#ic; thunder bandit

[thundergoodspeed]

@ofgalaxiesandstars

@dilutedaspirations

“Captain’s log,” Gary said. He’d started recording, partly to keep himself sane, remembering what was going right with the mission despite how stagnant everything was...and partly in case someone found his rotting corpse decades in the future. “Day seven--or eight? I don’t remember, there’s not really days here--on this miserable rock. Water stock’s holding up fine, food stock is...questionable at best, but still edible. Tastes like a butthole, but it’s keeping us alive.” He looked around as he bit down on a worm’s head, making a face at the flavor. Barren wasteland mostly. 

Hearing footsteps behind him, he turned off the recording. “Ohh, Avocato! Please tell me you found something besides these freaking worms. Please. I need...I need something besides worms.

#ic; thunder bandit #ofgalaxiesandstars #dilutedaspirations #v; dimensional keyblades

[fandomxpreferences]

I Don't Remember Who I Used to Be

Pairing: Rooster x Pilot!Reader (female)

TW: angst, heavy alcohol use, fluff, mentions of death and grief, swearing, I think that's it.

Summary: Bradley knows you're struggling as the first anniversary of your near death experience is coming up. When you don't show up at the Hard Deck, and he can't get ahold of you he speeds home. What he finds breaks his heart.

Word Count: 3k

A/N: this is alot of angst and pain lol. There WILL be a part 2 to this. Please leave any feedback you have as always!

You were currently balled up on your bathroom floor with tears streaming down your face and an empty bottle of whiskey. You agreed to go out with the dagger squad tonight, but grief had other plans. You were fairly new to the group and the Uranium mission was the first time you had flown with most of them, Rooster being the exception. You had known him your whole life. He was the only person who knew why you had been reassigned from your last squad. The only person you would want in a time like this. 

You stared at his contact debating on calling him before deciding against it and shutting your phone off. You already felt bad enough, you didn't need to feel like a burden too. It had only been a year, but it felt like you'd lost a decade of your life. The anniversary was coming up and nothing else could occupy your mind. You leaned back as scenes of that day ruthlessly flashed behind your eyelids.

It had been a routine mission. Everything should have gone smoothly, there was no reason to believe something like this would happen. Everything that could have gone wrong did. Your team leader was Razor and his wingmen were Thunder and Bambi. You had given Bambi her call sign when the squad went ice skating one year and she kept falling. She had been like a sister to you. You were flying solo and Raven and Cobra were behind you. Raven was getting married in a week and the six of you were talking about the wedding, already well on your way back to the carrier. You had already completed the mission, the hard part should have been over. 

You were about to make a dig at Raven for deciding to wear a burgundy tux when his voice suddenly filled your ears. "Eagle 4 to comms, I've got a bogey on my tail. Are we expecting any friendlies?" Before he could get an answer his voice came through your headset again, this time more frantic. "Smoke in the air! Tally two, 6 o'clock! Deploying flares!"

He broke left with Razor while you and 

Thunder cut to the right. You let the bandit chase you while Thunder tried to swing around and get a missile lock on him. He was able to shoot the enemy down but before you could take a breath, you heard Bambi yell that there was a third tally that they couldn't shake. You dropped in behind the bandit, but it was too late. Your heart stopped in your chest as you watched their jet go up in flames. You listened to their panicked voices as they yelled that they had been hit and tried to regain control. 

You didn't even realize you had been screaming. "Bambi eject! Thunder Please!" Their jet was in an unrecoverable tailspin and they were running out of time. You watched in slow motion as the bandit locked another missile onto them. Everything happened in less time than it takes to blink, yet it felt like you had been frozen for hours as you watched the plane containing two of your teammates explode. 

You were quickly pulled back to reality as you heard Razor's voice saying they had successfully shot down another enemy plane. But in what seemed like a sick cosmic joke, two more bandits came out of nowhere as soon as the words left his mouth. Raven was out of flares and Razor was running low. You heard him calling your name. 

"Sonic, get this fucker off of me!" Razor was trying to get a lock on the bandit chasing Raven but the fourth bandit was gaining on him and he only had one flare left. 

You jerked the yoke to the right, cutting a sharp turn before lining up your sights on the enemy. You were a good pilot. Great even. The top 1%. But it seemed the enemy was just as talented, as they anticipated your next move. They quickly dropped down and stalled out before coming up behind you. 

The next few minutes seemed like an eternity as you and your team deployed flares and evaded the enemy. But luck was running out and you had just used your last flare. The three bandits seemed to have unlimited ammo and missiles and you were starting to think you weren't going to make it out of this alive. By this point, you only had two missiles left and there were three tallies. 

You looked on in horror as Razor fails to escape a missile and his plane takes the impact. You close your eyes as you hear him scream before he's ambushed with gunfire and his plane crashes into the unforgiving water below. 

You're outnumbered and neither of you have any way of protecting yourselves from incoming threats. The only saving grace was that the plane behind you seemed to be out of ammo too. 

"Break left, Raven. We have to split them up." You watched as two of the enemy aircraft relentlessly pursued Raven and Cobra. Before you could process what to do, you felt your jet jerk suddenly before plummeting towards the earth. Apparently, the third bandit did have more ammo. 

You hear raven yelling at you to bail out as you try to restart your engines. A few seconds pass before you realize you can't save yourself from the free fall and you pull the handle by your feet. The force of the ejection knocks the air out of you and causes your vision to blur. 

Your parachute deploys, but you had been too close to the water for it to do much good. You braced yourself as you collide with the sea. Your body explodes in burning pain before you lose consciousness. 

When you wake up, you're met with bright lights and a deep ache in your muscles. You blink a few times before you remember what happened. You try to sit up and let out a pained moan. You hear a chair scrape before a large hand envelops yours. Bradley was listed as your emergency contact. 

You look at him and he gives you a small, tortured smile. "How are you feeling, killer?" You clear your throat. "Sore." He gives a small chuckle and rolls his eyes. "Well, yea I figured that."

You glance around the room and notice he's the only one here. "Where's Raven and Cobra?" You tense as his face falls. He averts his gaze to look at the floor before meeting your eyes. You didn't like the way he was looking at you. It was concern mixed with sympathy. 

"Rooster, where the fuck are my teammates?" You heard the beeping on the monitor next to you speed up as you filled with dread and anxiety, praying he wouldn't say what you were thinking. 

"I'm so sorry, Y/N. They didn't make it." If you weren't in a bed you would have collapsed. Your breath hitched as your hearing was replaced with a muffled ringing. Your entire team was dead. Five of your best friends in the world. 

You had been lucky to walk away with just a broken clavicle and some gnarly bruises. They held you for observation before sending you home. Bradley took some time to stay with you. You were grateful since you didn't have any family where you were and all your friends- well. You suppose you didn't really have any anymore besides him. 

The next week goes by in a blur and before you know it you're saluting five empty caskets. The funeral was held with full honors on the day Raven was supposed to get married. You watched as his widow collapsed from grief and had to be drug away from the cemetery wailing.

Rooster gave you a few minutes before slowly and gently pulling you towards his bronco. He drove you home as you stared blankly out the window. The first couple of nights you had cried until you threw up. Now you were just numb. You didn't know if the gravity of the situation would ever truly hit you.

Rooster had spent the next week of his leave by your side, forcing you to eat and shower. In between, he just laid in bed with you and held you. Somewhere in that time frame, things changed. He went back to San Diego and you put in a request to transfer and be closer to him. 

You couldn't stand the way everyone on base looked at you and whispered behind your back. Everyone either looked at you with pity or like you were a ghost. You wanted a new start. You couldn't bare to see Raven's fiancé around town and everywhere you looked you were reminded of a memory with your squad. 

Over the next few months living in San Diego, your friendship with Rooster would evolve into a relationship as he helped you through the nightmares and made sure you were safe and taken care of.

Now, here you were on the verge of blacking out and all you could think was how you wish you died with them. You wanted to live. Really, you did. You loved Rooster and want a future with him. But every time you took a breath you felt like you were suffocating with guilt. 

Guilt that you were here and they weren't. That you would get your white wedding, and see another birthday, and get to experience all the joys of life they were robbed of. You thought about it every second of every day and you didn't know how to be happy anymore.

Rooster had been at the hard deck for a while before he looked at his watch and realized you were supposed to be here almost two hours ago. Normally, he would just assume you had been tired and decided to stay in. But he knew what was coming up and he had noticed the shift in your behavior. 

He checked his phone to find you hadn't texted him to fill him in on you staying home and began to worry. He moved to the patio outside as he hit call on your contact and brought the phone up to his ear. His stomach dropped as it went straight to voicemail.

You always had your phone and you were meticulous about keeping it charged. He called three more times before getting in his bronco and speeding home without telling anybody goodbye.

He pulled up to your shared home to find it dark and the patio light off. Now he was sure something was wrong. You always left the light on for him if he was going to be out late. 

He jumped out of the truck and ran to the door fumbling with his keys. He looked around at the dark house calling out your name. "Y/N? Baby? Where are you?" 

He began to panic when you didn't give him a response. He poked his head in the bedroom silently praying you were asleep and this was all just coincidence. His heart dropped when he realized he had no such luck. 

He was about to call your name again when he saw light peeking out from the en suite. He tried to open the door only to find it locked. It was dead silent and he could tell something wasn't right. “Baby, unlock the door. You're scaring me.”

When he didn't get a response he gave you a warning. "Y/N, you have until I count to three to open the door or I'm kicking it down." 

Meanwhile inside, you hadn't even registered his presence. Your vision had begun to go black and you were seconds away from giving into the darkness when the door came crashing down. Despite the loud noise and Bradley's frantic appearance, you barely showed any sign of acknowledgment besides a low groan. 

Rooster's eyes widened as he saw the state you were in. He didn't know what he was expecting, but it wasn't this. He looked over the scene in front of him and he felt his heart break. There was an empty bottle beside you and your cheeks were stained wit dry tears. Even with your eyes shut he could see they were red and swollen.

He felt tears prick his eyes as he knelt beside you. He gently grabs your head which has now lolled to the side and caresses your face. "Oh, sweet girl. What did you do?" 

He checks your pulse as he splashes cold water on you trying to get you to wake up. He's seen you drunk before but never like this. He was beginning to wonder if he should call an ambulance. 

"Y/N." After not getting any sort of answer, he lightly taps your face and says your name a little louder. "Y/N. Baby, I need to know if I need to get help." Any other time he would cringe at the desperation in his voice, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

You slowly peeked one eye open and gave him a sloppy smile when his face came into focus. "Brabley, when did you get here?"

He gave a small smile at your mispronunciation of his name before remembering the severity of the situation. Under different circumstances he would've found it adorable, but the way you were struggling to form words sent another wave of worry through him.

“Ive been here for a few minutes, pretty girl. How much did you drink?” He knew you at least drank the entire bottle of whiskey, but he needed to know if that was all you had consumed.

Before you could give an answer, you shot up. "I'm gonna puke." Bradley wasted no time in helping you get to the toilet and tying your hair back. He rubbed your back and neck as you emptied your stomach until you were dry heaving. It went on like this for a few minutes before you fell back onto the cold tile and laid your head on your arm. 

While you were significantly more sober, you were still beyond what would even be considered wasted. At least now you could form somewhat cohesive thoughts and Bradley could understand your words. 

He watched in silence as new tears started falling off your face and picked you up off the floor. He leaned against the wall and brought you into his lap. He knew this wasn't something he could fix, but he was going to try his hardest to help how he could. 

When you registered Bradley's arms around you, you let out a tormented sob before collapsing fully into him. He held you as you cried and felt a few of his own tears slip out of the corner of his eyes. 

"I'm not going to leave you. You're never going to have to suffer by yourself again. I promise." You don't say anything but he feels your breathing slowly even out and after a few more minutes it's quiet besides an occasional hiccup. 

He sighs as he moves you to look at him. "You can't keep it all inside you know? Bottling it up won't do any good." You nod your head and he notices fresh tears on your waterline. You've sobered up more and you just want to crawl into bed. You have a splitting headache and your throat hurts from screaming and throwing up. 

You ponder for a second before opening your mouth to speak. You know you need to talk now while your guard is down. You're still just drunk enough for your filter to be off and you'd never open up fully stone-cold sober.

Bradley watched as the wheels turned in your head and waited patiently for what you were going to say. "When they died, I feel as though I died with them. I watched it all happen and time stood still. I don't understand why I was the one who survived."

If possible, Rooster's heart broke even further as he watched the girl he loved bare her soul to him. "I almost quit flying. Every time I sit in the cockpit, it's all I can think about until my feet are on the ground again. I'm not the same pilot I was."

Bradley went to comfort you before deciding not to interrupt you. He just kissed your forehead as an encouragement to continue. "When Hangman made those comments about me not having what it takes and being afraid to take risks, he was right. I don't remember who I used to be."

You looked up at him and at that moment he noticed how small and broken you looked. A shell of the vibrant and fearless woman and pilot he's always known. "You're safe, Y/N. I won't let you go. Why don't we go to bed and we can talk about this with clear heads over breakfast?"

You nod your head and he pulls you to your feet. He helps you brush your teeth before leading you into your bedroom. You sit on the bed and watch as he flits around the room. After a couple minutes, he brings you your favorite shirt of his and a pair of sweatpants. 

He helps you change out of your old clothes before tucking you into your side of the bed and kissing your head. "I'll be right back."

He comes back a few seconds later with a wet rag and gently wipes off all your makeup. You relish in how the cold feels against your burning skin as you feel yourself nodding off. You vaguely register the sound of Bradley doing his night routine before feeling the bed dip. 

