#he's so talented he can pursue art AND necromancy

[sainamoonshine]

Okay so I saw that @foxy-alien made art of a TLT house swap AU and it started me thinking about how I’d do a similar AU… I did that instead of sleeping last night btw.

So here’s what I have so far:

Ninth House: Ianthe, Corona and Babs. Once upon a time a woman and a baby fell on their planet. When they saw the woman’s red hair they thought “ugh what Third House bullshit is this” and while they kept the corpse, they sent the baby back. We don’t want this keep your trash. They have their own drama to deal with anyway; the tomb needs its keeper to be a necromancer. Corona, while officially the heir and Reverent Daughter, is not one. Ianthe and her started hiding her lack of talent before their parents explained the whole “unbroken chain of the tomb keeper’s necromantic bloodline” thing. So long as Ianthe is around, the twins expect that everything is still fine. Still, their house hovers on the edge of breaking a promise of ten thousand years once their parents die and Corona inherits the duties of the tomb… unless they find a way to make Corona a necromancer, either by turning her into a lyctor, by making Ianthe a lyctor and then Ianthe makes her necromantic (?), or they just straight up ask Jod for a boon.

Eight House: Abigail and Magnus. Everyone is surprised when they meet them, as they do not meet the traditional pattern of their house; especially when you know the fact that Abigail’s cavalier was supposed to be a cousin but was replaced by Magnus when he married Abigail — their blood type was, luckily (or unluckily?) compatible. Like, who the fuck would want to be an Eight House cavalier??? (Magnus would. He think going into the river is exciting. He also trusts his wife.) It’s usually only when Abigail starts actually doing necromancy that people remember she’s scary AF. Through her interest in ghosts, she has developed her own custom safeguards against Magnus getting possessed when she siphons him… or if he does get possessed, she is a quick and extremely brutal exorcist.

Seventh House: Palamedes and Camilla. Pal decided on his medicine focus due to his house’s propensity for weird necromantic cancer. He firmly believes that if he can just find a way to either stabilize or treat it, the inhabitants of the seventh house will live more comfortable lives. He is considered something of an heretic due to this, but house leadership is willing to ‘let him cook’ -> they’ll wait to see if a necromancer with a stable cancer is still powerful before they decide whether to censure his research or not.

Sixth House: Jeannemary and Isaac. They’re still young, but very good at getting into places they’re not supposed to be, particularly by breaking wards and then rebuilding them better. Both of them keep trying to apply into the cohort but the scholars of the Sixth see Isaac’s skills with wards and want him to pursue academia instead. When the summons to Canaan House came the council all looked at each other, remembered they still had to appoint a new master warden after the last one passed, figured that nobody wanted to abandon their current study/experiments to go participate to what would be sure to be a tedious dick measuring contest with the other house heirs, and decided to invoke an obscure emergency clause in a law book somewhere in order to appoint Isaac to the title. He and Jeannemary really were the only ones who actually wanted to go to Canaan.

Fifth House: Dulcinea and Protesilaus. It is a shame that her health is so poor, because she would otherwise have become a hell of an ruler. While she has an ease with history and academia, her true skill is diplomacy. Dulcinea can get a very accurate read on most people, and she knows how to use their own psychology against them to make them agree to her ideas. She looks nice and fragile, but she is cunning. Meanwhile, Protesilaus is surprisingly good at paperwork for a guy who looks like he eats skulls for breakfast.

Fourth House: Judith and Martha. This AU version of them is less cocksure, but just as proficient at gathering information, profiling people, and writing down ample notes. Their rank in the cohort is lower than in canon, and they often get assigned to the tasks nobody else wants. Such as: overseeing security on ships bringing prisoners to the Ninth House prison installation… and this is how Judith and Corona met.

Third House: Harrow and Gideon. Once upon a time, the Ninth House sent them an orphan they claimed was theirs. The King and Queen didn’t pay the mystery much mind and stuck the baby in an orphanage. They had their own troubles to deal with: the royal family had not been able to produce a necromantic heir yet, and the vassal families were closing in. They figured that they couldn’t let a lesser branch of the family inherit the Third; it had never been done, would discredit them in the eyes of the other Houses, and would cause political instability. So in order to ensure the necromantic potential of their latest vat baby experiment, the King and Queen sacrificed the children in one of the lesser orphanages. They claimed that an hull breach in the space station caused the poisonous air of the planet’s upper atmosphere to get inside the ventilation system… except there was one survivor. The King and Queen were weirded out by that seemingly unkillable toddler but public opinion was heavily positive towards the ‘miracle survivor’. Not to mention having at least one person survive the incident helps make the ‘it was an accident’ excuse sound more credible. So the King and Queen brought the child to the palace and decided to do some PR by giving her a place to live and an education, and eventually made her the Cavalier of their (powerful) new daughter.

Second House: Silas and Column. Duty-bound, fanatic, no fun allowed Silas is a bit young for military service, but that doesn’t stop him from climbing the ranks. Column is still used as a battery, even in this AU, except his role is to start killing people to produce the initial necromantic boom to give Silas something to work with when they deploy to new battlefields. He hates doing this btw.

#the locked tomb #the locked tomb AU #house swap AU #gideon the ninth #harrowhark nonagesimus #gideon nav #the locked tomb fanfic

[winepresswrath]

Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng: Yanli you are the most beautiful and perfect bride imaginable. The stars in the heavens are straight up trash compared to your radiance. Gods weep before you and avert their eyes because they can't handle how nice your hair looks like that.

Yanli: You two are very cute but clearly biased; also, the person I most want to find me beautiful on my wedding day is my future husband.

Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng:

It is possible that we don't give Zixuan enough credit for his willingness to put up with this shit.

#jiang cheng #jiang yanli #wei wuxian #the untamed #Yanli's continued willingness to look at the yiling patriarch and sandu sengshou #and just be like #babies #MY babies #my darling little angels who are out there being very good boys #their combined body count is hitting the quadruple digits and she's just like #they're so industrious #a-xian drew me a picture of their most recent battle and i put it on the fridge #he's so talented he can pursue art AND necromancy #look in the picture you can see how a-cheng #has learned to #coordinate zidian and sandu so that he can simultaneously neutralize multiple enemy combatants with synchronized #choking and stabbing #so gifted and hard working #i hope they're remembering to hydrate

[himluv]

Heaven in Hiding

The next Solavellan oneshot, set the day after Peculiar. I hope you like it!

