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imamandaonline · 3 years

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Part One Of Look At You: Call My Name

(A/N: Rebloggable! I know basically nobody actually wanted this except for my girlfriend but the spam comments pushed me deeper into hole of love. So here! Let me know if you want to be on the tag list for Pt 2. Should I make this a fic? Tag your friends!)

Dex had a weird relationship with school in general. All classes-great. The people in them? Not so great. Like Metaphysics. The concepts for debate were always good, and the lectures fascinating, but the people debating? Absolute human dumpster fires.

That isn’t to say his classmates aren’t good debaters-they were just snobs. Especially when it came to more controversial topics. Like what defines the integrity of a bad match. There were many smirks headed Dex’s direction during the match.

Today though, today he would prove them wrong! It was already ironic he was the second-youngest regent in history, which gave him even more material to rub in their faces. The Foxfire Metaphysics Championship was structured much the same way as the splotching championship.

Starting inside their own levels, prodigies pair up as a prompt is distributed with great fanfare. Telekinesis slowly rolling out the scroll, flashing orbs, the whole shebang. The big difference between the Metaphysics and Splotching Championships was the duration. While the Splotching Championship normally only took up a day, the Metaphysics Championship took up the whole year.

Councillor Noland was coming to oversee the final matches. One for the Elite Levels, and one for the Basic Levels.

The Elite Match was between Wylie Sonden and Kylene Tarros. The Basic Match was between Dex and . . . you guessed it! The one and only Wonderboy, Metaphysics winner three years straight. Gah. There was the infuriating word again.

The real reason Dex was up for the match was an issue with the unicorns at Sterling Gables. Stina was called home for the month to help. Dex had been runner-up, which leads you to the reason he was aggressively jotting down points. Practice had to pay off sometime soon.

Holed up in the Archives, Dex was checking out Metaphysics scrolls, and a piece on the history of caches. Attaching his home crystal to the hanger, he watched as the strategically placed window sent a ray of light to his crystal, producing a pink aura.

Dex carefully slid his first scroll into the glow, imagining the stacking inside the cubby residing at his lab.

“Hi Dex,” an crisply accented voice rang out.

The boy in question jumped, scattering his check-outs. Fitz offered a smooth hand, swiftly leaning down.

Dex scrambled up by himself.

“What are you getting,” Fitz asked pleasantly, trying to make conversation. He rolled on the balls of his feet, boots stretching.

Dex searched desperately for an answer so he wouldn’t seem like a fool.

“Um, Team Valiant stuff.”

Fitz looked down at a partially open scroll, squinting at the words clearly reading Mind Over Matter - Extended Advanced Edition.

“Are you sure?”

Dex fidgeted, gathering up what he’d dropped.

“Yup, definitely.” Fitz shrugged, kneeling down to help. He hands Dex the scroll, noting the title-it was Caches, A History. Not that Dex cared what the Vacker thought about his honesty. He didn’t.

“So,” Fitz draws out, scratching the back of his neck. Dex glanced back at the boy, periwinkle eyes falling on the telepath’s lips. Damn that height difference. Quickly righting himself, the Dizznee toyed with his panic ring.

“Yeah,” Dex responded, pushing his sandy hair away.

“Do you wanna come to Everglen? For Metaphysics practice?” Fitz didn’t seem like he was sure of his words. “Wylie will be there too,” he stated, finding an escape. An escape from what, was the real question.

“Ok?” Dex's answer sounded more like a question, possibly scared.

“Alright.” Fitz’s shoulders sagged from relief for a few short seconds. His posture straightened as his sexuality would not. “Biana is going to be out with Mom all day to shop for the materials for some designs.” Dex knew this. He had helped the girl calculate proportions.

Nodding, the Technopath finished light leaping his nexus-bound scrolls.

Fitz held up his home crystal, chiseled to perfection, just like his jaw. A blush crept up Dex’s neck and ears as he berated himself for thinking such stupid things.

“Oh, you meant now,” Dex whispered. Fitz raised an eyebrow, dangling the crystal like mistletoe. Dex took the outstretched hand this time, surprised to find calluses on rough skin. A tingling feeling, the pins and needles sensation on steroids, spread up Dex’s body.

Or maybe that was just the light leap.

The lack of glaring gates was disturbing, a defining part of Everglen’s architecture gone. It shouldn’t have been there in the first place since it prevented direct light leaping, but Vackers could get away with anything. Or at least they used to.

Upon the discovery of the trollish hive hidden on Everglen grounds, the gates were decreed to be removed. It was a direct order from the council. Dex couldn’t help feeling sorry for the family, despite years harboring a grudge against them. The gate provided safety. Now they were out in the open.

It must have been a rude awakening.

Fitz led Dex around the gnomes, waving and greeting each by name. Zarnan, Dakath, Arwen, and Kidal were the first few, as well as the only ones Dex heard before tuning Fitz out.

Dex trailed along, hand still collapsed in Fitz’s. It was . . . odd, how he didn’t mind the touch.

Marble fountains spouted arcs of water in jeweled shades, scented with vanilla. The huge woven silver doors were wide open, displaying a rounded foyer making Dex feel trapped in a hatbox. Vacker portraits lined a hall branching forward, looking down on Dex imperiously.

Fitz didn’t seem to notice.

As the pair entered the library, which was really a large study, Fitz reluctantly let go of Dex’s hand. Wylie nodded at them, the silence slightly overwhelming.

Dex plopped down in a plush seat, regretting not stopping at Dawnheath before coming with Fitz. The technopath was normally good with his impulse control, though something about the Vacker boy just . . . threw him off.

“Do you wanna fire back and forth, or have our resident expert give us tips,” Dex asked nonchalantly, drumming his fingers on the ornate armrest.

“He can’t give us suggestions if he hasn’t seen us debate,” Fitz stated smoothly.

Wylie flushed with second-hand embarrassment.

“Yeah, um, right.” Fitz’s head tilted. He was probably wondering how Dex was debating against him in the first place. Dex’s hands tightened with a white-knuckled grip.

Fitz’s hand reached out, slender finger brushing the freckles of Dex’s cheeks. His teal eyes searched Dex’s face silently, roving around. Pulling away, Fitz turned over his palm, showing the Dizznee a fleck of glitter.

Oh.

Well, apparently Dex is terrible at reading people. Great.

It’s an odd feeling, how Dex couldn't wait for this day to be over, yet simultaneously had been deeply invested in how it played out.

#fedex #detz #fitz and dex #debate #metaphysics #mind over matter #self deprecation #gay panic

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ink-and-flame · 5 years

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Kinktober Day 4: Mechagon Tryst

Kinktober Day 4 Prompts: Dilation || Dildoes || Orgasm denial Fandom: Warcraft, World of Warcraft Tags: Exophilia, Dilation, Dildos, Orgasm Denial, Cock Worship, Size Differenc Pairing: Gnome(f)/Goblin(m)

[Jenna Sparkspanner / Nak Fizzleknob]

Mechagon was a weird place for everyone that wasn’t native. Horde and Alliance alike were forced into close quarters and told to behave. At first tensions were high and it seemed like getting along just wasn’t in the cards. However, more and more different individuals realized that this was an opportunity. Those with curiosities about the races that were their enemies now had access. They could share space, ask questions, learn about each other, even share experiences. One of the more popular experiences to share was sex.

Since they were encouraged to get along the races of both the Horde and Alliance used it as an excuse to ease some of their sexual curiosities and kinks. It was interesting to see the different mixes and trying to do the math on some of the more unusual couplings. How a gnome and a tauren could even attempt penetration was a question more than a few got asked. Yet the most common pairing cropping up, were gnomes and goblins. Having similar intellectual pursuits, conversations turned to competitions, and competitions turned to pairs sneaking off to ‘settle bets’.

Jenna Sparkspanner had heard more than a few stories and rumors about goblin males to catch her interest. The most common rumor being that male goblins were not proportional sexually. In that their genitals were quite large when compared to the rest of their form. The joke term floating around was tripod. Something that made Jenna giggle when she thought about it too much, it also got her blushing.

It was how she found herself on the goblin side of one of the common work areas. She of course employed subterfuge, the excuse of wanting to help as her own experiments were failing. The welcoming, if somewhat crass nature of the goblins was surprising. She had expected sneers, maybe even a bit of meanness, but overall, the goblins she was now working with seemed rather pleasant and welcoming. That wasn’t to say that all goblins were so nice, but this group seemed to be rather eager to work with other like minded individuals and race didn’t really matter much to them.

Over the next few weeks Jenna found herself working closely with a few different goblins, but only one had managed to catch her interest. Nak Fizzleknob was a whip smart and yet quite laid back. Nothing really seemed to rile him, he just went with the flow no matter what happened. If something failed he shrugged it off and tried again. Nothing seemed to bother or upset him in the least. That more than anything had Jenna crushing a bit.

It also didn’t hurt that Naz was quite attractive. He had the same sharp pointed features most goblins had, but they seemed softer somehow. His eyes were bright purple, and so welcoming. Despite his sharp teeth, Jenna found his smile to be gentle and friendly. She wanted to run her fingers through his dark spikey hair to see if it felt as soft as she hopes. However, it was his body that had Jenna shamefully touching herself each night to thoughts of him. He was taller than her by at least a foot, and so much more muscular than the males of her own race. Nak was also much hairier and somehow that wasn’t a bad thing.

Now Jenna was just desperately trying to hide her wayward desires every time Nak came near her. The last thing she wanted was to be obvious and ruin the friendship that was growing between her and Nak, also she was pretty sure he had a girlfriend. That, of course, didn’t stop her when the crew she was working with invited her out to drinks that night. Anything to be closer to Nak, and honestly she needed a drink. It had been a long day.

Drinks were flowing as easily as conversation and soon the group was laughing, joking, and there was some flirting going on as well. Everyone was more than a little tipsy and Jenna decided to slow down, not wanting to embarrass herself by being too drunk and letting her thoughts slip out. Being mostly sober around people who were clearly drunk was actually quite a bit of fun and she enjoyed teasing the drunk goblins that she had quickly began to see as close friends. Her allegiances were fading into the background as she smiled and laughed right along with them.

