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underatedcharactersunite · 4 years

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Summary; Geralt encounters a vampire, who shares a similar story as him, she’s the not the monster he’s been told she is. But what happens when she needs to feed? Pairing; Geralt of Rivia x Vampire!Female Reader WordCount; 1, 780 Warnings. Strong Language, Blood Drinking, Angst, fluff, sexual underlying themes. A/N - Day 3, you can read Day 2 here

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Geralt had encountered many creatures within his life. Some cruel and wicked. Some misunderstood and desiring change. Geralt never kept brought work into his travels, until Geralt met you. He was supposed to kill you and provide your head to the man who hired him, but he couldn’t.

When Geralt tracked you down, he was expecting a bloodsucker monster. A woman so cruel, he believed he was in for a tough battle ahead of him. However, what he found was a juxtaposition of the stories he had heard. Instead, you were skipping with a group of children in the street.

“I know what you’re doing here Witcher, give me five a few more moments before my time, would you.” Geralt watched on as the children reacted positively with you. While the coin was a coin, Geralt suspected the man who paid him to be misleading him.

You kept your promise as you left the children, providing them with the empty promise, without so much of a word you wandered into the woods understanding your fate. You had lived many centuries, miraculously surviving without little hassle. Until you crossed that disturbing, wicked wrinkling old man who decided it was a brilliant idea to strike his wife and Daughter. Threatening the elderly man had gained you the presence of a Witcher, brilliant.

“Get it over with Witcher. I understand you have a job that must be done. I am too old for games.” Whirling around to face him, you got your first proper glance at the white-haired man who was here to kill you.

“You’re not going to fight for your life. I heard you’ve fought an army of thousands before.” Rolling your eyes, you examined him sceptically.

“Do you believe every word a low life abusive bastard tells you? Here I was under the impression you were a man of intelligence and perspective. I’ve encountered many Witchers in my life, most of them corrupt and money-hungry. I was under the impression you would be different. Guess I was wrong. Enough of the mindless chatter kill me already.”

“I’m not going to kill you.” Cocking your eyebrow, this Witcher confused you more and more by the second. This Witcher was not like anyone you had ever encountered before. If he refused to kill you, then what was his plan? The spineless man was hardly going to allow him to get away with it.

“Then what are you going to do with me? Are you going to lock me away and keep me as your prisoner? I’ve been a prisoner to a Witcher before it didn’t end well for him so it won’t end well for you.”

“I’m sure it would, but I won’t keep you a hostage. You must leave this place and get as far as away from here as possible. I see no threat.” Stepping forward, you examined his golden orbs, searching for something, anything.

“This place has been my home for the past fifty years. The people in this place, know what monster of the night I am. Except they don’t fear me, they were able to see my cold heart. They realised I cared about them when I had to I protected them against man or beast. I’ve battled people of my kind to protect these people. So tell me, Witcher, where do you suspect I go now. I presume you’ve experienced similar prejudice to myself.”

“Anywhere that’s safe. You’ve adapted well enough. You’re able to walk around in the sun now. You will find somewhere new.” Rolling your eyes, it was clear this Witcher was continuously on the move. You wondered how often he was forced to camp out in the woods because humans wouldn’t expect him.

Suddenly a rustling in the tree’s broke your concentration, your senses heightened. A brown-haired man came tumbling out of the brushes.

“Excuse the interruption Geralt, but it appears that this beautiful creature here has nowhere to go, so why doesn’t this, seductive, alluring creature come with us. I’m Jaskier by the way, tell me have you ever slept with a human before.”

“I didn’t know Witcher’s travel with overly flirtatious humans? Can’t say I’m not flattered by your remarks. Also thank you for introducing Geralt to me. However, Geralt is right, and I’ll be going now. It was nice to meet you, Jaskier…Geralt.”

You quickly began your descent into town so you could gather your belongings. While you had left the sanctity of the forest, you could still hear Geralt and Jaskier bickering away.

“What did you do that for!? She could have helped you! She understands what it’s like to be misunderstood, and you’ve just let her go! What makes it worse, the entire time you couldn’t keep your eyes off of her.”

“Jaskier!”

“You need to stop pretending the world is against you. If she travelled with us, she could give you a break. What happens when you get injured again?”

“I will handle it.”

If you don’t ask her to come with us, then I will.“

“Fine, she can come with us. Go ahead and ask her she could say no.” Moments later, you heard someone running towards you. You knew it was Jaskier, so you awaited for him outside.

“I take it you’ve heard every word?.” You nodded, a moment later you were approaching Geralt alongside his horse. The three of you began your travels into a world and journey completely unknown.

Travelling with Jaskier and Geralt was easier than you presumed. The three travelled between city and city locating work in order to get paid. A witcher, A vampire and a bard was an unusual combination but it managed to work.

Although it was a struggle to locate a viable food source, the last couple centuries you had alternated between human and animal blood which to your surprise worked. Biting from a human always appeared an intimate aspect, someone’s neck was frequently a place for kissing and biting when in a passionate embrace with one another. Perhaps that’s why you refused to feed on Jaskier.

Whilst you cared deeply for the Bard, something in your heart created a feeling of guilt for even entertaining the idea, especially when you found your gaze analysing Geralt at every precise moment. Not to mention that the hunger you were currently experiencing, you were terrified that you might kill him.

Geralt had become aware of your situation. Some days, you refused to sit by Jaskier or informed them you required some time alone and camped a mile or so away from them. Geralt knew you believed you were doing it to protect them both, but deep down every time you left camp to be by yourself, Geralt feared you had decided to leave him.

One day, Geralt decided to follow you. Immediately you were furious with him. Geralt did not understand why he needed to stay away. You were a threat now to both of them. Did he genuinely believe that you desired to break away from them whenever your cravings for blood became so detrimentally bad that you feared you were the threat?

“You need to come back with me? It is dangerous for you to be out here on your own.” Looking over to Geralt, your ideas reflected the colour of what you desperately needed. The everyday shade of your eyes had a faded away while the crimson blood colour had replaced it.

“Geralt you need to stay away from me right now! There is no threat because I am the threat! I could hurt you or Jaskier.” Geralt’s large frame stepped in-front of you, despite you trying to step away from him, the distinctive smell of metal flowed through his body. You couldn’t be near him, not now not until you had hunted something.

“Fed on me.” Due to Geralt’s sheer size and height difference, bent his knees slightly so you could have perfect access to his neck.

“Are you out of your mind!? There’s a chance I could effortlessly drain you of all your blood. Who’s going to take care of Jaskier then, who will protect him?” Geralt uttered another word he brought his lips down harshly onto yours.

“This isn’t about Jaskier right now this is about you. What happens to both of us if you die? What then? Will saving you that day be for nothing? Jaskier doesn’t want to lose and if we’re being honest neither do I. I’ve spoken more to you in the past several weeks than I have spoken in years. So feed on me.” Geralt’s declaration left you speechless his lips quickly returned to yours as he grasped you into his thick arms picking you up.

“I do not desire to hurt you Geralt of Rivia.”

“You will only hurt me if you allow yourself to starve to death.”

You refused to bite down on Geralt’s neck straight away. Reclaiming Geralt’s lips to your’s, the intimacy of the moment rose evermore. Kissing Geralt was everything you believed it would be. It was rough and passionate, an intoxicating feeling one that you were sure you would never of. As Geralt exposed his neck to you, you couldn’t quite believe that Geralt of Rivia, the Butcher of Blaviken was submitting to you. While still managing to press burning kisses onto your own throat. As your fangs grew, you placed searing kisses repeatedly onto Geralt’s neck, before you picked the perfect spot and bit down harshly. “There you two are. I was wondering where the two of you had got too. Is this a private thing or can anyone join?” “Jaskier!”

#geralt imagines #geralt imagine #the witcher imagine #the Witcher imagines #geralt one shot #geralt oneshot #the witcher one shot #the witcher oneshot #geralt of rivia imagine #Gerald of Rivia imagines #Gerald of Rivia oneshot #Geralt of Rivia one shot #deansamoreendofyearchallenge #spooktober 2020

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sepublic · 4 years

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Makuta and Rahi

I really have to speculate about the Makutas’ relationship with Rahi as a whole. It’s never quite defined within canon the purpose of Rahi’s existence in the Matoran Universe, did the Makuta ever consider this, and did it bother them? While Mata Nui created various sapient races with no-doubt clear-cut purposes as part of a larger machine… Did the Makuta ever feel insecurity over the seemingly pointless addition of the Rahi? Did they ever feel extraneous alongside their own creations?

Especially since I can see a LOT of thought, passion, and creativity going into a lot of Rahi species and their designs, behaviors, the way they interact with one another… There’s a delicate thing that needs to be considered when designing an ecosystem, and that’s Balance. I have to wonder if that’s a concept that the Brotherhood of Makuta held dear to their hearts, especially given how inextricably tied it is to their creations.

Thinking on it, I can better understand why the Makuta saw taking over the universe as just a mere extension of their pre-existing duties. Their ordained purpose in life had already been to create species who have specific niches, roles, and purposes to play… Mata Nui’s handling of sapient species was no different, right? You had Makuta actively working to improve upon pre-existing creations, so improving upon a fractured universe by uniting it just makes sense! The line is further blurred when one considers the presence of sapient rahi… And in that scenario, I guess it’s not too surprising that the Makuta saw themselves as not all that different from Mata Nui, in the end- Maybe even better.

The creation of ecosystems also means establishing a cycle of life, which often means designing species with the intended purpose to be devoured and/or killed by other Rahi creations. That sort of lifestyle and mentality, raising and designing entire species for a specific purpose, one they both live and diefor… It can really create a God complex amongst some Makuta. They have literal divine justification in creating a ‘greater system’ where the lives of countless Rahi are meant to be sacrificed and hunted down, all to maintain a cycle of life, a specific balance.

And considering their roles, the Makuta no doubt got used to the idea of culling populations in order to maintain an order and ‘balance’ within ecosystems. And with the line between Rahi and sapient species blurring… I can see, more and more, how the Makuta became so nonchalant to the idea of killing others for a ‘greater purpose’, and how this casual attitude just led to the Brotherhood becoming more and more desensitized- Until we have people like Icarax or Gorast, who outright revel in carnage. They were encouraged from creation to create species that were meant to die, or species that were meant to kill- Oftentimes both. And as one takes pride in their ability to fulfill this role, some end up taking pride in their creations’ ability to kill, and/or die…

I’d even argue the Makuta are the Matoran Universe equivalent to the Great Beings, as amoral scientists who saw ruling the world as just a natural extension of their pre-existing duties, and themselves as the best candidates for the job. After all, the Archives Massacre taught them that it was necessary to kill a few, in order to save the rest… Aside from Teridax having always been genuinely terrible, I can see why his role as a Zoologist framed the way he perceived the situation. It wouldn’t have been much different to the nonchalance that comes from killing off an invasive species in droves, all to maintain an ecosystem- Or introducing predators whose sole purpose is to kill those creatures.

I can also see this desensitization towards individual plights and smaller issues, all for the greater good, really getting to the Makuta. As they spread out following the Matoran Civil War, a lot of Makuta likely had a policy of just letting smaller incidents, chaos, and injustices occur without interference- So long as they didn’t interfere with the grand scheme of things. It’d be like turning a blind eye to a helpless prey being pursued by a hungry pack of predators- Sure, you feel sorry for that prey. But in the end, this is just nature, it’s just how it is… And those predators have to eat, man. It’s like how Zoologists, out in the wild, generally don’t interfere with the stuff that goes on around them, unless this is something threatening an entire ecosystem or species. I can see some Makuta coping with their roles by deciding that it’s downright immature to be caught up in the life of a single Rahi, learning not to be so attached to creatures that just come and go, living and dying, etc.

I can see how their roles as ecosystem overseers led to the Makuta being discouraged from getting personally involved, nor closely attached to the actual subjects they were working with- And how this practice translated towards their oversight of the Matoran Universe, letting the Toa do the heavy-lifting of protecting society. I can see how they became resentful of the Toa, who were blessed to be but mere heroes and protectors, and received adulation for this; While the Makuta felt unappreciated as beings who had to make difficult choices for the greater good, and often sacrifice the lives of others for this purpose.

No doubt, many coped by seeing the callous reality of their duties as being noble in its own sense, as is the idea of making the difficult call to kill others for the sake of a larger world. There must’ve been jealousy amongst the Makuta towards the Toa- Who were revered for fulfilling their roles, only for the Makuta to be vilified for doing the same. Don’t blame THEM for their detached manner of overseeing the universe, the Makuta were just doing what the Great Spirit told of them! And that could lead to resentment towards Mata Nui, for even making the Makuta to be like this…

And when the League of Six Kingdoms fell, following the disappearance of the Barraki? It’s no wonder the Brotherhood of Makuta took over, they applied that same principle of enforcing a balance and functioning system, an interconnected web of interactions, and applied it on a grander yet similar scale- This time to the countless civilizations and sapient species of the Matoran Universe. Given how apathetic Mata Nui was towards maintaining the Matoran Universe, I can see how the Makuta thought themselves as better rulers.

As Zoologists, they’d be intimately aware of the process of observing populations in their natural habitat, keeping an eye on them, herding them towards a desired path with a guiding hand. The Brotherhood probably saw itself as paying more attention to the goings-on of the Matoran Universe than the Great Spirit, and they were probably right! And it really does seem like common sense, that people who actually know more about the world they’re governing and more closely involved with it, should actually be running it VS some detached, apathetic Great Spirit that can’t even notice the formation of a League or Toa Empire in his own body, so long as it’s not directly affecting him.

When you’re designing ecosystems, you have to take everything into account- So the Makuta likely saw themselves as more attentive, responsible, and even compassionate towards the Matoran Universe inhabitants, than their own god. Not to mention the idea of constantly manipulating the lives of being they see as lesser, more primitive, and not having the same rights nor intelligence as them… I can see some Makuta mistakenly dismissing the sapient species of the Matoran Universe as no different. Or at least, that same detached, patronizing attitude of treating others without regard to what THEY have to say, because they’re too dumb to consider the bigger picture… I can see how it was applied to beings like the Matoran.

I can see why the Makuta saw the sapient species of their world, and ‘dumb animals’ as not being all that different… And on the flip-side, this naturally meant that just as Rahi were lesser beings to them, so were the other sapient species in the Matoran Universe. And it just led to the Makuta distancing themselves, creating that sense of detachment and superiority, that mentality that the ends justified the means… Being encouraged to create others with the purpose to kill and/or die, taking pride in one’s ability to create something that causes death, or satisfaction at the demise of something else…

Not to mention, the diversity of Rahi may have exceeded that of sapient species, which not only influenced the Makutas’ fascination with shapeshifting and their creativity, but likely made them see themselves as being more clever and imaginative creators than Mata Nui himself. Working closely with the Great Spirit also made him seem much less distant to the Makuta, much more approachable… And thus so much more flawed and vulnerable. Especially if they knew exactly how a jeopardized system could easily throw Mata Nui’s health out of balance, how he was outright dependent on the lives of his ‘lesser beings’ and creations, while the Makuta lacked such a weakness and only continued to transcend, evolving past physical bodies.

The Makuta, most of them, were terrible people. That much is not up for debate, and most of them really DID choose their own horrific paths. People like Gorast and Icarax enjoyed carnage far too much, while Teridax was just awful to an unprecedented degree. But it makes me consider Krika’s sadness, how he sees the Makuta as trapped to their fate, like their decisions to become conquerers and usurpers was merely inevitable… Because in the end, they were made for that. They were made to be Zoologists, and thus predisposed to traits that would better enable their purpose.

Just as the role of the Toa made them predisposed to being heroic and beloved by others… One could argue that the Makuta were similarly fated in a sense, albeit doomed. They had a completely different purpose than the Toa, and that meant a different mentality, way of life, and handling of others… The Makuta weren’t made to necessarily care for others, and to even disregard the lives of some for a ‘greater good’, for a balance. They were placed in an environment and position that both encouraged and required the attitudes that led to their corruption, so I can see why Krika felt his fate as a traitor to the Great Spirit was inevitable- Because one can’t escape their reason for existence, nor can they escape Destiny. And, it’s funny that Krika becomes so resigned to the idea of being unable to escape one’s inherent nature… Because one can argue that the Makuta DID rise above that, alongside their intended purpose. They weren’t meant to take over the Matoran Universe as conquerers, yet they chose to act contrary to both the plans of the Great Spirit and Great Beings.

And while Krika saw this lifestyle as a natural extension of their creators’ intended roles for them… There’s still the realization that they DID defy the plans of their makers, to an extent. To the point where they could outright rebel against them- Again, as a result of attitudes implanted by their creators, for the purpose of carrying out their assigned duties. But still… It’s not entirely hopeless, and that’s Krika’s downfall- He just sort of gave up. He was too much of a coward, too resigned, and too apathetic to make a difference. Krika saw one’s environment as dictating a person’s existence and identity, but I can see why- After all, with regards to the idea of evolution and adaptations, for many animals their environment literallyshapes what they are!

