.” Gearshift spoke and directed all attention to her. “Hex has spent centuries in solitude, rejected by society. Her lack of companionship among the Skylanders and cold nature increased the likeliness of her eventually turning against everyone.”

“You know, I never understood why people are so scared of her.” Roller Brawl was sitting on top of a golden fence at the side of a small bridge in the Academy. “I’m a vampire with actual roller blades, yet no one seems to mind me.”

“Everyone has a reputation RB.” Cynder has been thinking about that issue a lot, and she had her own theory on it. “Everyone used to be afraid to death of any undead, but seeing more and more undead Skylanders and other harmless undead creatures, things changed. Even I got accepted at some point.” Cynder could feel her mouth forming a smile after talking about the positive changes that came from such a dark place. Yet that smile soon faded away. “But Hex… there were always rumors surrounding her, about Malefor and making deals to gain more power. And besides that, she just has this eerie presence. Even I felt unsettled at first.”

“That’s what I’ve been saying!” Stealth Elf used the opportunity to convince the others of her mindset. “We have to get to the bottom of this, isn’t that right Spyro?”

Spyro didn’t even listen to the elf, he could only think about Hex. He made it his duty to make every Skylander feel comfortable and part of the team when he became the leader. Even though she always avoided contact, he did get to talk to the witch a few times. She was aloof, never showing a smile or being considerably kind, but sometimes he could see something in her eyes. A looming sadness, as if she had lost something a long time ago.

“Spyro?” Stealth Elf pulled the dragon out of his trip down memory lane.

“Of course.” He looked through the group of patient eyes waiting for an order. “We will find Hex and talk to her. We won’t attack her until we know what’s going on, she’s still one of us.”

Everyone nodded in agreement, even Stealth Elf found that to be the most sensible option, though she was always ready to fight.

“I’ll come with you, maybe seeing a fellow undead will make her realize that she isn’t alone.” Roller Brawl got off the fence and sharpened her skates on the rock floor underneath.

“I’m coming too.” Smolderdash grabbed her whip which she had put to the side and was ready for a new mission.

“Knight Light?” Spyro looked over to the angelic human, expecting him to tag along as usual.

“You know it.” The Trap Master pulled out his scimitar and spread his glorious wings.

“Then let’s go Skylanders!” Spyro headed out, followed by the group of heroes. Gearshift and Smash Hit stayed behind. The warsupial has been awfully quiet since their fight with Malefor and sported wounds all over his body.

“You should visit the hospital to have your wounds looked at.” Gearshift advised the Supercharger.

“I’ll sit it out, I don’t need some potions and rainbow magic.” Smash Hit refused.

Gearshift noticed his drastic change in behavior, nothing she hasn’t seen before with other Skylanders. “Suit yourself.” The robot left without another word, leaving the grumpy Earth Skylander alone.

The Skylanders began their journey on an airship. They decided to go straight to the underworld, since Hex and Malefor were only seen outside of it for their brief ambushes. Only a few of the heroes have been to the land of the undead. Of course, Cynder knew the place like the back of her claw and helped navigating the ship. They visited the most prominent places down there but had no luck with finding the undeads. While the others tried to figure out the way, Spyro noticed Cynder retreating to the edge of the ship. It has become a habit of hers to sink into deep and thoughtful moments during such rides.

“Mind if I join?” Cynder turned her head around and smiled after seeing Spyro before the dragon sat down next to her. “You look unhappy.”

“How couldn’t I?” Cynder looked at the dark cave like structures surrounding them. “Something’s wrong with Hex. We don’t know what, but we have to help her. I won’t believe that she’s turned evil until I see it.” The dragoness kept staring at the dark rocks they were passing. The place she used to consider her home seemed so foreign now, like she’s only visited it during her nightmares. “You’ve known her as long as I have, she’s always been trustworthy.”

“She has.” Spyro had to give the witch that. Yet he wasn’t innocent when it came to judging her. “But she’s been down here for months and we…”

“We didn’t help her. She has every right to be mad.” Cynder understood what the witch went through, since she also spent such a long time with Malefor in the underworld. “The Skylanders never leave anyone behind, that’s one of the first rules and we broke it.”

“There was nothing we could do. Malefor is invincible and Hex was the only one who could restrain him.” Spyro repeated the things Stealth Elf said earlier that day. And even though he didn’t want to admit it, he also wanted to forget about the dragon king. “Not to mention that we had the Golden Queen to worry about.”

“And what good did that do? She didn’t do anything while Hex was down here suffering and Malefor plotted his next steps.” The purple dragoness sighed. “I know what that’s like.”

Spyro put his paw on Cynder’s shoulder to show her that he’s there for her and that he will do everything he can to fix this.

“We’re here!” Smolderdash exclaimed upon reaching the next destination – Malefor’s throne.

The Skylanders all gathered at the front of the ship to take a look at the ancient monument. It was a giant chair, large enough for a dragon like Malefor to sit on, made of dangerously sharp rocks at the top to intimidate anyone who dares to come here. A single opening above let a dim pillar of light fall onto the throne, making it appear even more glorious and threatening.

The ship landed and the six Skylanders set foot on the cold dark ground in front of the cliff the throne was positioned on. They carefully observed the area, looking for any sign of life, which wasn’t an easy task in the underworld. Suddenly a purple cloud of smoke appeared right in front of the throne. All eyes were fixed on it before it vanished, and a familiar figure emerged.

“Hex!” Cynder cried out to her friend, who floated in place without a hint of emotions. “I’m so glad you’re okay!”

Hex looked at the Skylander who came running towards her. “It’s good to see you again, Cynder.” The dragon’s smile eventually faded when the sorceress continued. “Again, after letting me rot here for months.”

Cynder didn’t know what to say. Hex was rightfully angry, and there was no justification for the Skylanders’ dismissiveness. The rest of the team joined Cynder’s side and stared at the witch, who was clearly displeased to see them.

“Hex, what happened? What’s with all those possessed people and Malefor?” Spyro was hoping that Hex would have a reasonable explanation, but after everything he’s heard, his hopes were low.

“What happened is that I finally realized who I truly am.” Hex had a sinister tone in her voice, one the Skylanders have never heard before. “You must be confused and scared, but that was the point.”

“So you are evil after all!” Stealth Elf had already grabbed her daggers and was ready to strike the witch.

“After all?” Hex repeated that last part. Proof that the Skylanders were just like her old friends and all those ungrateful people she used to protect. “After all the things I’ve done for you? After always putting others first and sacrificing myself for you, I’m evil after all that?”

Spyro gave Stealth Elf a stern look after her reckless accusation. “Hex, let’s talk about this. You’re not evil, you never were.” The dragon desperately tried to calm the witch down after realizing his mistakes and wanted to prevent anyone else from getting hurt. “I know we neglected you and I am truly sorry that things ended up like this, but please think about what you’re doing. It’s not too late.”

“No, it is too late.” Hex made a dramatic pause, leaving the others to wonder what she was about to say next. “It’s been too late a long time ago.” The sorceress began to lift herself further up into the air, looking like she was on Malefor’s throne. “After hundreds of years of me always trying to prove that I am the person I used to be, nothing has changed.” She clenched her fists remembering all the times she was judged and harassed only because of her appearance. “You mortal creatures are so quick to jump to conclusions you don’t even think about what you say or do. After joining the Skylanders I thought the world would finally see that I’m not the villain, but I was wrong. Even you Skylanders didn’t trust me, or simply didn’t care.” Hex then turned her head to direct her sight towards Cynder. “Yet you’ve accepted the Black Dragon.” Receiving angered and somewhat scared looks, Hex continued. “But I kept on trying. It’s true I was never the most eager Skylander, but I always did what was right. And what did I get? Ungrateful looks and hostile mumbles.” Hex descended from the heights she’s reached and floated closer to the ground in front of the throne again. “Those days are over.”

Roller Brawl skated in front of the line of Skylanders and spoke up. She did join Hex on a fair amount of missions and considered her a friend, regardless of her cold behavior. “Going nuts on the Skylands will only make things worse. Please, if you just-”

“Do you think I want to make things better?” Hex sounded almost insulted. “You don’t deserve that. No matter what I did it was always wrong, you would always see me as someone with wicked intentions.” After taking a moment to cool off, Hex decided to get to the point. “No, I will give you exactly what you want, what everyone wanted for centuries. I will be the villain that everyone wants me to be.”

“I’ve heard enough!” Stealth Elf clenched her daggers and sprinted towards the witch.

“Elf, wait!” Spyro shouted after her, but the assassin didn’t listen.

Stealth Elf was running across the dark ground as she approached the cliff. Meanwhile Hex summoned a couple of orbs and aimed them at her, which the Skylander was able to dodge. Before reaching the cliff, Stealth Elf launched herself into the air and was about to strike Hex down with her blades. The witch remained calm and lifted her hand to engulf the elf with her dark magic before tossing her back on the ground.

The team watched in shock as Stealth Elf was trying to push herself up through her painful coughs, but once she did, she was ready to strike again. Knight Light decided to help his ally and ascended into the air before speeding towards Hex as well. The sorceress created a circle of skulls around her waist and launched them one after the other at the knight. He was able to destroy two of them with his scimitar and wings, but the other ones were able to hit and bring him down as well.

“You give us no choice Hex, this has to stop!” Spyro declared before he and the rest of the group joined the fight as well.

Cynder was the only one who stayed behind. She watched in horror as one of her closest friends was shooting down one Skylander after the other. It was hard to see her give in to the darkness, especially since she’s been there as well. “Guys, Hex, stop it! This won’t fix anything!”

“There is no fixing this!” Stealth Elf was thrown backwards and landed right next to the dragoness. She stopped for a second to look into Cynder’s eyes. “Now even you have to see who she truly is.”

Cynder couldn’t argue against that, but neither did she want to hurt Hex. Stealth Elf groaned before jumping back into action.

Smolderdash managed to float at eye height with Hex. The fiery humanoid created a ball of fire before whipping it towards Hex, who stopped it by catching it with her undead magic and transforming it into spectral fire. She threw it back at the Skylander, who was unable to react and got hit by it. After shaking the attack off, Smolderdash dashed through the air while turning her upper body to go after Hex with her whip. The witch was able to move back in time, allowing the whip to create a trail of fire in front of her instead. Hex kept her eyes on the flames. A grim reminder of the day where she was nearly burned alive by those she once trusted. That only fueled Hex’ hatred further and the sorceress aimed at one of the stalactites above Smolderdash, causing it to crumble down onto the heroes.

