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sceptilemasterr · 3 years

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Defenders of the Flame (TE Rewrite) Act 1, Scene 11 - The Girl in the Mirror

Title: Defenders of the Flame (A CIU Screenplay)

Main Pairings: Shreya x F!MC, Beckett x F!Atlas

Other Pairings: N/A

Genre: Full Rewrite (The Elementalists, Book 1)

Rating: PG-13 for violence, blood, swearing, alcohol, and sexuality

Summary: After a dark conversation, Fiora finally opens up to the others about the mysterious reflection she has been seeing.

Previous Scene: New Routine

Masterlist: Link

INT. FLETCHLY HALL - LOUNGE - NIGHT

The Pend Pals, now including Beckett, are gathered in the Fletchly Hall lounge for a study session. Beckett is sitting near a podium similar to the one Dr. Religast uses in her Stoicheal Theory class. A diagram of various stoicheal techniques and theories is displayed above it, which only Beckett himself seems to be paying attention to; his Grogue sits on the podium, trying to shoot down the display with his metal pebbles. Fiora and Shreya’s Lumians sit perched atop the ceiling light, sleeping contentedly, while their owners sit side-by-side on a couch, engaged in rapt conversation. Zeph lays on his back on the floor, playing one-handed catch with a sphere of water he had conjured as Ishi tries in vain to flash-freeze it with his breath. Griffin pages through a textbook on his lap, frowning at one particular page. His own companion, a Talpea (a cross between a mole and a rabbit) named MUGU, is trying and failing to dig through the carpet. Suddenly, one of Ishi’s ice blasts misses Zeph’s water sphere and hits Griffin’s leg.

GRIFFIN: Ow! Hey, what was that?

ZEPH: Sorry! That was Ishi. Ishi, no!

Ishi whines and walks away from Griffin. Shreya looks over at Griffin and Zeph.

SHREYA: Hey, be glad it was just ice and not fire. Our element is much stronger, I must say.

ZEPH: What, still sore about losing to me ten duels in a row this week?

SHREYA: Okay, that isn’t fair. Everyone knows water overpowers fire. You had the advantage!

ZEPH: Then why did you keep challenging me?

SHREYA: Because I wanted to win!

GRIFFIN: C’mon. All Attunements have their pros and cons. Don’t think there’s one that’s necessarily better than the others.

ZEPH: I dunno, maybe not in terms of power, but personality? Metal-Atts leave a lot to be desired.

BECKETT: I heard that, you know. Besides, I’m the only one here who has already thoroughly studied everything. Is anyone else going to use this study session to actually, well, study?

The others exchange glances.

SHREYA: Apparently not. Come on, Beckett, join us! That display isn’t going anywhere, after all.

BECKETT’S GROGUE: Croak!

FIORA: See? Even he agrees!

BECKETT: Hmm, very well. But only if you all promise to get through at least another two lectures’ worth of concepts by the end of the night.

ZEPH: It’s a deal.

Beckett takes a seat in an armchair near the others.

BECKETT: If we’re speaking of Attunements and personalities, such things have only minor effects on one another at best. True, certain personality types are more or less common among certain Attunements, but nothing is absolute.

ZEPH: I dunno, you and Dr. Rallah sure both seem to have the stiff, uptight, boring routine down pretty well--

Beckett’s Grogue lets out a loud croak and launches a stream of pellets right at Zeph’s forehead.

ZEPH: Ow! Hey!

The rest of the group dissolves into laughter. After a moment, Zeph joins in as well.

BECKETT: Frankly, even I will admit that her lecturing style leaves much to be desired.

SHREYA: Wow, this from you, of all people? I am shocked!

GRIFFIN: I mean, all the Earth-Atts I’ve ever met have been pretty friendly and outgoing, but that might just be because I only hang out with friendly people to begin with.

SHREYA (shrugs): Seems sensible enough to me.

FIORA: Okay, hang on... but what about the Wood-Atts? They don’t have a mean bone in their body. Every single one of them is a nature-loving, friendly, peaceful, hippie-type! Even Dr. Kontos!

The room suddenly goes quiet. Everyone except Fiora exchange uncomfortable glances with one another.

FIORA: ...What? It’s the truth! I mean, Shreya, you’ve met Aster, she’s so--

SHREYA (uncharacteristically serious): Not Aster. Someone... else.

Fiora scans the room. Everyone has serious, downcast expressions on their faces as they stare at her.

GRIFFIN (gently): Fiora... surely you’ve heard of... the Dread, right?

Fiora looks over at Shreya, realizing that this is something she should know, but doesn’t. Shreya gives her a subtle nod.

FIORA: I... uh, yes? But I don’t know much--

GRIFFIN: He was a Wood-Att.

Fiora continues to stare, puzzled, at Griffin. Zeph picks up the slack:

ZEPH: Fiora... the Dread was the worst mass-murdering criminal of the last century. He killed hundreds. Some even say thousands.

Fiora shudders.

FIORA: And... he was…

GRIFFIN: A Wood-Attuned. That’s right. Listen, Fiora... do you remember the Primal Force for Wood?

Fiora thinks for a moment.

FIORA (muttering): Light... Gravity... Motion… (louder) Oh! Life, isn’t it?

Beckett nods.

BECKETT: That’s right. And you can imagine why that particular Attunement would be so dangerous in the hands of someone such as the Dread.

GRIFFIN: You’ve noticed with your own fire, right? Attuneds can’t just create their element, but erase it as well. Now, imagine a murdering psychopath with that kind of power over life itself.

FIORA (uneasily): I can imagine. But how could a Wood-Att become that... that... horrible?