Jenna was sipping her water when Nak leaned in close and whispered to her, asking her if she wanted to get out of there since neither of them were really continuing to drink. Jenna wasn’t really sure what he meant, but she had just enough liquid courage still left in her to nod her head before excusing herself from the table and following Nak wherever it was he was leading her. Which turned out to be his room at the inn. Most people had found it difficult to gain access to decent sleeping arrangements. The goblins and gnomes were lucky as they already fit in the buildings nicely so they were able to get the best rooms.

“Wow, your room is so nice.” Jenna breathed as she walked in an looked around. Everything was sized for a gnome so it just made Nak seem that much bigger. Male goblins were usually under 4feet but Nak was at least 4’2 maybe 4’3 so he was pretty tall for a goblin. Jenna was only 3’3” herself so she had to look up when she spoke to him. Climbing into one of the chairs she smiled at him. She wasn’t certain why he invited her, but she wasn’t going to make assumptions.

“So, I noticed the way ya look at me.” Nak got right to the point. Noticing Jennas shocked expression and how she began to look upset. He quickly added. “And I like it.”

Now Jenna was stumped. She had been prepared to deny, provide excuses, even claim cultural ignorance, but none of it was needed. Nak liked her attraction to him. Did that mean he didn’t have a girlfriend?

“So’s.. I was wonderin if ya wanted ta maybe… try bein friends with benefits or somethin?” He wasn’t going to jump right into a relationship, but he was just as curious and attracted to her as she seemed to be of him.

Jenna wasn’t going to let apprehension or shyness ruin this for her so she just nodded and hopped back down off the chair. If they were going to do this, she wanted to do it tonight. Lusting after Nak for so long had made Jenna just a bit impatient, but she wasn’t really sure how to start.

Nak stepped forward cupping his large three fingered hand behind her head, rubbing her cheek with his thumb, being careful of his sharp nails. Leaning in he kissed Jenna, softly. Not wanting to scare her. He knew how to prevent his teeth from hurting her and waited for her to respond, lean into the kiss before pushing for more. He was excited that she actually agreed and he was quite eager to do more than just kiss as evidenced by his slowly growing arousal.

Pulling back Jenna looked a bit dazed by the kiss. She had been kissed before, but this was something else entirely. Her whole body felt tingly and warm. Her eagerness causing her good sense to leave her. “I, don’t want you to feel rushed, but I have fantasized about this for so long…” She wasn’t trying to push him into anything, but she wanted more than just kisses.

Nak chuckled and stroked her cheek with his knuckles. “I like that yer eager. It turns me on more than you know. Ok, so, lets maybe skip the light make outs and get straight to the good stuff. Still gonna need some foreplay, I got a feelin, yer not gonna be ready fer what I am offerin doll face.”

Helping Jenna up on the bed Nak began to remove her clothes tossing them to the side. Letting her stay in her small clothes for now. Stepping back he stripped off his own clothing until he was fully nude before her. He needed her to know what she was getting into, or more importantly, what was about to be getting into her. The look on her face told him what he needed to know, she wasn’t prepared for the reality. Those rumors going around about the male goblins, were pretty much true. Nak was quite blessed in the size department and it was only going to get bigger the more she stared at it.

“I see yer nervous. Don’t worry, I got somethin that’ll help. I don’t wanna hurt ya, so don’t be scared ok?” Nak moved over to a chest and dug around for a bit. Pulling out a bottle with a stopper and a small black bag, he set them on the night stand and hopped up on the bed with her. Gently pushing Jenna onto her back and tugging off her remaining undergarments. “Shh doll, don’t worry, I’m gonna make ya feel real good ok?”

Reaching down he began to rub her folds gently with his fingers, feeling the wetness that was already present. Smiling at her Nak leaned in, kissing at her neck and chest as his fingers worked over her slick folds and clit. When her breathing changed he slowed down. He wasn’t going to let her cum, not until she was begging for it. Once he was certain that her nervousness was gone he moved between her legs kneeling there, letting her see the size of him. Reaching over to the nightstand he picked up the bag and removed the false phallus from it. It was smaller than him, but bigger than what she was probably used to. He hoped he would be able to use it to ease her into taking him.

“Now, I am gonna use this ta loosin ya up ok doll? I don’t wanna hurt ya and I know ya want this, so just stay relaxed ok?” Nak grabbed the bottle and popped out the stopper coating the toy in a clear oily substance. The lubrication would help with the penetration. Using his fingers he coated her folds and entrance, being careful of his sharp nails, before pressing the tip of the toy against her opening.

Jenna had never seen a dick that big on someone of Nak’s stature. On and elf or human, sure, but she had expected something closer to the males of her own kind, which in this moment were lacking. She was nervous but also excited. Jenna had never actually taken anything that size in her. Oh sure she had flirted with larger races, but it had never gotten to the point of penetration. Now she would get to experience something she had only dared fantasize about. Spreading her legs wider for him, she tried to relax as she felt the tip of the toy push into her. It was a bit of a stretch, painful, but also exciting. She winced as the toy stretched her beyond what she was accustomed to but refused to ask Nak to stop.

Wiggling to try and get rid of the burning sensation Jenna moaned as Nak ran a thumb over her clit while pushing the toy a little further inside. Slowly he would work the toy in little by little, pulling back and pushing forward. Adding a bit of lube once the toy was half way in. Jenna was caught somewhere between pain and pleasure, not sure which sensation was actually stronger within her, but the extra lube did help and slowly the pain began to fade.

“That’s right sweetheart, yer doin so good. Takin all that, such a hot little body ya got. Can’t wait to actually be inside ya doll face.” Nak was eager but patient and he made sure to not rub her clit too much. He didn’t want her to cum yet. He wanted her right on that edge, where she was so worked up she forgot herself. He wanted her begging for him, begging for release.

The praise was working, Jenna wanted to impress Nak more than anything. She was panting form effort, the toy forcing her wider than she had ever been, her cunt stretched passed anything she could imagine. She whined each time he stopped teasing her clit. Slowly becoming more and more focused on reaching that edge and going over it, than the pain she had been feeling. At this point it was almost entirely pleasure, with only an occasional twinge.

Nak worked the toy in and out of her tight core with patience and finess. He could see her thighs shaking as she drew closer and closer to orgasm. He would have to slow down, let the toy rest, just to keep her from reaching that release she was beginning to crave. “Good girl Jenna, you are doing so good, almost the whole thing is inside of ya. I bet you’ll be able ta take me soon. Do you want that, do ya want me inside ya?”

“Yes Nak, please.. Please I want to cum, I want to feel you in me. Please. I don’t care if it hurts, I need you.” Jenna was panting, wild eyed, desperate. If she had any sense left in her she would be ashamed of her own neediness. She was too far gone to care how she looked and sounded. All she wanted was Nak inside of her.

“Mmmm.. good girl, just what I needed to hear.” Nak pushed the toy the rest of the way, watching her arch. It was one of the hottest things he had ever seen. Slowly, carefully, he pulled the toy out, looking at her gaping dilated hole. “Fuck I ain’t never wanted anyone as bad as I want you Jenna.”

[Authors note: Sorry this one is late and it kinda got away from me. If anyone is interested there might be more of these two in the future. I would be happy to write a part two if there is any interest.]

#warcraft fanfic #Goblin boyfriend #gnome girlfriend #goblin/gnome #kinktober 2019 #exophilia

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themuffinbee · 4 years

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I mean, some ppl do get white hair earlier than others. My great uncle went white at 18. Also even if Fjord ages faster than humans, hes still mentally a 30 something year old. He has 30ish years of experience. Just because physically he's aging faster doesn't mean hes mentally aging faster. Gnomes live into the multiple hundreds and no one ever thought Pike was a baby. Pike was a grown lady even though she was the age equivalent of a 10yo human. She still had the life ex of a 30ish yo.

My grandfather was sporting the bald garden gnome look at 26 (poor man), so I know hair doesn't always line up with age. The thing is, the white streak is still an accurate indication of Fjord's age, and the PHB speaks mainly in terms of life expectancy and maturity. For instance, it specifically says that half-orcs reach adulthood at 14, which would translate to 18.6 in human years mathematically. Also take into account that life experience isn’t the only thing that affects how people age and mature, biology and hormones play a pretty big part as well. So yeah, it’s definitely possible he is aging faster than everyone else both physically and mentally. Really, it depends on how Travis and Matt view it as far as in-game play. Might be an interesting Talks question, actually.

As far as gnomes (and elves) go, the PHB says they mature at the same rate as humans until adulthood. Everything after that just gets stretched out. So basically, Scanlan (70) and Pike (late 30s) had been adults for a while, though it isn’t completely proportional to a mathematic equation. As an odd side note, halflings reach majority specifically at 20, a couple of years later than the other two main longer-living races. Weird.

Anyway, as I said in the tags of the original post, fantasy ages are funny things and it’s interesting what effect it can have on the meta of the narrative. Thanks for the ask! :)

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punishandenslavesuckers · 6 years

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Mollymauk Tealeaf wakes up in a grave by the road ten years after he died. Things have gone a bit wrong since then and he might be the only one who can set things right… since it’s the Mighty Nein themselves who’ve gone wrong. AU: Where Molly comes back to yell at his super-powered Level 20 friends. (AO3 - part1) (AO3 - part 2) (AO3 - part3)

“Tell me again,” Molly says. “Just one more time.”

He’s lying on his back, fingers knitted across his stomach, the grass tickling the back of his neck. The skies are dark, over-cast, the glitter of the moon only just pressing a pale halo of light through a haze in the upper atmosphere. Molly can’t explain the longing he feels, suddenly, to see the moon and he wonders what kind of moon they’re under: waxing or waning. His heart aches strangely for a full moon, so bright it seems like the sun and wants it so profoundly it feels like missing a friend.

Nott, who’s lying in the grass, eagle spread, up and to the right of him, groans.

“We fist-fought the mad death god and won.”

“Uh-huh,” says Mollymauk.

“Specifically, Tharizdun, The Chained Oblivion.”

“I know who the mad death god is.”

“We didn’t do it alone, of course, it was like… a two-phase attack? The battle on the Astral Plane weakened him and then the Prime Deities, like, booted him through the Divine Gate into our front yard so we could finish him off. If that makes sense?”

“Right. Sure.”

A beat.

“Just… just one more time –”

“Oh gods!”

Nott plasters her hands over her adorable freckly face.

