#Building a bastion. (ic)

[headspace-hotel]

Minecraft Tips

or, a list of things about Minecraft that took me forever to figure out, that might not be obvious to new players, or that I just found helpful

Equal parts gravel and dirt can be crafted into coarse dirt, and using a hoe on coarse dirt changes it to normal dirt, so you can effectively change gravel into dirt if you have at least 2 dirt blocks with you

I know the game technically teaches you this BUT: you can cure zombie villagers by hitting them with a splash weakness potion and then feeding them a golden apple. This is an easy way to populate a village you built yourself, I've done it in all my survival worlds. The easiest way to protect newly potioned and appled villagers is to dig a long trench, get the zombie villager to chase you, circle the pit until the villager falls in, and cover the pit so no mobs attack the zombie villager when it changes into a villager.

Killing fish is a pretty good way to get bones. I don't need a skeleton farm because automatic fish farms are probably among the easiest automatic farms to build

drinking milk stops status effects

Tiny slimes can't damage you. You can keep them as pets.

The fastest transportation method is, for some reason, a boat on blue ice. Many horses are faster than powered rails.

Suspicious stew can be crafted, even though it's not part of the creative inventory or recipe book, using the normal recipe for mushroom stew+one flower. Allium gives a couple seconds of fire resistance, poppy gives night vision, cornflower gives jump boost, blue orchids or dandelions give saturation, and oxeye daisy gives regeneration.

A lot of wooden items—fences, doors, bows, fishing poles, and so on—can be used as fuel in furnaces. It's not efficient but it's a good way to get rid of excess items

Sneak to add blocks to the side of a furnace or chest directly. Do y'all have any idea how long this took me to figure it out. (This is also how you add a hopper to a chest.)

gold or iron armor can be melted down into gold and iron nuggets

The fortune enchantment affects sapling drops from trees and crop harvests.

Early in game, smelting copper into ingots is one of the best ways to get XP fast.

Fishing odds are slightly better when it's raining.

When you first get a full set of diamond armor your first instinct may be to wear it on a quest into the Nether. Don't. Take a couple stacks each of gravel/sand and any stone and run repeated suicide missions until you've made a stone shelter around your portal and paths across surrounding lava lakes.

More nether navigation tricks: drop columns of gravel down precipices in the Nether and then add cobblestone to the side of the gravel columns to build stairs from the top down

If your nether portal goes out while you're in the Nether, a Ghast fireball hitting the inside of the frame will relight it. But please don't get caught in the Nether without flint and steel

Lava breaks your fall much like water does, and you can't drown in it, though it's very hard to move in. Fire resistance potions will let you exploit both of these things.

Fill a basalt delta with three- or four-block-high towers of whatever block you like, two blocks apart, in staggered rows. Occasionally place a block on the side of the towers' top blocks. This won't stop magma cubes from spawning, but it will stop the large ones from moving effectively.

Using silk touch to grab the red and blue "turf" layers in Nether forests lets you farm both kinds of giant nether fungi by bone-mealing mushrooms, though the turf colors and mushroom colors have to match up. The growth is unaffected by obstructions above and the fungus "foliage" blocks never decay like leaves do. I have no idea who thought that was a good idea. BUT doing this repeatedly will eventually completely obstruct the "sky", protecting you from Ghasts

Nether fortresses and bastions are found along a "grid" pattern, so when you find one nether fortress you can travel in a straight line to find another fortress or bastion. Villages do the same thing, except when they don't. (Really, how villages spawn is a total mystery to me.)

Bonemealing moss will straight up convert surrounding stone into moss. I have no idea why. Since bone meal can be automated using a dropper iirc, this seems like it could lead to some weird redstone contraptions.

Horses can survive falls that would seriously damage a player.

Animals can and will climb ladders. I don't know why. But if you push a sheep or cow toward a ladder, they will often automatically ascend it. I've used this fact for automatic farms before.

You can name literally anything using an anvil, even if you can't repair or enchant it

Soul sand placed underwater creates bubble columns that shoot you upward. Magma blocks create bubble columns that pull you down. You can breathe in the bubble columns.

Night vision potions, if you've never used one, will also let you see the ocean floor.

A water source block in an "ocean" biome will spawn ocean animals, whether there is room for them there or not. If you change a section of ocean into a one-block-deep pond, you'll still get fish in there

you probably won't like this one but. keep a notebook with the coordinates of important spots it is SO HELPFUL

I'll add more when I think of them. please note that I play bedrock and some of these might not work in java

#minecraft #mineblr

[docgold13]

Batman: The Animated Series - Paper Cut-Out Portraits and Profiles

Grant Walker

The famous entertainment mogul, Grant Walker, made his fortune with a series of family-friendly amusement parks.  All Walker wanted, it seemed, was to make people happy. As he grew older, however, Walker became increasingly megalomaniacal and obsessed over the idea of making the whole world as clean, orderly and idyllic as one of his theme parks.

The robotics expert Karl Rossum had worked for Walker early in his career and Walker utilized Rossum’s designs to build a small army of robots.  These robots built ‘Oceania,’ a secluded community that adhered to Walker’s notions of a utopia.  

As his health began to fail, Walker became more desperate in his commitment to his twisted dream.  He used his robots to free the villainous Mister Freeze from Arkham Asylum.  Walker had obtained Mr. Freeze’s wife’s body still frozen in cryogenic stasis.  He used her as leverage to force Mr. Freeze into doing his bidding.  

Walker demanded that Freeze replicate the accident that had transformed him, believing that become like Freeze would bestow him immortality.  He also had Freeze created a giant version of his freeze gun.  Walker planned to use the massive ice cannon to encase the entire world in frost, leaving Oceania the last bastion of civilization and the foundation of the next era of mankind.  

Mr. Freeze was forced to do Walker’s bidding and he replicated the process that changed him.  Freeze transformed the aged tycoon into a being like himself… ageless, but unable to survive outside of sub-zero temperatures.    Walker was then outfitted with a cyro-suit similar to that worn by Mr. Freeze.  

Batman and Robin had tracked Freeze down to Oceania.  They were captured by Freeze and Walker, yet Batman was able to appeal to Freeze’s better nature.  He convinced Freeze that his cherished wife, Nora, would never love a man whole would allow the whole world to be frozen.  

Freeze turned on Walker.  The ice cannon malfunctioned and caused a chain reaction that sunk Oceania.  Mr. Freeze escaped with his wife’s body whereas Walker became trapped within an iceberg and sank to the bottom of the ocean.  

Actor Daniel O’Herlihy provided the voice for Walt Disney Grant Walker, with the villain appearing in the  fifteenth episode of the second season of Batman: The Animated Series, ‘Deep Freeze.’  

#batman the animated series #Batman #Grant Walker #Mr. Freeze #Daniel O’Herlihy #cut-out #paper art #DCAU

[dadrielle]

TRICK OR TREAT

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! 👻

Here’s the start of a post-67 Laudna-being-upset-Imogen-Keeps-Hurting_herself fic that I won’t finish cuz it doesn’t really gel with canon anymore and I’m a flighty bastard.

When they arrive back in Zephrah, battered but flowers in hand, Imogen stumbles. The staff, rather than helping to prop her up, seems to weigh her down, and Laudna quickly moves to catch her. There’s a wet rasp to Imogen’s breathing again that makes Laudna feel sick, the swirling nauseous adrenaline of yesterday’s fight in the bastion spiking back down her spine. She catches a quick glimpse of red, as one drop of blood escapes Imogen’s nose to drop to the ground in a splatter round as a coin. Imogen quickly wipes any others away.

“Are you alright, darling?” The question is inadequate bile in her mouth, copper tinged and metallic.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’ll be ok. It’s worth it.”

Her hands flitter around Imogen, wanting to hold her everywhere but not knowing where to land. The right side of her dress still has deep slashes in it, from where Laudna couldn’t reach to mend as she held Imogen tight against her chest through the night.

“Do you need to rest a moment?

“No, it’s fine. I’m fine. We need to get these to Key– to the Tempest. I can wait.”

Imogen’s smile is tremulous and accepting, and Laudna realizes with creeping horror that Imogen had known the pain was coming. Another price she’d quietly decided to pay with her own body. Had the staff hurt her every time she had used it? How had Laudna not noticed, before? How had any of them not noticed? Anger licks through Laudna like ice in her veins, and she has to shake the frost from her fingertips as Imogen rights herself and pulls away to hold Laudna’s hand instead.

Orym takes the lead back to the Voice of the Tempest’s quarters, and Laudna finds herself staring at the back of his head, snippets of memory rattling like gold in her purse. Orym nodding as the rage towards Bor’dor engulfed her, Orym saying we should see clearly, Orym saying we’re not enemies here, Keyleth saying the slightest hint of betrayal and Orym nodding, Imogen quietly accepting it, no Ruidusborn in Zephrah on purpose and Imogen and Fearne’s eyes downcast, Imogen looking for Orym next after she hugged Laudna, “Temult” falling from Orym’s mouth like it’s acid, Imogen carving pieces from herself quietly, Orym nodding nodding nodding–

But Orym jumped off the tower to help, she reminds herself, Orym freed Imogen from that creature’s jaws.

When they reach the Tempest, her nostrils flare and she feels her anger build and build and build. That anger the Tempest said had simmered in her, Laudna could match it year for year, and she could feel its jaws snap towards Keyleth. Maybe it’s not wholly fair to direct it this way now, but Laudna isn’t a leader, so she can indulge in it.

#critical role #laudna #imogen temult #cr3 #cr fic #imodna

[yukii0nna]

Context for ✨Just Like Magic✨!!

Marinette Dupain Cheng(Ice make wizard❄️) and Jaden Yuki(Celestial spirit wizard 🌌) are twins. Their father Hikaru died when they were 5 . Their mother went into a funk for a while. Their uncle Phoenix Wright helped raise them . Cut to 7 years later,they moved to Paris after their mom remarried. They help the current Ladybug and Cat miraculous users(Chole and Adrien respectively).