You scoot back as you feel his arms wrap around you and pull you into his chest. It doesn't take long before his warmth and steady heartbeat lull you into a peaceful slumber.

Rooster lays awake most of the night trying figure out what to do. He was aware you struggled, but it had never occurred to him just how much agony you were in. He knew you needed to discuss this tomorrow, but he wasn't even sure you'd remember all this.

He felt you snuggle in closer to him and breathed in your scent. He didn't know what tomorrow would bring. So for now, he decided to relish in the feeling of you in his arms, safe and warm.

#bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw imagine #bradley bradshaw #Bradley Bradshaw topgun #rooster top gun #rooster x reader #rooster imagine #top gun imagine #top gun maverick #top gun angst #rooster angst #bradley bradshaw angst

[historynerdj2]

A Noob’s introduction to Genshin Impact

Hello, and this is a noob's introduction to Genshin Impact.

This is Genshin Impact. (*ding*)

This 2020 game made and published by miHoYo using the Unity engine, has taken the world by storm, and if you somehow haven’t heard of it, then prepare to be introduced to the lore in the most absurd way possible.

Set in the world known as Teyvat, you, the player character, are the eponymous “Traveler”, a mysterious dimension hopping traveler (thus the name), stuck in the aforementioned world of Teyvat, due to getting smacked down by an Unknown God, alongside your twin. With your twin missing, you must search for answers in this world of Teyvat.

So, what is Teyvat? Teyvat is a world governed… BY THE GODS!!!

Specifically, there is a floating island known as Celestia, from where the Gods who uphold the vague “Heavenly Principles” live.

Not that they actually govern the world most of the time. The ones who actually govern the world are Gods that are collectively referred to as the “7” (because there are 7). These 7, are the Archons, who are not only gods, they are also the ones who lead the various nations of Teyvat, of which there are 7. Each Archon not only gets a nation to govern, but also gets to call dibs on an element. The old timey elements, there is no archon of carbon.

They are, as follows:

- Barbatos, the Anemo (see wind) Archon of Mondstadt, and God of Freedom (an interesting concept for divinity, but ok).

- Rex Lapis (also known as Morax), the Geo (see earth) Archon of Liyue and God of Contracts (because no matter where you go, there is still going to be a jerk that invents legalism).

- Beelzebul, also known as the Raiden Shogun, the Electro (lightning) Archon of Inazuma, and God of Eternity (a bit ironic for a lightning/thunder god, but ok).

- Lesser Lord Kusanali, AKA Blessed One of Wisdom, AKA Mahakusaladhamma, AKA Buer (goodness, that’s a lot of names), Dendro (plants… don’t think too hard about it)

- Archon of Sumeru, God of Wisdom. Focalors, Hydro (water) Archon of Fontaine, and God of Justice.

- The Lady of Fire, Murata, the Pyro (fire) Archon of Natlan, and God of War.

- And finally, the Tsaritsa, the Cryo (ice) Archon of Snezhnaya, and buggered if we know what she is the God of. (I’ve heard at one point that it was of Love, but that hasn’t been confirmed)

Now, what do these elements actually do? Well, the Archons/Celestia grant the mortals Visions, themed around the elements. These visions take the form of a colored gem, and gives the owner of said vision powers. Which they probably need, since there are many dangers in this world. Treasure Hoarder bandits, Hilichurls that are basically gremlins, the Abyss Order, a faction that woke up, and chose that the foe to defeat is everything that moves, and the Fatui, or as I like to call them, fantasy discount KGB.

So, take the dive into the World of Teyvat, and this has been a noobs introduction to Genshin Impact.

#genshin impact #introduction #the traveler #aether #lumine #teyvat #mondstadt #genshin liyue #genshin inazuma #sumeru #fontaine #natlan #snezhnaya #celestial #humorous #funny humor

[ninjagodragontournament]

ROUND 1 - MATCHUPS

Firstbourne VS Firstbourne Mech

Ultra Dragon VS Golden Ultra Dragon

Flame VS Wisp

Shard VS Rocky

Bandit VS Stormbringer’s Baby

Stormbringer VS Wind Dragon (Realm of Oni and Dragon)

Slab VS Fire Dragon (Realm of Oni and Dragon)

Ice Dragon (Realm of Oni and Dragon) VS Boreal

Grief-Bringer VS Zippy

Chompy VS Currently Unnamed Baby Dragon (Dragons Rising)

Zippy’s Uncle VS Dragonides

Dragon Keeper VS Pet Dragon

Legendary Dragon VS Master Wu’s Dragon

Thunder Dragon VS Fire Dragon (Virtues of Spinjitzu)

First Spinjitzu Master VS Lloyd Garmadon

Garmadon VS Wu

Energy Dragon VS Golden Dragon

Morro's Wind Dragon VS Ghost Dragon

Titanium Dragon VS Elemental Metal Dragon

Elemental Fire Dragon VS Elemental Water Dragon

Elemental Lightning Dragon VS Elemental Earth Dragon

Elemental Speed Dragon VS Elemental Gravity Dragon

Elemental Mind Dragon VS Elemental Nature Dragon

Elemental Shadow Dragon VS Elemental Light Dragon

Elemental Poison Dragon VS Elemental Smoke Dragon

Elemental Form Dragon VS Red Cyber Dragon

Hydroelectric Dragon VS Fusion Dragon

Nindroid Mechdragon VS Green Ninja Mech Dragon

Blue Cyber Dragon VS Empire Dragon

#ninjago #round 1

[unblemisheddesertflower]

be careful on those roads. there's been a report of bandits. / twinsies

Fantasy

"Bandits or Yiga?" Arguably, the Yiga were bandits, but they were a separate issue altogether. Arguably more deadly than your standard run-of-the-mill thieves, but much more easily frightened. Even after their brazen spying on Gerudo Town, all it really took to send them scattering like marbles was the rumble of thunder. If you really wanted them gone quickly, a prick of lightning more than did the trick. 

Still, the desert was ever dangerous and it was well to be on her guard. Makeela had made the long trek to Zora's domain a few times, but she'd usually had Buliara with her for both protection and advise. Between a particularly bad Molduga attack and heightened bandit activity, the three of them decided it was best that the captain of the Guard remain in town, perhaps joining up with Makeela's group if things settled down before too long.

She wouldn't admit it, but her stomach rumbled with butterflies. She'd never been away from both her twin and their Godmother for so long. Sometimes she was without one or the other, but never both... But this was too important. The divine Beast Vah Ruta, theoretical protector of the Zora, was acting even more maliciously than usual. They were once able to stop it by entrapping it in ice, but it seemed this rampage was too spirited to quell on its own. The Zora had proved to be faithful allies, even after the desolation of the calamity. More than a few times, they had sent healers and rations. It was time that the Gerudo repaid them in lightning to quiet the beast, for at least long enough to construct better protections against it.

"I'll be fine, Riju... Promise to write me though? I'll stop at most of the Southern Stables on the way there, and mail always seems to make it to the Zora's palace."

#Sentinaels #M: Riju #V: Twins

[keithhoward]

Verse: Gym Bro

Summary: One of Unova's most formidable Gym Leaders, Keith has earned the nickname "Bandit" from the sheer amount of prize money he's collected from his wins during his tenure. He won't be satisfied until he's made it all the way to the top, though- his main goal is to become Unova's champion. In the meantime, he'll mow down every chump in his way with his Steel-type bruisers.

Notes:

-Keith is 23 in this verse. -His characterization will be based on what I think he was like in his Dueling prime, pre-Pegasus. Pulling what I can from the text, but as it's a different universe, there will be a lot of headcanons here (also more lighthearted). -Despite being a Steel-type leader, he enjoys and is skilled in working with other types. He has a lot of Pokemon on standby in storage. -Lil' Bandit the Nickit doesn't battle, instead steals from other trainers to lure them to battle.

Team under cut:

Steelix (Steely) Ability: Sturdy Moves: Stealth Rock, Gyro Ball, Earthquake, Toxic

Aggron (Aggie) Ability: Rock Head Moves: Head Smash, Heavy Slam, Fire Punch, Aqua Tail

Scizor (Scizzy) Ability: Technician Moves: Swords Dance, Bullet Punch, U-Turn, Dual Wingbeat

Klefki (Kleffy) Ability: Prankster Moves: Spikes, Dazzling Gleam, Thunder Wave, Foul Play

Metagross (Nasty) Ability: Clear Body Moves: Meteor Mash, Ice Punch, Zen Headbutt, Rock Polish

Skarmory (Birdy/Birdbrain) Ability: Sturdy Moves: Brave Bird, Roost, Spikes, Whirlwind

Nickit (Lil Bandit) Ability: Run Away Moves: Sucker Punch, Thief, Substitute, Baton Pass

#verse page ; #gym bro ; #ok starting with this one bc im excited for it :) #i want to make a trainer card... i havent done that since i was like 11 lol

[nosafeharbour]

Day 3: Temper

For prompt Temper, as part of FFxivWrite2022. The heating and cooling of metal, so as to strengthen it. Contains mentions of death.

As all students who commit themselves to the Ul’dahn guild do, Albi began her studies in thaumaturgy by first learning the basics of funerary rites. While the Order of Nald’thal had their own traditions to upkeep, the fundamentals were true enough for any cadaver — ice to freeze and preserve the flesh, until ready for cremation or burial. If the body was to be interred, its owner having paid for the privilege long before its necessity, then lightning magicks would be used to cleanse it of contaminants before consignment to the final place of rest.

The process does not bother her. She wonders if it would have, had she been younger, had the moon not fallen from the heavens, but few could claim to be so fortunate as to have never dealt with remains of the dead after the Calamity. Being able to do so in a manner that helped her to live, to earn her keep… well, it was a better lot that many ended up with. Blizzard and Thunder became part of her repertoire both in the Arrzaneth Ossuary, and outside of it, gifts for the dead.

The fire used to cremate was the most difficult of all to conjure, a feat which separated the wheat from the chaff amongst prospective students. A practitioner had to reach within their own aether, and ignite it, taking care to do so in a controlled manner. The holy act of cremation took restraint, as did refraining from incinerating one’s own skin or clothing in the process. Of all the spells, Albi finds Fire to be the one that comes to her with the most ease, her very being smouldering in such a way where the sparks leap forth with little effort. She volunteers more hours at the Ossuary — there are far more who pass away in Ul’dah with each passing day than there are those who can afford burial, and as such, understudies such as herself are in high demand so as not to let the streets overflow with the dead. Each body taken into her care is another coin in her pocket, another meal or night’s lodgings. For every flame Albi brings forth to send the dead on their way, she casts another for the living, to cull pests or scare away bandits, the bounty offered by the Adventurers’ Guild joining that of the Thaumaturges’ Guild. Day by day, she gets by.

It is not until years later that Albi comes to understand the way fire affects the bodies of the living. There is a certain way in which ceruleum burns the skin, a mottling in scarring left behind that can be differentiated from that of any other kind of flame. Chemical burns tend to pull the skin taught and ugly, something far more messy than the cleaner lick of magic — she sees it on those who had fought at Carteneau, when magitek and the fuel it ran on were decimated by raining debris. She sees these burns on Ala Mhigan refugees and Garleans both, Resistance members and Imperial defectors living side by side in Rhalgr’s Reach. The stench of ceruleum had seeped into her bones in Castrum Meridianum, and had become a close acquaintance by the time she strode onto the battlefield at The Ghimlyt Dark. Her body was mottled with burns by then too, as equally by her own fault as by any other.

Albi watches the artisans of the Crystarium with a wary eye, the clang of metal upon metal a constant din as weapons are forged and armour is cast. The heat of the kilns is sweltering, fires roaring in the backs of their chambers – the majority of the dead in this world need not worry about the legacy of their bodies, aether twisted and reformed in blinding resplendence upon life’s end. It seemed apt that she had thus lost her favour with black magic, her experience in the art of cremation now unneccessary. Better to join the rank and file of those who used that heat as fuel, to quicken steel and forge armaments, protection, a ward against the threat of death rather than being given the burden of handling it’s remnants. Her rifle sits heavy on her back, a marvel of Vrandtic design. Her own armour, Eorzean made, fits high on her neck, concealing the evidence of skirting too close towards her own early cremation.

When she later sees the scars and welts that Gaius bears, covering as much of his body as one would wear finery, Albi finds that she truly understands how flame can twist the flesh, learning more than any funeral could teach her. There are the telltale marks of ceruleum burns blooming over his torso, the skin puckered and twisted. His arms bear raised welts, the shape of his vambraces permanently imprinted, temper-hot metal that so very nearly entombed him. The neat lines form a map across his skin, one that Albi follows with a featherlight touch, telling her about who he was, where he had been, where he was going. She wonders if they still cause him any pain, his stoic countenance refusing to betray as such, wonders if digging her fingers in would cause him to flinch.

The burns that follow on from the edges of his armour are bereft of the chemical singes of ceruleum, the flames that scoured them more arcane in nature. Albi knows that the fires which engulfed the Praetorium that night were predominantly wrought by Ascian and mechanical hand, but it is hard to ignore the fact she had come at Gaius with flame in hand herself. The weight of that hangs heavy between them even now, the smoke of it low and suffocating in the air. They do not speak of it, the same way they do not speak about many things. They are both likely to meet their end within the embrace of fires, be they the embers of war, or more literatim. The words are never spoken aloud, but Albi wonders if she will cremate him one day too, if he would find insult even in death at being inhumed through Eorzean rites.

