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ghoulgeists · 4 years

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I HAVE QUESTIONS!!! ABOUT FLINT!!!! a lot so have fun :D 4, 9, 10, 12 :) 13, 14, 17, 23, 27, 42, 44, 50, 56, 57, 59 (i think i asked this before but i forgot the answer lol), 61, 63, 67 !! also i ask about seaweed boy !! 3, 5 lol, 11, 18, 21, 30, 40, 44, 51, 59, 61, 64 !!! and a few for cadma !! 11, 19, 30, 36, 48, 53, 64, 69

UM HEWWO?!?!? THATS A LOT OF QUESTIONS! I am so excited to answer these...

Answers are under the cut! This will be... Long

Flint

4. If they could learn one spell that isn’t available to them at present, which spell would it be?

Magic in their setting is a little different, and these questions are dnd centric, but I think I can still answer this! Flint would probably be VERY interested in divination magic, of any kind. So spells that could divine futures, locate objects, or show hidden things.

9. Do they care about their appearance? How much effort do they put into presentation?

In public, appearance is a top priority. They mingle with plenty of people whenever they can, and it's important to them that they give others a good first impression, so Flint's grooming is off the charts compared to most people.

When they're crawling around in the ancient dust of a tomb, however, the way they look isn't nearly as important as grabbing as many valuable burial goods as they can!

10. How often do they lie? What situations cause them to be dishonest?

Flint's no saint, and lies plenty enough to prove it. Most of the time it's white lies to spare feelings or to get out of doing something, but the bigger lies come when people probe about their past. It's pretty obvious they don't want people to know about who they used to be, and the bigger the secret the bigger the lie they tell to keep others off their tail.

12. Have they ever been in love?

Plenty of times! Enough to count on a few hands. It's infatuation that strikes them most often, but they have been serious on occasion too.

13. What do they dislike about themself? Why?

They dislike how weak they can often be, as well as how easy it is to take advantage of them sometimes. It drives them to take the easy way out of difficult situations no matter the cost.

14. What is something they love about themself?

They love their body! All the little details from the way their hair curls, the blue of their eyes, their stature, etc. They're very comfortable, proud, and happy being themselves!

I think this is the first character I've ever made who wouldn't want to change anything about their body for any reason :'D

17. What do they dream about, when their dreams are their own?

Beyond gold and riches, they dream about travelling to destinations both new and old, discovery, and about what stories they'll tell when they're old.

23. How do they feel about nicknames, titles, or labels that have been given to them? How do they feel about their name?

Nicknames are encouraged, but only between close friends and significant others! They don't have any titles or labels because they're not quite that infamous. Everyone who knows them refers to them by their first name, and that's what they're comfortable with because it's what they're used to!

As for how they feel about their name, they don't have strong opinions either way. It's the name they grew up with so they can't just toss it aside, but it has bad things attached to it as well. I'd say they think it's a ledger of all their (mis)deeds, and that's about it.

27. How do they mourn?

They carry on. But they swear to do better.

42. What are three words they would use to describe themself?

Confident, gorgeous, and amicable!

44. What do they need to learn?

To stop sticking their nose into trouble.

50. Can they sing? Can they dance?

Yes, Flint can sing and sings often! They will occasionally busk for lodging funds if they are ever scarce a few dollars, and have a very soothing voice that ensures at least a few people will toss them some coins. As for dancing, it's not something they're interested in, but you could always coax it out of them you can promise you'll be a good dance partner :)c

56. What animal do they most relate to?

Probably a dog? Fiercely loyal and trusting, but with a good nose (figuratively) for who they should let in on their vulnerabilities to.

57. What makes them angry?

Injustice, and the ideology that law and order outweighs the importance of the human condition.

59. What is a quiet passion of theirs?

While not exactly quiet, they have a passion for music! Singing and playing the guitar is one of their favourite pastimes.

61. What kind of flower would they choose to pick from a meadow?

This is impractical, and they also aren't exactly found in meadows, but they would go for sunflowers. Something big and bold and bright!

63. What fight has scared them the most?

They haven't gotten there yet in the story I'm building around them, but any fight where someone almost dies and they're powerless to help is always terrifying! :^)

67. What makes them laugh?

Clever jokes, outrageous stories, and the thrill that comes from doing something dangerously stupid and getting away with it.

Tangle

3. What is their goal right now?

Two things: serve their unfathomable god to the best of their abilities, and get sweet, delicious revenge on the fishermen that almost killed him. The former is his current priority, because he knows he has plenty of years to hunt down his would-be murderers. Revenge is a dish to be savored :3c

5. Do they follow a higher power? What are their thoughts on divinity?

Before he met his patron the only thing he was concerned about was surviving. There's no time for gods when you're eking out a poor life in some nowhere village, after all!

After meeting his patron, there is honestly nothing in this world he could devote more time and attention to. So their relationship with higher powers and divinity etc all are attached by one string to a single entity!

11. What skills are they proficient in? Why?

Arcana, religion, and insight for obvious reasons! However he's also proficient in intimidation, because while he may look like a sweet boy he's actually kind of creepy (in an insane cultist kind of way), and that's sufficiently off putting enough that he can be rather intimidating.

18. Do they see themself as a leader or a follower?

lmao… definitely a follower.

21. Do they follow their head, their heart, or their body?

HMMM, I am not too sure about this yet, but probably his heart! He seems like he would be easily emotionally driven.

