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renegadesfic · 4 months

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ok but can we talk for a second about druvis and vertin and their relationship. i think it is SO interesting how she is the person to take charge of what's happening in the foundation and i've heard some people say it comes kind of out of nowhere but i do NOT agree. druvis is in my opinion The Most Helpful Character during the entire chicago arc. not the most emotionally impactful or even the most directly connected but the most *helpful*. she gives vertin the invitation for the walden, a silent approval of whatever she's here to do, functionally giving her her blessing. she helps keep schneider alive and helps vertin find her albeit largely indirectly. she has clearly approved of what she's known of the timekeeper's plan from the second she met her, and her approval grows when vertin does several things that make her view her even more favorably. everything vertin says when she's talking to the manus while druvis is present is earning her more approval from druvis, because druvis LIKES her, and honestly probably sees something in her that she's still not ready to address in herself.

and THEN the whole thing in chapter 4 happens. and this is where druvis kicks that vision of what vertin could be into play. druvis sees her as a *leader*, more than arcana or forget me not and more than constantine. i find it hard to believe she ever really LIKED working with manus vindictae - i think for a while it might've been mutually beneficial, and as we see at the end of ch2 there's some evidence that forget me not has kind of been poking at the trauma she has over what happened to her family and estate, trying to push her buttons to motivate her to do what he says. i don't think she ever really liked him, and she probably barely knew arcana, but if her response to what happens between her and vertin is any indication, druvis doesn't like her either. and she sure as hell doesn't like constantine even before their face to face meeting - she's trying to massively restrict the freedom of not just druvis but everyone traveling with vertin, and druvis does not like the idea of being forced into a certain course of action and can't stand being pushed to do things a certain way (a major point of trauma from her!). the face to face meeting only exacerbates this, and this is where - with dr z's help - she formulates a plan to force the issue of the foundation giving them what they want. what vertin wants.

and the reason she is following vertin is, again, because she sees her as a leader. vertin's job description doesn't really have anything to do with leadership, it's all record keeping. but we know from canon that she's recruited *63* arcanists to the foundation personally, apparently a very high number, and we see in chapter 3 that she is great at mobilizing and motivating people to do what she thinks needs to be done. however, i wouldn't call her manipulative or bossy - she's clearly depicted as being willing to let anybody drop out of what she's orchestrating at any time (see: matilda not wanting to be a part of the breakaway plan), and she encourages people to speak their minds about her plans and solicits their input and opinions.

all of this culminates in the breakaway, though. and i think that causes vertin to lose some of her personal view of herself as a leader, as someone inspiring. she takes her timekeeper duties very seriously, even if she's not exactly recording *major historical events* (see: stories from random people she meets, the photo wall). but that job has removed her from a position of much leadership - the first person it seems like she's had much power over in a while is sonetto when she's appointed as her assistant, and that's not really *power*. so when the chicago thing rolls around, vertin is still very much in a position of not viewing herself as a leader or as someone who is capable of taking care of other people.

druvis doesn't care. she sees it. she makes a very clear mental note of it. and everything she does from that point onward is testing vertin's decision making, studying her thought process, and observing how she functions under duress. and when she's satisfied with that? she sits right next to vertin at the dinner, cementing herself as an ally to the same representative degree as *sonetto*, who has known her her whole life and is deeply loyal. but sonetto is loyal to the foundation still, and druvis is Not. so when druvis makes the decision to go with vertin, she does so while internally establishing that she will not be working for the foundation, she will be working for *her leader*.

because whether vertin realizes it or not she has a magnetic effect on people. she draws allies and agreement wherever she goes, because she is trustworthy, capable, and *kind*, and she cares about her allies as much as or more than she cares about the specifics of her ideas and goals. and druvis is maybe the first person to notice that in a while.

except constantine! and that's why she opposes her. constantine knows vertin is drawing support, and she tries to keep that support away from her so she can't... well, we don't know yet. but it's pretty clear that the foundation is also not a clear record "good guy" in the story, and there's more to their mission than is explicitly stated. constantine actively demoralizes druvis, referring to her by her last name and treating her like she's already her lesser, her *employee*, and then goes so far as to tell dr z that she doesn't like being called that. it's all a power play. that's all constantine ever does. but druvis is the first person since vertin to actively stand up to her (alongside dr z but in a very different way). and she's doing it *because of vertin*.

this is two revolutions in four years for the foundation. and both of them, directly or indirectly, have been led by vertin. just because she doesn't see it happen doesn't mean she isn't doing just what she did before - trying to put power in the hands of the people instead of some overarching ruling body. first it was the kids in chapter 3, and now it's the arcanists she's recruited since becoming the timekeeper. she's making big waves, and it's starting to look like those waves are a shifting tide.

#druvis reverse 1999 #reverse 1999 #vertin reverse 1999 #reverse 1999 vertin #reverse 1999 druvis #r1999 meta #im gonna tag these posts w that ig??#anyway druvis is so crunchy im obsessed w her #(<- guy who has her in our brain)

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amiibo-king · 1 year

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Last Legacy full weighted choices list

pokes the last legacy fandom with a stick. is this thing still alive

i wanted to share smth with yall. ive been rooting around in the last legacy assets once again, and i believe i have discovered the variable that determines which choices are weighted towards an ending (and which ending they are weighted towards)

and since at this point we're probably never going to be able to find out organically (rip nix hydra) i've created a complete list of weighted choices in all three last legacy routes, and which ending they are weighted towards, in order of appearance. under the cut for spoiler and length reasons. enjoy

NOTE that this is ONLY a list of choices that contribute to the ending (good/bad ending). choices that are weighted in other ways (such as choices that affect your relationship with side characters like rime, but that don't actually affect the ending) are not included here. if y'all are curious about that, let me know, i might make another list for those later if/when i have the time.

quick note: each choice has two variables associated with it, one that determines what effect it has on the ending (good or bad) if any, and one determining the weight that choice has. the weight of each weighted choice can be light, medium, or heavy. next to each listed choice i will include both the ending it contributes towards and it's weight.

for chapters that aren't listed, i couldn't find any weighted choices in those chapters.

edit/additional notes: the endings aren't actually listed as "good/bad" in the code; the variable that denotes effect is an integer called "choiceType" which can be 0, 1, or 2. however, this is the same system the arcana uses, and in the arcana, 0 means unweighted, 1 means upright, and 2 means reversed. this on it's own wouldn't be enough for me to assume that fictif has upright/reversed endings as well, except that in some files within last legacy the options are straight up called "upright" or "reversed" (and the ones labeled upright are marked as choiceType 1 while the ones labeled reversed are marked choiceType 2.) i chose to call them good/bad endings since upright/reversed are tarot terms that only really make sense for the arcana.

Felix's route

Felix 01:

"I think it's risky." (good ending - light weight) "It's just another tool." (bad ending - light weight)

Felix 02:

"Your book sounds creepy." (good ending - light weight) "Can I see it?" (bad ending - light weight)

Felix 03

"Let's study it." (good ending - medium weight) "Make it talk." (bad ending - medium weight)

Felix 05

"You've got this. (bad ending - light weight) "We'll do this together." (good ending - light weight)

Felix 06

"We can't go with you." (bad ending - light weight) "Can we talk this out?" (good ending - light weight)

Felix 07

"I kind of like your family." (good ending - light weight) "No more family dinners, please." (bad ending - light weight)

Felix 08

"What's really bothering you?" (good ending - medium weight) "Do you like Rime more than me?" (bad ending - medium weight)

Felix 09

"I'll never leave you." (bad ending - heavy weight) "We'll figure it out later." (good ending - heavy weight)

Felix 11

"We might need Escell." (bad ending - light weight) "Violence won't help." (good ending - light weight)

Felix 12

"I get it, but..." (bad ending - light weight) "I just don't understand." (good ending - light weight)

Felix 13

"What do we do?" (bad ending - light weight) "Stay behind me." (good ending - light weight)

"If that's the only way." (bad ending - medium weight) "But they're people!" (good ending - medium weight)

Anisa's route

Anisa 01

Confront Anisa for the truth. (good ending - medium weight) Play dumb. (bad ending - medium weight)

Anisa 02

"I'll never leave you." (bad ending - medium weight) "You're not your father." (good ending - medium weight)

Anisa 03

"Are you sure, though?" (good ending - light weight) "Yeah, screw that guy." (bad ending - light weight)

"We can trust Saaros." (good ending - medium weight) "If we have to trust someone..." (bad ending - medium weight)

Anisa 04

"Believe in me." (bad ending - medium weight) "Believe in yourself." (good ending - medium weight)

Come clean. (good ending - medium weight) Hide the truth. (bad ending - medium weight)

