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magicthethinking · 4 months

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A first KTK Draft report

I came back into Magic around M15 and the end of Theros block, but didn't start drafting until a Standard Chaos Draft around BFZ. So, I missed out on all the Khans block draft environments, at least until Arena brought KTK-KTK-KTK back.

Yes my first draft was a chaos draft, sometimes I do things that are harder because I can.

I wrote down my thoughts in a notebook to see my thinking to write most of this, and to see where I start to go wrong. It's a nice bit to get to do when drafting with bots, and doing it on Arena lets me get to play with my results, which is particularly valuable for me. I need more experience to be confident navigating a draft without play.

Draft Phase

Draft is linked here: 17Lands.com

Pack 1

Pick 1:

I was happy to see the three gain lands in the pack, not enough to take one first overall, but a nice bit to write in the notebook. I went with Highspire Mantis over the Deflecting Palm thinking that a 3/3 Flying Trampler is going to be more generally useful. Or at the very least a solid bit of my mid to top end.

Pick 2:

Hordeling Outburst beat out Arrow Storm, Disdainful Stroke, and Jeskai Student. Three mana, three 1/1 Goblins, I had to follow the old yell from The Magic Show. Also, going wide helps with blocking at worst, and can push more damage through. Just solid. Abzan Charm is appealing, but as much as I know that three colors is very much supported I have an aversion to having too many colors in limited. So picking that up early scared me. So would throwing an early pick out, but that is going to happen anyway. I also tend to over-commit and lock into colors way too early in draft. That probably happened here too.

Pick 3:

A large number of gains, happy to see (while writing this I can also see the Average Last Seen At numbers, and they're taken higher than I would have thought).

I took Stubborn Denial over Master the Way, Defiant Strike, Trumpet Blast, or Jeskai Windscout.

Stubborn Denial seems like a solid counter; if you can get Ferocious online or are real early in a game. I don't think this worked out too well for me. I wasn't Hell or Heckbent enough that Master the Way wouldn't have been a bad bolt. The 5 mana needed just seemed too steep. I had concerns about how many non-creatures I would have so I undervalued Prowess. Trumpet Blast I thought I could either wheel or would see more of later on, so decided to hold off, but it was the second on my radar. Defiant Strike just seemed worse than Trumpet Blast. At this point I've locked in on drafting Jeskai and have tunnel visioned.

Pick 4:

So much Red!

I went with War-Name Aspirant over Ainok Bond-Kin, Heart-Piercer Bow, Act of Treason, Temur Banner, and the Glacial Stalker.

Me at the time: "War-Name + Ainok combos well, hopefully can make it work. Hope to see another Bow in other packs"

I don't think I was wrong there, but part of me also valued the banners too highly, especially ones that were off wedge. I don't think that played out too well for me in the end, they're useful, but not something I should really want too much.

Pick 5:

Mardu Banner was the pick over Quiet Contemplation, Set Adrift, Siegecraft, Kheru Dreadmaw, or the Scoured Barrens.

A tapper that works when you cast a non-creature and tax yourself one sounded fine. I don't think it would have been after playing my matches. Three mana for no immediate text box or stats is not great.

Siegecraft sounds good for getting Ferocious online, but it's 4 mana for an odd buff, I don't think it was something I really wanted.

I think I should have taken the Scoured Barrens, but I was prioritizing mana rocks, and it can draw a card. (I would never be able to draw a card, I did not have another black source)

Some of that is probably my lack of comfort with three color mana bases in general, and more specifically in Limited. Getting afraid of color screw and losing a game to that probably hurt me here.

Pick 6:

The combination piece with War-Name Aspirant; Ainok Bond-Kin.

Goblinslide sounded good, but fell in the same bit with me and Quiet Contemplation. Three mana, does nothing until you cast a non-creature spell. This one makes Goblins though, and that is just better. I just dismissed it out of hand too quickly.

Blinding Spray sounded fine for a moment, it's an effect that gets reprinted fairly often. It also draws a card for 5 mana, but I think I'd rather have the card it would draw me than it.

Kheru Dreadmaw is back, still a no, especially not being in black and not being a reason to pivot to black.

Tranquil Cove, I'm too used to not prioritizing lands in non-Masters or non-Horizons sets. I think Bond-Kin was a good pick here, but Cove should have been a bit more of a draw.

Pick 7:

Efreet Weaponmaster was my pick. First Strike, pumping a creature when it either ETBs or flips is damn good, and almost got windmilled. If I weren't journaling it probably would have been.

Salt Road Patrol, it works well with Bond-Kin, and blocks really well, I don't think I gave it enough due.

Kheru, still no. Probably won't be mentioned again.

Snowhorn Rider. 5/5 Trampler for 6 isn't bad, and for a bit extra you can spread it across turns and maybe eat a medium creature. If I hadn't tunnel visioned on Jeskai I might have put out some feelers on Temur. But Weaponmaster was also in the pack...

Again, I wasn't prioritizing lands, but I think there's more of a reason not to in this pack to not take Tranquil Cove.

Pick 8:

Force Away was my pick. A 2 mana bounce with a potential loot. That's just good clean living.

Briber's Purse seems interesting, but I didn't know how fast the format would be, so opted to stay away. Early on I would rather be developing properly, and late game it seems a bit insubstantial.

Jeskai Student; I did not rate Prowess as highly as I should have been, so a 1/3 for 2 didn't seem great at the moment.

Glacial Stalker; a 6 mana 4/5 doesn't sound great. But a 7 mana 4/5 paid over two turns and spends some of that time as a 2/2 does sound a bit better. It can block pretty well too.

Pick 9:

Jeskai Elder was taken, the loot sounded really good, and I was questioning whether I should stay in white. That kind of beat out the new slight interest in Jeskai Student.

Rush of Battle piqued my interest too, but I was questioning white and wanted some creatures on the low end of my curve.

Pick 10:

Lens of Clarity sounds interesting, but doesn't really do anything beyond keep me from charging into a blowout. Nice, but I will find a way to do that anyway, and it doesn't do anything on board. Glacial Stalker gets the nod here.

Pick 11:

Jeskai Windscout beat out Defiant Strike, and the slightly off color gainland.

Pick 12:

I took the Temur Banner; If I had to do this pack over again, the Bloodfire Expert would be windmilled.

Pick 13:

Kheru Dreadmaw is off color, and the other card is an Elk. I will embrace the Edmonton Football team, now bring back the Elk Horn helmets.

"Pick" 14:

Naturalize was the only card there, it went to the sideboard immediately and stayed in the pool for the remainder of time.

The rest of the draft

I'm going to abbreviate some of this, because I did the exact same thing in my notebook.

P2P1: I took Suspension Field over Mythic Monastery. I thought the Monastery would wheel, and 2 mana to exile a big thing sounds good. For someone who was scared about color screw I sure did not take the land made just for me. This is a straight up whiff.

P2P2: Thought that the Salt Road Patrol would wheel, and went with the bow. I have at this point stopped looking at off color cards.

P2P3: I went with the on color gain in Swiftwater Cliffs. Monastery Flock interested me, but I need fixing... I gained wisdom over those two packs.

P2P4: Treasure Cruise is in this pack. I know it's history, but didn't think it would be worth too much in limited. I don't know if I'm wrong, but in an effective vacuum I want to play to the board.

P3P1: I looked at End Hostilities, but 3{W}{W} for a board wipe sounds like a lot. It's more achievable than I would have though, but if I'm needing it something has gone very wrong with what I've built. Another Efreet Weaponmaster was the pick.

Deckbuilding & Some Game Action

The Deck: Linked here

Building a limited deck is a weakness I have, especially in a format I don't know well. So I tend to make a bit of a mess by either not being low to the ground and aggressive or properly controlling to a solid late game. Instead building Midrange via the medium of indecisiveness. This is not helped by the quick drafts being Best of One matches that let me try going low or being more controlling.

Also having the first two games be over quite quickly.

Game 1 my opponent developed their board quickly, and swung in hard and fast, and Suspension Fielded my Highspire Mantis so there were no real chances to block. In Game 2 I kept a bad opening hand out of tilt, and the hope that a blue source would come. It did not.

Opening Hand:

Jeskai Elder 2 Plains Mardu Banner Singing Bell Strike Suspension Field Stubborn Denial

I rushed out the Banner (a Mountain was drawn at some point). They had a Mardu Skullhunter out on Turn 2 before playing a 4/2 Alpine Grizzly on 3.

Seeing danger I go to Suspension Field the big bear...

From Suspension Field's text box (via Scryfall)

When Suspension Field enters the battlefield, you may exile target creature with toughness 3 or greater until Suspension Field leaves the battlefield. (That creature returns under its owner’s control.)

Alpine Grizzly as mentioned above has Four Power and Two Toughness. Two is a smaller number than three. Suspension Field is an ETB, effect. It enters, sees no creatures that I may target with it and goes "Cool, I live here now."

I see a 4/5 drop the next turn and shame scoop after not drawing that Island.

Game 3:

There's an interesting set of decisions made in Turn 9's Declare Blockers: My opponent is swinging in with a 5/4 Ainok Bond-Kin (Outlast was used 3 times). From it's own text box it has First Strike. Sage of the Inward Eye (3/4 with Flying) is on the battlefield as an attacker. A second copy of Brave The Sands was played earlier in the turn, giving both creatures Lifelink from the Sage and two instances of Vigilance from the Brave the Sands.

I have an Alabaster Kirin (2/3 Flying, Vigilance) with a Heart-Piercer Bow, Glacial Stalker (5/4), and War-Name Aspirant (3/2 from a +1/+1 counter) blocking the 5/4 First Striking Bond-Kin. Leaving the 3-4 Sage unblocked while at 4 life, and my opponent empty handed. They are on 17 life.

There is also a face down Efreet Weaponmaster.

This is a bad blocking decision on my part.

In this position I'm trading off my potential flying blocker, and less importantly the War-Name Aspirant for the Bond-Kin. There are no fliers in my hand to block with, I can't win on the crackback both because I don't have enough power to do so when their creatures are tapped out, but also because the Sage has Vigilance (TWICE). However at that moment I think (and never double check that this is true) Efreet Weaponmaster has Flying.

I think this is a good block until I go to get high fives from others and am alerted to the misplay.

The only reason this isn't a blowout is the Glacial Stalker being set as the first creature in the blocking order and taking all the damage.

Game 4: I think I build out solidly, and attack well, but in the final turn cycle the fresh Bloodfire Expert gets a Feat of Resistance buffing it and giving it Protection from Blue in response to being targeted by Heart-Piercer Bow. It blocks profitably. I flip my Efreet Weaponmaster to take out their Monastery Flock and hit them for 7 taking them to 5. I'm on 13, they play a Swiftspear, and swing in with the team. I block their Expert with my own Flock, and they show me the last two cards in their hand. Jeskai Charm, giving the team +1/+1 and lifelink until the end of the turn (Hitting the Expert and Swiftspears prowess triggers for some extra damage). Then my Flock gets to take a Ride Down, giving the Expert Trample. Prowess. Prowess. I take 15.

After how I won Game 3 this feels appropriate.

Summing Up

I'm not sure there's much to put here to be honest. Valuing the gainlands higher is important, the banners aren't great, and I should pick a lane when building my deck. Overall, this was more an exercise in getting some of my limited rust knocked off. I've been a bit nervous over a bad draft or two taking away from the potential value the draft tokens have, or wasting gems to where I would need to buy more to draft more. Even when I'm rusty, I'm not that bad at limited. There's lots to clean up though, and I look forward to it.

Writing this is also breaking a bit of fear I have about writing. I don't know what my voice will end up being, but hopefully there's not too much yelling at me while I'm finding out. I've got a ton more rust here than with playing Magic.

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lordmayokcorner · 8 months

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Meredith O'Connor 『I Am』 - Album Review

This is a review by request! Feel free to request anything for me to review. Generally I only review K-pop but I’m making an exception for this, Meredith Connor’s first album “I Am”. Truth be told, I know very little about her besides that her music is focused around anti-bullying and self-confidence motifs. I’m excited to learn more! Keep in mind that my rating system is 1 to 10, with a 5 indicating complete neutrality.

I Am - 7

A wide blend of trumpet, bass, drums, and piano open the album and the song abruptly but strongly nonetheless. I really love the tone on the bass, I strive to achieve that. Her voice is quite strong as well, matching the instrumentals well. The chord progression is certainly quite basic though, which makes it hard for the song to pop out to me. I do really like the way the drums build in each 4-bar section of the chorus though!

The Game - 6

A much softer opening, just guitar and soft synth pads. I love the delay on her vocals here, it’s very satisfying. The lyrics don’t fit the rhythm very well and don’t quite rhyme, and I think the vocal melodies drag it down a bit. I wish the instrumentals were a bit louder, I think that would balance the mix a little better. I have a lot of respect for the purity of her vocals though, definitely. I’m loving the minimalistic late 90s early 2000s vibe of the synths, they remind me of first generation K-pop!

Just The Thing - 3.5

I like the pizzicatos at the beginning. The other elements don’t really blend in with it very well though. I think that as the song builds it becomes less coherent which is unfortunate because I like some part of it individually. It has the same basic chord progression again as well, and when it tries to switch it up it doesn’t quite work for me. I think there’s probably a lot to like in this song, but it doesn’t really fit with me.

Distraction - 5

This is the first song on the album with a very dark start. The beginning has me very excited for something that goes hard. I like the subtle use of the 3-3-2 latin beat. The vocals aren’t quite as great here though. The chorus is pretty disappointing after the intro set it up for so much power. I’m still loving the rich dark vibe though.

Unforgettable Night - 3

This is a much softer song, a classic soft ballad at least for now. Her vocals aren’t great here, and neither are the unnamed featured singer’s. It builds in energy but the background doesn’t take it there. Once again I think some better mixing and processing would really help this song out.

14 Miles - 4

Another heavy opening that lacks the power in bass to really carry it through. This could be great, I just wish that the mix was better and that the EQing was a bit more full spectrum. Many of these songs feel very heavy on the 1-4kHz frequency range (white noise, wind noise) and lacking in low bass (20-70Hz) and high silvery treble (5-10kHz). With that and a hard rock beat this song would go so hard! I find it odd that this is the least streamed song on the album.

Stronger (feat. Garrett Clayton) - 3

This one has another soft quality to it, a true ballad feel. It has many of the same issues as the other songs, but the EQing does feel a bit better. Meredith also sounds much better here. The vocals are somewhat overpowering in a way that flattens the beat. It builds into a power ballad, even changing the key. Not my style but it’s alright.

Guardian Angel - 5.5

I really like the piano melody at the beginning! The vocal melodies are also much better. The piano has a much sturdier bass and is better mixed into the vocals, the instrumentals compliment the vocals in a way that improves the songs coherency as a whole. This song is definitely not the type of song I would listen to but many of the previous issues I’ve pointed out are a lot less noticeable here!

Face That’s Perfect - 7

This is a refreshingly strong finish! The mixing is once again much better and the equalizing feels better. The drums and vocals could be processed a little better though. Everything clicks into place pretty well. I love the vocal melody in the chorus, it makes me smile! I love the use of the flat 7th and the 6th and the harmonies. The rest of the song is meh for me, but those harmonies are great.

Final Thoughts

It’s really a shame that Meredith O’Connor isn’t much more popular. That may seem like an odd thing to hear me say after delivering this somewhat scorching review (sorry!!), but that’s just the thing! I think that she has a great voice and has a good grasp of musicality. If she was given a higher budget I would really like her music. Almost every issue I had would be easily fixed with better production, writing, mixing, and mastering. Either getting a better company or alternatively joining a rock band would actually be really good for her, musically! I give this album an overall score of 5 taking everything into account, with my favorite song being Face That’s Perfect, one that I think would sound GREAT with a live band! Thank you for recommending this album to me, I hope I wasn’t too harsh! Meredith O’Connor deserves a lot of attention for sure. One day I have a feeling I’m gonna hear about her getting a better gig and being a huge deal. Thanks for reading!