And just as environments can be created by the Great Beings, so too can Rahi be made by the Makuta, with regards to how they’ll function in said environments. Krika lived by the idea that beings are dictated entirely by the circumstances they were made in… If his own Rahi could never rise above their environmental circumstances, then could Krika? Especially since he, too, is a creation of a higher being? Overall, I can see how Krika became so defeatist and cynical; At least until the last second, but by then it was too late. To Krika, beings’ lives are dictated by an unchangeable environment/situation, and the only way to survive is to adapt and conform to that environment, to live by what it dictates- There is no changing one’s situation, you are entirely subject to its whim and power. Perhaps it’s no wonder Krika became so disillusioned.

#bionicle #makuta #brotherhood of makuta #rahi #krika #mata nui #speculation #meta

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ffwriteradvisor · 4 years

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Character skill sets

Obviously, you don’t really want a character that brings nothing to the table. On the other hand, a character who can do anything and everything so good that they can compete with deities dedicated to the subject of the day is often too much for the average reader to believe. There’s also a matter of how well the skills mesh together in practice, the amount of variety brought to the table, the difference between a developed skill and a mere talent, the nature of the skills - are they the sort of thing that anyone can develop or are they based on some inherent trait? - and how age and life experience plays into building a character’s ‘resume’.

It’s, as you can tell by the small laundry list I just rattled off, a tricky business.

Good news - there aren’t any hard and fast rules to giving characters skills. There are some guidelines and you’ll often find yourself playing by ear to see if your latest take strikes a sour note or not, but there are only a few ways to really do it wrong and, even then, there’s ways to salvage it.

But let’s focus on the points I listed already.

Let’s Play ‘Pick The Protagonist’ - (The Problem Of The Unique Protagonist Asset)

How many stories have you watched or read where the main character has a special, one-of-a-kind ability that makes them stand out above all the other characters in the story?

The answer is probably ‘a lot’. It can take the form of a one-in-a-million power, a sacred sword that only allows one hand to wield it, a legacy passed down over the ages... there’s a lot to work with here.

There’s nothing wrong with doing that with your protagonist. It’s probably one of the better reasons for dragging a random person into the plot - if you’re the only person who can stop the end of the world because the anti-Doomsday weapon decided that it lives in your hand now, there’s not a lot you can do about it. But there’s also something to be said for a protagonist that doesn’t have a grand destiny giving him a fair shot at victory just by merit of existing.

Plus, like. There’s also logistical issues to deal with. So let’s address those.

Depending on the story or fandom that you’re working on, a unique protagonist asset isn’t feasible. Sometimes because such things don’t exist in-universe (One Piece would be a good example of a series where literally the only thing you need to be a contender is a will to succeed and a boat, though I guess you could consider Conqueror’s Haki or a Devil Fruit ability ‘unique assets’...), but sometimes it’s just because the canon main character of the story you’re writing for already has that asset on lock.

There are ways around the second - you can kill off the original guy and take their place through reincarnation as said-guy, plot erasure of the guy (just flat-out make it so he doesn’t exist, it’ll be fine), or just being a convenient runner-up who happens to meet the bare minimum requirements to be the guy.

You can also shoehorn your OC into position to turn the Chosen Uno into the Chosen Duo, though this path of action doesn’t have the best reputation historically thanks to the influence of the Dread Mary-Sue on fandom culture (I’ll be posting an article about that eventually), or change the story to make room for a large range of potential Chosen - this one specifically can allow for an added plot aspect, because suddenly there’s competition to achieve the final goal and complete the quest for whatever.

And on that subject, let’s jump to our next point!

The Problem With Superman (and how to challenge the man who has everything)

Now, there’s no shortage of characters who, quite simply, are written to be good at everything - sometimes not even just good, but the very best ever. No, I’m not talking specifically about the Dread Mary-Sue, though the archetype associated with that term does often come with such a description. This is a pitfall just about anyone can fall into, irrespective of age, gender, background, or the originality of the work in question, even if the most blatant forms of it seem pretty easy to avoid.

Most writers know better than to make one character good at everything, but you get exceptions fairly regularly. Batman writers, for one, have a tendency to assume that Batman knows everything there is to know and can defeat anyone on his own ‘given enough prep-time’. There’s also the fact that a fair few Superman stories often have to call on Kryptonians or Kryptonite to make the plot complicated enough that the solution of ‘just move really fast and take advantage of invulnerability to punch/move/freeze/melt the problem before bad thing happen’ doesn’t work.

Then you have the more subtle examples. Where a character isn’t good at ‘everything’... just everything relevant to the plot and what we see of the setting. A good way to pick out this is to look at a story and start removing characters. Remove the science guy, the spy, the sidekick... If you can shave the cast down to your Super-suspect without having to change any major or middling-size plot points, twists, and story beats or having to shift the difficulty level of the setting, you probably have a problem.

Obviously, this doesn’t work for every story, especially if they have a very small cast to begin with. There’s also the fact that most stories are built around emotional journey’s instead of ‘use x skill to get to y place at z time’. But a lack of difficulty or danger played completely straight is something of a warning sign if you’re working with a genre that requires that there be some manner of challenge in the story.

So, let’s take a look at some of the more specific issues with power distribution.

Equal Opportunity Asskicking vs. There Can Only One Chosen One In This Town (how common is power in the setting and how does that affect the plot)

Have you ever thought about how many series - video games in particular - have the protagonist solve all the problems they come across, even the ones that seem like the sort of thing any rando could handle? Especially when you have a big organization that could theoretically handle a few of these things without the protagonist being present for everything?

It’s often hand-waved as ‘they’re not strong enough to deal with it’, but why would that make sense? If the setting is so dangerous, why isn’t there more people operating at or above the protagonist’s power level without being a member of the primary cast herd? If there’s such a dangerous colony of animals on this island, why are these fragile citizens still living there? Why is this martial art that’s so powerful and useful so goddamn rare and special despite its utility? How did such a weak person climb so far up in an organization that seems to value the punchinating power of its employees above all else?

It doesn’t make sense.

This is a problem that plagues a lot of series with an emphasis on fighting. The average person becomes an alien creature as the protagonists and antagonists gain more and more power and take down bigger and bigger opponents. The ante keeps going up and the rest of the world stays down where it started, which... well. Doesn’t make sense.

Think about Dragon Ball for a moment. On the Earth of that series, how many people would you say represent any kind of physical threat to the protagonists or the antagonists at any point in the story? I’m not asking over the course of the story if Dragon Ball-era Goku could stand even half a chance against Cooler, but if you took a specific episode from like... oh, I don’t know, the Cell Saga, how many people on the planet at that time would stand a chance of surviving the events of said-episode if they were brought into the blast radius of the plot?

The number is probably in the low tens. And the fact that, even with a lifetime of training in setting, the best chance for a person in that setting to survive that specific scenario would be coming from ‘superior’ alien stock such as the Saiyans.

And Cell isn’t even the top of the danger totem pole in setting.

Going back to our previous example, One Piece is a fairly good example of how to handle this. There are many routes of power in the series - Devil Fruits, Haki, training, inherent species traits, and more are possible in terms of physical strength, but there is also value given to intelligence and the ability to strategize and create unconventional solutions. Even the ‘weakest’ member of the Straw Hat Pirates, Usopp, who has no Devil Fruit, species ability, mutations, or, alterations, and only one form of Haki (fairly recently awakened and not even one of the offensive utility variants), is able to keep up with the rest of the crew by having a variety of weapons and skills he has developed himself. There’s also the fact that people in the setting tend to be fairly well developed to the danger levels of their relative environments, either in terms of physical strength or having strategies to deal with the dangers around them.

It still suffers from the emphasis on combat before most else, which is common in Shonen, but it at least feels fairly balanced compared to some other series that have a similar approach to strength in setting.

Besides power distribution in a setting, there are other things to consider beyond combat applicable skills.

Combo Platters/The Five Basic Food Groups (the importance of variety and moderation)

There are different types of skills that you need to balance when making a character, both in terms of variety and rationing them out in a reasonable manner.

There are career skills (good for making money, but not overly relevant to day-to-day life), utility skills (cooking, cleaning, basic home repair, etc.), recreational skills (art, music, other specific skills that aren’t necessary for day-to-day activities but lack the immediate financial reliability of career skills), interpersonal skills, and combat skills (self-explanatory).

Obviously, different skills have different ‘weights’ in terms of plot impact. A fighting series probably won’t make much of a character’s house painting skills unless it has an impact on their combat skills (which is entirely possible depending on how the writer goes about it), but someone knowing how to use a sword at a high level means that they’ve got a lot of physical capability to quite literally cut through the competition.

If you need a combat skill for a character... well, I already dedicated a post to talking about that specific range of skills. You can also apply their non-combat related skills to their fights in a tertiary sense - a lack of primary offense can lead to unorthodox tactics to bridge the gap.

But other skills have their uses too. It can allow you to make use of your characters outside of a combat context, reveal things about their character that might not be immediately obvious from their appearance - not just their interests, but background as well, though I’ll cover that a little later in more detail -, and bring them into the orbit of other characters naturalistically. You can only have so many Crash Into Hellos before the charm wears off for the audience.

In giving your character skills, you need to balance those skills. Making a character a ‘master of combat’ who can use any weapon under the sun like a master doesn’t work without some kind of supernatural explanation - martial artists tend to specialize. I’m not saying that you can’t have a character with multiple weapons skills - there’s a lot of historical real-world precedence for that, actually, usually in the combination of ‘ranged/close range/mid-range’. But a lot of those multiple weapon sets tend to be in sets that cover the weaknesses of the other weapons - sword, bow, and spear cover different combat ranges and needs, and there are various martial arts that teach their students weapons handling in conjunction with unarmed skills.

A generic ‘swords skill’ is non-functional - there are many types of sword in the world, varied by their size, weight, shape, and intended use in combat. Some swords are intended more for stabbing, others for slashing, and while you have more than a few that can do both, there are some are simple not built to stand up to the stresses of the other style.

They Didn’t Cover This In Kindergarten! (why you need to tailor skill-sets to your character’s life experience and background)

Another thing that can affect the size, nature, and diversity of a character’s skill set is their age, life experience, and background.

You wouldn’t expect a character that comes from nobility to have any concept of how to street fight without some kind of explanation attached. The same rule applies in reverse - you wouldn’t expect a character living in the gutter to know the nuances of fine manners and etiquette of nobility without a good reason. Depending on the period, a person from the second background couldn’t even be expected to know how to read.

That’s not to say you can’t use those things, but you have to have some kind of structure to support those additions. Maybe your noble doesn’t have the spotless background most would expect from one of their station or, in another scenario, someone pulled a Prince and Pauper switch back in the day and then neglected to switch them back. Same with your gutter rat - maybe they’re a fallen noble, maybe someone made a go at pulling a Pygmalion with them before losing interest, or maybe they’re an autodidact (that is to say, self-taught).

The age of a character can also affect the width and breadth of their skill set pool. People don’t expect five year olds to know much about anything - their reading skills are just getting started, their language skills a bit rough around the edges, and their ability to prepare food is generally limited to toast and toast-adjacent goods like sandwiches.

On the other hand, an elderly character, while having plenty of time to collect lots of skills, may not be able to utilize all of them anymore or might have even forgotten enough of them to be counter productive.

My grandmother, over the course of her life, has worked at several jobs that had fuck all to do with each other. She was a carhop at a drive-in, worked at a grocery store, worked at a local medical factory, worked at a guitar factory assembling instruments long enough to have a hand in every part of the process along with possessing the know-how to design a thing to make winding strings (I might be miss-remembering her exact description of the thing) faster and safer (and then not getting paid or credited for it after the company started using it), and drove bus for several years. She also had all the skills of an at-home housewife, a professional upholsterer, unprofessional seamstress, knows how to treat and care for wood furniture, knows how to work with and maintain leather (not how to make it though), was a very good cook until her physical condition no longer allowed her to handle such tasks, was physically capable enough at one point in her life to help with construction on her own home, and was a good enough artist that she was given two separate opportunities to go to college for the subject back in the 50′s.

That’s a lot of stuff. Each career - including housewife, as there’s a lot of work involved in homemaking - might provide for three to five distinct skills, a few of which would be extremely specific to that particular career path.

On the other hand, a lot of these skills haven’t been used for decades, meaning that not only would she be extremely out of practice, her understanding in a certain field might be anywhere from thirty to sixty years out of date. There’s also the fact that her physical condition is very different from what it was back then, meaning that even the skills she remembers how to preform correctly might not be feasible thanks to her own body failing to cooperate.

The Humble Bundle (varied skill-sets that come from specific careers/backgrounds).

As I touched on in the previous section about how to select certain skills for a character based on life experience and backgrounds (admittedly based on variety + how time factors into it, but that’s the point of specific focus sections), we‘re going to take a closer look at ‘skill clusters’.

You don’t have to cluster all of the character’s skills - in fact, I suggest making sure that you don’t do that, unless the character is specifically a bit character who is there to perform a specific function rather than being a long-term fixture in your cast - but there are some that simply are more expedient to cluster and can sometimes boggle the mind if the character sometimes lack some of those vital skills.

Say you have a character who’s a trucker (or, if you’re working with fantasy/sci-fi, the local equivalent of). They’d probably know how to handle a few different kinds of vehicles (in a mundane context, they’d probably be qualified for both commercial driving licenses and the unregistered kind most people have, but possibly also know how to handle loading vehicles), know how to repair their vehicle if it is damaged (this can vary in skill - knowing how to jury-rig a solution to a small inconvenience is very different from resurrecting a dead engine), have a good understanding of navigation, access to a trade-specific tongue (radio jargon, for one, if we’re still sticking with the mundane modern AU), know how to handle long hours of relatively boring work... and that wouldn’t even be the sum total of their skills tied in some way to this particular profession.

Still, it doesn’t read as an unrealistic amount of things for a single person to know how to do, does it?

On the other hand, if I gave you a character who’s... I don’t know, a generic protagonist of no particular employment and said that their list of skills includes navigation, medical knowledge, being an expert chef, trained fighter, classical ballerina, multiple languages, and limited telepathic ability, it reads as a bit much, doesn’t it? Especially when it just comes up out of nowhere without warning or even an allowance for being less than good at those things.

Part of it is that it takes time to learn how to do things, as we covered in the previous section. Having a talent or instinctive understanding for a particular subject can help cut down on that, but that can only excuse a few things - someone who’s a natural born fighter usually can’t turn that natural instinct towards language acquisition or legal understanding. The other part is that everyone knows that most people aren’t good at everything they turn their hand to, so even with a lot of effort, we wouldn’t expect a single person to be good at everything.

That’s why a diversified cast is important, so the needs of the group can be met in a more believable way, though there are also work arounds that can be used to keep the cast smaller or the inability of the group to meet those needs can be used to raise tension in the story. Injuries become a lot more notable when there’s no healer in the group, after all.

Gifts, Loans, and Hard-Earned Pay (the difference between talent, training, and temporary trades)

Now, there are a couple things you could use to ‘explain’ why a character is good at things. Like most of the points I’ve made so far, this is expanding on a few things I mentioned off hand in earlier parts of this article, such as the importance of age and life experience.

Now we’re going to be explaining the mechanics of why a person might be good at certain things. There are a few different approaches to this.

In terms of purely mundane ways, you have talent and training to explain why a person would have a certain level of ability with specific skills. These can’t universally be applied across the board, of course - you’d prefer someone with medical knowledge over someone who says that they have a ‘talent’ for it and there are other fields that require a person have a certain amount of instinctive ability to flourish. Most would agree that it’s important to have both in any given field - for example, art requires both talent (the ability to visualize what you want) and training (to transfer that vision to reality).

When dealing with supernatural settings, there are other routes. Boons from supernatural beings, familial inheritance, memories from a past life, temporary grants of power from special artifacts, and so on.

This can allow for a skill to be acquired quickly while also pushing along the plot in various ways, but there are a number of drawbacks to this one as well - a character who has been granted a supernatural power might lack the practical experience in how to use that power well, the memories of a past life don’t confer the physical conditioning required to actually pull off some of those skills or the world has moved on since those days, rendering those skills out of date and possibly useless, the artifact has a mind of its own and opinions on how it can/will be used, etc.

There are drawbacks to the more mundane routes as well. Training takes time and effort, along with coming with the risk that the character has been trained wrong or in a way that isn’t helpful to their current situation - ex. a medic who’s extremely competent in a hospital setting but is now stuck in a place where they have none of the resources they’re used to, a self-trained martial artist who doesn’t know how to modulate their force well and has a lot of holes in their technique because they never had a trainer to point that sort of thing out.

Talent can lead to a person becoming complacent with the idea that they’re automatically going to be good at a thing forever despite evidence around them to the contrary and make them frustrated whenever they do run into something they don’t quickly understand or make progress with.

On the upside, you can also use these to build off of each other. Training can help refine both talent and control over new gifts, a well-chosen gift can make a well-trained character something breathtaking, and discovering a previously untapped talent can throw a character who’s previously had to struggle for everything in their life a well-deserved bone.

