#finished trials of empire and it was excellent!

[vibratingskull]

Hello! I was thinking you said you didn't master Thrass yet how about you start "small" with him not been exactly the main character?

How about a F!reader she was in relationship with Thrass and by the time he died she is pregnant and she leaves to the empire.

Thrawn finds her in his exile. You could focus more on her relationship with Thrawn if it's easier.(?)

Obviously, this is just a suggestion not a request. You can totally ignore this if you like.

Art by @jorrmund

Thrawn and in laws... That sounds interesting

Thrawn & Chiss!F!reader

Tags : Hurt and little comfort

You apply the final touches with your brushes on your blue skin, finishing to perfect your traditional make up for the day. You check your coiffure one last time and rise on your feet to enter the salon and take your place. 

You’re alone at the tea house today, your two apprentices have their day off but that’s not a problem for you. Your first family was in the tea business for generation and educated you in its ways. You later trained your husband at this art when you entered the Mitth for your wedding. 

Now that you are in the human Empire, this traditionnal Chiss tea house that you built for yourself is the last bound you have to your former life. When Mitth’raw’nuruodo came back from his mission, distraught, his first action was to come to you and warn you about Thrass disapearance. Without thinking twice you prepared a bag and with Thrawn complicity you stealed a ship to fly after Thrass while pregnant.  

You were not letting your husband disappear when you had a baby on the way! 

You searched for him for a months, visiting numerous planets, meeting nuemrous species. 

To no avail. 

At some point you got lost in the chaos and end up in lesser space, the term was really close and you needed an hospital or a maternity to give birth to your baby safely. You had to give birth alone, without any familiar faces and surrounded by aliens. 

A chance there was a near-Chiss species, humans, who helped you in this trial. But traveling with a week old baby without any concrete destination and on unsafe routes was simply impossible and you had to stop. The danger was simply too great.  

So you worked different jobs to make ends meet, hiding your skin color or your shiny red eyes, you traveled across this city planet called Coruscant, changing apartments, sometimes running away from creditors and hiding somewhere  until things settles down. You saw the end of the Republic and lived through the first days of the Empire, keeping a low profile... 

Things could have gotten a lot worse if you didn’t hold on to your principles and bared your teeth to adversity. But you managed to gain some money, bought that building for next to nothing, renovating it yourself into a proper establishement worthy of Chiss standards, and now you have two trainees to train. They are nice girls, diligent and hard working with the will to do great and by the rules but they are still far from the Chiss excellence in the ways of the tea. 

You check your questi... datapad to know your shedules of the day. Lately you have more than 25 clients per day. It forces you to rush some aspects of the ceremony but it is still manageable. 

... 

Only one client? 

Weird. 

Your apprentice who took the reservation left a note. 

“Navy Officer who specifically requested the entire day to himself.” 

You sigh, annoyed. You are a tea house, not a pleasure house. You don’t stay an entire day here! What was she thinking when she took the reservation? You cannot permit yourself to dedicate a full day to a single client! 

A Navy Officer no less.  

You sniff with disdain. Another one of those men who thinks because he has money and rank everything is due to him! 

But what’s done is done now. You’ll conduct the ceremony as always and push him to the door and took the rest of the day to yourself. You will be able to come back home earlier and spend some time with your son. 

You lay down the pad and aligns all your ustensils on the clothe on the floor, seating heels on the little mattress dedicated to this effect. That’s when you hear the door of the salon open and steps entering the room. 

At least this Grand Admiral respects the schedule. 

You also notes he had the presence of mind to take off his shoes to walk on the tatami. Not all clients knows that. You begrugingly give him another point as you lay down the last utensil and turns towards your client, eyes closed as you bow down to him respectfully. 

“Welcome to the Primordial Tea house.” 

“I thank you Mitth’(Y/n)’(F/n).” 

You froze, opening your eyes in a shock. 

Before you, impeccably seated on his heels, raising from his bow and in a perfectly neat green uniform, stands another chiss. 

And not any Chiss! 

“Mitth’raw’ nuruodo...” You say with a white voice, barely audible. 

His expression is serene and aloof, but his gleaming red eyes shine with tenderness and a controlled joy. You are utterly speechless. Why is he here? What is he doing in this parts of the Galaxy? Why... 

“I rejoice seeing you thriving in this Empire, my sister.” He finally says before your resonnating silence, “You must have a lot of questions.” 

You look at him up and down, not believing your sight. 

But that’s him! Older by a decade but it is unmistikably him! Your husband’s little brother! 

Your own little brother now. 

“I... How?” You utter. 

“I was sent in a mission by the Ascendancy to find new allies and study this Empire.” 

You look at him with round eyes, feeling your hands starting to tremble on your knees. 

“I was terrified for you when you stopped sending me news years ago, but I heard rumors about a woman with blue skin and red eyes in this part of Coruscant. I had to verify it for myself.” He continues before your disarray, “I hoped with all my heart it was you, and I was not mistaken.” 

“Mitth... raw...” 

“Call me Thrawn, my sister. As you used to do back in the day.” 

“Thrawn...” You breath, heart clenching painfully, “Did you get any news? Anything?” 

His shoulders lower and he shakes his head slightly. 

“No. Nothing.”  

Your heart starts to bleed and a sob rises in your throat. 

“He will never come back...” You manage to say with a shaky voice, a tear rolling on your cheek. 

“I am affraid.” He concedes gravely. “Hope gets thiner by each passing day.” 

And you burst out in tears. You hide your face behind your hands, sobbing as you are forced to face your most horrifying fear. Thrawn remains silent, repectful of your pain. He lets you cry with compassion in his eyes. 

“I am truly sorry (Y/n).” He murmures. 

“Oh my warrior... What will I say to Thabim?” Your entire body shakes between sobs. 

Thrawn tilts his head. 

“Thabim?” 

You sniff unelegantly, going against the reserve and modesty of your role as a tea master, but frankly you don’t care at that moment. 

“Thrass’ son... Our child...” You gasp, trying to breath. 

Thrawn’s eyes round up slightly, clearly taken by surprise. 

“You had a child?” 

You nod as tears fall down from your cheeks to your folded legs, soiling your precious traditional attire for tea ceremony. 

“We didn’t want to announce it to the family just yet... It was supposed to be a surprise...” You pull on your collar to open your attire and take out a medallion that you open, revealing an old picture of you and Thrass together. 

Smiling. 

Carefree. 

Simply happy to be together. 

You still remember vividly the day you announced your pregnancy to your dear Ch’acah. Thrass was checking files on his questis when you agitated the test under his gaze. Surprised, he threw his head backward, hitting the back of his skull against the bedrame. You chuckled as he massaged his painfull head, turning his gaze to you, wondering what you wanted to tell him. You showed him the test again with a big smile and saw the shimmer of his red gaze intensify by ten fold. He jumped out of the bed, seized your hips and made you spin in the air, laughing loudly, before embracing you, pulling you into a deep kiss, happy and hopefull. 

Now he is lost... 

You press the medallion against your heart, forgetting Thrawn’s presence because of the pain. Thrass hide the same pendant under his sydyc tunic. You fold your body in two in a soothing gesture. You feel Thrawn’s hand seize your shoulder gently, squeezing it softly. 

“I am sorry (Y/n).” He repeats  

“It is so painful...” You cry. “It feels like I’m hoing to die!” 

“Yes.” He agrees, “It is the most terrible pain. But you are not alone anymore, I am with you now. I will help you and Thabim.” 

You raise you gaze to him, full of pain and pleadings. 

And you throw yourself in his arms, all etiquette be damned!  He frozes under your touch, taken by surprise once more. You squeeze him tight, burying your face in the crook of his neck, soiling his uniform with your tears. You feel him responding to your hug after an hesitation, caressing your back comfortingly and circling your shoulders. 

“I am here now, sister. And I will remain.” 

You hiss in your pain, breathing with difficulty with your lungs so tight. 

“Thank you brother... Thank you...” 

@bluechiss @thrawnalani @justanothersadperson93 @al-astakbar@thrawnspetgoose @readinglistfics @elise2174 @debonaire-princess @twilekchiss @pencil-urchin @ineedazeezee @mssbridgerton @dance-like-russia-isnt-watching @Cortisolcosplay @obbicrystaleo @germie2037

#thrawn #mitth'raw'nuruodo #thrawn x reader #thrawn x you #thrawn x f!reader #thrass #mitth'ras'safis #thrass x reader #fanfic #vibratingskull

[sulevinen]

finished the ref sheet for kino’s master, cyd merell!!!

reblogs > likes

Cyd Merell (they/them) was a togruta Jedi Knight born in 65BBY. They were a quiet and reserved youngling until they were chosen as Saesee Tiin’s padawan and they began to come out of their shell. They grew up to be a confident, calm Jedi, an excellent pilot and a skilled fighter. They remained close with their master, often sharing a cup of tea in the evenings after meditating.

After they were knighted Cyd waited for a padawan for a long time. They were waiting for the perfect canditate: someone who would offer them a challenge, a real test to prove that they were ready to be a master. Someone they could share similar bond as they did with master Tiin. The beginning of the Clone Wars slowed down the process, as Cyd considered if they should bring a child to a war, to become a commander of their 190th Siege Battallion.

One day Cyd was overseeing a padawan trial, and one of the younglings caught their eye, Kino Valorina: she was swinging her lightsabers in a manner Cyd recognised was fueled by emotions, working purely on instinct. She used the Force with ruthless strength, and Cyd could feel the Force pulsing around her, a dark, cold presence whispering in her ear and controlling her every move. Cyd watched as the other masters turned their back on her, and felt that they had found their challenge.

Though they had a rocky start, Cyd was able to convince Kino that she could become a great Jedi despite what the Council had said about her Vahla blood. Cyd asked her to give them a chance, and let them guide her to the light. Kino accepted, and Cyd began to train her, trying to find balance between the light and the dark, and studying the Vahla to help Kino understand herself.

As a General Cyd was considerate, responsible and stoic leader, leading their battallion to countless victories with Captain Ceres. Cyd always tried to bring as many troopers home safe as possible, mourning every loss as if they had lost a limb. Cyd gave the clones their peace and privacy to live what little life they could after battles and encouraged them to find friends and loved ones outside of the GAR.

Cyd and Kino were saved from Order 66 by ARC-trooper Lucid, who warned them about a reoccuring dream she had been having: a nightmare she couldn’t change, where the clones would raise their blasters at the Jedi and shoot without missing. Cyd and Kino fled and stayed hidden, watching the Empire rise and Republic fall, and joined the Rebellion once the dust had settled. With a help of rebel intel they saved Lucid and what was left of the 190th and freed them from their chips.

Cyd faced their end in 14BBY when Vader and his troops ambushed the rebel base and Cyd stayed behind to protect the padawan they had failed to knight in time.

#tap for better quality!! #if you like please also reblog because likes don’t mean to tumblr as much as they mean to me thanks <3 #star wars #sw #clone wars #tcw #swtcw #star wars oc #original character #togruta #togruta oc #jedi knight #jedi oc #star wars fanart #fanart #star wars prequel trilogy #order 66 #art #artists on tumblr #oc cyd merell #sulevoart #sulevocs

[natsubeatsrock]

Fairy Tail Arc Tier List

You know the drill. We're going from best to worst. (I'm not doing the sequel arcs, because I'm not sure how I feel about some of them.)

Bottom Tier

Alvarez Empire arc

This arc overall feels like Mashima couldn't wait to end the story and go on to something else. Wouldn't you guess, that's not too far from the truth. It doesn't have enough high notes to redeem itself.

Galuna Island arc

Longtime followers of me know that I'm not a fan of this arc. This arc exists to start dealing with the ever-frustrating Deliora situation. Almost nothing else in the arc has to happen as it does.

Low Tier

Daphne arc

I don't hate it as much as the rest of the fandom seems to, but I'm not putting this on any pedestal. This might be one of the best Gruvia arcs. I mean that unironically.

x791 arc

This arc is just kind of there, in canon. Though, that's not without reason. 

Loke arc

One of the most important of the Lucy-centric arcs. This would be higher if I was higher on Lolu. Or Lucy.

Mid Tier

Eclipse arc

I've said this is one of the best arcs to place fanfiction for the series in. The difference is that this fanfiction has the canon backing of Mashima's approval.

Lullaby arc

This would be a better arc if Mashima was willing to kill Kageyama.

Zero arc

This arc would jump to at least a tier higher if the whole Zera situation wasn't a thing. This serves as an excellent origin story for Fairy Tail. Unfortunately, Zera is a thing that we can't ignore.

Key of the Starry Sky arc

The best of the anime arcs is middle of the road? That's better than a lot of series can say. Though, the idea of Michelle and the neo-Oracion Seis are better than large portions of the two arcs in the bottom tier.

Macao arc

The one that started it all. Fairy Tail has plenty of short arcs, huh? This was a great introduction to the guild and the main characters.

Tartarus arc

Did you know this was when Fairy Tail got dark? In all seriousness, this arc changed how we view the rest of the series, both before and after it. We're still seeing the outworkings of this arc in the sequel.

Oracion Seis arc

I mean, it's the Wendy arc? I'm not hyped over this arc or the characters it introduces, outside of Wendy. We got some great songs out of it in the anime, so there's that.

Phantom Lord arc

I don't know that fans recognize how important this arc was. Not just cementing Lucy as a Fairy Tail guild member. Not just establishing several fan-favorite characters. This arc set the tone for the rest of the series. 

Fantasia arc

This was a fun arc with many cool twists. I like Laxus as a character and he's fun to see as an antagonist. Some of the best versions of many characters. Gray was done dirty, though.

High Tier

Sun Village arc

This is higher than others might expect. There aren't too many other arcs that are as much fun as this one, from start to finish. One of my most popular posts on this website involves this post.

Grand Magic Games arc

This one is lower than others might expect. There are two parts to this arc: fighting other guilds and the Festival of the Dragon King. If the arc was about just one, it might be top tier. Instead, we got this.

Tenrou Island arc

There's quite a lot going on in this arc. The S-Class trials, the battle against Grimoire Heart, and the formal introduction of both main antagonists. One of the best arcs from the jump to manga to anime.

Top Tier

Edolas arc

Speaking of arcs the anime improved, this marked my reintroduction to the anime. Outside of its sentimental value, I love this arc. It marks a turning point for the series.  

Daybreak arc

This was the arc that sold Fairy Tail for me. Honestly, I'm not an anime fan without this arc. It's still crazy how different Natsu and Lucy are from this arc. And yet, it's the beginning of their partnership.

Avatar arc

Why don't more people like this arc? This might be the purest version of Fairy Tail rolled into one arc. The stretch from chapter 430 to the end of the arc is one of my favorite in the series. It would be the best, but...

Tower of Heaven arc

This might be the only arc I'd say ranks comfortably among Mashima's best arcs ever. Its ripple effects can be felt throughout the series. Even the ending after Mashima planned was amazing.

That does it for FT Month! See you!

#fairy tail month: i rate 8/8 #fairy tail #that's the eighth one #so we really did #eight for eight

[idjitlili]

I, I will be king.(II)

Din Djarin x reader.

Part 1. Masterlist.

Summary:Din Djarins feelings get in the way,  when you reach your master once again.Din finally drops you off with your master, before he leaves for what seems for months. Second part and last part.

Word count:4497

Warnings: confusing? Honestly comparing din to a fridge isn't the best thing I've wrote.

A/n: OH AND this is the finished request for anonymous and @elkhead-art sorry it too so long.

As the sound of nothingness caused your eyes to slowly awake along with your consciousness, dark surrounded you. A small orange light was only to be seen outside. You were warm, and comfortable laying in a bed.  You recognised the texture of the blankets, the outline of the room. This wasn't anyone's room, it was yours.

Almost felt like you had dreamt the past few months, you had never left Luke, and never met the Mandalorian. But that was false, it had all happened, you were now back on Ahch-To. You had made it, you wondered if Mando was still here. 

On Ahch-To you lived in a small hut thing, so did Luke and so would Grogu. The island surrounded by water, no sand not much anyways, thankfully. Blue milk? We do not speak of that.

Soon enough you were wide awake,your feet had carried you outside, the atmosphere pitch black except the glowing orange in the distance where two figures sat.

"Luke?" The outlines of the bodies began to clear, it was clearly Luke and Mando with Grogu sat in his lap. Their heads turned to you, Luke's lips twitching up , he had stood up quickly making his way to you. "Padawan, I have missed you." Pulling you into a tight hug, his arms around your shoulders, you head dug into his chest. "What about no attachments, master?"

Scoffing Luke had placed his hands on your shoulders to look you directly in the eye. "That was very unwise, I told you to stay here for a reason, now you have months worth of teaching to catch up on."

"Sorry? I have learnt many lessons with the Mandalorian, we even met some other Mandalorians and guess what? They had met Anakin Skywalker , Obi-wan, when he was so very handsome, and Ahsoka. Plus, Mando has met Ahsoka , recently as well." You sat beside Mando, in front of the fire, Luke on one side and him on the other.

"Sounds like you had a good time, I hope you didn't have a great time." You weren't sure what Luke was trying to imply but you didn't care, your eyes had caught the green creature in Mando's lap. His hand reaching for you, offering your figure for him , his tiny green hand clutching it, though he could talk to you through the force, you already knew his name and he knew yours. 

Grogu had stood up, shuffling back onto Mando's other thigh, bringing your hand with him. All three of you watched his movements. Mando's hand against his thigh, whilst the his other was behind Grogu in case he fell. His breath hitched when Grogu reached down and gripped his finger. You didn't dare pull your hand from Grogu, as he pulled your hands together. Yours and Mando's finger tips touching, well his gloved finger tips.

