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osmw1 · 5 years

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Poison-Wielding Fugitive Chapter 74

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“Then, Cohgray, since our mages are present, we should undo the magic that turned you into a human.”

Oh, was it the dragonslayers that did this to me? Anyway, I should have properly explained this to her.

“As I mentioned before, the dragon to whom you’ve prayed and I are separate beings.” “What do you mean?” “You’ve mistaken what the spell does. Instead of turning the monster into a human, the spell used a monster’s Mana as a catalyst to summon a human from another world. Then, the spell forces the target monster to possess that human.” ‘Aye…’ “What?” “The summoned human would be dropped into this completely different world. Because they have just been brought to this world, they would be low-leveled and extremely easy to kill. Then, you kill the human and the monster that possess him would die together.”

Celes took in this information very poorly.

“So, in other words, Veno Yveval and I are completely separate beings. I’m just a guy who was summoned from another world. I’m sure you guys have some sort of legend of summoning humans from parallel worlds, right?”

I think I recall Veno mentioning a fairytale like that. Hearing this explanation, her face turns even paler.

“Th-That would mean… the spell which we thought would weaken a monster…” “In Veno’s case, then it would mean you’d kill a tough monster by simply killing some stranger. A pretty good deal for you, I’d say.” “Damn… I shall report this exactly as you have said to the Kingdom of Saint Yggdra. To slay a monster like that is… completely unacceptable. If there is a way for me to atone for my sins…” “Innocent people from parallel worlds have been forced to sacrifice their lives, so I can’t justify it. But… I’m sure you dragonslayers can find atonement.”

The dead cannot simply come back. Celes and her squad might have innocent blood on their hands, but that’s just how this world is. It’s not fully their fault though. Whoever created a spell like Forced Possession Summoning should be to blame. They should forbid people from ever using it again.

“You… are right. I now realize that you have guided my path time and time again, Cohgray.” “Don’t worry too much about it. I’m glad to be able to open up to you as well.”

I reached my hand out. With just a tinge of fear, she took my hand and shook it.

“Thank you…”

It seemed like she could undo Forced Possession Summoning.

“Yukihisa…” “Muuu…”

Both Arleaf and Muu turned to me with heartbroken looks on their faces.

“Yukihisa… are you going to return to your world?” “I’m only here because of Veno’s Mana, so I’m not sure either.” ‘Aye. Your presence in this world may perhaps be maintained by my Mana.’

So, does that mean if the spell gets undone, I’ll return to Japan?

“But…”

Oof… Arleaf eyes swelled up with tears. This hurts, Arleaf… but I really can’t help it since our goal is to lift the spell after all.

“Are you… going to leave?” “I still don’t know yet, but, umm… err, Arleaf…”

I took her hands in mine.

“Veno will still be around even if I’m gone. So, please… please don’t be so sad.” ‘Do pardon me for being unable to consume the lass’ cooking.’

Oh, shut up! You’re such a blabbermouth.

‘Well, lass… in the even that he returns to his world, I shall try to summon him for thee.’

What? Veno plans to summon me on his own terms? It was unreasonable how they summoned me in the first place, but wouldn’t it be unreasonable the second time as well?

‘Dost thou wish for otherwise? Even though thou always complainest.’

Hmm… well, you guys are like family now and no way do I want to work in that company again. Not to mention that Veno has already defeated Virage once and for all, so I wouldn’t mind being here. I’ve enjoyed my days here, y’know?

“Lord Holy Dragon…” ‘Nothing to fearest then.” “Thank you.” “It seems like Miss Arleaf can hear the dragon’s voice too. Have you come to a decision?” “Yes, we have.” “Then come with me. Our mages are waiting.”

We headed to the courtyard of a church to find an incredible number of mages waiting to begin undoing Forced Possession Summoning. Then, they began casting all kinds of spells at me, attempting to lift the spell. It seems like the townsfolk are peering in from outside hoping to catch a glimpse of the Holy Dragon.

“Let us proceed!”

The head mage called out one last time before casting a spell at me. Just like before, the energy poured into me… and after a while, I floated back to solid ground. … don’t feel any different though.

“Umm… so, did it work?” “Very odd. I tried reversing it, but…”

The mages put in so much research into Forced Possession Summoning, but they now all hang their heads down. … what? You guys figured out how to cast it but not undo it?

“A-Apologies, Cohgray.” “No, it’s uhh… I guess it was easier said than done.”

Man, it would’ve been great if it worked.

‘Tsk… that means we have to continue as is for a little longer.’

Sounds like it…

“Though we may have failed… our appreciation does not change. We revere you and the dragon—Lord Yveval, I mean—as holy figures. Let us guarantee your safety from now on. We would be honored if you were to accept our feelings.” “Oh. Yes. It’s my pleasure?”

I guess we’re now saints in three religions. I’m glad they put aside their differences to be so courteous. We were even warmly welcomed to the palace too. Oh, and Veno’s wide-area spell easily took care of the curse that was placed upon Nisua.

But talk about a one-eighty from fugitive to saint. I barely have to ask and people immediately say yes to my requests. It kinda felt good. It was scary and nerve-racking to lay low and live as a fugitive. In any case, even though civilization is quite a bit behind, life here is stable. I was more than happy to not have to fight anymore.

‘Is that not something to celebrate?! hic! It truly has been too long since I have indulged like this.’

The town offered their finest liquor to Veno, so he’s back on the bottle. Since I’ve got Poison Absorption, I get a light buzz but no hangovers. Pretty handy. I thought somebody might try to assassinate me to wrest control over the world, but poisons don’t work at all on me. I’m sure any assassin would know that… but I’ve also got quite the entourage of bodyguards. Celes didn’t even return home to cure her sister and instead is protecting me. I lived a life of peace… for about two weeks.

“Are you sure, Cohgray?”

After being relieved of her post in the Dragonslayers Corps under the guise to return home, I asked Celes for help to break out of the palace that so cordially received us. In the cover of night, we executed our plan. “Yeah.” “Mu.” “We will be on the run again, Yukihisa.” “You’re right. But if I stay there any longer, I’ll become a waste of skin.”

Yeah, after living the high life for two weeks, I felt like an absolute degenerate. In the end, Arleaf—who originally followed me around as a helper—became my lover and finally, my wife. Wait… now that I think about it, that sounds really bad. Anyway. As we’re trying to break ourselves out, Muu’s in the corner shaking up and down with a dirty look… it feels like Muu is expecting Arleaf and me to get hot and heavy tonight, but that’s not what we’re doing! I felt like a completely useless person living like this, so I begged Celes for her help to extract me out of this place and set off on a journey together. It’s not like we could undo Forced Possession Summoning anyway.

‘Good heavens… thou spoke of being a “corporate slave” before, but are humans from thy world so unaccepting of extravagance? Not being able to fully relax is a real shame.” “My body has been naturally healing itself ever since I came to this world. If I relaxed any longer, I’d turn into a blob.” “You are a very earnest man, Cohgray. I have much to learn from you.”

After leaving palace grounds, we hopped onto a coach that Celes had prepared ahead of time.

“Cohgray, they will definitely go searching for a missing saint. It is still not too late to return.” “I know. I’ve left them a message just in case.”

Before we escaped, I left a note on the desk of my room. I explained how there are still many in this world who need our help and my reasons for doing so. Basically, everything that would sound good. Of course, I made sure not to incriminate Celes in the letter. I said I’d return in three days too. I think I’ll be alright.

“They will only hunt you down.” “Well… I’m used to being on the run.” “Then, where shall we go? Shall we go searching for my relatives for clues to undo Forced Possession Summoning?” ‘‘tis a good plan. And honestly, the lass’ ancestor wrote not nearly enough in his journal.’ “They’ll probably be waiting for us there…” “If they are expecting us to show up to Miss Arleaf’s relatives, then let us go to somewhere like my hometown where they surely shall not be expecting.”

Not to hide in plain sight or anything, but Celes technically took her leave before I escaped, so they shouldn’t connect the dots.

“Yeah, that sounds like a plan.” “Understood, then let us head to Niez.” “Okay! I will follow you to the ends of the world, Yukihisa.” “Mu!” ‘Good grief. Thou hast made more comrades, but in the end, still a fugitive.’

I guess so. We gotta start with undoing the spell though. I’m still a Poison-Wielder. And I’m still a fugitive.

‘Aye. However, I feel better than ever.’ “You’re right. Well, everybody, sorry to trouble ya… but let’s do this!” “Yeah! (Mu!)”

… seems like I’ll still be a poison-wielding fugitive for the next little while.

Thank you very much for being with me on this journey to the end of my first novel series! I sincerely hope everyone has enjoyed Poison-Wielding Fugitive as much as I have. As well, I hope everyone will continue supporting me by reading my other novels and upcoming ones as well. Once again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you very much.

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contents: /ch001/ /ch002/ /ch003/ /ch004/ /ch005/ /ch006/ /ch007/ /ch008/ /ch009/ /ch010/ /ch011/ /ch012/ /ch013/ /ch014/ /ch015/ /ch016/ /ch017/ /ch018/ /ch019/ /ch020/ /ch021/ /ch022/ /ch023/ /ch024/ /ch025/ /ch026/ /ch027/ /ch028/ /ch029/ /ch030/ /ch031/ /ch032/ /ch033/ /ch034/ /ch035/ /ch036/ /ch037/ /ch038/ /ch039/ /ch040/ /ch041/ /ch042/ /ch043/ /ch044/ /ch045/ /ch046/ /ch047/ /ch048/ /ch049/ /ch050/ /ch051/ /ch052/ /ch053/ /ch054/ /ch055/ /ch056/ /ch057/ /ch058/ /ch059/ /ch060/ /ch061/ /ch062/ /ch063/ /ch064/ /ch065/ /ch066/ /ch067/ /ch068/ /ch069/ /ch070/ /ch071/ /ch072/ /ch073/ /ch074/ /end/

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bottlepiecemuses · 2 years

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Top People Who Could Use The Mero Mero No Mi Instead Of Boa Hancok

We know that Hancock the only female of the now defunct Warlord system, current captain of the Kuja pirate, and empress of Amazon Lily uses her status as the world’s most beautiful woman to her advantage when it comes to her powers. Only a select few can resist her beauty and those who don’t openly show it can still have their hearts turn to stone. So, what if instead of her getting the fruit who could potentially be worthy of wielding it.

10. Viola/Violet

First up is Viola (or her secret code name Violet) who once was forced to work for Doflamingo to save her father’s life and in canon is the wielder of the Giro Giro No Mi which allows her to see through anything, have super vision, and look at minds. Viola has all the criteria to wield this fruit since under Doflamingo she lured many men with her beauty (one of them being Sanji of course) and even was hinted to have a sexual fling with the Heavenly Demon himself. If she had it she could have lured Donquixote family foes to their doom by turning them to their doom.

9. Kalifa

The sole female CP9 agent is not only deadly with her rokushiki technique but she also is one bombshell. She worked as Iceberg’s secretary for many years before it was revealed she was a spy from the government. She usually got comments from Paulie about her dress often. In canon she was the wielder of the Awa Awa No Mi which allowed her to create and control bubbles and soap, which was shown to use in almost seductive and sexy ways. Given her femme fatale nature, the Mero Mero No Mi would be good at seducing her enemies then petrifying the target and destroying them. Of course, she managed to get Sanji subdued without any question, but she also managed to charm Nami which shows her beauty can work on women as well.

8. Robin

Robin is known for many things like being the last archaeologist of Ohara, a fugitive from the world government, and a “Devil Child”. Her dream is to seek the true history of the world and find out what the government wants to hide. She also is known as the weilder of the Hana Hana No Mi which allows her replicate and sprout pieces of their body from the surface of any object or living thing. She has had this fruit since she was a child and it at first made her ostracized on her own home island but at the same time saved her. It does make one wonder if she got her hands on the Mero Mero No Mi instead.

I do think as a child it wouldn’t be seen as useful since hopefully no one is attracted to a child and on the other hand she wouldn’t be as outcasted. However, I do think as an adult it would have helped her evade anyone who was aiming to capture or betray her. Probably around the time she was sixteen she probably was using her looks to sometimes seduce her way out of situations and probably her side job of sometimes being an assassin she could use seduction to lure her targets, petrify them, and break them. And again could still be useful for her on the Strawhats if she was a bit more openly flirty and provactive to get men and sometimes women petrified.

7. Reiju

Reiju is the older sister of Sanji and oldest child of the Vinsmokes. She is the sole female member of Germa 66 who star in a comic strip series run in the World Economy News Paper. The Vinsmokes are supposed to be fictional in-universe but are actually real and existence is hidden by being secretly members of the World Government. Reiju’s Germa persona is called Poison Pink and she is known for secreting poisons which she uses to poison people.

And given her outfit and flirty nature, I think Poison Pink would have a big following especially among North Blue residents. Even though the army is hated she probably is consider fanboy material. I also think that if Reiju had the Mero Mero Fruit instead of enhancements from being modified I think her name would be Petrified Pink which fits because it still contains the matching P word. Also again as a family of assassins it would be great against enemies who could still be takened by her appearance and turned into stone.

6. King

For this pick I have to go with biases for this one, because as we have seen throughout after his face reveal King is truly gorgeous. Seriously, we all speculated what he could have looked under there from being ultra ugly to being gorgeous. And we are happy it was the latter. While we don’t see his subordinates go gaga after his face reveal, you really can’t say he wouldn’t get heart eyes after revealing he’s that good looking, especially at his age.

Seriously, even though it would break the Zoan theme it could still help him prevent anyone from knowing his true appearance if he revealed his real face, they went heart eyed, and then he petrifies them. All I can say with the ton of fan reactions to being a pretty boy I do think he does merit the idea of being a contender.

5. Black Maria

Another Beast Pirate member and this time part of the Tobbi Roppo. Black Maria already has the Kumo Kumo No Mi: Model Rosamygale Grauvogeli, but having it would make her theme of being a courtesan fit even more. Seriously, she owns a brothel on Onigashisma called Woman’s Trouble. She has shown to be able to woo men into her trap and treat them as her toys. She also is shown being a side chick to Kaido himself. With the power of the Mero Mero No Mi, she would be a feared figure that probably even Kaido must be wary of since his own lust could be turned against him at any second if he’s not quick enough. As a temptress, she could still trap men (or even women) into being sucked into her web and when they least expect it being petrified.

4. Nami

We had to put her on this list. She’s One Piece's main female heroine, navigator of the Strawhats, and probably one of the biggest source of fanservice around. Seriously, this girl’s Happiness Punch is known to be so powerful that Oda himself says it could outmatch Elizabello’s King Punch. Seriously, just see in the Wano bath where everyone men, women, and children could not resist her body’s beauty. Just imagine that and combined with the Mero Mero No Mi. She could do as much damage as Hancock while being considered one of the legendary beauties of the sea. Seriously, at this point I am surprised she is not considered one of the most beautiful women in the world.

3. Komurasaki/Hyroi

Another Wano resident who could potentially hold this spot is the most beautiful woman in the country and top oiran, Komurasaki or real name Kozuki Hyori, daughter of Kozuki Oden and sister of Momosuke. After her family was decimated and she went into hiding with one of her family’s retainer then switched to Denjiro when she didn’t want the other to starve, and trained herself to become a courtesan so that she could get close to Orochi and one day take him down. She also used her beauty to drive corrupt men to ruin. She was so beautiful that all genders and ages fell for her. So, this devil fruit would be good in her hands if she wanted to take down opponents of the rebellion. On the other hand, if there were stone statues around it would be very suspicious and people would trace things back to her and think she actually has ties with others.

