#maybe earth is worth saving maybe the real treasure is the friends you make along the way

[rebornrosess]

finished horizon forbidden west last night and i’m still reeling over sylens getting won over by the power of FRIENDSHIP

#idc if it’s cheesy it’s a nice parallel after alva and aloy saying he doesn’t have emotions!! #maybe earth is worth saving maybe the real treasure is the friends you make along the way #kotallo pointing at the stars for zo like…i would also give up any evil schemes for them #anyways i will be screaming about this game for a hot minute and i’m not sorry #horizon zero dawn #horizon forbidden west #maya.txt

[darksiderssin]

Question: Would you be up to writing a small drabble/scenario thing about a human and a demon being lovers in the middle of the apocalypse?

Idk if I can do just one nameless demon when we have so many to choose from. Hope you don't mind!

Vulgrim: It wasn't uncommon for Vulgrim to be doing business with the human survivors- everyone needs something, everyone's got something to trade. Really, business was booming for him. You were just one of his favourite customers, bringing him trinkets you came across on your scavenging trips into the ruined city in return for weapons, alcohol, potions, whatever you needed that old Vulgrim could offer you for the right price. You visited frequently, and while he thought it was simply because you had become dependent on him, the merchant came to enjoy your visits, the look of fascination on your face as he appraised your findings, told you what they were for- you'd even found him a few interesting trinkets belonging to demon lords that had fallen during the End War, he'd rewarded you well for that. Your campsite moved closer to one of his Serpent Holes, the cavern rather safe. Vulgrim didn't mind having a neighbour, really- he just didn't expect to fall for this little human.

Vulgrim likes to bring you fine trinkets, saves his best wares for you if he knows it'll keep you safe. He once tried taking a human form to see how you'd like it, and while it was rather handsome (a/n: a personal faceclaim for this is Mr Gold from OUAT), imagine his surprise when you kindly shook your head with a smile and a chuckle and told him he didn't need to change himself for you. So this, Vulgrim thought, was love, as you kissed him once the glamour was gone. He'd be sure to keep an eye on you, his greatest Treasure of all.

Samael: Well, he's broken out of prison, Lilith certainly isn't in his corner anymore. Honestly, Samael was happy to build up his army, maybe turn some of the simpletons once under the command of the Destroyer to his side, take his place on the throne of Hell by force, as was his right. Bit of a list there, lots of steps. The Horsemen were no longer his concern, the Charred Council already cast in an unfavourable light and keeping whatever heat that could have been directed his way off his back- small victories should always be taken with gratitude. Then, there was you. Snooping about his little corner of the ruined city where his former prison had become part of his new castle, until your curiosity ended up with you stumbling into his new throne room. Well, he wasn't particularly hungry at the time, and when you were done begging for your life, Samael asked just how you got in here. And hey, if the Horsemen could have their own little human pets, why couldn't he? 

Of course, him being a colossus compared to tiny little you in scale often made you worry. You told your stories of school days, times with friends and family, and Samael seemed interested when you told him what different parts of the city used to be. He found this information most useful, and quite fascinating- the city maps had to be redrawn, of course, but your wealth of knowledge was very much useful. And, with time, you leaned that Samael wasn't as bad as he seemed to be at face value- he could be honest when it suited him, and the fact that he didn't beat around the bush made you think he was somehow worth trusting. "A horrible decision, really," Samael had chuckled, but it was interesting to think that a human could come to consider him a friend. What a peculiar human indeed. He will protect you with his life.

Dis: Finally free of Vulgrim after so long, Dis decided she'd find her own little spot of paradise on the shattered Earth since it was practically free real estate, probably just stay out of trouble and figure out what to do with herself. Sadly, that little spot in the woods she picked that she thought would be a great place to set up was near your camp, and while Dis wasn't expecting neighbours, she wasn't too interested in getting to know you at first, mostly because she didn't want much to do with anyone. Though not keen on introducing herself to the neighbourhood, she caught a few glimpses of you working on your shelter during the day or heading out to scavenge for stuff, and at night she'd catch a whiff of whatever you were cooking at night, though really, it wasn't much. And dammit, you were cute. Too cute to be eating whatever the hell you called that scrawny thing you were cooking over your measly campfire. So, considering she couldn't take looking at you feeding yourself something that could barely be considered a meal, Did decided to make her presence known, waltzing on into your camp, hauling you over her shoulder and dragging you back to her little hidey hole. Of course, you weren't too happy about being abducted by a demon, kicking and yelling until Dis sat you down and put a proper meal in your lap and told you to eat, that she doesn't do this for just anyone.

Though she didn't talk much while you ate, mostly just paying you a glance now and then in between bites of her own meal, which was a leg of a Stalker she'd ripped off and was eating raw, mostly to make sure you were eating the food she'd cooked for you herself, and you were. Good. Now you wouldn't be bothering her with how little you ate. This act of neighbourly generosity led to you feeling a little more comfortable with Dis hanging around, and eventually you got her to open up about her past and how she ended up on Earth; you shocked her when you said you wouldn't mind helping her set up or keeping her company. If she didn't want to be dealing with any other demons, you could help with that, too. Soon, you went from neighbours to roommates, in a way, the two of you making a home there in the woods as Dis made sure you were fed and protected and you helped to find things to add to the shelter that was slowly being built; some necessary, some more for comfort's sake, but Dis made sure you never went without. This symbiotic relationship made Dis treasure you more and earned you the nickname of "sweet thing". She only hoped you understood how she would rend Creation itself if it meant making you happy.

Abraxis: Some lesser demon had brought you up as a human plaything along with the plundered treasure he'd taken from his murdered rivals, an offering to his smooth talking superior. With a dismissive wave of his hand, Abraxis had promised the hopeful supplicant that he would see about elevating his position, and soon it was just you and this tall demon, tail lazily swaying side to side like a cat, and a snap of his fingers broke your shackles. No, Abraxis's tastes were not as perverse as some of his counterparts who took human slaves into their beds and used them until they broke or died- instead he offered you a meal and a drink, and encouraged you to dine with him and tell him your story. Really, a demon of his standing shouldn't care much for a lowly Dustborn such as yourself, but he was interested as to how you ended up how you did in his tower. He’d expected humanity to have died off by now, but your story of being in the wrong place in the wrong time, what you'd been doing when you'd been snatched up, what you expected to have happen to you? Abraxis hadn't expected it to be so entertaining, especially when you added that you hadn't expected to be "wined and dined" by a demon that you thought would kill you as soon as look at you. No, he assured you, he would rather not kill without reason. He explained his purpose here on the Shattered Earth, let you glimpse the tower slowly being constructed, but supposed it wouldn't interest you. The problem was, he wanted you to stay longer, tell him more stories and to enjoy your company a little more. He didn't have the time for a pet, so he knew he'd have to turn you loose eventually- but that didn't mean he had to let you go completely.

In a gesture that he didn't afford to most beings in Creation, Abraxis had offered you a small token to remember your time here- a stone inscribed with a rune that would bring you to his lair again, should either of you desire the other's company. And really, he'd grown fond of you over your little lunch date, and invited you over a few more times over the following months when he had a moment to spare, and you two would eat or play cards or chess- he told you that it was one of the few parts of human culture the other realms tolerated or enjoyed- and sometimes he'd let you win to see that look of accomplishment on your face. Oh, how Abraxis loved to see his favourite human smile. Sometimes if he came across anything interesting, he would pass it on to you as a gift, let you stay in his bed for the night while he worked on things regarding his hefty commission that was floating some miles away. If he ever joined you, he was sure to be out of the bed before you woke up, though he was loathe to pull his eyes away from your peaceful face as you slept, all cares lifted off your shoulders if only for a few hours. He didn't expect to care so much if there was a new scratch or injury on you, demanding to know what gutter trash had dared put his paws on you once when you were sporting a cut that you'd bandaged and an impressive black eye. You'd both been quite surprised, and Abraxis insisted that you stay while you healed so he'd be able to keep an eye on your recovery. Of course, the one responsible had been gutted and left for the buzzards, he made sure of that. No, he wouldn't let anyone dare to touch his dear little human ever again.

(I can't think of a reason Lilith might take a human pet without pissing off Death, so I might have to revisit this at a later date!)

#darksiders sin #vulgrim #samael #dis #abraxis #Anonymous

[shirtlesssammy]

5x01: Sympathy for the Devil

Then:

I never get tired of this shot. 

Now:

Lucifer is free. Sam and Dean are magically whisked away to a plane not far from where they just were. 

So when a bright, blinding light shoots from the ground and the pilot veers the plane to crash mode, it’s not too surprising. Dean’s calmer than I’d expect. 

Once on the ground, they get a rental and in the car, Sam tries to apologize but Dean is focused on the MOST important of tasks: “We need to find Cas.” 

They make it to Chuck’s to find the place practically destroyed. Chuck pops up out of nowhere to give Sam’s noggin a good smack. 

He can’t believe that they’re at his house. His last vision didn’t paint the best picture of Sam. His eyes went black --which surprises Dean. But Dean’s on a mission: “Where’s Cas?” 

Chuck tells Dean that he’s dead, or gone. “The archangel smote the crap out of him.” Dean is in denial and tries to come up with a different solution. Chuck would know though --plus he has a molar in his hair. 