Anisa 05

"This is our best shot." (good ending - medium weight) "I'm still worried about Orion." (bad ending - medium weight)

Anisa 06

"They're selfish." (bad ending - medium weight) "We'll talk to them." (good ending - medium weight)

"True love exists." (bad ending - medium weight) "We still have time." (good ending - medium weight)

Anisa 07

"Your father." (bad ending - light weight) "The Lord of Shadows." (good ending - light weight)

"Because she's mine." (bad ending - medium weight) "Because she's strong." (good ending - medium weight)

"We'll finish the job." (bad ending - medium weight) "We'll banish him again." (good ending - medium weight)

Sage's route

Sage 01

"That's not true." (good ending - light weight) "Fine." (bad ending - light weight)

Sage 02

"Apologize to her." (good ending - light weight) "It's not your fault." (bad ending - light weight)

Sage 03

"Let's calm down." (good ending - light weight) "You've got this!" (bad ending - light weight)

"I get it." (bad ending - medium weight) "That was reckless." (good ending - medium weight)

Sage 04

"What if the others find out?" (bad ending - light weight) "I know you can do better." (good ending - light weight)

Sage 05

Nod at him. (bad ending - light weight) Shake your head. (good ending - light weight)

Sage 06

"You're not alone." (good ending - medium weight) "I've got your back." (bad ending - medium weight)

Sage 07

"That won't happen." (bad ending - medium weight) "If I must." (good ending - medium weight)

Sage 08

"I don't either." (bad ending - medium weight) "Give Elowen a chance." (good ending - medium weight)

Sage 09

"Makes sense to me." (bad ending - light weight) "What makes you think so?" (good ending - light weight)

Sage 10

"Let him go, Sage." (good ending - heavy weight) "You did what you had to do." (bad ending - heavy weight)

Sage 12

I have to stop Gramme. (bad ending - light weight) I have to save Sage. (good ending - light weight)

Sage 13

"I'll fill you in." (bad ending - light weight) "Sage can fill you in." (good ending - light weight)

"I can't answer that for you." (good ending - heavy weight) "You won't fail." (bad ending - heavy weight)

Sage 14

"We'll win no matter what." (bad ending - medium weight) "We need a backup plan." (good ending - medium weight)

#last legacy #fictif #last legacy felix #felix iskandar escellun #last legacy anisa #anisa anka #last legacy sage #sage lesath #nix hydra #fictif last legacy #felix escellun #im SO relieved that none of the options involving rime (with the one exception) contribute to the ending type for felix's route #it means they weren't planning on tying MC's relationship with rime to the good or bad ending #thank FUCK

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theresattrpgforthat · 1 year

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hi there again! I loved your suggestions for the trans rights florida bundle, I've already convinced some of my players to try them out with me

I found a ttrpg bundle called "Solo But Not Alone 3" and man, it looks amazing, so I was wondering if you've any recommendations from it?

there's not a lot of ttrpgs in it as compared to other, bigger bundles, so I'm still weighing my choice as to whether to buy it. there was a lot of solo in the trans rights florida bundle too and I'm kinda broke so I'm weighing it all on whether you think there's some unique ones here worth playing

what do you suggest?

THEME: Solo, but not Alone.

Hello friend! I actually bought this bundle! I had a chance to poke around and read some of the games, many of which have a spectacular layout or really nice art.

A number of these games have existed in previous bundles. Monster Realm Exchange Program was also in Trans Rights for Texas, and A visit to San Sibilia was in the Bundle for Ukraine. If you already own those bundles (on top of the Trans Rights for Florida bundle) and you don’t play a lot of solo games, there’s going to be a bit of overlap. However, if there’s a game that exists in this list that you feel feral about

For those who are not familiar with this bundle, it is raising money for suicide awareness until Mar. 31, so if you’re interested, you should check it out now!

Click Here.

Monster Realm: Student Exchange Program, by Lucky Newt Games.

A portal has appeared in our world that leads to a realm of monsters! The environment is deemed safe, the natives peaceful, and ambassadors exchanged. Now a foreign exchange student program has been struck up between the two realms, and you’re one of the chosen few to go first! While attending school, you’ll be asked to record a journal about the different interactions you have with the other students and the different relationships you develop.

Monster Realm: Student Exchange Program is a solo journaling game that can also be played as a question/answer game with younger players. Meet people very different (and not so different) from you and reflect on the reasons for the types of relationships you have with them. Each round is equivalent to a single month, and you’ll attend school for a year. All you need is a deck of playing cards (Jokers removed), three 6-sided dice, and a way to record your journaling.

This is a journaling game that focuses on making relationships with people who are very different from you, using a deck of cards to generate the monsters you meet, their personalities, and the initial relationship you have with them. The journaling game is meant to represent a year’s worth of study, but there’s alternative rules for anyone who wants to streamline the game and write a smaller amount of journal entries.

I love games that basically give me an excuse to flex my creative writing skills, and I’m a sucker for monster tropes, so this was an easy rec to add to the list.

Grackle Teeth, by Majcher Arcana.

Grackle Teeth is a solo journaling game informed by the Wretched & Alone SRD. All you need to play is a deck of cards, a handful of regular dice, and some stuff to write with and on—the crummier the better.

You play as the last survivor of a human extinction event, an apocalypse on a massive scale. Buildings still stand, the sun still rises, and vegetation has reclaimed the works of humanity. Few animals roam the empty streets, and those that do are feral, ravenous, and relentless.

This is Austin, Texas, USA. Date unknown—the only time that matters is that between now and the next time you must go out to scavenge for supplies.

You have survived this long, but not for much longer. Food is scarce and terrible. Springs and rivers are clogged and poisoned. And the birds hunger for your flesh.

But still, you persist. You endure, because that’s what humans do.

Wretched & Alone games are solo roleplaying games that often direct your character to some kind of lonely end. Usually, this is represented in your character’s slow depletion of resources, as in Grackle Teeth.

This game is extensively thought out, with specific events attached to each card in a card deck. Every week, your character will have to spend resources to survive, and certain events give you the chance to spend more resources to accomplish additional tasks. If you like a game about survival and struggle, this might be worth checking out.

A Visit to San Sibilia, by JimmyShelter.

This city never changes, this city never stays the same. Close to the coast in a river delta, San Sibilia’s sprawling districts are connected by rambling trams and ramshackle ferries. You may have read about San Sibilia once in a 20-part encyclopedia in a dusty shop around the corner, but haven’t been able to find the bookstore since.

A visit to San Sibilia is a solo journaling game in which you roleplay a character chronicling their visit to the city of San Sibilia. It is a city not found on any maps—San Sibilia is both part of and distinct from our world. The city manifests itself differently to every visitor.

I love this game (which might be obvious, since it’s my second time recommending it). It can be short or long, depending on the luck of the cards and how much you’re interested in the premise. The city is strange and full of mystery, with opportunities for both wonder and creeping dread. I went into this game deeply inspired by the Ambergris stories by Jeff Vandermeer, so if you like the weird, unsettling feeling that his settings evoke, I’d recommend picking up this game.

Wonderfall, by Catscratcher Studio.

WONDERFALL is a solo hexcrawl RPG about exploration and community building in a post-apocalyptic world. Your people was separated, but playing as a WANDERER (a cute anthropomorphic adventurer!), you'll recover and preserve lost knowledge and culture, help your community heal, and help the world rebuild!

To play, you will need this pamphlet, a few 6-sided dice (d6), a small token of your choosing to represent your Wanderer, and a way to record detailed accounts of the world and your experiences.

This game is pretty compact, but it has a lot packed into it. There’s space to draw your anthropomorphic)character, a hexmap, and a number of tables that you’ll roll on to determine elements and encounters that your little wanderer will come across as they try to re-unite themself with their community. This is a hopeful post-apocalyptic game, so if you like imagining new futures and new frontiers, this game might work for you!

6 Trials of the Weavers, by tallywinkle.

6 Trials of the Weavers is a solo exploration game where you find yourself transported into the realm of the Weavers, a group of mysterious spider-like creatures. You must complete the six trials they present you with before you have a chance at escaping, encountering plenty of horrifying things along the way.

This game is a horror game that uses face cards and number cards from a deck of cards in different ways. The Ace of Hearts and the King of Spades are markers of the beginning and end of your trials as you attempt to escape. You will have to pass 6 trials (and answer prompts along the way) in order to escape, but you have only as many chances to pass as you do faces on a d6. Failure doesn’t stop you from moving on, but your final trial (and your ending) depends on how much stamina you’ve lost and how difficult it is to face the trial in the first place.