Fandoms: Fairy Tail,Miraculous,Yu Gi Oh,Ace Attorney,My Hero Academia, Twisted Wonderland,Ever After High

@kousaka-ayumu @jasontoddssuper @marrondrawsalot @skyenish @lovelyllamasblog @bakawitch@liviavanrouge @danika-redgrave124@writing-heiress @starry-night-rose @punkeropercyjackson @starry-night-rose@queen-of-ram @http-caedis@achy-boo@gritsandbrits @sayuricorner @abyssthing198 @yugirl @yumeko2sevilla @zexal-club@mangacupcake @starlightshadowsworld@c0tt0n-c4ndy-sw1rlz @zephyre-fantasmic @yoko6969 @missputotyra @musicfeedsmysoul12 @tragedytells-tales

Featuring

A bit of a miraculous rewrite. Oh who am I kidding ALOT of a miraculous rewrite!! THAT SHOW DID EVERYONE DIRTY!!!

Chole and Lila get character development and a redemption arc (Yeah,that "not redeeming teenagers but redeeming freaking terrorists" garbage isn't happening!!!)

More of a rogues gallery

Seriously, akumas can't last for ever

Marinette NOT having a crush on Adrein and vice versa. He's more like a sibling to her

Multiple members of the guild being from other media

Usual Fairy Tail nonsense

Magic ✨✨ Expect a lot of wizards.

Marinette being an over protective sister

Bastion being used more. Also over protective

Lots of ocs

Crossover ships(What can I say I love them)

Dark stuff

World building

Asks and reblogs are always allowed

#miraculous ladybug #yugioh gx #fairy tail #ace attorney #mha #twisted wonderland #crossover #ever after high #danganronpa #just like magic

[agentrouka-blog]

Rouka Reads: The World of Ice and Fire - Preface

We meet our hero, the brave author of the book, maester Yandel!

Let’s begin with some nice The Builder metaphors on the subject of learning!

IT IS SAID with truth that every building is constructed stone by stone, and the same may be said of knowledge, extracted and compiled by many learned men, each of whom builds upon the works of those who preceded him. What one of them does not know is known to another, and little remains truly unknown if one seeks far enough. Now I, Maester Yandel, take my turn as mason, carving what I know to place one more stone in the great bastion of knowledge that has been built over the centuries both within and without the confines of the Citadel—a bastion raised by countless hands that came before, and which will, no doubt, continue to rise with the aid of countless hands yet to come.

I like him. I mean, he may just be good with words, but I like the community aspect he is leaning into here. 

Pro: The accumulation of knowledge is most definitely teamwork through the passage of time, and you can live many lives and travel vast distances in your mind through the power of the written word.

Con: If you’re going to be writing a book about the entire world, you may want to have seen at least a little of it, maybe? Yandel trying to make sure he is as unbiased as possible by making sure he knows equally little about Westeros through his own experience as he knows about Essos and the rest of the known world. 

Because he has literally never left Oldtown and spent his entire life in the Citadel from birth. 

I was a foundling from my birth in the tenth year of the reign of the last Targaryen king, left on a morning in an empty stall in the Scribe’s Hearth, where acolytes practiced the art of letters for those who had need. 

That would have been around 272, ten years after Jaehaerys II died, thirteen years after Summerhall and the birth of one Rhaegar Targaryen. Yandel isn’t even thirty yet. He’s a baby!

The Scribe’s Hearth:

The gates of the Citadel were flanked by a pair of towering green sphinxes with the bodies of lions, the wings of eagles, and the tails of serpents. One had a man's face, one a woman's. Just beyond stood Scribe's Hearth, where Oldtowners came in search of acolytes to write their wills and read their letters. Half a dozen bored scribes sat in open stalls, waiting for some custom. At other stalls books were being bought and sold.

(AFFC, Samwell V)

I wonder who placed him there. A spot frequented by acolytes, the same demographic known to prance about Oldtown, getting drunk on fearsomely strong cider and visiting brothels if they have the money. Could a woman have just walked in there with a baby in her arms and left without it during early business hours, hidden among the people perusing the wares? Or was it a man? An acolyte familiar with the place? The father?

Actually that was about the year Obara was born, too. Wild times in Oldtown, but a nicer fate for Yandel.

The course of my life was set that day, when I was found by an acolyte who took me to the Seneschal of that year, Archmaester Edgerran. Edgerran, whose ring and rod and mask were silver, looked upon my squalling face and announced that I might prove of use. When first told this as a boy, I took it to mean he foresaw my destiny as a maester; only much later did I come to learn from Archmaester Ebrose that Edgerran was writing a treatise on the swaddling of infants and wished to test certain theories.

I love this. 

Yandel: Did he sense my destiny??

Edgerran: Free infant test subject, and I didn’t even have to be unethical about it! Score!

(Silver represents medicine.)

Ebrose is still around, giving lectures on urine to the Oldtown gang and giving Pate a failing grade! 

But inauspicious as that may seem, the result was that I was given to the care of servants and received the occasional attention of maesters. I was raised as a servant myself amongst the halls and chambers and libraries, but I was given the gift of letters by Archmaester Walgrave. 

Awww. Hi, Walgrave! Good to know he was nice to kids back when his mind was still 100%. I wonder what prompted him to teach the kid to read. Was Yandel a bit of a beloved mascot, having been raised at the Citadel?

Thus did I come to know and love the Citadel and the knights of the mind** who guarded its precious wisdom. I desired nothing more than to become one of them—to read of far places and long-dead men, to gaze at the stars and measure the passing of the seasons.

Rarely do characters in this series fulfill their dreams so easily.

Also interesting that the kid raised among “knights guarding wisdom” (from whom?) in a complex named for defensive fortifications, who probably rarely spent time outside it, is writing a book primarily aimed at the “humble”. Trying to smuggle that wisdom out, in a way.

** Luwin shout-out:

"There are some who call my order the knights of the mind," Luwin replied. "You are a surpassing clever boy when you work at it, Bran. Have you ever thought that you might wear a maester's chain? There is no limit to what you might learn." (AGOT, Bran IV)

Bran was not interested, but he ends up assembling vital historical knowledge nevertheless. 

And so I did. I forged the first link in my chain at three-and-ten, and other links followed. I completed my chain and took my oaths in the ninth year of the reign of King Robert, the First of His Name, and found myself blessed to continue at the Citadel, to serve the archmaesters and aid them in all that they did. 

What a nerd! At thirteen! That would have been in 285, two years into Robert’s reign, and it took him seven years until 292 to finish his degree forge his chain. He was 20 then. 

They did not send this little low-born prodigy out to serve at any castle, they kept him at the Citadel. Interesting. 

So basically, watching Robert Baratheon’s reign has been Yandel’s thing for the duration of his academic career and he dedicated his Big Book to him his son Tommen: 

I wonder what his purpose with this book is. 

It was a great honor, but my greatest desire was to create a work of mine own, a work that humble but lettered men might read—and read to their wives and children—so that they would learn of things both good and wicked, just and unjust, great and small, and grow wiser as I had grown wiser amidst the learning of the Citadel. 

He’s writing a book for humble but lettered men - and their families. Going on the assumption he is not trying to insult highborn men without a Citadel education by implying they are intellectually humble, he may truly intend for this book to be read by a wider audience than merely those who have access to maester’s libraries, an audience who conduct their own education by reading amid their family? Lower nobility or even the wealthy merchant class? Not sure how feasible this is in a world without a movable type printing press, but I like his approach. 

And so I set myself to work once more at my forge, to make new and notable matter around the masterworks of the long-dead maesters who came before me. What follows herein sprang from that desire: a history of deeds gallant and wicked, peoples familiar and strange, and lands near and far.

Likening himself to the Smith, the face of the Seven most associated with the smallfolk. 

Comrade Yandel, you have my ear. 

Next up: The Dawn Age

#rouka reads #maester yandel #the world of ice and fire #asoiaf history

[a-world-of-whimsy-5]

High Tree Hall, seat of House Archer and Medieval! Lord Oromë

Rules and tag form here | Prompts for requests here.

A/n: Silverwood tree is something I invented purely for this AU.

High Tree Hall is located deep within the ancient forests of Hunter’s Pass. The forests are rarely, if ever, infiltrated by an enemy, as the trees form confusing paths and dead-ends similar to the Labyrinth of Alqualondë. Still, elves and attendants loyal to Lord Oromë carry out regular patrols in and around the forests. Any guests or outsiders visiting High Tree are met on the outskirts of Hunter’s Pass and led down winding paths on horseback while blindfolded.

High Tree Hall and its outer buildings are surrounded by a curtain wall made of stone and mortar. There are two gates, the Hunter’s Gate and the River Gate, and the curtain wall has four bastions facing different directions.

High Tree has its own water supply due to the presence of pools fed by underground springs. Despite this, wells have been dug into the earth in case of necessity.

1.High Tree Hall: High Tree is a long house built around a giant Silverwood tree, and the structure itself is made out of a mixture of roughly hewn stone and mortar and thick wooden bark. The lower branches of the redwood tree spread out beneath the roof.

High Tree has one floor above ground, along with a basement. The floor above ground is partitioned into three separate sections. One corner section is for Oromë’s personal use. This section comprises a bath chamber, a small hall for when Oromë wishes to hold private meetings with his advisors, a little library, Oromë’s bed chamber, and his own armory. The other end is sectioned into small, but well-appointed bed chambers for Oromë’s guests. Each room has its own private bath. 

The center portion of High Tree is called the Great Hall. This hall is used for feasts, dances, and larger meetings. Even on days when there are no planned meetings or festivities, the residents of High Tree would all gather here for their daily meals. Pelts of animals slain during hunts are spread out all over the floor and furnishings, and the skulls are hung on the walls. There are no fireplaces here, only braziers and beeswax candles. The basement comprises a kitchen and cellar. Like all of the Great Houses of Valinor, High Tree has its own ice cellar.

2.The Stables

3.The Kennels

4.The warehouse and stores

5.These buildings are used by Oromë’s warriors, attendants, and their families. Each building comes complete with its own armory.

6.These buildings are used by Oromë’s servants and their families.

7.These buildings are guest manses, and are used to house the retinue of Oromë’s guests.

All buildings listed under 5, 6, and 7 come with their own bathhouse.

8.Smithy

9.Sparring yard

House Shield coat of arms: A mounted archer on a green field

Tags: @asianbutnotjapanese @cilil @edensrose @wandererindreams

#medieval!au #medieval! ainur #medieval! Oromë #Oromë #Oromë imagine #the valar #the ainur #the maiar #the silm #the silm imagine #💫whimsy's plot bunnies #💫whimsy's shenanigans #💫a world of whimsy writes

[firewolf-pyro]

TORCHWOOD’S DALEK SEASON 2 MASTER POST!