Zachariah and his goons arrive looking for Dean. It’s go time, but Dean wants him to go away. They want Dean’s help before Lucifer finds a vessel. Dean has other plans and reveals an angel banishing sigil.

 “Learned that from my friend, Cas, you son of a bitch.” Dean’s taking his buddy’s death really hard. 

Sidenote: All Chuck has to say about all of this apocalypse crazy is: “This sucks ass.” Does it Chuck? Or is this just your favorite season ever? 

Later at a motel, Sam gives Dean a hex bag to keep angels and demons at bay. Dean asks how he’s doing with his blood junkie stuff. He seems cured. Sam tries to apologize/explain/talk about it all again, and again, Dean shuts him down. They make a plan to find the devil.

A man walks home in the dark. As he’s walking up his front walk, the gate behind him doesn’t close. We spend an unusually long time watching it clatter in the wind. IS THIS AN UNEXPLAINED PHENOMENON? Or just a wind storm? Later, the man is sleeping and wakes to find his bed soaked in blood. He turns on the bedroom light only to find the blood gone. He tries going back to sleep only to find a woman with blood dripping down her face telling him that he’s chosen. 

*High Pitched Screeching Noises* (Sidenote: Bless Becky’s redemption moment in season 15). 

Chuck Skypes Becky and needs her help to get a message to Sam and Dean. She protests that she knows that Supernatural is just a book until he admits it’s all real and she freaks out that she knew it all along. 

At the motel, Dean’s busy watching signs of the Apocalypse on the television. 

Becky arrives and gets more handsy with Sam than is ever okay. She tells them that the Michael sword is lost to the angels but it’s in a castle on a hill made of 42 dogs. Then she continues to assault Sam. 

Bobby shows up with the Impala. Bobby also brought some lore books, and they all learn a little more about Michael. He was the archangel that sent Lucifer south --with a sword. They need that sword. 

Sam then confesses to Bobby what really happened. Bobby’s so angry that he essentially tells Sam that he’s dead to him. 

Heartbroken, Sam leaves to check out an old church nearby.

Later, Bobby confesses to Dean that he never would have believed that John was right: Dean would have to save Sam or kill him. Bobby reiterates that John was right. That gives Dean an idea about John’s old storage locker. “Castle Storage 42 Rover Hill.” Maybe the sword is there. Bobby then knocks Dean out. His eyes go black. Oh wait, that’s not Bobby at all! 

A smirking demon arrives and saunters over to Ruby’s knife laying on a dresser. She taunts Dean about knowing him in the past and how she should have ripped off his “pretty pretty face.”. 

She’s Meg! Back from Hell and ready to, um, give ‘em hell I guess. “Our father's among us. You know we're all dreaming again for the first time since we were human? It's heaven on earth. Or hell.” She kisses another unwilling Winchester which is a habit I’m very glad she kicked in later episodes. Meg hands Demon!Bobby the knife and orders him to kill Dean. As Demon!Bobby raises the knife, Dean pleads for his life. It’s enough to snap Bobby back into control and he plunges the knife...into himself. UGH. 

Sam busts in and he and Meg enjoy a drag-out fight while Dean tackles the other demon in the room. Meg recognizes a losing situation when she’s in one and smokes out of there. 

Nick pours over boxed up baby belongings when he hears crying from the baby monitor. He goes in to check on the surely empty crib, only to have a horrific vision of blood running down the crib mattress. 

Sam and Dean rush Bobby into a hospital emergency room. He’s thoroughly stabbed, but still alive! Sam’s ready to linger by his bedside, but Dean’s adamant that they need to leave for John’s lockup right away. They need to find the Michael sword!

At Castle Storage, they find dead demons on the floor and walls lined with treasures! Also, they find Zachariah and his henchmen. “Oh thank God. The angels are here,” Dean greets them sarcastically. Zachariah ignores this attitude in favor of more mustache twirling. He’d lost the Michael sword but found it again - and just in time too! The Michael sword is Dean!

Zachariah gleefully belittles Dean and then spells it out: Dean is Michael’s chosen vessel. His “angel condom,” if you will. Dean is sHOckiNGly not up for this plan. Zachariah shoots Sam with his finger and Sam collapses in pain. I. Just. No wonder why Cas was mystified by guns.

Michael needs his vessel to defeat Lucifer, so he needs Dean’s body yesterday, okay? (That’s what Cas says.) Dean inquires about the human lives caught in the crossfire. Oh, millions! But it’ll be worse if Lucifer wins, Zachariah promises. 

While Dean may have seriously depleted self confidence, he has a good grasp on consent. He’ll never agree to be Michael’s vessel. (Crying noise crying noise.) If nice, rational threats to the long term survival of the planet don’t work, Zach will turn to whatever he can. He gives Dean stage four stomach cancer. 

While Dean and Sam are doubled over in pain, a bright light flashes. An angel gets stabbed right in the throat (remember when THAT was a thing?) and we suddenly see...CAS!!

Cas kicks the ass of every angel six ways to Sunday while Zachariah looks on, shocked. “How are you alive?” Zachariah asks. 

Excellent question! In reply Cas brings up the other recent miracle of Dean and Sam popping up into the safety of a passing airplane. God’s in the game now, motherfuckers! “Now, put these boys back together and go. I won't ask twice.” FANS SELF.

Zachariah flaps out with great haste. Cas approaches and warns the Winchesters that Lucifer is close to gaining his vessel. They need to be protected, so he lays hands on both of them and zaps some sweet, new rib tattoos into their bones.

Cas shielded them with Enochian warding, which means no angel or archangel can track them now. (Unless they finally learn about cell signals, amirite?) Cas flaps away, as he is quite the international man of mystery now. Dying once will do that to you, I guess.

Nick wakes up to find his dead wife standing in the bedroom. She tells him that she isn’t his wife. She’s actually an angel named Lucifer. Lucifer sweet talks Nick, telling him that he would like to use him as his vessel and sure it’ll hurt, but it’ll all be worth it in the end. Lucifer was just misunderstood and wants to find God so he can hold him accountable. “Just because he created us doesn't mean he can toy with us, like playthings.” 

Me, to this show: 

Lucifer promises Nick vengeance on his family’s killer if he says yes. So Nick says yes. Light flashes in the house, and Lucifer’s on the chessboard. 

Back at the hospital, Bobby’s ready to tear a new one out of some poor health care worker while Dean and Sam look on. They’re in the apocalypse now, so what’s the next step? Dean delivers a rousing speech: “Screw the angels and the demons and their crap apocalypse. Hell, they want to fight a war, they can find their own planet. This one's ours, and I say they get the hell off it. We take 'em all on. We kill the devil. Hell, we even kill Michael if we have to. But we do it our own damn selves.” That’s the spirit!

As they leave, Bobby stops Sam for a moment. He assures him that the demon said all those terrible things, not him. “I ain't cutting you out, boy. Not ever.” BRB CRYING

Sam and Dean head out. Sam tosses out an idea about finding the Colt to kill Lucifer. Dean immediately pours water on this little candle of hope. He just did his happy little speech for Bobby’s benefit! In reality, his faith and trust in Sam are utterly shaken. There’s nothing Sam can do to repair it either. The trust is broken.

I’d Like My Quotes with a Gallon of Custard:

How did we end up on Soul Plane?

Where's Cas?

Angels. Nice change-up to the mythology, by the way. The demon stuff was getting kind of old

It's you, chucklehead. You're the Michael sword

You two need to be more careful

What I do have is a GED and a give-'em-hell attitude, and I'll figure it out

Want to read more? Check out our Recap Archive! 

#spn recap #spn rewatch #spn 5x01 #Sympathy for the Devil #dean winchester #sam winchester #bobby singer #castiel #cas #zachariah #meg masters #chuck shurley #becky rosen #supernatural season 5

[yourrealitybeyondtime]

My OC Descriptions!

Thank you so much for your positive responses, @dasjansel @corvid-moon @teeny-weeny-ducklings @technoxslayer360 @incoherentmoose and @cake-and-roses ! Since you guys asked, I made overall descriptions of my OCs and a bit of a synopsis. Sorry it's so long! I hope you enjoy it and please provide feedback!

This is a story that takes the "chosen ones" and fantasy tropes and turns them on their heads. The main character never accepts his role. The guy doesn't get the girl. There's no prophecy or guide. The populace thinks they're monsters, not heros. Their powers are explained scientifically. They have to help themselves emotionally so they can help others physically. It's just a bunch of young adults with problems getting into shenanigans, figuring out life's lessons, and maybe saving the world.

Name: Adrian

Age: 18

Height: 5'8"

Gender Identity: Male

Pronouns: He/Him

Sexuality: Bisexual (Feminine leaning)

Race: Human

Ethnicity: German/Portugese

Neurodivergent: Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Active Power: Super strength

Passive Power: Truth (Ability to see through illusions, understands foreign languages, can tell when someone is lying, etc)

Activating Emotion: Courage

Associated Color: Yellow/Gold

Associated Element: Air/Wind

Description: This rich, all-American, high school boy has had a near perfect life growing up until a burglar breaks in his home. Thankfully, he stops the villain… by tackling him through an oak door! First hailed as a hero, his social life then gets thrown into disarray as this new found strength that seems to randomly come and go ends up earning him the reputation of a destructive menace. On top of that, he starts passing out and having "visions." Doctors say he's having seizures, but these visions feel more real than his life ever has, and it's always of the same place, a magic lab where he's the experiment! His visions keep getting worse until one day he fully wakes up in the lab and escapes, but now he can't go back home!