Now, hopefully this covers enough points thoroughly enough to be helpful to everyone. If not, please shoot me a comment and I’ll try to expand on any areas I might have missed.

#characters #skills #talents #training #writing help

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calleo-bricriu · 4 years

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Classical (re)Conditioning.

(( 7 months into 1986! I spent most of the day sleeping because weather is awful, but managed to get this largely background/fluff thing written for @absintheabsence :D ))

What always bothered Calleo was that his first, initial, and thankfully entirely internalised response to Grindelwald taking the few steps to the other side of the cell and occasionally all but shoving Calleo to the far side of whatever shape the thing he'd transfigured into some sort of furniture had taken (and up against the wall in some cases which, admittedly, was a better option than onto the floor, and largely why he kept whatever shape it was up against at least one wall) was to freeze in the moments Grindelwald was moving toward him then to simply--do what he was told.

Even if there wasn't anything said, the intent was always clear.

That passive, automatic reaction was nothing more than a throwback to the years he'd spent in a different tower of the same building as a prisoner; when resisting was an exhausting, painful--especially if it was blood magic used as opposed to run of the mill cursing--and ultimately futile thing.

The fact that Calleo knew damn well Grindelwald no longer held any sort of power, physical or otherwise, and he still had that immediate reaction to simply do what he was being silently ordered to do and that he couldn't react swiftly enough to stop that reaction was an endless source of irritation only made worse by the fact that all he could manage to do was silently remind himself that that was exactly how classical conditioning worked.

Ring the bell and the dragon turns into a passive, docile thing.

The less irritating reason was nothing more than Calleo still, despite his best efforts, largely incapable of being awful to other people without them having given him an immediate and direct reason to take a swipe at them. He distinctly recalled Grindelwald as having been a very social, very tactile, fairly extroverted person who soaked up attention as though he'd die without being the center of it for even a few minutes. At times, Calleo had never been sure if it mattered what kind of attention Grindelwald was getting so long as someone was making him the center of it.

They had to have known that when the decision was made to largely shut the prison down and leave him in very literal solitary confinement.

Calleo knew himself well enough to know it would've been a complete impossibility to be in the same room and purposely make it seem as though it was still solitary confinement by coldly ignoring him, and it wasn't as if Grindelwald did anything once he'd decided he'd taken over enough space on whatever shape Calleo's transfigured furniture had taken. He just sat (or laid, depending) there not doing much at all, including not interrupting whatever Calleo had been doing further.

Calleo began to think, after nearly seven or so months, that he might be able to recondition his own conditioned response to Grindelwald moving--at all really, it was a small room, but especially toward him if he invited it. While the end result would be roughly the same, even that subtle a shift in whatever ghost of an old power dynamic that still sprung up when an approach was entirely uninvited might shut itself up.

There was no remaining power dynamic as far as Calleo was concerned anyway; Grindelwald couldn't do anything much more than annoy him now. He didn't have a wand, he wasn't in the best physical health either, and he couldn't use much for magic at all as the security of the room had been designed specifically to dampen his ability to do exactly that.

More importantly, Calleo didn't have any desire whatsoever to lord anything over Grindelwald. That sort of thing was exhausting anyway, not that he thought anyone (least of all Grindelwald) would believe that if he told them.

Calleo had long since learned to pick up on subtle shifts that might indicate he was going to be approached, one way or another, and this time, instead of waiting with that sense of mild dread at the back of his mind for Grindelwald to decide to walk over to him, Calleo lazily beckoned him over instead.

He wasn't at all sure if the look of surprise and cautiousness was due to that or the fact that Calleo had neglected to shut off the wards he kept running around himself on a regular basis that were generally unpleasant to have go off in one's face but, if nothing else, it was enough to remind Calleo that he'd left them up and they were (for now) extinguished.

For one very brief moment, Calleo got to have the fleeting satisfaction of seeing Grindelwald give off the feeling of someone who wasn't sure if he was being tricked or not and not sure which option--doing as asked or not doing as asked--was the correct one.

Admittedly, it confused Calleo when it seemed that Grindelwald was expecting something horrible to happen and seemed apprehensive, largely because Calleo had no underlying motives that were dangerous to either one of them. Once Grindelwald seemingly decided that Calleo wasn't a trap waiting to spring and had at least tentatively settled next to him.

Setting the book he'd been quietly transcribing from in the air in front of him and still within easy reading range, Calleo checked his own hands. Finding that the magic he'd been working with had, as it usually did, left them cold and was still milling around like an invisible glove, he gave each hand a sharp, quick shake toward the closest wall which was all too happy to soak up 'excess' magic thrown onto it and spent a couple of minutes getting them back up to a reasonable alive person temperature--if a bit warmer.

"The latest rumour at the Ministry," as casually as he started the conversation, he picked up one of Grindelwald's hands and tentatively did some feeling around its various joints, gauging involuntary reactions to see exactly how much pressure would be too much; It hadn't taken much for observation to know that decades of living in cold and damp had done no favours and, based on how slowly he typically moved them (not to mention how often he'd latch onto any sort of hot or even warm cup of anything), it wouldn't have taken much of a stretch of imagination to correctly guess that they were very likely a constant source of physical discomfort, "is that Gerald is a mix of parts and souls taken from any number of people who have died in that department over the years."

"What Gerald is," Calleo continued speaking conversationally, though it naturally fell into a cadence that paired up with the movement of his own hands, "is the animated contents of whatever I could get to fit from the box of junk that's been behind my desk for probably a couple hundred years longer than I've been alive, charmed to stick together and change shapes as the charms work sees fit, and I then skimmed off of numerous charms sets that have been running or so long or are so complex that they can hold conversations well enough and give correct responses well enough that they come off as sentient if you don't know what you're looking at. I may have also let the magic decide what form it would take based on what was in the pile of junk, which got me an incredibly unsettling snake-like thing that’s got a head of broken eyeglasses and buttons and several mismatched gloves for a mouth that moves like a--sort of tentacled mouth. The fingers wiggle when he talks. Eldritch horror looking thing. Amazingly polite."

"I also looped Gerald into the Ministry's ever changing nightmare of bureaucratic rules so I can tell people that he can explain why I won't let them do what they want to do so I can get back to not talking to people and get back to the work, which is the enjoyable part."

Calleo canted his head slightly, "I didn't name him, you know. Once all the spellwork on him was active, I introduced myself--as you do, even if it's to a pile of animated rubbish that’s taken the form of a summoned nightmare--and asked its name, it was quiet for a moment, then said Gerald, so he's Gerald and he's great at scaring people back onto the lift just by swiveling around his head made up of Merlin knows how many dozens of broken eyeglasses with button eyes to 'look' at whoever just stepped out."

"The rumour is that I've created this horrible conglomeration of apparently tortured souls who are being made to play the part of a polite and extraordinarily unsettling department greeter. It's been great for lowering traffic flow, if I'm being honest," he snickered, "and it is difficult to remember that Gerald is just an amazing set of charms work at times but, if you talk to him long enough, eventually you run through all of the potential algorithms and his responses become nonsensical; until they learn, and they do learn, they're purposely set to learn, new words, phrases, and responses."

"Part of me is surprised the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures hasn't come down and tried to confiscate Gerald as a Being yet! That would be interesting, though, having a set of complex charms learn so much that it began to demonstrate the ability to learn and adapt on--well, Gerald already does that on his own--and become what one could reasonably consider intelligent and self-aware.”

It wasn't so much that Calleo was trying to make small talk as it was that he knew if he opened with one of the more bizarre stories from his life, the higher the chance would be of keeping Grindelwald distracted so he wouldn't immediately jerk back and away from an interaction that wasn't based in hostility.

#1986 #v: ftbawtft #hp rp #gerald #ministry of magic #department of mysteries

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hanybanani · 4 years

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𝑀𝓎 𝒹𝒶𝒾𝓁𝓎 𝒹𝑜𝓈𝑒 𝑜𝒻 𝓅𝒽𝒾𝓁𝑜𝓈𝑜𝓅𝒽𝓎

First of all, what is philosophy and how does it help us? Philosophy is the study of existence and reality, it helps us develop our critical thinking and makes our lives easier in terms of making better decisions and choices in life.

Have you ever wondered how to make good choices in life? Of course, you would want to keep heading into the direction you want and not fall into a spiral of stress and despair. Now, as teenagers, even adults, many of us wondered about our lives, like what is our purpose, some people think they don’t have a purpose. What is success and how will you achieve it, what is good and what is bad, or how should we treat one another, ect.

Philosophy gives us ethics. It involves “systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior". Growing up, we often face choices, there are times when we are indecisive in life and you realize you are responsible as you set an example.

Philosophy in Greek means “the love of wisdom” or “the pursuit of wisdom”, and I think making mistakes can be turned into a valuable lesson to a person. Why do I think this? Well, as Albert Einstein said, “ Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new”. My philosophy in making mistakes is that it teaches us to clarify what we really want, it is a fundamental part for every understanding, advancement, and development. The correct exists because of the fault and this is what makes us human. Men is prone to error and develops, but that depends on how one responds to the error.

Philosophy has been around since the 6th century, without it, everything we have now wouldn’t exist. We wouldn’t have freedom to have our own opinion, values, nor have equality. It helps us approach into making policies, make rational suggestions into shaping society to become better. Philosophy helps students acquire a knowledge of those ideas and its origins. Philosophy also influence teaching, and even leadership.

Science and philosophy are pretty similar when it comes to finding out what is reality. The difference is that science is all about the natural phenomena and philosophy is understanding the nature of man and our existence. I personally think that philosophy can lead to innovation, giving fantastical inspiration to create new ideas for creating innovative solutions.

The Noble Eight-fold Path

I’m not Buddhist but reading the Eight-fold Path helps to become calmer and be more at peace knowing what to do in times of distress, if you want to follow the Eight Fold Path It’s a good thing to remember that it’s important to be ethical in word and in deed, and thought. To be kind to others, and being positive as much as possible and be respectful and moral person. Remembering those will surely help you to be peaceful in your mind and to everyone around you and will not let you suffer as a bitter person. Having peace within oneself makes you have the right understanding, the right intent, the right speech, right mindfulness, concentration, following all of these creates a harmony in oneself. I have learned that when you’re compassionate towards others and treat them right, you get a reward too, and it also feels good to do something good to others and they will be kind to you as well.

Treating others the right way is good for the mental health and well being, it can reduce the stress and improve our mood and also self-esteem and of course, it makes us happy. Doing good deeds does not need much time or costs money like when listening to your friends without judgement and focus on what they need.

Ecocentric model and evaluate personal views and attitudes toward nature

The environment that God has given us is truly beautiful, the air we breathe, the land we walk on and the plants and animals that live among humans are made carefully. All lives are equal to existence and ecocentrism is a pathway to a sustainable living. Man is made to dominate the Earth and take care of it. Ecocentrism is the reason why we value the environment we live in. Life relies on geological processes and has been worldview and many countries speak about folklore. An ecocentric view holds the planet’s ecology and ecosystems, the the lives of humans, animals, the creatures the lives in the depths of the sea and all life forms. I think that we should continue to take care of our surroundings for the future generation, to look at the world with love of nature, will give the children of the future a wonderful Earth that they could still live on. With all the buidings that are being built, the trees that are being cut and the amount of garbage that is being thrown to the ocean should be reduced and think about the other living things that will suffer from the greediness of mankind.

We should reduce, reuse, recycle to save that dying animals and reduce the pollution in the air that we breathe for the sake of the children and the children of their children. We must protect and value the things that were made to sustain life even if they cannot be used by humans as resources.

Marcos Batas Militar

How can reason be translated into action?

An individual’s speech makes sense based on logic and facts and can be turned into action when the individual starts to act upon his visions logically and comfortably

If there were no intellect, there would be no will. Explain.

You cannot accomplish anything without intelligence or without any practical plan, thus there is no will if you do not know how to make ends meet.

What is a social contract and how is it reflected in the EDSA Revolution?

An agreement from the members of society. The law is reflected in the people by making an agreement.

Was freedom denied during the Martial Law? Was there free choice within the Filipino people?

People could not go outside their houses and speak about the government or they will get killed. There was no freedom for the people who denied the Martial Law and there was no free choice.

How do you think this is similar and/or different from the colonization of the Philippines from the hands of the Spanish, American, and Japanese?

The Spanish people colonized the Philippines under military and religious supremacy while the Philippines is an instrument for WWII for the Japanese. America desires for opportunities that will benefit their own country and to have power over the islands from other countries, it is somehow similar to the Marcos martial law where the authority or people with access to firearms disregards the safety and needs of the people for their own benefit.

How do you think this is similar and/or different from today’s events in the Philippines?

The events regarding for covid-19 are similar but different as people are required to stay home for their own health but similar to martial law as the media sensualize the virus to which it makes people afraid and scared, but according to a doctor in Europe, covid-19 is just like any other flu.

My mother likes listening to classic music and because of my mother, I know about Andrea Bocelli. His music is comforting and his voice is beautiful. Andrea Bocelli is a knows as a great music artist that inspires many people around the globe. When he was still in his mother’s womb, the doctor advised his parents to abort him because him might have a disability, his mother, however opposed the advice the doctor gave and gave birth to him and when he was born he did have many issues with his sight and was diagnosed with congenital glauoma. As a young boy, Bocelli had a passion for music even with his disability, it did not stop him from playing the piano and other instruments and to be a great singer and won countless awards. He is a good model for young kids with disabilities to never stop hoping and dream big.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆　　｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆　　｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ

25-year life plan.

Firsly, I want to develop my skills in arts and be able to try out and learn digital drawing since it looks super cool and fun to do and be able to do animations because I wanted to do that as a kid. When it comes to career, I want to get a good job in software technology and be able to create applications and games that would help many people in their daily lives and also have fun. But before I achieve all that, education is important.My plan is to get to graduate college, I want to expand my knowledge in computer programming.

I want to be able to contribute to my family, and support them with their needs, and show them love as much as possible so I guess having a decent stable job would allow me to be helpful to the family. My financial plan would be saving as much to start a business and also giving to charity. In life, you can’t always just be working and working, sometimes looking after yourself is more important as well, being healthy and to excercise more and eat healthy food in order to achieve your goals. Working hard and looking after yourself can take you to places and for pleasure, I would like to do my bucket list like to be able to travel and see places, to be part of an organization helping citizens and the environment, giving to charity and to meet new people and learn from them. I think this is most people’s common life plan, its a dream and a plan, but don’t call it a dream, call it a plan, make it a goal and thrive big.

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universalpeonies · 5 years

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Pillar Men Zodiacs

So I was driving around and I had a thought... the pillar men don’t have clear cut birthdays but have clear personalities, and the fan community has plenty of room to work with in developing their characters further. As one of my weird hobbies and latest interest in JJBA, its time to look at horoscopes!

So after leafing through my books, friends, and websites, I’ve got a few guesses as to who may be who in regards to zodiac signs:

!!!!MINOR SPOILER WARNING FOR JJBA PART 2!!!!!!

Wamuu:

Wamuu is most likely a Taurus: He is not a violent creature by nature, although it is stated and shown Wamuu does enjoy a good honorable fight any time of day he has standards (and the fact he’s technically a vampire so he is a violent creature in that sense). He is not a mindless killer, always thinking his way through battles and planning out the next moves, this can also be assumed that he analyzes everything rationally and quickly in high-pressure situations. Showing level-headedness as a staple of his character.

Emotions are not a personal weakness for him if anything it is his code of honor that dictates his actions. As such, he is reliable in his actions and will only do as much effort as necessary to carry it out. For him, there is no need for embellishment or grand spectacles. At the same time, this same code creates a sense of absolute loyalty to both Kars and Esidisi. He has shown to be largely obedient and even offers to punish himself after minoring transgressing either of the other two. The refusal to break his own code of honor shows stubbornness and consistency in addition to his aforementioned level-headedness.

I would argue that Wamuu is the ‘kindest’ of the pillar men due to his code. Again, killing is not something he enjoys as victory is what matters to him most and his pride is largely based on the victories he’s gained through abiding by the said code of honor. This is because to him, victories do not always have to result in death, and those he knows he could easily defeat are spared without a second thought. His practicality comes into play here as well in the sense of ‘Only take what you need to get the job done’, this is most apparent to me when he battles Joseph for the first time.

Santana:

Santana is most likely a Gemini: We didn't get to see much of this boi during the anime or much in the manga, on top of that he doesn't really talk that much. All we can discern from background commentary is that he is a man of few words, has the ability to analyze like his adopted brother, but has a very different approach to battle. Kars compares Santana to a dog when talking about his own fighting power, so it's fair to assume that perhaps Santana did not develop himself as much as he could in fighting and have and spent his time honing other skills.

