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archeo-starwars · 6 months

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You wouldn't happen to have an extensive layout dissection of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant? Or even a list of all notable and obscure sections of the Jedi Temple? OR or even labelled areas that are public and reserved for only temple residents. Both from canon and legends, please and thank you!!!

The best I managed to find comes from Star Wars Complete Locations - you may check out the whole archived version here. The “zoom in” option is pretty good for reading details. Below the pages (I suppose the best is to open them in new tab for better reading):

As for the list of locations, I recommend wookiepedia's list. Plenty of data, both for Legends and New Canon.

Additional sources worth to check out:

Jedi Temple Locations & Jedi Temple History - both published as official material on star wars.com in regard to prequels and New Canon sources. Pictures and references to various places inside Temple.

Star Wars.com's The Clone Wars episode guide + videoclips from the series, like

A) Jedi Archives Tour (the entrance to one of the most restricted areas of the temple: The Holocron Vault).

B) Layout of Jedi Temple Library (source)

C) Jedi Temple funeral room + environment illustration by Tara Rueping (source)

Old Data Bank for Jedi Temple

HoloNews mentioning "a mob of 20 university students attempted to infiltrate the Jedi Temple" and "managing to get as far as the Second Atrium Lobby"

Star Wars Battlefront (2) game wiki provides some map and location description

and if you have time (and patience) you can watch gameplay from 501st Legion's mission in Jedi Temple for reference, like this one

youtube

The wookiepedia's articles should give enough good idea of the rooms, their location and functions, but I'm adding a few source pages:

STAR WARS: FACT FILES #36 provides a lot informations what and where was inside the Temple and some general data about visitors, security, Grand Balcony, Grand Corridor & Towers. Not all is super specific, but worth checking out for sure.

The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia mentions this:

and for Jedi Temple entry:

As for the named locations that are public or reserved for only temple residents, there is definitely a division like that, however I'm not sure if this issue was very well explained. The source gives us some ideas, like for example, Jedi Archives have data accessible only for Jedi with rank of Master or higher (thus most likely separated areas to study). At the same time, Fact Files #25 says that Jedi Archives offers an "excellent resources to researchers, including star-map hologram consoles", but also an access to entire scientific and historical knowledge of the Republic

so non-Jedi were allowed to use Jedi Library/Archives for their own research and work-related needs. We also must remember that the Jedi Order had various scientific branches, including archaeology, exploring unknown regions, and medicine, so logically thinking Jedi worked with other, non-Jedi specialists of many fields.

We also know from various sources, that politicians and important guests were invited for various occasions. We could see in Republic comics series that Bail Organa, Mon Mothma and senator Ask Aak were allowed to listen to Jedi reporting before High Council about his last battle

or attending Jedi Funeral like Duchess Satine and Padme Amidala did for the (fake) Obi-Wan's one or just visiting as a friend/comrade-in-arm

I would need to make more research about this issue as there is plenty tie-in material to Jedi Temple on Coruscant that would take a lot time to study, but at this moment, I think the best is assume how far a non-Jedi may walk into Temple will depend greatly who is that person and what is nature of their business with Jedi.

At the same time, Purge: Seconds to Die has this line "Clone Troopers? This deep in the Temple? Not permitted."

The Jedi was in Archives herself, so it is worth to take into account that clones could have more limited access to Temple than the average guest before war did. At the same time, clone troopers could make a report before Yoda and Mace Windu/High Council, as was presented by Star Wars Tales (Honor Bound):

so it is not like they were outright forbidden to enter the temple either.

Hope it will help!

#star wars #jedi temple #jedi culture #my replies #I'm pretty sure Star Wars Miniatures too had some maps for playing inside Jedi Temple #but sadly couldn't get any good images

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pratchettquotes · 2 months

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"Smeems says he keeps himself to himself. He says he thinks the boy is cunning."

"Oh, good," said Vetinari, still seeming to find something totally engrossing in the layout of playing pieces.

"Good?"

"We need cunning people in Ankh-Morpork. We have a Street of Cunning Artificers, do we not?"

"Well, yes, but--"

"Ah, then it is context that has power," said Vetinari, turning around with a look of unmasked delight. "Did I say that I am a politician? Cunning: artful, sly, deceptive, shrewd, astute, cute, on the ball, and, indeed, arch. A word for any praise and every prejudice. Cunning...is a cunning word."

Terry Pratchett, Unseen Academicals

#havelock vetinari #mustrum ridcully #nutt #natchbull smeems #character description #self awareness #cunning #intelligence #politics #word games #word play #definitions #etymology #context #street of cunning artificers #any praise and every prejudice #a cunning word

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theresattrpgforthat · 1 year

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Second, do you have any good fantasy RPGs set in a non-european focused or at least not medieval-European world? It can be based off of a real-world culture or something brand new

THEME: Non-Western Fantasy

Hello friend! For this recommendation, I wanted to highlight games made about non-western fantasy by authors who hail from the cultures that inspire the games. For that purpose I really want to shout-out to rpgsea and rpglatam, two community/movements that have made it much easier for creators from Southeast Asian and Latin American cultures to advertise and publish their games. Not all of my recommendations come from these communities, but they’re a great jumping-off point to find more games with unique settings, fresh ideas, and beautiful, beautiful art.

Nahual, by Miguel Angel Espinoza.

Nahual is a tabletop roleplaying game about brjos nahuales, humans of mestizo and indigenous ancestry that have the power to shapeshifter into an animal form. These nahuales hunt angels to make a living, running a changarro - a business - together to sell the products they make from the bodies of the angels they have killed. These are stories about underdogs, struggling to find their place in a Mexican world of fantastical and overwhelming forces.

Miguel Ángel Espinoza is a Mexican layout artist and game designer, and the head of Smoking Mirror Games. His ttrpg Nahual really picked up steam on Kickstarter, unlocking stretch goal after stretch goal. At its core, this game is PbtA game about underdogs going up against celestial parasites. Angel Dust is a potent drug, and angels are used by corporations, politicians, and the Church to lure in worshipers and make money. You play the labourers at the bottom of this pyramid, aching for freedom but trapped inside a concrete jungle. Your biggest asset? The special gifts you’ve inherited from your ancestors, watered down as you’ve lost your cultural memories.

This game is more urban fantasy than anything else on this list, but if you want to explore a game about reclaiming something that you’ve almost lost, you should definitely check out Nahual.

ARC, by momatoes.

Ready Yourself. For Tonight, we save the world.

The RPG to slay the apocalypse. Capture your imagination with near-inescapable dooms that threaten infinite worlds. Be a hero or be the guide to facilitate a heart-racing story to remember.

ARC enables people wishing to run a game with limited experience. The Doom and its Omens help create tension and manage the story’s pacing. The rules are approachable so you can focus on helping make the best story for the table. Additionally, the last chapter of the full book is filled with tips for building a good experience for you and your friends.

The creator, Momatoes (aka Bianca Canoza), is from the Philippines, and is the custodian of RPGSEA, as well as a Winner of the Diana Jones Emerging Designer Award. Her game, ARC doesn’t have a lot of setting decided for you - instead, you decide elements of the setting yourself. There's even a license for creators who want to publish their own content! The biggest selling point of ARC is the Doom, a terrible event that the Heroes want to prevent at any cost. The GM will set up Omens, which are pieces of the story that advance the Doom - pieces the characters will need to investigate and interact with in order to resolve. Finally, the Doomsday clock is a tool that can be used to keep the sessions tight and focused: every moment on the Doomsday clock has the GM roll 1d6 per unresolved moment - the higher the roll, the closer you tick towards catastrophe! If you want a beginner-friendly game that allows maximum creativity, you should definitely check out ARC.