30. What do they seek out from others?

Open-mindedness! People who would be -cough- willingtosubmittotheoldgods -cough- -cough- I mean, people who won't judge him for his faith.

40. Do they enjoy poetry?

Nope! Not that he's had any exposure to the arts, though. I guess it would be more accurate to say he doesn't have an opinion :'D

44. What do they need to learn?

That he's not special, and his devotion to his god means barely a thing. He has in his mind this idea that he's some kind of glorious, special vessel through which his patron does its dark bidding, but in reality he's just a pile of meat labeled "minion." Until he learns that awful truth, he's got an ego about his position.

51. What is the most beautiful thing in the world, for them?

The rotten bones of shipwrecks stuck deep in the sand. They're a good source of materials, a home for the night, and they make lovely silhouettes against stormy seas.

59. What is a quiet passion of theirs?

It's done out of necessity, but they enjoy sewing up and mending clothes!

61. What kind of flower would they choose to pick from a meadow?

Nothing specific, just any bud or bloom he can find :'D

64. Do they value mercy or justice more?

Probably justice! Although he's indifferent to things that happen to others, he is technically seeking justice for what happened to him, in his own… special way.

Cadma

11. What skills are they proficient in? why?

Athletics, performance and acrobatics because he's an active, swole boi! As well as that he's proficient in stealth and slight of hand because he is a smooth criminal, and he's also proficient in religion for a reason I cannot fathom or remember the reason for.

19. What haunts them? What doesn’t?

Like most of my characters… the past lol… specifically, the people he's abandoned on a whim, and more pressingly his former captain, who kind of wants to spill his guts :')

What doesn't haunt him is his decisions to leave. In every instance he's left people he's found himself in a grander adventure, and he's thankful and at peace with those life decisions!

Essentially, he has the mentality that people only stay in your life for part of the journey. There’s no such thing as a lifelong partner or friend, so while he does remember people he’s left behind he thinks that charting his own course in life is more important that unbreakable bonds.

30. What do they seek out from others?

Damn good company! If you're an interesting person in any capacity Cadma will probably take a shine to you. He can't stand a stagnant lifestyle, and wants to surround himself with people who will bring adventure into his life.

36. What’s a secret they’ve kept?

It's not exactly a huge secret or anything, and anyone with eyes can tell because he has scales, but Cadma is very hush hush about his dragon ancestry and blood. It's caused him no end of troubles and he'd really rather people see him as a person rather than the inheritor of a rare bloodline.

48. What do they see in their future?

Adventure, and lots of it. Maybe a couple near death experiences too, which he is not so keen on but it comes with the job :')

53. Which is more frightening to them: day or night?

Night. Visibility is low and it's too quiet. Fires burn too bright. You have to let your guard down eventually.

It's not a fun time.

64. Do they value mercy or justice more?

Definitely mercy! Cadma believes in second chances, and sometimes thirds. He's needed his fair share of them, so everyone else deserves chances too

69. How would they describe their party members?

Good fun and better friends! He's never been with people so easy to latch onto emotionally, and MAN is he attached to them…

---

Thank you so much for the ask, ilu!! It's so much fun talking about my characters, I love them a lot and the opportunity to get it off my chest has been really nice uwu

I am still accepting asks! And I finally have a page with links to my character's tags, in case anyone wants to peruse!

pwease... talk to me...

#ask #ask meme #sydney-jielin #flint locke #cadma #tangle #ilusm....#wild weast

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buckybarnesbingo · 4 years

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BBB Week 22 Roundup! Go give our fabulous creators some love!

Title: Choose your destiny Collaborator: Kalee60 Link: AO3 Square Filled: K3 - Abandonment Issues Ship: Stucky Rating: Explicit Major Tags: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Shrinkyclinks, Explicit Sexual Content, Mutual Pining, Light Angst Summary: Steve Rogers had been waiting for his soulmate for a lifetime. And was still waiting. Actually, he was sick of waiting, if they didn’t want to find him, that was their business, but he couldn’t wait around any longer. Not when a cute guy just moved into his apartment block that he wanted to get to know better. Bucky Barnes had spent his adult life trying to find his soulmate, and although he didn’t want to give up on his one true partner, it was disheartening. He was starting to think that maybe he should take Natasha’s advice and meet new people. Like the cute guy in the apartment block he’d just moved in to. In a world where your soulmate’s vision is overlaid on yours at different times, and finding them can prove tricky, will two weary men whose other halves seemed impossible to locate, find something together instead? And what happens when their soulmates seem to be closer than either of them expected? Word Count: 4241

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Title: Unusual You Collaborator: abitnotgoodiebag Link: AO3 Square Filled: K5 - surprise dancing Ship: BuckySam Rating: Mature Major Tags: homophobia, minor violence, semi-public sex (ish) Summary: Maybe he’s not even human, ‘cause only an angel can be so unusual. He’s a sweet surprise, Sam could get used to. Word Count: 7506

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Title: I Had A Plan Collaborator: avidreader6 Link: Tumblr Square Filled: K2 - I Had A Plan Ship: BuckySam Rating: Explicit Major Tags: Getting together, minor smut, mission fic, nsfw gif inspired, sexual content Summary: Sam and Bucky get together after a mission gone sideways Word Count:745