All heat must eventually cool, tempered steel must be quenched. The sun must set, the calm of night soothing arid earth. Ul’dah sleeps, as do the dead, ashes returned to the land that bore their roots. One day, even the heat of the stars themselves will cool and cease – this, Albi knows. She keeps thoughts of her own mortality at arms length, knowing not whether flame will greet her at the end of it like an old friend. Until then, she keeps the warmth of it close, wielding it for herself, and for loved ones. For the living, for the dead, for who she was and who she will be.

#FFxivWrite2022 #fic #albi #gaius #albael #(implied)

[rotdnd]

Session 4

Bandit Captain hits Warren Peace - Warren Peace goes down (no health)

Rhicca casts ice knife - it misses. Elwyn attacks E, Quartzara blocks attack from A, F tries to hit Quartzara and misses kek, B attacks Elywn, Scott attacks bandit captain, CHARLES MISSES AGAIN JESUS CHRIST, Elwyn attacked by F, Bandit Captain attacks Warren :(, Rhicca casts healing word on warren, Elwyn kills E, everyone is attacking Elwyn :( Charles made bandit captain head explode slay, ‘

After a week the rhicca and elwyn come back to the middle of the square. Scott, zendressi, quartzara and warren stayed in Charles’ house. They were woken in the night by a loud thunderous sound as a fire bolt crashed down into the middle of town.

Rhicca (20), Guard C, Scott (19), Black Spider A, Quartzara (17), Black Spider Captain G, Black Spider Member B, Charles (12), Elwyn (12), Warren (9), Zendressi (8) | OKKKKKKKKKKK evil mage 1?

Terrorists are once again attacking the city rip to us.

Battle is won by party - Charles uses thorn whip to stop evil mage from leaving and he tells party not to let him escape. Elwyn shoots his leg off to stop him from escaping. Quartzara casts charm person on evil mage, evil mage says cult of khamus is black spider. removes his amulet and turns over spider symbol - the symbol on the back is zalrika’s symbol

party meets piper down - extremely famous performer. piper down tells bugbears about party to deflect them away from him.

Charles has 2 inspiration points

#rotdnd raw notes

[destinylightsup-2006]

17 Elements with different songs

Neutral Element ⚪: One Direction - One Thing

Fire Element 🔥: Taio Cruz - Dynamite

Water Element 🌊: Wellerman - Sea Shanty (Remix)

Nature Element 🍀: Katy Perry - Roar

Electric Element ⚡: Gabry Ponte - Thunder

Magic Element 🔮: Dua Lipa - levitating

Earth Element 🗻: Imagine Dragons - Natural

Air Element ✈️: Flo Rida - Right Round

Ice Element ❄️: Foreigner - Cold As Ice

Poison Element ☠️: Rita Ora - Poison

Undead Element 👻: Michael Jackson - Thriller

Combat Element 🥊: Fall Out Boys - Champion

Tech Element ⚙️: Little Mix - Power

Cosmic Element 🌌: OneRepublic - Counting Stars

Enchant Element 🎶: Clean Bandit - Symphony

Light Element ☀️: SUPER HI-X NEEKA - Following The Sun

Dark Element 🌑: The Cab Angel With A Shotgun

All credit goes to rightful singers and musical groups.

[thundergoodspeed]

@ofgalaxiesandstars @dilutedaspirations

Gary nervously adjusted his tie for the fortieth time in the last half hour. He still wasn’t sure about the outfit--did it look too weird? Standard tuxedos looked fine, but he’d found something with more of a tailcoat look, if a bit longer. Little Cato had said the dark purple was a good color on him, and had gone back to Ventrexia with Guavato’s squad to find more traditionally Ventrexian fancy clothes--like a gleaming belt to affix the engagement dagger to, a strange corsage-like thing made of metal etched in the shapes of alien flowers (Gary had no idea where to stick that, so he just pinned it to his lapel), and even a more traditional-looking, leather eyepatch with the Ventrexian cat head symbol studded on it. Still, he didn’t know how this would look to anyone else. He wasn’t exactly known for his fashionable taste in formal wear, or how good he looked in any of it. He wasn’t too confident about it.

“Dude, relax. You look great. Hot, even, if I do say so myself,” Daybreak said, nudging him with an elbow. He was dressed in the formal Infinity Guard dress blues, which looked less “Ventrexian wedding” and more “military school uniform”. He’d even combed his hair. Once again Gary felt a bit insecure; he hadn’t been able to tame his mane, and his anxiety hadn’t helped matters. He was already feeling facial hairs sprout along his chin. “...I said relax,” Daybreak repeated with a frown.

“Oh, yeah? You think it’s so easy to relax on a day like today? How about you go get married, see how easy it is for you to relax, then get back to me!” He blinked as Daybreak looked doubtful. “Uh. I-I mean, things are going fine with Cassi, right?”

“Y-yeah. It’s, you know, just a bit soon. I don’t wanna go and pop that question until they feel a bit more secure in the...”

“Say no more, bud.” Gary put a hand on his alternate’s shoulder. “Is Dad here yet?”

“Should be. You know how we were when we were mini-Gary’s age, he might be making it tough for Dad to leave on time. He’ll be here.”

Gary nodded. “Man...I’ve faced titans that were easier to beat than today,” he sighed, running a hand through his hair. Then he took a deep breath. “Okay. Okay, let’s do this.”

Daybreak chuckled. “You’re not facing a battle of blasters and murder today, yo. You don’t have to put the battle face on.”

“This isn’t the battle face, this is the Eyebrows of Everything,” Gary protested.

“Maybe it looks more battle-y with the eyepatch. C’mon, let’s go get you married.”

#ic; thunder bandit #ic; abandoned hero #ofgalaxiesandstars #dilutedaspirations #closed rp

[beskarberry]

Unbridled

Centaur!Pero Tovar x f!reader

“May I please you, hermosa?” he panted against your neck, nibbling his way up to your ear and growling when you nodded. “Gracias, princesa. I will keep my word, no human man will ever satisfy you as well as I am about to.”

Summary: The woods have always been full of myths, but you never expected one to just show up at your doorstep. You promise them a night in your barn, but one of them takes your generosity as an invitation for more.

Rating: Explicitly delicious

Word count: 9.5k

Content warnings: Centaur fucking, horse cocks, size kink, oral f receiving, double fisted hand jobs, cum inflation, creme pie, so much fucking cum. Nonsexual: food mention and eating, horse puns, lots of swearing, Tovar being a dick but also being so soft.

A/N: I wrote this pretty quickly so it's kind of a hot mess but over all its just fun and sexy, with some quirky sillyness thrown in. Centaur!Tovar has been on my mind since before I saw the movie, I even did a little art of him and have been meaning to do a fic ever since.

The sound of distant thunder drew your attention away from where you were harvesting vegetables from your garden to look up at the clear, beautifully blue sky, and your brow creased in confusion. There were a few faint wisps of fluffy little clouds skirting along the horizon, preparing a nice comfortable bed for the sun to rest, but aside from that there was nothing to block the first few stars opening their eyes in the eastern sky.

And yet the rumbling continued.

As the sound grew louder you realized it wasn’t coming from the sky, it was coming from the nearby woods, and your heart sank at the familiarity of the cadenceless drums.

Horses.

A stampede of horses, surely, by the sound of so many hooves crashing through the forest, bearing their riders straight to your lonely little neck of the woods. You dropped your basket of vegetables, scrambling out of the fresh-turned earth towards your cabin. The log-and-mortar home of yours was just outside of town, but far enough away that you would never make it to the safety of the village before the raiders burst from the trees.

You had to make your stand here.

Being a farmer you didn’t have much in the way of weapons, but you had a heavy cast iron pan that had been the last sight of many a coon getting into your chicken coop. It would have to do.

You barricaded the door and backed yourself against the thickest wall right as the riders burst from the treeline. There were only two of them that you could see out the window, but they weren’t whooping and hollering like the last raid had. No, they were quiet aside from their horses feet, but that wasn’t the only thing amiss.

Their horses did not have heads.

Maybe it was the adrenaline pumping like raw ice through your veins and blurring your vision, but you swore that neither of the beasts had heads, and, now that you were looking more closely at the incoming bandits, you realized the riders also didn’t have any legs.

Wait, yes they did, they had four.

Are those... centaurs!?

The galloping creatures slowed their pace to a canter, then to a soft trot as they approached your home. They were well-armored and bristling with weapons, but they spoke easily to each other as they approached the door.

-Knock knock knock!-

“Hello in there!” spoke the voice of a man clearly from the High North, where tales of vikings and giants often drifted down from. “We mean no harm, we’re just looking for lodging for the night, can you help us?”

“Hermano, perhaps they do not speak English. Let me try. ¿Hola? Abre, por favor.” The one that spoke now had a much deeper voice than the other, gruff and rugged around the edges and lacking all of the bedside manner of his companion. “Open up before I kick this door in!”

“Pero! Have some manners!” You heard the clip-clop of hooves shuffling on your patio as the men argued. “Forgive my brash friend here, he was raised in a barn!”

“So were you, amigo!” the rude one said with a snort.

When you didn’t answer, hoping they would just go away, the nicer of the pair stated: “I don’t think there’s anyone here, hopefully they won’t mind us bunking down in the barn for the night then.” You tightened your grip on the cast iron pan, listening to the beast-men outside the door. There was the faintest clinkle of a bag of gold being set on the rocking chair, then the sound of hooves leaving the wooden porch and starting off towards the barn.

As much as you wanted to breathe a sigh of relief that the monsters were leaving, you couldn’t relax knowing that’s where your own horses were kept. Where your mares were kept.

Oh hell no.

Monsters or not, they weren’t touching your girls, and you burst out the door and into the warm twilight. “Hey!” You shouted, drawing the attention of the two half-men. Their sudden gazes sapped all the blood from your legs as fear curdled in your veins. They really were centaurs! And big ones at that, making them exponentially more terrifying without the heavy oak door to protect you. “You can sleep in the barn, but if you touch my mares I’ll turn you both into glue!”

The men looked quizzically at each other, then burst into laughter. “Mares?!” sputtered the one with the lighter complexion, blond hair, and russet fur; his blue eyes disappearing behind his cheeks. “We’re not animals, my lady! Well, I’m not. My companion here however I wouldn’t trust near a goat.”

“¡Hijo de puta!” barked the other, slugging the first one in the shoulder. This one was bulkier than the other, his broad human torso easily seen even under all his chainmail and armor. His face seemed to have a perpetual scowl, wrinkling the jagged scar that ran from his thick black locks almost to the corner of his lip as it passed over his eye; how the eye had managed to stay intact you would never know. There were numerous scars on his horse body as well, battle wounds running from shoulder to flank, interrupting his jet-black fur with streaks of pale white.

“If you promise not to touch my horses you can bed down in the barn for the night, but just one night! Got it?!” You raised your valiant cookware at them, and though they weren’t actually intimidated by you in the slightest, they agreed.

“Thank you, kind lady.” Said the blond, doing a mans’ bow with his top half and a slight bend in his forelegs in thanks. “My name is William Garin, and this jolly fellow is my companion, Pero Tovar.” The second centaur did not bow or flourish as the first, merely nodded his head with a snort. “You’ll see not hide nor hair of us until the morrow when we take our leave. And I promise we will not lay a hand or hoof on any of your horses.”

William thanked you again and turned away, dragging Pero with him towards the barn. The second beast’s eyes lingered on you a little longer than you thought appropriate, sparking with a faint grin as they walked towards your barn.

You watched them go, letting your pan drop and your shoulders finally relax, and it was then that you realized you were shaking just a bit. The man-beasts seemed gentle, though their weapons and armor told you that might just be a farce. Stranger yet was that they only seemed bothered with clothing their human halves, their horse bodies unarmored.

And unclothed.

And… completely naked.

You were used to horse butts, hell, your barn was chock full’a horse butt, but watching those flanks saunter towards the barn behind the bickering men made your face hotter than the iron pan usually got.

Maybe it was because neither of them were gelded.

Night came fast this time of year, though it was barely past supper, the sky was already dark sapphire blue, haloed with a slight edge of gold where the sun had gone to rest. You sat in your warm cabin, the blaze from the fire pit emblazoning in every reflective surface of your pots and pans, glittering like lost stars on the iron nails that held the wooden boards together. Herbs dried over the fireplace, basil and oregano, rosemary and thyme. A handful of cinnamon sticks sat in a jar on the mantle, a rare spice in your part of the world, but you only needed a few to entice the cozy aroma from them.

The vegetable stew in your mug should have brought you comfort and ease, but you couldn’t stop thinking about your somewhat-unwelcome guests. You slightly wondered if you’d imagined it, the woods playing tricks on your mind. But the occasional barrel-chested laugh wandered through the night air to your ears, sprinkled intermittently with rough-barked curses.

Maybe it was curiosity, or maybe it was the nagging thought that you weren’t being a very good host, but either way something had you rising from your seat and packing up the stew pot and some utensils - do centaurs use utensils? You brought them anyway, half tempted to grab one of the extra feed bags you used for the horses as well, but decided against it.

The cool evening air made your cheeks prickle the moment you stepped out into it, the steam of the stew pot immediately visible. In a cloud of tasty-smelling fog you hustled to the barn, trying not to talk yourself out of being a good host. Or maybe you were just going to check on the mares, yea that’s it - though your only weapon of defense was a hot pot of stew. Look out, here comes a ~mighty warrior~.

You rapped on the barn door with your foot, feeling a little silly since it was, in fact, your goddamn barn, but thought it best not to be rude. A shuffling of hooves came from the other side before the barn door swung open to reveal the one called Pero. “¿Si?” he rasped, glaring down at you with hooded eyes, that seemingly-perpetual scowl digging furrows into the sides of his scruffy cheeks. Were it not for his stompy hooves and swishy tail you might have found him handsome, even if he did seem like a jerk.