Arunika, by Anonymocha.

Darkness and gloom threaten to shroud the entirety of this world you call home. Or perhaps, it already had. However, there's hope.

You are a Light Bearer. This beacon of light you hold is the key to reviving the world's gleam and hope, through your own. You are bestowed with the pursuit of rekindling the world, forging bonds with its inhabitants along the path, and freeing it from the murk with what you can offer.

Arunika is a TTRPG of maintaining hope, sharing it with the world, and most importantly, caring for yourself while you're at it.

The rulebook reflects a world's journey towards revival from the characters who escalate it. It is made with the vision of a game that has a non-violent, narrative-first, and feelings-focused system which can be interpreted in many optimistic, creative, whimsical, melancholic, or introspective ways.

Mocha, the creator, is an Indonesian artist with a beautiful and unique art style, visible in the projects they create and contribute to. One person plays the Light Bearer, a character who holds the Light, a beacon that needs to be used to rekindle the world. Other players can play the Companions, friends and old foes that accompany the Light Bearer on their journey. This game can be run with just a GM and one player, with all of the Companions as NPCs. The stats of your character will fill or deplete depending on the events of the game, so Heart will increase when the party has a positive interaction, while Hurt will increase from suffering harm, or decrease when your character is comforted. If you want a game that is easy on the eyes, gives you the basic premise and lets you build your own world, you should check out Arunika.

Hearts of Wulin, by Lowell Francis and Agatha Cheng.

Hearts of Wulin is a game of wuxia melodrama, Powered by the Apocalypse. Players take the role of skilled martial artists in a world of rival clans, conspiracies, and obligations. The game emulates films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Chinese wuxia TV series like The Smiling Proud Wanderer and Fox Volant of the Snowy Mountain, and Chinese martial arts novels from the second half of the twentieth century. In these tales, romance is as dangerous as a blade. Everyone has ties to factions, loves they can’t quite express, and secrets which will shake them to their core. As in the source material, stories in Hearts of Wulin are driven by the characters’ duties, romantic desires, and entanglements with other characters.

You get everything you need to play the game in three different styles: Core, Courtly, and Fantastic. The core game is as described above: a game of wuxia melodrama featuring wandering wulin warriors. The courtly style of play sets the game in a world of politics and factional scheming. The fantastic game adds strong elements of the superrnatural to the story. Each style of play has its own playbooks and moves—it's like having three games in one!

Agatha Cheng is a cultural consultant and a podcast host, on top of being a co-author of this wuxia-inspired game, in a genre she’s loved since childhood. Hearts of Wulin is an homage to melodramatic stories about protagonists, torn between equally treasured relationships. You may be in love with your teacher’s greatest rival, or perhaps your master and your father despise each-other. The PbtA system that Hearts is built on prioritizes emotional conflict and failure that moves the story forward, while slimming down the mechanics to simple 2d6 dice rolls. If what you’re looking for is story beats that rip your heart up and make you feel all of the feelings, you should check out this game.

Gubat Banwa, by makapatag.

Gubat Banwa is a game of rapid kinetic martial arts, violent sorcery, heartrending convictions and bouts of will. Warriors that channel gods face sorcerers that master black arts, martial artists who have unlocked a new form of cultivation clash swords with those that perfect the night alchemies.

Gubat Banwa is a Southeast Asian fantasy martial arts Role-Playing Game, inspired by the refulgent cultures of Southeast Asia. Raise your spears, KADUNGGANAN, you elite warrior-braves and asura-knights who travel The Sword Isles to prove their conviction and dictate the fate of the world. Revel in larger-than-life war drama like in Asian Dramas, ballistic tactical martial arts grid gameplay in the vein of Lancer or Final Fantasy Tactics, and find glory beyond heaven. Wield the Thunderbolt of Liberation! Rejoice! In the Glory of Combat!

Makapatag, or Waks, is a Filipino creature who loves creating tactical ttrpgs. All of their games have strong Southeast Asian inspiration, but Gubat Banwa is what you’re looking for if you want good old fantasy. Rules-wise, the author credits Lancer, Pathfinder 2e, ICON, Ryuutama, Apocalypse World, and so many more iconic, well-loved games for their inspiration. This game is made to specifically centre Southeast Asian cultures, and the setting is not solely based in a specific historical setting, but is rather inspired by many cultures and stories of these cultures. I strongly recommend you read the Note On Intended Audience on page 4 if you get this book.

And what a book it is. 400 pages, with maps, roll-tables, an extensive dive into the lore and terms created for this book, and pages and pages of gorgeous gorgeous art. Character creation is heavily involved, incorporating the culture you hail from, the ideal you’re fighting for, major life events and debts, as well as different Disciplines, combat arts that each have their own styles, weapons, and techniques. Fighting in this game is not just a matter of survival - it is a science. If you want a game that gives you in-depth characters and hours and hours of material in a world in which every piece of lore has been carefully thought out, I heavily recommend Gubat Banwa.

Mangayaw, by goobernuts.

Mangayaw is an RPG for one facilitator (the Mangaawit) and at least one other player. Players act as Binmanwa, adventurers and survivors in an archipelago of bloodshed and goldlust. This game is inspired by Philippine legend, folklore, culture and history. The game and its setting is still a work-in-progress. Based on and inspired by Cairn, Into the Odd, Mausritter and numerous other games.

Benj, the creator, is a member of RPGsea, and draws heavily from Philippine folklore and history for this game. This is absolutely for OSR fans, with delay fast combat, class-less and level-less characters, and a ton of equipment and magic items inspired by Philippines folklore.

Whereas many OSR games present the rules with the assumption that the GM knows what they’re doing, Mangayaw contains a page of principles for the Mangaawit, outlining narrative focus, the purpose of danger and treasure, and advice on how to present the characters with choices, NPC motivations, and the benefits of random generation. It also contains principles for the players, and principles of the World, providing guidance for folks who may be unfamiliar with the culture that inspires this setting. There’s suggestions for names, descriptions of unique items, and tables for magic and sorcery. If you love roll tables, you’ll love Mangayaw.

Brave Zenith, by Roll 4 Tarrasque.

Brave Zenith is a post-fantasy tabletop RPG, set in a world inspired by Brazilian culture and long summer nights playing JRPGs on a pirated PS1. With a set of simple interpretative rules, that focus on player creativity and imagination, explore the ruined world of pastpresent, meet colourful (and deadly) creatures, see the sights of the Second City, partake in delicious Monkey Oil and become an adventurer.

Roll 4 Tarrasque is a team of Latinx creators whose efforts won Game of the Year for 2022 at the Indie Groundbreaker Awards with this game. Brave Zenith is a game about fantasy odd-jobs, rather than epic quests - your characters are cleaning up houses, hunting ghosts, stealing from the rich, etc. The people and creatures of the world are unique and enchanting, from the friendly Jelly shopkeeper to the slippery butter construct, to little porcini goblins.

Characters have 3 stats, gain abilities based off of their occupations. There are three suggested origins to help you determine what your character looks like, but you’re also welcome to create your own! There are typical hallmarks of dungeon delving here, such as loot tables, monsters to fight, and spells to cast. For the GMs, there’s a chapter full of advice on how to prepare for a session, quick NPC generation, and tables to help you write an adventure on the fly. Finally, the rulebook itself is bright, colourful, and fun - perfect for communicating the kinds of games it’s designed to run!