ZEPH: Exactly. Our Attunements don’t make us who we are. It’s our choices. And some people... well... choose awful things.

FIORA: I guess. But, I mean, he’s gone now, right? What happened to him?

The others all exchange another glance.

SHREYA: Honestly? No one really knows. I mean, he was obviously stopped, but as for how? No idea.

GRIFFIN: That’s right. Growing up, he was just a story our parents told us to scare us into doing what we were told. Y’know, “If you don’t eat your peas, the Dread will get you!” That kind of thing.

BECKETT: Ugh, please don’t remind me of that. It was my parents’ excuse for essentially everything.

FIORA (sarcastically): Sounds like amazing parenting right there.

BECKETT: Unfortunately, it was a very real possibility. The Dread--or, to use his real name, Raife Highmore--had a horrifying tendency to target children. No one knows why.

FIORA (terrified): O-kay, enough creepy murderer stories for me, thank you. This guy’s from forever ago, right? He’s gone now?

Zeph creeps closer to Fiora, and says in a mock-spooky voice:

ZEPH: Ah, Fiora, he’s gone for now. But one day, he shall return... and then, he will be out for BLOOD!

Zeph claps his hands in front of Fiora’s face, startling her. She shrieks and falls over, landing flat on her back on the ground. Zeph and Griffin laugh uproariously.

ZEPH: Wow, Fiora, you really fell for that one!

GRIFFIN: Nice one, Zeph!

He and Zeph high-five. Fiora frowns.

FIORA: Oh, ha ha, very funny. Look, I just…

As she looks around the room, desperate for a change in subject, her gaze alights on a mirror in one corner of the room. She flinches back in shock when she spots her silver-haired reflection looking back at her. Fiora rubs her eyes, and in the time it takes her to do so, the strange reflection is gone, replaced by her normal one.

FIORA: Hey, guys... does anyone see anything weird in that mirror there?

She points to the mirror. Everyone follows her gaze curiously.

SHREYA: Nothing but my lovely face, why?

GRIFFIN: I don’t see anything…

BECKETT: It’s simply a mirror.

ZEPH: What, did y’see something there?

FIORA: I mean... it’s gone now. But for a moment, I saw a weird version of myself. Basically the same, but with silver hair and a different expression. Is that normal? Have any of you seen something like that here?

Beckett frowns in puzzlement. He looks to Griffin, who shrugs.

GRIFFIN: Beats me. Weird reflection, you say?

FIORA: Exactly. A weird reflection. I even saw it in--

She stops herself when she realizes she was about to accidentally reveal her origins to the group.

FIORA: Uh, saw it in another mirror. Somewhere before I started at Penderghast... and then again, during the Test of Attunement. It... she... looked just like me, but wasn’t matching my expression or movements. And her hair was silvery.

She absently tugs on a few strands of her own red hair. Griffin frowns.

GRIFFIN: Can’t say I’ve heard of anything like that before. You’re sure you saw it, right? It couldn’t have been some kind of illusion?

Fiora shakes her head.

FIORA: Don’t think so. It sure looked real. You’re sure this isn’t some kind of normal thing that happens in this place?

SHREYA: I haven’t heard of anything like that, either.

Beckett abruptly stands up and starts walking back toward the projection in the corner.

BECKETT: You can continue discussing this phenomenon if you wish. I, however, shall begin my own research into this event. Perhaps I can uncover some insight during my ample free time.

ZEPH: Wait, “ample free time?” Since when? With all of our classes, we’ve got--

BECKETT: You mean to tell me you haven’t completed all of the assigned homework for the entire quarter yet? Nor read each and every textbook twice by now? Hmph.

Zeph visibly shrinks in his seat, embarrassed. Griffin rolls his eyes.

GRIFFIN: Seriously, Beckett? It’s not a competition.

BECKETT (genuinely confused): I did not mean it that way. I apologize. I only meant that, as I have plenty of time available to me, I am best suited to investigating this “strange reflection” that Fiora mentioned.

FIORA: Well, whatever the reason, thanks, Beckett. Hopefully you can find some explanation. It’s kinda creeping me out…

BECKETT (smiles): Naturally. Happy to assist, Fiora. Isn’t that part of friendship, after all?

FIORA: You’re right about that. Thanks!

Shreya yawns, stretching her arms out widely.

SHREYA: Well, I’m not sure about the rest of you, but... (yawns) ...je suis fatigue. Fiora, care to walk back to our room with me?

FIORA: Sounds like a plan, Shreya!

BECKETT: Wait! What about your promise? Two more lectures’ worth of concepts, do you recall?

SHREYA: Please, Beckett. A mademoiselle like myself needs her beauty rest, non? We shall review more of our lectures tomorrow. I promise!

Beckett starts to object, then sighs.

BECKETT: Very well. But I assure you, I will be holding you to it!

SHREYA: Of course you will. Goodnight, all of you!

FIORA: Night!

Everyone says their goodbyes. When it’s Zeph’s turn, however:

ZEPH: Have a romantic night, you two!

Shreya splutters with surprise as Fiora stares at him like a deer in headlights.

SHREYA: What-- what could that possibly-- I don’t-- excuse you--

FIORA (simultaneously): Wait a sec-- no-- we’re not-- hold on--

Zeph breaks down into laughter. After a moment, he stops laughing and simply looks at the two girls with a knowing smirk.

ZEPH: Have fun…

Shreya and Fiora look at each other awkwardly.

FIORA: Uh... right. I’ll just... go now.

SHREYA: Goodnight, Zeph.

The two of them leave the lounge. Zeph stares after them, then turns to look at Griffin.

ZEPH: Ah, young love... am I right, or am I right?

