#i love an edgy character it must be said but a character who CHOOSES goodness despite Literally Everything Else???? THAT'S SICK!!!!!
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i also want to say i vv much appreciate ur hell story. i wasnt abused sexually but i was emotionally groomed & and its a v complex situation. i have family who still love him (my abuser); my step-siblings, who were also hurt by him, still seem to not feel as hurt as i do, and never have vocalized any hatred or dislike of him.
trying to figure out and rationalize why other people still love him (even his other victims) has always been hard. sometimes it makes me feel like i mustve been lying to myself; because if he hurt me so much he *must* be a monster.
but then i get shown the drawings he did as a kid, cringe anime characters and edgy wolves just like i love to draw. my aunts & uncles talk fondly about growing up with him, and i realize he was also just a kid at some point. my grandma once said she couldn't understand how her "little boy had grown up to do shit like this" - and has expressed to me she felt like she failed in raising him somehow.
What im trying to get at is that i think humanizing abusers is important; and thus a story like this is also. not to make them pityable, or put their actions in a good light, but to explore how they have lives outside their abuse and how their actions effect not only their victims, but their relatives and friends/partners. and also how some victims will react differently to others; some may not feel as effected, some may choose forgiveness, even; while others will always hold hatred for their abusers - and knowing all of those are equally valid is important.
SORRY TO RAMBLE wow i got off track lol i just wanted to express my gratitude for u making something like this & ur willingness to hear people out and take criticism.
thank *you* for letting me know this!! i’m continually happy to hear that i’m touching people and helping them overcome complex emotions :) i’m glad you guys think i’m responding to criticism well also- i like to think i am but i can never be sure
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Not a question but an anecdote. It’s late and I can’t sleep.
Interestingly I think it was a Paladin that made me into a better player, dm and made me into a better roleplayer than I ever otherwise would have been. I made a character named Maura. A tiefling raised in a holy order as an orphan. Her childhood was hard. But very early on in the conception of this character I decided I didn’t want her to be cold hearted. I don’t want her angry, edgy, with a chip in her shoulder. She was driven to kindness and excellence. She overcame the things bad people that kept her down and then helped them up as well.
I remember making her character and deciding that while she was Lawful Good. I could choose what law meant. I have her a set of tenets to adhere to. An Oath, though it’s not what I called it at the time. I created a set of values for her because I knew that how she thought and how I think would be different. I wanted her to be a step away from my own thinking. She needed hard lines where I had soft ones. It took a lot of time of me playing her for ‘her’ response to become automatic. I played her in a campaign over 2 years. From level one to level 20 with 5 mythic tiers (pathfinder) and she changed me. Playing her changed me. I learned to be a better roleplayer of course, thought it took a long time eventually I could fully shift into her into games. But it’s like I built up the part of myself she had come from. Her devotion to her friends, to being a protector, to choosing the right thing even in the face of bad and worse. Her commitment to bringing justice to those incapable of making right their wrongs. She made mistakes too, she stumbled. And it was important to me to explore those things. For her to lose faith- in herself most of all- and also to regain it, more strongly than before.
She became, I think I can say this with only a little conceit, the center of the campaign in a lot of ways. In the final battle, with the final curtain pulled back. The final rug yanked from beneath our characters feet… they were given the option to turn away. To stop. To let what was happening happen. And it was Maura who said ‘No. The villain is there. And there must be answer. No cause is so worthy, No mission is so vital, No good is so great to be worth the harm and loss and wrong that was done in its name. The villain may be seeking the right thing, but he’s done it the wrong way. So for the people who have died, and the people who were hurt and for those of us who have fought to find the truth, and to do right by the world - we must give answer.” And it was just a very charged moment. She brought the group to the final battle because she could not ignore what had been done, no matter the reasoning.
I love her a lot. I haven’t had a chance to play her in a long time but I look back on that campaign a lot. I think about how she influenced me, still does influence me in my life. Anyway, ramble over. Sorry this was long.
No, thank you for sharing.
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Opposites-Tate Langdon x reader
You go to murder house with your family and meet someone who is the opposite of you and you fall in love with an edgy, emo boi.
Key words :
Y/n -your name (as always )
M/n : mother' s name
F/n: father's name .
L /b/n : little brother's name
Y/b/n: younger brother's name
Warning ! : possible ooc characters
A/n: finally after a week or so , since no request came , I decided to write another AHS character x reader . Requests still open !
Author's pov
Y/n was so excited to go a new house with her family , so excited she was jumping on mattress.
"We are ready mum ! Let's go ! I'm so excited !" Y/n shouted happily .
"Alright ,alright . Stop jumping on the mattresses.",.m/n , y/n's mother said and chuckled .
The L/n family got to the car and the roadtrip began .
While at the Murder House
"New owners are coming . I don't want you to ruin their days like you did with the Harmon's !", Constance Langdon , the mother of Tate scolded at him .
"I said I'm sorry like a million times ! How many times should I apologise ?", Tate screamed at his mother and he had tears in his eyes .
Constance was about to answer that but the door got knocked .
"Go away Tate ! The family l/n are coming !", She whisper-yelled at her son.
Tate scolded and went to the attic.
The door got knocked again.
"I'm coming! ", Constance opened the door and smiled at the big family.
"Welcome ! Nice to see you ! You must be the l/n family ", Constance said .
"Nice to meet you too. Yes we're the l/n's ! I'm m/n the mother, f/n is my husband. L/b/n and y/b/n are my sons , they are 3 and 13 and this is my first child and daughter , y/n . She is 16 .",m/n introduced.
"What a big family . I also had a daughter but she passed away", Constance confessed.
The family l/n frowned at that .
"I'm so sorry to hear that . You must feel terrible ." , M/n said sympathetically.
Constance nodded .
"Mum can the attic be my own room ? It should be ! I'm the oldest !", y/n asked her mother , excited .
" Sure y/n . Go ahead .", m/n answered , smiling at her .
"Boo-yeah ! Take that suckers !", y/n shouted happily .
L/b/n had a poker face and y/b/n shouted a "no fair !"
Y/n ran quickly to the attic .
And she sat on the bed she saw .
But unknown to her a male ghost was watching him .
After a while
Y/n was listening to some alternative music and reading comics .
"Hi there .", an unknown male called .
"Who are you and what are you doing in my room ?", y/n asked calmly.
"Tate . Tate Langdon. I'm from the neighborhood . This room was mine . I used to live here.", the blonde male answered.
He was also very good looking with his dirty blonde hair and dark eyes . He was also looking very tall , but she only met him .
"Um ..y/n l/n ", y/n introduced herself.
" So Tate what kind of stuff do you like ?", y/n asked curiously .
" I like to listen nirvana " , Tate answered , kinda nervous .
" So you like heavy metal . Cool !", Y/n answered.
' She is kinda cute ', Tate thought to himself.
"So what do you wanna do Tate ?", y/n asked .
"Don't know. You choose .", Tate replied .
" Well we can listen to music and lay down ? Does that sound lame ?",y/n suggested.
" No it doesn't sound lame . Let's do that .", Tate said happily.
And that was the day they fell in love.
A/n 2: Maybe a part 2 ? If any of you want a part 2 just ask . If not then this is the end of " Opposites" . Hopefully you had fun reading this . Requests still open !
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Starry Night
Warning: Alcohol use, mentions of Alcohol, Characters are age up, mentions of cheating/assumption of cheating, Characters are aged up
Pairing: Akaashi x fem reader
Jealous reader, shy reader?,insecure reader?
Meanings: (f/d) means favorite drink in this case your favorite type of beer, alcohol and that stuff. (f/n) means friend name.
Word count: 2,341
(y/n) Pov
I was nervous. “Hey, Keiji how do I look?” My boyfriend looked at me with a small smile.
“Perfect. Now come down love. We're just going to meet my friends.” He replied softly.
“But what if they don’t like me?” I mumbled softly. Akaashi chuckled.
“(y/n) look at me. You’ve already met most of them.” He did have a point.
“Alright. I’m ready, let's go.” I replied. We intertwined our hands as we walked out the door. The cool breeze rushed to great us. We walked quietly to the car.
“Hey (y/n)?” I hummed. “In your dreams do you ever think of us like. You know.” A light blush forming on Keiji’s face. Cute I thought.
“Think of us like what Keiji?” I asked. Now a full visible blush on his face. Can this man get any cuter than he already is? “Think of us getting married and having kids?” He mumbled. I looked at my boyfriend of 6 years. I blush now forming on my cheeks. How was I supposed to answer this question? I really wanted to scream YES. But If I said yes he could think I’m creepy. If I said no then he may think I don’t love him or I don’t want to settle down with him. “Y-you don’t have to answer the question if you don’t want” He quickly added. “Yes.” My boyfriend looked at me confused. I continued. “ I do dream of us getting married and having kids” I mumbled. He sighed softly and continued to drive.
Time Skip
“Just relax babe and if you need something or want to go home come find me.” I chuckled softly. “Keiji I’ll be fine. I’m a big girl. Now go have fun.” I chuckled. Keiji chuckled as he intertwined his hand with mine as we walked into the club.
When we walked into the club I immediately saw Yukie and Koari by a corner of the bar. There was a table for 3 in the corner. ( do bars have tables? Idk never been to one. If there isn’t one then plz pretend)Keiji noticed them too and gave a soft nod. I walked up to them as Keiji walked up to his former teammates.
“Yo (y/n), hhhow arrrre youuu?”. Yukie slurred.
“Hey Koari, I’m good. How many bottles have you had?” I asked, chuckling.
“That’s her first,” Koari answered.
“How have you two been?” I asked.
“We’re doing pretty good.”
“Have you done the “thing” yet?” I asked. Koari blushed.
“I have no idea what you're talking about,” She replied. (Also for this story the “thing” isn’t sex . I’m srry to disappoint you all but it’s not sex. And yes for this story Koari and Yukie are dating because why not. I don’t ship them but I thought it would fit the story).
“Whatsss the “thing”?” Yukie asked.
“Something,” Koari answered. “Say (y/n)-san did Akaashi do the “thing”to you?” I flushed.
“N-no why? I m-mean it might happen-n soon. Idk” I replied. As I started to nervously play with my hands/fingers. Koari laughed. At my response.
“Hmm I guess Akaashi would have done it by now conjuring the fact you’ve been dating since college. Anyway want a drink, I’m going to get one?”.
“Sure, why not. Can you get (f/d)”/”No thanks, I don’t drink” I replied ( I wanted to add a different thing for people who don’t drink because not everyone does)
Koari ordered and came back with two (f/d)s. “ Thanks”. I said as I got my drink from her. I took a sip. “So-”
“HEY HEY HEY LOOK WHO’S HERE”. A man-child yelled. He had black and white hair that was spikey( I have no idea how to explain Bokuto’s hair help me and don’t hate me plz). I face palmed. I was going to continue my sentence when I heard a familiar chuckle. I looked to my left as I found to my shock the Akaashi Keiji chuckling in public. I smiled. Guess he was starting to show his emotion a little bit freely in public. I turned around to
face Koari and Yukie.
“Who’s that?” I asked.
Koari answered “That’s Bokuto Koutarou. He was the ace for our team in Akaashi’s second year.“
“Him and Akaashiiii were reallyy close too. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were dating back then” Yukie added on. I just nodded. Something started to bother me. A tiny voice just a what if. What if they did date back then? What if Keiji still loves Bokuto-san. What if I’m not good enough for him?
“Hey (y/n), everything ok?” Koari asked worriedly. I nodded.
“I’m fine.” I replied. I chugged down my drink. I wanted to have fun today and I told Keiji I didn’t need him to worry about me. I decided to drink away my worries. ( I’m sorry if you don’t drink alcohol I’m going to keep this part. (f/d) normally means favorite drink. I have no idea what a bar sells other than they have alcohol so choose something else I guess).“Hey Yukie, want to see who can drink the most?”. There was no way I was going to win but it would be fine.
“OI I’m not going to be the only one that isn’t sober and has to keep an eye on you guys.” Koari replied.
“Then join us.” Yukie and I replied in sync.
“But then who will keep an eye on the guys and you two?”. She replied.
“The sky,” Yukie replied. Her lover face pamed.
“Soo are you going to join us or not? I mean we could only drink 3 cups and call it quits.” I said, smirking. Yukie joined me “ Orr we could drink 3 bottles and call it quits.” Koari put her hands up. Surdering.
“Fine. Just one cup tho.” She replied. We all laughed.
“I’ll go get it (f/d).” Yukie called.
Mini time skip
We all got a cup and poured a (f/d) in it.
“3”
“2”
“1”
“Go”
We all started chugging out drinks. Koari stopped after 8 cups. I went to 12 . Which means Yukie won. We ended up finishing the 3 bottles we got. I volunteered to go get some more. It was probably the most fun I’ve had since my last date with Keiji.
He had been busy for the past two to three months. He come home late and went to work early. He’s been acting strangely too. It wasn’t anything big but it did worry me at times. I shook my head. Think positive.
I was walking through the crowd when I saw Keiji with ex-teammates talking and having fun. Something that stuck out to me was Bokuto had his hands on his thighs. It’s fine. Keiji said Bokuto could be really touchy and doesn't have the concept of person space. I continued on my way to the bar. I bumped into someone. I fell to the ground. Baka watch where you're going. I got up and brushed my dress. I got and bowed. “Gomen (sorry).” I replied. The guy who bumped into was a good looking man around 2 years older than me. Keiji was definitely better. I must have won the boyfriend lottery. So I thought.
”tch watch where you're going.” He replied. He looked me up and down. I rubbed my arm nervously. “Say how about we get a drink you and me? I mean you did bump into me.”
“No thanks I have somewhere to go.” I replied briskly and walked away. He grabbed my arm. “I don’t take a no for an answer.” He replied. I tugged my hand out of his grasp. “Leave me alone.” I replied. I was a bit surprised that he let me go easily. Then I saw him talk to someone familiar. Then the guy walked up to me. I quickly recognized him.
“(f/n)?” I asked.
“Yo, (y/n). What are you doing here?” he asked.
“I’m here with my boyfriend and his friends.” I replied “What about you?” I asked.
“Me and my friends come here often. Also sorry about my friend he’s um a little I guess edgy might be the word.” We laughed. My phone lit up. There was a text from Yukie.
Where are you??
I sighted. “Hey (f/n) I gtg I told my friends I’d grab drinks and be back.” He nodded. I was about to walk away.
“Hey (f/y) do you maybe want to meet up later? L-like a date or something?”. (f/n) was kind and sweet but he wasn’t Akaashi. And Akaashi is the only man I want to be with. “Sorry (f/n) I have a boyfriend, we could still meet up tho.”I offered.
“Yeah that seems nice” He replied. “ You might also want to go get those drinks”.I nodded and walked to the bar. I felt bad for (f/n) but I didn’t love him. I ordered and paid for 3 more (f/d).
I was walking back when I saw something I didn’t want to see. After everything. There was my boyfriend of 6 years kissing his best friend and his ex-teammate Bokuto Koutarou. I dropped the drinks by accident. I just wanted to get out of there and drink more with Yukie and Koari. Talk to Keiji about it tomorrow. The drink hit the ground with a loud bang.
The two broke the kiss. Akaashi eyes found mine. The first thing his eyes were the first part of him so show any emotion. First fear then worry. He was about to call my name and reached for my hand. I ran out of the club. I’ll come and clean the mess later.
I ran. I didn’t know where I was going, I just let my feet carry me. When I stopped running after some time. I took out my phone and messaged Yukie an Kaori about what happened. Then I turned my phone off. I just wanted to be alone now. I knew the beach. It’s where Keiji and I went during the summer. I whipped my eyes. It didn’t help. The tears come on after another.
I felt numb. Wasn’t I enough? Did he not love me? Did I do something wrong? Is it how I look? How I eat? The way I sleep? Do I take up to much of the blanket? What is it? What did I do wrong? I laid on the sand. The only I could hear was the waves and crickets.”It’s starry night isn’t it?Just look at the stars, they are always there at night if you look for them. No matter if anyone can see them or not there. And when you can see them there they are shiny , bright and beautiful.” That’s what my dad would have said. I just looked up at them. I’ll pack my stuff and stay with my parents tomorrow. Till I can get an apartment in Tokyo.
I heard footsteps. I turned to see my boyfriend. Tears streaming down his pretty face. He was breathing heavily. He must have chased after me when I ran out. “(y/n) I-” I cut him off.
“Shouldn't you be at the party with him, with your friends?” I asked. He sat down and tried to hug me. I slapped his hand away. He looked like a kicked puppy. I hated it. I didn’t want to hurt him. Be strong. I told myself to be strong.
“(y/n) please let me explain.” I looked at him, waiting. “It was an accident. This guy shoved me on to him. I swear I didn’t mean to kiss him and you come right after. Y-you saw us kiss. I got scared. Please don’t leave-” I interrupted him. I felt like an idiot. I kissed him. It was a nice gentle kiss. It ended too soon for my liking. Why do we need air?
I looked him in the eye “I’m sorry I shouldn’t have assumed you cheated. I love you” I whispered. He smiled and hugged me.” Come one let’s go back everyone going to be worried. Plus I need to clean up the mess and I need to apologize so Bokuto-san.” I chuckled. I allied on his chest. “5 minutes that’s it” I replied. He smirked.
“sure.”
“That can wait.” Keiji replied.We sat there in silence.After ten or more minutes. We heard more footsteps. I turned around to see the rest of keiji’s ex-teammates. “(Y/N)-SANNN DON’t BREAK UP WITH AGGKAAASHI HE LOVES YOU!” Bokuto-san screamed.I chuckled.
“Don’t worry, Bokuto-san we’re not breaking up, Keiji explained everything. Also I’m sorry I shouldn’t have assumed you two were together.” I replied.
“That’s ok (y/n)-san. Know can we get more drinks??” Bokuto-san asked. Everyone laughed.
“You guys go ahead, we'll join you in a minute” Keiji called.
Mini time skip
Keiji got up. “Come (y/n) it’s been 20 minutes since we said we’d come.” He replied. I chuckled. He offered me his hand and I took it. I brushed the sand of my dress. “One last thing before we go.” He got down on one knee and took out a box from his pocket.
“(Y/n) we’ve been dating for 6 years. You mean everything to me. You’ve been through the ups and downs in my life. So will you be willing to spend the rest of your life with me? Will you marry me (y/f) (l/n)?”
Extra:
“Keiji did the “thing” FINALLY.” Keep ur head down Koari we can’t see.
“Did she say yes?”. “Yes Bokuto she said yes.” “Akaashi’s swinging her around. And know their kissing.” “move Kohna I want to see”. “Outch.”
Author note:
Yo how is everyone? I know I haven’t been able to update a lot and I’m sorry about that. I normally don’t write stuff because the don’t normally do well. I had this idea and wanted to put it in paper. Anyway I hope you enjoyed it if you read this far 😂. I didn’t have a certain age I wanted the characters to be but they could be sometime time from second year of collage to young adult if anyone wanted to know. Anyway have a great day/night.
-Lightning
#akaashi#akaashi x reader#akaashi keiji#haikyuu x reader#hq x reader#hq#hq akaashi#hq keiji#akaashi keiji x reader#bokuto koutaruo#lightning works#akaashi x jealous reader#akaashi x insecure reader#akaashi x shy reader#akaashi keiji x jealous reader#akaashi keiji x insecure reader#akaashi keiji x shy reader#keiji x reader#keiji x y/n#akaashi x you#akaashi keiji x you#akaashi keiji x y/n
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Always. - A LOKI finale synopsis
So I thought I could write something magical or be inspired by the Loki finale for @the-th-horniest-book-club as it's their last day of celebration.
And it hit me. I can't.
Here's what I can do: dissect this episode down to its heartbreaking ending because at the end I still have a million questions and it's gonna take a cartoon What If?, a Spiderman movie, maybe a Hawkeye show?, and a Dr. Strange movie to answer them all and I'll STILL have questions after that.
Consider for just a moment what happened to 2012 Loki when the TVA captured him way back in Episode One - what the hell did removing Loki do to the MCU timeline? Thor: The Dark World never happened. And no I don't mean you can pretend Marvel put it out there because they did, and it's one of the worst Marvel movies, there I said it. But if TWD didn't happen, what else could have been affected?
And with that disturbing thought we begin...
The opening credits HAVE AUDIO! Every tag line uttered as the characters flash on the screen, EVEN LOKI gets his "We have a Hulk" in. It is awesome; it is glorious; it is expected with EVERY Marvel creation going forward.
Loki and Sylvie should know better than to stare at a door; they always seem to open on their own when that happens. Miss Minutes pops up out of nowhere, scaring the bejesus out of 70% of people, the other 30% wanted to see her one last time. And she's not the same Miss Minutes we first met. She's edgy, she's less peppy, and she gives our duo an offer. Honestly, she should have known the result but 🤷🏻♀️
Ravonna is doing something in her office; if she's cleaning it's a piss poor job. Miss Minutes shows up and tells Ravonna she gave her what she needs. Ominous.
Back to Loki and Sylvie who finally meet "He Who Remains." Now we all know guys with names like "He Who Must Not Be Named" are bad news. Guys, to answer the question asked in the show, I'm a little disappointed. The disappointment lasts about five seconds... The office they get transported to reminds me IMMEDIATELY of a certain movie and certain buildings we've seen before (insert duh at this point because you too have seen every Marvel movie ever.)
****** Side note: anyone know if Tom takes his tea with only two sugars? No? Yes? Okay getting back to other things ******
At this point, we get back to Ravonna and her lack of cleaning when Mobius shows up with the pruner (it has to have a cooler name! side side note: nope just glowing batons) and we get a nice little flashback to Original Ravonna (maybe?)