2. Cavendish

Cavendish another guy who could be a contender for the fruit. And this time in-universe we have backing because he has many women falling for him and the reason why he was a pirate was because he was a prince who so beautiful that no woman wanted any other man but him. So, he went out to see and became a pirate instead of became noteworthy until the Supernova stole his spotlight. He’s also shown to have men flustered which is another reason to put him high up. This fruit would be great in his hand because he could easily get opponents to fall for him and then shatter them to pieces. However, I don’t think he would use it on his admirers because it would give him such an ego boost to be so fawned over.

1. Shirahoshi

And finally the woman in-canon who actually is said to be the best competition against Hancock in beauty: Shirahoshi. As the only daughter of Neptune and his youngest child, she is noted to follow in the line of her family that is known to have female members designated as Poseidons- which allows them to call upon sea kings to help them. However due to her sweet nature, she usually doesn’t tap into this power and prefers just being passive. And with the Mero Mero No Mi, she would feel guilty about using it since it would mean hurting others even if they are just stone and she doesn’t smash them. But if she was more ruthless I could see her doing the same thing as Hancock. I think she would just use her power as a resort to stop fighting and later unpetrify them at a later date when they can be put somewhere they can’t do any harm to anyone. And again when you look at it it’s immobilizing people without technically killing them so she can have a guilt free concious if someone pointed it out.

Special Mentions: Alvida

While she would be good to be in here, one problem is she already ate a devil fruit and it’s the reason why she looks good currently. If she ate the Mero Mero No Mi she would go back to her uglier form and then she wouldn’t able to use the fruit since people in her older form found her hideous.

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chiseler · 3 years

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The Mysterious Death of a Hollywood Director

This is the tale of a very famous Hollywood mogul and a not-so-famous movie director. In May of 1933 they embarked together on a hunting trip to Canada, but only one of them came back alive. It’s an unusual tale with an uncertain ending, and to the best of my knowledge it’s never been told before.

I. The Mogul

When we consider the factors that enabled the Hollywood studio system to work as well as it did during its peak years, circa 1920 to 1950, we begin with the moguls, those larger-than-life studio chieftains who were the true stars on their respective lots. They were tough, shrewd, vital, and hard working men. Most were Jewish, first- or second-generation immigrants from Europe or Russia; physically on the small side but nonetheless formidable and – no small thing – adaptable. Despite constant evolution in popular culture, technology, and political and economic conditions in their industry and the outside world, most of the moguls who made their way to the top during the silent era held onto their power and wielded it for decades. Their names are still familiar: Zukor, Goldwyn, Mayer, Jack Warner and his brothers, and a few more. And of course, Darryl F. Zanuck. In many ways Zanuck personified the common image of the Hollywood mogul. He was an energetic, cigar-chewing, polo mallet-swinging bantam of a man, largely self-educated, with a keen aptitude for screen storytelling and a well-honed sense of what the public wanted to see. Like Charlie Chaplin he was widely assumed to be Jewish, and also like Chaplin he was not, but in every other respect Zanuck was the very embodiment of the dynamic, supremely confident Hollywood showman.

In the mid-1920s he got a job as a screenwriter at Warner Brothers, at a time when that studio was still something of a podunk operation. The young man succeeded on a grand scale, and was head of production before he was 30 years old. Ironically, the classic Warners house style, i.e. clipped, topical, and earthy, often dark and sometimes grimly funny, as in such iconic films as The Public Enemy, I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, and 42nd Street, was established not by Jack, Harry, Sam, or Albert Warner, but by Darryl Zanuck, who was the driving force behind those hits and many others from the crucial early talkie period. He played a key role in launching the gangster cycle and a new wave of sassy show biz musicals. At some point during 1932-33, however, Zanuck realized he would never rise above his status as Jack Warner’s right-hand man and run the studio, no matter how successful his projects proved to be, because of two insurmountable obstacles: 1) his name was not Warner, and 2) he was a Gentile. Therefore, in order to achieve complete autonomy, Zanuck concluded that he would have to start his own company.

In mid-April of 1933 he picked a public fight with Jack Warner over a staff salary issue, then abruptly resigned. Next, he turned his attention to setting up a company in partnership with veteran producer Joseph Schenck, who was able to raise sufficient funds to launch the new concern. And then, Zanuck invited several associates from Warner Brothers to accompany him on an extended hunting trip in Canada.

Going into the wilderness and killing wild game, a pastime many Americans still regard as a routine, unremarkable form of recreation, is also of course a conspicuous show of machismo. But in this realm, as with his legendary libido, Zanuck was in a class by himself. He had been an enthusiastic hunter most of his life, dating back to his boyhood in Nebraska. Once he became a big wheel at Warners in the late ’20s he took to organizing high-style duck-hunting expeditions: the young executive and his fellow sportsmen would travel to the appointed location in private railroad cars, staffed by uniformed servants. Heavy drinking on these occasions was not uncommon. (Inevitably, film buffs will recall The Ale & Quail Club from Preston Sturges’ classic comedy The Palm Beach Story, but DFZ and his pals were not cute old character actors, and their bullets were quite real.) Members of Zanuck’s studio entourage were given to understand that participation in these outings was de rigueur if they valued their positions, and expected desirable assignments in the future. Director Michael Curtiz, who had no fondness for hunting, remembered the trips with distaste, and recalled that on one occasion he was nearly shot by a casting director who had no idea how to properly handle a gun.

But ducks were just the beginning. In 1927 Zanuck took his wife Virginia on an African safari. In Kenya Darryl bagged a rhinoceros and posed for a photo with his wife, crouched beside the rhino’s carcass. Virginia, an erstwhile Mack Sennett bathing beauty and former leading lady to Buster Keaton, appears shaken. Her husband looks exhilarated. During this safari Zanuck also killed an elephant. He kept the animal’s four feet in his office on the Warners lot, and used them as ashtrays. If any animal lover dared to express dismay, the Hollywood sportsman would retort: “It was him or me, wasn’t it?” Zanuck made several forays to Canada with his coterie in this period, gunning for grizzly bears. Director William “Wild Bill” Wellman, who was more of an outdoorsman than Curtiz, once went along, but soon became irritated with Zanuck’s bullying. The two men got into a drunken fistfight the night before the hunting had even begun. In the course of the ensuing trip the hunting party was snowbound for three days; Zanuck sprained his ankle while trailing a grizzly; the horse carrying medical supplies vanished; and Wellman got food poisoning. “It was the damnedest trip I’ve ever seen,” the director said later, “but Zanuck loved it.”

Now that Zanuck had severed his ties with the Warner clan and was on the verge of a new professional adventure, a trip to Canada with a few trusted associates would be just the ticket. This time the destination would be a hunting ground on the banks of the Canoe River, a tributary of the Columbia River, 102 miles north of Revelstoke, British Columbia, a city about 400 miles east of Vancouver. There, in a remote scenic area far from any paved roads, telephones, or other niceties of modern life, the men could discuss Zanuck’s new production company and, presumably, their own potential roles in it. Present on the expedition were screenwriter Sam Engel, director Ray Enright, 42nd Street director Lloyd Bacon, producer (and former silent film comedian) Raymond Griffith, and director John G. Adolfi, best known at the time for his work with English actor George Arliss. Adolfi, who was around 50 years old and seemingly in good health, would not return.

II. The Director

Even dedicated film buffs may draw a blank when the name John Adolfi is mentioned. Although he directed more than eighty films over a twenty-year period beginning in 1913, most of those films are now lost. He worked in every genre, with top stars, and made a successful transition from silent cinema to talkies. He seems to have been a well-respected but self-effacing man, seldom profiled in the press.

According to his tombstone Adolfi was born in New York City in 1881, but the exact date of his birth is one of several mysteries about his life. His father, Gustav Adolfi, was a popular stage comedian and singer who emigrated to the U.S. from Germany in 1879. Gustav performed primarily in New York and Philadelphia, and was known for such roles as Frosch the Jailer in Strauss’ Die Fledermaus. But he was a troubled man, said to be a compulsive gambler, and after his wife Jennie died (possibly of scarlet fever) it appears his life fell apart. Gustav’s singing voice gave out, and then he died suddenly in Philadelphia in October 1890, leaving John and his siblings orphaned. (An obituary in the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent reported that Gustav suffered a stroke, but family legend suggests he may have committed suicide.) After a difficult period John followed in his father’s footsteps and launched a stage career, and was soon working opposite such luminaries of the day as Ethel Barrymore and Dustin Farnum. Early in the new century the young actor wed Pennsylvania native Florence Crawford; the marriage would last until his death.

When the cinema was still in its infancy stage performers tended to regard movie work as slumming, but for whatever reason John Adolfi took the plunge. He made his debut before the cameras around 1907, probably at the Vitagraph Studio in Brooklyn. There he appeared as Tybalt in J. Stuart Blackton’s 1908 Romeo and Juliet , with Paul Panzer and Florence Lawrence in the title roles. He worked at the Edison Studio for director Edwin S. Porter, and at Biograph in a 1908 short called The Kentuckian which also featured two other stage veterans, D.W. Griffith and Mack Sennett. Most of Adolfi’s work as a screen actor was for the Éclair Studio in Fort Lee, New Jersey, the first film capital. The bulk of this company’s output was destroyed in a vault fire, but a 1912 adaptation of Robin Hood in which Adolfi appeared survives. That same year he also appeared in a famous docu-drama, as we would call it, Saved from the Titanic. This ten-minute short premiered less than a month after the Titanic disaster, and featured actress Dorothy Gibson, who actually survived the voyage, re-enacting her experience while wearing the same clothes she wore in the lifeboat. (This film, unfortunately, is among the missing.) After appearing in dozens of movies Adolfi moved behind the camera.

Much of his early work as a director was for a Los Angeles-based studio called Majestic, where he made crime dramas, Westerns, and comedies, films with titles like Texas Bill’s Last Ride and The Stolen Radium. In 1914 the company had a new supervisor: D. W. Griffith, now the top director in the business, who had just departed Biograph. Adolfi was one of the few Majestic staff directors who kept his job under the new regime. A profile in the February 1915 issue of Photoplay describes him as “a tallish, good-looking man, well-knit and vigorous, dark-haired and determined; his mouth and chin suggest that their owner expects (and intends) to have his own way unless he is convinced that the other fellow’s is better.” It was also reported that Adolfi had developed something of a following as an actor, but that he dropped out of the public eye when he became a director. Presumably, that’s what he wanted.

Adolfi left Majestic after three years, worked at Fox Films for a time as a staff director, then freelanced. During the remainder of the silent era he guided some of the screen’s legendary leading ladies: Annette Kellerman (Queen of the Sea, 1918), Marion Davies (The Burden of Proof, 1918), Mae Marsh (The Little ‘Fraid Lady, 1920), Betty Blythe (The Darling of the Rich, 1922), and Clara Bow (The Scarlet West, 1925). Not one of these films survives. A profile published in the New York World-Telegram during his stint at Fox reported that Adolfi was well-liked by his employees. He was “reticent when the conversation turned toward himself, but frank and outspoken when it concerned his work. Mr. Adolfi is not only a director who is skilled in the technique of his craft; he is also a deep student of human nature.” Asked how he felt about the cinema’s potential, he replied, with unconscious irony, “it is bound to live forever.”

III. The Talkies

In spring of 1927 Adolfi was offered a job at Warner Brothers. His debut feature for the studio What Happened to Father? (now lost) was a success, or enough of one anyway to secure him a professional foothold, and he worked primarily at WB thereafter. Thus he was fortuitously well-positioned for the talkie revolution, for although talking pictures were not invented at the studio it was Sam Warner and his brothers, more than anyone else, who sold an initially skeptical public on the new medium. After Adolfi had proven himself with three talkie features Darryl Zanuck handed him an expensive, prestige assignment, a lavish all-star revue entitled The Show of Shows which featured every Warners star from John Barrymore to Rin-Tin-Tin.

Other important assignments followed. In March of 1930 a crime melodrama called Penny Arcade opened on Broadway. It was not a success, but when Al Jolson saw it he sensed that the story had screen potential. He purchased the film rights at a bargain rate and then re-sold the property to his home studio, Warner Brothers. Adolfi was chosen to direct, but was doubtless surprised to learn that Jolson had insisted that two of the actors from the Broadway production repeat their performances before the cameras. One of the pair, Joan Blondell, had already appeared in three Vitaphone shorts to good effect, but the other, James Cagney, had never acted in a movie. Any doubts about Jolson’s instincts were quickly dispelled. Rushes of the first scenes featuring the newcomers so impressed studio brass that both were signed to five-year contracts. While Adolfi can’t be credited with discovering the duo, the film itself, re-christened Sinners’ Holiday,remains his strongest surviving claim to fame: he guided Jimmy Cagney’s screen debut.

At this point the director formed a professional relationship that would shape the rest of his career. George Arliss was a veteran stage actor who went into the movies and unexpectedly became a top box office draw. He was, frankly, an unlikely candidate for screen stardom. Already past sixty when talkies arrived, Arliss was a short, dignified man who resembled a benevolent gargoyle. But he was also a journeyman actor, a seasoned professional who knew how to command attention with a sudden sharp word or a raised eyebrow. Like Helen Hayes he was valued in Hollywood as a performer of unblemished reputation who lent the raffish film industry a touch of Class, in every sense of the word.

In 1929 Arliss appeared in a talkie version of Disraeli, a role he had played many times on stage, and became the first Englishman to take home an Academy Award for Best Actor. Thereafter he was known for stately portrayals of History’s Great Men, such as Voltaire and Alexander Hamilton, as well as fictional kings, cardinals, and other official personages. The old gentleman formed a close alliance with Darryl Zanuck, whom he admired, and was in turn granted privileges highly unusual for any actor at the time. Arliss had final approval of his scripts and authority over casting. He was also granted the right to rehearse his selected actors for two weeks before filming began. All that was left for the film’s director to do, it would seem, would be to faithfully record what his star wanted. Not many directors would accept this arrangement, but John Adolfi, who according to Photoplay “was determined to have his own way unless he is convinced that the other fellow’s is better,” clearly had no problem with it. His first film with Arliss was The Millionaire, released in May 1931; and in the two years that followed Adolfi directed eight more features, six of which were Arliss vehicles. He had found his niche in Hollywood.

One of Adolfi’s last jobs sans Arliss was a B-picture called Central Park, which reunited the director with Joan Blondell. It’s a snappy, topical, crazy quilt of a movie that packs a lot of incident into a 58-minute running time. Central Park was something of a sleeper that earned its director positive critical notices, and must have afforded him a lively holiday from those polite period pieces for the exacting Mr. Arliss.

In spring of 1933, after completing work on the Arliss vehicle Voltaire, Adolfi accompanied Darryl Zanuck and his entourage to British Columbia to hunt bears. Arliss intended to follow Zanuck to his new company, while Adolfi in turn surely expected to follow the star and continue their collaboration. Things didn’t work out that way.