“Molly! How many times can we explain it? We did it. I can’t really describe it because how do you describe something like that? But we did fight a god in the Material Plane. Beauregard punched it to death. I shot it a lot. Fjord like – hacked off pieces of it and fed that shit to his patron. Jester’s god literally fought side by side with her. Caleb –” She falters just a moment. “Caleb used some kind of spell I don’t even know what spell he just… he called it his Wish. It almost killed him, Molly. We barely did it, but we did it. This is the world after we saved it.”

And again, for a while, Molly says nothing.

They lie there under the cloudy sky. They’re all four laid in the grass, the crowns of their heads meeting in the middle, bodies laid out like the petals on an dis-proportioned pinwheel. After Caduceus informed Molly that, perhaps, his resurrection was divinely designed, Molly’s knees stopped working and he sat down, then laid down and refused to get up. So the others eventually just joined him on the grass.

It’s been thirty minutes of a ten-year exposition.

“Look,” Molly says, “the last time I saw you, you were failing to pick a lock in the back of a cart and Beauregard was about to get shanked by some asshole in leather bondage armor. I’m having trouble conceptualizing any of you as god killing demi gods. Sorry.”

“Technically only Jester is a demi-god,” says Caduceus blandly.

“Shut. The fuck. Up.”

“And you don’t really killa god you just…”

“Caduceus,” Nott snaps.

The firbolg shrugs and goes quiet.

“I don’t understand,” complains Molly, gesturing, “how do you punch out a god and then say you need myundead carcass to fix something. You remember I died in a ditch right? I was left unattended for ten minutes and died. I’m not hard to kill. It’s been done twice. Three times a charm you know. It might stick this next time.”

“I don’t know about that,” says Caduceus, which is, you know, terrifying.

“You’re an opaque motherfucker, aren’t you?” says Molly.

Caduceus flicks an ear at him. “Hmm?”

“Your divine plan has holes in it,” Molly enunciates.

Caduceus’ brow knits. “Well, I don’t know all the details. Just what the Wildmother shows me.”

“Okay, what’s the Wildmother saying now?”

Caduceus thinks about it. “Well, I think we need to head to the Menagerie Coast.”

“What? No!” Nott sits up, spinning around to stare him. “Are you crazy?”

“No,” says Caduceus, perfectly conversational. “I think this will work. If we go there with Mollymauk, it will work.”

“Oh, okay, so magically because it’s Mollythe fuckin’ Hunger will just chill out and let us stroll into the Crushing Deep and the Sucking Maw will just, you know, stop and let that happen. Okay.” She rolls her giant cat-gold eyes, ignoring Molly’ horrified look at the words ‘Sucking Maw’ and ‘Crushing Deep’. “Sure, Caduceus. Sounds like a plan.”

“No.” Caduceus nods. “That’s the plan.

Nott gapes. “That plan sucks!”

“It’ll be okay, Nott. I know these things.”

“No, you don’t know that. You believe that. There’s a difference!”

“Okay, but there’s no difference in the course of action. We need to go the Menagerie Coast.”

“No, we don’t!” Nott yells. “We’re not sending Molly out there! Far as I can tell, the gods keep messing things up. We wouldn’t have a problem if everyone just stuck together rather than running off to their deities.” Here she glares ate Yasha and Caduceus. “It’s not like they fixed anything for us.”

Yasha says nothing, but Clay flips one long ear up, humming thoughtfully.

“Well, you say that,” he says, “but it was the gods who wounded Tharizdun and the gods who reached out to us for aid. Are you saying you prefer a world where the pantheon died, leaving nothing but The Chained Oblivion beyond the Gate?”

“What the hell—?” Molly whispers

Nott doesn’t hear him though, and snaps, “I understand that, Caduceus, like I’ve said a million times. But I don’t want Molly to end up like Beauregard.”

Dead silence then.

Molly sits up and turns. His bangs slip into his eyes, but he ignores it. “What,” he says quietly, “happened to Beauregard?”

Nott looks frozen. Afraid. And that makes Molly afraid.

Then, “She was wounded.”

They all look to Yasha. She’s staring at the sky, her hands behind her head. It’s the first thing she’s said in the last twenty minutes and Molly hears, very distantly, beyond the mountains, a low rumble of thunder. The skies, he thinks, will never clear wherever she walks. Or at least, the storm is always behind her. She blinks and Molly can see her eyes are brighter, wetter than usual.

“She struck the killing blow, but it—” She pauses. “Defeating a god hurt her. She’s been sick ever since.”

“Sick?” Caduceus repeats.

Like that’s not the right word.

“Yes, sick,” snaps Nott. “Or whatever it is. Cursed. She just never woke up, okay? We don’t know. We took her home and we’ve been trying to solve that for the past decade or so, at least until everyone took off.” Nott glares out into the empty field directly in front of her, knees pulled to her chest, arms folded on top. She shoves her chin angrily into her arms. “Yasha went first. Then, after what happened to Fjord…” She shrugs. “I dunno. Everyone left.”

“I’m sorry,” Yasha says, before Molly can demand what happened to Fjord.

“Why did you go?” Nott whispers. Her fingers dig into her biceps. “We might have been able to stop it if you’d been with us. Why weren’t you there?”

“I thought the Stormlord could save Beau.” Yasha ‘s voice comes steadily but… emotionlessly. “Maybe I was just running. I don’t know now.”

Nott sniffs.

“I won’t leave this time. Not until this is done. I promise, Nott.”

Molly watches Nott’s shoulders quiver then steady. “Okay. Um… okay.”

“I’m not sorry,” Caduceus cuts in, casual as a hand-axe. “I should have left earlier. This is the right path. I know it for certain now.”

Nott, furious, turns at the waist to glare at the firbolg. “What? How can you say that? Caleb was relying on you! We needed you!”

“No. You just thought you did.”

Nott grabs the air, fingers clawed, like pantomiming what she’d do to Caduceus’ head if she were allowed to. She shakes an invisible skull like a melon in her fists.

“You’re so… fucking… impossible!” Nott screeches.

For a moment Molly really sees the goblin he remembers in the gnome girl in front of him.

Caduceus just blinks at her, confused.

“You brought Molly back from the dead because your stupid goddess told you to, but it’s them who won’t help us fix Beau in the first place! Caleb is trying to solve this problem but everyone just… took off! Now he thinks he has to do something awful and if you’d just been there to talk to him he wouldn’t have –!” She stops. Her hands clench, pressing against her face, shaking. She takes a deep breath. “Caleb always listened to you about this stuff. He loves me, but he won’t listen.”

“It’s okay,” Caduceus says. “We’ll solve this. I know where to go next. I’ve seen it –”

“If you say in your dreams…” Nott whispers, fists still on her face.

“—in my dreams.”

Nott jumps up, runs over, and starts kicking Caduceus in the knee.

“Are. You. Kidding me?!” she shrieks, enunciating each syllable with a kick.

“Hey,” says Caduceus, watching her kick him.

“I’m not doing this! I came after you because I thought you had a plan! I left because I need someone to come up with a fucking plan! A real plan. I’m so sick of everyone just running off and asking their stupid gods for help.”

“I didn’t just run off,” Caduceus says, sounded wounded.

“What? Yes, you did. You didn’t even say good-bye.” Nott points at an invisible door. “You said you had to do something and you’d be back in a month or so. I thought you had, like, weird groceries or something you were getting from the Blooming Grove.”

“It’s been longer than a few months?”

“YOU’VE BEEN GONE FOR HALF A YEAR!?”

Caduceus frowns, brow knitting, visibly thinking that over.

“Ooooh,” he says softly. “Maybe that’s why I was barred from the city…”

“I HATE YOU SO MUCH. HOW ARE YOU STILL BAD AT THIS!?”

“Caleb’s upset with me then?”

“YES. HE’S FUCKING UPSET WITH YOU, YOU DUNCE. YOU DITCHED HIM WHEN YOU PROMISED NOT TO.”

“But I am coming back. I haven’t left him or you.”

Nott gives up and turns to look Molly in the eye.

“Molly. Fjord isn’t Fjord anymore, okay? His patron… I don’t know. I think it’s either become a god or something like a god now. Fjord made a deal with it to fight the death god, but the deal was that Fjord would feed whatever he cut from Oblivion to his patron. He did it, but that wasn’t enough. Okay? It kept demanding more and more. That thing tried to eat the Menagerie Coast. That was four years ago.”

Molly feels that pit in his stomach yawning wider suddenly, the weakness that took his knees out earlier crawling through his insides like insects through a corpse. He closes his eyes. Imagines Fjord’s anxious face lit in moonlight, a sword laid across his lap, the interior of some anonymous hotel room, and he wonders, quietly, if he was afraid in the end or…

“Where is Fjord now?” Molly asks.

“Did you hear me?”

“Yes, dear. Thank you. I’m bloody quaking in my boots. Now, specifically, where is Fjord?”

A silence.

Then, “Sometimes, Caleb tries to scry on him, to see where he might be. The best we can tell… he’s not quite on this plane of existence but the door to his dimension is in Port Damali.”

“Okay. Well… Caduceus. What is it you want me to do?”

“Go to the door and knock.”

“Okay… terrible. Nott? Tell why is this is a terrible idea.”

“Because Fjord fed Port Damali to the sea and it sank.”

She’s so deadpan, Molly doesn’t need to see her face to envision her gnomish are-you-fucking-kidding-me stare. He doesn’t have to see her face for the cold, horror of it to take root in his gut. Molly’s nails dig into his palm then relax. Nott waits for him to move but when he doesn’t she goes on.

“The only way to reach it now is to walk through a valley cut through the water from the shore to the bottom of the ocean. That’s the Crushing Deep. Jester and I tried to get through it once and it closed on top of us. Jester had to call on the Traveler to get us out. We tried for months to get through. That’s why Jester left. To try and find a way to save Fjord. So…” A long silence. “Yeah. Lots of people wandering off asking gods for help.”

“Okay,” Molly says. “So…”

“The Sucking Maw is just a fancy name for the sea dragon that guards the water around the sunken city. Just FYI.”

Molly opens his eyes and finds both Caduceus and Nott staring at him, waiting.

So, he rolls over and looks at Yasha.

“What do you think?” he says.

She turns her head a little to look at him. “I think,” she says softly, “I’ll follow you wherever you go, Mollymauk.” Her mismatched eyes are sincere as sunshine. “And if this new god tries to hurt you, I have an old god that may protest.”

“Hmm,” says Molly. “Compelling.”

