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bonefall · 9 months

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do you have a quick link to information about Brokenstar, Runningnose, and Skypelt? I'm curious about the story behind Runny's acorn necklace and I want to read about Brokenstar becoming SkyClan's guardian, and how he was able to follow Firestar/help him restore SkyClan. i've been having a hard time finding it

I need to finish (or at least *reasonably complete*) the SE where Fire and Broken go to resurrect SkyClan. That is called Firestar's Quietus. Brokenstar's origin, which completely replaces Yellowfang's Secret, is called Brokenstar's Cataclysm and that's another one I need to complete.

The exact story has undergone a lot of revision SO I'm gonna take a quick break to try and compile some Best Hits of BB!Runningnose's and BB!Brokenstar's dynamic to get you up to speed, and make a definitive list of what's currently canon to Better Bones

And, because this is DEFINITELY the change that raises the most eyebrows and it's a good opportunity to make an intro,

"Elder Bones, what's all this I hear about your Not-Totally-Evil Brokenstar?"

He's still evil lmao, but he's not BORN evil in BB. NO ONE is.

BB is a story about culture. It's about a lot of things, family, anti-authoritarianism, xenophobia... but at its core, Better Bones is about how people impact culture, and how it acts on people.

Something I realized early in this process is that Canon Brokenstar, who is a born-evil punishment for SkyClan's exile (this is CANON, go re-read Yellowfang's Secret if you don't remember!), only made worse by abuse and enabling, does not effectively tell a story about culture.

Depending on your reading, Canon!Brokenstar is either a cosmic horror story or one about abuse. Could Yellowfang have saved him (and ShadowClan) with love? The book implies no, it was his destiny, just the medcat den was hers.

But looking at Canon!Lizardfang who let him get bullied*, and Canon!Raggedpelt who enabled him every step of the way as Sagewhisker held Yellowfang back, you could also read it as someone who was treated so horribly that he did horrible things to others. That he wanted respect and this is how he got it

So, okay, you could read that it's the fault of this bad woman, bullying, and this overly permissive dad that he became a baby killer. Problem solved?

HOWEVER... the Erins also refuse to actually write about people who unironically love his philosophy, because they don't want Brokenstar to be systemic. Blackfoot, the posterboy for a Broken-supporter, gets to reckon with how sad his childhood was and how he was only ever a mislead kitty who Truly Loved His Clan, as opposed to Brokenstar, who was Born Evil And Did Not Truly Love His Clan.

Blackstar's greatest flaw wasn't xenophobia, or hatred. He wasn't groomed by a society that glorifies violence and pushes a might-makes-right mentality. He just followed The Bad Person. With the death of The Bad People, society is fine :)

This is a recurring dichotomy. Leopardstar was good all along, Tigerstar was bad all along, Needletail was good all along, Darktail was bad all along. The Erins are not telling a story about how Clan Culture produces villains, or how it makes good people do terrible things, they tell stories about treacherous Evil People who always had a seed of badness inside of them.

-Onestar's Confession, Page 704

This is their guiding philosophy, and it's what Better Bones sets out to reject.

So, Brokenstar.

I realized while drawing him this one time that I was making him look too much like Tigerstar. Charismatic and puffed up, ready to twist the code to fit his own ends. Then it hit me-- why am I telling the same story twice?

BB!Tigerstar is the inheritor of Thistle Law, apprentice of Thistleclaw, with a backstory where he was a lonely, abused child and seeks respect to fill that hole. He's getting all sorts of reduxes to explore him, and the way that violent ideologies recruit (and prey on) angry and lonely people. Why should I just... have two Tigerstars, but one of them is explored less?

AND, I would waste the fascinating idea that Brokenstar is a manifested curse. Why remove something so cool, when instead, I could lean into that...? Then I started to realize...

Why didn't they ever connect Brokenstar to the resurrection of SkyClan, if he is this manifested curse?

So, enough preamble. Come below the cut and I'll tell you about the story in Better Bones so far...

BB!Brokenstar is not born evil. He is born angry.

He was ALWAYS going to happen. His birth, his ambition, and his fury were inevitable.

This is a curse that was laid generations ago, at the end of Ripplestar's Rot.

The last-ditch attempt to save SkyClan was literally crushed by StarClan itself, blasting the base of the blighted 5th Tree of Fivetrees and sending it toppling down to smite Ripplestar.

That tree was the symbol of SkyClan and their place in the forest. All the love, comfort, and memories that they had ever put into that oak had a power of their own-- and they took form on that night.

Brokenstar is not the only "entity" of this type. Star Flower, eons ago, was another. BB contains many new types of entities beyond, and even adjacent to StarClan. Gods, curses, guardians, other religions of equal standing...

But he needed to be born to someone. In return for Dawnstar's kindness, taking in Cloudstar's young children (Re: Ripplestar's Rot), ShadowClan would be the eye of the storm.

And it would be a Cleric who bore him, just like Larkstripe, who had been cruelly separated from her only kitten.

Yellowfang, Shroompelt at the time, this was before her Dishonor Title, saw when he was born that he was furious. She'd never seen a newborn look so angry.

In Brokenstar's Cataclysm, she only gets the opening chapter. It's enough to establish how Sagewhisker pressured her into the role, the lengths she went to in order to keep this secret, the reason for his name despite it not matching his tail.

NOTE: Brokentail's name, Kanochswash, means Broken-in-half-tail. He has two breaks in his tail, making three segments. It matches the way the oak was broken, once at the base, again against the rock, but it is actually obvious in Clanmew that his name does not refer to his tail.

Or, it's obvious to Lizardstripe at least... who is VERY different in BB. Old followers will know, she is a very loyal friend of Bluestar herself, and a member of her inter-Clan friendgroup, the Forget-Me-Nots.

She really doesn't want to be in this situation, doesn't LIKE being a mother, and Mudfoot is unhelpful... but she's the most perceptive of the Forget-Me-Nots. She hears that name, sees Shroompelt's distant eyes, and it clicks. She sometimes looks for things to complain about so Shroompelt has an excuse to stay in the den for a while.

But Lizardstripe is not raising Brokenkit. Raggedstar is. Raggedstar is Brokenkit's Mi, and Raggedstar alone. He's pointedly adamant about that, and as soon as Brokenkit doesn't need round-the-clock suckling, he started sleeping in the Leader's Den with dad.

Unfortunately, being the golden child of the leader did not pair nicely with Brokenkit's short fuse.

And he made a little friend.

What first drew Runningkit to Brokenkit was that he was very large. Runningkit LOVED pissing off one of his siblings, and then hiding behind his bestie who was younger than them but already as big as a stump.

When Lizardstripe tried to do anything about this, Raggedstar would get pissed off at her, insisting that his son needed to be with his friends.

Together, the two of them learned they could do whatever they wanted, as long as they stuck together. With Runny's brain and Broken's brawn, they weren't even a year old and already unstoppable.

And their idea of "unstoppable" was... mostly getting seconds when they'd already eaten and pushing against the horrors of bedtime. Sneaking out and collecting acorns. Being allowed to practice with the warriors.

Even better, since being the leader's kitten meant everyone tended to be extra nice to Broken to butter up to Ragged.

If they got what they wanted, they were sweet to adults. But from watching her son, and from being friends with Lizardstripe, Shroompelt knew that they could be vicious when they wanted to be.

And from a young age, Brokenkit knew that he needed to become Brokenstar... and Runningkit promised he'd get him there.

You might be noticing something.

Brokenstar was always loved, very, very much.

Spoiled? Absolutely. A little bully? You bet.

Not yet more than the sort of things angry, spoiled kids get up to.

The point I'm meticulously building here is that BB!Brokenstar WAS LOVED, and he loved in turn.

It won't stop what is about to happen.

Brokenkit was only a few months old when his father became leader, after Cedarstar was killed in the war with WindClan. Heatherstar wanted the Mothermouth Moorland; a floodplain just beyond the Carrionplace, which grows flax and many other medicinal flowers.

It was something the two clans had fought over before, that IS the code's Right of Challenge, but Heatherstar wanted all of it. She'd even killed the practice of tunneling to dedicate all of her forces to take it.

If you are not strong enough to keep something, you do not deserve to have it. This is what the Code says.

And strength is what Brokenkit quickly learned.

Taking extra bowls of food means nothing in the fall when the prey grows fat, but ShadowClan's marsh freezes fast.

You can't whine up a second bowl when not everyone even got a first.

Do you defend your territory? Or focus on survival? When the challenges are frequent, you have to go without eating to defend them.

And yes, you're hungry, but it's for a reason.

Brokenkit wasn't out of kithood when he saw his first death, because people were already dying before he was born.

In skirmishes, in hunting accidents, to infection because they didn't have enough herbs. Starvation in winter.

From a very young age, he was taught this is the way of Clans, and this is because of WindClan.

And his ambition to become deputy only became stronger. Runningpaw hatched a plan to get into the Cleric den, against Shroompelt's will.

Brokenpaw got into fights at Gatherings over ShadowClan's honor, enthusiastically bowled into battle against WindClan raids, became Raggedstar's best little rat hunter.

And he saw clanmates he loved dying.

Over many years, through his warriorhood, into his deputyship.

Cloudpelt, Foxheart, Toadskip, Nutwhisker. Lizardstripe was killed during an event called Heatherstar's Last Stand, her neck snapped by the WindClan warrior Flytail.

Heatherstar died, and her much more reasonable and peaceful deputy, Tallstar... continued to keep the Moorland she won.

ShadowClan went through that last winter, again trying to win their land back, but beaten so hard they couldn't mount a resistance. More cats collapsed in the snow, Mudfoot was one of them.

WindClan won. The land was theirs now. Out of his magnanimity, Tallstar reached out to Raggedstar and made him an unprecedented offer. He would give him a tax of rabbits, for peace. ShadowClan would stop attacking, and formally acknowledge that WindClan was the victor of the war.

A peace deal, a surrender.

Tallstar didn't have to do that. If his Clan won, it was his land in the eyes of StarClan. He had no obligation to reach out in this way, and Raggedstar acknowledged that.

But it made Brokentail SICK.

He couldn't believe that Raggedstar was going to buy this, let WindClan keep THEIR LAND and just send them back some of their own rabbits. What happens next?? What if WindClan decides to come further south, what then? What will Tallstar ask for next? What price will his warriors pay for the blood they spilled?

And this is the moment that Brokentail kills his father. On his last life, frail and weak after an entire life of fighting, he decided that the last kindness he could give him was a quick death, preventing him from taking that deal.

Runningnose sprang into action as soon as he'd been told about it; helping him to cover up the murder.

And together, they turned to TOTAL war.

Once, as an apprentice, Brokenstar recalled the words of a warrior at a Gathering. A parable of thistles-- how they don't care what attacks them. They don't hold back. How they will choke out the whole field who they can thrive.

Is that not the conclusion of Might Makes Right? If you can, you must, before they do it to you.

An apprentice becomes a warrior-- stop that from happening.

Don't let your enemies escape to fight again-- kill them when you have the chance.

Their herb stores are just as limited as yours-- dwindle them with infection and poison.

WindClan Must Pay, every single one of them. All the Clans are tomorrow's rivals, they have to go too.

Everything is for ShadowClan, and he was LOVED for it.

well.... by many.

This is about Brokenstar and Runningnose, but I must mention that there's also a lot of people who oppose him. Who realize this as evil. Nightpelt, Cinderfur, Deerfoot, Dawncloud and Stumptail are some of them.

And, importantly, Shroompelt was one of them. Whenever she learned of some code-breaking thing they'd done, she would make waves about it.

The word of a Cleric has an immense amount of weight, and it prevented Brokenstar from ending this war once and for all.

So Runningnose, as always, constructed a plan. Brokenstar decided it was a sacrifice that must be made.

Marigoldkit and Mintkit (kits of Rowanberry and Clawface) were in the Cleric's den for an infection.

Marigoldkit was a blind girl, and very fussy about taking her medicine.