“Do you eat people food or is the hay enough?” you said, hoisting the stewpot higher so he could see.

His torso bent where the horse’s neck would’ve been, making him tower over you even more than he already did. He took a handful of deep inhales, sniffing the pot curiously, then nodded with a grunt. “Not poisoned, is it?”

“I’m not that bad of a cook!” You barked back, making Pero chuckle just a bit, almost secretly. He stepped aside then, gesturing for you to come in with a wave of his broad palm and a swish of his tail.

“My lady!” called William as soon as he spotted you from where he was sitting on a pile of hay. Laying… sitting? His hooves were under him, tucked comfortably so his human half was upright, you weren’t sure what to call it but he looked happy. You glanced from him to where your own horses were milling about in their stalls on the other side of the barn, safe and untouched. “You didn’t have to bring us supper, but we are certainly appreciative, isn’t that right, Pero?” The dark horseman grunted as a form of response, but was circling you almost menacingly. You instinctively clutched the soup pot tighter, but William was already to the rescue. “Don’t mind him, fair maiden, he may be impolite but I’ve known that old dog long enough to know when he’s hungry and likes what’s on the menu.”

You glared at Pero, who clicked his tongue and trotted away, his intimidating demeanor thwarted by his companion. Setting the pot and bowls down on one of the tack tables, you made to take your leave, but as soon as you backed up you ran into a wall of fur and meat.

“Lo siento,” the sudden centaur huffed, pushing around you to get to the soup. “Hungry.” Pero pointed at the stew pot with one broad, calloused finger, stomping his hoof demandingly.

You pushed the ladle into his hand. “Here, help yourself. I’m not your servant.”

Pero, very good at ignoring people it would seem, dug heartily into the simmering broth, spooning it directly into his mouth.

“Tovar. Use a bowl!” William barked, ripping the ladle away and making himself a serving like a human person. “Be civilized for once in your life.”

“‘S’good.” he said, grabbing for the spoon, which William whacked him with before making him a bowl. Pero took it greedily, gulping it down in one go and immediately holding his empty bowl out for more.

“Good heavens Pero, you’re going to eat this poor woman out of house and home, she hasn’t even gotten a bowl for herself yet!”

“I ate already, these are leftovers.” You half mumbled, watching Pero bolster in for another serving. “Shit, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone so excited to eat my cooking before.”

Both of them looked at you surprised, though William was decidedly more confused than Pero, whose gruffness had been replaced with excitement. “She cooks and she curses? A shame you don’t have more legs, I would make you my wife.”

“A shame you don’t smell better, maybe I’d take you up on that offer, but I like my nose right where it is and would hate to have to cut it off.” Your retaliation made William nearly topple with laughter, and Pero grunt and stomp like an unruly stallion.

“Hmph! See if I compliment your cooking again then, señorita.”

“See if I cook for you again, ponyboy! At least that one is polite enough to use a bowl. He can eat people food, but you, I hope you like oats for breakfast because that’s all you’re getting!”

“How do you know I don’t like to eat people?” Pero snarled, standing up to his full height which put you barely at his human sternum. You didn’t know enough about centaurs to know if he was bluffing, so you stuck your tongue out at him and stormed out of the barn, slamming the door behind you.

As you plowed back to your cabin you could hear the two of them arguing in the barn, William disgusted with Pero for being so rude, and Pero utterly flummoxed about what he did wrong.

Morning came briskly, leaving spiderwebs of frost along the window panes, turning to crystal clear streams as the sun peeked over the horizon. You wrapped yourself up in your soft doeskin breeches, thick wool tunic, and a heavy fur cloak before you made to head outside for your morning chores. You usually made breakfast with fresh eggs from the coop after you let the chickens out, and you wondered if you would have enough today to make breakfast for your guests as well.

You made to let yourself out, but dropped your empty egg basket as soon as the door swung wide, finding yourself face-to-fist with one of the centaurs. Pero recoiled his hand from where he was about to knock, doing a little shuffle that the mares usually did when they were startled.

“Hermosa, erm, good morning.” he said sheepishly, carding a broad palm nervously through his hair. “What’s for breakfast?”

Wow. “Nothing for you, you threatened to eat me!” You barked, jabbing your finger into his armored man-gut since that was the closest thing you could reach. “William gets to have eggs and toast, if he wants. You get oats.”

“I don’t want oats, I want eggs!”

“You want eggs? You can get them yourself!” You pointed at the chicken coop, one hand on your hip in defiance. His wide-eyed surprise made you bold, “If you were my husband you would have to get your own eggs, and help around the farm if you wanted to eat, so go on, practice!”

Pero scowled and harrumphed, turning on his many legs and trotting towards the coop with basket in hand. You watched, befuddled that he had just… done what’d he’d been told, but were soon even more disappointed with him than you already were.

He trotted around the low wooden building, inspecting the small windows and the closed door. He tilted his head, listening to the chickens inside clucking excitedly, waiting to be let out to greet the day. Eventually he figured out to fucking open the door, jumping back when all your fat hens rushed out, looking for their breakfast. The birds didn’t seem too bothered by the horse man, but were quickly agitated that he didn’t seem to have anything for them to eat.

Pero ignored the hungry hens and bent down to look in the coop door. It was graceless to say the least. His horse butt stuck up in the air, his forelegs half-bent so he could get his human head and arms into the hole; but it wasn’t built for large men, only chickens; and certainly not horses. At one point he attempted to use the egg basket as a scoop, which also didn’t work. You struggled to stifle your laughter while the centaur reached and struggled to get to the eggs, cursing in a foreign tongue that he couldn’t fulfill his quest.

“It’d be easier if you opened the egg door there, brainiac.”

“I know that!” no you don’t. Pero fixed you with a glare and finally noticed the angled slope of the roof had hinges on one side. That opened into the coop so that he could easily reach in to get the eggs, and pulled them out like he’d won a prize. “See? Good husband material, no?”

“Mm.. no.” You cocked a brow playfully at him and held your hand out, demanding the eggs. Pero, miffed by your disagreement, trotted up to you with the basket full of breakfast, but when you reached out to take it from him he caught your hand instead. “Pero! What are you-”

“Hermosa.” He purred against the back of your hand, dragging the bristles of his scruffy lip over the sensitive skin and planting a lingering kiss there, his amberdark eyes never breaking from yours. “What must I do to earn a breakfast that is more than just oats?”

Stunned, you fought the tide of goosebumps coursing over every inch of your skin to pull your hand back from the overly-confident centaur. “Stop that! Fine, I’ll make you breakfast too-” You looked away from his kicked-puppy expression to the wagon at the corner of the yard, half-sunk into the mud after one of the wheels broke. “If you go pull my cart out of the bog.”

The kicked puppy was replaced with a snarling junkyard dog. “Do I look like a draft horse to you?”

“Yeah, actually.” you said over crossed arms. “And draft horses love oats.”

For just a moment you were almost sad that you’d only offered the centaurs one night in your barn, because bossing Pero around like this was a real treat. He chuffed and grumbled as he went, and as promised, you set about making more than enough breakfast for three… five? Does the horse body count as extra people? Better not overthink it, you’ve only got a dozen eggs.

As you moved about the kitchen, making a huge pot of scrambled eggs and toasting two whole loaves of bread, watching out the window over the sink that gave you a perfect view of your helper. For such a big beast he stepped carefully through the mud, looking for the best leverage to pull out the wagon. It would probably be easier if he asked William for help, but something told you this was now a matter of pride.

Pero found the front of the cart and wrapped the muddy ropes around his broad hands, pulling it over his shoulder as he strained against the swampy suction. Muscle stood out on every inch of his body, from his onyx flanks to his rugged arms, his bristly mouth turned in a snarl as he dragged the wagon from its mucky grave.

The smell of slightly-burnt eggs stole your devious gaze away from the brute in the yard, earning a slew of curses from you when you saw the edges of your scrambled eggs had gone brown; though you doubted the men would mind. You got all the food around - including some toasted oats just to be a dick - and a bottle of mead packed in a basket and made for the barn.

Pero was there with William when you arrived, though he was covered head to hoof in sticky dark mud. He didn’t seem bothered by it though, or bothered by the thin sheen of sweat on his brow, making his dark curls stick. William was all smiles, polite as ever. “Good morning, fair. lady! See you’re already putting this one to work, about time he did something useful.”

“¡Silencio! I have earned my breakfast, unlike you, culo vago!”

“Is he always like this?” You asked Will playfully, handing him the basket of breakfast. The northerner nodded, fighting to keep the basket away from Pero. “Hey, save some for me!”

“You heard the lady, Pero! You need to learn how to share!”

“First she makes me work, and then she makes me share?! Nevermind, I don’t wanna marry you anymore.”

“Oh no, woe is me.” you pressed the back of your hand to your forehead mockingly, “However will I live without your naked horse ass tracking mud all over my barn?”

Pero growled and snatched a plate of eggs and the entire bottle of mead, then stormed out of the barn to go eat outside. William might be the giggliest creature you’d ever met, because he couldn’t stop laughing at Pero’s tantrum. “I’ve never seen him like that, I think he likes you.”

You finished a polite, civilized breakfast with William before going to find Pero. He wasn’t hard to locate, the big beast taking up a sizable portion of your fence where he was leaning, using the wooden railtop as a table while he stuffed scrambled eggs into his piehole sans fork. The mud had started to dry, covering him in big patches of crumbling earth, matting his fur and probably making him uncomfortable; but if he was he didn’t show it.

“How’s the eggs?” You asked, leaning on the fence with him. He was still considerably taller than you, so you climbed up the fence and sat on top of it, putting you almost at eye level with the scowling creature.

He huffed and stomped his hooves a bit, but soon relented. “S’good. You cook good, hermosa. I wish I could stay longer and eat more of your food.” he said around a mouthful of eggs.

“You’d eat me out of house and home, big guy. Would have to earn your keep.” You were joking, there was no way you could continue to feed a centaur, let alone two, but the quick glance in Pero’s dark eyes belied his hidden excitement. It was a fleeting look, but you still caught it, and tried to bury it swiftly. “There’s lots of work to be done on the farm, especially since I’m out here by myself. Wood’ll need to be brought in for the winter, and the chicken coop needs shoring up. Not to mention the spring plowing and sowing.” You side-eyed the scars that pockmarked his body from countless battles. “It’s… boring. You wouldn’t like it.”

“Not boring.” he stated coldly, quaffing half the bottle of mead. “But like you said, I am too big, and I would track mud everywhere. You would not like me here.”

That wasn’t something you were ready to give too much thought to, but the muddy part you could do something about. “Thank you, by the way, for pulling the cart out of the mud. It’s been there since the summer rains and it’s been hell without it.”

“De nada.”

“There’s a creek not too far from here, I can show you if you want to get washed up? Might even have some horse brushes you could borrow.”

Tovar laughed like you’d said something ridiculous. “It has been ages since I’ve had a good wash.” He chugged the rest of the mead with a belch, dragging the scarred back of his hand over his beard and mustache. “Si, hermosa, please lead the way.”

You were not at all surprised that the big stinky animal hadn’t had a bath in a while, and William had a good laugh when you told him where you were going while you grabbed some brushes from the barn. Though you didn’t entirely trust either of them, you thought it would be smart for Will to know where you and Tovar were off to, in case he came back with a full belly but without you. The chestnut centaur smiled and winked as you left, but didn’t say anything insinuating besides ‘don’t get into too much trouble you two!’

The creek was nearly a river at this time of year, its banks swollen with the last of the fall rains that would soon recede and freeze in the coming winter. For now though it was cool, almost too cold, but you were a hardy woodswoman and had handled worse. You weren’t planning on getting in, but as soon as Pero saw it he was ripping off his armor and galloping towards it, splashing you with ice cold spray.

“Don’t get me wet, Pero! I’m trying to stay dry!” You hollered, though you’d already failed that task, nearly soaked from the playful pony. You wiped water out of your eyes to glare at him, but quickly averted your gaze from the now entierly-naked beast.

“What’s wrong, hermosa? Don’t like what you see?” He boasted, splashing more water at you so you had to defend yourself, uncovering your eyes.

“No! I mean- yeah- I mean, fuck, you’re naked!”

“I’m hardly more naked than I was before I got in, don’t think I haven’t noticed you staring at my cock. How is my chest worse to look at?”

The ice water nearly boiled off of your hot face, but he was right. It wasn’t like he could wear pants anyway. You couldn’t help looking at him now since he was so generously presenting himself, his human half streaked with water as it coursed over his body, making the hairline that dusted his human belly stick to his skin. There were even more scars on his torso than there were on his flank, long jagged ones, big circular gashes, and even one on his shoulder that looked like a bite mark from something impossibly bigger than he was.

And motherfucker was he big, unfairly so. Heavy muscle crisscrossed under his marred flesh with just the perfect amount of softness to cushion him. The fur on his body thinned abruptly where man met beast, but the dark fur stayed connected as it went up his belly and chest, begging for someone to run their hand through it.

Tovar noticed you staring at his mythical body, a slight pout creasing his plush lips. “Here, I have an idea.” He said, turning away from you and giving you a delicious glimpse of his back and shoulder muscles. As he waded further into the water, the bottom half of him disappeared under the waves until all that was equine of him was hidden from view, and you were left with only a half naked man, which was somehow worse. “Better? Come, join me.”

He was clearly being flirtatious, but the way he scrubbed at himself trying to get the mud off was anything but. “No, Pero, it’s too cold! And I already told you I don’t want to get wet.”