“Fuck,” says Nott. “I forgot you were a dumbass.”

Turns out, Caduceus can walk through trees.

As in, step into one tree, then pop out from another tree that he likes in another part of the world. He says he’s not a druid but implies maybe he made a deal with the Wildmother for this one thing and, well, the point is he can walk through trees.

“I’m not going in there.”

Molly tries to say this when the cleric very casually touches the apple tree by his grave and it just, you know, opens up a portal of glowing light in the bark. It’s morning and they’ve had a day to rest before embarking. That does not make Molly more inclined to jump in portals. Before he can reasonably articulate his fear of being trapped inside some weird-ass tree-based dimension made of splinters, Yasha shoves him straight through and Molly stumbles out the other side.

Like stepping through a door.

Mollymauk almost trips as a brilliant gold skein of sunshine bursts dry and desert hot across his skin. He blinks, blinded momentarily under a cloudless blue sky. A briny smell rides warm on the wind, filling his nose and mouth. When his eyes clear, he finds himself standing, blinking on a grassy hill overlooking a blue and sparkling stretch of shore to the east, the blue of the sea spread out endlessly into the distance.

He thinks, a little stunned, I’ve never seen the ocean before.

But he doesn’t mention it.

Yasha pats him on the shoulder when she steps through the portal behind him.

“You’re the worst,” he informs her.

She ruffles his hair.

“Ready?” she says. “It’s about a day’s hike from here.”

“No trees closer than this one?” Molly asks.

“No,” says Caduceus.

He’s stepping out from the tree after Nott and straightening up to his full and enormous height. The breeze briefly buffets the firbolg’s pale pink mane, the new sun glittering iridescent on the mottled shell of his armor and in the new brightness, Molly can see that the armor is actually extremely scarred, split in places, scratched and… almost bleeding. He peers mildly at Molly, leaning on his staff.

“All the trees in this region died after the sea rose and fell. The salt water poisoned the earth.”

Nott, standing in the grass and squinting around the immediate landscape says, “Molly, can you come over here for a second?”

Molly wanders over while Clay moves to speak with Yasha. Nott, gestures for him to kneel so he does.

The rifle slung over her shoulder seems far too large for her. The breeze ruffles her dark bangs, the sun gold on her brown cheeks. She squints at him.

“I think you should take some of my things,” she says, unslinging a small travel satchel from her shoulder. She flips it open and shoves her entire arm inside, digging. She produces an entire soft gray cloak. She dumps this in his arms. “This is charmed so you’re harder to hit,” she explains. Then she pulls a pair of black bracers from the bag and piles them on top. “These are lucky.” She goes into her bag a third time. “Where the fuck –? Ah ha!” She produces a small box and pops it open, revealing two silver rings engraved with thin, shimming symbols. “These… make you faster and a little stronger.”

“Um,” says Molly as she stacks these in his arms. “Thank you, but –”

“Don’t worry. They’re all magic. They’ll size to fit you.”

“That’s not what I –”

“Oh. And this…” Nott reaches up and rather industriously clips something to his right horn, adjusting it before Molly can resist. She’s stronger than she looks, actually. “Okay. That clasp will make you breathe under water if you, you know, get pulled under. It won’t help with the cold or the crushing though. I don’t have anything for— Oh shit! Yes, I do.” She goes back into the bag. “For the cold I have something.”

“Nott, stop,” Molly says.

“Shut up, you’re squishy as hell. I killed you with one shot.”

“You did not.”

“I’ve fought with Caduceus enough to recognize his Death Ward in action. I totally killed you.” She pulls a pair of plain steel earrings from her bag. “Sorry if they aren’t your style. I could pick up something else later, you know, if we don’t all die on this dumbass–”

Molly wordlessly loops one hand around the back of Nott’s head, fits his hand there in her soft black very un-goblin hair, then tugs her forward so he can kiss her on the forehead. He feels her freeze, then relax a little. He pulls away a moment later and smiles gently, as sincerely as he can possibly manage and then some. The sea air is ruffling her clothes and hair but she’s looking up at him with slightly shinier eyes than before.

“Thank you for taking care of me, Nott.”

“Yeah, well…” Nott drops her eyes. “Thanks for coming back this time.”

Molly doesn’t rise to that and puts on all the various accoutrements provided him. “How’s it look?” he asks, turning his head a little.

“Good,” Nott says, sounding a little raw.

“Nott, you’re a big tough gunslinging hero now, you can’t keep crying on me.”

Nott doesn’t say anything for a moment. Then she scrubs her face and says, “Uh, hey, question for you.”

“Sure.”

“The night before… you could see me when I was sneaking up on Caduceus. Right? You pointed at me.”

Molly tilts his head at the sudden topic jump. “Uh, yes. I did. It was fairly obvious.”

“Right.” Nott pulled her hood more securely around her head and touches the little blue broach at her throat. There’s a faint shimmer of enchantment, a blurring affect, but then she’s just standing there again. She peers expectantly at him, but Molly just frowns. “Anything?”

“What’s that supposed to do?”

“Molly, this is an invisibility cloak. It’s definitely working. I’m invisible.”

Molly wrinkles his nose. “Are you fucking with me or…?”

Nott smacks him and pulls the cloak off her head. “Molly, trust me. You’re seeing through illusions. Which is interesting because I don’t know many people who can do that without years of training honestly. You couldn’t do that before so that’s, uh, a postmortem skill then?”

Molly feels a sick lurch in his belly.

“I guess…”

Nott seems to regret pointing it out and pats his shoulder gently. “Or maybe my cloak is on the fritz. Don’t worry about it. We have much, much worse things to worry about!”

“Thanks, Nott.”

They make camp on the beach two miles out from the shores that were once Port Damali and Caduceus keeps watch in the night. Molly drifts to sleep under a very warm wool blanket, Yasha curled around him from behind, Nott tucked under his arm, her cloak pulled over her. Molly feels like he shouldn’t be able to drift off so easily. He should honestly be more afraid, but… well… the sound of the sea is so new and steady. Nott’s hair smells a little like something floral. Yasha’s body is a nice weight against him and…

Molly jolts awake. His arms close instinctively to pull Nott close, but his hands are empty beneath the wool blanket. She’s gone. Molly, sleep bleary, shakes it off in increments. Hears voices. Someone yelling…?

“Yasha! Wake up! I need you!”

Yasha moves so fast Molly doesn’t realize what’s happening. The blanket is torn off his body, sand kicked up against his back. There’s a crack like muted thunder and a sizzle of live current and suddenly Yasha is standing over him, her fist wrapped around the hilt of a massive black sword. The metal hums, arcs of electricity peeling off the blade and her hair flares around her skull in a localized wind. For a moment, that’s all he can see – Yasha’s back and the lightning.

She moves to stand in front of Molly.

Beyond her, Caduceus is standing fifty feet out from them, facing the water. His staff is in his hand, slammed into the ground directly in front of him like a lance driven into earth, the crystal lit like an amethyst sun in his hands. The light has weight, is billowing around him in a localized wind so his lion mane’s hair tears around his head in ribbons. He’s illuminated in burning pink light and for ten feet around him a shimmering barrier burns pale.

“Caduceus?!” Yasha shouts.

He turns at the waist and pulls something from his belt. Holds it in his fist where Molly can see it’s a small white strip of cloth. He makes three hand motions, says a word and both Yasha and Molly flare with enchantment, light looping them like a ribbon before fading and Molly feels a surge of strength like heat diffuse through him.

And then he sees what it is that has his allies moving.

Beyond Caduceus, there is rift torn open in the air exactly on the barrier where the sea meets the sand. Stepping through the rift is a person in a long gray cloak. On their shoulder is a burning falcon, its body wreathed in fire that licks harmless on the shoulder of its owner. The person appears to be a man, dressed in fine blue and black, his long copper hair pulled back, a shadow of beard along a sharp jawline.

It takes Molly far, far too long to recognize him. He is made unrecognizable, because in the moment that he lays eyes on them, the wizard raises a hand, points it directly at Caduceus and unleashes a tidal blast of nitrogenous cold.

Caduceus doesn’t have chance to move. He ducks, throwing his arm up to shield his face and vanishes in a sheet of blinding ice.

Yasha, seeing this, screams.

Her entire body ignites in lightning and from her shoulders erupts a massive canopy of interlocking bones, bursting free in a spread membrane of glittering black energy. They flare off her shoulders, fifteen feet in diameter and the darkness spread across their skeletal frame engulfs the sky over him. When the shadow falls over him, Molly sees storm clouds roiling in the shade beneath her wings. Lightning cracks over the sea in the distance.

Caleb Widowgast doesn’t hesitate. An orb of screaming fire ignites then collapses into a single hyper-dense bead of power, vibrating at the tip of one finger, curled into the center of his palm.

The mist is clearing. The cone of cold has done its terrible work, sheeting the entire are for thirty feet in hard, silvery ice. It’s ripped it way across the beach, plastered the sand into glittering spikes, and in the centre of the blast zone Molly can see a giant firbolg form, kneeling, his staff held across his body like a shield and in front of him. The air shimmers pink, steaming, ice melting from some arcane safeguard. He’s breathing hard, ice in his hair, the air fogging at his mouth.

He's somehow still maintaining that orb of light around him.

Caleb aims again at him.

“CALEB! DON’T!”

Yasha lunges, so fast she seems to snap out time an reappear directly between Caleb and Clay, her sword humming. The pink light doesn’t affect her and Caleb just stares at Yasha and the veil of darkness at her back, arched to shield the cleric behind her.

“Don’t,” Yasha says again. “Caduceus is our friend. He’s yourfriend. Stop.”

“Why did you come back?” Caleb says quietly. “For years you’ve been gone to your god. Why come back n–” He stops. His pale blue have lit, finally, on Mollymauk. He blinks and kind of… shifts one step to the left so he can crane his neck and peer around Yasha. He blinks again and his hand lowers, expression empty as he just… keeps staring at Molly the way you look at something while sleep walking.

“Mollymauk,” he says.

“Caleb?” Molly moves cautiously to his feet.

Caduceus immediately grabs piece of paper from a loop of charms on his belt, makes a hand signal and Molly’s skin starts to glow. Then the cleric taps his staff to the sand and the air around Molly lights up with orbs of fairy fire and those orbs coalesce into three-dozen small, pale, sharp-tooth creatures. They hiss and dart like fey hummingbirds around his shoulders.