****** 2nd side note: since when did everyone who's not a Russo brother start using OHIO for origin stories? Seriously, go watch Black Widow. I'll wait.******
Now back to Loki, Sylvie, and He Who Remains, hereto known as HWR, who pulls the same trick we saw in the first episode with the "read and sign" guy with the adorable kitten. HWR needs a kitten, a pet at the very least. "You can't get to the end until you've been changed by the journey." HWR s is winding up for a pitch and also summarizes the show too. Loki asks if it's a manipulation; HWR finds the word interesting and I do to. Here's why:
Odin manipulated Loki's abandonment to his advantage
Thanos put Loki under mind control and used him
This is the 2012 Loki as a reminder, so he hasn't been subjected to imprisonment on Asgard or the brotherly banter/squabbles he and Thor have escaping Asgard, nor “Get help” from Ragnarok so it should come as no shock that Loki looks angry. After all, Odin and Thanos kind of killed any hope in Loki of feeling wanted or needed. Aren’t father figures supposed to instill hope, instead of disgust? Yeah, I can answer that one but that’d be an entire other post.
Now we’re back to Ravonna and Mobius and they spat over who was more betrayed - news flash: it was Mobius. But Ravonna has to do for the digs. “Those variants?” “You threw it away for a couple of Lokis.” Mobius tries to reason with Ravonna, sounding exactly like Glenda and Elphaba from Wicked (his “together” is spot on Glenda!) Ravonna opens a portal looking for “free will” after giving Mobius one last beatdown.
And we’re back to Loki, Sylvie and HWR. HWR gives them a bit of his backstory; I have a suspicion he’s glossed over some of it (he admits being called a conqueror for cryin’ out loud!) He has a maniacal moment, standing on his desk, voice getting a little shrill and thin. He also admits he’s probably the saner of his variants (my words not his.) Then after his real-man-behind-the-curtain routine he makes them an offer. Take his place. Loki, who has been remarkably non verbal, asks why HWR would give up control. Good question from the guy who wants to be in control yet was meant to thrive on chaos he creates. If anyone is keeping score, questions have been asked but not a single ANSWER has been given! Sylvie isn’t believing a single word while our Loki’s wheels are turning.
****** 3rd side note: the acting has been PHENOMENAL this entire series. Forget what Marvel promised and didn’t deliver (fluid Loki) and a scene we’ll be getting to, Tom and company have been nothing short of an Emmy, which I expect next year.******
HWR finally gets fed up with Sylvie and tells her to grow up. Because she took her pruning personally. Now I’m not going to say she shouldn’t be upset about her pruning; Marvel made it A POINT of showing her playing, content on Asgard, when they took her. But HWR has a point. He’s offering an option that allows Loki and Sylvie to do whatever they feel is best and it’s the wrong time for Sylvie to get in her feelings. Of course 99% of us know that’s EXACTLY when feelings choose to surface.
Then something happens - we don’t know who or what did it. Was it Ravonna and her leaving? Did Ravonna meet someone we suspect? Was it Mobius? Miss Minutes? The agents? We may never know exactly but now HWR is actually in the dark. Mr. Know-It-All suddenly doesn’t know it all.
Sylvie thinks she has her opportunity to fulfil her quest but it’s our Loki who protects HWR. Loki doesn’t tell her she’s wrong or right, just to stop and THINK. And now we get a glimpse of 2018 Loki:
See the bigger picture
Let’s talk about it
I believe HWR
What fills the void of a dictator?
What if we unleash something worse than HWR?
Now here’s where Marvel gets an B+ in character development. They took the 2012 Loki hell bent on destroying Earth to rule it and gave him just enough growth to become the 2018 redeemed Loki ODINSON, willing to sacrifice himself to Thanos (even if he did think he wouldn’t die.) It’s not a perfect arc by any means, but Marvel got there and this is one thing I applaud.
Sylvie now thinks Loki is lying to her to get to a throne and is clearly upset they are not seeing eye to eye on this and another point to Marvel. Loki, for only seeing a few videos that Mobius showed him, still has more life experience in his SINGULAR moment with Thanos to know that there is ALWAYS something bigger, badder, WORSE around the corner and he does NOT want to make the wrong decision. Wow.
To trust or not to trust.
It’s a beautiful sword fight that HWR sits back and watches like it’s ESPN. The lighting is gorgeous behind the action and is leading up to my next OMG moment: STOP.
Loki asks Sylvie to stop, almost like a child. Like someone who knows exactly where the fight leads, where it goes, and where it ends. And he says as much to her as well. Sylvie feels like that person who just wants the fight to be over; she hunches into Tom’s space and the lighting suddenly stays green and blue. Guess who’s green? Guess who is blue?
This goes back to my Emmy mention. Even if it’s ONLY for technical work, it’s so deserving. Sylvie, in green, tired, emotional, struggling with something we aren’t supposed to know just yet. Loki, in blue, almost as if his Jotun form has taken over, strong, sensible, relatable, empathetic.
And then that damn kiss! Marvel missed another opportunity here. Two Lokis had the opportunity to show self-love, familial love, friendly love, ANYTHING BUT A DAMN KISS!!! I’m not saying they couldn’t have feelings for each other, but it NEVER has to be romantic just because it’s a guy and a girl. **dramatic sigh goes here**
Sylvie pushes Loki through a portal she has opened, then turns to stab HWR through the chest, as he predicted. HWR actually chuckles, which makes me wonder if he expected this exact turn of events. As if we’ll ever know for sure.
Of course the timeline is going nebular and we’re treated to a shot back to the TVA. Mobius and B-15 exchange words as they watch the timelines grow and grow. Loki is sitting on a couch at the TVA and decides he’s not done? You’re supposed to guess the motivation because everything seems normal at the TVA. Loki finds Mobius and B-15 and admits to everything. Loki calling HWR terrifying is terrifying all on is own. And this of course is where it ends.
The post credit scene is just a “Loki returns in Season Two.”
Guys, this season was a mixed bag. There was some good, there was some not so good; there were laughs and a couple of tears. But it also has me SO HYPED for what’s to come. More Loki, more Marvel content, more... everything, I hope!
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🌸🌼☀️🌈 for Nick, Neo, and Joe
🌸 What's this OCs favorite, and least favorite color?
Nick: she'll probably tell you something like black because she INSISTS that she's an edgy emo. She is not. She's just kinda edgy. In her defense she's 13 she gets to be. Once she gets through that phase I feel like she's the type to not be able to choose one color, but instead tell you a color combo she likes. So if you ask an older her, probably orange and purple.
Neo: Neo has no favorite color (what is he, five?) and if you ask him he'll probably just stare at you judgementally for a second and then keep talking like you never said anything.
Joe: red. He's a simple man and "red's a classic"
🌼 What's your favorite thing about this OC?
Nick: I feel like she's a bit of a more realistic depiction of kids this age than we usually see. Not that kids can't be mature for their age (I mean, this very story features a kid who is also 13 at the start and much more mature than Nick) and it's nice to see the variety and just, let kids be kids instead of making them think they have to grow up as soon as there's a "teen" on the end of their age. Plus, she's based on a close friend and that's always fun.
Neo: his name probably lol. Unfortunately Neo isn't a super present character he's more of the offscreen force, so we don't get to know him too much. But his name was something that my brain just...assigned to him lol. And I liked it cause it wasn't expected. Plus now whenever he introduces himself people can ask "like the Matrix?" No, not like the Matrix. It was his first.
I just think it's funny.
Joe: Joe is just a really nice guy and that's like 70% of his character. He owns a convenience store, won the lottery, but decided that he likes his life so he continues to live modestly, but now gets to be more generous. He's very happy, and there isn't a single character in this story who doesn't like him lol
☀️ Does this OC make good or bad first impressions?
Nick: Well that would depend on your definition of good or bad impressions. I am of the opinion that the best first impressions are the ones that best represent you, not get the person to like you. Cause if they like you because you were being professional right then, and you aren't usually, it's not a very good first impression, is it? It's misleading, actually.
So by this standard a good first impression is one that accurately represents yourself, and yes, she is good at that. And no, she can't introduce herself as anything else.
Neo: Being the CEO of a major company, he's very very good at it and has spent years manipulating his image. In fact, he's so good at it, that no one really even knows what he's like apart from Scorpio. I'm not sure he even knows.
Joe: everyone likes Joe (see 🌼 lol)
🌈 What does this OC like and dislike about themselves?
Nick: Nick is, unsurprisingly, very turbulent in her identity right now. She's barely outside of her preteen years and everything is difficult right now. Whether she likes herself at all varies from moment to moment, swinging back and forth like a metronome.
Neo: Neo will do what he must. He will cheat and bribe and kill to protect what's his. This is what he prides himself on. This is why he's the boss, because he has what it takes to be. Simply put, Neo has resigned himself to the morally broken life he's deemed necessary to get as far as he has, and thinks it a virtue.
Joe: Joe has lived a good full life. Full of mishaps and full of love. He may think himself a gross old man sometimes but he can't think of anyone else he'd rather have grown to be.
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heya! sorry if this has been asked before, but i couldn't find it thanks to crappy tumblr... but do you have any fave WIP's? i'm currently looking for new stuff to play. kinda broaden my horizon XD and since i love your game, maybe you have a similar taste as me?? thanx!
Hey there :3
Yeah of course, there are a lot of really good ones, but my top ones are heavily character driven and most of them have awesome ROs
List of WIPs in no particular order.
SUPERHEROES/SUPERHERO-ADJACENT:
Freak: Amidst the Neon Lights. TW: a scientist is creepily gross towards MC.
From the author’s fingers: A fish out of water tale.
A young isolated MC without a ‘voice’ grows up in a lab poked prodded and tested for eighteen years finds themselves thrown into the chaotic world of powers and abilities beyond human kine. They will have an adventure that will define who they are and make an impact in a world they never knew existed.
RO after my own heart: Mh. No one really, but the MC and Silic are awesome.
WIP state: On hiatus
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Model Citizens: Unmasked
From the author's fingers: It’s a story about a world full of heroes with odd and amazing powers! But… you’re not one of them. You don’t have powers, and you don’t plan to go and fight crime. No, you’re just a model, everyday citizen. A reporter, in fact, tied into the events of heroes but never really a part of them
Except for one (well, two, but thats already said and done), little exception.
You work for The Nickelport Rust, a controversial paper known for one reason and one reason only.
Unmasking heroes.
RO after my own heart: V. and Ricky (with a special mention to Lucy)
WIP state: On hiatus
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Fallen Hero: Retribution
Enough said--also, Malin didn't write a summary for this one n_n"
RO after my own heart: Ortega. I would romance Steel and Argent too.
WIP state: Malin is running a closed alpha
SUPERNATURAL:
SoS: The Mortal Coil. This one and The ORPHEUS Ruse were big inspirations for The Passenger as discussed here.
From the author's fingers: Archangels were designated to serve the whims of their God. As Gabriel, you wield power and influence in Heaven. Yet your God, silent for centuries, has given you an order, one unlike any other you have received. You are to raise a satanspawn on earth, living in secret as a mortal. play as the archangel, Gabriel. Your cover is that of a junior detective with the Major Crimes division of JCPD. It’s supposed to be a straightforward protection detail.
But things rarely go according to plan.
Will you stay loyal to Heaven and their rules or will you play it fast and loose? Will you try to seize the throne or find your place on Earth? Will the satanspawn prove to be beyond saving or will you raise him to be a beacon of hope?
Work with the various supernatural factions in one of the few cities that is neutral in the war between Heaven and Hell. Fall in love, solve a few cases, and discover if your past will define your future.
RO after my own heart: Michael. That fucking brat.
WIP state: On hiatus
ADVENTURE:
Diaspora. You guys... Diaspora. If you're into Dragon Age, Diaspora is a must.
From the authors' fingers: it’s about a clan of people forced to flee their homeland and establish themselves elsewhere in the world. The Cine, of which the PC is a part, are traditionally a raiding culture, accustomed to theft and piracy as a way of life, meaning that few will welcome them as neighbors. Throughout the story, the PC will have opportunities to shape the perception of their clan, as well as the direction their people will take with their new settlement. Will you stick to traditional values at the steep diplomatic cost that may entail? Or, against the advice of your clan’s leadership and some of your close friends, will you try to change the very fate of the Cine, their role in the world around them?
RO after my own heart: Pan. There's no words to describe how much I love this magnificent bastard. They are my favorite RO ever too and a big inspiration for some of Roach's mannerisms.
WIP state: Kiku and August work on it whenever they have time but I would say it's pretty active for a WIP this big.
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Relics of the Lost Age. TW: for people being bigots; it has nazis, it has the kkk, you can punch them in the face tho :3
From the author's fingers: The game is basically a fun (I hope), swashbuckling Indiana Jones-em-up, in which you play as a 1930s archaeologist trying to locate a number of occult artifacts before various nasty types can get their hands on them. There will be high adventure in far-flung corners of the world, wacky stunts, Nazi-punching, the possibility of romance (4 possible ROs in total, although you don’t meet them all in Chapter 1), loss, betrayal and all kinds of good stuff along those lines. Give it a go; you never know, you might like it!
I've never watched an Indiana Jones film in my entire life, but this game kicks ass and its author is a very intelligent person and also a sweetheart. Go say hello!
RO after my own heart: Not a RO but I'm crossing my fingers for Maria Garcia Perez. Yes, mama, call me a dumbass and kick me in the face.
WIP state: Active. The Prof is a word-spurting beast :O
ANYTHING BY THOMB, REALLY:
But the WIP i'm following at the moment is the third book in the Evertree Saga, Lux: City of Secrets
From the author’s fingers: continuing the story that began with Evertree Inn and Sordwin. In this fantasy adventure, you return once again as an investigator of magical mysteries, this time exploring the many twisting tales of a city full of secrets. Can you balance all the commitments of your new life in the big city and rise above, or will you become just another nameless face in the crowd?
Also, Thom is truly a sweetheart.
RO after my own heart: Dandy. Dandy Dandy Dandy. (this one is a gender-flip and his female counterpart is Daisy)
WIP state: Active. Thom has 3 titles under their belt, they know what they're doing.
SLASHER HORROR:
Monsters. So so cool, also so so full of triggers--a character is super homophobic and a racist, other dude may hit a female MC in the face if he doesn't like what she's saying, so bear that in mind. I don't feel like the author was trying to be edgy, tho, he's just playing with old horror tropes and these people aren't supposed to be likeable anyways. If you like horror that's kind of Texas-Chainsaw-Massacry, this is a good one.
From the author's fingers: First off: This game contains ADULT CONTENT!!! It is a psychological survival horror, and intentionally contains content which some readers may find offensive. There’s a proper disclaimer in-game. But the warning is there. I’m choosing not to describe the content of the game because, honestly, I want it to be a surprise to anyone who has not read it but is intrigued. I want you to not know what to expect. wink
RO after my own heart: Nobody, but they are interesting to chat to.
WIP state: On hiatus.
OTHERS I ENJOYED A LOT:
Wilhelmina
The Wayhaven Chronicles: Book Two
Through Broken Lenses. TW: so much abuse. Tread with care.
The Seven Heirs of Ophaesia: Part One
Fox of Sunholt
Supernatural in New York
Good Intentions. TW: I think this one may be triggering too, but I don't quite remember the specifics, sorry.
What a Brilliant Existence!
Spellbound: A Ghost Story
Seven days in purgatory
Burwick Destination: Book One
A Cage of Mist and Shadow
Please remember to pay attention to the last time WIPs were updated, you don’t want to necrobump a thread.
#ask#wip recs#hope i'm not forgetting wips#but these are the ones I quickly recalled as i read the titles#Anonymous
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Underfell: File Name not Edgy Enough #27
Chapter 27: Burden
WARNING: I WANT NO RESPONSIBILITY OVER SPOILING THINGS FOR OTHERS. THAT BEING SAID, THIS IS HOW FILE NAME NOT FOUND WOULD FUNCTION IN THE AU OF UNDERFELL. BEFORE YOU READ THIS, UNLIKE THE NICE TIME OF UNDERTALE, THIS WORLD IS KILL OR BE KILLED. THIS STORY WILL BE GRAPHIC, GORY, USE SWEARS LIKE NOBODY'S BUSINESS, AND DEAL WITH SENSITIVE SUBJECT MATTERS. FOR EXAMPLE, THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE READ THE FILE NAME RELOCATED SPOOF WILL KNOW HOW I PICTURE THIS VERSION OF LYNSIE COMING TO THE UNDERGROUND. IT IS NOT AN ACCIDENT. IT IS NOT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING DUMB. IT IS BECAUSE SHE CHOOSES TO END HER LIFE. SO TAKE THIS WITH A GRAIN OF SALT. I MADE IT BECAUSE I NEEDED TO LET SOME OF THIS EDGINESS OUT OF MYSELF. WHICH I GUESS MAKES UNDERFELL LYNSIE EVEN MORE TRUE TO WHO I REALLY AM. ANYWAY, ENJOY. ^_^
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[A quick recap]
My melancholy blinds me to my current surroundings. I only come out of it once a spotlight hits me.
"The hell...?"
Things look funny. No doubt it's a setup by Mettaton. But I'm unsure what this act is. I mean, it looks like a receptionist's waiting room. A desk and some random chairs.
"GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTS...!"
Mettaton zips in wearing a red suit and shoves me in a chair as he takes center stage.
"FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE HERE AT MTTTV WOULD LIKE TO APOLOGIZE FOR THE LACK OF ME OVER THE COURSE OF THE PROGRAM. DUE TO THE LACK PREP WORK WITH MY COSTAR HERE, WE SADLY HAD TO FORGO A THRILLING ACT BACK IN LEVEL TWO INVOLVING HUNDREDS OF EXPLOSIVES!!"
I so freaking called it. I should let him have his moment...Nah!
"I thought you said that act was shit anyway?"
He extends an arm to cover my mouth.
"FORGIVE HER. SHE'S LOST A LOT OF BLOOD AND NOT ALL THERE MENTALLY."
I leer at him flatly.
"BUT...DARLING HERE IS GOING TO MAKE AMENDS WITH US ALL RIGHT NOW. IT'S TIME TO ANSWER SOME BURNING QUESTIONS."
I'm so confused as he lets go and leaps onto the desk, posing dramatically.
"IT'S TIME FOR..."
A large neon sign shaped like him drops from the ceiling.
"BURNING THE MIDNIGHT OIL WITH A KILLER ROBOT! THE LATE NIGHT TALK SHOW HOSTED BY YOURS TRULY."
Huh. Not a bad title.
"I thought you were working on a courtroom trial program?"
He scoots to now sit behind the desk.
"UNFORTUNATELY, WHILE I DO HAVE THE FUNDS, I DON'T HAVE AVAILABLE WORKERS TO MAKE SUCH A SET. SO...WE'RE DOING THIS INSTEAD."
"Heh...Must be hard to meet your expectations."
"DARLING, YOU HAVE NO IDEA."
A tense dramatic score plays.
"SO, DARLING...ARE YOU READY TO TELL ME EVERYTHING?"
Ah. I see now. Fine, Metta, have it your way. Just be careful what you wish for. You may not like it. Now don't get me wrong. I know my limits. I'm not about to tell him EVERYTHING. I'm not that stupid. But if he wants truth, he's going to get a version that's missing some characters and other junk.
"As you wish. You wanna know the truth? You want to scar the entire Underground? Sure. Why not. What else do I have to lose at this point since you exposed me? So congratulations! I hope you like the prize you've been longing to get. Because I sure as hell don't."
Let the show commence.
[Now our featured presentation]
"RIIIIGHT...ANYWAY...WHY NOT INTRODUCE YOURSELF. LET THE UNDERGROUND KNOW JUST A BIT ABOUT YOU."
I wave with a stupid grin to where I think a camera is.
"Howdy, monsters of the Underground. My name is Lynsie. Last I checked, I'm 5'8'', twenty eights years old, born November 7th, am a Scorpio, blood type A+, and enjoy long naps by the beach."
Am I introducing myself or recording a dumb dating profile video?
Mettaton whips out some cards from his desk.
"REALLY? YOU'RE THAT OLD? HUH."
"Yeah. Why?"
"YOU LOOK OLDER THAN THAT."
I sneer.
"It's the raccoon eyes. Insomnia is a hell of a slap to the face."
"THAT ASIDE...HOW ARE YOU FEELING? YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH A LOT SINCE THIS PROGRAM STARTED."
"I'm grateful to have this reprieve. It's nice to not be flung into fight after fight for a moment. I don't like fighting. I'd much rather avoid any conflict if able."
"SUCH A KIND GIRL. ARE ALL HUMANS THESE DAYS LIKE YOU?"
I eye him funny.
"WHAT?"
"Do mean 'kind' or 'stupid'? Because every monster has called me a fool for being nice."
"STUPID IS A STRONG WORD. NAIVE IS MORE LIKE IT."
I rumble lowly in my seat.
"But...To answer you properly, no. Not all humans are like me. Or...I'm not like most humans."
"OOOOH~, SUCH AN AMBIGUOUS ANSWER. FINE THEN, IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE LIKE THAT, I'LL HAVE TO BE MORE BLUNT IN MY QUESTIONS. LET'S SEE..."
He flips through some of his cards.
"OH! HERE'S ONE...HOW DID YOU COME TO FIND YOURSELF IN THE UNDERGROUND?"
Blunt? I'll give you blunt.
"Easy. I tried to kill myself."
[SNOWDIN: Skeleton House in present time]
The mood in the room sours as the human continues.
"Yep. You see, Mt. Ebott has a reputation, a legend dating back lord knows how long, that those who climb the mountain never return. This has made it a popular place to die. Not as bad as the literal 'Suicide Forest' of Japan, but it does the job okay."
Mettaton's screen blacks out.
"Don't give me that look. You wanted this. You wanted the truth. So take it. Take the blunt no holds bar truth of the matter. And you know what else? It wasn't the first time either. I can think of at least five other attempts. Each more pathetic than the last. But, if memory serves me right, I do believe my very first try was when I was still so very small. Somewhere around age six to eight. I had learned that apple seeds contain cyanide, a very toxic poison. Of course, there's not a heck of a lot in a single seed, but if you ingest a lot...well...Kid me didn't know how many were needed. Just that it was deadly. As you can see, I didn't have enough and I didn't try that form of suicide again. I don't try the same kind twice. I'm too fearful of messing things up the second time. What if it only partly works and I end up surviving? Heh...Trying to end it all only to live but in even worse condition? The irony would be such a hilarious joke. Then again, that's my life in a nutshell. One big cruel unrelenting joke."