A caution: this is not a game for people with any kind of insect-phobia or arachnophobia, as there is quite a bit of well-done art that would reasonably spook anyone who’s a bit squeamish about bugs.

Games I've recommended from this bundle in the past

Untitled Moth Game, by S. Kaiya J.

Voyage, by Brendan McLeod.

ScareBnB, by Jacqueline Bryk.

one thread, many patterns, by Rue (ilanight).

Taken by the Shadows, by Mundos Infinitos.

Swamp Troll Witches, by Cats Have No Lord.

#dnd #solo games #game recommendations #tabletop games #indie ttrpgs #asks #solo but not alone

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melonsap · 5 months

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Ahem.

Introducing Nanim, heir of House Exeltis of Baldur's Gate

AKA, if Larian isn't going to give us a nonbinary companion, I'm going to make one up myself.

Quick Class details:

Wild Magic Sorcerer with a noble background, half-drow, they/them

Meeting:

In the wreckage of the Nautiloid crash, you find them cornered by three sheep. As you approach, they warn you in a panic to stay back, and the sheep attack. The aforementioned sheep are actually polymorphed Intellect Devourers.

Starting Cantrips:

Minor Illusion

Mage Hand

Shocking Grasp

Ray of Frost

Dancing Lights (drow heritage)

Starting Spells:

Disguise Self

Color Spray

Skills:

History (noble background)

Persuasion (noble background)

Arcana

Religion

Personality:

Starting off by saying they're Lawful Neutral. They grew up nobility with strict rules about when and how to behave and what to do in regards to their Wild Magic surges, so they firmly believe that anyone who is in charge is in charge for a reason, and any rules they set are SET for good reason. You can sway their opinion on this by investigating into the people in charge; for example, initially, they're on the druids' side on the tiefling vs druid conflict, because it's THEIR grove, they're allowed to let in whomever they choose, the refugees are infringing on the rules they set by staying. However, when you find out Kagha's there because Halsin's gone and Kagha's been dealing with the shadows, Nanim's like "wait a minute. You aren't qualified to lead at ALL" and reevaluates their opinion.

They are VERY sheltered as to how the world works. Courtesy of their upbringing.

Very optimistic and charismatic, VERY loyal, and will judge you if you AREN'T loyal to the company you keep. Extremely eager to explore, with little regard to personal safety due to being a Wild Magic bomb all the time. On the more negative side, they're careless, naive, a bit insensitive and pompous due to their status, very impulsive, and hedonistic. They like luxury, they don't believe in challenging rules to help those affected negatively by them, they think they're greater than they are (sorcerous hubris at its finest) and that all their opinions are correct, and they chase novelty like an addiction.

They also zone out. A lot. Like, in the middle of a conversation, a lot. It's often filled with impulsive thoughts that they're sorting into "yes" and "no" piles (examples: "Should I ask Astarion if he's also part drow? If I smack Shadowheart's braid, will she kill me? I want to poke Karlach, just to see if she's REALLY on fire or if it's illusory.") an you can use the tadpole to listen in. Don't get caught!

They're genuinely afraid of confronting their negative traits or admitting they might be wrong about something, in denial about things that don't fit their pre-established idea of themselves. Unintentionally condescending at times. Craves friends and romance both, has no idea how either work (has been to brothels, sure, but hasn't ever had a genuine connection with someone). Likes music, plays the lute. Very vain.

Approval:

Following pre-set rules (the druids want the refugees out of the grove, the refugees want your help, you refuse to challenge the druids)

Being willing to engage with your surroundings (Eilistraee's sword, the Blood of Lathander, touching the button in Withers' crypt)

Refusing to deal with rule-breakers (the Zhentarim)

Researching/being knowledgeable about religion/history/magic (successful dice rolls)

Staying out of problems that don't concern you (declining to get involved with Ethel vs the brothers)

Taking charge and standing up for your companions (telling the Gur that Astarion's under your protection, standing up for Gale when the others want him to leave, telling Mizora off when she comes to punish Wyll)

Literally anything positive to do with the drow twins at Sharess's Caress

Disapproval:

Defying the order of things (helping the refugees, telling Minthara you'll help her)

Picking the safe route/electing to leave something alone (non-confrontational dialogue choices, abandoning the Blood of Lathander)

Dealing with blatantly bad characters (the Zhentarim, the goblin camp, that paladin that wants to steal the gith egg, Viconia, Balthazaar, Mizora)

Being genuinely dumb (licking the spider, drinking Thisobald Thorm's brew, giving your blood to Araj, waving to Vlaakith, drinking Priestess Gut's potion)

Getting involved with other people's conversations when they didn't ask for you (convincing Rolan's siblings to stay at/leave the grove, interrupting Kagha vs Arabella)

Selling people out (Astarion, Isobel, Shadowheart)

Prying into other people's heads in your party on purpose (Gale, Shadowheart, themself)

Being rude to friendly characters

Being modest and/or humble (downplaying yourself or refusing finer things in life; they want luxury and rewards, damn it!)

Some general, non-personal-quest-related dealbreaker moments (ie, moments where Nanim will permanently leave your party):

Betraying the grove (you have to roll intimidation a few times to avoid this)

The Dark Urge kills a companion on purpose (non-combat, specifically by giving in to the Urges)

Goading Orin into killing whomever she has captive

This is a very long post, so I'll split the Nanim lore into multiple parts (their history, their quest, their romance, etc) and link them here when finished.

Part 2: Nanim's History

#bg3 #companion idea #nanim #i am very proud of the work i put into them #like; they're not perfect #they're not going to be happy with all of your 'good' choices #they're not going to be happy with all your bad ones either #they've got flaws and they've got quirks and are unique to engage with (or at least that's the hope)#also gods is it hard to get pictures with proper lighting #i will get more pictures in different lighting for later i swear #also also 'why don't they have grey skin if they're half drow?'#they do have it! look at the ears and the lips #was absolutely thrilled to find that skin tone because it looks like both of their parents #instead of drow lite #same with the hair; one parent has white hair and the other has black #so you get graphite grey. because while i want them to be nice to look at i don't want them to be perfectly conventionally pretty #i want them to be an acquired taste for whatever corner of players decide to like them

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daxieoclock · 7 months

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Been lurking around your persona stuff for a while, can you tell about your hunters campaign personas and how much player input you had into them. Also Greek myth plus lovecraftian horror is fucking epic.

IT WOULD BE MY GENUINE PLEASURE ANON G-DBLESS

(Most of the art you'll see in this post was done by Nyanko, who also plays Sammy.)

"The Hunters" is a Persona tabletop campaign I've been running with my friends and partners for the last three years(!) over Discord, using a homebrew tabletop system to emulate both battles and social links. Since it's a text-based campaign, the result often approaches pretty careful collaborative storytelling.

The main hook of the campaign is a group of rabblerousing college students taking on part time work for a shady secretive organization called the Daedalus Collective, whose stated goal is protecting the world from the threat posed by Shadows. These students (and various NPCs) take on the mantle of "Hunters," traveling into a mirror world known as Fractals, where Shadows roam free, along with their eldritch monarch-deities, the monstrous Behemoths. The Hunters' mission: to locate and slay Behemoths within their twisted kingdoms.

As the Dungeon Master ("Keeper of Power" i suppose), I worked with everyone individually but their characters (including Personas) was ultimately their decision. But as for a cast list...

Blake Leto (@lilyhoshikawa) They/them Justice Arcana Persona: Artemis

Arrested at a young age, pinned for the crime of murdering a police officer and subsequently abandoned by their only living family, Blake Leto took advantage of the public fascination with their case to adopt a public facing mask pulling directly from tabloid headlines: the "Murder Prince." Intelligent, well-read and charming, a victim of circumstance with a good sense of humor about being falsely imprisoned and absolutely no resentment towards the officers who beat and abused him. It is only through this mask that Blake claws their way into a good enough reputation to be granted parole, attending Belknap College while secretly searching themselves for the real killer who they took the fall for.

(Edit by Jane)

In Fractals, Blake's spite pokes through the cracks of their mask. Clad in the armor of a paladin, channeling Artemis through their once-lost childhood journal, with the brand of a bow on their wrist. While they act as team leader and navigator, using their natural smarts and Artemis's support focus to guide the Hunters, bloodlust has started to mar their actions. A perfectly good bow is worth firing, isn't it?

Ilse Belanger (@triskaidekaphilist) They/them Fortune Arcana Persona: Clotho

Ilse wasn't meant to be Ilse. But they are. The closeted-trans child of strict and religious parents, Ilse had all but let go of control over their life. They were a good kid, a Belanger, a product of faith and privilege. They were a good kid. They were. And then there was Stephen. Their first close friend, with whom they shared their innermost self, their name and their passions and their love of fantasy. For years, the two were inseparable. And then they were separated. Even as an adult, Ilse struggles with feeling in control of their life, their narrative. Their fate does not feel like their own. But it is. Twicefold, now that they finally found him again...