“I will keep you warm, come. I can’t reach the mud on my back. Which is your fault, by the way. Please, hermosa?” Tovar was playing every angle at once, flirting and guilting and pleading. One of them must have worked, because you were groaning to the heavens with slumped shoulders before kicking your boots and pants off. Unlike the centaur, you took a hot second to actually hang your clothes up to keep them clean, laying everything on a low tree branch.

You could feel Pero’s eyes boring through your spine as you undressed, and he didn’t bother averting them when you turned and faced him, naked as the day you were born. Quickly you covered yourself with your arms and dashed for the water, your eagerness to be modest blown to shit by the freezing cold water. “Fuck!” You screamed, flailing while your brain shorted out trying to decide if you should go deeper or jump out.

Neither of those were what you ended up with though. Instead you felt two tree-trunk like arms wrap around your middle, pulling you into a searingly hot embrace. “You’re alright, cariño, I’ve got you.” A man’s baritone rasped in your ear, his words hugged by the most secretive smile. “Can you not swim?”

“I c-c-can s-swim f-f-fine!” you chattered, half frozen. You kicked your legs to make a point, trying not to let your fear show when you couldn’t feel the bottom.

“Oh ok.” Tovar let you go, and though you could swim on a good day, the cold water made your muscles cramp, threatening to sink you. It was with no small annoyance that, as you were frantically treading water, you realized he was just fucking standing up. Stupid horse. “Are you sure?” he asked bemusedly, a lopsided smile crinkling his cheeks.

You couldn’t even say no, instead you just reached for him, and let him scoop you back into his arms. He hugged you to his chest, letting his heat seep into your body, making every muscle slowly relax; from your pebbled nipples to your tense shoulders, down your tight back and finally your free-swimming legs. As the warmth rejuvenated you, you let your legs kick forward slightly, brushing against where his forelegs were firmly planted in the riverbed.

The illusion he was putting on for you - hiding his beastliness below the water - worked well enough for you, at least for now, giving you a chance to only focus on the man. It pissed you off that he was even more handsome up close, even with his frown lines and his jagged scar. His eyes, hooded by a heavy brow, were so deep and dark you were afraid that if you looked into them for too long you would drown in their melted caramel depths just like you had nearly done in the river.

He did not give you long to stare into his eyes though, closing them as he leaned down, pressing the softest kiss imaginable to your lips. If he wasn’t so handsome, or so toasty warm, you might have smacked him for being so forward. But you’d undressed and ran naked into the water of your own volition, and sought him out to warm you of your own free will. So it was with your own free will as well that you kissed him back.

There was the tiniest gasp of surprise from the big warrior, slightly shocked that you’d melt against him so willingly, but he didn’t question it. Those big beefy arms tightened around your waist, one long forearm stretching up your back to bury strong fingers in your hair, letting him kiss you deeper. For such a rugged beast, his lips were more plush than the finest downy pillow, silky and sweet as they moved over your own. His scruffy chin nudged yours, and you felt his inquisitive tongue peep out to brush your bottom lip, careful and poilite. You rewarded him with a lap of your own, nipping his lip between your teeth and making him inhale sharply.

“Hermosa…” He growled into the cup of your mouth, returning your bite with one twice as strong. “How many wagons must I pull from the muck to be kissed like this again?”

“That was my only wagon, but I’m sure I can find more chores for you to earn your keep with.”

“To taste your lips, and your cooking, I would pull a thousand wagons.”

“Oh I see how it is, you just want to eat all my food!”

“Untrue!” He roared, nuzzling into the crook of your neck, leaving little kitten nibbles along the column of your throat. “I also want to eat all of you.” You eeped and squirmed in his grasp, but the beast was too strong, joyfully running his mouth over every inch he could reach; sucking, biting, kissing, leaving a trail of his claims that turned the water around you molten with desire. “I could satisfy you like no human man ever could, princesa. What do you say, eh? Say yes, and let me see if you taste as good as the food you make.”

It was tempting to be sure, this gorgeous hunk of chevaline offering to please you, but it wasn’t enough to distract from his use of the word ‘human’. Water nearly steamed off of your cheeks at what he was promising you, having already seen what he was packing even completely flaccid. And was it even right to fuck a centaur? They already said they weren't truly animals. Even so, you weren’t entirely sure if his cock would even fit in you.

Pero could sense your hesitancy without you uttering a single word. “That is alright, hermosa, perhaps I need to do a few more chores around the farm to earn your love.” You half-heartedly agreed, bashful at his use of the L word. “I will prove myself good husband material!”

Again with this! “Pero-!” You started to refute him, but those strong arms dove under water and found the rest of you, hauling you bridal-style out of the cold water you’d grown used to and into the even colder air. “Shit fuck that’s cold!”

“I am clean now, let’s get out of the chilly water.” Pero, seemingly unaffected by the cold, hugged you to his broad, warm chest as he walked out of the creek. Water cascaded off of him as he stepped onto the shore, his jet-black fur even darker now that it was wet. He set you on your feet gently and took a few steps away, shaking himself like a big wet dog and throwing water everywhere, including your dry clothes. Fucksake.

He didn’t even seem to notice that he’d soaked your clothes, instead he trotted happily over to a dry, sunny patch of grass and immediately laid down, sprawling out in the warm sun. The way he moved wasn’t quite like a horse, but not quite like a man either, somehow meeting both in the middle; the strength and agility of a stallion with the intelligence and assuredness of a man. He rolled onto his back and stretched, showing off the most touchable tummy ever. Forget his stupid dick, you wanna get that belleh.

“Pero, can I, um…” You stuttered, trying not to shiver as your skin dried in the cool midmorning breeze. The stallion eyed you curiously, not so much lustfully as just plain… intrigued, wondering what was running through your mind. “Can… can I brush you?”

“You don’t even have to ask, pretty girl. Come, join me in the sun.” He rolled off of his back and onto his side, tucking his hooves under him and resting his human half on his elbow. “It would be an honor to be brushed by such a beautiful lady.”

The sunlight felt amazing on your bare body as you joined him in the patch of celestial gold, crackling heated pathways along your skin and drying you faster than being in the shade of the trees did. As Pero dried as well, the brackish smell of the creekwater faded, and you were able to smell his real scent. You were used to the horsey-ness of the barn, so you were noseblind to that, but the scent of warm body and a faint spice you didn’t recognize pooled blessed heat into your chest.

He didn’t budge as you approached him, only his tail swishing wetly while you kneeled in the warm grass beside him. The old, wooden boar-hair brush you used for your own horses almost looked like an insult compared to the mighty beast laying in the sun, but he seemed to enjoy it all the same as you started dragging the bristles through his fur. Water beaded along the edge of the brush as you went, falling in streams across his body, leaving his coat shiny and clean.

“I wish you were like me, hermosa, so that I could return the favor to you.” Tovar hummed, stretching a foreleg out so you could brush his shoulder. “Nobody has ever done this for me. It is… very nice.”

“Well, I mean you could brush my hair, but not with this brush. It’s too rough.”

“You would let me?” he asked, propping himself up on one elbow to see you better. You shrugged after a moment and nodded, making a bright grin split Tovar’s face from ear to ear. “When you are my wife, I will brush your hair every day.”

“Stop saying that!” you snapped, swatting him with the brush hard enough to make him jump. “Why do you think I’m going to marry you? You’re a centaur! What would the townspeople think if I walked into town… rode into town with you? On you? How would that even work? And, I barely know you! You’ve been in my barn for one night, which, by the way, is all you paid for.”

“I care not what the townsfolk think of me, and should they wish to challenge me I will cut them down with my blades, or stomp them to death under my hooves.” Pero waved off the imaginary hasslers with a grunt. “And I would gladly pay for another night in the barn if it meant the chance to earn your heart.”

“You’re a strange one, Pero Tovar.”

“Is that such a bad thing?” he said, cocking a bisected brow at you and watching as you picked the brush back up to resume your task.

“What do you even like about me anyway? We’re only half similar. Isn’t there a centaur out there that you like?” You didn’t meet his eyes as you continued to brush, but you could feel those warm depths on you, hunting your face for what troubled you.

“There have been many, but none have ever spoken to me so brashly as you. You do not need as many legs as I have for me to see how beautiful and strong you are.” He reached for your hand, twisting his upper body in a way that couldn’t be comfortable. “These hands have had a hard life, and deserve someone to make it easier.”

“And that’s you?”

He shrugged. “Could be.”

You pretended to mull it over, giving him a mischievous smirk. “I’ll… think about it. Let me finish brushing you.” Tovar snorted his approval, seemingly content with your answer and laying back down in the grass. He was almost entirely dry on this side, so you patted his flank asking him to roll over.

Instead of rolling onto his tummy, he rolled onto his back, stretching as long as he could and putting that super soft belly on display for you. You took your offering greedily, running the brush from between his forelegs and down his ribs, laughing when he twitched from the slight tickle of it. His vulnerable underbelly was especially sensitive, and he hissed and cursed at you while you brushed it, torn between enjoying the sensation and being tickled to death.

You managed to ignore his enormous-even-when-soft horsecock when he rolled over, letting you brush the other side of him clean and dry. Your mares would never let you touch their bellies, and would probably kick your head clean off if you even tried, but the centaur was smart enough not to do that. When you finished with his other side, you brushed your way up to where his human half grew. “If I had a softer brush I would brush your hair as well.” You said softly, tousling his damp locks.

“Your hands are fine, mi amor.” He said, nuzzling into your palm, demanding that you keep playing with his hair. Running your fingers through his hair squeegeed the water out so it ran down the back of his neck, but maybe the chill water wasn’t the only reason that he shuddered. Just for fun, you rolled his curls around your fingers, making little curly-q’s stand up from his furrowed brow.

Deciding that was enough silly time, Tovar dragged you into the grass with him,wrapping his broad arms around you and rolling you against his chest. He moved you effortlessly, pushing you onto your back and pinning you beneath him, his expansive chest blotting out the fact that there was a half-ton more of him you couldn’t see. Wet grass licked at your bare back, but you were too distracted by Pero caging you in for another kiss to notice.

It was a good thing you were a little bit of a nasty farm girl with no shame, because the way you instinctively wrapped your legs around his middle would have made a nun faint. His human ‘hips’, horse shoulders, whatever, were the perfect size for you to lock your legs around, though the closest thing he could do to ‘rut’ against you like this was to push his forelegs under your thighs to hold you to him.

“May I please you, hermosa?” he panted against your neck, nibbling his way up to your ear and growling when you nodded. “Gracias, princesa. I will keep my word, no human man will ever satisfy you as well as I am about to.” He stole one more bruising kiss before making his way down your throat, adding fresh marks to the quiltwork of blooms he had already left there.

Laving his tongue against the dip of your collarbone made you keen for him, arching your back up under his impressive weight. A dark chuckle boomed deep in his throat, excited at your neediness before he’d even begun. From your throat he wandered over to your breast, sucking marks into the pillowy flesh and taking your nipple between his teeth. Maybe he really was going to eat you.

His bite was soft and lustful, the broad hook of his nose dimpling the fat of your breast every time he pushed his face into you, the creases of his face smoothed away in his pleasure. Your other tit wasn’t left wanting, his heavy palm coming up to rest under it, gripping the flesh and greedily toying with its hardened bud.

Tovar unlatched from your nipple with a loud, wet smack, a lust-drunk look in his wide-blown pupils. “Feel good, no? And that was just the appetizer.” He shuffled down your body - an impressive feat for one so big - searing a trail of lingering kisses down your sternum and tummy; leaving a particularly slow one just below your naval.

Then he moved down to your mound, dragging his palms over the inside of your spread thighs, his callouses catching on the delicate skin. You were expecting his mouth right away, but he wanted to take his time, savoring every moment of his feast. The beast buried his nose in the curls at the apex of your thighs, inhaling your scent almost obscenely deep. He hummed his approval and squished his face down further, making you squirm in his grip, your back arching almost painfully when his tongue found your clit.

“Better than breakfast.” He mumbled against you, dragging his tongue through your folds, flicking at your pearl with each pass. His tongue must have been bigger than a human man’s, because you could feel it part your lips and press its way into you, lapping deeply into your core.

His big appetite was truly to your favor, because the stallion licked and lapped at your blooming heat until your own arousal dripped down your thighs, mixed with his saliva and pooling under you before you’d even cum. Pero could feel you -taste you- getting close, locking his arms under your knees, burrowing his face in your cunt like a man starved until you gave him what he wanted, cumming hard into his open mouth. He drank every drop, sucking at your bud and making you cry out from the overstimulation. It wasn’t until you yanked him by his hair that he finally stopped eating you out.

Smiling and shining, Pero looked like he’d won an award, and was wearing his medal plainly on his face. “And here I thought your food was good, now I know that it is you that makes everything taste so sweet.”

You were too boneless to tell him that you weren’t cumming in the cookware, though you knew that’s not what he meant. He pulled himself out from your dripping cunt, carefully moving over you on his hands and whatever that fucking joint is called on his forelegs. Wrists? Elbows?

Anatomy be damned, his kisses were like fire and tasted of your passion, his lips puffy and slick from indulging on you. “Now, hermosa, it is my turn to seek pleasure.” Tovar pulled himself from your lips and rose, his body quickly towering over you as he found all four footings and revealing his fifth leg.

Oh fuck that’s a big boy.

Pero’s cock hung below him, swaying gently with his movements. There was nothing human about it, size or shape or otherwise. It was probably as long as your fucking arm, probably as thick, too; even thicker where he flared at the head. The base of him was as black as the fur it grew from, but as it continued -a long, long way- to his head his colors piebalded from black to pink, ending in the flush, dark purple head that wept with his arousal.