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Title: Guarding You - Chapter 1: En Garde Collaborator: Fighting_for_Creativity Link: AO3 Square Filled: Y2 - Bodyguard Ship: WinterIronHusband Rating: Explicit Major Tags: AU Bodyguard, AU College/University, College Student Tony Stark, College Student Rhodey, Bodyguard Bucky Barnes, Fluff, Angst, Happy Ending, Dorks in love, Falling In Love, Fade to black sex, slices of life, Mention of alcohol, creep tries to creep on Tony, James "Rhodey" Rhodes is a Good Bro, Pining, Minor Carol Danvers/Maria Rambeau/Nick Fury, mentioned dog, betrayal, Violence, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Steve Rogers Is a Good Bro, Injury Recovery, Clint Barton Trolls People Summary: As Tony Stark always managed to get rid of the bodyguards Howard sends, the older Stark decided to try a different agency, one he knew had specialized bodyguards.The man he ends up hiring seems competent enough.James "Bucky" Barnes gets a job which leads him back to college. He might or might not gets into trouble with his neighbors Tony Stark and Rhodey Rhodes.And those troubles might lead to something neither of the three could have anticipated. Word Count: 2585

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Title: Afterglow Collaborator: trekchik Link: Tumblr Square Filled: U4 - KINK: AFTERCARE Ship: Stucky Rating: Explicit Major Tags: explicit sexual content Summary: Steve basks in a little aftercare. Word Count: 347

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Title: [Art] Bingo Clusterfuck - Chapter 6: fire away Collaborator: Call_Me_Kayyyyy Link: AO3 Square Filled: Y1 - Soulmate Ship: Stucky Rating: Explicit Major Tags: art, sexual content Summary: You're born with the outline of your soulmark but the color doesn't fill in till you meet your soulmate. Not everyone is born with a soulmark, Bucky never had a soul mark before hydra got their hands on him, and it didn’t matter because he never expected to find love no matter how well his recovery went. Steve was born with the faded shape of a star on his right shoulder, being sickly his whole life he never imagined he’d live long enough to meet his soulmate anyway.One day coming out of a coffee shop Steve slammed into the other person going through the door and landed on his ass, his coffee unsalvageable. The massive guy he crashed into, who felt more like metal than muscle, reached his hand out to help Steve up. The second he gripped Bucky Barnes hand the skin of his soulmark began to itch and fill in red. They got to know each other fast, and though neither of them felt like they deserved the other, they just couldn’t stand to be apart. Steve felt safe, and Bucky felt needed, and they both felt seen for who they really are.No one can quite explain how and why this happened but no one can deny it either, Steve and Bucky were just means to be.

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Title: family man Collaborator: jurassicworjd Link: AO3 Square Filled: C4 - Meeting The Family Ship: BuckySam Rating: Gen Major Tags: fluff Summary: Sam has always been a family man, and Bucky’s heard so many wonderful stories about his family. Sam suggests Bucky comes with him to meet them on his next visit, but just the thought of meeting new people gives Bucky anxiety. Word Count: 2334

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Title: Iron Dad Collaborator: hddnone Link: Tumblr Square Filled: C4 - reunion Ship: WinterIron Rating: Teen Major Tags: Humor, fluff, interrupting kids Summary: Bucky just wants to sex up his boyfriend after a long day, but Tony being the Team Dad to the next generation makes that difficult. Word Count: 887

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Title: Life is a Circus Collaborator: jamesbuckystark Link: Tumblr Square Filled: B3 - Occupational Hazard Ship: WinterIronHawk Rating: Mature Major Tags: Violence, Animal attack, Blood and gore Summary: The Avengers as a found family of circus performers Word Count: 1408

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Title: [Podfic] Marvel: Internet War - Chapter 1 Collaborator: shadow-ravin Link: AO3 Square Filled: U2 - Peter Parker Ship: Stucky Rating: Not Rated Major Tags: podfic, Bucky Barnes Returns, BAMF Bucky Barnes, Bucky Barnes-centric, US History teachers are so fucking done with this shit, Coming Out, Boys In Love, Steven Grant Rogers’ Star Spangled Ass, Kamala Khan is such a fangirl, Jewish Bucky Barnes, Peter Parker is a Little Shit, Podfic, Podfic Length: 0-10 Minutes Summary: Podfic of Marvel: Internet War by Lasgalendil Author's summary: Bucky Barnes vs. The Internet

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Title: [Art] Bingo Clusterfuck - Chapter 7: Well you're a real tough cookie Collaborator: call-me-kayyyyy Link: Tumblr Square Filled: U5 - Surveillance Ship: Stucky Rating: Explicit Major Tags: art, Shield Agent Bucky & Steve, Burlesque, surveillance, USO Outfits Summary: Steve and Bucky are S.H.E.I.L.D. agents on a fact finding mission about an "enhanced" individual. They're known to frequent this burlesque club, so the boys donned some USO themed costumes and put on their best star-spangled tease. They end the night with leads on the suspect's abilities and associates, a couple of crisps dollar bills, and more than few phone numbers. They start packing up, knowing they have reports to file before the night is over. Bucky turns to Steve and asks, "So your keeping the outfit right?" Steve responds with nothing but a smirk as he heads toward the door, he was already planning on holding on to them both!

