#goblin: 1.01

[mostlyfate]

GOBLIN: THE LONELY AND GREAT GOD (2016-2017)  → 1.01 · I'll move in tomorrow. It's supposed to be a lucky day.

#goblin #kdramaedit #kdramadaily #kdramasource #asiandramasource #dailyasiandramas #guardian: the lonely and great god #goblin: the lonely and great god #kdrama #gong yoo #lee dong wook #goblin: 1.01 #.gif #goblinedit

[thesingingnorwegian]

GOBLIN:  ep 1, pt. 1

#goblinedit #tvn goblin #goblin #gong yoo #kim go eun #lee dong wook #kim shin #kim sun #wang yeo #kajaedit #mine: gifs #mine: edit #my gifs #mygifs #*mine #tv: goblin #goblin 1.01 #blood cw

[candyflossmemes]

GUARDIAN: THE LONELY AND GREAT GOD (GOBLIN) • EPISODE 1.01 — below you will find lines of dialogue from the first episode of the kdrama goblin. feel free to adjust them as you need for roleplay. tw. discussions of death and immortality.

what a vulgar hat you wear. it seems like my time is done. they were enemies to you. stay immortal alone and watch your loved ones die. you will never forget their deaths. from this moment forward, i will serve you. i was blinded by revenge. i never even asked how he'd been. i might be an even bigger person than you thought. do you know what happens when a human becomes a beast? you meet an angry god. i am anyone. my principle is not to get involved in human life or death. i can't die like this. so you're not the one you're begging to save. you met a tender hearted god. i don't want to see anyone die tonight. i don't think making a wish on a rice cake is working. where did you learn that slang? you should make a wish. you really can see it all. it's cold at night, so make sure you wear your scarf. don't even make eye contact with the souls. i think i have to go now. i'm not going to make a wish. i'm not going to wish for anything. no-one going to listen to what i wish for. you're mean. you're the one who told me to pray earnestly. i came to say goodbye. i'm going. you can see me? you're interfering with my duty. i'm running out of time. since you've made eye contact with the grim reaper, they'll always find you. you'll suffer a bit, but you don't have any other choice. i'm more scared of her than ghosts. i thank you for every moment. why can't you tell me you're leaving to get married? i'm telling you, she's possessed. there's a ghost on your back. are you the one who summoned me? how in the world did you summon me? i didn't summon you, i just see you. what do you mean, you see me? what does buckwheat flower mean in flower language? what do you mean you heard me? i am very familiar with the rumours about you. what brings you to my house?  sorry, he's not used to social interaction. coffee is where my kindness stops. oops. my bad. lover? what lover? i should have gotten his number at least. tell me everything you see about me. i found out how to summon you! why did you do it if you didn't think it was going to work?! what are you to decide whether i have value or not? live in the reality, not in the rumour.

#rp meme #inbox meme #roleplay meme #ask meme #› meme. #› goblin meme. #› sentence meme.

[magaprima]

Lilith’s Use of Magic in Part 1

1.01 

1- The shapeshifting/skin building spell where she uses Mary’s blood, drawing sigils in it and chants Latin words in order to take on Mary’s appearance entirely and completely (and permanently until she chooses otherwise. Which, apparently and understandably, is never). 

2- The poppet spell. She constructs a miniature version of the scarecrow in the maze (as well as a Sabrina poppet) and via telekinetic puppetry is able to control what appears to be a very strong, powerful and dangerous scarecrow creature that only Salem, as familiar-goblin, is able to tackle. 

1.03

1- Teleportation via the shadows. Frequently used in other episodes. Seems to be able to use the shadows to slip in and out of places unseen rather than using regular, flight teleportation the other witches use. 

2. Glamour without incantation. This time as the lawyer’s daughter, but also appears to Sabrina as the daughter in ghost form, juttering her appearance to make her seem like a restless spirit

3- Siren song. Lilith’s singing has a powerful effect in different scenarios a few times throughout the series, in this one it’s used to lull Sabrina into a hypnotic state, but she does this from several rooms away. The song reaches that far and effortless. 

4-Time Manipulation. Using only her breath (blowing over the cup of tea), Lilith manipulates time so that it all slows to a standstill around Sabrina, so is also able to select who the time manipulation effects. 

5- Perception manipulation. Makes Roz perceive that her eyes are black and sightless. 

1.04

1- Shadow teleportation again.

2- Scrying spells. Casts a spell on the Spellman mirrors, using her saliva (ew, Lilith) and her breath to allow her to use the mirrors as windows, spying on the family whenever she wishes without them even sensing it

3- Unspecified spells using their hair and nails and clothing. Presumably being used for future fetish doll purposes. 

1.05

1- Dreamwalking. Is able to teleport herself and walk through other people’s nightmares without having to be physically close to them. 

2- Enchanted Awakening. Using a poppet is able to wake Sabrina up from a demonic slumber, something that, from Sabrina’s attempts, is all but impossible and painful to try. Lilith does this with a pin, a doll and minimal effort. 

3. Levitation. Self explanatory

1.06

1- Is the first witch named/called on in the exorcism, thus implying her magic is the first to give power to the spell. Also participates in the spell herself. 

2- Death via poppet. Uses the doll to give Jesse a fatal heart attack

1.07

1- Wool over their eyes spell. Using a ball of yarn held in the shape of a pentagram, is able to keep herself and four other witches, as well as a dead familiar, entirely invisible from mortals looking directly at them. The other witches hold the pentagram in place and do contribute to the magic here, admittedly. 

2- Is devouring male flesh a power? Certainly makes her lethal

1.08

1-Shadow hiding. Different from the teleportion. She hides, watching Sabrina as a literal shadow, before stepping out into her form once more. Presumably can exist within the shadows (the shadow realm?)