Toriel's eyes water. She knew her child had her demons, but she knew not just how far back they spawned. Mettaton's screen relights.
"I...I WASN'T EXPECTING..."
"Yeah, no one does. No one expects me to be so dark. But what can I say? I do a damn good job hiding it."
"BUT...WHY THOUGH? WHAT WOULD MAKE A CHILD THAT BENT ON KILLING THEMSELVES?"
She takes a deep breath and lounges back in her chair.
"You ever feel guilty for something? Something you have no idea why you should feel that way for but you just do?"
She runs her hands over her face.
"I don't remember why I asked her that question. Maybe I was just morbidly curious. I knew my siblings were unexpected pregnancies. The eldest never came to be, so whether it was a boy or girl is forever unknown. My brother came about in the randomness of my mom hooking up with my dad. She married my dad because, well, she did like him but also so that he wouldn't be deported once his school visa ran out. He and his family escaped their homeland to start a new life...but did so illegally. Even on the surface, there's no true freedom. Four years into the marriage, I was born. Things only seemed to spiral from there. Dad would stay out drinking. Mom would be pissed. Bro and I would hide in my room and try to keep the fighting out. Mom gave up on him, someone else charmed her heart and would later be the father of my sister. Eight years into this world and they divorce and months later sis is born. She was unknown and with how old mom was at the time, she now suffers from spontaneous seizures."
The girl looks up in thought.
"So a few years ago, I asked mom...Was I unplanned like they were? Was I another surprise baby?"
She looks back down, her face holding a more cold expression.
"No, she told me. You were the only planned one. ...I should've stopped there. *sigh* I then asked...Why? She answered..."
Emotion leaves her.
"We had you in the hopes that you'd fix our marriage."
Silence. Dead silence.
"So much pressure. And to put that on a babe? How was I supposed to solve your problems? How is it my fault you couldn't stand each other when things got rough?! How is a kid supposed to make sure you don't start taking drugs and acquire sixteen felonies?! How is it my job to make sure you don't regret loving someone else?! How is that fair?! Why not take some fucking responsibility for once in your god damn life?!"
She becomes irate, grabbing one of the chairs and beating it into another one till both are useless before ending with a guttural roar that pains the throat in its harshness.
Toriel recalls similar words from her not long after they became close and she found her.
"Child? You're trembling. Is everything all right? Child, please. Just speak to me. Tell me what's wrong."
"I hate you! I hate all of you! You fucking pieces of shit! Why?! Why is it so hard for any of you to care?! I've been missing for days or weeks and none of you care! *sobs* Did you ever love me?! Why did you even bother having me if you don't even care that I'm gone?! *bawling* Why? Why? Someone tell me why...please..."
"I know this isn't the most pleasant of times to ask...But since we've come to know more about each other, I have been curious about something. The humans that fall down here...They tend to not fall down for the happiest of reasons. If it is not too painful...Can you share with me your reason? What made you come to a cursed mountain where none ever return from?"
"*hard sniffling* They used to care. I used to know what it was like to know others cared. I can't remember when they started to pull away. When I became invisible. I just want to know why. Was it something I did? Did I do something wrong? Did I not make them proud? I thought I did everything right. I was a good girl. *voice cracking* I'm a good girl. Aren't I?"
Even Grillby had memories of such talk pop into his head.
"You are an amazing person. You live in his cold place and open this bar to every sad face willing to cast aside their mean spirits for spirits of another kind. You put up with a lot of nonsense, a good bit came from me today, and I'm sorry about that."
"Where is all this coming from?"
"I'm not done. You have been nothing but nice to me. And doing that isn't easy in this world we live in. Since meeting you, you've shown me more kindness than I got from my own family, and this is only our second meeting. Heh, how pathetic is that? I fell into the Underground trying to die, only to end up wanting to live because of the few that showed me any decency. And for that, I give you my thanks."
"Pussycat?"
"I don't know if it was the punch or I'm just in a weird mood. I'm probably making things awkward. No one wants to hear someone ramble about lame junk when at a bar. This is a place people go to forget things. I know I've got a lot I want to forget. Like the three or four times I ran away from home but never had a plan and always had the cops take me back. Or the time I cussed out my grandma because I thought she lost my dog when it turned out my mom had dumped the pup at a shelter and told me it escaped. Or the suicide attempts..."
"Attempts?"
"Oh yeah, there was more than one. Hard to believe, but I'm a very sad person. No, that's being too nice. Depressed is more accurate. 90% of the smiles you see me do are fake. Just part of the mask I wear to hide how truly miserable I really am."
"God, I hate myself. I'm a sad pathetic mess."
Sans now gets a clearer picture of the baggage weighing on her.
"oh! and don't forget, you're making dinner. pap only let that slide because you were practically dead. so don't get any ideas thinking you can get out of it."
"Did you just really say that?!"
"the hell is your problem?"
"Did you really just insinuate she'd harm herself?"
"i dunno...maybe?"
"You can't say that kind of stuff to her!"
"why not?"
"You...You don't know how she came to the Underground, do you?"
"she told me that she fell."
"I'm not comfortable telling you this, seeing as she hasn't and I don't think it's my place, but I can't let you say idiotic things like that."
"okay, weed, you have intrigued me. if she didn't fall, then how did she get here?"
"Well...Falling is how she came to the Underground. But...She didn't fall from an accident."
"you're telling me she..."
"She fell on purpose. She...was trying to die. I don't know about her life on the surface. She doesn't tell anyone about that stuff, not even Mom. But I have been with her since the start and I can tell...Under all that toughness and pass the goofy dork innards...She's very sad deep down."
And that moment that recently happened at Grilbby's.
"enough with the act! you act all calm, with your little quips and remarks. making you look so well put together. but i know better. i know you're just as messed up as the rest of us. so why don't you get off your high horse and get out of my life!"
"You're right. This is an act. Every day, I wake up and I pretend to be this way. To play this role of the girl that never gives in and can smile through it all. I put on my mask and face this world as best that I can. But inside I'm dying. I'm being crushed by insecurities, doubt, depression, and so much negativity that I let myself fall into a pit hoping for the sweet embrace of death. I have attempted to end my life a good handful of times. Each more pathetic than the last. Even now, I'm just a few triggers shy of crumbling into a blubbering mass of tears. Yet there are few things that keep me from doing those bad things now that I'm here. And if putting on this act keeps me in, relative, ease...Then yeah. I'm gonna pretend my ass off that all is fine with me. Because I'm a fucking moron that is too afraid to open up to those closest to me and ask for help!"
Papyrus, of course, takes all this in as vital information he could use against the human. Her emotional and mental instability can be used to manipulate her. Grooming her to be more obedient to his will.
"I'm sorry."
"DAMN RIGHT YOU'RE SORRY."
"No...I mean, I'm sorry for earlier. It was wrong for me to hit you. You just...*sigh* How do I say this without sound like a dweeb?"
"JUST...SAY WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY. DON'T ALTER YOUR WORDS. THEY LOSE IMPACT THAT WAY."
"If that's true, then don't make a big deal out of this."
"W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
"I am an emotional wreck and going through so much internal bullshit that it ain't funny. So know that the stupid things I'm about to say are true because this is making me feel very vulnerable and uncomfortable which I think you feel too."
By now the human was breathing heavily over the shattered remains of once recognizable objects, slowly regaining her composure. She stares at the mess for some time. Mettaton doesn't even try to do anything that could get her attention while in such a state. Eventually, she drops the bits in her hands and takes a seat in the chair she spared. Slumping in remorse and holding her face.
"I'm sorry. That...That was shameful. I'll pay you back for the damage."
"DO YOU NEED A MOMENT?"
She rubs her eyes of faint moisture.
"N-No...No. I'm fine. That...That was just a moment of venting weakness. I normally cry this crap out of my system. But...I'm so sick of crying. Yet...That felt good though. So much pent-up bullshit I don't or can't let out was just dropped like weights off my back. ...Does this count as therapy? Because this feels better than that child physiologist mom sent me to after I ran away...the first time."
"SOUND LIKE YOU DON'T CARE FOR YOUR PARENTS."
"You'd think that, but no. Don't get me wrong. I love my parents. They could've been far worse even with the flaws I've mentioned. Dad never missed work and made sure bills could be paid. Mom always made sure we could eat even if it meant she didn't and often broke the law to do so."
Her head lolls back as she lounges.
"It's easier to dwell in the negatives than the positives growing up. It can make for a bitter soul. This is just the tip of a massive iceberg, there is so much more crap hidden below. But now is neither the time nor place to dive deeper into those murky waters. I'll drown if I stay under too long. *sigh* I don't hate them for the life they brought me into. I'm just...disappointed. Disappointed by the choices they made and things they expected to get from them. Disappointed in myself for allowing all that to have so much of a hold on me. Disappointed...So very disappointed...*long drawn out groan* Could we please leave the personal questions for now?"
"VERY WELL."
He flips through the cards.
"YOU'VE BEEN IN THE UNDERGROUND FOR SOME TIME NOW. HOW HAS THAT BEEN? WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE A HUMAN AMONG MONSTERS?"
This gets their attention. The human knows better than to tell all. But she's so far been extremely open. They hoped she was of sound mind enough to remember to keep some secrets.
"Even after all the attempted murder...I prefer monsters to humans. Because at least once the fighting is over, things can be somewhat normal. It's like 'hey, I know I just tried to kill you, but do you wanna maybe hang out for a bit?' and then that happens. It blows my mind how there's no animosity or spite afterward. After Humans fight with each other there's no calm, no peace of it being over, hell, a war might break out if it was bad enough. You never know how bad someone feels after and if the grudge they carry will make them go to extreme measures to make them feel better. Well...Except for the Irish. Those lads can tussle and then be all chummy after like it was a bonding experience. Nice folk. Always fancied them. Heh...Kinda like Monsters. A tough outside but nice inside. Maybe that's one of the reasons they were persecuted too. ...God, my kind is trash. All it knows is hate. We even hate ourselves. And one day...That hate will be the end of us."
She moves some hair from her face. A small smile coming to her.
"Moments like this...It's nice. Brief pauses of reflection and repose. Typically I end up doing this kind of thing in my head or I talk to myself. Funny how that works, the mind I mean. It is a self-aware entity in itself that can be both you and not you at the same time yet won't confuse itself by doing so. Probably why the imagination is such vital part of it. *pause* Heh...My bad. Lost myself for a moment. Back on point...Sure, this all began with you nearly killing me and it's probably just leading up to something else. Something good or bad. Yet till that happens...This is nice."
"SPEAKING OF NICE...YOUR LV HASN'T GONE UP FROM ITS BASE LEVEL. WE'VE SEEN YOU GO INTO FIGHTS, SO IT'S NOT THAT YOU'VE AVOIDED THEM COMPLETELY."
"As I've said...I don't like fighting."
"YOU MUST BE AWARE THAT PACIFISUM IS NOT A RECOMMENDED OR AN EASY THING TO DO IN THE UNDERGROUND. IS IT HARD BEING NICE FOR YOU DOWN HERE?"
"Is it hard for a fish to swim or bird to fly? Nice is my default. I don't have it in me to be genuinely mean. I can be rude or even a bitch, but that's only if that was how I was treated first. The real hard part about it is getting others to understand this niceness is real. Some pick it up with no trouble. But others are difficult. Going so far as to think I'm trying to lull them into a false sense of safety as part of an evil human trap. Can you believe that?"
Sans eyes Papyrus who rolls his sockets at his brother, both knowing damn well she meant him.
"EVEN SO, HAS THERE BEEN A TIME WHERE YOU WANTED TO FIGHT BACK? SURELY EVEN I PROBABLY INCURRED SOME IRE FROM YOU?"
She looks at the mechanical machination with a mix of confusion and annoyance.
"Ire is a strong word. True, I'm not happy about this situation. Exposing me for ratings. One of your goons bashing me over the head. The creepy stalking behavior by watching me through cameras. The needless puzzles and fighting. All of it wasn't necessary."
"I DISAGREE. EVERY BIT WAS COMPLETELY NECESSARY."
"Bull crap."
"NOW NOW, LET ME EXPLAIN. REGARDLESS OF YOUR INTENTIONS, YOU HAVE TO AGREE THAT YOU BEING HUMAN DOES CALL FOR CERTAIN MEASURES TO BE TAKEN. HUMANS DEAL PHYSICAL DAMAGE AND MONSTERS ARE WEAK TO SUCH ATTACKS."
"I know that. Get to your point, Metta."
"MY POINT? VERY WELL. MY DATABASE CONTAINS THE COLLECTED INFORMATION WE'VE GATHERED FROM THE PREVIOUS HUMANS THAT CAME BEFORE YOU. EACH WEAKER AND WEAKER AS TIME PASSED. YOU, ON THE OTHER HAND, HAVE BEEN DISPLAYING STRANGE ABILITIES..."
A monitor comes down, displaying the human in her earlier distress and giving off that strange energy.
"NOT TO MENTION YOUR SOUL HAS BEEN CHANGING IT'S COLOR WITHOUT MAGIC INFLUENCE."
The monitor shows the many different colors her soul was throughout the show.
"SO, DARLING, AS YOU CAN SEE EVERYTHING HAS BEEN COMPLETELY NECESSARY. EVERY LITTLE OBSTACLE ALLOWED FOR MORE OF YOUR UNKNOWNS TO BE REVEALED. HOWEVER..."
The monitor goes back up.
"I GET THE FEELING YOU'RE STILL HIDING SOMETHING."
She glares at the robot.
"I repeat, this wasn't necessary. All you needed to do was ask."
She sits up straight and focuses. Her soul emerges...it is a deep dull blue.
"I don't know everything. Seeing as this whole 'soul' thing isn't known on the surface anymore. To use now, the soul is an intangible thing. It leaves when we die and does whatever since no one truly knows what happens after death. But...I do know my soul isn't normal. Not normal from what I've learned here anyway. I possess ten traits for which my soul can become."
Shock smacks them. Even Mettaton spits oil from some port.
"T-TEN?!"
She nods.
"Ten traits. Ten colors. Nine of which are completely fine."
Her breathing falters as she concentrates harder, forcing the soul to change color to her will.
"Blue, integrity. Cyan, patience. Green, kindness. Pink, passion. Purple, perseverance. Orange, bravery. Red, determination. Yellow, justice. White, hope. ...These are my main traits. The nine that make up my core personality. Yet...There is one, the last one, that I will not show you. No matter what."
A question mark appears on Mettaton's screen. Toriel and Sans know full well which one she means.
"WON'T SHOW? HOW COME?"
"That soul is too dangerous. One that I can't control. The black soul of relentlessness."
Papyrus sockets widen. Sans wasn't making it up after all.
"IF YOU TRULY EXPECT ME TO BUY INTO THIS BLACK SOUL NONSENSE THAN YOU BETTER FIND A WAY TO PROVE TO ME THAT IT'S REAL!"
"and how do you expect me to do that? have it triggered and let her kill half the town?"
"OF COURSE NOT! SHE'D NEVER GET THAT FAR INTO SUCH A SPREE ONCE I SLAY HER."
"YOU DON'T THINK I CAN KILL HER?"
"her? sure, you'd kill her no problem. she'd probably let you do it if things got really bad. but the black soul? that's a different story all together."
"YOU TALK AS THOUGH YOU'VE SEEN THIS 'BLACK SOUL' IN ACTION."
"..."
"YOU HAVE, HAVEN'T YOU?"
"that thing isn't something you want to mess with. don't go after something you can't handle."
"YOU DARE THINK THAT PITIFUL CREATURE CAN HARM ME?!"
"no! i don't think it would harm you! i know it would kill you!"
"I have no will over that trait. It consumes me utterly. Coldly targeting anything and everything as a threat, then calculatingly eliminating victims brutally with no remorse by any means. Pain doesn't phase it. It has no fear. But I do. I fear this soul. I fear becoming that...that thing. That beast."
The robot's screen blips.
"YOU MAKE IT SOUND TERRIBLE. IF IT'S AS BAD AS YOU SAY, HOW HASN'T YOUR LV INCREASED? SURELY A MURDEROUS SOUL LIKE THAT WOULD HAVE A BODY COUNT ATTACHED TO IT?"
"I have thankfully been taken out of that state when it happens. My brother down here, the flower you may have seen me with, he's the one that saves me. I don't know how he does it as I only barely register what happens when the Black Soul is in control. But it's one of the reasons why we stay together. He doesn't want to die and I don't want to hurt anyone, so it's a good deal for us both."
"AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT TRIGGERS SUCH A STATE TO HAPPEN?"
"I'm not 100% sure but I have a theory. The worst of times. Moments when I lose all hope or can't take the pain. Mentally and/or physically. It takes over when I can't deal with things. And I guess it tries to 'solve' the problem...by getting rid of it."
Her demeanor is becoming more unsettled as she continues.
"I...I normally am unwilling to share this information. I don't like being personal with strangers. But since this is a live broadcast, and I've basically torn open a can of worms full of my emo baggage, I want this to be known. I need others to understand the danger. Because you all seem to view me as an easy kill. The dumb nice human that doesn't fight back. It'll be easy to get her soul. Hell, if it weren't for the black trait, I'd have given this thing to you guys ages ago. But it's not worth it. There's no point going to the surface, otherwise I'd be more inclined to leave and be subjected to the crap I deal with. And trust me...You don't want to know what I deal with."
Her eyes get dark and her expression serious to the point it's unnerving.
"The death that can possibly happen if the black soul activates and isn't stopped could be limitless. As the bearer of this curse, I remain here. Not because I see less harm if it triggers around monster, hell no. I trust my death to you because I have faith in monster kind being able to handle it. It's because I don't want to risk it being weaponized by humanity. Magic...REAL magic like this is gone from the surface. If it were to be discovered now...Magic will be coveted like any other valuable resource. Blood and dust will be spilled over ownership. The experiments to find a better means of harvesting it, the torture, the suffering, the endless cycle of hate feeding upon the lack of morality. I have no doubt monsters wouldn't even be seen as people. We've done it to different creeds of humanity throughout history, hell we still do it. I...I don't want that for Monsters. Part of me is saying I'm overthinking it, but I can't that optimistic side of me knowing all the fucked up shit Humans do. I don't want you guys to suffer. I don't want to cause harm. I don't want to see any more death! Please!!"
Her eyes are watering and her body trembling.
"I...I-I hate this feeling. This h-helplessness. I'm caged. I'm useless. I'm nothing on the surface. I'm a danger underground. I'm my own worst enemy and I don't know how to fight. *struggling* Why? Why didn't the fall kill me? Why can't I just die? Why am I so weak? I can't even bleed to death!"
She's a mess, weeping into her gloved hands. But Mettaton dismisses this display and keeps going.
"WEAK? YOU SELL YOURSELF SHORT. CLAWING INTO YOUR OWN BODY ISN'T A VERY WEAK THING AT ALL. COME TO THINK OF IT...IN YOUR ENCOUNTER WITH MUFFET, YOU TOLD HER WHY YOU DID IT. CARE TO EXPLAIN WHAT YOU MEANT?"
A recording is played.
["I have just spent an ungodly amount of time trapped in that elevator over there having my soul violated by people that don't even exist anymore on this plane of reality. I have clawed my skin off to stop feeling their hands on me."]
Her face has the look of someone biting their tongue fairly hard to stay in control.
"What's to explain? I meant what I said and said what I meant."
"YOU'RE AVOIDING THE QUESTION, DARLING."
"No. You're refusing the answer."
"YOU SAID YOU'D TELL THE TRUTH!"
"I am!"
Agitation mounts.
"BULLSHIT! HOW THE HELL CAN ANYONE BELIEVE THAT?"
"I don't give a crap if you believe me or not! You weren't the one there!"
"JUST TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED!"
"It doesn't matter! You can't do anything about it! No one can! You can't stop people that break the laws of reality!"
Sans didn't like what he was hearing. And none of them liked that her still exposed soul was sparking with that strange energy.
"THERE ARE NO PEOPLE LIKE THAT!"
"How would you know?!"
"IF EVEN A FLY FARTS ANYWHERE IN THE UNDERGROUND, I KNOW ABOUT IT. IF ANYONE WITH ABILITIES LIKE THAT WERE HERE, THEY WOULDN'T BE UNKNOWN FOR VERY LONG."
"Did you not hear my words? They don't even exist anymore on this plane of reality! You can't find people that are outside time and space, you fucking idiot!"
"I'M THE IDIOT?! DO YOU NOT HEAR YOURSELF?! OUTSIDE TIME AND SPACE?! YOU CAN'T EVEN MAKE A CONVINCING LIE!"
"I'm not lying, you insufferable ego-maniacal narcissistic jackass!"
"TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED!!"
"I did! Accept the fact there is shit in life you can't fathom or comprehend yet is true! Like Bigfoot, life on other planets, or stigmata! Unexplained phenomenons are the backbones of reality! Deal with it!"
"THAT'S NOT AN UNEXPLAINED PHENOMENON! THAT'S A PURE IMPROBABLE IMMPOSSIBLITY!"
"By who's rule?! Are you God?! Do you know every infallible law the universe runs on?! No! You know nothing! No one does! So stop digging for shit that isn't there before something bad happens!"
"THEN GIVE ME A REAL ANSWER!"
"Stop...Please stop!"
"DARLING..."
"I s̷ái͟d͝ s̷t̢̛o̧͘p̀͟!̵̕͜!̧"
A surge of energy bursts from her soul, the flash whites out the screen and hurts the eyes. While blinded they all can hear the garbled sounds of pain and the sudden thud of weight hitting the floor. Their sight comes back to see the human writhing on the ground and gripping her soul, teeth bared in restrained growling.
"DARLING?"
She struggles to make her body move. Just slightly getting her head off the floor.
"Th͜i͞s͠...͜T́h̴i̵s̸ ̛įs ̕y̕our ̛f́aul͝t͏..̢.̴I͜ ͟a͡ske͝d ͠y̕o͏u t̷o͜ ͜s̛top..̢.̵"
The energy courses from her soul over her form, a brighter than normal light emanates from her clutched soul. She weakly pulls herself up to be supported by her free arm and the reason for the light is made clear, a crack has marred her soul. But that is far from the worst part. Sans spots it before Toriel but she's the one that points it out.