The Skylanders were able to move aside before it crushed them, but chunks of rocks which broke off managed to hit them nevertheless. Roller Brawl, being the fastest member of the group, was passing all obstacles, attempting to reach Hex. Even though the witch used to be her friend, after what she just heard and saw, the roller jammer didn’t feel the urge to hold back. With her sharp skate blades, she was able to go up the cliff and reach Hex, who gave her another cold look as if she never truly cared about her. Roller Brawl skated as fast as she could and tried to slice the witch with her roller claws to subdue her, but Hex didn’t make it easy. She was floating around Roller Brawl’s movements all while shooting her projectiles. Each orb got closer to hitting the vampire, until one finally did. The Undead Skylander was catapulted down the cliff. Before she hit the ground, Knight Light swooped in to catch the skater and gently put her down.

Spyro used his wings to keep himself in the air. Hex summoned countless orbs and skulls to launch at her former allies. Even though they outnumbered her, the witch’s magic was superior to all their combat skills. She blocked and evaded all attacks and countered with blows that always ended up hitting them. “Stop this Hex!” The leader has had enough of the sorceress’ fury.

While casting her spells, the witch paused to look up at the angered dragon. Once all Skylanders landed on the ground, she proceeded to raise both of her arms and make spiky bones shoot out of the ground everywhere. She was able to catch all the Skylanders besides Spyro and Cynder in between them, interrupting the fight and piercing some of them in the process. Cynder gasped in the background and prayed for the witch to come back to her senses. Hex lowered her arms and glared at Spyro menacingly. “Or what?”

“Or I will make you.” With his deepest and most serious voice, Spyro attempted to stop Hex through intimidation, but she remained unbothered.

“You think you can stop me?” Hex wasn’t the type to gloat, but since she was turning on the Skylanders, she wanted to let them know what they were up against. “Five of you Skylanders were no match for me, yet you hope to defeat me on your own?”

“You leave me no choice!” Spyro inhaled with all his might to charge up the powerful daybringer flame.

When the dragon unleashed the great ball of fire at the witch, she used her powers to color it purple and redirect it behind herself, destroying Malefor’s throne. Hex floated in front of the flickering mix of orange and purple flames, summoning a skull to aim at Spyro. Surprised that she was able to avoid his attack, the dragon was unable to dodge hers and fell to the ground.

The witch looked at the collection of fallen heroes beneath her. Even though she has beaten them all to the ground multiple times, they were still fighting to break free from the bones, and Spyro didn’t give up just yet. Hex soon noticed that Stealth Elf behaved awfully calm and remained inside the bony fortress, even though she could have easily escaped thanks to her agility. When the sorceress saw that there was hay coming out of one of the cuts on the elf’s body, she knew what was going on. Instantly, the witch turned around just in time as Stealth Elf exited her invisible state and pounced towards the witch, her blades gripped tightly. Right before she could strike, Hex reached out to grab the elf by her throat, cancelling the attack and choking her.

“No!” Spyro yelled upon seeing the scene. “Don’t you dare hurt her!”

Stealth Elf was like paralyzed, she was unable to move and couldn’t break free from Hex’ grasp. The witch tightened her grip and colored the Life Skylander’s veins along her neck black. “You will leave the underworld and not repeat another attempt to stop me.” She pressed even harder against Stealth Elf’s throat, who could only release a pained moan. “Or the elf will pay the price.”

“Spyro.” Cynder called after her friend with worried eyes. It seemed as if she suggested that he does as Hex says.

Spyro was angry, but also afraid. He couldn’t let Stealth Elf die, but he had to stop Hex. Time was running out as the black veins spread further across the elf’s body and her skin became paler with each passing second. “We’ll leave! Let her go!”

Just what Hex wanted to hear. She dropped Stealth Elf on the ground, who coughed and breathed hastily as the dark veins faded and her skin gained its color back. Spyro flew up to his friend and picked her up while making deadly eye contact with Hex. The witch moved her hands in a downwards motion to lower the bones around the Skylanders. Wounded and devastated, the team gathered to give their former ally one last disappointed look before turning around and leaving. Cynder stayed a little longer to look at Hex. Unlike the others, she showed only sadness after seeing the transformation of her friend. Finally, Hex turned around and left as well.

Cynder remained standing there until she could hear Spyro calling for her and hurried to catch up with the others. When the Skylanders returned to their airship and were about to head back, Cynder stopped in front of it.

“Cynder, are you coming?” Spyro asked on top of the ship, looking down on his fellow dragon.

“No.” Cynder responded. “I have something to do here.”

Spyro’s eyes widened and he was overrun by a feeling of fear again. “Cynder, please-”

“I have to, Spyro! I know that there’s still good in her!” Even though her actions spoke volumes, the dragoness who once walked the same path as Hex was certain that she could get through to her. “You would do the same thing for me.”

Spyro had dozens of reasons to keep Cynder from staying in the underworld, but looking into her eyes, he knew that he could trust her. And after all, Hex didn’t attack her. With a long sigh, he finally gave in. “Please be careful.”

“I will.” Cynder gave her friend a reassuring smile before the ship set off and the Skylanders left.

Cynder turned back around and stared at the enormous entrance of the place that used to be her home. Malefor used her once and he’s using Hex now, but the Skylander would not give up on her friend that easily.

[roxannarambles]

WIP: Mystic Messenger Game Night

MC has entered the chat

Yoosung: Oh, good, <MC> is here!

Zen: Hey, <MC>. How are you?

Seven: Hey, hey! Good to see you, <MC.> 

Jumin Han: I'm still very unclear as to what it is we're doing.

Yoosung: I was just about to explain it.

Jaehee: Mr. Han, are you certain it's necessary for me to be here? It seems highly . . . irregular to require me to participate in this.

Jumin Han: I didn't require it, Assistant Kang, I suggested it to you.

Jaehee: Yes, well . . . you suggested it rather strongly.

Seven: Aww, Jaehee, don't you want to play with us?

Jaehee: Not particularly . . .

Jumin Han: I thought it would be a wonderful bonding opportunity. Recreational activities are supposed to build mutual trust and comeraderie. Don't you want to bond with your fellow RFA members?

Jaehee: Ah . . . I . . . suppose?

Zen: I can't believe you, trust fund kid. You're ordering Jaehee around even during what little free time she has? She can spend it however she likes!!

Jumin Han: As I already stated, I gave no such orders.

Jaehee: It's all right, Zen. I chose to be here.

Zen: Hmmph . . . doesn't sound like it to me.

Yoosung: Umm . . . is everyone ready then? Should I . . . get started?

Seven: Yeah! Let's get this show on the road!!

Yoosung: Ok. So, uh, welcome, everyone! This is a game called 'Castles and Creatures!' It's a very fun role-playing adventure game. Normally it's done in person, and everybody rolls dice to determine their moves and how much damage they do and everything, but we can play it online in this chat room too!

Yoosung: Now, let's see . . . oh! Did everyone get the character sheets I e-mailed out?

Seven: Roger that, captain.

Zen: Yeah, although I don't really understand it.

Jumin Han: Yes.

Jaehee: One moment.

Jaehee: Is it the attachment you sent to me an hour ago?

Yoosung: Yeah, that's it.

Jaehee: I have it. It was in my spam folder.

Seven: lol do all of yoosung's emails end up there?

Yoosung: Hey!

Yoosung: . . . do they?

Jaehee: Of course not. It was probably in there because of the file attachment.

Yoosung: Oh, ok.

Yoosung: Well, anyway, you're all new to the game I think, besides Seven, so I filled out your character sheets for you ahead of time. I hope you don't mind.

Jaehee: These are very detailed.

Yoosung: Yeah, I know it can look a little intimidating, but try not to worry about all the numbers. I'll explain stuff to you as the need comes up. For now, can everyone find their class and race? It should be at the top of your sheets.

Jumin Han: It says Human Wizard.

Zen: Mine is a Elf Fighter?

Yoosung: Ok, great!

Jaehee: "Tiefling Cleric."

Seven: I'm a rogue, the master of darkness, of course.

Yoosung: Right. So, your class basically is your role in the game. Jumin, you're a wizard, so you have a lot of magic spells for stuff. Zen, you're a fighter, so you're good with a lot of different kinds of melee fighting. Jaehee, clerics are really important to the party for healing and support. And rogues are sneaky and good at picking locks, disarming traps, stuff like that.

Seven: We also are great at coming up with really good insults to damage the enemy's self-esteem.

Yoosung: Erm . . . sure.

Jumin Han: I have a question.

Yoosung: Go ahead!

Jumin Han: You said that I possess magic spells for "stuff"." What, exactly, is this "stuff"?

Yoosung: Oh, well, if you look further down on your character sheet you can see a list of your current spells. It's for different purposes-- for attacking, for buffing your allies, putting enemies to sleep, things like that. You can learn more spells as you level up.

Jumin Han: I see. So we will be entering combat in this game?

Yoosung: Yes, we'll sometimes fight monsters and other bad guys.

Jumin Han: So the objective of the game is to destroy 'monsters'? Interesting. It sounds as though my character can do that very well, then?

Yoosung: Oh, uh, yeah! Wizards are great. Especially with AoE spells, they can be crazy powerful. One well-aimed fireball can take out an entire room of enemies.

Zen: Hold on, what about me? Is my character any good?

Yoosung: Yours is really good too, Zen!

Jumin Han: Can he cast fireballs?

Yoosung: Er, no.

Jumin Han: Doesn't sound very good to me then. 

Zen: You little . . . ! Yoosung! This isn't fair!

Yoosung: Ah!! No, it's  . . . Fighters are great too, Zen, really! Mages are more for distance combat, they don't have great defenses. Fighters are heoric and strong and very well balanced and are great in direct combat. Plus you can use pretty much any weapon you want-- axes, swords, bows, all that. Fighters are crucial!

Zen: Oh. So I'm the hero?

Yoosung: Uhhh, well we're all heroes!