Lutong Banwa by Sinta Posadas (Diwata ng Manila).

We, the Tamawo, we have no concept of hunger, food, or of a nuclear family. We wandered aimlessly for a long time. Then, we met a Giant Grab. She took us in like her own children. Clothed and sheltered us like we were her kind. We call her Mama Kasag. She showed us more about the people that came before us. The ones she calls “Humans”.

Lutong Banwa is a cooking game, where you set out to adventure and find ingredients from Spirits and recipes from old civilizations. Embark on this anti-canon storygame adventure with its own custom system and play to find out just what sort of zany adventures you can get up to in this weird, wild world. Do whatever you want.

Sin is a Filipino game designer who loves designing games that incorporate magic realism. Lutong Banwa is no different. You play Tamawo, who have bodies that appear similar to humans, but live in an age in which humans are long gone. Humans are strange beings of a past age, with unfamiliar customs, such as cooking. You’ve picked up cooking as something to explore, and thus go out on errands to find new ingredients for Mama Kasag. This game is charming and small, quick to learn and easy to play. It even includes recipes to get you in the cooking mood! If you like cozy games with low stakes and a charming setting, you should absolutely check out this game.

A Thousand Thousand Islands.

This is not a game, but rather, a collection of system-agnostic zines for use in fantasy tabletop games. This collection is designed by a trio of Malaysian designers, and contains places such as Mr-Kr-Gr, a river kingdom ruled by crocodiles, Korvu, a maritime nation of tenant mercenaries, and Ngelalangka, a market inspired by Southeast Asian bazaars. If you have a game system that you’re already comfortable with and you want to explore fantastical places within that system, I heavily encourage you to check out these zines.

#dnd #tabletop games #game recommendations #asks #this was one of the most satisfying posts I've put together in a long time #fantasy #indie ttrpgs

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just-late-roman-republic-things · 3 months

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Notes on Roman architecture:

Roman architecture was influenced by local geography, class dynamics, and imperialism. The extensive use of concrete reflects central Italy's abundance of concrete ingredients (limestone and tufa), as well as Rome's dependence on slave laborers who usually weren't trained stonemasons. The oval shape of Roman amphitheaters comes from the original layout of the Roman forum where temporary wooden amphitheaters had to fit the available space.

Roman architecture was most heavily influenced by Greek and Etruscan culture. In fact, Roman generals would steal artifacts wholesale to display in their own temples, houses, and monuments. This was not considered an implicit admission of the superiority of Greek and Etruscan arts, but a demonstration of Rome's military prowess and piety: "This is ours now. And we're using it to honor our gods."

Extra shout-out to Lucius Mummius, who may have installed Rome's first temple with Corinthian columns...to commemorate burning down Corinth.

Aristocratic competition produced most of Rome's monuments in republican times. A statue, arch, column or temple not only glorified an individual's career, but gave publicity for his family and descendants as well, hopefully giving them an advantage in elections. In the last decades of the republic, and imperial times, we see more tombs and gravestones dedicated by ordinary people as well.

A few particularly Roman features: arches used more prominently and in more formal contexts than in Greece; oval amphitheaters with low stages and seating arranged by social class; the grid-like layout of planned Roman colonies; and higher podiums for (most) Roman temples than Greek ones, with more stairs and deeper porticoes, to protect augers from inclement weather while watching for signs.

Occasionally, Roman leaders would also commemorate their successes through building aqueducts or roads (like the Via Appia and Aqua Julia), but this was less glamorous.

Maintaining all these monuments (and aqueducts, roads, sewers) was also not very glamorous, and bloody expensive, so sometimes they fell into disrepair. This only really started to shift when Augustus sought to rebuild the city's image, literally and figuratively, so he "encouraged" generals and politicians to put more work into that.

Republican Rome was extremely vulnerable to fire, being primarily made out of wood, with many insulae (apartment buildings) packed close together. It wasn't until the Great Fire of Rome in Nero's reign that building codes would be created to mitigate this.

Country villas were much fancier than houses in Rome itself. In the city, private luxury came with the risk of public censure, and most aristocrats (outside the Palatine) lived right next to insulae and middle-class dwellings. So there was an incentive to display one's wealth through public works instead of by making the fanciest house you could, under your neighbors' envious eyes.

(Not that this stopped people like Pompey or Lucullus.)

From Katherine E. Welch, "Art and Architecture in the Roman Republic," in A Companion to the Roman Republic, eds. Nathan Rosenstein and Robert Morstein-Marx.

#jlrrt essays #jlrrt reads #katherine welch #art and architecture in the roman republic #a companion to the roman republic #architecture

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historical-kitten · 9 months

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Inspired by @just-late-roman-republic-things' lists like this. XD I love them so much I had to try one.

The way ancient politicians escape a corn maze.

Octavian: He has scouted the route in advance and plotted a course. When he gets lost, he follows Agrippa out and takes the credit.

Agrippa: Literally the only one who finds his way out easily and on his own. He was never lost.

Mark Antony: He makes his way through somehow despite not planning a path. If he hits a dead end, he just pushes through the corn. At least once he hides in the corn and jump-scares Octavian to make him scream.

Lepidus: He entered the maze, but no one saw him exit. No one searches for him. Octavian says he made it home and Antony agrees. The fact they agree on this is concerning...

Cicero: He solves the layout immediately but then second guesses himself. As he walks, he audibly describes his thought process, pausing at every turn. Everyone behind him is in agony.

Dolabella: He sets the maze on fire after he finds out he still owes the entry fee and they won't waive it. He tries to blame Mark Antony.

Julius Caesar: He sends flunkies through to scout the maze for him and follows after they give him a map. He is dubbed the first to navigate the maze successfully.

Pompey: He gets lost on his own so he bribes someone to lead him out and after he exits, calls anyone else who had assistance to escape a cheater.

Crassus: He bought an aerial view of the maze beforehand and uses this to get out successfully. After Dolabella sets the maze on fire, he tries to sell the owner insurance.

Brutus: He navigates the maze successfully after he bands together with Cassius and essentially follows his friend out of the maze. Somehow he's the one who gets all the credit.

#ancient rome #ancient roman politicians #octavian #gaius julius caesar octavianus #mark antony #marcus antonius #lepidus #marcus agrippa #cicero #publius cornelius dolabella #gaius julius caesar #magnus pompey #marcus licinius crassus #marcus junius brutus #cassius #ancient history #the idea was from just-late-roman-republic-things #i just wanted to try #ancient memes

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artbyblastweave · 1 year

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I find this one from The Onion really interesting because half the gag here is that they're usually more complicated than this. I laughed out loud at this, but there's a level on which this isn't really a good joke in a vacuum. "Our political enemy eats children" is not, like, a complicated or novel swing to take. It's not outside the overton/poe window for an actual accusation someone might make for real about a politician. And if this came from a non-Onion, Onion-inspired satire site, it would feel like they were badly grasping at straws.

But I didn't encounter this in a vacuum- I encountered this while scrolling, where this is juxtaposed against a bunch of articles that are dependent on wordplay or "spot-the-imposter" elements inserted into otherwise plausible headlines. For me, the naked, straightforward over-the-top libel hits like a truck when I've primed myself to have to think about the headline for a second. This feels like the digital analogue to something that I remember the printed editions used to let them do; when you've got a physical layout on paper, you can wedge in some hammerblow gags like this as tertiary headlines in the sidebar, made more impactful because of how something so brazen is downplayed in its placement.