[moonlightrei]

Cloud of Daggers Chapter 3 - Freezing

Chapter 3 is out now! Click here to read on AO3 or read below. You can find the other chapters on tumblr via the Cloud of Daggers tag.

Relationship: Astarion/Tav (or reader) Tags: Angst, Pining, Post-Canon, Aberrant Mind Sorcerer Tav, minor shadowzel, Fluff (currently in memories), others to be added Word count: 3.6k

Freezing. Biting cold swept through you, your skin cracking into splinters, your blood crystallising into slivers of ice that tore through your insides. You tried to cry out, but your lungs had frozen solid. Choking only threatened to shatter your organs into pieces, the pressure building within your hardened tissue as you struggled, your thrashing coming to a still as you were made thoroughly rigid. 

“You return to us.” Bleariness left your vision, and you could see Halsin hovering above you as you shivered, concern etched into his brow.  

You brought your hand up to your head to rub the ache that pounded behind your eyes, struggling at first as you worked the stiffness from your fingers. 

“I’m sorry if I disturbed you,” you croaked. With nightmares as intense as yours, it would have been of little surprise to learn your sleep was outwardly unsettled too. 

“Nonsense,” replied Halsin, shaking his head. “I rise with the sun. But tell me - what troubles you, friend?” 

You rubbed your hands together, eager to warm them from the chill that seemed to leak from your dream. The ring on your left hand shone softly with starlight, a sound focal point to stare at as you steadied your breathing and calmed yourself. 

“You are learned,” you began, your stomach twisting in discomfort at the prospect of sharing. Perhaps Halsin could offer some insight into your problem. “What do you know of Sildëyuir?” The wood elf sat back a little, his gaze shifting away from you as he considered your words. 

“The home of the Ruar'Tel'Quessir. One half of your family hail from there, I would assume,” he said. “I may be three and a half centuries old, but even I do not remember a time before the Nilshai invaded the plane. What relation does this have to your night terrors?” 

“I don’t know,” you whispered truthfully. “I was there, in Sildëyuir, when I was a babe. I hardly remember it.” You slid the ring off your hand again, passing it between your palms to keep your hands occupied. “I can’t help but wonder if my time there has any bearing on my troubles. On my gifts.” Halsin was looking at you steadily, taking in everything you were willing to divulge. He was a good listener. 

“I would be lying if I said I had never wondered about your abilities,” he said gently. You thought back to the assault on Last Light Inn, the hushed murmurs between your companions after you had unleashed the power you had tried so desperately to hide, it being necessary to protect everyone present. Your head had tipped back, your skin, hair and remaining eye shining with magic as you tore open an aperture to the far realm, darkness and chill seeping out of it to take hold of your enemies. The cries of twisted creatures filled the room, whispers and screams all at once that only you could comprehend. 

It had been the right decision to act, you were sure of it. Last Light remained a bastion of hope, and the tiefling refugees were safe once more. Yet the looks of fear from your friends had been difficult to ignore, a splinter of ice driven into your heart that made a fine reminder of why it was easier to ignore your so-called gifts. 

You had sat alone at the campfire that night, knees pulled up to your chest as you recounted the events over and over. Perhaps sticking to fire magic would have been better, more acceptable.  

Silently, Astarion had made his way over to you, seating himself beside the fire without a word. 

The two of you had remained like that, in quiet company, for some time. You had stared at the flames as though they could have swallowed you up and taken you away, nullified the rejection that stung so much. 

“You’re going to burn through your surviving retina if you keep that up,” Astarion had broken the silence. “I’m sure the replacement that fool Volo gave you is useful, but that’s no excuse to ruin your own. Besides, the violet is quite fetching.” 

You had remained silent and tucked your chin in to rest on your knees, your gaze set on the ground to comply with his words. 

“Come now, darling. If that bunch can deal with a Shar worshipper, a vampire, and a man with an explosive ball inside his chest, do you really think having some slightly unorthodox abilities is going to be an issue?” You had continued to ignore him. Their absence was indication enough of how they felt. He had stood up, to leave, you had assumed, but instead he had walked around to kneel on your other side, placing himself firmly in your line of vision. 

“It was impressive. Believe me, we need all the help we can get with this Absolute nonsense. I, for one, am delighted.” 

You wanted to believe him, desperately. If he was telling the truth, or even if he wasn’t, there was nothing to lose by indulging yourself in that fantasy. 

“And what of this?” You asked, though your lips did not move, and no sound came from your throat.  

“That... That wasn’t the tadpole, was it?” Astarion said steadily, his face betraying surprise for only a moment before he plastered on a reassuring smile. “But no matter. In a group of tadpole-infested people such as us, conversing through our heads is hardly special now, is it? Hells, if it’s only speech then it’s even less unusual than our current capabilities. Though I would wager people would prefer you stick to the boundaries we have in place already and not use it without asking first.” 

You had nodded slowly, feeling a speck better. 

“Personally, I have no issue with getting to hear your lovely voice more.” 

“Really?” you spoke into his head once more. 

“Really.” A telepathic reply. No one had ever replied to you using your link before. Children had run crying when you had asked them to play as a youth, townsfolk had screamed that there was something wrong with you, but not a single person had ever answered in kind. 

Your companions had fallen back into the comfortable dynamic you had fostered in time, doubtless with a little persuasion from a certain elf. You had gotten more confident in using your psionic talents around others, though you were more careful in Baldur’s Gate itself. No one had to know that the telekinesis you used to rebuild the city was an aspect of something greater than simple sorcery. 

As Astarion’s need for boundaries and choice became apparent, you had finally found a use for your shamed skill. 

“May I hold your hand?” you would ask. 

“Of course,” would come the reply, and you would interlink your fingers with his just as you had entwined your minds, the innocent touch a source of joy for both of you as you traversed the perilous paths of the shadow-cursed lands. 

“I am no expert,” Halsin said, pulling you back to present day. There were no pale fingers wrapped in yours. Only your ring sat in your palm. “But I would not think it unlikely that your strengths and difficulties could be connected. However, I suspect there could be another reason for these nightmares, as I do not recall them being an issue when I travelled alongside you previously.” He was right. “Though your abilities are beyond by understanding, I believe there may be a simpler answer for your disrupted sleep. I notice a companion is missing from your side. Your magic does not make you immune to emotions.” 

You sighed, slipping the ring back in place. 

“If only it did,” you said. To your surprise, Halsin chuckled. 

“You don’t mean that.” He smiled. “Shake off this icy exterior; it is not you. I am certain that if you dwell on your memories, although it may ache a little, you will find happiness. To have had that, and to miss it, is a privilege.” 

Halsin was wise, you knew, having not been archdruid without reason. You would do well to heed his advice, of course, but you wanted to scream and cry, to shut out reason in favour of a fountain of the very emotion you claimed to detest. It would achieve little, but wouldn’t it be nice, be easy, to do the wrong thing for once? To care not for how you should behave and surrender yourself to heartache, to misery and to rage. 

Lae’zel returned to camp, her wet hair indicating she had found a place to bathe. She gently picked up the night orchid, inspecting it carefully to check it was still up to her standards. Her face was soft, relaxed, a stark contrast from the aggressive githyanki you had once known. You felt the familiar pressure of tears bleeding into your eyes. Halsin was so right, it hurt. The beauty of feeling was all around, and you could continue in the bittersweet melancholy that held you too. 

“I saw Withers before we met with you yesterday,” you told him. “His words did not fill me with hope. I think that I will be continuing with this privilege of missing my happiness permanently.” 

“Withers is a being that I will not pretend to understand. What I have established, though, is that he speaks in riddles. I would not be so quick to assume you are doomed.” 

The information that Withers had bestowed upon you had seemed especially clear cut to you. You were certain that Halsin would agree if you repeated the words, but Astarion’s potential lack of soul was likely not the type of thing you should be sharing. 

“Perhaps you are right,” you said, knowing it to be false. 

You packed up your things and continued on your way. Time passed quickly, the city growing closer and closer on the horizon despite your urge to slow your paces. Maybe you would visit the palace today, you thought. The idea had your stomach churning, but you figured if you were going to worry about returning to the city anyway, you might as well tick off another task that you were putting off. 

Perhaps your relationship was not as tattered as you thought, you dared to wonder. It could be that you had obsessed over it, as you had a tendency to do, and made it into something much greater and more terrible than it truly was. Maybe Withers’ suggestion that he was soulless simply meant that he was in low spirits. Maybe he spent his days yearning for you, pacing the halls and worrying that you had abandoned him. Maybe you would walk into the castle and be met with your love, eager to see you and comforting. You would embrace and share a gentle kiss, before he would take your hand and lead you to comfortable furniture on which you would recount your journey, telling him excitedly about Lae’zel’s affections whilst he gazed at you lovingly, hanging onto every word you said. 

Yes, you resolved. You would go to him this night. You ignored the shiver that ran through your bones as you tried to convince yourself that you truly believed it would be good to be in his presence. 

It was nearing dinner time when you reached Baldur’s Gate, so you and your party headed straight for the tents where you knew people would be gathering for food. Shadowheart and Gale were busying themselves distributing rations when you arrived, the portions appearing meagre compared to when you had seen them last. 

Children skipped around you as you grew closer, enthusing about how impressive your armour looked and asking Halsin why he was so tall. Despite his reservations on the city, the wood elf seemed immediately at ease with entertaining the children and set himself up where you had played storyteller previously, commanding the attention of the gaggle of younglings as they waited for their food. 

You joined Gale in serving the meals, allowing Shadowheart a break from her duties. Mae was absent, you noticed, though you were swiftly distracted by the sight of Lae’zel and the object of her affections chatting in a corner, Shadowheart with a great smile across her face as the warrior presented her with the night orchid. A deft kiss on the cheek was given in return, and then the cleric hurried off with the bloom, presumably to find a safe place to store it. 

Lae’zel turned to look at you from across the room with a giddy grin. 

The sun sat heavy in the sky as you collected scraped-clean bowls. The people remained absorbed by Halsin, and you looked over to the palace. You could just remain here until the refugees settled in for the night, then return home to take your potion and sleep, and gods was that idea tempting. Yet the picture you had painted of Astarion sitting alone, wondering if you simply didn’t care for him anymore, tugged at your heartstrings too violently to allow you to retire for the night, even if you were sure that it was just make-believe.  