IV. The Hunting Trip

It’s unclear how long the men were hunting before tragedy struck. On Sunday, May 14th, newspapers reported that film director John G. Adolfi had died the previous week – either on Wednesday or Thursday, depending on which paper one consults – at a hunting camp near the Canoe River. All accounts give the cause of death as a cerebral hemorrhage. According to the New York Herald-Tribune the news was conveyed in a long-distance phone call from Darryl Zanuck to screenwriter Lucien Hubbard in Los Angeles. Hubbard subsequently informed the press. The N.Y. Times reported that the entire hunting party (Zanuck, Engel, Enright, Bacon, and Griffith) accompanied Adolfi’s remains in a motorboat down the Columbia River to Revelstoke. From there the body was sent to Vancouver, B.C., where it was cremated. Write-ups of Adolfi’s career were brief, and tended to emphasize his work with George Arliss, though his recent success Central Park was widely noted. John’s widow Florence was mentioned in the Philadelphia City News obituary but otherwise seems to have been ignored; the couple had no children.

V. The Aftermath

Darryl F. Zanuck went on to found Twentieth Century Pictures, a name suggested by his hunting companion Sam Engel. One of the company’s biggest hits in its first year of operation was The House of Rothschild, starring George Arliss and directed by Alfred Werker. The venerable actor returned to England not long afterwards and retired from filmmaking in 1937. In his second book of memoirs, published three years later, Arliss devotes several pages of warm praise to Zanuck, but refers only fleetingly to the man who directed seven of his films, John Adolfi, and misspells his name.

In 1935 Zanuck merged his Twentieth Century Pictures with Fox Films, and created one of the most successful companies in Hollywood history. He would go on to produce many award-winning classics, including The Grapes of Wrath, Laura, and All About Eve. Zanuck’s trusted associates at Twentieth-Century Fox in the company’s best years included Sam Engel, Raymond Griffith, and Lloyd Bacon, all survivors of the Revelstoke trip. Personal difficulties and vast changes in the film industry began to affect Zanuck’s career in the 1950s. He left the U.S. for Europe but continued to make films, and sporadically managed to exercise control over the company he founded. He died in 1979.

In 1984 a onetime screenwriter and film critic named Leonard Mosley, who had known Zanuck slightly, published a biography entitled Zanuck: The Rise and Fall of Hollywood’s Last Tycoon. Aside from his movie reviews most of Mosley’s published work concerned military matters, specifically pertaining to the Second War World. His Zanuck bio reveals a grasp of film history that is shaky at times, for the book has a number of obvious errors. Nevertheless, it was written with the cooperation of Darryl’s son Richard, his widow Virginia, and many of the mogul’s close associates, so whatever its errors in chronology or studio data the anecdotes concerning Zanuck’s personal and professional activities are unquestionably well-sourced.

When Mosley’s narrative reaches May 1933, the point when Zanuck is on the verge of founding his new company, we’re told that he and several associates decided to go on a hunting trip to Alaska. The location is not correct, but chronologically – and in one other, unmistakable respect – there can be no doubt that this refers to the Revelstoke trip. From Mosley’s book:

“There is a mystery about this trip, and no perusal of Zanuck’s papers or those of his former associates seems to elucidate it,” he writes. “Something happened that changed his whole attitude towards hunting. All that can be gathered from the thin stories that are still gossiped around was that the hunting party went on the track of a polar bear somewhere in the Alaskan wilderness [sic], and when the vital moment came it was Zanuck who stepped out to shoot down the charging, furious animal. His bullet, it is said, found its mark all right, but it did not kill. The polar bear came on, and Zanuck stood his ground, pumping away with his rifle. Only this time it was not ‘him or me,’ but ‘him’ and someone else. The wounded and enraged bear, still alive and still charging, swerved around Zanuck and swiped with his great paw at one of the men standing behind him – and only after it had killed this other man did it fall at last into the snow, and die itself. That’s the story, and no one seems to be able to confirm it nor remember the name of the man who died. The only certain thing is that when Zanuck came back, he announced to Virginia that he had given up hunting. And he never went out and shot a wild animal again, not even a jackrabbit for his supper.”

VI. The Coda

Was John Adolfi killed by a bear? It certainly seems possible, but if so, why didn’t the men in the hunting party simply report the truth? Even if their boss was indirectly responsible, having fired the shots that caused the bear to charge, he couldn’t be blamed for the actions of a dying animal. But it’s also possible the event unfolded like a recent tragedy on the Montana-Idaho border. There, in September 2011, two men named Ty Bell and Steve Stevenson were on a hunting trip. Bell shot what he believed was a black bear. When the bear, a grizzly, attacked Stevenson, Bell fired again – and killed both the bear and his friend.

That seems to be the more likely scenario. If Zanuck fired at the wounded bear, in an attempt to save Adolfi, and killed both bear and man instead, it would perhaps explain a hastily contrived false story. It would most definitely explain the prompt cremation of Adolfi’s body in Vancouver. Back in Hollywood Joe Schenck was busy raising money, and lots of it, to launch Zanuck’s new company. Any unpleasant information about the new company’s chief – certainly anything suggestive of manslaughter – could jeopardize the deal. A man hit with a cerebral hemorrhage in the prime of life is a tragedy of natural causes, but a man sprayed with bullets in a shooting, accidental or not, is something else again. That goes double if alcohol was involved, as it reportedly was on Zanuck’s earlier hunting trips.

Of course, it’s also possible that Adolfi did indeed suffer a cerebral hemorrhage. Like his father.

John G. Adolfi is a Hollywood ghost. Most of his works are lost, and his name is forgotten. (Even George Arliss couldn’t be bothered to spell it correctly.) Every now and then TCM will program one of the Arliss vehicles, or Sinners’ Holiday. Not long ago they showed Adolfi’s fascinating B-picture Central Park, that slam-bang souvenir of the early Depression years in which several plot strands are deftly inter-twined. One of the subplots involves a mentally ill man, a former zoo-keeper who escapes from an asylum and returns to the place where he used to work, the Central Park Zoo. He has a score to settle with an old nemesis, an ex-colleague who tends the big cats. As the story approaches its climax, the escaped lunatic deliberately drags his enemy into the cage of a dangerous lion and leaves him there. In the subsequent, harrowing scene, difficult to watch, the lion attacks and practically kills the poor bastard.

by William Charles Morrow

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

My sources for this article, in addition to the Mosley biography cited in the text, include Stephen M. Silverman’s The Fox That Got Away: The Last Days of the Zanuck Dynasty at Twentieth-Century Fox (1988), and Marlys J. Harris’s The Zanucks of Hollywood: The Dark Legacy of an American Dynasty (1989). For material on John Adolfi I made extensive use of the files of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Special thanks to James Bigwood for his prodigious research on the Adolfi family genealogy, and to Mary Maler, John Adolfi’s great-niece, for information she provided on her family.

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imjustthemechanic · 3 years

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The Price of a Soul

Part 1/? - Agent Russel Part 2/? - The Letter Part 3/? - Miss Lake Part 4/? - The Stewardess Part 5/? - An Assassination Part 6/? - Fallout Part 7/? - Face to Face Part 8/? - Deals, Details, and Other Devils Part 9/? - Baggage Part 10/? - Private Funding Part 11/? - Just Passing Through Part 12/? - Party of Four Part 13/? - Resolute Part 14/? - The Wreck Part 15/? - Body Snatchers Part 16/? - Out of the Frying Pan Part 17/? - A Miracle Part 18/? - A Matter of Circumstance Part 19/? - Nome Part 20/? - The Future Part 21/? - A Hero’s Welcome Part 22/? - Up to Speed Part 23/? - Expect Further Delays Part 24/? - The Welcome Wagon Part 25/? - Fugitives Part 26/? - A Reluctant Accomplice Part 27/? - Deja Vu Part 28/? - Interview with a Madwoman Part 29/? - Violence

Holy shit, another chapter! This is the one where Dottie kills a buncha mobsters.

They did not fly to Nevada. Kay had already been recognized on a plane once, and with all three of them together and all three of them fugitives, there was a greater chance that at least one of them would be spotted. They got Dottie some clothes that were not a prison uniform, stole another car, and started driving.

“You know, I just realized,” said Peggy, who was at the wheel for the first part of the journey. “We never did find the bomb on Howard’s plane. Was there one?”

“Of course not,” said Kay. “Why would I bother building a bomb when the threat of one would do the trick?”

“Because you’re a coward,” said Dottie.

“I’m efficient,” Kay told her.

“What if she’d called your bluff?” Dottie asked.

“She didn’t. And even if she had, I wasn’t actually going to blow up the plane. I needed it. And the people on board it. I would have thought of something. You don’t have to kill every single person who inconveniences you,” she added, sounding exasperated. It made Peggy wonder if that were something many of the Russian girls tended to do.

“Spoilsport,” said Dottie.

The journey had to be done in stages. Peggy and Kay could take turns driving, but neither trusted Dottie to take the wheel, and they had to take turns sitting up and watching her during the night so she couldn’t run off. Dottie seemed to enjoy the attention. As far as Peggy could tell, she slept quite peacefully during the nights, and during the daytime she let her scarf flutter in the breeze with a smile on her face, and delightedly pointed out roadside attractions that Peggy and Kay refused to stop for.

While they drove, they listened to the radio. The news talked about things like Burma joining the United Nations, and how the latter organization had established a special body dedicated to public health. But of course, what Peggy was really listening for was Steve. His tour of New England continued with cheering crowds all the way. The announcers described him visiting soldiers whose lives he’d saved, and the widows of those he couldn’t.

There was even, at one point, an interview with him. Peggy perked up at the announcement and Kay immediately turned the radio up.

Captain Rogers, the interviewer said. Now that you’re back, what are your plans for the future?

I’m not sure, Steve’s voice replied, and Peggy’s insides twisted. He’d had plans… he’d been going to get married and buy a farm. She was the one who’d told him he couldn’t do that. I’m still in the army for the time being. My discharge was issued on the assumption I was dead, and since I’m not, my service isn’t finished.

“Damn Masters,” Peggy murmured.

Kay thought for a moment. “What if he got his tie caught in a piece of machinery and it strangled him?”

“Hush,” Peggy told her.

Have you heard the rumors that other countries have begun research on human enhancement? asked the interviewer.

I have, said Steve. It was my understanding that everyone signed a treaty that they wouldn’t do human experimentation like that.

They did, the interviewer said, but there have been suggestions that America’s enemies think they need to find a way to counter you.

I’m not a weapon, and we’re not at war, said Steve. When you’re not at war, you don’t need super-soldiers.

So you would be opposed to any such work in the United States? Or only abroad?

I think, said Steve, that anybody who wants to volunteer for such a program needs to think very hard about what they want to get out of it. Even the people who worked on the serum didn’t know what its long-term effects on my body would be. I think they’d have been shocked to learn I survived three years frozen in ice.

Peggy certainly had been, and Howard… but now she found her own thought. He’d crashed the Valkyrie fully intending to die. He’d said he’d realized at the last moment that he didn’t want that after all, but that was before he’d found his plans in tatters. Had he changed his mind again since? Was he contemplating suicide, only to realize he didn’t know if there were anything that would kill him?

No, that couldn’t be. Steve wouldn’t, not when his previous attempt was so fresh in his mind. Not when he knew that the friend he’d intended to die for was alive and in need of help.

Even so, the idea stuck in Peggy’s mind, and made her feel a little ill. She couldn’t stop picturing him contemplating it. She imagined him playing with a knife, examining a bottle of rat poison, spinning the chamber in a revolver, and wondering if any of them could do him irreparable damage. A treacherous lump rose in her throat at the thought.

She wondered, too, if Steve were thinking about her while all this went on. What with all the autographs and photo opportunities and such things, he probably had very little time to. If he did, though, what was he thinking about? He’d told Russel to trust her, so he clearly didn’t believe in the charges against her. What did he think she was up to? What had Masters told him?

For that matter, what was Daniel thinking about while he sat in jail? He doubtless thought Peggy was working on clearing both their names. Technically she was. Freeing Dottie would doubles have delayed the trial at the very least. But she was also thinking about Steve’s desire to free his friend. He’d been so broken the day after Sergeant Barnes fell into the ravine… at the time, all Peggy had been able to offer was advice. Now that she could give him an opportunity to fix that awful thing, she couldn’t just let it lie.

Neither Steve nor Daniel had heard from her since her arrest. Did one or both think she’d simply run off with the other?

Well, to close this on a less serious note, the reporter said. Captain, I’m sure what the women of America are dying to know is: are you looking for love?

There was a brief pause. I’m not sure, said Steve. I had a girl during the war, but three years is a long time.

You heard it here first, ladies, the reporter said. Captain America may soon be back on the market! Thank you so much for your time, Cap. Pleasure having you on the show.

You’re welcome, was all Steve said.

Kay changed the station, and then quickly turned the volume back down again as the Floyd Hunt Quartet’s Fool that I Am came out just a little too loud.

“Aw, don’t love make fools of us all,” Dottie teased.

Peggy didn’t answer. She had no intention of encouraging her.

Upon arriving in Carson City, they had some lunch and freshened up, and then parked across the street from Governor Strieber’s mansion. It was a very modest place compared to some of the buildings Howard Stark lived, but still represented hundreds of possible hiding places for a large amount of money. Especially for a man who knew that no less a mobster than John ‘Moxie’ Blumberg would come down on him if it were found.

“How are we going to find it?” Peggy asked.

“Joseph will show me where it is,” Dottie replied calmly. “He knows I’m coming back for it eventually.”

“Will he be surprised it’s so soon?” A smart man would have set it aside to make sure it was there for her, but Peggy’s experience was that most politicians were not very smart where money was concerned. If he thought it might be a while before Dottie came back, he may well have spent it… especially when Dottie and her ilk were so easy to underestimate.

“Joseph is easy to surprise,” said Dottie. “It’s one of his more charming traits.”

It was very late, almost one in the morning, when Strieber’s shiny silver Packard pulled into the driveway, and Strieber got out. He was a very tall man but also quite overweight, with a drinker’s belly that hung over the top of his trousers. He was dressed up as if he’d been out for a night on the town, no doubt gambling in the new casino he pretended to disapprove of. A woman climbed out after him and took his arm. She was a brunette, dressed in a pink and black evening gown with an enormous fur stole around her shoulders. The two of them headed inside.

“Forgot me already, Joseph?” Dottie clucked her tongue. “You’ll break my heart.”

Once the door was closed, Dottie climbed out of the car and headed towards the house. Peggy and Kay climbed out and went after her.

Dottie took them around the back and knocked on the kitchen door. A woman in a maid’s uniform answered it, and looked startled.

“Miss Abagnale?” she asked.

Dottie punched her in the face.

They tied up the maid with an electrical cord, and found the short flight of stairs that led up into the living area. Light was coming around the door at the top. Peggy opened it a crack and looked out into a sitting area… lamps were lit, but she couldn’t see anybody.

The door suddenly jerked open, and Peggy found the barrel of a revolver in her face.

It took a moment for her eyes to re-focus from the dark ring of potential death to the man wielding it. He was a skinny guy with dark hair, wearing a gray suit and hat and a green tie.

“Come on out, sweetheart,” he told Peggy. His two front teeth were missing.

Peggy thought fast… no idea who this man was, but she couldn’t let him reveal that they were here. She dropped to her knees to grab him around the legs and knock him over. At the same time, both Dottie and Kay leaped on him from behind her. He squawked in surprise, but it was too late for him to fight back. Moments later they had him flat on the floor. Dottie’s foot was in the middle of his chest, and the gun was in her hand, pointed at his head.