Grogu had let go of your hands, looking at each of you, before interlacing his hands together. You didn't even get a chance to think about it, Mando had slid his fingers in between yours, closing them together. The small creature smiled and sat back on Mando's leg. Your hand placed on Mando's leg still locked with his. Luke hadn't said anything, Grogu getting up a second later walking towards him, no doubt that was him.

For what was a couple of hours, your hand stayed against the warmth of the Mandalorians glove. All until the early hours of day, you had stayed up talking with them, assuming he wanted as much time with Grogu as he could.

In which that point he had exuded to leave, following him to his now repaired ship, thanks to the other Mandalorians.

Luke had made you look away, as the Mandalorian removed his helmet, to say goodbye to Grogu. That was their goodbye, Grogu knew that.  Not long after that, Grogu was handed back to Luke, who step away, enabling you somewhat of privacy.

"Goodbye, Mando."

"My name is Din Djarin,"

"Oh wow, so your name isn't Mando? That's actually great, I prefer Din." A nod of his head and he was gone, felt strange, like he didn't care anymore but why would he give you his name?

You hadn't seen him for months, yet your heart-ached for him, it was stupid you weren't supposed to feel like this. Nothing would happen anyways, he was a Mandalorian you a Jedi, it wasn't supposed to be. Figuring Din had moved down on, he knew he couldn't keep Grogu, so he was trying forget. But that was not what he was doing, he wasn't abandoning Grogu no, he was trying to reclaim Mandalore.

147 days since you had last seen Din Djarin, you were shipped off by Luke's request this time.  Alone. For how long you didn't know, an undercover mission that could be quick or could take a long time , just luck.  Where you were sent was all but unfamiliar to you, uncover as bounty Hunter. Made your stomach flip, you'd be working for Boba Fett, who now had complete control of The hurts palace.  Luke had sent you to recover a Jedi that was being hunted.

Instead of your dark pants, long sleeve that you'd wear under your robes. (Yeah, basically Luke got the better outfits, you were fitted into formal Jedi wear.)  Now wearing fitted armour that covered your whole body like Din's, a helmet upon your head, dressed in dark colours. The helmet was confining , making you sweat a lot. How did Din do that all day?

You weren't sure how Luke managed to get you employed by Boba, did he just write up what is the equivalent to a Cv? Wasn't that your job , literally, you aren't supposed to get someone else to do it. 'Oh yes, I y/n am certain excellent at slicing, killing, capturing Bounties.' No, not killing that was the last resort. But, you would be able to capture bounties, so you'd be fine.

As long as you got the first bounty back to him, you would've secured the job. Luke had given you a ship to use, it was small, pre empire. Previously some junk from Tatooine, that Luke had brought to Ahch-too, and eventually you both repaired it.

With a ship and blasters, no lightsaber, you easily caught your first bounty and were in the job. Blasters seemed unpredictable, why does everyone miss? Poor design. 

For the four months you had been with Boba, well working for him, sure he had something going on with Fennec. Not that you could blame her, if Rex or fives was there and young, I'd bone, and I am total virgin. Din had been back to Ahch, Luke making up some excuse about being on supply run. And you were Boba Fett's best bounty hunter.

You were sent to Mandalore, all you was given was the location, and that it was a huge bounty for this creature dead or alive. The location wasn't even pinpoint just a part of the planet.  You knew of this planet, well heard of it.  Oh yes, like you'd see Din there.  Not Surprising Boba wouldn't go himself.

"How will I know I've found them, then?"

"You'll know."  The nod of his helmet, as he held his leg swung over the side of the chair. Not like when other bounty hunters would go in, his posture was always rigid, his hand sat upon his thighs. Fennec was always present as well, but not when you'd arrive. Boba would send her out. A nod from your helmet as you turned on your feet to leave.

"Wait," stopping before you had even taken a step, turning back to Fett. Another glance over him made it clear, he was presenting himself to you, his legs spread like that wasn't for nothing.

"Can I see what you look like?" You didn't even know what Boba looked like, but you had heard of the clones, and Obi-wan had told you about them , and how he was one of the only ones to survive. Yeah, Luke had finally taken you to the place where completely the trials that allowed you to speak to the 'dead'.

Bringing up your gloved hands to your helmet, pulling it off your head slowly. Squinting your eyes slightly as they adjusted to the lighting. Your y/c eyes fluttering to Boba who just sat there nodding at you, your helmet hooked under your arm. 

"See you soon, l/n."

"Goodbye, Fett."

With that you were headed to Mandalore with barely any knowledge of the planet, only with hope that you'd be okay. 'I don't believe in luck we make our own luck." 

Worried that you'd land on the planet and be shot, oh yes just a pre empire ship landing on your planet. Not like Hera almost died for talking. Yet, you thought nothing about someone waiting when you landed on the hot planet with ease. Though, most of the planet was inhospitable there was still some life left. A doom over the city of Sundari, in the distance.

Stepping from your ship into the atmosphere, on the edge of the ramp. Closing your eyes briefly s your stretched your arms over your head, clenching your fists closed at the same time. Satisfaction washed of you for a long moment. Yeah, that didn't last long when the sound of multiple mechanical surrounded you quickly.

Sighing as you opened your eyes again, the shape light of the planet dimmed by the filter on your helmet. Just as Suspected 4 Mandalorians surrounding, upholstering your blaster tossing it into the dirt in front of you. Lifting your eye hands above your head. Could only hope, that they thought you were a man, but you had placed your lightsaber dangerously in the front of your pants. With the plate of armour placed over that to conceal it further.

You dared not speak, maybe you'd pretend you had your tongue cut out, no , that wouldn't work they would check. You heard of Ezra Bridger maybe you'd pretend to be a hutt, no, no you didn't have a tail.

"State your business." You didn't recognise the voice of the Mandalorian definitely wasn't Din's. Lowering your hands slowly to place them on your hips, changing your whole posture.

"Han solo, I'm here looking for my wookie."

"Solo? Where's your ship then?" Scoffing at the Mandalorian, turning around and pointing to your ship.

"No, the Falcon,"

"Oh, so what you're a fan? Ships don't last forever." You were supposed to be trying to conceal your voice, but clearly that wasn't working. Your hands now cuffed behind your back, pushed onto ship and off you went to an unknown destination. Just maybe that Han Solo thing hadn't worked? Two of the Mandalorians stayed in the back of the ship, what you'd describe as the back of a police van sort of thing. Their eyes glued to you , as you sat in front of them.Only the humming from the ship could be heard, you weren't leaving the planet but travelling towards Sundari.

Your helmet still upon your head as they pulled you out of the ship by your underarms , dragging you. The lightsaber slipping in your pants slightly, you hoped that it wouldn't fall into you leg, looking like you had shat yourself. Feet scraping against the stone path , looked as if you on a plaza, the area around built up. Large steps leading to watch you could describe as a palace, it was huge. Covered with cubist murals of Mandalorians.

No, this couldn't be what Luke sent you for? You thought you were in search of Jedi's not more Mandalorians.  You hoped that they weren't taking you to their leader, was that Darth Maul still? No, he's dead? Ugh. If they searched you you'd be dead,  if they took your helmet off you'd be dead. It was no surprise you had been seen with Luke by the empire causing trouble. Depending whether they were still a neutral system.  

One of the Mandalorians from the pair that walked behind you as you were held, had made their way to the front of the group. Speaking into the com link on their right arm, in a language that you could only guess was Mando'a. Stood at the bottom of the steps waiting for a brief moment, before the huge metal doors were opened agonisingly slow. Basically Aragorn walking through those doors at Helms deep without Aragorn or anyone walking through the door.

With that, no one came out of the doors but you were pulled in the stairs and through the doors. Lead into a room with a throne? Right, no more politicians since Satine. Surprising that the room wasn't just made out complete Beskar, more pretty windows carpets , paint, paintings, Chairs  , food. Wow, they must of killed a Pirate, wasn't Mandalore broke?

In the centre of the room, a man stood, in tight fitted clothes, furs, heavy boots, a weapon upon his belt, sorry two bone a blaster the other hidden from your sight. His face aged like wine, squishy, dark brown eyes locked onto yours. If his eyes were to be compared to something, it would be that chocolate river from Willy Wonka. No fat kid in it, but a a handsome man surrounded it. Soft brunette curls on his head, wrinkles at the edges of his eyes.

"This one claims to be 'Han Solo' "  The man only nodded at the Mandalorian dismissing them, the doors shut behind you loudly. Turning to face you completely the man sat upon his Throne . 

"So, you fought with the Rebel Alliance." That voice, it was familiar yet you didn't recognise his face. Maybe he was Luke's friend that he'd often talk to , or just someone who had made a fuss at a bar. Instead of responding verbally you had just nodded too.

"Right, what rank, Han."

"I'm sorry, I would prefer if you called me by my title." Straightening your posture , bulking yourself.

"Oh? And what would that be?"  The smirk upon that mans fave indicated be was having too much fun. You were glad your helmet had a modulator.

"Captain, commander or yours." The smirk had dropped from his face, lips slightly parted, clearly flustered, only for a moment before his face went back to smouldering.

"You clearly are not who you say are. Until you tell me your purpose here I cannot allow you to leave."

You were stuck in some sort of cell, hundreds of other cells surrounding you. It looked like they had put you into the one connected to the wall of the building. Nor had they searched you again. Why? All they did was take your blaster.  He didn't even try , he just shoved you into a cell, not him directly but he didn't like you or was going to sell you off to someone. Bounty hunters didn't sway the hearts of many.

So, what did you do? Grabbed your lightsaber from your pants cut through the wall, and ran for your life.  Why it wasn't made out of beskar you didn't Know. Calling R2 from your com link, oh yes Luke had sent him with you to watch over you. Your breath heavy as you ran through the city that was covered with metal, seemed like no end. But you could t just stop and wait for R2 you weren't even sure of he could get through.

The shooting at your feet as you ran for the doors out of the city, igniting your lightsaber and throwing it the doors switches. Quickly return your lightsaber to your hand before making it to the door. The sound of their jet packs and firing dying down as you turn to face them. Stood in a line face you as you exit slowly. Your light saver back in your belt , your arms up to your shoulders as you walked backwards.

"This is the day you will always remember as the day you almost caug-"  Okay, you had miscalculated you weren't planning on being grabbed from behind and pulled into a ship. The bright light of the inside of the side around you as the ramp was quickly slammed shit as you landed on the floor with a thump. This was your ship, but it wasn't R2 who you heard breathing heavily behind you.

Ahsoka Tano on your ship, Boba fett sent for her and she ended up capturing you instead. Not capturing but saving you , just said that for dramatic affect . You weren't sent to Boba for Mandalorians no of course not , if Luke wanted that he'd call Din. 

"Luke skywalker? Is your master?" Her hands on her hips as you sat in the pilots chair. She wasn't particularly fond on going with you but she did , why? That was unsure. The only reason she gave was her ship was destroyed on the planet and would not say why she was there either. Not that it was your business. 

"Yes, yes he is."

"Right."

With that you were heading back to Ahch-too but of course it's never that simple. Instead Boba Fett had taken himself out of Tatooine to personally come meet you with the bounty that he knew you had.  In fact it ended up like the Hobbit the battle of the five armies, all in space just floating. Mandalorians and Boba attached to your ship. 

Both Boba Fett, and the Mandalorians entering the cockpit at the same time, turning around in your chair with a squeak. Sighing.  A mandalorian stepping forward to look at Ahsoka who now stood , her fingers besides her lightsaber eyeing the company.

"Ahsoka?"  Though she did not reply just stood her ground, you didn't dare to move , this was a huge mess.  The mandalorian that you assumed was king now in armour that seemed familiar but all of them looked alike to be honest. At least the clones had more style, and they didn't look alike.

"What are doing with Han Solo?"

Fett scoffed looking at you briefly before turning to Mandalorian in blue. "That's not solo, I would know he tried to kill me."

"I would kill you too, Clone."  Glaring at the Mandalorian it seemed that their was something you were missing, their guns were all lowered, yet Ahsoka still stood her ground. Like she would trust anyone after what she had been through.

"As I was saying, that is not Solo. This my best bounty Hunter, l/n. She caught a Je- why is she  not in carbonite?"

"Uhm, about that Boba..." Though your explanation was cut short again, Boba's eyes did not leave yours, your cheeks felt hot under your helmet, this was R2 he allowed them to board.

"Did you not know? Your best bounty Hunter is a Jedi."   These Mandalorians we're really sucky, they just wouldn't piss off, maybe if Mando was here he'd kill them, no , he wouldn't kill his own kind. Ugh, if you had been alive when Ahsoka was young, she'd cut their heads of with no hesitation, oh but not clones.

"Yeah, that wasn't hard to see, my lightsaber was shoved down my pants, you Mandalorians suck, didn't know I was Jedi until you saw me waving around a lightsaber. Ironic."   It seemed like Ahsoka had enough, and began the engine again, on your way back to Ahch."Down your trousers, really?"

"No, my underwear." Did that sound sarcastic?

You hadn't meant to bring a party with you to Luke but here you were on the way ack home with some Mandalorians and Boba Fett. Everyone had calmed down, waiting to arrive somewhere, with no discussion about it. Was this a horrible choice endangering Grogu probably.  So, you had gotten Bobas attention bringing him out of the cockpit and into a room. Well, the only over rooms were the bathroom and your small sleeping area.

"Well, what is it?"

"Uhm, just that I am no longer working for you, sorry and yeah I don't think you should stay."

"Oh,  just lovely you are. Though, I am not sure you ar- were my best bounty hunt, you'll have to take the helmet off." What was with this guy and wanting to see your facc. Sighing you pulled your helmet from your face slowly, the cold air slapping you as your hair fell from the helmet messy. (If you have no hair then your head was looking polished and hot like Dwayne Johnson.)

Though yet again, you could not see his face, well until he pulled his off too. A deep laugh erupted from his lips as he smiled at you, placing a hand on your shoulder.

"It is you."

Neither of you had notice Bo-Katan walking by after doing her business, seriously in your ship? Not that you'd notice it was her without seeing she got new armour. Oh, you know she went straight to tell her king.

So, after your short interaction with Boba, who decided he'd leave but not yet to much of your dislike. Soon as you stepped into the cockpit , the bigger framed Mandalorian was in front you, he wanted something. Looking passed him for Ahsoka who was busy with the control panel. Everyone talking to each other. Your throat itchy, this was not pleasant.

"You know you remind me of a fridge."

His visor stuck upon your face no, the silence from him, even his breathing did not stop you you. You were uncomfortable but when he wasn't speaking what were you supposed to do?

"Well, maybe a broken one because you hold yogurt but it's warm."  Again, he did not respond just stared you down.

"Beca-"

"Yes, I understand." The same modified voice as you remembered, yet you still felt intimidated still.

"Oh, not funny not then?"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"That I'm not Han Solo?" Grabbing your upper arm as he scoffed pulling you towards his empty ship connected to yours. You'd only hope that if you were murdered right now, that Luke would have this surge of anger like his father and kill this man. 'Kenobi!' Okay, it just felt like it needed to be Maul rage not a 'oh no, I strangled my wife pretty much and wondered how she died and now I am mad.' Too bad Mail didn't run Anakin over when he had the chance.

"Take the helmet off."

"No."

"Take it off." His feet travelling closer to you as his voice got sterner and slower. Wishing Din was here to tell this man about boundaries.

"Get lost, why are you even here? Chasing someone that didn't do anything wrong. You're a dick for king , go home and fix your ugly planet , sperm bank." You bad went to push passed him, his frame was sturdy, and before you could he had your wrists  in his hands.  Not fighting him, even though you could easily break free his hold was gentle. Looking up to the t of his visor.

"Do you not recognise me?"  You wanted to say yeah you kidnapped me. But it was clear from the soft tone in his voice that wasn't it. You had be oblivious, how could you over look everything.  The voice, the Mandalorians, a king , was this a joke from Ahsoka?  Maybe she was more like than Anakin than you had been lead to think.  His hands dropped from your wrists,  your hands rested on the sides of his helmet. A soft click of his helmet, pulling it up slowly.

But as you had began to lift it up, he had grabbed it from you quickly throwing it behind him with a thud.His cinnamon caramel sand, shiny coconut , beach waved, auburn oven baked curls softly placed upon his head. Stubble littering his jaw like grass, his Willy wonka chocolate fountain eyes glazing on you softly. T-this was the king of Mandalore, b-but no this couldn't be , no he wouldn't take his helmet off in front you? Would he?

Your hands now resting on the sides of your helmet, click , pulling up the helmet just as you had done previously without interruption. A sigh from his mouth as caught a glimpse of your face. Before your helmet dropped the floor , he had pulled you into a tight embrace.

"Don't tell me this whole time , I've been like these Mandalorians suck, I wish Din was here."

Pulling from Din to look at him,  through you shouldn't have , your palm was pressed against his stubbles cheek.

“Oh,”

“Yeah, I had lightsaber as dick how did you not notice? Plus that pick up line, seriously?” Your hand was no longer one Din’s face, partly because it had became sweaty too quick and your arm was aching.

“Hm, if I knew it was you then I would’ve accepted.” Accepted what? The pick up line.. your face was hot, why couldn’t he say he heard Han Solo was a player and didn’t want his heart broken? Instead his hands were interwoven with yours. I feel like this a David Bowie as Jareth moment.

“P-pardon?” Your hands were dropped, Din had turned to pick up his helmet.

“You’re with him.”

“I’m with you?”

“No you are involved with Fett.”

“Sorry? I worked for him as bounty Hunter not a personal hustler.” But Din continued to put his helmet on unamused, walking out the door, but you had decided the best idea . Doesn’t matter if your weight , Din was strong. If he had to he’d be able to carry a ship. Okay maybe.