In Fractals, Ilse is a supportive spellcaster with a scissor brand on their collar, pulling from Clotho's magic to cast powerful nuclear bolts. While a heavier hitter of the gang, Ilse leans towards sticking back and debilitating, following Blake's direction and helping where they can. When the occasion demands it, they will lean on Clotho's power as a weaver to rewrite fate and bend circumstance, a powerful and often-used trump card.

Lena Tarr (@mcpuliotjr, above and below art drawn by him) She/her (for now) Chariot Arcana Persona: Goliath

A baby butch with a reputation for lashing out at authority figures, Lena wears her heart on her sleeve. After spending years of her life in painful and often demoralizing surgery recovery and physical therapy for an ankle injury that never properly healed, she habitually externalizes her daily pain as open hostility, amplified by years of overbearing family making her bottle up her feelings. Over the course of the campaign, she's been hard at work fostering feelings self-worth, channeling most of that frustration into beating up Behemoths and protecting her friends. Most recently, she's taken a huge step towards healing by starting an intimate loving relationship with longtime NPC and newfound Hunter Lucy "Twitch" Blum.

In Fractals, Lena is a physical powerhouse and a tank, clad as an urban skirmisher with a brand of a broken stone on her ankle. She soaks up damage for her allies while dishing out strong physical hits in return, with the occasional burst of powerful flame from Goliath. Despite this power, her most powerful and helpful skill is her overflowing compassion and willingness to put her life on the line chasing kindness. She was the one to suggest the Hunters save a Behemoth they were assigned to kill, and it was she and Blake who were able to get through to Lucy when the girl's Persona (at that point a Shadow) went berserk.

Sammy Cabra (Nyanko) They/them Hermit Arcana Persona: Neko Shogun (perhaps...)

Samael "Sammy" Cabra is an odd duck. They're fixated on their past, forging an outwards persona based on who they were as a middle schooler - friendly, open, creative - as a rejection of their dissociated and depressive high school self. Not to say that their childish joy is an act, far from it, it is genuine and honest. But they aren't a middle schooler anymore. Young adulthood has brought its host of bitterness, especially since their foundational memories of joy involve a friend who vanished abruptly from their life, splintering them somewhat as she left. Sammy is spry and sweet, and Samael is desperate and loyal to a fault. With no one is this splinter more seen than with Prim, a vicious protective specter in Fractals. Sammy has made it their mission to integrate this violent guardian into their life and the lives of the Hunters, at any cost...

In Fractals, wearing a green cat onesie (made by their missing childhood friend Tango), with a cat-face brand on their left shoulder, Sammy is adept at both ice magic and ranged attacks, a mixed damage dealer. In theory. If they ever leaned on Samael. Sammy is hesitant to use their powers, hesitant to push Neko Shogun to his full potential, hesitant to follow in Blake and Prim's violent footsteps. They're extremely powerful but see themselves as a guardian, and their goatish stubborness leads them to fight with a shield, focusing on defense and debilitation despite their damaging skillset.

Camellia Pavel (@shinyvibrava) They/them Star Arcana [Contested] Persona: Hecate [Contested]

The bearer of the curse.

The only Hunter not currently attending Belknap College, Camellia is a chronically unemployed college dropout living in a bare-bones apartment near campus, struggling with debilitating insomnia. One part depression. One part nightmare-avoidance. They have pulled away from the party somewhat over the course of the campaign, and their quiet distance was recently revealed to be due to ongoing offscreen conversations with an eldritch deity called the Dreamer, though it goes by many other names as well. They are now hospital-bound recovering from an overuse of their new powers.

In Fractals, dressed a bit like a fantasy sage, Camellia is a capable supportive healer, balancing between firing off psychic attacks with Hecate and healing/buffing their allies. For a long while, they were the party's foremost ace in the hole, with a limited-use power known as Salvation to protect themselves and others from deadly attacks. More recently, they have been pushing themselves past their expected limits, forging new deals with the Dreamer. At times, though the brand of a key on their right shoulder is still Hecate's anchor, light bursts up from inside their throat, staining their words with great and terrible power. The nature of this strength is still not fully grasped, but it is indeed potent.

There's a LOT more to talk about when it comes to the work I've done on the world and the bonds forged between PCs and NPCs, I'd love to go off for another few thousand words, but I think I'll need to leave that to a masterpost part 2. Look forward to that later today.

To be continued........

#the hunters #blake leto #ilse belanger #lena tarr #sammy cabra #camelia pavel

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triflesandparsnips · 1 year

Note

Would you mind me asking What kind of soap recipy uses a morter and pestle? It looks super nice and fluffy and fun tho. My wife and I mostly make regular cold process soap.

HELLO FRIEND

Not to get overly excited about this, but you have ACCIDENTALLY STUMBLED upon my NOT-SO-SECRET LAIR of HYPERFIXATION GLORY.

...which is to say, for about a year now I've been fucking around with turn-of-the-18th-century (pre-1718 being my arbitrary Our Flag Means Death cutoff) household and pharmacological manuals for the purpose of experimental archaeology.

With regard to soap in particular, the very very short version is that Nice, Scented, Solid Soaps, during this very particular time period, were basically dried/grated Middle Eastern (hot process) olive oil soap that was then reconstituted in Western kitchens/stillrooms/apothecaries. Mortars and pestles were the basic go-to for it, though bain-marie's were also on occasion utilized.

(For the longer, more fun version, see my link list below or click here.)

While the majority of my shit can now be found under my #funky little alchemist with funky little interests and #trifles the amateur history enthusiast strikes again tags, we all know that tumblr is nonsense, so here's a brief link list:

It started with "a pomatum for the lips" -- i.e., lip balm, from the 1711 English translation of Nicolas Lémery's Arcana Curiosa

I then went on to the significantly more complicated and in-depth matter of SOAP --

-- My long post regarding a great deal of research and first attempts (encompassing: "Update 1: Let's Talk about SOAP", "Update 2: Cursed Once Again with a TERRIBLE DISCOVERY", and "Update 3: Sometimes Science Gets Ugly") --My still-ongoing follow-up post (encompassing: "Update 4: Return of the Soap King") --Several mini-updates that take place between those two posts

--Aaaaand this post answering someone who asked about infused oil versus essential oil in these soap recipes, which eventually turned into a whole thing about HUMORALISM

And I've just started poking at the matter of "another fine pomatum for the face" -- i.e., a pearl-powder face cream, which is still early days with "Update 1: A Brief History of PUTTING PEARLS IN THINGS (IN EUROPE) (AND MY KITCHEN)"

...With regard to soap in particular, I am super aware that I'm playing around from the opposite end of most modern soapmakers -- there may be very obvious ways to accomplish the stuff I'm trying, or there may be very known reasons for why the stuff I'm doing is or isn't coming out right. But since my entire vibe is """What If: Shenanigans,""" I'm trying to suss my way through all this via just the manuals and receipts I can find, and seeing what happens based on that.

If you want to play along, soap-wise, I do link to several recipes as I go, but here's what I've referenced so far:

"Balles of fope for barbers of diuerfe fortes and favours" (Balls of soap for barbers of diverse sorts and savors), The secrets of the reverend Maister Alexis of Piemont (1595)

"A delicate wafhing ball." (A delicate washing ball), Delightes for Ladies (1609)

"Of Soaps that Beautifie", Cosmeticks or, the beautifying part of physick (1660)

"CHAP. XVIII. Of perfuming Soaps", Polygraphice (1685)

"A delicate washing-ball", The Accomplish'd ladies delight (1686)

"To make excellent Washballs", Pharmacopaeia Bateana (1694)

"Of Wash-balls", The French Perfumer (1696)

✨ ENJOY ✨

#soap #funky little alchemist with funky little interests #trifles the amateur history enthusiast strikes again #stede bonnet's theoretical self care extravagances #from #stede bonnet's theoretical library #experimental archaeology #BOOM

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travelling-on-the-octopath · 8 months

Note

Akechi is quite a diversive character. Did you know there are diffrences in the dialouge throughout the game based on if you have done his confidant or not?

If you want to learn more about the characters, arcana, and/ or Japanese details and settings that come as part of the experience but may fly over western audiances heads, check out Lady Virgilia, a japanese amarican with a degree in social and political science, who makes some pretty fantastic videos on the topics.