"Oh no!"
"What's wrong?"
"The darkness!"
Indeed. Black began to appear in the human's heart. The darkness corrupting the white light and faintly leaking out of the crack. The girl feels this. Panic flashes in her eyes but she's in no condition to handle so much on top of what has already happened.
"Wh̸en̢ wil̡l҉ ̛yo͡u̶ le͘ar͜n.͞..̡Y͘ou ̴fuc̀kín͜g id̴iot.̸..W͢hén wil̡l yoų ́a̶l̢l͜ léar͘n that͏ ̵y͘our act̵i҉o͞ns ͏ha͡v̛e ͘co͡n̴seq͘uenc͘e̶s͘?͘!"
The distortion. The off tone. The malice that seeped out. Perhaps it was enough proof for the automaton to believe her earlier words. For Mettaton seems to be distracted one second and then takes it all seriously the next. One of his hands snakes under his desk and the next thing to happen is the floor beneath the human opens up, dropping her into the unknown. Glitched roaring echoes as she plummets. A sickening crash leads into dead silence.
"WELL...THAT WAS INTERESTING."
His nonchalance about the whole thing is upsetting.
"SADLY, MY CO-STAR SEEMS TO BE HAVING A BIT OF TROUBLE. NOT EVERYONE CAN HANDLE THE STRESS OF BEING IN THE SPOTLIGHT, LIKE MOI."
His flamboyance is rubbing them the wrong way.
"HOWEVER, DESPITE HER TEMPER TANTRUM AND LACK OF COOPERATION, I WILL ASSURE YOU ALL SHE IS NOT DEAD. I MERELY GAVE HER THE SMALL BREAK THAT SHE CLEARLY NEEDED."
It's likely that the break involved her bones or some body part.
"BUT...I CAN GIVE YOU ALL SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO...THIS WAS THE LAST PRELEWD ACT. THE NEXT TIME YOU SEE US TOGETHER, IT WILL BE FOR THE MAIN EVENT. THE FINAL BATTLE APPROACHES, MY ENCOURAGABLE VIEWERS. DO NOT MISS OUT ON THIS HISTORICAL MAKE OR BREAK MOMENT."
The show shifts into a commercial break.
Toriel begins shaking. She can't deal with this much longer. Grillby does what he can to give her support, but he too has much on his mind. His pussycat unloaded a TON of things and a lot of it was incredibly concerning. Papyrus ushers his brother away from the other two as not to be overheard.
"SO...HOW LONG?"
Sans looks at him funny.
"uh...what?"
"HOW LONG WERE THE BOTH OF YOU GOING TO HIDE THIS PART OF THE SECRET FROM ME?"
"um...which part?"
"THAT POWER. SHE HAS TEN TRAITS, SANS. JUST HOW STRONG IS THAT GIRL?"
Sans scratches his skull.
"i honestly don't know, pap. i didn't even know she had that many. my main worry was always the black trait, so i never asked about others."
Papyrus folds his arms and shuts his eyes in thought.
"i swear, i ain't lying to ya."
"I KNOW YOU'RE NOT."
"then...what's wrong?"
"*HUFF* I DON'T LIKE THIS. I DON'T LIKE THE IDEA OF THAT WEAKLING BEING POWERFUL."
His eyes open but look at nothing.
"I SHOULD'VE KNOWN SOMETHING WAS OFF THAT NIGHT...THAT PUNCH...SHE WAS HOLDING BACK SO MUCH..."
Papyrus clenches his fists into tight balls of rage.
"THAT BITCH."
"ya know she didn't want to hurt ya."
"THAT'S THE THING. SHE THOUGHT SHE COULD HURT ME. HOW WEAK DOES SHE THINK I AM? THAT'S WHAT'S PISSING ME OFF MORE THAN ANYTHING RIGHT NOW."
Sans sighs. One day his brother will taste humble pie and not like it.
[HOTLAND: LAB]
Undyne finishes off her sixth bowel of ramen and looks at Alphys.
"Well...That wasn't how I thought it was going to end. Was it really necessary to tell him to drop her?"
Alphys takes a few more notes and ponders.
"Would you rather there be no main event? Besides..."
She adjusts her glasses.
"If what the human said is true, then the Black Soul being triggered in an open area would result in mass casualties. The zone in which the ending will be shot in is, for the most part, closed and under my remote control. So even in the event of something going wrong, which the odds of such are highly unlikely, then any and all threats can be dealt with in an optimum manner."
Undyne nods.
"I guess that makes sense. Still...I don't what I saw. There was real fear in the human's eyes."
"Good. She should be afraid. She should be very afraid of what's to come."
"And what's that?"
"That would be spoilers."
"Damn it. *sigh* A human soul with ten traits...Sounds tough. I wanna fight it!"
"It does raise a lot of questions. One, in particular, is on my mind."
"What's that?"
"If a human soul, deprived of magic, possesses ten traits and begins gaining magic...What will happen when it attains 100% magic?"
A cold chill runs through the captain.
[HOTLAND: SOMEWHERE ON LEVEL 3]
I am getting so sick of this crap. Why can't I just die at this point?
"*muffled* Lynsie?"
The voice and light jostling is bringing me back to consciousness. Damn it. Here I go again.
My eyes weakly open to the sight of dirt and rock. Just an inch away from losing the ability to see. Like I need a handicap in all this.
"Lynsie? Are you okay?"
Ah, Flowey. It's about time we met back up.
"*groan* H-Hey, bro. I missed you."
He smiles sadly.
"Are you okay? Can you move?"
I roll over on my back and check myself.
[HP ██████████ 10/40]
[HEARTBREAK level ONE in effect]
I figured that's what happened. No wonder the Black Soul was triggering. Thank goodness for the fall knocking my ass out or things would've gone bad fast.
"I think I'll be okay. Sore, but okay. I'm sadly getting used to falling and possible brain damage."
My answer has him pout.
"What's with the face, bro? You know I'm a tough cookie. I'll be fine."
His face gets full of concern.
"I...I heard what you told Mettaton."
Yeah, you and the rest of the Underground.
"I...I understand now why you didn't talk about your past. Why you kept to yourself. I'm sorry."
God, he's too sweet for this place. I reach over and gently stroke his petals.
"I love you, bro. You have no idea how much it means to me that you care. But don't pity me. I do that enough on my own."
I wearily sit up, shaking my head of all that baggage I brought up for the show.
"I wasn't pitying you. It's just..."
He fiddles with his leaves in a shy way but I cut his words off.
"Bro, I get it. I do. It's the same feeling like when you told me your history. Yet, let's be honest here, you're more mentally mature than me and I'm still not completely okay after getting all that off my chest. We can talk more about it later after this ordeal is over. Maybe over mom's cheesecake? Deal?"
"...You mean it?"
"Yeah. I promise."
He smiles brightly.
"Okay. I'd like that."
I pick myself up and stretch, taking a look around at where we are.
"Don't tell me he dropped me back at the start."
"Nope. This is still Level Three. In fact...I do believe MTT Resort is just past this place."
"...For real? Is it a safe space?"
"Yep. There are shops and rooms to rest."
I hear a heavenly choir sing in my head.
"Finally! The universe throws me a decent bone!"
I regret saying that the moment it leaves my mouth. Flowey looks at me funny.
"Don't take that out of context, you know what I meant."
"I don't know. You and Smiley Trashbag are eerily close."
My eye twitches. Things I wish Gaster didn't show me try to pop into my head.
"Are you okay? You look like you're about to puke."
"Never insinuate something like that ever again."
He shakes his head at me. I try to change the subject before I have a heart attack on camera.
"So...Are you able to follow me to the resort? I'm sick of being separated."
"There's ground outside of it and parts I can reach beyond it, but the resort itself I can't get in without some sort of aid like a pot. Cement and tile flooring is a pain to break into."
"Damn, bro, you hella strong."
There's a deactivated reversed conveyor belt that's attached to the artificial platforms.
"Is it safe to cross? It's kinda giving me 'trap' vibes."
"You should be fine. This is normally the part where the colored tiles would be used again, but you know, stuff changed. It's probably off."
"Ah. Gotcha. I guess...See ya soon?"
"You bet."
He ducks into the ground so I take it as my time to leave this pit. The entire time I feel on edge. With my luck, the trap will turn on and I get screwed. Thankfully nothing happens apart from some jets of flame randomly going off in the distance and making me jump like a wuss. At least it got me to the stairs quicker.
After a quite the climb, I reach the top perturbed yet undaunted as a four-way crossroads greets me, though the two paths on the sides are blocked. More Royal Guards, a cat to the left and some kind of insect on the right, both in that imposing armor.
"Well if it isn't my best customer..."
The Ice Scream rabbit pops up from behind the cart I wasn't paying attention to.
"Fancy seeing you again."
As odd as seeing him here is, he's a familiar face that is a sight for my sore eyes. I approach.
"Hey, guy, what's up? Haven't been seeing you much in Snowdin Forest for a bit."
He leans on the cart like a cool guy.
"Yeah...Been moving around seeing if I can make mad gold somewhere where the weather isn't the same temp as my product."
"Any luck?"
"Waterfall wasn't so bad. Even started a new program with rewards cards. Turn in a card with ten punches and get a free doubling of your next order. Speaking of which..."
He reaches into his pants pocket and hands me a punch card. Some holes have already been made.
"If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have had the funds to get this far. So...Instead of starting your card full, I may have added your previous buys. Can't say I haven't gotten better at my wonderful salesmanship."
I can't help but smile. He's come a long way. I'm proud of him.
"Well then, wonderful salesman, I'd like to add some more holes please."
"Heh...sure. But I'm warning you, prices have gone up. 25G. Got to charge more here 'cause of the heat."
"Understood, my dude. Um...Just curious...Got fudge pops? Kinda have this hankering for something chocolate."
He shakes his head.
"Sold out. The Royal Guards bought those like crazy."
"Damn. Oh well. One blue, orange, grape, and blood. All bisicles."
He fills my order and I pay the 100G.
"Here you go. All five ready to enjoy."
I look at him funny.
"Five?"
"Yep. Five. I definitely didn't toss in a strawberry one because of customer loyalty. Nope. Didn't do it."
Must...resist...the urge...to HUG!!
"...Thank you. That...That means a lot."
He gives me a wink and I practically skip away up another set of stairs. I place the treats in my inventory for now. I know not what crap will happen from here, so healing items are a big help.
I am met by a large complex. Redbrick that's been tagged with graffiti, yellow-tinted windows with some broken, a gold MTT sign with two Mettaton images with devil horns, a black & white checkered awning over the door, two large plant potters that have dry withered flower remnants, and a blood-red or just stained that way rug embroidered with gold MTTs.
"Classy."
I'm about to head inside when something hits my leg. A paper airplane? I inspect it to find it's a note.
[Hey! Go up the creepy alleyway on the right for some great deals!]
"...I'm gonna get mugged, aren't I?"
It's against my better judgment, but this is a neutral zone, so I should be okay. I wearily creep around, following spray-painted arrows, to end up finding two girls gossiping among garbage. They notice me and straighten up.
"Hey! Check it out!"
"Yeah! Check it out!"
"So, like, what's up? I'm Bratty, and this is my best friend, Catty."
"I'm Catty, and this is my best friend, Bratty."
Oh no...More valley speak!?! Why is that a thing down here?!
Bratty is a tall, green alligator or crocodile monster that wears a primarily black shawl with yellow and red details on the sides. She has yellow hair that flows into curls and red lipstick.
Catty is a plump purple cat creature who wears a set of black overalls with yellow buttons and tufts of red fur with yellow highlighted tips coming out from under it on either side. She has black hair with a red streak in it and a yellow earring on her left ear.
"Uh...Hi? So...This is a shop?"
"Like, the best shop!"
"You should buy ALL our stuff!"
Catty gets this blanket out and opens it out to show me their items. They don't have much, just four things, but I can't turn away from these items.
[25G - Junk Food - Has a big bite out of it]
[350G - Rusty Revolver - Bullets NOT included]
[350G - Tattered Western Hat - ATTACK up when worn]
[600G - Mystery Key - Probably to someone's house LOL]
A gun...How the fuck is that here?
"Oooh! I know that look!"
"That's the look of some wanting something!"
"Bratty! We're gonna be rich!"
"Where did you find this stuff?"
"I mean, like, where does anyone get guns, or food, or..."
"We found it in the garbage!"
I so called it.
"It's GOOD garbage."
"It's like, really good garbage."
"Where do you get the garbage?"
"Like, the garbage store, duh!!! ...Waterfall mostly."
"I found a gun in a dumpster!"
I check my gold...I don't have anywhere close to 1,300G for their garbage.
"Um...Maybe we could work out some sort of arrangement?"
They glare.
"That's poor talk."
"You need WAY more money."
What I need is to get that stuff away from them. That stuff is bad enough with humans, I don't want monsters messing with crap like guns.
"Ladies, I'm sure there's something we can do. Shops run on trade. This is just a trade of a different kind. I can't give you the gold, but I can get you other things. There's gotta something you'd both want that I can fetch for you in exchange?"
They mull it over.
"Thanks, but we, like, don't really need anything."
"Oh my god, can you go get us some Dazzleburgers?"
"We don't. Really need. Anything."
"Wait! I'll pay you 1000G if you get Mettaton to autograph my butt!"
Catty seems to be the easier one here. Maybe I can work with this.
"While I do know the guy, I'm not sure I can get Metta to sign your butt."
"Damn."
"Wait...You know Mettaton?!"
Their eyes sparkle.
"...Yes?"
They squeal with fanatical glee.
"Oh my God. Mettaton."
"Oh my GOD, METTATON."
"He's like...My robot husband."
"Actually he's like...MY robot husband."
"I think we're like...both going to marry him."
"We're both like, ALREADY married to him. He just, like, doesn't know it yet."
They're insane.
"Okay...Can I ask what's a Razzburger? I could try to get that."
Their eyes widen in shock.
"You don't know what a Dazzleburger is?"
"Do you, like, live under a rock?"
Don't we all do since this is a mountain?
"Dazzleburgers are epic!"
"They're only sold in the resort."
Interesting.
"Inside huh? Let me guess...Very pricey."
Bratty nods.
"The stuff inside, is like..."
"TOTALLY wicked expensive."
"But, like, this stuff we found is like..."
"TOTALLY wicked cheap."
"You should..."
"Like..."
"TOTALLY wicked buy all of it?"
"Cheap? You're selling a random key for 600G!"
They giggle at me and I sigh. Bitches, man...bitches.
"So where inside am I gettin' them?"
"The MTT-Brand Burger Emporium."
"You have to get them from Bugerpants."
That name...That name brings back memories...as well as sore spots. Douche-cat...
"Burgerpants."
"Yeah, that guy from the store. Yuck, what a creep."
"Yeah! He's a creep! But he's kind of cute, too..."
"C'mon Catty, don't you have ANY standards?"
"Nope!!!"
...You need standers, Catty.
"Yeah, I met him. Not so much a creep but he is a massive prick."
"OK, like, the annoying thing is..."
"He'd be OK if he just treated us with some respect."
"But he just acts..."
"Really weird."
"And then acts like it's OUR fault he acts that way!"
"Like, when we asked him to get those Dazzleburgers..."
"He dropped them and ran away before we could even say anything!"
"We were, like, going to share them."
"Really? I wasn't."
"Catty!"
This zone is full of awful people.
"One last thing...How many you want?"
Catty waves her paws.
"So many! Enough to fill a dumpster!"
"The mega value pack should cover us."
I give Bratty a thumbs up and leave their shady establishment. Now I enter the main building and this time I'm greeted by someone for once. It's either very diamond-like or very origami-like, but above all, it's a tiny monster.
"Welcome to MTT Resort - Hotland's biggest apartment-building-turned-hotel! Whether you're here for a night or still live here, MTT Resort prides itself on a great stay! Just passing through...? Nice! MTT Resort prides itself on being passed through!"
"Interesting business model. Does it work?"
"Oh, indeed it does, human."
"You know what I am?"
"Oh yes! The staff has been informed of your coming and instructed on how to handle you upon arrival."
Oh god, what now?
"Over on your left, we have a dine-in restaurant complete with a stage which hosts a wide cast of live acts. Either comedy done by locals or Mettaton entertains when he isn't too busy."
"Neat."
"If you're feeling like you hate yourself, behind me is the MTT-Brand Burger Emporium, home of the Dazzleburger!"
Well, they know how fast food works.
"All further questions can be taken to my coworker behind the desk."
I scratch my head and shrug.
"Thanks."
I walk away and head for the other receptionist. It's not a bad-looking lobby at least. Red & yellow checkered tiles and the rug from outside continues forward into parts unknown. The obnoxious fountain of Mettaton is gaudy though. I reach the desk and the monster behind it is a weird one. It's blue and its head is a hand with very well manicured red nails.
"Yes, we know. The elevator music volume is super loud and the song is stuck on a three-second loop. We are working on it. Because of this incident, rooms are running at a special rate! 200G a room. Interested?"
Someone sounds grumpy.
"No thank you. I was told to come to you. I'm the human if that helps."
Their head fingers extend in alert.
"Oh! Sorry. I was instructed to inform you on where to go next."
"That would be helpful, yes."
It motions to where the rug is heading.
"If you follow the rug there, you'll be lead out back to the entrance of the CORE. Mettaton will be waiting for you at the top."
"Could I use the elevator instead? All this travel is exhausting."
"No can do. The elevator leads to the Capital and main residence of our people. You're not allowed to go there."
"Oh...That's fine. I didn't want to go there. Just trying to take shortcuts if able."
"*ahem* If you require a small rest, might I suggest renting a room?"
"I don't the gold, sorry."
"That's fine. Mettaton has pre-paid a room for you. One time only."
I'm stunned. Damn him! Why does he confuse me so much?! I want to like and hate him at the same time!
"Um...In that case, sure. Where are rooms?"
They motion again.
"Down the hall to the right."
I wait for them to give me a key or card but nothing is there except awkwardness.
"Is there a problem?"
"No...not really. But...uh...Isn't this the part you give me a room key?"
"What? Room...Key? No, we don't do that. If you leave your room, you'll have to pay again."
So if I enter I can't leave or else I'll have to pay? That's insane!
"On second thought, maybe later."
"Shame. Do let us know if you change your mind. Have a sparkular day!"
I'm getting the feeling they're being nice because they were told to be. Otherwise, I doubt I'd be given such a warm welcome. Oh well. Time to pay a certain someone a visit.
I stroll up to the emporium and find myself paused. I can go about this in many ways. The different choices and outcomes play out in my head super fast. After a few, I settle on something...something that'll leave an impression. I push the doors open. A digital bell sounds. I look at what appears to be a sadder version of McDonald's. And like a mindless corporate drone, he speaks while moping the floor before seeing "who" just walked in.
"Welcome to MTT-Brand Burger Emporium, home of the Dazzleburger. Sparkle up your day (TM)."
He begins to turn around.
"What can I do to..."
His eyes widen seeing me, grinning sadistically at him like a lunatic.
"Uh...help?"
This hurts my throat to do, but it really sells this whole thing. I deepen my voice to imitate Dr. Claw from Inspector Gadget and just laugh. He is unnerved to say the least.
"*menacing* No one will help you."
"H-Hey now...Don't think of doing anything funny."
I walk up to him and he backs away slowly before leaping behind the counter.
"Stay back! You can't hurt anyone in shops!"
I keep the deep voice.
"*menacing* Hurt you? Foolish boy...Why would I do that? It's not like you put a cigarette out on my wrist and bashed my head with a bat!"
That last part was done a bit too harsh and I end coughing. All seriousness leaves.
"*coughs* Nah, man...*normal* I ain't gonna do anything. For reals. I was just messing with ya."
He eyes me funny.
"Riiiiiight...What do you want then?"
"Preferably, my phone."
He flinches, his eyes looking quickly down then darting back up.
"I..."
"Metta doesn't have to know."
"What do you mean he won't know?! He knows everything that goes on here!"
"Look, you either give me my phone, or I'm gonna go back there and take it."
"You're not seri..."
My dead stare shuts him up. He seems to freeze up now. I sneer and put my hand out. He looks at my hand and then starts sweating. I'm beginning to lose my patience.
"You have five seconds."
His fur stands on end and he suddenly slams his face on the countertop, giving himself a bloody nose.
"Sorry, (Ha ha) it's against the rules to talk to customers who haven't bought anything. And talking with you this long has put me in serious shit. If you want this 'exchange' to continue, you're going to make a purchase."
I'm not happy.
"...What do you have?"
[60G - Sorebet - Very popular food.]
[120G - Dazzleburger - Very popular food.]
[300G - Mythical Villain - Anti-Hero Sandwich. ATTACK UP in battle.]
[500G - Biltong Slab designed to look like Mettaton - Don't ask. Please.]
I huff through my nose and shell out the 60G.
"That Sorebet better come with my phone."
"Yeah yeah. Don't get your panties in a twist."
"Fuck you. I wear boxers."
He eyes me with a blush before heading into the back. Might as well chat him up while I can.
"So...Do you know the chicks behind the building?"
"Huh? Oh...Them. Yeah, I know them. What of it?"
"They were talking about you."
"The girls were...Talking about me...?"
Hooked him.
"They mentioned you threw burgers at them and ran."
"Bullshit! That is not what happened."
He comes back to the counter with a glass of frozen dessert and my phone.
"Care to enlighten me?"
He sighs and lights a cigarette. I wonder if he can do that while on shift?
"Never interact with attractive people. Unless you're 'one of them', they're just gonna take advantage of you. Those two chicks asked me to sneak them some Dazzleburgers. And I, the naive teenager that I was, said yes to them. Bad idea."
"What happened?"
He takes a dag and lifts the collar of his uniform shirt open, blowing the smoke in there.
"Does that really keep the smoke from spreading?"
"It's worked so far. *puff* So I went out to the alley to see those two ladies, and uh...you know, see what'd happen next."
"Like...Naughty stuff?"
"...Maybe."
"Nice."