GRIFFIN (shrugs): Who knows?

_______________________

Scene Notes: At long last, we find out about the Dread in this version. Since all of the “super-Attunements” from canon were wrapped into the Primal Forces here, Blood became the Life Primal Attunement, thus making Raife a Wood-Att. Terrifying how the most kind and gentle Attunement can be twisted so far... but as Griffin said, it’s all about our Choices. (See what I did there...?)

Timeline: November 23rd! Still in the ES time jump.

_______________________

Next: Unexpected Saviors

CIU Tag List: @brightpinkpeppercorn @endlesshero1122 @bbaba-yagaa @acidsugar0 @shaylan211 @griselda1121 @acanthisorbis @marmolady

DotF/Elementalists Tag List:

#defenders of the flame #datf #the elementalists rewrite #choices the elementalists #choices stories you play #csyp #fanfic #ciu project #choices interconnected universe #fiora luxen #shreya mistry #beckett harrington #zeph hernandez #griffin langley #raife highmore #shreya x mc #wlw #i just realized grogue is one letter off from grogu #idk what that means but it amuses me

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packhuntcr · 5 years

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♒ - cooking/food headcanon asked by @thehearsc

Attempt #2 because tumblr ate more than half the first one, about which I’m super salty.

So, you totally only asked for one but...

I have lots of thoughts on this subject, okay?

Thought #1: Watery mac and cheese? Ten thousand percent the responsibility of one (1) Jacob Seed. But it’s not incompetence. Think about it. The boys grew up poor. Mac and cheese was cheap, plentiful, filling. They ate an asston of that boxed mac and cheese crap. And, being the oldest, Jacob was the one to make it. So, eliminating incompetence as a reason... it was absolutely an unsubtle protest to Joseph asking him to go. True, it’s a rare time even Joseph can make that great ginger sasquatch do something he doesn’t want to do. But just because he wasn’t forced doesn’t mean he had any kind of desire to share oxygen in the same vicinity as Nick Rye or any other idiot. And vexation loves company every inch as much as misery. So, that tupperware of sloppy noodles and processed cheese-product gets dropped onto the table, staring Joseph dead in the eye with a ‘I’m only here because of you and you bet your skinny ass I ain’t happy about it’ expression. I’m pretty sure it was a culinary ‘fuck you’ to Hot for Preacher and every other soul at that barbecue.

Thought #2: Going back to jacob’s familiarity with cheap, crappy food. Jacob grew up in a house that lived paycheck-to-paycheck in the best of times. As he got older and the number of mouths to feed increased, it became paycheck-to-it-might-be-awhile-before-the-next-paycheck. Throw in there their mother’s progression to a breathing ghost that can’t be assed to rouse to the cries of her children, and it wasn’t Mrs. Seed cooking. It was Jacob.

And not well.

Especially earlier on, before John came along, Jacob had a talent for both burning and undercooking the same item of foodstuff. It got better with practice, but there was precious little to work with. Fresh produce or meat was rare. The boys always ate like preppers: canned, items from that sad clearance shelf in the grocery, things that were cheap, filling, shelf stable. And when the pantry went empty, it was the eldest son out scraping together enough to fill his brother’s empty bellies. Jacob begged. He borrowed, he stole, he hoarded what he could from other sources. Some evenings after school saw Jacob waiting for the food pantry in a line that stretched around the corner, the tips of his ears burning bright as his red hair. But sating hunger, feeding his brothers was more important than his pride. Seasonings were expensive, intimidating to a boy who had to teach himself to turn on the stove to warm the contents of a steel can. More so, they did nothing to quiet the hunger and thus, were ruled unnecessary. Though he loved both his brothers, John was easily the favorite. John had no memory of their mother’s cooking, knew no other source of nutrition. So the baby happily ate whatever mess Jacob could pull together where Joseph had to force down a mess of oatmeal, peaches in heavy syrup, and vienna sausage. Which doesn't sound awful... Until you consider it was totally mixed together in one pot. But they were fed, went to bed with stomachs that didn’t growl most nights. It was enough.

Thought #3: If you think of it, school lunches were probably the only reliable source of food Jacob knew. They didn’t even last that long, but they were reliable up until that point. And there’s Jacob, at lunch knowing he’s got brothers at home without it. Knowing that the meal that evening or over the weekend isn’t guaranteed. So Jacob’s going to hoard food. He’ll never eat a full portion, not even of school’s sad PB&J. The boy grows up on half-portions, just enough to get by that he might have something to take back to share, to tuck away for thinner times. Dude’s thin most of his life. 6′4″ and gangling, but on such a broad frame. Jacob Seed wasn’t made to be slim. Look at the size of his hands, the breadth of his shoulders.

The first time Jacob finishes a meal without being hungry, he’s 18 and in the army. 18 fucking years old before he goes to bed with a full belly. Because, up until that point, he’s been too poor, been setting food aside, been trying to feed two more on enough for one. By the time he’s made it through Basic, most of his hope of finding his brothers again is beat out of him. He’s also in a place where food is plentiful, pushed upon him. He’s got a bit of money for the first time in his life and exists in a system that wants him healthy and strong. And lord does that boy fill out. Jacob, in his twenties, is a mountain of a man. Towering, that broad frame finally filled out with the physical labor to ensure it’s all muscle. Then that third tour happens. Miller happens. And Jacob never wants to be that hungry again. So the hoarding resumes. And it never stops. Not when he’s homeless. Not when his brothers find him again.