1.10

1- Reading of signs/portents. Has evidential confident knowledge of portents (a dead bird brought in by a cat, a spilled bottle of black ink, a broken mirror in an empty room, a loaf of bread split clean down the middle)

2- Second sight. Is able to see Roz’s Nana knitting ‘her own death shroud’ and knew that the woman had seen what was coming. Lilith has knowledge of things she hasn’t personally see. Second sight and/or psychic gifts. 

3- Blood sacrifice. Using the boy’s blood to give power to her spell. Obviously is skilled with blood magics.

4- Spirit summoning. Conjures (using the above blood magic) no less than thirteen long dead witches. Is able to give them freedom of Greendale as well as the freedom to summon their own spirit.

5- Molecular alteration. Changes into smoke. Presumably teleports away temporarily by the same method. 

1.11 

1- Gingerbread spell. Makes a poppet style spell of an entire house and it’s inhabitents and is able to control the house via the construction. 

2- Power over a yule log. Despite the yule fire keeping all things at bay, Lilith is able to override this protection prettily easily with a simple chant and the use of the above gingerbread spell. 

#Lilith spells #observations #dividing the magic into parts for the posts so they're not too long

[dafukdidiwatch]

Wandering Inn 1.01

Next part, new day.

I love this, this new (section?) part is just so good. I love how her title changes depending on the situation. If she was outside, she would be a traveler. But at the moment, she is a woman. That casual identity change is so creative.

Ever had to take a leak and find yourself staring at a monster?

The dragon was probably from her last encounter, and so to make sure she isn’t going nuts, Erin decided to make a mental check on all the shit she has. Smart move really.

Looks like you a modern girl Erin. A girl that is used to all of this magical bullshit you had been facing. How long were you here for?

I like this line. There is just so much depth to it you can take it in any direction.

Right, back to the story. So looks like Erin wasn’t here for too long. Went to the bathroom, saw a dragon, almost died and ran the fuck away, and found refuse at the inn. Less that a day, tops. Happy first day of the rest of your life.

Oh ABSOLUTELY!!! I love where this is going. She stays here, cleans the place, calls it her home, and then the inn teleports to a new area. She picks up friends, followers, customers, makes her life established as a wandering innkeeper. This is a good plan to follow

She starts cleaning, and honestly I would probably do the same. She has no way home, no idea what to do next. Cleaning would give her a more sense of control and a nice distraction from her entire situation.

So she searches for a rag, we find out that it was a mix of dragon and goblins that attacked her. She she is hesitant in this spooky place of what could be in this inn. Understandable, considering she might have second degree burns.

The story does well to convey her sense of dread and unease in this place. With the dark and the unknown, her slowly growing fear, and then when she actually hears rustling?

She just keeps chanting and moves on. Just ignore the sound and hope it doesn’t chase you. Same.

Turns out, they were curtains. And it did freak me out a bit reading it (seriously, the pacing is slow but really builds up the atmosphere). Instead of exploring the rest of the place (valid) she takes the curtains to return downstairs and starts cleaning.

She cleans everything but the floor by the time night falls. I am sure the Inn will be please with her work. So she relaxes for the next day

Until her class skills come up. I guess this really is an insakai, at least the video game styled ones. She is going to be a master someday, given how she has nothing better to do. 

#dafukblog #WanderInn #WandInnchp1 #WI01

[magmasliveblogs]

1.01 (part 2)

i have consumed food and thus we shall continue! 

Feeling increasingly desperate, Erin grabbed the bucket and towed it outside. She set it upright to collect water and returned to the common room. Well, that only left the upstairs.

It was a very dark stairwell that looked down on Erin as she put her first foot on the stairs. The young woman looked up and gulped. Due to the size of the ground floor, the second floor was quite high up and the staircase was…ominous, to say the least. It looked like the bones of some gigantic monster in the darkness.

Cautiously, Erin ascended the staircase. It seemed as though every second stair creaked or groaned loudly as she placed her weight upon it, and the sounds echoed in the dark inn. To Erin, it felt like she was stepping on landmines—each time she heard a loud creak her heart sped up and her heart caught in her throat.

like the reverse of the typical run up the stairs after turning off the basement lights 

“This is stupid. There’s nothing up there. Nothing!”

She paused.

“Okay, maybe there is something. I don’t know. There could be—more of those Goblins? But there’s probably not a Dragon, right? Right! Don’t be stupid.”

Hesitation. Another step.

“But a Dragon could be up there.”

Erin took a step back down. The stairs creaked. She scolded herself as her heart thumped painfully.

“Don’t be stupid. How would a Dragon fit up there? But Goblins?”

the only dragon that could fit up there would be a hatchling, and if that were the case the fandom would be in a civil war over who was cuter, the hatchling or a certain other cute character we wont see for quite a while 

In the distance thunder rolled and a gust of wind blew hard against the inn. Something pale and white unfurled itself in the darkness and flew at Erin. She screamed, flailed wildly at the thing and crashed to the ground with it in her arms.

For a minute all was confusion and noise. Erin fought wildly against the monster attacking her as rain started pelting her face and it wrapped itself around her arms and head. She eventually threw it off her and scrambled to her feet to find the terrifying creature was—

A curtain.

For a few seconds Erin just stared at the faded fabric in her hands in complete shock. Once her heart had decided to stop running a marathon she exhaled.

“Curtains.”

every kids favorite ghost outfit if sheets aren’t available, the curtain! at least it isn’t a giant moth

The wet curtain…rag raised a cloud of dust into the air, making Erin stumble away, coughing and hacking. But the actual task of cleaning was in fact very easy.

Mainly, what Erin did was push the dust off the side of the table and onto the floor. After that she went back over the rough surface with another pass of her cloth until the table was clean. Then she cleaned her rag in the bucket with some water and went on to the next table.

while this is just moving the source of the issue, its good enough without a mop or medieval form of vacuum 

However there was one place that Erin had avoided the entire time. Namely, the floor.