“P-pero…” you squeaked, your face draining of blood. “That thing is not going to fit!!”

“I can make it fit.”

“Pero!” You scolded, receiving a laugh for your blush. “It’s not gonna fit, at least, not like this.” You rolled over onto your knees, pushing your ass high in the air for him. “I can take it better like this, but you have to go slow, and if I tell you to stop, you stop. Got it?”

“Si, mi amor.” Tovar couldn’t reach you with his upper torso, so it was up to you to guide him. On your knees you were considerably lower than where one of his own species would be, but that would probably save you from being speared on his cock. The beefy thing nudged your ass, leaving big, wet kiss marks from its drooling tip. You reached back and grabbed it, instantly made nervous by him stomping his massive hooves so close to your head, but he was doing it in pleasure, not in fear. “¡Dios mío, por favor hermosa…!” He begged, and oh how you wished you could see his face.

“Go slow.” you reminded, lining him up with your dripping entrance. He huffed in affirmation and gently started pushing forward, and already you were worried that anatomy could not be damned as you had thought. Tovar’s horsecock split you like a log, the monstrosity making you wail into the soft grass. It ached, and for a moment you thought your insides were going to be ripped wide open, but once your cunt had stretched to accommodate him the ache was more pleasure than pain.

Along your spine you could feel Pero’s oversized lungs heaving, his body straining not to just fuck you into the ground. “Feels too good, cariño. C-can I move? I-I don’t want to hurt you.”

You took a deep, shaky breath and nodded, then verbally affirmed you could take it since he couldn’t see you. His cock slid back through your channel, the wide, flared head keeping him from dropping out before he thrust back in, bottoming out so hard you felt all your guts shift.

“Fuck.. fucking shit hermosa…” he grated through clenched teeth, his words stuttered by his monster cock pounding into you. “Need to get you s-something to s-stand on. Too low.” His forelegs spread as wide as he could, his human torso dropping between his equine shoulders in what had to be the strangest contortionary trick you’d ever seen. Face to upside-down face now, he was holding himself up on his hands, watching you take his cock. “Look at you, fucking gorgeous.”

You winked at the upside down man and leaned forwards to kiss him. He could almost reach, but it was awkward; your lips not quite meant to kiss this way.

“Pero, c-can you get on your back? Might be easier…”

“Anything for you, querida.” Tovar stole one more sloppy kiss and stood fully upright, allowing himself one more gut-scrambling thrust into you before pulling out. The head of him caught as it went, pulling you backwards and drawing a cry from your throat at the loss. You wouldn’t be left wanting for long though if the meaty thud of the beast hitting the ground was anything to go by. “I would never let anyone else ride me, but you? You may ride me to your heart's content.”

He sprawled on his back, his hindlegs curled up slightly to protect the enormous spire jutting from his groin. You paused to appreciate it, taking his cock between your hands and running up and down his length. The velvet skin was slick with his and your arousals, thick veins pulsing under the flesh, running hot with need. Tovar squirmed like he had when you were brushing his belly, but this time it was more with urgency than disapproval. Warm precum practically gushed from his tip, shiny in the meadow sun.

“Please, beautiful, I want to fill your cunt, not your hands.”

“I’m working on it!” You barked playfully, reaching up to use his foreleg as leverage to straddle his wide chest. Propping yourself up on your knees, you scooched your backside down until you felt him nudge your cunt, and this time he slipped into you with ease. You could watch him from your vantage point now, even if he was farther away than you would have liked; but oh how beautiful he was.

As his cock slipped through your silken walls his brow furrowed and creased, eyes going wide, lips parted in a desperate gasp. With him beneath you, you were fully in control, and you were going to use that to the fullest advantage. Slowly you rocked your hips back, fucking yourself on his enormous length, earning a needy whine every time the head of him bottomed out; though you were nowhere near the base of him.

The stretch of him had you seeing stars every time he found the end of you, his hips rocking up in time with your thrusts, demanding that you go faster or let him fuck you himself; but if he was so commited to proving himself worthy, he knew that he had to let you take the reins.

And you were happy to oblige.

You found a rhythm with him, taking him further and further into you, letting yourself get lost in the pleasurable ache of him filling you fuller than any human man could ever hope. You threw your head back, closed your eyes, and rode that pony, deaf to your own cries of pleasure as you chased your high.

“Hermosa…”

Tovar’s whine fell on deaf ears, too lost in your own bliss, in the thickness of him almost popping your hips out of their sockets.

“Hermosa!”

That got your attention, your eyes snapping open and fixing him with a confused glare. “What, Pero? Are you hurt? Is something wrong?”

“I was going to ask you that. Look!” He pointed at you from where he was laying in the grass, unable to reach you in his mythical anatomy. You followed his finger to your belly, a soft gasp escaping your lips when you could clearly see a bulge where Tovar’s cock was pushing through you. “Doesn’t that hurt?!”

You rubbed the strange new lump, making Pero convulse underneath you. “No, actually. Well, kinda, but not in a bad way.” You looked behind you to see how much of him was left, and found yourself firmly rooted at his base.

He looked up at you with star-struck eyes, as if you were the mythical creature here and not him. “Estrellas, I knew you were the one.”

“Shut up, Tovar.”

“Si, mi pequeña esposa.” Pero squeezed his forelegs against you as best he could, using his bestial strength to fuck you harder. With every thrust you watched your tummy, the bulge appearing and disappearing in time with him. You felt your own climax building, maybe more from the debauchery of being swelled by him than from being fucked on his cock, but either way you reached down to rub tight circles against your clit and bring yourself over the edge one more time.

Pero lost it at the sight of you touching yourself on his shaft, and fell over the edge with you when you came, your tight walls milking him for all he was worth. Molten seed poured into you as the stud came, pumping you full… fuller… fullest! His thick meat gave his cum nowhere to go but in, and in it did, swelling where his cock bulged your belly until you were round with him.

Both of you stared at the new roundness, panting heavily as you came down from your highs. You couldn’t help but drag your palm over it, feeling a strange heat build in your chest. Not one that came from arousal or passion, but one that came from love and adoration; and for a moment you wondered if you really could love this stranger.

“Can I feel it too?” He asked sheepishly, unable to reach you with his human hands and reluctant to try petting you with his hoof lest he hurt you. You nodded and clambered forward, feeling his softening length work its way out of you, but the moment the head of him left your swollen lips, so did his cum.

It gushed out of you, drenching you and the centaur in what had to be gallons of milky white seed. You were surprised to say the least, maybe a little disgusted as well, but more shocked than anything that all of that cum had even managed to fit in you. Shaky and sticky, you dismounted your stallion, wobbling foal-legged to where Pero was propping himself up, getting into a ‘sitting’ position so he could properly embrace you as you flopped into the grass.

“Gracias, mi amor.” he purred, kissing your forehead, your cheeks, your nose, and then your lips with languid reverence. His hands tangled in your hair, brushing it away from your sticky brow so he could kiss there too. “So, what do you say? Did I prove myself worthy of you?”

You kissed him back, savoring the sweet taste of his lips, giggling when his mustache tickled your nose. “Perhaps…” you mused coyly, splaying your palms over his broad chest, drawing little circles with your finger. Ignoring the butthurt look on his face, you followed the treasure trail of dark hair to his human tummy, following it with your eyes where your hands couldn’t reach down his equine keel towards his messy middle. “But first, you’re going to need another bath.”

Pero followed your gaze to the ridiculous amount of cum oozing over his belly, the string of it dangling from his cock catching the light as he laughed. “That is all I must do to earn your love now, cara mia?”

“Yeah ok, sure.”

He beamed with pride, excitement dawning on him like the new day. “Then I will be the cleanest centaur you have ever laid eyes upon!” He kicked his legs until he was on his hooves with you in his arms, trotting eagerly towards the water.

“Hey! Put me down!”

“No, hermosa, you must now earn my love in the same way!” Wind rushed around you as Pero full on galloped back to the stream, charging headlong into the icy water and chucking you in as well. You surfaced quickly and threw water at him, cursing up a storm for being subjected to the freeze again, though all your anger was false. “See? Now we can both be clean, and I will also get to be brushed again!”

The townspeople speak of a woman.

They’ve known her since she was a girl, but something about her always seemed off. Not wrong, just… off. She’s pretty yet unwed, works hard and keeps her farm running smoothly by herself.

Or, at least she used to.

She wears a ring on her finger, though no one has ever seen her husband. Some people say he is a great horseman, and takes his steed out into the woods to hunt, or ride to far away lands; which must be why no one has ever seen him. The villagers know he must live there though, as the woman buys more than enough food for two when she comes to market, bringing vegetables and hides to trade. Some have seen her riding with her husband on a very strange horse, though no one has gotten close enough to see why the horse appears to be missing it’s head.

She does well for herself, and she is healthy, happy, and loved; by a recluse, but loved nonetheless. It’s easy to tell by the smile on her face, the song in her heart, and the way her hair has been lovingly brushed every single day.

★TAGLIST★

@mrsparknuts @cookiejuicedesu @kotemorons @ironbabey @theflightytemptressadventure @emesispo @what-iwish-youknew @misscamptl @t3a-bag @poppunkdee @misscamptl @pandastasia

@simpingmess @lilychristine01 @inaturenymph @buttercup--bee @blackdogdesignuk @tanzthompson @transientblueseraph @beskarboobs @sunnnygiiirl123 @doin-stuff @marvelranger @ajeff855 @pintsizemama @dincrypt @booksarekindaneat @giselatropicana @yours-truly-r @babybelou

@mindidjarin @221bshrlocked @readsalot73 @mandocrasis @novemberrain221 @moodsare @thepoisonofgod @littlemisspascal @insomniamamma @ajeff855 @hrk-fic-recs

@screechingnutrunaway @mandoblowmybackout @mswarriorbabe80 @iwantadecentblogname @wildmoonflower @sirianisrock @tintinn16 @anaaaispun

#pero tovar #pedro pascal #the great wall #monsterfucking #teratophillia #pero tovar x reader #pero tovar x you #pero tovar x f reader

[dino--draws]

so yeah my hand smight’ve slipped when it came to figuring out the map for how Sinnoh appears in the Land of All AU. 

Under the read more will be some sweet sweet (SEVERAL paragraphs of) Lore >:)c

Twinleaf-Sandgem Area: While nowhere in Sinnoh is really ‘safe’, this general location is considered one of those. The group of survivors who call this place their home are known as the Ramanas- mostly lead by Professor Rowan. Thanks to Lake Verity having a supply of fresh water, and the forest’s encroaching grasp on the neighboring city of Jubilife, the group is rather well off in terms of resources. Though such a thing has made them targets of bandits in the past.  

To the east of this area is a massive wasteland.  

Oreburgh: A no-mans-land, overtaken by the strange crystals that have started to grow everywhere in the region. Those who still survive have learned of how deadly these crystals are- with how fast they’ve taken over wild pokemon, and to a lesser extent, people. The Ramanas were some of the first to figure out that it was consumption that lead to ‘distorting’ of pokemon and people, caused the crystals to take root within. Thus any contaminated water source was a risk.  Within Oreburgh and underneath of it, stretching into the Grand Underground, the crystals grow rampant. 

There are rumors of people still existing within the city and tunnels, though perhaps its best to avoid those who have made their homes amongst the gems. 

Jubilife-Floaroma-Eterna Area: Something happened in Floaroma Town, and now nature here lashes out with a ravenous and desperate frenzy. The plant growth has become a shield around Floaroma, and Eterna forest is feral and untamed. Though this is both a blessing and a curse due to Sinnoh’s active lack of consistent foliage elsewhere. The forest is dangerous, the plant life viable to pull one down into the dirt to enrich the soil- but within it is also is rich in edible foliage, berries, and useful herbs- vivichoke, medicinal leeks, the like. Eterna City is a dangerous place, as some of the factions within Sinnoh often battle for control of it due to its proximity to the forest.

Canalave City: Long abandoned and empty, the cities resources and machinery have been mostly taken and stripped by other survivors. It’s now desolate and quiet, aside from the occasional movement of pokemon within the surrounding waters. 

Iron Island: a place that was once used for training, there are now rumors that the elusive Golden Hand has a base here. It’s unknown though, as no one really wants to find out- least they end up being right and get on the receiving end of a blaster. 

Mt. Coronet: the epicenter, the core, the fractured remains. Mt. Coronet is the regions now bleeding heart. Otherworldly energies pour out from it and seep into the surrounding land through the massive cracks made during the Shattering. The massive cracks are like ravinines- spreading across the region. They are narrow (usually between 8-20 feet wide), but deep. And crystals often grow in abundance around them.

Deep within the massive crater of Coronet and hidden by the floating hards of rock, something ancient slumbers- power since expunged.  

Galactic’s goal has failed spectacularly, and now two worlds become one.

Celestic Town: the small town was lucky to not have been completely desolated during the Shattering. Though due to its proximity to Mt. Coronet, it is now floating many feet in the air.   Due to the unpredictable nature of the swirling rocks around Mt. Coronet, and the occasional blasts of energy, not many have paid this town a visit in a long time.

Snowpoint Area: The frigid north of Sinnoh has been trapped in a storm of snow and thunder by the unstable energies of the distortion world. Ice-types and electric-types reign within this part of the region, and miraculously a good portion of them remain un-distorted. Though this may be because of the fresh snow. The process of evaporation seems to expel any of the crystals from the water, and when the snow falls once again it is fresh and clean. 

The only reason any humans would approach this part of the region would be for water harvested from the snow. 