You slipped out from the gathering whilst your disappearance would go unnoticed, knowing that the longer you waited to leave, the less likely it was that you would follow through with your plan. 

The path to the palace ran by your home, and you lingered outside your door for a moment, considering if entering to drop off some of your belongings would lead to you abandoning your objective. You stared at the wooden door, shifting your weight between your feet, and finally elected to go inside. You worked quickly, not wanting to lose your nerve, and placed down your equipment and bag, checking yourself quickly in the mirror.  

Tired eyes met yours, but you had expected that. You slipped your armour off, worried it might give the wrong impression, and smoothed out the wrinkles in the simple shirt you had been wearing underneath. It would do, you concluded.  

You paced along the path up to the palace, the red sky tinging the city rouge in the dying light. 

Standing before the imposing entrance, you bit at the dry skin on your lips. You remembered the first time you had stood here, taking Astarion’s hand and gently reminding him that he didn’t have to do this, that you could all walk away now and never go near Cazador and his house of torture again. 

You reached out and pushed. Unexpectedly, the grand door swung open silently, almost more unnerving than a prolonged, eerie creak would have been. You stepped gingerly into the abode, candlelight flickering as you shut the door behind you. The flames illuminated the atrium well, and you could see that not a soul was present. 

You continued down corridors in search of your target, your footsteps disconcertingly loud in the hush of the manor. If it hadn’t been for the candles, you might have concluded that the dwelling was abandoned. 

After wandering for what felt like a lifetime, you stopped in your tracks at a sound so soft you might have missed it had your ears not been straining to hear any sign of life. 

You swallowed, your throat suddenly rather dry, and turned slowly to look behind you. 

There he stood. The candlelight cast sharp shadows on his face, his lips contorting into something between a grin and a sneer. 

“Darling,” he said, his voice echoing menacingly through the rambling halls. “I was beginning to think you’d forgotten me.” 

His hair had grown out a little, the curls snaking down past his ears to nestle at his nape. It was pretty, you thought, though it highlighted just how long you had left it without visiting. 

He pouted, twisting his face into one of feigned hurt. “These halls are awfully empty without my precious treasure by my side.” With a flick of his wrist, every candle in the estate was snuffed out. Though your elven blood enabled you to make out some of the darkness, it was dingy and discoloured, and you felt the hairs on the back of your neck prickle as anxious gnawing bled into your stomach. 

You stayed like that for a minute, the two of you still and silent in the pitch black. You cleared you throat and took a deep breath, almost expecting your voice box to fail. 

“I’ve been busy,” you proclaimed, cursing inwardly at the wavering of your voice. 

“Ah yes, saving the city.” You couldn’t place where exactly he was, his words almost disembodied. “I had rather thought you’d have grown bored of that by now.” 

“There is still much to be done,” you insisted, balling your hands into fists and digging your nails into your palms to ground yourself.  

“Yet there is time enough for you to gallivant off on a quick jaunt?” Cold fingers traced your throat and you flinched at the sudden contact. He ghosted over the scar that adorned your neck, tutting as he did so. “Did you really miss the wood elf that much?” 

“It was for the people that I went,” you said, glancing down at his hand, the only thing you could clearly see in the gloom, before he snatched it away again, leaving you disoriented in the endless void once more. You wondered if he knew of your visit to Withers, if he could possibly even know of what the undead had told you. “I’m surprised you even know of my journey.” 

“Of course I knew of it. Did you really think I wouldn’t keep tabs on you?” He seemed to be circling around you, a vulture scouting out its next meal. “I know all about those terrible nightmares that are haunting your pretty head.” He leant in to whisper directly in your left ear. “Poor pet. If you’d only join me, sleep needn’t be a worry any longer.” 

“I am certain that they will pass in time,” you said, bracing yourself to stay still and not recoil from his closeness. 

A laugh rang through the halls, everywhere and nowhere all at once. 

“Decline my generous offer once more, and you may find I rescind it.” He stood before you, and grabbed your right hand, sandwiching it between his and giving it a few gentle pats. “Such awful night terrors. I only want to help you.” Your daydreams of intimate gestures felt ridiculous now you stood here, hand in his as you had hoped, yet feeling as though the blood in your veins was ice. After processing his words for some moments, you pulled your hand away. You wanted to question how he knew of all this, but you refused to be on such unequal footing any longer.  

You cast light on your shirt, deeming it the most useful object to select. The cold glow lit up the room, but Astarion was nowhere to be seen. You tiptoed through several rooms for any sign of him, but there was nothing. Ordinarily you needed to see the object of your mental link to create it, yet this had ceased to be the case with Astarion, your connection becoming so frequent and comfortable that you could restore it with little effort. You attempted to reach out in this way, querying where he had gone, but you couldn’t feel his presence. It seemed you would be getting no answers today. 

Not wishing to spend more time creeping about in the darkness, you hurried back to the door, unsure that your path was correct, though you reached it eventually. The sky outside was inky black and dotted with stars, and you dismissed your cantrip to go by the starlight instead. 

Your thin shirt did little to protect you from the cold wind that rushed down the city streets. You slouched and hugged your arms around your body to try and fend off the chill, to limited avail. The city was still and quiet, a state you had rarely seen it in, the hush broken only momentarily by the flapping of a bird’s wings as it darted across buildings overhead. 

Electing to utilise your body’s aversion to sleep to your advantage, you fetched some water from the nearest pump after reaching your home. You conjured flames beneath your large pot to heat the liquid whilst you undressed, discarding your clothing on the floor. 

You dipped a toe into the bath to check the temperature and, satisfied, sat down in the vat. You took a deep breath and shut your eyes firmly, then submerged yourself fully, staying under the water until your lungs screamed for reprieve. Soap pressed with crushed violet removed the grime from your skin and hair, and you inspected your leg, which bore no reminder of the injury you had sustained on the road. 

You remained in the water for long after it had grown cold, your head resting on the rim of the pot and your eyes closed. It was the closest you had come to a good rest in an age, yet surely you should have been beside yourself following your visit to your beloved. Withers’ words repeated in your mind. Perhaps it was you that was becoming the empty vessel. 

With some effort you heaved yourself out of the bath, water streaming from your hair as you wrung it out. You removed your sleeping potions from your bag to line them up neatly next to your bed once more, then tossed your muddy clothes into the bath to soak them overnight, hoping it would make the task of washing them simpler when you found the time. 

You climbed into bed and pulled the blankets up, recalling how your mother would have scolded you for going to sleep with wet hair, worried that you would become sick. Though you were tired, sleep would not take you. You were growing used to your nightly ritual, the warmth of the potion almost a loving embrace by this point. The screech of a creature outside of your window might have bothered you, had your eyes not become heavier than lead. 

#Cloud of Daggers #bg3 fanfiction #astarion #bg3 astarion #astarion x reader #bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #an ascended astarion fic for the spawn lovers

[corvidvampiricus]

1/2

PRE-SHATTERING

The world is frozen over, only a few groups of people remain in pockets around the world. As they develop heating technology out of the remains of a once great technological society they start to build towns and cities round generators. The unfortunate loss of most technology due to the massive ice shelves consuming everything has regressed humanity to a steampunk level of technology. Things start to go downhill as the blueprints to create these generators are lost, and the mechanics develop stranger and stranger ways to fix them. Even worse is that the generators begin to break down overtime, leading to mass exodus of people to the few generators that still work, leading to the rise of major cities. One hundred years after the freeze began, a man named Nikoli Tesla was able to harness the power of electricity through a lightning catching device. With this new power he built Tesla city, a massive fortified bastion against the cold unforgiving world. Using electricity he was able to power new types of generators and even create patchwork robots called automatons. The use of electric weapon tests would send a stray bolt into a pre-freeze scrap yard, and jumpstart the catalyst for the shattering, a pre-freeze robot known as Bucket. Bucket's central systems and brain were all that remained and it slowly rebuilt itself out of the scrap surrounding it, before wandering off into the snow. Tesla continued to build his empire and would raid and destroy other cities around him. In the end only Fadehelven, and dustburg remained. Fadehelven being a massive oil town that provided the non-electric generators with their much needed fuel. And dustburg being the one functioning oil town in the immediate area. It is to be kept in mind that these cities are as large as entire countries. Bucket would be seen again with a party of adventures in dustburg, having been picked up along the way by the party. Dustburgs generator was failing, and was requesting help from Tesla city. This would lead Bucket to venture with the party to Tesla city, and grow attached to the party. Here tesla meets Bucket and reveals Bucket is a pre-freeze warforged, designed to save people. Later that year there is a kobold uprising in the mines, as an entire people have been living in these underground tunnels. While Tesla thinks they have won the battle by eliminating all of the kobolds, Bucket has actually snuck hundreds of them into a bag of holding, which is a liminal space where you do not need food, water or sleep, and will not age. The war is not without casualties as a gas leak causes a massive subterranean explosion that travels millions of miles and destroys dustburg from below. Bucket would then leave Tesla city along with the party, searching for ways to repair the damage they had done. This is not the history of Bucket, while it is intertwined with the history of the world. Much later in Fadehelven Bucket and the adventurers appear, Buckets larger and more powerful than before. This is where the adventure part ended however. The party was so powerful they quickly took over the city. Over a hundred year period several changes occurred. The party all became leaders of subfactions in the city. One founded a massive orphanage that focuses on military discipline and strength. Another founded a massive sprawling mages college to study magic, and the last became mayor of the other sectors. Bucket retreated into an old factory building and was not seen again, but the whirr of mechanical parts could be heard from inside. Over time tensions grew between the mayor and the college, the college specifically had been kidnapping people for use in magic experiments, and since the mayor represented the common people, he was very upset and was threatening war. At this point in time the factory Bucket was in was massive, larger than any building it was a town of its own, automatons could be seen working around and inside it, and massive plums of smoke rose from its towers. Pipes were spreading out like tree roots and connecting into nearby towns.