Perhaps his analytical skills specialized in observation. Living for thousands of years and seeing the world with three people who are focused on a single goal is a good environment to create a deviant personality within the group. Maybe while his family was off looking for the red stone, he decided to/ended up staying behind. In doing so he watched the world around him and had a silent but deep interest in what things were and how they worked. In addition to his ability to grasp complex concepts both literal (the physical composition of a machine gun) and the conceptual (a whole new language), I feel his own powers of contortion and body entering contribute to this theory. These powers literally involve the desire to learn deeply (contort himself into other creatures or environments) and his willingness/expertise of being able to adapt to a new environment and master it (new bodies that he takes control of).

Personality wise from what I can gather, being a man of and the willingness to learn involves a sense of passivity and gentleness. Not every situation involves needing to charge mindlessly, however, once Santana understands something he wastes no time in putting his full energy into mastering it to make it his own. The active nature, the hasty nature of his actions, combined with his passive nature, the assumed background of his ability to learn and observe in silence, are the most obvious traits I've noticed that make me conclude he is a Gemini.

Esidisi:

Esidisi is either a Cancer or a Libra: Esidisi is the only pillar man I had a difficult time assigning in the zodiac. We do not see nearly as much of him as Wamuu or Kars, but we see more of him than we see Santana. It goes without saying that he is the most emotional and expressive of the group, but beyond that, the only other things we see from him are his abilities to play mind games on a near equal level that Joseph displays (maybe that’s why his brain was something that was able to survive after the fight between the two?). His ability to have a wild mind on par with a Joestar shows creativity and an ability to be persuasive. These are points for him being a Cancer. However, these factors go hand in hand with diplomacy and show a sense of emotional intelligence, which are points for him possibly being a Libra.

In truth, half of the reasons I placed Esidisi where he is is because of two specific lines in the anime: when the anime recounts the history of the pillar men and Kars’ place in creating the stone mask Esidisi is referred to as “His sole ally.” When we look at what kind of person Kars is we see that it takes someone who is able to have not only a sense of passion that is equal to his towards either Kars’ ideals or Kars’ himself but also a sense of sympathy and understanding, points for being a Cancer and a Libra respectively. We also hear Kars speak “I am no warrior, nor am I a romantic.” when Wamuu was killed, it is safe to assume that the word ‘romantic’ referred to Esidisi yet again. This word is used far more often to describe Libras than Cancers, but romance could also refer to his tendency to be more in touch with his emotions and have them play an active role in his battle methods and overall behavior.

Being a Libra myself, I can vouch for being indecisive. This is one of the most common traits that I do not see in Esidisi, considering he’s been with the same man for thousands of years and having his eyes focused only on one goal. But you could argue that this could be because of a passion he has for Kars or his ambitions, which makes it a toss-up between the two signs. When it comes to the weakness of these two zodiac signs, Esidisi fits both the Cancer and Libra profile. As the emotional one who has no doubt had a few bad days and from his outburst shows evidence of moodiness and pessimism (cancer traits). But self-pity, the literal root of the whole arm tantrum, is more than apparent. While Libras often tend to avoid confrontation, Esidisi is the one who goes out of his way to confront Joseph and get the stone. Overall due to his character being steeped in emotion and his own powers, fire literally symbolizing passion and emotion, he could go either way. I had the most fun analyzing him because he has the most to unpack.

Kars:

Kars is a Virgo: This is the only one that I am truly decisive on because.... if you've seen the show, Kars’ nature is one of the most Virgo moods I have ever seen in my ding dang life.

Where do I even start? Of course his obvious physical appearance, look I know all the pillar men have this attribute but holy fuck does it really shine when Kars takes the stage when he fights Lisa-Lisa and he lets his hair down. Luxurious and meticulously dressed to appear simple while delivering a message of his own personal view; that at the end of the day he is a god among those that walk on earth. That he was the one who chose to take those first steps towards achieving greatness for himself and those who followed him. His appearance is very much in line with the symbol of the Virgo itself, with his own beauty being on par with his zodiac.

Throughout the entire series, we see him have tunnel vision towards a single goal, to obtain the red stone of Aja. He even had to remind his companions of their main goal more than a few times when either Wamuu or Esidisi got distracted. He stays grounded in the world and environment that surrounds them at that moment, appealing to the practical nature of Virgo. In addition, when it is time to act his analytical skills and intelligence are on full display. Able to use people, objects, and tools for his own accord under high-pressure situations to ensure victory is achieved. Taking account for every little detail to ensure perfection is a trademark of Kars’ sign. Plus at times when I was watching him, I couldn’t help but think of a few of Jenna Marbles’ moments that would fit him perfectly.

A competent Virgo as an antagonist for any series spells trouble, but even meticulous Aztec vampires have their shortcomings. When I think about Kars in the series, as well as Esidisi, I almost always think about the fact he was a parent for thousands of years to two children who (assumedly) have never really left his side. So parenting methods and the outcome of both Wamuu and Santana are where I see the negative traits of the Virgo sign are most apparent. For example, a few of the negative traits of this sign are that they are overly-critical, fussy, harsh, and conservative in their methods. If you look at how Wamuu turned out as a fully grown developed adult, you will notice that he is extremely critical of his own behavior and carries a conservative nature when it comes to interacting with humans, I feel this sort of behavior had to be taught in a child. Maybe these tactics did not work that well on Santana, but whos to say what the actual psychology is of pillar men? Either way, in my opinion, I think harsh and strict methods must have been used at first to keep his family together and in line over the course of their thousand-year journey. That takes dedication, careful planning, and intensive organizational skills.

And that's it!! That's the train of thought I had in the past week. This was only for fun and none of this is canon, as far as I know, I hope you got some amusement from this!

#jjba #pillar men #wamuu #wham #esidisi #santana #kars #zodiac #jojo part 2 #battle tendency #spoilers #my mind went racing #Im even doing art of this whole thing

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davidfarland · 4 years

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One Impossibility

Short Announcement: Writer's Peak is coming up fast and the time to register is running out. The seminar is this Saturday, November 16th. Find out more here: https://mystorydoctor.com/live-workshops-2/

If you write a novel set in the real world—whether it is historical or modern—you don’t have to worry so much about “creating” as “researching” your setting. But if you are writing science fiction or fantasy, you very often “create” a world from scratch. There are a couple of approaches that you can take to this. The first approach is to say, “I’m going to set my story in a completely imaginary world and there will be no rational explanation for it.” In short, you can say, “In my world, pigs can fly. They huff up air and expand until they float like hot air balloons.”

Sure, you can do that, and it sounds like you could have a wonderful world of make-believe, but it is all rather limiting. Algis Budrys used to say that there is a “one impossibility limit” to the human imagination. Most readers will allow that one impossible thing can happen in a story. Okay, so pigs can fly like hot air balloons. What next? Well, if you decide to add elves and dinosaurs, your one-impossibility rule is broken, and it progressively erodes your reader’s faith in the story. Ultimately, what you’re left with is meaningless glop.

If anything can happen in your world, then who cares what does happen? There isn’t any meaningful conflict, because it can all be magically resolved.

Now, I’m going to hazard a guess that Algis Budrys was wrong. He ignored the fact that there are plenty of people who find it impossible to enjoy a story that has any degree of impossibility. I don’t know what the exact figures are, but I suspect that if you put a single fantasy element into a story—flying pigs—many adults will be unable to enjoy it. Such people will tell you that they literally detest fantasy, and they’re being perfectly honest.

I know authors in my field who might want to hurl insults at such people. They’d say, “Well, they’re just too stupid or unimaginative to enjoy my work,” but the truth is that these are often intelligent and creative people in their own right who find that adding fantastic elements to a fictive work simply undermines the emotional power of the piece.

As the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge suggested, we need to get our readers to attain a “willing suspension of disbelief.” The more suspension of disbelief that you request from your audience, the more readers you will lose.

I’ve never seen a study done on this, but I have spoken to a lot of readers, and I’ve long held to a guess that adding a single fantastical element gives you a drop-off of about 25%. If you add two fantastical elements to your story—let’s say that you have flying pigs and vampires—I believe that you get about another 30% loss on your audience. If you add a third fantastical element—say talking dinosaurs--, you get another 40% loss. After that, I believe that your audience becomes negligible.

Now, there is a value in adding the fantastic to your stories. As William Shakespeare showed us in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” adding fantastical elements to a story draws the audience’s attention. It gets them to wonder what is going on, and it can even evoke a sense of wonder, but it is the realistic portrayal of the human drama that really allows us to touch other powerful, universal emotions.

Thus, eventually a fantasy tale needs to have strongly depicted realistic moments in order to be profoundly moving.

Now, let me get down to something technical: All readers require fantastical elements to their stories in order to gain their attention. If I wrote a story about you, sitting down at your computer and reading this email, and I wrote it in a pedestrian style, and it depicted your life exactly as it is, you’d be bored out of your skull. So I need something to grab you. That something might be the use of heightened language—so evocative and beautiful that it almost seems to be sung. Or I might overwhelm you with the power of my observations. I might make a person different from you reading the email, a person so different in her thoughts and style so that she enthralls you. I might put my character in a place that you’d never imagine—say a Catholic school in Africa. That’s the level at which a realist would approach this task.

Me, I prefer to read stories that have some fantastical element, and the truth is that most other people do, too. That’s why EVERY movie on the top ten bestseller list for this year is likely to have a strong fantasy or science fiction element.

So as a fantasist, I don’t feel the need to insult people who tell me that they’re not in my audience. That’s okay. They like vanilla, I like chocolate. I even understand their feelings. I don’t like too much fantasy in my tales. Personally, I never could enjoy Alice in Wonderland, even as a child. There were too many bizarre things going on, none of it made any sense, and ultimately I lost interest and fell asleep at the movie theater.

So here’s my lesson for today: If you want to create a powerful fantasy, you need to understand that imagination alone won’t make your work powerful. You need to understand and use the writing approaches used in the Realistic movement (the ones you learn about in writing classes in college). Sure, you can write a vampire novel that will attract a wide audience, but as you add werewolves, space aliens, and flying toasters, more and more of your readers are going to respond by saying “What the hell?”

I recall years ago reading a manuscript for a large writing contest that was very well written. It opened with a young elven princess racing through a forest, trying to catch a pixie in a net, when she trips over a log. As she gets up, the log begins to move, and she recognizes that it is in fact the tail of a dragon, which begins to huff as it prepares to breathe fire. The elven princess grasps her magic wand in a huff and ZAP! she turns that nasty old dragon into flower petals.

Well, regardless of how fine a stylist the author was, there was just too much going on. I hate elves. They’re over-used. Pixies and unicorns too. I don’t even like dragons very much. Put them all together and throw in magic wands of ultimate power and I guarantee that you’ve got a groaner of a story.

Yet some of the greatest pieces of fantasy might seem to violate the one impossibility rule. Tolkien of course had dragons, elves, dwarves, and all kinds of impossibilities in Lord of the Rings. So how does he do it?

The answer is quite simple: when introducing your impossibilities, link them together at the onset. Tolkien links all of his impossibilities under one heading: alternate world. If you as the author simply say, “My story is set in the world of Gonrathen,” you can get away with a great deal. Magical powers might be commonplace, and we need no explanation. Strange creatures might exist there, too.

But these days it seems that contemporary fantasy set in our world is all the rage. So how do you create it? Stick to the one impossibility rule, but then link ancillary ideas to your main idea.

Thus, you might for example set your story in a forest in the Ukraine where a race of “elves” have lived in hiding from the rest of the world for a thousand years, fearing persecution for their pointy ears and strange powers. They’re humans, we might learn in an early paragraph, but they’ve evolved differently from us, and thus have telepathic powers—which make humans fear them, because the elves can “whisper” thoughts to the human minds and take control of others.

Do you see how I just linked elves and telepathy? So long as you do the two together, it’s no problem. But if you created elves and then suddenly tell us in book three of your series that they have telepathy, the reader will cry foul.

So now we link some possible consequences of the whole telepathy angle to our core idea: since our elves can read minds, they are able to learn with startling quickness and master all forms of human technology simply by observing another at his craft. They can master languages in minutes. More than that, they can look into the minds of animals and thus learn from birds if any humans are wandering near, and so on. They can look into the hearts of mere humans and judge them, to learn if they are good or evil.

Okay, so you have two possibilities that are linked early on—a hidden race of humans and telepathy, and you’ve linked secondary concepts about telepathy to the major idea.

Now, you can expand on these elves by making more links. Among the elven telepaths in the Ukraine is an even newer strain. They’ve been breeding for intelligence, strength and speed for a hundred generations, and perhaps a new breed has evolved, a class of warriors called the Sharr who believe that it is time to come out of hiding and take control of the world. Thus, the elves have become involved in a civil war that is sprawling out across Europe. See how we’ve moved from “magic powers” to exploring social conditions among our elves?

Do you see how you can take one main idea and build upon it by linking secondary concepts so that the audience accepts a great number of impossibilities?

Yet you have to be careful. It’s easy to get carried away, to try to cram too many fantastical elements into a story.

Readers love having fantastical elements in their story, but you have to establish a set of rules early on and then adhere to it. I recall years ago listening to a science fiction writer crabbing about “all of that fantasy crap,” with its magic mumbo jumbo and complete disregard for things like logic and physics. A couple of years later as fantasy became more popular, his agent suggested that he write a fantasy. I saw him a few months after he had published his first fantasy and asked him how it did. He said, “You know, writing fantasy is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I had no idea how difficult it is. You have to establish your own logic and rules and then stick with them!”

Yep, that’s the key: establish the rules of your world early and then stick with them to the end.

***

I get a lot of "Thank You's" from people that I've helped with their writing but rarely mention it. But I got a couple that make me feel especially good.

"I was excited to receive news that the 'Nuclear Childhood' piece I worked on in your workshop in Provo in March 2018 won an honorable mention in the 88th annual Writer's Digest competition. I credit your workshop with helping me improve and bump up the quality of my writing.... Thank you again." Jill Warnick (Writing Enchanting Prose Workshop Graduate)

"I haven't even told my family yet, but I wanted you to be the first to know - I've just signed a traditional publishing deal for THE XXX series! I would never have started--or finished--this without your superb classes and your kind words of encouragement. In the next few days, there will be an official announcement on Publishers Marketplace." Name Withheld Pending Official Announcement (Story Puzzle Workshop Graduate)

In the Good News Department,

My past student Martin Shoemaker hit #1 on the Amazon Bestseller List last month with his novel "The Last Dance." Even better, he stayed in the top ten for the month! https://www.amazon.com/Last-Dance-Martin-L-Shoemaker/dp/1542007984

#writingtip #writingtiptuesday #writrblr #writingcommunity

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ciathyzareposts · 5 years

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Game 317: Sorcerer’s Bane (1992)

Unfortunately, the game has no title screen. This is as close as we get.

Sorcerer’s Bane

United States

Wood Software Development (developer and publisher)

Released in 1992 for DOS

Date Started: 27 January 2019

One of the things for which I am most grateful about this blog is that it introduced me to the roguelike sub-genre. The introduction was quite quick, as Rogue was the second game that I played. I had never encountered anything like it–had never encountered permadeath at all, really. The idea that you could invest dozens of hours into a character, and then he could be gone, just like that, with one wrong roll of the dice, is a hard concept to grasp when you’ve grown up playing RPGs that allow liberal saving and reloading. Even recently, when I was playing The Game of Dungeons, I had moments where my mind refused to believe that a character in which I’d heavily invested–hale and powerful only moments ago–was somehow suddenly irretrievable.

Because Rogue itself, with its permadeath and dungeon randomization, is so inherently replayable, games in the sub-genre really have to distinguish themselves with new content to be memorable. Otherwise, all you’ve made is a clone of Rogue. Thus, we find a lot more variance in roguelikes–more than I thought was possible before I experienced them–than we do in many other sub-genres. NetHack, UnReal World, Moria, and Wizard’s Lair I may look somewhat the same, but they took vastly different approaches in mechanics and content, making them all fun to play in their own way.

Along those lines, Sorcerer’s Bane is an admirable effort from Indianapolis-based developer Chuck Wood. (Wow, is that a difficult name to Google. I’m sure there’s at least one “Peter Piper” out there with the same problem.) If I’ve found the right man, he would have been 18 when the game was released as shareware. (He asked $19.95 for it, or $99.95 for a version with the source code.) While it has a youth’s sense of humor in some of the text, the game is competently-programmed and highly-original. Wood clearly played Rogue (and perhaps NetHack) and was familiar with Dungeons and Dragons conventions, but he wasn’t overly restricted by them.

Until you register, you have to see this message every time you quit. I’d happily pay the shareware fee, but I can’t track Chuck down.

The backstory concerns two sorcerers named Lodi and Sabee who together founded a magicians’ academy called Mogadore. Each of the wizards wielded a Staff of Power. For some reason, Lodi turned evil and killed Sabee, hoping to use his Staff of Power in conjunction with his own to achieve near-omnipotence. For some reason, Lodi was unable to use the staff, so he broke it into four pieces and hid them in various parts of Mogadore, guarded by four dragons. Lodi them sequestered himself in the lowest levels of the (now-) dungeon to plot further mischief. The player’s mission is to reunite the four pieces of the staff, figure out how it works, and destroy Lodi.