Shroompelt would serve it to her in a berry capsule, either knout or rasp, a naturally red berry one.

Runningnose simply swapped her medicine with yew, and made sure that Mintkit was able to witness his sister being fed red berries over many days.

When Marigoldkit died, Mintkit was a distraught child who could only communicate that Shroompelt fed her "Red Berries," like the ones he'd been taught to stay away from.

Shroompelt IMMEDIATELY turned on Runningnose, accusing him of killing a blind kitten.

And he turned it on her. She'd fallen right into his trap. "You did this! You've been wanting us to stop fighting WindClan, and now you've stooped so low that you're trying to get rid of StarClan's only other messenger! You've killed your own nespring!"

Many cats of ShadowClan had completely lost patience with her before this, and were now shocked to see that she'd do such a thing. While some suspected the truth, in the end, Brokenstar's word is law.

And his law was that he would show mercy on an ex-Clanmate. But from here on, her name was Yellowfang, so that the world may be forewarned that StarClan rotted her teeth from so many lies as she walked in exile.

Brokenstar's Cataclysm ends on the WindClan Massacre. A bloody event where well over a dozen cats are slaughtered, and Brokenstar resurrects an ancient practice at the bellowing request of his warriors-- Kitten Stealing.

(The only time BB!Brokenstar uses a child soldier is during this battle, apprenticing Badgerpaw early so that he can participate in the all-out assault.)

With WindClan gone, he turned his sight on the other two. The Clans were cursed to die as they lived-- overpowered by a stronger, more bloodthirsty tyrant, violently driven out just as SkyClan had once been.

From there, the rest is very close to canon. Brokenstar is deposed by a coup, one that NEVER would have succeeded if it wasn't for Bluestar and her apprentice, Firepaw. The Curse is thwarted by change. Cats of different Clans working together in the name of righteousness.

Bluestar could have gone, grabbed the kits, and come back, but she knew that WindClan would never be able to return if Brokenstar was still in power.

This time around, ShadowClan's plague was intentional. Runningnose infected Nightstar on purpose.

He wanted to eliminate a weak leader... and a treacherous rogue who had defied his own.

Collateral damage was acceptable, if it eliminated as many of Nightstar's supporters as possible.

And yet, his brother Deerfoot survived. Sentimentality? Just luck? Who knows.

If Runningnose has any regrets for anything he's done, it's only this. That he cleared out ShadowClan for Tigerstar's rule.

He approved of him at first, interpreted signs to benefit him, even killed for this old ally of Brokenstar...

but Tigerstar's goal was to abolish ShadowClan, and make a TigerClan of his own. Brokenstar never wanted this, and neither did Runningnose.

What Runny really wants, more than anything, is what Brokenstar wants. Destroying WindClan is a bonus, eliminating all of their enemies is anger that they were able to obstruct him. Runningnose thinks he loves power, but what he REALLY loves is his ability to get Brokenstar what he wants.

Everything he's ever done has been in pursuit of that goal. He doesn't care that he'll be going to the Dark Forest in the end, that's where Brokenstar is going to be. Hell is wherever he isn't.

In life, neither one of them knew anything about the curse, or destiny. Brokenstar reconnects with memories in his death.

And he started having dreams of SkyClan, which he communicated to Runningnose through channeling.

I'm working on the full outline of Firestar's Quietus right now so I'm going to be a bit more brief;

Runningnose got Firestar involved on this quest because he's a little goody two shoes. Of COURSE he would agree to help... that's who Firestar is.

He brings him to the moonstone, where a scene similar to canon plays out where StarClan tries to encourage him to go back to his Clan and ignore what he now knows.

And, of course, he tells them to shove it.

Firestar's Quietus is a book about righting wrongs. Brokenstar as a curse means that what he needs, in the end, is peace.

The peace he needs is the knowledge that SkyClan will be saved, and that it will survive.

Runningnose is willing to let him go, in order to get what he needs. He passes off an acorn necklace to Firestar, so that he can channel him with ease on his journey

In this gesture, it becomes real that he will go to an afterlife without him. After all he'd ever done and been through.

So, he hesitates before handing it off, but makes Firestar promise to take good care of it.

On this journey, Brokenstar and Firestar do a lot of bickering about how SkyClan should come back. The sort of values they should have, who should lead it...

But in the end, Brokenstar realizes, they will be something new. They'll choose their own path in life, because that's what it means to be alive.

And his final action is to face The Rats, now supernatural creatures of their own, finally dispelling the threat that faced SkyClan.

Having done his job as a Guardian, he can finally rest. His necklace is buried overlooking the Gorge, returning SkyClan's guardian to them.

Eventually he falls during AVoS, in Darktail's attack, killing several of the kin and their rebels and allowing Leafstar and co a chance to escape.

For more on Skypelt, see this little guide I made on the afterlife locations. Hopefully one day I can clean this up into its own entry.

More stuff to check out (that I found while searching for other posts but are cool and I'm re-sharing);

Jaggedtooth isn't a villain anymore

"What's your favorite ShadowClan-adjacent change?"

First post I made on Tigerstar's Paws

Brokenstar's two honor-kits, Littlecloud and Rowanclaw

On curses and anger

"What does Runningnose think of the other TPB Clerics?" Hates em!

A rundown on all ShadowClan leaders post-Ripplestar

Cedarstar sketch

First post on StarClan Technicality Brokenstar lmao

IN-DEPTH QUESTIONS ABOUT SKYPELT

Some specifics on the religion/entity/magic mechanics in BB

#better bones au #Brokenstar's Cataclysm #BB!Brokenstar #BB!Runningnose #Firestar's Quietus

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nunyabznsbabes · 8 months

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The Yellowjackets' Cards

Misty pulls the Eight of Diamonds. Eight traditionally represents resurrection, regeneration, and new beginnings. The Diamonds suit symbolizes the merchant class, autumn, dedication, ethics, confidence, stability, and advancement. The Eight of Diamonds specifically is a sign of healing, passion, and safeguarding.

Akilah pulls the Seven of Spades. Seven traditionally represents warfare, protection, completeness, perfection, grace, and divine mercy. The Spades suit symbolizes the military, winter, water, grief, and loneliness. The Seven of Spades specifically is a sign of certainty, warning, loss, perception, intuition, and kindness.

Van pulls the Jack of Hearts. The Jack is a symbol of common blood, loyalty, good luck, deception, innocence, and new beginnings. The Hearts suit represents the Church, spring, fire, love, vows, and childhood. The Jack of Hearts specifically is a sign of love, youthful passion, emotional support, reconciliation, and the pursuit of inner knowledge.

Shauna pulls the Four of Diamonds. Four traditionally represents creation, completion, mental stability, change, and freedom. The Diamonds suit symbolizes the merchant class, autumn, dedication, ethics, confidence, stability, and advancement. The Four of Diamonds specifically is a sign of strength, a need for confrontation, sensitivity, dissatisfaction, defensiveness, stubbornness, rebellion, intuition, good fortune, new beginnings, change, and charm.

Travis pulls the Ace of Clubs. The Ace historically represented bad luck, but in the present day it represents strength, authority, power, and victory. The Clubs suit symbolizes agriculture, peasantry, summer, youth, and the earth. It is also the lowest-ranking suit in games that prioritize suits. The Ace of Clubs specifically is a sign for good luck, prosperity, abundance, power, and influence.

Tai pulls the Six of Spades. Six traditionally represents power, imperfection, humanity, broken connection, restored connection, union, romantic union, materiality, and success. This number is also associated with Satan/the Beast. The Spades suit symbolizes the military, winter, water, grief, secrecy, loneliness, obsession, and development. It is also the highest-ranking suit in games that prioritize suits. The Six of Spades specifically is a sign of infidelity, dishonesty, turbulence, rootlessness, growth, denial, avoidance, change, change, and renewal.

Melissa pulled the Three of Hearts. Three traditionally represents power, cycles, life and death, divinity, completeness, fulfillment, and perfection. The Hearts suit represents the Church, spring, fire, love, vows, and childhood. The Three of Hearts specifically is a sign of success, love, opportunity, and aid.

Javi pulled the King of Spades. The King is a symbol of masculinity, maturity, control, and command. The Spades suit symbolizes the military, winter, water, grief, secrecy, loneliness, loss, and development. It is also the highest-ranking suit in games that prioritize suits. The King of Spades specifically is a sign of reason, logic, authority, discipline, justice, dominance, charm, observation, cruelty, obstacles, and boundaries. Reversed, the King of Spades is a sign of irrationality, control, judgement, and dishonesty.

Natalie pulls the Queen of Hearts. The Queen is a symbol of leadership, authority, confidence, femininity, and power. The Hearts suit represents the Church, spring, fire, love, vows, and childhood. The Queen of Hearts specifically represents unconditional love, compassion, creativity, intuition, healing, counseling, warmth, and self-love. In a reversed meaning, the Queen of Hearts is a sign of insecurity, fragility, dependence, self-sabotage, martyrdom, and over-giving.

#bloop bloop back on my bs #would that i could make gifs #sooo interesting to see which cards symbolized rebirth #and which ones uh. definitely didn't #all of these could have so many meanings #yellowjackets #Yellowjackets meta #Shauna Shipman #Misty Quigley #natalie scatorccio #van palmer #taissa turner #travis martinez #akilah yellowjackets #javi martinez #Yellowjackets cards

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chubbletea · 3 months

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wither sickness symptoms hcs

yayyyy

tw for graphic descriptions of disease Ig so if you're squeamish you might wanna scroll past

it glows brighter from the source as it spreads. the brighter the glow, the stronger the smell.

it can latch onto anywhere on the body, but it tends to latch onto the arms or legs most of the time

where the sickness spreads itself is very painful and the pain disperses upon contact, especially closer to the source. however, the area surrounding it is numb and tingles when touched.

the way it works is that when it gets attached, it finds a spot to poke through the skin and blooms like a flower from there. it changes the color of the blood anywhere from giving it a slight purple tint to giving it a completely new color.

if enough of it takes over, the vine-like veins can act like the tentacles of the witherstorm. at this point, the person has lost control of the place it's attached to. there are two solutions to fix this problem:

amputation

get rid of the cause (though, this will not restore feeling and leave the limb permanently without feeling)

it smells. bad. the smell is related to the source, and it starts out on a "ew that stinks" level but can progress to actually making ppl sick and causing them to vomit and/or pass out

as it gets worse, it starts soaking and leaves a residue upon contact. it's a slight yellow color, similarly colored to the sclera of the eyes, and it's most the bad smell

it can cause permanent blindness on varying scales of severity. the more rheumy and deeper the yellowing of the sclera is, the closer the person is to blindness. if the person is cured, they get about 65% of the blindness they experienced with the disease. if they go fully blind, their blindness when they are cured depends on how long they were fully blind for.

the same can happen with hearing, though it takes a lot more time and the person is likely to die before going completely deaf or overcome with tinnitus. they would acquire about 30% of the deafness/tinnitus they had before being cured

it can also cause arthritis. the closer the joint is to the source, the worse the arthritis.

OH AND it can cause memory loss too

it sucks nutrients out of the person and decolors their hair and skin significantly

it worsens eyebags, makes eyelids droop, causes skin to sag, and can leave scars underneath the eyes

the skin is much easier to scar

the yellow residue liquid starts slowly coating and eventually filling the lungs pretty early. later, the purple slime stuff starts filling the lungs, too.

it starts causing everything to taste more sour, increasing in intensity when the person starts coughing up purple wither slime. this will chronically change the person's tastebuds, and foods they once liked before they may hate after. this is why I hc petra/gabriel to dislike sour flavors, bc if that's all they can taste for a while then they're prolly not gonna wanna taste it again (at least for a very long time)

if the disease kills the person, the body decomposes multiple times quicker and can resurrect them into a variant of zombie which I like to call a wither zombie

it increases amount of saliva generated and is extremely likely to cause excessive drooling. if the saliva is slightly yellow, death is pretty much certain.