“Mollymauk?” says Caleb again.

“Caduceus brought him back,” Yasha says. “He’s just trying to help, Caleb. We both are.”

Molly feels one of the fairies brush his cheek, feels static in his hair, feels protections laced around him so tight it’s a weight on his skin. Caleb is staring past Yasha, just… staring right at him.

“Caleb,” he says, holding very still. “I’m a little confused. Why are you attacking us?”

The bird on Caleb’s shoulder takes flight. Embers hang in the air where it takes off, arcing a long flightpath from the wizard’s shoulder and hooking a tight sweep around Molly, then sweeping up into the sky overhead. The heat of its passing is so intense Molly has to shield his face with one arm and in the space between that moment and the next Caleb has crossed the space between them. Literally disappeared and reappeared directly in front of him.

The fairy creatures, suddenly aware of a threat, immediately attack.

Caleb snaps his fingers and says, “Go away.”

All the creatures instantly vanish.

Caleb snaps his fingers again and says again, “Go away.”

The shimmering layer of magic around Molly’s body winks out of existence. Molly go rigid, but the strength Caduceus instilled in his blood remains, humming invisibly inside him. There is still a burning bead of flame in Caleb’s right hand, so concentrated it glows like a tiny sun. With his free hand, Caleb taps Molly’s collarbone with two blunt fingertips and settles them there. A moment passes. A heartbeat and then three.

After a moment Caleb says, quietly, “What are you doing here, Molly?”

Shitshitshitfuckmeshit, Molly thinks.

What he says is, “That’s a funny way to say you’re glad to see me.”

Molly regrets the joke the instant it leaves his mouth, because the all-consuming indifference in Caleb’s stare is like a gut-punch. But he can’t bite it back now.

“Uh, magic, Caleb. I figured you know that stuff.” He arches a brow for effect. Shit. He’s tail-lashing. He forces himself not to, maintains a conversational grin, shrugs, loops his hands behind his head and laughs a little. Like they aren’t in battle, like Caleb doesn’t have a fireball in his fist and his hand on him. “Hell,” he says, “you probably have a better handle on how I’m alive than I do. It’s pretty –”

“I don’t care about that,” Caleb cuts him off. His eyes are pale, faintly glowing. “I mean what are you doing on this beach? On this continent. In this sea. What are you doing?”

“I… we’re trying to find Fjord,” Molly says, caught between the instinct to lie and certainty he won’t pull it off. Molly tilts his head, lowering his arms, and letting his smile get confused. Dumb. Dumb. Play dumb. “Is that bad? What’s going on here, Mr. Widowgast? You seem—" he glances slowly and meaningfully at the magic in Caleb’s fist – “agitated.”

“Fjord is gone.”

“Right. Which is why we’re looking for him. He’s missing.”

“No. He’s gone,” Caleb says, something flickering in his retinas. “He fed a god to his patron, then he bargained for one last boon. He’s beyond any of us and he’s certainly beyond whatever you’re doing here on this beach.” He glances at Yasha and Caduceus who seem paralyzed by Caleb’s proximity to Molly. “Caduceus is using you. You know what he serves? A goddess of balance. He’ll kill you when this task is done and return you to rotting. He did it once you know.” Caleb, to Molly’s surprise, moves his fingers from Molly’s skin and offers him his empty left hand open and upturned. “I’ll protect you,” he murmurs, “if you want.”

And for a moment, Molly hesitates. His mentally tries out the idea of taking Caleb’s palm in his but…

“I trust Yasha,” Molly says. “I’m alright, Caleb.”

“You don’t trust me.” Caleb says and for the first time Molly sees a flicker of emotion in his face. “She serves Kord, the Stormlord, but you think I’d hurt you?”

“I… I know wouldn’t, Caleb. But why do I have to choose between you?”

Caleb lifts his chin slightly. “Oh. They haven’t told you.”

Molly feels a cold crawl up his spine. Gut-clenching cold, like a hand in the dark moving unwanted up his back.

He says, softly, “Told me what?”

“About Beauregard.”

Molly’s breathing hitches.

“Is she alright?” he blurts. “Did something happen to Beau?”

Caleb blinks. He loses that psychotic indifference his brow furrows in confusion. Like a puzzled puppy and for a moment he’s exactly the baffled man Molly met in Trostenwold.

“She’s… I don’t…” He frowns, brow knitting deeper. “What did they tell you?”

“She’s sick. Punching out The Chained Oblivion made her sick.”

Caleb stares.

“Sick?” he repeats. He looks now across the beach to Yasha whose standing rooted, frozen. “No, she’s not sick, Molly. It’s more serious than that. You see, when you defeat a god, you don’t really kill it. You replace it. You become the thing in that pantheon. That’s what they didn’t tell us when they asked us to do their work, that one of us would become The Chained Oblivion.”

Molly blinks.

“What?”

“Beauregard,” says Caleb. “She’s the Chained Oblivion, or she will be. We’ve been trying to save her from that.”

“I don’t…”

“It’s alright,” Caleb says. “That’s a lot the process. I’m sorry. But you should know that before you follow Caduceus into anything. And it’s why I need to know what you’re doing out here, Mollymauk. Because here is my theory: You are a component part in some spell they are devising against me and as much as I love you—” Caleb’s hand moves up Molly’s neck, settling there, his thumb hooked gently along the corner of his jawline— “I will kill you again if you try to stop me.”

Molly doesn’t move for a moment. He just… doesn’t move, feels a stinging in the back of his eyes and a burning at the back of his throat. He knows Caleb can definitely see that’s he’s afraid, but the wizard’s face is… not even indifferent, just… resolved. Which is much, much worse.

“Caleb,” he says after a breath. “How would bringing Fjord back be a threat to you? What are you doing? I don’t understand.”

Caleb immediately looks frustrated.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know anything. I just want to help my friends. That’s it.”

“Of course, you do. I know, Molly.” He almost smiles. In a strained voice he says, “I missed you, you know? We all… we missed you.” He exhales shakily… then moves the hand on Molly’s neck and instead hooks his arm around Molly, pulling him into a tight, one-armed hug. His face is pressed against the side of Molly’s neck. His hair smells of component materials – sulfur, metals, and oil. “You shouldn’t have died,” he whispers.

He squeezes Molly harder.

So Molly loops two arms around him and hugs him back, tight as possible. He’s just a little bit taller than Caleb, actually. Not something he noticed when they were traveling together, but something he noticed while the wizard is suddenly in his arms. He feels Caleb go still, hears his breathing stop for a moment. Everything is very quiet except for the crackle of fire in Caleb’s hand, burning at Molly’s back but not… not yet unleashed. Molly his forehead against Caleb’s temple, tucks one hand behind Caleb’s head, fingers digging just a little into his hair.

“I’m sorry we left you alone.”

Caleb doesn’t move for a moment. Just… stands there a little slack in Molly’s hold.

“You didn’t leave me,” Caleb murmurs. “You were taken. There’s a difference.”

Caleb pulls back. He uses his free hand to reach up and very gently, brush Molly’s bangs from his face. A strange, weirdly familiar gesture from the man that Molly recollects as struggling to even make eye contact with anyone. He does it like he’s done it before actually. He smiles…

Then he turns and unleashes the Fireball at Yasha and Caduceus.

The beach ignites like a bomb’s gone off, instantly consuming the ground where they stand for twenty feet in diameter around them. Molly doesn’t remember screaming, but when he snaps back to himself he’s definitely yelling Yasha’s name. He instinctively tries to run toward the blaze, but hand closes on his arm and his throat locks up, then his whole body, every muscle seizing up and the Hold Person spell latches into his bones and grips hold.

“They aren’t dead,” Caleb whispers. “They’re stronger than that. I promise. I’m sorry, Molly. I love them more now. I’m so sorry.” Caleb touches his face, then points a finger at his chest and he says a Word that aches in Molly’s blood, in a language Molly doesn’t know but he understands it when Caleb says, “Die.”

And the Word kills him.

Part 4

#critical role #the mighty nein #cr2 #mollymauk tealeaf #caduceus clay #yasha #nott the brave #caleb widogast #crfic #critical role spoilers #in which mollymauk is #very confused about everything #long post

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3d10fire-damage · 3 years

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red sun summary (4/29/2021)

the party spent some time at their new settlement, with some silliness before getting back to business. namely, cybil took the time to talk with Sabira’s donkeys daily, and calypso at one point tried to ride the donkeys. seeing this, cybil approached her in donkey form, looking expectant. “...is that you? cybil?” a (donkey) nod. “...would it be weird to ride you, or…?” a (donkey) shake of the head. calypso climbed aboard and asked if they could go fast. judging from their moderate walking speed, not very. “this isn’t very fast, kid. was kinda hoping it’d be faster.” cybil, in donkey language, pointed out that they’re an adult and this was as fast as they could go. calypso pointed out she didn’t speak donkey language. cybil shifted back into a human, causing them both to collapse onto the ground. calypso suggested warning her next time and offered a hand to help cybil up. “unfortunately, had i warned you, it would have also been in the donkey language.” calypso chuckled and asked if it was the ass language, which cybil confirmed. “s’funny, yeah?” “i am... unsure.” “you’re a tough crowd, kid.”

the concern of needing money for the settlement was brought up, phosphorra asking the party about ways to raise funds. zoroe suggested perhaps dungeoneering or hunting monsters, since there were worms in the desert and those at least left behind gems occasionally. calypso pointed out that, per the monks’ philosophy, they weren’t supposed to kill the worms. zoroe also mentioned exporting goods and trading, which were methods of making money in other towns. there was a conversation about trade routes with Sabira, and phosphorra suggested trading uncommon materials like tin, based off of the riddle Sqeddix had given the party. maybe they would need a supply chain or producer of goods, much like what merchants often have, or they’d have to travel to different places to buy and spread goods around. calypso griped that this would take too long. phosphorra said they should go to faraway places that trade doesn’t normally get to, such as crossing the harrowing worm desert— they’d just need someone with intel on where goods are.