Also, a reminder that you can read all of these oneshots in order over at AO3! Or reread, or binge, or whatever you need ;)

Also also, I have to mention that the title is a direct pull from the song of the same name by Halsey because, well... you’ll see.

The evening was late, but Solas sat at his desk in the rotunda, sketching Riallan where she sat reading on the sofa. The night had progressed as usual between them with a bottle of wine, a plate of fruits and cheeses, and quiet work. She hadn’t spoken of the day before, of his ridiculous blunder of professing his love to her so quickly, but she smiled whenever she caught him looking at her and she beamed when he called her vhenan. So no harm done, it seemed.

She growled at the book and flipped back a few pages. “That doesn’t make sense,” she said. She’d spent the entire evening pouring over the tome, her brow furrowed and her lips pressed into a hard line.

“What are you reading?” He asked.

“My trainer’s notes on Rift Magic,” she said.

“You trainer?”

“That’s her name, apparently,” she said. Then shook her head. “My advisors think I should pursue a specialization, and I’m beginning to think I chose the wrong one.”

He smiled at her frustration. It was rare to see her so at odds with something knowledge-based. “What were your options?”

“Knight Enchanter, which is too up close and personal for me, and Necromancy which is Dorian’s wheelhouse.” She shuddered. “It’s spooky enough when he does it, we don’t need two of us.”

“I am a Rift Mage.”

“I know, and I was hoping that meant you’d be my teacher. Instead Josephine brings me this!” She slapped the cover of the book with the back of her hand.

“Think of the appearances,” he said. “An apostate with no formal training teaching the Herald of Andraste in a new, dangerous form of magic? It would cause an uproar.”

She groaned. “I am so sick of caring about what the Andrastians think about me. I wish they didn’t think about me at al!”

He stood and moved to perch on the arm of the sofa. “I know vhenan, but their belief gives you the power to close the rifts, to fight Corypheus.”

“No,” she said, letting her frustration soak the word. “The mark gives me that power.”

“And the believers give you their coin and their land and their approval. You would be hobbled without them.”

She glared at him, which told him she knew he was right. “May I?” He gestured at the book.

“Please. I need you to tell me it’s gibberish, otherwise I’m going to think it’s my Dalish upbringing that makes this so difficult.” She gave the book a distrustful look. “That is not how we teach magic in the clan.”

He hummed as he leafed through the pages. “I would certainly hope not. Your trainer, is she…” he searched for a polite word, “well?”

Riallan snorted. “Physically, maybe. Mentally she’s a bit, well, addled.” She cocked her head at him. “Why do you ask?”

He waved a hand over the book. “I can tell from these pages that she’s a very talented mage, but her approach to Rift Magic is wrong, and very dangerous.”

Her eyes found his and stayed there, that indomitable focus trained on him in a way that would have made him blush if he weren’t so accustomed to controlling his expressions. “What do you mean?”

“She’s broken it down into the minutia, each piece added to the next, as if calling on the Fade were a simple recipe. And with elemental magics, it can be so simple. But this is the Fade. It does not follow rules and logic and science. At least, not purely.” He closed the book and handed it back to her. “When you use Rift Magic, you are not casting with your innate connection to the Fade, you are reaching through to the Fade using your knowledge of and connection to the rifts. It is at once science and art. Emotion and control. If you do not strike a balance, you will be left just as addled as she is.”

She set the book in her lap and sighed. “Comforting.”

He smiled. “It is not so difficult as it sounds, and with your talent I expect you will master it quickly.” He made to get up, to return to his desk, but her hand reached out and grabbed his.

“Will you teach me?” Wide eyes begged him to agree.

He chuckled. “I will assist you where I can, vhenan,” he said. Her hand tugged on his pulling him closer until he stood before her, looking down into her upturned face. By the Void but she was beautiful. Her cheeks bore the faint pink of wine and frustration, her lips matched and were parted so slightly as she watched him. He found himself bending at the waist as she tugged on his hand once more, succumbing to her gravity.

“We can hardly have the Inquisitor addled, after all,” he said, but the words were lost in the tentative brush of her lips on his. They kissed, soft and languid, enjoying without demanding more, until the screech of chair legs on stone made Solas pull away. Desperate, he snatched the book from her lap, opened it to a random page, and turned his back to the doorway.

“Don’t stay up too late, you two,” Varric called. There was a smugness in his voice Solas did not appreciate. The dwarf saw far too much.

“We won’t,” Riallan said. Her voice was high and thready, and he could only imagine the bright pink of her blush at almost being caught. “Goodnight, Varric.”

“Goodnight, Herald. Chuckles.”

“On nydha,” he said, but did not look at the dwarf. Only once Riallan let out a shaky breath did he turn back to face her. As he’d guessed, her face was flushed, but what he hadn’t expected was the look of disappointment on her face.

“What are we doing here, Solas?”

He frowned. “I don’t—“

“You call me vhenan, you,” she paused and glanced at the floor above them. Dorian had yet to come down from the library that evening, so she pitched her voice into a whisper. “You tell me you love me, but then you’re ashamed to let Varric see us kiss?”

He sat beside her on the sofa and pulled her hands to rest in his on his lap. “Not ashamed, vhenan. Never ashamed.” How could she think such a thing? “I am…  a very private person.”

That earned him a wry smile. “So I’ve noticed.”

He chuckled. “I would prefer not to advertise our relationship.” He brow furrowed and he hurried to continue, “Not hide it. I am not ashamed, Riallan, but the more people know about us, the less privacy we will have. And there is your reputation to consider.”

She rolled her eyes. “I don’t care what people think,” she said.

“I know, vhenan, but I do.” He shook his head. “I care what they think of you, and I would not have them use our relationship as ammunition against you.”

She mulled over his words. “I can tell people, though?”

He inclined his head and rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. “If you so wish,” he said. “I ask only that you consider who among our friends would be least likely to gossip.”

She thought about it, her lip caught between her teeth in an all too attractive manner. “I think that leaves Cullen,” she said and laughed. “A secret it is, then, for now.” She tilted her head at him, letting her eyes wander over his face, heat pooling in her gaze. “It could be fun.”