So, you had jumped on his back, your arms around his neck, legs around his Weiss, he did not budge, not at all.”Tell me what you meant or I-ill be... very annoying and pretend I am this really cool person that gets men and women but I am not but I will pretend I’ll trick them into thinking my lightsaber is big shlong -gosh why did you not stop me. And you should because I am a huge virgin.” Huge nerd more like.

“...I’d accept your offer of you being mine.” Maybe, Din felt better because he didn’t have to directly look at you, you were on his back what were you going to do, jump off and fall over? No, once again you pulled his helmet from his head, pressing a kiss to his stubbled cheek.

“We could be lovers.”

“I , I will be king

and you, you will be queen.”

What you didn’t see was Ahsoka with her com link talking to Luke , basically had a spy camera. 100% accidentally, but Luke knew you’d be safe.

#din djarin x you #din dijarin x reader #din djarin imagine #din djarin #din djarin x reader #the mandalorian x jedi #the mandalorian x you #the mandalorian x reader #the mandalorian imagine #the mandalorian x y/n #mando x y/n #mando x reader

[demi-chimera]

OK, take two.

It’s been just over a week since I finished Endwalker’s MSQ, so my initial hype has calmed, and I’ve mulled over the experience a bit. Unfortunately, I don’t have anyone I can talk to about it yet as I’m the only one in my very small group of friends who has finished. So my opinions might not be as well-formed as normal. That said, I wanted to make type up my general view on the story. I’ll try to avoid specific spoilers, but I will be giving some overview, so skip this if you want to play it yourself first.

Unfortunately, I think there are a few weaknesses, which I’ll be going over first. The main one is pacing, some sections of the story didn’t delve in deep enough and felt rather rushed as a result. While others felt like they were dragging on, adding little despite the length. Garlemald for example feels a little anticlimactic, the empire has been the big bad of the setting since ARR and when you finally get to the capital the story spends all its time hanging around the outskirts of the city and practically no time in it. There is only really one or two cutscenes that establish any sense of the ruins being anything more than just there. Could have used more time in the middle of the zone exploring the city proper. What was there was decent enough at least, just very lopsided making the area not feel fleshed out enough.

On the flip side, the moon just drags on for far too long. Specifically the part after the Loporrits are introduced, up until then is fine. They are pretty one note and you get the gist of what that note is after only the first few cutscenes, however the story drags this part out for a what feels like hours. Cutscene after cutscene of the same thing happening basically. I think this was mainly due to them trying to make each zone last for roughly the same amount of time and the moon only having the first trial and the loporrits really go over didn’t have enough to fill the time, resulting in it being very stretched. Outside of this one section though not much time is wasted. These is too much going on for that.

Zenos suffers from this as he winds up not really doing much of anything for most of the run time despite being hyped up as a major player through the tail end of the Shadowbringers patches/ Endwalker promos. When he does actually get some time it’s basically over. The slight hint of some development for him is just passed over as there isn’t really any time left for it. I hope/ suspect he will return in the patches and what was started will continue, but as it stands he was underused.

Finally, the amount of time spent reading textboxes vs the amount of time spent actually doing anything active is very high, I think even higher than the rest of the game. If you’ve played through ARR to ShB you’re pretty much used to a lot of text, so it’s not that big a deal? Shouldn’t put you off playing at least.

Pretty much everything else was great. The zones themselves were all fantastic this time around, in fact there were two times during the story where I didn’t realize I was in a new zone until the narration begun, which is an achievement. All of them had something new to see and were generally enough to keep you wanting to continue.

Going in I wanted to see characters like Kryle who had been largely left out up until now get more screentime, and I was not disappointed. Pretty much every scion gets a good amount of time and role to play. In fact, pretty much every character in the game period did. They did an excellent job bringing characters from every location into the story and tying everything from the ARR to present together. The sense of everyone coming together throughout the EW story was really well done. It really feels like the whole of FFXIV is being built on and utilized incredibly well. What you get off the back of it is a very stratifying conclusion to the FFXIV story/ setting so far.

I expected Fandaniel to be very annoying, but they actually did a decent job giving him so development and he winds up not sticking around any longer than he needed to. Not the best villain in the game by any means, but he was fine in his role.

The music ranged from around what you’ve come to expect from the game to some really outstanding, emotional music, the latter showing up very appropriately towards the end of the expansion. The last zone’s music in particular is one of the best in the game.

So all in all a very, very well done expansion all round, despite some wobbly pacing in the middle. It manages to capture both the breadth and depth of FFXIV which after a decade of build up. Combined with some of the best sound and visuals we’ve seen so far, and you’ve got a more than worthy conclusion to the story that leaves you highly satisfied.  In the end I’m very thankful I decided to try FFXIV out, it’s been a beautiful ride and I can’t wait to see what comes next.

#aimless prattle #ffxiv spoilers

[valdarian]

Invader Zim-Infinite Pink: ch.3

Warning(s): This fic is intended for mature audiences!  violence/fighting. I tried to keep it from being too graphical but be advised.

A more action packed chapter. Couldn't get this out of my head. I really wanted to explore a bit of the Almighty Tallest after Zim's trial as well as a look in their shared past.

A reminder: Voel=Tallest Red, Theron=Tallest Purple. 

More notes at bottom.

Summary: Mirage- A look into the past. Nothing is ever what it seems.

(First Timeline: Somewhere in a distant past.)

"You've really done it this time Zim!" Theron admonished, ducking a laser aimed at his head as he ran.

"I've done it? How was this Zim's fault? My plan was flawless! This was clearly you're fault!" The magenta eyed Irken yelled. Stopping to point an accusing finger at the taller elite.

"Would you both shut up! We don't have time for this!" Voel shouted, throwing the smaller Irken over his shoulder as he passed. Theron followed closely after, hoisting his sniper rifle closer.

They dodged a few more lasers. Racing through the remote streets of some shady black-market planet. Followed closely by a group of Glozikian mercenaries(1).

It wasn't that unusual for other aliens to take advantage of the Empire's underbelly. Refugees from conquered planets and limited resources seemed to facilitate all kinds of dastardly dealings. Groups of various mercenaries and mafia gangs popping up left and right.

All vying for power, influence or monies.

Typically they'd be left to their own devices. Recently however, a few had gotten a bit too bold for the Empire's liking and needed to be put back in their place.

Their mission was supposed to be just a routine bust. Get in, take out the supply and any targets, get out.

Send them a message about who is really in charge.

A larger and more experienced squad had been sent to another location. The veteran's were to deal the Sovoxian mafia(2) on another side of the planet. A nasty bunch that they learned practically ruled the underground here. It's also where the core of the dealings were supposed to take place.

Their squad had been sent to deal with the Glozikian's group. A new, but fast rising gang on this side of the planet. They had been causing a ruckus at some of the shipping docks. Upsetting the trade routes. They were said to be blackmailing and threatening the traders, taking much of their monies or even goods as payment for their "protection".

They had expected an overzealous, yet relatively small group to be in their location. That's what their intel had told them anyway. It'd be something new recruits could easily take care of on their own.

Not that they had any doubts. While their track record was a...tiny bit hectic and unorthodox. They were still elites and they hadn't failed any of their missions yet.

Maybe that was why they were always paired together. Not that he mind. A smile forming even as his lungs burned from running.

It was exhilarating!

A laser just barely missed his antenna.

Well, usually anyway.

However, their intel had apparently been wrong. Very wrong.

The gang was far larger and dangerous then they had expected. Fully organized and armed to the teeth. Guarding the area as they moved an abnormally large amount of cargo. A few Sovoxian's were among them as well. It was all too suspicious to be any normal dealings.

He was going to give intel a piece of his mind when they got back. It was probably Huk's doing, that smarmy little Irken always had it in for him!

Normally the veteran squad would be called in to deal with this. Not a trio of fresh faced elites, but when you got three of some of the most stubborn and prideful Irken in one group...

Besides! The others were busy with the Sovoxian's on the other side of the planet and it would take too long to call for backup from Irk anyway.

It's not like they really had much of a choice, now did they.

How could they just let something like this go? I mean, how could they even call themselves elite if they ran away now.

It would be so shameful!

Sure they were outclassed but they weren't out yet! They've fought tougher things.

All for the glory of the Empire!

Zim had luckily had some explosives on him.

Sneaking around the dock they had managed to place the bombs in a few areas. Even taking out some of the guards that had been by themselves. Once they were in a safe area they set them off.

In only a few seconds the flurry of explosions had taken out a large chunk of the criminals. A nearby crane falling onto their main supply ship, rendering it unusable.

While the remnants dealt with the fallout, an argument had happened over their next step.

Long story short, they were discovered.

It had been pure chaos from there.

A rain of lasers and smoke had quickly clouded the area.

Just when they thought they were almost finished with the enemy, a downed Glozikian had called for backup.

Low on ammo and exhausted, they had no choice but to tactfully retreat for now.

It wasn't fleeing!

They rounded a corner.

Voel stopped, taking aim at a Glozikian that had caught up to them.

"Excellent shot Voel!" Zim smiled, still atop his shoulder.

The red eyed Irken smirked.

"Lucky shot." Theron scoffed, taking out his own mercenary as another one rounded the corner as well. He could hear more still on the way.

They ran a bit further, ducking into a nearby alley. Coming out of it at an empty construction site.

Perfect.

They took positions. using the next few minutes before the mercenaries caught up with them to catch their breath and reload what little ammo they still had.

"Zim, you got anything?" Voel questioned. Aiming his pistol at the alley entrance as he took point. His antenna stood tall as he focused on the nearing gang members.

"In a second." Zim responded, searching through a nearby crate of supplies the construction workers had left.

"There they are!" A Glozikian shouted. Laser fire following soon after.

One down, another, a few more shots rang out.

Theron was getting nervous, he blinked sweat from his eyes. He didn't have many rounds left.

"Any second now Zim!" His rifle clicked, a Glozikian jumped at him. He used the frame of his gun to keep the sharp toothed alien away from his face

"Do not rush ZIM! The magenta eyed irken yelled back. A little noise of triumph soon followed from the smaller irken.

"ZIM!"

A bottle went flying, as it hit the ground, flames enveloped a group of Glozikian. His opponent was immediately distracted by the screams of his brethren. He took the moment to push the other away and attacked it fiercely with the butt of his weapon.

Theron took a deep breath after it was done. Cardiac-spooch still beating rapidly. He heard the sound of a few more bottles breaking and saw Voel taking out any mercenaries left untouched by the flames. The red eyed Irken had picked up one of the Glozikian's weapons somewhere along the way.

Voel meet up with him when all was quiet. They walked over to Zim.

The magenta eyed Irken held up a bottle with a cloth in it. "Vortian whisky, great for explosives". He placed it back down into a crate with a few similar bottles.

"What's the next step then?" Theron asked, a note of exhaustion in his voice. He wasn't one for physical fights like his companions. Preferring to keep his distance whenever possible.

"There was a Sovoxian there. A big one that had left in that ugly vehicle. How could they ruin a limited edition XXXX54' model with such an atrocious paintjob!"

"The one with all the jewels?" Voel questioned, ignoring his companion's complaints. "You think it might've been the boss?"

"Seemed like it or at least some kind of higher up. Pretty sure he was wearing a snarl beast coat." Zim explained, searching through the non charred bodies for any ammo or weapons. He threw a cartridge to Theron.

Voel looted an extra pistol as well. The weight of the Glozikian weapon didn't compare to the red eyed Irken's favorite pistol but it probably made him feel safer.

"Bit strange to have a Sovoxian on this side of the planet though. Thought they never left the cities." Theron looked up from reloading his favorite weapon. He always felt best with it by his side.

"Wonder what they're doing here? Must be pretty important for the Sovoxian's mafia to work with the Glozikians."

"They had said something about meeting up a place called the Twisty Fosion." Zim suggested, gleefully inspecting a newly acquired shotgun.

"They'll be on guard now." Theron pointed out.

"All the more fun for us then." Zim's eye were alight with the impending doom.

Theron couldn't help but smirk.

He was exhausted and wanted nothing more to have a snack and cleansing wash. Yet, he had to admit a part of him thrived in this kind of chaos. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Twisted Foxian as it was actually called, was a shady nightclub on the edge of the town. Glozikian's guarded the entire area. Zim pointed out the vehicle the Sovoxian mafia boss had used.

The Glozikian were really in cahoots with Sovoxian Mafia. Why?

Voel put his binoculars down. This was going to be tough. Word about the attack on their supply base must have gotten back to them at this point. They were sure to be on guard. A vehicle pulled into the alley below them. Glozikian's hopping out and beefing up the already tight security.

He ducked back down, using the walls of the roof to hide him as they planned their next move.

"We can't just walk in there."

Zim shifted, he wanted nothing more to just run in there guns a blazing but even he knew they weren't in the best shape. He only had a limited number of his Molotov's and they were limited on ammo.

A backdoor opened and the Sovoxian don stepped out, flanked by bodyguards. It'd be easy to snipe him from here but they still didn't know what was going on.

The vehicle started up and quickly sped away.

"Should we follow?" Zim questioned.

"There's no way we'll catch up."

"Then what do we do?"

"I'll try contacting Squad Alpha." Theron was meet with the displeased looks of his partners.

"Look! We got admit this is way over our antenna! I got the feeling this is bigger than anyone realizes." He hissed.

Voel and Zim shared a look before they each nodded.

"Fine"

Theron radioed their seniors but received no reply. His antenna flattened at the radio static. He tried a few more times.

"Come in squad Alpha. Squad Delta requesting aid. Location coordinates xx.xxxxx-xx.xxxxx." Nothing beyond radio static came through.

He meet the nervous stares of his squamates.

"What now? Our ship is half way across the city. Might have been found, they could be looking for us."

"We can't stay here." Voel said, taking charge. "We either make it to our ship or we see this mission through to the end." He said somberly.

"Then should we head back to the supply base? It's on the way and might hold some clues." Theron suggested.

"We don't have much of a choice."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The supply dock was quite when they arrived back at it. Only smoldering embers and the still bodies of their fallen enemies among them. The planet's sun was setting, adding to the eerie atmosphere. It didn't look like anyone else had been here. Yet.

Theron held tightly to his rifle as they swept the area. His antenna stood alert for any signs of ambush.

They searched for any clues along the way. Looking for docking logs, audio files or anything else that would help piece the puzzle together. So far, nothing.

The supply ship was in ruins. Even more than he remember it had been when they had fle- tactfully retreated.

The crane that had fallen on it, was now a few hundred feet away atop some shipping containers. What was left of it anyway.

Had it blown up? The twisted metal looked like it had blown the ship outwards from the inside. Were they transporting something volatile? Bombs? weapons? Sovoxian's usually dealt in illegal drugs or overpriced luxury goods. This wasn't like their usual MO.

They made their way to the back of the lot. Avoiding wreckage as they entered the only building there.

Once inside they saw a few pathways lay before them. Voel turned to his partners, making a motion to split up. They would have to if they wanted to cover more ground. Every second they spent here was increasing their risk of being discovered. They split up the last remaining Molotov's between them. Voel taking most as he decided to parole the perimeter. Zim stayed on the main floor and Theron made his way upstairs.

His cardiac-spooch thumped loudly. He willed himself to keep his breathing steady. Now wasn't the time to let his guard down. Glozikian's weren't hard to take down but in a large group they could pose a problem.

Turning into a darkened office, he was glad to see the low lights of a terminal. It didn't take long for him to crack the code on it. Who put their password as Dookie?

Theron's eyes widen as he read through it.

They were selling weapons to the Noyings!(3) The Empire's sworn enemies, worse than even those energy stealing Meekrob!

They had killed Almighty Tallest Pink! Backstabbed the Tallest during peaceful negotiations between their empires ages ago. The first thing Almighty Tallest Miyuki had done after being enthroned was promised to avenge her fallen predecessor. Sparking a war that had gone on for hundreds of cycles. It had only ended some 200 cycles ago in a shaky truce.

Were the Noying's getting ready for war. Were they thinking of attacking the Empire again?

This was huge!

"Ah!" He heard Zim cry out and ran downstairs, his gun raised and ready to pull the trigger. He rounded a hallway into the main hall and nearly got his head blown off.

A trap!

Theron pressed his back against the wall. Taking a second to calm his racing cardiac-spooch, before he chanced a peak around the corner.

There were four Glozikians, two on either side of the mafia boss, each with a gun raised in his direction.

Zim was held in one of the large arms of the Sovoxian Don. His shotgun lay a few feet away. His PAK unusable due to the hold.

"Well, well what do we have here?" The Sovoxian Boss said. All four of the Don's eyes looked his way in boredom. Zim struggled in the tight grip to no avail.

"By order of the Empire, you're under arrest for colluding with the Empire's enemies!" Theron announced, trying to keep his voice steady. Where in the void was Voel? He needed to buy some time. What should he do?

"Under arrest?" The Don laughed. Jewelry clinking as his body shook with the sound.

"The Empire means nothing to me. You Irken always think you're so powerful but I got news for you! The only thing that matters in this world is monies. Monies that you and your little friend here cost me!" The don said, all previous mirth wiping off his face. His grip on the small irken tightened.

"Zim is not little!" Zim glared at the oversized Sovoxian through gritted teeth. The four eyes turned to him, a grin soon spread on the mobster's face. The smaller Irken's antenna pressed flat against his head.

"Now that I look at you, aren't you a pretty one. Maybe I'll just have to take you as part of the payment you owe me."

"Disgusting! Unhand ZIM!" The smaller Irken squirmed with new effort in the Sovoxian's hold.

"Feisty, I Like that." The mafia boss smirked, making a motion with his hand to the Glozikian's behind him. They began moving towards Theron but stopped as the building shook. Distracted by the activity.