- Maya

#album review #review #music review #meredith o'connor #review request

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avidgrapejuicelover · 2 years

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mark me with your words - ch.6

pairing: diluc x childe

genre: angst & fluff/ au-soulmate

warnings: none

word count: 3.9k

summary: Diluc walked along the vineyards, enjoying the sun rays warm his skin. The winds gently caressed his curls as he breathed in the fresh air. His sword bounced against his hip with each step he took. He had finished his training for the day and was left to his own devices. Kaeya was busy with his lessons and hobbies, so Diluc didn’t want to bother him. He had decided to take a walk instead.

also on ao3 under the user playfuldreams

ch.1 | ch. 2 | ch. 3 | ch. 4 | ch. 5 | ch. 6 | ch. 7 | ch. 8

enjoy!~

Diluc walked along the vineyards, enjoying the sun rays warm his skin. The winds gently caressed his curls as he breathed in the fresh air. His sword bounced against his hip with each step he took. He had finished his training for the day and was left to his own devices. Kaeya was busy with his lessons and hobbies, so Diluc didn’t want to bother him. He had decided to take a walk instead.

The bustling sounds of the workers were faint but close enough for him to feel safe. He could vaguely pick up laughter from the staff along with bits of conversation about his upcoming birthday.

Diluc continued walking, simply enjoying his alone time. His thoughts went to the various things he had tried out over the last few weeks.

Ever since his Father had come home, he and Diluc would sit in front of the chess board at least two hours a week to discuss strategies or simply play a game or two. Those were the hours Diluc found himself cherishing the most.

Of course, Diluc wished he could spend more time with his Father, but he knew how busy he was and was glad his Father managed to find some time for him.

Besides, Diluc decided to learn other things as well which took up more of his time. After testing out different instruments, Diluc found he enjoyed playing the violin the most. Kaeya had taken to the trumpet, not too surprising as Kaeya seemed to be getting louder and louder as each day passed. Not that Diluc minded….much.

Diluc added violin lessons once a week for about an hour to his schedule. He had to convince Adelinde that it was something he wanted to do and not something he was doing out of responsibility.

She, thankfully, agreed and found both the Young Masters music teachers.

Diluc stopped walking once he reached the large oak tree in Windrise. He walked up to the Statue of the Seven, admiring the archon before kneeling and giving a small prayer.

Once he was done, Diluc stood and walked over to the grassless spot in front of the statue. He unsheathed his sword and got into his beginning form.

Taking a deep breath, Diluc slowly went through the motions of his stances and guards. He made sure to be aware of his positioning at all times as he moved, pausing at the end of each stance. It almost felt as if he was performing in front of the Anemo Archon.

But it made Diluc strive to do better.

Diluc knew if everyone at the winery found out he was practicing outside of his training, they would get worried. However, Diluc did not think of this as training or anything stressful. Rather, he found it to be something he could do to relax his mind. His body knew the exact motions, so each movement came with ease. All Diluc had to do was breathe and follow the flow.

It truly felt freeing when he ran through his stances in Windrise. The winds accompanied him as if to cheer him on. He liked to think of it as the Anemo Archon’s way of encouraging him.

The thought of his Archon cheering him on gave him confidence that he would be accepted into the knights. And somehow receive an answer from his Fated.

Diluc had spent less and less time sending messages and drawings to his Fated as time went on. After discussing it with Adelinde and his Father, they thought it would be less stressful if Diluc contacted, or tried to, his Fated once every so often.

Diluc did not want to disregard his Fated, but he did admit that he wasn’t as optimistic about Fated Pairs as he used to be.

He talked about it with his Father and slowly was learning to accept it.

“Diluc, you’ll still be you even if you never find your Fated. The brave, responsible, smart young man that you are.” His Father told him.

“But what if I don’t have one at all? Everyone told me to wait and give it time, but I never got a single reply to the dozens of drawings I sent.” Diluc said, looking down at his clasped hands.

He heard his Father sigh.

“You know, not everyone has a Fated Pair.” His Father began. Diluc looked up, surprised.

“I even met some people who did not have one or never met them. And they were doing fine. They lived their life happily with someone else they fell in love with or were simply living how they wanted by themselves.” His Father said, rubbing Diluc’s head

“You don’t need a Fated in order to be happy. Happiness is something you attain by yourself for yourself.” His hand dropped back to his side as he stared into Diluc’s eyes.

“Alright?” His Father asked.

“Alright.” Diluc said, dipping his head.

“But I still want to meet mine.” He added.

His Father laughed.

“If Lord Barbatos wills it, I’m sure you will. Speaking of, are you low on ink? Do you need me to buy more?”

Diluc shook his head. He had plenty. In the distance, Kaeya shouted their names, most likely calling them for the snacks Adelinde had promised.

“If you ever need more just let me know. Now, let's go indulge ourselves in those pastries.” His Father stood and began walking to the back gardens. Diluc quickly followed.

The wind picked up causing loose curls to fly into his eyes bringing Diluc’s attention back to the present. He was finishing up his fourth stance and moved into the fifth one.

Each step, each turn, each swing helped him clear his mind. By the time he had finished his routine, Diluc felt grounded.

Diluc walked back to the tree and sat with his back to the trunk, facing the pond. He watched the fish swim away as the ducks tried to grasp a meal for the afternoon. A couple hours passed by while he simply enjoyed the peace.

The sun had reached a fourth of the way down when Diluc decided to head back. It would take a while to return to the house and by then, Adelinde would be looking for him.

Diluc knew she was still paranoid he would have an attack or get into some trouble he couldn’t solve himself if he was out of her sight for too long.

Although he found it a bit annoying, his chest still warmed at the thought. A small part of him would always seek her attention, but he would never admit it out loud. Especially not when he was about to turn ten.

The walk back was uneventful. Diluc did fight off a couple of slimes that got in his way, but nothing too troubling.

When he returned, Adelinde immediately caught sight of him and fussed over him. Following her instructions, he headed to his room and washed up before eating dinner.

That night Diluc thought about his birthday coming up. It fell on a Saturday this year, meaning the celebration would most likely happen on his actual birthday. Diluc wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He didn’t really want to pretend to be happy and proper on his birthday.

But then again, he hadn’t seen any preparations for the party happening. That was odd considering the staff usually began decorating at least a week before. And there were only four days til his birthday. Definitely not enough time to get everything ready.

Diluc chose not to go any further with those thoughts out of fear of ruining his good mood. His thoughts drifted to the jokes Kaeya had told him earlier and managed to fall asleep rather easily.

The next few days, Diluc noticed something was off.

It seemed as though the staff was preparing for something big. Everyone was bustling around, moving crates, and accepting orders for various things. However, every time Diluc asked about what was happening, the staff never told him anything.

At first, he had thought it was his birthday celebration, but it did not make sense why they wouldn’t tell him. Besides, Diluc wasn’t asked to review his etiquette, prepare his greetings or go over a list of guests.

In the corner of his mind, Diluc heard the dreaded voice whisper. They forgot about your birthday. No one wants to celebrate it.

Diluc shook his head to get rid of those thoughts. He had promised himself not to listen to that voice.

To calm himself down, he went through the motions of his first stance. Diluc took a deep breath once he finished. He decided to ask Adelinde what was going on. Diluc was sure she would tell him.

Except, he couldn’t find her all day. Kaeya said he didn’t know either and was equally as confused. So Diluc tried to ignore it.

The morning of his birthday, Diluc woke up to rain battering his window.

The dark clouds caused the sky to look gloomy. Not a great day for a birthday party, Diluc thought.

While he was washing his face, Diluc heard a knock.

“Diluc, you awake?” Kaeya asked on the other side.

Diluc dried his face before answering, “Yes, I’m awake. You can come in.”

The door opened not a second later. Loud steps made their way into Diluc’s room.

Walking back in to see why it sounded so loud, Diluc was faced with multiple people holding various items.

“Happy Birthday Diluc!”

“Happy Birthday Young Master!”

Both Kaeya and Elzer exclaimed as they pulled confetti poppers. The colorful strands and confetti launched into the air around Diluc before falling onto his just brushed hair.

“Happy Birthday Young Master.” Adelinde said, holding a tray filled with food.

Diluc’s heart sped up. He stayed silent for a moment, processing what had just happened. When his brain finally caught up, he grinned so wide he thought his face would tear in half.

“Thank you!” Diluc said.

“I thought you would just be waking up, but it seems you have already finished getting ready. In that case, would you prefer to have your meal at the table instead of in bed?” Adelinde asked.

“You were going to let me eat breakfast in bed?” Diluc asked wide eyed.

He heard Kaeya and Elzer laugh at his reaction, but he paid them no attention as he focused on Adelinde’s response.

“Of course! Today is a special day after all. So, what would you like to do?” She asked.

Diluc mulled it over. “I’d rather eat at the table with everyone.”

“Yay!” Kaeya jumped next to Diluc, grabbing his arm. “Let’s go! The pancakes are gonna go cold!”

Diluc laughed as he allowed his brother to drag him out of his room. Elzer and Adelinde followed behind.

“Oh, it looks like you all beat me to it.” Diluc heard his Father’s voice.

His Father stood close to the top of the stairs. His hair was down for once. Diluc felt the urge to pull off the ribbon holding his hair up, but his hand was currently being held prisoner by Kaeya.

“You’re too slow, Father.” Kaeya laughed.

“That’s right Master Crepus, you’ll have to be faster next time.” Adelinde added.

“I suppose you are correct.” His Father said before shifting his focus to Diluc.

“Happy Birthday son.” His Father said smiling. His red eyes shone like rubies, and Diluc couldn’t look away. His chest swelled with emotions he could barely name causing his eyes and nose to sting.

Diluc swallowed down the wave of emotions. “Thank you Father.” He replied.

Diluc was almost glad Kaeya was still holding his arm. Otherwise, Diluc probably would have launched himself at his Father to hug him, and that most certainly would have been too childish.

Although, maybe he can give his Father a hug at a later time today, Diluc thought.

Kaeya continued his way down the stairs, pulling Diluc both out of his thoughts and physically.

The table was filled with different breakfast dishes including Tea Break Pancakes and Mondstadt Hash Browns.

Diluc convinced Elzer and Adelinde to sit and eat with them using his Birthday Boy privileges.

Breakfast was so eventful that Diluc was expecting everyone to get on with their day once all the food was gone.

Contrary to his expectations, his Father told him to get changed into outdoor wear so they could go to the city.

Diluc and Kaeya had both rushed up the stairs to get ready as quickly as possible.

After changing, Diluc quickly took out his quill and ink. He wrote the same message on his forearm and waited for a minute, letting the ink dry. When nothing showed up, Diluc simply rolled his sleeve back down and ran downstairs.

Diluc managed to get to the foyer first. He ended up having to wait another five minutes before Kaeya finally came down. He chose to wear a new outfit he had recently got.

It was filled with designer accents like ribbons and chains making it look very glamorous. Diluc rolled his eyes. Of course Kaeya would choose to wear that. Diluc had donned his favorite black shorts, red button up, and threw on a black off-the shoulder cape to combat the cold.

Much more efficient and stylish than whatever Kaeya was wearing.

“Alright, shall we head out?” His Father asked. Both Diluc and Kaeya nodded.

Thankfully, the rain had stopped, but since there was a chance it would start up again, they decided to use the carriage to get to Mondstadt rather than just riding a horse.

In the carriage, Diluc and Kaeya played I-spy with his Father chiming in at times.

They left the carriage outside the walls once they got to the city.

Diluc and Kaeya walked around visiting various stores like With Wind Comes Glory. They also stopped by the Knights headquarters to say hi.

On their way to Angel’s Share, Cyrus managed to get them into the Adventurer's Guild building and promoted it to them.

Unfortunately, both Diluc and Kaeya were set on becoming knights, not adventurers.

Diluc felt a little bad when he saw Cyrus’ hunched figure, but not enough for him to give up what he had been working so hard for. He’d just promote the guild to others to make up for it. …After promoting the Knight’s Order.

At Angel’s Share, Kaeya loudly told the bartender it was Diluc’s birthday which is why he wants a glass of grape juice to share with his brother. This resulted in the bard leading the whole tavern to sing Happy Birthday to Diluc.

Diluc had never wanted to hit Kaeya more than he did at that moment. He could practically see how red he was in the reflection of his glass. When Diluc looked at his Father for help, he just laughed and sang along. Not helpful at all, Diluc pouted.

He was used to being in the spotlight, but something felt different about the attention he was receiving today. It felt warmer. And it made Diluc feel lightheaded.

They ended up having lunch at Good Hunter. The table was filled with chicken-mushroom skewers, sweet madame, and pile ‘em up which took about an hour to finish. Although, half the time was taken up by the conversations they had.

They talked about various things: what Diluc and Kaeya had been doing in their free time, stories of different places their Father went, and others. Diluc ended up trying to guess what present everyone got him.

Kaeya would drastically change his expression randomly leaving Diluc with no hints of if his guesses were right. His Father kept his mouth shut as well.

“You will just have to be patient and find out when we get back.” His Father said.

Diluc begrudgingly agreed.

After finishing their lunch, they headed in the direction of the church to pray before heading back.

On the way, they heard a bard playing in front of the Anemo Archon’s statue, so they stopped to listen to a song.

In the church, they sat and prayed. Diluc did notice Kaeya acting more restless than usual, but he noticed that tended to happen anytime they came to church. Kaeya probably wasn’t used to living with such devout people.

Diluc prayed for his acceptance into the knights as well as an answer from his Fated. After all, praying was all he could do for his Fated.

Once his Father stood up, Diluc and Kaeya followed, and they walked back to the carriage waiting outside the city walls.

The ride back was a bit quieter. Everyone was tired from walking around all day and lost in their thoughts.

The rain started to pick back up when they reached Springvale. Diluc was thankful the rain had waited until they had finished the outing. It was almost as if their Archon was watching over him and wanted to give him a good birthday.

Diluc knew it was a fantasy, but the thought of it still made him smile.

Back at the house, Adelinde and the rest of the staff had finished decorating the inside and setting up the food.

So when the three came into the house, Diluc was surprised by the sight. The decorations weren’t as grand as it had been for the large celebrations from the past years, but rather more homely.

“Happy Birthday Young Master Diluc!” The staff wished him.

Diluc beamed as he thanked them.

Music started to play as everyone began chatting and helping themselves to the appetizers.

Diluc happily talked with the staff. They told him all the stories of how hard it was to hide the party preparations from him.

“So that’s why you were in the closet!” Diluc exclaimed.

“Oh I really thought I would be the one who ruined the surprise and would have to answer to Adelinde.” Jonas, one of the staff members, said.

“What was the excuse you used?” Mia, another worker, asked.

“He said he was sweeping away the cobwebs in it.” Diluc answered.

“I’m just glad the Young Master believed it.” Jonas laughed.

“Well how was I supposed to know you were drying the banner in it.” Diluc pouted.

Both the staff members laughed.

“Diluuuuuc! It’s time to cut the caaaake!” Kaeya shouted. He stood by the table pointing at the three tier cake.

Diluc walked over and helped light the candles. His Father and Kaeya stood beside him.

While everyone sang to him, Diluc tried not to wish for the ground to swallow him up. He felt like he would faint from being this happy.

Diluc made a silent wish and blew out the candles once the song finished. The room erupted into congratulatory claps as Diluc began cutting the cake.

His Father helped him, but Adelinde ended up taking over after the cake slice almost fell to the ground when they tried transferring it to a plate.

Once the cake was passed around, Diluc opened the pile of presents waiting for him. He was surprised to see how many of the staff got him presents.

He had gotten a bunch of books, a few toys, a puzzle, and a few other things. Kaeya got him a new outfit because apparently Diluc’s style could use some help. And his Father got him a new silver sword.

“For when you try out for the knights.” His Father said.

Unable to hold back, Diluc put the sword down carefully and hugged his Father’s waist.

“Thank you, Father.” Diluc said. His Father patted his back.

Wine and other alcohol was brought out along with the food for dinner as the party continued into the night.

Diluc and Kaeya finished their dinners and were chatting with some of the children of the staff when Diluc spotted his Father walking out of the room.

“I’ll be back.” Diluc said to Kaeya and the others before following his Father.