It was only natural. Erin had nothing like a mop and she’d been pushing all the dust onto the floor the entire time. As such, huge piles of wet dust clumped together everywhere.  Erin kicked at a pile and shrugged.

“Well, when you compare it with the tables and chairs…”

She could only laugh at her strange results. Clean tables, dirty floor. You could eat your dinner off the tables, at least. And who cared about floors? Floors were for stepping on, not sleeping. Erin wiped at her forehead and found she was covered with a layer of sweat. And—was it nightfall already?

ah yes night, lets see what horros await our protag! 

Erin sat back down in a chair and found she was exhausted. She leaned back against the table and sighed. If ever she needed proof that she was terrible in a survival situation, this would be it. Here she was, lost in a terrifying world without a clue where she was, and what was her first move? Clean the room.

“At least Mom would be happy.”

Erin laughed to herself. She closed her eyes, overcome by exhaustion. Time to rest. Maybe tomorrow everything would be better. Maybe this was all just a dream. Probably not, but…

Her eyelids lowered. Her breathing grew slower. Erin just had enough consciousness for one last thought.

“Now I’m really, really hungry.”

thinking of home is always good, but she is still hungry and never took care of that whole bathroom thing. 

[Innkeeper Class Obtained!]

[Innkeeper Level 1!]

[Skill – Basic Cleaning obtained!]

[Skill – Basic Cooking obtained!]

and now we get to a staple of the serial, leveling! this is a fun staple and squarely marks the serial in the “litrpg” genre. how will our protag deal with this?

“…What was that?”  

with confusion it seems. 

aaaaaaaaaand thats the second chapter! poor planning meant my stomach called for food mid chapter but what can ya do. i have been informed by some people that with my current schedule of one chapter a day would mean it would take me 66-67 weeks to catch up to the serial itself. we got a lot of chapters to get through, and i may start spliting the posts into multiple posts once the chapters get above 10k words. for reference this chapter was around 2.5k 

what will happen next, will our protag start freaking out over this? will our protag ever get the sleep, food, and bathroom break they so desperately need? find out next time! 

ok that was a bit too cheesy, either way, see you tomorrow 

#chrono

[keyswrites-blog]

I Killed the MC: 1.01

I hear the murmurs around the kitchen before I even enter the main hall of the inn. The head cook, Cinda, and some of the waitresses are ignoring their work to gossip, “Did you see her?” She asks as a pot bubbles dangerously on the stove, “The adventurer!”

“I took her some drinks,” Penny replies her voice shaking, a broad smile splitting open her face, “She’s gorgeous, blonde hair, piercing eyes, and her armor sparkles like sunlight on water,” She sighs and sags against a wall. The others all gather around and continue peppering her with questions.

I put on my apron and get ready to pick up some slack. Adventurers are fine and all, but they don’t change the fact that our thirsty regulars are out there waiting on drinks. I don’t mind letting others have their fun, I’ll gladly take Penny’s share of tips for the night.

The main hall is filled to the brim with patrons all crowded around a table near the fire. They’re listening to a woman speaking animatedly, “So there I was surrounded by hundreds of goblins, there were so many it would have been difficult even for someone as strong as me,” She sighs dramatically, “But I’m no fool, I knew better than to try and deal with all of them, so I challenged their king to a one on one duel,” The crowd ‘oohed’ and ‘awed’ at her performance.

This must be the adventurer.

[Start][Previous][Next][Current]

[Chapters]

#i killed the mc #my writing #fantasy #web novel #not edited

[kolbisneat]

MONTHLY MEDIA: September 2017

We’re leaving behind beaches and boogie boards for ghosts and goblins and I couldn’t be more stoked! Here’s all that I consumed over the month of September.

……….FILM……….

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) After watching this video exploring why the film is so great, I’d decided to check it out and OH WHOA IT”S SO GOOD! It had well-written characters, a great sense of history, a compelling villain, and even a love story that I could get behind (I generally prefer platonic relationships). If you’ve never seen it, go check it out.

It (2017) So I’m not a diehard Stephen King fan and I didn’t really grow up in the 80s so this movie just didn’t do it for me. The stuff between the kids was great but I suppose I was expecting…more? Maybe some cool psychological shapeshifting stuff to separate the kids in the sewers? Or more of the library scene where you’re not sure if it’s IT or the librarian? Instead we got “okay we’re stronger together…let’s separate” and that just didn’t cut it. 

The Girl With All the Gifts (2016) Probably the artsiest zombie movie I’ve ever seen and it was great. Fairly faithful to the book but of course can’t go into the same sort of character nuance. Whether you’ve read the book or not I’d still recommend it.

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) You know I’d never seen this all the way through and there are way more gunfights with pirates than I would’ve expected. Anderson’s films seem to always feature 8-15 men and 2 woman as (one as voice of reason and one as love interest) and it’s kinda bumming me out. Visuals, as always, are some of my favourite in cinema.

……….TELEVISION……….

Terrace House: Aloha State (Episode 1.01 to 1.20) Definitely a shift in tone from Boys & Girls in the City but it’s still very kind television. The panel will never not be the best part of this show and I can’t recommend it enough for anyone who likes chill, feel-good reality tv.

Rick & Morty (Episode 3.07 to 3.09) The show seems to be keeping its bleak tone but at least they’re not just focusing on Rick being a dick. The serialized direction is really serving the characters but I’d love an occasionally contained episode as a bit of a break. 

……….READING……….

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (Complete) Just fantastic. I had a bit of trouble with the fact that every woman in the story is described as beautiful until a friend pointed out that this is the main character’s perspective and that’s how he sees the world. So I spent the rest of the book with the knowledge that this was a biased recounting of events and it changed everything for the better! I think the nature of the story would lend itself to be a great audio book so I can’t recommend it enough.