For writing reaserch maybe (fingers crossed)

I've done pretty much only two things for the past two weeks: write a dimiclaude comm, and play this game. So rest assured I will be cooking up a fic in the near future.

That being said: I'm waiting for two P5R playthroughs before forming a solid opinion on both what Akechi is supposed to be and what he ends up being, because my feelings toward him did essentially a 180 after the introduction of the third semester, which according to word on the street is Royal-exclusive and not in the base game. The current plan is to do a NG+ run aiming for the exact same ending, to see if my initial impressions hold true--because they were never 100% uncharitable. But I'll bit my tongue until I at least whoop Maruki's ass lmao.

Anyway, I've saved LadyVirgilia's Akechi video to my Watch Later, which I'll watch after th NG+ run, and the rest I'll listen to as I actually do the run because I'm a sucker for meta content ❤️.

I didn't look that hard, but I'd love if there were a datamine for P5R; it's an unfair ask given the scope of the game, but FE3H's is eternally my best friend and most handy dandy tool for writing 💔 might just have to poke my nose around YouTube instead.

#thank you for the ask! ^^#anonymous metropolis #s responds #p5r #persona 5 #persona #p5

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ghoulfriendfangs · 2 years

Text

✰Good Dog, Naughty Pet✰

This fic is a collaboration with @teeth-farie! It’s a spicy fic pairing our Arcana ocs together. They made art to go with it, which you can admire here!

This technically qualifies as part of the Midsummer Masquerade (credit to @the-midsummer-masquerade), but we decided to release it waaaaaay early since we weren’t sure how popular apprentice x apprentice content would be ╰(*´︶`*)╯

{top/dom!Salem, bottom/sub!Delphi, amab!Salem, amab!Delphi, pet play, dogboy antics, punishment, head scratches, squeaky toys, this is very self indulgent on both of our parts, oral fixation, and anal}

“Delphi?”

Salem cautiously unlocked the door of Delphi’s magic shop using their spare key. They pushed open the door with a creak.

“Delphi, are you alright?”

There was no response at first, then a low whine. They walked in, closing the door behind them.

“Delphi, I’m here to help you. Asra told me what’s going on.”

…

Salem had been washing their clothes, and they nearly jumped out of their skin when Asra’s face materialized in the basin.

“Salem, Delphi needs your help.”

“O-oh, what happened?” They nervously wiped the soapy water from their glasses.

“They drank an unlabeled potion, and turned into a dog,” he said like it was normal for Delphi.

“That sounds normal for Delphi.”

“I know, but the problem is, this time it’s not going away on its own.”

“Uhuh, I’ll be right over, but uh, Asra… you know more about magic than me, why aren’t you helping them?”

“Oh.”

Asra’s face curled into a mischievous smirk.

“Because I told Delphi, ‘if you drink that and it goes wrong, I’m not helping you.’ And they did anyway.”

“Oh!” Salem said. “Yeah, that makes sense I guess!”

…

Back in the present, Salem cast a small light spell, letting it wash over the room. It looked slightly ransacked. Furniture was knocked over. There were claw marks in the floorboards. A few pillows had been shredded open, the feathers scattered across the shop. Salem bent down to examine one. It was… wet, covered in a transculent substance.

Had it been… chewed?

Just then, there was a scampering noise across the floorboards, the sound of claws on wood. They turned just in time to see a fluffy tail tuck behind a couch.

A fluffy, blue tail.

“Delphi?”

Silence.

They sighed. “Delphi, I know it’s you, and I’m here to help you.”

After a few moments, Delphi sheepishly crawled out from behind, crawling on all fours. They had a half relieved, half emberassed expression, their ears were drooping, and their tail was between their legs.

Wait

What?

“I see the problem now,” Salem said.

“Oh, do ya?” Delphi sniffed, their teeth poking out… huh, their teeth were a little sharp like this. They sat back with their hands curled into fists, between their legs. They tilted their head to scratch at an ear with their foot, and for some reason it was that exact moment that it fully sunk in for Salem that they were ass naked.

“So… you took a potion, and it turned you into a dog… person?”

“A dogboy! Yup!” They grinned.

“How did that happen?”

“Oh, you must be confused. I knew the potion was going to give me dog ears. I-I mean I didn’t, but I’ve used a dog ear potion before. That’s not the problem.”

“Oh, really, then what is?”

They suddenly looked a bit sheepish. “Well, I, uh, how do I put this. I didn’t expect it to make me so…”

Salem’s eyes once again wandered down their naked body, to between their legs.

“Great Arcana… you’re in heat, aren’t ya?”

“N-no!” Delphi blushed, turning bright red. “W-well, only a little. It’s just, I’ve been feeling so frustrated… I’ve been running around, chewing on the pillows, and that helps a bit, but not much, I think what I really need is…”

They shifted paw to paw. Salem crouched down, and started to scratch at their ears. Their eyes fluttered shut, a little “oh” escaping their lips. They leaned into their hands, mumbling about how good that felt. Salem went just behind their floppy ears, and they started to drum their foot on the floorboards.

Salem giggled, “you need attention, don’t you?”

Delphi nodded.

Their smile turned into an evil grin. “Say please.” Delphi was already something of a brat normally, they wondered if the potion would make them a good boy, or even more of a bad dog.

“Mmnph,” Delphi grunted, crawling into Salem’s lap. They playfully pushed them off.

“Say please, and you’ll get a treat.”

“Hmmm… or you could just give me a treat,” they said, tail wagging.

“Only good dogs get treats.”

“That’s bullshit!” Delphi said, punctuating it with a pathetic little whine.

“Whose your master?” Salem said, not realizing just how dirty it sounded in this context.

But it seemed to work. Delphi’s ears perked up as soon as the word left their mouth, and their tail began to wag even harder.

“You’re my master,” they said. “Please pet me more.”

“…that’s a good dog,” they said, patting their lap. Delphi quickly scrambled in, and allowed them to pet their hair, their neck, their back, all the while they trembled and whimpered like a bitch in heat.

Salem’s hands came to settle on their waist.

“Roll over.”

Delphi flushed bright red. “Uh-uh, no.”

“Is something wrong?”

“It’s just…“ Delphi blushed, burying their face in Salem’s chest. “Rolling over is a sign of submission. I’d be… submitting to you.”

“Oh?”

Salem gently but firmly grabbed them by the chin, pulling Delphi to face them eye to eye. They had a dreamy look on their face, a bit of drool at the corner of their lips from all the petting.

“Aren’t you already submissive to me?”

Delphi shivered, but still didn’t move. The message was unspoken, but still clear.

Make me.

And Salem was too eager to oblige. They grabbed them by the shoulders, pushing them onto the floorboards and pinning their back to them. They wriggled, and uttered, “hey, what are ya doing!?”

But their tail was once again wagging like crazy, betraying just how much they enjoyed the manhandling.

As soon as they were flipped over, their instincts took hold of them. They curled their hands into fists, holding them up to their head like paws. Their legs bent and spread, exposing their already wet, hard cock.

“Good dog,” Salem praised again, rubbing their tummy. Delphi’s eyes fluttered, “oh, oh that feels real good.” Salem’s hand wandered closer and closer to their crotch, but they refused to touch the throbbing member.

That drove Delphi crazy, they whined and wiggled, begging for Salem to touch them, but frustratingly, they didn’t reply, only smirking back at them. What were they missing?

…oh, right.

“Master, please touch my cock?” They huffed grumpily.

Which turned into a gasp as Salem finally grasped them.

“You aren’t going to thank me?” They teased, but it was useless. Delphi was lost again to their instincts, whining and kicking their leg as they slowly milked their cock, running a thumb over the leaky slit. They arched their back and started to hump into their master’s fist, whimpering about how good it felt.

“You know what would feel even better?”

Delphi froze, opening an eye.

“If you fucked me? Are you going to fuck me, master? Huh? Please? I said please. Now you have to. Good dogs get treats, you said that! So are you gonna fuck me?”

Salem couldn’t help but chuckle. They were so shamelessly needy like this.

“Get on your hands and knees, and stick your ass up for me.”

They did, scrambling and nearly falling over in their haste. They presented themself to Salem, who started by kneading their ass cheeks, gently spreading them to reveal their hole.

“Fuck me?” They demanded again.

“I have to prepare you,” they reminded Delphi.

Delphi whined, burying their face in their arms. Salem ignored their dramatics, and slowly inserted a finger in to test. As soon as they did so, Delphi started to squirm around impatiently, grinding against Salem and misbehaving. Salem was going to scold them when they noticed…

…they were already loose.

“We’re you playing with yourself?”

“Nnngh, no.”

Salem stuck in another finger, poking around until they found their prostrate.

They drove their fingers in, ruthlessly grinding against that spot.