He knew he should be happy with all the attention he had gotten already, but Diluc was becoming greedier.

He found his father leaning on the railings outside.

“Can I join you?” Diluc asked softly.

“Of course.” His Father smiled.

Diluc walked closer until he stood beside his Father. They enjoyed the cool breeze in silence for a few moments.

“Is it okay to not have a larger event?” Diluc asked, breaking the silence.

“Ah…” His Father started. “I decided to switch the annual date to the last day of Ludi Harpastum. It will be easier for my associates and contacts to plan around.”

He turned to face Diluc.

“I can’t promise that I will spend all of your birthdays with you. But I will do my best to be home for as many as I can. Will that be okay?”

Diluc hugged his Father, hiding his face in his Father’s chest so as to not show the tears swelling in his eyes.

“Of course that’s okay. I know just how hard you work and just how much you do. This birthday was enough. It’s okay if I don’t have another like this. I got all the memories I need. Thank you for all of this.” Diluc said.

“Come now, surely this one birthday is not enough. Are you sure you do not wish to spend another day like this? Or perhaps doing something else you enjoy?”

“If I can, then… yes. I would like another birthday like this one. If possible, I’d like all of them to be like today.”

His Father’s chest rumbled in Diluc’s ear as he laughed. He felt his Father pat his head.

“I shall do my best to make the next even better.” His Father said.

Diluc tightened his arms around his Father.

“That’s going to be really hard.” Diluc said.

“I am sure Adelinde and Elzer will have some ideas if I cannot come up with anything.”

Diluc released his Father and stood next to him. His Father continued to brush his curls as they gazed at the rain falling on the vines.

“Happy Birthday Diluc. Thank you for being born and growing up so well.” His Father said quietly.

A tear fell down Diluc’s cheek. Unable to respond verbally, Diluc leaned against his Father as several other tears silently fell. His Father continued to gently caress his head while Diluc enjoyed the warmth his Father gave off.

After the party wound down, Diluc went up to his room to wash up and get ready for bed.

Removing his clothes, he stepped into the tub. He raised his arm to wipe the ink off his arm. The silver ink came off easily, or at least Diluc thought it would.

Diluc rubbed his arm to try to remove the excess ink. However, after he realized it wasn’t coming off, he took a closer look at it.

It was strange markings, ones he did not recognize, much less write.

At the last thought, Diluc’s heart sped up. He jumped out of the tub, grabbing a towel, and ran back into his room.

He thrust his forearm under the candlelight hoping to get a clear view of the marks.

Even after staring at them for a good ten minutes, Diluc could barely understand what they said.

Maybe they’re just a scar from his Fated. But then why was it silver? Specifically ink silver?

Diluc did his best to copy down the marks onto a paper and rewrote them multiple times trying to make sense of them.

After the seventh time of writing them down, Diluc accidentally connected one of the lines to the other and suddenly it became clear.

Four letters. That’s what the marks were.

Diluc slowly and quietly sounded out the letters. Once he was sure of what they said, he spoke louder, as if his Fated would appear in front of him after hearing his call.

“Ajax.”

#chiluc #diluc #childe #kaeya #crepus #adelinde #elzer #genshin impact #genshin impact fanfic #fanfiction #mmwyw #fluff #this chap was pure fluff

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simhuman · 4 years

Text

Undertale in Famitsu Magazine - Translation of Toby Fox’s Comments

Thanks to @lennyclover for the beautiful job editing job to match Famitsu’s page layout!

Toby Fox provided Famitsu Magazine with plenty of thoughts for Undertale’s 5th Anniversary cover feature. Famitsu translated his writing to Japanese, and I’ve brought his comments back to English. How much was lost in translation tennis? We may never know.

Full plain text version for screen readers under the cut.

In advance of the anniversary, we have messages for you from 8-4, who produced the Japanese localization, Fangamer, and the game's creator, Toby.

From 8-4: It's been five years since Undertale's release, and three years since the Japanese version went on sale. It seems like just yesterday we started working together to prepare the Japanese edition. The existence of Undertale became a great opportunity for our company, and we want to keep loving it with all of you. At this time that COVID-19 is making people worldwide suffer and the risk of expanding spread is high, large events can't be held, but we're hoping for a future chance to safely celebrate with everyone.

From Fangamer: Congratulations for Undertale's fifth anniversary! Fangamer happened into making Undertale merchandise by way of Toby and one of Fangamer's members becoming friends over ten years ago on a MOTHER 2 [Earthbound] fan site. Thanks to that, we've been not just business partners, but people sharing the same ambition to make fun goods. May we continue to create new goods together!

From Toby: Five years have passed since Undertale came out. When I was making this game, I thought it would probably be forgotten after a month. After all, it was only the accumulation of my ideas, and the songs I sang in the shower, and my doodles in my class notebooks. And yet somehow, five years later, these dreams of one single dog still resonate in people's hearts... I'm grateful. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if people continue to say "Toby Fox's greatest work is Undertale," and I won't mind. Even so, I'm very fond of the new game I'm working on, and of the people who have played it so far, some must have liked it as much as I have. I'm looking forward to those people's responses.

P.S. Getting published in Famitsu doesn't feel real to me yet. I don't think it's imposter syndrome (where you can't believe in your own abilities), but... Isn't it a little strange to let me eat at the table with everyone, even though I'm a dog!?

Toby's Influential Games

There are so many games that influenced Undertale, it's impossible to name them all... To everyone waiting for Deltarune to be finished: While you're waiting, why not try playing some of the games that influenced me?

MOTHER series:

"The games that influenced me most! I can't think of anything else to say... 1, 2, and 3 all have their own charms, but I recommend playing starting with 2 [Earthbound] because it's the least difficult. Okay? Don't forget, 'No crying until the end'!

Recommended play method: 2 --> 3 --> 1 order.

What was influential: The humor through the entire games, story, worldview.

People who like the following will enjoy it: Humor, weirdness, heart-wrenching things, music, a dog possessed by the spirit of the game developer."

Touhou Project:

"If I hadn't run into Touhou Project games, my games wouldn't include a 'bullet hell' system. Sometimes fans have told me that Undertale's music all seems Touhou-like... But then, ZUN told me that he thought Undyne was cool!

Recommended play method: First play the latest game on Steam! (That or start with the 7th or 8th game, then play in whatever order you like.)

What was influential: Bullets, music.

People who like the following will enjoy it: Bullet hell/danmaku, Japanese-ness, girls, hats, the sound of the trumpets used in Undyne's music."

Cave Story:

"A platformer with shooting game elements. It's a little Metroid-like, but with cuter character designs and top-tier music. But beyond that, its biggest charm is how, because it was all made by one person, the creator's individuality comes through strongly in everything. Playing it leaves that impression on you. The idea of giving my own game multiple endings came from Cave Story. And then... ahem... the character design just might... have influenced me...

Recommended play method: The free version is available online! ( https://studiopixel.jp/binaries/dou_1006.zip )

What was influential: The power of a sole developer, multiple endings, music, setting.

People who like the following will enjoy it: Jumping and shooting enemies and running around, fluffy white characters with long ears."

moon:

"There's an RPG 'hero' going around committing terrible acts, and the main character gathers love and follows the hero to take care of things. It's a lovable, strange adventure game. You could say that this conceptual reversal resonates through all my games.

Recommended play method: It's out on Nintendo Switch! Download it!

What was influential: LOVE, world view.

People who like the following will enjoy it: Adventure games, noble RPGs, quirky clay animation, humming onions."

Yume Nikki:

"A mysterious game where the main character is a girl wandering through dreams. Made in RPG Maker 2003. It has an overwhelming atmosphere through it. It's free, so give it a play.

Recommended play method: Free download for PC.

What was influential: Mysterious atmosphere, randomly-occurring events.

People who like the following will enjoy it: Item finding elements, foreboding and nostalgic feelings, Secom's security systems."

Brandish series:

"Nihon Falcom's famous works! The story of the main character falling into an underground world and trying to return to the surface.... The other people trapped underground and losing hope.... And the first area is called the 'Ruins'! (lol) When I was a kid, I recorded a tape of the game's music and played it back over and over. By the way, the shop system in Undertale is influenced by this game. And the appearance of the eyes of the king closely resemble the king's eyes in the intro to Brandish... I recommend it to people at every opportunity, but everyone loses their sense of direction and gives up... aaaaahhh! (* White rice erupts from Toby's mouth all over the computer screen!)

Recommended play method: Try playing EGG's Brandish Renewal ( https://www.amusement-center.com/project/egg/cgi/ecatalog-detail.cgi?contcode=7&product_id=1376 ).

What was influential: Shopkeeper, 'Ruins' area, story, music.

People who like the following will enjoy it: Puzzles and action, dungeons, serious atmospheres, spinning in circles in a schoolyard until you feel sick."

There are still lots more! There are so many games that had an influence, it's impossible to name every one. I hope people will take motivation from the games I make, too. I'm cheering for all of you!

Gitaroo Man: "This game's music is loaded with heartstring-pulling power. My eternal goal is making music like this."

Illusion of Gaia: "The story sure leaves an impression! And somehow there's a snail pie in the English version. But I never want to go to the continent of Mu again."

OFF: "A free RPG developed by a Belgian team. There's also a Japanese version! I was motivated by seeing another creator's indie RPG! (* Toby is humming jazz-style music.)"

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty: "I don't think I would have made a meta game if I hadn't encountered [Hideo] Kojima's fourth wall-breaking style. I need scissors!"

Lunar 2: Eternal Blue: "Playing this was my first experience with liking game characters... I was 10. The English version had dirty jokes and pop culture references... I wonder what the Japanese version was like."

#Undertale #Toby Fox #Famitsu #undertale 5th anniversary #translation #mother #touhou project #cave story #my utdr content

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mysticalmusicwhispers · 3 years

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lovers’ dreams

Summary: “A day fit for a spring dream.” And then he kisses Roshan, and they become lost in each other.

Characters: India (Aditya), China, Iran/Persia (Roshan, genderfluid). Human names used. Indran, Churan, and Indchu for ships!

Notes: 100% distilled surrealism! This was supposed to be a writing exercise that ran away from me rip. There are many footnotes that explain Many things. Enjoy!

also on AO3! (there are bonus thoughts and explanations there for anyone who’s interested or slightly confused 😅. everything necessary for you to understand the story is here too but I ramble about my thoughts going into the piece on AO3 lol)

———

The willow’s drooping branches hide Yao’s face like a beaded curtain, a bride’s sheer red veil. The spring breeze snakes through the tree, and the sound of wedding suona—sorna rings through the silence. A flutter of phoenix wings brushes past their ear, a whisper on the wind. Roshan walks languidly until they are in front of Yao; it takes a minute—it takes a month. Yao’s face is sharp and his eyes glint, like the jade in his belt. But the kiss is soft when they take his lips in theirs, and it tastes of the rose’s tender petals. The clean sweetness of flowers is warm against Roshan’s face and the fragrance of tea drifts into their nostrils.

Yao pulls away, and Roshan opens their eyes to polished jade thorns sprouting up from the earth around them—crisp green, sharp-tipped; elegant, dangerous. So these are the fruits of our love. It is fitting. They lean to kiss Yao again, and this time, a laugh peals through the air when they part. It is not Roshan’s, and it isn’t Yao’s. But it is clear as spring water and tinkles like a bell, a joyous sound, and it makes Yao smile—a smile that is gentle, calculating; sweet, dangerous. A copper coin hides in the corner of his lips. “A day fit for a spring dream.” And then he kisses Roshan, and they become lost in each other.

When Roshan opens their eyes again, Yao is gone. They are standing in nothingness, a shell of a dream. A liminal plane. A wedding song echoes in the empty space, loud and cheerful, although there are no musicians to be seen playing the dohol, the sorna. Then sprung from the air, a mirror of fate, Aayeneh-ye Bakh, with its customary candelabras flanking it, and with their dots of golden light—miniature suns, sparkling stars. Its face shimmers, clear and gleaming: a pond on a full moon night—and in it, Yao stands, his reflection bright, splendid robes shimmering like gold scales and fine silk. Roshan reaches out a hand, and pulls him into a kiss.

“Welcome back, my dear.”

———

It is sunset, and a chill brushes past Yao’s shoulders and winds through his hair. The sky burns red, and fork tongued flames lick at the sun. A world bathed in fire, on the cusp of night. A lotus pond sits before him, and a figure is at its edge—Aditya, adorned in gold, the perfect figure of a prince. He, a dream of glittering palaces and beady emeralds, bright against the glow of the setting sun, sharp against the bloody sky. He holds a lotus blossom out, and Yao takes it. It is pure, tender in his calloused hands. A drop of blood drips from a petal. He lets it float into the water, and Aditya watches with him as the peach pink petals drop before their eyes—the lotus head balloons, then falls with the weight of seeds; it withers, a shell of its fruit. Divine beauty is short lived—seasons turn with the winds of change.

Aditya loops an arm around him, bare skin on bare skin, the warmth of the sun hanging around them like a curtain. Their lips meet. The kiss is long, and lingers even after Yao pulls away; it is slightly bitter, but how could it not be? Aditya’s eyes are like black tea, and Yao tastes acrid lily bulbs. The sky has faded into burnt orange, the aftermath of a blaze. Autumn leaves fall from ginkgo trees, golden yellow, bright with memories of the past. Aditya closes his eyes, and Yao watches him sink into a dream.

The scene shifts before his eyes. The lotus pond morphs into a giant chessboard, and they are on opposite sides. Aditya plays white. Cream colored pawns meet chocolate brown knights, and they watch as kings rise and fall, as steady as the spinning of the world. Chariots race and elephants trumpet; the cavalry fight with long swords and bows, and the peasants use polearms, raised fists. Yao meets Aditya’s eyes, warm but gleaming with an ambition that has never gone away. He nods to his neighbor to the west, to his rival, lover, partner, equal. Aditya smiles.

“So we meet again.”

———

It is afternoon, and the sun is warm on his face. Roshan sits on a bench in the courtyard, holding a cup of coffee in one hand, a pomegranate in the other. Aditya nestles into their side, and they give him a feather light cheek kiss, gift him a wisp of air. They hold out the pomegranate, offers it, and Aditya takes a bite. Roshan takes the other half. They watch as the fruit regrows, seeds become jewels, glittering rubies in folds of red fabric. Roshan holds one up to the light with a critical eye. They spread tawny wings, amber eagle eyes alight with the pride of the past present future. A lion and the sun. The wings disappear—a trick of the light, reality fallen away. Then they hold up the cup of coffee.

“For you.” Aditya smiles, and offers a cup of black tea in return.

We have shared many things, and fought over equally many. How will it be in the future? He takes a sip, and falls through the cup.

A cemetery of swords surrounds them, a memory of things gone by. Afternoon sunlight filters through the trees, winds into Roshan’s hair. Idly peaceful. Flowers sprout through the earth; wither; climb up the rusted metal once again. A vine of roses twists around the hilt of a ceremonial spear, supple and full against cool, glinting steel. The leaves flicker, green yellow dead green again. Its blossom is still fresh red, like passion, like their love, pooling around them like a million memories, a still night in the river of time. Aditya looks at Roshan, different yet the same, a reflection of what they once were. Familiar, always, despite the changing tides and shifting dreams.

———

Notes

this part might actually be longer than the fic itself rip 😔 reminder that there’s extra rambling on ao3 lol

Suona/sorna: suona (唢呐) is a traditional wind instrument often played at wedding and funeral processions in northern China! (also used in Southeast China + Taiwan) It’s very loud and has a super brassy sound, but personally I think it sounds alright! The instrument came from Central Asia and is also used at weddings in Iran (where it’s spelled sorna/sarna), where it’s played with a dohol, a large cylindrical drum.