He cleared his throat, ignoring the suggestive quality in her voice. “I apologize. We should have discussed this sooner.”

“Would have been nice,” she said. “But you kind of ran away yesterday.” She graced him with a smile, promising she took no offense.

“Ah. Yes.” He blushed. “I was embarrassed. I hadn’t meant to say that—“

Her smile faded, hurt flashing in her eyes.

“Fenhedis! No, Riallan, I meant the words, but you must admit the timing was…”

“Fast?”

“Incredibly,” he admitted. “Telling you yesterday was impulsive, ridiculous, and utterly unplanned. But it was true.”

“It really has been a long time, hasn’t it?” She was teasing him and it helped set him at ease.

“Yes,” he said. “I am liable to continue blundering through this.” He raised her hand to press his lips to her knuckles. “I hope you’ll forgive me.”

Emerald eyes watched his lips as he kissed her hand, as he spoke. She licked her lips. “Consider it forgotten.”

“Ar lath ma, Riallan.”

Her smile returned, but it was shy. “What if I can’t say those words back just yet?”

“Then you would be the reasonable one in this relationship.” He shook his head. “Take your time, vhenan. I would much rather your love come naturally than be forced by my foolish confession.”

The smile she gave him then was true and bright. “In that case,” she said as she stood from the sofa and stretched. “You have to stop calling me by my full name. No one in my family calls me by it.”

His eyes flashed over her face, noting the playful tilt to her lips, the bright mirth in her green eyes. “What shall I call you then?”

“I rather like vhenan,” she said. “But it’s hardly subtle. My clan calls me Ria, except Deshanna when she’s mad at me.” She shook her head. “Every time I hear Riallan I think I must be in trouble!”

A part of him tucked that knowledge away for another time, but for now he smiled. “Then, goodnight, Ria.” He liked the sound of her nickname on his lips. Short and sweet, and intimate. It suited her. Suited them.

She made to leave the rotunda, but paused by the door. “Will I see you tonight?” Her cheeks went so slightly pink, and the hope in her voice sent a heat through his veins.

“Ma nuvenin, vhenan.”

Then she stepped away and into the dark of the main hall to climb the stairs and fall asleep in her too large bed. Waiting to dream with him. And if her heated looks and eager kisses were any indication, he knew what would be on her mind.

With her nickname bouncing around his head, he couldn’t think of a reason why to deny her.

#Riallan Lavellan #solas #solavellan #dragon age inquisition #dai #my writing

[comicteaparty]

June 22nd-June 28th, 2020 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party week long chat that occurred from June 22nd, 2020 to June 28th, 2020.  The chat focused on The Stoop-Gallants by MJ Alexander and WW Rose.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

Comic Tea Party

BOOK CLUB START!

Hello and welcome everyone to Comic Tea Party’s Book Club~! This week we’ll be focusing on The Stoop-Gallants by MJ Alexander and WW Rose~! (http://www.thestoopgallants.com/site/)

You are free to read and comment about the comic all week at your own pace until June 28th, so stop on by whenever it suits your schedule! Discussions are freeform, but we do offer discussion prompts in the pins for those who’d like to have them. Additionally, remember that while constructive criticism is allowed, our focus is to have fun and appreciate the comic! Whether you finish the comic or can only read a few pages, everyone is welcome to join and chat with us!

DISCUSSION PROMPTS – PART 1

1. What did you like about the beginning of the comic?

2. What has been your favorite moment in the comic (so far)?

3. Who is your favorite character?

4. Which characters do like seeing interact the most?

5. What is something you like about the art? If you have a favorite illustration, please share it!

6. What is a theme you like that the comic explores?

7. What do you like about the comic’s story or overall related content?

8. Overall, what do you think the comic’s strengths are?

Don’t feel inspired by the prompts? Feel free to discuss anything else that interested you!

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I need to reread/catch up to answer the prompts, but I gotta say this comic absolutely excels at what it does.

Nutty (Court of Roses)

I've been meaning to read this one too, I'll try and set aside some time to!

Delphina

Stoop-Gallants has so much adorable humor and sass, Predictably, Alta is my favorite character; seeing her extremely awkward yet sweet relationship with Mica is my favorite.

Flea is also a sweetheart and I love seeing them learning more about their unpredictable magic and coming to be comfortable with it after avoiding it so long. This page in particular where they finally internalize that they're not a mistake and they're not alone made me tear up a little bit. T_T http://www.thestoopgallants.com/site/tsg/page-547/

RebelVampire

What I like about the beginning of the comic is that it basically opens with accidental necromancy. I think it really just kind of paints the entire tone of the comic, sets the right expectations, and is honestly, just hilariously convoluted. My favorite moment in the comic so far was actually probably the accidental necromancy as well. I love necromancy, and just the way this happens is so hilarious. Plus, I like a lot of the other scenes it ties into, like Maxwell getting mocked for not being able to do any sort of necromancy. In the theme of this trend, my favorite character is Ru. Ru is just adorable and tries his best. I like his overall kind of boyish charms sometimes mixed with his honesty and honestly, just a great friend to everyone. As for characters interacting the most, I probably enjoy seeing Marigold and Alta the most. I really like how their relationship is kind of equal trust and equal wanting to punch the other person in the face. And yet, despite all this, Marigold really sticks by Alta and helps out in the ways only Marigold can. So I just find it to be such an interesting but wholesome relationship. What I like about the art is probably the character designs. I love that there's so many different body shapes, and in particular the heights. I love that some of the characters just basically tower over the others, cause I think that's something people neglect when it comes to fantasy settings in that you can really play around a lot more with those sorts of proportions. So I appreciate seeing it here.

For themes, I like the comic explores what to do when you have a natural talent at something but you don't like that something. I feel this is something we see with Flea, Alta, and Ru. And yet, all three handle it so differently, with Alta accepting, Flea reluctantly dealing with it after fleeing, and Ru going "Nah bro I don't want this." And I really like we get to explore whether our natural talents and destiny can be run from, or if we should just accept it. For the comic's overall story, I like the balance of character conflict vs. world conflict. This is a very character driven comic, but I never feel like the world is being neglected. Like the situation with the king, now the elves. The world is built slowly, but still at a place where you get a feel for where the characters live and how the world they live in affects them. As for the comic's overall strengths, likeable characters. Even when the characters are jerks, there's still something about them where you're like, "Ok I get it." And in turn, you're invested in all their goals, even when those goals are not necessarily something that fit together.