Hearthome- Solaceon Area: A literal ghost-town, Ghost-Type pokemon (who are noticeably immune to becoming Distorted, perhaps due to their incorporeal nature) roam in abundance. This area is also home to the Roserades- a masked group of survivors who keep to themselves. Their leader is a silent, old woman who seems to know far, far more than she lets on. And has a distinctive lack of trust for the League Syndicate’s leader. 

Pastoria: The marsh has overtaken this city, flooding it with mud and plants. It’s full of pokemon, though majority have since become Distorted. The pokemon here are often not ones often found in Sinnoh due to the nature of the Great Marsh. 

Veilstone: This ruined, half floating city is home to one of Sinnoh’s wastes most feared factions. Team Galactic.  While they had been feared before the Shattering, that only intensified after it. The name of their leader is unknown, only seen as a masked individual who wields a devestating weapon- its the Admins Mars, Jupiter and Saturn who are more seen. Galactic is aggressive, territorial, and have clashed often with the League Syndicate.  While much is known of the group, not much is spoken. Usually most survivors assume one another know.

Know that they are the causation of the Shattering.

Sunyshore: When the Shattering occured, Sunyshore sunk into the ocean. And right into one of the large cracks. The resulting energy and pouring in water resulted in a gravitational anomaly (something not uncommon. The distortion’s energy is unstable, and often can effect the gravity in locations at random. Almost like changing weather, one days gravity may be less in one area of the region than another- or cause things to permenantly float). The city is now suspended, in pieces, within a large orb of water. Crackling blue crystals can be seen within. It’s assumed that these crystals have something to due with the broken gravity.

The Pokemon League: A large crack caused the island to be suspended in the air, but those who reside there have used this to their benefit. Home and base of the League Syndicate, a group consisting of members of Sinnoh’s pokemon league and lead by their Champion, the pokemon league island (also known as Lilly of the Valley Island) is a practical fortress (even if you discount the literal castle that is the league building). The caves of Victory Road are practically catacombs, and the island itself can only truly be accessed by the air or up the waterfalls. 

The only downfall to this is the Syndicate’s lack of access to any foliage, which has lead them to begin to use the caves for farming (and why they often clash with Galactic over Eterna City)- as the spring water in Victory Road is untainted by Distortion Crystals. 

Battlion Island + Mt. Stark: Left in ruins, though home to a few stragglers, this island was once the Battle Zone. However, many who did reside here after the Shattering left shortly after Mt. Stark began to exhibit... concerning and strange qualities. 

There’s something wrong with the volcano, and with the god inside.

Other: 

-Not many survivors actually live in the cities (especially on the east side of the mountains), as being within one can be a target on ones back. Most groups reside nearby, though. The only reason most go into the cities is to loot, scavenge and scrap. Thus making them areas prone to clashing and battles. 

-Lake Verity and Acuity are some of the only untainted freshwater sources in Sinnoh. It’s believed that the blessing of the Lake Guardians is keeping the crystals at bay. -However, due to Azelf’s absence, Lake Valor is no longer safe. 

-The crystals are almost omnipresent, though not all of Sinnoh has been taken over by them. Some survivors have found use in the careful harvesting of this otherworldly lattices- as the energy that is output by them is powerful, and can be converted into use for electricity.  And for weaponry. 

Oh and one last thing, here’s the official art that I sketched over in order to make this:

#pokemon #pokemon dppt #pokemon bdsp #sinnoh #land of all au #I may or may not of went completely off with this #took me like an hour to type all this shit #local idiot goes BUCKWILD OVER LORE #long post #im having fun though #//faint sound of me mentioning over factions aside from Galactic and the League but not explaining// #I will I swear I just need designs I spent all day making the MAP instead because the brainrot game is so so strong................... #this is 110% land of all's biggest lore dump so far #because its #all the locations //snorts// #well almost all

[ninjagodragontournament]

I’ve put together the matchups for round 1!

Firstbourne VS Firstbourne Mech

Ultra Dragon VS Golden Ultra Dragon

Flame VS Wisp

Shard VS Rocky

Bandit VS Stormbringer’s Baby

Stormbringer VS Wind Dragon (Realm of Oni and Dragon)

Slab VS Fire Dragon (Realm of Oni and Dragon)

Ice Dragon (Realm of Oni and Dragon) VS Boreal

Grief-Bringer VS Zippy

Chompy VS Currently Unnamed Baby Dragon (Dragons Rising)

Zippy’s Uncle VS Dragonides

Dragon Keeper VS Pet Dragon

Legendary Dragon VS Master Wu’s Dragon

Thunder Dragon VS Fire Dragon (Virtues of Spinjitzu)

First Spinjitzu Master VS Lloyd Garmadon

Garmadon VS Wu

Energy Dragon VS Golden Dragon

Morro's Wind Dragon VS Ghost Dragon

Titanium Dragon VS Elemental Metal Dragon

Elemental Fire Dragon VS Elemental Water Dragon

Elemental Lightning Dragon VS Elemental Earth Dragon

Elemental Speed Dragon VS Elemental Gravity Dragon

Elemental Mind Dragon VS Elemental Nature Dragon

Elemental Shadow Dragon VS Elemental Light Dragon

Elemental Poison Dragon VS Elemental Smoke Dragon

Elemental Form Dragon VS Red Cyber Dragon

Hydroelectric Dragon VS Fusion Dragon

Nindroid Mechdragon VS Green Ninja Mech Dragon

Blue Cyber Dragon VS Empire Dragon

some of these might seem. Weird. But I needed to shove some matchings together just so I’d have a matchup.

I’ll probably put together the polls at some point in the next few days (I have other things in my life to deal with, such as school) but I’m hoping that it won’t take too long!

[bridgyrose]

I would love to see a nuts & dolts body swap story (druing volume 7 when penny has a robot body) can you make one please?

“Penny! Watch out!” 

Penny turned around slightly too late as a geist possessing ice and dust crystals smacked her in the back, throwing her forward. “I thought this was supposed to be a supply run to Amity…” 

“Yeah, well, tell that to them!” Ruby jumped back with her semblance, aiming for the large dust deposits on the monstrosities that came closer. “We have to get them away from the truck!” 

Penny nodded and started flying up into the air, using her weapons to try to keep the grimm from attacking the truck. 

Under normal circumstances, the two would abandon the truck and come back for it later, however things were different. The cargo in this truck had to be protected. Didnt matter if it was grimm or bandits, the contents of this truck had to remain under close guard since it was carrying the power source for Amity Arena. 

Ruby pulled out her scroll, looking to see if she still had a signal. “Come on… just need to get someone-” 

“Ruby!” Penny quickly pulled Ruby out of the way of an ice spike from one of the geists, the scroll getting impaled instead. “We need to leave.” 

“We cant leave yet! We can fight these grimm off! We just need a…” Ruby’s eyes looked around the tundra landscape, focusing on a cliff with some loose snow. “...distraction! Penny! Fire at that snowbank!” 

Penny nodded and charged up a laser, aiming it for the cliff side. As the laser shot and hit it’s mark, the low thunder of an avalanche started to roll through the ravine. Ice, snow, and dirt started to fall and rush towards the truck. 

Ruby quickly got up, using her semblance to reach higher ground. One of the geists shot a few icicles at her while she was in mid flight, piercing her side once she materialized. 

Penny’s eyes widened as she watched Ruby get hit, racing towards her. “Ruby! I have you!” She caught Ruby in the air, pausing as she heard an explosion from next to the truck as one of the geists’ dust crystals exploded from the impact of the ice. 

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

Penny slowly woke up, wincing as she held her side. Pain? Why am I feeling pain? She started sitting up, looking around the hospital room before feeling a pair of arms wrap around her and the taste of hair in her mouth. 

“Rubes! I’m glad you’re okay!” Yang squeezed who she thought was her sister in a tight hug. “Dont ever scare me like that again!” 

“Y-Yang… cant… breathe…” 

Yang nodded and pulled away, letting “Ruby” breathe. “We heard the explosion from the wall and thought the worst. And when we saw what remained of the truck and all the snow, we were glad that you and Penny were alive.” 

Penny nodded slowly, looking herself over and pinching herself. She paused for a moment when she finally registered what Yang had said. “Penny and I… you mean Ruby and I, do you not?” 

“Maybe you need to lay down for a bit. The doctor said you’d probably be confused after everything that happened, but yes, Penny is alive.” 

“I know I am alive. I’m right here.” 

Now was Yang’s turn to pause as she started to piece everything together. “You’re Penny…” 

Penny nodded, giving a small smile. “Salutations Yang. Also, everything hurts.” 

“And if you’re Penny…” Yang didnt finish her thought, rushing out of the room and down the hall. 

Penny hesitated for a moment before getting up and trying to walk, wincing as she held her side. “W-wait! Yang! Where are you going?” She was still a bit confused as she continued to feel pain run through her body. All of her muscles ached, her head throbbed, and the bandage she was pressing her hand up against suddenly started to feel warm the longer she kept moving. 

Finally, Penny caught up to Yang, pausing when she saw her own body start to freak out. 

“What did you do to me?!” Ruby started pulling wires out of her body, hesitating for a moment when she couldnt actually feel what she was grabbing. In that moment of hesitation, she noticed Yang from the corner of her eye, starting to relax. “Yang!” 

Yang slowly walked closer. “Ruby…” 

“Maybe you can tell me what happened-” Ruby paused once she saw her body behind Yang, starting to grow a bit more confused. “W-why am I behind you?” 

Penny slowly walked to the doorway, giving a small smile as her head started to feel light. “Salutations Ruby.” 

“Penny? Is that you?” 

Penny nodded before falling forward, her vision starting to darken as the floor came closer. 

Yang caught Penny and sighed once she felt the blood leaking through the bandage over her wound. “Now that we’re all on the same page, I think you need to explain why you’re Penny and Penny is you.” 

Ruby laid back onto her bed, looking over her arm and slowly moving her fingers, watching the joints move. “I… I dont know..” 

Yang shook her head and started taking Penny back to her bed. “I’ll talk to Pietro and see if he can figure out what’s going on with you both.” 

#rwby #ruby rose #rwby ruby rose #yang xiao long #penny polendina #drabbles #ruby x penny #nuts and dolts #bodyswap au

[miss-choco-chips]

Drink and make merry, my friend (you'll be gone come morning)

Day four: historical- pirates // sci-fi- space

There are three pirates chilling in the dungeons. None seem overly concerned about the fact that they’ll be hanged come morning.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Bartholomew H. Allen. Bart for the friends. ‘The red nuisance’ for everyone else. Wasn’t the first time he’d been inside this very same prison cell; probably won’t be the last. The guards stationed in front of his door were the quickest on their feet, so maybe they’d have a minimum chance of catching the fucker should he escape again. Probably not, but the Arch Duke had been particularly displeased the last time he’d weaseled his way out of their prison, so they had to at least pretend to try.

He’d been unconcernedly chewing on dried meat for hours now. How did he manage to smuggle it into the cell, no one knows, but after he bit the first few hands that tried to take his treasure away, the general consensus was to let him be.

Similarly, anyone who held any notions of spending a fun afternoon with the only woman among the sea bandits was quick to be corrected, either by a broken hand or a kick that stole the air from their lungs like it was gold from a ship’s treasury.

Her name? Cassandra Sandsmark. She did not fuck around, and really, considering she would be dead by that time the next night, it was’t worth it to punish her for ‘prisoner misconduct’. That was why they left her be. Not because she scared their balls back into their bodies. The fact that she was Princess Diana’s wayward niece and, death row or not, the noble Lady would murder them all for even breathing in her direction, was a notable plus.

The last pirate, well… He’d chosen to spend his last night on earth doing push ups. It was probably better to leave him to his own devices.

Conner Kent. Whether or not he had any relation to Crown Prince Kal was anyone’s guess, but they did look startlingly similar; something the younger man had taken advantage of to avoid capture multiple times in the past.

To catch any of them wasn’t an easy task. The fact that they were all there thanks to the same man was beyond amazing.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

An auburn haired boy ran through busy port streets, his form almost a blur between passerbys. Jumping over crates, avoiding street vendors, sliding over banisters and landing at the very last step of any stair in his way, the youngster made a truly astounding escape.

Tough luck his opponent had accounted for that.

Just as he was rounding that last corner separating him from the port (and his freedom), a foot struck out. Quick thinking saved him from face planting on the disgustingly dirty streets, but his surprise and momentum cost him precious seconds of stumbling.

The swords pointing him from every direction when he straightened weren’t as threatening as the lone young man standing behind the National Guard, unarmed but from the cutting edge on his glare. Without breaking eye contact, the runner threw both hands up in surrender.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The guards barely even glanced up when the servant girl let herself in, softly pushing the trolley. They did, however, when the scent of food caught their attention.

“That for us, pretty lady?”

Blushing, the girl looked at both men from under her brown fringe.

“The… the prisoners…”

Elbowing each other, they smiled, sharks smelling blood in the water as they eyed the delicacies on display.

“It’d be a waste to let people who are gonna be fish food by this time tomorrow eat such an amazing feast.”

The girl hesitated again, her duty to feed the prisoners at war with the populace general unwillingness to disobey their military enforcers.

“Come on, pretty lady”, the other one edged on. “Who’s gonna tell the higher ups?”

Something flashed behind her beautiful blue eyes, and she nodded, gently pushing the trolley in their direction.

From within their cells, the three pirates watched in silence.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

If anyone were to ask, he’d been minding his own damn business when shit went down.

He had only wanted a beer. Really, life just wasn’t fair to wanted criminals.