Theron realized this may be his only chance and quickly pulled the trigger. The nearest bodyguard fell. Another tried to rush him, only to meet their comrades fate. The remaining two scrambled for cover.

"What are you fools doing! Get him!" The Don yelled, trying to keep his footing as the building rattled again. They could hear the sound of metal and stone twist and break somewhere in the distance.

Was the building about to collapse?

What in the void was going on?

He got a shot on one of the guard's legs. He gritted his teeth. He had a Molotov on him but the space was too confined and he might get Zim in the process.

The Don grew increasingly furious. Face turning a few shades darker as he continued to yell at his mercenaries.

Theron used the distraction again to take out another guard and then the last.

He glared at the mobster as he walked into the room fully. "Let. him. go." Rifle aimed at the Sovoxian's head.

The Don glared at him, quickly pulling out his own pistol, decorated just like himself and his transportation. He pressed it to Zim's jaw.

"Come any closer and this one gets it!"

"It's so gaudy!" Zim complained. Despite the threat to his life, the smaller Irken was not going to forgive the mobster for his horrendous decorating choices.

Theron faltered and the mobster took aim at him. He ducked just in time.

The oversized Sovoxian quickly made a break for the exit. The elite close on his heels. A whirlwind of fury growing within the Irken.

"Guards! Guards! The Sovoxian Don yelled into the shipping yard. He was no fool and made sure to bring backup. He wasn't gonna let a few pompous Irken ruin everything he worked for. This was the biggest score of the millennium for him.

It was just a little hiccup he told himself.

He was Donal Foxion Del Dookieton for universe sake! The most feared and powerful mafia boss on all of Glovox and soon, the galaxy!

A laser caught his ear. He let out a yell from the pain, quickly pushing a hand to it. He ran up the last remaining wreckage separating him from where his other guards should be.

Oh! Donal was gonna make sure to capture that annoying purple eyed Irken alive and make the other beg for death!

The don smirked as he came out on top of the wreckage. Laughing to himself at the fate that was about to befall the sniper elite.

Only to find nothing was there.

Where were his guards? Where was his beautiful limited edition XXXX54' model with a custom paint job featuring his gorgeous vision!

The mobster looked around. His perch allowed him an excellent view of the damage.

"MY PRECIOUS!" His vehicle had been driven into the side of the building.

The remains of his mercenaries' vehicle was turned over, having crashed into a gas tank. A large blast radius with what looked like the remnant of his men lay around it.

"W-What?" The Don muttered in disbelief. "How could this happen!? No, NO!"

The Don's arm grew lax and Zim quickly squirmed out of it. The mobster quickly snapped from his stupors and attempted to recapture the Irken, but Zim would not be taken off guard again. He used his PAK legs to gain some distance from the four legged alien.

Theron took aim.

One of the mobster's legs were pierced as a laser rang out. Sending the large alien tumbling to the ground.

The sniper gasped. He looked wildly around for the source.

"Voel!"

The red eyed irken dropped down from atop a nearby shipping container. Looking worse for wear. He'd been busy if the state of their surroundings was anything to consider.

Zim quickly ran to the pistol wielding Irken's side with a worried expression. Voel wiped blood from his mouth. "I'm fine." He smiled at the smaller irken.

Theron's Squeedlyspooch twisted. He turned to the mafia boss that was recovering from their fall and pointed his rifle at the mafia member's face.

"D-Don't shoot! Anything you want. Monies, power, pleasure! Let me live and it can all be yours!" The mobster bargained.

Theron looked at him in disgust. "Why are you selling weapons to the Noyings? What do they want with them."

"I don't know." Theron pressed his rifle closer to the Don's face.

"Really! It's just business. They pay me and I send them the goods. I don't question my clients." The mobster explained, seemingly docile now that his life was on the line.

He pulled away from the Sovoxian and looked to his companions for their next step. A mistake.

Zim's face twisted in horror.

"Theron!" The warning came to late. The Don still had his pistol and had it aimed right at him.

Shit! He'd forgotten about it in the chaos and was now going to pay the price. He attempted to dodge, a scream left his throat as the laser tore through his shoulder. His rifle fell to the ground beside him.

"You can kiss your empire goodbye!" The don attempted to run. His laugh cut short as his body crumpled to the ground.

Zim's face was dark with fury as he lowered Voel's pistol.

The two elite quickly made their way to their companion's side.

"Theron, stay with us." Zim set about tending to the wound.

It hadn't hit any major organs but was far too close to Theron's cardiac-spooch for the smaller Irken's comfort. If had been just a few inches over...

It would heal but any injury still put them at further risk right now.

Who knows how much longer they'd be on this planet. Who knew what or whoever else they would have to face. They were already reaching their limit. Voel looked like he would pass out at any moment and now Theron's shooting arm was down as well.

Things weren't looking good. "We have to make it back to the ship."

"And if someone found it?"

"We have no choice. Unless you want to be stuck on this planet until the end of our days!" He shared a look with Voel. Trying to keep a brave face despite the fear he felt.

Zim prayed for some kind of miracle.

The rotation of helicopter blades could be heard in the distance. Mafia reinforcements? They wouldn't be happy that their boss was dead.

Zim wasn't keen on sticking around to find out. "We have to get out of here now!" He helped Theron up. Voel followed a few feet behind them. Fatigue keeping the normally fast Irken at a slower pace.

They were stopped as a figure walked in front of them, a surviving Glozikian. A hand pressed to their side as they held up something in their other hand.

"If I'm going to the void, then I'm taking you with me!"

Zim's eyes had widened, he shoved Theron behind a container just as the blast enveloped them.

Theron came to. He could vaguely hear Voel calling their names through the ringing in his head. He coughed from pain and the dust kicked up by the blast as he struggled to sit up.

"Z-Zim?" He called, squinting through the dust. He could barely see the smaller Irken's figure through the smoke and reached out. He grasped the other's wrist and felt Zim turn towards him.

He looked on in horror as the smoke cleared. The magenta eyed Irken had injures all over. Theron noticed one of the other's antenna was partially missing and a leg was nearly severed.

"You're okay!" The other smiled before collapsing on him.

---------------------------------------------------------------- (Aboard the Massive, Almighty Tallest Purple's chambers.)

Theron awoke with a start. His cardiac-spooch beating rapidly within his chest.

He fell asleep again.

These nightmares. Dreams. Memories? Had been haunting him for cycles now. Ever since...

He doesn't want to think about that. It makes his Squeedlyspooch twist uncomfortably.

Theron knows he shouldn't. They had been justified. That Irken had been a menace to the Empire. As tallest, Voel and him were fully in their right to punish him. If anything they should have done it immediately. It was a mercy they had let him live as long as they had.

So why does he feel like a no good Blasnit every time he thinks about it.

Had the other somehow infected him with malware? Had the defect placed one of those ancient curses on him? The ones he hears so often whispered about by overly superstitious Irken.

Theron laughs at the thought.

He feels a headache coming on. This...what ever it was, had been particularly vivid this time around. He doesn't want to go back to sleep and feels to queasy to eat.

Anyone would surely be shocked to hear him say that.

He calls in a servant to run him a bath in the cleansing room. Maybe a good soak will help sooth him.

The purple eyed tallest closes his eyes as he lets out a sigh of relief as he relaxes into the warm water.

The dream replays in his mind. Purple eyes open and he stares at the ceiling in contemplation. Was it really a dream?

Theron runs a clawed finger over the web like scar on his shoulder. He hadn't paid it much mind before, he hadn't remember where it had come from. Figuring that he had been an elite once. He'd obviously had fought in many battles and must have gotten it in one of them.

He couldn't remember any of them though. In fact he couldn't remember most of his youth. He'd been a medic at one point? He thinks.

The Purple Tallest try's to recall his past, brow furrowing as few things come to mind.

There were lots of things he couldn't remember. Everything felt like it had been locked away and what little he did remember was seen through a foggy haze.

It's was like someone had taken a recording of his life and cut out large chunks of it. Then sowed together the remains. Only now was he finding the missing pieces.

He could remember the pain of the laser tearing through his muscle.

He could remember the taste of dust in his mouth.

He could remember the feeling of his cardiac-spooch beating every time Z-

Theron shook his head, trying to block out those thoughts.

The physical proof was there.

So why had he not remember something so important. He felt possessive, a part of him clinging to these new, old? memories with all it had. The thought of loosing them made his Squeedlyspooch twist.

Was it because of what he felt?

He wasn't defective.

Theron knows he had only been reprogramed once, when his title changed from elite to Almighty Tallest. He's sure about it...maybe. He feels unsettled.

Why couldn't he remember? Had he deleted them himself? Had someone done this to him?

A shiver passed through him.

Maybe Voel would know something. Theron was sure he'd go crazy otherwise.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Aboard the Massive, Almighty Tallest Red's chambers.)

Banging reached Voel's hearing. He buried his head further into his pillow. Hoping who ever it was would go away. They had two Tallest! Surely they could go bother Theron with what ever it was.

The banging continued.

He scowled, hadn't he had told the servants he didn't want to be bothered today!

Another bang.

He sprung from the bed and reached the door in a few strides. Maybe he'd pull a Theron and throw them out the airlock. He wasn't in the mood today.

The door swished open and Theron's surprised face greeted him, fist still raised.

"No." He says flatly.

"What do you mean no? You don't even know what I was going to ask!" Theron pushes past him. A low growl builds in his throat. He really wasn't in the mood today.

"Theron, I swear if this is about changing the water fountains into nacho cheese ones aga-"

"It's not." Theron says.

Voel's taken off guard by the serious look on the other's face.

"But that is a good idea, I forgot about that." The purple tallest throws himself onto one of the sofas in the room. Patting the seat next to him.

Voel sighs, crossing his arms. His fellow ruler looks at him expectantly. He won't give in.

"Look, I'm tired. So unless this is serious can we talk about this later? Voel notices Theron perk up.

"Dreams keeping you up?"

The red eyed tallest feels shock course through him. "You know about them?"

"You too then! I'm not the only crazy one!" Theron says excitably.

"What do you know about them Theron!" Voel crosses the room and grabs his fellow tallest tightly. Shaking him slightly.

"Ow! Ow! Let go of me and I'll tell you!"

Voel let's go and sit across from the purple eyed Irken.

Theron rubs his arms "Jerk." He pouts.

"Theron." Voel warns.

"Voel, do you know how I got that scar on my shoulder?"

Voel is quite for a second as if recalling something horrific, before slowly nodding.

Like a dam being broken. The words tumble from Theron's mouth as he recalls everything he remembers, all the dreams he has had and compares it to Voel's own telling's.

They are both shocked as all the information lines up. ----------------------------------------------------------------

A few hours past, they continue to talk about the seemingly double life they've lived.

"Do you think something went wrong when we were enthroned?" Theron asks.

"I don't know. I feel like it goes further back then that though." Voel says, truthfully he is still confused about all of this and not sure what to make of it.

A thick silence grows between them.

Voel closes his eyes in thought or maybe sleep finally claiming him again.

Voel?" Theron begins, waiting for the other Tallest to acknowledge him. He hears a soft hmm from the other.

"40 Schmillion errors, can you imagine?" Theron whispers. Zim had been a forbidden subject ever since the Invader's trial.

"It's a lot." The red eye Irken nods solemnly.

"It's a nightmare is what it is. 40 schmillion Voel! It's no wonder he was so messed up." Theron looked over to his fellow tallest. Voel meets his eyes.

"He wasn't always like that."

"I know. But, it's just...a wonder how he managed to hide it for as long as he did. I can't imagine ever being able to function like that."

"Zim made it work."

"Do you think...?" Theron stops himself. Voel looks at him questioningly.

"It just doesn't make sense." He continues. He feels cold by were certain thoughts were leading him.

"No. It doesn't."

--------------------------------------------------------------

These are aliens that don't actually exist in IZ lore. (1): Glozikian's are nomads that often take mercenary jobs. A group exist on the black-market planet Glovox. Secretly working for the Sovoxian mafia. (2):Sovoxian's are four eyed and four legged natives of Glovox, many are shady creatures that enjoy nothing more than material wealth. (3) Noyings are the Irken nemesis after they were implicated in the murder of Almighty Tallest Pink. (Fun fact: Irken's were originally supposed to be called this. Really glad Jhonen went with Irken.)

Also how do you feel about tallest Zim?

Previous chapter: https://valdarian.tumblr.com/post/640605434229735424/invader-zim-infinite-pink-ch2

Next chapter: https://valdarian.tumblr.com/post/642137626436075520/invader-zim-infinite-ch4

#PRaZr #zim razr #pazr #Infinite pink AU #almighty tallest #Tallest Red #tallest purple #invader zim

[lucienlowell]

Done some translatin.

So I did mention I was translating from the Chronicles of Light novel, yes?

Finished the side story with smol!Zenos, and oh god I didn’t need these fucking feels yet here they are--

Ahem. Observe.

Until These Fists Are Dyed With Blood

To be born as the prince of a great nation that intends to rule over the whole world; is that truly a blessing, or is it a curse? To Zenos, the great-grandson of Solus zos Galvus, the first emperor of the Garlemald Empire, it was a curse. Though perhaps more accurately, he had no reason to think of it as a curse, but nor was it a blessing, as he was unable to make that judgment. To begin with, Zenos was a lonely person. Hardly had his mother given birth to him before passing away from illness, and due to the strife in the imperial court and the constant campaigns into foreign lands, he almost never even saw his father's face. Though he was surrounded by servants, to him they were little more than soulless automatons, the very same as any magitek construct, and he did not think of them as "human". Even those attending the same lessons as him, to the gifted and brilliant Zenos, were relentlessly boring, and he much preferred to spend his time in the company of books, finding them far better conversants. Living in such a manner, of course one would know not the innocence of a usual childhood. And so to Zenos, every day until the time he was fourteen years old held nothing more than "boredom".

"Draw your blade." That was the order the man gave him, when first they met. On that day, as part of his studies in becoming the nation's leader someday, Zenos began to undergo military training under the supervision of a teacher brought to the royal palace. However, this man was no well-known soldier, but an unknown figure. Though they resided in a frigid land, his skin held a deep tan baked into him by the sun, and his body was kept in excellent condition. Notably, as well, he did not have the familiar third eye on his forehead. Yes, he was not a Garlean, but from one of the provinces. However, that noted, that was where any possible interest ended. Once he had given the man a distant once-over, any shine of intrigue promptly faded from Zenos' eyes. Silently, he nodded his head. Just like all his other studies, he found training a source of naught but boredom as well. Even so, he diligently allowed himself to be taught the proper way to grasp a sword, and how to place his hands and feet. In the very depths of his heart, he was already intolerably bored, but to refuse would be too troublesome, so Zenos tightened his grip on the blunt training sword he held - and the next moment, the man was on the floor. He didn't understand. One moment he had been standing, and the very next, he could not rise again, his vision a blur. He hadn't even seen the sword move, yet he knew he had taken a crushing blow to the head. "You have perished." Saying only that, Zenos turned his back on the man he had been looking down on. "W, wait...your training is still..." Staggering to his feet, though he was still very off balance, the man spoke to Zenos. However, Zenos did not look back. "Dead men can teach nothing. They can only sleep."

After the shock of that meeting, Zenos' life was forever changed. He was to undergo training three times a week, but instead of waiting for two days to pass, he was summoned the next day instead. "Draw your blade." Given the same bland order as the previous day, Zenos considered it thoroughly. He had no wish to repeat the same unsightly technique as before. Not taking his eyes off of the foreign man, he carefully drew close to the sword leant against a nearby wall, and just as he took hold of the hilt, he was forced to fend off an unexpectedly violent assault. However, it was futile. Before he could even come within striking range, he was felled by a fierce blow to the chest. Now it was he who could not even see the attacking blade. From that day forth, that was the way things would be. This was the first time Zenos could remember that his existence had ever had meaning. Apart from his father, every last one of the adults around him had treated him with the honor and respect befitting a prince. Therefore, in his training and his studies alike, Zenos seized upon every opportunity to try and shock those around him. But from this mysterious foreigner, he received not even the slightest bit of respect, nor could he read even the tiniest of hints in the man's stance. And as he was overpowered again and again by this strange and crushing technique, the torment within Zenos grew. Ten days passed in much the same way. Stretching his sore shoulders, Zenos was returning to his room after finishing a training session when he was summoned by his father, Varis. "Is your training progressing well?" Of course, he didn't need an answer. There had been detailed reports from all the servants, and he could see the wounds that had been left behind. Yet even if not for that, the obvious aftereffects would have told the story all on their own. "Yes, Father. Nothing to worry about..." Zenos answered with a thin, emotionless smile on his face. The situation around this trial, such as it was, that Varis had bestowed upon his son had become more than a little warped, yet Zenos felt no anger or humiliation. This was the first time he'd ever had a situation he had to fight to overcome, and the foreigner now had value to him as a challenge and an enemy. Perhaps he could consider this a gift from his father, and he was certainly the type of person to take in every last bit of something given him. Questions and answers, one by one - after several months of the usual back-and-forth between father and son, their conversations were full of only cold indifference. This was what the Galvus legacy had become.

Three weeks had passed. Zenos had still been unable to land so much as a single counterattack, even though he was now able to track the man's every swordstroke. Therefore, using the opportunity after the foreigner had returned home for a time, he took matters into his own hands. Making frequent visits to the library inside the royal palace, he lost himself within every relevant book he could get his hands on, seeking to discern the origins of the man's strange methods. It was there, within the wartime memoirs of a seasoned soldier, that he came upon the tale of trying to learn a certain technique used in Corvos, the southern region of the continent of Ilsabard - something called the "Unyielding Blade", passed down through generations but never taught in any school. From then on, he ceaselessly sought for any possible way to learn about the Unyielding Blade, but his efforts there came to naught. He could find no books from that foreign land.