Character creation has the player roll for strength, intelligence, constitution, dexterity, charisma, and luck on an 8-18 scale. He then chooses from human, elf, troll, dwarf, and gnome races, which further modify the attributes. Classes are fighter, magic user, and bard, and each has unique talents that (unlike the typical roguelike) can’t be acquired by the other classes. In other words, no one but a magic user will ever cast spells, and no one but a bard will ever sing bard songs. I went with a gnome bard which is a little unusual for me.

Creating a character.

The game begins in a menu town with a single shop and a cleric. You don’t have much gold to start, but you can return to the menu level whenever you want. The shop buys and sells weapons and armor, identifies equipment, and recharges wands. The cleric heals, cures sickness, and removes cursed items.

The store has the standard selection of equipment.

Below the menu town, each dungeon level is 12 x 76 squares, with features randomly generated. The levels don’t have twisting corridors of most roguelikes. Instead, most of the space is open, but with occasional buildings or “rooms.” The character is represented by a yen symbol (¥). As you move, you reveal the squares around you, which might contain traps, treasure, or special encounters. Combats appear randomly as you walk, in a separate interface, and monsters are not seen in the environment.

Exploring one of the dungeon levels, I have a special encounter with a throne.

My initial reactions to the game were negative, primarily because it has far fewer options than most roguelikes and thus seemed “dumbed down.” In the exploration window, there are no regular commands beyond movement and inventory. There’s no food system and no complex interaction between items, and no object permanence–when you drop things, they disappear entirely.

A fairly small set of commands for a roguelike.

Soon, however, the game’s strengths and innovations started to come through. Among them:

It has an excellent interface–one of the best I’ve ever seen in any game. It supports both the mouse and keyboard, and also multiple ways to use the keyboard. For instance, you can arrow among the commands and hit ENTER or type the letter of the command. It anticipates multiple ways that different users might want to accomplish things. For instance, in the inventory screen, you can choose to (W)ield, (D)rop, or (I)dentify items (among other commands), or you can select the item first and then see a sub-menu of the different things you can do with it. It offers a few shortcuts; in combat, (K)ill causes the entire combat to play out as if you hit (F)ight every round.

I could have done all these things from the previous inventory screen, or here in a way that’s specific to the elven cloak. And I can either press the appropriate key, arrow to my selection and hit ENTER, or use the mouse.

The “help” system is also excellent. Almost every screen has a (H)elp command that provides contextual assistance with your current situation.

Hitting “Help” on the class selection screen brings up a description of each class.

You get experience just for walking. Every step grants you one point. This makes it possible to play a “stealth” version of the game, at least at low levels.

In combat, you can attempt to avoid battle by simply talking to the enemy. Results depend on charisma, but it works a lot of the time with animals and neutral creatures. There are even “good” creatures like dryads who have additional encounter options if you talk with them.

What kind of monster wants to kill a dog?

After you’ve faced an enemy a few times, you can bring up a “Monster Info” screen the next time you encounter him. It tells you the monster’s statistics (with your own in comparison) and gives you a brief description.

The game shows what I know about hobgoblins.

I like the identification system. Items can be cursed or enchanted, and if you want to take a chance, wielding or wearing the item immediately tells you everything about it. You can pay to identify items in the shop, and you can find Rings of Identify that (usually) identify things automatically.

Yo, dawg . . .

Items have fun effects (both advantageous and disadvantageous) that I’ve not seen in many other games. A “Book of Intense Wealth” gives you thousands of experience points or gold pieces. The cursed “Forward-Only Motion Boots” don’t let you use any up ladders. I’m not exactly sure what the “Attacking Floating Sword” does, but it’s apparently a good thing. Items otherwise offer the types of resistances and advantages that you’re used to in roguelikes, and of course you can keep multiple items to swap in and out of active inventory as the situation demands (e.g., putting on Ring of Disease Resistance when you meet a zombie).

There are interesting special encounters. Dryads give you hints. Gamblers offer you a chance to wager on a card game (and some of them carry Decks of Many Things). Thrones can convey a variety of benefits or demerits. Fountains usually heal (fully) but sometimes improve or reduce attributes instead. (Fountains and thrones, of course, are staples from earlier roguelikes.)

A dryad offers some equipment advice.

There’s a complex “wish” system. Various items and creatures can grant you wishes, which accumulate in an associated statistic. When you want to use a wish, you just hit “W” and a menu comes up offering various options, including raising an attribute, gaining a magic item, healing, extra experience, gold, and “a pet grizzly bear and a dreamwolf to fight with.” I haven’t tried that last option yet.

Some of the wish options. I only have one, so I guess I’d better save it.

Monsters include the standard set of roguelike/fantasy creatures. On the first few levels, you might run into jackals, goblins, kobolds, hobgoblins, floating eyes, skeletons, and giant rats. Later, you get more advanced creatures with special attacks and defenses. Were-creatures can only be hit by magic weapons and can cause lycanthropy, for instance. Amorphous acids can corrode items. Mad dogs and zombies can cause disease. Thieves can steal your money pouch and disappear. After Level 10, there are spellcasting enemies like satyrs, gorgons, and wizards. I’ve found it best to run away from a lot of these creature types, especially the animal ones that never offer any gold or items after you kill them.

Fighting a mad dog is a bad idea. They can disease you and offer nothing once you kill them.

In combat, you have options to attack, talk, run, cast a spell (for magic-users), sing a song (for bards), make a wish, and use an inventory item. A lack of missile weapons and a low variety of items makes combat a bit less tactical than some roguelikes, but it’s not bad and at least it’s over fast.

Health does not regenerate on its own, but in consideration for that, and for permadeath, combat is relatively easy, at least for the first 8 levels or so. A lot of battles end with no hit point loss for the character at all. Running away works most of the time. Every few levels, you find a fountain that usually heals you, and both magic users and clerics have magical healing options. You also occasionally run into wandering clerics. And if you die, the game runs through a humorous scene in which the gods might resurrect you, but at a cost of all your gold (if you don’t have much, your chances of resurrection seem to be lower) or some inventory items.

A silly scene that accompanies death.

I have no idea how many levels the game offers, but I played this first session to dungeon Level 10. My character rose to Level 6 during the process, which each level increasing maximum hit points and improving a few behind-the-scenes statistics (which you can call up) like “magic resistance,” “to hit,” and “alertness.” Many of my attributes improved from potions, books, and fountains. On Levels 9 and 10, the game started to get a bit harder, with tougher enemies like gorgons and wizards, and matters weren’t helped by the fact that an unlucky use of the gambler’s Deck of Many Things caused me to lose my entire inventory.

He did warn me.

I’ve gained two bard songs during the course of the game. “Hypocrita” is a healing song and “Bazerker” is a combat song. Neither seemed to have any effect when I had a regular flute, but once i found a magic “Flying Flute,” they both started paying off. In particular, “Hypocrita” heals 6 hit points per move, which means that combats have become about individual difficulty rather than collective difficulty.

My inventory before the unfortunate event above.

I expected to find shortcuts to the surface the farther down I explored, but it hasn’t happened yet. That means if I want to go back to the shop, I have to climb up 10 dungeon levels. I guess after a certain point, you have to rely on your own resources for item identification and wandering clerics for healing that you can’t accomplish yourself. Since I lost all my stuff, though, I guess I’m going to try to make it back to the surface to buy a new set of equipment, then perhaps grind a bit on lower levels until I find a few magic items again (magic items are most common in treasure chests, but monsters occasionally drop them). If I lose this character entirely, I’ll probably restart as a magic-user so I can experience that side of the game, but I’ll likely backup my character every couple of levels.

Sorcerer’s Bane will end on a high note if it doesn’t last much more than another four or five hours. Character development caps at Level 15, which suggests I’m about 40% of the way through, although it concerns me that I haven’t found any of the dragons yet. Maybe they’re all grouped together on one lower level. For now, the game hasn’t made any major mistakes, and I’m impressed that the young developer showed so much innovation and sense of balance.

Time so far: 4 hours

source http://reposts.ciathyza.com/game-317-sorcerers-bane-1992/

#retro games #dos games #retro #crpg #adventure #amiga #oldcomputers #8bit #16bit #blog #repost

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optimusr2-blog · 6 years

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Review: Godzilla Premiere Year: 1978 Category: Animated Television Series Company: Hanna-Barbera Productions Inc., Toho Co., Ltd.

I first heard the name Godzilla when the American movie ”Godzilla” premiered in 1998, but it took me a little while to see that particular film. Fortunately however, I was able to get my hands on some of the original Japanese Godzilla movies with swedish subtitles, and now that I think back about the American movie, I’m glad I got too see the Japanese ones first. Because even though Godzilla in the Japanese movies, as well as all the other monsters those silly Japanese created, might seem cheaply made, simple and a bit unrealistic, those movies still had something that the American version didn’t quite succeed with, namely the real sense of excitement, and you also got the feeling that Godzilla was more then just a huge, scaly killing machine. He very often displayed something one might call ”a human personality”, which was something that I can’t remember the American Godzilla lizard ever display. But what I would like to know is… Does anybody here know that the Live-Action film ”Godzilla” was not the first attempt to make an American production featuring this fantastic creature? Anyone? Well it’s true! The first ones to try to make an American version of Godzilla were actually Hanna-Barbera, the creators of ”The Flintstones” and ”The Jetsons”. In 1978, they struck a deal with Toho Co., Ltd, the creators of Godzilla, and they produced this TV series with the great Godzilla for an American television audience… And as far as I’m concerned, they haven’t made a great mess of it at all.

Hanna-Barbera’s ”Godzilla” TV series was produced as part of a one hour long television block called ”The Godzilla Power-Hour”, where it would be aired together with Hanna-Barbera’s other series ”Jana Of The Jungle”. But in later reruns, these two shows have aired as separate shows, and I like both of them. But let’s get back to Godzilla, shall we?

This show tells the story about a group of ocean research scientists onboard a research vessel called The Calico. This team includes The Calico’s captain, Carl Majors, the female scientist Dr. Quinn Darien, her nephew Pete, and her research assistant Brock. This group is traveling the oceans and conducting scientific research experiments, and they very often run into a problem, often involving a giant monster, and it’s always a new kind of threat in every episode. But when danger approaches, the scientists activate the Godzilla Signaler, a handheld device that calls Godzilla from the bottom of the ocean to deal with the danger at hand. Taging along with the scientists is also Godzooky, an approximately 5-7 meters tall miniature version of Godzilla. Godzooky is described as being Godzilla’s ”cowardly cousin”, and there are more differences between them, other then size and courage. Godzooky, for example, has short membranes on the underside of his arms, which he can use to fly. But the most important difference between Godzilla and Godzooky, is that Godzilla can breathe fire ”Not his traditional atomic breath, but just plain simple fire. I guess Hanna-Barbera weren’t too keen on the idea of Godzilla being created by the radioactivity from atomic bombs.”, whereas when Godzooky attempts to breathe fire, he only manages to cough small rings of smoke, which he at times have succeeded in using to create smokescreens to give the scientists time to escape from danger. Also, if the scientists for some reason can’t use the Godzilla Signaler to call upon Godzilla, Godzooky can summon him by howling to him.

Since this show is from 1978, it’s of course animated in traditional cell animation, and since it is also an Hanna-Barbera production, it’s of course animated in their traditional style, with limited animation. But unlike their more comedy oriented shows, here they have succeeded in creating a show that’ll really have you sitting by the edge of your sofa, because this show really succeeds in getting you to wander what’s gonna happen to these characters, Godzilla and the team of scientists alike. The only nitpick I would have about it, is that Hanna-Barbera, for some reason I don’t know of, were unable to use Godzilla’s iconic roar from the Japanese films. Which is strange, because they were producing this show together with Toho, the very company that created Godzilla… So why were they unable to use the roar? But nevertheless, they did walk by this problem by getting Ted Cassidy, who is most famous for being the original Lurch from the 1964 sitcom ”The Addams Family”, to do the roars for Godzilla, which feels a little like the roars he did for The Hulk in the first two seasons of the Live Action TV version of ”The Incredible Hulk” from 1977. And I actually have to say, even though it isn’t the original Godzilla roar ”Boy, I really love the original roar!”, this roar, made by Ted Cassidy, does work pretty well in this show. So I can’t really complain about it. Oh, and by the way, Godzilla and Godzooky are the only monsters in this show that are referred to by actual names. All of the other monsters are referred to by their appearances or abilities ”For example, in one episode, Godzilla is facing two giant lions that are made of stone, and these lions are therefor called The Stone Creatures.” And in case you were wandering, none of the other classic monsters from the Japanese movies appear in this show. Not Mothra, not Rodan, not King Ghidora, not any of them. But we still have Godzilla, and that’s the only thing that counts, right? This show even trys to get in a slight element of education into its mixture, because the scientists usually come across some scientifically important descovery, a newly developed research instrument or an amazing phenomenon, when they come across the monster Godzilla have to fight in the episode. The show has, for example, had one episode about Atlantis ”in which Atlantis turned out to be an alien spaceship”.

In conclusion, Hanna-Barbera’s ”Godzilla” TV series might not be at the same budget level as the American Live Action movie from 1998, and it may not have any of the other classic Japanese monsters making guest appearances. But it does succeed with something that the American movie didn’t even really try to succeed with, and that’s to make Godzilla into a personality. You can feel that there is something extra in this magnificent creature, an intelligence that we humans normally like to think we are the only ones possessing. But Godzilla, and other creatures like him, might be the proof that we perhaps aren’t the only ones. And in this show, Godzilla displays alot of personality, and alot of compassion for humans, and that’s the main reason why I like this show. It might not be animated with the same technological advantages of modern animation, but it tells a story, and it tells it well. Besides, it’s Godzilla. What more do you want?

My Final Grade: Thumbs-Up!

#godzilla #hanna barbera #toho #review

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stacks-reviews · 7 years

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New Releases 7/24/27

Happy New Release Day!

In Books --The Backstagers volume 1 by James Tynion IV and illustrated by Rian Sygh “All the world’s a stage...but what happens behind the curtain is pure magic literally! When Jory transfers to an all-boys private high school, he is taken in by the only ones who don’t treat him like a new kid, the lowly stage crew known as the Backstagers. Not only does he gain great, lifetime friends, Jory is also introduced to an entire magical world that lives beyond the curtain. With the unpredictable twists and turns of the underground world, the Backstagers venture into the unknown, determined to put together the best play their high school has ever seen.”

I love everything about this. I hope it’ll be as good as it sounds. I mean, a magical boy band. Or at least a boy band that will travel to a magical world. What’s not to like.

--Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody The Gomorrah Festival is a traveling carnival of debauchery, catering to the strangest of dreams and desires. Sorina has spent most of her life on the borders of the festival as an illusion-worker, the only one to be born in hundreds of years. She creates illusions that you can see, feel and touch, that even have personalities. Sorina’s creations are like her family even though she knows that they are not truly real. At least until one of them is murdered. Desperate to save her family Sorina will venture into the most sinister corners of the Festival to unravel the horrifying truth.

I started thinking about Cirque de Freak by Darren Shan the moment I read the description. Purely because of a creepy carnival. I’ve never read that series by him but I have read a few books of his series The Demonata.

I’m really enjoying Sorina’s illusion powers. I like how she can make them touchable. I’m already debating if she might somehow be summoning her ancestors, maybe even pulling people from other dimensions, or just being so creative that she can create almost anything and make it real. Or even unknowingly putting a bit of herself into each creation, giving them life that they may grow and develop on their own. Either way it sounds like it would be pretty good. I’m curious to see what all powers might reside deeper in the carnival. And just what kind of power is able to kill illusions.

--Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju volume 2 by Haruko Kumota Yotaro has been accepted as Yakumo’s apprentice and a member of his household. Taking in this young man forces Yakumo to confront his past and promises that were left unfulfilled. He thinks of his friend and rival, Sukeroku. He remembers growing up in a Japan changing after the war. And of a woman named Miyokichi.

The second volume of the manga that the hit anime of the same name is based on. Although this series is about Yotaro and Konatsu (a woman who would like to perform rakugo but is stopped by her legal guardian; Yakumo, because he believes in the old style that prevents woman from peforming rakugo) learning rakugo and performing. It is also a tale of Yakumo as he confronts his past.

--Fairy Tail volume 61 by Hiro Mashima “The meaning of family. As the most powerful wizards of Fairy Tail face off against the remaining members of The Twelve, their hearts, relationships, and skills will be put to the test. The battle between Erza and Irene reaches an emotional conclusion, Gray shows how far he’s willing to go to save his dearest friends, and the love of a father sparks a shocking revelation from August. As Natsu and Zeref’s showdown approaches, both enemies and friends must ask themselves who their true family is!”

Honestly, I have fallen behind on Fairy Tail. The last volume I read was 54. I’m slowly trying to catch back up. It’s not that I don’t like the series anymore, although I don’t know if I could still call it one of my top current favorites. I had to cut back due to when I left one of my part-time jobs. Although the one I kept had fewer hours, it allowed me to focus on college and my homework more. I don’t really know what is going on currently, except for the fact that it is near the end of the final arc. I want to be all caught up by the time the final volume; 63, comes out.