Comic Tea Party

DISCUSSION PROMPTS – PART 2

9. How do you think Mica and Alta’s relationship will progress throughout the story? Will the two continue to blunder through everything, or will things continue to go smoothly? Also, how might Alta’s personal feelings about her career affect them?

10. Do you think Flea will successfully learn to control their magic? If so, how will this change them as a person? All in all, what do you think Flea’s story has to teach us about identity, destiny, and self-acceptance?

11. Will Ru be able to solve his necromancy problem? If so, do you think he’ll be happy about it? How does this all compare to Flea’s tale? Lastly, how will the events of Ru’s story affect Cymonee solving her problem?

12. How will the Consortium’s plans surrounding the king affect the main characters? Will they do something to stop it to achieve their own ends? Additionally, what role do you think Maxwell will play, whether as a “good” guy or “bad” guy?

Don’t feel inspired by the prompts? Feel free to discuss anything else that interested you!

Delphina

For themes, I like the comic explores what to do when you have a natural talent at something but you don't like that something. I feel this is something we see with Flea, Alta, and Ru. And yet, all three handle it so differently, with Alta accepting, Flea reluctantly dealing with it after fleeing, and Ru going "Nah bro I don't want this." And I really like we get to explore whether our natural talents and destiny can be run from, or if we should just accept it.

@RebelVampire I think this is a really good way of putting it! I also like that Ru's been gradually having to come to terms with the fact that he did what he did and grow from someone who's trying desperately to shed the consequences of the drunken magical mistake he made, and into maybe accepting he's responsible for it and should stand up for the zombie he's affected. I'm so curious to see if the elf kingdom in the current arc is going to have a solution, and if so, if it's a solution he wants to go through with.(edited)

The cast is very big and while I would love to see more Alta and Mica, I think they've gotten some of their big stuff out of the way and can move on with a relatively normal relationship. If the story does revisit them in a more dedicated arc, I would love to see some exploration of Alta's extreme savior complex and how that clashes with her perception of Mica's disability.

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

Did a reread recently -- this comic is so good, funny and genre-savvy with smart writing and lovable characters. Can't wait for the Volume 2 Kickstarter.

From the early chapters, I really liked Mica's and Maxwell's weird bond. Seems like they're going to be in different settings following unrelated storylines for a while, but I'm looking forward to when their paths cross again...mostly for Mica's reaction once she gets caught up on the progress of Maxwell's secret-magical-figurehead-coup gambit.

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

Also, the whole sequence where Maxwell has to explain "ugh, this stuff depends on an otherwise-useless narrow and restricted concept of 'virginity'". (And Ru has to unpack why he still qualifies...) I think that's the first point where you really feel the contrast between "a fantasy setting with lots of these traditional tropes and formalities" and "characters who feel and react like real people." ...without spoiling anything too specific, Rekhet's whole aesthetic (their fashion sense, their interior design) is the pinnacle of this. It is hard to pick a favorite character, but boy did they shoot waaay up the list almost immediately after their introduction.

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

I feel like the first solution Ru gets is gonna be something like "don't worry, we can incinerate your problem into a pile of ash that'll blow away on the wind!" -- and he's going to balk, because he's gotten attached enough that he wants the denizen free, not destroyed. No idea what he's ultimately going to settle on -- I think it'll be something weird and offbeat, not this easy to predict. In the meantime, Denny's antics are great. Especially when there's something plot-relevant or serious going on and it's just bopping around doing its own thing in the background. (And that one scene where they all got into fancy dress, and somebody gave the denizen a bowtie -- priceless. If it started getting a new themed accessory for every scene, I would not complain.)

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

Mica seems like she has lots of plans and interests and desires, but hasn't had the time/money/resources to pursue anything more than "reading about them." Meanwhile, Alta is well-traveled, practiced and competent at lots of things, and has the resources to go around offering her services pro bono...but doesn't really like or care about her job, it's just something she fell into because she was good at it. Point being, I hope they'll get into a setup where Mica picks some dreams to follow, and Alta focuses on giving her the support/backing to do it, and then gets to share in Mica's actual enjoyment. And maybe Alta figures out she likes one of these things for its own sake, so they decide to settle down and pursue it together? Or maybe they just keep exploring indefinitely, and it turns out Alta's really into "being the devoted protector while someone else is in charge."

RebelVampire

@Delphina He named the Denizen. Once you name something, there is no going back.

RebelVampire

I feel like even though things are going good between Mica and Alta, that right now were in that happy passionate phase before real issues start to heat and they start to realize theyre kind of two different ppl. So I really think that they're going to increasingly face more and more challenges in that regards. I also think Alta is about to rethink careers, and that will probably make her defocus from building the relationship. I do think Flea will successfully learn magic, and I think in so doing Flea will gain newfound confidence but also just an entire new perspective on who they are and life in general. And I think Flea teaches us that if we continue to reject parts of ourselves, even if we dont like that, that we're just gonna wind up hurting ourselves until we explode and hurt everyone else around us. I also think Flea teaches us that identity is also fluid and that you can, will, and should change and that just cause you change, doesn't mean you aren't who you are. I think Ru will find a solution, but I don't think Ru will act on it. I reiterate in this chat again, once you name something, there is no going back. However, I don't think Ru's choice will help Cymonee. I do think Ru will find other ways to help as a sort of payback for Cymonee sticking with him. However, what I'm most interested here is the comparison so far with Flea. Flea is embracing powers, while Ru isn't. And I find this contrasting journey to be interesting. I mean Ru didn't get no Alta speech about self-acceptance, so I'm wondering how that alone paved the course of events. I feel like the Consortium's plans is what will bring the main cast together again, since they'll either stop the Consortium, or clean up their mess. Since places without a ruling head of government usually don't do so hot. I think Maxwell will serve as the person who tattles in the hopes he can come out on top.

Comic Tea Party

DISCUSSION PROMPTS – PART 3

13. What are you most looking forward to seeing in regards to the comic?

14. Any final words of encouragement for the comic?

Don’t feel inspired by the prompts? Feel free to discuss anything else that interested you!