Phoenixes: wedding imagery in China, where a dragon symbolizes the groom and the phoenix the bride. There’s also an analogue to the phoenix in Persian mythology, a simurgh, which is a benevolent creature that is said to purify the land, roosts in the Tree of Knowledge, and apparently has seen the world be destroyed 3 times. Can symbolize healing, divinity, wisdom, and life. (the simurgh symbolism doesn't have much relevance to the fic but I thought it was incredibly interesting to read about lol)

Spring dream: very loosely referencing the Chinese phrase 一场春梦 (yi chang chun meng), which literally translates to an episode of a spring dream. It means the feeling that past predictions or events were actually totally wrong and fruitless, like you expected something (probably really good), but then woke up to reality not being up to your expectations? I can’t translate 😔

Mirror of Fate: In traditional Iranian weddings, a large, elaborate table with flowers and food and different spices is set up (sofreh aghd). A mirror of fate and 2 candelabras are also placed in the center of the table. The mirror represents how fate brought the bride and groom together, and the candelabras represent light and fire. The mirror is there so that when the groom looks into it, the first thing he should see is his betrothed's reflection.

Lotus blossoms: in China and India and many other parts of Asia, lotuses represent purity (they grow from dark mud but the flowers are pure white/pink), the divine, elegance, spiritual promise, the good part of humanity. so, a lotus with a drop of blood in Yao’s hands would be interesting.

Lily bulbs: this is purely self projection but lily bulbs (baihe) are used in Chinese medicine and I despise them. They're not super bitter but they taste starchy, bland, and off. Also lilies and lotuses are pretty similar and I thought that would be interesting :>

Chess: idk if I need a note for this but chess originated as an Indian game called Chaturanga and spread over to China and Iran, among many other places in Asia.

Tea and Coffee: nothing really special about this besides that Iranians Really Like tea. Decided to make India drink coffee instead for contrast; realistically he’d also be drinking tea lol

Eagle eyes: the Iranian/Persian symbol of the Faravahar, from Zoroastrianism has wings that are supposed to be eagle wings (I think? correct me if it’s just unspecified). You’ve probably seen it; it depicts a man with spread wings, half kneeling in a side view. Nowadays it’s also a symbol of Iranian culture, history, and national pride, besides being representative of Zoroastrianism.

Rose: national flower of Iran, and obv I don’t need to explain the other rose connotations. Also I’ve fully adopted the hc that Roshan and all their stuff smells like roses so that’s there too.

Lion and the sun: getting lazy with the explanations, but the short version is that it was a very important Iranian national symbol for many reasons, moreso tied to the state than culture (imo); it was also on the national flag up till the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Although I’m still debating how much Roshan is associated with the state, I also think sun and lion imagery fits them (glory, golden days, pride and courage). It’s super interesting, go search it up if you wanna read more!

This whole fic was somewhat inspired by this one, and the indchu bit was also somewhat inspired by this fanart.

If you made it down here, you have all my gratitude. Feedback is welcome and appreciated! Thanks for reading <3

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steve0discusses · 3 years

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S5 Ep 15 Pt 1: The Gang Gets Lost in India

Ah, back to Yugioh classic. Sort of. We’re going into the second filler arc before Bakura, which I have been told is kind of nonsense. And youknow what, from the first scene--this is the first scene by the way--yeah I can see the nonsense.

We got Yami cosplaying as the Chrysler building, we got Yugi saying WTFWTF, we got...this thing?

This thing tells us “Join my game, Yugi!” and then the demon just kinda bounces.

K, bye, I guess.

(read more under the cut)

Waking up from this nightmare, Yugi reveals that he has outgrown his good pajamas. Or maybe he just overused them like I did to my favorite pajamas during quarantine (which, not gonna lie, I hand sewed my favorite pajama pants back together 2 or 3 times like they were the Velveteen Rabbit. Quarantine pajamas and me were like best buds for a year there.)

RIP Yugi’s good pajamas.

It’s fine. I’m fine.

I can get used to Yugi in his normal ass old man pajamas without any cute stars on them. I can accept this. He’s getting older. So much older that for a second I thought he was learning Hebrew, by the looks of his books on his counter. I thought...wow, is Yugi actually attempting to learn a language spoken around the time of ancient Egyptians???

But uh...I went a searching and unfortunately that’s not Hebrew, and if that is a language, I don’t know what it is. Pretty sure it’s just random marks because this show has to be translated in so many languages. Man. For a second there that looked like really sneaky world building, but nah, Yugi is still kind of a dumbass who has yet to attend a solid year of school.

Also, I got to take in this mustard yellow as if I’ve seen it for the first time.

It has strong building blocks energy. It’s...so much yellow and it’s extremely the vibe of that one set of animal crossing decorations that I have because it’s a very common recipe, but, can’t figure out for the life of me how to fit into any room.

What am I supposed to do with these, Nintendo? Other than recreate Yugi’s Muto’s haunted game store/house?

Like I live in the Bay area and we have wild painted houses so you can see them through the fog (back when we...still had fog, RIP California) --but this is a little much. This is such strong Protagonist energy but as a house.

Also, I’ve don’t think I’ve brought this up before, but like...Yugi is loaded, right? Like he’s way too good and humble to ever say he’s loaded, and they sort of make it seem like he’s not (when compared to Seto Kaiba) but damn, this location of his real estate sure is something. That and Grandpa’s tiny shop seems to run on a constant deficit and his family just doesn’t care.

We flash back a bit to Gramps sneaking out, and Yugi is like “oh great, my only Father figure I ever talk about is getting a backpack together and just...leaving without any notice, huh? Without telling me you were going to go? Didn’t think that would maybe be a little off putting?“ and Gramps is like “Yes?”

Like Gramps nearly died going to an amusement park a few episodes back so I can see why Yugi is a little bit concerned.

Down the street at a little town lottery, Joey is getting further into gambling (I don’t know what those little street lotteries are called, it’s in a lot of anime--but kinda looks like mom lotteries for moms.)

I’m not sure why India is on Joey Wheeler’s bucket list, seems a little random, but he went to Pegasus’ country, after all and that’s barely even a country.

Joey going nuts on a lottery machine instead of going to school was pretty peak filler, so I’m not really minding this stuff so far.

And then, just to spook me, check this out:

I can’t believe they even let them back into a classroom. In my nerd school, if you missed one too many days, you were sent to the bad schools to be someone else’s problem. But in Yugi’s case...that either IS his school or...Yugi is failing International School, which is just a thing he’s allowed to do, because, as I said before, this kid has got to be loaded. Even Seto Kaiba was like “I’m not spending money on this school anymore. That outfit is like 50 bucks a jacket.”

Youknow, I have seen all the other characters knock on Tea’s choice of cute ass monsters for the last 5 seasons, and she has never once changed them out. She is holding onto this scary seraphim thing with the many wings like every child with their first Pidgey. She does not care.

Also how is this thing cute?

like the front of this orb has a face with hearts on it but like...it is kind of remarkable what Yugioh decides is cute. Magma golem: not cute. this thing? This thing that looks like it’s a chibi version of the last chapters of the bible and will sound the trumpets of the second coming? So cuuuuute.

Tristan used to be the Janitor/hall monitor/square archetype. Like hell he can walk around with that 00′s R+B soundtrack.

Joey appears in order to get us the hell out of school, and the art team retires this school background for the rest of what I assume is this entire series.

Goodbye school. Maybe you’ll come back with Bakura. Which would be weird, since rumor is that arc takes place in ancient Egypt.

On their walk home, Tea lets out in an inner monologue that no one could hear that after 5 straight seasons of his BS, she’s sick and tired of Pharaoh being the center of attention all the time and she needs a freakin break.

TBH, as she was thinking in her head like “Pharoah is just so freakin much” Yugi switched over to Pharaoh and was like “WHATS UP TEA, THINKING ABOUT ME??” and I thought for a split second maybe he read her mind with his Pharaoh powers.

And like...maybe he did? Seems like a thing he can just do but chooses not to tell anyone about. I mean would you tell anyone? I wouldn’t.

So, unlike Miho in Season Zero, who at least had the decency to try to take her Mother to Australia, Joey Wheeler has wisely decided that the 3 other ticket holders will not be the 3 other members of his immediate family. That would have been the most awkward trip between Serenity, his mother he hasn’t really spoken to in 7 years, and his absent father who was written out of the series for being a raging alcoholic. They would have not even made it to the plane.

Instead he’s gonna take the ghost in Yugi’s head and call that an adult (two tickets in one, really). It’s honestly not that bad of a plan, since his only other father figure, Grandpa, is MIA, and his only other, other father figure, Roland, charges like 300 dollars an hour and wants stock options and health insurance.

And honestly they should have taken Roland because he’s one of their best plane guys.

So they take the smallest little Amelia Earheart plane in the world, going from Japan to (checks map) India...which 2 times the distance this plane can go and it crashes...which is exactly what would happen if you took a teeny tiny plane over the Himalayan mountains without refueling that thing.

We call this a magical incident later in the episode, but this is just basic math.

So, fun fact, (and probably why I discuss planes so often on this blog) two of my Grandfathers were pilots (well, three, since my grandmother remarried another pilot), which sounds like a crazy coincidence until you recall that their generation was in WW2 and we just shoved children in planes for 20 years and called that normal.

Anyway, to save on travel costs, my engineer Grandfather built his own plane out of junkyard parts, which, as you can imagine, is a living nightmare, and it was held together by like duct tape and gasoline (which at one time used to be cheap). Tempted God every day that Howls Moving Castle touched the sky.

And while I only know it from photos since I wasn’t exactly born yet, it looked exactly like this plane. So looking at this, all I can think is...yeah...that’s what you get for flying to India in a tin can car. To this day I cannot trust any plane of this size.

So, they climb out of their wreckage virtually unscathed and into familiar Californian territory.

At least Joey thought about bringing a tent.

It’s interesting how our cast has become so accustomed to this that they’re not even all that shell shocked. It’s just another day in the life.

So next time we shall find out what India has in store for us. Or if we’re even in India...because again...feels a lot like this BG team doesn’t do any research into their landscapes and every place feels a whole lot of the same. But...at least they didn’t put any Arizonan mesas in India.

#Yugioh #YGO #yu-gi-oh #recap #photo recap #S5 #Yugi Muto #Joey Wheeler #Tristan Taylor #Tea Gardner #School?????#A really ass plane #gambling #And a trip to India

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imagineclaireandjamie · 4 years

Note

I’m in desperate need of some Tagalong escapism. A happy family moment would be just the ticket. 🙏

anonymous asked: Has Tagalong Roger discovered his talent for music and singing yet? Imagine Jamie and Claire et al. realising Roger can sing like a thrush 😄

Tagalong One Shot #3

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight, Part Nine, Part Ten, Part Eleven, Part Twelve, Part Thirteen, Part Fourteen, Part Fifteen, Part Sixteen, Part Seventeen, Part Eighteen, Part Nineteen, Part Twenty, Part Twenty-One, Part Twenty-Two, Part Twenty-Three, Epilogue; One Shot #1; One Shot #2

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

It began as a sort of game between Roger and Fergus when no one was around, a way to deal with Roger’s homesickness, especially in those first months. What things from their lives in the future did they miss the most? Football. Bicycles. Their friends from school. Going to the cinema. Listening to the radio.

Playing in the woods when their chores allowed, Roger would imitate the broadcasters or recall commercial jingles with a clarity that had Fergus doubling over with laughter.

But the underlying sadness was more than Fergus could help his friend with alone. So he volunteered them to help Claire on one of her gathering trips in the woods. When it was just the three of them, Fergus began the game and Claire joined in.

She had spent far more time in the future. Like Roger, she was of the future in a way neither he nor Brianna were (young as she was, she had already lost her memories of where and when she was born).

When the game petered out, they continued their scavenging quietly. At least, until Roger recognized the song Claire was humming and began to sing along.

He was a famous trumpet man from out Chicago way...

Fergus recognized the tune but couldn’t remember the words and certainly wouldn’t have sounded as good as Roger did.

Claire joined Roger, grinning along and dancing a little making both boys laugh.

When they’d finished the song, Claire complimented Roger on his singing and asked if he’d picked up any of the songs Mrs. Crook knew (she always sang quietly as she went about the kitchen, though she wasn’t particularly good).

Roger hadn’t but the seed was planted and Roger had a new hobby.

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

“He has a surprise for us,” Claire informed Jamie as she tidied him up. There were dried leaves in his hair which needed to be trimmed or the dun bonnet would be useless for covering the distinctive hair of Red Jamie.

“And do ye have any idea of what his surprise may be?” Jamie asked. He winced as Willie gnawed on one of his fingers.

“Hold still,” Claire scolded, smiling behind Jamie’s back as their three-month-old son gurgled in his father’s lap. She knew how much it meant to Jamie to have been there for Willie from the beginning (how bittersweet that Brianna couldn’t remember being without him). It was also a minor miracle that Jenny had goaded him into giving up the cave for the priest hole while winter bore down on them.

And it would take another for her to convince Jamie it was safe enough for him to make an appearance at the Hogmanay festivities (having been so recently arrived the previous year, they’d kept the day as a family but learned of the tenants’ disappointment soon after). It would mean a great deal to so many for a glimpse of the true laird with his family reunited as the British army continued to raid and terrorize the countryside even three years after the loss at Culloden.

“As a matter of fact, I do know what it is, but telling you would mean ruining the surprise for both of us,” Claire informed Jamie, “And it means too much to Roger for me to do that so you will attend and you will be surprised. And you will enjoy yourself,” she tacked on as an afterthought.

Jamie rolled his eyes at Willin in the mirror. The babe ceased gnawing on Jamie’s finger in order to giggle.

“Alright. Time for you to have a proper wash so we can get the rest of this rat’s nest under control.” Claire took Willie from Jamie, holding him so he could watch as his father sighed and reluctantly stripped and climbed into the lukewarm tub, the chill in the room having quickly sapped the water of its heat.

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

Despite Claire’s assertion, Jamie remained reluctant to risk being seen too publicly.

“I can stay above stairs wi’ Willie and Brianna,” he told Claire. “Have Roger tell ye when for the surprise and I’ll slip down for that bit.”

“If it makes you more comfortable, I believe you can enjoy his surprise from the banister upstairs,” Claire compromised. “I’ll let him know he’ll be able to spot you there.”

So Jamie made sure he was in place as a handful of tenants arrived for the modest festivities (given the universal hardships, the family had decided to rotate who would be invited year to year).

Willie was teething and fussy in Jamie’s arms as he looked around for Roger in the small crowd below. He spotted Fergus first. The lad was helping guide a few men bearing instruments to one side of the hall, ushering folks to clear the space for imminent dancing. Roger was close behind conversing with a man carrying a fiddle.

There was something in Roger’s arms but none of the others took it from him when the group settled in their places, laughing as young couples eagerly gathered ready to dance. Roger ended up shuffled off to the side but still stood with the players.

The largest and oldest of them looked around at the others, nodding as fiddles and flutes were raised. Then he motioned to Roger who began to beat a steady rhythm on his bodhrán. Soon the others joined in and the couples began to clap along and dance.

Jamie couldn’t follow the music itself very well, but he could pick out Roger and that steady bodhrán beat, keeping time for everyone else. At the end of the first piece, Roger glanced up to where Jamie stood at the railing with Willie. Jamie gave him a proud smile and nod, then lifted Willie’s hand in a wave. Willie fidgeted and bounced enthusiastically. He squealed with delight as they began the next piece.

Jamie stood watching through three more songs before carrying Willie off to put him to bed and check on Brianna. Besides, they’d be sending the firstfoot out soon and they’d want him safely tucked away for that.

Claire ushered Roger and Fergus up to bed a short time later, the festivities downstairs winding down.

“You played beautifully,” Claire told Roger, sitting at the edge of his bed and brushing his dark hair away from his eyes.

“Alec Mackinnon said he’d continue to teach me the songs he kens,” Roger said with a tired but somehow still excited yawn. “No just the bodhrán either. Though, it doesna quite feel like Hogmanay wi’out… you know.” He raised his eyebrows at Claire who smiled in a way Jamie recognized too well. She never wanted the children to think she was laughing at them, no matter how amusing the things they said might be.

“You’ve done very well not to say anything about it,” Claire commended him. “But now it’s just us. It should be safe now and, I agree, it doesn’t feel complete without it,” she said with a conspiratorial glance to Jamie and Fergus who were both baffled.