“Carbone?” somebody asked. “What’s going on?”

Peggy swore under her breath – she should have known Dottie would lead them into trouble! “Let’s go, quick,” she said.

It was too late for that, though. Another man appeared in the doorway to the siting room. Dottie shot him, and the second one who turned out to be behind him. She kicked Carbone in the chin, and strode down the hall like a queen.

Peggy and Kay had no choice but to follow her.

In the sitting room, Strieber and his girlfriend were on a sofa, clinging to each other in terror. Four more mobsters were standing around them, and Moxie Blumberg himself was halfway through lighting a cigar out of a box he’d taken from the cabinet. All of them were clearly shocked by what had just occurred, and more so to see Dottie walk in with Carbone’s gun in her hand.

The one nearest Dottie raised his own weapon. She kicked it out of his hand and shot him. There was absolutely nothing for it now. One of the others pulled out a knife and went for Peggy – she grabbed a crystal decanter of alcohol off a table and smashed it over his head. Kay kicked another one’s legs out from under him and slammed his face into the floor, then snatched the revolver off his belt and shot a third mobster in the knee. He dropped, and Dottie shot him in the head to finish him off. The last one lost his nerve and turned to run – Dottie shot him, too, and then she was out of bullets. She threw the gun aside and snatched up the knife the other man had dropped. By this time, Blumberg was pulling out his own gun, but Dottie threw the knife and it embedded itself in his gut. He fell.

That left the three women, and Strieber and his mistress.

“Mary-Ann?” asked Strieber in a tremulous voice.

Dottie smiled. “Where’s my money, Joseph?”

Strieber ran to the bookshelf, stepped over Blumberg’s fallen body, and pulled out a few volumes. Behind them was a wall safe. He dialed the combination in with shaking hands, needing several tries to get it right. With each failure, Dottie came closer and closer behind him, and Peggy could see the sweat beading on the back of his neck. Finally he got it open, and stepped aside.

“T-t-there it is!” he said. “Take it!”

Dottie pulled out several packets of bills and tossed them to Peggy and Kay. Then she shut the safe and turned to smile at Strieber.

“Thank you, Joseph,” she said. “I knew I could count on you.”

In a swift motion, she’d gotten a toe under Blumberg’s fallen pistol. She kicked it into the air, caught it, and shot Strieber in the neck. His girlfriend screamed. Dottie turned around, and killed her, too.

“Don’t!” Kay shouted, but it was already too late.

#fanfic #agent carter #captain america #peggy carter #steve rogers #steggy #fix it fic

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persephoneiam · 5 years

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Snow White: What Everyone Gets Wrong

This is my very first post in my “What Everyone Gets Wrong about [insert Disney movie]” series. Though some facts are sprinkled into this post for context, most of this is an opinion. Nothing in this text is meant to be insulting or offensive. Thank you.

To start off here is some background for those of us who need a refresher:

This was the world's first full-length animated feature

It was released in 1937

The film is only 1.5 hours long

4.5 years of work went into making it

The film was completed 2.5 weeks before its premiere

Now that we know the basic facts, let’s talk about the things that everyone gets wrong/ that tick me off.

Number 1: Necrophilia

Now, I get that memes are supposed to be funny, but the random corpse thing just doesn’t make sense. Firstly, she’s in a coma, not dead. Secondly, this kiss isn’t sexual in nature; its a goodbye. He really liked her (as seen in the first few minutes of the movie) and now she’s gone. She’s a fourteen-year-old that left too soon. It's sad with no sexual motivations involved. That said, a person can interpret this however they want. Which brings me to my third point: the timing of the film. As I stated earlier, this film was completed 2.5 weeks before it’s premiere. There was a huge time (and budget) crunch for this film. In the Brothers Grimm telling of this story (which Walt Disney decided to base this film on), Snow White awakens from the apple-induced coma when the dwarfs are carrying her coffin to the prince’s castle so she can be buried in the family crypt for whatever reason, and a dwarf trips, causing the apple piece that had been stuck in her throat to dislodge and fly out of her mouth, allowing her to wake up without the kiss. Having such little time and budget, I doubt the animators could have put what would have equaled an extra half hour (the coffin carrying and wedding where the evil queen would dance to her death) of animation for the film. That’s not even including the cursed corset or poisoned comb that were taken out of the story. Not to mention each frame was hand drawn, making even the smallest scene a time-consuming piece of work. Who wants to draw all the extra stuff involved to take the coffin to a castle somewhere far off? It’s much easier to draw a kiss and be done with it. Why else do you think they cut out a bunch of animation backstory by including the written story in the middle of the film (as seen below)?

Number 2: She’s Not Feminist Enough/ All She Does is Cook and Clean

What the actual heck is it with this argument? I get that we want our children to be strong, independent people who realize there is more to life than being with a man/woman/significant other, but why should strength and independence only mean going into the workforce? My dad lost his job, so he was a stay-at-home dad with me and my little sister for a couple years. It was awesome! Not to mention his value as a human being didn’t diminish every time he touched a mop or dusted. He taught his children how to keep a home tidy and guess what? I didn’t have to pay anyone to do my laundry when I got to college. I was a better-adjusted adult because I knew how to keep a home, and I was healthy to boot because I know how to cook.

Feminism is about the equality of the sexes, so its really easy to bash Snow White because she cooks and cleans and takes on traditional gender roles. But the thing everyone seems to forget is the fact that this movie was made during the Great Depression and premiered two years before World War II. As large as the Disney empire has become, there is no way it could have possibly seen the future and made a film that was more in line with today’s feminism standards.

Furthermore, this movie is set in 16th century (1500s) Germany and made in 1937. It’s history. As in, an amazing, revolutionary work of art that changed film forever. Yes, it is very traditional in its approach to what Snow White does/ doesn’t do, but she’s a fourteen-year-old fugitive in 16th century Germany! She doesn’t have a lot of options. Keeping house in exchange for food and shelter is not a bad choice considering the only other option is prostituting herself. Also, the way she takes charge of the house is pretty awesome. She doesn’t take any sh*t from the dwarfs (as seen by her “go outside and wash” speech). She may only be fourteen, but she’s managing things like she’s the next CEO of Disney.

History aside, it seems like all the parents I meet that don’t like/ don’t show the film only do so because they don’t want to encourage gender roles. I get it, but telling kids that cleaning and cooking aren’t useful or that you can’t be strong and independent if you like/subscribe to traditional gender roles is kinda backward. Afterall, isn’t feminism about the right to choose? If I want to be a stay-at-home mom and my sister wants to be the next Steve Jobs, aren’t we both entitled to go for it?

Number 3: Saved By a Man

This is just a continuation of my above point. Snow White is fourteen. The prince (who is credited as ‘The Prince’ because Snow White and the Dwarfs are the only characters with names) is only seventeen. Now in Europe in 1500, a girl as young as twelve could get married no problem. Most girls did. Or they became nuns. All of that doesn’t really matter when your audience is Americans in 1937. What matters is that a studio just completed the first, full-length entirely cel-animated feature. When Walt Disney started this project, he wanted to focus on the dwarfs. He gave them names and personalities. By the end of the film, however, the focus had turned to the relationship between Snow White and her stepmother. All really good things. That said, the plot changed a bit from the start to the finish. The original storyboard was much more comical and very different from the storyline we know today. With all these changes, it makes sense that the one element that stayed the same through production was the happy ending where Snow White and her prince marry. It’s a classic ending, and there is no reason that true love shouldn’t win out in the end. Of course, the true love argument becomes problematic considering they’ve only met once before the coma, but considering the film is only an hour and twenty-eight minutes, I think we can forgive the quick progression of their relationship.

Also, it’s not so much Snow White’s beauty that makes the queen jealous, it's her youth. Snow White is young and growing into her body whereas the queen is aging. But that’s a whole discussion for theorists that I don’t want to get into.

In conclusion, Snow White is a classic film that doesn’t deserve to be hated on as much as it is. Because of its success, it paved the way for many of my childhood favorites, and I am thankful for that. She may not wield a sword and shield, but Snow White is still a bada** princess who teaches the value in being kind and making the best of a terrible situation. I for one think that those are still relevant lessons no matter what time period you are watching it in.

This has been a rant. Thank you.

#snow white and the 7 dwarfs #snow white and the seven dwarfs #snow white #disney #disney rant

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thedcdunce · 5 years

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Risk

“Oh, man! She cooked him like a cheap Pop Tart!” - Risk

Real Name: Cody Driscoll

Aliases:

Risky Driscoll

Gender: Male

Height: 5′ 11″

Weight: 175 lbs (79 kg)

Eyes: Green

Hair: Blonde

Powers:

Invulnerability

Superhuman Reflexes

Superhuman Stamina

Superhuman Strength

Psychic Link

Abilities:

Hand-to-Hand Combat (Basic)

Equipment:

Riskmobile

Universe: New Earth

Base of Operations:

Mobile

Solar Tower, Metropolis

Citizenship: American

Parents: Dawn Driscoll; mother

Marital Status: Single

Occupation:

Adventurer

Student

Education: Montridge High School

First Appearance: Teen Titans Vol 2 #1 (October, 1996)

Powers

Invulnerability: Risk is invulnerable to most conventional forms of physical attack. However, attacks that originate from a source whose power levels are greater than his own can cause him injury or even death.

Superhuman Reflexes: Risk's reaction time is many times greater than the average human being.

Superhuman Stamina: Risk can operate at full capacity for extended periods of time without tiring. He is also physically healthier than a normal human being and his biology can withstand exposure to viruses or poisons.

Superhuman Strength: Risk's strength levels are in the superhuman range, many times stronger than that of a normal human being.

Psychic Link: Risk possesses a psychic link with all of the alien-human hybrids that were genetically bred by the H'San Natall. Through this link, Risk can perceive the emotional trauma of his peers and can determine, within limited range, where his fellow hybrids are located.

Abilities

Hand-to-Hand Combat (Basic)

Equipment

Riskmobile: For a very brief time, Cody owned a $230,000 sports car that he referred to as the "Riskmobile". He purchased the vehicle on Loren Jupiter's expense account immediately after joining the Teen Titans. When Jupiter learned about the purchase, he admonished Cody at length, declaring that he would deduct a percentage of the cost for the vehicle from his weekly allowance until it was paid off. By Cody's estimation, he would be 212-years-old by the time he paid the vehicle off in full. Cody eventually gave the car to his mother so that she could sell it to help out with her financial woes.

Origin

Raised in the Colorado community of Cosmos, Cody Driscoll lived alone with his mother in one of the worst trailer parks. His father died when he was just six months old. His mother had two husbands since, so it wasn't easy for Cody.

Cody, although an above average student, was always a bit of a thrill junkie and trouble maker. He made a hobby out of rebelling against authority. It was during one such stunt, sneaking into the government facility known as NORAD, that Cody was teleported away.

Teen Titans

Isaiah Crockett, Toni Monetti and Cody were all abducted by the alien race, the H'San Natall. Just before Crockett was abducted, the Atom was caught in the energy stream and was transported as well. Once on the alien ship, they meet and rescued another earth girl who was raised in a virtual reality environment that mimicked life on earth. The group of teenagers was able to escape the aliens and return to earth.

After sharing in several adventures with the Teen Titans, Cody decided to turn himself in over the NORAD affair.

During the adventure, the teens learned that they were half-alien, and their mothers were impregnated by the H'San Natall. They discovered they were all born on June 21st. Apparently, the kids were part of a sleeper agent program by the H'San Natall to defeat the super-powered beings already on Earth. The group stayed together, and with the funding of Loren Jupiter, became the latest incarnation of the Teen Titans. Atom decided to remain on the team to learn how to readjust to his life as a teenager.

Fellow teammate Prysm developed a crush on Cody, although he seemed more interested in pursuing Argent at the time.

After a battle with Haze, fellow teammate Joto seemingly died, leaving the team devastated. The group almost broke up after Joto's ‘death', and Argent was instrumental in initiating a membership drive to keep the group together. The team stayed together for a time with new members Fringe and Captain Marvel, Jr. joining as well.

After another altercation with the H'San Natall and the The Veil, the team discovered that Joto was actually alive. They rescued him, and Prysm and Fringe elected to remain in space. As Risk said goodbye to Prysm, he told her he loved her. The rest of the team decided to go their separate ways and disbanded. Risk returned to Colorado to resume living with his mother.

Risk aided the Titans again during the Technis Imperative conflict, which involved the Justice League as well as all Titans, past and present. The two teams eventually worked together to save the earth and former Titans teammate, Victor Stone.

Infinite Crisis and Titans East

After that time, Risk embarked on a career of petty crime, becoming a fugitive. Later, however, he seemed to return to more heroic ways. Superboy called in all the reserve Titans to help him battle Superboy-Prime. When the other Titans attacked him, Superboy-Prime lashed back; not aware of the full extent of his powers, he ended up brutally maiming and murdering several of the Titans. Risk was one of his victims, as Superboy-Prime ripped off his right arm during the battle. Argent used her plasma energy to stop the blood flowing from his shoulder, saving his life.

A year later, he was living a life of petty crimes in Colorado, for the thrill of it, apparently addicted to drugs, or painkillers. Returning to his "house", a dirty camper in a bidonville, he was approached and blackmailed by Deathstroke the Terminator into joining a new villainous version of Titans East. Titans East clashed with the West Coast based Teen Titans and were soundly defeated. Following the battle, Deathstroke disbanded the group.

During the Sinestro Corps War, Superboy-Prime escaped from captivity on Oa and joined Sinestro's ever-growing Corps of ring-wielding warriors. He returned to terrorize the Earth and squared off against a massive contingent of Earth's heroes. Risk engaged Superboy-Prime for a second time, but on this occasion, Superboy tore off Cody's other arm.

Fun Facts

Cody's eyes are sometimes colored blue and sometimes colored green.

Often prefixes his statements by saying, "Hoookay".

Cody is allergic to cats.