I guarantee you there are caches of food throughout the county. Jacob is a beast about waste. Take enough, take what you need, store the rest. By the time we see him in Hope, dude’s had a reliable source of nutrition for 8-10 years at minimum. But he’s still thin; his hands look massive compared to his body, disproportionately so. He hasn’t rebuilt that muscle that he lost. Because rebuilding and maintaining that frame is excessive. He doesn’t need it and he’d rather set that food aside for later when things won’t be so easy. You bet your ass he has nightmares about those first few years if he survives the Collapse. Jacob's the one going "no, fuck you we need food for ten years, not seven" and living in terror of blight and nuclear winter.

Thought #4: Pork. I see many within this fandom expressing Jacob’s refusal to eat pork, his inability to stand the smell of cooking bacon. And I totally get it. I mean, there’s a reason people are referred to as long pig. And, of course, the incident with Miller is a hugely traumatic moment. It's a moment that left mental scars every bit as prolific as the physical ones. But, for me and my Jacob, this fails to take into account his pragmatism, the overwhelming practicality of the man. Think about it: henrefers to people as ‘meat’. He actually went so far as to overcome taboo and kill his friend in the desert and consume him in order to survive.

And pork’s cheap. It’s prolific. It’s an easy choice when feeding the hundreds of the project. It cans easily in many forms. Jacob’s not going to turn it down. He’s known hunger. He’s known starvation. And he’s not going to waste a thing. Jacob Seed would eat your fucking puppy before going hungry. He’d eat you. Hell, the only ones he wouldn’t eat are John and Joseph. Even that is only because, without them, he doesn’t much want to survive. So yeah, Jacob will eat pork. Jacob will eat just about anything you lay before him. He’s probably the only Seed to not turn green at the notion of the Testy Festy. It’s just meat.

What will get him though, is scent. See, when he and Miller got separated int he ambush, they weren’t completely without supplies. Each had only what they carried. A camel-back of water each, the contents of their packs and pockets. There’s a bit in the way of snacking there. Enough for a day or two. But Miller, ever a vain man, Miller had a can of body spray in his pack, guard against the desert sun and BDUs. And he used it. Prolifically. One small comfort in a pit of misery, who’d blame the man? Jacob. That’s who. Jacob would swear Miller went through that entire can in a matter of days. Out in the middle of BFE and the man reeked like an Axe cloud in an under-ventilated middle school locker room. It was pervasive, irritating Jacob’s sensitive nose. So much so that he’d swear he could taste it in the meat pulled from a spit over a small fire. But he ate it.

That’s the trigger for Jacob- strong smells. We all know more than half of men’s soaps, deodorants, and sprays smell the same. And dude cannot stand it. It feeds into his grimy state. Who’d want to bathe regularly with that memory in a bottle right there? Given the years, the severity of the trauma, it’s spread. Any strong, chemically manufactured scent will remind Jacob. He thinks John fucking reeks with all that hair product, cologne, fine soaps and detergents.

#thehearsc #headcanon #[asks answered

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apopheniaandeisegesis · 5 years

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Sucker Punch Island: Session 1

Players :

Masari Half-Elf Monk. High Wis + Dex. Low Int + Cha.

First impression : Capable and very ernest, but just not that clever.

Nonamei Elven Wizard. High Int. Very low Str + Cha.

First Impression : Can't sit still. Trigger Shy. Asks the right questions.

"Jinx" (Me) Half-Elf Cleric. Prophecy Domain. High Wis + Cha. Very low Con + Str.

Blind man with a full-size crossbow who can't stop talking. Makes up a new god every five minutes. Still has clerical powers, somehow.

So, we're all on this island populated mainly by Kenku (Crow people). It all starts out pretty standard, We're all answering a "Heroes Wanted" bulletin, right? There are some other hereos at the bulletin board that look pretty badly singed. We try to talk to them to see what happened, but they lose their voices when they try to answer us. One tries to write something, but magically can't do that either. Weird. We figure they must have been cursed by whatever they encountered on their job. We tried a few things, but can't really help them or figure out exactly what's wrong.

So, the person we're meeting for the job shows up, a kenku. Rube. He's nervous. Jinx makes him even more nervous by idly pointing his crossbow in worrisome directions. Blind man with a crossbow raises a few eyebrows.

Rube takes us to city hall. Jinx bullshits about the decor and the statues. Mostly to see which party members are gullible. Surprise, it's the Wizard. So now the Wizard and the Kenku think Jinx knows all sorts of things about the city's founder. Convinced them that the statue in the hall is actually a petrified person. Good fun. Not terribly important. Yet. We'll see.

The mayor himself (or some such official) is called Ergard, and he's the one that actually hired us. Monsters in the sewer attacking the city, and can we go exterminate them please. Good benefits. We promise to resurrect you if you're awful and die. Nominal 10gp fee (a bargain!). Here's some magic rings with extra powers to help make sure you don't die. Here, sign this contract to be employed by the city.

Contract? Really?

I did try to see if we were being duped. Sense motive did show he wasn't really being straight with us, but we all thought he was just withholding some pertinent information about the job. Boy was he. Jinx cast Detect Magic to see what other shenanigans he might be pulling,. Just paper contracts, though. Nothing special. Rings are just cantrip level magic. Big-ass mirror in the guy's office is hella magical, and the mayor himself has some serious equipment, but that's all we know.

The Wiz and Monk sign the contracts. Jinx is blind and can't read and is a complete bastard, so he folds his up into a paper airplane and flies it across the room. Nobody really pays attention to that. The mayor sets out some magic rings for us. Jinx pockets all of them.