He blushes.
"Anyway...Then my boss comes out of nowhere, sees me, and demands to know what I was doing. I was so startled, the hamburgers in my pockets tumbled out onto the ground. Not wanting to lose face to the girls, I scrambled to pick them up! But, as I was bending down, the weight of the remaining hamburgers...*puff*...caused my pants to fall down."
He expected me to mock him. But I can't feel anything more than pity for the guy. This surprises him and he continues his story.
"Then the girls laughed at me. Everyone calls me Burgerpants now. It's gotten to the point I can't remember my name half of the time. It's even on my name tag for fuck's sake!"
Poor douche cat.
"I think you're the first to not laugh at me or that story."
"Why would I laugh? That's...That's messed up, man."
He takes another drag.
"You know something...I misjudged you, human. I know it ain't much, but, I'm sorry for being an ass."
I rub the back of my head.
"I'll be honest, guy...Since the bar thing, I've seen you only as a prick. The idea of you having hard times and lashing out didn't cross my mind at all. That's my bad right there. Sorry on my part for being a bitch."
He smirks.
"So...You're really not going to tell Mettaton about this?"
He hands me my phone.
"Dude, this stays between us. Besides, he's kinda been pissing me off lately."
"Yeah, he does that."
He takes a deep drag before putting the cigarette out on the bottom of his shoe.
"Can I give you some advice? I'm getting on in years, so take it from me...You've still got time. Don't live like me. I'm 19 years old and I've already wasted my entire life. I'll probably be trapped at this stupid job forever. But wait! There's one thing that keeps me going! If ASGORE gets just one more SOUL, we'll finally get to go to the surface! It'll be a brand new world! There's gotta be a second chance out there for me! For everyone!"
"Maybe. So, what did you want to do before this?"
"Oh...I wanted to be an ACTOR."
"Neat."
"When I first came to Hotland, it was my dream to work with Mettaton. Well, be careful what you wish for! God, look what that idiot has done here. This place is a labyrinth of bad choices. And every time we try to change something for the better, he vetoes it and says that's not how they do it on the surface. Oh! Right! Humans are always eating hamburgers made of RHINESTONES AND GLITTER."
"...I can assure you we don't eat that. Eating that would be very bad for our health. Maybe even fatal. Monsters don't really eat that...Do they?"
His eyes shift and I facepalm.
"And you guys think I'm gonna hurt ya?"
"You should probably get going. The boss will get his gears in a bunch if you take too long getting to the CORE."
"Fine."
I put the Sorebet in my inventory and remember my awkward side-quest.
"Oh! Before I bounce, can you help me with something?"
He tilts his head.
"What?"
"The chicks, Bratty and Catty, they have items I want but don't have the crazy amount of gold. They say they'll trade for a mega value pack. Any way you might be able to help make this trade happen?"
He sighs.
"Really? Do you know how much that is?"
"1300G close? Because that's how much I need."
"...What kind of shit are they selling that's worth that much?!"
I goofily shrug. He groans and rubs his face.
"I can't just give you that much for free."
"Catty thinks your cute."
"...For real?"
I nod. He fidgets, fingers tip-tapping and pitter-pattering.
"Okay, I'll tell you what...You score me a hook up with her and I'll give you the burgers."
Damn you rule of three in side-quests!
"Argh...I guess I can try. It won't be the weirdest thing I do today but it is on the list though."
His eyes light up with excitement. I can't mess this up now. How often does he actually smile like this?
"Thank you! *ahem* I mean...Cool."
I slink out of the emporium and head for the exit.
"Um, excuse me, human...The CORE is the other way."
I groan.
"I know. I'll be back."
Exit building, go into the creepy alley, and meet the girls again.
"Look who's back."
"Do you have the Dazzleburgers?"
I show my empty hands.
"Ha! I knew she'd blow it."
"Sucks to be you!"
"Hold up. He'll give me the goods. But..."
"But...?"
"Catty...Do you really think he's cute? 'Cause he thinks you're hot."
Catty's face flushes. Bratty rolls her eyes.
"For reals? He wants a date?"
"A date? A hangout? A simple meeting while he's working? I don't know. For all I know she can walk in, say hi, and that's it. All I need is confirmation and you get all those shiny burgers."
"Yes!"
"Catty...?"
"What a deal! A cute guy and free food! It's the score of a lifetime!"
"Catty, he's a loser. You hang out with him once, then he wants to hang out... All. The. Time."
"But don't you feel bad for him, Bratty? Poor Burgerpants...Think about how cool we are compared to him!!! We'd be saving his LIFE with our awesomeness!! His LIFE, Bratty!!"
"Uh, so?"
"Think of all the Dazzleburgers he could get for us!!"
And just like that, I feel like shit for doing this.
"...So is he free after work?"
"*huff* I'll be back...again."
Leave the alley, enter the building, meet up with Burgerpants.
"I don't like the look you have there. Did she say no?"
I can't lie to this guy.
"Dude, I'm really uncomfortable with this."
"What's wrong?"
"She said yes. But..."
"She said YES?!"
"I mean, she agreed, but please listen..."
"Ha! Ahahaha!! Yes!!! You've brought a tear to the eye of this old man."
I feel so bad.
"Dude, please...I'm, like, 100% sure she's gonna use you for free food and maybe gold."
"...So?"
I'm taken back.
"Look, you don't think I didn't think of that? I know she's probably going to use me. Everyone does. If it's for the food, I don't care. That's just another way I can stick it to my boss. Speaking of..."
He plops this cardboard case down on the counter.
"A deal's a deal. The mega value pack for the girl."
...Okay, they're made for each other. Everyone here is trash!
"So, uh, what time did she say she wanted to hang out?"
I hate everything about this!!
"I'll be back again."
Take food, leave, exit, alley. At this point, I nearly shove the shit at them.
"Oh my God!"
"Is that the mega value pack Dazzleburgers?"
"OH MY GOD!!! GIMME!!!"
"God, Catty. Try to have some self-control."
"Sorry..."
"'Cause they OBVIOUSLY brought the Dazzleburgers for ME."
"NO WAYYY!!!!!"
I point to the items.
"Trade. Now."
Bratty puts the key and gun into the hat before handing it over to me.
"Thank you."
I put the key in my inventory and equip the other two.
[You equipped the Tattered Western Hat]
[You gain 12 Defense and 5 Attack]
[This battle-worn hat makes you want to crew on straw for some reason. It also raises attack by 5.]
[You equipped the Rusty Revolver]
[You gain 12 Attack]
[An super old gun. It has no ammo. Must be used precisely, or damage will be low. Duh.]
[HP: 40 ATK: 62 DEF: 50]
I am becoming OP!!
"Oh! Give burger-boy this!"
Catty hands me a scrap of paper with her number.
"Fine. I'm just glad this is done."
Back to Burgerpants. I slap the paper down.
"Here's her number. I hope you don't regret this."
His face contorts in a weird way...Is he...Happy?
Sweet! I need to pick a spicy outfit for my little shindig later. Though, now that I think about it, I had to throw away all of my clothes to make room for the outfits Mettaton gave me."
"...What?"
"Don't take it the wrong way. They're just all these...Weird getups. 'Promotional' costumes. For 'holidays'. Or 'specials'. Or 'because he felt like it'. The thing IS though! Most of the time I'm the only employee who has to wear this stuff! Sometimes he even calls me into his office just to...Make me put something on...Then he laughs and lets me go back to work as normal."
My pity meter is breaking.
"Anyways, I won't sweat it. I'll take it casual. NEVER let hot people think you care. That's how they GET you."
And the pity meter dropped dead.
"Good luck with that."
I leave on that note. Fuck this resort. Fuck this quest plot. Fuck this whole damn thing!
Wanting this shit show to be over and done with, I do as instructed by following the rug's path out some doors that have a giant sign above that says "CORE". Lazy-ass designers, I swear.
Weirdly this leads to a balcony. A balcony that has been opened and a walkway built that connects to the massive facility. The light from the resort barely shows half of the path as the CORE itself surprisingly gives off the faintest glow. The CORE is an entirely mechanical complex that is largely black and yellow with red accents. The blah colors aside, what gets my attention are the two monsters that were minding the entrance that slip inside when I show up. I don't like this.
"Flowey, you better be able to get here. I have a bad feeling about this."
Approaching shows more of this crazy thing. The CORE appears to be the most industrial and modern region of the Underground. Ozone, a byproduct of electrical power, is omnipresent below the floor level of the CORE. This could mean the CORE might be made of stainless steel, titanium, or platinum; as ozone is highly corrosive to most organic materials. If this is the case, they could use this stuff. The CORE could be a source of ozonated water, which cleans clothes, sanitizes food, and purifies drinking water. This also implies this might be the greatest source of oxygen in the Underground as ozone simply decomposes into oxygen at high concentrations and temperatures. The only hazard I can think of is that oxygen is a shitty thing to breathe. Breathing pure oxygen at high pressures can cause nausea, dizziness, muscle twitching, vision loss, convulsions, and loss of consciousness. Breathing pure oxygen for a long time can irritate the lungs causing coughing and/or shortness of breath. Higher exposure may cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs and subsequent death. Guess how much more O2 is needed to do this to a person? 20% more. God, Humans are so freaking weak. I'll need to be careful here.
The lobby of the CORE has an elevator to the north and two paths to the left and right. Not a bad looking place, very lavishly decorated, the floors are engraved with intricate patterns and multicolored neon tubes serve as wall ornaments and embellishments. I check the elevator, which is disabled, I'm not shocked at this point. Not much else to do, I go to the path on the right, which turns out to be a small room with a square platform overlooking a pit of fire. Not bad. I do enjoy looking at fire. It's pretty. Moving on! Going through the left path leads to a rectangular stretch of wall-less hallway with a doorway at the end.
"Hmmm...My bullshit senses are tingling. I'm willing to bet a random encounter/ambush is about to happen."
As if cued by my words, something cracks the back of my head and then hits my gut as I turn.
"*wheeze* Called it..."
My attacker appears and my dull cracked purple soul is forced out to play.
[Madjick pops out of its hat!]
Madjick has a typical appearance of a wizard. It wears a curved wizard hat, a pair of boots, and two rotating orbs emitting cross-shaped particles. Madjick has a sly smile on its face, but a pair of bright eyes are hidden just under its hat.
[FIGHT]
[ACT]
[̴͝SP͜͞E͡L̵͜L͟͠͏]͘͢
[ITEM]
[MERCY]
I wonder if SPELL will work on this thing? ...N-No. No. Can't chance it. Stick to normal tactics.
[ACT selected.]
[New options available.]
[CHECK]
[TALK]
[STARE]
[CLEAR MIND]
...The fuck kind of options are these?!
[CHECK selected.]
[MADJICK – HP: 190 ATK: 29 DEF: 24 – This enemy can only speak in magic words.]
Finally! My states aren't shit compared to my attacker. Also, only speaks in magic words is the most fucking adorable thing I've ever heard.
"Abra cadabra."
An orb spawns off to my left and rapid-fires crosses at me. I dodge and the orb tries to cut me off by going where I'm headed. It fires about eight times and moving around is not so great.
[HP ████████████████ 16/40]
Thank goodness my defense got increased during all this crap. I could've been really messed up.
[Madjick flaunts its orbs in a menacing manner.]
It snickers.
"A smug one. I like that."
[TALK selected.]
"You know...I can do magic too."
It looks at me intrigued.
"Yep. I can make your smile disappear."
It pauses before sneering at me.
"See? I made it vanish before your very eyes!"
It didn't seem to like my humor.
"Hocus pocus."
[Madjick begins chattering to itself. Its gibberish dizzies you...Your DEFENSE drops by 1.]
My head feels fuzzy. Did it just jinx me? Are there more types of magic than what I've been told?
One of the orbs begins to chase me while deploying harmful but immobile crosses. Yet due to the jinx, my sense of direction is ass-backward. Left is right and right is left. Up is down and down is up. However...much to Madjick's dismay...I'm used to being incredibly dizzy. My childhood was filled with countless hours of boredom appeased by spinning around till I couldn't see straight.
[HP ████████████████████ 20/40]
Ha ha...Suck on those magic balls, wizard-boy!
"*slur* Is that what you call magic? Boo! Disappointed!"
[Madjick whispers arcane swear words.]
"*slur* Oh...Someone needs to put some gold in the swear jar. I'm gonna tattle!"
It growls.
"Eh eh eh. It's not your turn."
I slap my face a few times.
[CLEAR MIND selected.]
"I wonder where Flowey is?"
[You think of pollen and sunshine. Your confusion abates. Your DEFENSE increased by 2.]
"...What?"
"Alakazam!!"
It tries to surprise me with that following orb trick. But now that I know that move it's not so bad.
[HP ██████████████████████████ 26/40]
Huh? Am I auto-healing faster? Sweet! Surely that only means good things for me.
[Madjick peers at you with strange eyes.]
"What? You scared? My sick moves and auto-healing too much for you? No worries, wizard-dude, we cool. I got you."
The hell did I just say? Am I magic high? Fuck it.
[MERCY selected.]
[New options available.]
[FLEE]
[SPARE]
[SPARE selected.]
It looks at me funny. Then it looks at my HP.
[HP ████████████████████████████████ 32/40]
It flinches.
"Please and thank you."
Madjick accepts my act of mercy.
[YOU WON!]
[You earned 0 XP and 120 gold.]
The fight ends, my soul returns to my body and I give my opponent claps of approval.
"Good show, buddy. Keep up the good work."
It seems confused but nods, hovering away behind me towards the exit.
"Well...That was weird."
My head still feels odd. Nothing a few brain sloshing shakes of the old noggin won't fix. Anyway, no time to question strange feelings or whatever. I gotta get through this so I can get back to Toriel. Onwards I go.
Continuing forward, I enter a room with a bridge that is cut off by a tesla coil. Wow. Hadn't seen that in a long ass time. How much do I wanna bet there's a convenient off switch nearby. Oh, look! A super obvious switch right there on the wall. Who could've ever had guessed! I flip the switch and lasers fire at me! First blue, then blue again, and orange. Thankfully they're slow, so once I triggered the first blue laser I easily hit the deck to avoid the others that pass by.
"Setting booby traps on top of other traps now. Geez, Metta, I'm starting to think you don't like me very much. Well, that's fine. I don't like me either! So come at me already and quit this pussy bullshit!"
Calm down. No need to get riled up. Get through this and go home. Then I can just stuff my face with Nanny's awesome cheesecake and pass out happy. I march on, doing my best not to look down or notice how some of the walls and floors are chipped away. Now I'm paranoid about if any other laser that turns up is functional or decorative.
The path leads into a crossroads with a path to my left and a path straight ahead. My bullshit sense is tingling when I look at the left path. Straight ahead it is.
This room contains a bridge with many blue and orange lasers followed by a massive wall of blue lasers.
"Nope. Just nope. Screw the rules! I have plot armor importance and common sense!"
Fuck this outfit. Fuck this shit! I have lost all my fucks! I get down on the floor and combat crawl the long as fuck cold metal catwalk.
"*muttering* Stupid bullshit. Why do I have to be nice? If I wasn't nice, I wouldn't have to put up with shit like this. Bitches don't end up in laser catwalk traps. But no...I have to be a decent person. *getting louder* I have to be a good girl. I have to not give in to the overwhelming urge to punch assholes for being assholes because that's wrong for dumb reasons! *shouting* Why am I pissing myself off?! This is extremely counterproductive given my current situation! Fuck!!"
I blame all this on Mettaton. That's a healthy way to look at it. Probably not. But I'm not a mental health doctor! The fuck do I know?! After crossing the bridge, I storm grumpily along another walkway only to reach something called "Core Branch".
Turns out the "Core Branch" is a four-way intersection. Fan-fucking-tastic. Man, my mood is fucking sour. Maybe the digital sign can be useful and give me directions.
[North, the warrior's path. West, the sage's path. Any path leads to The End.]
"*growling* This is so...FUCKING STUPID!!"
Nope. Not falling for anymore of this. I choose neither side and go straight. This middle path of the "Core Branch" has me entering a vertical room with a right path leading to the eastern portion of the "Core Branch". There's nothing to my left. It just drops into the ozone, so it's certain death. I'm so sure this place followed all safety measures. There is a sign on the wall that is telling me to "Get lost...And stay that way".
"Wha...Why have signs telling me to leave when you told me to come here?! Stupid metal moron giving me dumb mixed messages."
I hate everything. No monster better encounter me while I'm in this mood. I take out a gold piece and flip it. Heads for straight and tails for the right. It lands on tails so right I go. This has to be the stupidest designed building ever! What the hell was Gaster thinking?! Was he on the drugs? Because this seems like he was on the drugs! 'Cause now I'm at another four-way crossroads. Only now I have two digital signs.
[To the East! This is The End.]
[I cannot fight. I cannot think. But, with patience, I will make my way through.]
A third, and hopefully final, tesla coil blocks what has been established as the exit. This means there's a switch somewhere. F that shit. Know what? You know what'll piss everyone off? I'm gonna do what that sign said. I'm going to be patient. Because if I know Mettaton, and I know massive egos very well, he won't want boring content to be televised and eventually spice things up. I plop my edgy tush under the sign and...wait. Using this time to chill. Let this negativity go and...
*Clank-clank-clank*
Oh hell no!
A large monster ominously approaches. Knight Knight is a monster that wields a great staff with a sun symbol in her right hand. She wears a suit of black armor and what resembles a horned helmet with a crescent moon emblazoned on her forehead. The helmet's eyepiece occasionally widens and un-widens as if it is her mouth. Her torso is dominated by a dragon face whose beak occasionally opens and closes, revealing a small eye. It is unclear whether which face is the true face.
"Let me guess...You're here to make me move?"
"Yes."
"No."
She's confused.
"...No?"
"Did I stutter? I'm not moving."
She readies her spear.
"Then prepare for..."
"Let me stop you right there. I get that you're doing your job and following the law, and blah blah blee bloo, whatever. I have been through one of THE worst days in my life. My mind, soul, and charitable goodwill have been pushed to limits that are very VERY thin now. I am in no mood to deal with any more crap. So I'm going to say this once because I ain't fighting you or moving from this spot till this electrical blockaded is gone...Turn around and go home."
She doesn't take me seriously and laughs.
"Heh heh...You have no power to give me orders, human."
She takes a step closer and I snap.
"I͏͟ ̧̀̕W͝IL͘͡L̴ ̶Ŗ͟͜I͝҉P͘ ̵O͜F̧F̛͞ ̸̀Y̧͡O̡͢U̡͠R ͠H̸EA̶͏D͏͢ ̸̕A͜N͢D S̢̛͜Ḩ̶Į͢T̵̕ ͝D̶̀OW͞N̷̴͠ ҉͞Ý̸̢O̡͡U̡͢R ̸ŅE̴͝CḰ̡̧!͞͞!̧͢"
She stumbles back in shock. The strange energy sparks off me. I regret everything.
"I̵'͘͟͏ḿ͢͞ ̧̕͞so̧̨͡r̴̢ŗ̷͜y̧.̵̛.̢͞.̛p̢l͝ea̷se͢.͟.́͢.leave me. I'm so sorry."
I seem to have disturbed her. She slowly steps back and turns around when she's convinced I'm not going to move.
"Adieu...Human."
She leaves me and I let out a shaky exhale. It's getting worse. I'm losing control. I can't do this for much longer. I haven't been given any proper time to deal with this shit. My internal bottle has been shaken too much! It's going to explode! I...I...
"What the heck was that?!"
Flowey pops up beside me and I'm too freaked out to be startled.
"Sis? What's wrong?"
I hold myself in an attempt to squeeze into a tiny ball of self-loathing. This only worries him more.
"Lynsie?"
I...I can't...I need a break. If only I had my music. I could drown out all this. Lose myself in the lyrics.
"B-Bro..."
"Yes? Talk to me. I can help. Tell me what you need."
"...H-How fast can you get to Snowdin?"
He frowns.
"You want me to get 'him', don't you?"
All I can do is nod.
"I...I can help too. You don't have to turn to him."
My eyes dart to the blocked path. He puts things together. He is a smart boy after all.
"True. Mettaton is that way and the room his encounter takes place in is an elevating platform. I can stretch from my roots pretty far but not THAT far."
He pouts.
"*huff* I guess there's no other option. He does have experience helping you out when things get bad. And he can teleport."
I feel bad that I'm making him do this...again. Like in the dead timeline.
"I...I'm sorry."
"Wha...N-No! Don't apologize. I understand. You're worried. It's okay. We'll get through this. Family helps family. What kind of big brother would I be if I didn't do everything to help? Even if that means getting others to help when I can't."
"...I need a hug...please?"
It pains me to see him hesitate. But vines come out to wrap around me for a bit.
"Thank you."
The vines retract and he extends to nuzzle my cheek.
"It won't be like last time. I promise. You won't kill anyone. No one's going to die."
"H-How do you know?"
"Because you're strong. You just have to believe in yourself. I know I do."
...I needed that. I give him a smile.
"There we go. There's my sis. Now keep that smile. I'll get Smiley Trashbag and we'll be back home with mom in no time."
He really is too sweet for this world. He sinks into the floor and I forgot to ask how he was able to get through this floor. I mean, I guess he said he can get through cement so metal can't be too far of a long shot. Asriel sure is a super strong boy even as a flower.
*BUZZ*
The power to the coil suddenly is shut off remotely like I so knew it could be. Damn it. I was hoping to have more time. How impatient is Mettaton for this? Reluctantly, I get up and walk down this new road. Halfway along this bridge, I am blocked by three vaguely familiar monsters that look like tougher versions of monsters I see in the Ruins.
Final Froggit has spike-like protrusions on its head and eyelids, accompanied by a crown-like muff on top of its head. Its lips are marked with lines, as though wrinkled from age. Its "shoulders" are decorated with sharp excrescents, while the silhouette between its legs forms a face with a triangular smile and cross eyes.
Whimsalot has a more human-like appearance than Whimsun. Also, its antennae are thicker, and there is a muff on their head that branches in two. Whimsalot's appearance is also accompanied by a double-bladed spear and a knight mask. Its ghost-like torso is skinnier and shorter.