#risk #cody driscoll #risky driscoll #Teen Titans #titans east #dc #DC comics #thedcdunce

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awakening-rp-blog1 · 6 years

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the seventh coven’s elder security, lee sunmi.

life stage. prime.

physical appearance. twenty-five.

personality. sunmi is a messy open book. she lets people probe her wounds, yet few trickle deep within the tiny empire she had built within her chest, and somehow the foundation shakes very little and she gives them her country. passion ruins through her veins and she wears her heart on her sleeve, a terrible liar quite frankly and awful at hiding her true emotions. she heals with a terrible intensity, always burning bridges with those who wronged her and making sure no one gets out of the fire alive. at times, she says quite a lot and nothing at all. she always takes too little and gives too much, reaching for people to find salvation in the gaps of their words.she is a prankster, a joker. sometimes, when humans speak in idioms and empty platitudes again, she feels far away. as if she could shed her responsibilities and plagiarzie identities for a while and no one would notice. living amongst humans is an odd pretending and profoundly unsettling. but at its core sunmi is yearning for her own chapter in the book of life, to keep the story from writing over her head.

history. mid november and the sky is greying. she doesn’t say much and by now people know better than to light all the dark rooms in her house. everytime the autumn month comes by, she can feel it, the tide of her birthday and the same night her mother died. it is as if one morning she looks across the shabby dinner table and everything that has ever been left unsaid was written in her father’s eyes. no one ever had to tell her anything, she always managed to overhear snippets of conversations. the feeling of her father’s forced love became all too familiar. she could see it now, the way he spoke in dim lit words, the way he mentioned her with little feeling and even more disgust. autumn always returns with a vengeance, to collect its debts. how often do we wear smiles that hurt, smiles that tell us we have burned too long? she feels heavy and the worst thing is, she knows the weather of leaving; the stale air, the crisp fall wind. when she grows old enough to understand the poisonous hatred carefully cultivated by her father for unearthing her mother from his planet, her whole body tells a story of pain, like a sickness she refuses to treat.mid july and her smile is wide and effortless. the dry heat of summer lays heavy and she has been going at it for days - a weary traveler, a foolish and gentle spy. a young sunmi lurks through life like it is an old house, teasing the wallpaper until it falls down. layer by layer, story by story. motions to people with the edge of her voice, with a change of her expression. they say her curiosity overflows, walking hand in hand with her innocent beauty. outside the cityscape of hanyang, she is skipping between the apple trees in her family’s yard, curiously following the slim river side.she loved him. that’s what sunmi told herself the day her father sold her to be someone’s wife. she loved him. he, who had eyes only for her, who ignored every other pair of long, black eyelashes gazing his way. but it takes the hard way to learn that “i love you” doesn’t mean “forever”. at first his charm felt like a shelter for the soft of her. he enveloped her in honey, velvet words, burrowed himself in her eyes. she ignored how his mouth held wars, ignored the chill after he held her. it was never about her. when he kissed her, it was always the taste of leaving. and she saw the parts he took of her, leaving her cracked open, overflowing with disbelief. and still, she looked up at him everytime and heard herself say “i love you”. godforsaken words.he called her name like it was water, whispered that she is the only thing in the universe that can quench his thirst ( he is always parched ). she didn’t know how to tell him that she is the goddamn drought. he sought refuge in the bottom of liquor bottles but instead of comfort they offered rage. the sun rose one december morning and he put a knife in her back, still drunk from the night before. he decided to put her somewhere she cannot reach, decided their stories should no longer touch.she would teach him better. the saving grace of the seventh coven elder embraced her, the closest she would ever come to having guidance. and they taught her that her body is a wound. but the parts of her that burned will clot with love and she will grow thicker skin on those outstretched arms. and that she will keep making churches out of people because there is no other way to experience ardour. and sometimes the people will be burning - out of greed, or vice, or too much giving, out of something dark and cavernous she cannot reach. and their fires will fill her lungs with secondhand grief. maybe she fans the flames with her own disharmony. but one day, she could embrace the rebirth in building bridges out of the thorns she plucked out from her ribcage, understanding that she was her own home and maybe that is why no place could ever fit so neatly into her fugitive heart.she didn’t know what exactly she expected when her teeth sunk into her past lover’s flesh, ripping out his carotid artery. she had dreamed about this moment and the incoming enlightenment only to realize that he had dug too deeply within her soul, without a sense of tenderness and love. he made her into a river when she was an ocean. lately she has been trying to dream of something more but how could it be any different? she negotiates with her quiet, she wanders, she bleeds and tries to dream again. the gentle suffocation of people who disguise their greed with affection evoke the strange alchemy of myth and murder. you hungry girl. never saw a woman more in love with the humming of the fridge. forever pacing the moonlighht, loving in all directions. reckless hands combing through a lover’s hair, frenzied eyes, kissing boys and girls half awake. heart like a cigarette that won’t stay lit and by next week, she will be in love with some other creature. lee sunmi had died a tragic death centuries ago and yet lee sunmi was walking this earth stronger than ever. wielding fire and fury at anyone that would dare approach her saviour, her light, her leader. in the end, the bitter truth is that she is simply someone searching for savagery. a phrase, a light, a fire. the signs along the way. and by the end of it all, she has renounced her own name and become more of a sinner than a saint, the almond moon as witness.

#a:elder security #lee sunmi #kpop rp

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krystisyaandwine · 7 years

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I’m so thrilled to be hosting C.J. Redwine today on the blog tour for her newest novel in the Ravenspire series, The Wish Granter! I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve been counting the days until this book comes out. Luckily, I’ve got a sneak peak that I get to share with all of you today! Enjoy!

About The Wish Granter

Title: THE WISH GRANTER

Author: C.J. Readwine

Pub. Date: February 14, 2017

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Pages: 432

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Audible, Goodreads

An epic fantasy inspired by the Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale, about a bastard princess who must take on an evil fae to save her brother’s soul, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Shadow Queen.

The world has turned upside down for Thad and Ari Glavan, the bastard twins of Súndraille’s king. Their mother was murdered. The royal family died mysteriously. And now Thad sits on the throne of a kingdom whose streets are suddenly overrun with violence that he can’t stop.

Growing up ignored by the nobility, Ari never wanted to be a proper princess. And when Thad suddenly starts training Ari to take his place, she realizes that her brother’s ascension to the throne wasn’t fate. It was the work of a Wish Granter named Alistair Teague, who tricked Thad into wishing away both the safety of his people and his soul in exchange for the crown.

So Ari recruits the help of Thad’s enigmatic new weapons master, Sebastian Vaughn, to teach her how to fight Teague. With secret ties to Teague’s criminal empire, Sebastian might just hold the key to discovering Alistair’s weaknesses, saving Ari’s brother—and herself.

But Teague is ruthless and more than ready to destroy anyone who dares stand in his way—and now he has his sights set on the princess. And if Ari can’t outwit him, she’ll lose Sebastian, her brother…and her soul.

Exclusive The Wish Granter Excerpt!

“Your Highness!” A man rushed from his spice shop to bow deeply as the girls came abreast of his doorway.

“Edwin, how nice to see you.” Ari beamed at the merchant.

His gaze darted along the street before returning to her. “What are you doing in the market today? Where is Mama Eleni?”

“It’s just us, but we—”

“Come in! No lingering in the streets today.” Edwin all but pulled the girls in the shop. The guards took up their post outside the entrance as Edwin flipped the wooden sign that hung above his display window to Closed and faced the princess.

“What’s wrong?” Ari asked as Cleo made a show of rubbing her wrist as if Edwin’s grasp had hurt her.

“Forgive me, Your Highness.” He glanced at the street again. “But it’s Thursday.”

“That’s what generally happens after you have a Wednesday,” Cleo muttered.

“We’ll only be a minute,” Ari said, despite the chill that was spreading over her skin at the strange way Edwin was acting. She’d gotten away with lying to Mama Eleni and sneaking out to the market once. The chances of that happening again any time in the next decade were slim to none. And she needed the bloodflower poison. She especially needed it without having to explain why to Cleo’s mother who would undoubtedly try to take on Teague herself for daring to upset her prince and princess.

The inside of the spice shop was cozy and warm. The dark red floor and pale yellow walls glowed in the light of small candelabras spaced throughout, and racks of jars were filled with colorful ground spices and herbs.

“We should do this quickly. What would you like, Your Highness?” Edwin asked, his tone urgent.

Ari frowned. “Why is everyone in such a rush today?”

Edwin shook his head sharply. “Now is not the time to discuss it. Please, Your Highness, tell me what you need.”

Ari met his gaze. “Bloodflower poison.”

He frowned. “If you have rats in your stable, may I suggest monkshood or elderberry?”

“We don’t have rats.”

“But then why . . . whatever animal you need poisoned can be killed with monkshood or—”

“I need bloodflower.” She looked him in the eye. “Nothing else will do.”

He glanced at the window behind her and then motioned sharply for her to come farther into the shop. Cleo and Ari followed as Edwin led them to a small, dusty cabinet in the back. Fishing a key out of his pocket, he fit it into the lock with hands that shook.

“What’s wrong?” Ari asked quietly as the cabinet door swung open with a creak.

“We aren’t supposed to carry bloodflower,” Edwin whispered as he reached into the cabin and pulled out a small red jar sealed with wax . “If anyone finds out I gave this to you . . . Please don’t tell anyone, Your Highness.”

Ari took the jar and slid it into the little satchel hanging from her wrist before pressing a generous amount of coin into Edwin’s hands. “I don’t know who told you that, but bloodflower isn’t against the law. You won’t get in any trouble.”

His smile was a wretched parody of itself. “It isn’t the law I’m worried about.”

The handle on the shop’s front door rattled, and a man called out, “Time to pay your fee, Edwin. Open up.”

“What fee?” Ari looked from the door to Edwin’s stricken face.

The merchant sprang into action. Wrapping a hand around each girl’s arm, he pulled them toward the back exit.

“Your Highness, it isn’t safe on the streets today. You must take your guards and get back to the dock quickly.” He reached for the door. “And, please, don’t tell anyone you were here.”

A dull thud hit the back door, and it flew open with a bang. Edwin stumbled backward, dragging the girls with him, as two of the young men Ari had noticed earlier strode into the shop.

“Why don’t you want anyone to know these pretty little coin purses were here, Edwin?” the taller one asked, his dark eyes boring into the shopkeeper’s face.

The shorter one grinned at Ari, putting what was left of his yellowed teeth on full display. “Looks like nobility to me. Bet someone would pay handsomely to rescue you from where you’re going.”

“No!” Edwin lunged forward as the man reached for Ari, and suddenly there was a wicked-looking knife in the tall one’s hands.

“Step outside, ladies, or I’ll gut Edwin where he stands.” His voice was hard.

The fear that had been slithering over Ari’s skin became a wild rush of panic that shook her knees and turned her fingers cold.

“Please.” Edwin raised his hands in supplication. “Just take my weekly fee. I have it ready for you. Take it and go. These girls mean nothing to you.”

The shorter one sidled up to Cleo and ran his hand up her arm. She flinched and pulled away. Faster than a blink, he whipped his hand into the air and slapped her.

Anger blazed through Ari’s fear, leaving her with nothing but a terrible need to hurt the one who’d laid his hands on her friend. Without a second thought, she balled up her fist and plowed it straight into the middle of his face.

Blood spurted from his nose, and he reached for her, but she’d already grabbed Cleo’s hand and started moving. Together they ran out of the shop and straight into the chest of a thick barrel of a man with graying black hair and close-set eyes.

He grunted and shoved them back into the hands of the two men who’d exited the shop on their heels. “They look like someone would pay their ransom. Teague will be pleased with this catch. Tie them up, put them in the wagon, and then finish collecting the protection fees. We don’t have all day, boys.”

“Teague?” The name left the bitter residue of fear on Ari’s tongue as the young man who held her dragged her away from the spice shop.

“You’re in it now, miss.” The shorter one spat blood on the ground and dug his nails into her arms.

No, she wasn’t. She was the princess and somewhere at the front of the shop, she had a pair of trained guards waiting for her. She just had to make them hear her.

Dragging in a deep breath, she screamed, “Guards!”

Cleo joined her efforts, but the men laughed. The shorter one leaned close enough that Ari choked on the fetid stench of his breath and said, “Haven’t you heard? The city guard has to stand down where Teague’s business is concerned. King’s orders. No one is coming to rescue you, miss.”

She hadn’t been screaming for the city guard, but it didn’t matter. Her guards were too far away to hear her. She’d been a fool to make them stand outside the shop so that they wouldn’t overhear her conversation.

Ari met Cleo’s wild gaze and tried to come up with a plan, but panic clawed at her.

No one was coming to save them.

They were on their own.

About The Shadow Queen

In case you haven’t read the first book in the Ravenspire series, The Shadow Queen, here’s the description and some information, so you can add it to your TBR lists and preorder now!

Title: THE SHADOW QUEEN

Author: C.J. Redwine

Pub. Date: February 16, 2016

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Format: Hardcover, eBook

Find it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Goodreads

Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen. In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman…and bring her Lorelai’s heart. But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.

About C.J. Redwine

C.J. Redwine loves fairy tales, Harry Potter, and Sherlock. She is the author of the Defiance trilogy, a post-apocalyptic fantasy from Balzer + Bray. C.J. lives in Nashville with her husband and children. If the novel writing gig ever falls through, she’ll join the Avengers and wear a cape to work every day. To learn more about C.J., visit her website at www.cjredwine.com Where you can find C.J.:

Giveaway Details

1 winner will receive a signed paperback of THE SHADOW QUEEN and a signed Hardback of THE WISH GRANTER, US Only.

Click this link to enter a Rafflecopter giveaway for an opportunity to win!

Follow the Blog Tour:

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

2/6/2017- Zach’s YA Reviews– Guest Post

2/7/2017- Fiktshun– Review

2/8/2017- Novel Novice– Guest Post

2/9/2017- BookCrushin– Review

2/10/2017- Ya and Wine– Guest Post

Week Two:

2/13/2017- A Backwards Story– Review

2/14/2017- YA Books Central– Guest Post

2/15/2017- Mundie Moms– Review

2/16/2017- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post

2/17/2017- The Best Books Ever – Review

Excerpt from #TheWishGranter by @cjredwine and #giveaway I'm so thrilled to be hosting C.J. Redwine today on the blog tour for her newest novel in the

#author blog tour #blog tour #Book #Book Blog #book blog tour #Book Blogger #Books #c.j. redwine #Read #ready ya #the ravenspire series #the shadow queen #the wish granter #ya book blogger #YA Books #YA For Life #ya forever

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spainkitty · 1 year

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Just a little more from this picrew. I really love all my girlies and I'm going to finish Danae's journey one day

"Non-Canon" but Equally & Fiercely Loved Girlies

Danae Tabris- Age 21 (Mabari: Mellaros); she's angry. After the farce and then travesty of her "wedding day", she hates the world in general and is distrustful of everyone (except elves) she meets at first glance. Becoming a Warden gave her power and freedom, but she has no loyalty to them or grief over their end. Her journey isn't about being not angry, fuck that, it's about finding people to trust and love, to be able to protect and save the disenfranchised like her, and to become a Hero without hiding the blood in her wake.

Class: Rogue Assassin, dual wield (longsword & dagger), poison enthusiast

Love Interest: Leliana

Best Close Friends: Zevran, Morrigan, and sigh Alistair

Marian Hawke- Age 25-32 (Mabari: Shadow) Imposter Syndrome, Mom Friend, and a fun little amnesiac with a heart of gold. A lot of her actions are trying to prove surviving Ostagar and Lothering meant something (survivor's guilt hits hard). She wants all her family to be safe, sacrificing personal comfort and needs to do so. Pro-mage. The first four years she managed to masquerade as a "regular" swordfighter until the Arishok Duel.

Class: Mage (Arcane Warrior/longsword, two-handed & Healer)

Love Interests: (prev) Isabela, Fenris & Anders (fugitives/poly)

Best Friends: Varric, Merrill, & Isabela

#dragon age ocs #dragon age 2 #dragon age origins #DA Tabris #DA Hawke #BlueMageHawke #kitty writes a thing #Marian's story is like 30k deep #omg #you can take away arcane warrior from MY COLD DEAD HANDS DA2 #IT'S PERFECT FOR A MAGE HAWKE IN KIRKWALL #WHY WAS IT CUT YOU ASSHOLES

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osmw1 · 5 years

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Poison-Wielding Fugitive Chapter 73

what would you like to read next? suggest titles for me to translate!

A handful of people ran away as soon as Veno issued his warning.