“AUGH! Y-yes, yes I did, I was, I used my toys.”

“Toys? Tell me more.”

“Mmh, mmmmngghh, I-I, I… I used my t-toy cock, th-the little one w- Ah! With the suction! And I ch-chewed on my ch-chew toy.”

“You have a chew toy? Like a little doggie chew toy?”

“D-don’t judge me!”

“How often do you turn yourself into a dog? Are you some kind of pervert?”

“I said don’t judge me!”

They smacked their ass. “Go fetch your squeaker.”

They scrambled off, ducking behind the couch and emerging with a rubber bone. It was a deep, sage green, and riddled with bite marks. They dropped it at Salem’s knees.

“It’s my favorite. It reminded me of you, so I got it. I like to chew on it, w-when I use this potion I mean.”

“So you use this potion a lot? Does it turn you on? Do you like being a helpless, naughty little mutt being manhandled by me?”

“I’m not a mu- uhh, uhuuuh, ohhhh…”

Delphi opened their mouth to protest, but let it go when they started to pat them again. They gently pet Delphi, slowly going from their dog ears to their cheeks… before hooking their thumb into their lip, pulling open their jaw with some force. They ran their thumbs over their teeth, confirming their suspicion. Delphi’s teeth had grown sharper while under this spell.

Delphi moaned, letting their tongue fall out of their mouth, opening wider for Salem.

Then they bit down on their fingers.

“Hey! Bad dog!” They scolded, shaking their hand to get the drool off.

“What did you expect?” They smirked. “You can’t put something tasty in front of me and expect me not to bite.”

Salem forced their mouth open again, shoving the bone into their mouth. “I want you to chew on that while I fuck you, alright doggie?”

They nodded, and squeaked the bone in confirmation.

Salem glanced over them. Their teeth sinking into the toy, their adorable dog ears framing their lustful gaze, their tail wagging just above their puckered entrance, their poor needy cock… it was all perfect.

But perhaps it could use one last cherry on top.

“You got a dog collar?”

They didn’t reply, once again only blushing.

“May I collar you?”

They jerked their head towards a small crate, near the couch. Salem searched through it, finding a few more toys (of various purpose) and… a dog collar with a lead.

They returned to Delphi, who leaned their head into Salem’s neck again, nuzzling into them as they tightened the collar. Salem kissed their temple, and Delphi kissed their neck in response.

…

*Squeak! Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!*

Delphi moaned, clenching their jaw with every thrust. The leather of the collar dug into their neck, a sensation they usually disliked, but right now? They couldn’t get enough of it. Not could they get enough of the way Salem bent their body, maneuvering them to get the deepest possible angle. Gods, it was so good. If they they this was all it took to get some attention, they’d have drunk a suspect potion months ago.

“Arrrah,” they said, muffled by the bone.

“I can’t hear you, besides. I didn’t say-“

They spat out their bone. “Faster, faster im close!”

Salem smacked their ass. “I didn’t say speak.”

“Ah, Ah, sorry master, nngh, just too good!”

“You want me to speed up? Then start barking. Don’t speak English until I say you can.”

“Aahhh, arf! Arf!” Delphi barked, their cock starting to twitch. They had to ask permission, but…

“Bark! Bark!”

“What a good dog,” they cood, finally beginning to pick up the pace. They straddled Delphi’s leg, driving themselves directly into their prostrate.

“Ah, ahhhh!”

If that wasn’t permission, Delphi… really didn’t care. They were cumming either way. Their cock twitched harder, and they let out an animalistic howl as they began to spill onto the floor.

Salem cood over them as they came, petting their thigh as they too started to spill over, the warmth flooding Delphi’s insides, marking them as their dog.

“Did you enjoy that?” They asked, not even needing to. The satisfied expression on Delphi’s face really said it all.

Until their eyes snapped open, and they shot Salem a mischievous grin.

Uh oh.

“Will you behave now?”

“Woof, woof!”

(No).

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stevencapobiancoworlds · 1 year

Text

Heads up, Seven up!

Thanks for the tag @thephoenixandthecrocodile! I tag @kiraofthewind @annyinacastle @author-audrey-simmons @authorandreamariejohnson @abookbumble @evelienclarkewriter and @rosantha-tindall (although no pressure to play)

The rules are to share a snippet or a line from your recent work and then tag seven people. Anyone feel free to do this challenge if you want.

Here's one of Tsuki, the rabbit companion from Moonlight Blade, telling Luca about the new world he's in after waking up in a fantasy world hotel place.

“You’re in Arcana now!” She hopped onto the bed. “Well, not the town we’re in, I think it’s called ‘Mireforde?’ Humans call it something silly, but this whole world is Arcana, and it’s super duper magical! Dragons, magic, flying ships, magic scooters and bikes, and most importantly,” Tsuki playfully poked her cheeks, “magical guardian animals such as this cutie here!”

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iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia · 11 months

Note

if the mc had issues with disassociation how would the m6 help keep them grounded?

The Arcana HCs: M6 helping MC with disassociation

~ ah, the perfect opportunity for some fluffy headcanons. learning to live inside your own body full-time can be tricky and overwhelming, so have some comfort my dears! - brainrot ~

Julian

He's the type of person to completely fixate on something to the point of tuning everything else out, so he just assumes you're zoning out too at first

Until he spends more time with you and starts to realize that there's more going on

He takes a doctor's approach, figuring out different ways to measure how you're doing and help you ground

One of the ways he tests how disassociated you are is telling you an extravagant story and watching how you react. How long does it take for you to either play into or call him on his BS?

Cycles through different approaches recommended in medical research to find what works best to ground you

He's very good at guiding you through one minute meditations, gently placing a cool hand over your eyes and telling you to focus on your face, your jaw, your shoulders, etc

If he notices you're completely out of it in public, he'll make your excuses for you and guide you somewhere more private to check in on you

Asra

Safe touch. So much touch

They're pretty clued in to you, but Faust picks up on your state faster than you do most of the time. She'll alert Asra if they haven't noticed yet, sliding across your shoulders for a squeeze

He takes a very subtle approach to grounding you unless you're both alone

It'll mostly be pushing at your heart's bond, helping you find and hold onto a mental tether for your body while they hold your hand

If you're home or alone, he'll use some simple spells to make your surroundings more engaging, maybe some colorful whorls to watch or a glowing light to hold

They also like using their own body to engage you, to the extent that you're comfortable with it. They'll hold you to their heartbeat and give you their hands to squeeze and play with

They love zoning out too, so if you're in a good mental space they'll pull you into a pillow pile and spend the afternoon staring at the ceiling with you

Nadia

Being as perceptive as she is, she gets her own understanding of what's going on before you describe it to her

The way she sees it, it's like your mind kicks itself into a detached, dreamlike state while your body is still awake

Which saddens her, because she thinks your body is fantastic and you deserve to enjoy your life without anything in the way

If it's in public, she'll keep a sharp eye on you and run her hand along your arm, waiting for a good moment to ground you without pulling too much attention to you

In more private settings, she's much freer

She'll call attention to different parts of your body, the way she's holding your hands, the carpet under your feet, the perfumed oils she's holding under your nose

She does struggle a bit with feeling rejected at first, when she's talking to you and she watches the way your eyes grow distant

But she understands where you're coming from, and is always ready to guide you back to her where you belong

Muriel

He noticed you regularly dissociating right off the bat. It takes one to know one

Though he didn't really think to try helping you ground yourself until he saw Inanna responding the same way she does for him

He immediately recognized her behavioral patterns, the way she kept poking her cold, wet nose into your hands and face and leaning all of her warm, furry weight into you

If it's nice out, he'll take you on a walk through the woods and hand you a few light, sensory things to hold for him, like a feather or patch of moss or smooth rock

If it's better to stay in he'll invite you to make something with him, maybe basket weaving or wrapping a new grip on one of his tools

Won't let you carve or do anything involving a knife, just to be safe

Very good at reading whether being out of touch is actually a safe thing for you right now, and follows through accordingly

If you're in public then he'll take your hand and leave with you (he didn't really want to be there either)

Portia

She's the quickest to notice when you're not listening anymore, though at first she assumed it was because she wasn't interesting enough

Once she knows what's going on, she's always prepared and knows exactly what to do to make things easier for you to ground yourself

As observant as she is, she's not very confident in her abilities to actually ground you, but she'll be present and encouraging the whole time

If you're in public, she'll cover for you until she can get you somewhere safer and quieter

She'll make you feel cozy and safe - fuzzy blankets, a hot or cold drink depending on the weather, a music box to listen to, whatever stimulates your senses without being overwhelming