We head for the sewer. Wat a mess. Jinx hands out the rings. He's not greedy. And besides, He can't really use more than two. We wander through the sewer. There's slime everywhere and eventually some of it gets annoyed at being walked on and wakes up. We kill of a couple of them. Jinx does a fair bit of damage shooting at them with his crossbow. Blames it on being blind when he rolls low. The slimes are fire resistant. Kinda odd, but whatever. They go down easy. A much bigger one comes out of the pond of sludge down here. Jinx fires of his one big spell at it, but misses. "Did I hit anything?" He does have blindsight in a small rage around him, but it's a good schtick.

Another couple of stabs and bolts and that slime goes down too. The DM is rolling really low. Hits nothing the whole battle.

Next room, there's a Lizard-Taur. Already wounded but still feisty. Dumb as a rock, but not instantly hostile. The Monk speaks Draconic, though so we chat with it for awhile. Of course my compatriots have shitty Charisma, so they go nowhere for a long time. Eventually the Monk upsets the Liz-Taur and gets bit. We run away, but it can't follow us through a particular rusted grate. So we halt there and continue trying to chat with it, from a distance.

Jinx gets bored and sets up camp. Makes an omelette. Figures, this Lizard is only slightly smarter than a puppy. He's speaking in one word sentences. So I throw half my omelette at the lizard. Apparently it's pretty good, because I roll well on the persuasion check and suddenly he likes me enough to let me in the room he's guarding. Alone. No others. I wander around in there for awhile. There’s a pile of gold and a big ol' egg. Some massive scorch marks on the ground. There's some growling noises, but Jinx bombs his perception and investigation. Confused he assumes the gold and egg belong to the Lizard and the noise is coming from the egg. Probably about to hatch?

I figure I should leave the treasure alone. Go back and tell everyone there's not a lot in there. Just a bunch of gold that obviously belongs to the Lizard and an egg that's probably his. Hers? Who knows. They're still trying to be nice enough to get past the Lizard without hurting him, so I give him an herbal poultice for his injured leg. That makes him happy enough to get a real conversation going with the only PC that can actually talk to him. Eventually we figure out that the Liz-Taur is smelling the Kenku on the rings we're wearing. Really hates those guys. So my buddies chuck their rings to gain the Taur's trust. JInx picks them up. Guess they're all mine now. Puts all the rings on one hand.

So, finally we can all go in the room with the gold so that someone with a half-decent Investigate skill can make a roll instead of Jinx with his sad little +1. The roll is bombed by all present. No idea what's in here. The one that should have been successful actually Crit Fails and gets overwhelmed by nausea from the smell of burnt slime.

Jinx is hanging out with Lizard Boy in the back of the cave, so he can't sense what's going on near the treasure pile. Apparently what we all failed to detect was a dropoff at the back of the cave where a colossal dragon was sleeping. It finally wakes up. Jinx heads to that side of the cave to see what the commotion is all about, so we're all in a nice formation when the dragon breaths on all of us and we all die. While the DM plays the theme to 'The Price Is Right' in the background.

Of course, that was the plan all along. We wake up after being resurrected in the Mayor's office. Chained to chairs. Lovely. The Kenku does some magical shenanigans so that our perfectly normal contracts look like they say the Resurrection service has a nominal 10,000,000 gold fee. The usual arguing and threats ensue, but really we don't have any options. Another spell is done sealing the rings (all of which I'm wearing. Sheesh) and manacles to prevent us from leaving the island. And prevent us from talking to anyone about any job we do here or the 'arrangement' we have to work off our 10,000,000 gp debt.

ME :Jinx shrugs "i don't get all the posturing. I mean, if you're going to be thugs, then just be thugs. As the Acolyte of Moodwise, I won't forgive you, though" Masari Monk:"No, no, they have an image to keep." DM :Ehgard (The Kenku Mayor) rubs a hand over his beak."This is what you signed for. Most of you." Wiz Nona:"We signed for 10 Gold." Nona insists ME :Shruggs "I can't read. Never sign anything." DM :"We can take back the services we've done for you, if that's what you desire, sir." ME :"I suspect that would be quite illegal, if you want to play that game. Your option was to not raise me in the first place. But, clearly you're going to do whatever you like. Get on with it." Wiz Nona:"Jinx..." Nona warns nervously Masari Monk:"Yeah, let's cut to the chase. What do you get out of doing this to us? What are you expecting us to do to pay back this forged debt?" DM :"Illegal. No, not me sir." ME :"I am a cleric of Normenglasterpastich. We do not suffer liars lightly." Wiz Nona:what a name Masari Monk:Masari eyes Jinx. DM :"I suppose you'll have to work it off. I can think of a few more missions for you to go on to start earning that money..." His eyes narrow at Jinx, shaking his head."So untrustworthy..." ME :"What a lovely complement. I'm blushing." Masari Monk:"More missions that involve certain death? More missions that put us deeper in the hole through ressurections?" ME :"Sounds like a good plan. Infinite access to decent heroes. It's a nice racket if you can get it. Man's got a dragon to deal with. You do what you can." DM :The Kenku in purple walks around, putting a bracelet on Nona and Masari. "Certain death? No, no. Ambassador's of a sort. For Kiebnis herself (name of the city)." Masari Monk:"What's this now?" ME :Jinks looks straight at him with white eyes, "She's going to eat you, you know. I'm a prophet of Ibnis. I've seen it." Grinning like a madman. Wiz Nona:"Jinx, now isn't really the time to make threats," Nona whispers warily under her voice DM :Ergard tilts his head, eyes narrow as he looks away from Jinx. ME :"That wasn't a threat! That was valuable information. Worth at least 1,000,000 GP. ME :rolling persuasion. just that I'm an actual prophet. I have been playing the part pretty well, i think. (A decent roll. Total 19) DM :xDDDDD ME :No derail or anything. I just wanna unsettle the old bird. DM :Alright. Now I have to figure out this guys religion lol Ergard's feathers pick up a might. "Those are the old ways..." He 'mumbles' under his breath. So, that's why those other adventurers couldn't answer any of our questions. Apparently this crazy Kenku does the same thing to all the nice heroes that visit his island. Kill with dragon. Fake a masive debt. "You belong to me now." Rinse Repeat. At least I got to give the Mayor a good scare, though. I very much intend to make it a true prophecy.