“Stay where you are! It is simply an empty threat to frighten you! The town only appears to be purified, but it is a mere trick on the eyes. And then, he will…”

Virage whistled, summoning the Bio Corpse Hydra to his side. And its back… split open? Virage then climbs inside.

“You cannot possibly touch me if I command my ultimate weapon from the inside!”

The priest’s voice came through the hydra’s mouth. It’s like he’s piloting that amalgamation as if it were a mech.

‘Judging by thine memories… ‘tis rather interesting.’

Hey, don’t get distracted by anime robots. Focus on the fight, damn it.

‘‘tis without a question that I am focused. Casting spells take time, even if I am filled with Mana. I have nothing practical to do in the meantime.’

Five minutes’ time to escape… you mean you need five minutes to cast this spell. Knowing the truth just spoils it for me. And why aren’t you using any poison anyway, Mr. Poison Dragon?

‘Oh, be quiet. ‘tis the same reason I had mentioned before. If I were to use my poison, no one will survive.’ “Now, my ultimate weapon, slay the dragon who corrupted the dragonslayers!” “Sir Elfé! He is mighty and righteous! Do not waver, men!”

Controlling the hydra from within, Virage repeated spewed noxious gas onto Veno. However, Veno’s Yggdrasil completely countered it. Virage’s followers attempted to do the same to the surrounding dragonslayers and townsfolk but were ineffective due to the same reasons.

“Damn you, you evil, deceiving dragon!” “You deserve nothing but death for your sins! Hurry, Sir Elfé!” “What makes you think you can tell me what to do?! And I know that much! The dragon cannot maintain this barrier forever!”

Virage and his goons struggled and struggled. But, I know. I know that their efforts against Veno’s Yggdrasil amounted to nothing.

“This is a miracle… o Sacred Yggdrasil… we have not misplaced our faith in you.”

Celes and her comrades continued to pray to Veno. Absorbing their prayers, the already stable Yggdrasil became stronger and more resistant. Five minutes have already passed during this exchange… and the magic was ready.

“Now… I have given you five minutes’ time. Virage, receive thy punishment for thy sins! I cast the almighty spell of destruction and the divine punishment upon Sodom and Gomorrah, Fire and Brimstone!”

As soon as Veno casted his spell, the skies swirled with grey clouds. A pillar of light penetrated through, striking straight down along with the crackling and rumbling of thunder and lightning.

“This magic is nothing compared to my—”

Virage commanded the Bio Corpse Hydra to defend itself, but Veno’s spell destroyed its defenses and pierced through the monster in an instant.

“Aughhhhhhhhhh!” “Wh—” “No w—” “Im—“

Virage and his assailants didn’t have enough time to cry out. By the powers of Yggdrasil, Celes and the other dragonslayers were once again protected from the great fire that raged from the lightning strike. Within ten seconds, the monster and men had been reduced to nothing but ashes. “Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah…”

The elf’s voice trailed until the fire fully consumed him. What was left was but a crater in the ground.

“Whew.”

Perhaps Veno was feeling generous after casting his spell. He used more Mana to fill in the crater and repaired the nearby buildings which had been destroyed by Bio Corpse Hydra.

“Ahh… that felt great. ‘tis very satisfying to finally unleash my powers.”

I could almost imagine Veno lighting up a cigarette after all that. It seems to me as if you’ve overdone it a little though, don’tcha think?

‘I am sure things shall be fine. I have restored the town to status quo ante bellum.’

I mean, I guess… Now then, it was time to clean up this mess. Surely, Veno could undo the magic casted on me, right? I now totally understood how it feels to be a spectator and I had had enough. Whatever it takes for you to return me to my world though.

‘Aye… then I shall… gah. It… seems that I am all out of Mana.’

You what?!

‘Perhaps we will need to… aaaaaaahhh’

Kersplash! Veno disappeared into a beam of light and I was switched back to the physical world. Then, I gently floated to the ground. Maybe it was because I was holding onto Karma Blaze. Luckily, I somehow landed safely.

“Yukihisa!” “Muuuuuuuuuuuuuu!”

Arleaf and Muu rushed over to my side.

“You did it! You too, Lord Holy Dragon!” “Muuuuu!” The world tree Veno spawned with his magic faded into the light as well.

‘Aye… however, the Mana I had been receiving from Karma Blaze stopped flowing.’ “Will Yukihisa turn into the Lord Holy Dragon again?” “Umm, y’know, me and Veno are totally separate beings, right, Arleaf?”

You don’t seriously think I’m the human form of Veno… right? We’ve already talked about this before, so she should understand.

“Oh… sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I was wondering that because the Lord Holy Dragon had spoken how he couldn’t undo Forced Possession Summoning.” ‘Aye. But…’

Veno shifted his attention to Celes who had walked up to us.

“Cohgray, you really were the dragon…” “Like I said, it’s complicated, but I’m not actually the dragon, right?” “But if you had seen it… no, you are correct.” “Do you still want to duel? Though we found out how we’ve been had already…”

Celes silently shook her head. The rest of the dragonslayers followed suit as well. Wait… when did all of the people in Lif’el gather around us? This… is bad? I mean, we really did cause quite a stir.

‘Shall we escape? Though, thou art surrounded…’

I sat down and looked around…

“You need not be on guard, Cohgray. People have not assembled because they hold resentment towards you. Rather… yes, let me offer a prayer first then let me apologize afterwards.”

As the leader of the Dragonslayer Corps, Celes led her team and about half of the townsfolk in a prayer.

“Wh-What the…” “Umm…” “Y’all have made a real ruckus here.”

Wayne and Rurika showed up to the plaza.

“Uhh… what’s happening here?” “Well, this because you turned into the Holy Dragon, created a world tree, and saved the town, I s’pose.” ‘Hmm? What is the meaning of this?’ “And so what does this mean?”

Veno and I couldn’t quite make heads and tails of this situation, but Arleaf lightly cleared her throat and stood up along with Celes.

“Many of these people have found our lord, the Holy Dragon. He had appeared and brought salvation with him, saving the town from the brink of extinction. It is very much like a god had descended from the heavens.” “The others are us followers of the Teachings of the Sacred Yggdrasil. Our scriptures tell of a miraculous spell called Yggdrasil that will clear miasma, save the fallen, and protect the people. It is said that the one who casts the spell should be worshipped as a saint as well.”

Rurika raised her index finger and quickly added to the conversation.

“And then, the third religion in town is the Church of Saint Oevarl, a harmony of the other two. The name is a reference to a certain dragon, it seems.”

Saint Oevarl… your name is Veno Yveval, right?

‘Aye… but sayeth thou it to be similar?’

Well, yeah, it’s kinda similar. It’s not identical, of course, but if it’s a mixture between the two religions… well, it wouldn’t exactly be unreasonable.

“To sum it up, the magic used and the divine punishment we witnessed today is something of legends… even if it was casted by a dragon. I am sure the people who have observed today’s battle believe that it was the return of the saint.”

Ah… so in other words, Veno’s magic and the miracle of Karma Blaze roused up a few religions.

“Let us relay news to our countrymen, telling them that the culprit behind our afflicted family members was Elfé—or rather, it was the ancient elf by the name of Virage!” “Yeah!”

The dragonslayers all cheered while they were in the middle of praying to us.

“Then, the whole killing me thing…” “What do you take us for?! If we were to slay the dragon after it had called forth the world tree… we should be the ones punished.” ‘This proves that I had made the right decision in casting my spells, does it not?’

Sure, it does, Veno. Whatever makes you happy. But you and I both know that you only casted those spells ‘cause you were aching to try them out.

“Yeah… well, I’m glad that we’re good. Actually, Celes, we should probably hurry to save your sister. There might be more of Virage’s people coming after us.” “And even now, you still worry about me… you truly are a man of good character, Cohgray.”

Oops. Celes looked a little shocked.

“It’s the second coming!” “Lord Holy Dragon!” “The legends have come true!”

Everybody seemed to be overjoyed with how things turned out. They gather around me and tossed me in the air.

“Whoa! Hey, hold on!” “Eek!”

This is crazy!

“Please, hold on!” “Muu?!” “You two are with the Lord Holy Dragon as well, right? Up you go then!”

With that, people from all religions reveled together with the whole town for today’s monumental victory. There was a ceremony in the middle of all that celebration… at least it gave me a moment to speak to Celes and the rest of them. Well, the people of the Sacred Teachings have already sealed off the curse-ridden prayer altar yesterday and are now taking care of it. Veno told me he’d look further into the issue later. Oh, and it seems like Wayne’s issue was most likely related to the infectious altar too. A few days before symptoms started hitting him, his acquaintance showed up to his home with a Teachings symbol in hand.

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Poison-Wielding Fugitive Chapter 70

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“Do it.”

The priest might have been whispering, but he wasn’t quiet enough. He must be up to something since he didn’t angrily shout that out loud. Perhaps following his order, the mages that were standing behind the priest suspiciously disappear behind a crowd of people and then unleashed a magic spell at me. They totally waited to pounce! But then instantly…

“Damn you!”

Celes entered a fit of rage as soon as our duel was interrupted. She scowled at the priest before turning to me.

“Cohgray, watch out!”

I began evading the sudden magical barrage downpour. Hmm. It was easy to predict the trajectory. I dodge out of the way as the spells caused many explosions. However…

‘Stay focused!’

The hidden mages missed me the first time but following the priest’s command, they continued to fire area of attack spells at me. Just as I was contemplating how to avoid getting hit this time… Celes rushed in front of me and sliced the magical attack with her sword.

“Haah!” Whoa! That was totally amazing.

‘‘tis a skill by the name of Magic Parry. It is most certainly a difficult one to master, but… fitting for the head of the dragonslayers. She is powerful… for a human.’

Then she pointed her sword at the priest as her anger emanates from every part of her.

“How dare you insult this sacred duel?! There is no contest whether you or Cohgray is the righteous one and anyone would feel the same!”

She kept her sword up and continued to speak.

“You have sent so many to their deaths without a single problem. I had wondered what was troubling you. But now, I see very clearly why you are intent on eliminating Cohgray—for he is able to lift your curse!” “You are deranged! You wish for a sacred duel with something like him? How absurd!” “How is that absurd?! Cohgray was originally a Ranger and a powerful one at that. It is only because of our meddling he has needed to master the use of poison! Yet, during our duel, he held back his poison and was still able to match my every move. How else am I to respond to his honor?!”

She lifted her sword above her and pointed it at the priest once again.

“Sir Elfé, representative of the Teachings of the Sacred Yggdrasil of Saint Yggdra! I, Celes Arnold, leader of the Dragonslayer Corps, demand an answer from you! Do you admit to having committed the evil deed of cursing the families of fellow followers of the Teachings?! Answer at once!” “How dare you accuse me of such preposterousness?! You lowly, despicable human!” ‘Hmm… judging by his words, he seems to be of another race.’

A haughty people? That sounded familiar… The poison in my system was very tough on my body. Ugh… my body had adjusted to Veno’s poison and it has been recovering, but my heightened abilities were waning. My wounds have healed but my fatigue was yet to have fully recovered. It was rough, even with the passive recovery granted by my leather armor.

“This is unforgiveable! With my authority, I strip you, Celes Arnold, of all title! Now… kill the dragon sympathizers!”

The rest of the dragonslayers had been confused and wavering from the beginning. Now with how the situation had unfolded, they all stared daggers at the priest.

“What is the meaning of this?! Do you lot also resent the truth?!” “Right now and here, which side do you guys think is righteous? It’s a very clear answer, if you ask me.”

Celes’ comrade, the one whose mother I had helped, spoke to his fellow dragonslayers.

“Ignoring the current situation, who seems more bothered by the truth? I don’t think Cohgray’s party has said anything untrue so far. But more importantly, after watching him and Miss Celes duel, it’s obvious why he fights and what he’s trying to escape!” “We must protect the one who can save our families.” “Once he gets captured, there will be no way for us to save him. We must protect Cohgray.”

The whole squad of dragonslayers spoke out one by one, unanimously agreeing to defend us and to stand up to the priest.

“Sir Elfé, if you must arrest Cohgray no matter what, at least first show us proof that he is lying about what you had done to our families.” “Surely, you can tell that forcing things like this would only grow distrust amongst us.” “Now is not the time to capture Cohgray and his party.” “We’re not here for a witch hunt.”

At the end of our duel, the dragonslayers all felt the same way. Their identical desire to save their loved ones was incredible. Meanwhile, I considered how to convince them to let me go or how to escape. One possible escape route was jumping through the hole caused by their magic and to head into the sewers.

“That man is the dragon! Dragonslayers! Do not be fooled by him!” “Hmpf… even if Cohgray is the dragon…”

Celes swung her sword around and then held it up high.

“… I trust his concern for my family! And that… that is human!”

Then, she swings down and releases a shockwave at the priest.

‘Hmm… the dragonslayers are not all fools. I would have expected them to double down on their religion. I see them in a new light now.’

Celes is an upright person.

‘I cannot deny that. But morals can be corrupted too. Well, she is already being used by the enemies.’

The priest erects a barrier to defend against the force from Celes’ blade.

“You fool! Your foolishness makes my blood boil! Know your place, you lowly humans!”

I could almost see the smoke rise out of his head as he roars out in rage… but then, his trembling ceased, and he looked away.

“Enough… you shall get your just deserts for making such a foolish choice. The heavens shall punish every single one of you. The citizens of Lif’el will know that you brought destruction upon them!”

A large sphere suddenly appeared in the sky, seemingly rolling in place. I wondered what the hell that was. I couldn’t shake the feeling that there’s a countdown ‘til the thing activated or something…

“Wha—?!”

Then, a blinding light emitted from the sphere… and body parts start to assemble into some sort of monster. It had the heads and tails of snakes, dragons, and wyverns and a body of what seems to be a dinosaur, altogether about 10 meters in length. The indescribable and mysterious monster stood in front of us.

Bio Corpse Hydra

Veno’s analysis gave a name to what was in front of me.

“What on earth?! No way…”

Celes and the dragonslayers looked at the beast in fear as it horrifically screeches.

‘Hmpf… ‘tis an absolutely ludicrous amalgamation of many fearsome monsters. How preposterous.’

Veno matter-of-factly muttered aloud. His calmness thinly veiled the anger and loathing within him.

“Perhaps you recognize it! Yes, indeed, these creatures are the very ones you have slain, now combined to form a singular weapon! With this living weapon, I need not dragonslayers! How the tables have turned on you lot! Now, perish for me.” “Talk about letting the cat out of the bag…”

There simply was no way the priest could justify his actions now.

“No one will remember that this happened. That is to say, nothing had happened here.”

At the same time, the towering Bio Corpse Hydra spat out something. What the hell was that? It looked to be the same thing as the sphere from which it came. As soon as I could assess what it was, it began to unleash its powers. Miasma Bomb.

‘Hmm?! Is this the same thing recorded in the memoir of the lass’ ancestor?!’

The airburst miasma bomb detonated in a great flash of light. But when it came in contact with me… it felt rather soothing.

“Arghhhh…” “Gaaaaaaah!” “Hyaaaaa?!” “Muuuu!” “Muu-Muu!”

Though I was unaffected, everyone else—including Celes and Arleaf—began to hurt. Muu had even tried to protect Arleaf with his large helmet.

“Arleaf! You alright?!”

The glow from Karma Blaze was pulsing as it faintly blipped out loud, protecting a small area around Arleaf.