Adrian finds out he's stuck in the world of Mythos, the parallel Earth where all of our fantastical dreams come from, and he's not happy about it! And the locals don't seem happy about him either. Just wanting to get this over with and go home, Adrian faces more ugly reality in this fantasy world than he ever did in his privileged life in our world. With no guides or prophecies and regarded as a monster, Adrian has to figure out how to find others like himself to help him save the world and go back home.

Adrian is the self-proclaimed leader of the group. He's obnoxious, self-centered, and stubborn, and completely uninterested in helping unless it benefits him somehow. You are supposed to dislike him at first. He matures and becomes much more open-minded and accepting through the journey.

Initial Motivation: To get back home

Journey: Breaking out of your bubble is more important than staying in it, others suffer in a way different from you, you cannot speak for others, use privilege to help those that don't have privilege, attraction to anyone who shows femininity or doing female-assigned tasks/behaviors (being kind, showing emotions, being vulnerable) does not make you less of a man, the greatest strength is facing the truth

Name: Iola

Age: 20

Height: 6'2"

Gender Identity: Female

Pronouns: She/Her

Sexuality: Lesbian

Race: Human

Ethnicity: Afro-Columbian

Neurodivergent: Anxiety

Active Power: Shield

Passive Power: Acceleration/Regeneration (Subconsciously heals others, requires focus if needs boost in power, ie, if someone is bleeding out. Can cause things to grow, but also age. Cannot remove poisons/curses, cannot bring people back to life, conditional)

Activating Emotion: Care

Associated Color: Pink/Orange

Associated Element: Earth/Wood

Description: Iola's life had been pretty quiet since she and her dad started a farm out in the wilderness, until a strange boy pops up who brings a whole lot of unwanted attention. She stumbles upon her own powers as she defends her home, and then sets out to find others with Adrian.

Iola is the mom of the group, both the good parts and the bad. She is kind and caring and helpful and also stressed af and sometimes pokes her nose where she's not welcome. It's suggested at first that she may be the Adrian's love interest, but, surprise! She only likes girls. She seems to have lost someone precious to her, and it's not her mom.

Initial Motivation: Believes in following destiny

Journey: Self-sacrifice is not always necessary, mediation is more important than appeasement, give without expectation of return, worthy of just existing, important to take care of self in order to take care of others, rest is a type of work and just as important as being active

Name: Emlyn

Age: 21

Height: 6'0"

Gender Identity: Androgynous

Pronouns: He/Him

Sexuality: Pansexual

Race: Human

Ethnicity: Northern Irish

Neurodivergent: Complex PTSD, Depression

Active Power: Chemical Reaction (Interaction of two or more substances that results in different substances. Can only initiate reaction, cannot control the outcome. Usually uses fire as a weapon, but can use others. Can also stop reaction in process, but cannot reverse.)

Passive Power: Psychic (Ability to sense when others are nearby, can receive symbolic messages through dreams, not prophetic)

Activating Emotion: Passion

Associated Color: Deep blood red

Associated Element: Fire

Description: Emlyn finally seems to have found a home at the inn he works at when two strangers pop up with trouble following them. He unleashes his powers to defend them, but his loved ones reject him when his secret is exposed. With nowhere else to go, he tags along with Adrian and Iola, the only people who seem to accept him how he is. However, he harbors a terrible secret that he's hellbent on taking to the grave, and it creates a division between himself and the others.

Emlyn is very quiet and reclusive. He doesn't talk much, and seems to be insistent on covering as much skin as possible at all times. He's not the angry or brooding type, but surprisingly polite and soft spoken. And surprisingly strong. However, he seems like he'll do anything to avoid using his powers, and almost seems scared of them. Adrian bullies him frequently, threatened by the fact that he's attracted to Emlyn. Emlyn doesn't seem to care, but eventually lashes out, showing a very different, vicious side.

Initial Motivation: Redemption

Journey: The past is the past, use mistakes to learn and teach, secrets create unnecessary burden, it's okay to have darkness, do not let negative emotions rule over logical decisions, take both capabilities and lack of into account, sometimes you just can't do what you want even if others can, you are not damned

Name: Liesel

Age: 82

Height: 5'0"

Gender Identity: Genderfluid

Pronouns: She/Her, He/Him, They/Them

Sexuality: Abrosexual

Race: Fairy/Changeling

Ethnicity: Jewish

Neurodivergent: Autistic

Active Power: Freedom (Ability to unlock anything, create doors/portals with conditions)

Passive Power: Choice (Can tell what someone has decided before they act on it, very useful in combat; can see what future "paths" can be taken but cannot tell outcomes)

Activating Emotion: Hope

Associated Color: Sky blue

Associated Element: Water

Description: Liesel has had to protect her people for decades, so she's more than a bit reluctant to leave with some humans to go on some adventure. When she realizes that she needs to, she goes with them, but completely mistrusts them.

Where Iola and Emlyn are more passive, Liesel is even more aggressive than Adrian. She challenges everything Adrian knows and really gets him to start looking at things differently. They develop a weird rivalry dynamic and eventually soften up with each other.

Initial Motivation: Protect her people

Journey: Evil does not originate from the same place, no group of people are all the same, there's a difference between honesty and being cruel

Name: Uri

Age: ??? (They tell a different number every time they're asked)

Height: 5'4"

Gender Identity: Agender

Pronouns: They/Them

Sexuality: Asexual

Race: Dragon

Ethnicity: Nigerian

Neurodivergent: N/A

Active Power: Light Manipulation (Can be used to make self or others invisible, create illusions, blind someone, etc. Does not actually makes things disappear/materialize, just makes it look like it.)

Passive Power: Compulsion (Redirects electrical impulses between neurons. Makes people think certain things, somewhat like intrusive thoughts. The more impulsive someone is, the easier they are to manipulate. Often accidentally shares own thoughts with others. Usually uses for persuasion among foes and to pull pranks among friends. Cannot read minds.)

Activating Emotion: Elation

Associated Color: Emerald green

Associated Element: Metal

Other: Disabled/Born without wings

Description: Uri's just minding their own business, napping on top of their treasure trove when some adventurers break in. Those same adventurers open that weird lock contraption they've been trying to open for the last two centuries. Interesting. Rather than confronting the adventurers, Uri decides to join them in hopes of making sure their treasure doesn't get destroyed, to find some more, and to enjoy some chaos along the way.

Uri is confident, charasmatic, and devilishly handsome. They only care about their treasure, but slowly finds themself caring about the others.

Initial Motivation: To protect their treasure

Journey: Self-preservation includes helping others, happiness is worth going the long way for, people have different paths to the same goal and that's okay

Name: Oriana

Age: 19

Height: 5'6"

Gender Identity: Demigirl

Pronouns: She/Her

Sexuality: Pansexual

Race: Human?

Ethnicity: Cherokee

Neurodivergent: ADHD

Active Power: Sonic/Song

Passive Power: Empath (Ability to sense motives, can literally share emotions when making physical contact, can transfer powers between people)

Activating Emotion: Love (Both romantic and platonic)

Associated Color: White/Purple

Associated Element: Spirit/Aether

Other: Intersex

Description: Oriana has been waiting at the edge of the Ancient Forest for a long time. She doesn't remember why, but she knows she needs to guide five adventurers through the massive forest that covers half the world. For some reason, she's the only one who can survive traversing it.

Oriana is sweet and kind and too naive for her own good, having never been exposed to civilization or other people before. She seems to have a mind of a child, but has the wisdom and understanding of someone who has been alive for a very long time. Emlyn develops a crush on her due to her friendly and accepting nature and eventually confides in her. Their past is far more intertwined than either of them remember, and is the answer to why this is all happening.

Initial Motivation: Because she was asked to

Journey: Evil lives in everyone, purity is non-existent, be kind to those who "don't deserve it" without allowing self to be walked on, different facets of love

#important #remember #me #write #writer #writeblr #writing #my story #ocs #ptsd #depression #anxiety #autism #adhd #narcissism #executive dysfunction #bi #bisexual #bisexuality #pan #pansexual #abrosexual #intersex #demigirl #asexual #asexuality #ace #agender #genderfluid #nonbinary

[asgardian--angels]

Calling All LOTR fans! Why aren’t you on LOTRO yet??

Hey everyone! It’s Molly here - aka, Sauron’s #1 fan lmao. 

Now, we’re a big fandom, between LOTR and the Hobbit and the Silm, there’s millions of us out there, and thousands on Tumblr! And we’re always looking for new ways to experience and interact with Tolkien’s legendarium. Plus, many of us have an overlapping interest in gaming, of any sort. But even if you don’t - read on, I implore you! 

There’s an incredibly awesome free MMORPG out there, one that I’ve been playing for years. It’s called LOTRO - Lord of the Rings Online - and it’s gotta be my absolute favorite interpretation of Middle-Earth ever. 

For those not aware, an MMORPG is a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game, basically an open world PC game that has thousands of other users you can interact with within the confines of the game’s universe. And in this case, that’s Middle-Earth! 