#petra mcsm #gabriel mcsm #mcsm petra #mcsm gabriel #minecraft story mode #mcsm #🎷.hcs #🎷.txt

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hchollym · 10 months

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Viren x Aaravos in Season 5

I wrote about Viravos in Season 4 in this post, and now that I've finished watching Season 5, I have so many feelings!

*Under the cut due to spoilers.

Poor Claudia was literally out there fighting for her life to get Aaravos' prison so she could set him free, and Aaravos was just ignoring her so he could talk to Viren. 🤣

Aaravos told Claudia that she had to free him in order to save Viren, but as soon as they got close to the prison, Aaravos was going to complete the spell even before he was released. He wasn't even waiting to see if Claudia held up her end of the deal; he's just like. "Oh look, my husband is finally here after 2 years. Time to make sure he stays alive." 🥰

He didn't even need to save Viren. Claudia was going to release him anyway, and then he could have just pretended that it was too late (especially since it was the 30th day), but instead, his entire focus was on Viren.

I love that as soon as Viren saw Aaravos, he was just like "No" & Aaravos didn't even register the rejection at first; he was just happy, asking, "Where are you going? This is a special day." Like he clearly expected Viren to celebrate with him.

Then, when Viren kept walking away, Aaravos' expression quickly changed to confusion & then anger as he commanded Viren to stop, like "Don't walk away from me!"

Aaravos got over it quickly though, looking happy again when he reached out & said, "You're so close now. We're finally on the cusp of each other's realities." He didn't say, "I'm almost free." He specially talked about both of their locations. He was basically saying, "We can finally be together now," & then he took Viren's arm so he could bring him back to his prison with him.

When Viren said that he would never sacrifice his child, Aaravos replied, "Relax. I wouldn't expect you to harm Claudia or Soren. You will sacrifice your other child." Despite all the crap that Viren has done to Soren over the years, Aaravos still knows him well enough to know that he wouldn't sacrifice one of his children, and he purposely found another way to make this process easier for Viren. 🥺

The "Our child" statement! The look of shock on Viren's face as Aaravos drops the bombshell that he literally created a child for them without Viren's knowledge or consent. He was like, "I wanted a baby with you, so I got one." 😱 Poor Viren.

Then Aaravos was showing images of the "baby" and saying, "Our baby was so cute. And he's grown into quite the strapping young homunculus. Are you telling me you can't see the resemblance? He has my lovely eyes. I'm afraid his voice must be from your side of the family." He was literally like, "This baby is a mixture of us. We made him, and he's perfect" as Viren is just horrified.

"Now he's here for you. And I will show you how to use every drop of his living essence to restore your own life and your future." Aaravos is really out here willing to sacrifice his own child to save his husband. Harsh! 😭

Then he continues with the statement, "The resurrection spell will expire tonight, and you will die. You must make the sacrifice." He was being very forceful with his tone of voice as he pushed Viren towards Sir Sparklepuff. "If you don't, tomorrow the sun will rise, and you will not." Again, the tone was firm as he guided Viren's hands on the blade, like "Tick tock; time is running out. Let's go boo. Get it done."

When Viren said, "No more dark magic, never again! I am done with it. And I am done with you!" Like good for you sweetie! But Aaravos looked so offended, and it was clear that he was thinking "What the f*&k just happened?" before he disappeared:

At the end, when Viren was lying on the grass, yet again Aaravos appeared to him (instead of Claudia, who just lost his prison) and said, "Tomorrow the sun will rise. And you will not." His tone and expression of that same statement from earlier were angry this time, and it was clear that he'd moved onto the anger stage of the break up:

Viren was just trying to escape a toxic relationship, and Aaravos was basically like, "If you leave me, I will kill you." 😫 It's a harsh but realistic ending for this pairing.

Although, I'm not sure that I believe Viren will really die like that. Something tells me that there's going to be a loophole, like Claudia's sacrifice of a leg will be enough to give Viren the "blood of a child" & keep him alive.

I just really want to see Claudia & Soren's faces when they find out that their dad had a baby with Aaravos & Sir Sparklepuff is their half-brother. 😂

Extra: I couldn't resist making these -

#viravos #viren x aaravos #evil husbands #viren #aaravos #sir sparklepuff #claudia tdp #the dragon prince #tdp season 5 #tdp spoilers #my thoughts #memes #as extra #tw: toxic relationships

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kedicatt-cotl · 11 months

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How did Aym get his eye scar?

As funny as it is, Aym didn't get his eye scar protecting Narinder in a battle.

Life in the Gateway was actually quite boring, the only visitors being the Red Crown bearers that Narinder would summon every once in a while. Many, many crown bearers, but none of them would dare to speak a word against The One Who Waits, let alone get in a fight with a being so powerful.

In reality, Aym scarred his eye and ear when he was still alive, just a little kitten playing outside. One wrong step and he trips and fall, rolling down the slope, against the floor of moss, sharp twigs and stones. He tried to cover his face, but it didn't help much. In just a couple of seconds his ear and then his face got scarred for the rest of his life. Maybe he shouldn't have jumped around there to prove that he isn't afraid of heights.

Forneus knew a thing or two about healing. She took care of the wounds to make sure they won't get infected, but unfortunately it was impossible to save the eye. Over a few months, Aym lost his eyesight almost completely in his right eye. He managed to find the positive side in all this - if he pretends that it's a battle scar, everyone will think that he is a brave fighter... before he even learned how to fight!

Upon serving The One Who Waits, he's gotten a chance to have his eyesight back.

“I will restore your vision”, The One Who Waits said, touching Aym's head with his sticky clawed hand, “as much as my weakened power allows me to”.

It didn't work out perfectly. Aym's blank pupil turned into a red slit pupil. Some of his vision did return, but it remained very blurry.

Once resurrected in the Lamb's cult, his eye has changed once again. The vision didn't improve a bit, but now the eye looks like the healthy one, the only difference being that it's pupil is constantly constricted.

That isn't the only thing that's new, though. Now Aym has a real battle scar - his left ear was torn in the final battle with Lamb.

#kits tuesday #when i realized that he has one torn ear as servant and TWO torn ears as follower i cried #not really but wow #the baby boy truly did his best #not his fault lamb is so strong #i LOVE the kits fr #baabaa kids ask #cult of the baabaa kids #cult of the lamb art #cult of the lamb narinder #cult of the lamb #cult of the lamb aym #cotl #cotl aym #cotl narinder

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msbilberry · 6 months

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Mirror for the bride of the King under the Mountain.

MsBilberry

Summary:

Erebor was retaken, Thorin and his nephews survived, and now restoration work is in full swing in the kingdom. Bilbo begins to feel lonely and unwanted and looks for a reason to return home. But it’s very difficult for him to do this, because his love for Thorin, which he never admitted, breaks the hobbit’s heart. And then, one not very wonderful day, the reason is found - Bilbo learns a secret that was hidden from him until the last: Erebor is preparing for the wedding of the King under the Mountain.

Chapter 1 of 5

Of course, the fact that Erebor was successfully recaptured and was being restored right before our eyes could not but rejoice. It is amazing how quickly the dwarves resurrected the former appearance of this mighty kingdom, recreating it even more magnificent and perfect than before. No less surprising for many was the fact that Thorin, the son of Thrain, a mighty warrior and now the rightful King, worked equally with everyone, from moving stones to working in a forge.

However, for those who were closely acquainted with Thorin and knew him well, this was not something out of the ordinary. All 12 dwarves from the squad, during their long journey together, managed to get to know the future King well enough to understand that in his soul he remained the same as they remembered him that evening in Bag End, when their long adventure was just beginning. The fourteenth member of the group, the hobbit named Bilbo Baggins, also seemed to understand this. Thorin's dragon sickness finally subsided, and the fact that he managed to survive the Battle of the Five Armies finally freed Thorin's mind from thoughts about gold and riches as the meaning of life, gave him strength and inspired him to restore his kingdom. Still, Bilbo felt some discomfort. Something has changed in Thorin's attitude towards the hobbit, but what? Bilbo could not give himself an answer to this question that tormented him so much.

Yes, Thorin had become distant, they no longer spent as much time together as before. There were no more long conversations until dawn, no more gatherings around the fire when you could sit closer to Thorin and slightly, as if by chance, snuggle up to him, as if by accident. Now Bilbo could not even see Thorin for a whole day, because he was either working in the forge, or sitting with Balin and other visiting dwarves in the library for papers, or receiving important guests. And then he even began to go with his nephews or Dwalin on visits to other kingdoms, leaving Erebor for a long time. However, maybe these visits were not so long, but for Bilbo, who realized that Thorin was not in Erebor and that he had gone somewhere far away, these days became real torture. He spent hours sitting by the window in his bedroom, which had a stunning view of the Mountain. But neither the wonderful view, nor the richly decorated room that was assigned to him, nor even the delicious food that was now in abundance in the kingdom, pleased Bilbo. And okay, everything else, but the fact that the hobbit wasn’t happy with the treats was definitely a bad sign!

Bilbo didn't understand why he was here. Now that Erebor had been retaken and its restoration was underway, the hobbit was no longer needed here. He probably already looked out of place under these stone arches, replete with inlays of precious stones. He is just a little hobbit, who was once invited by 13 dwarves on a journey and given a unique opportunity to take part in a real adventure. His mission here is completed and he must leave. This thought, although heartbreaking, firmly took hold in Bilbo’s mind and he gradually got used to it. And it broke his heart for only one reason, whose name was Thorin. Bilbo could not, did not want to part with him. The hobbit really wanted to see his cute mink again, return to his native land and again become just Bilbo Baggins from Bag End. But he understood that even if he left, his heart would forever remain here, with Thorin. The little hobbit’s little heart belongs to Thorin, and he doesn’t even know about it. Bilbo needed to leave, but he still couldn’t bring himself to do it. He was looking for a reason to delay his return home, and since all the dwarves from the detachment, and even those whom he had met already here, after the battle, were only glad that Bilbo was still with them, the hobbit still remained in Erebor , tormented by melancholy and a feeling of loneliness and uselessness.

And Thorin continued to solve state issues, only occasionally devoting some of his precious time to Bilbo. But Bilbo was happy with these crumbs too. At such hours they talked again, walking in the fresh air or sitting in the huge library by the fireplace. Sometimes Bilbo caught the gaze of blue eyes on himself, when, as it seemed to Thorin, the hobbit did not notice that they were looking at him. When they were alone, Bilbo always thought that Thorin wanted to tell him something, but did not dare. And when the king did start a conversation, it concerned exclusively matters of national importance and political issues. Bilbo was not interested in these conversations, but he listened carefully, because it was Thorin, his Thorin, speaking. And it doesn’t matter at all what was discussed, just to hear this velvety, familiar voice. Always hear. And at such moments the hobbit felt a lump in his throat. He again remembered that this could not last long.

#the hobbit #ao3 #fanfiction #my fic #bagginshield #thilbo #thorin oakenshield #bilbo baggins #thorin x bilbo #bilbo x thorin #erebor #king under the mountain #ms bilberry #alternate universe #bilbo #thorin

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theultimatepielord · 8 months

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A long and angry rant about Sarevok's inclusion in bg3.

As a big fan of the first two Baldur's gate games, I am very angry about Sarevok's inclusion in bg3, and it feels like they just abandoned everything about his character to be like "ooh, cool cameo, remember the other games?" (Which were better fight me). Major spoilers for all 3 baldur's gate games.

First question: why is he still alive? The events of BG2 ToB were in 1369 DR, and Sarevok was already in his twenties, per the Forgotten Realms wiki (this is reasonably accurate to bg1/2) , and bg3 takes place in 1492/maybe93 DR, which makes him at least 142 years old. Bhaalspawn age slower than normal mortals, so this could make sense EXCEPT SAREVOK DOESN'T HAVE BHAALSPAWN POWERS, as his Bhaalspawn abilities weren't restored when he was resurrected by Abdel at the start of Throne of Bhaal. So first off, he should be dead by old age, and resurrection magic generally doesn't work after death by old age (since it would in-universe make the acquisition of immortality completely trivial for anyone wealthy). Already a gaping plothole, but sure let's progress through anyways.