at this point, khaela nudged zoroe, citing that Kissare, with her little spy network, would be a good contact. if someone’s gonna have the Scoop on intel, it would be Kissare. phosphorra said they’d have to pitch the whole “we killed gnomes and now i’m sworn to Himyar” thing softly to Kissare, and calypso got a giggle out of the “soft pitch” metaphor. so the plan was to hit up the group’s contact in Abban Serru. this was communicated to Sabira, just to keep her posted. Sabira was cool with that, and said she’d be scouting the area for grazing land and other resources. khaela wanted to stay awhile and do that with her, so the party put off traveling for another week to get the lay of the land. pooling some decent Survival rolls together, the party went looking for local wildlife, gems, and building materials. overall, it was determined that: there was no lumber in the area, so that would need to be imported; there were rocks that suggested some metals might be in the area; clay was available for building, even if it would take some labor to harvest and wet it; there were no major sources of water beyond the settlement’s oasis; and there were many small mammals in the area, along with snakes and scorpions, and signs of wild goats to the east (and perhaps signs of monster-tier animals?), so there were options for things to hunt. during all this scouting, zoroe kept at her weaving practice, also having been tasked with casting Sending to Kissare about the group’s plan to go to Abban Serru. zoroe told the party that Kissare was currently in Etaqu, and she had invited the group to visit to discuss options for high value trade deals and the like.

following all that, the party headed north toward Abban Serru. along the way they noticed a trickle of people travelling to the desert, likely Djekker specifically. they carried all their possessions on their backs, and were likely desperate enough for food to brave the desert, aided by the autumn’s waning heat. Kurigalzu was generally pretty chill, with some traffic going northwest. when the party finally arrived in Abban Serru, the massive city was still big and fancy, but the energy there was a bit different. there were fewer people on the streets, and they appeared tired, a bit like the people in Asortsistan, the drought hitting hard. the streets were dustier than before, even if it was hard to notice. zoroe asked calypso about going to see the nursery, and khaela perked up at her mention of the babies there. calypso asked if the kids were all squares like zoroe. “hmph. you’ll have to see for yourself.” khaela asked when naga become adults, the answer to which is at 26 years old. calypso said that zoroe was old, having been an adult for so long when calypso had only been one for a handful of years. phosphorra seemed skeptical of that, asking “really?” “what’d you say?” “nothing.” “fuck you, cake pop.” as the group kept walking, calypso was pouting but hiding it. khaela patted her on the back, and zoroe said that adults are also capable of sulking, prompting calypso to push her hand away. cybil mentioned they were 21… at some point, but didn’t clarify their current age.

approaching the nursery, the party could see several children playing outside, who didn’t seem super interested in the party, since visitors aren’t uncommon. khaela went to zoroe and presented her with what she felt was very important: do teen nagas hit a growth spurt and become all weirdly proportioned? according to zoroe, yes, that can happen. and she also mentioned something about naga tails during the growth spurt causing them to have troubles with doorways sometimes. cybil asked if naga shed their skin, and davke said that some do, that it’s pretty common among the many different naga subspecies. cybil also asked if davke had any shed skin on hand. “no? why would i keep garbage?” “i was simply curious. i did not intend to offend you.” zoroe then strolled right in through the door, the rest of the party following her.

at the party’s entrance a couple of caretakers came to greet them. zoroe recognized one of them, named Bau, as a quiet girl that she had been around but didn’t know that well. the other caretaker introduced herself as Ri, and zoroe told them she wanted to show her friends the nursery. Ri seemed accepting of this, saying that it was good to get the kids used to meeting new people. phosphorra mused that this was a very sociable way of being brought up, and cybil commented that they have similar customs in their Circle. zoroe was then tackled by children from about four directions, and handed her staff off to calypso. at this point the rest of the party was like “whoa, the noodles.” the kids began excitedly pestering zoroe, asking about her adventures and wondering if she had wrestled a god yet, and they demanded to be introduced to her friends. without missing a beat, zoroe settled a young naga on each hip and nodded to the group, introducing each person. davke was already at home, arm wrestling one of the children. khaela wondered if these young naga have bones, and zoroe pointed out that she had bones, so… yes?

zoroe told the swath of children that those who wanted storytime should come to the mat, and suggested those that wanted to play to go to the others. maybe tag. calypso asked if any of the kids were fast enough to catch her, and about seven kids were like “YEAH” and thus started a very speedy game of tag. zoroe cast Message to tell calypso privately to let some of the kids win, to which calypso said ‘hell no.’ calypso was easily outpacing most of the kids, though some of the older ones were working to cut her off, and she start to slow down for them a little bit. khaela took over a few stragglers, and zoroe mentioned that khaela had never been taken down, since she’s the strongest. naturally this incited a dogpile, and khaela maintained her balance for a long time before about eight kids knocked her over. zoroe suggested phosphorra, who was a little overwhelmed by the number of children, do some puzzles with the kids as a fun, calm activity. cybil sat down with a small group to teach them about survival skills. “remember, the skin of the beast is just as useful as the flesh.” they lost some of the kids’ attention, but others listened closely, looking to cybil as a hero. cybil said that the naga could perhaps use their shed skin as armor or food. one of the kids procured some shed skin from outside and presented it to cybil, who tasted it and concluded it was not good to eat. the nursery caretakers didn’t mind any of these activities, happily taking the opportunity to relax.

zoroe’s tales were slightly altered for the kids’ ears, but she did tell them of freeing a town, capturing the bad guys, and saving a princess. during these stories, calypso briefly brought the game of tag inside so she could vault over zoroe, doing dope monk shit along the wall. phosphorra made conversation about books the kids had been reading lately. cybil managed enough tact to not mention the merits of cannibalism in disaster scenarios. khaela, meanwhile, wrangled her group of children into a basic fighting class. she took out Siege and offered her sword for a kid to practice with. Ri at this point was like “maybe… not the sword?” and the kids booed at her. khaela asked Ri if they provided unarmed training at the nursery, which they do. khaela gestured at calypso. “look at that red lady over there. she’s deadly with her hands.” “so? the kids can’t cut themselves on a hand!” “no, but they can punch you out…” khaela argued that she would only do this training with the older kids, so it would be fine. in the midst of this combat training, one of the kids swung a morningstar (khaela provided Several weapons) and clipped another kid. khaela went to them and used Lay on Hands to heal the damage. Ri and Bau stood off to the side, watching this whole thing closely, not pleased. at this point khaela sighed and figured it would be wise to switch over to showing off her spells.

eventually, cybil left the nursery on their own, to go flying around Abban Serru as a vulture to scout out the city. another caretaker soon approached zoroe; Shreya, a kind, older naga lady that zoroe knew very well, and the two of them took some time to catch up. around dusk, zoroe wound down storytime and collected her party so she could introduce them to Shreya. zoroe described Shreya as the one who saved her life, to which one kid said “i didn’t know Shreya was cool.” Shreya thanked the party for taking care of zoroe, and told khaela she was about 200 years old when she asked. khaela gave a more formal introduction for herself, bowing and giving her full name. she then clapped zoroe on the shoulder, making the cleric stagger, and said something similar to the “i’ve only had this dog for two days but if anything happened to it…” bit. calypso added that zoroe is pretty cool for a square. zoroe said her goodbyes and gave a big tight hug to Shreya and the party headed out. calypso asked khaela to help pry off the pair of clingy naga kids looped around her horns.

on their way out, zoroe asked if the party had fun, and the consensus seemed to be positive. calypso said that the kids lied about being fast enough to tag her. khaela did however mention that one of the caretakers didn’t like her, and talked about giving the kids weapons. calypso laughed at that, saying she had seen khaela with the kids and said that she was crazy. phosphorra asked what was wrong with khaela, and khaela insisted she only did the training with the older children. “whatever, i was younger than them when i started weapons training.” zoroe pointed out that khaela was kind of a special case, but khaela just gave her a doubtful look. “it’s just a rule, khaela. i’m sorry.” “it doesn’t matter, the kids loved me.” moving on from that conversation, zoroe mentioned the party could stay the night at her old temple of Hvare. after some jokes about zoroe being both old and a baby, phosphorra said that didn’t want to impose on the temple and would just go to a tavern as usual. zoroe wanted to keep the party all together, and that had just been feeling nostalgic. ultimately, the party found a tavern to stay in that night, with zoroe using Create Food and Water to treat the tavern’s patrons and save some money.

at some point during the evening, cybil returned from their solo activities… in the form of a vulture. then they returned to their human shape and announced to the party that they may have useful information. apparently during the day they had heard a number of rumors throughout Abban Serru that might pertain to the party’s plans. these rumors included: conflicting claims about the people of Parikh either posturing at the border or vanishing mysteriously from the area; the decade-long war between the elvish peoples had ended; the giants of Dzlieri Sakhli had shut down their nation and kicked out foreign merchants, as well as formed walls of boulders to block off mountain passages; the Kobold nation of Aaliyah was pressured into resuming tin exports by Djekker and Ugarit; diplomats from Hattusan seem to be leaving from several nations; and no merchants have come from the dragon nations in months, therefore several goods, especially tin and silk, are in low supply and very high demand.

phosphorra told cybil this was amazing information, and cybil added that there are so many people in the city, and that they perhaps talk too much for their own good. “that's true of most people, cybil.” calypso commented that turning into a bird makes cybil really smart. cybil countered that they don’t experience any notable gain in intelligence. really, the vulture’s superior hearing allowed cybil to learn all of this information. then calypso approached khaela and said she could come with her to see the city. khaela agreed to this, saying “yeah, i don’t wanna be around zoroe right now…” as they headed out, calypso assured her that it wasn’t personal, talking her down basically.

the party’s next stop was Etaqu, which appeared to be the same kind of slump like everywhere else, Etaqu being right at the edge of the fertile zone. faced with the prospect of meeting up with Kissare again after such a long time, zoroe grew a bit shy. there was a joke made having cold feet (or not, because naga), then davke said she was off to visit her mother. phosphorra wanted to go with her, so the party decided to put off business with Kissare for a day. there was the implication that zoroe would be privately meeting with Kissare for “business” and khaela refuted something zoroe said by grabbing calypso by the face and kissing her and going “see?” so those two went off together and cybil headed to a market by themself. they did a little bartering, offering some shed naga skin in exchange for a bracelet, but the merchant only accepted gold for it. cybil then flew off as a bird, naturally.