#There's other stuff going on here #one element being the specific use of the phrase “kid” instead of child #another element being the fact this is news in pictures with no accompanying body text #both of which play into the meta-level humor underpinning all Onion articles-#namely that the form implies an in-universe JOURNALIST who thought these specific decisions were appropriate for the article #or else it implies a universe where the journalistic decisions made in presenting this to us are anodyne and unremarkable #thoughts #meta #the onion #late night thoughts #gonna wake up in the morning and probably regret how I chose to articulate this

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rpgsandbox · 5 months

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Beyond The Pale is a tabletop RPG adventure inspired by Jewish history, folk tales, and mysticism. This setting aims to highlight the unique folklore and beliefs cultivated by the Jewish people, presenting them in an old-school RPG format. It explores themes of oppression and persecution alongside hope and love, set against a backdrop of idyllic country life.

Azazel, King of Scapegoats

To ensure the authenticity and sensitivity of this portrayal, the core development team (including the writing, art, and layout) all identify as Jewish. Members of the religious community were consulted throughout the development of this book to ensure that the themes and images represented in the text were not perceived as offensive or derogatory.

The adventure was written with Cairn in mind, but is close to being system-neutral and easily adapted to other “Old School” roleplaying games. The book will be about 94 pages. A5 size.

Explore the Tree of Life

The events of this module take place during a week-long celebration, the Days of Remembrance, during which the PCs will need to gather information, solve mysteries, and overcome threats to prevent a great cataclysm.

A map of the region

The places in this book are based on an actual territory in the western part of the Russian Empire known as The Pale of Settlement, which existed from 1791 to 1917. For over a century, Jews were restricted to this region. Jews often lived together in small, market towns called shtetls. During that time, hundreds of thousands of Jews were killed as a result of pogroms. Even with these restrictions, Jews in Europe were able to cultivate a rich culture and language. The village in this adventure, Kest, is based on one such place.

A groschen, the local currency

The village of Kest and the surrounding countryside is populated with all manner of folk: erudite scholars, scheming politicians, jealous tricksters, lumberers, labor activists, folk witches, and many, many more! As they move about the countryside, characters will explore ancient ruins, dark forests, and broken lighthouses in their efforts to prevent - or assist - in a cataclysmic event.

Rifka. She carries a secret.

The setting of Beyond the Pale is populated by all manner of creatures, beasts, and monsters. The vast majority of these creatures are the result of meticulous research and study of Jewish folktales, myth, and legend. As the PCs explore the town, the forest, and the dungeons of the Pale they will encounter beasts unfamiliar and wild: an unrelenting dybbuk, a vengeful mazzik, the malicious Alukah, and many more.

Some of the creatures you'll meet in the Pale

At its core, Beyond the Pale is still an old school adventure. Characters are expected to explore deadly dungeons, surviving on wit, critical thinking, and a bit of luck. The book will feature two distinct dungeons for the PCs to explore, each designed around a real symbol of Jewish identity.

All of the magic items in Beyond the Pale are sourced directly from Jewish esoterica, belief, folk tales, and mysticism. Two years were spent researching and writing this book, great care has been taken deciding how to represent some of the symbols, imagery, and personalities include in the book.

Some of the relics the characters may discover

Kickstarter campaign ends: Thu, December 21 2023 10:00 AM UTC +00:00

Website: [Lost Pages] [twitter] [instagram]

#RPG #kickstarter #Beyond the Pale #OSR #Lost Pages

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shaunamilfman · 6 months

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insp from this. had to type this up real quick after seeing it.

shauna shipman would so have one of those broody poet Tumblrs where she posts like original writing and reblogs angsty quotes from like wuthering heights and shit. she has an Instagram and a Twitter but mostly because Jackie made her. all of her Instagram is just posts of Jackieshauna or like books in coffeeshop type vibes. her twitters pretty empty she just replies to her friends posts. she has a tiktok but only so Jackie can send her stuff.

Jackie Taylor queen of Instagram. she'd have a lot of those like layout ones with the 3x3 grids. tons of pictures of jackieshauna or just her alone. she has one picture of her and Jeff from like 3 years ago but that's it. she has a Twitter but it's just to stay up in everybody's business lmao. she follows shauna on Tumblr but that's it. she's super into tiktok but doesn't post all that much. she used to make shauna do all the dance trends with her in middle school and it makes her wake up in a cold sweat thinking about it.

Van Palmer has a Twitter solely to post links to her letterboxd reviews and retweet movie announcements and shit. she has like 3 posts on Instagram and she's only pictured in 1 of them. she mostly uses it to comment 😍😍😍 on all of Tai's posts. Van was a big Tumblr user in middle school but def grew out of it. Van is strangely big on tiktok for someone who almost never posts. she has a sense of humor though that would do numbers on tiktok for sure.

Tai Turner is a big Twitter user. she's super into like politics and stuff and gags the hell out of random politicians in the quote tweets. she also retweets all of Van's letterboxd reviews. her Instagram is a bunch of pictures of her, her and van, and the other yjs. she tries to keep her Instagram professional but Van's commenting 🍑🥵 a little too much for that lmaooo. never had a Tumblr. has a tiktok so van can send her stuff.

Mari is big Twitter user. she will use it to stay up in everyone's business and gossip. so many private quote retweets lmao. big Instagram/tiktok user as well. she tried to hard to be an influencer though so it's mostly embarrassing. has a Tumblr that she solely uses to comment insults on Shauna's Tumblr poetry. don't ask her how she found it, Mari knows all.

Lottie Matthews gives me technophobe vibes for some reason. she's def out there like "kids these days 🙄. always on their phones". she'd have a huge following on Twitter though and would predict celebrity deaths/divorces.

Nat Scatorccio had a not like other girls phase where she thought she was too good for social media in middle school. she's embarrassed about it but unfortunately has no idea how to use most of it now. has a Twitter and an Instagram only. she does numbers on Instagram though let me tell you.

Misty Quigley has Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok, Tumblr, etc but she only really posts on reddit. She's big in a lot of reddit circles and people like @ her specifically for stuff. I think she'd do numbers on like true crime tiktok though. Mari has a burner account just to comment hate on Misty's tiktok lmao. On everything else she follows like 3k people and is followed back by bots and Jackie.

Laura Lee would have an Instagram that she posted Bible verses and encouraging quotes on. She has a Twitter where she comments "disappointed 😥" whenever someone uses religion to be homophobic. her parents only let her use the internet for an hour a day though so she doesn't post super often.

#modern au yellowjackets obviously #shauna shipman #Jackie Taylor #taissa turner #van palmer #lottie matthews #natalie scatorccio #misty quigley #mari yellowjackets #laura lee

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helenvader · 16 days

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Havelock's interactions with wizards are always a joy to read. (On the other hand, his interactions with anybody are a joy to read).

I especially love the "Vetinari smiled at the slab as if sharing a joke with it" and "[he said], turning around with a look of unmasked delight" lines. :-)

Vetinari stood up, a signal that, in theory at least, the business of the meeting was concluded, and strolled over to a polished stone slab, set into a square wooden table. ‘On a different note, Mustrum … How is your young visitor?’

‘My visit— Oh, you mean the … uh …’

‘That’s right.’ Vetinari smiled at the slab as if sharing a joke with it. ‘The, as you put it, Uh.’