RebelVampire

I am most looking forward to seeing more of Ru's story, cause I really want to know if he's gonna start self-accepting those necromancy powers of if he really will just react them for all time. As for final words, this a comic with some fantastic characters, has a really unique humor with how the characters conduct themselves,, and all around is definitely a comic that deserves some praise.

snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)

I hope that if Ru does choose to accept these necromancy powers, it's because he wants to, not because he has to. Like, I'm hoping he finds a solution to his problem, but he chooses not to go through with it. One thing I'm loving about the current two arcs is that it's given us a chance to go more in depth with these characters. I loved the parts where the whole gang was together as a group, but this just gives us a chance to see these relationships flourish. Though, I do hope we see more Marigold soon, plus some other side characters like Maxwell. All in all, I really love this comic, and I can't wait to see where it goes next!

Comic Tea Party

BOOK CLUB END!

Thank you everyone so much for reading and chatting about The Stoop-Gallants this week! Please also give a special thank you to MJ Alexander and WW Rose for volunteering the comic and creating it! If you liked The Stoop-Gallants, make sure to continue to support it via some of the links below!

Read and Comment: http://www.thestoopgallants.com/site/

The Stoop-Gallants’ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/snartha

The Stoop-Gallants’ Store: https://www.redbubble.com/people/snartha/shop

The Stoop-Gallants’ Twitter: https://twitter.com/snartha

#ctparchive #comics #webcomics #indie comics #comic chat #comic discussion #book club #bookclub #webcomic book club #webcomic bookclub #comic tea party #ctp #the stoop gallants #the stoop-gallants #mj alexander #ww rose

[neranishin]

Selwyn for the OC thing?

Full Name: Selwyn Waveborne

Gender and Sexuality:  Male, Bi

Pronouns: He/him

Ethnicity/Species: Water Genasi (and Bhaalspawn), enough generations removed from full-blooded humanity that I’m not sure he can claim a human ethnicity.  His mother (and her ancestresses) lived in a siren community on the Sword Coast that had more cultural exchange with the local sahuagin than the local sea elves.

Birthplace and Birthdate: He was either born in that siren community and then his mother later moved them upstream to that Temple of Bhaal near the Winding Water, or he was born there (probably in a flooded cavern under the temple, because SelwynMom was willing to be strongarmed into living NEAR the other mothers-of-bhaalspawn, but she was too proud and accustomed to water to actually live IN the temple).  

Guilty Pleasures: Will sleep in for like 5 hours longer than necessary if no one kicks him out of bed/his world isn’t Actively Ending

Phobias: Responsibility UMMM. He’s not a fan of being confined, because that good good BG-protagonist trauma.

What They Would Be Famous For: Usual adventuring stuff, but also for showing up in the background of an improbable number of Jansen stories.

What They Would Get Arrested For: Lounging in public fountains because you’re not supposed to get in the water

OC You Ship Them With: No OCs atm. He romanced Glint in SoD and was too hung up on that + trying to negotiate trauma to romance anyone in SoA (also, he’s not attracted to Jaheira but wanted her in his party, and haha I’m never subjecting myself to the Jealousy Bullshit that bioware saw fit to shove into banters between the romance options in SoA)

OC Most Likely To Murder Them: Rook, in a setting where they all survived their childhood and she’s still trying to Ascend.

Favorite Movie/Book Genre: Nonfiction

Least Favorite Movie/Book Cliche:  “And then the monstrous beast became more human and was accepted!” nah fuck right off

Talents and/or Powers: He’s a fighter/mage. I’m still trying to figure out if his predilection for illusion is because of an innate talent for it (he’s probably very good at spells with a distortion effect in particular) or if Glint just had that much of an effect on him. He got healing Bhaalspawn-powers, but I’d guess he’s also got an innate talent for necromancy that he just... doesn’t have the inclination to pursue.

Why Someone Might Love Them: god I don’t know he’s so annoying. He’s annoying, but once you manage to push him out of “whine until no one expects anything of him” mode, he’s fairly competent, genuinely good-hearted, and a kind of flaily but unabashed nerd who named his familiar after a river, and maybe that’s endearing.

Why Someone Might Hate Them: He whines so much. He whines and does his best to avoid being in a position of leadership whenever possible. I reblogged that “Excuse me? ‘Kind of’ annoying? I’m fully annoying” post and tagged him in it and friend @sluggybunny drew me art for it. His familiar is a goose.

How They Change: Seige of Dragonspear forced him to go adventuring without Khalid and Jaheira around to be the Responsible Adults, and between Corwin refusing to let him pass leadership to someone else and Glint calling him on his bullshit, he actually matured and got surprisingly competent at leading an adventuring band. He also made friends with M’Khiin and that helped him embrace that hey, he’s not human, and he And then SoA happened and Jaheira needed to not be the leader while she grieved, so he just... kept being in that role and finished ToB as a mostly functional adult.

A mostly functional adult who will absolutely use a ninth level spell to summon a blade-shaped inter-dimensional rift to chop firewood. But still.

Why You Love Them: He’s a ridiculous, whiny, flaily wizard boy, but he’s my ridiculous, whiny, flaily wizard boy.

#Selwyn waveborne #my son! look at my son! #I love him #fun fact: non Bhaalspawn raised-by-sirens Selwyn is an enchanter #rani has bhaalspawn #sensitiveluigi

[metazensae]

Everyone’s Apprentice OCs are so great, so I kinda want to add to mine lol

SO HERE WE GO:

Basics

Name: Izzy Age: 19 Sign: Capricorn Pronouns: They/them - preferred; She/her - ok Familiar: Chukar Partridge named Samer Love interest: Asra

Personality

Izzy has two separate personas; a public face and a private face. 

In public, they are sunny and bright, friendly, welcoming, and open. Izzy thrives off of helping people in need and will go waaaaay out of their way to help even the strangest of strangers. Izzy also has an incredibly forgiving nature, even if it is to their detriment. 

In private, they are serious and critical, anxious, lonely, and constantly worried about the future. Plagued with constant self-doubt and the unending drive for perfection, Izzy is prone to self-isolation where they can work on eliminating their flaws and weaknesses. Because of this, Izzy is never satisfied with themself and constantly (yet silently and passively) seeks approval from others.