Since he could not learn the necessary information from any book, he had no choice but to try his hand at it physically. The next week, he threw himself singlemindedly into watching every one of the man's movements as closely as he could. His footwork, the way he wielded his sword, even the way he grasped its hilt...one by one, Zenos brought every last factor to light and committed them all to memory. Finally, after a month's time had passed, and after being so sorely beaten countless times, Zenos felt he could at last defend himself against the man's swordsmanship.

That day's training began just as usual. Coldly ordered to "Draw your blade", Zenos casually made his way to where the sword left for him to practice with was leant up against the wall. However, today, he had a plan. As soon as he took the sword into his hand, he turned his back and slashed out behind him. The man had not even made it within a distance of ten steps before, eyes wide, he was forced to jump aside. It seemed meaningless for Zenos to have turned away, but beyond the visible portion of his sword, a formless shockwave of a blade had leapt forth. "You bastard, how did you..." It was no wonder the man was so surprised. That was a technique passed down only through word of mouth to a select few. Though Zenos had been unaware of this, the man was a great swordsmaster from the subjugated region of Corvos, and the last in existence to know that technique. He and those like him, the wielders of the Unyielding Blade, had risen up in revolt against the imperial army - yet before the might of Varis' army, they had been rendered powerless, their numbers reduced to nothing. As the greatest of them, he had been taken prisoner, forced to follow Varis' orders to keep his family safe, and hence he had been brought to serve at the royal palace. In truth, he was there to teach Varis' firstborn son the meaning of failure. Apart from him, there was no one else in the world who should be capable of using the technique. And furthermore, if it was to be taught to someone, they would have to be capable of manipulating aether to perform it successfully, as it was an art reliant on magic. As Garleans had little to no innate ability to manipulate and utilize aether, it should have been impossible for Zenos. However, even without being taught, the Garlean boy had managed to pull it off. Somehow, he had done the impossible. "I have figured it out." Seeming bored to tears, Zenos spoke coldly to the shocked man. "Do not make light of the history of Corvos, whelp!" The man's fury was boiling over. To him, to bear this knowledge alone had been his mission; never had he intended for such an impertinent princeling to steal the secret from him. Truth be told, if he had thought himself capable of it, he would have slain Varis and made his escape from the palace long ago. And if not for the lives of his wife and daughter hanging in the balance, taking revenge for his deceased allies would have been the only thing on his mind. At that very instant, however, the man threw all his plans aside, wanting only to slay the boy who stood before him. For the art that had been so carefully passed down from generation to generation to be used so readily by a Garlean - and the son of his enemy, at that - was an insult to his pride that he simply could not bear. He could be patient no longer. "You are not worthy of the Unyielding Blade!" In the hands of one well-trained in the arts of the sword, and of manipulating their own corporeal aether, the technique could easily kill a man. And the swordsmaster from Corvos was prepared to kill. As he looked at the blindly furious man, Zenos began to laugh. He did not make to dodge, only to strike. Raising his sword, he wielded the invisible blade, rendering the man's own attempt nothing but dust. From there, it was decided. Dogs in the vicinity began to howl, as they would when chasing prey. Over and over again, Zenos let fly the Unyielding Blade with calculated ease, and it was not long before the man was backed into a corner. Though he was seeing it firsthand, the man could hardly believe his eyes. Zenos' martial ability was truly unparalleled. "That may be the way of it, but--" The swordsmaster's blade swinging down as if he was praying for it to reach its destination, its final cruel strike wavered, then dissipated. Zenos' training sword was now embedded deeply into the man's chest. "Dead men can teach nothing. They can only sleep...isn't that so?" Though the man heard that quiet murmur, somehow he could not understand it. And the next moment, he collapsed. Zenos held out his bloodied palms to the dead man, who lay wide-eyed on the ground. In them, fragments of crystal were embedded. "Yet while you lived still, you taught me one thing. Being unable to utilize one's own corporeal aether is unexpectedly inconvenient. In order to use the Unyielding Blade technique, I am forced to rely on cheap tricks." Zenos plucked the shards free, brow furrowing at the sharp pain. In order to use his aether to bolster his abilities, he had driven them deeply into his own flesh. Utilizing a crystal containing a very high concentration of aether would theoretically allow one to surpass their own limits, but it was an extremely risky procedure. Therefore, just so he would be able to properly wield that technique, he had done all the dangerous but necessary research on his own self. He continued speaking eloquently to the corpse that lay before him. "After all of that, it seems nothing else will ever live up to the thrill of this battle. I expected this, and yet... Having now experienced it personally, I find myself quite disappointed. That is what you taught me." Using a fingertip to toy with the crystal shards, Zenos flicked them to the ground next to the man's corpse. "This is my thanks for that lesson. Hold onto it for me." And that was how the first "worthy" battle that Zenos yae Galvus ever fought was ended. After leaving the training hall, he washed away the sweat, changed his clothes, and as he ate his dinner, proceeded to completely forget the man's face. Perhaps someday he would find another foe, like the heroes whose names were etched into the annals of history, who would grant him another thrilling battle - it was with that wish that he settled into his bed. And that night, for the first time in a long while, Zenos was able to sleep soundly.

#final fantasy xiv #chronicles of light #zenos yae galvus #translatin #oh #welp #FEELS

[raphidae]

AliHaku for the ship meme! OwO

I’m honestly so stoked that you sent me this ask, I have missed Alihaku and will do my best to do them justice!

Who’s the werewolf and who’s the hunter?

Alibaba is the werewolf, and Hakuryuu is the hunter.

Alibaba lives with a small pack in Balbadd with Kassim, Mariam, Hassan and Zaynab, and as of the beginning of the tale has no idea he’s the prince of Balbadd.

Hakuryuu is the youngest prince of the Kou Empire and has no chance at the throne, so he has unofficially been given the title of royal supernatural hunter and been assigned to investigate and contain (however euphemistically that means depends on the means of containment Hakuryuu is told to utilize) whatever supernatural forces occupy the lands they conquer. 

He resents the job, and the brothers who have assigned it to him, more than he can say.

Kassim, of course, will always have that revolutionary spirit to him, so when Hakuryuu notices the local werewolves begin to whisper of an uprising against the Kou Empire, he is told to contain it with extreme prejudice.

However, the first werewolf he actually speaks to ends up being Alibaba, who saves him from another werewolf from a rival pack, and Alibaba, being the friendly and naive sort, welcomes Hakuryuu into his home while they both nurse their wounds.

Over the weeks it takes for them to recover, they get to know each other and genuinely fall for each other… and then Hakuryuu finds out two things: one, Alibaba’s the leader of the revolutionary forces rather than Kassim, who he initially suspected, and two, Alibaba is the lost prince of Balbadd.

Also, as it turns out, Kassim had turned the young prince Alibaba into a werewolf to save his life after Al-Thamen’s initial attack on Balbadd five years prior to the beginning of this tale (and the werewolf bite had the unfortunate side effect of amnesia).

After calling Kassim out for not telling Alibaba of his true heritage, Hakuryuu learns from Kassim that Al-Thamen is a still a strong presence in Balbadd and would have killed werewolf!Alibaba within the week had Alibaba returned to the palace.

Therefore, Hakuryuu allies himself with the revolutionaries, and they eventually overthrow Al-Thamen and create a far more equitable alliance between the Kou Empire and Balbadd… one bound by a wedding between Alibaba and Hakuryuu.

Who’s the mermaid and who’s the fisherman?

Hakuryuu’s the merman prince, and Alibaba’s the fisherman who stumbled upon this prince in search of revenge.

Hakuryuu has to nurse his wounds after a failed attempt to retake his kingdom from his mother, who’s possessed by an evil spirit within the ocean.

Alibaba nurses him back to health, finding a cavern Hakuryuu could hide in and chatting with him during a pit stop he takes every day. 

They fall deeply in love with each other, but Hakuryuu is told that in order to gain an alliance with the country Alibaba is from, he must marry their royalty.

Alibaba promises to help any way he can, but is taken away by the guards before he can do anything.

The guards drag him to the palace, and Alibaba expects to be executed, only to find a glimmer of happy recognition in the king’s eyes: turns out Alibaba is King Rashid’s illegitimate son.

Alibaba asks his father if he has specified which royal would marry Prince Hakuryuu of the Deep, and Rashid says he hasn’t; Alibaba immediately volunteers for the position, and Rashid sighs in relief; he hadn’t been looking forward to asking either Ahbmad or Sahbmad to part with their lovers for an arranged marriage.

Hakuryuu is resigned to killing either the royal he is assigned to marry or himself rather than gaining the alliance through a loveless marriage, so imagine his shock when the royal he’s to be wed to is the fisherman he had fallen madly in love with.

After a joyous reunion, they are swiftly wed, and Alibaba and Hakuryuu work together to regain Hakuryuu’s kingdom and even save Hakuryuu’s mother from the evil spirit that had been possessing her.

Who’s the witch and who’s the familiar?

Hakuryuu’s the witch, and Alibaba’s the familiar.

Alibaba’s a familiar who can shift into various animals, most often either a cat, a salamander or a golden retriever.

Hakuryuu specializes in life magic, and he uses his powers to create various remedies and prosthetics for people.

Alibaba’s dog form is often used as a therapy dog, and he is beloved by all Hakuryuu’s patients.

Alibaba’s human form, however, is most beloved by Hakuryuu himself.

Who’s the barista and who’s the coffee addict?

Hakuryuu’s the barista, Alibaba’s the coffee addict.

Being a barista is Hakuryuu’s first job after graduating college, and his family has pointedly told him to use it to improve his social skills.

Hakuryuu does come to like his job, especially when he’s allowed to bake some pastries for the shop, and especially whenever one of the regulars shows up.

Alibaba comes to the coffee shop every Monday through Friday at 2:47pm on the dot, near the end of Hakuryuu’s shift.

Much to Hakuryuu’s surprise, it’s the one thing on Alibaba’s schedule that he religiously follows (he’s generally late to everything else on his schedule, but never for Hakuryuu’s coffee and final batch of fresh madeleines for the day).

Turns out Alibaba is an up-and-coming wholesaler for fabrics and other decorative items for clothing, and Hakuryuu is shocked by the world Alibaba speaks of and brings him into afterward.

They eventually find themselves chatting after Hakuryuu’s shifts end (at 3:15pm), and Hakuryuu sees to it that Alibaba better manage his time, while Alibaba helps Hakuryuu loosen up and make friends.

Eventually they recognize their feelings for each other and ask each other out. Eventually.

But wait… there’s more!  Under the cut, of course!

Who’s the professor and who’s the TA?

Alibaba’s the professor, Hakuryuu’s the TA.

Alibaba is a brilliant but scatterbrained international economics professor who regularly goes off tangent with stories of “the absolute best muhammara I have ever tasted in this small restaurant in Syria”, soldiers who could carry a tune better than most opera singers he knew, and of course his many romances with people around the world, all embarrassingly failed.

Hakuryuu is the equally brilliant but extremely disgruntled TA who has to keep Alibaba on track.

Much to Hakuryuu’s surprise, Alibaba and his classes remain extremely popular even with his ramblings. He initially suspects that it’s because he’s an easy A, but after the first round of graded essays that resulted in only 1 A and 2 A- in a class of 100, Hakuryuu’s mind is changed.

Alibaba helps Hakuryuu with his doctoral thesis from time to time, and Hakuryuu learns why Alibaba consistently rambles in his classes (and why even though he’s only a year older than Hakuryuu he’s already on the brink of getting tenure): he tells the stories to remind the students that yes, we are dealing with international economies, but there are people, real life human people, at the center of them all.

Hakuryuu and Alibaba fall deeply for each other, but they don’t date until after Hakuryuu finishes his doctorate and becomes a fellow professor.

Then they become rival professors… and hilarity ensures.

Who’s the knight and who’s the prince(ss)?

This can honestly go either way with the two of them, especially since they’re both princes in canon, but I think for the sake of this ask, Alibaba’s the knight and Hakuryuu’s the runaway prince.

Hakuryuu and Alibaba ran from their country once Hakuryuu’s father was violently overthrown, and they end up taking care of each other on the road.

They find their way to Alibaba’s home country, where they recover with the help of Prince Kassim and Princess Mariam (they both love Alibaba as a brother).

Hakuryuu initially clashes with Kassim, but eventually they come to an understanding and an alliance, which helps Hakuryuu retake the throne a few years later.

Alibaba is torn between his love for Hakuryuu and his love for his home country at one point, but that ends up being resolved when the terms of the alliance between their countries are laid out: Hakuryuu and Alibaba are to be wed, and if Kassim finds out that Hakuryuu has hurt Alibaba, war will quite literally ensue.

Alibaba then chides Kassim for being an overprotective king.

Who’s the teacher and who’s the single parent?

Alibaba is the teacher, and Hakuryuu’s the single parent.

Hakuryuu and Morgiana were previously married, but after having their daughter Ymir, they came to the realization that their marriage was more lavender in nature than either of them anticipated. 

Therefore, they divorced on the most amicable of terms, and Hakuryuu gained primary custody of Ymir (Morgiana and her girlfriend Myron happily see Ymir on weekends and holidays).

Alibaba is the drama teacher at Ymir’s high school, and the plays he puts on are… extremely ambitious for the funding they get.

Ymir is a very talented albeit very shy actress, and Alibaba is one of the only people who can bring her out of her shell. The friends she makes in her drama class are the only other ones who see her outside her shell.

Hakuryuu initially doesn’t see the point in her taking drama as an after-school elective when mock UN, mock trial, or any sport at all would get her noticed more quickly by better colleges, but Alibaba angrily insists he sit in on one of their rehearsals.

Hakuryuu is pleasantly surprised to watch an expressive, passionately talented, and most of all happy Ymir rehearsing on the stage.

“You notice it too, don’t you? Your daughter is an excellent actress, and I think she could make it big with the right support.”

Ymir and the students also notice something… a possible spark between the drama teacher and Ymir’s dad…? Cue the fan fiction.

The whole class cheers when after Ymir graduates senior year with a full ride to Tisch School of the Arts, Alibaba and Hakuryuu finally get together.

Who’s the writer and who’s the editor?

Alibaba is the writer, and Hakuryuu is the editor.

Alibaba originally got discovered through his excellent Adventures of Sinbad fan fiction, and Hakuryuu is there to “help him transition from fan fiction writing to original writing”.

“You do realize that I know how to write, right?” “I wouldn’t be here otherwise, Alibaba.”

After tense beginnings, they eventually get comfortable with each other, and they also grow fond of each other.

Hakuryuu helps Alibaba with his world-building and time management, and Alibaba helps Hakuryuu with editing his other projects from time to time… Alibaba’s character work is excellent, after all.

Alibaba’s novels are eventually published to rave reviews, and Hakuryuu is saddened at the prospect of having to let him go… at which point Alibaba immediately asks him out on a date and all is well.

#alihaku #hakuali #this was so much fun to write #but wow that took me a couple hours LOL #these will take quite a while #but send them my way anyway #magi the labyrinth of magic #OMG I just realized... no crossovers this time! #OMG RAPHIDAE CAN ACTUALLY CREATE STORIES WITH NO CROSSOVERS #IT'S A MIRACLE #dodo rambles

[lizziestudieshistory]

Books of 2020 - May

My reading is going insane thanks to the pandemic... I might need to start writing reviews as I finish the books instead of waiting for the end of the month! As usual I haven’t proof read this

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet - Becky Chambers (Wayfarers)

This was a pleasantly enjoyable read for me! I usually don’t like science fiction, particularly heavily science based scifi, because (to be brutally honest) science and space bores me... However, I’d heard SO MANY good things about the characters in this novel that I had to see what the fuss was about. It’s worth the praise! The character work, inclusivity and diversity was wonderful to read. It was a beautiful novel to read and just explore who each member of this misfit crew are as they journey through space.

The sudden apperance of plot in the last 25% ruined the book a little bit, it wasn’t necessary when the rest of the book was all about character exploration. It felt like it was there just to set up the sequel (which I probably won’t read...) The problem I had with the sudden explosion of plot was the book in theme and character centred narrative (not setting or writing) felt more like a 20th century novel than a modern scifi. Everything is about the people on this ship and their found family, and each persons place in their respective societies and cultures. The action right at the end felt out of place and disrupted the love affair I’d had with the rest of the character work from Chambers. Nevertheless, I did really like this novel and would highly recommed it, particularly to people who don’t typically read science fiction.

Words of Radiance (volumes one and two*) - Brandon Sanderson (Stormlight Archive #2)

We all know how I feel about Sanderson and the Stormlight Archive, I don’t think I need to rehash that here. However, this is my least favourite of the three novels out so far - I just really dislike Shallan... (Sorry)

I’d still recommend it but start the series with The Way of Kings!

*I’m still bitter I had to pay for this book twice (it was only available in the split UK edition when I bought it) so I always count this as two books in my book count each year. 

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow - Jessica Townsend (Nevermoor #1)

I ADORED this book! I was skeptical about it because I haven’t read any modern childrens fiction outside of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson since I was a child. However, this book was stunning. It was fun, fast paced romp that captures a similar feeling that Harry Potter did when I was little. Morrigan is a delightful protagonist and the world Townsend created is spectacular!

I don’t want to say too much about it because I went into it pretty blind and I think it was the best way to do it. But if there is one book eveyone should read as a pick me up then this is it! I was blown away by the quality of Townsend’s world building, plot, characters, and writing style - seriously good stuff here!