‘I note the sarcasm. As a wizard, I must tell you that words have power.’

‘As a politician, I must tell you I already know. How is he getting along? Concerned minds would like to know.’

Ridcully glanced at the little carved men on the playing slab as if they were listening to him. In a roundabout way, they probably were. Certainly it was well known now that the hands that guided half the pieces lived in a big castle in Uberwald, and were female and belonged to a lady who was mostly rumour.

‘Smeems says he keeps himself to himself. He says he thinks the boy is cunning.’

‘Oh, good,’ said Vetinari, still seeming to find something totally engrossing in the layout of playing pieces. ‘

Good?’

‘We need cunning people in Ankh-Morpork. We have a Street of Cunning Artificers, do we not?’

‘Well, yes, but—’

‘Ah, then it is context that has power,’ said Vetinari, turning around with a look of unmasked delight. ‘Did I say that I am a politician? Cunning: artful, sly, deceptive, shrewd, astute, cute, on the ball and, indeed, arch. A word for any praise and every prejudice. Cunning … is a cunning word.’

#discworld #pratchett quotes #unseen academicals #havelock vetinari #mustrum ridcully #havelock has a language nerd moment #my delight would be unmasked if i ever tried to mask it

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nancydrewwouldnever · 3 months

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People are just tried of white men talking politics, giving their thoughts on how to educate the youth and how to get them involved. Asp is just promoting a problematic system that most young millennials and gen z have realized isnt going to be fixed by these white men talking, that includes his fan base. People are tired of hearing these politicians and people who bow down to politicians which Asp is pretty much doing because they fail to fact check anything. He may have lost a significant portion of his base and those are left can just look at screenshots of the event without having to tune into this BS event about how to get the young involved and informed. Tbh the young are more likely to informed of facts than the older base.

Hear hear. When ASP tried to make the shift to "young voters" I was rather perplexed, as the layout and set-up of the site is in no way geared toward a younger demographic. It very much "reads" to the late Gen X/early Millenials.

#ask

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cypanache · 3 months

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Pls ramble about ridiculously happy Obidala!!!!!!!!

Thank you very much for indulging me.

Okay so Manny AU (also known as ‘How to date my Mom in eight easy steps by Leia Amidala Skywalker’)

This is by far the most rom-com thing I have envisioned in awhile. But first things first you have to picture OWK era and age Obidala.

Padme as a widowed very prominent politician/diplomat (or actress/director can’t decide), but definitely at the peak of her career even as she’s a little bit of a mess personally and has been since Anakin died.

Obi-Wan as the fifty something Manny, that Bail (Padme’s Chief of staff/agent) found for his God children after the last two nannies quit and his Leia slipped her bodyguard detail for the third time. He’s old and beat up and definitely probably ex special forces though neither he nor Bail will admit it and absolutely terrible at anything involving pretend. But he makes a mean Mac and Cheese and Leia is pretty sure she once saw him layout some guy in an alleyway after he’d told her mom he needed to check if he’d left the stove on. So she’s let him stick around.

Plus he makes her mom smile.

Only Leia and Luke make her mom smile like that. Really it’s obvious they’d be perfect together.

If only he wasn’t so hopeless.

But he is. And her mom just agreed to go out with this total nerf herder named Rush who makes Leia’s skin crawl…

Does she have to do everything around here?

#obidala #obidala manny au

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doublebladedbitch · 1 year

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‘The Target’ - Chapter 1

Crosshair x Fem OC

Wordcount: 1.6 k

They were once again on one of those half illegal, also secret missions for the senate. This time it was risky, because the republic didn’t want to bicker with any legions, especially not in the war. That’s why the send the Bad Batch. A group of clones with desirable mutations, they had made themselves a name under the other clones as the Clone Force 99. With their leader Hunter, the everything-knowing Tech, the huge Wrecker, the sniper Crosshair and their newest member, Echo. But on this very mission they had to pretend to be some rogue bounty hunters. Sometimes it came in handy, that they didn’t look like the regular clones.

The five men landed and everything out of Hunters and Echos plan went smoothly and they had successfully found the golden orb they were told to. So when the Marauder landed in the targeted city, right by the large temple, all of them followed their usual routines. Tech was arguing with Wrecker about something, Crosshair was cleaning his rifle, Echo and Hunter were looking on a new and surprising information, that just got to them.

„This is a complete stealth mission, you won’t be needing this“ Echo commented, eying Crosshair’s rifle.

„Like in our last stealth mission?“ he asked rhetorically, reminding him of the escalation on Delta Gus. Echo swallowed and just nodded, before he turned back to Hunter.

„Men, it seems like there are some changes to our mission“ Hunter spoke up and got all heads to turn. „It seems like this will be a mission under extreme secrecy…“

„Thats why this information comes this late?“ Tech commented.

„Not really…it seems like they just got the targets location, due to our arrival“ Hunter explained.

„Probably some kind of signal“ Tech tried to figure out and mumbled more to himself, than the group.

„Target?“ Crosshair asked with a slick smirk and shouldered his beloved rifle.

„A target to rescue“ Hunter corrected, making the smirk disappear. And even got Wrecker annoyed punching the wall.

„It has been ages since I got to blow something up!“ He almost whined.

„Yesterday?“ Echo asked with a risen eyebrow, causing Wrecker to sigh annoyed.

„Guys, this is top priority and has any mission of ours ever been boring?“ Hunter said to lighten the mood. „A mission is a mission.“

We continued preparing and prepped the guns, you never knew what might happen. Crosshair rolled his eyes at the thought of it being some of these slick, arrogant politicians. Ugh. Or worse, royalty. Almost like the king, that ruled over this city. Disgusting, fat, greasy bastard.

„They send me the targets location so it’ll hopefully be easy to find them. They’re probably being held hostage in some kind of cell, so we’ll need to find our way down in the temple. Rather try distraction, than fight. We go in, find the target, distract them and continue with the original mission of giving him the orb-“

Hunters explanation got interrupted by Wrecker. „We’re gonna give them the orb? It took us days to get it.“

Hunter nodded. „The senate said the king would want it and we could sell it to him, maybe we can even make a deal, but if this is a valuable person, he will probably know their worth and won’t let him go so easily.“

„Tech open the temples map“ Hunter ordered and Tech followed. The hologram layout of the kings temple appeared in front of them. Hunter shared the targets location, leaving them surprised.

„The target is…in the throne room“ Echos spoke everybodies thoughts out loud.

„Just makes it easier for us“ Wrecker exclaimed and smashed his fists together.

„Alright.“ Hunter spoke again. „Maybe it's easier or we’re walking into a trap. Everybody ready?“ As an answer everybody put on their helmets and secured the guns to our armor. Hunter took the bag with the orb in it and I let out a small sigh and they walked out of our ship onto the landing platform.

„We have something of interest for the king“ Hunter explained the guards in front of the large doors. Before they could ask further questions he gave them a glimpse of the orb and added „you understand?“

The guards exchanged a quick look and opened the gates. One of them leading the way into the throne room. He was walking a few steps ahead, so Tech could easily glance at his arm data pad with the targets location unnoticeably.

The clones entered the large throne room and Wrecker gasped loudly by the elegant and extravagant architecture. The Bad Batch couldn’t stop themselves letting the gaze wander over all the beautiful details. „Right next to the throne“ Tech whispered to Hunter and he nodded. They continued following the guard until he took a step aside revealing the actual throne.