Astigmatism's body consists of a large ball and four spiked limbs. The ball is accompanied by two "horns" on each side. When idle, a large eye can be seen on the ball also with three eyelashes. However, it changes from this face to another where the eye hollow is changed with a smile. When having its eye closed, the two side eyelashes become Astigmatism's eyes, while the middle one simply becomes a marking.
I don't know what I must look like to them. Probably dreadful. Because they move aside with not a word being side. I nod in thanks, proceeding to the end which for all I know might be the most tragic moment of my life second to Grillby dying. No! Stop it! Do as Flowey said. Smile. Stay chipper. Think of something silly. Like how dumb this place is. Honestly, was Gaster high making this place? I'll have to ask him later. Nah...I'll ask Sans. Less hassle.
The bridge comes to an end, leading to a shadowy doorway and an elevator that probably would've been super handy but was out of order to pad out the length of this bullshit subplot. Augh...It's so much easier to think my life is a fictional story or internet abridge series. It's the only way my brain allows most of this crap to make any sense.
"So this is it, huh? The epic conclusion of this grand show. Heh...I want to feel accomplished for making it this far. Almost. But all I do feel is..."
I can't finish my sentence. The weight I thought I got off my back earlier begins pressing on me again.
"Nothing...I feel nothing. *sniffling* Damn it...Don't fucking cry!"
With a breakdown seconds away from happening, I enter the doorway to the room of darkness and a door shuts behind me then locks. There is no going back now.
Please...I made a promise...Please...Don't make me have to RESET...Please...I'm begging...Please...
#undertale#underfell#Anomaly#Lynsie#sans#papyrus#gaster#grillby#grandpa semi#flowey#Asriel#toriel#asgore#frisk#chara#undyne#mettaton#napstablook#alphys
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Wicked and the Wallflower. By Sarah MacLean. New York: Avon, 2018.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Genre: historical romance
Part of a Series? Yes, Bareknuckle Bastards #1
Summary: When a mysterious stranger finds his way into her bedchamber and offers his help in landing a duke, Lady Felicity Faircloth agrees—on one condition. She's seen enough of the world to believe in passion, and won't accept a marriage without it.
Bastard son of a duke and king of London's dark streets, Devil has spent a lifetime wielding power and seizing opportunity, and the spinster wallflower is everything he needs to exact a revenge years in the making. All he must do is turn the plain little mouse into an irresistible temptress, set his trap, and destroy his enemy.
But there's nothing plain about Felicity Faircloth, who quickly decides she'd rather have Devil than another. Soon, Devil's carefully laid plans are in chaos, and he must choose between everything he's ever wanted...and the only thing he's ever desired.
***Full review under the cut.***
Content Warnings: explicit sexual content, blood, violence, threat of sexual assault, references to child abuse and disfiguring
Overview: I wasn’t a fan of MacLean’s A Rogue By Any Other Name, but I figured I’d give the author another shot and read something a little more recent. While I didn’t enjoy everything about this book, I did like it much better, and most of my complaints are probably personal preferences (rather than anything MacLean did wrong). I’m primarily giving this book 4 stars because I think MacLean did a good job making the romance more substantive and the plot more high-stakes, but I refrain from awarding it 5 stars because the hero was a bit too edge lord for my tastes.
Writing: MacLean’s prose is quick and to-the-point, which I think many romance readers will appreciate. It is easy to get through and sets the scene pretty well, and there weren’t really any moments where I felt like I needed more context or more support to understand what was going on.
Despite not having a clever structure like the use of epistles to break up the narrative, I have to give MacLean credit for using her themes well. At one point, the hero tells the heroine the story of Janus and a lover named Cardea, and I felt like the themes of past, present, and future were paralleled really well in the way the romance ended up going down. I also really liked the way Felicity’s lockpicks acted as a metaphor for a lot of social phenomena, and the way darkness and light enhanced the implications of some of the action.
I think the only complaints I have concern the prologue and the pace of the first 100 pages or so, and even these are minor. First, the prologue: the prologue sets the stage for the entirety of the Bareknuckle Bastards series, which is fine, in itself. After describing the birth of 3 bastard male offspring and 1 legitimate female offspring to a powerful duke desperate for an heir, MacLean focuses on the daughter’s power from infancy to womanhood for about a paragraph before she turns away from her and says “hers is a story for another time. This story begins with the boys.” I thought it was strange to set up the novel as “there’s this really powerful woman... but we’re ignoring her for now to focus on the boys.” It felt odd, and felt like a privileging of male stories over female ones.
Second, the pace. It took a little while for the plot proper to get going, in mu opinion, because the first 100 pages or so were filled with a lot of conversations. Granted, some of these conversations establish character relationships, which is fine, but there were points where I felt like the pace could have been sped up. The heroine’s first lengthy conversation with her mother and brother, for example, felt drawn out, and some of the initial conversations between Devil and Felicity could have been condensed. But that’s just my opinion - I’m sure others will disagree.
Plot: Aside from the romance, most of the plot of this book involves a number of complex schemes. The summary, in my opinion, doesn’t quite paint an accurate picture. Felicity, an aging, plain-looking, semi-outcast spinster, struggles to find a husband after being caught up in a number of minor scandals. As a result of these scandals, her “friends” have deserted her and distanced themselves from her by calling her names and belittling her (often to her face). In a fit of anger and frustration, Felicity tells them she is engaged to the Duke of Marwick - a man she has never met, but is the ton’s most eligible bachelor at the moment. Gossip quickly spreads, and Felicity realizes she has risked permanent ruination if the duke publicly denies their engagement.
Marwick, however, happens to be one of the 3 male bastard offspring of the previous duke, but no one (not even Felicity) knows that. He’s in the market for a wife so he can produce heirs and solidify his hold on his title. Devil, Marwick’s bastard brother, wants to get revenge on him, not just because Marwick took the title and did nothing to help his siblings, but because of a number of things from their past (which I won’t spoil). Upon finding Felicity by chance, Devil strikes a bargain with her: Devil will convince Marwick to marry her in exchange for a favor, which he will cash in at some point in the future. Felicity agrees, but Devil never intends for Felicity and Marwick to marry; his plan is to instead use Felicity to humiliate his brother, primarily by seducing and ruining her before the wedding. Doing so will send the message that Devil will always be the one with the power to undercut his brother’s happiness. It’s a little petty, but there it is.
All that being said, Devil doesn’t so much teach Felicity to be a temptress as he does engage in a power struggle using Felicity as a pawn. While it’s true that Felicity demands that her union with Marwick be not just a marriage of convenience, but one where Marwick burns with passion for her, Devil is less of an instructor and more of a person who pulls strings behind the scenes. Unbeknownst to Felicity, Marwick has already agreed to marry her without Devil’s influence, in part because he doesn’t care for the women of the ton; he’s only after a marriage of convenience. When he learns that Devil intends to meddle in his affairs, he becomes set on marrying Felicity for no other reason than to show his brother who is more powerful. Devil, on the other hand, falls for Felicity and has to choose between his personal happiness and ruining his brother.
It feels complicated and petty, and it kind of is, but I honestly felt there was enough conflict there to avoid thinking that the only barrier to the main couple’s union was personal reservations. Felicity had enough social pressure on her (from society and from her family) to try to make an advantageous match, and Devil was questionable enough in character where a union with him would put Felicity and her family’s reputation (further) at risk. Devil also had enough of a conflict between his own wishes and his vendettas for the angst to be interesting.
Characters: Felicity, our heroine, is a witty, stubborn woman who displays exceptional lockpicking skills. At first, I wasn’t sure I would like her, but I think MacLean does a good job ensuring that Felicity is constantly pushing Devil and constantly insisting on her own agency, instead of just buckling at the first hint of arousal. I also felt that the lockpicking would be some kind of empty quirk at first, like an empty gesture to female agency, but I actually though MacLean ended up using it well, having it be a commentary on female societal constraints as well as the saving grace in the final showdown.
Devil, our hero, was complex enough to be interesting, but a little too edgy for my personal taste. While I liked that he had a past that informed his actions in the present, and he was ruthless without being cruel, he did have some moments that turned me off. His jealousy, for one, was mostly fine because he never acted on it, but I still disliked that his first thought was violence whenever another man so much as looked at Felicity. I also think he was a bit too self-hating, as he constantly brought up the fact that he was “raised in darkness” or whatever, and while fine sometimes, it got old and repetitive. And finally, there were moments where he tried to control Felicity’s actions, and while I understand that some of them were born out of concern for her safety, I still hated how constantly he would yell about her not being where she should be. I will praise MacLean, though, for making Devil a character who put Felicity’s emotions and desires ahead of his own (to a point). One of the big problems I had with Bourne in A Rogue By Any Other Name was his selfishness, and I feel like Devil was a good mixture of selfish (by way of his desire for revenge) and selfless (by way of his love for Felicity).
I also really liked that we got to see Devil at work in his smuggling business. Too often, I feel like I’m told that a character is bad or a criminal, and I don’t really get to see them hard at work or their business playing an important role in their lives. Unlike Bourne, who seemed ashamed of his business to some extent, Devil is really invested, and I liked that Felicity was able to find good things about the smuggling operation, such as loyalty between the workers and the money it brought to poor neighborhoods.
Side characters also felt way more interesting and complex. Felicity’s family, for example, were flawed without being evil, and I liked the arc where her family had to come to terms with all the pressure they put on her. Devil’s siblings were also fairly well-developed, with thoughts and opinions on the romance that enriched the story rather than distracted from it. I also liked that Marwick was “evil” without being a caricature, and I almost felt like I understood and could possibly forgive his actions up until the final showdown. All in all, I think most characters worked, and nothing felt too empty or shallow.
Romance: When all’s said and done, I feel like Devil and Felicity had good chemistry, and MacLean handled their romance very well. In part, I think I took to this romance so well because MacLean emphasized emotion over sexual attraction. I generally dislike it when romances treat sexual attraction as the main driver of the romance, so they lay it on thick in a way that feels ridiculous. Though there was some sexual attraction in this book, MacLean put more weight behind the emotional connection by showing a lot of banter. Felicity’s and Devil’s banter not only showed off their personalities, but showed how Felicity was able to hold her own and keep surprising Devil. While I did feel that Devil could be a little controlling at times, I ultimately think MacLean did enough work to show Felicity rejecting his influence and consistently pushing boundaries (in a way that wasn’t problematic), thereby establishing them as equals.
I also really liked that both characters enriched the other’s emotional lives, and their arcs mirrored one another. Felicity is extremely insecure about her plainness, and Devil is fairly insecure about his criminality and lack of good social standing. Together, they help one another realize that they are worth something and are good enough, just the way they are. I really love it when romances do this because it shows that the romance is based on something other than physical attraction or the fact that a hero was nice once.
And as a side note, I also loved that Devil insisted on Felicity’s consent whenever they engaged in sexual activity. I never got the feeling that either partner was pushing the other to do things that they weren’t 100% into. The only thing that came relatively close was the scene when Felicity asked Devil to have penetrative sex with her, and he initially refuses because he doesn’t want to ruin her. She does push the issue a little, but I read that more as her making the decision for herself about whether or not to be “ruined,” not as her making Devil do something he was reluctant on doing for personal reasons.
TL;DR: Despite featuring a fairly edgy hero, Wicked and the Wallflower is an emotionally-satisfying romance with a clever use of thematic elements, such as past/present/future, light/dark, and locked doors/lockpicking.
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Hello and if asks are still open may I have a regular match up for BNHA?
Name: Nox
Gender: FTM
Occupation: Student (16 almost 17 yrs old. Jan 4th is b-day)
Sexual orientation: Omniromantic Asexual (male/masculine leaning)
Quirk: Transformative/Mutant, "Zoologic shift" (This quirk allows the individual(s) to transform into multiple animals, but the individual has to have a emotional/special connection or feeling towards the animal and to know it's physical structure to properly shift into the said animal (mythical/made up creatures can be acquired but it is extremely difficult due to the fact of anatomy and bone structure). The user only has a limited time to be in their animal form before they start going feral, if the person is angry or has a different strong negative emotion in animal form, the fast they can become feral (once the user becomes feral they will not remember anything until they have calmed down or are somehow distracted), if the user becomes feral for too long they will not be able to transform back unless they are hurt tremendously or their hatred may take a physical form and eventually kill them from the inside (I guess look at the demons from Princess Mononoke to get an idea of what that is).)
Animals acquired: White Dire wolf, Raven, Orca, Clydesdale, Black Mamba, Barn Owl, Russian Blue House cat, Ram, Fire Dragon, Phoenix, Snake Basalisc
At least 3 positive attributes:
Empathetic (emotional and animal, riots and civil conflict bring me to tears as well as I can feel my friends' pain I and want to cuddle ever dog, cat, etc. I see)
Intelligent (at least in certain subjects like language, art, biology, and physical/hero training), serious (it may come off as intemidation but I just usually mess around)
Diplomacy (I try to avoid any physical fights that can but I will fight as a last resort)
Calm (in most situations I try to keep a level head and it works since when most people need serious help they come to you for advice or to vent)
Justful (kinda speaks for itself)
Soft Blunt and Soft Honest (I am honest with people as well as blunt, but I am not mean or hurtful when I say it)
At least 3 negative attributes:
Anger issues (even though usually calm and serious, when pushed over the edge I can become furious and using my quirk will not help at all)
Self sacrificing (since due to personal circumstances I have started to put other people above me (my friends mostly) and I would do anything, even get myself physically or emotionally hurt for them. It is sorta in a way for having approval for those I care about but mostly is just showing that I care for the people I care about)
Self deprecating with imposter syndrome (it's mostly a form of humor, but I take it far enough where people start to worry)
Dark humor (idk I just like it)
Confrontational (if someone confronts and tries to provoke me I will tell them off but never physically fight back)
Self Righteous (The righteousness is good but usually my self righteousness comes up when it comes to someone's safety or when revenge and anger cloud my judgement)
Children (I don't care for children, but I'm afraid my anger will get the best of me and I'll lash. So that's why I stay away from kids as much as possible for tr he fear of accidentally hurting innocence)
Hahahaha...daddy issues...
Hobby(ies):
Hiking in the woods
Drawing (it's usually vented or dark in some way, but sometimes I like drawing people and animals or characters)
Cosplaying
Cooking
cApTuRinG sOuLs-
Learning about Witchcraft/Supernatural/Celestial
Music Taste:
Lofi
Anti-Nightcore/Nightcore
Viking Chants
Sea Shanties
Celtic instrumentals
Death metal
Instrumental
Old Rock
Classical
Bands/song writers: Skillet, SKÁLD, Faun, Black Briar, MARETU, Steampianist, Temporex, Penelope Scott, Mirical Music, Alice Cooper, Pink Floyd, Angel Maker, Forest Music, Panic! At the Disco, MESA works design, , Harrison (not too much into bands but here are the general ones I listen too)
Appearance
Eyes: Brown/Black has bags under eyes
Hair: Red (henna dyed), it's frizzy at the tips and it's long (cab length) and thick (I hate it's length, but parents...)
Skin: Pale (warm tone)
Body type: In between Skinny and overweight, wide shoulders, actually muscular
Anything else?: Teeth have tiny canines, sometimes can have wolf ears and tail showing, kinda thick thighs-, 5'6ish, usually wearing school uniform. Hero uniform includes a black Cape with under it being a black mechanical suit that is bullet and elemental proof, boots are sharp and steel toed resembling a wolf's paw, wears a head mask that looks wolfish as well in the front but in the back of the mask has fur in the back (look towards some reference of the princess mononoke headgear) (not completely like a wolf but sorta resembles one), the mask also helps with muffled hearing and sight because I am sensitive to those things.
Traits I look for S/O: Empathetic, kind, cooperative, someone who also finds comfort in darkness or the shade, someone that knows how to take things seriously but also having a humors side, trusting and loyal, someone that can work with others (I'm usually a loner but I try to work with others), someone that would at least like to have a relationship that includes physical affection (I am a touched starved peep-), I guess someone that works, likes, or even somehow resembles an animal, some that doesn't get angry easily and is patient, introvert an extrovert doesn't matter to be (I guess if I had to choose maybe someone in between the 2?), and I guess someone that just tolerates my presence and doesn't or call me a piece of shit.
Traits I cannot be around with a S/O: Anger...I can't be around angry people because they scare me to the point I become panicked, people that work towards apathy (I may be empathetic but with someone that can't or won't return the same comfort when needed, they exhaust me), untrusting, someone who is a dick to everyone except me (it just seems suspicious and hurtful), someone who is closed minded, someone that has joy in hurting other maliciously, someone who loves bright lights/areas/lives by the sun, guess someone who wants a 24/7 therapist (again it can become exhausted and I know how it is...it isn'tthat nice.)
Star sign: Capricorn (sun), Gemini (moon), Cancer (rising)
Personality type: INTJ, Lawful Neutral
HP House: Hufflepuff that isn't afraid to kickass
Fun facts!:
I'm somewhat of an animal whisperer
Obsessed with herbs and Crystals
I know it seemed edgy with my hatred towards light, but in all honesty the late does infact bother and irritate me, especially when it's hot
Intrested in the celestial and supernatural
I look at horror and nature documentaries
I've trained my dog to come when I howl
I guess if loving spicy food counts as a fun fact then count that in
Ehhhhh...switch sub-
cAndLe bOi-
I must apologize if this is a lot, I just wanted the matchup as accurate as possible, but again thank you for having the ask box open and I hope you have a good day!
Honestly while I read your description, all I could think of was Tokoyami!
I think it’s pretty obvious why?? You two share a lot of things in common. The two of you are very calm individuals, and I can see you both being voices of reason not only to the people surrounding you, but to each other as well. In a way, I think you can even tend to challenge each other and even push (to a healthy extent) the other to become the best version of themselves.
The VIBE you two have. It’s almost too good. And while Tokoyami isn’t affectionate in public, he’d be more than happy to indulge in your starvation for touch behind closed doors! Don’t tell anyone, but he’s a straight up cuddlebug. And I can totally see him digging the spiritual/celestial stuff?? Maybe he won’t actually know anything, but he’d be so hyped if you were willing to teach him omg I can totally see this as your go-to type of date, that’s so sweet 🥺
Songs!!
- Breathe (In the Air), Pink Floyd (I honestly see you and Tokoyami straight up vibing to Dark Side of the Moon like no other to be honest)
- In the Lap of the Gods, Queen
- Sense of Doubt, David Bowie (THIS VIBE IS SO DARK AND URGH I CAN SEE THIS AS A V I B E FOR YOU TWO - However, Neuköln could be a close second to portray this vibe!)
- Killing a Little Time, David Bowie
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What your Favorite FR Breed Says About You (but I’m very mean about it)
(this has probably been done before but gfskdhj)
Fae: You picked them in progen creation and have never looked back. You rarely think, and when you do, said thought is likely to be ‘aghgh time to get more fae’. Your favorite probably has a wizard hat and some glasses on. And that’s it.
Guardian: You’re a basic bitch. Go on. Admit it. Your concept of the ‘ideal dragon’ is exactly what most people think of when you say ‘dragon’. You own it though. By which I mean, you own at least ten Guardians and never breed anything else.
Mirror: You’re an admirer of stinky rancid vibes. Your favorite character in any movie is the villain. You probably had a Onceler-fucking phase and hold on to your sanity by the thinnest of threads. Known in the forums as ‘that one guy’.
Tundra: You love dogs. You love dogs so much that you look at a dragon and are like, ‘you know what's better than dragons? dogs’. Get a dog. Never mind, you probably already have one. Or two. Or five.
Pearlcatcher: You’re a purist. You put fodder on the AH for fodder prices and then complain when people exalt them. You work yourself into a frenzy when the newest breed has two ears and only one tounge. You try to pay for art in ‘exposure’. I’m not saying you’re a Karen... but you’re a Karen.
Ridgeback: A hard-partying rowdy fool. Either you like the male’s pointy-ass nose or... that’s it. There is literally no other reason you’d like these fellas. I’m getting frat-boy vibes and it unnerves me. I’m going to slowly walk away now.
Snapper: What is wrong with you. What is fucking wrong. Why. This is a potato, Susan.
Spiral: I... trust you. I shouldn’t, but I do. You love noodles, I love noodles. However. How do you dress a Spiral? Scratch that, how to you look at a Spiral? It’s just a mess of winged spaghetti. There is no beginning, and no end. Just madness. Stop looking at me with them big ol’ eyes.
Skydancer: According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way that a Skydancer should be able to fly. It has four wings, and not even in like a cool way, they’re just there and probably get in the way of each other. And yet some of you choose to prolong what must be a pathetic and painful life by buying these abominations. Shame on you.
Bogsneak: You look at what must be a frog/crocodile given wings and are like, “ah yes. the perfect form”. I don’t know what that says about you. Go get some therapy or something, I dunno. I’m not your mom.
Imperial: A collector to be sure, and likely filthy rich off of item reselling or something. You tried to buy Naomi once. Not a Naomi descendant. Naomi. That didn’t quite work out, but you’ll keep trying. Someday, you’ll squeeze those 2nd gens for every gem they’ve got. Someday...
Nocturne: Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way to mediocre bat-thing town. You’ve got every NOTN exclusive, you’ve got eggs up the wazoo, you know how to play Glimmer and Gloom. The only thing you don’t have are the connections that come from spending time with your family. Gotta get that NOTN grind, tho.
Wildclaw: Dragons are pretty much just winged dinosaurs, right? Right? Either that, or you have 17 different outfits for each of your dergs, because let’s face it, everything looks good on a Wildclaw. In other news, you still have a level 3 cauldron after 2 years of playing, and at this point you’re kind of proud of it.
Coatl: There are so many of you that it’s kind of hard to generalize. You probably have a lair tab entirely dedicated to these things. They are all outfitted. They have lore. Some of them even have art. They have everything. You’re broke. You’re so broke.
Gaoler: If Gaolers are just hardcore Tundras (which they are), then Gaoler lovers are just hardcore Tundra lovers. You love to take your huntin’ hounds out into the woods for some good ole fox huntin’. Except you don’t have any huntin’ hounds. You live in the suburbs and think driving out to a Cracker Barrel 30 minutes out of town is an ‘adventure’.