Witches Abroad - Terry Pratchett (Discworld #12; The Witches #2)

I didn’t love this book as much as I was hoping to and I’m not really sure why? It’s Pratchett’s take on fariytales and he retells several well known fairytales with the typical no nonsense approach we can expect from Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, and Magrat Garlick. I actually really liked the set pieces of the book where Pratchett retold stories like Little Red Riding Hood and The Wizard of Oz, or pulled from iconic imagery such as the dwarves from Snow White and traditional vampires. 

Yet, the main story (pulling from the Snow Queen and Cinderella) fell a bit flat for me. I didn’t really connect with the over arching story, which was disapointing after I’d loved Wyrd Sisters. I don’t really know what happened here - it could have been my mood or the book I’m not sure.

The Hero of Ages - Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn Era One #3)

I cried. Twice. I can’t say much more. Go and read Mistborn if you want to know why!

I do prefer The Stormlight Archive over Mistborn as a whole but the conclusion to this series is incredibly powerful. I have some major bones to pick with the series (Spook’s conclucion made me MAD which was not good as it was the last scene of the book...) but the overall quality of the series is amazing.

I do think the hype around the series ruined my enjoyment a bit - I was spoilt for the conclusion and for the majority of The Final Empire and part of Well of Ascension I was thinking ‘is this it...’ However, it is an outstanding series from modern fantasy. 

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrects - J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter #1&2)

Do I need to talk about Harry Potter? It’s a childhood classic, I grew up with this and no matter how old I get this is going to make me feel like a kid again. I’m  doing a full Potter reread this year to cheer myself up and to remind myself why I loved these books so much after all the crap that’s gone down with Rowling recently.

Towers of Midnight - Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson (Wheel of Time #13)

I really can’t talk about this book in a spoiler free way and if I turned this into a spoiler review this post would be ridiculously long... However, the core of my feelings on this is:

I enjoyed this, Mat’s character still reads in a strange way, and the END IS NIGH.

Read the Wheel of Time!

Defy or Defend - Gail Carriger (Delightfully Deadly #2)

I was eagerly awaiting this book and it did not disappoint. Carriger’s books are always comfort reads for me and now I’m caught up with her series I can read new releases IN REAL TIME which is amazing!

I was eagerly awaiting for Dimity’s book in the Delightfully Deadly series and I fangirled my way through this novel (Dimity was my favourite of the Finishing School girls.) Seeing her makeover a vampire hive, tackle the gothic behaviour of the vampires themselves, while establishing a relationship with Sir Crispin was wonderful. This was everything I had been hoping for from Dimity and Carriger and now I’ll have to wait for the next installment.

Great Expectations - Charles Dickens

I feel like the only person on the planet who didn’t like this book... Dickens is a hit or miss author and his books that I know the plot of through cultural osmosis don’t really work for me. I already knew the major mysteries of the novel (Pip’s benefactor, Miss Havisham’s past, and Estella’s origins) leaving very little for me to sink my teeth into. I do think this would be an excellent entry point if you want to get into Dickens, it just didn’t work for me.

Currently Reading

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K Rowling

I actually finished this book earlier but I technically read it in June so I’ll take about it at the end of the month.

Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow - Jessica Townsend

I’m about 200 pages in and I think I love it more than the first book

A Memory of Light - Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

THE END IS HERE and damn is it intense!

#books of 2020 #bookblr #mini book review #the long way to a small angry planet #becky chambers #Words of Radiance #brandon sanderson #stormlight archive #The Stormlight Archive #the hero of ages #mistborn era 1 #nevermoor: the trials of morrigan crow #nevermoor #jessica townsend #Witches Abroad #terry pratchett #discworld #harry potter #harry potter and the philospher's stone #harry potter and the chamber of secrets #JK Rowling #towers of midnight #robert jordan #wheel of time #WoT #defy or defend #gail carriger #delightfully deadly novellas #great expectations #charles dickens

[mllemaenad]

Wizards in Harry Potter aren't liable to be possessed by literal demons from Hell regardless of their good intentions. Furthermore, non-magical people in Harry Potter also have guns, sniper rifles combat planes, tanks, heat seeking missiles, NUCLEAR BOMBS to equalize the fight if a dark wizard starts thinking that he should rule them. The two settings are completely different. Give these advantages to non-magical people in Thedas and I will agree that the Circles aren't necessary.

Hi Anonymous person!

Look. I’m a little perturbed by what you’ve got there, because you seem awfully willing to cause harm to helpless people on the basis of what they might do. But I’ll do this in chunks.

Wizards in Harry Potter aren’t liable to be possessed by literal demons from Hell regardless of their good intentions.

Well. Neither are mages in Dragon Age, largely because ‘hell’ doesn’t exist. I know that sounds flippant, but it’s important. Andrastianism isn’t Christianity, of course, but it does have a Christian aesthetic – more specifically a Catholic one – and the Chantry operates in a world reminiscent of a time when a pope could dominate kings and start holy wars.

That Christian aesthetic is also applied to spirits. Instead of the ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ we have Enchanter Brahm’s five demons: rage, hunger, sloth, desire and pride. It’s a useful game mechanic, absolutely; you can’t have infinite monster designs in a game, and it helps the player figure out what kind of weapons to employ in any given fight. However, as the story goes on it becomes increasingly clear that the Chantry’s view of spirits and demons is simplistic at best and outright wrong at worst.

Spirits embody something that has become important to them. There are many, many more kinds than the Chantry’s sins and virtues lists would acknowledge. There’s a spirit of Command hanging out in Crestwood in Inquisition who just really wants someone to obey its orders for a while. Solas will talk to you about a spirit who embodies an ideal people have forgotten.

Demons seem to be largely spirits who have suffered in some way. We usually don’t know why. Solas’s friend is an obvious example – a spirit who was inexpertly summoned and trapped by frightened mages. It’s also noteworthy that Merrill talks about her ‘demon’ being bound and left over from war. While of course we can’t know exactly what happened there, we can fucking guess, right?

These are all just beings – people. And they’re all from the same place. Not hell, heaven, purgatory or anything like that. They’re from The Fade, which is their home, the source of magic, and was apparently much closer to the rest of the world before Solas and the Veil.

I’ve noted repeatedly that spirit possession is an important part of several cultures, and is often a positive thing. Possessed mages serve as companion characters (Wynne, Anders) and kick some serious arse in battle, and Justice just wanders around in Awakening wearing a corpse and it’s fine.

Of course, no one is saying that possession can’t go wrong. I’ve played the games, and of course my characters have killed both ‘demons’ and ‘abominations’. But. When you say something like ‘demons from hell’ you’re imposing a particular religious view on the story – one that allows you to simply declare that these people are evil and that it’s fine to kill them. We know that it is possible to liberate a possessed mage, and to heal a spirit who has been corrupted. We have seen both those things. But why bother if they’re evil, right? Just lock them up and kill them if things get tricky.

That view is wholly wrong for the setting of Dragon Age. But it is … pretty well on par with the view the Chantry actually expresses. So when you say ‘demons from hell’ I actually think that’s an excellent reason why the Circles should be abolished, because it’s imposing ideas on this situation that are wrong, unhelpful and cruel.

Also. I mean. Also. Yes, I have fought possessed mages in Dragon Age. I have also fought possessed templars. Possessed trees. Possessed bones. Possessed rocks.

If you feel we need to lock up everything that can get possessed, you’re going to have to start with all the people and then move on to all the plants and inanimate objects. If all things can be possessed, then all things need to be locked up. And if all things are inside the prison, couldn’t we just … not have one?

Furthermore, non-magical people in Harry Potter also have guns, sniper rifles combat planes, tanks, heat seeking missiles, NUCLEAR BOMBS to equalize the fight if a dark wizard starts thinking that he should rule them.

Um. Sorry Anonymous person but … what? Have you … read those books? Now, granted I haven’t read them in a while but I have read them. And … I have no idea what you’re talking about.

‘Muggles’ in Harry Potter are usually comic relief, and even the ones that aren’t simple buffoons are depicted as largely helpless against magical attacks of any kind. The British government shows up just long enough to express a heartfelt ‘What the actual fuck?’ at the war with Voldemort before promptly vanishing from the plot again.

All of this … stuff about conventional weapons you’ve introduced has come from your imagination. It’s not how the relationship between Muggles and wizards is portrayed in the novels at all.

In fact, conceptually, I would say that the wizards of Harry Potter are much scarier than the mages of Dragon Age. Tevinter had an empire in Dragon Age, and because they value magic the magisters undoubtedly used it in the fight to obtain that empire. But they were taken down by famine and Blight, and finished off by war. In the series’ ‘present day’ Orlais has achieved the exact same thing as Tevinter with significantly less magic (not no magic, of course, since they will drag their imprisoned mages into battle), and there’s no sense that Tevinter can just zap its way back into power. They are constrained by economics, geography and politics just like everyone else. Magic is useful, but only up to a point.

Now … in Harry Potter, there’s a pretty strong sense that wizards could just take over the planet any time they felt like it. In fact, the back story contains one Grindelwald, who actually did want to take over the world and enslave Muggles. This was not a war between Muggles (who are not supposed to have been able to prevent this) and wizards, but rather an internal schism in the wizarding community. Gindelwald was not defeated by NUCLEAR BOMBS (And seriously – what the hell, is your plan to defeat wizards ‘flatten Scotland’? because that’s what would happen if you tried to bomb Hogwarts. You want to take out Diagon Alley? Congratulations, you just blew up London.), but rather in an old style man-to-man duel with another wizard. In a castle. They were ex-lovers. I’m assuming it was on the ramparts, it was raining and everyone was screaming like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker in Revenge of the Sith.

I haven’t kept up with it, but I am peripherally aware that J K Rowling has said … increasingly weird things over the years, and I’m not attempting to defend any of that. But there was a general … theme in the novels that … most people probably aren’t fascists, and when the fascists come from within it is the community that must take them down. So Muggles are not given much power or agency at all.

This had nothing to do with heat-seeking missiles. Just … what?

Meanwhile, over in Dragon Age the Chantry talks a lot about mages having advantages in battle, but in practice that’s not what we actually see. For a start, non-mages have plenty of weapons that work just fine against magical enemies - swords, spears, arrows, axes. Nobody in Thedas has NUCLEAR BOMBS, mage or not. It’s not setting appropriate. Anders may have been a mage, but he had to rely on explosive material (likely gunpowder) to actually get a significant bang.

Non-mages may also wield enchanted weapons, meaning that they can literally take magic into battle with them. The mage over there is shooting lightning from her fingers? Your sword shoots fireballs. What the hell are you complaining about?

Nor does simply having a weapon in your hand mean that you know how to use it. I don’t know how to use a gun. Someone could give me one, in a crisis, I suppose. But it would only be luck that allowed me to incapacitate an assailant, and I certainly couldn’t fight several. Most ‘ordinary’ people in Thedas won’t have much in the way of weaponry. But likewise, neither will mages. They have magic, but that isn’t the same thing.

How many dead bodies do you need to prove this? The mage who was apparently murdered by villagers in Crestwood, when she went in to try to help them. The mages cut down by the Qunari swords in The Demands of the Qun. The villagers who were going to fucking lynch Rhys and his friends in Asunder.

It feels like you’ve made up a story about how magic works in both of these series that isn’t true to either of them.

Give these advantages to non-magical people in Thedas and I will agree that the Circles aren’t necessary.

So … to be clear, you’re arguing for:

the abduction of and permanent separation of children from their parents

forced conversion to a religion and the suppression of alternative religious beliefs

deprivation of citizenship and the basic rights that come with that

reducing people to a permanent infantile status as wards of a religious institution

permanent surveillance of affected individuals (phylacteries)

execution without trial where deemed appropriate by religious authorities

… because people might get possessed and can sometimes make fire come out of their hands? Well. Okay then. Good to know.

#dragon age #chantry critical #Anonymous

[new2677867things]

Adam Hochschild Says Books Can Change the World. He Has Proof.

(When you need something great to read, ask a bard.  As The New York Times Book Review found recently, this certainly holds true with regard to Adam Hochschild, the author of wonderful nonfiction works including King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa (1998, 2006), a history of the brutal conquest of the Congo by Belgian King Leopold II, and Bury the Chains: Prophets and Rebels in the Fight to Free an Empire's Slaves (2005) about the antislavery movement in the British Empire.)

Adam Hochschild Says Books Can Change the World. He Has Proof.

The historian, whose new book is the Rose Pastor Stokes biography “Rebel Cinderella,” treasures his first-edition copy of “The Jungle,” by Upton Sinclair: “This one gave us our pure food and drug laws.”

The New York Times Book Review

March 12, 2020

  BOOK REVIEW:  What’s the last great book you read?

HOCHSCHILD:  Joseph Roth’s “The Radetzky March,” for the second time. Such a multilayered portrait of the vast, creaky, fragile Austro-Hungarian Empire on the eve of collapse. All those ethnic and class tensions simmering under the surface while shiny-booted hussars parade through sunlit streets.

BOOK REVIEW:  Are there any classics that you only recently read for the first time?

HOCHSCHILD:  Kafka’s “The Trial.” He fully foresaw Stalin’s show trials 20 years before they happened. Somehow he sensed the potential for such madness in the war-crazed Europe of 1914 and 1915 — and in the life of his tyrannical, guilt-inducing father.

BOOK REVIEW:   What’s your favorite book no one else has heard of?

HOCHSCHILD:  “The Gypsies,” by Jan Yoors. As a 12-year-old boy in Europe in the early 1930s, he ran away with a band of Gypsies, lived with them on and off for 10 years, and, decades later, wrote this luminous memoir.

BOOK REVIEW:   What book should everybody read before the age of 21?

“The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” for its sense of justice as something deeper than the law. Although Huck believes he’ll be doomed to hell for doing so, he still decides to help Jim, Miss Watson’s lawful property, escape from slavery. I tear up when reading that part aloud to my grandchildren.

HOCHSCHILD:  Whom do you consider the best writers (novelists, essayists, biographers, journalists, poets) working today?

Ben Fountain’s novel, “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk,” dazzled me with its evocation of the madness of the Iraq war, all seen through the prism of the halftime show at a Dallas Cowboys game. I’ll read anything he writes. One of the few nonfiction writers I’d say that about is Katherine Boo.

BOOK REVIEW:  Which books by contemporary historians — both academic and amateur — do you most admire?

HOCHSCHILD:  Two historians in the academy who write splendidly are Jill Lepore and Simon Schama. But since I never went to graduate school, I also appreciate others who practice history without a license. Richard M. Watt, author of an excellent book on the French Army mutinies of World War I, was a construction company executive. The peerless Barbara Tuchman had no advanced degree or university post. And the former book and newspaper editor Claire Tomalin is the finest historical and literary biographer alive.

BOOK REVIEW:   What do you read when you’re working on a book? And what kind of reading do you avoid while writing?

HOCHSCHILD:  Since I mostly write history, I have to wade through a lot of raw material. Currently that includes informers’ reports to the Bureau of Investigation (predecessor of the F.B.I.) during the Red Scare of 1917-20. I also have to read a lot of scholarly monographs. Since the prose of neither undercover agents nor academics has much sparkle or suspense, when I’ve finished work for the day I’m hungry for something that picks me up and carries me along, like one of Ben Macintyre’s real-life World War II or Cold War spy tales.

BOOK REVIEW:   What’s the most interesting thing you learned from a book recently?

HOCHSCHILD:  In the harsh crackdown on dissent kicked off by American entry into World War I, some 75 newspapers and magazines had entire issues banned or were shut down completely. And this sweeping censorship continued for more than two years after the war ended. Imagine which later president would relish just such powers.

BOOK REVIEW:   Which genres do you especially enjoy reading? And which do you avoid?

HOCHSCHILD:  I admire novelists who can build a whole world and keep me in it for several books. My favorites: Paul Scott’s magnificent Raj Quartet on the last days of British India; Pat Barker’s trilogy on World War I; Doris Lessing’s Martha Quest quintet. Elena Ferrante’s four Neapolitan novels may also rank with these; I need to let them sit a little more since finishing them to be sure.

A superb nonfiction trilogy is Patrick Leigh Fermor’s stunning account of walking from Holland to Istanbul in 1933. A zestful 18-year-old’s experience told, thanks in part to his lifelong writing block, with the dazzling style of a far older man. The last volume was still unfinished when he died in his 90s.

BOOK REVIEW:   How do you organize your books?

HOCHSCHILD:  Fiction, nonfiction and then sections for the various subjects I’ve written about. Plus a vast “To Read” set of shelves where some volumes, alas, have sat waiting for decades.

BOOK REVIEW:   What book might people be surprised to find on your shelves?

HOCHSCHILD:  I was an antiwar activist in the 1960s, and have written, in parts of two books, about the brave pacifists of 1914-18. But my shelves hold many volumes of military history, and of Patrick O’Brian’s Napoleonic War maritime novels. And every single volume of stories by John Updike. I have mixed feelings about his novels, but he was our finest writer of short stories since Hemingway. I can easily forgive him for being a Vietnam War hawk.

BOOK REVIEW:   What’s the best book you’ve ever received as a gift?

HOCHSCHILD:  A first edition of Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle.” Who says books can’t change the world? This one gave us our pure food and drug laws.

BOOK REVIEW:   Who is your favorite fictional hero or heroine? Your favorite antihero or villain?

I’ll let others pick the good folks; I enjoy villains more. Take, for instance, Robert Moses of “The Power Broker,” the devastating biography by Robert Caro. Perhaps you have to be a native New Yorker like me to read all 1,344 pages of this searing demolition job on the man who laced a great city with ugly expressways and had nothing but contempt for people too poor to own a car. But the book is an extraordinary achievement that should shame the hundreds of reporters and editorial writers who naïvely glorified Moses over the decades.