Everything you know and love about Tolkien’s world is brought to life in stunning thoughtful detail, from the rolling hills of the Shire to the eaves of Fangorn and beyond. You become an integral part of the story of Middle-Earth, assisting the Fellowship both directly and in the littler ways that count most of all - staving off the forces of darkness by doing good deeds and helping the folk of Eriador, Rhovanion, and Gondor. Everything you do ripples outwards to influence the fate of Arda itself! Without you, there would be no hope for the Fellowship to succeed in its dire quest. Traveling from land to land, you become beloved and treasured as a hero by all the free peoples of Middle-Earth, royal and common folk alike. While you may start out small, soon your path will bring you to the feet of great lords and kings, and onto the very doorstep of Mordor itself, where the Dark Lord awaits. Fight the fell beasts of Sauron, skip through the Old Forest with Tom Bombadil, and ride your warsteed across the vast open plains of Rohan - the world is yours to explore, and to save, if you can. Middle-Earth depends on you.

I truly can’t overstate how much I love LOTRO. I’ve been playing for five years now and I am just as much in love with it as the day I first started. It’s always a little dicey, as a Tolkien fan, especially if you’re a highly devoted one, trying to judge and decide if an interpretation of his work will enhance your experience or ruin it - you just want to see justice done by him and everything he stood for. Trust me, I’m like that too (there’s no need to talk about a certain upcoming Amazon series...). So believe me when I tell you that the spirit of Tolkien comes alive in this game. The creators, writers, and designers of LOTRO have put so much thought and care, and heart, into staying true to Tolkien’s vision and messages. Great attention and care is paid with respect to accuracy to the lore and languages Tolkien created as well, something that cements the authenticity of LOTRO for diehard fans. You just feel good playing it (and honestly, I feel like it’s helped my self-esteem?? Those little virtual hobbits are so grateful for everything you do). Warm fuzzies all around. With a fair helping of angst, can’t forget that. Not all stories can have happy endings, but with your help, a whole lot of them can. 

So... maybe you’ve read this far, and are a teensy bit interested? Or at least intrigued. This is a chance to expand the world of Tolkien to something you can actually immerse yourself in, be a part of, explore like never before! Wander the cobblestone streets of Bree, smell the pipe-smoke in the Prancing Pony, feel the chill winds of the icy wastes of Forochel upon your face. Do you have the guts to face the Witch-King himself? 

LOTRO has so much to offer! Whether you are interested from a gaming perspective, or a story perspective, it’s endless fun. Before LOTRO I’d never played an MMO, and I certainly would not consider myself a gamer. I came from a love of Middle-Earth, and came for a chance to see that story brought to life. So don’t count it out if you think you’re not up for some hardcore gaming lifestyle - this game has the pace that you set for it. Whether you join a social kinship and roleplay, a raid group to do skirmishes, or go it alone and fish the day away, the possibilities are endless. 

Plus, I feel like it’s worth stating that the scenery in LOTRO is astoundingly beautiful. It’s not uncommon for my friends and I to ride around just for the view. And you know what else? The music, guys. Just, the music. LOTRO has been blessed these many years with composer Chance Thomas, who has crafted some of the best soundtracks I’ve ever heard - comparable to those of the Lord of the Rings films themselves. He truly encapsulates the emotions, the grandeur, the coziness, the uneasiness, the dread and the joy, of every corner of Middle-Earth. (It’s so well-loved by players that TWO official soundtracks were even put out, and I play them in my car all the time, ngl. Check out one of the Rohan tracks here!)

So, for the nitty gritty that you may be wondering about! This is a great time to join LOTRO. Over the years, the game has grown tremendously, adding more regions of Middle-Earth to quest in, building more storylines, and expanding the characters you can have, the clothes you can wear, and the activities you can do! Currently, you can play several races - Man, Dwarf, Elf, High Elf, Hobbit, and Beorning - as well as a wide variety of classes - hunter, lore-master, rune-keeper, burglar, champion, minstrel, captain, guardian, and warden- each with their own unique stories and abilities. Multiple characters can be created for free on one account. There’s a wide customization capability for characters and cosmetic items, for housing, steeds, emotes, pets, and more. That’s part of what makes LOTRO so fun! Most expansions can be purchased in-game using points earned by completing deeds, making LOTRO affordable and FTP (free to play) for a large proportion of its content. Additionally, we have an incredibly thorough and comprehensive Wiki-style website for all LOTRO-related information. This is an incredibly knowledgeable and welcoming community.

...Did I add that there’s maiar in the game too? If you have a keen eye you’ll spot them.

Molly why are really you making this post?

Now, earlier I mentioned kinships. Traveling Middle-Earth can often be more fun with others, and having friends can help you learn the game and offer advice and insight. They can be roleplay partners, band members (yes, you can play instruments in the game!), or just buddies to talk to. Many LOTRO players are in kinships, and each is different, depending on what you want to get out of the experience. You can find a kinship within the game, or on social media - in fact, I found my kinship, the one I’ve been in all these years, right here on Tumblr! I want to extend that hand in friendship to potential new players that are in the position I was all those years ago. 

Our humble kinship is called Dwarrowdam. You may recall this is the name for a lady-dwarf! While many of our members are dwarrowdams, that is by no means a prerequisite. We welcome players of all races and classes. Dwarrowdam is a casual social kinship, where we enjoy helping others out, from learning the ropes to festival activities, deeding, raids, concerts, and much more. We host weekly kin nights, where we get together and have fun for a couple of hours. This kinship has been going almost since the start of LOTRO itself, and we are eager to meet new people! A few of our higher-ranking members have had to depart after many years, due to real life commitments, and we hope to build our ranks again. We all thoroughly enjoy mentoring new players, myself included. Dwarrowdam would be a great choice for kinship for any player just starting out, or a continuing player looking for a relaxed social atmosphere as part of their gameplay experience! We are located on the Landroval server, which itself is known for its friendliness and its roleplay opportunities. It is our hope that gaining a solid handful of new, active members will allow our kinship to return to its former glory. Kinships can fizzle out and dissolve if too many players leave, and that is the last thing we want to happen to Dwarrowdam. It’s been like a home for me and many others, and I believe we can restore it.

I am an officer in the Dwarrowdam kinship, along with Badari and Daerhovan. We strongly encourage you to contact us with any questions you might have, about the kinship or LOTRO itself, or if you would like to join Dwarrowdam. 

Anyone who loves Tolkien and Middle-Earth should give LOTRO a try. For me, finding it was like filling a hole in my life I never knew existed. It’s thrilling, peaceful, emotional, hopeful, all in one - basically, everything that the stories we know and love already are, but brought to life in front of us. I’d like to think that if you tried it, you’d love it as much as I do. And if you’re in need of a kinship, please consider Dwarrowdam. 

And besides, look at Gandalf and his bushy eyebrows. You can’t say no to that.

#lotro #lord of the rings online #lotr #lord of the rings #the silmarillion #long post #mine #do i enjoy writing posts about lotro? absolutely #we seriously need new members #n e w b l o o d #but more than anything i just want to share the joy that lotro has brought to my life #it's gotten me through so many hard and stressful times #you just ride out into the middle of nowhere in rohan and sit there and watch the sun set and everything is right in the world #i LOVE being able to mentor new players it's so fun and having that chance to be in a kinship as soon as i started was pivotal #we welcome you all with open arms #anyway yeah we're desperate for new members and if we can't get some we will probably be forced to merge into a larger kinship #which is alright i guess but you lose that sense of identity #so this is sort of a plea post? like please help us #we need renewed interest in LOTRO itself overall. there's a wide audience to be had but membership is down #and i feel like part of that must have to do with the fact that there's no more movies coming out #nothing drawing new people in #so this is me turning to the audience lotr already has that probably doesn't yet know this game exists

[septembercfawkes]

How to Come up with Great Titles

A follower recently asked me if I had a post about coming up with titles, and since I didn't, I decided to write one.

Coming up with titles is weird sometimes.

For example, I have had stories where the title simply "came to me" before I'd even started writing it.

Other times I couldn't come up with or even consider a title until the story was essentially completed.

You can also throw working titles in there--titles you slap onto a WIP until you get further along and really consider it (or until an editor wants to call it something different).

If a title just "came to you," that's great, but you also might want to double check that it is really the best title for the work.

Other than the cover art, the title is perhaps the most important selling point on the book itself. It might be what gets a reader to pick up the novel to look at. (After that, the back cover copy obviously becomes important.) Unfortunately as writers, most of us have no say in what the cover art is--if we are publishing traditionally. But we do have some say in the title.

Often, the best titles capture an interesting image/concept, promises what kind of story the book is, or both. Genre may also factor in.

It's usually better to be more specific than vague. Remember that whole post I did on vagueness? And also this whole post I did on not picking generic details? As a reminder, if something is too vague, the audience doesn't get enough context, and therefore can't care about the story. If something is too generic, it leaves no impression and is forgettable.

One time in my writing group years ago, we decided to go through the bookshelf (near where we met in a library) and find the worst title we could. To this day, some of us still remember that meeting because of that. The worst?

The Land

That was a title. (And the cover art was equally boring.) This is a horrible title, in part because of the points I just made. "The Land" is very vague and very generic. I have no clue what land we are talking about or why I should care about it--I have zero interest in this book (other than the fact the title is so awful). I have no idea what genre it is. Is this something geographical? A Land Before Time wannabe? Who knows.