#earth is space australia #humans are space orcs #oc #scifiseries #scifiworld #world building #story time #earth is a deathworld #humans are weird #storytelling #scifi writing #scififantasy #scp

[ofgoldandblood]

❝ SOME WOMEN FEAR THE FIRE. SOME SIMPLY BECOME IT. ❞ ⸻ inspired by catwoman (dc), riza hawkeye (fullmetal alchemist), susie diamond (the fabulous baker boys)

PINTEREST — SPOTIFY

tw: death, murder, bullying

basics

• full name: morgaine diana fox

• nicknames: siren (codename) ; baby & angel (by marco only)

• gender: cis female

• pronouns: she/her

• age: 33

• date of birth: 29th october 1991

• zodiac sign: scorpio

• sexuality: bisexual (male leaning)

• place of birth: new york city, ny, usa

• residence: a one bedroom flat a ten minute walk from the bastion ; also has a room at the bastion where she stays most nights after working late

• occupation: singer at the bastion’s private bar & assassin

• aesthetics: red wine, silver daggers, louboutin heels, grand pianos, diamond earrings, city sunsets, red velvet, lipstick prints, handmade friendship bracelets, leather gloves

appearance

• faceclaim: young michelle pfeiffer

• voice claim: michelle pfeiffer

• height: 5’ 6”

• build: average

• eyes: blue

• hair: blonde

• piercings: both earlobes and right helix

• tattoos: her mother’s birthday in roman numerals on the inside of her left wrist

• scars: a four inch horizontal line on her left hip (from being cut with a blade)

• style:

personality

• positive traits: confident, fearless, patient, resilient, versatile, resourceful

• negative traits: reserved, stubborn, ruthless, flirtatious

• mbti: entp - the debater

• likes: piano music, getting free drinks, chocolate, reading, art, old films, watching the sun set

• dislikes: being interrupted, beer, bitter foods, being underestimated, extreme temperatures, getting up early

• phobias: arachnophobia ; ophidiophobia

• hobbies: reading, singing, target practice, visiting museums and galleries, going to the cinema, writing love letters

• skills: sharpshooter ; knife throwing ; expert in hand-to-hand combat ; can speak fluent english, german, and italian

• other: -

family

• mother: madeleine louisa fox (née gilbert)

• father: archie christopher fox

• siblings: aurelius michael & andreas william fox (twin brothers - five years older)

• love interest: marco romano

favourites

• food: ice-cream

• drink: red wine

• time of the day: night

• weather: cool and sunny

• colours: red ; black

• songs: anything jazz, blues, classical, or indie rock

bio

— morgaine was born on 29th october 1991 at 1:26pm to archie fox, a stockbroker, and his wife madeleine, a biologist. she has two older twin brothers named aurelius and andreas. she was born and raised in the west village.

— growing up, she absolutely hated her brothers. they were the bane of her existence. they’d constantly bully her, take her belongings, and their father wouldn’t bat an eyelid. but her mother was far more sympathetic. the two of them spent a lot of time together whilst archie was constantly preparing the boys to follow him in the so-called family business. madeleine taught morgaine a lot about literature and art and about the ever-changing world around them as well as the important rule for young women: never let any man push you around or tell you who you are.

— her mother would always have the radio on when she’s was cooking and morgaine soon found a passion for singing by listening to old songs and learning the lyrics. she was a natural vocalist, but would never sing in front of her brothers out of fear they’d find something else to pick on her for.

— morgaine, although interested in art and literature, found school a bore. she hated learning pointless things she knew she would never use again and even though she remained popular throughout her education she didn’t particularly care for the other girls she knew; they were all fake and bitchy and talked about nothing stimulating. she did, however, attend all the big school parties at the more wealthier kids’ houses just to piss off her father and get drunk.

— morgaine also participated in kung fu lessons in order to learn self-defence. it was a way for her to get stronger and let out her frustrations. she once roundhouse kicked a boy in the face after he derogatory comments to a fellow student who was always getting bullied for being a nerd and whilst morgaine got in huge trouble she was proud of herself and the student she helped remained eternally grateful, the two of them often sitting together during lunch. nobody else dared mess with her after that.

— madeleine was supportive of morgaine’s endeavours to pursue a singing career as she could see how much is meant to her daughter and how passionate she was about it, but archie wasn’t happy. he wanted her to do something that would bring her wealth and abundance (or so he said, but morgaine knew he only wanted her to be as miserable and as infamous as he was), but she stood her ground. both he and her brothers were disappointed; they said she was throwing her life away, but morgaine only replied that she was actually wanting to live a life and not wanting to be pulled down into the depths of depression and stress by some mundane lifestyle. of course, archie was less than pleased and when morgaine had graduated high school he gave her an ultimatum: go to college and get a real job or leave home and never come back. morgaine chose the latter.

— morgaine soon found herself jumping from bar to bar, singing across the city and having no kind of stability. her mother was sending her money in the meantime, until she got on her feet, to pay for rent and groceries. morgaine didn’t know what she would do without madeleine. at 26 she found an opportunity to go to london to start her career at a prestigious hotel named ‘the bastion’ and, with her mother’s full support, she immediately snatched it up.

— upon arriving at the bastion she was taken under the wing of elowen de gavre, a fellow singer. the two lived together and quickly became like sisters, even solidifying their relationship and trust with friendship bracelets which they never took off. morgaine always thought she’d never have made it in the bastion of it want for elowen and knows that she can rely on her no matter what.

— morgaine never intended to become an assassin, but with being surrounded by a certain class of people and with her beauty, charm, and martial arts skills it became inevitable. she practised incessantly when it came to shooting a gun and knife throwing, but soon became an expert in both, even going as far as having her own custom silver knives made.

— her job as a singer payed well and she loved every moment of doing her favourite thing in the world, but when morgaine started taking on contracts her income increased and was able to start paying her mother back (despite madeleine’s insistence that it wasn’t necessary) and was also able to move out of her room at the bastion to get her own place nearby. her first job as an assassin was to dispatch a wealthy gentleman who had been breaking the rules of the table and thought he was getting away with it and whilst she was nervous morgaine decided to have fun. she seduced him at the bar where he spent most evenings and accompanied him back to his apartment where she slit his throat and stole some valuable pieces of jewellery from both him and his wife. she heard on the news that the police only suspected the murder was a result of a break in and robbery and nothing else came from the investigation. literally getting away with murder gave morgaine a high and is constantly chasing that when she takes on a job.

— after getting unwanted attention from men who were disrespectful, sexiest, and generally terrible people, morgaine thought she would never find someone who would love her the way she could love them. until she crossed paths with fellow assassin marco romano, who was highly skilled, incredibly handsome, and had a heart of gold. he also frequented the bar a lot and watched her sing. she fell for him pretty quick and not only did he help to bring out her softer side, but she helped him to be more confident. the two soon became a formidable pair.

other muses: e. crowe / d. montmorency / r. thorne

#talesfmintro #⸻ sky ; she/her ; 23 ; gmt ; no triggers

[cameoappearance]

The way I picture terminology for robots in Overwatch working is:

Omnic: Genericised trademark that now refers to any sapient robot, derived from the Omnica Corporation. Echo would be considered an omnic even though as far as I know she wasn't made in an omnium, as well as characters like Bastion and Zenyatta who fit a standard omnic design (plus non-playable characters like Iggy, Lynx 17, Maximilien and Luna who resemble Zenyatta's model but have various customizations) and Orisa, who's a custom build based on OR-15 parts. You know how people call adhesive bandages bandaids even if they aren't Band-Aid brand? Like that.

Robot: Any machine that can act autonomously, regardless of whether it's sapient, sentient, or even conscious at all. It's not incorrect or automatically offensive to call an omnic a robot, but it's kind of like calling a human "a primate" - if it doesn't have contextual relevance it sounds kind of dehumanising. Er. You know what I mean. Personhood-denying.

Machine: Similar to the above but replace "primate" with "animal" in the analogy. It's not untrue that an omnic is a type of machine but what point exactly are you making if you call them one, huh.

Drone: Non-sapient robot, such as Snowball, Mei's ice-making assistant. The Wrecking Ball mech might fit here depending on how much it can act on its own; it doesn't seem like remote-piloted machines are called drones in the Overwatchverse.

AI: An artificial mind at least as smart as a human (potentially more so!) that's differentiated from an omnic by not being built into a single standalone body. A friendly example is Athena, in-game narrator and Winston's mission control; she's part of the Watchpoint: Gibraltar complex.

God AI: Apparently the Anubis AI from Pharah's comic is the only canon example of one of these, or the only one the term's been applied to anyhow. Anyway it's an extremely powerful AI capable of taking over other computer systems, omnics included. I've seen speculation that other God AIs (or entities that would qualify for the description, even if that was an Anubis-specific epithet in context) include the mysterious Eye from Sombra’s backstory and maybe even the Iris but we don't have enough info to know one way or the other.

Bot: Impolite short form of robot. Not sure exactly how offensive it is to call an omnic a bot, but it’s mostly characters with anti-omnic attitudes who use the term, such as Junkrat. Probably still less rude than...

Tin can: Apparently a full-on anti-omnic slur in-universe, according to Hero of Numbani. Torbjörn and Reaper use it in game dialogue.

Rust bucket: Only used once twice, in Torb’s internal monologue in Binary and in a scene in Honor and Glory that takes place during the Omnic Crisis, but probably has similar connotations.

#overwatch #omnics #headcanons

[iironwreath]

Wounded [Cadiana]

[cw: war, gore, civilian death]

“In war, the only law was power. And power knew no civilians—you were either a combatant or a victim.” — Olivia Waite, Hen Fever

Cadiana rarely went without their armour. Part of it was routine; they would find themselves securing a cuisse without asking if they actually needed it. The act of attaching it piece by piece was meditative, ritual. There was community when a cleric or squire assisted with her upper body, each finding their own way to serve Erathis by lending their help to each other. 

The other part was trauma; two years couldn’t shake the effects of a war they’d grown up with. Fighting wasn’t just expected from their Order, it was required—and so, the armour. 

It was fortunate, then, they were in their armour when the cult of Tiamat descended on Westruun. 

First, Cadiana helped the First Bastion—those who weren't already defending—underground. They threw two injured people onto Warpath and fended off draconic beasts as they went, acting as a rearguard. Cady let the head priest do a headcount before pivoting on their heel, making for the exit to the surface.

Lorcan lunged to grab their arm, but instead of stopping Cady, her momentum brought Lorcan stumbling forward. His arms were strong, but his balance wasn't perfect with his re-grown foot. Cady stopped and supported him under the elbow, inviting him to speak. 