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Title: Guarding You - Chapter 2: Guard Your Heart Collaborator: Fighting_for_Creativity, Purple_ducky00 Link: AO3 Square Filled: B1 - Thirst (for Fighting_for_Creativity) Ship: WinterIronWar Rating: Explicit Major Tags: AU Bodyguard, AU College/University, College Student Tony Stark, College Student Rhodey, Bodyguard Bucky Barnes, Fluff, Angst, Happy Ending, Dorks in love, Falling In Love, Fade to black sex, slices of life, Mention of alcohol, creep tries to creep on Tony, James "Rhodey" Rhodes is a Good Bro, Pining, Minor Carol Danvers/Maria Rambeau/Nick Fury, mentioned dog, betrayal, Violence, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Steve Rogers Is a Good Bro, Injury Recovery, Clint Barton Trolls People Summary: Bucky complains about his job and realizes that he might have a crush on a certain genius. But that was impossible, right? Word Count: 9906

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Title: You Promised Me! Collaborator: queen-of-the-avengers Link: Tumblr Square Filled: B4 - image prompt Ship: Bucky/Reader, Steve/Reader Rating: Not Rated Major Tags: love triangle (kind of), the snap, angst Summary: You and Bucky were like two peas in a pod. You two loved each other more than anything in the whole world… then the snap happened, and you spent five years without him in your life. During that time, you grew closer to Steve and learned to fall in love him. Now, everyone who died because of the snap is back, and Bucky doesn’t know you and Steve are now a thing. Who will you choose? Bucky or Steve? Word Count: 2.6k

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Title: Aria in B♭ - Chapter 5 Collaborator: 27dragons, tisfan Link: AO3 Square Filled: fisfan, Y5 - Accidental Feelings Ship: WinterIron Rating: Explicit Major Tags: explicit sexual content, attempted rape/noncon Summary: Lord Stark has his faults -- a bit too fond of a drink, a little too reckless at cards, and entirely too happy to flout his good fortune in his rivals’ faces. But a man as wealthy and powerful as Tony Stark is bound to have a few peccadillos. What he is not, is the sort of man who would force himself upon another unwilling, unlike Lord Killian, who seems to have taken a particular shine to an opera singer in the troupe Killian is hosting. Tony rescues Mr. Barnes from Killian’s untender mercies, moves the troupe into his own home, and takes Mr. Barnes as his bed companion for the season. The arrangement provides protection for Bucky and the troupe from Killian’s spite, and tweaks Killian at the same time -- a win all around, as far as Tony is concerned. He wasn’t counting on Bucky being so utterly charming and wonderful, or for the possibility that he might actually, after so many years a bachelor, fall in love. Word Count: 18,803

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Title: [Art] Bingo Clusterfuck - Chapter 8: Put up you dukes Collaborator: call-me-kayyyyy Link: Tumblr Square Filled: K2 - Rifle Ship: Stucky Rating: Explicit Major Tags: art, sexual content, airport, sex toys, tsa agent, weapons Summary: A TSA agent is taking apart Bucky’s carry on with indescribable look on her face. Something between rage, confusion, and pure joy. “Mr. Barnes how exactly would you explain this,” holding up a rubber phallus that was borderline terrifying.

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Title: I Was Cold Collaborator: trekchik Link: Tumblr Square Filled: B5 - Intercrural Ship: Stucky Rating: Explicit Major Tags: explicit sexual content Summary: Bucky wakes up cold and Steve is a convenient heater. Word Count: 697

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Title: [Art] Bingo Clusterfuck - Chapter 9: Knock me down, it's all in vain Collaborator: call-me-kayyyyy Link: Tumblr Square Filled: C1 - Nightmares Ship: Stucky Rating: Mature Major Tags: nightmares, friends with benefits, cuddles Summary: Bucky has a nightmare so bad it breaks Steves heart to see him in so much pain. “Sorry you had to see that Stevie, they’ve been a lot better lately.” “This happens a lot?” “Yeah but it’s better when I’m with you” “Well I’m not going anywhere pal.” Steve says while cradling Bucky’s head to his chest.

#buckybarnesbingo2020 #bbb2020 #bbb weekly roundup #bbb week 22

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sickandtideeeee · 5 years

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By Bast - Chapter 7 (Erik x Reader)

“This has to be some kind of joke,” you whispered aloud weakly, hands shaking.

But just in case it wasn’t, you tore the piece of paper in half, in fourths, in eighths, in sixteenths, tearing and ripping the note into confetti while hot tears began to well into your eyes. Once you had disposed of the evidence, flushing it down the toilet, you slipped out of your room and headed straight to the temple.

You had thankfully managed to escape detection from any of the palace guards and made it to the temple under cover of the sunset. Although you had wrapped yourself with a shawl, hoping to avoid notice, you had the inkling that you were no longer being surveilled anyway. Pushing through a split second of hesitation, you made your way into the temple, hoping you would run into one person in particular.

Asha.

She sat quietly in a far corner, if you could imagine any corners in the enormous hut’s round architecture, pulverizing a fine red powder reminiscent of the immersion sands on a grinding stone.

“Asha!” you called over to her and as if snapped out of a trance, she looked up to you in shock. Although it was late, you knew she often popped in late at night to prepare salves and poultices for the next morning, being the night owl that she was.

“Nkiru?!” She whispered loudly, looking around frantically to clear the room of any observers. Ignoring her comment, you ran into her arms, almost toppling her petite, plump self over. Patting you on the shoulder, she whispered, “Are you even allowed to be here?””

You pulled back from her and shook your head.

“Nki, I’m not trying to be executed!” she said, pulling you with her behind beaded curtains into the nearest mediation room for privacy. “You’re lucky it’s late and no one’s probably here…”

Now that you had re-steadied yourself, you dropped into a seating position on the dirt floor and Asha sat across from you, giving you a wary look.