So storywise, you find him as the justice in charge of the initiation of the Bhaalist cult headed by Orin. This immediately raises a question: WHY THE FUCK IS SAREVOK RUNNING A CULT FOR SOMEONE ELSE?

You might say, "why wouldn't a Bhaalspawn be working for a cult of Bhaal?", well, here are some good reasons.

Sarevok never worshipped his father. His cult during bg1 was dedicated to making HIM the new Lord of Murder, and his massive ego and intense selfishness kinda precluded him ever working for someone else's aims.

Sarevok ended his time with Abdel as a Chaotic Good character attempting to find redemption for his time as a murderer (this isn't guaranteed, the player can not redeem him, but his entry on the Forgotten Realms wiki implies that he is canonically redeemed, and it's significantly more in character for Abdel (also CG) to help him find redemption)

During the events of ToB he regards his non-Abdel/Imoen siblings with scorn and resentment, and is not interested in supporting any future lords of murder, save perhaps the one nice enough to resurrect him.

Not only that, he shows deference to Bhaal, the father he never cared for, and proof of his failure, after Orin kills her mother/his daughter.

"Ok but it was for his daughter/granddaughter, surely that changes the equation"

First off Sarevok didn't really care for his close family, as he either manipulates Abdel and company into killing his adoptive father Rieltar or just does it himself and frames Abdel. Either way, the murder of his adoptive father is a critical part of his plan. He also kills Winski Perorate, his beloved tutor who told him he was a Bhaalspawn for helping him escape the Grand Dukes + Flaming Fist + Abdel crew instead of helping fight. A minor transgression to kill someone close to you over. He also tosses aside the love of his life, Tamoko, to pursue godhood. His evil side does not care for ANYONE. And his good side sure as hell wouldn't react to Bhaal declaring his daughter/granddaughter his Chosen by supporting them.

Which brings us to the final plothole: who the hell is Helen(Orin's mother/Sarevok's daughter)'s mother?

It really should be a doppelganger, given that Changelings can be the offspring of a doppelganger and a human, giving Orin changeling blood, which makes sense on the surface level given Sarevok's army of doppelgangers in bg1. Except throughout bg1 Sarevok is in a relationship (initially with Tamoko, and then later Cythandria), and changelings live as long as humans, which creates the same issue of bg1 being over 120 years ago. This means that Sarevok went doppelganger-fucking at some point in his ceaseless tortured post-bg2 wanderings and then opted to settle down and raise the offspring despite canonically never falling in love again after Tamoko.

Even if Helen were not a doppelganger, and Orin's father was, we still hit the issue of Sarevok needing to conceive her almost certainly with either Tamoko or Cythandria 120 years before the events of bg3, so either Orin's ancient or Helen was ancient when she birthed her. Neither really makes sense.

NOT ONLY THAT, if Sarevok WAS supportive of his daughter's scheming, why the hell is Orin just Gortash's mad dog? Sarevok's a consummate schemer, a relentless power-seeker with as much similarity to Bane as to Bhaal. Why the hell was he ok with Gortash taking prime position? Why didn't he ever teach his daughter subtlety or politics? Even if Orin kills Gortash, she couldn't hold Baldur's Gate. What the hell?

I don't think Larian asked any of these questions, I think they just wanted callbacks to bg1 so they tossed in the main villain because he's a recognizable helmet and name. And to top it all off they recast him. The most iconic VA performance from bg1 gets recast. Original VA Kevin Michael Richardson is still active and still does video games, with no major controversies near as I can tell. I can forgive not bringing back Heidi Shanon (retired for 20 years) and Jim Cummings (accused of sexual abuse), but come the fuck on with not bringing back KMR.

#bg3 spoilers #bg3 #sarevok #sarevok anchev #bg2 spoilers #bg1 spoilers #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate spoilers #baldur's gate

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hopeymchope · 7 months

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The impact of "Ch. Yakou: Thank You, My Detective" on Master Detective Archives: Rain Code's story (and any possible sequel?)

The DLC for "Master Detective Archives: Rain Code" is complete. And having now played through all five of the "Substories," I think we can at least say that only ONE of them leaves any major impact on the larger narrative.

I wouldn't say "Ch. Yakou: Thank You, My Detective" is the best of the substories. Not to me, at least. But it certainly ends on a note that strongly suggests a change to the status quo we all understood when the game ended.

MAJOR SPOILERS for both the main-game narrative of "Master Detective Archives: Rain Code" and the DLC "Ch. Yakou: Thank You, My Detective" are under the cut.

At the very start of "Ch. Yakou," we're controlling Yakou Furio from a side-scrolling perspective as he slowly plods and stumbles down a hallway.

His face is in shadow with his hood up, and we occasionally get flashes of his memories... including Yuma pleading "Yes! I'm Yuma! Chief, you understand me?" And if you don't immediately remember when that moment occurred, it'll all be cleared up by the time you complete this trudge down memory lane. Because it all concludes with a memory of his death on the floor of the lab underneath Amaterasu Corporation.

That's right — we're controlling Yakou Furio when he's already a shambling zombie homunculus! That memory of Yuma is even from the final chapter of the game!

These memory flashbacks are really an excuse for us to experience the backstory of how Yakou met the woman who ultimately became his wife — the one who was the driving motivator behind his actions in Chapter 4. (And who sadly isn't even given a name during this chapter in spite of getting backstory and a voice actress. Wtf is that.) But you might be thinking, "We could've seen Yakou thinking about this storyline at any time. Why doesn't this chapter just take place at some vague interval between chapters 1-3, like all the other DLC stories? Why is THIS the one weird outlier?"

Answer: Because of how it ends.

Yakou's march through the corridors comes to an end when he meets... a ghost? A memory? I'm leaning towards her being the former, but I can't be 100% sure. Regardless, some version of his deceased wife is there to leave him with a parting gift.

I'll let her explain it:

Yup, you read that right. We end with DeadWife handed off a small batch of her experimental medication — a means by which Yakou can truly resurrect himself. ... Although she does add that cavet about how it "might be completed if someone takes over my research," which certainly leaves room for doubt about its efficacy at the moment.

In summation: Most of the final DLC chapter takes place in flashback... but it ends with dead zombie Yakou Furio being handed a medication that could potentially restore him to his original living state.

So uh... I guess they just set up the possbility of Yakou Furio showing up alive and well for Master Detective Archives 2, huh? They gave themselves an excuse to have the whole band back together if they so choose.

But...

My Thoughts

Look: I love Yakou, sure, but his death is the emotional high point of the entire game. Furthermore, it's the ONLY loss to our central cast. Unlike in Kodaka's preceding franchise, the core cast of Rain Code manages to stay safe from harm throughout the adventure — with this one exception. The only loss to the group is Yakou, who goes down like an absolute badass via an exceedingly clever plan to exact his own brand of justice against the man who had his wife killed.

It feels wrong to undo that, y'know? It's just such an important moment for him, for the story, and for the group of detectives at its center who become to be so attached to him.

Despite that, will I be happy if he shows up in a sequel? Well... yeah, actually. He's a super-likable character that ultimately proves to be far more clever than those around him ever realized. There's a lot you could do with that.

So I guess I have mixed feelings. I'm surprised by this choice more than anything, but that's not to say that it's not still kind of cool. I definitely didn't expect it.

#master detective archives: rain code #master detective archives #rain code spoilers #master detective archives: rain code spoilers #mdarc spoilers #mdarc #rain code #yakou furio #thank you my detective #rain code dlc #mda dlc #master detective archives: rain code dlc

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bigmamag · 9 months

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I have what I think is a new theory about what happened at the end of season 2 of Good Omens. I think Aziraphale doesn’t tell Crowley what came after Metatron told Aziraphale that he can work with Crowley again and restore him to full angelic status. I don't think we're getting the whole conversation, not because Aziraphale has been drugged or anything like that, but simply because Aziraphale is the eponymous unreliable narrator—he’s literally narrating the conversation to Crowley, so Crowley and the audience are only getting whatever he’s willing (or able) to impart.

Metatron presumably still thinks they’re both immune to holy water and hell fire, so he thinks he can’t kill them. I doubt he'd hesitate to kill Crowley, but Aziraphale is different, not because Metatron gives a shit about him, but because it’s a matter of pride and there will NOT be an institutional problem in heaven on his watch. Aziraphale says he doesn’t want to go back to heaven, so how does Metatron convince him to go be the supreme archangel so he can be heaven's PR puppet while also completely separating him from Crowley? He knows the power they wield together: able to perform a miracle of 25 Lazarii together where apart they can barely bring one person back from the dead (for evidence of this, see how they can't resurrect Wee Morag and also this ask where Neil addresses their individual miracle capabilities.)

I think Aziraphale doesn’t reveal to Crowley that he actually tells Metatron that Crowley would never agree to come to heaven and be an angel again, because he knows Crowley. But then Metatron has the ultimate trump card, and here it is, the ‘give me coffee or give me death’ moment: Aziraphale must convince Crowley to come to heaven or he must leave him behind, because if he tries to interact with a demon again, Metatron will erase Crowley from the book of life.

Imagine if this is the reason for Aziraphale’s sudden change, then everything makes so much more sense that follows. Aziraphale’s intense worry before he walks into the bookshop, but the brightness and joy he exudes while trying to convince Crowley to come, like he’s giving the sales pitch of a lifetime and notice he’s almost manic with it:

“It’ll be just like old times, only even nicer!”

“Work with me! We can be together!”

“I don’t think you understand what I’m offering you.”

“I…I need you!”

“Then there’s nothing more to say.”

It’s breaking his heart, just the face he makes when Crowley says no nightingales, he knows exactly what that means. Crowley kisses him, and god imagine how much Aziraphale wants to stay with him, go off together, even forgets himself a little bit and clutches Crowley to him for a just a moment, but he can’t, Metatron is watching, notice that after he breaks the kiss, Aziraphale glances over to the window, because what if Metatron had seen that? He takes a bit finding the words, so he decides on what he knows is the worst thing he could say to make Crowley go away and not speak to him, because he’s in danger.

“I forgive you”

And he still looks to Crowley before he gets on the elevator, trying to memorize him before they’re forced to part forever. Metatron is right about one thing–everyone so predictably chooses the coffee, no one chooses death. I end with a quote from a wise man by the name of Cecil Palmer who once said about a white apache tracker, "what an asshole."

#good omens #ineffable spouses #theory number one trillion here #I've had a pot of coffee and now it's your problem too #Metatron #good omens theory

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sweetyart · 4 months

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https://www.tumblr.com/sweetyart/739599757180338176/off-schedule-because-im-too-lazy-to-move?source=share

This. I'm curious about this.

So ressurrecting people alters their body. But does it alter their mind as well? Any changes in personality? World views? Beliefs? Anything? I mean, that Nightmare Fuel could mess something up, no?

And sorry if such a sudden question brings you discomfort

Curiosity is not a vice - it doesn't get judged, so don't be afraid to ask questions. I will always answer them to the best of my ability.

But, first of all, I want to note that this is a commission, i.e. I am not the author of the idea, I am only the performer. If you would like more detailed information, please contact the customer. However, the client and I will be doing a little collaboration on this universe, so I have some knowledge.

Conventionally, the main problem with such a resurrection is that it does not completely resurrect the body. If you lose an arm, then you will wake up without an arm or half of it - depending on your luck. The worse your body is preserved, the more likely you are to die as soon as you resurrect.

Secondly, ghosts do not stay with the body - they leave almost as soon as they die. Therefore, more memory is lost when resurrected. Roughly speaking, severe amnesia, which has an equal chance of being cured or not. Amnesia affects the personality, because the main reason why you are you is you, is that you remember what happened yesterday, and the day before yesterday, and before. Your life path is you.