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami (Page 56 of 607) I’ve only just started but I already get a vibe I’m onto something special. I remember seeing something about one of Murakami’s books spending time in a spirit world and I can’t remember if it’s this one (and don’t want to spoil myself by finding out). I’m just gonna roll with it and see where it goes.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection Volume 4 by Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz, Paul Allor, Sophie Campbell, Mateus Santolouco, and more (Complete) The plot in this volume was really focused on setting up the next big conflict so it didn’t hook me the same as the swifter pacing of earlier chapters. With that said, I love Campbell’s take on April and the Turtles, and there were a couple cool character introductions. I still can’t recommend this series enough to any turtle fan.

Cave Carson Has a Cybernetic Eye Vol. 1 by Jon Rivera, Gerard Way, Michael Avon Oeming, and Nick Filardi (Complete) I really wanted to like this. It has a pulpy premise, it’s written by Gerard Way, and the cover looked appropriately engaging, but it just didn’t work for me. I appreciate the art style but tonally, it didn’t fit (except in the more psychedelic scenes) and has a real 90s aesthetic. I was also super bummed that the trade ends in a cliffhanger but I don’t think I’m going to keep with it. 

Sandman Vol. 10 - The Wake by Neil Gaiman + countless excellent artists (Complete) This was a fitting end to such a unique story. The funeral plot was fantastic and the last chapter was a great reflection on the series, but there were bits in the middle that felt like filler. And the idea that Morpheus looks to others for their stories since he doesn’t have his own seems…off. Weren’t the first couple trades focusing on his recovery and return to power? The later instalments definitely put him in the supporting character role but that wasn’t always so. I dunno it just weakened the ending for me. Still great.

DEATH Deluxe Edition by Neil Gaiman + countless excellent artists (Complete) Reading a Death-centric anthology made me realize how much more interesting of a character she is. Morpheus was always a little too gloom for me (especially given that he’s the personification of something so imaginative and sporadic as dreams) so spending more time with Death was a treat.

……….AUDIO……….

Perpetual Touch by DIANA (2016) My bestie recommended them since it has everything I love: synthesizer, female vocals, and an upbeat tempo. I caught the last 2 songs of their set at a show (the gig poster’s design was misleading on what band was playing when) and their vocals were SO ON POINT! If you dig the album and have the chance to see them live, do it.

Hounds of Love by Kate Bush (1985) This is what happens when you watch a VOX video on gated reverb.

……….GAMING……….

Dungeons & Dragons Hexcrawl Campaign (Wizards of the Coast) The party discovered that a wizard has been enchanting dolls to pull off a string of local robberies and the tower was a veritable column of chaos! Basically I really liked that one scene in IT with all the clowns and went from there. Now that the mystery of the crimes have been solved, it looks like the party is on their way to investigate a cursed mansion.

Octopath Traveller (Demo) (Square Enix) It’s been a while since I’ve delved into an RPG but the Switch is making that so so easy! I love the mechanics and while it’s a little chatty at the beginning, it’s well-paced when it gets going. I’m looking forward to the full release next year.

And that’s it! As always, let me know if you have any recommendations for things to play, read, watch, or hear!

Happy Saturday.

#Monthly Media #Rambles #Kolbisneat #Andrew Kolb

[cinaed]

October 2019 Monthly Media

* = Rewatch/reread

Anime/Cartoons

Bob's Burgers 10.02-10.04

The Bravest Knight 1.06-1.13

Camp Camp 4.18

Books/Novellas

To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers 

The Witch of Willow Hall by Hester Fox 

The Light Brigade by Kameron Hurley 

The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters by Balli Kaur Jaswal

The Library of Fates by Aditi Khorana

The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers by Maxwell King

Zoe's Tale by John Scalzi

Don't Call Us Dead by Danez Smith 

Becoming Superman: My Journey From Poverty to Hollywood With Stops Along the Way at Murder, Madness, Mayhem, Movie Stars, Cults, Slums, Sociopaths, and War Crimes by J. Michael Straczynkski 

The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite 

Comics/Manga

The Way of the House Husband by Kousuke Oono

About Love by Narise Konohara and Tomo Ootake

Closer to Home (ongoing webcomic) 

Dumbing of Age (ongoing webcomic) 

Oglaf (ongoing webcomic)

Stand Still, Stay Silent (ongoing webcomic)

Wilde Life (ongoing webcomic)

Games

Dream Daddy

Fire Emblem Heroes

Kindred Spirits On the Roof

Love Nikki

Lovestruck

Utapri

Movies

A Fistful of Dollars (1964)

Lady, You Shot Me: The Life and Death of Sam Cooke (2017)

The Little Pet Shop of Horror (1960) 

The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927)

Men in Black: International (2019)

Rocketman (2019)

Saving Jaws (2019)

Scary Stories: The Story of the Books That Frightened a Generation (2019)

We Are Columbine (2018)  

Podcasts

The Adventure Zone

The Penumbra Podcast

Theater

Escape to Margaritaville (National Theater)      

O. B. Hardison Poetry Series: Annie Finch and Kiki Petrosino Poetry Reading (Folger Theater) 

TV Shows/Web Series

Dimension 20: Fantasy High 1.01-1.17

Dimension 20: Unsleeping City 1.01-1.02

Critical Role 2.80-2.82

Goblin 1-6

The Good Place 4.02-4.06

K-Leverage 1-4

Single Parents 2.01-2.06

Superstore 5.02-5.06

The Terror 1.01-1.06

#monthly media

[mostlyfate]

GOBLIN: THE LONELY AND GREAT GOD (2016-2017)  → 1.01 · I've heard a lot of rumors about you. They're mostly exaggerated.