Roger smiled and sat up in bed. Fergus lounged with his head propped up on his hand. Jamie took a seat next to Brianna’s cot where she and Willie slept. They’d take Willie to his cradle when they returned to their own room for the night.

“Softly now,” Claire reminded Roger before nodding for him to start.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot…

Claire dropped off after the first chorus but Roger remembered and sang the second and third verses as well.

“You sing as beautifully as you play,” Claire assured him. “Like a songbird.”

��A smeóraich,” Jamie agreed. When Claire gave him a confused look, he explained, “A thrush.”

“Time for bed, smor– how do you say it again?”

Jamie repeated it for Claire a few more times, eliciting giggles that turned into yawns. She gave up and tucked Roger back in.

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

“The song you and Roger sang earlier… It’s of the future?” Jamie asked as he held Claire in bed a short time later. He’d be back in the priest hole the next day but refused to spend the first night of the new year anywhere but next to Claire.

“Yes and no,” she said with a sigh. “It will come to be associated with celebrating the new year in the twentieth century, but the words will be penned by a great Scots poet in another decade or so.”

“A great Scots poet,” Jamie mused, grinning in the dark.

“Mmmhmm. And it’s not just in Scotland that he’s celebrated or that song that gets sung. It becomes popular the world over… At least, to my knowledge. There’s even a night celebrating his birth that’s a sort of unofficial holiday.”

Jamie scoffed. “Now ye’re teasin’ me, Sassenach.”

She curled into him and nuzzled against his chest. “Not at all,” she yawned. “I’ve been to my share of Burns Night celebrations over the years.”

“Hmmm… Sounds nice,” Jamie murmured as he drifted off to sleep, the words of the song – which he’d had Claire repeat for him slowly – ran through his dreams.

We’ll tak’ a cup o’ kindness yet, for auld lang syne…

#Anonymous #The tagalong #featuring: fergus #featuring: roger #featuring: bree #one shot #canon divergence au

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styrmwb · 6 months

Text

Favorite Final Fantasy Music (FFXI - Base Game)

I'm retiring the part joke here now I think, and for good reason. You see the title, right? Base Game? I will explain in a moment.

I love FFXI. I have very fond memories watching it being played growing up (some of the only fond memories I have at times hahaaaaa), and that love very much influences the feelings I have for it nowadays. It's absolutely an aged game. It is 100% a game of its time, and I'm ok with that! I play it when I want to chill out, mindlessly grind, and listen to some chill beats; It is such a vibe of a game. It also has a really cool world, story, and characters, and for that to all the people that make "every FF game" lists of all types and you exclude XI? I will find you. The main composers other than Uematsu in this game were Naoshi Mizuta and Kumi Tanioka, who later do Stranger of Paradise and Crystal Chronicles, respectively (those are at least my favorite bits they do)

As XI is an MMO, it is split up into several expansions, and some add-on content. It's a huge game, and I can't do it justice by only doing 5 songs from the whole thing, so I'm going to split this up into a few parts, one for every expansion (plus maybe a bonus one for the add-ons and things that don't quite fit) (this is also why I can't keep doing the part joke cause then XII is gonna be like part 17 and that's fucked). It's XI week! Let's start with the base game :)

5. Despair (Memoro de la Ŝtono) You might be wondering, What The Fuck is that title? Memoro de la Ŝtono is the vocal part of the opening, and its motifs are used in several different songs. This version specifically is one of my favorites. It plays in a few different cutscenes so when it appears it's like a nice treat. I absolutely love the synth in this whole track, the heavy backing, the cool harpsichord, and the part in the middle where it just goes ham on the keys. It does really fit well with the Despair name, but also like it's kind of a jam?

4. Battle Theme Something cool about XI is that it has different battle themes depending on where you are and if you're in a group or not. This is the general battle theme when you aren't in a party (so for that reason ironically you're probably not going to hear it much considering most of this game needs a party). I love the intro still giving you that classic FF build up, but in a unique way. The whole song sounds almost like a band marching you out for war, with the snare and the flute especially. Another really cool part is when it gets less upbeat, the flute is giving you a steady yet nervous backing while the trumpet plays its heart out.

3. Awakening Yooooooooo the first final boss theme of this game. When I actually played XI myself and not through the eyes of a child watching, it was in the modern day with trusts, basically soloing it. Catch me sitting awkwardly regenerating HP while the Actual Final Boss is killing all of my ghost friends who can't do shit: it was very funny. ANYWAYS, this song is so cool. Super heavy on percussion, and the toms have a really awesome bouncy feel to them. This whole song takes the Shadow Lord's main theme, keeps a lot of the same sounds and melodies, but transforms it into a battle theme expertly. This is also a really fun song to play in Theatrhythm with the melody hitting you with a lot of triplets.

2. The Republic of Bastok One of my favorite memories of this game is seeing Bastok being wandered around. When I finally decided to pick it back up as an adult, the moment I heard this song I got really emotional and happy. The percussion with the timpani and claves really gives you the feel of a bustling city, and the melody is an absolute joy to my ears; making you feel like everything is right and happy, walking through the city as people build and craft. I really don't have much else to say about this song, it never fails to bring a genuine smile to my face.

1. Vana'diel March Vana'diel March absolutely does that thing that music does where when a specific instrument plays some specific notes, it is like, scientifically calculated to pull on your heartstrings. One day I will figure out what this term is called cause I know it has to exist. This is the title screen music; every expansion has its own unique theme, but the basic one has always been my favorite. March is a perfect word for this song, cause the intro which becomes the backing gives you that feel; imagine the end of the opening cutscene where you see the huge army walking together? That's this song. The trumpet comes in with a beautiful solo, going into the prelude showing you that this is still Final Fantasy. Bring in the rest of the orchestra to create a grand feeling of adventure, saying to you: "Hey, this is a huge world that you're about to enter. Think of this as you walk through it." It's beautiful, and this song is almost like a musical summary of why I love this game, in a way.

Honorable Mentions go to: Battle Theme #2, Ronfaure, Gustaberg, Sarutabaruta, Voyager, Selbina, The Grand Duchy of Jeuno, Hopelessness, and Castle Zvahl.

#final fantasy #final fantasy xi #textpost #jared's final fantasy music opinions

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artificialqueens · 3 years

Text

Galactica, Chapter 61 (Group Fic) - TheDane/Veronica

A/N: Click here if you’re looking for previous chapters (or here if you’d rather read on AO3). 💫

Last Chapter: Violet opened up, Alaska chickened out, and Courtney finally had her date with Bianca.

This Chapter: Trixie widens his search for Aiden’s replacement, and Courtney gets a taste of the good life.

***

Courtney doodled absentmindedly on her notepad during Miss Fame’s Monday conference call. She was getting an update from the company that ran her European stores, and discussing the upcoming marketing plan with Alyssa. Courtney knew that she was only there in case Miss Fame wanted to add anyone to the line; since Ivy and Laganja were both on the call, she didn’t really need to be paying attention. She probably should’ve been anyway, but this was a case where a little negligence would be forgiven.

Which was good, because she couldn’t stop her mind from wandering, daydreaming about how wonderful the weekend had been with Bianca. Adore had come over on Sunday for dinner, after which Courtney almost went home, but Bianca pulled her in for an embrace and insisted that she stay another night. When she’d worried about not having any appropriate work clothes, Bianca promised to find her something from her own closet, even excited at the notion of styling her for the office.

At first, Courtney was a bit concerned about whether the thigh-high black boots were too hookerish, but Bianca was adamant that they were fashion - and she should know, right? At least her luxurious knit dress was in Fame’s approved color palette, so she was pretty sure she wouldn’t get scolded like the time she dared to wear a lime green top.

She looked down at her notebook, realizing that it was absolutely covered in hearts, and quickly flipped the page, embarrassed.

She clicked on her mouse, waking up the computer to check her emails. If she was gonna space out, she may as well make at least a halfhearted attempt at productivity. She saw that there were a few unread DMs and clicked on the window.

ROXY: Package here for you

ROXY: A big-ass box from Neiman Marcus

ROXY: From the Marie Claire messenger again

ROXY: You gonna tell me who you’re dating over there now?

COURTNEY: LOL, sorry. It’s brand new, I don’t think we’re ready to go public

ROXY: Bitch it’s just me, I can keep a secret

COURTNEY: Since when?????

ROXY: Since always!!

COURTNEY: On Friday, you told me that Jaida is getting IVF and Alyssa’s son is in rehab again

ROXY: Yeah and yet you tell me NOTHING

COURTNEY: LOL. Okay well when we’re telling people, I’ll tell you first. Deal?

ROXY: WHATEVER

ROXY: Another major delivery came for Fame’s asst from MC today

SHANNEL: OMG. BDR just came into Nina’s office in the weirdest mood. She was all smiley and she approved this dumb spread that Nina’s been pitching for 3 months.

ROXY: 21 year old pussy is good for the soul

SHANNEL: APPARENTLY

The second she could get up, Courtney raced to reception to grab the package, wondering what it could be. They’d put together a bunch of outfits with the stylist this weekend, most of which were still at Bianca’s--except for her ensemble for the party tomorrow, which was hanging in a garment bag on the coat rack, partially covered by Courtney’s jacket so as not to be too conspicuous.

When Roxy said “a big-ass box,” she wasn’t lying. Courtney’s eyes widened as she spotted the box, quickly taking it back to her own office, peeking inside while Fame was occupied with Raja. She pulled out the note first.

Stay warm. XX, B PS Don’t worry, the fur is faux

Extra curious now, Courtney reached into the box, lifting the tissue paper to see what was inside and finally just pulling it out--a beautiful, full-length, raspberry-colored winter coat with a fur-trimmed hood. Her eyes nearly bulged out of her head as the utter extravagance of it all.

COURTNEY: OMG Bianca!

BIANCA: Do you like it?

COURTNEY: It’s beautiful! But it’s way too much. You’re spoiling me.

BIANCA: Get used to it ;)

Courtney smiled to herself, hiding the box under the table and standing to try on the coat, positively glowing with happiness. She glanced at herself in the mirror that Fame kept by the door for “last looks,” and saw that it fit her perfectly, even across her narrow shoulders, almost as if it was tailored to her body. Which...now that she thought about it, the stylist on Saturday had taken her measurements, so maybe it was.

Just then, the door to Fame’s office opened and Raja stepped out. Courtney whirled around, a guilty expression on her face.

“Oh are...are you done? I was, um...just going to get Miss Fame another coffee.”

“Yeah, we’re done for now, you should probably stick around. Nice coat,” Raja said, brushing past her on her way out. “I’ll be back at 2 to finish. Make sure she’s fed.”

“Okay, thank-” Courtney began, finishing with “-you,” just as Raja breezed from the room.

Courtney slowly removed her new coat, hanging it carefully on the rack before heading into Miss Fame’s office to ask what she wanted for lunch.

***

Bob closed the door to Trixie’s office behind him, making a beeline towards the coffee machine. It was mid afternoon, and while there still was a bit of a home stretch to go before the holiday break, the tough decisions ahead were out of his hands.

“All I’m saying Chachki,” Jovan smiled, the man leaning against the wall. He was wearing orange trumpet pants and a blue fuzzy sweater. “Is that I can totally bedazzle your crutches.”

“What an amazing offer,” Violet drawled, her tone completely dry.

“Hey guys!” Bob grinned, sliding in next to Maxwell, his boyfriend handing the cup he had just poured. “What are we talking about?”

“The Christmas Party,” Maxwell smiled, looking up at Bob who gave him a quick peck. He was wearing a pink shirt, the cotton stretched across his chest, the khakis he wore all year looking delicious on his pert little ass.

“Right!” Bob took a sip. The Galactica Christmas Party was one of the biggest fashion events in December, Miss Fame always going all out. Bob had heard rumors around town that there’d be gigantic ice sculptures, but Roxy had told him she had seen order confirmations for a forest of Christmas trees.

Some called him and Roxy the office gossip sluts, and if the name fit, Bob wasn’t going to complain.

“I haven’t decided what I’m wearing yet.” Violet was sitting on a chair, her curled hair fastened with a golden clip, her skirt just above her knees. “This is the first time I’m not going as Fame’s assistant and I don’t have to match her or blend into the background.”

That made sense, Bob really noticing how Violet’s wardrobe had shifted from the uptight prissy bitch who had first entered their floor, more color and sharp cuts showing up in Violet’s clothes as she got to express herself more and more.

“But since there’s a good chance she’ll actually look at me since I’m going with Sutan, I have to stay on theme without being flashy or cheap or one of the million other things she refuses to accept.”

“The bedazzling offer still stands,” Jovan smiled, taking the last bite of his afternoon muffin, and Violet rolled her eyes.

“How did you two meet anyway?” Maxwell took a sip of his coffee. “You and Sutan I mean.”

Bob perked up immediately, his stomach doing a happy flip.

“Oh?” Violet looked surprised, like she genuinely hadn’t expected them to be interested. “You want to hear about that?”

“Yes!” Bob grinned. “Yes yes yes yes.”

He and Maxwell had been discussing how to get Violet to spill the dirt the entire week, and now, the chance was finally here.

“Well.” Violet paused, tapping her fingers on the table, like she was trying to decide if she should share, and Bob was about to burst with curiosity.

“Spill it!”

“He bought me a drink at the Vogue Fashion Fund, and asked me on a date a few days later.”

Bob waited for a beat, but Violet was simply smiling.

“What?! That’s it?!”

Of all the things Bob had imagined, this was by far the most disappointing answer.

“Pretty much.” Violet shrugged, taking a sip of her coffee with a glint in her eyes.

***

IVY: okay so you know i hate gossip

ROXY: Oh yeah me too gurl

IVY: lol

IVY: No really

ROXY: Yeah yeah whatcha got?

IVY: The dress Courtney’s wearing today?

ROXY: Oh yeah, she’s really upping her game

IVY: Well...it’s familiar…

ROXY: Oh yeah?

IVY: I asked Laganja to run some photos. Here’s BDR at last year’s Monsoon Foundation Charity Luncheon

[Picture: Bianca wearing the dress]

ROXY: BITCH!!!!!!!!111

***

“So yeah, these are the ones I like...what do you think?” Trixie asked, chewing nervously on the inside of his cheek. “I really need to find someone that Fame will love, she was so annoyed at the last batch.”

As Pearl picked up one of the portfolios to glance through it, she couldn’t help but notice how rough her friend looked, like he hadn’t slept in a week. He probably hadn’t, she realized, the tension in the apartment so thick you could cut it with a knife. She’d been trying to give them both space, but maybe that wasn’t a good idea.

“So, um…” She looked through the first portfolio and then picked up the next one, pausing on pages she found interesting. “Is everything okay? How are you?”

“Uhh…” Trixie scratched his head, then finally said, “It’s been a hard week.”

“I’m sorry, man.”

“It’s okay,” Trixie sighed. “We’ve got our- She’s got an appointment with a doctor tomorrow. So I guess, after that, we’ll know for sure.”

“Right.”

He didn’t seem to want to talk about it any more, so Pearl dropped the subject for the moment. She pointed to one of the photos, a stunning blue piece with dramatic shoulders, exactly the type of shapes to which Fame was generally drawn.

“This is amazing.”

“Yeah, right? She seems super talented, although I worry that she’s only been out of school for less than a year. A little green, a little…” Trixie sighed again, “Over-confident sounds mean, but…over-confident.”

“Have you spoken to all of them yet?”

“Yeah, Rita checked all their references and I had Skype interviews with all the top candidates this morning. We’re trying to move quickly, I really need to get the ball rolling before we shut down for the holidays. And with the added bonus of getting them a visa...it could be a mess. Anyway, these are the very best, but I don’t want to put them in front of Fame unless they’re actually gonna impress her.”

“Uh huh. One question though…”

“Sure.”

“Are you looking for another sociopath, or are we moving in a new direction?” Pearl asked, a teasing smirk on her face.

“You’re hilarious,” Trixie deadpanned.

“I know.” Pearl tapped on the folder, saying, “I think this one is special. There’s a lot of range, and new ideas, but very classic and chic at the same time.”