Banescale: Can be your angle or yuor devil. Devil usually means ragged/tear/either skeletal or wraith edgy bois, which I can at least understand. Angel means chicken. So many chicken. Who needs clothes? You have chicken.
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Wuthering Heights 1970
The film starts at Cathy’s burial, which is fitting since like many adaptations of Wuthering Heights this movie mainly centers on Cathy. Anna Calder-Marshall’s name is actually credited before Timothy Dalton’s.
After this brief scene, the movie quickly goes back to the time of Heathcliff’s arrival via Nelly’s narration which is a nice touch and makes the readers of the book feel at home.
All the ages of the children are correct (including Nelly’s) and the child actors mostly resemble their adult selves so good job casting agency. Mr. Earnshaw brings Heathcliff and loses and breaks the other children’s presents which is true to the book. In the subsequent conversation between Mr. and Mrs. Earnshaw it is all but confirmed that this Heathcliff is Mr. Earnshaw’s illegitimate son. I personally hate this theory; I don’t think that it is implied in the book and I think it changes the story’s meaning drastically. But this is the route this adaptation takes. Heathcliff is explicitly said to be named after Earnshaws’ first son, so this might be where that piece of fanon originated.
The scenes from their childhood that we get almost entirely center on Hindley. Hindley is not a spiteful bully but a boy that feels rightful anger at his father’s indecency. This Mrs. Earnshaw is the most strongly characterized one in any incarnation of the story, and she talks to Hindley about how he is the true son of the family and how he must be careful that Heathcliff doesn’t take anything from him. This makes Hindley’s anger at Heathcliff seem almost righteous. In the book Mr. Earnshaw preferred Heathcliff to his son, but there was never any implication that Heathcliff (who is just a foundling and not his illegitimate brother) ever posed a material threat to Hindley.
We don’t get any scenes of Hindley bullying a much younger Heathcliff or causing him any physical harm. The curate advises Mr. Earnshaw to send Hindley to college because he deserves to go to college, whereas in the book the implication was that it was done to get him out of the way. Nelly and Hindley have a romantic attachment to each other.
Catherine and Heathcliff are immediately played by adult actors after this which is typical of WH adaptations. We don’t get any scenes of them bonding as children. The scene of Mr. Earnshaw’s death is true to the book. Mr. Earnshaw’s erratic behaviors and authoritarian manner are well-portrayed but we don’t get a sense of his kindness because Heathcliff is not an orphan but his own illegitimate son.
Cathy and Heathcliff swear a vow under Penistone Crags. This scene basically foretells everything that will happen in the story: Cathy betraying Heathcliff, Heathcliff leaving Wuthering Heights, Cathy haunting him. Catherine begs to Heathcliff to never leave her, so unlike 1939’s Cathy. This scene together with the Nelly-Hindley romance plot, makes me think that Alison Case, the author of Nelly Dean, was inspired by this movie.
Hindley comes back with a wife and Nelly is disappointed. There is almost more focus in the movie so far on Nelly and Hindley’s relationship than Cathy and Heathcliff’s. Hindley orders all the servants outside the “house” but it doesn’t feel as cruel to Heathcliff. It almost feels crueler to Nelly! Maybe because Heathcliff is played by an adult actor, maybe because it comes across as an especially tenous sibling rivalry rather than class oppression, but I didn’t feel as sorry for Heathcliff.
Cathy and Heathcliff go to Thrushcross Grange and behave like their book counterparts who are children despite being played by adults. Cathy is taken in and Heathcliff is thrown away, but other than one reference to him being a Lascar, we don’t really see Lintons being horribly classist and racist to Heathcliff as in the book. There’s no reason for Heathcliff to take revenge on these people.
Cathy comes back and her complaint about Heathcliff being dirty feels less like newly-acquired snobbishness and more like common sense. Again, them being played adults undermines these scenes. Hindley horribly beats Heathcliff and this is the only scene where he is terribly cruel to Heathcliff up until the very end. Christmas episode is cut.
“Why should God have all the satisfaction?” sounds way less savage than “No, God won’t have the satisfaction that I shall”, just saying.
Frances’s death is true to the book and the transition from her death to Hindley’s drinking and gambling is nicely done.
Heathcliff violently strikes Cathy in the stable scene and I don’t like this.
Cathy of this version may be adventurous and wild, but she is overall a pretty nice person. She is explicitly in love with Heathcliff and only marries Edgar to aid Heathcliff. In the book, this was part of her motivation, but not her only motivation and she definitely turned up her nose at Heathcliff by that stage.
In the scene of Catherine explaining to Nelly that she accepted Edgar’s proposal, you really feel Nelly empathizing with Heathcliff since she was in a similar situation.
Edgar is, again, nicer than he is in the book. He is not as snobbish, he’s aware of Cathy’s grief over Heathcliff running away and sympathizes with it to some extent, he studies law books to be a better magistrate.
Heathcliff returns and we learn that Hindley’s son died. Edgar’s hesitating to admit him has more to do with jealousy than class prejudice here. Cathy is enthusiastic at his arrival but is also teary-eyed, she is definitely more mature and self-aware than her book counterpart.
Catherine and Heathcliff have sex. Heathcliff is again, quite violent to Cathy in this scene which I don’t like. I’m pretty sure they never have sex in the book. It’s debatable whether book Cathy’s love for Heathcliff is romantic, but even if it is so, she’s in denial about it until she falls ill. They’re explicitly characterized as adulterous lovers here.
Much of what follows is the same as in the book: Heathcliff’s revenge on Hindley, his courtship of Isabella, Edgar and Heathcliff’s fight, Cathy’s illness are all true to the book. But it is explicitly said that Cathy’s child might be Heathcliff’s.
Cathy’s death, “haunt me then” speech and Heathcliff being haunted by Cathy are all very well done. Hindley’s murder attempt in Chapter 17 is successful here because Heathcliff is distracted by Cathy’s ghost. This is an interesting method to choose for Heathcliff’s death but I think it is fairly reasonable for an adaptation that only does the first half of the book. Heathcliff’s ghost joins Cathy’s under Penistone Crags and it is both eerie and romantic, a midway between the lovey-dovey ending of 1939 and the truly unnerving ending of the book.
Overall this was an interesting adaptation of the book. Individual scenes of it are great. Its setting, costumes and tone are among the best-suited in Wuthering Heights adaptations. You really get the atmosphere of Wuthering Heights, Thrushcross Grange and the surrounding community. But as a whole movie, it never really comes together and it feels as if it is not sure of what it wants to be.
First of all, there is the problem of the identity of the protagonist: Who is it? Hindley, Catherine or Heathcliff? Hindley’s story takes up a good portion of the screen time and great pains are taken to make him a sympathetic character. And he is the one who shoots Heathcliff at the end. But the narrative moves away from him for a good portion of the second half and the film is explicitly advertised as Cathy and Heathcliff’s love story, so he can’t be the main character. Cathy is definitely the character that is most worthy of being called the protagonist of this movie. But she comes off as too much of a victim of Heathcliff and circumstance. She has her book counterpart’s wildness and impulsivity but doesn’t have her willful nature. I guess she is the protagonist but not a very compelling one.
Heathcliff is deeply unsympathetic here. In the book, Heathcliff’s revenge is not justifiable but it is definitely understandable. There’s no reason for the 1970 Heathcliff to take revenge on any of these people. Hindley is cruel to him yes, but other than one admittedly horrible beating, he is not shown as physically violent to him and has his reasons for the way he behaves (of course this is no justification for abuse). And even if he is a shitty person, he is also dealt a pretty shitty hand at life with his wife and son dying in rapid succession. Heathcliff’s revenge on him seems like overkill. (Or maybe he thinks that Wuthering Heights should be his as the other son? I don’t really care, I don’t really feel this illegitimate son thing). Lintons here are never that horrible to Heathcliff. Edgar is not a snob so much as a man rightfully indignant that his wife is cheating on him. Isabella is characterized as silly here but again she didn’t do anything wrong to Heathcliff. And Catherine always loved him and only married Edgar to save him. She was also responsive to his advances when he returned. There is absolutely no reason for Heathcliff to ruin the lives of these people here. He feels less like a Byronic Villain Protagonist and more like a random criminal ruining the lives of people for money and sex.
This is a decent adaptation of the book that is clearly done by people who know it well. Its flaws are that it gets too distracted by side-plots and likes indulging in “edgy”, improbable theories like “Heathcliff being Mr. Earnshaw’s illegitimate son” or “Cathy Linton being Heathcliff’s daughter” a bit too much. Still, not the worst adaptation and I prefer it to the 1939 version.
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5e Zed the Master of Shadows build (League of Legends)
(Artwork by Riot Games)
Well; I did promise it. I’ll be honest the only reason for this build is that it’s the most obvious build to make with the new Echo Knight from Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount, and it would be an injustice not to do so. I honestly don’t care much about Zed as I feel like his popularity has sort of died down as his meta relevance has waned. Regardless this build isn’t just a straightforward “lol Echo Knight 20″ so I hope those of you who want to play the edgy shadow ninja boy are pleased.
GOALS
Living Shadow - Of course the core of Zed’s kit is his shadow clones. Man I wonder how we’re going to recreate that?
Shadow Slash - Both Zed and his shadows need an arsenal of weapons that are always on-hand and are ready to both slash and throw.
Contempt for the Weak - Zed passive is what makes him an assassin, quickly killing anyone who’s already hurt.
RACE
Zed is a Human but due to my continued determination to avoid using the Variant Human race (and also because we really don’t need a Feat in this build except maybe Skulker) we’ll be grabbing Flash from Mark of Passage from Eberron. Your Dexterity increases by 2 and you can increase one stat of your choice by 1: choose Wisdom for some later Feat investment. You can also choose one language on top of Common: if Ionian is a language choose that, but Elvish is pretty close I suppose?
You get Courier's Speed for 5 feet of extra movement from your Zeal, and Intuitive Motion lets you add a d4 to any Acrobatics check you make or check involving land vehicles, because of all your training with the Kinkou apparently taught you how to drive a cart as well as do back-flips? But of course the main reason I said to take this race was for Magical Passage, giving you a one-time cast of Misty Step per Long Rest. Flash is a powerful summoner spell: use it to make some stylish plays.
ABILITY SCORES
15; DEXTERITY - Being a ninja is about swiftness and precision, and doing sick backflips and parkour. Wait this isn’t a Talon build?
14; WISDOM - To be a master you need to be wise; wise enough to know you enemy and how to exploit their weakness. It’s also a requirement to multiclass after all.
13; CONSTITUTION - Just because Zed isn’t a tank in-game doesn’t mean some extra tenacity (not the CC reduction type) isn’t appreciated. CON is also tied to some of our clone abilities.
12; INTELLIGENCE - The art of war is a game of intelligence. If fighting is sure to result in victory then you must fight!
10; CHARISMA - Zed runs around in Shredder cosplay and half his voice lines are literally just him grunting. He has his own order but he isn’t getting any free beers.
8; STRENGTH - Again you’re not a tank, and Strength simply isn’t needed for this build. The only thing we’d ever really use Strength for is Athletics, and we can get proficiency in the skill to remedy that.
BACKGROUND
Much like the Kayn build we’ll be going with the Faction Agent background, only this time you’re the faction head! Much like your protegee you get Insight proficiency as well as Intimidation since you’re a spooky shadow man. And of course your Shadow Order can provide you with a Safe Haven if needed, giving you a safe place to hide if your half-brother is looking for you. As for your two languages again it doesn’t matter, so pick something fun.
(Artwork by Riot Games)
THE BUILD
LEVEL 1 - ROGUE 1
Starting off as a Rogue for the extra proficencies, also because no shit you’re a ninja. Regardless Rogues get proficiency in 4 skills from the Rogue list: choose Stealth, Perception, Acrobatics, and Athletics so you can keep to the shadows and strike at the perfect time. You also get Expertise in two skills that you know: I’d opt for Stealth as well as Intimidation from your background, so you can sneak up on someone and go “boo!” before cutting out their throat.
Of course the main appeal of Rogues is their Sneak Attack, letting them add a d6 of damage against any enemy who’s close to another ally, or you have advantage on by attacking them from the shadows.
Finally your Shadow Order is well-versed in Thieves’ Cant, a secret code that neither the Noxians nor the Kinkou understand.
LEVEL 2 - ROGUE 2
Second level Rogues get Cunning Action, letting them Dash, Disengage, or Hide as a Bonus Action. The key to playing Zed well is much like the key to playing Rogue well in 5e: keep mobile and be everywhere at once. Don’t give your enemy a moment to hit you.
LEVEL 3 - ROGUE 3
You can choose your Roguish Archetype at level 3 and of course the Master of Shadows needs shadowy blades. Or should I say psychic blades? The Soul Knife subclass from the Psionics UA can create weapons as a Bonus Action with their Psychic Blade feature: these are finesse weapons that you can dual-wield, and throw 30 feet normally and up to 60 feet with disadvantage. These weapons deal a d6 of psychic damage and disappear after they hit the target you throw them at, when you dismiss them for free, or after you let go of them.
You can also choose through a variety of Psionic Enhancements. You can either give yourself 30 feet of telepathy, 5 feet of extra movement speed, or health equal to your Rogue level plus your Intelligence. You may notice that in total that would add up to a 4 currently, but that isn’t likely to go higher so I’d recommend either the telepathy or the movement speed. (5 feet of movement combined with the 5 feet from your race means you’re moving at Barbarian speed!)
WHY LOW INTELLIGENCE? - The Soul Knife, despite being a psionic class, doesn’t need Intelligence to function. A +5 in Intelligence would only mean a total of 8 extra health because we’re not going to be taking any more levels in Rogue. You need both Dexterity and Constitution more in this build, so it’s not worth investing in Intelligence just for one skill. But if you can get your Intelligence high go right ahead.
And finally your Sneak Attack increases to 2d6 now.
LEVEL 4 - FIGHTER 1
Now that you have your shuriken it’s time to get your clones. Level 1 Fighters get a Fighting Style and there’s a lot of options to choose from:
Two-Weapon Fighting is the obvious pick, letting you squeeze a bit of extra damage into your second weapon attack if you decide to opt for two-weapon fighting with your Bonus Action.
Thrown Weapon Fighting from the Class Feature Variants UA will vary in utility depending on your DM’s interpretation of “drawing a weapon.” If they let you summon your knives for free with this fighting style (as long as you throw them instantly) take this fighting style. If not Archery could also perhaps increase your ranged accuracy if your DM is cool with the rules.
When all else fails Defense provides a flat +1 to AC.
Why not Dueling? - Dueling is good in it’s own right to increase damage output but it technically only works if you have one Psiblade out. This means that you’ll be gimping yourself by only summoning one knife at a time, which means you can’t have two ranged shots before needing to “reload.” If you have a cool DM Dueling can still work for more damage.
You also get Second Wind, so you can pop a Refillable Potion to heal for 1d10 plus your fighter level once per short rest as a Bonus Action. Even at this late level that can equal up to a third of your health bar!
LEVEL 5 - FIGHTER 2
Second level Fighters get Action Surge, allowing them to take an additional action once per Short Rest. Man I love Fighters; so simple to explain.
LEVEL 6 - FIGHTER 3
HA HA FUCK ME AM I RIGHT?! Echo Knight from Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount suddenly becomes a hundred times more complex! For the sake of brevity I’m literally going to copy-paste the Echo Knight’s ability description from my Skullgirls Isaac build:
The echo (or Living Shadow, if you will) has an AC of 14 plus your proficiency bonus, 1 hit point, and immunity to all conditions. If it has to make a saving throw it uses your saving throw bonus for the roll. It’s the same size as you and occupies a space. On your turn you can make the echo to move up to 30 feet in any direction without using an action but if your echo is more than 30 feet from you at the end of your turn it is destroyed.
You have several things you can do with your echo:
* You can swap places with your echo with 15 feet of your movement, regardless of the distance between the two of you.
* Any attack you make with the Attack action can originate from the echo’s space if you choose to do so.
* When a creature that you can see within 5 feet of your echo moves away from it, you can use your reaction to make an opportunity attack against that creature as if you were in the echo’s space.
* You can use Unleash Incarnation to make one additional attack from your Echo’s location when you take the attack action, adding up to 3 attacks total. You can use Unleash Incarnation a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier.
In short: Living Shadow can attack for you. We good?
(Artwork by Riot Games)
LEVEL 7 - RANGER 1
We’ve got our Q, we’ve got our W, now it’s time for our... passive? Building characters in D&D is weird. Regardless Rangers get another skill proficiency: I’d recommend the Survival skill to survive if you decide to go into the jungle.
You also get a Favored Enemy and Favored Terrain from Natural Explorer. As per usual whenever I use the Ranger class (which I seem to do a lot) I recommend talking to your DM to find out what enemies and terrain you’ll need, or alternatively use Unearthed Arcana rules. This build is rather separate from Unearthed Arcana but regardless it’s much better than baseline Ranger so I suggest looking at it.
LEVEL 8 - RANGER 2
Second level Rangers get a Fighting Style so I’d recommend one you didn’t take from Fighter 1 (since Fighting Styles don’t stack.) But notably you get access to Spellcasting and learn two spells from the Ranger list: Detect Magic will let you check if your opponent has their ultimate up before fighting, and Hunter’s Mark will let you mark an enemy for death and do an extra d6 of damage every time you hit them.
LEVEL 9 - RANGER 3
Speaking of damage: third level Rangers can choose a conclave archetype, and the Hunter archetype is as useful to assassins as it is to hunters. You get the Hunter’s Prey feature which lets you choose from three different ways to do extra damage, but Colossus Slayer will let you show your contempt for the weak by doing an extra d8 of damage to anyone who’s injured.
You also get Primeval Awareness, letting you spend a spell slot to detect enemies that are near. (Read the ability for a better understanding of how it works.) And speaking of spells how about a smoke bomb? Fog Cloud will let you create a... cloud... of fog. The area is heavily obscured for the duration unless you lose concentration or a strong wind blows it away so you can use it to block enemy vision and get into position to hide and strike!
LEVEL 10 - FIGHTER 4
Man we skipped over our Ability Score Improvements for awhile huhn? Well thankfully there’s no more multiclassing anymore as it’s just straight down Fighter now. But we’ll first be taking a Feat to even out some of our uneven ability scores, and the Observant feat is perfect for a ninja, getting an increase to passive perception to spot assassins in the dark and being able to read the lips of an enemy so you can relay the message to your allies.
LEVEL 11 - FIGHTER 5
5th level Fighters get an Extra Attack good lord finally! The thing is that more attacks means that you’ll have to “reload” your Psychic Blades with a Bonus Action more often, which is why we opted for Colossus Slayer first. So just remember that your knives are limited.
(Artwork by Riot Games)
LEVEL 12 - FIGHTER 6
6th level Fighters get another Ability Score Improvement: increase your Dexterity and Constitution to finally get rid of those awful uneven Ability Scores.
LEVEL 13 - FIGHTER 7
7th level Echo Knights get Echo Avatar: You can see and hear through your Living Shadow, deafening and blinding yourself while you do this. You can keep it up for 10 minutes max and can end it at any time without an action. While your echo is being used this way it can be up to 1000 feet away from you without being destroyed, meaning that you can theoretically teleport to it if you so desire. One of Zed’s biggest strengths is his ability to be practically everywhere at once.
LEVEL 14 - FIGHTER 8
8th level Fighters get another Ability Score Improvement: you can finally cap off your Dexterity for maximum damage with your knives and your shurikens.
LEVEL 15 - FIGHTER 9
At level 9 in Fighter you get Indomitable, letting you reroll a saving throw once per Long Rest. You must use the new roll so be sure to only pop your QSS on an important stun you know you won’t get hit by again 3 seconds later.
LEVEL 16 - FIGHTER 10
10th level Echo Knights get Shadow Martyr. Hey it has “shadow” in the name! Regardless once per short rest you can use a reaction to have your Living Shadow defend an ally (or yourself) when being attacked, forcing the attack to hit the echo instead of you. People can’t shoot Zed’s shadows in League but that doesn’t mean he can’t block a skillshot for an ally.
LEVEL 17 - FIGHTER 11
11th level Fighters get three attacks per round thanks to an improvement to Extra Attack. Again remember that you can only throw two of your Psychic Blades before needing to reload, meaning that if you decide to throw them you can only do so twice before needing to spend a bonus action, and will run out of daggers if you decide to Action Surge. But since your echo can attack with melee it should be fine, right?
LEVEL 18 - FIGHTER 12
12th level Fighters get another Ability Score Improvement: increase your Constitution for more health and more uses of Unleash Incarnation, adding up to you dying less and your enemies dying more.
LEVEL 19 - FIGHTER 13
13th level Fighters get another use of Indomitable. Isn’t cool-down reduction a great stat?
LEVEL 20 - FIGHTER 14
Our capstone is an Ability Score Improvement from the 14th level of Fighter: 2 points in Constitution will give you a 20 HP boost and one extra use of Unleash Incarnation.
FINAL BUILD
PROS
The merest shade of me... - You have a huge array of options in combat which are almost always available for use. You can always be armed with both a melee and ranged weapon and have insane mobility with Misty Step and the ability to swap places with your Echo, not to mention that a 40 foot movement speed puts you above the average movement for humanoids and on-par with most mid-to-high level enemies, letting you easily chase them and keep up.
Our blades crave battle - You have incredibly high damage output. Three attacks with your psychic blades is good in its own right but combined with Sneak Attack, Colossus Slayer, and Hunter’s Mark you can do a grand total of 3d6 + 1d8 extra damage with one of your three strikes. Extra attacks are a great contingency for on-hit damage boosts.
Only the worthy survive - While Zed is squishy in League of Legends this build is much tankier than average. Actually being able to invest in Constitution without losing out on abilities and most of your levels being in Fighter means that your health can easily reach up to 200. Add in Second Wind and Indomitable and you have more than a Guardian Angel to protect you.