#goblin #kdramaedit #kdramadaily #kdramasource #asiandramasource #dailyasiandramas #guardian: the lonely and great god #goblin: the lonely and great god #kdrama #gong yoo #lee dong wook #goblin: 1.01 #.gif #goblinedit

[mostlyfate]

YOOK SUNG JAE as YOO DEOK HWA GOBLIN: THE LONELY AND GREAT GOD (2016-2017) 

#goblin #kdramaedit #kdramadaily #kdramasource #yook sungjae #btobedit #asiandramasource #dailyasiandramas #sungjae #guardian: the lonely and great god #goblin: the lonely and great god #btob #btob edits #maleidolsedit #kdrama #goblin: 1.01 #.gif #goblinedit

[mostlyfate]

GOBLIN: THE LONELY AND GREAT GOD (2016-2017)  → 1.01 · But what do buckwheat flowers mean? Lover.

#goblin #kdramaedit #kdramadaily #kdramasource #asiandramasource #dailyasiandramas #guardian: the lonely and great god #goblin: the lonely and great god #kdrama #lee dong wook #gong yoo #kim go eun #goblin: 1.01 #.gif #✨ #goblinedit

[magmasliveblogs]

1.01 R

first of all, ive given up on doing 4+ posts a day till i catch up, ill do 2 or so until wednesday but after that if i miss a day i will do 2 posts a day till caught up. i bit off more than a drake with an unhinged jaw could chew. also it seems we are continuing with the story of ryoka! to recap: last chapter we got introduced to ryoka as a character and got more info about the runnners guild

Every head in the Runner’s Guild turned as the door opened. It was a conditioned response; those who ran were either quick to notice things or they were dead.

Ryoka walked over to a counter on one side of the room, ignoring the appraising looks she received. She waited until the female receptionist at the counter looked up.

“Good morning, Ryoka.”

The receptionist treated her to a friendly smile. Ryoka nodded back. She did not smile.

“Do you have any requests to turn in?”

Ryoka nodded again.

“Three seals.”

“Very well. I’ll witness your claim.”

The receptionist waited patiently as Ryoka scribbled down her name and listed the seals she’d brought in. She had to write down the composition of each seal. Two red hardwood seals and the expensive silver/sapphire seal.

“Oh, is that Magnolia’s seal? You were lucky to pick up that delivery.”

“Yep.”

Ryoka finished writing and slid the paper and quill over to the receptionist. The other woman’s smile flickered, but she added her own signature to the log.

“Most runners fight over the right to deliver something to her. She pays extra for speed, and of course she’s been known to tip generously too.”

The receptionist waited for a response. She got a silent nod.

“Thanks.”

it seems we will get even more info! perhaps even some culture? 

Ryoka turned away. She walked over to a large bulletin board with pieces of paper tacked to it.

Like the Adventurer’s Guilds, the Runner’s Guild used a first-come-first-serve system when it came to giving out delivery requests. It was this board that Ryoka studied intently, ignoring the eyes still boring into the back of her head. She was used to it.

What she wasn’t used to was the loud, cheerful voice that cut through the silence.

“Hey Ryoka!”

The young woman tensed up. Her head twitched towards the door, but it was too late. Another girl was making a beeline towards her. She was shorter than Ryoka, but wider. Not from fat; rather, she looked sturdy without having the obvious muscles of a man.

Garia Strongheart slapped Ryoka on the shoulder. The taller girl’s left eye twitched, but Garia didn’t notice.

“Did you just finish your deliveries to Celum? That’s fast! I normally have a bite to eat in the markets. They do a wonderful cinnamon bun in the mornings, but I guess you already ate, right?”

The taller girl looked over at Garia and gave her a fractional nod.

“Mhm.”

“And you did it barefoot? I thought the others were just playing a prank on me when they said you ran everywhere without shoes.”

Ryoka sighed inaudibly.

“I run everywhere without shoes.”

“Why? Too cheap for them?”

Garia laughed. Ryoka did not.

“I’m just slower with shoes, that’s all.”

“Oh, so it’s a class thing? That makes sense. But is the uh, [Barefoot Runner] class better than the [Messenger] class?”

Ryoka shrugged. Below the bulletin board was a table with bundles of deliveries yet to be made. She picked out a bundle and weighed it experimentally. Too heavy. She put it back and tried another one on. Light enough to run with.

Her continuing silence and clear disinterest in conversation didn’t bother Garia, at least outwardly. The friendly girl continued to press Ryoka, asking about the road, what dangers she’d encountered, and so on. She got monosyllabic responses if she was lucky.

Ryoka studied the requests. Most were generic delivery requests. Unfortunately, they were all spaced out so that it would be hard to do more than a few without running twice as far.

continuity error! [messengers] were changed to be similar to our pony express, ie: letters or small packages sent by horse. the typical member of the runners guild will have the [runner] class instead. also yep, ryoka is antisocial 

A scrap of paper hiding behind two other requests caught her eye. Ryoka pulled it out and studied it. Then she showed it to Garia.

“What’s the reward for this one?”

Garia looked at the piece of paper and shook her head.

“Oh that? It’s one of the old-style requests. You get them now and then. Someone sends a message that they want a delivery and they promise payment. But we have no idea how much they’re willing to pay and who they want the package  delivered to. At least it’s confirmed.”

“Confirmed?”

“That means we can at least prove they’re not bandits. Who’s this one from? Oh. Don’t take this request.”

“Why not?”

“It’s for the High Passes. Very nasty place. More runners have died there than—well, it’s bad. Tons of monsters live around the area.”

“Hmm.”

Ryoka’s expression didn’t change as she studied the request. But then she looked elsewhere. Garia picked out another request and showed it to Ryoka.