„Welcome!“ The king spoke loudly and opened his arms. He looked disgusting, even in the elegant and expensive looking clothes he was dressed in. Next to the throne two female slaves, a twilek and a human. Without being able to resist Crosshair’s eyes stayed on the red haired human. She was beautiful, she only dared a quick glance at the guests, before she hid her pretty face behind her red hair again. She clearly had been beaten up. Bruises and blue dots were marking her mostly naked body. She was wearing a gold-green bra and a skirt, or more, two pieces of fabric that covered only front and back, leaving her side completely open, only being held together by a small golden belt. Something in her eyes seemed more angry than scared. He was mesmerized by her and something in him didn’t want to leave her here.

The Batch shared a confused glance after looking at the slaves next to the throne. Hunter quickly collected himself again and greeted the king back. „Your highness… we found something, that we heard would be of your interest…“ he began and took his helmet off to signal the king they came in peace. „We’d hope this will bring us a fair price…“ And with that he took the orb out of the brown bag.

The king rose up from his throne, surprised to see the golden object. Tech now walked up next to Hunter and showed him the targets location unnoticeably. Wrecker and Crosshair guarded the sides and Echo the back. „And what do you wish for as a fair price?“ The king slowly asked. „Credits… or something of other nature…?“ He added with a disgusting smirk, following Hunters glance at the beautiful human slave.

The girl looked up at the king with a disgusted and angry face. He walked up to her and roughly grabbed her chin, she tried to shake him off, but quickly stopped and turned her head back down, accepting her fate. „She is of no use for me anymore, almost dangerous keeping her…“ he laughed „…if you know what I mean. Not trained or well behaved and the other girls are better at following orders…I don’t have time for that kind of behavior“ he explained letting go of her.

„How much?“ Hunter asked, clearly feeling unwell by trading a human being. „Hm…I’m feeling generous today. I will give you 30,000 Credits and the rogue on top…Maybe you five though man will teach her some manners“ he said and laughed disgustingly.

The batch shared an even more confused look, that everything seemed to go perfectly for them. The king freed the red haired girl and pushed her onto the stone floor. Making her land right in front of Crosshair’s feet.

„Good luck with her“ the king added with a pleased smile and collected the orb out of Hunters hand and placed a bag with credits into it. The clone leader was still confused about everything that was going on and took a glance at the map, only to confirm the target was the beautiful girl to Crosshair’s feet.

He nodded towards Crosshair to signal him, that she indeed was their target. Crosshair held his arm out for her to take, but she just glanced at it and then into his visor covered eyes, not having any sign of trust in hers. Out of the blue and with a quick movement, even too fast for the sniper, she lifted herself up with his hand, but rushed her feet into his stomach making him fly a few meters, while she landed on her bare feet.

Everyone except the king seemed surprised by that. A human man appeared behind the king, probably his assistant and pointed a gun at her.

„For your own good, we’ll give you one of the others. She just means trouble.“ The man said ready to shoot, but Crosshair was quicker. Right after he finished his sentence a bullet rushed through his head. Then everything escalated. The girl seemed angry about the death of the man and angrily ran up to Crosshair, but Hunter fired a stun shot at her before she could reach crosshair. Only to make her collapse onto the sniper, making both of them to fall onto the ground. Wrecker let out a small laugh and Crosshair grunted angrily and pushed her off of him, before he picked up her body to carry her.

The bad batch fired their way out of the temple, only leaving the scared king and his slaves behind alive. They quickly made their way back to the marauder and Tech started the engine, while Crosshair dumped her into his bed, not knowing where else to place her. And so the Marauder disappeared into the sky.

Chapter 2:

#tbb crosshair #crosshair #crosshair x reader #crosshair x oc #the bad batch #tbb fanfiction #tbb #star wars #clone force 99 #clone x reader

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bambinella · 2 years

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Partners? Partners!

A/N: Big thanks to @katieisagoddess for giving me this idea! This is very different than what I usually write, but I loved it nontheless! I hope you enjoy!

Summary: Yelena and Kate go on their first mission together. While things seem to go very smooth at first, they soon realize it’s not going to be as easy as they thought.

Warnings: Angst, slight description of wounds

Word count: 3813

Natasha looked at the two women standing in front of her, her gaze shifting from Yelena to Kate as she inspected their faces. The two of them were getting ready to go on their first mission together, and she wanted to make sure both were ready for it. She was pleased to see that neither showed signs of hesitation or doubt, and she was very proud of Yelena for easily agreeing to go on a mission with Kate. The blonde had pouted and grumbled when she had been informed Natasha wasn’t joining them, yet she hadn’t made a fuss about doing it with Kate either. The young archer had been training hard for the past few months, and she had considerably grown better.

“Your mission is going to be very simple,” Natasha explained, pointing at the layout of the building one last time. “This is supposed to be a very quick one. You need to retrieve the laptop located in the furthest room to the left on the second floor,” She said, to which Kate and Yelena both nodded. They had studied the building and they had figured out the fastest route towards the room.

“You can count on several guards, since the laptop contains sensitive information about connections between Hydra and several important politicians. However, they’re not that high up the ranking list, so it shouldn’t be anything the two of you can’t handle,” Natasha smiled at them, pride filling her chest as she looked at two of the most important people in her life. They were ready.

“So, infiltrate the building, grab the laptop, fight off resistance and leave?” Kate summed up quickly, earning a nod from the redhead as she folded her arms.

“If you can avoid a fight, avoid it,” She said, now specifically looking at Yelena, who rolled her eyes playfully at her sister.

“Don’t worry Poser, Katie and I will grab that laptop before they even know we’re there,” Yelena said with a smile, gently nudging Kate’s arm with her elbow. Natasha raised an eyebrow at her sister, yet Yelena simply smiled. “We’ll be fine, no need to worry,”

“The building is located about an hour and half away from here, you two will take the quinjet to get there. Make sure you land it out of sight, so you don’t immediately give away your position,” The redhead said, earning a nod from Kate and a wince from Yelena, who remembered one of her previous missions.

“Yeah, lesson learned,” The blonde chuckled, folding her arms as she looked at Kate. “Are you ready to go? Or do you need to go get your stuffed bear?” She asked, causing the archer to puff her cheeks in annoyance and embarrassment. Ever since Yelena had found out Kate slept with a plushie bear, she felt the need to bring it up with every chance she had.

“I’m ready to go, are you sure you don’t need to bring your beard? You could distract the guards,” Kate shot back with a grin, ducking a little too late as she got smacked in the back of her head as Yelena almost growled at her.

“Kate Bishop, if you mention that one more time-”

“Alright ladies, quinjet is ready to take off, go get ready,” Natasha said, unable to hide her grin at the beard joke. Yelena pouted and folded her arms, watching Kate leave the room to collect her things. As soon as she was gone, the blonde’s eyes softened as she stepped closer to her sister to get some affection before she left.

“Promise me you’ll be careful,” Natasha said, pressing her forehead against Yelena’s. “I know it’s supposed to be an easy mission, but you never know… you have more experience, so if there’s sudden overwhelming danger, forget the mission and make sure you both escape, alright?” She asked, earning a nod from the blonde.

“Don’t worry Natashka, I’ll make sure the puppy comes back unharmed,” She smirked, earning a playful slap to the shoulder from the redhead, who couldn’t help but smile back. She knew Yelena wouldn’t abandon Kate, and the two of them were quite capable. She knew they would succeed.