Notable features:

Physical:  - 5′1″  - short, wavy, light brown hair  - large light brown/amber eyes  - baby face  - honey thighs  - nice, wide smile

Style:  - Tops: light colored pirate blouses or sleeveless shirts, vests  - Bottoms: SHORTS, suspenders, tights with patterns (cold weather only)  - Shoes: leather ONLY - boots & booties; ALWAYS barefoot indoors

Likes

Artistic endeavors, passionate people, scholars or people who are masters at their craft, learning new theories, studying people and cultures, kindness, relaxing, snuggling animals, quiet, rainy days, social distance, cheering others on, sharing knowledge with others, playful trolling, necromancy

Dislikes

People fighting/yelling, competitions, explosions/fireworks, maths, receiving compliments, loneliness, being controlled, gendered expectations, making decisions, SPORTS OF ANY KINDS FUCK THOSE, ANXIETY

History

EARLY LIFE

Izzy was born as the youngest child to a conservative, religious family. Frustrated by endless comparisons between their siblings and the general restrictiveness of an authoritarian parenting style, Izzy sought recognition and approval by excelling in matters of the mind and artistic talent. This excellence always pleased their parents, for it was their favorite topic to discuss in polite conversation. However, Izzy’s other interests were not so well-received. Being an anxious child and with limited social exposure, Izzy sought to pursue the art of necromancy in order to glean knowledge from the experiences of those who had passed on.

FAMILY ISSUES

However, necromancy - or any sort of communion with the dead - was absolutely disallowed by their parents, claiming it was a blasphemous practice reserved for those whose souls were committed to the darkest region of the Beyond. So Izzy kept their studies a secret, practicing only at night and using their own coin to procure the supplies necessary to complete the rituals. Unfortunately, one fateful day, Izzy’s secret was exposed by the butcher, who in passing, told their parents about how Izzy was their favorite and most loyal customer. Their parents rushed home, went through Izzy’s things, and burned every scroll and resource related to necromancy that Izzy had accumulated over the years. Izzy was distraught, but acknowledging they had brought such an unholy practice into their parents’ home, Izzy accepted their fate begrudgingly. That was the beginning of the end of Izzy’s relationship with their parents.

Another area for discrepancy was the gendered expectations their parents placed on them. Izzy’s inability to adhere to traditionally accepted female roles endlessly frustrated their mother, but it was always assumed Izzy would grow out of it and conform as they grew. Feeling powerless and wanting to avoid conflict, Izzy typically found it easier to passively accept their parents’ wishes. It wasn’t until later when their parents began arranging a marriage contract for Izzy that these issues surfaced. Not knowing what to do, Izzy defied their parents’ wishes and consulted the dead for the first time in years. The invoked spirit advised Izzy to run. 

So run, they did. Izzy gathered their most precious belongings and fled their hometown, ending up ultimately on the streets of Vesuvia.

ESTABLISHING A TRADE

The times of the Red Plague proved to be the ideal springboard for Izzy’s necromancy craft to flourish. At first, Izzy simply offered their talents pro bono, wanting to help assuage the mourning of those around them, but rumors of their talents spread, and soon they found themself steadily servicing a number of clients. They were able to eventually save up enough to purchase a permanent residence, converting the main area to a shop. Izzy’s trade saw success for a number of years before public interest in it began to decline.

A TRADE IN DECLINE & SHIFT TO DIVINATION

As the threat of the Red Plague and its resulting deaths lessened, so did the frequency of visits for Izzy’s clientele. Izzy soon became consumed with worry over their stability in the future. Should they choose a different craft to pursue now that their services were no longer in demand? 

Being a homebody, Izzy typically spent their days in isolation, but the walls of the shop soon became stifling, a constant reminder that their trade would soon be as dead as the spirits they invoked. After months of worry, a paralyzing depression set in; Izzy could only be compelled to feed themself when their familiar, a gecko named Reuel, needed feeding as well. 

One fateful day, Izzy meets Asra in the marketplace and has their fortune read. Izzy then impresses Asra by incidentally reading Asra’s fortune as well. Asra claims that Izzy is a natural and takes them as a student of divination in exchange for room and board. It is then that Izzy adds the much more profitable fortunetelling to the services they offer at the shop.

┏┓ ┃┃╱╲ In this ┃╱╱╲╲ house ╱╱╭╮╲╲ we love ▔▏┗┛▕▔ & appreciate ╱▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔╲  🔮Asra ♊️ & Faust 🐍 ╱╱┏┳┓╭╮┏┳┓ ╲╲ ▔▏┗┻┛┃┃┗┻┛▕▔

EPISODE - MEETING ASRA

One day, Izzy leaves the shop to buy crickets for Reuel and finds themself uncharacteristically wandering the city for hours after. They move from shop to shop, stand to stand, hoping for something to strike inspiration or distract them from their worries. It is then that Izzy happens upon a certain magician’s fortunetelling stand. 

Though Izzy has always doubted the credibility of any fortunetellers’ predictions, they are totally arrested by the display of this particular magician. Or rather, his aura -  carefree spontaneous, gentle, masterful ... it is an overwhelmingly reassuring aura which Izzy finds themself drawn to. Despite their best efforts, Izzy is unable to look away, utterly dazed and enraptured. 

The magician notices Izzy’s interest and beckons to them. “Would you like to know what tomorrow brings?” he says cheerfully.

Flustered, Izzy answers with a small self-disapproving scoff, “I’m merely trying to get through today.”

A cat-like smile then pinches into the magician’s lips. “Then would you like to know what tonight brings?” A card flashes as he works his deck onto the table. “Death.” The Magician looks up at them expectantly.

This time, Izzy releases a magician-disapproving scoff. “Should I be impressed? That could apply to anyone. The Red Plague has claimed so many lives-”

“Not a physical death. You are ending something, changing your mind, ending a chapter of your life?”

Izzy freezes momentarily. It is a moment before they find words again. “That’s too vague-”

“Temperance. You’re considering moving from one trade to another.” His purple eyes smile up at Izzy. “Don’t worry. You’ll be good at it, whatever it is. I have that feeling.” When Izzy doesn’t reply, the magician continues by turning a third card. “The Hermit, reversed. You’ve been in hiding for a while, haven’t you?”