Nobody has used Nightmare Fuel, much less Pure horror, until now. Wilson was the first to be restored in this way. And yes, this will “slightly” affect his personality. At least he won't always be that nice guy which his friends knew. He will be unintentionally scary at times. And they will definitely want to fill the gaps in memory with their own content.

From the author of the idea:

He became a little crazy. Like, as before, Wilson remained quite calm and restrained, but against the background of this, his outbursts of curiosity for others look like clouding of reason. For example, if he is interested in a stone, then there is a chance that he will break away and run to study this stone, not noticing the abyss under his feet. His sense of self-preservation does not work well. The main reason for this is precisely that it consists of one third horror. What should he be afraid of if he is a nightmare? So hold him tight so that this fool doesn’t accidentally kill himself.

#wilson percival higgsbury #dont starve together #dont starve #dst wilson

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thegroovywitch · 1 year

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Discover Jimmy Page

A complete list of his most famous electric guitars - pt. 1

from pageysartgallery

1959 Fender ‘Dragon’ Telecaster - restored in 2007

Finish: Custom yellow with dragon painting, it was originally white

Years used: 1966 to early 1970s, only the body is left of it

When Jeff Beck was recommended by Page to join the Yardbirds in 1965, Beck gave him this 1959 Fender Telecaster, which originally had a white finish. In 1967, Page decided to add eight circular mirrors to the body, completely changing the instrument’s visual identity. Eventually, he removed the mirrors and completely repainted the guitar in a yellow-ish color, and added the now-famous dragon painting.

This was the main Zeppelin guitar, live and in the studio from from 1968 to April 1969. It was also used on the solo for “Stairway To Heaven” in the studio.

Unfortunately, when Page got back from Zeppelin’s American tour, he found out that one of his friends had repainted it. Although intended as an act of kindness, his friend practically ruined the guitar and its wiring. Page disassembled the poor instrument and used some of its parts on other guitars. The body is reportedly still in his possession, but he refuses to share pictures of it with the public.

“The whole idea was to put an extra life into the guitar. The whole of the Dragon artwork it starts off – I don’t do a sort of a pre-run of it. I wanted to use sort of poster paint which was used in the production of those psychedelic posters.”

— Jimmy Page (x)

1961 Danelectro Shorthorn - a bit of a mongrel, made from the best bits of two Dano's

Finish: Black with a white pickguard

Years used: Mid-1960s to now

Danelectro guitars used to have major success back in the 1960s. Formed in 1947, the company operated independently until 1966 when it was sold to the Music Corporation of America. Unfortunately, the brand went under in 1969, only to be resurrected in the late 1990s.

In his vast arsenal of guitars, Jimmy Page still has his old Danelectro Shorthorn model, also known under designated names 3021 and 59DC. This particular instrument, featuring two “lipstick” single-coil pickups, was manufactured back in 1961 and Page bought it in the mid-1960s. The story goes that he first used it on stage with the Yardbirds. Occasionally, the guitar found its use with Led Zeppelin. The guitar is often associated with “Kashmir” as it was used for the song many times during Led Zeppelin’s shows.

It is a very simple instrument with a hardtail bridge, a 3-way switch for its two pickups, master volume control, master tone control, and a pretty-looking white pickguard covering most of the treble side of the body. And, what many guitar lovers don’t know, Danelectro Shorthorn actually features a semi-hollow body.

1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard - The ‘Number One’. The most iconic and still Jimmy’s favourite and most used Zep guitar. Noticeable lack of flame finish.

Finish: Sunburst

Years used: 1969 to now

This is a Gibson Les Paul Standard model built back in 1959 or early 1960. These instruments are popularly known as “Holy Grail” guitars and can reach some mind-boggling prices among avid collectors. This particular one found its way into Jimmy’s collection in 1969 when Joe Walsh, who later became a member of the Eagles, gave it to him as a gift. As Walsh explained many years later, he just thought that Jimmy needed a nice Les Paul in his collection, since it fits Zeppelin’s music.

The instrument saw some modifications before it came into Page’s possession. One of the main changes was the neck, which was sanded, thus making it significantly thinner. Jimmy did some of his own changes by adding gold-plated Grover tuning machines, as well as changing its pickups multiple times. The pickup that saw the most action on it in the 1970s was T-Top humbucker. This one was eventually swapped in the 1990s for a modified Seymour Duncan, and Page even added a “push-pull” potentiometer to it for the reverse phase mode of operation. The guitar still remains his “Number One” to this day.

“As soon as I played the Les Paul I fell in love. Not that the Tele isn’t user friendly, but the Les Paul was gorgeous and easy to play. It just seemed like a good touring guitar. It’s more of a fight with the Telecaster but there are rewards.”

— Jimmy Page

Custom-Made Gibson EDS-1275

Finish: Cherry red

Years used: Most of the 1970s, it’s most likely still in his possession

When you think of Led Zeppelin and the 1970s, it’s almost impossible not to picture Jimmy Page with his legendary double-neck guitar. This is mostly due to the fact that he used it for “Stairway to Heaven” during live shows.

Gibson’s EDS-1275 is one of the most innovative guitar models. Entering production in 1963, it is believed that this was the first-ever double-neck solid-body electric guitar. Featuring one conventional 6-string neck and another 12-string neck, all with a double set of pickups, it allowed guitar players to create more tones with a single instrument.

Page asked Gibson to make him one in 1971, although EDS-1275 was not in production anymore at that point. Nonetheless, they agreed and made a special one for him, which featured a modified body shape compared to the original commercially available model. It’s not completely certain, but it’s quite possible that Jimmy Page popularized the instrument so much that Gibson eventually started making them again throughout the 1970s and later decades.

“We recorded Stairway to Heaven, and there was like a guitar army on it – as they used to tease me. Because of that, it needed more texture than just one guitar. The double-neck seemed like a perfect compromise.”

— Jimmy Page (x)

1960 Gibson Les Paul Custom ‘Black Beauty’ - Jimmy's main session guitar, used at Royal Albert Hall in 1970 and a few other early gigs. Stolen in 1970, recovered 2018.

Finish: Black with golden hardware

Years used: Early 1960s to 1970

Things really took a different turn when Jimmy Page switched over to Les Paul guitars full-time, which eventually became his go-to guitar model. However, he actually got his hands on one way before Led Zeppelin’s formation, sometime in the early 1960s. Nicknamed “Black Beauty,” this was a black Gibson Les Paul Custom, most likely manufactured back in 1960. Some sources claim that he traded his Gretsch Chet Atkins signature model for it.

Jimmy used “Black Beauty” as the main guitar for his session work. Of course, the instrument found its way on early Led Zeppelin records. Being a Les Paul Custom model, it featured some significantly improved aesthetic traits. This includes 3-ply binding, golden hardware, black pickguard, the easily-recognizable pearl logo on the headstock, and pearl inlays on the fretboard. Additionally, the guitar came with a Bigsby tremolo bridge and tailpiece, as well as three humbuckers.

Jimmy Page was scared to take it on the road with him. And when he finally did go overseas to the United States, his precious “Black Beauty” got stolen. Its whereabouts were a mystery for decades until the instrument was finally retrieved in 2015. It still remains one of the most iconic guitars in history.

“Black Beauty, which got nicked in the States; it disappeared in an airport, somewhere between Boston and Montreal. A lot of my studio work had been done with that guitar. I didn’t want to take it out of the house. Funny that once I did take it out, it got nicked!”

— Jimmy Page, Guitar World, 1991

1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard - ‘Number Two’ bought as a backup in 1973, slightly darker sunburst than the #1. It's a bit meatier and louder than the #1 according to Jimmy's guitar tech.

Finish: Sunburst

Years used: 1973 to now

Jimmy fell so much in love with his Gibson Les Paul Standard that he got ahold of another “Holy Grail” in the early 1970s as a backup option, popularly known as the “Number Two.” In order to make it feel and sound exactly the same as the “Number One,” he did some significant modifications to it, including the neck sanding and the addition of Grover tuning machines. But although it looks pretty similar to the “Number One,” this Les Paul Standard has a slightly darker shade, making it look browner.

Compared to the main Les Paul, this one had more modifications done to its electronics. All four of its potentiometers were swapped for “push-pull” ones and there are even some additional switches. As a result, Jimmy was able not only to do phase reverse but also coil-splitting and coil-tapping, allowing for an abundance of sonic options.

“I customized my number two Les Paul, which again is a real old vintage one. However, that gave any combination of all of these (pickups). But, it was a little fussy, because all of the knobs were push/pull, and I had little switches (below the pickguard).

Reality of it was – the thing that I found most important to me was the fact that you could reverse the phase on this. By reversing the phase you get a close approximation to the sound Peter Green would get.”

— Jimmy Page (x)

1969 Les Paul Deluxe - ‘Number Three’, metallic purple red, as seen on “Whole Lotta Love” on TSRTS

Finish: Red

Years used: From 1970 or 1969

Page’s love for Les Paul guitars has always been immense. So it’s no wonder that he also had his “Number Three,” which is a Gibson Les Paul Deluxe model. However, not much is known about the instrument, and some believe that this was a Les Paul Standard. But what makes it interesting is, that besides being traditionally a “third” one, he actually got the guitar before the second Les Paul Standard.

The “Number Three” was used sporadically throughout the 1970s, mostly between ’73 and ’75. Towards the mid-80s, Jimmy installed a B-Bender in it and started using the guitar again more extensively. Most recently, he used it on “Over Now” from the 1993 release Coverdale / Page.

“Probably my favorite effect was the one used on “Over Now.” After David sings, “I release the dogs of war,” you hear this growl. I produced that by running my purple B-Bender Les Paul through an early-sixties Vox wah, a DigiTech Whammy Pedal set “deep,” an old Octavia, and one of my old one-hundred-watt Marshall Super Leads, which I used with Zeppelin.”

— Jimmy Page, ‘Light and Shade: Conversations with Jimmy Page’

1964 Fender Stratocaster - Used at Earls Court in 1975 for one night only on “No Quarter” plus on “For Your Life” from Presence and on ITTOD. Also used at Knebworth in 1979 and '80 tour on “In The Evening”

Finish: Lake placid blue

Years used: Second half of the 1970s and 1980s

A 1964 Fender Stratocaster model, painted in a very aesthetically pleasing shade of blue (referred to as “lake placid blue”) and featuring a classic white electronics cover. While most of the features on this model are what you’d expect from a Fender Strat, these 1960s models featured rosewood fretboards instead of “conventional” maple ones.

The story goes that Page bought it back in 1975 and that it was used on Zeppelin’s “Presence” album for a few songs, although this has not been confirmed. Page claimed that the instrument was used since 1978, and there’s also a theory that he implemented it on the 1979 album “In Through the Out Door.”

1950s Futurama/Grazioso

Finish: Sunburst

Years used: Late 1950s to the mid-1960s

These guitars were made in Czechoslovakia by a company called Drevokov. Originally called Grazioso for their domestic market, they had their name changed to Futurama for foreign markets. These came with three single-coil pickups, tremolo bridge (a type that you don’t see on any other known guitars), sunburst finish, and a body that somewhat resembles Fender’s Jazzmaster. It featured many other unconventional traits, including individual on-off pickup switches that eerily resemble old light switches.

Page used this one at the very beginning of his guitar-playing career. It’s not exactly certain when it stopped being a part of his inventory, nor where it’s currently at, but it’s assumed that this Futurama saw some action during Page’s time as a session guitar player in the first half of the 1960s.

“See, that’s the first electric guitar I get. The one before it, the Höfner, my dad buys that, but after that, [he laughs]—I don’t know, maybe he was psychic and he knew what was coming, because there’s a whole procession of guitars that come into my life over the next few years. But that’s the first one, the Grazioso. It looked and felt like an electric guitar, even though it wasn’t a Fender.”