“I haven’t seen or heard for you in a week. What’s going on?”

“Amina’s gone,” you said, flatly, and Asha let out an audible gasp.

“There’s no way.”

“She left a note.”

“She would never!” Asha said, jumping to her feet. “She’s way too responsible, and- “

She trailed off as the two of you silently acknowledged that the punishment for a Dora deserting was a fate worse than death.

What you really wanted to know was why. Amina was never a rash decision-maker. She was good at mediating uncomfortable situations and while her principles were strong, she was never ideological. Unlike you, she wouldn’t leave just because she did not agree with whoever was in authority.

“How far do you think she is by now?” Asha inquired in a low voice. Thankfully, the precaution was unnecessary, given that the temple was a technology-free zone, so they were safe to speak freely as long as no actual person was within earshot.

Given that Amina had probably left right after she had been escorting you, and you had been with him for about an hour or so, she was probably just out of the palace.

But your girl could haul ass.

“I have no idea,” you responded. You got up to your feet and stepped out of the meditation room, now sufficiently aware of your surroundings for the heavy stench of incense to become nauseating. Asha followed you out, with a heavy sigh.

“Had she been acting strange?” You questioned, following brick steps into the Herb Garden, hoping that the calming, muted glow of the lavender flowers could settle you. Before Asha could answer, you stopped in your tracks. All that stretched before you were the stale smell of charred soil and stone, and gritting your teeth, you stared into the desolate remains of what was once a sacred plant nursery.

He did not… Kneeling, you dug your hands through a handful of packed, dry earth and let it run through your fingers. It seemed as though life as you knew it would continue to disintegrate around you.

“The new king ordered us to burn everything.” Asha mumbled, apologetically. You nodded your head quietly, staring dejectedly at the packed, dead earth.

“And no, the last time Amina came by… she was worried about you, but there were never any signs…” she continued. You rose again and nodded acquiescently at her.

“I think I should go.”

Asha squeezed your hands and smiled weakly.

Before you made it out the door, she called out to you once more.

“Papa Zuri is resting with his ancestors. We buried him well.”

Back turned to her, you murmured a word of thanks, grateful that your voice was just loud enough to hide the waver in your voice.

Without Shuri, the laboratory in Mount Bashenga had lost not only the loud gqom music coming from the overhead speakers, but also the hustle, bustle and drive that defined the Wakandan Design Group. After a night of restless sleep, now certain that N’Jadaka had relaxed the security detail he had placed on you, you had retired to Shuri’s old office, taking particular care to avoid any conversation with the other workers. First, you confirmed that the golden necklace had disappeared, and then brought out your journal to start drafting a design.

You flipped the pages to the following report:

EyoKwindla 10, Shemu

(March 10, Harvesting Season)

Data:

Ezi (998 days, M)

Vitality improved >> 8.3h spent in enriched environment (+33.8% from 6.2h)

Wt 23g, Avg HR 543, Avg RR 123, Avg Temp 37.2C

Epi (1003 days, F)

Vitality improved >> 8.5h spent in enriched environment (+10.3% from 7.7h)

Wt 18g, Avg HR 483, Avg RR 158, Avg Temp 37.3C

Indla (1002 days, F)

Vitality improved >> 9.1h spent in enriched environment (+40.0% from 6.5h)

Wt 18.5g, Avg HR 582, Avg RR 199, Avg Temp 37.2C

Conclusions to date:

- Mice appear to have made statistically significant gains in intelligence, with increased occupation of enriched habitat

- Mice appear to be recovering functionally from intrauterine growth restriction, cerebral palsy and congenital heart defects

- Mice have demonstrated improved longevity, outliving the standard lifespan of 2 years

This journal entry, describing a tiny cohort of three mice, summarized one of your most promising experiments with heart-shaped herb extract. Zuri’s discovery and subsequent destruction of your coveted rodents had spurned your active rejection of your country’s cultural values.

While Wakanda was incomparably medically superior to the rest of the world, its warrior-centric culture favored the naturally strong and those born gifted, leaving those who had been born with congenital defects, absence of organs, or susceptibility to progressive disability to either facilitate their lives with technology (if they could afford it) or perish. All medicine centered on response to trauma or illness. To make matters worse, a cultural taboo against prosthetics and organ implants or otherwise stagnated its society, producing health inequity often hidden to the palace dwellers and other elites.

This unfairness could have easily been solved by greater access to extract from the heart-shaped herb, and your small cohort proved it!

It didn’t matter anyway. The garden was gone, and so was that plan. You began to draw.

Gaze focused on the white canvas, a flash of white light blinded you as though the room’s overhead illuminators had silently shorted and shattered. An all-encompassing, enveloping darkness filled your vision, but rather than a feeling of dread, you felt lightweight, even airy.

Almost as suddenly as you had fallen into the sensation, you came out of it. You awoke, listless, drawing air into your lungs rapidly and desperately, as though you had just emerged from water. You had gripped your pen so tightly that it had shattered, and blotches of dark ink now decorated your palms and had dropped onto your canvas.

Did I just seize?

Now before you, lay a sketch of two jungle cats locked in fierce battle, one black as night and the other spotted and golden. While the dark animal seemed to have the advantage, teeth sinking into its opponent’s neck, the fierceness in the other cat’s snarl suggested that it was far from down for the count. In the backdrop, humans dressed in what appeared like ancient garments with primitive weapons appear to also be engaging in battle.