Now, because I know people are going to go search that title on Amazon, I want you to know that this book did not have a subtitle. It did not have a cover image that conveyed a story. It was just The Land.

aka, THE WORST.

So lets talk about some examples that fit into the two categories I named.

1. Captures an interesting (and specific) image or concept.

2. Promises an interesting or specific kind of story

Also, probably worth mentioning is that just because I refer to the title as an example, it does not necessarily mean I have read or watched it--just grabbing examples, some I know, some came up in searches.

Interesting (and Specific) Image or Concept

Mistborn is a good example of this. It takes two images or concepts we are familiar with and smashes them together. We know what mist is. And we know what it means to be born. These are concepts and images that are specific. However, we don't know what it means to be or act Mistborn, so it's intriguing. Maybe this is why we pick up the book. Because we understand enough about those two concepts, but we want to know what this concept means.

Well, next thing you know, you are reading the back cover (which is equally interesting) and then opening the book.

Notice too, that the word mist is something that is associated with mystery and maybe even eeriness. In thick mist, we can't clearly see what's in front of us. It's also a word that has some association with the otherworldly, whether it's from Stephen King's The Mist, or someone in Middle-earth talking about The Misty Mountains.

"Mist" creates a sort of buzz because of its associations and connotations--like those "buzzwords" I talked about in my post, 5 Tricks that Help with Hooks.

Here are some other examples that use this technique:

The Runelords Lord of the Rings Night Circus Jurassic Park The Raven Boys The Book Thief The Hunger Games  Ghost in the Shell Legally Blonde Phantom of the Opera Death Note 

Other times, the title may capture a more specific image:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo The Day the Earth Stood Still A Princess in Theory Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus The Time Traveler's Wife Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie To Kill a Mockingbird

Remember, it is not required that you are highly specific, you just need to be specific enough.

Promises an Interesting or Specific Kind of Story 

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, this is a title that promises that this story is about Harry. I know that sounds obvious, but it's more than that. This story isn't just about some amazing plot. It's about the daily life of Harry Potter, too. What it's like going to a magical school. It's not always about fighting dark wizards or saving the world. Sometimes it's about dealing with your awful aunt, friends, and schoolwork.

I believe the title was changed to Sorcerer's Stone here in the U.S. because that's better for marketing. A philosopher may be interesting to kids. But from a marketing standpoint, a sorcerer is more interesting, because it implies there will be magic in the book, not philosophy.

So we know that this is a series about a person, but also has fantastical elements or some adventure to it: Sorcerer's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban (again, notice specific images).

Likewise, Diary of a Wimpy Kid immediately conveys what kind of story this is. Like Harry Potter, it's about a person. "Wimpy kid" is interesting because no kids would typically describe themselves as that. "Diary" tells us this is a slice-of-life story, but it's also interesting, because what boy would say they own a "diary"?

Here are some others.

The Kiss Quotient (Romance) Austenland (this will be about Jane Austen--also, notice the unique concept) Sherlock Holmes (this is a series about following the intelligent detective, the character) The President is Missing (pretty obvious, but immediately tells you what kind of story it is) The Da Vinci Code National Treasure Hamilton War of the Worlds Sixth Sense Cowboys and Aliens Lost in Space A Series of Unfortunate Events Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Little House on the Prairie The Little Mermaid Goosebumps Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

These all make promises, about the genre, story structure, emotional appeals, plot, or whatever else.

If I'm a huge Jane Austen fan, I might be immediately drawn to picking up a book called Austenland, out of curiosity, at least. This title helps you find the right audience.

Notice, though, that if The Kiss Quotient was a political thriller, then that's going to be a bit trickier to market, because the title has "kiss" in it. (However, in some cases, if you handle it right, that makes it more interesting).

Images and concepts can make promises too. Jurassic Park because of what those words are associated with, promises dinosaurs and theme parks. I immediately get an idea for what kind of story this is.

Worth noting, is this sort of thing is also why people advise in the industry that you use a different pen name for each genre you write in. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton is a different story than Jurassic Park by Roald Dahl. Same topic. But completely different stories. And Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Stephen King would be something totally different.

Daniel Handler writes both under his real name and his pen name Lemony Snicket for two different storytelling approaches.

Some titles use a play on words or a familiar phrase to make a promise.

The Fault in Our Stars - This title comes from a line in Shakespeare's play, Julius Caesar (notice how that title tells us what it's about too) where Cassius and Brutus are speaking about how their problems and faults come from within, and not from without--fate or the universe. The Fault in Our Stars implies this is a story about characters dealing with problems and fates that are largely what the universe/fate gave them (in this case, cancer), and not problems from within or brought upon themselves.

There are some benefits for doing this sort of thing. For John Green, using a title that references Shakespeare instantly elevates his persona and his novel. It becomes more important. It sounds scholarly and educated. If you are going to invoke Shakespeare, you must be one of those two things or you must be a pretty good writer (at least that's the impression you give). You know what you are talking about. It still tells us what kind of story this is.

I've seen some people actually take titles of famous works and try to do this sort of thing. It's that association. There are some pros and cons to this. For one, your book might show up in search results for that title, which gives it more exposure, and probably exposure to the right audience. However, it can cause problems because it is the exact same title, sometimes because you are right next to the famous text. How does yours compare? Are people looking for new reading material when they are searching the famous text? Or do they just want the famous text? Also, it can be confusing when people talk about your book.

The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells, a science fiction novel, is very different than Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, which is about social issues concerning African Americans. Both are famous, so you almost always have to specify by author.

Here are some (less highbrow) examples of using a play on words or phrase:

Ready Player One My Little Brony See No Evil Dead Men Tell No Tales

Almost always the title gains significance and more meaning as the audiences reads or watches the story, whether it's because they learn what a Mistborn is or they appreciate more the issues that can come from letting a pigeon drive the bus. Some titles work on multiple levels in this way.

Let's look at M. Night Shyamalan's Signs as an example (I can already hear the booing, but I totally love that movie and many of his others).

"Signs" is one of those buzzwords, because it's associated with a hidden meaning.

But once you see the cover or trailer, you realize it's referring to crop circles. Those are signs left by aliens. We know what the story is about.

But once you watch the movie, you realize that signs also (and actually) refers more to spiritual signs of a higher power, and despite being an alien movie, the protagonist's character arc (and by relation, theme) relates to moving from believing in no meaning of life and no God to believing there are no coincidences and there is a higher power. Mel Gibson's character realizes that what he thought was totally meaningless in one context is actually a sign in a higher, bigger context.

This is a great example of how a title relates to a plot, character arc, and theme.

There are some cases where a book has a title that does not seem to capture an interesting image or concept, nor does it make a clear promise for what kind of story it will be, so you do not have to follow these guidelines, however, I would argue that following them results in more effective titles.

A Word on Working Titles

As I mentioned at the starting, working titles are temporary titles for a project, placeholders for something better. In some situations, you could argue that every title is a working title until it gets published. Editors may decide to change your title.

Working titles can have their own side effects. For one, you might start writing toward it. For example, if your story has "Monkey" in it, you might start incorporating more monkeys. That may or may not be a good thing.

In His Dark Materials, the title of the first book (in the U.S.), The Golden Compass, was actually the novel's working title. The real title became Northern Lights. However, when still writing the novel, Philip Pullman was working with his U.S. editor. When he put the real title on, Northern Lights, his U.S. editor felt cheated in a sense. To him it was The Golden Compass--what it had been through all their communications. This is why the first book has two different titles, depending on where you live. (And while I love the northern lights, honestly, the compass seems to fit the rest of the titles of the trilogy, which reference concepts of magical objects: The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass.)

So that's a unique story of how an editor chose the working title over what became the real title.

In Poetry

Other than the other ways I've mentioned titles can be used, in poetry in particular, titles may work to give additional context--whether it's telling us where the poem takes place, what is concretely happening in the poem, or how to interpret it.

Here is a short one from poet Jack Gilbert as an example.

Divorce Woke up suddenly thinking I heard crying. Rushed through the dark house. Stopped, remembering. Stood looking out at the bright moonlight concrete.

Without the title "Divorce," we don't get a lot of context for what this poem is really about. But with the title, we understand that Gilbert is capturing an image, a moment, a concept, of what it's like being recently divorced. Notice how the speaker ultimately looks outside at the concrete, touching on the idea of someone having left.

So titles can also give you context too, though most novel titles probably don't pull off context in this same way.

And there you have it! Probably way more than you wanted to know about titles, but hopefully that helps you guys come up with some good ones!