— Jimmy Page (x)

1965 Fender Electric XII

Finish: Sunburst

Years used: Early 1970s and it’s most likely still in his possession

Before the Gibson EDS-1275, Jimmy had another 12-string guitar, Fender’s old Electric XII. This particular instrument was manufactured sometime in 1965. It was used in the studio, most popularly for the recording of “Stairway to Heaven.” However, producer Andy John who worked with Zeppelin on their legendary fourth record claims that it was actually a Rickenbacker 12-string that was included in the song. It’s still one of the main mysteries, even to this point.

Fender’s Electric XII is easily recognizable for its weird “hockey stick” headstock. It also has two split-coil pickups, which is another very unconventional trait for electric guitars as you mostly see these kinds of pickups on basses.

“I used a Fender 12-string in the studio. And before the Fender, I used a Vox 12-string. You can hear the Vox on things like “Thank You”, and “Living Loving Maid”. On “Stairway” I used both my Vox Phantom that I used on “Thank You” and my Fender Electric XII. They both sort’ve sounded the same. It was more about how they played. They felt different. On “The Song Remains The Same”, it’s just the Fender.”

— Jimmy Page (x)

sources: (x) (x) (x) (x)

Featured in the next part: the 1953 brown Fender Telecaster, the 1967 Vox Phantom XII, the 2nd no3 Gibson Les Paul Standard, the Gibson Les Paul TransPerformance, the Gretsch Country Gentleman and the Fender Telecaster with its regular white finish and circular mirrors glued to the body

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ayamari-no-goshi · 1 year

Text

Chasing Shadows (11)

AO3 -> first, last, next

Fandoms: Danny Phantom (DP) / DC universe

Summary: THIS IS A CROSSOVER. As Bruce Wayne begins to slowly recover from the loss of his son, two separate mysteries open up old wounds. Who is the unknown leaving clues hinting at a return to Gotham, and who is the phantom pretending to be his lost son? Is it just a coincidence they’re active in Gotham at the same time? Or are they connected?

Warnings: rated T for violence, mentions of death, and questionable mental health

Parings: none

Notes: originally uploaded to AO3. Cross-posted to tumblr

“That’s like the fifth time you’ve reviewed those flowers. If you haven’t found anything yet, I doubt you will.”

Bruce glanced up from his workstation to where Babs was looking at him from her current set up in the Cave. It still wasn’t to the same level as it was in the Clocktower, but it was still somehow more advanced than his. It was a testament to her skills.

The now mostly dried flowers and a still of the lotus design Jason used for his second clue were laid out in order in front of him. The newest additions were a calypso orchid, placed on Catherine Todd’s grave and a spring of wormwood placed on Shelia Haywood’s a few days prior. The orchid was an easy enough reference – it was named after the nymph Calypso who nursed Odysseus back to help after he washed up on her shore. She kept him there for seven years while the rest of the word believed the hero had died. It was an unsettling parallel to Jason’s time with Talia. Bruce suspected it was also chosen due to it being used to represent love for the deceased in funerary bouquets and rebirth in some cultures.

The wormwood was a more puzzling choice at first. In the language of flowers, it represented bitter sadness. There was some evidence it was used as an herbal remedy in the past which might be why it was chosen, but more recently, it was more associated with madness and murder. Was it Jason’s way of hinting at the Lazarus Pits again? Or was it his way of further suggesting his biological mother was directly involved in his death.

“It feels as if I’m missing something,” Bruce admitted as he picked up the orchid again. “Were these just ways for him to hint at his resurrection and return?”

“That’s a possibility,” Barbara admitted as she abandoned her equipment and wheeled over to him. “Jay always did have his own flair for the dramatic.”

“True.” Before his death, Jason talked about possibly joining his school’s theater club. He would have excelled in it. The happy memories of his son were quickly replaced by images of his broken body, a frequent occurrence. Whatever life Jason would have lived had been destroyed by the Joker.

That reminded him. He needed to check on the restoration of Jason’s mask footage. With the new information that came to light, he owed it to his son to see for himself what happened that day.

“I still haven’t been able to find any recent signs of him in Gotham,” Barbara continued, disregarding his sudden change in mood. She knew him well enough to know he wouldn’t tell her even if she questioned it, “but I think I might have found Danny. I’ll send the files to you to review, but it looks like Jason enrolled him in Gotham Heights under a false identity. His school file has his guardian listed as a ‘Jay Flannagan’.”

She sighed before continuing. “I miss the days when we weren’t trying to track someone with the same skills as us. There’s only a P.O. box associated with that name. Wherever Danny’s staying must be under a different identity. Or, it’s completely under the table. There are rumors some places in Crime Alley that will skip the necessary checks and paperwork if a person is willing to pay rent in cash.”

“Both are possible,” Bruce acknowledged. “If he was by himself, he’d probably chose the latter. However, he’s caring for Phantom, it seems more likely he’d choose the former.”

“I agree. I’ve been trying to hack into the nearby security feeds for Danny’s school, but he’s proving hard to catch. Jason taught him well. But I have noticed occasional glitches in certain feeds. Poorer cameras seem to have strange reactions to his powers, so it might be a sign he’s passing near them. I’ll let you know when I have more data, but we might have a larger problem.”

“What do you mean?”

“We got a warning from both Jason and Danny about the G.I.W., and it looks like they’re starting to pop up in Gotham. There have been a lot of sightings of government types in white suits around the remains of the Clocktower and where some of the better documented sights of Phantom occurred. Right now, it just appears they’re getting some type of reading and taking samples, but we’ll have to keep an eye on them. There are multiple reports that they’ll get civilians involved if they believe a ghost or other similar entity is nearby. They might push Danny into hiding.”

That was problematic. Right now, Phantom was their best chance at being able to find Jason and stop whatever he was planning. He had set up a meeting with Dick in a few days, but if this group was as dangerous as suggested, then there was a good chance they’d scare him off. Bruce couldn’t risk that happening. However, there was also a chance their presence would also force Jason back into the city earlier than he had planned as there was a high probability Phantom had the ability to contact him.

“We’ll have to keep an eye on them,” he agreed. “However, locating Phantom is the first priority.”

…

Tim didn’t want to be at the Manor at the moment. He couldn’t handle seeing Bruce’s grief reopened all over again, so he was dressed as Robin and pretending to be on patrol. Instead, he was sitting on one of the taller buildings of Gotham next to the gargoyle Jason loved to visit when he was still Robin.

Being who he was, Bruce made the decision to restore what he could of the audio and video of Jason’s death. He needed to verify for himself what his son went through even after getting the truth directly from his mouth. Since they couldn’t convince him not to watch it, he, Dick, Cass, Steph, and Babs all sat through it with him in an attempt to give him some sort of support.

He should have listened to Dick. He shouldn’t have watched. Saying it was horrible didn’t do it any justice.

“Jason, you need to disarm the bomb!”

“…I can’t…”

Those two phrases kept haunting him. Every time the words replayed in his mind, Tim was struck by the resignation in Jason’s voice. He knew. He knew he had no chance of escaping and accepted he would die. And the woman who led him to his death had the nerve to try to order him around instead of trying to help him. It wasn’t fair. None of it was fair. Jason had tried so hard to be a good hero. And his last act was to attempt to shield the woman who betrayed him.

Jason, his hero, his Robin, had been killed because he trusted his mother. He trusted the woman he hoped would love him. It just wasn’t fair.

“I was told I’d find you out here.”

The voice startled him so badly that he nearly fell from his vantage point. Turning, he found Jason, in his Red Hood gear. The slight tilt to his head suggested he was curious as to what Tim was doing. For a brief moment, Tim thought there would be a repeat of what happened in the graveyard, but Jason’s posture wasn’t threatening. He must have known what he was thinking as he took a seat as he reached for his helmet. There was the hiss of some sort of mechanism unlocking before he pulled it off and shook his head. Tim briefly wondered how hot it was under it.

“Why do you wear a domino mask under it?” he questioned as he took a hesitant seat on the other side of the gargoyle. If Jason was willing to talk, he was okay with that.

“Habit.” Jason’s answer was short, but there was no obvious hint of anger. “And dramatic flair.” If that was the case, maybe that’s why he had the white streak. In the dark, it almost looked like it was glowing.

“Oh…” What else was he supposed to say to that? So, he changed the subject. “Not that I don’t enjoy you being here,” Tim wanted to make sure he didn’t accidentally anger Jason. They weren’t sure of the extent of the Pits effects on him and how much of his actions were his own. “But why were you looking for me?”

“I can tell you’re afraid of me. You don’t have to hide it.” When Tim didn’t elect to respond to that, Jason continued, “Dove sent me after you.”

“Dove? You mean Phantom?”

Jason ignored the question. “So, you know how he can see ghosts?”

“Yeah…? Oh!... So, he knows?” Tim hadn’t expected that. With everything else going on, there were times he almost forgot. Almost, but not quite.

Jack Drake hadn’t been the best dad, but he really tried to step up in the last year. While it didn’t do much to erase the childhood of loneliness brought on by all the trips he and his wife took, he still tried to change. It meant a lot to him, but he’d been killed, just like his mom and stepmom.

“Guess your dad directly came to him or something like that. He apparently had some choice words about me hurting you. Not that I’m surprised about that.” He shrugged before raising an eyebrow at him. “A fake uncle? Really? I get wanting space, but seriously, that’s taking it to a different level.”

Tim could feel himself flush. “I don’t want to be adopted by Bruce,” he admitted. “I was never supposed to be a permanent part of your family, just a placeholder until he didn’t need me anymore. Right now, he’s my guardian, and with my dad’s passing…”

“…I’d be a hypocrite if I told you to stay at the Manor,” Jason eventually told him. Each word sounded as if he was carefully choosing them. “But don’t force yourself into exile either. As annoying as Dick can be, he’d love to have to bunk with him for a while.”

“That’s okay. I don’t want to be a burden.”

“You won’t be. Hell, you might be able to help him remember to actually eat something decent for a change. But, if that’s not good enough, stay with that team of yours. Even if you don’t want to talk about it, they’ll still be there so you don’t self destruct.”

Tim flinched at those words. The phantom words of a soft “… I can’t...” filled his ears again, and unwanted tears dripped down his face.

“Ah shit.” He could feel Jason move closer. There was no feeling of animosity, but a questioning hesitance as he moved his hand as he he was considering reaching out for a comforting touch. Pulling it back, he muttered, “Didn’t mean to upset you.”

Shaking his head, Tim tried to ignore how Jason’s features were slightly blurred. It was probably just his tears, but he almost looked like he wasn’t entirely there. Somewhat unnerved, he reached out to see if the older teen was solid. When his hand touched his arm, he couldn’t help but sigh in relief. Jason had stiffened at his touch but let it happen without pulling away.

“It’s not… B restored what he could of the footage of what happened…. What happened to you.”

“And he let you watch that?” The outrage in his voice wasn’t what Tim expected.

“Most of the video is too distorted, so it’s mostly just audio.” When that didn’t lighten Jason’s mood, he tried a different tactic. “Dick tried to convince me and the others not to, but I felt like I had to be there… not just for B, but for you too. After the first attempt to restore it didn’t work, he couldn’t bring himself to try again. So, without knowing about… about the betrayal, he put together the most likely series of events. After that, you became a warning to other heroes of what could happen if they got too sure of themselves. It never sat right with me.” He sighed and hugged his knees. “To me, you were just as much as a hero as Nightwing and Batman. I felt like I owed you that.”

Jason didn’t say anything for a few moments. “You… don’t owe me anything. Months ago, I would have thought otherwise, but not now.”

A wary sort of hope surged through Tim. Jason didn’t completely hate him, which was good, but there was still some sort of barrier. “But you’re not happy I’m Robin.”