Jumin Han: Couldn't I win if I simply cast a fireball before Zen approaches me?

Yoosung: What?

Zen: Not if I shot you with an arrow first, Mr. Crappy Defenses!

Yoosung: Wait, no! We don't fight each other! We're all on the same team!

Zen: The same team? That doesn't sound right.

Yoosung: We're all supposed to work together and travel as a group. That's the whole point.

Seven: Unless Yoosung decides to allow friendly fire.

Yoosung: No!! Why would I do that?!

Seven: The battle between Wizard Han and Hero Zen could be pretty epic. 

Yoosung: Seven, this isn't helping.

Jaehee: Yoosung, may I ask a question?

Yoosung: Yes, Jaehee, of course.

Jaehee: You gave roles for everyone else, but what is your role? And what about <MC>'s role?

Yoosung: That's a very good question, Jaehee! I was going to explain that next. My role is very different because I'm the CM, or the Castle Master. I'm in charge of running the game. I tell everyone what's happening, control all the NPCs and enemies, stuff like that.

Yoosung: This is, um. Actually my very first time CMing a game.

Yoosung: I'm a little nervous.

Seven: You're doing just fine, my young padawan. 

Yoosung: Seven's CMed games a few times before, so he's been helping me out.

Seven: Soon the Castle Student will become the Castle Master.

Jaehee: And what about <MC>?

Yoosung: Ah, right! I was just finishing up <player>'s character sheet when everyone got here. Since I haven't filled it out yet, I thought it would be nice to let [her] choose the class.

Yoosung: So how about it, <MC>? Which class interests you? Pick anything you want!

Seven: . . . as long as it's one of three things.

Player:  [Bard]   [Barbarian]   [Ranger]

[officialleehadan]

Battle Lines Drawn

Rhys was keeping a close eye on Xaenxele.

The dark elf had been stalking the new arrivals for hours, and for the moment she seemed to be content simply to sneak up on them and giggle to make them jump.

The result was that their human contingent was starting to get more than a little rattled.

He understood, of course. Her and the humans. They were edging around her like they expected her to pounce on any of them at any moment. It was a fair assumption, but they were acting like prey and there was only so long Xaenxa would be able to resist killing one of them.

Mind, she wasn’t doing anything to put them at ease. That giggle of hers had left many a man waking up in the middle of the night, quaking in terror and intent on checking under his bed ‘just one more time, to make sure she isn’t there.’

They were afraid of her, she was delighting in it, and Rhys was seriously considering killing them all just to make it stop.

His love went past and he caught a glimpse of the look in her eyes a moment too late as he grabbed her.

The feeling of a knife sliding between his ribs was never an enjoyable one, and it was her goddess-cursed blade, so sharp that it barely hurt. The dark magic in the silver-white metal tugged at his soul, but as it always was, his combustion was faster.

He had been filmed once, during a Burning. From the outside it looked terrifying. His body vanishing under a wave of flames, consumed in moments before the eyes of whoever was near.

Inside though, it was different.

Heat poured through him like it did when he took his true form as a creature of fire and air. He felt his wings break free as the flames roared up around him, starting at his heart and bursting through his skin to consume the pathetic shell he wrapped around himself to hide among the humans.

Burning was different than his real fire. Hot though it was, it never affected whatever he was around. It wasn’t meant to.

As soon as the flames finished their job they coalesced back into the tightly retrained ball he kept inside his heart. A moment more of concentration and his human shell was in place again. As tentative as it always was, but good enough.

When he opened his eyes again, the humans around them were staring in terrified awe.

Xaenxa was giggling, high and delighted.

“Really?” he demanded as he sat up and brushed off the leaves that stuck to his clothes. “In front of the humans? You just couldn’t resist?”

“I like to watch you burn.” She replied silkily. He glared at her. He had hoped to keep his nature under wraps at least for a little longer. “And besides, they might as well know now. You’re going off to scout soon, and you’ll need your wings for it.”

She was right, damn her. She knew it too, but he was still irate.

“You stabbed me with the cursed one.” He complained, though he did accept her help as he got to his feet.

“It was to hand.”

“You were planning to sacrifice one of the humans.” He said accusingly and was rewarded by the dangerous little smile she got when she had blood on her hands and was pleased with herself.

“It’s been so long.” She whined as she pressed her body against his.

“Are you talking about sex or murder?” he demanded. It wasn’t worth the effort to get her off of him, and to be honest he didn’t really want to, but he was still annoyed at the stabbing.

Fatigues were easy enough to replace and he had gotten his from the elves, but he stuck a finger through the new hole with a pointed glare down at her.

“We talked about the stabbing, Xaenxa.”

“And the last time I killed you, it was by poisoning your coffee.” She said reasonably. “The time before that, I bled you out in the bath. I haven’t knifed you in a whole week.”

At least she mostly avoided the painful ways to die. She did actually like to see his Burning. Torture was too slow for her taste, and he was fully willing to burn his way out if she got that particular inclination in her head.

They only ever tested his patience with that the once. She knew better now. If she wanted to kill him, she did it quickly or not at all.

Around them was chaos. Xaenxa had picked her stage well. Most of the audience was the human agents. They had gone from rattled to entirely spooked.

Two of them had fire extinguishers. One was pointed at him.

He raised a menacing finger, ready to warn off the young man. He wasn’t fast enough. Jumpy as the humans were, he shouldn’t have been surprised at the sudden blast of icy foam.

At least it had gotten Xaenxa too if her shocked, insulted, furious cry was any indication.

“What is going on?”

The voice was Blaec’s and the dragon was entirely unamused. He was also bearing claws and more scale than he really should. Evelene was less than an arm away from him and was hiding a smile behind one slim-boned hand.

“Nothing new.” Rhys said resignedly before looking at the two soldiers with the fire extinguishers.

“I’m going to light on fire again in a moment.” He said clearly. “Do not shoot me with that stuff a second time.”

Weakly, the two nodded and he took a step away and lit up. The pink foam crisped, and started to expand faster than he could try to burn it away, prompting a birdlike hiss. The hotter he got, the faster it expanded.

“S-sir, it’s chemical foam. We use it for napalm.” One of the soldiers, now looking decidedly shamefaced, told him.

Grumbling, he shifted fully into his true form. As a firebird, his physical form was buried deep under layers of white-hot flames.

The foam slid to the ground where it kept growing startlingly fast under his talons. He took a careful hop away from it before shifting back again.

“My hair is going to smell funny for days.” He said mournfully, looking down at his clothes, which were protected from most types of fire, his own included.

Xaenxa wasn’t giggling anymore.

The foam had mostly missed her, but she was still painted in a bright stripe from shoulder to wrist.

With a furious glare, she was slowly scraping it off, before giving up and simply pulling her ruined sweater over her head. “You can have your foam back.” She snarled. With a sharp gesture, she threw the foam-covered wool at the soldier nearest to her.

He caught it dumbly and Rhys chuckled. He might have just been doused with fire-extinguishing foam, but he would never be as offended about it as Xaenxa was.

“If you two are done playing around.” Blaec said. He had actually cracked a half-smile over Xaenxa’s fussing. There wasn’t much in the world that would get the dark elf truly offended. It was a treat to see.

“Oh we’re done.” Rhys said. He caught Xaenxa’s hand before she could go after the agent who had sprayed them, halting her attempt abruptly. Without letting go of her, he headed for the command tent at Blaec’s heels. She resisted for a minute before she followed after him, grumbling unhappily in her native tongue the whole way.

Rhys didn’t know what she was saying, but whatever it was made one of the elves they passed turn white.

Always good to make friends with the locals, he supposed resignedly

They were slow to get to the command center and raised voiced heralded their arrival.

Razz and the director were having a fight at the top of their lungs.

Thori and Brandon were clearly staying out of the way of the fight and Rhys made his way towards them. Blaec could handle the other two.

“What’s all this about?” he asked their friends quietly.

“Nick wants to send Evalene in to get a look at the Necro base. They’re on the edge of a river.” Brandon told them.

“So what’s the problem? She scouts like that all the time. It’ll be a little cold for her, but-” Rhys started.

“That river is ten feet deep at the deepest spot, and clear as glass.” Thori finished for Brandon. Rhys shook his head, astonished that the director would make the same foolish mistake twice.

A furiously quiet voice joined the fray as Blaec found out what the fight was about. The dragon’s voice was trembling with rage.

“You wish to foolishly risk my treasure? For the sake of knowledge easily gained in other ways?”

His cold question silenced the other two.

“You do realize in water that shallow, I’ll be visible at a glance.” Evalene pointed out angrily. She leaned over the map and ran her finger along the river in question. “My scales are bright red. They’ll see me coming if they give half a look at the water.”

“We need to see what they’re up to, and you’re one of the only ones we have who can get near.” The director said.

“Even I would be less noticeable if I flew in overhead.” Blaec growled. “At least against the night sky I wouldn’t be immediately visible to everyone.”

“I’m going in.” Rhys said, stepping forward. “Like I always do. I’ll stay high. I look like a plane at that height.”

“If they spot you, we’re blown. There aren’t many of your kind in the world.” Nick said shortly.

“I’ve been scouting for longer than you’ve been alive, human. I can manage a simple run without raising suspicion.”

“You can’t know that!”

Blaec snarled. “You are not in charge here.” He said flatly. “When you hired me and my team, you put this entire operation into my hands. That means you do as I say.”

“We hired you, Petros.” Nick shouted. “You work for us until your contract is up. You and your team.”

“You think that?” Blaec said, so softly that Rhys had to strain to hear him. “You think you own me now? Very well. See how long your control lasts without me here to help you.”

With that parting shot, the dragon turned on his booted heel and stalked out of the tent. As he passed them, each of his team fell into step behind him.

“Agent Leith.” The director was furious. “Brandon!”

Rhys was proud when their human teammate’s step never faltered as he walked with them out to their Humvee.

“Take us back to the mine.” Blaec ordered Thori. “Let the human try to explain to Melaena why we’ve left. If he’s lucky, she’ll kill him before we’ve finished dealing with the Cult.”

“And if he’s not lucky?” Brandon asked quietly. Blaec smiled, showing his fangs.

“Then he’ll live long enough for me to deal with him myself.”