***

“Ho...ly shit…” Bianca said, the door to her town car open, watching Courtney twirl in her new coat, then open it to give her a peek at the sexy sequined mini-dress underneath. Bianca pulled her into the car, giggling, a hand immediately sliding up her bare thigh.

She was mildly surprised when her fingers came into contact with soft cotton instead of the sexy lace she’d been wearing.

“Wow, these feel...breathable.”

Courtney laughed. “Yeah, well, I’m out of fancy underwear until my next trip to the laundromat. Sorry about it.”

“Nah, I like them. Reminds me of college.” She flashed a grin at Courtney, who was now straddling her on the leather seat, arms around her neck.

“Yeah?” Courtney tilted her head, teasingly evading a kiss as Bianca chased her lips.

“Mmm…” Bianca’s fingers slipped into the panties, squeezing her ass.

“I like this, too…” Bianca’s own coat was unbuttoned since the driver had the heat on full blast, and Courtney ran her thumb along the neckline of her blazer. “You look so sexy…”

Bianca said nothing, just gave her a wicked smirk, lips finally coming into contact with her neck, lingering there, hot breath against her pulse point making her whimper.

“We should probably wait until after the-” Courtney inhaled sharply, clutching Bianca’s shoulders. “-after the party.”

“Alright, alright…” Bianca acquiesced, pressing a soft kiss to her lips and removing her hands. “I can be good if you can.”

“Debatable,” Courtney responded, her eyes flashing with a naughty glint as she sat down beside Bianca, snuggling up against her.

“It’ll be a fun little experiment.”

***

Violet was standing in Sutan’s closet in her pajamas, flipping through her clothes, her lip between her teeth.

None of it looked right, and Violet had given up on even trying on the dress she had originally gotten to go as Fame’s assistant, the skirt's mermaid cut making it impossible to move in with her crutches.

If her foot hadn’t been broken, she would have trawled her preferred vintage shops weeks ago, or would even have made a dress herself, but the party was in two days, and because of Bianca’s birthday, she couldn’t even empty her savings account to get a dress that could live up to the expectations of a Galactica party.

She was completely, and utterly, fucked.

“Fuck,” Violet sighed, dumping down in the arm chair Sutan had been sweet enough to move to his closet so she could sit.

“Violet? Are you okay?”

Violet cursed to herself, Sutan naturally catching her at a moment where it absolutely did not suit her.

“I’m okay!”

But of course, it wasn’t in Sutan’s nature to leave her alone, her boyfriends head poking through the door seconds later, a concerned expression on his dumb face.

“What’s gotten into you?” Sutan was fresh from the shower, his black and grey hair in an unstyled cloud around his head.

“You’re going to laugh.” Violet crossed her arms, the annoyance still under her skin, rolling around her body.

“Try me.” Sutan stepped inside, a towel wrapped around his hips, his hand holding it in place.

“I don’t have anything to wear.”

Sutan snorted, and Violet pointed at him.

“See!” She exclaimed. “Don’t make fun of me!”

“Okay, okay, I admit that wasn’t my greatest moment,” Sutan chuckled, giving her a quick apology kiss, Violet sinking back into the chair as he walked over to his dresser. “but the good news is that your problem is easily fixable.”

“I can’t just go out and buy a new dress.” Violet tried not to roll her eyes, tried not to make this a fight, but it was like Sutan had decided to press every single button she had. “I can’t afford it.”

Sure, she had gotten a pay bump after moving to design, but she had already used her December budget on Christmas gifts for everyone, actually spending the day with people so much more expensive than what she usually did, which was a movie on her ancient laptop and wine by herself.

“Who says you have to pay for it?” Sutan pulled a pair of pajama pants out, throwing his towel to the side, now naked which would have been weird if Violet hadn’t been used to years of dressing rooms. “I’m planning on getting a new suit anyway,” Sutan balanced on one leg, pulling the pants on, “and the shoppers at Barney’s are great at what they do.”

“Are you serious?”

“What makes you think I’m not?” Violet watched as Sutan pulled a t-shirt on too, running a hand through the hair Violet knew he’d struggle to style in the morning, but that he was also done dealing with it for the night.

“I don’t want your money.” Violet sighed, sitting up in the chair, Sutan finally ready for bed.

She liked staying with Sutan, she really did, the man kinder and more generous than Violet could ever have imagined, but she was also longing to go back to her own place, to have her own space and to spend time completely alone.

She knew her apartment wasn’t much, that it didn’t have air condition or an elevator, that she didn’t have a memory foam mattress or a dishwasher or a housekeeper that came to clean, but it was hers.

Violet knew a psychiatrist would probably consider her need for independence a flaw, something she should work on, but she didn’t want to rely on anyone ever, not even Sutan.

“I can figure it out.”

“Oh that, I don’t doubt,” Sutan smiled, holding a hand out to help Violet out of the chair. “But there is a difference,” Sutan pulled, his hand finding her hip as soon as she was upright. “Between being prideful and being stubborn, lovely eyes.”

Violet shot him a look, and Sutan laughed, giving her nose a quick kiss.

“I’m offering to buy you dresses, not a penthouse.”

Violet opened her mouth to protest, but for once, Sutan was faster.

“You’re going to several parties for my sake. Let me spend money on you.” Sutan rubbed his thumb up and down, gently caressing Violet’s hip. “Please?”

“I’ll consider it.”

***

Being at this elite music industry party with Bianca was thrilling, and Courtney was on cloud nine. She was beside herself with excitement when she got to meet Charlie Hides, unable to stop herself from gushing about her work on Tove Lo’s album.

“Well thank you, darling,” Charlie said.

“Courtney’s a singer too,” Bianca added, and Charlie’s face perked up a bit.

“Oh yeah?”

“Well, aspiring,” Courtney couldn’t help admitting, immediately kicking herself for her inability to fake it.

“She’s incredibly talented,” Bianca said, a hand touching Courtney’s elbow, grounding her.

“You should send me your demo,” Charlie said, picking up two glasses of champagne from a passing tray and handing them over.

“Really? Thank you so much!” Courtney exclaimed, momentarily forgetting that she didn’t have a demo.

“Sure thing,” Charlie said with a grin, before excusing herself to greet another guest. Before she left, she gave Bianca a hug, muttering, “Very cute, B.”

After she walked away, Bianca turned to Courtney with a smirk. “She’s subtle, huh?”

“I think I’m gonna pass out,” Courtney said, and Bianca squeezed her hand.

“You’ll be fine. You’re doing great,” she assured her. “I see another producer I know, let’s say hello. Olivia!”

She waved across the party to a beautiful Black woman with the most fabulous hair Courtney had ever seen in her life. The woman looked up, sending Bianca a beaming smile as she crossed the room to greet her.

“Bianca!”

“Hey Liv, I haven’t seen you in forever!” Bianca said, giving her a hug.

“I know! I’ve been in L.A. for most of the year. Just decided to come back to New York in time for this delightful gray sleet we’ve been having,” Olivia said, that dazzling smile softening her words.

Bianca laughed, turning to Courtney.

“Court, Olivia Lux is an awesome producer. Liv, this my friend Courtney. She’s a singer.”

“Hi!” Courtney prepared for a handshake or some air kisses, only to be swept up into a warm hug. “So nice to meet you!”

“Charlie wants to hear a demo, but she hasn’t gotten the chance to record anything yet,” Bianca said. “Any chance you’re free? Or are you still booked up solid until the end of days?”

“No, I’ve got some time in January. What kind of music do you do, sweetie?” Olivia asked, turning to Courtney with that lovely smile.

“Um… Well, I guess it’s kind of like… Pop, but kind of folk?” Courtney said, trying to think on her feet. “Like Joni Mitchell meets Kylie Minogue?”

“Sounds absolutely glorious!” Olivia said, and Courtney felt her confidence grow. “I know what it’s like when you’re starting out. That shit is terrifying.”

“I’m gonna go grab us some drinks…You two have fun,” Bianca said, leaving Courtney Olivia to talk shop.

After a couple of minutes, Courtney found herself feeling like she was with an old friend. She was just so warm and open, telling Courtney about her own career as first a recording artist, then a producer and composer, making her feel completely at ease--and shockingly interested in Courtney’s own musical taste. When Bianca returned with three cocktails, Olivia put an arm around Courtney and told her, “I’m in love with your friend.”

“Oh yeah?” Bianca said, amused. She handed them both drinks, adding, “Glad you guys are getting along.”

“Getting along? We’re gonna elope,” Olivia said, and Courtney giggled, smiling brightly, happy to have found someone so kind and down to earth.

“Mazel Tov,” said Bianca, giving Courtney a wink.

“Seriously though,” Olivia said, turning to flash Courtney that megawatt smile again. “Why don’t you hit me up and we’ll arrange for you to come into the studio?”

“That would be amazing!” said Courtney. She was so happy, she had to fight an urge to kiss the bottom of Olivia’s glittery heels.

“Perfect!” Olivia said, leaving them both with another round of hugs.

“That went well,” Bianca said, smirking at Courtney over the top of her glass.

“Yeah!”

“Come on, I want you to meet my friend Derrick. She’s a choreographer…”

Later, after about the 20th intro, Courtney began to catch on to a troubling pattern.

“Hey guys! This is my friend Courtney…”

“Meet my friend Courtney…”

“Courtney’s a friend of my sister.”

Friend, friend, friend...

At no point, to anyone, did Bianca say (or even imply) that there was something going on between them-- and Courtney wasn’t sure what to make of it. It wasn’t like she expected for Bianca to call her “my girlfriend.”

They hadn’t had that conversation, and something told Courtney that after tonight, it was a long way off.

She tried to put it right out of her head, though, and focus on the positive. She was at a great party, meeting a ton of music industry professionals, and yeah, maybe Bianca called her “friend” about 800 times, but friends were good, right? Especially considering how much Bianca loved her friends.

She continued to enjoy herself, greeting people, trying her best to learn their names, and just being grateful that Bianca had even brought her through the door. So what if she didn’t want people to know about their relationship? Or if this was just a casual fling for her? She was still doing more for Courtney and being more supportive than anyone she’d ever known.

It was close to 2 am when Bianca put a hand on her lower back and leaned in close--the most intimate gesture since they’d walked in the door.

“You ready to take off?” Bianca whispered.

“Sure,” Courtney said, slightly relieved since she could feel her own energy fading, and knew that making it to work by 7:45 the next day would be a struggle.

They said goodbye to Charlie and grabbed their coats, making their way downstairs to the waiting towncar. It wasn’t until they were on their way that Courtney really let everything hit her, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I…” Courtney swallowed.

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.

“You sure about that? What’s wrong?”

Courtney shook her head vigorously as traitorous tears slipped down her cheek. “Nothing’s wrong, everything’s perfect.” She wiped her face, disgusted with herself.

“Then why are you crying, angel?”

“Because…” Courtney squeezed her eyes shut, positive that she was about to ruin everything. “Because you’re just…making all my dreams come true.”

“Okay. Yeah, I can see how that would be upsetting.”

“No, it’s just…I'm scared, that it’s all gonna disappear,” Courtney said, now unable to hold back the river of tears. “You’re gonna get bored, or meet someone else, and I…I’m falling for you so hard and I know it’s too fast and I-”

“Hey, look at me.”

Courtney turned to her, eyes liquid, sniffling.

“I have been having…the best time with you,” she said, taking one of Courtney’s hands in both of hers. “And I know that it’s still new, but I said that I’d help you with your career and I will. No matter what happens with us. I promise. And I don’t break promises. Okay?”

Courtney nodded slightly, then asked, “Why don’t you want people to know about us? Are you ashamed? Are you just...already looking for a way out?”

“What?”

“You just kept introducing me as your ‘friend’ all night, and I just thought that it meant you don’t care about us, or that-”

“No! I dunno, I guess we haven’t really talked about labels, and I wanted to make sure everyone took you seriously,” Bianca said. “Took your talent seriously.”

“Oh.” Courtney sniffled, feeling a little stupid for letting her insecurites get the better of her.

“Also…you know, a lot of the people there were…mutual friends of…”

“Of?”

Bianca sighed slightly, a sheepish smile on her face, then said, “I guess it’s time to come clean to Fame and Raja, huh?”

“Really?” Courtney looked at her with surprise.

“Well, yeah. I don’t want us to feel like we’re sneaking around. That shit gets old real fast.” Bianca kissed the back of her hand. “I’ve been selfish, I was trying to do this without getting them annoyed at me, but…It’s not worth it if it makes you feel like I don’t care. Because I do.”

Courtney bit her lip, feeling like she might burst into tears again, but this time from joy. She took a deep breath, trying to get her racing heart to calm down.

“When do you want to tell them?”

“Well…the Galactica party’s on Thursday. Wanna be my date?” Bianca asked, a sly smile deepening her dimples.

Of course, they’d both been planning to go to the party, but Courtney had resigned herself to the idea that they’d be there separately. She’d even asked Tati to come as her plus one, not believing for a second that going with Bianca was a possibility. After all, it was so soon.

“That’s in two days!” Courtney exclaimed, eyes wide.

“Yeah… Does that work for you?”

For a second, Courtney felt almost dizzy, imagining walking into the party on Bianca’s arm. There was no way in hell that it wouldn’t cause a stir...but the idea of everyone seeing them together, while a bit frightening, was also terribly exciting.

“Okay. Yeah, that sounds...perfect,” she said, eyes shining happily.

“Okay then,” Bianca said softly, pressing a kiss to Courtney’s cheek.

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methethgfan · 4 years

Text

The 49th Hunger Games

“That’s it, Brainy. You fought well. Now come to me. I’ll make it short. I won’t hurt you much, I promise,” he said to her with an evil smile on his face as he swam towards her. She looked at the taser in her hands, hesitated, then turned it on and threw it into the water. Wiress watched him being electrocuted from afar, and listened to his blood-curdling death cries.

Hickory, dickory, dock. The mouse ran up the clock. The clock struck one, The mouse ran down, Hickory, dickory, dock...

The arena: A beautiful, mountainous landscape with many great lakes and large forests. Small, wooden huts were to be found at certain places in the arena, always hidden behind enormous trees ascending to the dark sky. The Cornucopia was standing in a rather remote area, on a willow, far away from the largest lake in the middle of the arena, and behind the forest that encircled every other part of the arena. Thus, the tributes were forced to enter the forest, whether they liked it or not. The ground was always muddy because it was constantly raining. The air was so fresh that it was painful to take a deep breath. The temperature, neither too hot nor too cold, was another bonus. But the appearance was deceiving. Mutated piranhas living in the largest lake were longing for human flesh eagerly: if a tribute entered the lake with blood on their body, the piranhas immediately started attacking them. Therefore, it was very important to double-check whether one had blood somewhere on oneself before entering that lake. More danger was guaranteed with mutated frogs living by the lake, but luckily, none of the tributes were killed by them. The 49th Hunger Games were a little different than previous years: when there were only ten tributes left, Xander Holliehopp, the Hunger Games announcer, announced an exciting news: he invited the tributes to a game, more precisely, a quest. Chests were hidden in certain places in the arena, containing everything ranging from food and weapons to special equipment. At regular intervals he would give them a riddle, and the correct solution would lead the tributes to the respective chests. The discovery of a chest was announced with trumpet sounds so that other tributes wouldn’t search for it in vain. That way, the Gamemakers hoped to bring the tributes together in order to have them fight each other. Suddenly, those with little chances of winning had equal, if not better chances…

The tributes: This year’s Career pack consisted of highly skilled fighters. They all received at least 9 points during their individual training sessions, and two of them even got 11 points. A few other tributes were promising as well, but the majority didn’t know how to fight, let alone hold a weapon properly. Thus, many people were certain that a Career would win the Games for the third time in a row now. In fact, they felt so certain that several news agencies sent their journalists onto the streets of the Capitol to conduct interviews and ask the people which one of the Careers had the best chances of winning (”1, 2, or 4 - Who is it worth rooting for?”). Good thing the Games were always good for a surprise...

The names of the tributes were...

Warning: Some readers may find the following text disturbing. Reader discretion is advised.