“No. It’s…” The older teen shifted as he ran his hands over his face. The weird haze over his features hadn’t gone away. He hadn’t noticed it during dinner the other day. Was it something that came and went? “It’s more I’m angry he let another child in those colors. There shouldn’t have been anymore Robins. There shouldn’t have been any more child soldiers. As much as he claims he cares, we’re never the priority in the field. He’ll always, always choose the mission over anything else.”

“What about you and Phantom?” He figured it was better to deflect instead of arguing.

Jason’s mood seemed to darken as a muscle moved in his jaw. “I don’t want him out there,” he hissed before his tone became more resigned. “Unfortunately, his anchor, what keeps him tethered to both life and undeath, is his drive to help others.”

“Oh!” That was a very revealing statement. His eyes widened slightly. “So that’s at least part of the reason he’s helping you plant your clues and keep tabs on us. It’s a safer alternative.”

“Got it in one.”

“Do… do you have something similar? Constantine told B you’re a Liminal too.”

Instead of immediately replying, Jason took out a cigarette. Surprisingly, he didn’t light it but still placed it to his lips. “Didn’t know there was a proper name for ‘fucked up zombie’.” He fell silent again before quietly stating, “I hope there isn’t.”

Tim pretended he didn’t hear it. Instead, he decided to focus on the older teen’s self-depreciating tone. Was it related to his coming back to life? Had he not wanted to? Phantom was worried he wasn’t planning on living through whatever he was planning which gave some credence to that idea. It… it was troubling.

Before Tim could finish sorting out his thoughts, Jason stood and stretched. “Make sure you let yourself grieve. Trying to push it in a box only works for so long before it affects everything else. Being around others helps.”

It almost sounded like he was speaking from experience. Tim couldn’t dwell on it more as he realized Jason was moving towards the ledge. “Wait, are you leaving?”

He could tell Jason rolled his eyes, even with the domino mask, as he tucked his helmet under his arm. “No, I’m going to stay and chat until sunrise. Of course I’m leaving. Have things to do, buildings to destroy, and I’m on a tight schedule.”

“But!” He couldn’t let him slip away again. “Everyone wants you to come home. You haven’t even seen Ba… I mean Oracle and Agent A yet. And… and we’re working on finding ways to reduce the turnover in Blackgate and Arkham that isn’t just focused on dealing with the breakouts. I mean, we’re doing that too, but…”

“When I come back from my trip, I’ll see what’s changed,” the old teen gave him a searching look that was replaced with a dangerous smirk. “Impress me enough, and maybe, just maybe, I’ll tone down what I’m planning.”

That… that wasn’t a confirmation that he’s stop killing or even come home, but it was something. For now, Tim would count it as a win.

“Before I leave,” Jason continued, “brooding isn’t a good look for you.”

“Excuse me? Isn’t this the place you used to go all the time?”

“Yeah, but I made it look cool.” It took a moment to realize that Jason was joking with him. It was almost a surreal feeling. “But secondly, keep those G.I.W. goons away from Dove while I’m away. They will kill him if they get their hands on him, and it won’t be painless. If, and only if, you have to move him for his safety, take him to the Tower for safety. I’m serious when I say I don’t want him anywhere near the Cave.”

Tim wasn’t going to admit he was a little jealous of how much Jason seemed to care for Danny. “But I’m surprised you’re willing to risk leaving him alone. Unless… that’s what you’re doing! You’re going after the G.I.W.!”

Jason’s response was nothing more than a predatory grin. That wasn’t good.

“I… we can help. Please! Phantom told us they can hurt you too!” He had to do something. If Danny was to be believed, the organization was a lot more dangerous than they originally believed. Bruce, Alfred, and Dick couldn’t lose him again. He had to stop him from going.

He gave an amused huff. “Worried about little ol’ me? Don’t be. I know what I’m doing.” Before Tim could even get another word in, he leapt off the roof.

When he didn’t hear the tell-tale sound of the grapple, he rushed over to make sure he was okay. But there was no sign of Jason, even with thermal vision. He had just vanished into the night. Great, now he had to be the one to explain his formerly dead son was about to go do something most would consider suicidal.

…

With how empty and broken Bruce currently felt after finally learning what happened to his son, he was surprised at how fear was currently clawing its way through his entire being. Tim’s report about how Jason was planning to go after a powerful government organization terrified him. Not only was there the concern over what exactly Jason might do during his crusade, he now had to worry what would happen if the G.I.W. somehow got their hands on his son. He lost Jason once, and he couldn’t lose him again.

The current trouble was determining where and how he would strike. There were a few G.I.W. bases scattered around the country. Logically, it would make the most sense for Jason to go after the main base, but depending on what he knew of their organization, he could choose to strike at a different location which held more importance. More information was needed, so he had recruited Babs to help him hack into their systems.

On the surface, it appeared to be an organization mostly designed to study ghosts and other similar entities, but he knew there was more to it. However, whenever Babs attempted to get information better protected, the G.I.W. databases went into lock down. It baffled everyone as there hadn’t been any evidence of such security when she started. To make matters worse, whatever security the G.I.W. had seemed to be able to locate the general geographic area where the attempted hack originated as more of their agents were detected on the streets of Gotham within a few hours.

It was a nightmare. Not only did it put Phantom at greater risk, but there was also a chance this would push Jason to act ahead of schedule and recklessly escalate. So far, he’d proved his actions were rather meticulously planned. It had only been when Phantom or Stephanie were in danger that he moved unexpectedly. And with how protective he was regarding the boy, there was no telling exactly what he would or wouldn’t do. Until he or any of the others could get in touch with Phantom or Jason, they would have to increase patrols in the city. He was also going to have to call in the big guns.

…

Dick sighed as he toured the G.I.W. compound closest to Gotham with Superman. The workers seemed nice enough, but it was clear from their tense stances and hesitant looks towards the field agents in the white suits that their impromptu visit wasn’t welcome. Without knowing exactly what Jason would do to expose the organization, especially with them increasing their presence in Gotham, Bruce decided to request members of the League make impromptu visits to the G.I.W. bases at approximately the same time under the guise of a potential threat. He hoped it would get them better access to the restricted information as well as deter a more violent response from Jason.

Currently, they were waiting in a meeting room for their guide to get permission to take them to some of the lower levels with completely not suspicious guards outside the door. Somehow, there wasn’t any piece of technology in the room that Dick could use to plant a bug to either listen in or attempt to hack into the system more securely without taking the time to hack the security camera.

Unlike him, Clark was bound by technology. “There’s lead in the floor. There isn’t as much in the walls on this floor, but it’s still enough to make it hard to clearly see anything,” he mouthed as they waited. That wasn’t a normal architectural design. Clearly someone didn’t want anyone with x-ray vision seeing the lower floors. “But something’s not right.”

“What do you hear?” Dick whispered as he turned away from the camera. While Dick could read lips, Clark couldn’t, but that didn’t mean much when the man had super-hearing.

“Screams. Laughter. Pleading. Fear. It’s strange. That fear is on an infra-sound frequency. Hmm?” Before Dick could ask what was wrong, Clark had suddenly turned and stared at a wall. After a moment, his concerned expression turned into one of bafflement. “Nightwing… your br…”

“You mean Red Hood?” Dick quickly interrupted, somewhat worried what that meant. Was Jason in the building?

“Yes, Red Hood… well, he just shushed me.”

“He’s here?” After a moment of processing what he was just told, he added, “Wait, what do you mean he just shushed you?”

Clark gestured vaguely towards the wall. “He’s currently in the outer wall. I’m… not sure if he’s checking for something or planting something. But he somehow noticed I saw him, and he just put a finger to his lips before moving. He’s currently heading south.”

“Great. O, I’m going to need whatever schematics you can get me,” Dick muttered into his comm before looking directly at the camera. “Look, we have a situation,” he shouted. “We need to get into one of the walls.” When there wasn’t an immediate answer, he looked over at Clark and smiled. “You heard me warn them.”

“I did.” It wasn’t too often Dick got to see the man of steel’s mischievous side on a mission, but he really must want to get further inside. “I’ll try to give you as much support as I can.”

“N, wait! Someone’s hacking the comm!” Babs alerted as static filled it.

“What? Do you know who it is?”

“No! It’s…”

“Don’t bother coming after me, Dickie-bird. You have a more important role to play.” His brother’s voice came over the comm.

“And just what would that be?” Clark demanded.

There was a sense of surprise on the other end. When Jason was still Robin, it was rare for anyone in the Justice League to have access to their private comm lines. “It’s been a while, Big Blue,” he eventually greeted. “I only need you to be a witness to what these monsters are doing.”

“What are you planning?” Panicked, he looked over at Clark. “Where is he?”

“I can’t see him anymore. It sounds like he’s moved to the lower levels. How’d he get there so quickly?”

Jason chuckled. “Picked up some new tricks. Supes, let me ask you a question. If you were aware of an organization that would want to dissect aliens to figure out what makes them tick, kill them, or even use them as mindless weapons, what would you do?”

“Everything I could to stop them, legally.”

“See, I’d like to do it that way, but if you forgot, I’m dead.” Jason’s words were playful. “I don’t have a way to stop them legally. Besides, according to them, I’m not even sentient.”

“Hood, what are you planning to do?” Dick demanded as he rushed out of the room, much to the dismay of the agents who were guarding the door. He could feel the sensation of Superman leaving at high speeds behind him.

“It’s already in motion.”

“HOOD!!!” The floor shook as multiple booms, the breaking of glass, groaning metal, and the whooshing of air overwhelmed him. The dusty smell of concrete filled the area. As he recovered his bearings, he immediately checked for signs of damage as both Babs and Clark asked if he was okay. “Yeah… just disoriented. No evidence of injuries on me or the guards who were trying to stop me. No immediate signs of structural damage where I am.”

“The entire south wall collapsed. It doesn’t appear any of the employees were near it.” Clark stated over the comm. “Maybe it was planned that way. You might want to put on your re-breather. There’s lead dust everywhere. …But I can still hear crying coming from underneath the building. I’m going to investigate.”

“Understood. I’m going to help with the evacuation.” Ignoring the guards, who were trying to keep him from going further into the area, Dick pressed forward after radioing for assistance and returned to the central office he’d been allowed to tour earlier. There was a huge hole in the south wall, just like Superman said, but it appeared most of collapsed down instead of either outward or inward. Jason knew what he was doing when he destroyed it as there wasn’t too much debris in the main part of the room.

As he assisted the people in the room, all of which appeared to have thankfully minor injuries, he got an update from Clark. The Man of Steel seemed unsettled as he requested his assistance on one of the lower floors. Since he couldn’t access it from the stairs, he moved to the now open wall and carefully made his way down. He stopped when he caught sight of Clark floating in place. Anger radiated off the man.

“Supes, what’s…?” Dick’s words died on his lips as he got a better view of the room. His stomach churned as he caught sight of what could only be described as the husks of once living people were strewn around the room. The acidic smell of something similar to ozone lingered along with the smell of dust and smoke. Old and new blood along with other unknown yet faintly glowing substances were splashed around the room. Faint whimpering could be heard from further in.

Whatever Jason and Danny had said about this place didn’t do the horror justice. Maybe they didn’t know the extent, or maybe they did. No matter what the truth was, Jason knew this needed to be exposed, and now that Dick had seen it for his own eyes, he was going to make sure it was shut down. Permanently.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Notes:

I chose Flanagan as a fake last name for Jason for its meaning.

Flanagan - From Irish Ó Flannagáin meaning "descendant of Flannagán". Flannagán is a given name meaning "blood red"

Plant notes :)

Stop 11 Ogygia - the island of Calypso. Calypso was a nymph who was kept away from the world as a punishment. She helped nurse Odysseus back to health. Calypso orchids are rare orchids named as such because of how they're hidden until they bloom. Orchids have a super creepy creation myth in ancient Greece – the demigod Orchis attempted to attack a priestess during a Dionysian celebration… and was torn apart by wild beasts. And in ancient Rome, they were a symbol of rebirth. And in modern funerary bouquets, they represent ever lasting love for the deceased.