In the center, a small cat watched from the distance, piercing violet eyes appearing to gaze directly in your soul. For a split second, you were disconcerted.

But then an uncharacteristic fury began to fill your soul, and in a flurry of rage, you began to throw everything you could find. Books, beakers, pens, tools, anything within reach. Once you had tired yourself out, you slumped to the floor, crying profusely.

You couldn’t do this anymore.

You had no idea what Bast wanted from you, but now she was playing tricks on you.

Or you were losing your mind, and this was your descent into madness. After all, somehow you had blacked out and drawn something far outside of your natural artistic ability with pops of vibrant color despite only having a black ink pen.

It had to be the latter. You wanted to be committed and have it over with. Refusing to take the time to decipher your artwork, you curled up in fetal position and wept.

It was in this dramatic scene of disorder and depression that N’Jadaka barged into your office with two guards in tow.

“The fuck going on with you?” His voice abrasive as usual, you watched him look about the room with an expression in between disgust and genuine confusion. Wide-stanced with arms crossed and eyes narrowed, it was clear that he was more annoyed by you than concerned. Of course, you didn’t answer him. At this point, any violence he exacted against you would feel like mercy compared to the anguish you were feeling at this point.

“You ain’t heard what I just said?”

You continued to stare at the floor.

Irritated, he yanked you roughly by the arm to your feet, keeping his grip on your forearm tight enough that you winced in pain but did not cry out. His two guards, visibly tense, cleared the way for him to drag you out.

“Clean that shit up.” He ordered, without looking back, as the doors slid shut behind the two of you.

N’Jadaka was either a terribly fast walker or was prepared to do something drastic. Although your long legs afforded you a pretty long stride, you really were struggling to keep up, giving the effect of resisting when you truly were not. A few times, you stumbled, tripping over your own feet, and he didn’t bother to slow down, towing you along like a child’s rag doll. A few times, you were sure he would pull your arm right out of its socket, if not tear your rotator cuff. Yet, you wouldn’t give the satisfaction of kicking or screaming through the palace like some trapped animal.

So you decided to bear it.

A few minutes into your unwilling trek, his hold on you had gradually loosened and his pace slowed enough that you could now walk upright at a normal pace, even though he never let go of your arm. A few steps behind him, you could only see the back of his head, as he never once turned to look at you and never spoke a word. Yet somehow, you got the sense that he wasn’t actually angry.

You had the fleeting thought that for a murderer, his hands were remarkably warm and soft.

Finally, you stopped at a secured entrance. Your eyes widened as you realized where you were.

These were the King’s own chambers.

Your feet froze in place, and in response, N’Jadaka pressed his hand against your back, and pushed you into the room wordlessly. Your heart began to pound in your chest, and the energy was slowly starting to drain out of your legs. The doors slid shut with a soft thud, and your stomach did a backflip in time with the sound.

You had said you didn’t care what he did to you, but this was different!

N’Jadaka moved past you and while walking towards a heavily adorned California king-sized bed, began to disrobe.

You started to hyperventilate.

The scars along his back seemed every bit as alive as he was, his broad, bare back expanding and contracting with every slow, deep breath. He tilted his head back, staring at the high ceiling for a moment, before he turned around to sit on the edge of his bed. He kicked the sandals off his feet and leaned back onto the bed onto his forearms. The light streaming in from his drawn curtains gave his brown eyes an amber glow, and again, you recalled the beautiful figure in that one seminal vision. He looked at you, but he was neither smirking, nor angry – just expressionless.

Somehow on him that look was terrifying.

He motioned for you to move closer, but you couldn’t move from that spot, paralyzed in fear.

Exasperated, he sat up and rested his elbows onto his knees.

“You making me a suit, right?” he asked with a tired sigh. “You gonna take these measurements or what?”

Tagging: @syndrlla97 @iwantsomethingeternal @1killmonger@chasingsunlight@hoopshoney @destinio1@wakanda-inspired @thadelightfulone @lalasparkles @pessimisfit @youreadthatright @stark-red19 @ruruly20 @bossyboyd03 @autumn242 @heybriheyyy @thelovelyliterary @muse-of-mbaku @dramaqueenamby @bidibidibombaclaat @supersizemeplz @romanceoftheeveryday

[Prologue][Chapter One][Chapter Two][Chapter Three][Chapter Four][Chapter Five][Chapter Six][Chapter Eight]

#erik x reader #erik killmonger x you #black panther #black panther fanfic #erik x poc!reader #erik killmonger x black!reader #by bast

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stevenuniversallyreviews · 5 years

Text

Episode 92: Monster Reunion

“I have to try.”

The tragedy of Nephrite is Steven Universe’s longest side story, beginning with the very first episode and concluding five years later in the final episode of the show’s original run. How we feel about Nephrite at any given time indicates how we’re made to feel about Corrupted Gems as a whole at that point in the show. After Gem Glow, they’re monsters of the week. After Monster Buddies, they’re innocent but violent victims of...something. And after Monster Reunion, we know what that something is.