A gulp of air tightens in Izzy’s throat. “... how...?”

“The cards are saying the time for hiding is over, Hermit. It’s time to come out and share your knowledge with others.” The magician leans forward and rests his chin atop interlocked fingers. 

Finding the jar of crickets slipping from their hands, Izzy snaps back into reality.  A dark look crosses their eyes. “... Is this a prank? Have you been spying on me? Death? Temperance? Hermit?”  With each word, they take a heavy step towards the magician’s table. “Mighty coincidental to just be assumptions, magician. Trickery at best.”

The magician shrugs. “It was in the cards-”

“THE CARDS?!” Izzy snaps. They grab the deck of cards. “And what’s in the cards for someone like you?! Someone who begs and-” Izzy turns the first card over, but their rage is immediately sidelined when they read the words at the bottom of the card. The face of a beggar stares back at them. They drop the card wordlessly on the table.

“... the Fool...” the Magician says. “You’re good at this.” He raises his hand, gesturing to take the cards back. “Come on. Give them back.”

But Izzy pulls away, overturning another card - just as the magician’s hand closes over it. For a moment, they stay like that, both holding either end of the card. Izzy blinks, feeling their face flushing pink. 

This card reads the Lovers. 

Flustered, Izzy releases the card. The Magician says nothing, studying the card for a moment. His eyes roll upwards along with his empty hand. “The rest of them. Please. These cards are special.”

But Izzy is already in the process of turning over another card. The Tower. Their face blanches, seeing the destructive vision affixed to it - fire climbing the tower’s walls, people falling to their deaths. The magician’s thumb closes over the falling bricks, and he takes the deck back.

“I...I’m sorry...” they offer, unable to make eye contact.

The magician shakes his head wearing a strained smile. “It’s alright. No harm done...” his voice trails off as he shuffles the cards together. When he is finished, he rests his chin smugly on his upraised fist. “You are surprisingly good at divination. Have you ever-”

“No-” Izzy shouts, suprising themself.

The magician blinks, taken aback at the abruptness of their answer. A dark smile works its way onto his face. He moves to pack up the rest of the artifacts on his stand. His face dips below the table. “On second thought, a little harm done...”

“W-what...?”

When he raises again, a beautiful white snake is climbing his arm. “But you could make it up to me by offering me and Faust a hot meal? I think I saw that in the cards too, just before I put them away.” He winks.

Izzy laughs, already feeling forgiven for their outburst. “Now that’s trickery at its finest.”

The magician shrugs again, “Might be~”

Izzy finds themself charmed. “Alright. It’s only fair. But I’ll warn you. I’m a horrible cook.”

“I can eat anything-,” the magician says in a singsong voice. What Izzy thought was a drape on the table transforms into a scarf, which the magician ties around his shoulders. “-No matter how awful.” He winks.

Izzy can’t help but fight back a blush. Honestly, there’s something special about this magician. They feel so safe next to him, like everything will be alright. Does he know some secret to happiness? Is it because he can divine the future with those cards? Is that why he seems so carefree? Izzy decides it would be worth it to spend the next hour or so finding out. “Alright.”

The magician smiles and gestures for Izzy to lead the way. They do.

“What’s your name, by the way?”

“Izzy. Yours?”

“Asra. And as I said, this is Faust.” He indicates the snake, now barely visibly peeking out of his shirt collar.

“She’s lovely~”

“Thank you.”

“I love reptiles too. I have a gecko at home - Reuel. You’ll meet him soon!”

“Can’t wait,” Asra beams.

They walk awkwardly together the rest of the way to the shop, talking about this and that in passing. Their small talk deepens after reaching the shop, breaching topics like the current state of the world, the origins of the Red Plague, and the existence of ghosts... They chat through dinner - some unfortunate cabbage soup that Izzy managed not to burn, and as if finding his aura attractive was not enough, Izzy finds themself thoroughly charmed by Asra’s intelligence and sense of humor. It’s nice having someone, a living person, in one’s home. 

And... they liked him especially. 

Izzy resolves to invite him over again. They need to see him again. “So, do you live around here?” Izzy asks as they clear the table.

“‘Around here,’ is a bit... nondescript, isn’t it?” He laughs. “Technically, yes?”

“Technically?” Izzy responds, puzzled. They dip the dirty dishes into the wash basin and turn to face him.

His smile turns downwards towards Faust, who is snuggled in his lap. “Here. There. Anywhere. I don’t live anywhere. Not anymore.”

Izzy snaps their fingers and points at him playfully. “Ah-HAH! You really ARE a beggar!”

“The card is called The Fool.” Asra smiles. “I told you were good at divination. A natural, even. You’ve really never done it before?”

“Is it similar to necromancy?” Izzy laughs indicating the macabre effects on their walls.

“Oh, is that what you do?” Asra laughs. “It might be. Do you want to learn about the cards?”

“Well, you said it yourself, I am looking to change trades. I ran into you at the right time, apparently.”

“I could teach you,” Asra answers with a serious look.

Izzy blushes and tucks a tuft of hair behind her ear. “... that is... kind of you, but I don’t have the resources to pay for lessons like that.”

“Do you have a spare room?” His cat-like smile works into the corners of his mouth.

Their eyes narrow in a knowing smile. “That’s presumptuous-”

“-Offer this Fool a room, then?” His smile spreads across his face playfully. “And a meal after each lesson? I think that would cover it.” He leans back in his chair, folding his arms behind his white hair. “And, I’ll teach you everything I know, Hermit.”

Izzy chokes on a laugh. 

Gosh. They liked him. 

They center themself, straightening out their blouse and clearing their throat. “... ok. I’ll get the room ready if you tell me about the cards.”

Asra beams back at them. 

“I’d be glad to.”

#Apprentice Izzy #the arcana game #About Izzy #drag me to hell Asra

[conoscenze]

salice // salice & allen.

I mentioned this Allen guy a couple of times, and I also posted what he looks like, but what do we actually know about him besides the fact that he is a lawyer that works alongside with Salice, in the same studio? Nothing much.

This is a brief resume of who he is and what his relationship with Salice is like.

1 // basics.

Full name is Allen Owen.

He’s half-English half-Scottish; he hates his country, England, similarly to Salice (who hates Italy).