+++

HGE - Mismatched

What do you get when you put a dragon, his mermaid, a dark elf, a half-dwarf, and a firebird into a zombie apocalypse?

A very frustrated human, who really isn’t sure how he ended up in this situation to begin with.

Death Valley Sand

The Regency

Red Scales and Golden Hair

En Route

Silver-White Knife

A Question of Faith

Coven Court

Aftermath

Under Stone

New Arrivals

Battle Lines Drawn

+++

More Stories!

+++

Support me on Patreon

[savrenim]

Do you have any role-playing tips? Especially for a more ~serious~ character? Cause i want my character to bond with the rest of the party, but im not rly sure where to start, especially since ive established her as kind of closed off

OH WOW OKAY

super honored that you asked

gods lemme see, I have a lot to say and some of it might be contradictory because so much of improvising and character creation and motivation is character, so this is going to be stream-of-consciousness under the cut

things that you can do that are just you—get comfortable improvising things, DnD and roleplaying in general is improv, it’s all say “yes and” and “go with the flow”

—but also get comfortable saying “yes” to yourself and not second-guessing yourself

—ie if you say something or do something don’t second-guess it, let it have happened, let it be canon. and then from there, ask yourself why.

—seriously, the most interesting thing I have ever done and best way that I’ve ever built characters is I thought I had an idea who they were, and then they said or did something during a session that made me go “oh shit, why did they do that”, and it either connected to a thing in their backstory I didn’t realize or indicated that they had a stronger feeling about something than I realized and letting the thing that I’d done be canon that then I post went back and extrapolated from allowed the character to grow and mature and develop better than if I’d been wishy-washy or had stopped myself from doing the thing that came to mind in the moment because I was worried about whether or not it was “in-character” enough

—and you can use that to reverse-engineer a character that better fits the overall party dynamic

—for example, for the department campaign I’d completely accidentally created a character who was a bit of a prissy field librarian here for linguistics and to be the arcane consultant and had never seen a death before and believed strongly in all life was utterly irreplaceable and precious for a party that was way more classic DnD and way less character-driven and VERY murderous even though we’re the good guys on a classic “save the world from demons” quest just very chill about murdering moochs, and so slowly from interactions and reactions it turned out her upbringing was a more extreme high class controlling mother and her morals developed into a way more interesting “I am privileged and detached and am trying to say that I care about not killing but tbh as an elf who’s essentially immortal and the rest of you all die in 50 years anyways it is kind of weird to care about your lives and my family thinks I’m weird and really going through a phase for doing so and it’s hard to stick to that when you all seem chill with killing people so okay I guess we’re murdering people now, gotta stop the demons” and the more I leaned into that, the more interesting it became, because as she became a more powerful arcanist I started leaning into the “the more high level spells she cast the more she started power-tripping/the power affected her brain and the less she stuck to the morals she cared so much about at first that her friends didn’t” that, like. this has been a hella interesting, hella engaging character for me. if I had gone “Seraph Maewel has never seen anyone die before and she refuses to be a part of intelligent humanoid killing so we have to make sure we only knock people out and just kill the monsters and I’m going to throw up after every single fight that we accidentally do murder people” it would have been static and boring and sure, what I initially established, but it turns out what I initially established wasn’t best for the campaign and this was an interesting, in-character transition that happened naturally because I did things as I did them aligned with what I understood about the character and then thought about afterwards how it fit with everything I’d established before and what it implied that maybe was different than I thought

—also people change it’s okay and in fact VERY fun to do character growth arcs you don’t have to feel married to your initial conception of a character

—there’s another concept that’s a little bit tied? that is pretty much IC vs OOC choices, of, like, and this is my strong opinion because I’ve been a counselor who’s been in charge of making LARPs fun for little kids for years now? but basically, on a larger scale than the tiny individual interactions, it is your *job* to come up with IC excuses and still make genuine in character decisions that serve the party and that serve the narrative

—like, for example, a while back, I played a character who actively was planning to leave the party after a year. they hadn’t told the rest of the party they wanted to leave, because it was their business, but they were in a point in their life where absolutely nothing was going to convince them to stay with this group of people, *especially* the fact that they cared about them, mostly because they wanted to Prevent An Event That Had To Do With Their Backstory From Happening To Everyone. out of character, I knew that I couldn’t just Leave The Party, so I made sure the DM knew how my character felt, knew that I wasn’t *actually* going to leave and that my character might be getting uncomfortable or look like they were making plans to leave but that I trusted the DM to do the rest, and the way that it was resolved was my character really didn’t *want* to leave their new friends and just cut it too close when they thought they had more time and the Event Happened and after it happened there was no reason to leave. but I found IC excuses to keep choosing an OOC action that served the narrative way better than going “my character really wants to leave so guess I’m going to leave.”

—you honestly probably do things like that anyways? in terms of, like, there is a Plot Hook so you find an IC reason to care about it. but it’s a very useful skill to develop to look at a narrative, go “what serves this narrative best?”, and then once you answer that question go “so what reason does my character have to try to do something like that or as close to that as they can?”

—right now all of the above advice kind of sounds like “yooo change your character” and the answer is also, *don’t*. balancing meta stuff is a…meta thing? just make sure that you’re having fun, and that you’re playing the character that you want to play, and that you have Strong Feelings and act in ways that give you the Feels that you want and that you’re playing for you too. compromise is compromise all around you aren’t going to get anywhere if you’re the only person who gives any leeway then it’s not fun and easy to get bitter, roleplaying is collaborative and other people should work to reach out to you too and give you hooks

—biggest and maybe most important bit: your DM is your friend. esp if they’re trying to facilitate deeper roleplaying. tell them how yooo you want to try to get closer to the rest of the team, is there any sort of challenge that they can throw at you all that will facilitate teambuilding? a little bit of “we all saved each other’s lives” or “oh fuck we got stuck in this cave in together and have to work together in ways we haven’t to survive” or “oops we all have to be undercover and are relying on each other to keep up this act” or just any situation in a story or piece of fanfiction that you would see and go “aND NOW THEY ARE A FOUND FAMILY WHO CANNOT BE TORN APART”, well, let that happen to your group.

things that you can do immediately to have reasons to care about the party as a whole:

—if you can learn their backstories, do? group bonding happens with sharing of personal backstories, and, like, OOC, everyone wants to talk about their character and stuff. if you don’t like them, a good in character reason is maybe you’re paranoid and don’t trust them and want to do some goddamn background checks on the people that you’re working with. but once you know more things about them, you have so many more reasons that you can use to go “ah yup and here’s something my character would hella care about and maybe might be the start of a bond”

—as a closed off brooding character you still can have feelings that you are just the Dramatic Person In The Corner that you don’t show them but they’re there, that is everyone’s favorite character in tv shows as they wait for said character to Crack and admit that they have Emotions

—for example maybe pick another character in the party and oh wow you love them so much, they are your tiny son, you would never show it but nOpe they are yours now and nothing touches them

—pick another character that you absolutely hate and grumble about and glare at, except they are your asshole and nobody else outside of you is allowed to pick on them and if anyone threatens them you will murder that person

—Marian Daywrym, yet another DnD character of mine, has done both; three of the four other characters in the party are 16-ish year olds and Marian is a gruff 56 year old who oops has adopted three more children because tHEY ARE CHILDREN, and then there’s Djin, space rogue, her ex co-captain of a ship that broke up when they had a huge fight a decade ago and at this point the way that she interacts with Djin is mostly being incredibly passive-aggressive and mean to his face but pretty clearly would Die for him and if anyone else tries to be mean to him she is ready to Fight, and that is how my grumpy standoffish “I’m the medic and I’m here to do my fucking job and stay the fuck alive” space mom captain, who also has a policy of “don’t bond or poke into each other’s personal business no drama on this ship we all just want to scavenge in peace” ended up being So Emotionally Attached To Everyone

—but there’s actually another potentially interesting route to go, depending on what kind of Brooding, Closed Off character you are that isn’t “oops secretly now I love and would die for everyone”? which is basically…find someone in the party that you decide that your character maybe admires in some way? of, like, maybe they have an Ideal of they’re going to be a Hero Of Justice and you had that ideal as a kid and it only brought you suffering and pain and you never reached it and so fell off that path and that’s one of the reasons that you’re closed off and it’s Painful watching this person with such hope in their eyes try and you don’t know if you want them to succeed where you couldn’t because they deserve to succeed or if that’ll hurt more too, and that gives you reason to be emotionally invested in their storyline and find yourself taking them under your wing and also for everyone else to go “hey are you okay want to open up?” and for you to maybe feel vulnerable enough to talk about your backstory, looking at someone who reminds you of a less broken you. or not even ideals that you had, ones that are “wow are you really the sort of person that I wish I could have been?” or hey, maybe you’re the idealistic one, then is there anyone in the party that is essentially a “wow I resent you so much for starting from a similar point that I did and falling off the path and/or am fascinated because am I looking at what’s in my future, I need to figure out what makes you tick even though it’s like looking at a train wreck in slow motion of whether or not it’s going to happen to me”

—those are all the thing that come to mind to me right now but if you want me to Tell Me About Your Character And Your Party And Your Game I am always down to listen to people talk about their DnD characters (midterms season is coming up so I might be on and off of here but I swear if you ping me I won’t be ignoring you, just answering when I can)

[eternityunicorn]

Elijah’s Eternity: New Orleans Part Eight

Author: eternityunicorn 

Genre: Romance/Drama/AU

Pairing: Elijah Mikealson x OC

Warnings: Violance, Smut (*Smut chapters marked +18)

Summary:

NOTE: OC and original elements are from my up and coming novel series!

———————————————————————————————————

Eternity returned to the Mikealson compound by dawn, much to Elijah’s relief. In her absence, his siblings sat around and asked Veren a million different questions about herself and the greater universe, just as they had with Eternity. The dark haired immortal took it all in stride, answering their questions with patience and grace. 

However, eventually Kol had to excuse himself after he received a text from Davina asking him to meet her in the Quarter. Then Rebekah and Freya had made their exits to tend to Hope, whom was playing by herself upstairs. That had left Veren with Elijah, which was fine by him.

