#not that I was a former delinquent but the part of feeling useless on the team and feeling it'd be better if I wasn't on there | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mst3kproject · 3 years

Photo

The Navy vs the Night Monsters

Of course, it’s not like bad things stop happening now that 2020 is finally over… we just get to start counting again from zero. Kind of like how I’ve started counting thirty-six Episodes that Never Were per year, beginning with this one. It was co-directed by Wyott Ordung from Robot Monster and features familiar faces like Russ Bender and Mamie Van Doren, the latter for once not playing a teenage delinquent. It also has one really obscure MST3K connection: it was based on a story by Murray Leinster, which the sharp-eyed will remember as the name of the ship attacked by Evil Count Zarth Arn’s lava lamp weapon at the beginning of Starcrash!

A plane carrying specimens of Antarctic flora and fauna makes a rather rough and unexpected landing at a naval base on remote Gow Island in the south Pacific. There appears to be nobody on board except the pilot and a few penguins – the former is in a catatonic state, and the latter are... well, penguins... so what happened to the rest of the passengers and crew is a complete mystery. Did the pilot go mad and kill them? Did the penguins? Or did it have something to do with those mysterious ancient trees discovered growing around a geothermal spring in the heart of the frozen continent?

The first ten minutes of this movie are spent trying to be a comedy. Before we get anywhere near the plot, we first have to listen to the guys on the plane try to be funny about their lunch and their tastes in women. Then on the island, we watch a guy who can’t seem to figure out how to inflate a balloon, followed by a dude talking to his dog, and then a really icky bit where two women convince a man he had sex with both of them, which he buys because he was too drunk to remember. Only then do we finally establish what’s actually going on. The impression one gets from this beginning is that The Navy vs the Night Monsters is going to be peopled entirely by Jackass Comic Relief characters, and I actually turned the film off and sat on it for a couple of days to psych myself up to watch the rest.

When I finally turned it back on, to my relief the movie turned out not to be quite that bad, but it’s still pretty damned bad. The dull and unfunny opening is followed by an abrupt shift of tone, as a man maddened by terror jumps from the plane to his death! The only thing set up by the opening that turns out to be relevant is Spaulding the meteorologist’s crush on Nora the nurse, when she’s in love with the base’s second in command, Lieutenant Brown.

I complain frequently about useless love triangles in movies. This one is very useless, and all the more so because the script totally forgets to resolve it. Spaulding hates Gow Island but stays because he’s in love with Nora – he wants her to go back to Miami with him and marry him. When he puts this idea to her, however, it becomes obvious that Nora can’t stand him, and it’s clear enough why: Spaulding is an asshole and he treats Nora not as a partner but as a possession. Never does he show any sort of tenderness towards her. Every time they speak to each other, he seems to end up shouting, and his jealousy of Brown repeatedly leads to violence.

Brown, on the other hand, treats Nora with respect and actually shows vulnerability around her. He’s been left in charge while the base’s commander is on the mainland attending an important meeting, and he’s really feeling the pressure as the base is surrounded by tree monsters in the dark. He talks about his anxiety and Nora comforts him, and the audience rolls their eyes because it’s perfectly obvious which of these guys she’s going to pick. And sure enough, at the end she’s in Brown’s arms… but nothing about the whole situation is exactly resolved.

Brown and Spaulding did get in a fist fight, though it wasn’t explicitly over Nora, but nobody ever talks about the problem. Spaulding never realizes that he’s treated Nora badly, and it never seems to even occur to him that she might prefer Brown over him, or even that she has emotions or preferences at all. He definitely never seems to understand that he’s lost. Brown and Nora seem to feel a need to hide their love affair from the other base staff, but we’re never given a reason why (although I guess ‘Spaulding’s a dick’ is reason enough). Nora never tells Spaulding that she prefers Brown… maybe she’s afraid he’ll assault her? I hate everything about this situation, but nothing more than the fact that as the movie progresses we get hints that Nora may be warming up to Spaulding, as if she’s supposed to consider these two guys equal contenders for her affections! Fuck everybody who wrote this, seriously.