He is about 2 years older than Salice, which means he’s 34-35 years old.

Allen’s born on the 8th of November.

Forced to work as a ballister by his father.

He typically handles financial fraud, conning, gambling and robbery. He will, however, also handle graver cases such as murder or violent / sexual assault if he’s requested.

Would like to drop out of law to become a graphic novelist, or to generally pursue any career related to visual arts. Allen does in fact demonstrate good drawing abilities---his favourite hobby is doodling caricatures of colleagues both he and Salice don’t like.

Bisexual, has a preference for men.

Closeted-not-closeted, it’s complicated.

Also desperately seeking a partner: however, he seems to have a disastrous, inconsistent and troubled love life, in which he’s been dumped numerous times.

2 // personality.

A similarity she shares with Salice is the difficulty in showing all emotions except for annoyance, frustration and irritation. Much like his friend, working as a ballister seems to be numbing down his feelings for the sake of professionalism.

Going through the cold surface, Allen is actually a rather excitable man. He gets really invested especially in things he likes, and he can be quite the open book.

Unlike Salice, it is not so difficult to get him to smile. While his colleague grimaces at the mere thought of them, Allen instead loves being smothered with puns, and all terrible jokes alike.

The guy that wakes up at 6AM even on free days.

He always has a plan for the day even when said plan is doing nothing. His agenda is ridiculously structured and he feels the need to fill it no matter what, even with the most flimsy of events or happenings.

Thanks to said agenda, he knows each one of his colleagues’ birthdays. He only cares about Salice’s, seen as they are good friends.

Once walked in an exam while wearing loafers. Considering he got out with an excellent grade at that very same test, he prides the memory as some sort of victory.

At work, he is a meticulous and precise lawyer, making him one of the most reliable around. He is punctual, always has alternative plans for everything, and always seeks out the most peaceful way to resolve issues so not to stir more trouble. He’s known and renowned for his ability to deal  with the most difficult of clients---not even Salice knows how he makes them play along with his script.

He often mocks Salice because of her undercut, but he just earns, in return, a snarky mock regarding his own dated mullet. Touché.

Allen considers himself a romantic literature fanatic, which he very much is. He owns a handful of books from the specific time period, and he also enjoys Renaissance and 1800′s art / painters / paintings to a great degree.

He always has something to say, even on subjects he isn’t extremely informed about. He’s simply very skilled in keeping a conversation lively, even when the topic at hand is bleak and rather dull. This “talent” of his is what grants her favour in court most of the time, as argumentation is very essential when it comes to handling court cases.

He is a hopeless romantic. This is why he’s been in quite the number of relationships; when it comes to love, he can be quite impulsive and reckless. Along with that, he can’t quite clearly separate love from sex---he’s trying to get better at it, but it’s still difficult. In fact, he often finds himself mulling over one-night-stands, even though he is conscious that it was a one time event, and that he won’t cross paths with them again.

3 // physical.

A good looking young man. He is nor excessively fit, nor thin. He keeps himself in shape just enough to not have physical issues.

Black hair, brown eyes, thick brows, straight nose, and strong jaw. He’s very typical when it comes to his facial characteristics.

What does stick out, though, is that mullet which he wears proudly. He still thinks they’re cool and to stay true to his belief he got himself one.

He’s 180cm tall.

Mostly wears suits and clean, elegant clothing. Unlike Salice, he likes wearing this stuff.

In his free-time, he likes to dress with typically 70′s fashion items, or generally with clothes from the seventies he bought at some random market. Yes, he owns platforms. In general, he enjoys wearing typically masculine clothing with a tinge of androgyny to it; he loves wearing shapely, tight clothing as well as ascots.

4 // allen and salice.

They met while studying at the same law school, as all good old friendships start---but they didn’t like each other at first. Being both rather competitive and hot-headed when they were younger, they were basically rivals, the friends that surrounded them both often supporting this mutual “soft hatred” they shared. With time, they ended up making a joke out of their banters, and eventually calmed down. Now they rarely ever fight, and if they do, they’re going to get over it quickly and painlessly.

Many, many people think they are in a relationship or engaged simply because they’re not afraid to show that they feel comfortable with each other’s presence and that they do not reject the other touching them (like shoulder patting, hugging, hair ruffling, poking); while Salice doesn’t care---she easily dismisses stupid assumptions---Allen actually feels a little offended by it. As much as he likes Salice as a person, his worst nightmare is to get engaged with another lawyer. Plus she is not his type at all, no matter how pleasant her company might be in his opinion.

Allen is ignorant of Salice’s necromancy activity. He doesn’t think of her unusual sleep patterns as odd, seeing he’s in the same situation as she is (basically a chronic insomniac). He does, however, find weird her interests: aka dead people, black magic, and gore horror films---it may well be because he has entirely different tastes. He is more of your average white guy, that doesn’t mind the typical mindless horror movie, but that also cannot stomach for the sake of him anything beyond fake splatters and cheap eerie stories.

While he avoids going out with most other lawyers he knows, he and Salice often meet up out of work to chat and generally to relax a bit. There’s a café not far from the London city centre they often visit during the weekend, or even during the week. They like to discuss about their job---or, more specifically, talk shit about the ambient they work within---but also a large variety of other topics, such as philosophical matters, fashion, music, etcetera. He is much more talkative than she is, but it’s a good balance overall.

Salice knows every detail of Allen’s messed up love life---he always updates her on it. Salice doesn’t mind hearing about it because she likes giving him advice, within her own certain knowledge and beliefs. She always jokes about putting an eventual new partner he tells her about through a “worthiness test”: but knowing her, chances are she would put them through such a pop quiz, if she ever came across them.

Overall, Salice considers Allen a good friend, as well as a good person. Unlike most other ballisters, he still hangs on the spirit of justice and just judgement that he entered law school with, even if only a bit---and considering he did not want to study jurisprudence in first place, she really does find it an amazing thing. He may not be her best friend, in her mind---but in her heart, she knows that if he ever got hurt, she’d go out of great lengths to rightfully avenge what was taken from him.

#salice || disclosed information. #salice & allen || suiting eachother up. #outta violence || ooc. #allen is a tired man #this list is just a bit of info about him and what hes like around salice #theyre like v good friends ok. theyre good.