--First We Were IV by Alexandra Sirowy “It started for pranks, fun, and forever memories. A secret society - for the four of us. The rules: Never Lie. Never tell. Love each other. We made the pledge and danced under the blood moon on the meteorite in the orchard. In the spot we found the dead girl five years earlier. And discovered the ancient drawings way before that. Nothing could break the four of us apart - I thought. But then, others wanted in. Our seaside town had secrets. History. We wanted revenge. We broke the rules. We lied. We told. We loved each other too much, not enough, and in ways we weren’t supposed to. Our invention ratcheted out of control. What started as a secret society, ended as justice. Revenge. Death. Rebellion.”

The first time I looked this book up, I wasn’t too crazy. Labeled it as a maybe. I don’t know if Goodreads had a different description or if I just liked it more the second time around. It sounds like it could be a pretty good mystery. My guess right now, is that by creating IV they might have gotten the idea from a old group who called themselves the same. And somehow in the process maybe committed some kind of magic ritual that maybe activated some old ghosts from the previous group. I hope it has something to do with an ancient civilization.

--Generation Witch volume 1 by Isaki Uta One percent of the population is made up of witches. Some look up to witches, some envy them. But these abilities can sometimes be more of a curse than a blessing, as any witch knows. Growing up requires a lot of luck and effort for a teenager, so what happens when you throw spirits, magic, and broomsticks into the mix?

I couldn’t really find any information regarding this manga other than the description. It appears to be pretty new. It sounds like a cute coming of age story and it kind of makes me think of Flying Witch; which I have neither seen nor read but I would like to, and Kiki’s Delivery Service. In terms of a young witch trying to learn her craft throughout her day to day life.

--Strange Practice (paperback) by Vivian Shaw Greta Helsing uses her family’s highly specialized, and highly peculiar, medical practice as a doctor to the undead. Keeping the supernatural community not-alive in London has been the Helsing’s specialty for generations. She treats vocal strain in banshees, arthritis in barrow-wights, and entropy in mummies. It’s a quiet, supernatural-adjacent life Greta’s been groomed into since childhood. Quiet until a group of murderous monks appears, killing human and undead Londoners. It’s up to Greta to use her unusual skills to stop the cult if she hopes to save her practice and her life.

I’m a fan of seeing supernatural creatures just trying to live their lives. Where not all of them are necessarily evil. Some just want to live. I’m gonna point the blame at Inuyasha on this one cause I think that’s the first place I ever ran across the idea of not all monsters are evil. I think. Plus, I just like seeing the twist of a Helsing helping supernatural creatures instead of hunting them.

In Movies --Gifted A story of a man raising his very intelligent niece after her mother died so that she may live an ordinary life. His mother finds out where they live, believes her granddaughter’s talents are being wasted, and tries to gain custody of her.

It was a really cute story starring Chris Evans. And Mckenna Grace was adorable as Mary. I loved their characters relationship in the film. It was a very touching movie.

--Ghost in the Shell This entry will contain some spoilers at the end about the end of the movie. You have been warned.

The live action adaptation of the amazing manga, anime film, and anime series. On IMDb the description of the live action version is as follows: “In the near future, Major is the first of her kind: A human saved from a terrible crash, who is cyber-enhanced to be a perfect soldier devoted to stopping the world’s most dangerous criminals”

Really just putting this up because I’ll be getting it someday to be able to finish my collection. That’s about it. The effects of this movie were very well done. I really appreciated the fact that there were references to each form of this series. I remember seeing scenes that I know were only in the manga, some scenes that were in the original film, some scenes from S.A.C., and some nods to Arise. I had some issues with what they did to the story. I love GitS. The anime is easily one of my top favorites and I have a lot of respect and love towards Major Motoko Kusanagi. I tried my very best to see the movie as its own universe. Easy enough since each form has been its own universe. But there were just some things here and there that I couldn’t get past. Which I could go into all the details but that should probably be on a post more dedicated to it. But I will mention that I was slightly disappointed that she was not shot in the head at the end. In each other version, that happened at least once. And they ruined my OTP. Due to plot, I gathered that the Major is really aged somewhere between 16 and 18. While Batou looks like he’s in his 30′s. I can’t approve of it. They ruined my ship in this version and for that I will never forgive them.

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kingofthewilderwest · 7 years

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I think you might have answered a question like this before, but if the gang was in a modern day environment, what type do you think they'd want to go to college for (if they did)? And why?

Huh, I don’t think I actually have officially talked about this! Let’s go!

Hiccup: Computer Science.

Hiccup is an extraordinary inventor canonically. He creates technology that is well beyond his time. For this reason, I truly believe that a modern AU Hiccup would delve deep into the technology of this time, too. There are of course many different types of technologies in our contemporary society, but I feel as though computers are where Hiccup is going to be.

First off, we know that Hiccup is someone who is talented with the physical sciences. His inventions require a lot of knowledge of physics. While Hiccup does have interest in biological sciences as well (his love of dragons!), I feel as though one of the fields in the physical sciences is where he can apply his love for invention the most. The things Hiccup creates - shields, saddles, weapons - fall more into a physical sciences category.

Computer technology is also where many incredible advancements are being made currently. Hiccup would be able to start playing around with computers at a young age (another reason why he’d be interested in this field specifically). Just as Hiccup started working at Gobber’s shop at a young age and that influenced how he invented things canonically, so Hiccup would at a young age begin to tamper around with computer technology. He would be able to learn how to program things in the middle school and high school. He could craft his own monumental ideas right from home with the resources he has.

It’s incredibly easy for me to see Hiccup as a techie. He could be that nerd who gets hired by his university’s IT department to help debug other student laptops or show teachers how to turn on their darned projector. He could work for some company like Google or HP or Apple or Android or who-knows-what. But since computer technology is changing so rapidly in this day and age with the latest creative inventiveness, it seems like this is exactly the place where Hiccup would go. So Computer Science major it is!

Fishlegs: Zoology –> Veterinarian Medicine.

Other life sciences like Botany, Ecology, or Biology would also work very well for Fishlegs. We know he likes plants and learning all sorts of things about how living things work. But being as we see Fishlegs’ greatest excitement focusing around dragons, I imagine that Zoology could be a good match for him in his undergraduate years. In this sort of degree, Fishlegs could specifically study non-human living creatures and all their wonderful adaptations.

I could see Fishlegs going along a Pre-Vet track. Various degrees could get him to his eventual goal of vet school. I know people who have entered vet school with degrees like Microbiology, for instance. But I feel like Fishlegs would get straight to the point - there are certain species of animals he loves, and he wants to learn about them now. It is to note that entering vet school is extremely competitive… but being as Fishlegs is a bit of a scholar, I imagine he’d still try and go for it. He has enough passion for animals and a lot of academic things going for him that he could successfully enter veterinarian medicine for his graduate studies.

I imagine Fishlegs would be best suited as a small animal vet as versus large animal or exotic. I’ve got several reasons for this… First, Meatlug acts rather dog-like. This could translate to Fishlegs adoring dogs in a modern AU. Second, large animal veterinarians have a different approach to treatment than small animal vets. Large animal has to take care of entire herds of livestock… small animal is about taking care of pets. Though it’s harder to get into small animal, Fishlegs is happiest when he’s around his companion Meatlug, so pets is where he’d be. I could maaaaybe see a variation where he goes into exotics and tries to work in a zoo setting, given as he does have interest in dragons in their natural habitats, but by and large I think small animal fits his personality and interests best.

So Fishlegs has a long academic road ahead of him! Let’s wish him luck. ^.^

One more thing: Fishlegs in his undergraduate years has the potential to double major or get a minor. Fishlegs is also someone who would have a strong appreciation for the arts and humanities. We know he tries to write poems for Meatlug. An English or Creative Writing minor? It’s a possibility. Even something like History wouldn’t be out of scope (though I imagine he probably just takes one or two electives on that topic for that one).

Heather: Chemistry.

This admittedly is mostly going after Heather’s characterization as she appears in School of Dragons. I know that it’s a bit divergent from her choices, experiences, and characteristics in DOB/RTTE, but putting her as a chemist still doesn’t seem that odd to me.

Heather doesn’t strike me as a life sciences, humanities, business, or arts individual. She doesn’t seem to have inclinations towards those sorts of interests. Physical sciences seem more up her alley to me.

I also suspect that “will I get a job” will factor into Heather’s choice of major. Heather’s had a tough canonical life and she wants to fight for something better. Though she gets emotionally wearied, we do see that she’s willing to even do things like steal from others to “donate” to the people who lost their homes. This suggests she could be willing to drive herself hard, and she is someone who doesn’t want her life to be terrible forever. Her solution would be to pick a degree that she thinks is “practical,” has some reputation, but also isn’t what she would consider “intimidating.” (Note: majors are not actually harder based upon society’s strange perceived notions of value and whether or not it’s science. Don’t get me STARTED on the rigor of my Music Composition degree!)

For an alternate, I could see Heather pursuing Journalism. Heather has first-hard experienced some terrible things about society. Maybe, with the right circumstances in a modern AU, she would want a job in journalism to expose the injustices she has seen and lived.

Eret: Accounting.

I don’t know exactly which business degree Eret would attain (Accounting sounds best to me right now), but I do feel as though business makes sense for him. Eret in HTTYD 2 works as a dragon trapper. He’s got a sense of negotiation and doing what needs to be done to get business continuing smoothly between himself and Drago. Eret is about doing the work at hand and translating that into the best possible resources and security for himself.

Business can of course be very cerebral, but one of the things that is attractive about it is practicality. It’s a degree with a set goal of going into business and doing work to directly translate practice into financial success. Eret would like to get straight to the point. Something like History would likely feel irrelevant to him - what would he do with it? But he’d know what he could do in the school of business and how to make that work out nicely for him.

Astrid: Anatomy and Physiology -or- Engineering.

I’m going to give two answers based upon two different lines of reason.

The one that people might be most comfortable with, and feel resonates most with her current character, is that Astrid gets a degree in Anatomy and Physiology or some other related Health degree. With this degree, Astrid can be a physical trainer, physical therapist, or some other related profession by which she helps people become stronger physically. As a trained athlete but someone also with the ability for empathy and compassion, this sort of field could work well with her. She can’t exactly fight people as a warrior in our modern society, but she can help other people fight to become in better shape. That’d work great for her.

So that one might be the most intuitive and comfortable response to give Astrid for a major. I’ll give one alternate suggestion along a different line of reasoning. I feel a little weirder saying “Engineering” for her, but I’ll explain why that’s the other possibility I’m suggesting. If you don’t like it, just chill with Anatomy and Physiology.

Now, Astrid is someone who fits in well within society’s current parameters. She can adjust to become successful based upon what society values. Both intelligent and smart, I feel like Astrid is someone who could succeed at whatever she wants to do. This means that I suspect that Astrid, in a modern world, would select a degree that she feels contributes greatly to the community and is widely respected by society.

I also suspect that family history could play into a role for what Astrid chooses degree-wise. Fearless Finn Hofferson probably was a big deal before the Flightmare. The Hoffersons could have been esteemed warriors for all we know - and in fact, maybe there are some hints that they are? Astrid takes pride in wielding her mother’s axe during Dragon Training, and she already seems to have been trained by the time she enters the ring. How could Astrid have already known how to handle an axe? It would probably be family teaching her and honing her abilities, training her well from a very young age. Astrid is aware her parents’ war is about to become hers, she takes a lot of time and effort training… one reason Astrid is so dedicated in Dragon Training could be because that’s how she was brought up.

Astrid’s family in a modern world would want to instill hardworking values on their daughter at a young age, just as they might have done with her axe training in canon. From the engineering families I know (and I guess I know a lot of them), they tend to take a lot of concern about their kids’ education. They want to train their kids to be successful in school, even if the kid doesn’t end up following the same occupational course they do. But since canon Astrid cares that “our parents’ war is about to become ours,” it could be the case that Astrid’s engineering occupation instills her with the interest to carry on that work, as well.

If you’re anything like me, you probably think this degree assignment feels weird. Maybe even very weird. I admit that even as I am giving reason for why Astrid would get a degree like this, I feel awkward saying so. It’s potentially because it’s so different from the Astrid we know on Berk. She’s a warrior on Berk. How could a warrior end up with a degree like this? For me, even though it feels odd, I’m still giving this answer because context, context, context is important. In a modern AU context, being a warrior isn’t what pays. Sure, Astrid probably really enjoys athletics, but I don’t think she would be comfortable with the idea of trying to become a professional athlete (while some people definitely laud young athletes, lots of other people would poo-poo the idea for this as a career, and Astrid wouldn’t like that). In a modern AU, where Astrid can do her best fighting and succeeding is in very different occupations. I’m not saying she’d like the degree, but her motivation for choosing it I think is solid enough, even if we feel a little odd associating her with “engineer.”

As far as what type of engineering? Take your pick. There are so many types of engineering out there, but I can see her going different routes, so if you want aerospace or civil or mechanical or whatever, sure! I think it’d fulfill Astrid’s desires of college whichever one you pick.

Snotlout: Open Option –> College Dropout.

Frankly, I imagine that the reason Snotlout would enter college at all is because of familial pressure. Snotlout does care what Daddy thinks, and while Spitelout isn’t some raging academic, he’s someone who cares about success and status. In our modern society, success has been oddly coupled with “your kids go to college.” Snotlout would have a better chance of getting a high-paying job, yada yada yada, aka, Snotlout should go to college. So because of the pressure, that’s what Snottykins does. He applies, gets accepted, starts college.

I don’t think that Snotlout would finish his degree. Snotlout might drop out of college before he even chooses what his degree will be. I could see Snotlout entering college as an open option, thinking that he’ll figure out his degree as he goes along and becomes “inspired.” He takes a disparate selection of classes, lots of random topics that fulfill general graduation requirements, everything from History of Hip Hop to Philosophy of Science Fiction. He avoids the hard classes (no Calculus II for this guy). While the hip hop class is sort of fun, nothing grabs him. He parties a bit too much, screws up his sleep schedule, slacks off, procrastinates, watches his grades drop. Eventually, Snotlout can’t care enough about college. He drops out within a few semesters.

Tuffnut: English Literature.

Tuffnut could be an individual who chooses not to college. I could certainly see him as someone who doesn’t enter the university. But, if he does, I think it would be in English Literature. Theatre is another option. Maybe a minor in Philosophy if he actually extended the effort, though I doubt he would.

Tuffnut is an individual with a notable amount of vocabulary. He’s actually very good with words - the more you study him throughout the franchise, the more you realize this is an area in which he is very strong, intelligent, and talented. A language-centric field is where he would find his (relative) interest and strengths.

English Literature sounds like the best bet for Tuff. I don’t think Tuffnut would be as interested in doing something like Creative Writing where he has to do a lot of original writing himself, but reading up on others’ works and making opinionated comments about it could be his thing. I don’t find it that hard for Tuffnut to enjoy and start gallantly shouting Shakespeare. I think that English Literature makes sense over other types of literature… he’d stick with a field that’s in his own language and relatively close to home.

Whether or not Tuffnut finishes his degree is up in the air. I think he could finish it. He’ll never take his major extremely seriously, he’ll probably take minimal required classes, he’ll procrastinate and slack off, but he’ll get decent enough grades to pass. Tuff’s GPA won’t be spectacular, but it’d be enough to get him through the graduation ceremony. If Tuffnut decides that college is worth his time and actually enrolls, then I do think it’s possible for him to graduate.

Ruffnut: Finance.

Ruffnut would also be someone to go into a business school. I could imagine her wanting to get an Associates degree and then get out of college, but between the two twins, I imagine her more easily in a post-secondary setting. Ruffnut can be very glib and free, but she also is a little more practical minded than her brother. I could see her picking a degree that she thinks will get her a solid chance of a job, picking a degree that maybe she would think is “not objectionable” (as versus something like, say, Theoretical Mathematics… I don’t think she’d enjoy that one).

Let’s be frank. Putting her in the business school also gives us the chance in the modern AU for her to meet Eret and go gaga eyes over him. Can’t miss that storytelling chance, can we?

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bestfriendforhire · 4 years

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Children of BFFH, Entry 59

“You have no idea how infuriating not knowing your thoughts is at times.” stated Alaric as he stared down Aid, though we all knew his comment was actually meant for Four.

“Probably horrible for you, since some of us can read yours.” replied Aid with a mirthless smile. He probably caught something unwanted in Alaric’s thoughts again.

“If you must know, Father and half the adults are meeting up at the Château de Flaugergues because Father wanted to meet with someone there. If you were really that curious, we could have tagged along.” explained Four with a frown for Alaric.

“No-no. You’re right. Sorry, Four. Really.” insisted Alaric, holding up his hands defensively. Though he loved messing with Aid, he never wanted to fight Four, probably being reminded too much of Father, possibly Mother due to Four’s eyes. “What if we go to…” started Alaric, pausing to think or rifle through thoughts of nearby Slayer descendents. “Montpellier’s Citadelle!” he exclaimed, pronouncing the word like the French while speaking English despite being in France.