Anybody know what I do with three magic rings cursed to the same hand?

#D&D #dungeons and dragons #sucker punch island sessions

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foodmeupscotty · 6 years

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Sometimes, it really does pay off to be a passenger.

I’m normally the guy that’s picking the restaurants when dining; it’s not really a problem though, since I love making recommendations on great places to eat. But it does mean that my dining choices are fairly limited to places I know and/or cuisine options that I’m comfortable with – French 🙂

I was catching up with a new business colleague and his PA had selected the location, which truth be told I didn’t know existed, nor would I have chosen if I did…

Boy, was I glad I wasn’t in control this time, I’d have missed out on a simple, delicious and relatively cheap meal.

The selection was Glasshouse over at IFC. This option came as a surprise to me, not only because I’d not heard of it before, but also because of its location at IFC. I didn’t even know there was a 4th Floor dining area! I was quite taken aback by the superb views of the harbour and TST as I stepped out of the elevator and found myself looking for a spacious and modern looking restaurant.

As you’d expect with a place called the Glasshouse, the restaurant was predominantly made of glass and was super light and bright. Adding to its name, there was an abundance of hanging plants and greenery, that seamlessly integrated into the very modern looking dining room and open style kitchen. I could definitely see the inspiration for the name and felt immediately comfortable.

Once we were seated and menus provided, an element of doubt entered my mind; which showed how disconnected from mid-priced dining I’d become… The menu was made up of descriptions of the courses, as well as photos of each item and an associated ‘number’ – something I normally associate with cheap and cheerful places where not much English is spoken.

Aside from the fact that I could see what we were choosing, the style of the menu was very much Asian cuisine with a Western twist – more so, each of the photos made the food look eminently desirable and quite tasty! With a heap of options to choose from, you could say that I went with relatively safe options for my starter an main; but remember, I was still a little dubious in the way the menu was presented….

Which was dispelled the moment my bacon wrapped scallops with shrimp samble sauce and prawn chips was presented. With a simple presentation that highlighted the perfect sear on the scallops, not to mention the juicy looking seared bacon, I was literally salivating at the prospect of jumping in! Oh my, the perfectly cooked scallops were moist but springy and the caramelisation was delicious; but what made the dish was the wonderful balance provided by the salty bacon and the sweet scallop flesh. Each skewer was presented with two scallops, so I had four all up (but could have easily eaten ten or twenty)

Thankfully, I skipped dipping the scallops int he samble sauce, which when I tried after I’d finished, was so hot that it would have killed the subtle taste of the dish.

My dining companion on the day selected the tuna salad with butter lettuce and anchovy with a homemade dressing; it was really a tuna Nicoise salad with a twist. The fresh looking salad had lightly seared tuna, but instead of the typical olive and potato that came with a nicoise, there was a bean and corn salsa; adding an unusual twist to the flavours.

While there was a huge selection of interesting looking twists on your generic Asian cuisine for mains, we both selected the same item for our main, and we were both super happy with our choice!

The steak sandwich Korean style looked just like a typical steak sanga to me, but instead of toast the simple ingredients of juicy tender steak, tomato, cos lettuce and pickles came presented in a flat roll. Served with the steak sandwich was a handful of rough cut, skin on chips, which were suitably golden, crunchy and delicious. However, the main story was the steak sanga; there was a subtle bite to the steak, which was incredibly tender, as well as an overarching feeling of freshness from the included salad. It was a really good bite and I definitely enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

We skipped desserts though, I had to get back to work and didn’t have the luxury of hanging around for a sweet finish to the meal. Perhaps another time….

That there will be another time is without doubt…. The Gaia group of restaurants has a total winner on its hand with the Greenhouse. There was a feeling of indulgence that came from the premium produce that had been sourced both regionally and globally; and for the price, it was a total bargain to boot!

It was a shame that I couldn’t linger, I felt really comfortable in the open plan dining room, with its clean lines, high ceiling and open views of the harbour, it was a place that I could have lingered over the tasty food all afternoon.

No doubt, if I’d have stayed, there may have been another dozen or so of those sensational bacon wrapped scallops accompanying me…

Never had I been so happy to have been a passenger in the selection of a lunch spot!

http://www.gaiagroup.com.hk/restaurant.php?id=8

@FoodMeUpScotty

Not just a great view from the Glasshouse but a super tasty lunch Sometimes, it really does pay off to be a passenger. I'm normally the guy that's picking the restaurants when dining; it's not really a problem though, since I love making recommendations on great places to eat.