#writing tips #writing tip #writing tips and tricks #title #writeblr #fanfic #fanfiction #writing a book #nanowrimo #author #editor #writing advice #writing lesson #writing lessons #writing helps #writing help

[thelifetimechannel]

ARADIA: hi! ARADIA: i dont think weve spoken JAKE: Oh! Hi there. No i dont think we have. JAKE: Youre a troll arent you? ARADIA: yes well spotted :) ARADIA: our paths never crossed before earlier today but you have met many of my comrades JAKE: So are you friends with karkar and the one who kept sniffing me? JAKE: I dont think ive quite managed to catch everyones names yet. JAKE: I know its silly considering weve been around each other and fought together but you know how things get lost in the shuffle. ARADIA: i am indeed! ARADIA: i havent been the most diligent in maintaining our friendship lately but weve known each other for sweeps ARADIA: i managed to lose track of time for a while there myself ARADIA: so much to see so much to do ARADIA: paradox space is full of adventures waiting to happen JAKE: Oh lordy. Isnt THAT the truth. Places to be! Things to do! Reality destroying horrors to fight! JAKE: This may not be true of you but im more than ready for a siesta. ARADIA: i guess a short rest might be in order ARADIA: but after that im eager to explore our new universe! ARADIA: i have seen a lot so far but there is always more to discover JAKE: !! JAKE: Of course! JAKE: What do you think is on the other side then? Will we just get dumped out into the void? ARADIA: hmmm ARADIA: im not sure ARADIA: i have been many places but i have never been through a victory door ARADIA: not yet ARADIA: i would imagine we would be able to visit some of the worlds i saw on the lab readouts though ARADIA: including your former earth that has been placed there JAKE: Former earth? You mean like home? ARADIA: in a sense ARADIA: jade captured your earth far in its future and brought it back with her ARADIA: now it has been placed in the new universe you have created as a home for some of the carapaces who have shared your journey with you ARADIA: im sure theyll go about making it very homelike for their tastes ARADIA: i dont know if thats where youll want to settle down but it is far from the only planet out there JAKE: Oh. So its the earth thats wrecked and flooded and all that. ARADIA: i believe so ARADIA: your earth, but its future JAKE: Well nuts. JAKE: I know its silly to say so but for a moment i was almost thinking i could go back to my island. JAKE: I mean its not much. But if you dealt with the beasts it wouldnt be a bad vacation home. Im just not sure i have space for everyone! JAKE: At the very least i could gather up some of the things i left. ARADIA: hmm ARADIA: well considering it is only a matter of being there at the right time... ARADIA: i might be able to help with that JAKE: Really?? JAKE: Oh of course you could. I recognize that gear. JAKE: Speaking of which... do all trolls grow pretty fairy wings when they god tier? Ive seen them on the clown and now on roxys moms gal pal. ARADIA: we usually do! ARADIA: for some reason i havent seen any on karkat or his ancestor in the dream bubbles ARADIA: a few have even sprouted them without the aid of sgrub but that is rare ARADIA: why, are you jealous? ;) JAKE: Psssh. No. Theyre not really a match for my rugged aesthetic. JAKE: I mean i know it doesnt look rugged. Especially before i ditched the shorts. But sparkly butterfly wings on a guy is uh. Somewhat questionable in human culture? ARADIA: how strange ARADIA: youd think anyone would like a pair of these! but tastes are not disputable ARADIA: usually JAKE: Maybe if they were pointier or if my uh. JAKE: Ruggedness. JAKE: Hadnt already been called into question today. ARADIA: ruggedness is easily reestablished ARADIA: i often established mine by uncovering ancient mystical ruins or destroying things with my mind ARADIA: sometimes i got a little too carried away with that last one JAKE: I already blew up parts of two planets by accident but as long as the new universe has plenty of new tombs to plunder i guess thats a sound course of action. JAKE: Just save some for me! JAKE: Or hells bells take me with you! There can only be so many ancient mystical ruins in a fresh baked universe. ARADIA: sgrub did seed them throughout our world ARADIA: it stands to reason it might attempt to do so again ARADIA: such ruins would be in need of extra desecration JAKE: Would they also have transportalizers to prospit and derse? JAKE: ...like... new prospits and derses if im on the right gravy train? ARADIA: if a session of sgrub is slated to be played ARADIA: which i suppose it is since our adversary did so and or will do so ARADIA: he and who knows how many others ARADIA: though i believe rose is hoping to make that number a small one ARADIA: she might appreciate some ruin recon ;) JAKE: Oh! Gladly! JAKE: I grew up near one of those temples so i know you have to... carve your own souvenirs. So to speak. JAKE: Sadly skaia leaves precious little in the way of strange statuettes or precious trinkets. ARADIA: i will mark you down for hivehold item retrieval and ruin expeditions ARADIA: and if we desecrate a few instead of treating their contents with respect it will only be following in the footsteps of troll indiana jones all the better JAKE: !!! JAKE: You have an indiana jones?? ARADIA: of course ARADIA: what kind of civilization wouldnt have indiana jones JAKE: I mean OBVIOUSLY. JAKE: Indys one of my heroes! Along with lara croft of course. JAKE: I wanted to be just like them as a tyke. And i guess i kind of am? Except instead of putting precious treasures in a museum i exhumed a bunch of skeletons. ARADIA: that sounds exciting too! ARADIA: the crux of the adventure is the adventure itself not the loot you gain ARADIA: that is the team charge motto JAKE: I think i can get behind that. JAKE: Maybe the real adventure is the friends we make along the way? ARADIA: haha i hope so! ARADIA: and the lessons we learn but those are often painful ARADIA: then again sometimes our friends can be painful too at times ARADIA: but they are still worth it JAKE: Yeah. JAKE: Yeah they are!! JAKE: People are more... complicated than you might initially take them for. But i think youve got to try and understand them. JAKE: Friendship has to be a two-way street. And ive not always been the best at that but... consarnit i can try harder than i have been. JAKE: Sometimes people need that. ARADIA: if there is one thing i have learned through my time with the dreamers it is that people want to be understood ARADIA: sometimes they cant find peace until someone does JAKE: I guess i didnt realize how much things weighed on my friends until it... well... boiled over. ARADIA: haha ARADIA: i could tell you some stories about that ARADIA: but perhaps another time JAKE: Were all in sort of the same boat i guess. Hurting like the dickens on the inside. JAKE: At least were not alone then? ARADIA: yes! ARADIA: that is the most important thing to remember ARADIA: we are not alone JAKE: Not anymore!

#tlcstuck #aradia megido #jake english #walkaround 4

[weerd1]

Star Trek DS9 Rewatch Log, Stardate 1908.09: Missions Reviewed, “The Sword of Kahless” and “Our Man Bashir.”

Dahar Master Kor returns to visit his old friend Dax on DS9 and she introduces him to an awestruck Worf. While those two stay up drinking into the night, Kor reveals that he believes he has found the location of the legendary sword of Kahless the Unforgettable, a relic that could unite the Empire and stop the hostility Gowron’s paranoia has brought.

 Kor, Worf, and Dax venture into the Gamma Quadrant where an ancient species that plundered the Klingons millennia before called the “Hur’q” have supposedly left the bat’leth. Sure enough they find it, but it turns out Kor has gotten drunk and told his story in one too many bars too loudly, and the shamed House of Duras comes after them, thinking they will take the sword and use it to take over the Empire. The scramble signals to Dax and gang can’t beam out, so a running escape through the planet’s caves to the surface begins. Along the way, Worf and Kor become more and more hostile with one another as the prospect of having the sword begins to make them both think that maybe THEY should be the ones to keep the sword. 

When the Duras gang catches up, there’s a last fight which ends with Worf and Kor turning on one another. Dax has had enough and stuns them both, then gets a surviving enemy to drop the scramble. Once beamed back to the Runabout, they realize that if the idea of the sword corrupted them, the Empire can’t be ready for it.  They beam it into space where it will wait a thousand more years to be found.

Always a joy to see John Colicos back as Kor, and much fun to see Worf fanboying (in a positive way) over Kor. There’s a lot of background you need to make this episode work, reaching all the way back to TOS with the identity of Kahless and Kor (Kirk and Organia get name dropped here), the actions between House Duras and Worf’s family (the TNG Klingon Saga), and of course Gowron’s actions earlier this season in DS9. I always say Ron D. Moore as producer learned how to do his 2003 Battlestar Galactica by doing the arcs on DS9, but he learned that as a writer on TNG with the series of Klingon episodes spread from about season 3 to season 7 on that show.  This fits nicely.  This is also quite the homage to “Treasure of the Sierra Madre” as men who were allied get their minds twisted by the prospect of their treasure.  Dax being unaffected by the allure of the sword and getting fed up is quite satisfying at the end.  

In “Our Man Bashir,” Garak jumps into one of Julian’s holosuite programs which is set an a fanciful version of the 1960s where Bashir is a secret agent on Her Majesty’s secret service. Garak is amused at the spy games, but the stakes get higher when a transporter accident actually integrates the patters of Dax, Kira, O’Brien, Worf, and Sisko into the program.

 They begin to take on characters throughout the story. Commander Eddington and Odo warn them that until they can get DS9’s computers clear of the sheer amounts of data that make up the five crew members brain patterns, they can’t halt the program, but if anyone dies in the game, they will be actually erased. Eddington get Rom to help him since he’s the engineer for the holosuite and they attempt to direct the patterns into the Defiant’s transporter. In the holosuite an adventure is playing out where a KGB agent (Kira) joins Bashir, Julian Bashir in trying to find a kidnapped scientist named “Honey Bare” (Dax) while being pursued by an assassin named Falcon (O’Brien) through a rich gambler’s hideaway (Worf) to find an evil mastermind named Doctor Noah (Sisko).

 In the end, to delay having to kill anyone in the game Bashir gives in allowing Doctor Noah’s evil plan to work. That gives them all just enough time for Eddington and Rom to activate their fix and save the crew.