Doc shrugged and said, “Sure. I didn’t get a chance to research any good places for today. Sorry.”

“The Citadelle will be great! Plenty of history. It’s a school now, so even the Boss should appreciate the educational aspect, right?” asked Alaric with forced enthusiasm.

Four sighed and said, “Let’s go. Father would appreciate the architecture, and Mother would probably be amused by us seeking out an educational institute on vacation.”

“Exactly!” exclaimed Alaric, wrapping his arms roughly around my brothers.

Shoving off Alaric’s arm and turning around, Aid questioned “Ella? Where are you going?”

“The Citadel was a military place. I’d rather go.. that way.” she replied, pointing in the direction she had started to walk.

“Why?” he asked with interest.

“I…” she started before frowning. “I don’t remember, but I might again if I go that way.”

Seeing that Four and Messy seemed to be having a mental discussion that could alter the course in a way that would make Alaric whiney, I quickly said, “I’ll go with her. We’ll be fine.”

Four nodded, and the group continued on behind him.

Messy would be going off to meet Auntie Aaliyah and Crazy soon. They were supposed to get up to mischief today. Messy always considered time with her mother to be mischief.

I quickly took hold of Ella’s hand, not trusting myself to find her again if she somehow slipped off. Days like this, I was really envious of Aid’s power. Messy’s would typically be even better, but the idea of accidentally obliterating someone with a thought wasn’t pleasant. Not having her experience, I’d probably do something awful even without her current predicament.

Ella was happily wandering off toward the river, which certainly didn’t bother me. A large quantity of water nearby would ensure my ability to protect her and give me plenty of aquatic life to admire. I blinked and accidentally jarred Ella to a stop as I sensed something unusual in the river. Resisting the urge to call the others, or even Father, to come see this, I started walking again with Ella.

There was no life on this planet that would surprise my parents, so bothering them would only have them humoring me at best. Besides, Mila would tell them what we saw the instant we arrived if my parents didn’t already know. My brothers and friends would certainly want to see these creatures, but Alaric’s reactions weren’t something I wanted to try predicting. With a dragon-like, horned head and a scaled, serpentine body, I was certain this was a guivre, which I hadn’t believed actually existed. I couldn’t even recall a story of them in rivers. What were they doing here, and how did Ella know? She was guiding us directly toward them. I’d tell the others after I studied them for a bit.

“Ella, are you sensing something again yet?” I asked, suspecting this was a fey thing. Aid’s fey abilities were certainly enviable as well, with Four and I left out of that group.

Small question marks formed around her head as she turned to look at me. Just before our eyes met, the question marks changed from blue to yellow and lost form as if they were bursts of light. “You’re right! I do.” she replied excitedly.

“Please, focus on that sensation. Are they intelligent, perhaps a type of fey?” I questioned hopefully, though I doubted the latter could be true.

Shaking her head and continued to walk, she said, “Not fey, but… I’d compare their thoughts to dolphins.” She giggled and said, “They’re so playful!”

Resisting the urge to pick up Ella and run was difficult, but I managed. At first glance, I thought the creatures were black, but several quickly popped above the water’s surface when Ella knelt down there. Their scales changed colors as the light hit them from different angles. Remembering the stories, I prepared to protect Ella should the creatures attack, but they didn’t. Animals never attacked the fey, and Ella’s fey abilities were strong.

Laughing as they all three tried nuzzling her hand at once, she happily petted them, drawing the attention of even more. There were eleven of the creatures here, none any longer than my leg. Unable to resist the urge, I bent down to pet them as well, but they sadly pulled away, probably recognizing my scent as that of a predator.

“Wait. Stay still.” ordered Ella as I started to pull back.

I grinned when one of the creatures cautiously came up to my hand, sniffing it. Then the guivre glanced at Ella before nuzzling its head into my palm. Unlike a fish, the guivre weren’t slimy. The scales were solid and rough.

“What are they thinking?” I asked, gently petting the cute creature.

Ella rambled on about each one, speaking of how the different emotions she was getting from them. The hungry one didn’t have to wait long, attacking a fish that came nearby. Four of the others quickly latched onto the fish as well, tearing off chunks to eat around the first one’s coiled body. Having visited with dragons many times, the display didn’t bother me at all, but I was a little surprised that Ella wasn’t repulsed, though she wasn’t watching either. Maybe she couldn’t see through the water well enough to know? I didn’t ask, hearing someone approaching from the upper sidewalk.

“Wait.” stated a girl in Russian. “I smell something odd. I’m going to investigate, so I’ll catch you later, Father.”

I barely had considered the idea of casting a spell to conceal our scent when I caught sight of the girl, crouching down to watch us. She definitely wasn’t human, and she was downwind from us. I couldn’t smell her to determine what she was.

Realizing I was watching, she casually stood and started carefully walking down the steep concrete incline between us. As she walked, she started casting spells to deter anyone else that might approach. Mother’s spells were better.

“Who are you, and what are you doing? What’s down there?” she asked in perfect French.

Ella must have told the guivre to hide, since they took off under the water to a hollow area in the riverbed. Then she waved cheerily and said, “Hi! I’m Ella. Who are you?”

The girl rushed toward us, attempting to grab Ella. She was fast, nearly as fast as me, but I managed to catch her wrist, which shocked the girl.

“Stop!” ordered Ella, staring at the girl. Unfortunately, she either didn’t catch the girls eyes or the girl was warded, probably the latter.

“You’re from the…” I started to say when the girl took a swing at me, obviously not worried about what fighting might do to her clothing. I used a spell to lift Ella and move her away as I did my best not to hurt my attacker.

The girl was well-trained and at least a few years older than me, so keeping up was a struggle, especially with her constantly trying to create spells to attack me. Unlike her, I didn’t want to try hunting down Valeria, who was off somewhere with Cosette today, just to get a change of clothes.

Moments later, I stopped caring about my clothes or the fire launched at my back. I hurled myself past Ella to punch a tall man coming at her from behind. He caught me with a mighty grip, and I could easily guess this was the girl’s father. No longer worrying about our magic being seen, especially with the girl’s protections in place, I summoned the river to fight on my behalf. Seeing a mass of water rushing up at each of them, made my attackers flinch, but I knew I didn’t have long.

“Mila, I need your daughter!” I shouted, knowing that Crazy would get here with truly insane speed if she didn’t hold back.

“Mila?” questioned the man, quickly using spells to fight back the river for himself and his daughter. “You… are you James’ girl?” he asked, looking worried.

His shocked face would have been hilarious when Crazy barreled into him had she not broken his arm in the process. I sent the waters back into the river, since even the daughter stopped attacking when she heard my father’s name. Then again, maybe she was shocked because her father was encased in some sort of metal. Messy and Auntie Aaliyah had showed up too.

“Hello, Maksim!” called Auntie Aaliyah giddily as ever.

“Aaliyah.” he stated, all fight gone out of him. He looked very, very white.

“Father, who are they?” questioned Maksim’s daughter, speaking Russian again.

“Hi, Marisha! You should have done your studies yesterday instead of playing my game.” replied Auntie Aaliyah, her smile widening when the girl realized who was speaking.

“I’m a huge fan of your work!” insisted Marisha as she jogged over to Auntie Aaliyah.

“And I’m not a fan of someone who would attack cute Ella and adorable Luce without provocation.” replied Auntie Aaliyah, her grin unceasing.

“Mom! There was obviously a misunderstanding. Maksim wouldn’t think of attacking the Boss’ daughter after the Boss had been so merciful before.” stated Messy quite gloomily. She released Maksim from whatever she had encased him in and even healed his arm, making the man stare in wonder.

Crazy sighed and asked “Are you sure he’s not a criminal? I could totally become a caped crusader here!” She moved and was suddenly hugging a very startled Marsiha. “I mean this one’s definitely up to trouble, don’t you think?”

“No, I think she was just a bit aggressive.” I replied, doing my best to ignore Crazy’s frown. I doubted Auntie Aaliyah would kill them over this, but taking their side wouldn’t hurt.

“Will everyone please calm down?” questioned Ella worriedly. She’d probably forget all of this happened before we were done speaking, but no one liked upsetting Ella.

“Aww… of course, Ella.” replied Aaliyah, making a show of running over to Ella before embracing her. Auntie Aaliyah was everywhere, so moving was always a show for her. Turning to look at Maksim, she said, “Aren’t you going to be late? I’ll make sure the girls play nice.”

“Yes, Aaliyah. Please, forgive our rash actions. We will gladly make amends.” replied Maksim with a nod, rushing off without waiting for a reply.

Marisha curtsied the moment Crazy released her, saying in English, “My humblest apologies. I should have tried speaking with you first, but I got excited to see a kid near my age who could actually fight. I didn’t expect my father to show up. Had I known you were James’ daughter, I would not have considered attacking you or your friend.”

I could easily understand why. Father had shattered Maksim’s body when they fought, because Maksim wouldn’t back down. He still wishes that hadn’t been necessary.

“Apology accepted.” I told her. “I’m sorry that my friends startled you, but I knew I couldn’t fight you and your father by myself.”

“How are you there so fast!?” questioned Marisha eagerly as she looked between Auntie Aaliyah, Messy, and Crazy.

“They’re the fast ones.” insisted Auntie Aaliyah. “I’m just inventive.”

Crazy laughed, shaking her head.

Messy frowned at her mom before saying, “Care to join us for some food?”

Speaking quickly before Marisha could answer, I said, “Actually, there’s something I think you want to see… just over there. Ella will need a good hour here to remember them.”

Messy’s eyes widened as she “caught sight” of the creatures in their burrow. I was always thankful that she wasn’t as all-knowing as her mom, or I’d always feel even more behind her than normal. With Auntie Aaliyah actively here instead of passively watching, I knew the guivre would be safe. Despite her antics, Auntie Aaliyah would gladly protect creatures for her daughter. At least, she would if they didn’t need to die for some outlandishly complicated reason. Either way, this day was far more eventful than I had expected.

#Children of BFFH #Children #of #BFFH #Jovial Times #Jovial #Times #Fantasy #Fiction #Story

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shiningamongdarkness · 4 years

Text

Chapter 26. Action plan

Shining among Darkness

By WingzemonX

Chapter 26 Action plan

"I'm a failure as a psychiatrist," Matilda mumbled like a lament on the phone, running her fingers nervously through her hair. Eleven listened intently on the line. "I may have the intelligence, memory, and knowledge... but I don't have that emotional coldness that is needed to not take each case personally. I tell myself that I shouldn't do it, but just..."

Matilda breathed slowly, trying to calm down. She wasn't the type of people who frequently lost their composure, and that violent act in the cafeteria had already been enough towards that terrain.

After a short stretch of silence, she heard Eleven's voice again echo through her phone's speaker. She sounded much calmer and more serene. She was always so unalterable, at least from her point of view.

"When you first told me that you wanted to actively help at the Foundation, I didn't wish to a psychiatrist. I wanted you, Matilda. That lack of emotional coldness that you describe is just why you will always be the best to reach out to these children. You have done nothing wrong, neither with Carrie, nor with Samara, nor with anyone else. Things sometimes just don't go our way, and it's not our fault."

Matilda sighed heavily. She sat up straight on the bench, running the fingers of her free hand over the corners of her eyes. There were no tangible traces of tears, even though she had felt them at one point.

"Thanks for that," she muttered slowly. "And thanks also for saving my life in the hospital. It was you, right?"

The question was a simple formality since she was sure it had been her. Even amid all that confusion and fear, she could feel it.

"I don't want you to think I was spying on you," Jane replied in a relaxed tone.

"Even if you would have been... thank you," Matilda whispered slowly, feeling really honest, especially in that little thank you at the end.

Miles away, Eleven was also making her own effort to stay calm at the reminder of her successful "rescue." Only Mike and she knew that it had not been in fact so successful.

"I don't like we're fighting, Pretty Matilda," Eleven whispered, trying to sound as casual as possible. "Especially because of a simple misunderstanding."

"I'm not fighting with you, just..." Matilda pondered what to answer for a moment, but she wasn't able to string the sentences coherently. She took a moment to contemplate the sky above her, which was already darker than reddish. Even the brightest stars were already visible. "People say that genius will inevitably always come with its dose of self-centeredness and self-pride. I always thought I was the exception to it until it slowly came true, without me even realizing it." A small wry chuckle escaped her lips. "Starting with the fact that I just called myself a genius, right?"

Eleven also laughed a little, though she quickly regained her more serious posture.

"It was never my intention to attack your pride, if that's what you mean," she indicated solemnly. "As I said a moment ago, sometimes things don't happen as we wish, or they simply exceed us. And when those times come, there's nothing wrong with getting help from someone else."

"Yes, my mother said something similar to me once," Matilda pointed out thoughtfully, remembering what they were talking about that afternoon, just before she saw Carrie White for the first time.

No, she couldn't keep allowing her mind to wander in that direction and lose herself in it again. Carrie White was part of the past, what was important was the place and situation she was in at that precise moment.

"I understand, and I apologize for my childish attitude, Eleven," she stated firmly. "I understand that you want to make sure you do what's best for Samara, just like me. But... seriously?" The skepticism in Matilda's voice became quite marked for a few moments. "Demons and ghosts? Do you really believe in all that? Or do you think any of that really has to do with what happens to Samara?"

Matilda could hear Eleven sigh deeply on the other end of the line. In her last video call, she had told her that it was not an appropriate topic to speak for that type of media. However, obviously, she had no other choice, given the circumstances.

"Listen," Eleven said in a soft, calm, if a little cold voice, "you know my story, about how I was born and how I was raised and trained as a child to use my powers, right?"

"Yes," Matilda replied, somewhat unsure.

"Well, there's a part of that story that you don't know or not entirely. Cole calls these beings like demons and ghosts because of his belief and upbringing, thus caused him to identify them. If you don't feel comfortable with those terms, you don't have to use them. But there is something that I can assure you with complete conviction and knowledge. And that is that there are other worlds; different, and at the same time very similar, to the one in which we live. Tens, maybe hundreds. And these worlds inhabit creatures very different from any other person, plant or animal you have ever met. Most of the time, they are very, very far from us, and have no interaction with our world. But in others, they are capable of entering and creating disasters like you cannot imagine. And the influence and damage they can cause to people, are impossible to measure."

Matilda listened to everything very, very carefully. The calm and confident way in which she said all that, had her more than intrigued. There was nothing in her tone or words that opened up the possibility that she was joking, or that she was trying to say something other than literal.

"Are they ghosts or demons? Who knows," Eleven continued. "I only know them with one name: monsters, quite real monsters. And I have faced them since I was a child. I have a special sensitivity to these types of creatures, and my ability to see and feel what happens in other places, can also sometimes cross to these other worlds without my wanting to, and create a link between the two realities. There are others with the same sensitivity as mine... but Cole's is exceptional," the latter had been pointed out firmly. "How he could connect, perceive, and even control these energies and planes is incredible. He is the best help you can have for this type of phenomenon, even better than mine."

Matilda's head was spinning. However, she managed to accommodate each piece of information like books on a shelf, identifying which of all this was the most important thing to place just at the height of her face and thus be able to better read its title. But what was most important about that conversation? What should she focus on? On the other worlds, their monsters or that Cole Sear apparently is an expert certified in all this by Eleven herself? She wasn't even able to fully accept that it was real.

"Why had I never heard about it before?" Matilda questioned, a little defensively.

"I think Cole told you a while ago, right?" Eleven pointed out. "They are not subjects that anyone can handle. Knowing that there are people with abilities that can be misused and cause significant damage is already quite scary. Knowing that there are also creatures without the slightest bit of morality or scruples that can do the same things, or even worse... Well, it is a subject that I prefer to handle more discreetly. I hope you understand me."

Of course, the classic tactic of hiding information from people who are unable to understand it, to avoid panic and confusion. Matilda was confused, but not yet panicked.

"I can't say I understand or even believe in everything you tell me," Matilda declared flatly. "But suppose for a moment that it is so... What did you see in this case that made you think that there might be something like that involved? Samara's ability is strange, but not enough to consider her demonic. What did you see that I didn't?"

"I told you before, remember? It is not what I saw, but what I didn't see." That enigmatic phrase again didn't do much to ease the brunette's mood. "There is something about this girl that she lacks, Matilda. Something she lost, or perhaps never had. I can't tell you for sure what it is, but it makes me feel quite uncomfortable, which I can only compare to what I have felt when facing one of these creatures that I'm talking about."

"Do you think she's possessed by one of those monsters or something?" Matilda ironed.

"It wouldn't be so strange; I've seen it before. Even a very good friend of ours suffered from it when we were children."

"Are you serious?" Matilda asked incredulously.

"Of course. But I don't know if it's about that. So I want you to let Cole go over it to better determine what is going on. If you agree to work with him now."

Matilda was silent, a small reflective silence.

"I guess my previous apology would be pointless if I refused," she replied after those few seconds of musing. However, she didn't sound exactly convinced. "What shall we do next, then?"