It was just his luck that his crew chose this particular tavern to drink and make merry. Though, Kon supposes, it wasn’t their fault either. How would they know that the Lavender Throne pirates favored the same establishment?

He’d only been a member of the Renegades’ crew for about two months now, but he already knew how this fight would turn out. He was easily their best fighter, and the Lavenders were all about the same level of well trained; so here he was, alone in a circle of enemies, fist held high and feet doing their best not to trip over fallen crewmates.

Or maybe not so alone. A smaller back pressed against his, and he could see from the corner of his eye how the men trying to get his blind spot fell like flies. Not one to doubt his blessings, he doubled his efforts.

When things died down, Kon relaxed, marveling at the fact that just two of them were enough to deal with a full tavern of enemies. The bar maidens started to rise from under the tables they chose to hide behind, and Conner was about to turn around and thank his surprise saviour, when the feeling of cold metal against his neck stopped him in his tracks.

Uniformed men started bleeding into the room, dragging unconscious pirates away. When one approached him and his mysterious capturer, he almost felt the man behind him shaking his head.

“This one is high risk. I’ll take him myself.”

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

“Are you sure? There’s plenty enough for all of us”, asked Dumb Guard Number one again, words almost unrecognizeable under his chewing.

The girl, sitting primly in the chair they oh so gentlemanly had offered for her to wait on until they finished their impromptu dinner, shook her head.

Dumb Guard Number two didn’t need to be told twice and snagged the last piece of bread.

“Is it just you two for the night?”, she asked, apropos of nothing.

The more sharing of the two nodded. “Yeah, until the morning shift guys come and take them away to the plaza for their sentence.”

She whistled softly.

“Seems kind of mean, having only you two to guard three of the most wanted pirates of the last few years.”

The second one smiled a bit. “Nah, we got dealt a nice hand. We get to eat and laze around, and as good as they are, they can’t weasel their way between those bars. No excitement here. The day guards are the unlucky ones here.”

“How so? Aren’t them, like, a lot more? Seems like it’d be easier, sharing the weight of it.”

“Yeah, but Lieutenant Drake will be with them, ‘s going to personally oversee the executions. Can’t exactly slack off with the favored son of Archduke Wayne breathing over your shoulder, now can you?”

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

“Cassandra!”

“Go! I’ll hold them off!”

The older woman, holding desperately to the other’s hand, made a sound of profound distress.

“But-!”

“Donna, just go! If they catch you- just how much do you think Diana is going to suffer?”

“It’s the same with you! We can run together, there’s space in the spare boat”

They were running out of time. She knew convincing her older sister figure to leave her behind was not going to end well or happen quickly, so the blonde pirate shot a look to vice captain Artemis. They both knew Donna was just too important to risk like this, her relationship to Diana recognizable enough to use her as leverage against their Princess. Cassandra, as beloved as she was by the women who took her in, had spent the better half of her childhood hiding her real identity and running amok where few would be able to point her out as Princess Diana’s protegeè.

Ignoring her mistress’s screams, Vice captain Artemis’s arms went around her waist, lifting her clear off her feet and dragging her away, her strength forcing Donna’s hand free of Cassandra’s arm.

Soon, Cassie stood alone in an empty ship, sword in hand as she watched the sun setting over the horizon, the distant figure of dozens of escape boats a mere shadow in the distance.

When the sound of boards and then feet hitting the deck reached her, her hand tightened on the sword’s hilt, but she didn’t turn to see.

“It was a bold move. Brave, though.”

The words made her startle, spoken so closely to her ear, the approaching presence absolutely unnoticed until that exact second.

Breathing in deeply, Cassandra spun on her feet, sword raised. Her enemy was already a few feet away, safe from her board attack. His cold stare clashed with her feral growl, an ice prince facing off against an amazon fighter.

No other soldier dared approach them, as the sound of their clashing swords echoed in the quiet of the night as thunder.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Just as a distant clock was about to point both arms to its highest point, both guards fell asleep. Literally fell, face planting in the dirty prison ground.

Sighing tiredly, the young serving girl rose to her feet. Walking towards Dumn Guard Numer 2 (stopping only barely on her way to nudge Dumb Guard Numer one to the side, so he wouldn’t drown in the puddle his face had landed on), she crouched down and took the keys from his belt.

When she stood again, all three pirates were on their feet near their doors, waiting.

“Who’s first this time?” asked the youngest, voice vibrating in his excitement, smile bright.

“Me, for sure”, crowed Conner, hands on his hips.

“What are you talking about? I made him fight for it. Drew blood, even.” Cassandra, proud smile and raise hand, threw back in challenge.

To all their surprises, the maiden went straight for Allen’s door.

“What? Me?”

“What the fuck?”

“Are you seriously telling us IMP is the one who gave you the most trouble this time?”

The girl shrugged, but a small smile could be spotted under her calm facade if one cared enough to look for it (which they all did).

“I had to chase him all through Star Port city. I was tired afterwards. The two of you made me fight, but it wasn’t nearly as exhausting.”

The boy jumped out of his cell as soon as the door was opened, fist raised in victory.

“Yessss! Free booze!”

“It’s a stupid bet”, the girl shrugged at the other two’s upset frowns. “None of you are an actual challenge, after all.”

“Oh, shut up, asshole. Get us out of here before those dumbasses wake up.”

Before long, all three pirates and the young castle maid were running through empty streets towards the port.

“The ship is ready for you to take. I made it look like you stole it from a very drunk, very unsuspecting crew of beginners.” As they all ran, she… he, took his hand to his head, snatching away the brown wig. Hair, black like a raven’s wings, fell over his icy blue eyes.

Cassandra, keeping pace with him, accepted the disguise. “Where to, after?”

“There’s instructions on your next mission already written down on the back of the map, on the captain’s cabin. I left the key to the cellar as a paperweight over it, so there’s no way you’ll miss it.”

Behind them, the other two boys crowed in delight. Bart even makes a small little jump, never slowing their pace.

“Is it fully stoked?”

Turning to look at the bigger man over his shoulder, the maid-turned-criminal rolled his eyes.

“Half. I do need you all lucid enough to do your chores. But whatever you find along your way that doesn’t slow your progress on the mission, you can loot for yourselves. There’s an empty treasury on the right side of the ship just for that.”

Another jump, this time from the other pirate. The two running ahead shared an exasperated, though fond, look.

They reached the promised ship before long. It sat there, beautifully tilting this way and that thanks to the gentle waves reaching shore.

They stopped there for a second, the three pirates facing their rescuer.

“Will you be alright? Won’t anyone suspect?”

He shook his head, hands demurely raising his dress a slight inch from the ground in a small courtesy.

“Caroline Hill has a perfectly solid cover, and there are lots of people who’ll vouch for her if she’s ever suspected for tonight. Also, the guards chosen for the night shift are known for slacking off in their duty. Falling asleep close enough to the cells for one of you to snatch the keys and free themselves won’t be too much of a stretch for anyone to imagine.”

They smiled back at him.

“Do try to catch some sleep before going back there as Lieutenant Drake. You’ll need your beauty rest to give a convincing ‘I left those criminals in your care and you LOST THEM?!’ show.”

“The laughable state of the kingdom’s military is perpetually infuriating to me. Don’t worry, I’ll be believable. And I can use this as an excuse to fire the most incompetent guards in the history of ever.”

“Do you ever do anything without at least two different reasons and multiple plans banking on it?”

“Why would I, that just sounds like a waste of my time. Now go, run off, before someone sees four people hanging by the port and gets curious enough to remember faces.”

“When will we see you again?”, asks Conner, hand catching his friend’s shoulder before the man in the dress can turn around and leave.

“This mission should last a month or so, and after you hid the objective in the safe place I designated for it for me to pick up later, you’ll need to scatter. I’ll catch you again soo after that, so in total… maybe two months? Three if any of you give me an actual challenge, but I’m not holding my breath for that one.”

“Bastard. See you soon.”

“Make sure to take us drinking next time, Tim. We barely see you now that you have to play good lawful boy with your dad.”

“Only if you idiots take good care of the ship. The Red Bird is a delicate lady and I’ll hang you myself if there’s even a scratch on her beautiful shell.”

“It’s almost as if you care more about a bunch of wood and metal than us.”

“Because I do. Now fuck off.”

[In which Tim is a privateer (Basically a pirate with papers. As the name suggests, privateers were private individuals commissioned by governments to carry out quasi-military activities; in this case, Tim does illegal things for the greater good. As a military agent, he’s hiring himself lol) and the other three are pirates working for and with him, because they like to help him do good things and they also get a chance at fighting people, drinking and looting treasure outside their missions. Tim catching and then freeing them is how they exchange information or he gives them his orders.]

#my writting #core disaster week #day 4 #historical-pirates #pirates #privateers #tim drake #kon el kent #bart allen #cassie sandsmark #humor maybe? #action i guess #a little bit at least #no angst #that's for sure #weird if you know me lol

[raayllum]

today in “thoughts i’ve somewhat mulled over but recently clicked when i actually focused on it for 3 minutes,” i was standing around making my hot chocolate and thinking about the differences in how atla titles its episodes and how tdp does. they’re both amazing fantasy series with books and chapters, but the chapter titles felt distinctly different from each other for a reason i couldn’t quite place.

and now i think i’ve identified the difference. 

(disclaimer: this doesn’t mean one is better or more mature or sophisticated than the other, lol)

the majority of atla episodes are named after people or places

people (most prominent in book one, but still happens throughout):

the boy in the iceberg / the avatar returns / avatar aang: just for aang

the puppetmaster: for hama

the king of omashu: for bumi

jet (self explanatory)

bato of the water tribe (self explanatory)

the blind bandit / the runaway: for toph

the avatar and the firelord: for roku and sozin, and aang and zuko

avatar roku (self explanatory)

the blue spirit

the waterbending master

the deserter 

the fortuneteller 

the earth king

the painted lady

sokka’s master

the guru

[groups - subsection]

the firebending masters

the southern raiders

the warriors of kyoshi

the ember island players (theatre company)

That’s 23/61 episodes, so a little over a third of the show. The second most common episode title is after places:

the southern air temple

the spirit world

the great divide

the northern air temple

the cave of two lovers

the swamp

the library

the swamp

the serpent’s pass

the city of walls and secrets

lake laogai

the beach

western air temple

the boiling rock (part 1 and 2) 

15/61. So 38/61 episodes are named after people or places. (Could you count the Tales of Ba Sing Se as both?) Then you have episodes named after events - like “Avatar Day,” “the Awakening,” “the Drill,” or “Day of Black Sun” and “Siege of the North.” There are also outliers about belongings, like “The Headband” and “The Waterbending Scroll.” “Zuko Alone” and “Appa’s Lost Days” are extraordinarily similar in function. 

So overall, in Avatar, there aren’t many episodes that have strong symbolism built inherently into the titles except for, really

The Storm [symbolic and literal]

The Crossroads of Destiny [almost entirely symbolic]

Nightmares and Daydreams [technically literal, but due to the nature of dreams, mostly conceptual] 

Into the Inferno [symbolic]

That doesn’t mean there isn’t symbolism - I love the way the narrative is reflected in the culmination of “boy in the iceberg” and “the avatar returns” into “Avatar Aang” for example; it’s one of my favourite parallels in the whole series - but the episodes can be understood just fine without a symbolic read. 

As a whole, ATLA episode titles tend to be quite literal. They set you up for whatever that episode, especially given the weekly release style it was made for, will focus on for that week, usually centred around some kind of person (identity, occupation, or alignment not always obvious right away) or location (a bit more mystery). 

Now, let’s take a look at TDP episodes. Which ones are named after people, items, events, or places?

An Empty Throne - an item

The Dagger and the Wolf - an item and character (Ava)

The Cursed Caldera - place

Voyage of the Ruthless - a place / journey

The Heart of a Titan - item

Sol Regem - character

The Crown - item

The Midnight Desert - place

Dragonguard - group / people

The Final Battle - event

What about everything else? Well, the remaining TDP titles are almost entirely symbolic.

Echoes of Thunder - symbolic and literal in both the storm and the aftermath of Thunder’s death

What is Done - entirely symbolic

Moonrise - technically an event but not made clear by the title itself

Bloodthirsty - descriptor

Through the Ice - symbolic as Rayla’s walls melt, Ezran and the egg go through the ice, and the kids travel across it, but again - it doesn’t indicate a clear place or event

Wonderstorm - occupies a similar space as Moonrise

A Secret and A Spark - entirely symbolic and entrenched in lore

Half Moon Lies - symbolic

Smoke and Mirrors - symbolic due to illusions (verbal and magic)

Breaking the Seal - dual literal and symbolization for each

Fire and Fury - symbolic

The Book of Destiny - like, meta-symbolic

Breathe - symbolic, descriptor

Ghost - literal and symbolic

Heroes and Masterminds - could also go into people, but given that it isn’t clear until the end of the episode who the hero(es) and mastermind(s) are, I’m keeping it here

Thunderfall - occupies same space as Moonrise and Wonderstorm

Hearts of Cinder - symbolic

All of this being a very long winded way of saying that while ATLA’s titles tended to be more literal even at their more vague points (i.e. Zuko Alone is still somewhat self explanatory), TDP favours far more symbolic titles for the majority of their episodes that reveal, generally, very little about what the episode is actually about and is only really obvious or known once we’ve watched them. 

#atla #tdp #mini meta #does this count?? idk #analysis series #and i love them both #but i do find tdp titles more fun from an analytical standpoint lol #and i don't really think s4 will have time for a true 'rayla alone' episode nor necessarily do a title like that but #who knows i could eat my words