#Asian #Fusion #ICF #Lunch #Views

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brianmacquarrie01 · 7 years

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THE SPECIAL This is a script either for Natalie Portman. Our intro starts with the firing of synapses... Electrical impulses hitting neurones. As we pull away we see many more neurones and synapses.... As we pull away even further was see the brain. Then the membrane. The skull. Then well away out of D'ANNEDRA (36)... Standing in front of a mirror. Steam from a recent shower fills the bathroom. Sweat mixed with water covers D'Annedra's face. We continue to pull out further to see we are viewing D'Annedra through an advanced viewing system. CAPLIN (57) stands next to the monitor. WAKELY (27) sits in a swivel chair. Wakely is barely paying attention. Caplin: This is D'Annedra. She's a special. Wakely still isn't paying attention. Caplin: WAKELY! Wakely jumps in his chair. Wakely: Yes Caplin! You have my attention. I am here... For you. Caplin: Not me Wakely. Her. You are here for her. Wakely: ah? Yes. Because she's Both: A special. The two focus on D'Annedra who is now dressed and starting her day. She sits reading a news paper while eating breakfast. Her life seems simple and unknowingly tragic. Caplin: Poetry had never met someone like D'Annedra. She's never been in love, she's never felt a memorable kiss and she has never so much entertain the thought of intrigue or supposition. She is... Wakely: ... Plain. Caplin: exactly. She has held on to a single thought for her entire time on this planet... Wakely has no clue what Caplin is talking about. But he tries... Wakely: um? I don't--a pet does she want a pet. Caplin: Excitement. Wakely: Eeeexcitement. Yes. Wakely looks at Caplin. Simple. Confused. Caplin: She has navigated her life in proxy to drama but never so much as sipped from it's chalice. We will give her a life that will be etched in the stars and hold her to one promise... Wakely still has no clue what Caplin is talking about. We see D'Annedra sitting on a bus. Almost in a trance. Her eyes scream of a pain there is no bandaid, or pill for. She could burst into tears but remains in an apathetic shell. Caplin: ... Her death. Wakely: That's a little much don't you think? Couldn't we get her into roller coasters or something. Caplin: She seeks romance and desire while trapped in a net of safety. And you will bring that to her. Int. - TOBER ELECTAL SYSTEMS INC. - D'Annedra's cubical. It's sad. Filled with pictures of old friends she no longer talks to, parents that have passed away and a childhood pet that she never had the heart to replace. A dead plant sits next to her computer. A coworker MICHAEL (32) approaches her. Michael: Hey Dee. D'Annedra: I'm not interested Michael. Michael: typically most women let me flirt with them before they shut me down. D'Annedra: I'm not most women. Maybe if you treated us as individuals rather than fuck-meat you'd get somewhere with one. Michael: Well Im here with you. D'Annedra: I'm paid to be here. You're a variable. Don't read much more into it. Michael: nice work with your plant, Dee. D'Annedra finally notices her dead plant. D'Annedra: Dammit. She picks up her garbage and slides the plant in the garbage. Michael: you know the pot is still usable. D'Annedra: for another dead plant? Stop talking to me before I file a sexual harassment suit against you. Michael raises his hands "i want nothing to do with that." Michael: you know friends aren't a bad thing sometimes Dee... D'Annedra: Im sure with a simple mind you think that often. Friends are things that find dramatic or apathetic ways to leave your life. And are emotional dead weight. Michael: ...Jezus...christ... Dee... Live a little. D'Annedra: law...suit.... Michael backs away for a second time and leaves. D'Annedra continues logging information into her computer. Int. - Gym. It's lonely. D'Annedra is on a treadmill. Her earphones are in and she's focused shutting out the world. Wakely, over dressed for the gym steps onto the treadmill next to D'Annedra. He smiles. She notices but doesn't acknowledge him. He starts the treadmill. It starts slowly. It's new to him and he enjoys the brisk walk. In vaudevillian style his walk is embellished. He smiles at D'Annedra, she doesn't notice. He starts increasing the treadmill. The speed becomes to much and he starts running. He grabs hold of the hand grips holding on for dear life. Widely: EXERCISE IS FUN!!! Int. - grocery store. D'Annedra is shopping for quick meal. She rounds a corner and Wakely is looking at the freshly made salads. He notices D'Annedra. Smiling, Wakely attempts to D'Annedra. She's cold and just grabs the salad ignoring him. Wakely: Hey, weren't you.... ... Not interested... in... anything? Caplin: Despite her ignorant exterior she notices everything. Wakely: Everything but her own sadness. Caplin: That's where you're wrong Wakely, she's more and more aware of it each day... And she know's it's killing her. Int. D'Annedra's apartment. It's clean and void of life. No plants. No pictures. No art. You'd wonder if anyone lived there at all. She opens up her salad and takes a bite. She eats. Barely finished the bite, she begins to cry. She wipes her tears away but continues to eat. Tears stream from her eyes. She's met her end. With anger and pain she walks over to a set of knives and drabs the largest. She wipes her face clean of tears that seem endless. She looks at the knife. Puts it back and takes a smaller one. She turns the cold on and places her arm under. ... She olds her arm near the knife. She cuts into her arm and light pours out. She wakes up in her car in the middle of traffic. A cop is banging on the driver's window. Cop: are you out of your damn mind?! D'Annedra: I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. I--I... Cop: fell asleep in the middle of traffic?! Drive your damn car before I call someone who will. D'Annedra: I will. I will. I'm sorry. Int. - TOBER ELECTAL SYSTEMS INC. - D'Annedra's cubical. She sits. Nothing. Her eyes looks like she's ready to burst into tears. Wakely dressed as an old man he dusts around her cubical. D'Annedra: you can leave that. Wakely: Ooh don't mind me. D'Annedra speaks under her breath. D'Annedra: you're erasing the evidence I was ever alive. Oldman Wakely laughs. Oldman Wakely: well now. You don't believe that do you? Look at these photos of you with all these people. Those smiles mean something. She looks over to the other side of the room and see's Michael laughing with a couple coworkers. A tear trickles down her face. Oldman Wakely: oh my? Have I said something? She grabs her backpack and leaves the office. Her boss tries to talk to her Boss: D'Annedra? Where are you going... D'Annedra: I'm taking a leave of absence. Calvin. Ext. - park. D'Annedra eats a sandwich while watching a kid playing in a sandbox. The child smiles at her. This is the first time we've seen D'Annedra smile. This might be the first time she's smiled in years. Ext.