“How about you and I do this delivery of ore to Pelingor? It would be a long haul, but they’re offering a gold coin for delivery today! Plus the roads are very safe. Whaddya say?”

The other girl studied the notice and eyed the packs. They were filled to bursting and were as heavy as they looked.

“I’ll pass.”

“Again?”

Garia looked disappointed. Ryoka shrugged awkwardly.

“I’m not good at running in groups.”

“Well, if you’re sure. But we should run together sometime. How about in a few days we do the Tern Road run and deliver the spices to Celers and Remendia?”

Again, Ryoka’s expression didn’t change, but she looked up at the ceiling as she considered Garia’s request.

“Fine.”

Garia beamed and slapped Ryoka on the back. Again, the other girl’s eye twitched.

“Great! I’ll let you know when it comes up.”

“Sure.”

Ryoka selected a piece of paper as Garia turned away. But then the door opened and she heard Garia call out.

“Fals!”

More runners walked into the guild. Their arrival was greeted with much more enthusiasm and energy that Ryoka’s had been. A few other runners moved over as the three people who had entered strolled up to the receptionist’s counter and offered her silver seals.

Garia joined the group around the runners and grinned up at the tallest one. He was a blonde, tanned runner with long legs and red clothing that was better quality than the other runners around him. He also wore two daggers at his belt.

“Fals, how’re you doing?”

Fals grinned at Garia and exchanged slaps on the shoulder. He pointed to the other two runners accompanying him, a young man and a woman.

“We just finished a run to a group of adventurers out near the old ruins. Brought a bunch of potions and supplies. They tipped well, so we’re going to celebrate.”

Garia sighed enviously.

“And you don’t have a scratch on you.”

“We’re not stupid enough to get near the monsters.”

Fals laughed and the other runners laughed with him.

“So why are you here? Going to accept another assignment?”

He shook his head.

“Nah. I’m too tired for that. No, I just wanted to have a word with our newest runner here.”

He walked over to Ryoka. The other runners who’d congregated around him fell away, leaving just his two friends and Garia.

“Ryoka, how’re you doing?”

The other girl had finished picking out two requests. She looked up from stowing the deliveries in her backpack.

“Fine.”

Fals waited, but that was it. Garia shifted uncomfortably and the other two runners glared at Ryoka. She looked expressionlessly back at them. However, Fals took the lapse in stride.

“Good, good. I was wondering if you needed any advice, what with you being so new. Normally, most runners begin as Street Runners first.”

Ryoka shrugged. Again, Fals broke the silence before it grew too onerous.

“Well, I noticed you took Magnolia’s request this morning. It’s a good run, isn’t it?”

“There were a few Goblins on the road.”

“Right, right.”

Fals scratched his head and shifted uncomfortably. Ryoka finished tying her pack closed and hoisted it onto her shoulders. She looked at him expectantly.

“The thing is, it’s a really good delivery. It pays well, it’s safe—well, mostly safe—and runners like Magnolia. She tips well and shares her deliveries.”

Garia grinned.

“She once gave me a few treats she imported from overseas. They were frozen bits of fruit and sugar. Tasted amazing.”

“Exactly. We all like her. I know she wanted someone to deliver that blue drink she likes so much. Did she share any with you?”

Ryoka shook her head.

“I wasn’t interested.”

This time she definitely got a glare from every runner in earshot. Fals shifted again.

“Right, well, it would just be best if you let another runner take the request next time. Not that you don’t have a right to it—it’s just that we like to share the request. Give others a chance to take it easy, okay?”

He gave her a smile which went unreturned. Garia eyed Ryoka nervously. Ryoka stared at Fals expressionlessly, and then nodded.

“Got it.”

The two other runners accompanying Fals shifted on their feet. They looked at Ryoka with a lot more hostility than Fals and Garia. For his part, Fals nodded and gave Ryoka another friendly smile.

seems like the typical runner is extremely social, while ryoka can not be bothered to put in the effort. i can get behind that. 

“Just so you know. Good luck on your run!”

Fals and the other runners walked away. Ryoka watched them go. Her face betrayed no emotion, but Garia saw her hand go up and tug at one ear.

Something was off about it. Normally, Ryoka’s long hair covered her ears, but now Garia saw that her left ear had been torn sometime in the past. The lower part of her earlobe was missing, and the remainder had healed jaggedly around the round gap.

Ryoka noticed Garia staring at her ear. She dropped her hand and turned away.

“See ya.”

—-

What was the receptionist’s name? It’s still bugging me. I think it started with an ‘S’. Or was it a ‘Y’? No. I’m sure it was an s.

Either way, at least that’s done with. And now I can get out of the city and away from annoying people.*

I feel a lot better as I jog out of the city gates. Running calms me down. And I need some calming down after having to deal with idiots.**

*Everyone

**Almost everyone.

and now you see why there is a good portion of the community who doesnt like ryoka, moments like that can be read as incredibly pretentious and rude, whereas some people just dont like dealing with people in general irl. 

Okay, okay, calm down. I adjust my pace as I sprint out of the city gates. People are staring. Not that it matters too much, but I don’t want to waste my energy running too fast right now.

Destination: Remendia. It’s about thirty miles away, which makes it one of the furthest cities to travel to. I’ll get over there in a few hours and then jog over to its neighbor, Ocre. Or whatever it’s called. But I’ll stay the night in Remendia since it’s bigger and has better inns.

There’s a Runner’s Guild in Remendia. There’s one in almost every big city, so I can receive more requests wherever I go. That’s handy, and it means I don’t have to come back here and deal with the annoying runners around here.

Then again, they all do city-to-city deliveries as well, so I tend to run into all of them sooner or later. It’s a pain.

Well, Garia isn’t a pain. She’s just too friendly. But she’s the best of them. The rest of the City Runners can go to hell. Especially Fals.