“I-I’ll be—cough—I’ll be fine…”

Everybody in the immediate area was turning paler by the moment.

‘‘tis a Miasma Bomb. It will taint Lif’el and turn it into a wasteland, killing all life within the area.’ “You’re kidding!” “Elfé, you bastard…”

Celes pierced the priest with her gaze.

“Do you seriously think Saint Yggdra—let alone the whole world—would let you get away with this?!” “Hmpf. No one will believe whatever you lowly dragonslayers have to say. Not that there will be anyone left alive in the first place…” “You would wipe out a whole town just to silence them…”

The cool, composed priest scowled in his magic barrier. Not only did he intend on killing all witnesses, but the whole town.

“You lowly humans still have not learned your place!”

The priest began to explain himself.

“Our duty to restore the world tree remains unchanged. But the monsters and their king that live in the miasma are obstacles to our goal. If we do not exterminate them, how will we ever be able to restore the world tree?” “Don’t you think that’s a little backwards?”

I worked in at exploitative sweatshop, y’know? The bosses were always incompetent slave drivers who thought only of themselves, leaving all the work to us subordinates. They didn’t get the big picture. If the restoration of the world tree is their goal, then do that as you fend off attacking monsters. Why did they bother going on crusades?

‘Ah. But with that hideous beast, they must be intending to subjugate the world with its might.’

They pretend to want to save the world, but their true intentions are selfish after all.

“Humans are weak creatures… which is why these terrible monsters must be controlled and used as weapons of war. It is more efficient than any sort of possession summoning. And, it never misses.”

He’s not wrong in that Forced Possession Summoning is a pain in the ass. They barely missed Veno since he is simply too powerful.

‘Utter fools… they know not that their priorities are backwards. How can they claim to protect people by hurting them…’ “cough… even so, we will never give up!”

Celes raised her voice to inspire all those around her.

“Cohgray, you seem unaffected.” “Uh, yeah… but your comrades…” “Worry not. This is the path they chose… though they would have never imagined that it would lead to this. Still, I wish to save the townsfolk. Cohgray, do you know of any way to protect one against the miasma?”

I wondered if Veno had any ideas.

‘It shall take time, but it is not impossible.’ “It’s extremely difficult, but yes.” “I see… then we will do our best here. Please, in the meantime, save as many people as you can!” “But your friends…” “…”

Celes kept quiet and stared down the priest. It seemed as though she never thought of helping them in the first place.

“Cohgray, do me another favor. If you are able to escape, head to Niez in Saint Yggdra… see if you cannot save my sister.”

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Poison-Wielding Fugitive Chapter 63

“…”

Celes had been brooding about who knows what the whole trip, but we’ve finally made it back to Lif’el. “We’re finally home…”

The haggard knight grumbles after knocking on Wayne’s door. Rurika cheerfully answers the door but her expression sours after seeing Celes in her sorry state.

“She’s been like that ever since stopped by a village and lifted a curse.”

“Huh… more importantly right now though, go take a look at your grandpa.” “What’s wrong?!”

Did his condition worsen?! Sensing something amiss, Celes perks up and rushes inside. In his room was the scene of Wayne striking a pose at us; his muscles glistening.

“Oh, welcome home! Somethin’ the matter?”

That’s our line! We were worried something happened to you, you old fart!

“Mu!”

Muu flexes too and begins imitating Wayne.

“… umm…”

We all turn our eyes toward Rurika.

“Since he hasn’t been able to work for so long, all of his pent-up energy is being unleashed all at once. Please, do something about him…”

That’s what it was? Jeez…

“So? What’d y’all bring home? I’ve come up with a few plans of my own too. I can work all night!”

… ugh. I wouldn’t have guessed that Wayne and Arleaf are related. He’s more like the proprietress—they’re both monsters brimming with energy.

“Uhh… in that case…” We hand over all the minerals we got from slaying the ore monsters and from mining.

“Whoa! That’s quite the biggun you bagged!” “Yeah, we couldn’t have taken down Safkrym without Celes, so save the best parts for her.” “You got it. Now, stand back and watch my hammer sing, boy.”

After giving the mats a once-over, Wayne starts the work on our equipment. Rurika—though exhausted from dealing with him—watches on with a tender smile. Still, better to be too full of energy rather than how he had been before. We head on over to the forge.

While Celes already had an idea what she wanted to get made, Wayne planned something good for us. Everything’s been paid for already and our armor is finished too.

Elba Leather Coat (Toxic) Quality: Legendary Required level: 45 Bonus effects: Extreme Toxicity, Low Chance of Contracting Bloodflower or Dorimsvoyta, Magic Proficiency Increase (Medium), Water Resistance (Greater), Self-Regeneration, Cloaking, Camouflaging Skills Increase, Footstep Noise Reduction, Sensing, Curse Resistance (Medium) The hides of Elbatoxin—whose toxins are still imbued within— Crocgator, and King Boss Rat are stitched together to form this formidable piece of armor. Drains Mana while toxins poison the user. In exchange, all poison damage is maxed when this armor is equipped. Tougher than the average metallic armor and grants user Self-Regeneration at the cost of Mana. This magnificent work protects the user while granting the user deadly powers.

It’s called a coat, but it’s more like leather armor. The collar kinda looks like the frill on Elbatoxin’s neck. Maybe he chose leather armor for me because my skills are quite Ranger-like. It’s a huge leap from what we’ve been using up till now, eh? At least it’s leagues ahead of my old Smoke Armor.

‘The toxic nature of the armor would not normally allow any other human equip it. But for thee, ‘tis nothing but a boon.’

It’s so toxic, it could transmit deadly diseases. That said though, I haven’t caught either of them yet. Plus, I could use the Extreme Toxicity effect with my Poison Absorption to send my stats sky high. I tried it on and I could feel the warmth of Self-Regeneration slowly seeping into my body. And, it also slowly replenishes my stock of poison.

The only downside is that my natural recovery rate would be reduced. Still, it’s way better than my previous equipment all in all. I feel quicker on my feet than ever before. It’s just like the times where I had been in the poisonous swamp. Of course, they drilled into me the fact that no one else must put equip this Elba Leather Coat. The average joe would no doubt drop dead from putting this on.

I’m not sure exactly what it’s made of, but Arleaf received a beautiful set of robes. If I were to hazard a guess, it’s probably of a combination of Elbatoxin, wolf, and rat hides. From a cursory glance, it doesn’t look that much different from what she had been wearing before though. Wayne’s a blacksmith, right? All this sewing and stitching must be Rurika’s handiwork then.

Elba King Leather Vestment Quality: Superior Required level: 55 Bonus effects: Poison Resistance (Medium), Miasma Resistance (Medium), Magic Proficiency Increase (Greater), Magic Correction, Casting Time Reduction (Lesser), Voice of the Soul (Miniscule) The hides of Elbatoxin—whose toxins have been thoroughly removed—and other monsters have been cut incredibly thin and sewn together for this combat-ready dress. Drains Mana to repel poison and miasma, making gas masks redundant in light miasma. However, the voice of the dead would be ever so slightly perceivable to the user. In exchange, it grants the user resistant to dark magics. Allows user to slightly drain Mana from the souls of the departing.

The description is giving me real bad vibes. Will Arleaf really be okay equipping this? She said that after trying on the dress, these… triangular things would swarm onto her. That’s probably images of the King Boss Rat’s last moments, I’m guessing. Completing her set is a new staff. It’s a simple staff with a crystalline object affixed to the top of it.

Elba Lens Rod Quality: Superior Required level: Base level 50 Bonus effects: Magic Proficiency Increase (Medium), Dark Magic Proficiency Increase (Medium), Magic Attack Increase (Greater), Magical Accuracy Increase (Medium), Familiar Proficiency Increase (Medium) Low chance of bacterial magic activation under normal attacks. This staff uses the lens of Elbatoxin’s eyes as a catalyst.

Elbatoxin is really making himself useful after his death. It was a huge pain in the ass, but I guess the useful mats redeems it.

‘This is proof of the blacksmith’s skills… but never had I thought his work would be this splendid. Even in my hoard, I have nothing that can hold a candle to these treasures.’

Such high compliments from a connoisseur like you, Veno? Well… the Smoke Armor you gave me was pretty good too, wasn’t it? Not to forget, the stuff you gave me in the beginning was for easy to use for novices; of course, it’s going to be a huge difference.

Oh, and since Muu is a Warrior, it got a helmet and a cuirass made of metal. It must’ve been tough making armor to fit them. But it’s not like we haven’t tried stuffing him in regular armor though.

‘Forget not that Muu is a Myconid. In the past, I have seen before a Myconid in the shape of a particularly muscular human.’

Will Muu evolve into that? Despite sounding selfish, I would much rather Muu stay the way they are now.

‘Thou art being difficult for Muu… ‘tis not such a bad thing to become muscular, is it?’

Isn’t it? And suppose that Muu will naturally evolve, will it really become like that?

‘Let us worry about it when it happens.’

Right. He grew out of some mold on my robe. I think Muu still has that robe. I remember seeing it use it as a mat to sleep on top of. In any case, Wayne seemed to have made all of that while we were out on our trip.

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Poison-Wielding Fugitive Chapter 65

It’s the middle of the night. Nature calls, so I head out of my room and into the hallway to the washroom. There, I caught a glimpse of someone sitting in the living room. Everyone should be asleep by now, so what’s going on? Taking a closer look, a candle on the table reveals Celes sitting there.

“Hmm? Ah, Cohgray. Is something the matter?” “Right back at you, Celes.” “Ah, hmm… say, Cohgray…” “What is it?”

The dimly lit figure calls me over.

“I am wondering if I could… speak to you for a little.” “Of course. I’ll listen to whatever you have on your mind if you’re fine with just me.” “Ah… it is something on which I would like your opinion.”

My opinion, eh? I kinda had the feeling that something was bothering her. She wasn’t really hiding it either. I take a seat and give her my attention. Celes looks back at me and begins to softly speak.

“This is regarding someone who dreamed of living life as an adventurer and then made it their reality…”

That adventurer gradually became more and more powerful and made a name for themselves. However… a turning point came upon them. The adventurer only became an adventurer for the money—so that their family could live comfortably. But, their family… the little sister whom the adventurer so cherished had been cursed.

The one who placed the curse was an abhorrent dragon. Learning of that fact, the adventurer joined forces with others who were suffering the same fate and enlisted as knights and sorcerers to slay the dragon. There, they formed a dragon slaying squad with others whose families were affected or killed by that curse. The adventurer was more than a knight… a hero, even. They led men and women—these dragonslayers—to wage war against menacing monsters and dreadful dragons.

Their goal was their family… to destroy the root of the curse that was causing so much misery. If not… the adventurer’s beloved sister would perish. It mattered not how despicable their tactics, how cowardly they fought—what matters was to slay the dragon.

“But… one day…” “…”

It’s as if Celes were engaged in a monologue; she fixed her gaze to the starry skies and words simply spilled out of her lips.

“… the adventurer encountered someone else afflicted by that same curse tormenting their sister. That person had their curse lifted. The adventurer even discovered that the curse was not caused by a dragon but a man. This was all in front of the adventurer’s other dragonslayer ally as if obvious…” ‘She… hath been vague, but however…’

Yeah, I get you.

“I am sure you have seen the posters up in taverns and such, but I represent those who transformed the dragon into a human. The adventurer is now too pursuing the dragon to defeat it.”

I feel Veno staring at me. So, she’s the dragonslayer that was leading the group when they brought me into the world with Forced Possession Summoning. I remember the dragonslayer was clad in armor… but to think it was Celes all along.

If you think about it, the signs were there. Celes is a follower of the Teachings of the Sacred Yggdrasil, an extremely powerful adventurer, and had merely swung by Wayne’s residence while she was on an assignment. Wayne’s a well-known blacksmith too. He’s someone who Celes is indebted to and was afflicted by a curse much like her sister… Celes couldn’t help but to help those who are suffering.

“And then… this curse was caused by a greedy man in order to profit from the adventurers putting their lives on the line. Someone had placed a curse on a religious symbol used by many for praying.”

But there’s someone using Celes. The villain… he’s the one who placed Dragonfall’s Charge on the job-changing altar. Still, we don’t know who the culprit is…

“What do you think the adventurer should do?”

… Celes probably has an answer in her heart already. Still, she’s asking the person who showed her that the curse can be lifted for support.

“That’s a no-brainer if you ask me. Never mind whether or not the curse can really be lifted; the adventurer’s priority should be their precious baby sister. Helping their sister is way more important than finding the culprit.”

That’s obvious, right? You’re only risking your neck to save your dear family. But the adventurer—no, Celes’ objective is neither to slay the dragon nor is it to catch the mastermind.1 It’s just to save her sister.

“I… think so too. It is exactly as you said. Nothing else matters more than the adventurer’s beloved ones. It is true for all of the adventurer’s comrades too.”

Celes looks at me with her piercing gaze.

“Cohgray, tell me… are you absolute in that the curse can be lifted? And it… shall not return?”

Yo, Veno, what do I say here?

‘… repeatest after me.’

Gotcha.

‘“There are no absolutes in this world. However, that abhorrent magic has reared its ugly head in the past. If we lift it before it evolves or gets changed, then there is no threat of being cursed again. But, the source of the problem is within the body. The mastermind may very likely to have already prepared another illness or hex. If it seems incurable, then it very may well be an entirely different problem at hand.”’

Celes and that friend of hers fought for their loved ones. Their emotions are being controlled like a tool by some bastard. If his tools don’t work… then he’ll fix them by subjecting their loved ones with another illness. We can’t let the bastard have his way.

“I… see. It is ironic how the stronger one is, the farther the goal seems to slip away.”

Celes continues to mutter to herself.

“… that silly adventurer seems to have taken a detour from her destination. Aye, neither the culprit nor the curse matters. The fact of the matter is that the sister is sick, and the adventurer should be helping her.”

Whatever doubts or hesitations she might have had, Celes seems to be free of them now.

“That is all the sappiness to which I shall subject you. Tomorrow is another day, so we need to rest well.” “You got that right. You never know when you have to get back to your work too.” “Ah… that is certainly true.”

With the candle in hand, she begins to head back to her room.

“You have my gratitude, Cohgray.”

I could but barely hear her faintly mutter out her thanks.

‘I know not who or where, but that being is more repulsive and despicable than any monster.’

Veno, who had been pretty positive as of late, spits out his words. He did say that the miasma that chokes this world is mankind’s just deserts. In a sense, he lost his life so that the world tree may live on, but as if it meant nothing at all, there are people who are determined to make it wither.

And the one who shifted the blame onto Veno and Arleaf’s ancestor is Virage, huh? I guess people are more despicable than any king of demons could ever be. After that, I finished up my business in the washroom, and headed back to sleep.

1 2019-05-24: corrected from “Celes’ objective is to slay the dragon, not to catch the mastermind”.

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Poison-Wielding Fugitive Chapter 71

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Though the dragonslayers all seemed to be afflicted by the miasma, they still wielded their weapons with resolution and took the fight to the Bio Corpse Hydra and the priest behind it. The plaza where everybody was situated was in a state of disrepair, and the homes surrounding the area were destroyed. The remaining dragonslayers who had not joined the battle were rescuing the townsfolk and carrying them to safety.