They had had a nice conversation about all the adventures and conflicts Eternity and Veren had faced over the past ten years, aside from the one involving Loki. Elijah didn’t understand much of what she told him since he hadn’t ever been to any of the worlds in the greater universe she spoke of. Yet, he was still intrigued to listen to what Eternity had been doing over the years that they had been apart. 

When Eternity finally returned hours later, she looked down at Elijah in surprise. He had been laughing heartily at the story Veren told him that involved a fight at a grand party Eternity had once infiltrated to confront some lowlife villain whom she required information from. Apparently, the man she was seeking was rather flamboyant and loud - a colorful character that was hard to take seriously. 

Elijah was in the middle of laughing when Eternity appeared, worn out from her journey but amused at the sight that greeted her. “Well, it seems all is well,” she said to them with a warm smile. “I am glad for that.”

She went and sat down in the space between them with a tired sigh. She did so rather ungracefully, a rare thing indeed, and laid her head back on the back of the couch, which ended up laying partially on Elijah’s arm as well. Not that he minded any. 

“Are you alright, cousin?” Veren asked Eternity with concern.

“Aye, I’m fine,” she nodded. “It is just exhausting when you are dealing with a lovesick elf king, whom cannot take a hint. I wish you would have told me it was a desperate social call and not one of urgent business, cousin. I might have declined going.”

Veren and Elijah both frowned; though for different reasons. Elijah frowned because of the implication that this elf king she had gone to see was a suitor. He didn’t like the idea of that, always the possessive one. He was a little jealous, but also felt relieved that it didn’t seem that Eternity reciprocated the mystery elf’s affections. Veren, on the other hand, had frowned in concern as if she hadn’t known that was the reason the elf king had wanted an audience.

“Forgive me,” Veren apologized, “The message sent to me had been misleading, if it had not been an urgent matter of state. If I had known the truth, you know, I would have declined it in your stead.”

“It’s quite alright,” smiled Eternity. “It’s not your fault, if you had been misled.” Then she explained what had happened without prompt, “Poor Calithilon meant well. He did have business for me, at first anyway. There was a small conflict with one of his generals that he could have handled quite well on his own. 

“He had invited said general to a mediation dinner to discuss whatever the grievance was. I don’t know what it had been as I barely paid attention to it all, seeing I had walked into something else entirely. In fact, I was too caught up in the fine china and elaborate flower arrangement that made the whole affair feel more like a date than a conflict resolution meeting. I wonder if the elf general felt the same, which is rather amusing to think of.”

She giggled slightly, before continuing, “Either way, the issue was resolved quickly and that was when it truly began to feel like a courtship attempt. I was, of course, polite and patient. Calithilon is a good friend and a most important ally, after all. Then he invited me on a walk around his castle and it was pleased enough, but then he took me down to one of the elvish celebrations in the village outside his home. We danced and mingled there, while I tried to find a clever, but subtle way of leaving.

“Eventually, I simply had to tell him that I had business elsewhere to attempt to that needed my immediate attention. Of course, Cal was crestfallen, but he let me go, as he didn’t have much of a choice. I suppose there is a perk to being of a higher rank.” Eternity grinned at both Veren and Elijah. “It certainly helps when one needs to get out of a awkward situation.”

Elijah was unable to help himself then as he lifted his hand from the back of the couch and began to gently run his fingers through Eternity’s snowy locks. She relaxed even more and hummed in appreciation of his caress. Her eyes fluttered closed momentarily to enjoy his attentions.

“Calithilon is a very stubborn elf, I have to give him that,” Veren commented. “I doubt anything could deter him from pursuing his heart’s desire.”

“No, I think not as well,” Eternity agreed. “He has been at this endeavor for millennia after all.”

There was a brief quiet between them. Then Veren abruptly rose to her feet and bade both Elijah and Eternity a good evening, before taking her leave of them. Like her cousin, she had duties to attend to or so that was what she had quickly explained, right before vanishing before Elijah’s very eyes. 

Immediately upon Veren’s departure, Elijah pulled Eternity to him. He tucked her into his side on the couch, wrapping his arm around her, while she contentedly laid her head on his shoulder. The pale immortal didn’t even act surprised by his actions. In fact, she seemed to welcome them. Elijah was glad for that, content in her willingness to be near him. 

“I missed you,” he murmured to her, kissing the top of her head, before settling against the couch again.

“I missed you as well,” she replied without hesitation. “I hated to be away from you, despite all my reservations. I wanted to be here with you, all the while I was with Cal and especially before that, during our ten years apart. I haven’t felt so desperate to be with someone since my courtship with Loki, millennia ago. I know I have my fears about moving forward, but what lays here between us is certainly something not to be dismissed lightly or at all. I don’t know what comes next, but I am glad Niklaus has reason to call upon me.”

Elijah was just about to reply, to tell her he felt the same, to persuade her to return to his side officially, when Niklaus and Hayley came stumbling in, looking worse for wear. They were both covered in dirt and dried blood. Their clothes torn and tattered in places. 

Immediately, he was on his feet with Eternity following suit. He was deeply concerned for them, though whatever had occurred, must have been a victorious endeavor. They seemed to be alit with the afterglow of a successful battle.

“A rough night, Niklaus?” Elijah asked his brother, as they drew near.

“Not at all,” the hybrid replied with a smug grin. “It was quite easy to subdue the upstarts in the bayou, especially with my wifey by my side.” He gave a proud glance to Hayley, who smirked in response. “Yes, we made a great team; the king and his queen.”

Elijah rolled his eyes, “As egotistical as ever, I see.”

“Oh, you should have seen him in the bayou,” Hayley chimed in with amusement. “His ego was out of control there, which was why we ended up looking like this.” She gestured to her dirty, tattered form, before turning to her husband, “You just couldn’t resist provoking those rogue wolves, could you Klaus?”

Niklaus frowned at her, “If I hadn’t done what I did, those pups would have reigned chaos down upon the Crescent Wolves. You should be thanking me for my diligent efforts to restore order to your pack, love.”

“Technically, it’s our pack, because we are married,” Hayley corrected him, “but yes, Klaus, you did well asserting dominance in the bayou. Gold star, A+ to you. Now can we please get some sleep? I’m beat.”

A lecherous grin spread upon Nicklaus’s lips then, “And who said I was about to allow you to sleep at all tonight, my little wolf? I am feeling rather ravenous.” 

Hayley blushed under his gaze and then rolled her eyes exasperatedly, but she didn’t say anything for or against his suggestive comment. Instead, she simply grinned and did her best to ignore him, pretending he hadn’t said what he had. 

“Actually, Niklaus,” Elijah stepped in. “Eternity and I would like to discuss something of great importance with you both.”

The grin upon his brother’s lips turned innocently playful then as his attention fell upon Elijah. “Oh? And what would that be?” He said with a teasing tone, gesturing between his big brother and Eternity. “Have you two decided to rekindle your romance? Or perhaps a step further and you’ve decided you can’t live without each other and you have chosen to elope? If it’s either of those things, I heavily approve.”

Elijah smiled at his little brother, while Eternity moved to stand beside him and placed her hand in his affectionately. He looked at her adoringly and then turned back to his brother to say, “No, not quite that. It is an urgent matter that has to do with young Hope.”

Immediately, the playful teasing was wiped from Nicklaus’s face. Both Hayley and he grew deadly serious as they drew closer to them. “What of my daughter?” Elijah’s brother quietly demanded. “What has happened?”

“Nothing,” he replied immediately to set his brother and sister-in-law to ease. “Eternity has merely come up with a solution to protecting Hope from the danger that she faces.”

Niklaus’s gaze fell to the shining immortal beside Elijah, “And what solution would that be?”

“There is a place I know, located here on Earth, that can protect your daughter against any threat from my wicked brother,” Eternity answered. “I can guarantee that the young one would be safe there, until the threat has passed.”

“This is a joke, right?” Niklaus stubbornly responded, looking between Elijah and Eternity. “Send my daughter away? That is your grand suggestion? Hell would have to freeze over before I would ever send my daughter away! No, out of the question!”

Eternity stepped forward a little with a stern expression. “Then you could potentially be sentencing your daughter to her death,” she said firmly. “Now is not the time for prideful stubbornness. This is a matter of life and death. I cannot remain here like some sort of sentinel forever. I have duties to attend to, as do my closet companions. We cannot be here to guard young Hope at all times. Bruno could attack at any moment. You must consider what is best for your child.”

“The only thing that is best for Hope is to be where I can protect her,” Niklaus ground out. 

Hayley approached then, grabbing onto her husband’s arm, catching his attention.

“What? Don’t tell me you are actually considering this nonsense?” He said to her in agitated disbelief. “We are her parents, Hayley. She belongs with us, where we can keep her safe.”

“But we can’t keep her safe, Klaus,” the female hybrid replied gently. “This isn’t a threat from a wolf or a witch or a vampire. This is something we just are not capable of defeating. It’s beyond us. I think we should consider what Eternity is suggesting.”

“If it is being away from your child that you are so concerned about, Niklaus, I can assure you that separating you from her and her from you was never my intention,” Eternity interjected in an attempt to ease Elijah’s brother. “I wish to send you two there with her, so that you can look after Hope as you’ve always done, while her safety is maintained.”

Elijah watched as Niklaus settled a bit. His shoulders relaxed and he sighed deeply, as he considered the warrior queen. “And to where do you plan on sending us exactly?” He asked quietly, defeatedly.

“It is a secret organization, one that I helped found some time ago,” Eternity answered him readily. “It’s called the Underground Agency. It is the most secure place on Earth, run by super humans, as well as members of the supernatural community. Fortified like Fort Knox, it cannot be penetrated by anyone, especially not Bruno. Hope will be safe there.”

“And what of the rest of my family? What will become of them while we’re away, especially if your brother does come to call and finds Hope missing?” Niklaus demanded to know. “Shall I go and leave my family to die? Leave them to their fates? I think not.”

Eternity smiled reassuringly as she explained, “I admire your commitment to your family, but I highly doubt Bruno will attack here, if Hope is absent. We of the immortal classes have a special talent for sensing the life forces of others. If he cannot sense her here, then he will seek it elsewhere. However, to ensure that my brother doesn’t attack, I will simply have to devise a decoy to lead him astray. Your family will be safe in your absence, I promise.”