BOOK REVIEW:   What kind of reader were you as a child? Which childhood books and authors stick with you most?

My favorites were the “Freddy the Pig” series of Walter R. Brooks. Heroic detective, pilot, poet, magician and victor over all bullies and humbugs, animal or human, Freddy remains a model to us all. And in his First Animal Republic it was one animal, one vote — a great improvement over our Electoral College.

BOOK REVIEW:   How have your reading tastes changed over time?

Not enough, perhaps. Although I have moved on from Freddy the Pig.

BOOK REVIEW:   What book would you recommend for America’s current political moment?

Trollope’s “The Way We Live Now,” the story of a financial con man who goes into politics.

BOOK REVIEW:   You’re organizing a literary dinner party. Which three writers, dead or alive, do you invite?

HOCHSCHILD:  E.L. Doctorow, a friend and mentor whose encouragement early in my writing life meant more than he could have imagined. George Orwell, to make sense of an era that seems to be following the script of “1984.” And Ryszard Kapuscinski, who specialized in writing about demagogues even before we had a world awash in them.

BOOK REVIEW:   Whom would you want to write your life story?

HOCHSCHILD:  I already wrote much of it in “Half the Way Home: A Memoir of Father and Son.”

= = = = = 

  Check out this episode!

[december2020excelcalendar-blog]

December 2020 Calendar In Excel Template

December is the latest month of a schedule year for both Gregorien and Julian schedules. December has 30 days and is well known for the idea of New Year and Christmas on the planet. New Year is a social occasion where the finish of a year and the beginning of another year are praised. It is praised by societies with a yearly schedule. In numerous nations around the globe, Christians are getting ready to observe Christmas on the night that associates December 24 to 25. Christmas is the gala of the customary festival of Jesus' introduction to the world, which Christians consider as the "Christ the Redeemer". Some Eastern Orthodox individuals, for example, the Armenian Church, observe Christmas on January 6, which falls on December 25 in the Julian schedule. The premise of Christmas is the Yule and Saturnalia celebrations, agnostic and Roman winter celebrations that have been commended since old occasions. During the Roman Empire, Christians started to praise agnostic occasions as a strict occasion so as to make it simpler for nearby individuals to embrace this religion. 

Truth be told, the date of birth of the Prophet Jesus in strict and recorded sources isn't known precisely. Today, Christmas has become an all inclusive occasion, celebrated by non-Christians, without strict merits, and focusing around the trading of presents. One of the most noticeable images of this change is the figure of Santa Claus. December is the principal month of winter season in the northern side of the equator and is the primary month of summer season for the southern half of the globe of the world. In the event that you are searching for a printable December 2020 schedule, you are on the correct page. You will discover a ton of printable December 2020 schedule formats which are intended for December 2022 particularly. It will be anything but difficult to download your schedule layout as PDF or JPG organization to your PC or PDA. Subsequent to downloading, you can include your arrangements and works which are identified with your business , family or instruction plans to the schedule layout. In the wake of finishing your including procedure, your printable December 2020 schedule format will be prepared to print. Worldwide Day of Persons with Disabilities and World Human Rights Day are two of the most significant long periods of December 2020. The International Day of Persons with Disabilities, December 3, was embraced by the United Nations in 1992 as a worldwide day. 

It means to advance the rights and welfare of individuals with handicaps in every aspect of society, and to bring issues to light in every aspect of political, social, financial and social life in regards to the circumstance of individuals with incapacities. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, received in 2006, which is a result of the UN's long-standing work in the field of inability, intends to improve the rights and welfare of individuals with incapacities and to advance the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, just as the Sendai Disaster Risk Mitigation Framework, Contributed to the usage of other global improvement duties, for example, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on New Urban Agenda and Financing for Development. On ther other hand, World Human Rights Day (December 10) is commended by a great deal of nations of the world. Human Rights Day is praised each year on December 10, the day the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was received by the UN General Assembly in 1948. The Declaration, arranged by delegates of different lawful and social foundations from various pieces of the world, sets a typical standard of progress for all people groups and all countries with all inclusive qualities. 

It esteems the human poise of each individual similarly. On account of the Declaration and the State's duty to standards, the human nobility of a great many individuals was perceived and the establishments of an all the more simply world were laid. The way that it depends on the trial of time, in spite of the fact that not yet completely satisfied, is proof of the enduring all inclusiveness of life span esteems with balance, equity and human nobility. On the off chance that you need to download December 2020 schedule, picking a schedule format will be sufficient which are intended for December 2020. In the wake of picking your schedule layout, you can download it as PDF or JPG arrangement and you can include your arrangements or works about your business, family or training purposes. At last, pick your unique schedule for your exceptional needs and prerequisites and download them effectively for your arrangements.

[theonyxpath]

Tomorrow, Tuesday the 5th, at 2pm EST, we start the Kickstarter campaign for Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition! This is significant, at least to me, because Mummy: The Curse was the first Chronicles of Darkness (still New World of Darkness, then) new line we Kickstarted. We had a blast doing that back in the wild and woolly days that seem pretty long ago, and it is so amazing to be able to now present to everyone the 2nd Edition.

In fact, Mummy: The Curse was already being worked on before Onyx Path was formed, during the time that Eddy and I were creating more TTRPG projects for CCP after the success of Vampire 20th. So we’ve got a long association with the line and the concepts presented within it.

Certainly, a lot has changed with Onyx Path, the way we do Kickstarters, and with how the 2nd Editions have tightened up all of the CofD game lines. Both the systems and the setting have benefited from the years of play and thought that came after their initial releases.

M20 Book of the Fallen art by Sam Denmark

So, is this your Mummy? A fair question if your a fan of 1st Edition, and also if you weren’t sold on Mummy: The Curse the first time around. Here are a whole collection of answers to that very question by Impish Ian Watson and Matthew “The Gentleman Gamer” Dawkins, the game’s developer:

– There was a pre-Egyptian culture that spanned a large part of the world (just how big isn’t mentioned, but I think of it like Alexander the Great’s territory, or perhaps the Roman Empire). It was the first such empire in human history. It had no name, and thus is called the Nameless Empire. The center of the Empire, its Rome, was the City of Irem. – Irem was run by a collection of sorcerer-priests who wanted to turn themselves into gods of the underworld, and so they chose a number of servants to convert into Arisen in order to serve them. The gods need Sekhem, their particular flavour of spiritual juice, and they need you to provide it — mostly by retrieving Iremite artifacts and bringing them back to the underworld. – Mummies could have come from anywhere in the Empire, and their cults may have moved them from place-to-place for security or to follow an Iremite artifact. The Arisen quickly adapt to new cultures and languages when they wake up, so it’s possible to be “from” practically anywhere, even if the origin of their undead state is Irem. – Mummies are sort of anti-vampires: where vampires spend most of their time awake with shorter periods of torpor, mummies spend most of their time dead with brief periods of wakefulness. Where vampires start off weak and get stronger over time, mummies wake up at the peak of their power and slowly dwindle as their period of activity comes to an end. – If you’ve seen the Brendan Frasier Mummy movies, it’s something like that: you wake up, practically a corpse, running on instinct, but immensely powerful. As time goes on, your memory returns, life returns to your body until you appear human, and your power dwindles. – You typically wake up for one of three reasons: your cult wakes you up for a specific purpose (say, to choose a new leader from a list of candidates), because you sense the Sekhem in a nearby artifact, or because a Sothic Turn has passed since your creation. A Sothic Turn is a 1,461-year period of the star Sothis (Sirius). In the former two cases, you typically “die” again as soon as your task is finished. In the latter case, you may be up and active for years at a time. – Interestingly, you experience your periods of activity non-linearly. You might wake up in 2012, and then later wake up in 910 BCE, lamenting the lack of effective modern transport or communications.

– If you enjoyed the immortals from World of Darkness: Immortals, you’ll be happy to find yourself reunited with Blood Bathers, Body Thieves, Eternals, and more, in Mummy 2e, as they act both as antagonists and as potential allies and cultists. – There are essentially three tiers to your character’s creation, allowing for a lot of character variety: your guild, your decree, and your Judge (being like an alien deific entity). – In this edition, we provide tools for your journey and trials through Duat, the Land of the Dead, so the game doesn’t end when you sleep. You can even bring others with you on your journey. – Sekhem Sorcerers are presented in this book, expanding on how they appeared in Dark Eras Companion. Again, they might act as antagonists or followers, depending on the group of sorcerers. – Mummies are not bound to a set appearance or body, and are able to plant their “pillars” in cultists, only to take over their body as their own one receives harm. Therefore, your mummy can theoretically demonstrate any ethnic, cultural, and biological background. – I’d describe Mummy as the Chronicles of Darkness game best-suited to Dark Eras play, due to its non-linear setup. Even if you don’t want to use the characters or splats presented in a given era from Dark Eras, Dark Eras Companion, or Dark Eras 2, each book presents a host of settings and events with which your mummies can interact.

There you have it, from some fellas that know the material!

Trinity Continuum: Aeon Ready Made Characters art by Aaron Riley

A couple more notes about the Mummy: The Curse 2e Kickstarter itself: First, like most of our KSs, this is just a reminder that if you want to see for yourself how 2nd Edition has come together, backers will be getting sneak previews of the completed text all throughout the KS campaign. So you’ll be able to judge if it’s working for you before we hit the end – unlike during the 1st Edition Mummy KS.

Second, another reminder that the Mummy 2nd KS is going to be run on our Onyx Path Kickstarter account, not the RichT account that 1st Edition was run on. So keep an eye out for that, and see you at the Kickstarter!

Now, onto a different topic for a second. Last weekend, a whole bunch of Onyx Path creators descended onto Game Hole Con in Madison, Wisconsin. Unfortunately, their fearless leader, Mighty Matt McElroy was laid low by a bug right before the con – yet Monica Valentinelli, Bill Bodden, Crystal Mazur, Travis Legge, and a bunch of other folks, helped out and pitched in to cover booth time and demo-games.

A huge thank you to all you folks for coming to the aid of Matt and Onyx Path!

They Came From Beneath the Sea! art by Brian LeBlanc

They had six games of Realms of Pugmire games, as well as six Scarred Lands games, scheduled at the con, and also a bunch of pick-up games were also played. In fact, some of the adventures that were played there were actually play-tests of projects that are soon to show up on both game lines’ respective community content sites.

To be fair, non-stealth play-tests were also played. Specifically for Legendlore, our next upcoming 5e fantasy game, and all reports sound like the players had a fantastic time. Sounds like everybody really loved the main idea of playing yourself transported to the world of the Realm, and that’s just what we want to hear!

The Legendlore players also had tons of questions about the world and the rules, which we really appreciated hearing. Not only is that a great sign when folks want to hear more, but just scanning through the questions it seemed to me that most were actually already answered in the full text of the book (which the play-testers didn’t have). Which is a gratifying nod for developer Steffie de Vaan and her team, and how they set up the info in the book.

You never know if you’re not only playing a great game session, but also helping one of our creators, when you sit down to play one of our games at a con. You never know when you’ll be one of the folks giving early feedback so we can create our:

Many Worlds, One Path!

BLURBS!

Kickstarter!

The Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition Kickstarter arises tomorrow, Tuesday, Nov 5th, at 2pm Eastern US time. Be there to witness the majesty and terror of this new version of Mummy: The Curse!

Onyx Path Media!

This Friday’s Onyx Pathcast features the return of Meghan Fitzgerald in a no-holds-barred, drag-out, steel-cage match interview with one of our busiest writer/developers!

It’s a Mummy: The Curse themed week!

To start, we have an interview with Matthew Dawkins by the Story Told Podcast, where you’re likely to discover lots of revelations relating to Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition: http://thestorytold.libsyn.com/website/mummy-2nd-edition-with-matthew-dawkins

Excitingly, we also have the first episode of Red Moon Roleplaying‘s actual play of Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition right here! Please check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJiyP2UzLSc

As ever, we have a ton of excellent content on our Twitch channel, including games of Changeling, Aberrant, Scarred Lands, Vampire, Pugmire, and more! Please give us a look and a follow over on www.twitch.tv/theonyxpath

It really helps us to have subscribers on our Twitch channel, and you can do so for free and catch premieres as they go up if you have an Amazon Prime account. Just type Twitch Amazon Prime into Google and you’ll be shown how to subscribe for free.

Do you follow us on YouTube? Well, if you haven’t subscribed to us on Twitch, do not despair, as a couple of weeks after each episode on Twitch we transfer the videos over to YouTube right here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzN5jRB35OvnC-6gxnRY4gQ We already have episodes of Aberrant and Changeling up, with more to come!

Meanwhile, our fans keep creating excellent content, not limited to:

We’re not going to forget the ever-popular Occultists Anonymous Mage: The Awakening 2nd Edition series, which continues right here:

Episode 56: Bad To The Bone Songbird has called Celestial Fire to burn the body of Supay, just as Atratus felt like she was making in-roads with the Judge! Wyrd the Seer has slowed down Supay, but is it enough? https://youtu.be/inPtPBPaNCA

Episode 57: Now & Again Atratus takes a dive into dark uncharted waters, metaphorically and metaphysically speaking. Songbird contemplates terrible things, while Wyrd stands guard… https://youtu.be/RBurUUf1kj4

Drop Matthew a message via the contact button on matthewdawkins.com if you have actual plays, reviews, or game overviews you want us to profile on the blog!

Please check any of these out and let us know if you find or produce any actual plays of our games!

Electronic Gaming!

As we find ways to enable our community to more easily play our games, the Onyx Dice Rolling App is live! Our dev team has been doing updates since we launched based on the excellent use-case comments by our community, and this thing is awesome! (Seriously, you need to roll 100 dice for Exalted? This app has you covered.)

On Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

You can now read our fiction from the comfort and convenience of your Kindle (from Amazon) and Nook (from Barnes & Noble).

If you enjoy these or any other of our books, please help us by writing reviews on the site of the sales venue from which you bought it. Reviews really, really help us get folks interested in our amazing fiction!

Our selection includes these latest fiction books:

Our Sales Partners!

We’re working with Studio2 to get Pugmire and Monarchies of Mau out into stores, as well as to individuals through their online store. You can pick up the traditionally printed main book, the screen, and the official Pugmire dice through our friends there! https://studio2publishing.com/search?q=pugmire

We’ve added Prince’s Gambit to our Studio2 catalog: https://studio2publishing.com/products/prince-s-gambit-card-game

Now, we’ve added Changeling: The Lost 2nd Edition products to Studio2‘s store! See them here: https://studio2publishing.com/collections/all-products/changeling-the-lost

Scarred Lands (Pathfinder) books are also on sale at Studio2, and they have the 5e version, supplements, and dice as well!: https://studio2publishing.com/collections/scarred-lands

Scion 2e books and other products are available now at Studio2: https://studio2publishing.com/blogs/new-releases/scion-second-edition-book-one-origin-now-available-at-your-local-retailer-or-online

Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books? Try this link! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Onyx-Path-Publishing/

And you can order Pugmire, Monarchies of Mau, Cavaliers of Mars, and Changeling: The Lost 2e at the same link! And NOW Scion Origin and Scion Hero are available to order!

As always, you can find most of Onyx Path’s titles at DriveThruRPG.com!

On Sale This Week!

This Wednesday, the W20 Art of Werewolf: The Apocalypse PDF and physical book PoD versions will go live on DTRPG!

In addition, for the first time, we will be activating a PoD version of a Community Content book! In this case, it is Pugmire‘s Canis Minor project: Morty Corgi’s Scroll of Mysteries!

Conventions!

PAX Unplugged: December 6th – 8th, in Philadelphia, PA. 2020: Midwinter: January 9th – 12th, in Milwaukee, WI.

And now, the new project status updates!

DEVELOPMENT STATUS FROM EDDY WEBB (projects in bold have changed status since last week):

First Draft (The first phase of a project that is about the work being done by writers, not dev prep)

Exalted Essay Collection (Exalted)

Exigents (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Many-Faced Strangers – Lunars Companion (Exalted 3rd Edition)

N!ternational Wrestling Entertainment (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Creating in the Realms of Pugmire (Realms of Pugmire)

Contagion Chronicle Ready-Made Characters (Chronicles of Darkness)

Trinity Continuum: Adventure! core (Trinity Continuum: Adventure!)

Redlines

Kith and Kin (Changeling: The Lost 2e)

Crucible of Legends (Exalted 3rd Edition)

M20 Victorian Mage (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Dragon-Blooded Novella #2 (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Contagion Chronicle Jumpstart (Chronicles of Darkness)

Second Draft

Across the Eight Directions (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Wraith20 Fiction Anthology (Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition)

Contagion Chronicle: Global Outbreaks (Chronicles of Darkness)

Player’s Guide to the Contagion Chronicle (Chronicles of Darkness)

Tales of Aquatic Terror (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

Development

Heirs to the Shogunate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

TC: Aberrant Reference Screen (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Titanomachy (Scion 2nd Edition)

Trinity Continuum Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum Core)

Monsters of the Deep (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

One Foot in the Grave Jumpstart (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2e)

Lunars Novella (Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Scion: Demigod (Scion 2nd Edition)

Manuscript Approval

Scion: Dragon (Scion 2nd Edition)

Terra Firma (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Masks of the Mythos (Scion 2nd Edition)

Post-Approval Development

Deviant: The Renegades (Deviant: The Renegades)

Scion LARP Rules (Scion)

Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition core rulebook (Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition)

Editing

Lunars: Fangs at the Gate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Hunter: The Vigil 2e core (Hunter: The Vigil 2nd Edition)

Let the Streets Run Red (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Geist 2e Fiction Anthology (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition)

Dragon-Blooded Novella #1 (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Scion Companion: Mysteries of the World (Scion 2nd Edition)

Cults of the Blood Gods (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Legendlore core book (Legendlore)

WoD Ghost Hunters (World of Darkness)

Mythical Denizens (Creatures of the World Bestiary) (Scion 2nd Edition)

Vigil Watch (Scarred Lands)

Pirates of Pugmire KS-Added Adventure (Realms of Pugmire)

M20 The Technocracy Reloaded (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Yugman’s Guide to Ghelspad (Scarred Lands)

Trinity Continuum: Aberrant core (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Post-Editing Development

Chicago Folio/Dossier (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

TC: Aeon Ready-Made Characters (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Night Horrors: Nameless and Accursed (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)

City of the Towered Tombs (Cavaliers of Mars)

Oak, Ash, and Thorn: Changeling: The Lost 2nd Companion (Changeling: The Lost 2nd)

W20 Shattered Dreams Gift Cards (Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th)

TC: Aeon Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Tales of Good Dogs – Pugmire Fiction Anthology (Pugmire)

Indexing

ART DIRECTION FROM MIKE CHANEY!