I’ve often wondered why the hell Starfleet still allowed holodecks when at least once a year they put the primary crew in mortal danger.  At least here the problem was actually external forcing its way into Bashir’s program. Obviously a lot of James Bond references here, enough that the production got a warning from MGM after the episode aired. This is a fun episode, with standout moments like Garak’s running commentary as a “real” intelligence agent on the ridiculous nature of Bashir’s role and the plot, Avery Brooks hamming to Shatnerian level as the supervillain explaining his plot, and of course the terrible Russian accent Nana Visitor has to deliver as her KGB character.  All and all much fun, and though I’m not usually a big Holo-Danger fan, this one is worth it’s run time.

NEXT VOYAGE: Sisko is called back to Earth after the Founder’s strike at Humanity’s “Homefront.” But are they the biggest threat?

#Star Trek #star trek: Deep Space Nine #DS9 Rewatch

[mmoxie]

50 Character Questions For Karalonde

@memes4less​ asked me to do the whole darn ask meme for a character of mine that i like a lot, and it took some time, but

it happened, and i’m just, so incredibly sorry to mobile users if this somehow eats your dash

here’s a readmore tho

What is your OC’s favorite color? Yellow.

Does your OC collect anything? What do they collect? Curios and antiques from Elven history.

What kind of things is your OC allergic to? No allergies.

What kind of clothing does your OC wear? Very huge yellow cloak full of pockets is a must. Steel-toed boots, sweaters, comfortable all-weather pants. It takes a lot to get her into something elegant.

What is your OC’s first memory? Her mothers and mentors, the spooky old Ravens Grey, holding her hands and singing songs to her.

What’s your OC’s favorite animal? Least favorite? Karalonde gets along very well with corvids. They tend to recognize her as another corvid, like a very big crow or raven. On the flip-side, dogs don't trust her, and she doesn't trust them.

What element would your OC be? Sodium.

What is your OC’s theme song?

The Heavy - No Place For A Hero

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhwDxNqWtxk

Do you have a faceclaim / voiceclaim for your OC? Nah.

What deadly sin would best represent your OC? This one's a toss-up. I'm going to go with Pride though, because she's sure of herself to a tragic fault. Believing without question that she's making the right decision, because she's Karalonde, so of course she's right, has been her downfall more than once.

What are your OC’s hobbies? She used to play guitar. Hasn't picked it up again since she lost her eyes, but she could.

How patient is your OC? How hot-headed are they? She's patient until she's not. Dynamite with a really, really long fuse is still dynamite. When she's angry, she's Category Five Angry.

What is your OC’s gender / sexuality / race / species / etc.? She's a night elf, a trans woman, and a lesbian.

What foods does your OC like to eat? What are their least favorite foods? She's a total disaster about modern food. Absolutely spoiled by the world of greasy and salty and deep-fried. But she's got a soft spot for kimchi, which she grew up on, and likes her meat rare.

If your OC could have any pet, what would they choose? Why? A corvid of some kind. She's always had an affinity for them due to her upbringing. Whenever she encounters one in the wild, she has a way of approaching them that makes her seem to be a Very Large Raven, rather than a different creature altogether.

What does your OC smell like? Boot polish.

How do they make a living? What kind of job do they want / not want? What is their dream job? What do they think of their current job? Karalonde found and sold a great deal of her belongings from half an eternity ago in order to build a large savings. Large enough that she can coast on it for basically as long as she wants, as long as she lives simply- which she prefers. Most days, she takes a boat to the Broken Shore and participates in holding the line there, helping to keep the demons from advancing any closer to the mainland. Her dream job requires that the war be over. She wants to go back to being a public servant. Maybe the mayor of a small town, or some other low-caliber politician. She considers her current "job" a necessary service, but it places her uncomfortably close to the Illidari.

What are your OC’s greatest fears? Weaknesses? Strengths? Karalonde fears failure to the point of outright "you didn't win" levels of denial. She also fears abandonment. She's absolutely awful at expressing herself, and this distances herself from would-be friends and romantic partners, and this is exacerbated by her vast ego, which insists that she can't be in the wrong for acting that way. She is, however, phenomenally physically strong, literally fireproof, and she can, on occasion, channel her inability to otherwise express herself into a passionate drive to protect the few people she can keep close to her- even if that means doing something as dangerous and oafish as picking a fight on their behalf.

What kind of music do they listen to? Do they have a favorite song? Karalonde likes things that sound like Spanish guitar. She also has a certain fondness for the powerful drums the Trolls use.

If they came from their world to ours (if not already in our’s) how would they react? What would they do? She's been traveling offworld for half an eternity, thanks to her career with the Illidari. If anything, she'd just be shocked to find out that the Earth isn't a smoldering husk. The next step after that would be to casually assimilate, never explaining her appearance or origins, pawning off her extremely valuable gold coins from Azeroth in exchange for fat stacks of cash. She'd miss out on a lot of our visual media due to her general eyelessness, but once she got the hang of things, she'd almost certainly end up a celebrity. Maybe even star in an action movie.

What personal problems/issues do they have? Pet peeves? Lack of decorum makes Karalonde very upset. She's got a strict sense of what's proper behavior, and she's not above delivering a hard slap to remind her close acquaintances to behave when she's around. She also has a stomach ulcer, and arthritis in her knees and hands. Her only pet peeves are all to do with communication- she hates when strangers interject with "their two coppers," and she'll often deny them outright if they ask to contribute. Likewise, she hates un-asked-for explanations, and will mock anyone providing one with "ah, look at the young scholar," or something to that effect.

What kind of student were they/would they be in high school? Horrible. Just the worst. Not even a disruption in class, just the kid who seems to always have better things to do than be there. Abysmal attendance record. Shows up whenever she wants. Gets into fights in the cafeteria pretty often over basically nothing. Steals little things all the time. --Librarian's pet, though. If she's not in class, she can be found there, helping stock returns and organize the shelves, holding surprisingly mature and serious conversations with the librarian about her future.

What is a random fact about your OC? At least once in her life, Kara has- just like a dog- chased after and eaten a bee. With the consequences you'd expect.

What is their outlook on life? What is their philosophy / what do they think in general about living? Kara is a firm believer in "all the fake things, all the bullshit, all the wishy-washy myths and mysteries." Every cryptid is real, every mystery has its fantastical conclusion, every conspiracy is worth investigation. She insists that it's the fake things- "the things we invent, because we like the sound of them" that contribute a newfound value to the dirt and grass and trees. Every ritual, she believes, is a total fabrication- an invention that, by virtue of our commitment to it, achieves its function. The only "fake thing" she questions is the Holy Light, because she finds it uncomfortably godless. "Where in the hell is their deity," she's asked more than once, "how in blazes did they reckon on just -light?-" The truth of that is, she just finds it unimaginative- lacking the spark of imagination that comes with grander rituals and other "fake things." But a world rich with fake things is a world she wants to protect. She's invented a great many, herself, ascribing value to trinkets and places and even articles of clothing. She'd save the world just for the sake of the value she finds in an idea. Even a really silly idea. Especially a really silly idea.

What inspired you to create them / how did you create them? Were they originally a fancharacter? What was their personality / design like when you first made them? In a lot of ways, Kara is wish fulfillment. She's beautiful, she's strong, she's capable. But in other ways, she's constantly failing, She's a lapsed Illidari who broke the bond with her demon because the two of them fell in love, for goodness' sake. Talk about taboo on top of taboo. She's wrong about most everything, but she believes so hard and so sincerely- and again, that's wish fulfillment. I wish I could believe like Karalonde believes. She's only a fan character in the sense that she's not built out of My Original Lore, but really, there's only so much structure that Blizzard offers to characters, so they end up 1% Blizz, 99% Your Effort. She's always been kind of the same, ever since I made her, but she's changed in subtle ways- being more indulgent, telling more jokes, opening up little by little, learning to care about others again. Her journey's gradual, and she's got a long way to go.

Who is the most important person in their life? Why? Who is the least important to them (that still has an impact and why? It's hard to say. Kara makes herself into a mother figure accidentally, all the time. She ends up attached to someone and worries about them, and next thing she knows, she's rushing to protect them. But there are a few- a very select, very distinct few- who she sees the "makings of greatness" in. And yes, John Silver from Treasure Planet went into the pot, when I was making up Karalonde for the first time. She fixates on these people- often slow-witted but sincere, brave but prone to accidents, full of self-doubt but in possession of great ambition- and she dotes on them. She provides what she can for them, even if it's just providing encouragement. She wants them to succeed, because she's already lost the war, as far as she can tell- but they don't have to. They could win it. To contrast, boastful warriors who go on and on about their conquests and victories, she considers fodder to be fed to the Legion. Let them go and die, if that's what they want, because they don't have or make any fake things to enrich this world.