Niklaus was quiet for a time, looking down in contemplation. Then he looked between Hayley, Eternity, and Elijah. Finally, with a huff of defeat, he said, “Very well. At midday tomorrow, we shall go to this agency you suggest. We should let Hope say her goodbyes to her aunts and uncles.”

Elijah sighed a breath of relief, as did Hayley and Eternity. Each was glad that Niklaus saw reason in this. He watched as his younger brother took Hayley by the hand and lead her up the stairs, to their bedroom assumingely.

This left Elijah alone with Eternity once more. He wondered where to go from there. Now that they spoke sense into Niklaus, there wasn’t any reason to stay up. Their mission for the night had been completed. Yet, he didn’t want to part from Eternity. Through he knew that they were not quite ready to resume the physical aspect of their relationship, of course, having barely begun to reestablish their relationship on a whole, he wasn’t quite ready to say goodnight to her.

Then Eternity turned to him then with a soft smile and kissed his lips with willing sweetness, taking him by pleasant surprise. “I have to go,” she murmured to him reluctantly, with a knowing look in her eyes as if she had read his thoughts. “I must make preparations at the Underground Agency for our little family’s arrival,” Eternity explained, “but I shall return before midday. I’ll come back to you soon.”

Elijah didn’t like how she was coming and going so much, but knew that he had let her do what she must. So, with reluctance to see her go, he threaded his fingers through the hair framing her face and then cupped the back of her head, pulling her in for a more passionate kiss than the one she had given him before. 

“Don’t keep me waiting for too long, Sweetheart,” he murmured against her lips, before parting from her completely. 

She grinned at him, “I promise to be swift.”

Then Eternity vanished, leaving Elijah standing alone in the courtyard.

To Be Continued....

[preoccupiedpens]

Dream Hunters Chapter 7: Dream Hunters

DAISUKE DOES NOT WANT to believe what was being told him. How his own father can devised the plan for him to fail? And why would one of the councils want him to be kidnapped? Wait, did that even happened? He can’t recall.

           “I did what I had to do!” Sequovas and Durant said in unison.

           “Quiet you two!” Grumple ordered.

           “Yes, ma’am.” said the two.

           When Sequovas and Durant finally settled down, Grumple faced Daisuke. “I…We humbly apologize, Daisuke. Seeker Trials is an ancient tradition and we must stand by on the decisions that was made. Regardless, we cannot change your status.”

           “I already knew that something was odd in the trials. But for father to plan all these?” Daisuke looked at his father.

           Sequovas could not look at Daisuke. He couldn’t even speak a word to answer him.

           “Daisuke. We believe that inside you is an immense power.” said Durant.

           Mahogry tried to stop Durant. “Durant! We do not have to tell him that yet!”

           “He has to know the truth!” Durant insisted.

           “Please. Just tell me what is going on!. Daisuke claimed.

           Everyone went silent. But Rango looked at Daisuke and he know that he deserves to know.

           “Eveyone. It’s time we tell him who he truly is.” Rango urges the councils to speak.

           “Very well.” Sequovas finally broke his silence. “Son, the reason you cannot control your power is because you are an avatar of an Ishvara named Ariyani.”

           Daisuke only knew about the Ishvaras from his book. But how did they even came up with that conclusion. That’s very stupid.

           “Avatar? Ariyani?”

           “You were born from the Sacred Tree, came from a Sacred Fruit. You cannot control your power because the mana of Ariyani is too strong.

           “That story again? Really?”

“Tell me, son. Do you remember what happened seven years ago? When we were attacked and you were in the shrine?”

           Daisuke tried to recall the events seven years ago. All he could remember was that an ugly person ripped Maria’s portrait, then he went blank. “…no.”

           “You came out, carrying a boy named Cobalt. You single handedly defeated five enemies who are supposedly older and stronger than you.” Durant revealed.

           “When you came out from the shrine, we were about to…kill you. Us councils. You somehow invoked the power of Ariyani and transformed into its avatar.” Added Ananais. “But when we saw that you returned to…being you, we stopped.”

           “That doesn’t explain why you want me to fail the Seeker Trials, though.”

           “Son, if the humans ever got you, they will use you as a weapon. Worst, they might kill you if they could not control you.” Sequovas said.

           “Then why would Sir Durant want me kidnapped? When that did even happened”

           “It happened during our mission to track infiltrators back at the North River. Am I right, Sir Durant?” said Rango.

Everyone looked at Durant.

           “You got me. But let’s face it. Daisuke is a threat to us. If he ever rampages here on the island, even we councils will not be enough to stop an Ishvara.” Durant answered

           “Then why would you ask your son to train Daisuke then?” asked Rango.

           “Because if he ended up clearing the trials, then he will certainly leave the island. It’s either he clear the trials, or I do something unconventional to get him out.”

The meeting went on for a couple more hours. Sequovas and Durant were stripped off of their council position and demoted to Elven Corps, which they did not argued with. It was thanks to Ananais, her team, and Rango, that Durant’s plans were uncovered. Capsian and Kofeera volunteered to spill what they know. Ultimately, it was revealed that Sequovas urged the other organizers, Musa, Raffla, and Hayato, to make the trials more difficult compared to the previous years.

        As for Daisuke, he would still not be able to join the Seeker Trials for the next four years. As strict as it may be, the remaining councils decided that they must abide to the tradition.

        When Sequovas got home, he told his wife Pinelia everything, much to her dismay. They knew that Daisuke may not come home for tonight, which is what exactly Daisuke did. He just stayed inside the shrine. He does not want to see his father yet. He has a lot going through his mind; him being an avatar of an Ishvara, wasting his time for two more Seeker trials when he could’ve already cleared the first one, Durant ‘helping’ him, whatever that means. Maybe Jack knew something, or even Riku. He wanted to ask them. Finally, he slept.

           The next morning, he woken up to the sound of an alarm. He got up quickly and went outside. When he got to the observation deck, he saw a ship at the harbor. It wasn’t an elven ship, that’s for sure. And surely it doesn’t belonged to merchants.

           “Hunters.” he said.

           Daisuke used his power to quickly propel him to the southern part of the village. As he landed on a roof, he run as fast as he could towards the harbor. He used his mana to heighten his senses. Luckily, there doesn’t seems to be any infiltrators that has reached the village proper yet.

           As he reached the harbor area, the elven warriors are already fighting an army of treasure hunters. He does not know who is it this time, but he decided to join the fight. This is no longer a trial, he thought, so he may go all out.

           He used his power to create a tree below him the sent him high above. He focused his mana on his feet. And as he landed, he used his power to created trees all over him. It caused chaos in the harbor.

           Not far from him, Riku is also fighting. “Hey Daisuke! Mind if you do not destroy everything?”

           She was fighting seven, eight hunters simultaneously. She was using her rose whip against the hunters. She knows that her physical strength is not great, so she let the hunters attack him, then she would dodge and counter. She was using her enemies’ brute force against them.

           Meanwhile, Jack was also fighting several hunters at once. Unlike Riku, he was charging the hunters head-on using his jackfruit mace. One by one, they would got hit by the mace on their body and that would send them flying.

           The three of them are now on each other’s back.

           “So, I guess you guys already heard the news?” asked Daisuke.

           Riku made a bow using her power and shot magical rose arrows to the hunters charging her side. “Yeah, Sir Rango looped us in.”

           Jack created a column of jackfruit trees that sent hunters flying on his side, “I should have known Daisuke. I’m sorry. I should have known when my father suggested that I train you.”

           Daisuke punched the ground and created a gigantic cherry blossom tree that blocked several cannon balls. “You know what, guys, let’s finish this first and have some talk later.”

           They separated and charged the remaining hunters. The huge cherry blossom tree boosted the moral of the elves. They managed to push them back. When the hunters were finally outnumbered by the elves, they decided to retreat. Those that were beaten up where caught and will be handed over to United Alliance.

 After the battle, Daisuke, Riku, and Jack were sitting on the seawall, looking at the peaceful ocean. Daisuke has always looked at the harbor from the observation deck, but this was his first time to be here since the departure of Cobalt seven years ago.

           “I guess that’s why you looked so different. You are an avatar of an Ishvara.” said Riku.

           “My father once told me that inside the Sacred Tree was Ariyani, the Ishvara of Woods.” told Jack. “Maria, the champion of the elves, used the last bit of her power to imprison Ariyani. She then vanished without a trace. People believes that the tree itself was Maria. Other believes that Maria became one with her power to manage creating that giant tree.”

           “My mother never told me about those.” said Daisuke. “I only knew that Maria was the greatest elf that has ever walked the world.”

           “If you really are the avatar of Ariyani, then you just have to control its mana.” said Riku. “There are tons of avatars before you that managed to do it, so I am sure you can also control that power.”

           “Maybe one day you will meet another avatar that could help you.” Jack suggested.

           Daisuke looked at Jack with disbelief. “There are more?”

           “Of course! Twelve Ishvaras, twelve avatars.” said Riku.

           "What made you think that you are the only one?” asked Jack. “Doesn’t your book mentioned about the First War? A war against Ishvaras?”

           “Now that made sense. But how come you guys are so calm about this?” asked Daisuke.

           “As much as I want to say a cheesy line like ‘because we’re friends’, it’s mostly because I believe in you, in your capabilities.” said Riku.

           “Me too. Besides, we are the ones training you. I’m pretty sure you would be able to handle your power.” Jack added.

 As the evening came, Daisuke decided to go home. He was greeted with a warm hug from her mother Pinelia. Sequovas wasn’t there. She said that after being demoted, he is now part of the Elven Corps under Mahogry’s supervision. Tonight was his first night shift.

           “I am so glad that you came home, son.” said Pinelia.

           “Mom, I have to tell you something. About me being an avatar.”

           “I already know, son.” she revealed. “I told you, didn’t I? You were a gift from the Sacred Tree. You and your powers are a gift.”

           Daisuke looked at her mother as they both tear up. “But, aren’t you afraid of me, mom? If I could not control my powers, your life could be endangered. Everyone’s life could be endangered.”

           “Avatar or not, you are my son. You may have not grown from my womb, but you most certainly grew from my heart.”

           The mother and child shared another hug, and laugh their tears out.