However, the hydra was much nimbler than its looks suggested. I was honestly could not have kept up with Celes and her squad as the buff from Veno’s poison had dissipated. Veno probably knew exactly how strong it was. Strong enough to wreck me, that’s for sure.

“Ugh…”

The Bio Corpse Hydra swung its tail and struck a dragonslayer, sending him flying. The dragonslayer landed some distance away and slumped over motionless. Don’t tell me… he’s dead…?! Did… did this all happened because I came to this town?

‘Nay. ‘tis because I resisted their Forced Possession Summoning. Thou oughtest not to worry.’ “Yukihisa. Lord Holy Dragon.” “Muuuu.”

Arleaf did her best casting Aroma Heal with Muu as a catalyst on the dragonslayers. Then, she grabbed me by the shoulders and started shaking.

“Get ahold of yourself!” “But… if I weren’t… it’s my fault they…” ‘Nay, I am to blame…’

Perhaps it was hubristic of me to think I could save anyone. It was because they got involved with me that first Nisua… and now Lif’el… Accompanied with a loud clap, my cheek seared with pain.

“Yukihisa! Lord Dragon! Have you snapped out of it yet? Please, stop blaming yourselves.” “But…” “Neither of you have done anything wrong. The one guilty of this all is… well, in the case of my village, it would be Elbatoxin and the followers of the Holy Yggdrasil. The ones guilty are whoever did this without so much a pang of conscience, the ones who tolerated all of this. They are the ones who committed these horrible deeds and not you, Yukihisa.”

When Arleaf spoke so bluntly… her expression and the way she spoke seemed identical to her ancestor.

“After learning of the truth, Celes immediately jumped into battle without even thinking about herself. What we should do is grant her wish and help take the townsfolk to safety. And then… we should defeat that foul creature and its puppeteer.”

Am I right?, Arleaf followed up her pep talk.

“Muu!”

Muu seems to agree with what Arleaf had to say.

‘… aye. We should do exactly as the lass says: ensure safety for the few who are still alive, slay the beast, then deal with the priest.’ “Yeah… you’re right.”

I realized I didn’t have time to waste feeling sorry for myself. We’re a pretty capable party.

“Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

As I was pumping myself up, Celes found a gap through the Bio Corpse Hydra and she unleashed her Luminous Blade at the priest. It clashed against his magical barrier and then split through, cutting the priest’s veil. She was still following through her swing, but the priest… caught her blade with his bare hand?!

“Wha—!”

Even Celes was shocked. I mean, she’s the strongest one around, isn’t she? How can anyone stop her special move with a single hand?

‘Hmm…?’

The priest’s veil drops onto the ground, revealing a wrinkly old elf looking down at Celes with scorn.

“You have done well to make it this far, but you shall get no further! You filthy humans foolishly underestimate my power!”

Then, he sent his fist straight onto Celes’ abdomen. It might sound like an exaggeration, but he sent her flying for about five meters.

“Ugh… augh…” “Your misconception that defeating me would end everything is, unfortunately for you, incorrect. Ahh, it will be such a pleasure to torture Saint Yggdra’s finest warriors, ahahaha…”

The wrinkly old fart was extremely cocky. Well, if you’re so strong, you be the leader of the dragonslayers then. Anyway, the Karma Blaze strapped to Arleaf’s back started to glow like it never has before.

“Whoa?!” “W-What the…?!” “Hmm?!”

The bright light drew the attention of the priest.

“I-Is that the light of the sacred sword?! Impossible!”

Just as he was about to torture Celes to death, the priest began to panic.

“The sword…”

The sacred sword slowly lifted itself away from Arleaf’s back and floated upwards… and in front of me. … is it telling me I should wield it? I gingerly extend my hand out.

“Attack! Kill him now!”

The priest shouted his command at the Bio Corpse Hydra and it acknowledged the priest with a loud roar before charging over at us.

“Cohgray!” I immediately grab Karma Blaze and then… a scene unfolded in front of my eyes.

This seemed like some laboratory or test facility but by the far wall stands a tree. Arleaf’s ancestor and the man who dreamt of reclamation rushes in… they look older than I remember. Standing across from them is an arrogant-looking elf.

“Virage, don’t do it!” “Hahaha… I did not expect you to be able to follow my trail.” “Do you have any idea what the hell you’re doing?!” “Of course I do. Since we have so painstakingly revived the world tree… we would be halting the progress of civilization if we do not make the best use of its graces. Everyone here understands. Everyone wishes to live with abundance. You, however, take it too easy.”

The prideful elf spits out his words.

“There is nothing wrong with treasuring the world tree. On the reverse, you are definitely in the wrong! Not only will your machines kill the world tree, it will go out of your control! The world cannot take any more damage! Why do you think Veno sacrificed his life?!” “Hmpf! Such foolishness… that stupid dragon wanted to see this world prosper? I am doing no more than hurrying that.”

With a snap of his fingers, the elf’s goons surrounded him… as he flicked the switch on, powering the machine. Then, the tree in the back started glowing.

“Hahahahahahaha! Do you understand yet? This marks the beginning of a new era!” “Stop!”

The man who dreamt of reclamation rushed over, but Virage showed no signs of stopping. It was immediately apparent what the machine did. A black, evil light began to flicker.

“What?!”

The earth began to quake as the needles snap out of the gauges.

“Cease it at once!” “I-I shall do no such thing! It is going critical!”

The evil glow filled the immediate area and, starting with the man who dreamt of reclamation, a force knocked them all over. In the middle of that light… was the shadow of a dragon much like Veno flying off somewhere. The only positive thing was that light seemed to have protected the men at the hypocenter. What we now call miasma began infecting the nation, forcing the survivors to take refuge. And in the middle of all of that… the shamefaced elf and his men all spout out the same rehearsed lines and blamed everything onto the man who dreamt of reclamation.

“I was forced to go through this inhuman plan by him!” “Lies! This was all you!” “What are you saying?! We are the victims here! How dare you lay the blame on us?! You despicable monster! You dreamer! It is your fault that everybody has now lost their homes!” “That’s right!”

Of course, there were people who still believed in the man who dreamt of reclamation… but it would be understatement to call it a tragedy. Dispirited, the man who dreamt of reclamation held his Karma Blaze and began to speak.

“We will be fine… no matter how difficult, how terrible the situation we get dragged into, we are simply back to square one. We simply have to once again build a better land for everyone to live, just as how Veno lent us this land before. Let us found a nation that they would envy… let us create the world that Veno envisioned, however…” He paused before continuing to speak to his sword.

“The only regret I have is that when Veno reawakens, he would feel utterly betrayed. He… he was a great guy. And even if I can’t do it in this generation, I want him to see how beautiful this world will become.”

I still don’t know whether his dream came true or not. I mean, I don’t really know this world and Veno doesn’t have any relation with the people alive now. I’ve been living as a fugitive, but I’m sure there’s a lot of the world I haven’t seen yet. There’s not much land people can live on because of the miasma. Arleaf’s family, his direct descendent, were forced to live right by the swamp.

But Karma Blaze witnessed those days. He passed down his world for us to see.

Oh, by the way, Veno?

‘What is it?’

What exactly is Karma Blaze? Is this the only one there is in the world?

‘Must I explain it right here and now? Well, simply put, there are more than this one. I know not the true name of the lass’ sword, but there seems to be multiple. It activates only when it judges someone to be heroic and his enemy wicked. It is an inexplicable sword.’

I understood what Veno meant though. To get into more detail, it seems like when heroes visit a certain ancient temple, a sword would appear out of thin air on the altar. But if there are these hero’s swords in the first place, why would they come up with stuff like Forced Possession Summoning and that crazy living creature weapon? If people want heroes, they should at least live on as legend, right? Those heroes can just fight for world peace, can’t they?

‘I wonder. Even I til this day know not the location of that temple. However, it is surprising that the dragonslayers do not wield such a weapon. ‘tis as if they have discarded it for Forced Possession Summoning and that patchwork beast.’

You think so, too? From what I can tell, these sacred swords seem to mean bad business for some people. And then, Karma Blaze finds that one person.

Without warning, I had been transported back to my body and the priest had just commanded to hydra to attack us. That priest… aside from more wrinkles on his face, he looks like a clone of Virage.

“Hurry and kill him! Do not let the sacred sword activate!”

Oh… I get it.

‘I do too. Uhh… testing, one, two, three.’

Veno’s voice suddenly became a lot louder.

“Wh-What?!” ‘What a coincidence to see you here, Virage. Everything had truly worked well for thee. Thou hadst successfully outwitted him and used the rest of us as scapegoats. Thou nearly deceivedest both me and the sword too.’ “Wh-Who are you?! Veno Yveval?!”

Oh, so Elfé’s real name is Virage then?

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osmw1 · 5 years

Text

Poison-Wielding Fugitive Chapter 69

“Hmpf!”

With her sword in hand, Celes uses the same skill on me as the one she used on Safkrym.

“Luminous Blade!”

A streak of light trails off from her sword towards me.

“Whoa!”

Right away, I dropped my crossbow in exchange for the Flyiron Sword tied to my hip. I raise it up to block Celes’ blow, but the sword splits into two. Still, at least I was able to avoid being struck.

“Take this!”

Celes holds up her sword again as I flick up the crossbow on the ground with my foot. I catch it then immediately jumped back and fired three shots at her, taking full advantage of the opportunity. However, accompanied by the sound of metal colliding on metal is Celes chopping down the bolts in mid-air.

“… impressive.” “Only because you still hesitate, Celes.”

She may be swinging down at me with tenacity, but her movements are nowhere near as nimble when compared to the fight against Safkrym. But it’s because she’s still hesitating that I still have a chance. Now… what do I do?

‘Thou standest nary a chance against her, unless thou strikest her with poison.’

That’s assuming I can even hit her. Well, it’d be easy if I were to spray poisonous mist, but I’ll end up killing Celes and there’s no way I would get out of that situation alive. I just have to find a way to somehow make an escape.

“Hey, Celes.” “Speak.” “I really don’t want to die, so honestly, I’d prefer to not duel you anymore. You understand, right?” “…”

Celes remains silent as she rushes up to my face. She’s crazy quick. It’s scary how much her stats are better than mine! I dodge the swing of her sword by the skin of my teeth, but I get kicked right in the chest.

“Guh!”

Yeowch! Her kick sent me flying three whole meters. I try my best to safely tumble then ready my crossbow.

“Celes, you don’t have to do this—this witch hunt you call a dragon extermination.” “I must. But I must also dispel the baseless suspicions in the hearts of my brethren, even if you resist!”

Jeez, talk about stubborn. But that’s not bad either.

“You can’t do that. You can’t worry about me while ignoring the most important person. You can’t any doubt. You and I both know that there’s someone waiting to be saved by you!” “Hmpf… I cannot believe you would say such a thing. Cohgray, they suspect you because you lifted the curse. Let me take you in so you may help yourself!”

You get familiar to just about anyone. Even Celes and the lightning quick thrusts of her blade are things I can learn. And with my intuition, I can predict her. Now, it’s like a game of tag, but using a sword and a crossbow.

“Yukihisa…” “Muuuu…”

Arleaf and Muu watch the two of us with full attention. Obviously, they can’t let their guards down either, in case the Saint Yggdrans attack any one of us. We can’t let them interrupt our duel, even with the priest clamoring for Celes to hurry and slay me. … Veno, I don’t think it’s innocent until proven for us. But Celes is still hesitating and I don’t think they have much evidence anyway. Can’t you do anything?

‘Nay. I cannot so much lift a single talon, let alone use any of my magic.’

I quickly check the buffs from the poison and Arleaf’s cooking. Hey Veno, you can’t penetrate that Forced Possession Summoning barrier at all, right?

‘Obviously. Surely, thou shouldst know by now.’

But… your fecal matter does.

‘Aye, but… of what art thou thinking? I cannot read thine mind unless thou producest the thought.’

I didn’t really expect Veno to be able to pick up a passing thought. Alright, then I’ll focus on it. Can you pass your own poison through the barrier?

‘I see… I, too, have wondered. My poison can be thought of to be similar to my blood. However… the two are separate. It is much smaller than any talon or scale of mine… so I may be able to open such a hole small enough for them not to notice yet large enough to pass a drop through to thee. I shall be releasing the strength that had been sealed away thus far… but aye, it may be possible.’

Then, if I could have just one single drop of the strongest poison you can produce.

‘Thou must absolutely not use it against anyone. Do not drop it either. If it were to vaporize even the slightest, it shall prove to be fatal to bystanders! Gah… even something like this is so obstructed… hmpf!’

Veno wrings out his seldom used magical energy and exerts his might as a Poison Dragon to create a single drop of his poison, dripping it onto the tip of the bolt in my hand. Alright! Once again, I forcefully stab the bolt into my own arm.

It instantly courses through my entire cardiac system, scorching through as though it were liquid fire in my veins. Static and noise fill my vision, leeching all color from my view. Light flickers, nauseating me. Blood oozes out from every part of my body, but at the same time, all my wounds quickly heal due to my Poison Absorption. However, the negative effects of Veno’s poison outweigh the regeneration.

Deadly Ancient Dragon Poison α

The text appears in my vision as the effects kick in. I can definitely see Celes’ movements a lot clearer now. Yo, Veno! The toxins from Arleaf’s cooking is nothing compared to yours!

‘‘twas all I could muster, so knowest that thou art yet at the level of thine opponent!’

Damn, you totally just wanted to diss me!

‘Not to mention that thou hast both the poisons of the lass and mine. ‘tis no surprise that it had exceeded thine limits.’

I wonder. … at least Arleaf doesn’t look discontent with her poison this time around. Anyway, now it’s a fair fight.

“C-Cohgray?! Are you okay?!” “Haha, that was the ace up my sleeve. Looks like I can’t escape without surpassing my own limits.”

My body is screaming at me. I can’t keep this up for too long.

“… how considerate of you to be holding back until now. No, we have no time. Cohgray, come and end this!”

Ah. She must’ve realized that I haven’t been using my poison against her. Really, I can’t thank Celes any more for being so honorable. But I really can’t do much but fire my crossbow at her. I can’t help but feel like I can’t hit Celes with a bolt, no matter how strong I get. In that case…

“Let’s wrap it up then! Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

I scream out loud like Muu using War Cry and I rush over at Celes. Of course, I activate the Cloaking on my armor as I rapidly zigzag my way over to her.

“What is this speed?! There are even afterimages trailing behind him…”

Celes swings her sword at me while I sneak towards her. Though she was hesitant at first, now she’s gotten much more precise with her movements. She’s taking this one-on-one duel seriously now, eh? But… she’s no match with me and my buffs! Damn, it hurts though. My head feels like it’s on the verge of splitting. My vision’s still all messed up too.

But… even so… I can do this! I close the distance between us and I jam my crossbow into her chest while unleashing Power Shot at point-blank range. The bolt strikes and pierces Celes’ substantial chest plate. I don’t think anyone would survive this if this were real life Japan. But video game logic exists in this world.

“Ugh…”

The evidence is clear: the bolt left only a large fissure in her armor without penetrating through. I nimbly leapt backwards while my crossbow automatically reloads.

“V-Very impressive… but—”

Celes raised her voice as puts her hand to her chest. She’s tough… but that’s also not good for me.

‘Thou avoided both critically striking her and omitted thine poison.’

Well, I don’t want to kill her either. I just want her to give up.

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