the next day, the party met up at Kissare’s office. cybil, noting the hickeys visible on zoroe, bluntly asked if she and Kissare had had sex, and zoroe hurried to cover her face with her scarf. Kissare simply said that a lady doesn’t tell. getting down to business, the party gave their explanation of what happened with Zahira and the Himyari gnomes. Kissare leaned back and thought for a moment. she explained that most trade routes worth anything have enough incentive for people to make sure it’s safe, and most are safe anyway, since the world is pretty interconnected. that being said, the dragon nations have been very quiet lately, so the party could make money running silk out of Ctesiphon, which is probably the richest city in the area. Kissare added that if the party weren’t into boring trading, which she couldn’t blame them for, the most reliable or fastest way to make big money would be to find other jobs. she said that we could see about freeing the Abban Serru merchants in the dragon nations, because currently their whereabouts were unknown, and some had been gone as long as a few months.

zoroe asked if Kissare knew about any other jobs or maybe dungeons the party might encounter on the way to the dragon nations. Kissare mentioned a little crossroads area between the nations and Anshan, the dwarven lands. every once in a while people try to settle there, but it doesn’t ever go well, since it’s not protected by any treaties and both dragons and dwarves want it. so there could be ruins in that area that may be worth checking out. Kissare didn’t know anything more specific than that, but she could have her people do research about and let the party know more in the future. zoroe gave her a bright smile and thanked her for the info. she asked how long Kissare would be in Etaqu, and she said she was headquartering here for the foreseeable future, otherwise she’d be in Abban Serru or Uqair. Kissare then asked khaela to stay behind with her for a moment. cybil, hovering awkwardly by the door, also wanted a word with Kissare afterward.

meanwhile, calypso declared that cybil needed a nickname, and asked if they had been given one back home. “i did not. such things were unheard of in the circle.” “how about… cyb?” “one syllable removed. more efficient. i approve.” calypso said they were funny, and a weirdo, and cybil replied they hadn’t been called that before, interestingly. “i don’t believe that. ya pretty weird.” cybil clarified they were referring to “funny,” which calypso figured was case in point. khaela emerged from Kissare’s office, and cybil headed inside. while they were waiting, zoroe seemed a little upset, saying that she wasn’t outgoing enough for Kissare, and calypso assured her that she was fine. after a few more minutes, cybil came back out and told calypso they believed they had experienced “ass language.” “what does that mean?” “Kissare touched me.” “she touched your ass? what?” then cybil shifted into a donkey, offering no further explanation. phosphorra suggested informing Sabira of the party’s plans via Sending, receiving “k” as her only response. “we picked a good one.”

khaela said that Kissare told her that there was a specific way the party could go, when heading back from Ctesiphon, that might be helpful. that could be discussed later on, obviously after travelling to Anshan first, which was the next move. zoroe excused herself to Kissare’s office for a not entirely brief kiss off, then emerged practically glowing red. calypso joked about young love, which zoroe argued. too late, she’d already been assigned baby by both calypso and khaela. the party traveled south through Uqair, eventually reaching the dwarvish city of Chogha. it was a city of stone, hugging the side of a mountain and looking very impressive. the drought was hitting this place harder than many others, since the land naturally isn’t as fertile.

the party was stopped by guards who advised them to be careful. “we’ve been hearing the roads north are dangerous lately. many people are going missing.” another guard spoke up, saying the party looked like they could handle themselves. “you thought that about the last group, and they’re gone now.” cybil asked if the others could do this, and Wildshaped into a vulture. phosphorra apologized for “our feathered friend” and cybil made a horrible squawk. zoroe simply patted the bird on the head, and assured the guards the party would keep an eye out on their travels.

#red sun #dnd #long post #brief lapse from the hiatus

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cloudytreefolk · 5 years

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character design

Step 1 - character research moodboards

This exercise reminded me how much I love story-telling and and world-building! I loved creating my characters. I wanted to make two characters from the same story, because then I’d get to create a bit more of a story around them and see if I could design them to look like they’re from the same world and go together, but fulfil the brief of creating two very different characters.

I did a lot of free sketching, drawing different expression and writing the characters in my head at the same time, then wrote a character/story treatment, before finalising my character designs.

Drawing characters’ faces and bodies

I can draw faces viewed straight on pretty comfortably from imagination, anything else I am really not confident with and typically use a lot of reference, which is ok when drawing a random person but not so much when you’re creating a character as a 3d object of sorts that needs to be rotated and viewed at any angle or perspective and be recognised as the same character. Maybe I could sculpt my characters’ heads quickly out of clay to have a rough reference? Faces can feel like the most important part of the character since that’s the first place we look for emotions and social cues on others, so it’s tempting to focus more on this part than any other when drawing characters, and this is what I did at first. I looked at Andrew Loomis’ guides for drawing bodies proportional to heads, and tried a couple of different body proportions for my characters to see which would fit best with how I’d designed their faces and personalities and where they might be on the spectrum from realistic adult proportions to squishy cartoon more child-like proportions and found they fit best with the latter.

My characters aren’t cute disney kids, more like grubby, weird non-human small gnome/pixie creatures and to reflect this I didn’t want them to be twiggy and balletic but quite stocky and blocky, especially my goblin character. I wanted my mushroom character to feel relatively more graceful, and alien-like (like mushrooms and fungi often do) so I like his mixture of chubby, rounded main body and noodle-y arms and fingers, it reminds me a bit of Adventure Time character designs and the way they feel very alien.

As with the proportions, I wasn’t sure where the style of my characters’ hands would fit between realistic or cartoony, so I did some studies of Fleischer cartoons and Disney’s Ariel’s hands just to try some different approaches, neither were very suitable but they helped me find what I didn’t want.

Things I enjoyed/further development ideas

I loved doing the free character drawings at the start, trying out different ways emotions might show on their faces and trying to make them super expressive so that someone looking will instinctively read the emotion I’m trying to portray. This way of acting through a character reminds me of how stop-motion animators have described animating their characters and acting through their movement choices. I’ve done a bit of stop-motion animation before and would love to do more. I’d also really like to draw more designs of my characters’ world, where they live and objects they would interact with. I’ve been watching and very inspired by videos by sculptor “Ace of Clay” on YouTube, including a series where he sculpts 3D models of characters drawn by viewers, and I’d love to learn from his sculpting process to make maquettes/3D designs of my characters.

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doctortdesigns · 6 years

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The Simplicity Winter Holiday patterns are here! As is typical with this release, we are getting a lot of PJs, holiday crafts, and kids clothes. However, we are also getting a decent number of winter styles and subdued holiday party looks. There are a lot of patterns in this release, so let’s take a look:

8786 – This dress could be quite fun with the color blocking, but I think it would also look very elegant in a solid color. It could be a nice look for a family holiday, or it could be winter work appropriate depending on fabric choice.

8787 – This Learn to Sew Knits pattern is really simple, BUT I predict it will become a very popular pattern. Minimal numbers of pattern pieces, easy sewing, and instructions that are presumably geared towards actually sewing with knits in a modern, practical sense, and I think it could be a real winner. Plus, it is pretty cute, and velvet seems to still be having something of a moment this year.

8788 – The square top looks so weird in the line drawing, but drapes very interestingly on the model. Personally, I’d be more interested in wearing one of the other variations, but props to Simplicity for making a basic rectangle more interesting. Also, more velvet.

8789 – I haven’t made a bodysuit blouse before, but this pattern really makes sense as one. It allows you to tuck in a shirt and keep it in place without bunchy fabrics or pulling. I really like the cross over top variations.

8790 – Sew House Seven knit top pattern. So cute! It is very simple, but I think the styling really sells it here. The cowl neck and curved hem add just enough detail to keep it from being really boring. Plus, we actually had weather here for once so I’m totally feeling the lazy knit vibe right now.

8791 – It seems wrap styles are really popular this fall/holiday season as well. This pattern has a lot of interesting options, including the double peplum and sleeve variations. I like how it nods to the sleeve trend without going so over the top.

8792 – A nice pencil skirt in various lengths. The diagonal button detail is a cool design feature.

8793 – I’m less enamored with this top; something about the proportions of the sleeves feels off to me. The faux-leather jeggings are cute and would be fun as a styling piece.

8794 – This is a decent wardrobe pattern. The wide-legged trouser also seems to be making something of a come back lately; note again we have some velvet here. I like the line drawing of the sweater/jacket, but I think on the model it doesn’t quite suit the whole look. I think perhaps in a different fabric it would really sell the holiday party feel.

8795 – Another pattern where I feel as though the fabric looks a bit cheap? I don’t think it is, but is just sort of looks bathrobe-ish. I do actually like the style lines of the jacket though, it isn’t often we see dolman sleeves of late. Also, props for using a model who doesn’t fit the typically youthful profile, it’s exciting to see more representation on pattern envelopes.

8796 – Am I getting this coat? Yes, yes I am. It is my weakness! But, to be fair, I really do like the asymmetric front and tie detail. I have an older Burda with a similar feature, but the shape of the coat is quite different. This coat is quite streamlined, and it really showcases the minimal details very well.

8797 – If you want an even more unconstructed coat, this one would be fabulous. I like the tab detail at the back – just enough to highlight the waist without emphasizing it. I have to admit, the model looks pretty fabulous in this style.

8798 – Easy to Sew coat. I really like View D, as shown on the model. The asymmetric hem is a cool design feature, and the simple overlapping top would make this quite an easy coat to sew. Could be a good first coat project for someone who is worried about constructing something with too much detail. I am actually enjoying the sleeves on View B as well – enough to satisfy the trend, but not so much as to overwhelm the wearer of the coat.

8799 – 1950s vintage pajama reprint. Seriously though, how fabulous would you feel swanning about your home in this nightgown?

8800 – This PJ setup is much more my style. Perhaps not the silk bralette, but certainly the PJ pants and bathrobe. Plus, it has pockets! All PJ pants really should have pockets.

8802 – PJs for the boys. The man’s shirt is so oversized it looks ridiculous. And, I honestly have to ask. Does any man really sleep in PJs like this? I mean, honestly? I feel like most guys would consider the buttons too much effort to deal with before bed. Tell me truly sewing community – inquiring minds want to know.

8803 – I see what you did there Simplicity. Literally the exact same line drawing, except with the button placket reversed. I do ponder if gendered sleep patterns sell better than their unisex patterns? I also ponder how many people will buy both of these patterns…

8804 – Because of course we couldn’t not have a unisex pattern this release. To be fair, I’ve made unisex bathrobes before, and they did work well for all participants. I personally prefer the robe in 8800, but I can see how this pattern could provide more warmth with the overlapping collar.