"You're alright to do this?" he asked. It wasn't a question that Cady was going back out.

Cady wanted to give it some thought for him, but they couldn't hesitate—every second mattered. Even if she wasn't okay, by whatever definition, she would have gone. "Yes.”

"Erathis protect you and guide your maul, Steelsong."

"She will." 

—

Outside, blasts of fire, ice, and lightning shaved off chunks of buildings. Poison clouded off blocks, dissolving skin and melting lungs. Civilians who hadn't escaped fast enough were cornered into their homes or drained into the streets, where they were cut down. The cult was needlessly brutal about it, removing entire limbs, heads, or dragging screaming families apart. Were they taking prisoners? What the hell for? 

Orla’s words, a reinforcement of Erathis’, resonated in them: protect the city. Protect her city. Westruun had become Cady’s home as much as Emon once was. 

Cady charged. They swung with the force of a battering ram, using their maul to slam cultists’ heads off their shoulders or into buildings and launching at them like a bear. Maybe bears didn’t scare dragons, but Cady was at her fiercest in battle—where she couldn’t instill fear, she could kill.

Cady realized why Lorcan had asked. She'd been here before—a hurricane of noise around her, steel on steel and bellowing and the drumbeat of a thousand armoured feet and shields, the snap of bowstrings and bones and crossbow bolts. Fire and spells added to the roar, so loud it made her ears want to go numb. The air was pungent with sweat and the iron bite of blood, so thick she tasted it in the back of her throat. 

For a fleeting moment Cady had wondered if they’d freeze, but they were calmer than they’d ever been, Erathis’ steady presence beating in tandem beside their heart. 

Once upon a time, Cady might have been on the opposite side, a pawn of a Betrayer God—Bane instead of Tiamat. Warren Drassig and his son were the closest she had ever gotten to one. Warren had fooled her, making her trust he was enacting Erathis’ tenets, but his son unveiled the truth. Cady had turned away just as Bane’s fingers had brushed her shoulder. 

Out on the battlefield during the Scattered War, away from the cities, Cady had believed everyone there was a soldier; that when opposing sides met, they were all at least trained in basic combat and were there voluntarily, even if that reason was a reaction. In Westruun, that couldn’t have been further from the truth. 

Cadiana arrived at the city’s heart in time to join with some of the Gilded Thorns: Krusk, Kishore, and Bryn. The three and some armed guards had cleaved a path through a knot of cultists trying to stave in the courtyard gates. The Thorns had successfully drawn their attention and were beginning to drive them back.

Cady reeked of sweat, smoke, and blood—some their own, but mostly the cultist’s. They thrust a fist against their chest, closing most of the wounds, and took up a wide stance beside Kishore. Kishore spared him a quick flick of the eyes, then returned her focus to battle.  

They smelled a pyrrhic victory. Westruun was wounded, but the cult would come away wounded, too. For every innocent life, Cady wanted to smite down ten of the cultists.

#promptober #promptober 2023 #writing tag #writing: cadiana #cadiana #lorcan #kishore #krusk #bryn #tal'dorei #exandria

[whiskeyandsteel]

I love cooking with Cast Iron Pans

I use the stuff almost daily, they are my go to pans for almost everything I cook. It’s what I grew up cooking with as a kid, making my first cheese omelette, and it’s continued to be my favorite well into my advanced years. I’m not however one of those zealot’s about it though. You know the ones I’m talking about, preaching to everyone that will listen about how naturally nonstick it is. Screaming from their keyboard pulpits that we shouldn’t cook with anything else, that Teflon is evil and killing us all slowly.

While I agree that a well seasoned cast iron skillet is amazingly nonstick, I think making people new to the cookware think that they can take it off the self and immediately cook perfect over easy eggs, like they are probably used to being able to do with those evil Teflon pans, is doing them a disservice.

Like I said I grew up cooking with the stuff and when I moved out on my own and got my first skillet, a Lodge 12 inch skillet (bought from that evil bastion of capitalism Walmart for a shockingly low price) which I still use thirty plus years later, I was completely dismayed at how bad it was to cook with. I was used to eggs sliding from my moms pans like a puck across an ice rink and this pan was as sticky as glue. Mind you this was all pre internet, and mom seemingly never having any of these issue was not forthcoming with advice in the matter, so finding the right information about proper seasoning was difficult at best. But still I knew how good they could be so I kept with it, sometimes barely keeping my composure and more often than not completing loosing my mind, and it slowly improved until it was almost as good as moms.

If I hadn’t had the luxury of growing up cooking with great cast iron skillets, and had ran into those issues I’m sure that skillet would have found its way into the trash never to be seen again. So when we are telling people all the virtues of cooking with cast iron, and there are many, please don’t forget to tell them that at first you’re likely going to be disappointed with it perhaps even hate it. But if you stick with it and let it build a great layer of seasoning you will grow to love it just like so many of us do. Yes it will take time, and will probably frustrate you, but if you keep at it you just might find yourself with a rack filled with the stuff just like I did.

And as someone I greatly admire once said, “Cook Free, Or Die”

C. McManus 4/25/2023

#cheflife #foodie #foodpics #foodporn #yummyfood #americanfood #cooking #cast iron #eggs and bacon

[cometrose]

I just finished replaying kingdom hearts 1 for the first time in about 7 years and it was a very fun experience, kh1 has so much charm and life to it that i will always appreciate it so Im gonna talk about the whole thing

Gameplay and World Design

though the combat is not as refined as the later installments and definitely requires you to do some relearning its still so fun and I think the combat does a great job at reflecting sora's growth over the story

also i had no idea how much the sword, shield, staff decision matters like in my first playthrough i picked sword but i think the staff is the best you can do so much when you have so much magic at your disposal

This game much more focused on platforming and puzzles and I lowkey appreciate it, if kh ever shifted back to that format with kh3's level of movement i would be interested to see it. Because kh1 platforming still makes me kind of mad like im happy but also pissed cause it sucks but i like it?

there is so much detail in the worlds!!! so much charm and detail. Like aesthetically this is still my favorite cause the worlds are painted beautifully and there are secrets hidden in every nook and cranny. You are encouraged to interact with every aspect of the world, there are items if you inspect this bookshelf or these paintings or read all of these descriptions. KH1 wants you to dig your head into every corner you can find. Plus the worlds have beautiful design and detail

my favorite worlds are wonderland, traverse town, hollow bastion, the end of the world cause i think they have such creative designs and charming puzzles like the atmosphere of this game is very rich and exciting

no really everything about wonderland is so good, the wackiness the crazy bizarre room the fact you need interact with EVERYTHING i love it its so fitting and so wonderfully done

though i am saddened and inconvenienced by the lack of map and moogles having traverse town serve as a hub world and the constant need to go back to it makes me smile.

Traverse town is my favorite of the "home" worlds, the music is beautiful and a world of people who have lost their own home coming together and forming a community is so sweet. Like the final fantasy cast is such a positive presence and they really help you throughout this journey

There is always reason to go back whether its synthesis, gummi ship, dalmations, winnie the pooh etc and i really like that (fuck those piece of shit monkeys in the 2nd district)

this game is beautiful like yeah its 2002 but still its hold up so nicely visually

This game encourages crazy backtracking. KH1 wants you to go back to those worlds and see whatever puzzles and tricks you missed and i think thats neat. Go find those trinity pieces and treasures you missed cause you didn't have high jump or glide we promise to reward you.

Disney

we often talk about how disney had the strongest influence in kh1 and i would still agree

rock titan, ice titan, hades, maleficent, ursula, genie jafar, cerberus, chernabog, these bosses were larger than life and were a core obstacle to progress through the game like the only boss i would say invokes that same kind of feeling is rock titan from the kh3 prologue

the great disney villian council was great and i would love to see a variation of it again

sora donald and goofy really carried a lot of weight in the story and watching the 3 of them become friends was really endearing

The disney summons were great, the winnie the pooh and dalmation side quests were adorable like kh1 really drives the disney magic into every ounce of its being and that nostalgia is still so powerful to this day

sora's interactions with the disney cast are some of my favorite like absolutely precious

Humor

this game is so fucking funny

first i applaud this game for having pre-world and post-world gummi ship discussions between SDG because they really help build their friendship but they are so funny

Like there is the unintended humor you know the shit that gets memed to death like i started laughing so hard when sora called riku stupid but the slapstick intentional humor makes me smile

Donald is so funny please like almost every scene hes absolutely perfect, like getting slammed into a wall in traverse town, getting hit out of the barrier in hollow bastion, stomping his feet when hes upset, laughing at tinker bell and getting kicked for it, messing with the 4th wall so the camera can see him like hes so perfect

In modern day sora can hold his own comedic weight and act as the funny man but sora was very much a straight man in kh1 and it makes for very funny moments. Like i was pleasantly surprised by how often sora deadpans and how comedy relies a lot on SDG reactions.

i swear i laughed every time SDG talked to Cid in traverse town like there was so much attitude and sassiness even town it was all text conversations

like part of it is due to graphical limitations like riku waiting 30 seconds to react after maleficent shows him kairi or sora's big ole eyes staring dead ahead at winnie the pooh but god this game is funny

Characters

I dont know where to start

the destiny trio is so different like everything is so different

sora is adorable man he pouts so much hes so cute i love him

riku is such a shit head god but he picks it back up

kairi shes adorable shes so spunky and energetic and i love her scratchy voice.

sora is sooooooooo. He's very conscious of himself. I think its very interesting how he carries himself in this game like the responsiblity of being the only keyblade wielder and saving the worlds alongside looking for riku, kairi and mickey really weigh down on him.

There are moments of joy and happiness but he's much more reserved and kind of holds himself at a distance. I love his attitude though. The way he snaps back at riku in monstro and neverland, the way he stands up to ansem at the end. KH1 sora is a character who grows very much with each world he's been too, every connection he has all affect him very deeply. Every disney character, final fantasy character every character you meet affects sora and helps him grow.

Sora believes so deeply that kingdom hearts is light and I think that only comes from the fact he has seen the worlds and seen the light they have that he believes that no matter what darkness surrounds a person there is always a way to walk back to the light.