It’s kind of sad to see Mamie Van Doren in a role like this after meeting her in things like Untamed Youth and Girls Town. Those movies were gross and exploitative, but Mamie’s characters were central to their plots and she filled those shoes reasonably well. She wasn’t Oscar material but for what the films were, she was enough to carry them. The Navy vs the Night Monsters is a little closer to being a ‘real movie’, but in this respect it represents a step down for her, as she is relegated to being something for two men to fight over. Furthermore, Silver from Girls Town and Penny from Untamed Youth were both characters who required some range – Nora the nurse mainly spends the whole movie being annoyed with the men in her life. Van Doren could have done much more if anyone had bothered asking it of her.

Let’s see… what else do I hate about this movie? I hate Private Chandler, the guy who stays a Jackass Comic Relief character once that opening is over. Shockingly, The Navy vs the Night Monsters actually kills him off, but he’s not nearly as annoying as Dropo or the guy from Outlaw, so his death merely feels mean rather than having any entertainment value. The guy was just about to actually get laid by one of the women who’d made fun of him earlier – though she, like Spaulding, showed no sign of being sorry for past jerkitude.

I hate the monsters. Normally I have a soft spot for plant monsters. They’re a cliché in their own way, I guess, but they’re a fun idea. The ones in The Navy vs the Night Monsters kill and digest people with acidic sap, and a character theorizes about how and why such a thing would evolve, which is cool. The execution, however, sucks. While the poster for the film shows us a humanoid Treebeard-looking thing, the actual monsters in the film are dumb-looking stumps that waddle along like a couple of guys trying to move a piece of furniture corner-by-corner because it’s too heavy to lift. The result reminds me of The Creeping Terror, in that you have to want to get eaten by these things. At one point a guy walks right up to one, inspects it, and escapes its clutches merely by backing away slowly!

The trees reproduce using insect-like larvae that are, themselves, lethally venomous. This is also a neat idea which is, once again, ruined by the execution. The tiny ones are being pulled along the floor by a sometimes-visible string, and then they grow into stumps that look like they should be stools around a boy scout campfire, which move even slower than the adult trees! There’s a scene where the characters are holed up in the base under an onslaught of these, with planes arriving to napalm them just in time, and it is ludicrous in its attempt to feel threatening.

I do like that Gow Island is a bleak middle-of-nowhere rather than a tropical paradise. The landscapes kind of remind me of the Falkland Islands, though the weather on Gow is evidently better. You can see why some of the characters hate it here, surrounded by barren scrub inhabited mostly by ten thousand smelly, raucous seabirds. Unfortunately this backdrop makes the ‘comedy’ opening seem even more out of place, though it’s also kind of nice that they didn’t give us any stereotyped ‘natives’ as either comedy or monster fodder.

As for a theme… well, The Navy vs the Night Monsters is clearly about an invasive species. The biologist, in suggesting how the tree monsters evolved, points out that they are suited to the hostile environment of Antarctica in ways that make them nearly unstoppable anywhere else. We’re told that they devoured all the penguins the scientists were bringing back for study, and as well as eating the people, they wreak havoc among the Gow Island seabirds and reproduce out of control. The parallels to things like cane toads in Australia, or housecats just about anywhere, are obvious.

This isn’t something the characters care about, though, even the ones who profess to be scientists. At the end, enough of the trees are destroyed that the humans can safely evacuate, and what happens after that is clearly Gow Island’s problem, not humanity’s. I really would have liked to see the script go into this a little more, but then, The Navy vs the Night Monsters is not a movie that wants to go into anything, even stuff it sets up in some detail.

At the end, The Navy vs the Night Monsters feels pretty half-assed. Somebody wanted to make a movie, and then put in the bare minimum effort possible to have all the parts present. They clearly understood how movies work, but they didn’t have the money and didn’t want to go to the trouble. The result is deeply mediocre. There’s a few laughs out of the dumb stump creatures, but mostly it’s just bad.

#mst3k #reviews #episodes that never were #the navy vs the night monsters #tw: abuse #humanitarian vegetables #60s

18 notes · View notes

eramia · 5 years

Text

Chapter One Preview - “Professional Delinquents” K/DA Week!!

thought I’d do a little teaser for this upcoming @kdaweek

A snippet of chapter one of my three-part story, “Professional Delinquents”, featuring K/DA as society-defying teenagers, is below!