Pepi is so helpful. She'll climb on your lap, knead whatever she can reach, and purr as loudly as she can

Lots of hugs and hand holding

Lucio

He assumes it's perfectly normal

Shell shock, that's what all the medics on the field called it. If you want to spend the day staring at the wall, he'll just entertain himself until you're back to reality

When you apologize for being out of it all day he's surprised, and even more so when you tell him it's not an ideal thing to do

Very ready to help you ground yourself, but he's still working on his patience and shaking your shoulders while he tells you "alright, it's safe, you can come back now" doesn't work that well

Until Mercedes and Melchior get involved. They'll lick your face, push their furry bodies against you, and yip and whine until you're feeling better

Since they do so well, Lucio figures he can leave you in their capable paws and focus on keeping you safe instead

You two will eventually discover that sparring is a very effective method of grounding, and you'll end up doing that together every afternoon

#ask arcana brainrot #the arcana #the arcana headcanons #the arcana hc #asra the arcana #julian the arcana #nadia the arcana #muriel the arcana #portia the arcana #lucio the arcana #the arcana game #the arcana fluff #asra alnazar #julian devorak #nadia satrinava #muriel of the kokhuri #portia devorak #lucio morgasson

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villain-in-love · 10 months

Note

Normal type, dark type and psychic type for Portia ? :)

Thanks for asking about Portia, I love her and she’s severely underappreciated. Now get ready, because I have a bad habit of writing a lot.

🖤Normal Type🖤 : What do you and your F/O do on an average day?

Well, there are many versions of what an average day could be, depending on a timeline. Let’s take a completely average day in the palace, after the epilogue, when Portia and Katerina are not somewhere on another adventure.

Considering that Portia got promoted to Vesuvia’s emissary, it means that she will probably no longer have to be responsible for assisting the countess or managing the staff. She will probably spend her time studying diplomacy, writing letters and researching countries that have connections with Vesuvia. Though I think she will still spend a great portion of time with Nadia, as her most trusted confidant.

As a court magician, Katerina has more flexible schedule and more free time, which she usually spends either in the library occupied by her studies, maybe working on certain projects, or helping maintain magic systems around the castle. Of course, sometimes she can be caught just slacking off and being insufferable with the rest of the court.

Her and Portia have enough possibilities to meet and talk during the official working hours, and they always make sure to have lunch together if they can help it, so that they could really take their time to discuss important matter at hand or gossip, and just be close to each other.

They usually spend evenings (and nights) in Portia’s cottage, and Pepi is also here, obviously.

Portia and Katerina can often be found spending time cuddling in a comfortable silence while each does her own thing, maybe they are reading, Portia might be knitting or writing something that one day might become a novel, Katerina is most likely busy sketching out plans for some ritual or just sketching in an artbook.

Katerina is touch-starved, so the moment they are alone, and she drops the pretence of being so tough and cold, she is constantly pressed into Portia’s side or just outright drapes herself over her. Portia finds it adorable and overall doesn’t mind, she jokes that she could even carry her all the time, Katerina only needs to say a word.

It’s almost a tradition at this point to cook dinner together, even though it’s mostly Portia who cooks and Katerina assists her. At first Katerina didn’t really help, because she wasn’t good at cooking, so she was mostly sitting on the counter and observing everything Portia did. However, now she knows all Portia’s recipes by heart.

🕶️Dark Type🕶️: Who’s the bigger prankster between the two of you? What’s the best prank either of you have pulled?

Portia is mischievous by nature, and she loves pranks, I have no doubt about it. She’s not the type to do something actually mean and harmful, she’s only here for chaos and maybe lightly poking fun at someone. Her usual targets are people in the palace (both staff and nobles) and Julian, though on some occasion she might play a small prank on Katerina. In fact, Portia is the only person who is allowed to play pranks on Katerina and get away unharmed.

She might not seem like it, but Katerina herself is fond of pranks as well, and if she didn’t do it often before, meeting Portia helped bring out that side of hers. Though I’m pretty sure that what she herself used to call “pranks” was just her committing criminal offenses for fun…

The fact that in Arcana world magic is kind of a common thing means that there are endless possibilities.

I’m not sure about the best, but the biggest prank they played together was trapping a certain annoying noble who was visiting the palace in a seemingly endless labyrinth. Portia was a mastermind and Katerina played the role of an executive, since to accomplish the entire thing they used illusions to trick their target into walking around the same set of corridors for almost an hour. Our duo was following them around under the invisibility spell all this time, trying their best not to laugh. At some point they began stealthily repositioning furniture and decorations, sometimes creating completely absurd compositions, just to fuck with their victim’s head even further. (Maybe Katerina is a bad influence to Portia…)

Before you ask, the entire idea was approved by Nadia in advance, who was the first to express her exasperation with the person in question.

🔮Psychic Type🔮: Look into your crystal ball and tell us what you think your future with your F/O looks like? Do you want to live together? Get married? Have the two of you ever talked about it?

By the end of her story Portia finally got what she dreamed of – she has a higher status, her efforts and talents are acknowledged, and she gets to travel the world on her own ship as a part of her job. Obviously, Katerina is by her side all the while and she herself got back to her previous position as a court magician.

They become prominent figures in Vesuvia’s government, both as politicians and friends of the countess Nadia. Well, even if they didn’t get their positions, they literally saved the city along with possibly an entire world once, so they still would have made names for themselves in history.

In any case, Portia and Katerina travel a lot and spend a great portion of time sailing seas and oceans. Fun fact: they have their own special map which they use to make plans and mark already explored territories.

They definitely get into a lot of misadventures, considering Portia’s courage, Katerina’s ideas, and their shared curiosity with a sheer desire to see “what would happen if we do this?”.

At some point were taken hostage by pirates and saved themselves by organizing a coup against the captain, later taking over the ship and living as sea robbers for several years until they got found by Tasya’s search team. It was awkward. One time they even went ahead and impersonated another married couple of merchants whose ship they stole, making a lot of money in another far-away country.

They kind of remind me of Tulio and Miguel from "Road to El Dorado", and they are likely to pull the same stunts those guys did.

It will take a while for them to retire. I don’t think they will stop even after reaching old age, I mean, look at Mazelinka. Portia is definitely going to follow her footsteps. While current Katerina, being a Major Arcana, should technically be immortal… But this whole issue is a different story.

It’s also canon that they got married in the epilogue, even though it was just an official registration of marriage, so the wedding itself is still ahead. I didn’t plan to get married, but since it’s happened, might as well celebrate it properly.

#ship: starry night #self ship #self shipping #self ship community #self shipping community

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giggly-argent · 2 years

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Omg pls share your ler li ling hcs!!! I would love to hear them 👀 I've been playing for a bit now and I love him, tang xuan, and Jacob :)

haha you rang?

okay but,,

🔥 First off, him and Tang Xuan are boyfriends 100% and not a Day goes by where that poor redhead doesn't get brought to tears by all 6 of his bf's hands 💞

🔥 he's like the #1 Terror of the esper union >:D Pretty much nobody's escaped his attacks, but of course, he has his favs (Tang Xuan, Lewis, and Bardon notably!)

🔥 Do notttt get into an argument with him bc he's just gonna tickle you until you agree w him,,

🔥 Plus he loves to make his lees admit how strong he is (with Lewis, this always turns into a Super long ordeal)

🔥 him and Arcana are the only ones who know about commander Falken's hidden lee side shhhh🫠

🔥 oh he's not invincible either! actually, he's close to being one of the more ticklish members of the union- a single tweak of his sides will bring him to the floor in an instant 😎

🔥but have fun once he recovers, bc his revenge tickles are somehow More ruthless than his first attacks~

🔥 He's really only gentle w Chang Pu, giving her lil pokes n squeezes every once in a while just to cheer her up 🥺 (though the second somebody else points out this kinder side, they end up at his mercy oops)

#ask #anonymous #there are more im just out rn and my brain isnt focused 😮‍💨#but look at him and Tell me hes not a tickle monster!!#hottest tickle monster out there frfr

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soulventure91 · 2 years

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Deer-ic let’s go! Emperor, Chariot, Tower (aside from the Mindflayers), and Star!

Kairi! Empress, Wheel of Fortune, Moon, and World!

major arcana asks! |

Diric 04. the emperor : how much respect does your muse have for authority ? why is this ? Diric and authority is...complicated. He values individual opinions and abilities far over institutional; for example, during the Talisman's time in Blackthorn, Diric was very uncomfortable playing the political game despite being very familiar with it, but trusted Teran to be able to give the party an in for meeting with the house heirs. Similarly in a military situation, Diric was more willing to trust General Dagon because of his reputation than the entire military apparatus. This probably stems from being the kid hidden in a closet for most of his youth: society said he, as a half-drow, was lesser than any full-blooded drow despite his mother's high rank or any ability he himself could develop to win himself honor/prestige. Alyrinda (probably intentionally but moderately well-meaning) reinforced this, and it was the worldview Diric joined the army with. Clearly with his enslavement and time passing it's lessened as a Particular Burn but he can probably still be poked there and not react well.