He's quite mature in his own way in this game. Like really he's always lecturing people and its really neat like he's just a good kid trying to do the right thing and while the weight of the world is on his shoulders he never loses sight of himself and what's right and admire that so much

Extra thoughts

man there are so many parallels and references to later games

i was like omg theres that pod those keykids used to go to the future

when sora gets turned into a heartless and kairi saves him their is a cutscene that is a direct parallel to the one in kh3 after sora uses the power of waking and kairi's light leads him back like i was so happy to see that

yall im sick of seeing people say kh retconned the whole "there can't be two keyblade masters" YALL RIKU IS JUST WRONG you have never heard of an unreliable narrator? he's just wrong??? riku had maleficent, the mistress of all evil, whispering in one ear and ansem, the seeker of darkness, whispering in another and you want to believe him???? Also riku had no reason to believe there was multiple keyblade masters he probably doesnt remember terra considering he was 5?. Also mickey mouse shows up with a keyblade in the same game and roxas pulls out TWO keyblades in the secret ending of the same game please NO MORE

I always smiled in this game it made me smile

I've been trying to decide if i like ansem or xemnas cause i really like ansem in this game lol he's just cool with his whole you don't understand anything stupid

synthesis was a bitch fuck special heartless fuck that whole thing fuck off fuck those monkeys

kh1 had really short worlds but many worlds and i was curious how other people felt. Kh4 is going to have less worlds but you are likely going to spend much more time there. So what did you prefer more worlds, less time there? or fewer worlds with multiple visits or a long story arc? I like both of these avenues I can't really decide what i prefer but i like going to a disney world and being done with it in an hour. Because as a mentioned the game wants you to back through those worlds again so its okay to have a short story.

kh1 and kh4 are likely going to parallels just sora in a whole new world with new rules and no friends just trying to go back home im quite excited about the future

we really don't talk too much about kh1 cause i guess the fandom sees kh2 as its superior in every way but this game is really refreshing, like there is a lot of warmth and there are details in this game that don't appear anywhere else and I would love for it to come back

This game was probably way harder for kids in 2002 lol, im playing through this game again and I already know all the secrets and tricks but i totally understand struggling with this installment its not for the faint-hearted im just crazy and already know everything

this was long but this was very fun i'm going to start chain of memories for the first time (god help me) and i pray that before i finish this kingdom hearts series playthrough kh4 and khml will see the light of day

tldr: the first kingdom hearts game makes me happy while it might not have the combat strength of 2/3 the experience is very charming and refreshing and it makes me smile, we should all replay kh1

#kingdom hearts #kh #cometrose deep dives into the kh series #more at 11 #me: namine is my favorite also me: you’ve never played com?

[tinypurplewizardfan]

(Okay okay okay this post is ANCIENT and has been sitting in my drafts for a year or two at this point, so I figured I should probably post it-)

Stuck with certified Veigar(TM) brain and this fanfic idea won't leave me. If I was ever to write one of those 100,000 word epics that become famous in the fandom, it would be this:

Mordekaiser has returned. The Shadow Isles fell swiftly, unified for the first time under his iron fist. Now the islands serve as the base with which to conquer the rest of Runeterra. The forces of the dead swarm in the waves that roll up to the shores of Noxus. His army makes a beeline towards the Immortal Bastion. Noxus, severely overextended, fighting multiple expansionist fronts, is starting to crumble. Demacia nervously builds it own forces but is unwilling to so quickly ally with its longtime rival, and the Freljord is too wrapped up in its own struggles to intervene. Piltover and Zaun are overrun with refugees attempting to cross the sea and flee Valoran. The world holds its breath.

And in the far-off town of Boleham, a dark mage plans a one-yordle siege deep into the heart of the Shadow Isles.

The plan is simple- no really, it is simple. First he needs Rabadon's Deathcap, the most powerful magic-enhancing artifact in all Runeterra, from its cozy spot deep within the Demacian Vaults. Then he'll need Everfrost, the famous staff of true ice wielded by the defenders of the Frostguard Citadel. Next up are the Ionian boot of Lucidity, which shouldn't be too hard to steal from Ionia's most holy site, then after that swing around and pilfer a Void Staff from some poor archeologist in either Piltover or Zaun, and then lastly, a Morrelinomicon from a Noxian war mage on the way.

And then after that, he'll march up to the Immortal Bastion, flick aside the petty forces that try to stop him and then kill Mordekaiser!

And so Veigar heads off on his world-spanning quest- and he finds he vastly overestimated how difficult this trek would be. He gets caught by authorities in every heist, but as he heralds his plan to ace Mordekaiser, something strange happens. . .

The attack on Demacia's magic-sealing vaults? Throws the kingdom into enough fear and chaos that they finally overcome their inertia and begin to fight back against Mordekaiser's expansion.

The excursion into the heart of the Frostguard Citadel? Wakes up the Freljordians to what's happening to the rest of Valoran and finally gives the tribes a common enemy to fight.

The 'pilgrimage' to Ionia? Makes the magical masters realize that Mordekaiser's rule would be much worse than whatever Swain had in store for their lands.

Piltover and Zaun? Well he gets distracted by discovering Hextech, and causes the Hextech inventors to realize they can use their technology for good.

Snagging a Morrelinomicon from the remaining Noxian forces? Oops, he accidentally rallies the displaced forces to join him on his final raid of the Immortal Bastion.

So because of Veigar's shenanigans, all five major powers in Valoran/Valoran adjacent join forces in an epic showdown against Mordekaiser's rule. As everyone shows up and allies up, they all ask each other, "what brought you here to fight?"

And they're aghast to find out they all followed the same little purple wizard bastard.

#veigar #league of legends #legends of runeterra

[grieverled-moved]

                                          𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

❝ 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 & 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐮𝐬 & 𝐨𝐮�� 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐬. 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐮𝐬 . ❞

A skilled mercenary / soldier. Though he is one of SeeD's most accomplished students, his cold & professional demeanour ostracizes him from everyone else. He specializes in the notoriously difficult to master gunblade.

❏ ( . . . )  * 𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄(𝐒).       ➤    “Teddy Bear” [ . . . ] @/OATHOFPROMISES

❏ ( . . . )  * 𝐀𝐆𝐄.               ➤   17 ( VIII )           ➤   18 — 25+ ( POST VIII )       ➤   25 ( KH1 )              ➤   26+ ( KH2 — KH3 )

❏ ( . . . )  * 𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓.         ➤   5′8″  ( 173cm )  —  VIII         ➤   5′10″  ( 177cm )   —  KH

❏ ( . . . )  * 𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐑.           ➤   Brown

❏ ( . . . )  * 𝐄𝐘𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐑.         ➤   Greyish blue.

❏ ( . . . )  * 𝐒𝐊𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐄.           ➤   Pale olive skin [ ; ] * In later years, specifically his KH Verse, he leans towards more tanned.

❏ ( . . . )  * 𝐁𝐎𝐃𝐘 𝐓𝐘𝐏𝐄. In his VIII Verse,  Squall has a more athletic build meant for tackling stealth missions & combat.  Lithely muscled & toned.  Focusing more on speed,  he’s strong enough to put the power needed behind his attacks when necessary.  In later years,  the older he gets he starts to lean more towards power & strength heavy attacks in combat situations,  which means he does bulk up.  Still mostly kept toned,  there’s a more notable sharpness to his frame in how he carries himself overall.

❏ ( . . . )  * 𝐃𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃. Both. Squall is ambidextrous, though he does favor his right at times.

❏ ( . . . )  * 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐓𝐘𝐏𝐄. ➤ AB

❏ ( . . . )  * 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐒. ➤ VERSE DEPENDANT [ ; ] * Squall is usually single unless stated otherwise.

❏ ( . . . )  * 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑. ➤ Cis Male  ( He / Him )

❏ ( . . . )  * 𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍. ➤ Biromantic Demisexual

❏ ( . . . )  * 𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄.     ➤   08 / 23  .  AUGUST 23

❏ ( . . . )  * 𝐎𝐂𝐂𝐔𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍(𝐒).

              *// FINAL FANTASY VIII [ ; ]       ➤   Balamb Cadet.   ( VIII )     ➤   Balamb SeeD Mercenary.  ( VIII )       ➤   Balamb Commander.  ( VIII / POST VIII )

              *// KINGDOM HEARTS [ ; ]       ➤   Heartless Hunter / Traverse Town & Hollow Bastion Guard.           ➤   Hollow Bastion / Radiant Garden Restoration Committee Member.

❏ ( . . . )  * 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄(𝐒).

              *// FINAL FANTASY VIII [ ; ]       ➤   BALAMB.           ➤   WINHILL.

              *// KINGDOM HEARTS [ ; ]       ➤   RADIANT GARDEN.           ➤   TRAVERSE TOWN.

❏ ( . . . )  * 𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐒.           ➤   The most distinctive scar he has is the large one on his face, crossing just over the bridge of his nose between his eyes : no matter the verse, he will always have this scar from some major event.  In his KH verse & even later on in his post 8 Verse, he does garner his own collection of smaller nicks across his face & general frame.  

         ➤   He also has a large deep set scar in the space between his left shoulder & his chest from where he was impaled by Edea’s ice strike in the Deling Assassination Attempt.

❏ ( . . . )  * 𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐎𝐎𝐒.  /  𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒.          ➤   In all Verses, Squall has both ears pierced with small silver studs along his lobes. In his KH Verse, he has a pair of wings tattooed along his upper back, heavily reminiscent of Rinoa’s.

❏ ( . . . )  * 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐒.           ➤   His facial scar & ‘cold’ gaze.

❏ ( . . . )  * 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄-𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐌(𝐒).         ➤   LUKE POWELL.         ➤   NICK PERVAK.

                                          𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓  𝐏𝐒𝐘𝐂𝐇𝐄.

❏ ( . . . )  * 𝐙𝐎𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐂.           ➤   VIRGO [ ; ] * Though he has Capricorn mannerisms . . .

❏ ( . . . )  * 𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐍𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓.       ➤   TRUE NEUTRAL

❏ ( . . . )  * 𝐄𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐌 𝐓𝐘𝐏𝐄.       ➤   Type 6 [ ; ] THE LOYAL SKEPTIC Enneagram Sixes value security & belonging, as this style stems from the motivational need to be safe & prepared. As a result, loyalty & trust are important to Sixes, who strive to be responsible & prepared at all times. At their best, they are courageous & connected to a sense of inner knowing, offering the gift of devotion & trust to themselves & the world around them. Less-healthy Sixes have a tendency to worry excessively, fear letting down their defences & may be experienced as anxious, suspicious or doubting.