What kind of childhood did your character have? A very strange one. The Ravens Grey served as three different mother figures- One was tall and thin and very judgmental. One was hairy and squat and very slow to speak. The third was near-about the elven ideal, beautiful and youthful- but she had strange habits, drinking smoky concoctions and babbling prophecy. They each raised Karalonde in their own way, but also together, as a family. They taught her to be shrewd and clever, and never meaner than she had to be. To be tacit when it served her, and to make speeches when- and only when- they were called for. They molded her into an elf that could serve the woods, one of the finest politicians their village would ever see. None of them- not even the babbling prophet- expected that the woods would burn and Kara would find herself trapped in service to the Illidari. They were kind to her, but not coddling. They chose lessons over discipline. If she was going to scrape her knee, she was going to learn how to mend it. If she was going to throw a rock at the boy across the street, she was expected to explain why he deserved it, to their satisfaction. Otherwise, she'd get a lecture on when it's appropriate to throw rocks, and what rocks are the best kind to throw, and where you ought to throw a rock depending on how upset a person makes you. She grew up to be a woman who is very good at throwing rocks.

What kind of nervous habits do they have? Do they stim? Do they have any kinds of addictions? Her ears twitch when she's angry or overstimulated. When she's frustrated, she'll grab an old trinket out of her coat and polish it until it squeaks. She's not an alcoholic, but she's fonder of a cosmopolitan than the average elf. 

If they could choose their epitaph for their grave, what would they choose? [KARALONDE - BORN IN TIME IMMEMORIAL - DIED IN BED, BENEATH A DOZEN GOBLINS] She always was too friendly with the waitresses in the Bay.

Do they want to get married? Why or why not? Would they ever want kids? Do they have kids? Why? She considers marriage an "Eastern tradition," like worship of the Light, necromancy, and failing to maintain a functioning kingdom. That said, if she was proposed to, she might open up to the idea. Just for the sake of trying something new. As for kids, she's never had one. She was meant to have one- a child intended to be the next leader of her village- but it never came to fruition, due to the woods burning. As things stand, she may end up a godmother for one of her friends. She might like a child of her own, but she's not ready to settle down. Not even after all this time.

What is their most traumatic memory/experience? What is their favorite memory? She wasn't taken offworld by choice. She wanted to stay in the woods, hold the line, defend her village. She was dragged by the armpits through a portal, to go "fight them where they live." She's been bitter with Illidan and his ilk ever since, and it hurts her every day, to think back on what she was forced to leave behind. To contrast, her very favorite memory involves going to a quiet glade in Duskwood where the green dragons used to stay, and finally being able to touch the waters of a moonwell without them burning her skin. She was in the company of a young druid, who sang and kept her safe while she fretted and protested and doubted aloud until she finally found the courage to try. There was no greater relief than knowing that the mother moon recognized her again, even a little bit.

If they could have one thing in the world, what would it be? One thing? How big or small scale is this? Like... one article of clothing, or one concept? For the sake of a good answer, I'll choose concept and go with "a home." She hasn't had a place to call home since the woods burned, and she wants one very badly. So badly that she's willing to occupy old elven ruins that've been abandoned and start dressing them up again.

Would they ever kill someone? What would someone have to do to push them to kill someone? If they would kill someone, why? She "doesn't kill things of the good dirt that walk on two legs." This has to be broken down, a bit- "things of the good dirt" means creatures of all kinds who are made out of flesh and blood as a result of living somewhere. By this metric, demons are not things of the good dirt, largely. Many of them are composed of dark magic from the nether in their entirety- or they've been killed and remade so many times that nothing remains of what they once were, when they came up from their "good dirt." Then there's the matter of two legs- if it moves on four, it tends to qualify as prey. She considers herself an old creature of the woods, and as such a creature, she eats what she damn well pleases. These aren't hard rules, however. She'd eat a human or an orc or any such creature if she had to, and feel no moral or ethical dilemma whatsoever- she considers them to be "made of the same meat I am." If it's not a matter of eating or driving back the Legion to protect her home, then she absolutely will not kill. Maim, bludgeon, assault, she'll beat the daylights out of someone who crosses her- but she won't kill them. She, like the Ravens before her, would rather teach a lesson.

What social groups and activities does your character attend? What role do they like to play? What role do they actually play, usually? Kara isn't the life of the party, but she's an active participant. She's belligerent and traditional in a lot of ways, but she likes to laugh and she likes to have a good time, and she's got the good sense not to make a bad situation out of a good one- unless she's really, terribly bothered by something, in which case she'll raise hell. She doesn't belong to any clubs or organizations anymore, but she's casually trying to form some- a township in some abandoned ruins, for example- and she hands out yellow cloaks to match hers, to any lapsed, failed, or rejected Illidari in need.

How is your character’s imagination? Daydreaming a lot? Worried most of the time? Living in memories? She has a spectacular imagination, but it's limited by her perspective. Her ideas are fanciful and sometimes brilliant, but they have the same kind of old-fashioned charm that "old sci-fi" has compared to the sci-fi we're used to now. She doesn't worry, but she is prone to fantasizing- and she does do a great deal of living in memories, because she has an eternity of nostalgia to sift through.

What does your character want most? What do they need really badly, compulsively? What are they willing to do, to sacrifice, to obtain? She wants the war to end. She's tired of having to fight in it, she was never meant to. She doesn't have many compulsive needs, but she does like to fight more than the average elf. By a long shot. She's done sacrificing, though. She'll kick ass and take names all up and down the Legion front, but she's already given up her eyes, her home, her lover, her allegiances, her dignity, her glaives, her traditions, her family, her friends, her neighbors, and every last tree in the woods we now call Felwood. She's Fucking Tired Of Sacrifices And She's Going To Keep And Protect Everything Else That Exists Now, God Damn It.

What’s something that your character does, that other people don’t normally do? Bumps into walls. If it's not enchanted, she can't fucking see it. But she's too proud to use a cane or a dog, so she just struggles against the physical world because she needs to insist to herself that she's fine.

What would your character do with a million dollars? She already has a million dollars. She's chosen to live well within her means, do a job that satisfies her, and make meaningful personal connections.

What is in your characters refrigerator right now? On their bedroom floor? Nightstand? Garbage can? Fridge: Several stolen platters from New Years celebrations. Meat and cheese and vegetable dip trays from several different parties she wandered through. Also, a gallon of milk, a gallon of sweet tea, and a gallon of lemonade.

Bedroom floor: Gigantic heaps of treasure, stolen from everywhere. Rugs, quilts, piles of loose gold and silver trinkets, pottery and riches. It looks like the Cave of Wonders from Aladdin in there.

Nightstand: Flask of spring water from halfway up Hyjal. Gnomish audio recorder featuring a tape with instructions on how to read braille. Three other gnomish audio tapes are nearby, with instructions on how to use the Common alphabet, a recording of some very good guitar played by a pirate in the Bay, and a highly explicit tape, also bought in the Bay, which features very animated readings of a couple "steamy romance novels."

Garbage can: Empty soup cans, spent matches, various wrappers and shreds of wax paper.

Your character is getting ready for a night out. Where are they going? What do they wear? Who will they be with? You can count on somewhere expensive. Kara likes paying extra for something quiet and special and well-crafted, so fine dining suits her. Even if she eats with her hands. She was given a dress over Winter Veil, made of embersilk. It fits, and she likes to wear it out. Odds are, she'll go out with a friend- but if she had a choice, she'd get a celebrity on her arm. She'd love to stir up a controversy by being caught out at dinner with a world leader, like Tyrande or Sylvanas. Especially Sylvanas- she feels like they'd have a lot to talk about, in their long years.

What does your character do when they’re angry? Why? Pick fights. She's an extremely physical woman.

Does your character have any scars? Where did they get them from? S h i t l o a d s. Where do you think? She's been fighting the Legion for goodness knows how long. Longer than most.

What was the most offensive thing your character had ever said? "It's only a human. Wheel it off to a priest before it stinks, or eat it."

How does your character react/ accept criticism? ...It takes her a while. A long while. Usually something painful and humbling has to knock some sense into her before she'll accept a new idea.

If your character was given a slice of pineapple pizza and they HAD to eat it (or something bad would happen), how would they react? Do they even LIKE pineapple pizza? She fucking loves pineapple on pizza.

Your character is given a voodoo doll of themself. What do they do with it? Do they see if it actually works? Poke at it, then put it away. She believes very strongly in the sorcery of the Trolls, and she's not going to test her luck.

Can your character draw? What do they like to draw? Do they doodle? She can't draw. She also can't read, or see.

What were their parents like? How has that affected how they are as an adult? I feel like I already answered this one. The Ravens Grey were strange, confusing, but ultimately compassionate old witches whose methods carried both the danger and directness of the old trolls, and the dignity and decorum of the new elves. Kara, as an adult- having gone through so much- still tries to make herself like them. They were good to her. She appreciates how they raised her.

Does your character like candy? Do they get sugar rushes? What are they like when they get a rush? Candy makes her sick. She'd never eat enough to get a rush, she'd vomit. Hates the taste. Even chocolate.

If your character was presented with imminent and unavoidable death/fatality, how would they react? Would they try to avoid death anyways? Would they try to make their last days count? She'd embrace it with open arms. She's been waiting to die for a long time, and death simply hasn't come to her. She'd feel relief, in passing away. She'd get her affairs in order as best she could, distribute her wealth, talk to the people she wanted to talk to- Tyrande, Sylvanas, Boss Mida, Alexstrasza, Chromie, Shandris, and Varok Saurfang, in particular- and then call it quits. Take it easy, stay home and close to her loved ones, and just let herself finally die. An eternity is long enough to live. Let someone else handle the next one.

#memes4less #karalonde