About two hours later Yelena and Kate were sneaking towards the building, both armed to the teeth. They were currently hiding behind a piece of rubble, with Yelena grabbing her binoculars as Kate knocked an arrow on her bow, ready to take out potential snipers. After double checking, Yelena shook her head and turned to Kate. “Coast is clear, I don’t see any snipers on the roof,” She said to the brunette, who nodded. The two of them reached the front door, and with the assassin’s skills in lockpicking, they silently entered the building within seconds. Kate had her arrow ready while Yelena had a tight grip on her gun, yet there was, once again, nobody to be seen.

“Do you think we’re in the wrong place?” Kate whispered, causing Yelena to shake her head. “It’s this building for sure,” The blonde said, chewing her lower lip. Something didn’t feel right, however, yet she couldn’t exactly point out what yet. She decided to shrug it off for now as they made their way up to the second floor, Yelena taking the front as Kate covered the back. By the time they had reached the room with the laptop, they definitely knew something was wrong, for there were no guards anywhere.

“What do we do now? Do we simply go in?” Kate whispered, peeking inside of the room. Just like the previous rooms they had encountered, they were met with the silence of an empty room. Yelena glanced inside too, spotting the desk where the laptop was laying on top of. Everything was going too perfect, it was too easy, and it made her very anxious. Her attention shifted to Kate, who opened the bag meant for escorting the laptop.

“I say we go in quickly, I don’t think there’s anyone here,” She whispered, causing Yelena to shake her head and place a hand on top of Kate’s wrist.

“Kate no, listen to me, this doesn’t feel right… I think it’s-” Yelena whispered back, yet got interrupted as something small was thrown in their direction, landing not far from them. It took the blonde less than a second to realize what it was, and it made her blood freeze.

“GRENADE!” She yelled to Kate, pushing the archer through the doorway so they could get out of the blasting range. It exploded in the hallway, and a loud noise came from inside the room, as their enemy had pushed over the fake wall they were hiding behind. Ten armed men ran into the large room, and Yelena cursed loudly in Russian. It was a trap, and she had realized it too late. And now they were stuck and outnumbered.

“Get down and make sure you hit them!” Yelena whispered-yelled to Kate as they hid behind rubble and a fallen over desk. The widow and archer took their shots and, while being outnumbered, easily managed to take out half of the enemies in the room, keeping them at bay. Yelena was used to situations like these and, while they stressed her out, she didn’t lose her cool. While this was still relatively new to Kate, the archer managed to remain focused, keeping her emotions and nerves under control.

That was, until a loud shot echoed through the room, and Yelena let out a cry of pain. While they had been focused on the enemies in the room, the blonde had failed to notice a sniper aiming at them from a building across, getting a clear shot on the assassin’s leg. She immediately fell down on one knee behind the rubble and grabbed her right leg, a sharp, burning pain overwhelming her senses. She groaned loudly as blood started to drench her pants, dripping onto the floor. Kate gritted her teeth and wasted no time, shooting an arrow through the sniper’s head before looking at Yelena.

“Oh my god! Okay I think I killed him, but we need to get you out of here,” Kate said, noticing the increasing puddle of blood on the ground. Yelena nodded with a grunt, fully leaning on her functioning leg. When she scanned the room for a safer hiding spot, her eye fell on a red light on the wall above Kate, and her stomach dropped. They had placed a pair of explosives on the ceiling, and one of them must have activated it as the red light started flickering fast. Kate had noticed the beeping sound too, yet it was too late as the bomb exploded, part of the ceiling falling down fast.

Without a second thought Yelena gathered all the strength she had and leaped forward, pushing Kate out of the way by crashing her body into her. The archer fell onto her back, safe behind another piece of rubble, yet the assassin wasn’t fast enough. She fell to the ground with a scream of pain as her right leg got crushed underneath part of the collapsed ceiling, pinning her to the floor. Kate looked at her with wide eyes, her emotions no longer under control as anger started to take over. The overwhelming pain and loss of blood made the room spin violently, as she turned her gaze towards her friend.

“Katie… get out…” She was able to say, consciousness leaving her fast. She heard Kate yell her name distantly, and then everything went dark.

–––––––

Yelena slowly opened her eyes with a groan and immediately noticed two big changes. Her right leg was no longer being crushed by a heavy weight, and, while it still hurt a lot, the pain was considerably less than before. Her head was light and she felt like she was floating, but at least she was conscious again. Kate’s head snapped up as she heard the soft groan, relief visibly washing over her. She was currently sitting in front of the blonde, shielding her with her own body from possible attacks.

“Oh my god! Oh thank god you’re awake, I was so worried! I called Natasha for backup, they should be here within half an hour!” Kate looked as if she could cry then and there, Yelena noticed. She also noticed wooden planks secured tightly on her own lower leg, splinting the presumably broken bone, and a piece of cloth wrapped tightly over her thigh where the gunshot had been. It wasn’t done in a professional way, but Yelena knew Kate had done everything she could to take care of her leg.

“You were losing blood fast… the bullet went right through your leg, so I had to stop the bleeding as quickly as I could,” Kate explained as if she was reading her mind, once more scanning the roof for danger. She had managed to shield the two of them by placing wooden boards against the rather low edges of the roof, providing protection against possible snipers. The blonde noticed one of Kate’s arms was bare and bleeding, and she realized with a frown that Kate had ripped off one of her sleeves to tie her leg, while ignoring her own wounded arm. While it was small, she couldn’t help but feel grateful at the act of selflessness.

“What happened after I passed out?” The blonde asked, attempting to sit up, only to be gently pushed down again by Kate. “No no, stay,” The brunette said to her, making her frown slightly. Why wasn’t she allowed to sit up? Kate swallowed as she tried to get her thoughts in order, seemingly still overwhelmed by everything that had happened.

“After you pushed me out of the way, a big block of concrete fell onto your leg, and I think it’s broken on several spots,” Kate explained, looking at the floor between them. “You were laying there and you didn’t move, and I got so scared and angry… I managed to take all of them out, but by the time I pulled you from underneath the rubble, you had lost so much blood…” The archer said, wincing as she pictured the unmoving body of her friend again. “I injected medication into your leg, to help you deal with the pain, but it’s not safe for you to stand up,”

Yelena nodded and closed her eyes, trying to make her surroundings stop spinning for a moment. The dizziness was due to the loss of blood, and the emotional burst was probably a side effect of whatever medication she had gotten. As she opened her eyes again, Yelena saw the bag with the laptop, sitting between them to the side. Not only had Kate taken out the remaining enemies, she had brought her to safety, tended to her wounds and had gone back to retrieve the laptop, all while she was hurt herself. While Yelena had previously never felt like admitting it, she was impressed with the young girl.

“Kate, I-”

“I’m so sorry!” Kate suddenly blurted out, making Yelena blink in surprise. “I should have known it was a trap, and I should have listened, and I should have seen the bomb on the ceiling! It’s my fault you got hit by the rubble and I’m so, so sorry,” The brunette apologized, sounding near tears. Yelena looked at her for a long moment before mustering up a small laugh.

“Are you crazy? I’d never hear the end of it from Natasha if I let you die in such a stupid way,” She said with a chuckle. Kate smiled a little, yet it didn’t reach her eyes. Yelena stared at the concrete floor, chewing on her lower lip.