"We'll discuss that in a second when Cole and Cody are there with you."

Matilda had an unconscious urge to question what she meant, but a few seconds later, she would realize how foolish that would be. The doors leading to the patio opened, and the footsteps of two people were noted among all the calm. Matilda turned on her shoulder, and there she saw them both approaching: Cody on the right side, Cole on the left, and the latter holding another glass of coffee in it.

The psychiatrist remained gentle on the bench as they approached her.

"I'm coming in peace," Cole declared fervently, holding up his hands in surrender in a somewhat comical way. "Coffee?"

At that moment, he extended the coffee he had in his hand. Matilda only looked at him for a few seconds with a neutral expression.

"No, thanks."

"Come on, you're the only one of the three who can drink this thing," the detective pointed out mockingly. Not entirely convinced, but resigned, she reached out and took the cup with her free hand; just to keep it close.

"Eleven called us and said to come to pick you up here," Cody said next.

"Yes, I guessed," she answered, not entirely animated.

"Don't you have something to say, Matilda?" She heard at that moment that Eleven was mumbling on the phone, still pressed against her ear.

Matilda breathed slowly and closed her eyes for a second, trying to mentalize herself. She pushed the phone away from her ear a little and looked at Cole, though not directly.

"I'm sorry," she muttered with great effort as if she were ripping something painful embedded in the skin. "My reaction was exaggerated and childish."

"Don't worry, Doctor," Cole replied with a casual smile, apparently not giving much importance to the almost forced tone of his apology. "Mine was not far behind. And, to be honest, many times, the best way to start a good friendship is with a good blow, even if it is psychic." He held out his hand to her again in greeting, similar to how he had done a few hours ago in that Portland cafeteria. "Friends?"

Matilda stared at his hand in silence for a while, and for a second Cody, and Cole himself thought she would again refuse to take it. To their surprise, after a few moments, Matilda passed her phone from her right hand to her left and shook the hand he offered, although not very effusively.

"Colleagues, rather," she clarified in a cloudy voice. Cole, for his part, shrugged his agreement.

"It's progress."

"Same thing," Cody added with relief.

"Well done, Matilda," Eleven's voice on the phone congratulated, a second after they released their hands. "Now, put me on speaker."

Matilda obeyed and immediately turned on the phone's speaker and placed it lying in front of her. Cody and Cole walked around the bench and stood in front of it so they could hear better, and so that Eleven could listen to them too.

"You've had a hard day, boys," her mentor's voice began on the phone, "and what I least want is to entertain you and don't let you rest what you deserve."

"Don't worry, Eleven," Cody commented enthusiastically in his voice, possibly from listening to Eleven again after a long time. "And thanks for getting us out of that problem with the police."

"It was the least that could be done. And I must thank you for all your support, Cody, even though none of this would have been a case that the Foundation directly requested you."

Cody laughed a little, and his cheeks flushed, although it was hardly appreciable by the low light that illuminated them at those moments.

"I am always ready to help in whatever way I can," the professor declared in a firm tone.

"I know that, boy. Ok, it's time to set our action plan." Eleven's tone drastically changed from jovial and carefree to a much more serious one. "We have several points to discuss, and the first is Lily Sullivan."

Matilda reflexively closed her eyes and grimaced as if a small stomach ache had suddenly come to her. She could see immediately that the moment of hugs, kisses, and "we all love each other" had passed, and it was the turn of scolding. In fact, that tone in Eleven's voice was clearly her scolding voice, because indeed she had one... and quite terrifying.

Eleven continued.

"If Lucy hadn't informed me of your sudden request for information, Matilda, I would never have heard about this new case, which was not asked for prior evaluation to determine whether or not we should intervene in it."

"It was a sudden, last-minute thing, and I decided to act fast," the psychiatrist tried to justify herself, slightly defensively. "Furthermore, I had no intention of making this a case dealt with by the Foundation..."

Eleven interrupted her abruptly with authority:

"Well, it became one at the moment you involved Cody and Lucy, and the time you introduce yourselves to those people as part of the Foundation."

Matilda and Cody looked at each other as if they had been complicit in a prank, and had just been surprised on the spot.

"I was the one who decided to do that, Eleven," Cody said quickly. "Matilda wasn't involved..."

"No, don't defend me, Cody," Matilda said solemnly. "Eleven is right. I'm sorry again; I let my hurt pride did not allow me to react correctly."

"Was that for me, too, then?" Cole commented wryly, earning himself an unpleasant look from the brunette.

"Your intention was correct, Matilda," Eleven pointed out. "Given the information that Lucy got for you, there is enough to suppose that this girl not only has the Shining but has misused it from an early age."

"But we couldn't verify it for sure, because we couldn't even see the girl before what happened," Cody concluded, shrugging.

"Which brings me to my second point. The kidnapping of this girl and our presence in that place were events that occurred by mere coincidence. However, what is least convenient for us is that they continue to link us directly to this event. For better or for worse, this will get quite a bit of attention and, most likely, not what we would like." There was a small, but deep, reflective pause on the other end of the line. "Besides, it is evident that her kidnapper had a… quite dangerous ally looking after her."

Matilda's breath hitched a little, but this time her reaction was a little more diluted than before. Evidently, her mind began to digest what happened little by little

"So," Eleven concluded, "if anyone is thinking about actively get involved in that search, I would ask you to give it up and leave it to the authorities."

"With all due respect," Cole said suddenly, stepping forward, "the mainstream police might be able to track down Leena Klammer. However, that other guy you are talking about, I think it will be another story."

"If we get a picture of Lily Sullivan, one of the trackers might know where she is," Cody suggested next, "and we could pass the data to the police..."

"I don't recommend that," Matilda said coldly, a second before Eleven herself did it. "I touched a photo of her last night, and... it was something I would not recommend doing to anyone, especially someone with a greater sensitivity to mine like Lucy or the other trackers. Not to mention that other guy..."

It was a concern shared by both Matilda and Eleven. It became very obvious at the time that no mental protection would suffice to protect themselves from that man, whoever he was. If any of the members of the Foundation made an attempt to track him down by that means, it could only end in a disastrous result.

When you look at the abyss, it looks at you back. Never had that phrase made so much sense, even almost literal, as it did at the time.

"But we can't just leave this as it is," Matilda commented more confidently. "If there's someone so powerful out there kidnapping shining children, we can't hide ourselves under the table."

"It isn't your case, Matilda," Eleven said in a dry voice. "You're there in Oregon for the Morgan girl, do you forget?"

Matilda was silent because she really had nothing to object to. It was true, Samara was the one who had brought her to that place. Not Lily Sullivan, not Doug Ames, and definitely not Leena Klammer. That day, because she had left and ignored her obligations to Samara, something horrible had happened, something she would have to deal with starting the next day.

"I'll take care of trying to find this guy's identity," Eleven reported, "without deliberately exposing anyone else to him, obviously. But you must be careful. Especially you Matilda, because he saw you and probably already knows who you are. Is there anything you can tell me about him that makes it easier for us to find out?"

Matilda leaned forward, still holding her phone on speaker, and looked thoughtfully at the floor as she tried to figure out how to answer that question.

"I don't know if what I saw was even real... but I thought it was a boy, young, seventeen or eighteen, with blue eyes and black hair. He was handsome, but... overwhelmingly terrifying. Couldn't you see anything else about him?"

Again, a silence... short, but quite dense.

"No, I'm afraid not," she replied after a while in a neutral voice. "He mentioned a name to me: Abra. It seemed to me that he believed that I was that person, so perhaps she is someone who also shines. Does any of you know that name?"

The three looked at each other, none with any ideas to propose.

"No, I don't think so," Cole replied, externalizing the thoughts of the other two.

"No matter. I'll see what we can do about it, but for now, it's better not to get more involved with all of that. Matilda and Cole must put aside their initial differences and focus on Samara Morgan's case."

"I'm more than willing to do it," Cole pointed out mockingly, glancing at Matilda then, "if Dr. Honey accepts my help."

Matilda looked at him askance, expressionless.

"It'll be something interesting to watch," the psychiatrist murmured, not exactly excited by the idea.

"I also wish to speak to Samara one day as we had arranged," Cody interjected into the conversation. "I want to know a little more about what she can do."

And that was true, especially after what he had seen in that room. And after what Cole had told them about ghosts and demons, a whole new world about the shining had opened to him. That girl was a mystery, no doubt a mystery that terrified him, but at the same time, fascinated a little.

"But I already missed one day of school, so it would have to be until Saturday."

"I'll fix it," Matilda agreed. "Thanks, Cody."

"Well, I like it when everyone gets along," Eleven said a little cheerfully on the phone. "With that said, I think it would be all on my side. But before we say goodbye... Cole, can I talk to you alone for a minute?"

Matilda and Cody's eyes instinctively locked on Cole, who seemed just as confused as they were about that sudden request.

"Don't worry," said the police officer, "surely she only wants to scold me for what happened a moment ago. Would you let me?"

Matilda, a little reluctantly, extended her phone towards him, resigned.

"I don't know how much life it really has left."

Cole took the phone in his fingers, removed the speaker, and took a few steps away from them with the phone in his ear. Can I talk to you alone for a minute? That was definitely a friendly way of saying that she wanted to tell him something that the others either didn't need or shouldn't listen to. That didn't do many wonders in easing that sense of exclusion that so overwhelmed Matilda, but that she had promised to handle better.

"Are you feeling better?" Cody asked, taking advantage of the fact that they were a little more alone.

Matilda sighed.

"Calmer, yes. Better? That's relative."

They both looked silently at Cole, speaking far enough away that neither of them could hear him clearly. At least none of them could read minds, so they really could have privacy in such a situation.

"You're not really going to scold me, are you?" Cole joked once he was in the correct position.

"I should do that," Eleven replied icily. "Did you know what you would cause if you mentioned Carrie White?"

"Not at all. I just thought that if she had things inside, it'd better get them all out at once."

"Are you the psychiatrist now?" Her tone was clearly reproachful, although a small mocking laugh followed almost immediately. "I told you, didn't I? You have never met someone like her before."

"Definitely." He turned slightly to see his two companions over his shoulder, though more specifically, the woman sitting on the bench. "She's even more impressive than what you and the others told me. And also more beautiful..."

"I don't suggest you go down that path," Eleven said somewhat harshly.

"Hey, I'm not hinting at anything, I'm just commenting on a self-evident truth. Also, we are not compatible at all, right?"

Eleven only answered her question with a long sigh that left the interpretation open.

"But that wasn't what I wanted to talk to you about," she clarified. "It's about the guy who attacked Matilda. I didn't want to say it with her listening, because she's still affected. But... he wasn't an ordinary person, even by the standards of those who are like us." She was silent for a few moments, a cold silence. "I'll be honest with you: he terrified me..."

"Really?" Cole muttered, surprised to hear such a statement. "That is quite unusual coming from you. So powerful he was?"

"I don't know if that's the right word. But it took every ounce of my force to repel him, and I'm not sure if I can do it again if the situation repeats."

If Cole wasn't intrigued before, now he really was. From all he had heard, he assumed that guy was someone of great power. But, even so much to worry Eleven? Cole understood why she did not want Matilda and Cody to listen to her. But now, he wondered if he would have preferred to have remained in the same ignorance as them.

Eleven continued.

"My common sense tells me that trying to discover who he is and what he wants with that girl is playing with fire, and we should leave things as they are."

"I get it," Cole murmured slowly. "It's an unusual situation; usually, everyone always sees you as someone invincible. But is that really what you don't want the doctor to hear? Or is it something else?" Eleven fell silent. "Did you also feel something else unusual about him? Something like with this girl?"

Again, a few moments of silence that caused some anxiety in the detective.

"I don't know..." Mrs. Wheeler murmured after a moment. "Just be careful, ok? And protect Matilda at any cost."

"I'll do it." Then he gave a little giggle that he didn't know if it was funny or nervous. "She really is your favorite, right?"

"I have no favorites," Eleven replied immediately, almost offended by the suggestion. "We'll keep in touch, ok?"

"Very well. I'll inform you of anything I see."

Once Eleven hung up, Cole took a few moments before heading back to the other two. He held the cell phone between his fingers and looked thoughtfully for the rest of the courtyard. From the day he received that fortuitous call from Eleven, until that moment, with that little conversation they had just had, things seemed to get more and more complicated. A murderer with the face and body of a girl; another one that could be possessed by a demon; and an individual with abilities so incomprehensible that could rival Eleven... or even overcome her...

What had he gotten himself into? Would it be too late to return to Philadelphia?

He ran his hand through his short blond hair and tried to regain his composure as best he could. He did not have to see his own face to know that he was evidently terrified. He could even feel his hand shaking a little, but he couldn't let that feeling dominate him. He turned back to his new friends, a broad, gleaming smile full of confidence. He walked towards them with a safe step and stopped in front of Matilda to extend his phone again.

"Here it is, Doctor," he pointed out normally. Matilda picked up the phone back, and before she thought to ask what they were talking about, the detective rushed to clap his palms together, creating a loud sound and then stepped forward to speak first. "So I think it's been a lot of hustle for a day already. We must better go rest, don't you think?"

Matilda stared at him suspiciously, but Cole did not mutate.

"Yes, both of you had better go to rest," the brunette commented, apparently ready to put it down like that, which brought relief to Cole.

"I'll ask for a ride to Seattle before it's done later," said Cody, who immediately pulled out his own phone.

Matilda gave a little groan just then and hit her right palm against her forehead.

"Cody, I'm so sorry," she exclaimed with concern, standing up quickly. "I should take you back... but I promised Samara that I would spend the night here in case she needed me."

"Hey, don't worry," Cody said quickly, smiling nonchalantly at him. "I can ask for a car. It will be a little expensive, but..."

"No, no," the psychiatrist muttered quickly. "Nothing of that, I'll take you, and then I'll come back."

"Until Seattle?" Cole snapped, skeptical. "You would come back at dawn, doctor. I can't let you do that. Why don't you stay tonight in Salem, Cody?"

Cody looked at Cole for a few moments, then dropped his thoughtful gaze. They both noticed how his slender fingers circled his phone with a little force.

"I can't..." he whispered slowly, almost as if something hurt. "I need certain things to be able to sleep well, which I didn't bring with me. And I can't sleep in a hotel; too many people nearby. I need to go back to my house, sorry."

Cole looked at him blankly, but Matilda understood, or at least she could get an idea of what he meant. Cody was in complete control of his ability while awake. However, this was not the case when he slept, as he tended to get out of control, especially when he had a bad nightmare. She had never directly seen what happen in those moments. Still, some people said that it could affect the space around him in unimaginable ways, and dangerous for anyone who was nearby. Eleven had taught him how to control it most of the time, but it was not a guarantee of success. So he lived alone, in a house a little apart from any neighbor, and, when is necessary, he took certain sleeping medications that inhibited his dreams. He was careful not to take them as these drugs could have unpleasant side effects on him. But that had been a hectic day... or at least more hectic than most of his days, for sure.

Cody noticed Matilda looking at him with concern, so he hurried to smile and speak nonchalantly

"But don't worry, I'm not a child," he exclaimed. "I'll see you on Saturday, ok?"

"Thank you, Cody," Matilda murmured and dared to give him a little goodbye hug. "And sorry for getting you into all of this."

"I do it with pleasure," the professor replied slowly, returning the hug.

After separating, Cody went inside the building to make his call.

"I can stay here if you need me, too," Cole said as he watched Cody walk away. "I have a reservation in Salem, but I can call to say they must wait for me tomorrow."

"Would you seriously do that?" She murmured apprehensively, turning to him with her arms crossed. Before saying something more hurtful, like perhaps: do you seriously think I might need you for something?, she took a deep breath through her nose and thought better of things. It was better to keep the party going from there, at least as much as possible. "No, don't worry. It had a long flight, and you have not stopped for a second since landing. Go to Salem, take advantage of the vehicle that Cody is going to ask to let you go. Let's talk tomorrow."

"As you order, boss," Cole replied, making a mocking military signal that Matilda was not amused. "Rest, doctor."

Matilda smirked at him and dismissed him with a nod of her head. Cole walked away to the building to catch up with Cody, and when she was finally alone, she allowed herself to sit on the bench for a second again.

She huffed wearily. She also used to rest, but a waiting room did not sound like the ideal place. But that was the job. She would have to sleep, and tomorrow deal with demons, ghosts, and maybe some goblins if she was lucky.

She picked up her phone again and tried to turn it on. To her surprise, once again, it did not work. It did not respond in any way, as it was before the call. Incredulous, she remembered that she had joked that Eleven was now repairing telephones remotely. Still, perhaps it wasn't so much a joke, after all.

Perhaps it was correct; there were things from the shining, and from Eleven herself, that even she didn't know about yet.

END OF CHAPTER 26

#Matilda Wormwood #matilda #eleven #jane eleven hopper #stranger things #cole sear #sixth sense #cody morgan #Before I Wake #shining among darkness #resplandor entre tinieblas #wingzemonx #fanfic

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