City Runners. From what I understand of these Runners, they’re like postmen. Or postwomen. Whichever. But you can divide them into roughly three categories. There are the Street Runners, the City Runners, and the Couriers.

Street Runners cover individual cities and don’t stray outside of them very far. They take the safest, easiest jobs and receive the least amount of money. They also seem like they’re not that high in the social hierarchy in the Runner’s Guild. They’re the youngest or the oldest, and that’s about all I know.

City Runners is what I guess I fall into. They—we run from city to city and make deliveries in a general area. A City Runner might run for a few days if he has to make a really long delivery, but he won’t stray from his ‘territory’*. They take on the more dangerous jobs, but again, they’re not adventurers so a City Runner mainly runs away from any trouble and tries to make their deliveries as quickly as possible.

*Territory. What are we, dogs? But apparently we are, with all the little groups and infighting the runners seem to do. It’s a mess of politics and friendships in each Runner’s Guild.

good to have hierarchy, as long as it doesnt get oppressive. i assume street runners are generally lower level than city runners, and the same for couriers. maybe [courier] is a class upgrade of [runner] similar to [strategist] and [tactician]? 

Then there’s Couriers. I haven’t personally met one, but I hear they’re the equivalent of long-distance mail. They can go from one end of the continent to the other, or even across the sea if their delivery calls for it. They’re quick, efficient, and apparently they cost incredible amounts of money to hire. But they’re also supposed to be really good at their jobs.

yeah i think they are a class upgrade

From what Garia told me, each one is at least Level 30, and they all have levels in other classes as well so they’re not easy to ambush. And that’s…

I look around as I run. I’m going down one of the main roads, but it’s empty at the moment. Still, I jog off the road and into the short grass. It’s not like I’ll go much slower out here. I wait until I’m a ways away from the road before I shout.

“That’s so stupid!”

Well, it’s not much of a shout. It’s hard to shout and breathe at the same time, and it feels really awkward to talk to myself. Who does that? Anyways, I’m still not over it.

Levels. It’s one of the weirdest things about this world, and this is a weird world. It’s like a game, but it’s not a game. At least, there’s no evil demon lord or end of the world coming, and I’m no hero from another planet summoned to defend this place from evil.

I’m a girl from Ohio. I’m a Freshman in college, and I run barefoot. I found myself here when I was on my run, and I ended up in this crazy place with my iPhone, my wallet, and my watch. I’m no hero.

But this place is exactly like a video game. Or, failing that, a fantasy book. Something out of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, except the cities I’ve visited don’t have any Elves or Dwarves. In fact, they don’t even have many humans with skin darker than tan. I’m practically an outsider because I look Asian.

Back to the road. It’s not good to stray too far from it, I guess. But I hate having to dodge around wagons and listen to every idiot I meet shout at me about my bare feet. But it beats Goblins, I guess.

Barely.

Anyways, what was I thinking about? Oh yeah. This is a stupid world. A really stupid one, and the worst part is that it’s just like the one I left.

Fals. He was hinting—no, he was telling me not to take any more of the good delivery requests. And judging by the crowd back in there, they all think the same way.

Politics. No one takes all the good deliveries or we’ll make life tough for you, huh? And this Fals is their…what? He’s popular, I know.

I grit my teeth. I don’t like him. He’s always giving me advice, usually about things I should or shouldn’t do. And since he’s a senior Runner he’s got some kind of priority with deliveries and everything else. I really hate running into him in the guilds.

Already. It’s only been a week and a half*, but I’ve gotten used to this world, at least a bit. You really can get used to anything. But I’ve never liked social climbing, and it feels like half of being a Runner is doing just that.

*Has it really only been that long? It feels…so much longer.

I hate Fals. I run into him too much. And now I’ve got to run with Garia, dragging a massive backpack thirty miles for terrible pay. Why did I agree to run with her? Because it was too hard to say no.

Damn. Damn me, damn her, and Fals can…there’s not enough damnation around here for him. I hate all of this.

So I run. Keep running. I increase my pace and my thoughts flow out of my head. That’s better.

Things come and go, but at least I can run. Ironically, in this world I can run even more since it’s now my job. That’s the only good thing about my predicament. The only good thing.

Well, that and one more little fact. I grin as I remember, and the wagon driver gives me a weird look as I run past him.

This world has a bunch of Runners. And they’re okay. They really are. They run far, and the ones like Garia are tough and strong enough to run with huge bags on their back for quite a long ways. But you know what? Maybe it’s their diets. Or maybe they don’t know about proper hydration, or running form or—

The point is, they’re okay. But they’ve got nothing on a girl who earned a scholarship for track and field.

I take off, and the miles flow behind me like rain. I may not be a social runner, or even liked. At all. But I’m pretty sure that I’m one of the fastest.

and this is what i meant by hierarchy being good but only without oppression. this whole “leave some of the good requests for the rest of us” just stinks of greed. if you want the good requests how about you work for them instead of relying on pack tactics? 

also it seems ryoka refuses to level up 

It’s a long run. But I get it done with and enter Remendia just as the sun’s turning the sky orange. Two deliveries. One here, and the other in that other city. Ocres? Whatever.

I take care of it, and then turn in my seals at the local Runner’s Guild. Here I get more silent stares, but that’s fine. Keep the poker face up, turn in the seals, and leave.

That done, I find an inn. Hm. The first one I go to advertises bed and board for three silver coins. It’s pricy, but I’ve earned over thirty silver today. I’ll treat myself.

If you’ve got the motivation and you don’t die from being shanked by a Goblin hiding in the grass, a City Runner can make good money. True, a large part of my earnings was from that Magnolia request, but I still earn more than most people. Or so I gather.