Devotion: Sixes are committed to what they value, expressing duty & care in service of people, responsibilities & causes.

Courage: Sixes often courageously take a stand on behalf of the greater good, despite concerns & risks.

Preparedness: Being alert & risk-aware, Sixes pay attention to what is going on in their world & act to minimize risks & threats.

Trustworthiness: Once Sixes make a decision or commitment, they stick to it. They also respect rules & authority, as long as they feel like they can trust the source or intention.

Team-Oriented: Sixes enjoy the co-operation & collaboration of groups & thrive in a healthy team environment.

❏ ( . . . )  * 𝐌𝐁𝐓𝐈 𝐓𝐘𝐏𝐄.       ➤   INTJ-T (Turbulent) [ ; ] THE ARCHITECT. Indecisive & timid — they are introverts & need to be on their own to recharge their energy levels. However, they are more conscious of & overwhelmed by their imperfections & emotional turmoil. Self-conscious — valuing perfection, they are more likely to doubt themselves because they strive for it. While also being extremely tactful — they are highly sensitive to others’ emotions & will respectfully assert themselves. Adaptable, INTJ-T’s are extremely open to communication & adapting to other peoples’ ideas, & in the end, their quest for self-consciousness aligns with their tactfulness to allow for adaptability regarding others’ opinions. Rational & quick-witted, they ultimately pride themselves on their ability to think for themselves, holding an uncanny knack for seeing right through phoniness & hypocrisy. But because their minds are never at rest, & they may struggle to find people who can keep up with their nonstop analysis of everything around them.

❏ ( . . . )  * 𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐋 𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐒. Complex PTSD (C-PTSD) / Separation Anxiety Disorder / Generalized Anxiety Disorder / Depression.

❏ ( . . . )  * 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐍 𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐒.   ➤   TBD.

❏ ( . . . )  * 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐒. Curious by nature, he enjoys discovering new things especially if it’ll help him improve on himself through the knowledge he finds. [ ; ] He is goal oriented : once he puts his mind to whatever tasks been set, he will give it his all to accomplish it. His taciturn nature allows him to be more perceptive, his natural skill with analyzing each situation he’s in before he reacts helps greatly in making decisions. [ ; ] Incredibly devoted, once his loyalty is earned, it takes a lot to falter it. Because it’s such a hard thing to gain, once he feels someone has earned his trust, he becomes greatly protective of them.

❏ ( . . . )  * 𝐍𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐒. Highly distrustful from past trauma, Squall will be slow to put faith / trust in others. [ ; ] He is very distant, often putting up emotional walls to keep anyone & everyone at an arms length to avoid the possibility of being hurt again. [ ; ] He has a tendency to isolate & project his insecurities on others resulting in the self-sabotage of potential budding relationships. His mindset is — * ( ‘If I leave first it’ll hurt less.’ ). [ ; ] Highly anxious but beyond pessimistic in his cynicism, Squall has a natural tendency to hone in on the potential bad of any situation, ongoing or incoming, often resulting in a negative headspace or overwhelming anxiety. It usually results in rushed last minute decisions as well as instant regret & worry on whether or not he’s made the right choice following it.

❏ ( . . . )  * 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄𝐒 & 𝐇𝐎𝐁𝐁𝐈𝐄𝐒.               *// FINAL FANTASY VIII [ ; ] Muted quiet   —   the kind of peace that comes from being around others but distantly alone on your own terms to recharge, but never anything completely isolating. He doesn’t mind nature & enjoys going for walks or training on his own when he’s mission free   —   though he isn’t a fan of completely roughing it out in the wild solo. Too many bad memories of his time post Time Compression.  Coffee   —   while not a huge fan of the overly sweet stuff, he doesn’t mind trying other flavours from nearby towns outside of the stuff he’s used to from Balamb Garden. Fighting & sparring is something that he finds comfort in   —   it’s something he got used to doing since he was very young & the mindless nature of going through the motions helps ease his mind when he overthinks. He is a bit of a mythology nerd & does like to study some of the beasts he goes up against   —    not only because it helps him understand his enemy better, but because some of the creatures he goes against are genuinely interesting. Another hidden interest he has that he’s very protective of about others learning about is his budding enjoyment for flowers & gardening.  It starts off as something small he enjoys doing whenever, an effortless hobby he doesn’t need to actively work at founded in the form of a gifted plant being offered   —   to growing into something he finds he’s surprisingly good at.  It has its bonuses   —   medicinal knowledge, satisfaction when a new seedling sprouts  ( ironic . . . ).

* Though learning later on that it was a passion of his mother’s   —   he comes to cherish it more in her memory.

              *// KINGDOM HEARTS [ ; ] Dogs & small animals   —   the Dalmatians in Traverse Town melt his heart. He's a big fan of both coffee & tea, though he prefers it unsweetened & bitter a lot of the time,  but if he's pulling all-nighters on reports   —   he'll reach for something more sugary. He's fond of sparring & enjoys training others, feeling a source of comfort / relief that he's helping others learn to take care should anything happen. Reading & learning new things   —   he's been known to scour through Merlin & Cid's older books & journals. He's a fast learner, so he enjoys trying new things so long as it's within some of his interests. He also enjoys gardening, but that's more of a surprise hobby he likes to keep secret   —   save for Aerith knowing about it.

❏   ( . . . ) * 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄𝐒.               *// FINAL FANTASY VIII [ ; ] Being around too many people all at once. The older he gets & the more he settles into his new position as Commander, he gets used to it, but for the most part, Squall will always have a relatively small social battery & he is prone to getting overwhelmed when too much goes on all at once, social-wise. This manifests as increased snappishness, a hair-thin patience & visible tension. Because of this   —  he’s learned to ground himself when under stress & knows how to work under high amounts of pressure with a level and rational mind, but some days, even that’s not enough. Give him a battle over an intense social situation any day… He hates being touched —   by anyone unless it’s someone he trusts a great deal. Unless you’re someone in that bracket, you can expect to get punched, shouldered off or threatened coldly almost instantly. While he is touch-starved, is well-aware of it himself, it only makes him more protective of who’s allowed that permission because he knows how he gets / is. Being idle & stuck doing nothing   —  Squall is so used to being constantly busy, he doesn’t really know what to do with himself when he has rare free time.

              *// KINGDOM HEARTS [ ; ] Loud sudden noises. Darkness in particular - it springs up jarring memories of the Fall. He greatly dislikes being left out of the loop, as he's generally used to being on top of everything — he’s a bit of a control freak with how he likes to know whats going on at any given moment. Overly sweetened foods. Feeling helpless or trapped. He absolutely hates having his trauma poked & prodded, the memories of Radiant Gardens falling & anything relating to it usually ends very poorly for whoever is trying to pry answers from him. He has severe trauma from that specific event & will get noticeably more irritable & restless in the days leading up to it. Leon has a tendency to flee & retreat to Traverse Town’s hidden waterways for comfort during the anniversary or leave off-world on the day of. He's not a big fan of staying idle for extended periods of time - he is always doing something to help others or working on fixing one of Cid’s projects around Radiant Gardens. He really doesn't like the feeling of uselessness he gets when he's forced to sit still for too long.

❏   ( . . . ) * 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘.               *// FINAL FANTASY VIII [ ; ] Squall comes off as cold & aloof at the start of his journey, but he gradually progresses to be more open as time goes on. Squall is very focused, goal oriented & pragmatic. He’s responsible & takes incredibly naturally to positions of leadership despite the numerous trials, sudden issues that arise & all the tensions that weigh in on him. Though he is heavily withdrawn & detached —  for good reason, he does come off as incredibly cold as he’s used to pushing others away who try to get close. It’s a defense mechanism developed from a young age   — as he’s not willing to risk the pain that comes with getting close to others in such a vulnerable way so soon. He’s not outwardly or overly rude to others unless they really bother him or try to push his boundaries in an active manner. Despite his icy reputation, Squall is regarded as a highly skilled & respected SeeD Operative. He finds that although he tries to remain untethered & independent from others, he can’t help but find himself worrying about the opinions of those around him, craving companionship despite his want to be alone. Despite his lone wolf attitude, he holds an unspoken skill in attracting those that differ from him   —  a factor that plays heavily into his forced but much needed growth over time. All in all, despite all his trauma & shortcomings, Squall ultimately has a good heart & will more often than not do all he can to help if it’s needed.

              *// KINGDOM HEARTS [ ; ] Leon is generally very calm, stern, but friendly & approachable. He is a lot more warmer than his FF VIll counterpart, much more open to reaching out to others since he's older now & has more life experience under his belts. He’s reliable & responsible, quick to react to whatever problems arise & expertly smooth them over. He had a hard life after his world fell to darkness — having been forced into yet another situation where he had to step up & take charge to help others or risk getting caught up in the chaos & panic. It helped shape him into who he is now though & since he's been at it long enough already, it's something he can do with a natural ease. After he got close & started to care for Sora & his friends, he found himself finally opening up more to the others in Traverse Town, He's more likely to smile & joke around with his friends, finding comfort in the knowledge that they can hold their own & pick up the slack where he can't. All in all, Leon is much more easy going, still firm, but definitely more relaxed in how he carries himself.

                                          𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓  𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘

❏  ( . . . )  * 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒.           ➤   RAINE LOIRE    [ ; ]  mother  |  DECEASED          ➤   LAGUNA LOIRE   [ ; ]  father | ALIVE          ➤   EDEA KRAMER   [ ; ] matron / maternal figure  |  ALIVE          ➤   CID KRAMER   [ ; ] paternal figure  | ALIVE

❏   ( . . . )  * 𝐒𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒.            ➤   ELLONE LOIRE   [ ; ]   adopted step-sister  |  ALIVE

❏ ( . . . )   * 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐒.            ➤   N/A

❏ ( . . . )  * 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐍.            ➤   HIGHLY VERSE DEPENDANT [ ; ] Usually he ends up unofficially adopting kids or playing the paternal role without realizing it.

❏   ( . . . ) * 𝐏𝐄𝐓𝐒.            ➤   NONE [ ; ] He is fond of dogs, but as it stands, pets of any kind are far too much work for him - something he’s very much aware of.

#➤ about. [ DO NOT INTERACT / REBLOG ] #➤ 𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐃 . . . / MAR 23 . 2023