In Art Direction

Contagion Chronicle – Sent out contracts.

Trinity Continuum: Aberrant

Hunter: The Vigil 2e

Ex3 Lunars – Contracted.

TCfBtS!: Heroic Land Dwellers

Night Horrors: Nameless and Accursed

Ex3 Monthly Stuff

Cults of the Blood God (KS)

Chicago Folio – Finals rolling in.

Mummy 2 (KS) – Ready to roll.

City of the Towered Tombs – Contracted.

Let the Streets Run Red – Figuring out probable page count.

CtL Oak Ash and Thorn – Awaiting artnotes.

Scion Mythical Denizens – Contracted.

Deviant

Yugman’s Guide to Ghelspad

Vigil Watch

In Layout

They Came from Beneath the Sea! – Knocking through chapters.

Trinity Continuum Aeon: Distant Worlds

VtR Spilled Blood

Pirates of Pugmire

Proofing

Memento Mori

Dark Eras 2 – Adding my comments to first dev pass.

Trinity Continuum Aeon Jumpstart

Trinity RMCs

Geist 2e Screen – At WW for final approval.

At Press

Trinity: In Media Res – PoD proofs coming.

V5: Chicago – Printing.

Aeon Aexpansion – PoD proofs ordered.

W20 Art Book – On sale Wednesday on DTRPG.com.

W20 Auspice Gift Cards deck – PoD proofs ordered.

Geist 2e (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition) – Getting print files ready.

DR:E – Getting print files ready.

DRE Screen – Getting print files prepped.

C20 Cup of Dreams – Proof PoD ordered.

DR:E Threat Guide – Helnau’s Guide to Wasteland Beasties – errata gathering.

M20 Book of the Fallen – Backer PDF going out this week.

Today’s Reason to Celebrate!

Yesterday was the birthday of Jeremy Brett, born Peter Jeremy William Huggins, and he would have been 86 years old this year. And while I am no expert on the character, like my friend Eddy Webb is, Brett was, in my opinion, the greatest portrayer of Sherlock Holmes ever. From his bio: “Brett was obsessed with bringing more passion to the role of Holmes. He introduced Holmes’ rather eccentric hand gestures and short violent laughter. He would hurl himself on the ground just to look for a footprint, he would leap over the furniture or jump onto the parapet of a bridge with no regard for his personal safety.” I can’t to this day read the stories without hearing his voice as the voice of Holmes.

#Onyx Path Publishing

[airspeedprime]

R U going to do a written review on goodreads, if so could you link your profile, would like to read it.

I just did a brief written review through edelweiss, I don’t know if they make them visible, in that I think it was submitting them to the publisher I got the review copy from.

I don’t really enjoy writing written reviews since they are so time consuming and I feel I can get more across through a video/podcast.

Here are the copy and pastes of them in case anyone does want my brief written review thoughts. Keep in mine I purposely did not write as much as I used to for the site when I did written reviews, since most of the early reviews I have seen elsewhere were usually VERY short, I wanted to be detailed, but not write a ton.

Imbalance Part 2 - 8/10

Imbalance Part 2 is definitely an improvement over Part 1, it adds depth to the main bender vs non-bender conflict while also featuring many fun character moments as well as some strong set up moments for the finale in Part 3.

Like Imbalance part 1 it again is a book where there is really nothing to point out as a clear negative, it is a very, very solid book on all counts. It does unfortunately also lack in notable moments, there are only a few truly discussion worthy scenes from this book and the series in general is now 2/3rds of the way through.

We get the return of Suki to the comics after she was oddly not featured in North and South. This makes for a nice moment since she is a fan favourite character and everyone has been waiting for her to team up with Team Avatar again since she is a member. They don’t focus on her a lot once she arrives, but it is always nice to have her around again especially to get some nice relationship moments between her and Sokka.

The main big moment that I am sure will get people talking is a spoiler, and it happens right at the end. I won’t say much, beyond that I think it is a very effective cliffhanger ending that is sure to be a huge plot point in Part 3.

Of the other characters Toph is the one who gets the most spotlight as she seems to start her transition into Chief of Police Toph. She is invested in the plot since her father’s factory was targeted and she is out to find who did it and is of course the perfect one to make it happen with her seismic sense able to sense if people are lying. You can tell that writer Faith Erin Hicks had a lot of fun writing Toph here as there are so many moments that feel like they would fit perfectly in an episode of the animated series.

Surprisingly most of the other main characters don’t get much focus in terms of set up for any sort of character arc, they are all present and helping out with the investigation, but only Toph feels like there is an arc in place that will lead to something going forward, minus the big reveal at the end I mentioned earlier on where Part 3 is sure to bring more characters into focus.

The new characters for this series, our villains Liling, Ru and Yaling do get to shine a bit more here than in part 1 and remain interesting villains even if I still feel we are waiting for their true motivations to be revealed. Again this places a lot of importance on part 3 to finish off this trilogy well, I just hope they have not put too much on the shoulders of part 3 when some reveals could have happened here in part 2, especially when it is not the most eventful book.

So in conclusion while Imbalance suffers a bit due to its plot mainly being there to set up stuff in Korra way down the road, meaning the stakes can only be so high here knowing that bender/non-bender tensions remain a thing all the way up to Korra’s time. Despite this the book still manages to be very high quality in terms of character writing and art, it is definitely an enjoyable read, just let down a bit by not feeling as important as previous books have been and knowing that there is the potential within these comics to tell some very important stories. Myself and many other fans are eagerly awaiting the focus to shift back to Azula who has been a standout character in previous comics.

Despite some misgivings, I still highly recommend any avatar fan to check out this comic since I am sure the steady set up from part and and part 2 here will allow Part 3 to finish Imbalance with a bang.

Ruins of the Empire Part 1 - 9/10

In short this is the Korra comic fans have been waiting for. After “Turf Wars” which was fine, but lacking in many notable moments, “Ruins of the Empire” part 1 was an incredibly enjoyable read. The main thing that stood out to me is that the simple focus of this story on Kuvira instantly adds double the interest and intrigue, she is the star of the show here in a similar way to the Ursa focus from “The Search”, that book has gone down as the most popular Avatar comic and from part 1 “Ruins of the Empire” looks set to immediately jump to the top of the list of Korra comics.

With Kuvira every time she is on a page she draws your attention, what is she thinking? what are her goals? and so many other questions. Part 1 sets up some ideas and gets the reader thinking about how she has changed and the details of her past, in that sense it accomplishes everything the first of 3 books has to do. I am so excited for part 2 and 3 because of the potential for amazing character development.

Commander Guan and Dr Sheng are set up as our villains with Guan taking over what remains of the Earth Empire that Kuvira had ordered to surrender back in Book 4 Balance. The reaction to Guan taking over is what brings Kuvira into the story in a big way beyond just her trial. He seems like a solid antagonist who is clever and won’t be able to be defeated with just some powerful bending. It is early days with it only being part 1, but I think we have a solid villain in play here, he is far more interesting that Tokuga from Turf Wars.

Another improvement over Turf Wars is how many of the other characters are used. Korra and Asami got the spotlight there with very little time for the likes of Mako and Bolin. Ruins of the Empire brings Team Avatar back together, meaning we get a lot of interaction between our main cast in addition to Wu and Zhu Li playing important roles with the Earth Kingdom elections quickly approaching.

Michelle Wong comes in as the new artist replacing Irene Koh who did Turf Wars. Like many have already said, her art is incredible, it feels like the show while still having an identity of its own. Consistent and nice looking, everything you want from comics art.

In conclusion this book is an excellent start to this comic trilogy. It has a great combination of elements that is going to excite many Korra fans, the focus on Kuvira, the earth kingdom elections, incredible art and strong character writing. This is the best Avatar/Korra comic since the end of Smoke and Shadow.

[obirains-archive]

14 and 24 for the book asks because I live for the dramaaaaaa 🤪

Hi Nat >:) am i the drama?? i don't think im the drama--

14. What books do you want to finish before the year is over?

Oof I have at least 30 books on my 2022 list, so I'll just give the Jan-March section: Anna Karenina, The Making of Biblical Womanhood, Jesus and John Wayne, the Trial, A Grief Observed, the Eclogues of Virgil, The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun, and (rereading) The Fellowship of the Ring.

24. Did you DNF anything? Why?

Two off the top of my head. Catch Me If You Can by Frank Abagnale Jr was the first one; I didn't even finish Ch 1. He just comes off as such an irredeemable ass who whines about the suboptimal conditions of his childhood that led him to a life of high profile theft, but also brags about scamming his dad at 16 and getting away with all this shit? As if it's because he was just that smart and not because he was a rich white kid with a rich white dad who had close ties to both the Republican Party and the local authorities who constantly let him off easy. Get fucked, Frank.

As for the second - bro I was reading The Last Tsar by Edvard Radzinsky and I was SO Excited because I love Russian history and especially the late Imperial period. Unfortunately, though he be an excellent archivist, Radzinsky lacks the technical skills to compile his primary sources into a readable, down-to-earth secondary one. His story begins with Nicholas II's birth and - i fuck w you not - mentions his eventual demise almost every single page, and in the most dramatic way possible. He treats everything so intensely and the resulting narrative is such a slog to get through :(

Beneath his technical ineptitude, I just blatantly disagreed with the case he made. Whenever Radzinsky talks about why the Empire collapsed and what Nicholas could have done to prevent it, he always focuses on Nicholas's personal failings and his habitual avoidance - never on the... pretty objectively poor conditions the monarchy inflicted and perpetuated against the Russian people. Which made me feel. Icky. Also, I noticed he was 100% of the time harsher on the women than on the men, in terms of their participation in the collapse of the dynasty. Which made me feel. Very very Icky.

end of year book asks!

#thank you for these!!! #i dont expect anyone to actually read thru my 3 paragraph answer to #24 but suffice to say re both of these fucking men: i should do what u do and u should wash my balls. #nat tag :) #lyalii #obirain.ask #book roundup

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Will be CBD Legal within New York?

Is CBD Legal throughout New York? Is CBD legal in New York? Is it possible to buy CBD oil within New York? Many of us? ll cover these kinds of questions, and extra, in this particular legislative review. In New You are able to, CBD produced from hemp is legal. They will follow same federal government guidelines from the Plantation Bill which identifies that CBD items are legal as long as they contain below 0. 3% THC content. Let? s i9000 go over many more about Brand new York CBD laws and regulations, and licensing needs within the Empire State. What will be CBD? CBD, furthermore known as cannabidiol, is really a non-psychoactive mixture derived from cannabis. CBD shares the outer space of the cannabis plant with THC. Studies still demonstrate CBD might have some sort of plethora of advantageous properties, with the most well-liked of these getting: anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, treatment, anti-seizure, and anxiety relief properties. During these medical field reports, CBD has proved its worth within a growing sum of trials. It is important to understand exactly exactly what CBD is if looking in to the laws and regulations within Nyc. CBD is a Marijuana Derivative Cannabidiol, or even CBD, is the cannabis derivative. That will doesn? t indicate that it does not take exact same as marijuana, although. It simply will come from a marijuana plant. Cbd Legal Graph It is really an essential distinction to remember. Each the industrial hemp plant and marijuana both fall under the cannabis flower species. Hemp Compared to Marijuana Chart CBD is yet a non-psychoactive relative of THC, which usually means CBD can not, and will not, get you high. Given that your CBD is hemp-based, or arises from the hemp plant, it can not contain some THC over 0. 3%. Federal rules on CBD at the moment require all CBD products to arrive from hemp within order to continue to be federally legal. A new THC amount regarding 0. 3% isn? t enough to get anyone higher. In fact, this kind of amount is consequently low that 1 could drink a whole container of CBD oil (not recommended), and still not necessarily get high. Supplementing your with CBD olive oil is an excellent approach to treat people towards a more natural way than other medications that have harsh side-effects. CBD oil study over the last couple of years is significant. Assets done in study and development a variety of. The FDA remains to be figuring out their own approval process intended for CBD, so right up until this really is complete, CBD oil will certainly not be able in order to achieve the standing of the dietary dietary supplement. Why is CBD Illegal in A few Places? This can be a difficult subject. Let? s begin by handling the fact that will while CBD is definitely federally legal, every single state has its laws and regulations. While most claims have followed the Farm Bill of 2018 footsteps, and don't regulate finished CBD products. Legal Cbd Products For Purchase This can be a case in New York, where hemp byproducts have already been reclassified as farming products separate from marijuana. Public Health (PBH) CHAPTER 45, CONTENT 33-B defines hemp as: ? the plant Hashish sativa L. plus any part of such plant, such as the seed thereof and derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts, in addition to salts of isomers, whether growing or even not, with the delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol attentiveness (THC) of not necessarily more than three-tenths of a per cent over a dry pounds basis.? How Performed the Farm Costs Help Industrial Hemp? The 2018 Farm building Bill brought the revolution for hemp and industrial hemp products. The nurturing of hemp grew to become federally legal for recreational purposes whenever this was exceeded. This bill particularly removed hemp, which can be now legally understood to be cannabis containing less than 0. 3% THC by weight, from the schedule I listing of controlled substances. By the writing of the article, cannabis as the whole is currently set to be voted on for removal from this identical list. The United States FDA plus CBD Oil The foodstuff and Drug Supervision has the power of regulating CBD oil product marking, monitoring therapeutic states for CBD oil, plus the usage regarding CBD for leisure and dietary reasons. The FDA, presently, does not allow the advertisement of hemp-derived CBD oil as being a dietary supplement, or even as an additive to be able to food and beverages. The FDA must allow any health states that CBD petrol products make. No medications to day have received this designation, except with regard to the pharmaceutical drug Epidiolex. Even though the Foods and Drug Government maintained this position for years, they have softened these restrictions and is considering appropriate legislation all-around labeling CBD oil as being a dietary supplement. In addition, typically the Farm Bill has given the authority to states to allow or disallow typically the cultivation and enterprise of CBD. Let? s move about to CBD olive oil in Ny, and talk about the particular legal status. Will be CBD Legal within NY? Yes, CBD products are legitimate in New York. New York follows the same federal government guidelines as the Farm Bill involving 2018. In a situation you wish to purchase CBD products within this point out, look for items that are extracted from hemp in addition to contain less than 0. 3% THC articles. You? ll be good to go. Licensing Requirements with regard to CBD in NY Licenses for CBD products containing less than 0. 3% THC are not wanted, according to NEW YORK state law. New Phase Blends Central business district Edibles ARTICLE 33-B, Regulation of Cannabinoid Hemp and Hemp Extract (Section 3398) covers the restrictions for hemp growers and processors. Brand new York also demands that,? Every cannabinoid hemp processor will contract with a self-employed commercial laboratory to test the hemp extract and goods produced by the particular licensed processor.? This is also called third party screening, and some states officially want it while other folks don? t. This? s cbd oil drops to legally require this specific, because it? s how you confirm the items are not pot derived. Click here to learn additional about the New You are able to Industrial Hemp System. New York CBD Possession Limits You are allowed to have CBD items within New york city. There is no license necessary for this. Remember, even though, CBD infused food and beverages are at present not allowed in this kind of state. Buy CBD in New York To be honest, CBD oil products (also referred to as hemp oil) are typical over the place in Ny. Consumers buy CBD oil and hemp derived CBD items from a range of online retailers, or perhaps brick and mortar retailers. I need to caution an individual, though, to become extra careful if buying CBD oil online. New Phase Blends is actually an experienced owned and operated CBD company. All of us offer nothing yet premium CBD lubricate that is included with a 40 day cash back guarantee. With least give people consideration before you purchase CBD products? I know you? ll be happy with your buy. Cbd Products The flag In the summer season of 2020, typically the FDA conducted a study on CBD products from various brands. It documented that roughly 25% of CBD items are either phony, under-dosed, or mislabeled. CBD is expensive. I would detest to see a bogus CBD oil company copy you off. Intended for more information on which to look for when buying a CBD product, check out this post by clicking on here. Is CBD Legal in NY? | Final Thoughts Of course, CBD oil will be completely legal throughout New York. They will basically just follow the federal guidelines covered in the Plantation Bill. There are usually no weird off white areas or other strange laws of which include hemp, or perhaps hemp derived items. If you are curious regarding federal guidelines regarding CBD products, get a look below: Hemp-derived CBD oil is legal

This must contain fewer than 0. 3% THC (an extensive spectrum CBD essential oil will contain minimal THC, while full spectrums can include up to 0. 3%? FYI) We recommend how the CBD labels incorporate a QR code that tests to a thirdparty lab result Marijuana-derived CBD is not legitimate That concerning wraps up addressing the legalities involving CBD oil in New York.

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