8805 – Kids clothes. The embellishment here is sort of cute for the holidays.

8806 – Simple kids sleepwear. If you are into sleeping masks, this kitty one is pretty fun though.

8807 – Clothes for the older kids. I’m going to say that these are actually pretty stylish. I mean, you show up to first grade in that vest and it’s a pretty bold fashion statement.

8811 – Infinity scarf and cardigan pattern. I actually think this is a pretty decent cardigan. There is enough collar shaping to really give it some substance.

8812 – Winter hats and scarves. I don’t really wear hats too often, but these look pretty cute. The deer stalker is perhaps a bit much, bit the softer styles look very seasonal.

8813 – This tote patterns looks really practical. I like the wallet pattern as well – it can hold so many cards!

8814 – 1950s vintage apron pattern. The vintage styles are always so pretty, but they also seem so impractical – how do you avoid getting a mess on the top of your outfit?

8815 – These aprons are a bit less pretty, but much more practical. Also, I think the overlapping pocket design is so cute! It almost looks like a little cat face in the line drawing.

8816 – The most practical apron! The pockets are so fantastic.

8817 – American Girl bottoms for kids and dolls. They all look to be elastic waisted, so they should be very easy to sew.

8818 – American Girl doll clothes. These are so cute! Especially those little jeans.

8819 – More doll clothes. These are for smaller dolls than the American Girl patterns. The example dresses are so pretty.

8820 – Baby doll patterns. I was never much for playing with baby dolls; I was always more interested in dressing up a Barbie. Things haven’t changed much the past 30 years…

8821 – The sloth is so stinking adorable! I love him!

8822 – Practical sewing accessories. The machine cloth doubles as a cover, and the pressing station tool holder is an interesting idea. The cactus pin cushions are adorable in an ironic sort of way.

8823 – This introduction to quilting pattern could be good for someone just learning to sew or someone who wants to transition from garment sewing to quilting.

8824 – Dog coats! The bow tie suit is perhaps a bit much, but the other styles could be helpful for short hair dogs who need some help in the snow.

8825 – Wakanda Forever! Why did it take so long for someone to come out with this pattern? I predict this will sell like hot cakes. The costuming in that film was beyond fabulous, and I think I can safely say that everyone wishes they could look that amazing all the time. As a side note, this could be a really good starting point for a Legend of Korra cosplay as well; it shares a lot of similar elements with her costume. (Elements! Get it? Avatar humor….)

8826 – A very basic apron pattern. Another Learn to Sew option.

8827 – This patterns perhaps has the best of all worlds – View C has the protection, but the other views have the vintage-looking cuteness.

8828 – Holiday crafts. Not sure why the line drawing was only of the stocking, as the ornament and tree skirt patterns are included as well. The ornaments are cute in a South Park does the holidays sort of a way.

8829 – More traditional holiday sewing projects.

8809 – Really basic holiday projects, presumably to keep the kids entertained?

8810 – Kids would either go nuts for that crazy fringe hat or they wouldn’t touch it with a 10 foot pole. Hard to predict.

8808 – Nothing says “winter vacation is temporary” like a pencil pouch project.

4677 – Vintage reprint hats pattern. The range from gnome to Jackie Kennedy is a bit astounding.

6206 – Because we didn’t have enough aprons already.

And that’s it! There were a lot of craft patterns. And PJs. And aprons. But the Black Panther costume is really exciting! And the other winter fashions aren’t too bad. While Vogue was giving us over the top opulence, Simplicity is really painting the picture of a more subdued holiday, which feels like a more realistic sense of this year. There are a lot of patterns I really like, though nothing I’m too obsessed with. I feel like there are a lot of elevated basics; the design lines are simple, but they all have a few interesting features to make them worth considering. What do you all think? See anything here of interest? Or is this release too full of crafty projects to be of note? Do you prefer these toned down winter holiday looks, or are you more of an extravagant ballgown party sort of person? Feel free to discuss in the comments!

Winter Holiday 2018 Simplicity Patterns #sewing #simplicity #patterns #winterholiday #holidaysewing The Simplicity Winter Holiday patterns are here! As is typical with this release, we are getting

#pattern #sewing #Simplicity

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prague-lematic · 7 years

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czesc! (hi in polish) This weekend was our first weekend going out of Prague for a choir concert. We headed out bright and early Friday morning and took the most beautiful scenic route all the way by coach bus to Wroclaw, Poland. I never thought in my whole life that Poland was somewhere I’d want to go or would go rather but man am I so glad I did. Wroclaw was the cutest place ever and so peaceful. I got some poetry homework done on the bus and listened to some country music with Amy, Matt, Olivia and Emma which was perfection. Country music always seems to fit a bus ride or any means of transportation with a view really. As soon as we arrived, we were happy to figure out our beds were comfy as heck!!!!! Mackenzie and I chilled for just a bit before deciding it was time to the hit the town. We were pleasantly surprised to find our hotel was literally around the corner from the center of town there. It first appeared a lot like Old Town in Prague, however a tad smaller with way less tourists. The buildings in the town were so cute and quaint and looked like gingerbread houses. They were all so colorful, which was so refreshing. We quickly realized not only was Wroclaw deemed the city of bridges, but also the city of gnomes. It’s home to over 400 gnomes I believe our tour guide said. We snapped pictures of the ones we came across at the time and made a pit stop in the “Gnome Store/”Dwarf Info.” Mackenzie and I both got little gnome statues- her’s had flowers, of course and mine held proudly a dumpling on a fork (which Wroclaw is known for… who would’ve known?) We ran around as the sun went down in the little square and ended up at this traditional polish food place for dinner just around the corner from the exact center. I got polish dumplings with cheese and more… yum, i can still taste them if i try really really hard. Then we went for a quick stroll through the square to find the water and crossed a bridge to get into a little park. Everyone was kicking back there and sitting on benches, involved in deep conversations with one another and drinking a beer or smoking. There was something so normal about that. It’s still so strange to me to see people drinking in public. After the park and dinner, we of course made our mark in Wroclaw and got our favorite: gelato! Then the entire group, including Dr. Foster went to this cool little “speak eazy” place that was right in the center. It had the appearance of being underground and dimly lit, it was a cool atmosphere. We nearly took up the whole place, but no one seemed to really mind. I got these delicious tropical tasting shots; i don’t know what they were exactly but something to do with blueberry and mango mmmm. Then half of us headed to this little latino dancing bar/underground club nearby. We didn’t last long, though it was cool to see people actually dancing and enjoying each others company with upbeat music. It was a totally different scene than we were all used to. Free cover charge though… blessed. We of course ended up at Pizza Hut (Wroclaw has pizza hut…… good on you, Wroclaw) before heading home for the night and each got a slice on a plate and proceeded home. The next morning was our big day tour of the city- it lasted around 3 hours long but i wish was so much longer because we had genuinely the cutest and most adorable old polish man guide us around. We went all over Wroclaw and made our way onto the island and saw the seminary and the nunnery. The tour guide kept making jokes that the polish women often struggle, because the “cute polish men” always seemed to go the religious route and therefore, weren’t available for marriage. We went into the big church in Wroclaw as well, which was beautiful and had the Madonna statue/plaque. There was also a lion on the outside, which was to be touched for good luck in love. We walked across a love lock bridge and I even witnessed a couple walking on to the bridge as we walked off, holding hands and a lock ready to be locked on to it. Emotional!!!!! We made our way to a little indoor market in what seemed like an old train station. It was so cute and filled with everything from little souvenirs like magnets to fruit and flowers to bags to pottery. Mackenzie got our tour guide a little purple flower to represent HPU and he wore it in his little backpack the entire rest of the tour. He was so happy. Then we went to the University of Wroclaw. It was absolutely beautiful. The cielings were never ending in beauty. I could’ve sat in there forever. We went into a little concert hall and actually sang Java Jive for our tour guide. The acoustics were phenomenal. Then we headed back to the center as he pointed out the oldest restaurant in all of Europe, Piwnica Swidnicka. It has been in Europe since 1273. Crazy. We decided we needed to go there for drinks that evening. For lunch we opted for a burger place, which were HUMONGOUS. Felt like home lol. Getting American proportions in Europe is always so satisfying and exciting, however my stomach has definitely shrunk over here so afterwards isn’t so fun. We then all quickly departed to take naps before our first ever choir concert outside of Prague. Once we arrived at the church (which was impressive by the way. our bus driver, Petr deserves some kind of medal or award for the way he got that big ass bus down those tiny windy roads) which was just down the road, Matt, Olivia and I worked on our script and drank tee and listened to sad music cause we’re weird. Then we warmed up as an entire group and went out to perform. We were beyond ecstatic to walk into a room full of a decent number of people all happily awaiting our music to fill the space. One row even seemed to understand English, when Dr. Foster spoke between pieces and even jammed to a couple of our songs as if they had sung them before. Thank you to those people, you made that performance so worth it. Afterwards we all went to the oldest restaurant and got the most amazing beer. We all chatted and joked about things before heading somewhere for some people to get food. We went to this Restaurant Sphinx place. I sat with Alec, Rowan and Matt and we swapped funny stories and got beer. Then we all headed to Banana Dance Club! It was within walking distance from there to our hotel, which was super convienent. I met some polish people and they were all very nice, but struggled the most so far with understanding me. Noted! The next day, Mackenzie, Laura and I ventured out early after our amazing continental breakfast (i miss those hashbrown little waffle looking things already) and climbed to the top of a church tower and looked out over the city of Wroclaw. Just beautiful. The red roofs of the buildings reminded me of Prague. We then rented bikes for 4 hours and drove them all around the city, basically redoing the tour we had done the day before but zooming by things and circling back quickly and feeling a nice spring breeze. Ugh. I didn’t know how much I needed a bike ride. Must buy a bike when i’m back in Maine for the summer. After our 3 mile bike ride, we quickly decided we owed ourselves a donut so we made a quick pit stop at this cute little window on a curb place. I got an apple donut that literally had apple slices inside it. Yum. Miss u @donuts. Then we grabbed Burger King (Wroclaw also has burger king…. amazing. 10 points for Wroclaw) and hopped back on the bus to head back to beautiful Prague. My home. Wroclaw definitely surprised me and not having any expectations was the best thing. Definitely somewhere I could see myself coming back to. Such a cute little place. xo

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