Ten tributes died during the Cornucopia bloodbath. The Careers proved to be very talented fighters. Eight tributes escaped the bloodbath without getting involved in any fights with their opponents.

24. Scarlett Briggs (age: 15 | skill: x | training score: 3 | days survived: 0): Female tribute from District 8. Scarlett was the first tribute to be killed: the girl from District 2 sent a knife to the back of her head.

23. Foncer Warwick (age: 18 | skill: x | training score: 5 | days survived: 0): Male tribute from District 9. Foncer was killed by the girl from 4 on his way to the Cornucopia.

22. Daizy Munt (age: 15 | skill: x | training score: 4 | days survived: 0): Female tribute from District 11. Daizy wasn’t planning to run towards the Cornucopia, but she didn’t want to leave it empty-handed either. She had just bent down to pick up a pair of socks lying on the ground not far from her own platform when she was hit by a knife belonging to the boy from 2.

21. Linen Nash (age: 13 | skill: x | training score: 2 | days survived: 0): Male tribute from District 8. Linen was killed by the girl from District 2. While he had been searching a box for useful supplies, the girl had caught him in a headlock from behind and broken his neck. Never before had a female tribute done that, which is why the viewers were highly impressed with her.

20. Gage Hoberry (age: 18 | skill: bodily strength | training score: 7 | days survived: 0): Male tribute from District 6. Right at the start of the Games, Gage got into a fight with the boy from District 1. Both had grabbed a backpack at the same time. And although the boy from 1 would have the entire Cornucopia for himself and the other Careers, he still didn’t want to let go of the small backpack that could have been live-saving for Gage (“You can have everything else you want!” – “But I want this, buddy!”). Gage was stabbed to death by him.

19. Kernel Renvin (age: 16 | skill: bodily strength | training score: 6 | days survived: 0): Female tribute from District 9. Female tribute from District 9. Kernel had succeeded in collecting some supplies at the Cornucopia, but when she attempted to run to safety, she was attacked by the girl from District 4. Kernel survived the attack and could’ve easily run away, but instead, decided to fight the girl (“Oh, no. You shouldn’t have done that, sweetie. Not with me!”). They wrestled on the ground for a while until the boy from District 4 showed up and killed her with his trident.

18. Thyme Fernsby (age: 18 | skill: x | training score: 3 | days survived: 0): Male tribute from District 12. Although Thyme was one of the oldest tributes, he was very weak physically. Having dealt with hunger his entire lifetime, he weighed at least sixty pounds less than his age-mates. Thyme was overpowered and killed by the girl from District 4.

17. Saline Declan (age: 14 | skill: x | training score: 3 | days survived: 0): Female tribute from District 5. Saline was killed by the boy from 1 on her way to the Cornucopia.

16. Cash Stasbury (age: 14 | skills: bodily strength, speed | training score: 8 | days survived: 0): Male tribute from District 11. Male tribute from District 11. People were taken aback when it was revealed that Cash was only 14 years old: he was tall and physically very fit. It was no surprise that he scored 8 points at training. Cash was already searching the Cornucopia for weapons before the Careers had reached it. Although originally looking for a spear, other weapons were tempting for him as well, which is why he wasted too much time there. The Careers – the two boys from 1 and 2 – reached him before he could escape. The boy from District 2 seriously injured him (“That’s what you get, you stinky frugivore.”) and then walked away to grab another weapon. Cash bled to death short time later.

15. Norah Nell (age: 15 | skill: speaking | training score: 8 | days survived: 0): Female tribute from District 6. Norah was the only child of Jetta Nell, victor of the 18th Hunger Games. It frequently happened that children or other close relatives of former victors were chosen as tributes. And because of their family backgrounds, these tributes have always attracted a lot of attention. In Norah’s case, however, it was her personality that made people like her from the beginning: funny, witty, self-ironic, adorable. A brilliant speaker and stand-up comedian. Her interview with Caesar Flickerman was an emotional rollercoaster because she would make the audience burst out laughing just to make them cry the next moment. She didn’t even try hard to become their favorite candidate (“Caesar, do you think it’d be possible for me to stay in the Capitol for a few more days? I’ve seen a man with whiskers this morning, and I really want to go back and check whether he was a real cat or just a copy-cat. You may dump me in the arena afterwards – but I wouldn’t complain if you didn’t!”). And even during her individual training session with the Gamemakers, Norah decided to impress them with her talent for stand-up comedy instead – and received 8 points for that (to be fair, the Gamemakers were a little tipsy at that point)! People believed she had a hand for weapons, too, since they didn’t know what talent she had showcased behind closed doors. Inside the arena, Norah decided to run towards the Cornucopia and grab something with her before she left. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the right thing for her to do because she was severely wounded by the boy from District 2. She turned around and limped away while pressing her hand against her abdomen to stop the bleeding. Minutes later, she collapsed to the ground and died of blood loss. Her death left the people in the Capitol devastated, and some people even demanded to hold a nationwide moment of silence for her (which, of course, was denied). This was the very first time in the history of the Games that a tribute had become one of the top favorites of the Capitol audience despite they hadn’t survived a day in the arena.

A total of 14 tributes had survived the bloodbath. The Careers began searching for more victims that same day. But it turned out to be a hard task: apparently, the others were too good at hiding. The unsuccessful search (that lasted for a full three days) was very depressing for the Careers. They felt weak compared to Careers of previous years who had always found their competitors very quickly. The psychological pressure, and the increasing feeling of looking nothing but stupid while wandering around the entire arena, resulted in one Career putting the blame on another (”If you wouldn’t walk so slow!”, “Stop being so loud!”, “You never listen to me!”, “I told you we should’ve searched for them in the afternoon!”). And the hot temper of some worsened everything even more...

14. Volta Finley (age: 16 | skill: x | training score: 4 | days survived: 3): Male tribute from District 5. Volta survived the Cornucopia bloodbath because he didn’t even participate in it: he had turned around and run away immediately. And since he had no blood on his body, he crossed the great lake without any problems with the piranhas (which he didn’t even notice) by clinging to a boat with one hand and rotating his other arm wildly to push himself forward. Soon he realized that his clothes were apparently holding him on the surface, which is why he let go of the boat and stopped moving. Indeed, he was floating on the surface. Volta reached the opposite bank a few minutes later, and after wandering around the woods for a while, came across a small hut that was well-hidden by giant trees. He remained there until on the fourth day he was so hungry that he decided to leave his hiding place to find something to eat. He was found by the Careers shortly afterwards. Volta had tried to run away from them but slipped on the muddy ground. The Careers were happy that they had finally found another victim, but they couldn’t decide which one of them should kill him because everyone wanted to carry it out (”Leave it with me.” - “No way, he's mine!”). Eventually, they agreed upon killing him together: one after one, the Careers stabbed Volta until the cannon went off.

13. Sable Archer (age: 17 | skill: bodily strength | training score: 7 | days survived: 5): Female tribute from District 10. Sable and her district partner were classmates, which is why they immediately allied with each other once they had entered the arena. Both were well-built and ready to put their lives at risk. Both ran towards the Cornucopia and grabbed everything they could, they didn’t even think twice. The way they wandered around the arena without showing any signs of fear or anxiety very much resembled Careers. It was unusual for a non-Career to act like this inside the arena, which is why both appeared as likely contenders for the victory. Plus, Sable looked very pretty with her strong physique, wavy blonde hair, protruding cheekbones, and dark blue eyes. Thus, it wasn’t surprising that she received a sponsoring gift on the second day (a sandwich box), and another on the fourth day (a cheesecake) because she was craving sweets. Her district partner on the other hand had received nothing. Therefore, it was very normal for him to be envious of Sable. And as it’s expected from a true ally, Sable even shared her sponsoring gifts with him. But what seemed to be usual envy was actually hatred. Her district partner knew that this wouldn’t go on forever, that in the end, their ways would part, if Sable didn’t kill him first since she was the one receiving all the sponsoring gifts, not him, and therefore wouldn’t have a problem surviving on her own. But these were his thoughts, not Sable’s. And these thoughts quickly turned into a murder plot. Armed with nothing more than a kitchen knife, her district partner decided to put his plan into practice. He prepared lunch with plants and fish they had collected before and the leftover cheesecake, and when both were having lunch, he heaped praise on Sable for being sponsored, and then hugged her (”What would I do without you?”). Sable was very surprised by that since the two had never been close, but she wasn’t suspicious. Instead, she tried to swallow the cheesecake, uttering “Oh, uhm, it’s OK”. But her district partner didn’t let go of her, and embraced her with all his strength combined. Sable tried to shake him off, now being alarmed, but it was too late: her district partner pulled out his kitchen knife and stabbed her in the back (”But every good story needs to come to an end”).

12. Oakley Huntsman (age: 15 | skills: hiding, speed | training score: 4 | days survived: 6): Female tribute from District 12. Oakley’s parents were merchants, they owned a small bakery in District 12. That’s why she was well-fed in contrast to her slender district partner. At the start of the Games, Oakley had been indecisive as to whether she should try her luck and take some supplies with her, or run away immediately. Finally, she decided to run towards a backpack a few meters away, and to her surprise, managed to grab it and escape. The boy from 2 threw a knife in her direction, but Oakley was fast and smart enough to zigzag away. The backpack turned out to be a gold mine: it comprised plenty of snacks, a rope, a pocketknife, an empty water bottle, and two small, metallic objects Oakley couldn’t identify. They looked identical and resembled stones. Their surface, however, wasn’t smooth: instead, it seemed as if they had handles. Oakley tried everything that came to her mind to find out what exactly she was holding in her hands (”What on earth?...”). When she couldn’t think of anything else, she held the objects against the wall of the small hut in which she was hiding. But nothing happened. Disappointed, she wanted to put the two objects into her backpack, but they seemed to be glued to the wall. With great difficulty, Oakley managed to detach the objects from the wall by slightly rotating them. Apparently, she was in possession of magnets sticking on any type of surfaces. But she still didn’t know how to make use of them, until in the early hours of the second day, she woke up to voices nearby. As if she had already unknowingly prepared herself for such a situation, she packed all her things together, strapped her backpack on, and took the magnets in her hands. Then she jumped out of the window (that she had left open in order to listen to suspicious noises nearby more easily), held the magnets alternately against the outside wall of the hut, and climbed onto the roof. She heard some people entering the hut at that precise moment, and recognized them by their voices: the Careers looking for victims. Oakley kept still and waited for them to leave, but the Careers seemed to be in no hurry. Just at that moment it started raining, and Oakley got soaking wet while she was lying there face down, too scared to move. After what felt like an eternity, the Careers finally left. Oakley didn’t change her hiding place because she thought it was very unlikely the Careers would enter her hut again. She remained there till the seventh day. In order to kill time, she grated branches the wind had driven through the open window of the hut using her pocketknife. Suddenly, lightning struck her hut and set it on fire: the Gamemakers wanted to lure her out of her hiding place. Oakley, who had been startled by the sudden noise, cut her finger but didn’t realize it because she was rushing to leave her hiding place alive. She wandered around for some time, but didn’t feel safe at where she was, which is why she decided to cross the great lake. She grabbed a boat, but was too afraid to hop into it in case someone would see her. Hence, she used it as driftwood. The moment her bleeding finger touched the water, she was ripped to pieces by mutated piranhas.

11. Amos Saywell (age: 16 | skill: kitchen knife | training score: 7 | days survived: 7): Male tribute from District 10. After he had murdered his ally (and collected her sponsoring gifts), all hell broke loose in District 10. A large crowd protested in front of the Justice Building, demanding that the Gamemakers should make Amos’ time in the arena a living hell. This was the first time a district had done this. The Gamemakers, however, were in raptures about Amos because he had given the viewers in the Capitol exactly what they had wanted: entertainment. And the Gamemakers were very fond of such tributes. A street interview conducted in District 10 convinced most people that returning to his home district was probably not the smartest idea for Amos. One particular interview stood out the most because the interviewee was a close relative of the female tribute (”What do you think of him?” - “What I think of him? He’s a real shame, that’s what I think! And if he should ever come back, I know exactly what I’m gonna do with him”). After that interview, people started calling him “Amos, shame-os”. Of course Amos didn’t have a clue what was going on in District 10, although he was clever enough to assume his actions would have consequences. But that was the last thing on his mind, what was important now was that he somehow had to survive the Games. When he was rambling through the woods, he forgot to smear his footprints on the muddy ground. Tracking him down was therefore child’s play for the Careers: the girl from District 2 sent a knife into his right shoulder, and the entire Career pack ran after him (”You can’t escape from us!” - “He really thinks he can run away from us! How cute!”). But when Amos ran towards the lakeshore, the Careers stopped: he was just about to enter the great lake with a bleeding wound. The Careers watched him jumping into the water (”Who’s gonna tell him?” said the boy from 1 jokingly) and being torn into pieces by the piranhas. Amos screamed in pain, but not for help. His last words before he was decapitated, were: “Sable! Forgive me!”.

Day 7: “Dear tributes, I hereby open the Quest. Remember, every two days you’ll be given a riddle that you’ve to solve in order to find the respective chest. In total there will be three riddles. Now you may be wondering why you should play along. Well, there won’t be any sponsoring gifts during this time. So, if your supplies are running low, or you simply want to get your hands on unique weapons and special equipment, this is your chance. Ladies and Gentlemen, here is the First Riddle. Good luck! ‘A piece of art. Standing there, apart. Maybe you'll find a dart? What else wants your heart?’”

10. Munira Kirklyn (age: 16 | skill: x | training score: 6 | days survived: 7): Female tribute from District 7. Munira’s family belonged to the upper class of District 7, meaning she hadn’t spent her childhood with cutting trees. Therefore, she had never actually used an axe, which was rather unusual for someone living in 7. Still, she pretended that she had a way with axes, and tried to impress the Gamemakers by swinging an axe. They weren’t highly impressed by her, but still gave her a 6 because they convinced themselves that she - a tribute from 7, the lumber district - had been cutting trees at home daily. But once Munira was inside the arena, it turned out that she hadn’t. She allied herself with her district partner, and hoped to survive with his help. Munira was very adventurous, and never hesitated following her partner around the arena. After the Gamemakers had revealed they would soon propose them riddles, the boy from her district suggested them to ally themselves with both tributes from District 3 (”They’re clever. I’m sure we’d find the chests more quickly that way. We need them.”). Hence, both began searching for them without taking a break (”We need to find them before they announce the first riddle, Munira.” - “What are you going to do, if we wouldn’t need their help anymore?” - “Get rid of them.”). And indeed, they found the two climbing up a mountain (”We won’t hurt you, promise!” - “Here, you can have our weapons. Or you know what? We’re throwing them away, see.”). The girl from 3 was hesitant, but the boy from 3 thought this alliance would benefit them since neither one of them knew how to fight. Therefore, the tributes from 7 could serve as their bodyguards. So, they accepted their offer. Only a few minutes later, the announcer proposed them the first riddle, and the girl from 3 solved it in a few seconds (”Art, apart, dart, heart... Start! The Cornucopia - that’s where everything started!”). The boy from 7 felt vindicated that he had made the right decision. They ran as fast as they could in the direction of the Cornucopia, but when they were inside the woods, Munira ran against a force field that threw her backwards, and her heart stopped. The two from 3 stopped to help her, but the boy from 7 told them to move on (”There’s nothing you can do for her! Hurry!”).

Day 9: “Ladies and Gentlemen, here is the Second Riddle. Good luck! ‘Careful, stay where you are! And don't listen, even though they say "Come in!". Waiting for red, waiting for dead. Step in, and they'll tear your skin.’”