07. the chariot : how much does your muse care about winning ? are they a sore loser ? If I were playing pre-mindflayer-capture Dir, this mans would be insufferable as a competitor. "Winning" would mean promotion, recognition, all the things he craved in his young adulthood. It would mean he could try escaping the societal black mark of his mixed heritage. VERY sore loser in this period of his life. But I'm not playing pre-capture Dir, am I? Where there is no structure, no goal except another day so making a competition out of it doesn't make any sense. Now if put in a competitive situation some of those old tics might reappear, but I couldn't guarantee it until it's happening.

16. the tower : what event drastically changed your muse’s life ? do they resent that event or are they glad of it ? ASIDE from Seventy Years A Thrall, probably the next biggest formative event for Diric would be his first and only command position. Where he was tasked with capturing a duergar war camp and got nearly everyone under him killed due to a mix of bad intelligence and pressure Diric put on himself to Do It Right Because He's In Charge. The entire mess is why he tries to not gravitate into positions of leadership UNLESS he senses it's needed (*stares at Talisman recruitment which also Haunts Him*); the entire debacle really kickstarted his inferiority complex and crushed most of his original hopes and dreams of being a Person of Consequence in Blackthorn. I don't know if he's glad or resentful of it now; it's something that just happened and Diric knows, to a degree, it keeps echoing back to him because it was his fault it went so wrong.

17. the star : what does your muse take inner comfort in knowing ? what guides your muse ? It's more recently that he can let himself take comfort in that...I don't want to say he has a lack of importance to the Talisman, but that he's not as important as he thought? Which in one way is kinda. Soul-crushing for him because Diric's pushed himself so hard for the group, because they're the closest thing to a family that matches what he knows a family should be. But on the other hand it means he can take a step back and kind of let go of that drive, especially knowing the next few things they have to do are absolutely, 100% beyond Diric's own comfort zone. He's probably the very last of the Talisman (excluding Cai) to get a grip on the Divine Support Train, and most of that because of what he's seen the party capable of doing. The Talisman are his guide. It's because of them Diric is even still alive. He's still in a major personal reconstruction phase and I don't think it'll even be very settled before we head to the Shadowfell. He'll need all the comfort he can get.

Kairi 03. the empress : does your muse have parental / nurturing figures in their life ? how do they impact them ? Ah the joy of being an orphaned street child where you had to be the parental figure for your kid brother. Kai doesn't remember her parents, and probably one of her first memories is stealing food from a market stall in Mordeep to tend to her brother because he was sick at the time. Probably the closest thing she has is an idealized vision of Zariel, whom Kai is descended from and she didn't know of until she joined the blood hunters of Brightkeep. Kai's Zariel is a fusion of both the divine and infernal (as compared to the seething unrelenting rage of actual Zariel), holy purpose twisted by damned determination. Obviously Zariel's not exactly a nurturing figure but this ideal of her gave Kai a path forward as a blood hunter, and although Kai doesn't worship Zariel per se there is a slight veneration when Kai invokes her more advanced abilities.

10. the wheel of fortune : how well / badly does your muse take setbacks on their goals ? With Kai's mixed station of blood hunter representative and an agent for the Regent, her goals tend to align with those affiliations - except, perhaps, a little bit in the present, where said regent knowing Adolin Liarin is also investigating the Champion of Talos would be very messy so Kai is definitely not sharing that. She tends to recover well from setbacks - perks from being a practiced thief, you either get it done or you fuck up badly enough to get out - and even keeps her eyes open for mistakes opening fresh opportunities.

18. the moon : what does your muse long for ? is it a realistic desire ? As a temporary character and having not played her long enough to get a solid sense of what she wants, I don't get a strong sense of Kai longing for anything. Maybe in a different campaign she'd find out her brother is alive (she thinks he's dead from the last thieving job they pulled; she was captured and sent to the blood hunters as punishment/rehab) and try to find him. But atm, no major longings except maybe for Rowan to have several chill pills.

21. the world : is there one thing in life that your muse must accomplish ? what will they do when they complete that goal ? MUST accomplish, nah, Kai's not a long-term sort. She's more about those eerie-ass developments over an increasingly eerie-ass day. Though it's an unspoken goal of hers to get the stick out of Rowan's ass somewhat permanently.

#ehehehe thankies morggggg #dungeons and dragons #dnd spells #oc: diric vajon #oc: kairi #dnd: faelethris the talisman #oc headcanons

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karaptcg · 9 months

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Road to 2024 Worlds: Week 1

This was my first weekend of competitive play for the new season. Here's what I got up to:

Friday, Jul. 21: Weekly League, 3rd place(2-0-2)

No CP awarding going on here, but I do these to get games in with a couple of friends every now and then. I played Gardevoir with a Lost Vacuum and a split of Forest and Sky Seal Stone.

Here's how it went: T vs United Wings W vs Palkia T vs Lugia SS W vs Fusion Mew

Played against my testing partner in the last round and absolutely blew him away with the Sky Seal Stone he didn't know I put in my deck. We usually know each other's lists very well, but he had just gotten back from vacation and I took our resulting testing drought as a fun opportunity to surprise him.

Saturday, Jul. 22: League Cup, 20th Place (3-3)

Played the same list as the day before. Daniel Altavilla, Chip Richey and his brother were there playing, along with a few other local friends. The cup ended up with 40 players and was an absolute blast.

Here's how it went: W vs Inteleon Urshifu L vs Lugia L vs ArcUmbreon W vs Fusion Mew L vs Chien-Pao W vs Lugia SS

So close but so far. I can't say I didn't have fun though. I definitely had variance not go my way a good number of times.

In Round 2, I played a Temple of Sinnoh and Iono'd my opponent to 2 cards. I needed them to whiff a counter stadium for a turn to have a chance and they...didn't. Kind of unlucky, given that they hadn't thinned their deck much that game but such is life.

In Round 3, I lost after missing a highly probable Boss's Orders for game. On my final turn, I had 9 cards left in deck. I drew for turn, taking me down to 8. I used Mew's Mysterious Tale finding an Ultra Ball, thinning my deck down to 7. I used Refinement to draw 2 cards, taking me down to 5. Then, I played the Ultra Ball to find Shining Arcana Gardevoir, played it and used Shining Arcana to draw 2 more cards, leaving my deck at 2. My 2 remaining Boss's Orders were in the bottom 3 cards. Woof.

The other loss I'm honestly not sure how I managed. I had some awkward draws but it felt okay-ish. I probably just made a couple misplays that I can't remember. No X-2's made cut that day so I didn't feel too bad about it.

A friend ended up taking it down with UrshiInteleon. I probably would not have fared well in that top cut anyways.

Going 3-3 at my first League Cup of the season is a time honored tradition with 3 seasons of history behind it, so...yeah. Tradition!

Sunday, Jul. 23: League Challenge, 3rd place (2-0-1)

I was conflicted on if I even wanted to go to this one. I hadn't heard good things about recent changes made to this store, but I decided that Championship Points are more important than well run events so there I went.

I was a little burnt out on Gardie, so I decided to sleeve up Turbo Lost Box, turn my brain off and have some fun. I couldn't find my copy of Raikou V and didn't have extra Forest Seal Stones handy so I ended up just playing a weird suboptimal list. It was just a small event after all. Most of the more invested players in the area travelled the extra hour to the League Cup that happened on the same day.

Here's how it went: T vs Chien Pao W vs Lugia W vs Lugia

There was supposed to be a fourth round, but the organizer made a mistake. I wanted to play more Poke, so I was left a little disappointed but it is what it is. There were 3 2-0-1s by the end and my resistance ended up being the worst.

One story I really do want to share is that my round 3 opponent conceded after seeing his opening hand, packed up all his stuff and declared "I'm going to go home, get drunk and watch Tokyo Ghoul." and then did exactly that. My opening hand was fire and I'm a little sad I didn't get to play it out but at least I got a funny story out of it.

My testing partner ended up getting first with Fusion Mew though! The car came home with 25 CP so...profit?

That was the whole weekend for me! Pretty uneventful but I got to play three days of Poke so I have minimal complaints.

10/???

#competitive ptcg #ptcg #pokemon tcg #Gardevoir #Lost Box #Road to Worlds 2024

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