 The next day, Daisuke went to the East Beach. He figured that no one will be there early in the morning. The sea is so peaceful and quiet. The breeze is fresh and the birds are happily singing. He watched as the golden sun rises over the horizon.

           “You are not living without us, aren’t you?” said Riku.

Daisuke looked around and saw Jack and Riku. “What are you guys doing here?”

“We went to your home just after you left. Your mother told us everything.”

“If you’re living, then we are coming as well.” said Jack.

“You guys…I guess there’s no point arguing.” Daisuke resigned. “Sir Rango will certainly be furious.”

“Oh he knows.” said Jack. “He even agreed that we accompany you.”

           Daisuke sniffled. “I wish I could’ve said goodbye.”

           “It’s for the best that you didn’t, Daisuke.” said Jack. “You are his favorite after all. Besides, he is part of the council now. Let’s just say that he didn’t know that we left.”

           Jack and Daisuke started to load the boat with their supplies while Riku prepared the boat to sail.

On top of the hills that separates the village and the beach, a few people that are close to Daisuke, Riku, and Jack watches them as they depart. The councils, their parents, their seniors.

           “He really is decided to leave the island.” said Sequovas.

           “Let’s just hope that he finds whatever he wants to find out there.” Pinelia rubbed the tears on her eyes.

           “As per our law,” said Mahogry, “anyone that will leave the island without the status of a Seeker may never return. From this day forward, I hereby declare Daisuke an exiled.”

Everyone agreed on the words of Mahogry, but each of them still wished for safe travels for Daisuke, Riku, and Jack.

           “His your second son to leave the island, Durant. You sure you won’t regret letting Jack go?” asked Sequovas.

           “My firstborn may have not return. But that shouldn’t stop me from letting Jack do what he wants.”

           Pinelia looked at Riku’s parents. “I’m sure your daughter will be fine. She’s the best those boys have got.”

           “Thank you, Pinelia. I just hope she returns safe once they’ve accomplished their journey.” said Blaize, the father of Riku.

           “Don’t worry. I gave her my rose ring. I’m sure it’ll be of a great help to her one day.” Added Parfume, Riku’s mother.

 Back at the boat, Daisuke and Jack completed the loading of their supplies. Riku has also finally finished her preparations to sail the boat.

           “So, where are we going?” asked Riku.

           Daisuke looked at Jack, but Jack let him decide on their destination.

“Very well. We sail to the busy port of Port Royale!” Daisuke proclaimed.

The sails caught the winds and they sailed towards the continent of Aria.

 --- End of Maria Island Arc ---

 A little ways down the road…

           A man was drinking a hot beverage and reading a newspaper, sitting on a log. He suddenly spit his drink after seeing something from what he’s reading. He got up from the log he was sitting on and ran towards a dark-skinned elf.

           “Oy! Daisuke!” shouted the man.

           Daisuke looked behind. “What is it? And keep it down, it’s still way too early in the morning to be shouting.”

           The man huffed as he tried to catch his breath.

           A girl was sitting next to Daisuke. She has a fairer complexion and longer ears, which turns out to be Riku. “What is it? Are you okay?”

           “Read this.” the man gave the newspaper to Daisuke.

           The other people around them got curious and went towards Daisuke. He read an article in the newspaper’s so everyone can hear.

‘Beware the New Group of Hunters!’ by Sonia Lockwood.

‘At a certain island south of Snow Cape peninsula, a battle between the United Alliance of Aria and Dragon Raiders of Hunters’ Horde ensued a few days ago. The U.A. was led by two high ranking officials, Bolt of U.A. Navy, and Garuda of U.A. Aviation, and a member of Chasers named Jack, an elf from Maria Island. However, the joined forces did not managed to catch the Dragon Raiders. It was seen that another group of hunters assisted the Dragon Raiders. For the first time in history, the world will see the very first group of treasure hunters led by an elf. We also learned that the group has trespassed in Emergent Kingdom before the said battle on the island.

From the pictures we have taken during the battle, the new group is composed of the male dark-skinned elf, a female elf that uses rose magic, a man that wields a tonfa that was said to be a fisherman back at Port Royale, a raider from Drasgard Kingdom that became a gladiator at Colosseum Kingdom, a mage from Arcanas Kingdom, and an archer that was said to be the leader of the Rogue Archers back at White Forest.

Our group went to the locations of the said sightings of the group, and there we discovered that they became well-known for their activities, though no one gave any names.

We interviewed a few people and learned that each member was persuaded by the leader to join him, promising that they could have their dreams come true. The leader managed to convince his hand-picked members and has now started to hunt for treasure.

It is important that while these hunters are still new, U.A. must do everything they can to apprehend them as soon as possible. Until then, we must stay vigilant from this hunters. 

Beware of the new group of hunters. Beware the Dream Hunters.’

        “Oh look, our group has been named!” said Daisuke.

        “Why do you look happy about it?! This is bad!! Don’t you understand?!” said the man that gave the newspaper.

        “Daisuke, they gave us the name ‘Dream Hunters’. Hunters.” said a mage girl wearing a fur coat and wielding a staff. She emphasized the ‘Hunters’, hoping Daisuke will get it.

        “Ohhh…OHHHH.” Daisuke finally got it. “This is bad, guys.”

        “Great. From an honorable thief, now I became a part of treasure hunters. What else could go wrong?” said the archer girl who was cleaning her bow and arrows.

        “What you have just said doesn’t makes sense.” Said the guy who gave newspaper.

        “Also, I did not convinced you guys to come with me! You are the ones who decided that. This article is misleading!” Daisuke protested.

        “Well, I guess we’re an enemy of U.A. starting from now.” said a boy with a unique armor and two swords sheathed on his either side. “Might as well earn something out of it, don’t you think?”

        “Oooh, I know. We could join Hunters’ Horde.” Riku suggested.

        Everyone laugh to her suggestion. But they all agreed that it wasn’t half bad and considered it.

        “And we also need are own insignia. Like those from Dragon Raiders.” said the mage

        “You’re into it, witch?” asked the archer girl.

        The mage girl shrugged. “Again, I’m a ma-- whatever. Anyway, I’m not entirely into or against it.”

        The guy who gave the newspaper resigned. “Well, we can’t stay here now, can we? We should keep moving.”

        The armored guy took something from his loot bag, a runestone. He activated it and it turned into a raider boat. While Riku and the armored guy prepared the boat to sail, Daisuke and the rest of his crew loaded the boat with their things and supplies.

        “Where do we go next, Daisuke?” asked armored guy.

[ytdn]

Blizzard fucked up when they burnt down Teldrassil

Like, this is the crux of all of BFA’s problems and problems in the lore going forward. They fucked up the Horde and Alliance, they fucked up neutral factions, they fucked up specific characters (Saurfang, Tyrande, Anduin, and most of all SYLVANAS).

First, the portrayal of it. Like, Blizz went to great effort to make it as awful as possible. The quest where you’re trying to save night elf and gilnean civilians and will never be able to save all of them because the fire is spreading too fast... like it’s one of WoW’s best quests when it comes to emotional impact. And you can’t just erase that kind of emotional impact in players. Meanwhile the Battle of Lordaeron is much more of a battle. Except for some stuff with Alliance spies in the Undercity, you don’t really see Ally war crimes. And by blowing up the undercity at the end Sylvanas gets a “fuck you” moment at the end - which the Alliance never gets.

So then you get a situation where the Horde are basically party in a war crime that is drawn out in great detail, while the Alliance just loses. And then later, the Horde manages to take a victory from the jaws of defeat while the Alliance gets a defeat from the jaws of victory (also I feel like the actual battle for lordaeron is barely referenced? Like the Forsaken lost their home that should merit at least some dialogue).

They try and fix it by doing MoP Electric Boogaloo but they kind of fail to show why the Horde leaders still follow Sylvanas immediately after the fire, while the Alliance is all over the place on whether they’re vengeful or seeking peace (Like I actually liked the cutscene where Anduin frees Saurfang because it’s a good strategy to destabilise the Horde. Less of a fan of the one where he tries to say “the alliance have done bad things too so it’s all good” because nothing the alliance has done was equal to Teldrassil.). And like, how can they do a “factions team up to fight the greater threat!” when the Horde has done more damage to the alliance than any third party villain has? Repeatedly?

As for specific characters: Saurfang has a decent storyline... if this wasn’t the 2nd (3rd?) time he was complicit in a genocide so it ends up coming off as tasteless (especially when his orc-pain about being a mass murderer gets more screentime than the people he mass-murdered). Tyrande they try an hamfistedly push her into a revenge is bad plot and fail to give her any revenge (like why wasn’t she at Orgrimmar? Why didn’t she get to chase off Sylvanas?) Anduin comes off as uncaring towards his own allies and more interested in the Horde’s welfare than the Alliance.

And Sylvanas... well first the writers can’t even seem to agree what her motives were during the expansion, or hell in every expac since Wrath. She comes off as mustache-twirlingly evil, without even the benefit of doing it for the Forsaken or Horde’s sake or even revenge. And we’re basically left with no good way to resolve her character.

1) If she is just evil and selfish now and out to kill everyone to protect her own existence then she loses a lot of what people liked about her and looks pretty damn stupid too

2) If this is all her 24D chess and everything she did was for a greater, GOOD plan (including Teldrassil) then we basically have Blizz saying burning thousands of people to death is good actually (and insults players who felt sad in that quest or at any other time Sylvie did something evil to them)

3) If she has a sudden last minute change of heart... it’s possible they could do it well but I doubt it. It feels out of character for Sylv to start begging for forgiveness and out of character for anyone else to give it.

4) If she’s mind controlled or something then well we weren’t even watching Sylvanas for the last decade which is again, giant kick in the teeth.

And honestly? All of this could have been avoided if they hadn’t burnt down that damn tree. It ended up raising the stakes in universe and inflaming emotions among the playerbase to a point where Blizz was incapable of dealing with it.

If they wanted to get rid of some racial capital, they should have used a third party villain. If they wanted a faction war, don’t just retread MoP (except worse) and have the Horde be the aggressor in such an extreme manner (hell when I first watched the BFA trailer I thought it would be the Alliance starting it which kind of excited me). And I honestly don’t know how they’re going to fix the damage this expansion has done to the lore. Maybe going on a trip to a different dimension and coming back a decade later in universe IS the solution.