- Hotdog stand. Wakely now looks tanned with dreads. He's serving up hotdogs. Tanned Wakely: hey! What'chu want? Guy 1: Sausage please. Tanned Wakely: 1 sausage. You're gonna get the best sausage! What'chu want? Woman 1: a veggie burger. Tanned Wakely: veggie burger? This burger is so fresh you'll think you're eating a venus-fly-trap. Kidding no animals died in the making of this burger. D'Annedra smiles again watching this new incarnation of Wakely. D'Annedra: Can I have a water? Tanned Wakely: What'chu wanna water for when I got everything you need for a meal. D'Annedra: I just want a water. Tanned Wakely: Let me toast it for you. Waving the water over his barbecue, he laughs, flips the water in the air and hands it to D'Annedra. Tanned Wakely: Kidding. Here. Free. D'Annedra: Don't. I'm going to pay your for the water. Tanned Wakely starts handing food to the people. Tanned Wakely: check the sign. The sign showing the prices of beverages and food shows "Water - Free" Tanned Wakely: why make someone pay for something we need? You need water? I got water. It's free. D'Annedra: you can't run a business like that. Tanned Wakely: don't tell me how to run my business. Tanned Wakely points to the guy eating a sausage. Tanned Wakely (continued): you like my business? Guy 1 with a mouth full of food. Guy 1: ...Yeah... Tanned Wakely: see. I have proactive consumers. You need to smile more. D'Annedra: look thanks for the water. I'm allowed to leave a tip. Here's three dollars. Tanned Wakely: you still have to pay it forward. Int. - D'Annedra's bathroom. Smoke fills a darkened bathroom. D'Annedra's face begins to show as light pours from her arm... She begins to yell. We zoom outward to show that Caplin and Wakely are watching D'Annedra's dreams. Caplin: you're almost in her life. Wakely: she's so distant. She's think her hurt is apathy. Caplin: with each character you bring into her life... The more special she'll assume she is. Keep at it Wakely. Wakely sits and thinks. Wakely: she does very little for other people. She needs to be selfless... Caplin: Easier said then done. She's hurt and doesn't want anyone to suffer when she leaves. Wakely: no kidding. Caplin: it's time for you to be her angel... Int. - D'Annedra's bathtub. We see D'Annedra's face simply floating in the water. As we slowly pan out we realize she's wearing cloths. Faint red clouds dance in the water changing the colour of the bathwater. Wakely dressed in a firefighter's uniform breaks down the door. Firefighter Wakely: D'Annedra!! Look at me! You're going to be okay. D'Annedra mumbles... To weak to cry. D'Annedra: let me die... Let me die. Int. - Ambulance - Wakely dressed as two different EMTs rushes D'Annedra to the hospital. One works on keeping her alive while the other drives. EMT Driver Wakely: how is she? EMT Worker Wakely: there's a lot of blood. You're going to be okay D'Annedra. You need to focus on my voice. Barely lucid, D'Annedra continues to say the same thing... D'Annedra: let... Me... Die. Please... Let... Me... Die... As the EMT Worker Wakely finishes his work his voice slowly being replaced with a high pitched hum... EMT Worker Wakely: focus on my voice. D'Annedra? My voice... My voice... Int. - Psyche ward. D'Annedra sits in her chair. Wakely sits across from her. He looks a little like age'd Einstein. Einstein Wakely: Vut do you feel? D'Annedra just stares forward and is numb. ... Einstein Wakely: D'Annedra? Vut do you feel? D'Annedra: ... Nothing. I don't feel anything. Einstein: you do feel, but you are putting up the blockers to keep you from acknowledging this. You are letting fear rule your life and worst of all you are letting apathy be it's guise. D'Annedra: ... I have nothing. I am nothing. Einstein Wakely: no, no, no... This is not true. You are the echo of the powerful voice you once where... But as you have lost... You never sought after something meaningful to replace it. The gravity waves you immerse are one's of hurt. And anger. D'Annedra: I never get angry. Einstein Wakely: your anger is an internal anger. Anger with God. D'Annedra: I'm an Atheist. I don't believe in God. Einstein Wakely: Good. So is God. He had an inferiority complex. D'Annedra laughs a little. Einstein Wakely: Vut? Of course it feels like there is no God. But he's present. You have adopted an ideology that is in response to people who have abused in his name. That is to test everyone's faith. The institution is wrong. But God is always right. D'Annedra: I ... Tried to kill myself. And you want to talk about something I don't think exists? Einstein Wakely: Just because you don't think it's there, doesn't mean you're assumption is right. Further more I would stay away from your logic, which is obviously flawed, our story is barely written and you already want to jump to the final chapter. D'Annedra, overcome with emotion finally lets go... And cries. Einstein Wakely: Ve are all important, D'Annedra. If you believe in God or not, that doesn't matter all of it is his. What's important is how you choose to live. What emotions do you choose to strive for. This is free will. This is why God too... Chooses to be an atheist. Because the joy of watching you overcome your struggles... Is something God could never do. God does it perfectly. Every time. Calculated with flaw or excitement, it is done perfectly. ... But you...? D'Annedra: I'm a wreck Einstein Wakely laughs. Einstein Wakely: Yes. And you live your life in such a way that God... Would envy you. D'Annedra: well the atheist in me enjoys that. Einstein Wakely: all of you should enjoy that. The universe is always listening. She wipes away her tears and smiles. (More to be written if someone wants to see this made into something...)

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