I also included wormwood to hint at the Lazarus Pit as it is what healed Jason. As a flower, it represents absence and bitter sorrow which matches how Odysseus felt during his seven years on Ogygia.

This plant was used for millennium as an herbal remedy. Some of you might know it’s a main ingredient in absinthe aka the Green Fairy, which if you’ve never had it, tastes like black licorice. The thujone, a chemical in the plant, needs to be removed to be sold in several countries. While not well studied, it’s believed thujone has toxic properties and has been known to cause seizures, kidney failure, vomiting, and other effects. There are concerns the chemical has psychoactive properties and can cause hallucinations – this is a bit unclear as the few studies around that aren’t great. But in 1905, there were murders that occurred, and the man who committed was said to have “absinthe madness,” as he had been drunk at the time (though absinthe was just one of several alcohols he consumed). This high-profile case helped push the belief the drink caused madness and resulted in it being banned.

I have a small bottle of it from Slovakia sitting in my kitchen. It actually has a sprig of wormwood in it.

#Chasing Shadows #dpxdc #dp x dc #dp x dc crossover #fanfic #odyssey au #danny phantom crossover

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waspredteeth · 7 months

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a TAXONOMY!verse summary

since I realized that I haven't actually given a summary or a main post about the au that actually explains the thing.

The TAXONOMY!verse (or the Flamebird-in-Gotham au) is an au that centers around Bette Kane and Damian Wayne's introduction into the 2009/2011 Batman era, where Bruce is "dead", mantles are shifted, and the entire Batfamily and Gotham goes through changes. It is entirely self-indulgent but also a genuine attempt at including characters I like into storylines that could be made better.

Bette's comic history will be acknowledged and streamlined a little as she enters Gotham and is plunged into the chaos. Damian's storyline as of the 2009 era stays mostly the same, but the background context of his life and childhood changes drastically. I'm bringing Son of the Demon back into continuity and completely scrapping/rewriting the Resurrection of Ras al Ghul storyline through dialogue, flashback and inner monologue. The bodysnatching-possession plot is still revealed to Talia and Damian though, spurring them both to separate from the League. (BTW Ras is still dead, but doesn't mean Nyssa or Dusan aren't around and plotting). I'm also taking pre-Morrison Talia al Ghul back into the fold and trying my best to re-contextualize Damian's childhood with her different characterization.

the first fic that I'm currently working on is CHIROPTERA - a Battle for the Cowl (2009) full rewrite.

While Dick still becomes Batman as in canon, it doesn't last for long as the "Battle" shifts from a city-wide disaster into a personal/philosophical slug-fest between Cassandra Cain and Jason Todd as the family splits and debates who carries the Batman mantle and who restores the city. Dick is reluctant to let anyone shoulder the burden, Tim is insistent that Gotham needs a Batman, Stephanie is trying her best to not get dragged into things but is tempted to be a vigilante again, Barbara just wants to get Gotham back into control, and the various rogues of the city are all vying for their own regime change. Basically, everyone's struggling, grieving, and like this close to punching people around them.

In the midst of this, Damian arrives in Gotham for the second time in his life. Because I'm changing Resurrection of Ras al Ghul, Damian has never met Dick Grayson before and he doesn't get any additional time with Bruce before his death. His relationships with Dick and Alfred are not going to be the same. Tim stays Robin as Damian doesn't trust Dick or Alfred enough yet to meet with them, but there's still a lot of conflict between them as Tim does not trust the kid one bit and Damian refuses to correct him.

A couple years have passed since Bette's time in LA with Beast Boy, and after another Titans West revival falls through, she decides to reconnect with her family and help out in Gotham after being informed of Bruce's death. Bette wants to prove herself in a dangerous city and rebuild her image with the side of the hero community that still doesn't acknowledge her. Damian wants a glimpse into the life of a father he never got to know, while still reeling from the betrayal of a grandfather he thought loved him and a League that's really gone off the rails and is trying to get him back.

Bette and Damian meet by accident, and Bette takes on the difficult mentorship role while Damian begrudgingly follows her around a city they're both unfamiliar with. He doesn't really get his own vigilante identity until circumstances call for his involvement with the wider batfam. Tom Bronson is also there, getting into the Gotham chaos after leaving the JSA and becoming attached to Damian and Bette. Alongside him, there will be cameos of Maxine Hunkel, Rory Regan, and Charlie Gage-Radcliffe. Charlie specifically will be getting more plot relevance as she involves herself into things, and the later parts of the au are plotted out.

Inevitably, Cass becomes Batman by the end - giving Batgirl to Stephanie (her own decision, not Bruce's). Jason goes back to Red Hood, but maybe a little changed by their struggle (not too much though, Jason works best when he's still villain-flavored). Dick reverts to Nightwing and Tim takes up as Robin by Cass's side.

CHIROPTERA is fairly simple and hopefully, won't be too long of a fic considering how short the Battle for the Cowl comics are.

Of course, the family can never not be drowning in interpersonal conflict or outside chaos, so this au will not stop at Battle for the Cowl.

I have plans for Batman and Robin 2009, Streets of Gotham, Gates of Gotham, Bruce's return and the almighty void that is Batman Inc's Leviathan arc. Oh boy, do I have thoughts about Leviathan and Damian's death.

Ending this to say that all of the other bat family/bat-related characters that aren't Bette and Damian will be getting researched.

Any characterization ideas specifically for the 2009 era would be appreciated, since I have not read every comic leading up to Final Crisis/Bruce's death.

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sands-of-amber · 8 months

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FFXIV Write Entry #5

❀ Prompt word: “Sole” || Read it w/ notes on Ao3 here ❀

It was only her. And it had only ever been her, since time immemorial. And, perhaps rather unfortunately, it would always continue to only ever be her. There was nothing, no one, that could ever give him the same thrill, the same comfort, the same heartbreak as she did. No one else would ever be capable of making him feel so deliciously and painfully alive.

And that was precisely why he would keep throwing himself upon the pyre that was her irradiated soul, performing this self-destructive ritual time and time again in spite of the pain it caused. Their fates had long been deeply connected, their souls enmeshed so inextricably that not even the sundering of their once great star nor the passage of many years and lives could manage to vanquish their bond. Never entirely, anyway.

He was, in every respect, a moth helplessly drawn to the very Light that burned him, the Light that he detested and condemned above all else. He was but an addict, endlessly chasing the highs despite the incredible lows that always followed in their wake.

Like a madman relentlessly bashing his head against the wall and expecting a different outcome each and every time, he continuously sought her out in whatever form her fragmented soul adopted. And no matter how he swore to himself that he wouldn’t get close “this time,” the ending was ever the same. Could he really count himself more sane than Lahabrea when he let her soul lead him to take reckless risks time and again? Could he consider himself more lucid than the Emissary, when he himself had all but given himself up to his own blind duty, lost in his promises and devotion to her?

Of course he couldn’t.

Even when he could no longer remember the intricate little details about the original woman, their nuances having faded with time and been gradually replaced by the jumbled up amalgamation of traits that constituted all of her reincarnated forms, his heart never once stopped longing to have her back. He was chasing a ghost, a frayed memory, one that might never exist in quite the same way ever again.

He knew this much. And yet, like the fool he was, he could not stop.

Only her.

Bitter and jaded as the centuries of disappointment had made him, he occasionally found himself wishing for a brief moment that he had never met her. Found his fingers curling tightly into fists as he dabbled into fantasies of a world where they had never bonded their souls, where their fates were never intertwined, where the very concept of ‘soulmates’ did not exist.

And then the guilt and remorse would immediately wrap its icy fingers around his throat and around his heart and squeeze like a vice until he repented for his blasphemous thoughts, his moment of weakness. For he was sure that Azem never would have given into such spineless and selfish thoughts had their situations been reversed. How could he even dare to stand before her once more when the world was finally made whole again, knowing the sins he’d committed in his darkest moments? Would he even deserve to grovel at her feet and beg for her forgiveness?

Would she even love him when she inevitably saw him for what he had become? When she saw in him not the just and virtuous man he had been, but the echoes of the many atrocities he had committed now reflected in those aurum eyes? Would she ever understand? Would he ever again be worthy of her?

What he wanted above all else was to be able to go back to those sweet and untainted days spent in paradise with her. And what ate at him the most was knowing that even if (no, when, he quickly reminded himself) they managed to resurrect lord Zodiark and complete the rejoinings to restore their star to its former glory, those days he so longed for were never coming back. No amount of pining would make it so, for he had changed and done too much to ever be able to go back to that point in time.

It was true that they hadn’t truly known what they’d had until they’d lost it. Every day in paradise spent with her that he’d ever taken for granted were now like so many daggers in his heart.

And yet he longed to go back there anyway, more than anything, and decided he’d deal with the rest once the time came.

It was so much easier to just not think about it, and to drown his worries for the future and thoughts of longing for her in chasing the temporary pleasures and comforts that her lesser shards provided. And this latest fragment was no exception.

When he had finally allowed himself to lay with her for what he knew wouldn’t be the only time, fingers tangled in her hair and her breath heavy upon his neck, he’d let all else momentarily fade into nothingness in favor of watching her unravel beneath him.

With her exotic features—scales and horns and all—this body did not look the same as the one he’d had countless times in Amaurot, and yet it responded to his touch just the same as he remembered. There was a sort of comfort that came from already knowing exactly where to touch her and how to draw his most favorite reactions from her despite it being the first time with this particular iteration. It was a strange sort of therapeutic nostalgia to relive every twitch, every sigh, every nuance of her pleasure that mirrored what he recalled in his more erotically charged dreams of home.

When he lay beside her in her bed, basking in the afterglow, legs tangled and fingers intertwined, he couldn’t help the grin that curled his lips as he gazed upon her satisfied expression. Pale skin and pearly scales shining with sweat and glowing in the light of the moon, curly lavender tresses falling in a disheveled mess over her face, he couldn’t deny that she was beautiful despite the loathing he held for this feeble mortal body that encased and confined her brilliant soul. She could be so much more. But, for right now, just for the sake of this fleeting moment in time, she was enough.

“How many times have I had you like this now, I wonder?” Emet-Selch mused in a husky voice as the fingers of his other hand drew lazy patterns along the skin and scales of her thigh. He could tell that the question fostered understandable confusion in the hero of the Source, the knitting of her brows and the way her mouth slanted in a half-frown telling all. He let out an amused laugh that was really more of a heavy puff of air through his nostrils, fixing his eyes upon hers.

“Come now, surely you’ve glimpsed such memories. Or do dreams of the past not plague you as they do me?” The Ascian asked, bringing the back of her scaled hand to his lips and planting a kiss upon it. A gentle and tender act in contrast to the fervor and intensity he’d displayed while making love to her. “Surely you felt some familiarity in the act we just shared?”

The Warrior’s brows furrowed and she dropped her gaze from his as though considering what he’d said. Seeing her confusion, Emet-Selch shook his head and hummed.

“Never mind. Do not worry yourself over the musings of a tired old man when you have much more pressing issues to spend your time and energy on. Let us simply be in such a rare moment of quiet.”

And despite his better judgment, his presence graced her bed again. And again. As did her presence grace his weary soul with its false comforts and empty promises.

Such intimacy only made it that much harder to say goodbye once again when the day finally came that she cracked and broke at the seams, spewing forth an unbelievable amount of wretched Light that mutated her form into a horrendous monster beyond all recognition. He could not bear to watch it happen, couldn’t bring himself to look upon the way her brilliant soul dimmed once more and her physical form gave way to a creature of destruction and ugly terror.

And still, even after it all, it would continue to be only her that his foolish heart chased relentlessly in her next life, whatever form it may take.

#ffxivwrite2023 #ffxivwrite #emetwol #azemet #emet selch x wol #emet selch x azem #emetwol fic #this is also based off of the lyrics to Take Me Back to Eden by Sleep Token #bc when I started writing it I realized the similarities and just went all in lol #my writing #yunemet

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