Anyway rant over I guess. Don’t think I’ve said anything that others haven’t said before.

[crsinclair]

Dragon Age Inquisition!Voltron AU

@bluelioncub and I have been screaming at each other because of this Dragon Age Inquisition AU. We've got a hodge-pod plan to do some one-shots on all this, as well as maybe a few for Dragon Age Origins. Here's a bit of a teaser for what's to come (hopefully you're not all waiting too long) in the form of character headcanons!

Shiro:

The one who stepped out of the fade.  The rumor going around after he got out was that Andraste kissed his head, turning his bangs white, and took his hand to guide him out, which gave him the Mark.

Trevelyan backstory:  Was training to be a Templar, and spent a few years traveling around Thedas as a personal training mission.  Spent some time in the Southern part of Nevarra helping his cousin Sven defend the ports from Pirates and bandits, thus earning him a bit of fame.

Legitimately wants to do good in the world.  Josephine is so happy, he basically does all the work for her.

His one true wish in life is to have a Mabari pupper.

At the start of his part in the Inquisition, he believed that the Circles were a good thing and that they served a very definite purpose.  Not to say that he believed that the Templars were doing things the right way in the Circles, but more that he had slightly blinded views of how good things actually were for the Mages.  Over the course of his time as the Herald and later the Inquisitor, he realized slowly that things were NOT as they seemed, and made it a personal mission to try and change things – for the Mages and the Templars both.

Chose to recruit the Templars.  More on that later. ;)

Seriously this boy just wants to help everyone, Leliana finds it simultaneously unrealistic and adorable.

Best friends with Cullen. 

Best.  Friends.

Seriously these two are so alike and get each other so well it’s insane.

Cullen also shares with Shiro his stories about how things actually were in the Circles, and that helps in Shiro’s view of things.

Actually doesn’t mind the Hinterlands.  This earns him the ire of all his Inner Circle.

Keith

Joined the Seekers ASAP

He was actually left on the doorstep as a baby of the Seekers.  He was raised by them (mostly because no one person knew how to raise him by themselves.  “It takes a Village” was never more true…)

Even growing up with the Seekers he thought there was a small unit of them that went out and hunted for Cryptids.

He was so disappointed when he actually became a Seeker and found out no such unit.

(He plans on starting that Unit.)

Trained under Seeker Cassandra Penteghast.  Turns out he’s one of the only ones who doesn’t really care that TECHINICALLY she’s part of the Navarran royal family.

He also adopted her taste in trashy romance novels.

He actually met Shiro when he was younger and. Very angry.  His advise of “Patience Yields Focus” helped him in his career as a Seeker.

Up until Cassandra goes all “I see a problem and I fix it” on him and welp, conflicting advise.  (This is the Keith we all know and love.)

Will fight all the bears.  All of them.  Single-handedly and unarmed.

Honestly he doesn’t care about where you come from or why just so long as you are there to help.  That’s it.

“Shiro if you take me on another bull-crap mission into the Hinterlands, I swear to the MAKER – “

Pidge

City Elf!

Actually comes Denerim, but the family moved to Orlais.  She worked very hard to NOT pick up the accent.

Joined the Red Jennies a few months before the Conclave exploded – her brother Matt went missing, and when no one of actual authority would help the “Knife Ear”, she decided to find another market of information.  Her work with the Red Jennies eventually got her the information that her brother was taken by a mysterious group known as the Venatori – and they were bigger than the Red Jennies could handle.  Luckily, the Inquisition was forming…

Has a very irrational hate of magic.  Not of Mages, of MAGIC.  There’s a difference.

Smartest cookie this side of everything.  Makes very fast friends with the Alchemist of the Inquistion and with Dagna.

…Maybe a bit more than friends with Dagna.

The first time she stepped foot in the Emerald Graves she wanted to climb all the trees – seriously, she’d NEVER seen trees so big.

Turns out that the Red Jenny information network is more complex than Leliana’s, who knew

Does she lord this over Leliana?  Yes.  Pidge is probably the only person in all of Thedas that doesn’t have a healthy fear of Leliana.

Very Viscious Prank Master.  Do not mess with her unless you want bees somewhere very unpleasant.

Was VERY SURPRISED when she found out that Shiro knew Matt.

It took Shiro a while to figure it out because Pidge only started going by Pidge after joining up with the Red Jennies – Matt would always talk about his sister Katie.

“WHAT THE WHAT YOU KNEW MY BROTHER!?”

“I will throw this bottle of bees at you, Shiro, don’t you DARE say we’re going to the Hinterlands – “

Lance

Mage from Tevinter!

Pariah of Tevinter – but due to plot can’t go too far into that.  ;)

HAS THE BIGGEST CRUSH ON SHIRO.  Followed Shiro’s adventures around Thedas as all the stories hit the news and developed a big Hero Crush on him.

Can’t tell you what they might’ve been talking about during the last serious meeting between the War Council and the Inner Circle but can tell you every single detail about the Pirate Battle of the 15th Ferventis 9:31 on docks of Cumberland down to the weather.  This comes up entirely by accident when Josephine is asking Shiro about some of his exploits and Lance just…starts rattling off facts.

He was very embarrassed.

Really truly cares about Tevinter.  He’s honestly a bit conflicted about fighting his fellow country men, but his belief in what the Inquisition is doing is stronger than his confliction.  If he has a chance to try and talk to a Venatori instead of burst them into flames, though, he’ll take it.

Has a tendency to Fade Step when startled.

Like the warm rain of Northern Tevinter, not the cold, freezing rain of Fereldan, Keith, there’s a DIFFERNCE.

Took on all the bandits by himself in Crestwood for the promise of a warm bath.

When he came to Haven to warn them of the Venatori Mages marching, he barely got the warning out before near-fainting in Shiro’s arms.  Near-fainting because Lance managed to squint an eye open and squeeze out a “Hey, are you my big buff savior? *wink*”

“Not the Hinterlands, not the Hinterlands, not the Hinterlands – *it’s the Hinterlands*  *unholy screeching*”

Hunk

Qunari Warrior!

He’s actually pretty terrible at lying, but he’s reeeeeeally good at eavesdropping.  So that’s how he ends up as a Hisrad wandering around Southern Thedas.

Came to Spy, Stayed for the Food.

At least, that’s the joke he tells Shiro when he joins up with the Inquisition.  Honestly, after being away from the Qun for so long, he’s starting to see things from different perspectives than what he grew up with, and it’s…starting to get to him.

Has a small Mercenary Guild!  The Yellow Lions.  (He really likes those big cats, okay?)  His main team:  Rax, an Avvar Warrior; Shay, Rax’ half sister who has excellent control of magic but doesn’t call it magic; Nyma, an Elven Rouge that was abandoned by her Clan; Rolo, yet another Elven Rouge but from the City; and Beezer, the Dwarf who doesn’t talk but is great with Alchemy (specifically: BOMBS).

Lance gave him the nickname Hunk and it just…kinda stuck.  Eventually he stopped trying to correct people on it and that was that, he was Hunk, end of story.

Actually really, really smart and a fantastic engineer.  Happened to walk by when Cullen, Shiro, and Leliana were discussing how to make changes to Skyhold to be more defensible and he started rattling off a bunch of calculations on which areas would be best for renovations.

This led to an in-depth conversation that revealed how much Hunk knew about engineering specific weapons and within the week he became to go-to person to speak with about new designs for arms and weaponry.  Gives Bianca a run for her money.

A few times literally.

He and Keith entered into the most uncomplicated relationship.  It basically amounted to:  “Hey you wanna be a thing?” “Sure, let’s be a thing.” And that was that.

Is probably the most un-Qunari like Qunari that ever Qunaried until there’s a dragon involved.

“Boss, I know you like doing things for the people in the Hinterlands but I’m starting to think I might be allergic to, well, ALL OF THE HINTERLANDS.”

Allura

Fanciest Maker-damned Apostate Elvhen Hobo

Like, she doesn’t even really have much in the way of personal belongings but what she has she makes SPARKLE.

Not an Egg.

Legitimately sad that the Elves of today have fallen to what they are; she attempts to lecture everyone about the way things should be.  (Much nicer about it than an Egg ever would be.)

Honestly stayed with the Inquisition not because of the Anchor and what it could do, but because she’s grown attached to the members of the Inner Circle.

Cried by herself when she realized how much she loved these silly, ridiculous people that surround her, and what that might mean for her plans for the future…

Has a weakness for all the mice in Skyhold.

“I can hear them talk to me.”  No one knows if they should take her seriously or not.  She does, after all, regularly walk through the fade on purpose.

I repeat:  NOT AN EGG.

Takes tea with Josephine and Leliana to talk fashion every once in a while.  Vivienne de Fer took some doing to get her to join them for Tea – Vivienne didn’t have the best first impression of her, what with Allura being an Apostate..  But when Allura starts talking about fashion, well.  Vivienne can put aside their differences to talk about the latest trends in boots and skirts.

“*silently threatens Shiro with fire when Shiro mentions going to the Hinterlands*”

Slav (THAT’S RIGHT, SLAV)

The Spirit in the form of a young man that saves Shiro from the Envy demon at Therinfal Redoubt.

(I’ll post a drawing of him later when I have time, it’s actually adorable)

Capable of seeing many realities and uses the ones with the highest “frequency” to decide on a course of action.  Prefers the realities that involve the least amount of violence, but what needs must.

Shiro eventually teaches Slav to try and see around the most “frequent” violent realities and try to reach for the ones that lead to less violent.  It takes some doing, since Slav is…Slav, but he gets there.

Eventually.

When scared will puff out of existence.

This happens a lot.

“Slav, what are you doing.”  “In 72% of realities the fluffiness of these pillows will determine whether or not our Commander Cullen gets a headcold.”  “…”

He is not invited to play cards anymore because most people think he’s cheating.  Shiro and Allura assure everyone that he isn’t, he’s not that type of person.

He is.

Once got into a theoretical scientific debate with Hunk, Pidge, and Dagna about…something. 

No one is really sure what, since most of it was spoken in pure numbers.

Every time Shiro approaches him about a trip to the Hinterlands he just disappears.