The average worker makes about 3-4 silver coins* per day. But that’s a pittance compared to what merchants or shopkeepers can bring in. Even taking away their daily expenses, they probably earn upwards of twenty silver coins each day. And that’s small change compared to the money adventurers can make.

*Local currencies differ from city to city or by region. Here the currency is called Thestals, but that just means they have a unique weight and percentage of actual silver or gold used in each coin. Those who deal with money a lot care about the currency, but they’re all roughly silver, gold, and copper coins.

The famous adventurers. Heroes. People who can slice, dice, and blast things apart. I think about them as I soak in one of the public bathhouses. It feels great, but what was I—oh, right.

Adventurers. They don’t exactly look like the flashy characters with insane armor and gigantic swords you see in video games. Mainly, they look like medieval soldiers. At least, the low-level ones do. Again, Garia tells me the high-level ones look really impressive, but I’ve yet to meet one of those.

And why am I thinking of adventurers? And where’s the towel? And is that bath attendant giving me a dirty look?

Oh, right. Because of my feet. Hey, they’re dirty but probably less dirty than other people’s disgusting body parts. Leave a tip? I guess.

Back to the thinking. Adventurers? Yeah, they’re like…starving artists? They don’t earn much from hunting monsters, but the ones who survive their raids on dungeons or old ruins can earn unimaginable amounts of wealth in an instant. I guess it’s appealing for people who think they’ll survive. Not me, thanks. I’ve seen what Goblins do with people, and they’re the weakest monsters around.

So, if adventurers represent the top earners, Runners fall somewhere around the mid-categories. It’s a dangerous job, but not nearly as dangerous as fighting monsters.

Why do I care? Oh, right, money. I’ve got enough.

Back to the inn. I’m tired, but my mind is still racing. It’s been how many hours? I’m still annoyed by those idiots back in the Runner’s Guild. And Garia. I’m more annoyed than mad at her, but—

She was staring at my ear. Which is fair. Are ear injuries that common around here? It’s a distinctive pattern—perhaps that’s why she’s curious. And about me running barefoot. It’s not common even in fantasy worlds, I guess.

Back to the inn. Time for a meal. Let’s eat and think. What kind of meal? Chicken. I could go for chicken and mashed potatoes. It tastes good, especially since I’m hungry. But focus. Is that guy staring at my breasts? Yes. I hate you, random stranger.

Ignore him. Eat chicken. Gravy goes on top of potatoes. Think.

Let’s go over it again. Priorities. First and most important? Money to live on. Right now I’m earning enough for a room at an inn and regular meals, but keep saving.

Second, I need more information. Libraries don’t exist around here, or at least, they aren’t open for the public. I need maps, but I also need a book on the cities around here. History, culture—I need a local. Can’t ask them too much, or they’ll get suspicious. Put that one on the backburner.

Next? Um. Equipment. The job I’ve got is pretty much the only one I can do. Alternatives? I could be a scribe…if my handwriting were better. But being able to write more than my name is helpful. Too bad it’s not too useful.

Focus. Equipment. There’s magical items on sale in the markets. Not many—and they’re expensive. But runners have different kinds of enchanted items. I want one. But I’m still trying to earn enough money to buy a good healing potion for emergencies. That has to be the first priority.

Meal’s done? Do I leave the plate or…? Hm. Let’s see. Looks like they’re leaving plates. And the innkeeper puts it on my tab…? Yeah. I’ll pay it tomorrow.

Back up to my room, away from prying eyes and people who want to sit and have a drink with me. I’m not against drinking* but I really don’t need to deal with lonely men right now.

*Well, I am if it’s alcohol.

seems ryoka was part of the official batch, as opposed to whatever made erin appear, and is thus newer to the world 

My bed’s pretty good this time. You definitely get what you pay for. I guess I’ll spend at least two silver coins on my inn from now on. It’s expensive, but it beats a bad bed.

Hm. Final check before I got to sleep. Fals? Hate him. Got to run with Garia sometime. Get it over with. Using money for…healing potion. And then equipment. Right.

I know what to do tomorrow. I’ll go to the Runner’s Guild first thing and get some good, high-paying requests. Save up, buy that healing potion. But something else nags me as I lie in the bed with a feather poking the back of my head.

Here’s the problem. And it’s a big one. I have no idea what to do next. Not ‘next’ as in tomorrow, but ‘next’ as in what I should be aiming for in the future. I can earn enough money to live off of, but what’s my end goal? To live and die here? Or to return home? And how in the blue blazes* am I going to do that?

*Where does that quote come from? No, focus. Focus.

yknow you would think a fire god would know this, but i do not 

When I run I can keep the doubts from floating about in my head. But when I stop and when I’m about to sleep I feel it crawling back up from the depths.

Uncertainty. I still don’t know why I’m here, what magic or fate brought me to this place, or what even to do next. I earn money and I keep it, but I don’t know what to do with it. I run and run, and someday I’ll run into something nasty. This world is full of monsters, and I don’t know what to do.

Still, I can’t worry about it now. I have to sleep. If I’m tired or I oversleep tomorrow I’ll miss the good deliveries.

I close my eyes. Time to sleep. My mind is racing, but at least my body’s tired. I’m drifting off in my mattress. It’s not that much different from my one back at home, to be honest. Maybe more lumpy and less comfortable as a whole, but it will do. And I’m so tired.

Damn. I forgot. Before I sleep. Concentrate. Block out the messages—

[Barefoot Runner Class Ob—]

[Barefoot Runner Le—]

[Skill: Runner’s—]

[Ski—]

I hate having to do that every night.

ok apparently she just hates the system in general and never got any levels in the first place. just refuses it on principle and in general 

thats the end! will ryoka come up with increasingly weird fake classes to explain what she knows? will she be discriminated against if someone finds out she refuses levels? 

see you next post, hopefully tomorrow if my internet decides its feeling good