Ninety-two episodes in, we know of Yellow and Blue Diamond. We know they’re part of a a group called Great Diamond Authority, acting as Gem Matriarchs. We’ve seen an artistic representation of a third Diamond on the Moon Base. We’ve seen a four-part symbol with a white, yellow, blue, and pink diamond united as one. We got a hint of their musical cue as the Gems abandoned Earth in a flashback. And because the Diamonds are in charge, we also know that they’re responsible for some terrible things, from the forced fusion of Gem Shards to seeking of destruction of planets not only for reproduction, but revenge. The information is dripping in, and these Gems are shaping up to be the villains of the series, and thanks to that knowledge, all it takes is one sketch to emphasize their most heinous crime.

This is the episode where the horror of corruption sinks in, in the same way Keeping It Together reveals the horror of Cluster Gems. The Mother Centipeetle was a monster, and Centi was a pet, but this version trying desperately to communicate before she loses her sanity again is a person. She has memories spanning millennia but was trapped by her mind and her body by her own leaders. After a string of Beach City episodes with purely personal stakes, Monster Reunion’s depiction of a personal struggle representing an atrocity affecting a planet’s worth of Gems hits like a freight train. This isn’t just something the Diamonds did to their enemies: Nephrite, alongside countless other Corrupted Gems caught in the crossfire, was loyal to Homeworld, but that meant nothing.

Between the Cluster Gems and the Corrupted Gems, the Diamonds prove that they’re not content with just destroying the bodies of their opponents, but the souls of anyone that inconveniences them. We’ll learn a bit more about it in Nephrite’s fourth episode, Legs from Here to Homeworld, where it seems this corruption was unintentional (or at least unknown by Blue and Yellow Diamond), but Monster Reunion galvanized me against the Diamonds in a way no other episode has, and it does this by giving us a single, concrete character to sympathize with.

This is the second time this season Raven Molisee and Paul Villeco have given Steven an extensive conversation with an entity incapable of full communication, but unlike Gem Drill, Nephrite allows these artists to fully utilize their gift for character animation to tell their story. Molisee’n’Villeco episodes are distinguished by more exaggerated expressions than usual (see: the first act of Coach Steven, the climax of Rose’s Scabbard, Amethyst throughout Reformed, Steven-as-Lars in The New Lars), and that makes all the difference in enhancing our ability to relate with a growling alien cyclops bug. We don’t need words to tell us when Nephrite is scared, happy, curious, angry, or sad (we don’t even need tears to tell us that last one, but oof are they effective), and we’re able to empathize with her on a primal level thanks to her vivid expressions.

The other half of the Nephrite formula is master vocalist Dee Bradley Baker, who’s already performed as every Corrupted Gem in the series, as well as Lion. Baker’s prolific ability to give life to non-human characters make him virtually impossible to overrate, and he uses that gift to convey comprehensible communication from Nephrite with nothing but chirps and squawks. This is so much more effective than the cacophony of voices from the Cluster, allowing for an actual conversation of sorts between Steven and Nephrite.

This would be a very different episode if Nephrite was still just Centi from Monster Buddies, and we have Molisee, Villeco, and Baker to thank. It’s not enough to feel bad for an animal in pain again: we need to see, for lack of a better term, the human suffering of it all. And I feel so bad for this woman who doesn’t even get to have a real name for another sixty-one episodes.

The conversation itself centers around a terrific use of flashback. As Steven reminds Nephrite (and the audience, because it’s been a while since Monster Buddies) of their history, we get depictions of the past that fully resemble Steven’s experiences. But Nephrite can’t talk, so we don’t even get the simplified silhouettes that accompanied stories from Garnet in The Answer or Lapis in Same Old World. We get crayons and stick figures, the most childish means of communicating, that slowly gain animation as the story picks up.

Steven’s narration is a constant reminder that Nephrite doesn’t have a voice of her own, and that we’re getting bits and pieces of what actually happened. She can still sing along with him in her own way, and performs a flawless diamond salute, but can’t tell Steven the name of her commander, or how she felt about her crew, or any actual tales of the war. Honestly the most telling image is Nephrite’s very first picture, revealing that she sees herself as herself despite having never met Steven in that body. This is a sentient person, and we’re made to understand that before she reverts to a monster.

Allowing her to reunite with her crew is a brilliant move, because the show needs her to lose, but it would be unspeakably cruel to not give her anything in the process. We don’t get a happy ending, but we don’t wallow in bleakness either, and that’s a hard needle to thread when the subject matter is this horrendous. There are certainly real-world analogues to Nephrite’s plight, namely dementia and PTSD, but Monster Reunion benefits from being ultra-specific to the show’s lore instead of focusing on the same sort of allegory they did in Kiki’s Pizza Delivery Service and will do in Alone at Sea. When the lead character can’t talk and we’re dealing with this much character and plot work, going for a lesson beyond the general value of mercy would’ve probably made the episode collapse.

This is a fascinating episode in regards to Steven’s maturity, because beyond the use of crayons, he goes hard on the cute angle to manipulate the Crystal Gems in a way that seems to undermine his growing maturity; for reference, we’re an episode away from a story about the aftermath of abusive relationships. This childishness is especially interesting when you consider this is where he gets his healing powers back, a sign of his growing power. We see him casually float up to grab Nephrite’s bubble, and he’s an old pro at warping without assistance. All signs point to this being a more developed Steven than his puppy-dog eyes might indicate, and that might be the point.