9. Tiber Yusko (age: 18 | skills: close combat, knife | training score: 10 | days survived: 10): Male tribute from District 2. Just like some of his allies, Tiber had volunteered as a tribute. He was a tall muscleman who was very gifted at close combat. But surprisingly, he preferred throwing knives at his opponents instead of using his body strength to his advantage. The viewers, however, gradually became more and more annoyed by him. Reason for that was his way of talking: his vocabulary was very limited, he would use vile language, and constantly tell anti-jokes. He was also the main reason why the Career pack had a hard time searching for victims: he would unintentionally set them on the wrong track by claiming to know where the other tributes were hiding (”Believe me, my instinct is inevitable” - “You mean inerrable?” - “Yeah, whatever”). After the first riddle was announced, the Careers racked their brains over where the chest might be (”Piece of art? Sounds like a portrait to me. Or a picture?” - “I feel like it’s right under our nose.” - “Wait! Could it be the sky? That’s the only artsy thing here.” - “Right! And darts could be, you know, thunders?” - “That really makes sense. So I guess the chest will come with a parachute or something?”). And while others were searching for the chest, the Careers just stood there, hopefully staring at the sky, until a trumpet sound told them that someone else had found the chest. They embarrassed themselves yet again on the ninth day (”I think this one’s pretty obvious” - “Yeah - ‘stay where you are’ - like, don’t move or you’ll be torn to pieces.” - “Wait, what are you guys talking about?” - “The mines at the Cornucopia. They’ll explode once you touch the ground before the Games are officially opened.” - “But what about the ‘come in’ part?” - “The Cornucopia. Because it’s so tempting.” - “Makes sense!” - “So, what are you waiting for? Let’s go and get that chest!”). But when they were standing at the Cornucopia, proud of themselves for having solved the riddle, the boy from 1 suddenly facepalmed (”Wait - no! The lake! The piranhas! Go, go!”), but it was too late: a trumpet sound was heard at that very moment. Thereupon, the Careers blamed each other for that mistake (”How stupid of you to think the chest would be hidden inside the Cornucopia!” - “You had the same idea!” - “Hold your horses!” - “What are you, a groom?”). The Careers hadn’t gotten along very well since the start of the Games, but after not being able to find the chest for the second time, their relationship was finally shattered. They had eaten up their supplies, and thus, were starving for the first time in their lives. It all came to a bitter end on the tenth day...

8. Isla Shaw (age: 17 | skill: katana | training score: 9 | days survived: 10): Female tribute from District 4. Since the two previous Games had been won by tributes from Districts 1 and 2, many people hoped a tribute from 4 would come out as victor this time. And Isla seemed to fulfill all the requirements needed: with fiery hair, petrol blue eyes, and delicate pink lips, she was another tribute who captivated people across Panem. She was a talented fighter as well. During her interview with Caesar Flickerman, Isla seduced the audience with her looks and charming manner. Many people were betting on her. However, viewers were disappointed to see that Isla never stood up for things she believed were right, and instead did what she was told without ever contradicting her allies (”But what if the chest is at the la-” - “Isla, we’ve already solved the riddle. It’s at the Cornucopia. Aren’t you listening?”). On the tenth day, Isla found pouched food in the backpack of the boy from 1, while she and the others were starving. Isla gathered all her courage and confronted the boy in front of everyone (”I thought you were starving?” - “What are you talking about?” - “I found this in your backpack.” - “Yeah, sure. I guess it’s yours and you’re just too scared to admit” - “You, I- How dare you say that!”). Things escalated once the other Careers got involved (”I always thought you were the type of person to do such thing, Isla” - “On the contrary, Awes seems to have the word “thief” written all over his face.” - “Why don’t we just calm down and share the food?” - “Oh, shut up!” - “Fine, I pouched it. It’s not my fault you’re all too dumb to have done it as well.”). That’s when several Careers drew their weapons... Capitol’s favorite (4th-choice).

7. Strawberry Fair (age: 16 | skill: | training score: 9 | days survived: 10): Female tribute from District 1. Strawberry was the third child of Lovejoy Fair, victor of the 27th Hunger Games. She grew up in the shadow of her mother, and because of her mother’s popularity in their home district, people expected her children to be as talented as their mother was. Thus, Strawberry was constantly compared to her mother, the honorable victor from District 1. Unlike her siblings, Strawberry was the only one of “reaping age”. Her siblings had never dared to volunteer as tributes, much to the disapproval of their mother, who was eager to make history by becoming the very first victor with another victor as their child. Only her elder brother had attempted to participate in the 48th Hunger Games, but another volunteer had been picked as the male tribute of that year instead (and Strawberry’s brother had secretly been very glad about that). Therefore, Strawberry was her mother’s last chance to rise to fame yet again, and she didn’t want to disappoint her. She promised her that she would volunteer as a tribute once she had reached the age of 17. But when her name was called during the Reaping, it was no longer necessary for her to wait for so long. As it’s typical for Career districts, another girl immediately volunteered, and the Capitol escort asked Strawberry whether she would like to give her place to that girl instead. Strawberry didn’t answer immediately. She turned to her mother who was sitting behind her on the stage, inconspicuously shaking her head, and then said “No, I’m fine”. Not because she didn’t want to disappoint her, but because she didn’t want to dwell in her shadow for the rest of her life. Strawberry turned heads in the revealing red cashmere dress she was wearing for the interviews, with a golden strawberry pattern on it. Inside the arena, she wore her blonde hair in a ponytail that was secured with a strawberry hair clip. The Capitol audience was already in love with her before they had seen her fighting. When a fight broke out on the tenth day, Strawberry got into a fight with the girl from 2, and was fatally injured by her. Capitol’s favorite (3rd-choice).

6. Jigger Seelig (age: 16 | skill: trident | training score: 9 | days survived: 10): Male tribute from District 4. Jigger was a cute boy with an innocent face. He seemed to be much younger than 16, which is why he looked out of place next to his tall and strongly built allies. During his interview with Caesar Flickerman, Jigger was constantly blushing and smiling shyly (”So, Jigger, tell us something about yourself” - “I... uhm... so...” - “Oh, no need to blush! I promise we won’t tell anyone!” - “I’m actually a very shy person, Caesar...” - “Well, looks like you didn’t show that side to the Gamemakers - 9 points! Congratulations on that.”). But behind the curtain was a boy who enjoyed killing to the fullest. Thus, everyone was surprised to see how dangerous he actually was. While some Careers, including his district partner, got into a physical fight on the tenth day, Jigger didn’t interfere, and instead secretly put the food in his pockets. When he was about to run away, the boy from 1 chased after him (”I’m afraid it’s not so easy!”), and broke his neck. Capitol’s favorite (5th-choice).

5. Tosca Tyrell (age: 18 | skills: bodily strength, sword | training score: 11 | days survived: 10): Female tribute from District 2. It didn’t happen very often that a female tribute had such an intimidating effect on others. Tosca was muscular and the tallest out of all Careers. Many of her male opponents looked like a joke next to her. Most people were certain she would make it to the final battle, if not win the Games. But things turned out differently. Tosca punched the boy from 1 in the face after she had learned that he had secretly pouched food. This set off a chain reaction: the boy from 1 tried to give her a headbutt, but the boy from 2 shoved him to the ground. The girl from 1 went in between to keep the three apart, but was slapped in the face by the boy from 2. Suddenly, they faced each other armed. All the frustration of the last days had built up in such a way that the Careers lost their temper. The girl from 4 tried running away but Tosca rammed a sword into her back before the boy from 1, who had just killed the boy from 4, slit her throat. Capitol’s favorite (2nd-choice).

4. Copper Emmens (age: 15 | skills: intelligence, inventiveness | training score: 5 | days survived: 10): Male tribute from District 3. Copper was very intelligent just like his district partner. They quickly became friends in the arena, and helped each other surviving it by inventing things. The viewers were highly impressed by them, but still believed neither of them would win the Games. Although very clever, he wasn’t good at judging people which unfortunately sealed his fate. Capitol’s favorite (7th-choice).

Day 11: “Ladies and Gentlemen, here is the Third Riddle. Good luck! ‘Ascending to the bright sky. You're asking why? Because they're hiding something from the eye. A perfect place for a spy!’”

3. Awes Castellan (age: 18 | skills: bodily strength, sword | training score: 11 | days survived: 11): Male tribute from District 1. Awes was another volunteer, ready to risk anything in order to win the Games. After the other Careers were dead, he took the food with him (”Morons...”) and calmly walked away while eating crackers. Awes had good chances of winning, if it hadn’t been for the surprise his final opponent had in store for him... Capitol’s favorite (1st-choice).

2. Veneer Foye (age: 17 | skill: axe | training score: 8 | days survived: 11): Male tribute from District 7. Veneer was very smart and determined. He was also very elusive. But above all, he was a great actor. He enjoyed the attention he received as a tribute to the fullest, and always made sure to act for the cameras. Although the viewers seemed to understand the nature of Veneer’s opponents by the time they had entered the arena, Veneer still remained a mystery to them. By joining forces with the tributes from 3, he hoped to solve the riddles and find the respective chests. And indeed, they found two chests (the first containing a tracking device that was able to find tributes thanks to the trackers injected into their arms, and the second baskets filled with food supplies), before their alliance split. Veneer showed his true colours near the end of the Games after the cannon went off several times, announcing the deaths of the Careers. Veneer had miscalculated the cannon shots, wrongly thinking the only survivors beside him were his two remaining allies from District 3. That’s when the horror began... Capitol’s favorite (6th-choice).

1. Wiress Thorner (age: 15 | skills: technology, intelligence, inventiveness | training score: 4 | days survived: 11): Victor of the 49th Hunger Games from District 3. Wiress was an inconspicuous girl with short brown hair and ashen skin. She was reserved and preferred not to display her emotions. During her interview with Caesar Flickerman, she gave him such clever answers that he had difficulties keeping up with her. He also gave her the nickname “Brainy”. Among other things, she told him about her inventions and discoveries. In addition, she could express herself excellently, and knew more than anyone else - like a mobile encyclopaedia. Furthermore, her instinct was very reliable: Wiress had great insight into human nature, and sensed things way before they happened. But her opponents underestimated her, thinking she wouldn’t need her brains in the arena. Wiress, however, proved on many occasions that she was way ahead of them: when she was soaking wet after fishing with her ally in a small lake (they had built the angling rods themselves), she took off her clothes and hung them on a temporary clothesline so that it would dry faster in the cool air. Together with her ally, she also devised a water filter system by collecting sand, gravel, moss, a piece of cloth and coal, the latter had been sent to them by a sponsor. While others wandered around the arena helplessly, Wiress and her district partner used every possible resource the arena offered them. When the tributes from 7 wanted to join forces with them, Wiress intended to decline, but her district partner thought it was a better idea to accept the offer. Wiress disliked the boy from 7 because he was the only tribute she wasn’t able to judge, and thus, couldn’t outguess. But she had no other option than joining them. She was always very careful around him, and watched him closely to understand his complex nature. Wiress always thought about running away, but was afraid the boy would kill her district partner. On the tenth day, she tried to persuade her district partner that the boy from 7 was highly dangerous, and was intending to kill both of them very soon (”Copper, he is up to something. We better leave him now before it’s too late.” - “Wiress, you’re just overthinking. He’s just pretending to be dangerous, that’s all.”). Her district partner, however, told her that he wouldn’t be able to fight both of them on his own, regardless of his fighting skills. But Wiress was still convinced something bad was going to happen very soon. Hours later, when the three were sitting inside a hut, the cannon suddenly went off multiple times, announcing the deaths of several Careers - 5 out of 6, which meant that one Career was still alive, reducing the total number of players to four. Wiress was already on her feet and ready to escape, when the boy from 7 rushed forward and stabbed the boy from 3 to death. Wiress escaped through the window and ran away as fast as she could, but the boy from 7 wasn’t in a hurry (”You can’t run forever!”). Wiress ran through the woods until she sought refuge inside another small hut which also happened to be the place where the third and final chest was hidden. But Wiress didn’t realize that at first: she was trembling uncontrollably, and had difficulties breathing normally. Then she noticed the chest, opened it, and found a taser inside it. An hour later, she heard a twig snapping, and looked up to see the boy from 1 standing at the window and directy looking at her with a creepy smile on his face (”Peek-a-boo!”). He entered the hut through the door, and approached Wiress, grinning (”Didn’t expect to find you here, I must admit. But I’m not mad about it.”). After standing in front of her for a minute, he decided to try out something new (”I haven’t choked anybody. Yeah, I think it’s about time.”), and slowly approached Wiress who was just staring at him in horror. Then he suddenly screamed and sank to the ground: Wiress was holding the taser in her hand. While he was trying to get up, Wiress grabbed a knife that had slipped out of his pocket. The boy tried shaking off the paralysis caused by the taser, and then approached Wiress again (”You little rat.”). He raised his hand, ready to strike her, when he suddenly stopped moving: Wiress had rammed the knife in his throat. Thereupon, the boy coughed and splattered her entire face with blood. Wiress sank to the ground, teetering back and forth while lethargically staring at her bloody hands and the dead boy lying in front of her. She was too traumatized by the death of her district partner, her friend and companion, and the horrible death of the boy from 1, to feel any other emotion than horror. Half an hour later, a sudden knock at the door startled her out of her thoughts (”Knock, knock! I know you’re in there, Brainy. Won’t you open the door for me? Oh, that’s rude, Brainy. I thought you were clever.”). Wiress slowly got up, moved to the window, carefully looked out, and then escaped the hut through it. She leaned against the wall, unable to move due to fear. Suddenly, the boy from 7 showed up right above her: he had climbed onto the roof and now looked down at her with a broad smile on his face (”Tick tock, time is running, Wiress! Aren’t you tired of playing the cat-and-mouse game? I mean, it’s a lot of fun, but let’s better end this right now.”). Wiress ran away again, this time in the direction of the nearest lake. She swam across that lake until reaching the shore. The boy from 7 calmly followed her (”I totally forgot about that boy. You’ve killed him on your own? I’m very impressed! Too bad you won’t be lucky this time.”). Wiress put her hand in her pocket, holding the taser, while staring at the boy who was still grinning, unaware what was expecting him (“That’s it, Brainy. You fought well. Now come to me. I’ll make it short. I won’t hurt you much, I promise.”). He then laughed at the sight of her (”Just a tiny little bit. Tick tock, the time is up!”). That’s when Wiress turned the taser on and threw it into the water. She watched him being electrocuted from afar, and listened to his blood-curdling death cries. The cannon went off, and she sank to the ground yet again, teetering back and forth while singing a nursery rhyme (”Hickory, dickory, dock. The mouse ran up the clock. The clock struck one, the mouse ran down, hickory, dickory, dock.”). She remained in that position even after the hovercraft had showed up to bring her away, and got up fifteen minutes later, still in great shock. Capitol’s favorite (8th-choice).

Wiress was never the same. Although her mentor, Beetee Latier, had protested that she shouldn’t be interviewed due to her condition, Wiress was still brought on stage. But she didn’t talk. The Capitol was not happy with a victor like her. President Snow initially believed that she was just acting so that the Capitol would leave her alone, but then realized she wasn’t. Wiress lived in seclusion until she became friends with Beetee: he reminded her of a friend she had lost in the arena. During the 75th Hunger Games, Wiress kept having flashbacks of her first Games: the clock arena reminded her of Veneer’s catchphrase (”Tick, tock!”), and the blood rain reminded her of the time Awes had splattered her face with blood. That’s why she had been too shocked to tell her allies about what she had found out about the arena, and had been repeating “Tick, tock!” over and over again. As if the ghosts of those two boys had appeared decades later to haunt her again.

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*Capitol favorites attracted Capitol citizens’ (and therefore whole Panem’s) attention the most. Various reasons for this included their unique skills, impressive deeds or exciting storylines. More screen time made it easier for them to survive in the arena compared to less noticed tributes (e.g. in terms of sponsor gifts). Also, there was a lower risk for them to be exposed to the Gamemaker’s arbitrariness (e.g. mutts, different dangers) due to contributing to the viewer’s excitement. The higher their placement (1st, 2nd, 3rd…), the better. Nevertheless, the possibility of encountering dangers in the arena was never completely ruled out.

Sorry for any language mistakes. English is not my native language. Please let me know about any mistakes I have made.

I’d be grateful for your feedback! I spend A LOT of time writing all of this, so I’d really like to know what you think.

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Other finished recaps: The 1st, 25th, 36th, 50th, 65th, 68th, 69th, and 70th Hunger Games

#hunger games #catching fire #mockingjay #suzanne collins #wiress #fanfic #panem #quarter quell

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