CONS
Secrets kept are weapons wasted - You have a lot of set up time to get all your abilities up. A bonus action to draw your weapons and then another bonus action to summon your Echo, plus extra bonus actions to create more blades or more echoes, which will take away from Cunning Action or your mobility abilities.
Only time can judge us - Many of your abilities are limited: limited spells, limited protection with Indomitable and Shadow Martyr, limited damage with Unleash Incarnation and Action Surge, and most notably limited ranged attacks per turn since you can only summon two Psychic Blades per turn.
Balance is weakness - The three levels of Ranger really don’t provide much. More damage is swell and all but taking 3 more Fighter levels instead of 3 Ranger levels would give you more sustainability with Reclaim Potential, another Ability Score Improvement, and most notably a third use of Indomitable and a second use of Action Surge. Ranger makes your average damage output higher but removes your ability to quickly assassinate a target, or keep alive. And it of course forces you to invest somewhat in Wisdom, which might not be possible if you didn’t roll well for stats during character creation.
But I honestly struggled to find many points of weakness in this build; I’m actually impressed with how strong it is overall. You have the tools to take on any fight that may come your way, moving around the battlefield at lightning speeds and dropping any enemy with a flurry of blows. It’s only up to you to use those tools, less you prove yourself a Faker.
(Artwork by Riot Games)
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The Beautiful (Series) - Renee Ahdieh
Rating: 4/5 stars
The Beautiful is a new series by American author Renee Ahdieh. This series contains all of my favourite elements of YA: period romance, the supernatural, magic and the 19th century aesthetic. A series I truly enjoyed reading despite not having a long lasting impact on my emotions or memory after finishing, yet having left melooking foward to the third ( as of yet unanounced) installment (because trust me there cannot not be a spectaluar, final showodwn after that conclusion).
I shall dicuss this as an overall series, having only discovered the first installment a few weeks back and having devoured the highly interlinked volumes, both in a couple of days. Spoilers ahead: Warning!. I found our main charcter Celine to be truly enojoyable and not a laughable stock image of the typical strong female protagonist who is not like other girls ( although Celine is most definitely not like other girls). She’s quick witted, unapologetically true and forthcoming, qualities I truly enjoy seeing in historical fiction as they set aside the stereotypical 19th century woman, a second class citizen longing to be rescued by a knight in shining armour.
This series does wonders for inclusivity and giving racial minorities important roles. We have an Indian lawyer, biracial protagonists who progress into an interracial romance, queer characters and a former slave made business-man all under the esotheric skies of New Orleans: a place of rebirth, in more ways than one; wrapped in a noir, captivating vail of beauty.
As well as a fresh cast of characters, we still enocounter some tropes as old as time which, I must confess, I am a true sucker for. Queue our mesmerising love intrest Sebastien: edgy badboy in the first book, tormented and lovesick protagonist in the sequel. Though I am not the type to swoon over romance I found it impossible to resist the heartbreak and entaglement between Bastein and Celine, an amost retelling of the infamous star crossed lovers Romeo and Juliette, if only bloodieer and more magical. It is perhaps this element that makes my heart ache for the tormented heir of the Saint German empire, who longs to be a better man for his beloved whilst still maintaining a truly badass facade.
This series has acheived the impossible: the redemption of the ever meme-tastical Twilight, the embodiment of shame among vampire novels. These vampires posses a dark aura around them that will drag you to a far more enchanting world, although not the most complex, without ever sparkling. The way Ahdieh costructs the supernatural elements of this story is just what I love to see (even though the feys were a little unexpected and, at first, seemed to almost comedically clash against the goth-y vampires, until we begin to understand the true nature of the fight between this rapresentation of Light and Dark.)
From a writing point of view, I found a couple of slightly irking details. The first, originally noted in the first installment of the series, is the occasioanlly awkward phrasing which forces the reader to skim sentences a couple of times to grasp them well. Another element that I hope will dispear in the third book is the use of alternation between first person and third person point of views. In The Beautiful, our anatgonist was wrapped in complete mystery, and the use of present first person POV worked beautifully in giving the reader the sinister feeling of something malicious lurking in the shadows, allowig us to feel just as Celine does and keeping us on the edge of our seats. Unfortunately, this doesnt work as well in the sequel, The Damned, as all the first person POV are Bastien’s chapters which, whilst giving us more insight on his previously mysterious character, fail to deliever the edge this writing technique had in the first book.
Narrative wise, as already mentioned, the sequel brings far more depth to this world than the first pictoresque scenery of New Orleans presented us with. Although, as it is a little unexpected, it takes some getting used to. The fey world our protagonists become heavily involed with seems rather cheesy at times and something out of Lord Of The Rings, which seems to clash almost too much with the vampire, Tim Burton-esque world of vampires. However, it is just this immersion into the broader world that allows us to learn more about the history of vampires themselves and although I would not have admitted it at first, it only works by having the book told mostly from Bastien’s POV, which therefore heightened the whole reveal about Celine’s mother and her royal heriatge in the Otherworld.
A key element of this series which I truly enjoyed is the tragic and passionate romance that prevails against all odds. Although in the first book it appears a mild case of instalove masked as turbulent physical attarction, it becomes far more concreate towards the end and believeable, especially in the second book, where our star crossed lovers are willing to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the other. What I particularly enjoyed is the conflict within Celine when it comes to Bastien and Michael. I grew to hate love triangles after The Infernal Devices ( I have more than several probems with said series and its author despite my love for Will Herondale). However, what we find in The Beautiful isn’t a constant back and forth on what boy should Celine choose. She’s strong willed and follows her heart more than anyone or anything else. The conflict is far more real as it presents as struggle between her heart ( which longs for Bastien despite her blurred memories of him) and her head (which knows a lady in this era should long for a good, respectable husband such as clever detective Michael Grimaldi).
Now, where does this leave us in regards to the third book? If I have to (SPOILER) give my opinion, I think Ahdieh might pull a Twilight twist on us but actually execute it in a logical way: by the time The Damned ends, we have two lovers heirs to two rival thrones and a long to reuinite and restore peace in the Sylvan world. Plus, with the constant talk of legacies, heirs and family, it would be fair to assume we may face yet another half vampire pregnancy in YA. However, far more is yet to be revealed, plenty of characters still hide secrets, a pack longs for a leader, a man has been betrayed by his beloved and we may have met a new antagonist, far more evil than the werewolf full of hatred that has set motion the conclusion of the series as of yet.
#the beautiful#the beautiful and damned#the damned#the beautiful series#renee ahdieh#ya supernatural#ya romance#ya historical fiction#ya historical fantasy#historical fantasy#romance#romance books#vampire#vampire books#ya vampires#ya vampire books#celine rousseau#sebastien saint germain#vampire romance#supernatural books#supernatural#vampires#werewolf#werewolves#YA Books#book blog#book review#book reviews#book tumblr#reader
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A playlist for my current party: 4 idiots + their honorary cult grandma, four with new names and one with someone else’s--god I love them. they requested a playlist breakdown so i’ve placed it under a cut for brevity. I’m always soft for making fan content for the campaigns I’m in tbh.
Alice: an elf-turned half-orc after a reincarnate spell went awry, her wild magic caused her marriage to fall apart when she accidentally burned down her home. She’s looking for control over the magic that is ruining her life.
Remmy: a man of many names, Remmy is an aasimar cleric with more secrets than even the other party members are aware of. He’s untrusting and full of fear, but the party gets him to open up--against his better judgment.
Gadao: an earth genasi from an isolated monastery, he’s looking for an identity of his own after realizing he may not be an incarnation of an ancestral spirit after all. Looking for his place in the world, the party’s fast-paced life contrasts with his steady nature.
Leap: an elderly tiefling ranger, she grew up in a cult of pain and left it only by good fortune. Her taste for adventure--and a need for closure--keep her on the road, though she looks forward to seeing her family again.
Blue: an aarakocra bard, Blue awoke with no memory and promptly joined a shady merchant vessel as a good-luck musician. They’re always down to fight, curious, and ready to hoard as many items as they can get their hands on.
Anger | Sleeping at Last
I love the way this song opens, the energy it has. Favorite lyrics are “it all spills out/reckless but honest words leave my mouth,” which maybe speaks to my love of intra-party conflict… but I also have a soft spot for “and suddenly I’m someone that prays/last-minute man of faith” given the campaign’s attention to the divine. I’ve really loved leaning into that. It feels like this song has threads that connect to every character.
Hellfire | Barns Courtney
God, I love the chorus to this song. I feel that in this party, Leap and Remmy have the strongest links in these lyrics, between Leap’s simmering fury at her cult and Remmy’s...everything. There’s a period of the song that isn’t quite an instrumental, but has sort of mangled lyrics/rap, and though I can’t quite make it out, one bit sounds like “roll the dice” -- a fun nod to D&D as a whole and the risk-takers among the party.
Blood I Bled | The Staves
My favorite lyric here is “raise your banners and ride to war/throwing ‘round your name.” This song feels like a challenge to the world, suitable for a group of adventurers just forming a party. The singers and songwriters mention the song as one of “no, I won’t take this bullshit,” and that strong message really speaks to the PCs.
Hustler | Zayde Wølf
Hustler is all about coming out on top, and y’all are “turning up the heat” all the time. “Looking at the city like I already own it” feels like a foreshadowing moment to me; one day, when you all are level 10, 15, 20, you might reach an unmatchable power, if you live long enough to see it.
Homemade Dynamite | Lorde
I chose this song for the absolute clusterfuck D&D parties can be. “Don’t know you super well/but I think that you might be the same as me/Behave abnormally” encapsulates something really funny about party members getting to know each other and start to trust each other, even when the rule might still be “I’ll give you my best side, tell you all my best lies,” and your secrets and private problems haven’t yet come to light.
Nervous | X Ambassadors
The chorus of foreboding in “cause what comes up must come down” is, how do I put this? Iconique. I think this song especially fits Leap and Alice, both of whom are aware of how quickly things can go awry but put a cheerful face on their own worries. Even when nothing’s wrong (“and I can’t complain, it’s amazing”) they know things could go south quickly.
An Act of Kindness | Bastille
This song best fits Leap and Gadao’s relationship, especially when they met. “Oh I got a feeling this will shake me down/Oh I’m kind of hoping this will turn me round” seems to speak directly to Gadao pulling Leap away from the cult and giving her the opportunity to be better than she was. On another level, the party’s bonds are born from acts of kindness and friendship--Remmy buying lorebooks for Alice, Leap making tea, Gadao stepping in to defend the party from the mimic.
Everybody Wants to Rule the World | Lorde
Despite the name, this has something for everyone, I think. “Turn your back on Mother Nature” suits Alice’s vendetta against the Forest Father, “Help me make the most of freedom/and of pleasure” fits Blue’s brand of hedonism, “It’s my own remorse” echoes Leap’s regrets. Gadao alone doesn’t quite fit in here...unless… >:)
Kicks | Barns Courtney
This is a Blue song! “I’ll show you how to live for free” the artist sings, and Blue’s freewheeling lifestyle seeking “kicks” matches this energy really well. If Blue is “a wild one” “singing in the midnight street,” they’re getting their kicks with this party for sure. Blue lives without being tied down, theoretically limitless.
Hail to the Victor | Thirty Seconds to Mars
This song is about Leap, no question. “Another life, another love/another kill, another drug” fits into Leap’s two lives, one in the cult and one out of it. And in this new mission against Babylon Lionel, she’s seeking a revenge of her own, though it’s one against her childhood more than her actual enemy.
I’m a Wanted Man | Royal Deluxe
Remmy “would kill again to keep from doing time,” without a doubt, so this one’s for him. Constantly warning he’s trouble for his friends, saying that “you should never ever trust my kind” isn’t too far off. Like Remmy, this song is edgy, but with a hesitant moment of emo-ness that makes the performance of darkness something a little more genuine.
Big God | Florence and the Machine
Alice is not a faithful woman, but she’s unfortunately entangled in some religious nonsense she hates. At the same time, I feel lyrics like “you’ll always be my favorite ghost” refer best to Alice’s fraught relationship with her wife. My favorite line here is “Sometimes I think it’s getting better/and then it gets much worse,” which is essentially Alice’s experience of her wild magic. Deep down, she might even be drawn to the magic’s chaos, but she can’t help but resent what it’s taking away from her.
Wisdom, Justice, and Love | Linkin Park
This one’s for Gadao. It starts off so peaceful and hopeful, the instrumentals overlaid with a speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. But as he starts to list the evils of the world, King’s voice, so steady and confident, is warped. Gadao’s own faith experience becomes warped by the power games of the people around him, and even as he’s seeking “wisdom, justice, and love,” he can’t escape the effects of materialism and violence around him.
Icarus | Bastille
Some folks live steady lives, but not these people. Adventurer’s lives tend to burn bright, hot, and short. From Leap’s perspective, most of the party is made of kids who don’t know the world yet. Are they “digging their own grave,” “too close to the sun?” Despite their ride-or-die commitments, Leap can see all of you risking yourselves--and for what? Who do you want to be, at the end of it all? A wife and mason? A sage and monk? Or do you want greater things than that?
Losing My Religion | Dia Frampton
I can hear so much of Remmy’s opinions in this song, saying “I’m choosing my confessions, trying to keep an eye on you” but realizing, over and over again: “Oh no, I’ve said too much.” As he tries to keep up his own facades, Gadao and Leap’s own faith collides with the beliefs of a cult leader and Alice struggles with a religion she doesn’t care for at all.
Start a War | Klergy and Valerie Broussard
Like Hail to the Victor, this song is all about Leap’s conflict with the cult of Loviatar and the Mother of Martyrs. Even though the Loviatar cult might be gone, the spirit lives on. My favorite line for Leap here is “bang, shots fired/pain is what you desire,” for the decision to challenge Babs to a one-on-one fight. But is it Babs who is starting this war, or Leap?
Friction | Imagine Dragons
This one kind of gives me Gadao vibes with the lyrics “when you’ve made it/won’t you tell me what to do?” After all that pressure to fulfill the expectations of other people, he has to get out of the middle and move on, maybe even become someone new. Key line is “why can’t you let go/like a bird in the snow/this is no place to build your home,” reminding Gadao that he doesn’t have a place in this world. Not yet.
Transcendental Youth | the mountain goats
“Sing, sing for ourselves alone,” sings John Darnielle, and maybe that’s what makes this feel so much like Blue. Maybe it’s the lyric, “cedar smudge our headbands/and take to the skies/soar ever upwards,” calling to Blue’s dislocation from time and place, flying away from their problems. Blue doesn’t remember their childhood, and has no idea how old they are. Even if they did know, their lifespan is short. They live every day like the halcyon days of youth, footloose and fancy-free indeed.
Champion | Barns Courtney
I swear this is the last Barns Courtney song. But this song is the resilience of coming through fights and perils and dangers. My favorite lyric is “Oh, Lord, save my soul/take my pain and turn it into gold” which, incidentally, is exactly what happens when you level up. The party’s struggles translate to strength, to influence, to skill, and even riches.
In the Woods Somewhere | Hozier
On the one hand, this could be about any combat in the dark woods at night (*cough*, Remmy killing that dragonborn, *cough*). But more importantly, this song is about Alice. She struggles with a power she doesn’t understand, with something’s eyes on her that she can’t fight. The best she can do is run from the danger and try to survive it. Whatever eyes are watching her now, Alice better take care. Favorite line? “I clutched my life/and wished it kept/my dearest love/I’m not done yet.”
Natural | Imagine Dragons
Natural tells the party one way of surviving. The line “you gotta be so cold/to make it in this world” suits Remmy’s outlook so well, the one he pushes at the rest of the party. The line “rather be the hunter than the prey” speaks well to Blue’s tactics--preferring to act from above. Alice and Leap know better than anyone that “nothing ever comes without a consequence or cost,” and Gadao may be the only one ‘holding the line’ against a harder heart. Another song with bits and pieces associated with everyone.
Dead Hearts | Stars
There isn’t a specific lyric here that jumps out at me, no line that tells me who this song is for. This is the song for the ones who die--those who have, and who will. We might not be there yet, but this is a song for acknowledging the sacrifice of your friends and allies. The knowledge that you knew them once, and in some ways, their ghost stays with you. Or maybe they’re revived, or reincarnated, but there’s always something a little different.
The Projectionist | Sleeping at Last
Eventually the session ends, and the story closes, and the lights come up. “We’re leaving our shadows behind us now/we’re leaving, we’re leaving it all behind for now,” Ryan O’Neill sings. We’re putting on costumes, telling a story for each other, and maybe the game ends every time, but maybe it makes us brave. I’d like to think so.
The lyrics to all these songs can be found at Genius.com. Thanks xx
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Author Meme
Tagged by @kangofu-cb ilu
Author Name:
Shatteredhourglass - but like, five minutes into talking to me I will probably insist on you calling me Ryan. (Author name is too edgy and formal lmao)
Fandoms You Write For:
Only Marvel at the moment - I did think about writing Schitt’s Creek fics at one point, and Umbrella Academy, but I’m happy just writing in my niche at the moment. I write for me, and me likes Clint Barton and Bucky Barnes.
Where You Post:
All of my fics are on AO3 but I also post extra snippets and drabbles on my snippet tag on Tumblr.
Most Popular One-Shot:
Left Foot Forward - Winterhawk, first story I wrote on this account. It needs editing, really, but I never have the energy to work on it. Soulmate AU where Clint has a dead man’s name on his body and no one is allowed to bring it up.
"Clint," Steve breathed, and his face had a million emotions going through it all at once and Clint knew, he'd already known from that awful day he'd searched the records on the Howling Commandos and found a signature scrawled in an old letter but the look on Steve's face confirmed it. Shit. Steve's fingers brushed the curve of the J reverently, and Clint flinched away.
"Clint, I'm so-"
"Tell me he didn't have my name," Clint croaked out. "Please."
Most Popular Multi-Chapter Story:
Perfect Tense - Winterhawk, I’m not counting the two-chapter fics I’ve done because those aren’t really multi-chapter, they’re oneshots with extra bits. Avenger!Bucky and Ronin!Clint, flirtation and mystery.
“Don’t worry, I took care of the ground floor,” the voice continues.
This time he says it out loud. “Shit.”
Ronin - because that’s who it is, fuck, a murderous vigilante has remotely hacked his earpiece - laughs, a warm noise that makes a shiver run down Bucky’s spine. “That’s not very polite, Sergeant Barnes.”
Favourite Story You Wrote:
a little fun (not the number one) - Ameriwinterhawk. Originally I was going to suggest my 40k fic because that’s a lot of story, but this one I’m very proud of. First long triad relationship and it’s got a Lot of feelings in it. I think it’s got a pretty good switch because usually Bucky is the mess of the three, and if it isn’t him it’s Clint. Here, Steve is a flaming trashcan of guilt and feelings (so is Clint) and it satisfies me.
“What happened to Steve?”
“I was going to fly Red to the medics that were waiting a few blocks away, but he stopped me and said he’d take her, and for me to help you,” Tony supplies. “It’s weird- I can fly, it’d be faster my way, but he doesn’t take no for an answer.”
“Right,” Clint says. “Right. Okay.”
There goes his last hope that Steve isn’t avoiding him.
The hollow feeling in his chest gets a little bit deeper.
Story You Were Nervous to Post:
falling through the night (and rising from the ashes) - Winterhawk. Anyone who’s read my fics knows I like to cling to parts of canon as much as I can, so upturning that and making a whole new AU was a worry for me. I’m always scared with these sorts of things that the characters won’t feel like themselves for readers. Still, it’s pretty popular, and it’s even been podficced by the wonderful @flowerparrish here (love you.)
“Yeah,” Bucky says. “I’m here until Monday.”
“We’re here til then too,” Clint comments. “Maybe Tuesday, too. There’s a few popular acts on this tour that use all those fancy lighting effects and smoke machines, take ages to pack up. You seen that Beck guy? He shorted out the fucking power grid a few days ago during practice. I think that Winter Soldier guy is around somewhere, if you’re into house or whatever it’s called,” he says, hears Bucky make a choked noise.
Must be a fan of that guy, too.
How Do You Choose Your Titles:
I am the song lyric bandit. Although with me, you do not get earwormed because I have a very obscure and confusing taste in music. One day I’ll find another Sycamour fan.
Do You Outline:
No, no, nope. I tried outlining once and after I was done, I didn’t feel like writing the fic anymore. Now I just wing it.
Complete:
36/39 fics, which is pretty good in my opinion. Can I get a wahoo?
In-Progress:
Two of the unfinished fics are extremely old and will never be finished - the tattoo AU may be rebooted and completely rewritten, but that particular version will be forever unfinished. The third 7/? fic is filled with unconnected Tumblr prompts and is updated whenever I post a snippet here.
Coming Soon/Not Yet Started:
Ronin!Clint/Avenger!Bucky Sequel:
He wouldn’t be able to handle it, if Bucky asked him to stay.
He’s so scared every time, that Bucky will ask him.
“We need to stop. This,” and here he stops to gesture between himself and Bucky, “needs to stop.”
He pulls his mask on as he’s backing up, and it hides the helpless smile he gets when Bucky stretches, all cocky smirk and bare skin, and says, “so next week?”
Precariously Named Twink!Bucky Fic:
“What did you do with your time? You know, when you were,” Clint stops here to gesture at Bucky’s whole body, legs splayed and lazy expression on his face. Bucky turns to press his cheek against the couch when he looks at Clint, all relaxed grace and half-lidded eyes. “Like this.”
“Mostly worried about Steve, broke up fights, ‘n had sex with strangers in alleyways,” Bucky says, lips curling up into an indulgent smirk like he’s remembering it. Like he’s thinking about it.
Clint swallows, hard, tries not to look like he’s thinking about it.
Do You Accept Prompts:
I do! I love getting ideas, although I’m so backed up with ideas right now that I might just go into cardiac arrest if I get one more prompt I don’t have time to write.
Upcoming Story You Are Most Excited to Write:
Okay so I really want to write this but there’s no way I’m going to have time to write it with the MTH auction coming up, so. Maybe in twenty years. distant sobbing.
Tagging:
uuuh @atheoryon @spacey-acey-artemis @greyishbobbi @theassetsass @flowerparrish (no pressure y’all)
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