“And… you know… I didn’t want you to die in such a stupid way either,” She admitted with a mumble, closing her eyes again. Yelena had no idea how or when it had happened, but she’d grown fond of the idiot next to her. At first she had seen Kate as an annoyance, someone in her way to Natasha. However, over time she had learned to appreciate Kate for who she was, and they had become good friends later on. Yelena let out a chuckle as she realized how fitting Natasha’s nickname for Kate actually was. The young girl was clumsy and sometimes messed things up by accident, yet she was one of the most loyal people she’d met.

Kate looked at her with wide eyes, an even wider smile slowly appearing on her face as she realized the weight behind those words. Yelena opened one eye and noticed the goofy smile, and immediately rolled her eyes.

“Also, if you interrupt me again, I’m going to throw you off this roof myself,” She added, earning a hearty chuckle from Kate this time.

“Thank you, Yelena… you saved my life by pushing me out of the way,” Kate said, a blush covering her cheeks as she shuffled a bit closer to the blonde. “I know you don’t really care for me in the same way as I care for you, but it truly means so much to me,” The archer admitted with a smile. Yelena closed her eyes again, considering her next words carefully.

“Kate, I want you to listen to me,” Yelena said, knowing Kate was looking at her, even with her eyes closed. “First of all, you’re an idiot,” She said, a smile tugging at her lips as she heard Kate scoff next to her. “Second of all,” Yelena continued, opening one eye to look at Kate again. “You’re even a bigger idiot if you still think I don’t care for you,” She said with a soft smile. Kate looked blankly for a moment, before blinking multiple times, obviously trying to hold back tears.

“And third, this doesn’t mean I’ll stop bullying you. In fact, I think I’ll bully you even more now, actually,” She said with a smirk, earning a groan and a giggle from Kate.

Yelena propped herself up on her elbows, gritting her teeth in pain as she gave her leg another look. It was bad - she was pretty sure it was one open leg fracture at least - yet the splinting had saved her leg for the biggest part. Kate’s quick thinking was probably the only reason her leg would heal properly.

“And I should be thanking you, Kate,” Yelena said, making the archer’s head snap up. “I screwed up royally. I should have known it was a trap, and yet you still managed to take control over the situation after I blacked out. You have grown,” She said with a nod of approval. “And you may have been the only reason I’ll still be able to walk after this, so… thank you,” She said with a genuine smile. Kate covered her mouth with her hand, attempting to hide her ridiculous smile while blinking her tears away again.

“Okay I take it back, if you dare to get your snot on me, I’ll murder you,” Yelena warned, yet couldn’t help but chuckle at her friend. Kate nodded with a smile, before chewing her lower lip as she looked at Yelena.

“If you want… you can rest your head on my legs until the helicopter arrives,” Kate offered, and Yelena wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Kate Bishop, I almost lost my leg and you’re trying to get your germs on me?” She asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

“Oh…” Kate was speechless for a moment, yet before she could apologize Yelena rolled her eyes and let out a soft cackle.

“I’m joking, come here, I guess your leg is better than this super hard floor,” The blonde said with a groan. Kate immediately shuffled to Yelena with a happy smile, gently placing Yelena’s head on her lap. The Widow closed her eyes again, drowsiness and pain once again taking over.

“Don’t worry,” Kate said, keeping an eye on the horizon. “Natasha will arrive soon, I know it. And nobody’s getting close to us until she’s here,”

–––––––

Kate sat on one of the chairs in the hallway, her leg bouncing nervously as she waited outside of Yelena’s room. Natasha had jumped out of the helicopter before it had landed safely, bolting towards her sister to inspect the situation and to carry Yelena. Once her sister was inside, Natasha had quickly inspected Kate for grave injuries. When it was clear the archer had only suffered minor injuries, they had hurried towards the hospital, to take care of Yelena.

Kate’s ribs were bruised and her arm got a graze from one of the guns, but other than that she was fine. As soon as her wounds were treated, she hurried to where Yelena and Natasha were staying. After what seemed an eternity, the door opened as Natasha stepped outside, making Kate instantly jump up from her seat.

“How is she?” The brunette asked, her eyes wide with worry. She inspected Natasha’s face carefully for any indication of bad news, sadness or worry, and calmed down when she didn’t seem to find any.

“She’s asleep now, they had to put her under since they needed to perform surgery on her leg,” Natasha explained, causing Kate to swallow. “She lost a lot of blood, and her leg is in a bad shape… she has three fractures, the biggest one being open,” The redhead continued, her jaw clenching as she took a deep breath. “However, it’s nothing they can’t fix, and you gave the doctors a big advantage by splinting her leg. She’ll be fine,” Natasha said with a small smile. Kate felt relief wash over her, her legs feeling wobbly as she sat herself down again.

“Oh thank god… I’m so happy,” She expressed, taking deep breaths as she tried to calm herself again. Natasha nodded, looking back towards the door.

“She got very lucky, the block narrowly missed her knee… if that had gotten shattered, there was a big chance she would have been cripled, or walking around with a metal leg,” Natasha said, her jaw clenching again. Kate rested her head in her hands, before looking up at the older woman.

“Natasha, I’m so sorry, I should have seen the explo-” Kate said, before suddenly being tugged forward straight into the redhead’s arms. Natasha hugged her tightly, burying her face into Kate’s neck.

“Thank you so much for saving her,” The older sister said, sounding near tears herself. Kate immediately wrapped her arms around Natasha’s shoulders in a tight embrace, letting out a sniffle herself. She realized Natasha had probably nearly gone crazy with worry after her call for help, feeling horribly guilty for sending them into a mission way more dangerous than anticipated. The two of them got very lucky, and Kate only now realized how badly it actually could have ended.

“She saved me, Tasha, it was the least I could do. I care so much about her,” The brunette said with a smile, blinking her tears away yet again. Natasha pressed her hand against the back of Kate’s head, pulling her closer.

“I’m so glad you’re okay, sweetheart,” The older woman said with a smile, pressing her forehead against Kate’s. “I know I was all over the place with Yelena’s condition, but I’m so glad you’re okay and I’m so proud of you,” She said, smiling as Kate let out a giggle.

“I just wanted to bring Yelena to safety,” The archer said, yet she was obviously glowing with pride from Natasha’s words. The redhead placed a kiss onto her cheek.

“You impressed all of us today,” Natasha added, making Kate blush and stare at the ground with a wide smile. “You secured the laptop, you took out the enemy while you were outnumbered, and you brought the two of you to safety. There’s always a chance things will go horribly wrong when you’re on a mission, but you acted like a true Avenger today. You should be proud,” The redhead gently squeezed Kate’s neck, smiling as the brunette let out another giggle.

“Thank you Tasha… I thought that today was a disaster, and I kinda feared you would be mad at me for getting Yelena badly injured,” She admitted, to which Natasha shook her head.

“Missions are risks, and it wasn’t your fault, sweetheart. Now, why don’t you come with me inside,” She suggested with a smile, nudging her head in the direction of Yelena’s room. “I’m pretty sure she’ll want to see you when she wakes up,” She added with a wink. Kate looked at her as if she’d just gotten the best gift ever, nodding eagerly.

“I’d love to,” She smiled, following Natasha inside. And while they sat next to each other, waiting for the younger sister to return to the room, all Kate could think of was the fact that she had grown even closer to Yelena. And it filled her heart with joy.

#Marvel #Natasha Romanoff #Yelena Belova #Kate Bishop #Black Widow #Hawkeye #Kate x Yelena #Yelena x Kate #angst/hurt/comfort #fluff #Good Ending

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