I don’t want to speak to the writers’ intent given how far away Pool Hopping is, but Garnet’s inability to properly predict the future here is caused by the same problem she has in that episode: she’s seeing the likely outcomes of a Steven who’s still a child. True, there’s also the matter of all three of his guardians reverting to a lighter version of their stubbornness from Monster Buddies given their bias against Corrupted Gems, but I can’t help but think that Garnet would’ve been cool with the outcome we get had she seen it coming. It’s understandable that she might not have been able to predict Steven’s capacity to help, and that the only outcome of freeing Nephrite was mutual suffering.

We’re past the halfway point in Season 3, and are thus nearing the conclusion of the show’s second fifty-odd episode chunk. Major plot elements are winding down in anticipation of the life-altering story that Rose Quartz shattered Pink Diamond, and one of them is the idea of Steven acting like a little kid. This is the last time we’re going to see him act this way at length, even as a ploy, because even though he’s still a kid in Season 4 and beyond, he’s a young teenager who actually feels like a teenager somewhat consistently.

We also get a subtle premonition of Amethyst’s imminent focus, as she’s twice admonished by Pearl for making fun of Nephrite even though she’s not making fun of Nephrite either time. The feuding days of Amethyst and Pearl are long over, but there’s still a power dynamic between them that Monster Reunion quietly reignites. And Garnet is still in charge, ordering Amethyst to poof Nephrite in a way that’s frankly a bit uncharacteristic. Maybe it’s because we haven’t seen an actual fight with the three Gems working as an unfused team since Catch and Release (heck, we haven’t seen a fight against a Corrupted Gem since the Slinker in Reformed, unless you count the big crab in Rising Tides, Crashing Skies), but it sounds strange for Garnet to give a direct attack command. Amethyst is shown here to be the lowest-ranking Crystal Gem, not counting Steven, and this means everything to the season’s final arc.

There are certain things I would’ve loved to see as a fan thirsty for information, namely an actual translation of Nephrite’s writings. But it’s not as if we don’t get the picture(s) from her "conversation” with Steven, and eleven minutes isn’t enough time to tell this story and inject worldbuilding through text. It’s frustrating to not have all the answers, and a common complaint of Steven as a character is his lack of follow-up questions, but in this case he clearly knows the gist, and there’s no reason to think he couldn’t have gotten Pearl to translate offscreen if he was still interested.

So I’m glad we instead got a searing character-centric story that hurts enough that I almost never watch this episode. It takes a while, and it nearly costs Steven everything, but thank goodness we finally get justice for Nephrite.

Future Vision!

Our next chapter in Nephrite’s story is Legs from Here to Homeworld, where we finally learn that she’s a nephrite, that her commander was a hessonite, and that Blue and Yellow Diamond might not have been as intentionally malicious as we thought despite the abominable consequences. It’s crazy how important Nephrite ends up being, essentially paving the way for the Diamonds to begin reforming through Steven wanting to cure her and other Corrupted Gems.

Steven’s desire to write “I’m sorry” in Gem Scribble as he looks at the image of three diamonds, with hindsight, seems to indicate some subconscious knowledge of his indirect culpability in Nephrite’s corruption. Or he doesn’t at all and it’s just a coincidence.

Nephrite uses a white crayon to depict the Corruption Song, indicating White Diamond’s greater responsibility, and ultimately White Diamond’s key role in healing the damage.

We’re the one, we’re the ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!

Monster Reunion isn’t an episode I love to watch, because I don’t love to watch depictions of unbearable anguish, but it’s still an episode I love. Like Cry For Help, its sheer quality makes up for my infrequent rewatching.

Top Fifteen

Steven and the Stevens

Hit the Diamond

Mirror Gem

Lion 3: Straight to Video

Alone Together

The Return

Jailbreak

The Answer

Sworn to the Sword

Rose’s Scabbard

Mr. Greg

Coach Steven

Giant Woman

Beach City Drift

Winter Forecast

Love ‘em

Laser Light Cannon

Bubble Buddies

Tiger Millionaire

Lion 2: The Movie

Rose’s Room

An Indirect Kiss

Ocean Gem

Space Race

Garnet’s Universe

Warp Tour

The Test

Future Vision

On the Run

Maximum Capacity

Marble Madness

Political Power

Full Disclosure

Joy Ride

Keeping It Together

We Need to Talk

Chille Tid

Cry for Help

Keystone Motel

Catch and Release

When It Rains

Back to the Barn

Steven’s Birthday

It Could’ve Been Great

Message Received

Log Date 7 15 2

Same Old World

The New Lars

Monster Reunion

Like ‘em

Gem Glow

Frybo

Arcade Mania

So Many Birthdays

Lars and the Cool Kids

Onion Trade

Steven the Sword Fighter

Beach Party

Monster Buddies

Keep Beach City Weird

Watermelon Steven

The Message

Open Book

Story for Steven

Shirt Club

Love Letters

Reformed

Rising Tides, Crashing Tides

Onion Friend

Historical Friction

Friend Ship

Nightmare Hospital

Too Far

Barn Mates

Steven Floats

Drop Beat Dad

Too Short to Ride

Restaurant Wars

Kiki’s Pizza Delivery Service

Enh

Cheeseburger Backpack

Together Breakfast

Cat Fingers

Serious Steven

Steven’s Lion

Joking Victim

Secret Team

Say Uncle

Super Watermelon Island

Gem Drill

No Thanks!

5. Horror Club 4. Fusion Cuisine 3. House Guest 2. Sadie’s Song 1. Island Adventure

(No official promo art, but artist Jonathan Traynor's haunting sketch does just fine.)

#monster reunion #steven universe #su #steven universally #review

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