This city is home to a lot of things.

Celebrities, leaders, influencers.

I think influencers is the non-shitty way of putting it, at least.

Beneath this city’s glitzy lights are those who work in the shadows to keep the natural order. Sure, there’s cops, but we all know they’re dumbasses who can’t tell their dick from their gun. They’re useless. They’re corruptible. They don’t do shit to keep harmony. But that’s where The Kinkou Order steps in.

I was born into the largest street gang in the entire country. My mother is the renowned Fist of Shadow, a title I had planned on taking when she retires. She, among others, would protect the streets of the city, keeping peace and order. When I was little I always thought we were like superheroes. We were the good guys. We weren’t like everyone else, easily manipulated, at the whim of our own desires. As soon as we were old enough, we were put through intense, rigorous training, coming out on the other side as acolytes and warriors, able to mediate conflict or snuff it out through force if necessary.

You can probably guess what my mom is known for.

Everything was fine until recently. An old member of ours threw a bloody coup and split The Kinkou Order apart. I was young when it happened. My mom took me away with her. My dad died. We returned to find that we were kicked out of our Homebase, a temple, by the new rival order: The Order of Shadows.

The Kinkou still exists but (excuse the shitty pun) we’re a shadow of our former self. Not nearly as many members. And worse, The Order of Shadows is gaining more control of the city by day. I haven’t even taken on the title of Fist of Shadow yet but I’ve already started to realize how bullshit everything is. Nothing changes if you keep catering to unreasonable pricks. Think those dickwads in The Order of Shadows are interested in negotiations? They’re exactly the kind of unbalance The Kinkou Order needs to correct.

And if you ask me? You have to force it to happen.

But since our old master was killed in the coup, we got a new one. My friend, Shen, the Eye of Twilight, he doesn’t believe in forcing things to happen which irritates the hell out of me. The Shadow Order could be handled so EASILY if we just fought them head-on. But he’s against the idea and apparently against me getting myself involved.

Tough shit for him. You can’t stop what you don’t outright advocate for.

If he’s so against fighting The Order of Shadows, why’s he meeting them tonight?

Shen didn’t say shit to anyone, not even to me. Why the fuck is he hiding it?

I hear a voice hiss, “Akali, what are we doing here?” and I can’t keep myself from jumping, kicking the alley wall in front of me.

“Dammit, Kennen!” I hiss back, tucking myself back behind the garbage cans at the edge of the alleyway, “You scared the shit out of me!”

“Sorry,” the masked figure says, eyes glinting at me in the dark as he nestled next to me, “What’s happening?”

I shove him over a bit. “The fuck are you here for?”

Kennen blinks, surprised. “I wanted to come! Why are you following Shen?”

My palm launches out, covering his mouth. “Can it, dumbass!” I snap.

I love Kennen, he’s like a little brother to me. As two years his senior, I gotta guide this dorky tween, y’know? But right now, he’s a nuisance, especially because you don’t even hear him half the time. Little shit can hide in plain sight.

“You weren’t supposed to follow me,” I told him, “This is big kid stuff.”

“Mmf nmm mff molmfrr mnn mm,” he shot back.

I sighed and removed my hand.

“You’re not that much older than me,” he repeated, “and anyways, isn’t this dangerous?”

“I need to know what Shen is hiding from us,” I said, “He can’t hide the truth from us forever.”

Kennen joined the Order as a kid. He doesn’t talk much about his home life but he supposedly doesn’t have his family anymore. He ran away I think. We’re all he’s got.

“I don’t think Shen is hiding anything from us,” he said, “I trust him.”

“Of course you’d say that. You don’t understand what’s happening now. You’re just a little kid.”

“Am not!” He pushed me. Little shit doesn’t know what he got himself into.

“Are too!” I push him back and he loses his balance. It’s pure luck that he didn’t knock anything over.

Dammit. I hurt his feelings, didn’t I.

“Sorry, little dude. I didn’t mean to—“

I only stop because I hear Shen’s voice.

Suddenly Kennen and I are both rapt with attention.

#kdaweek #preview #professional delinquents #kda #k/da #akali #kennen #league of legends #shen #fanfiction

20 notes · View notes

recentanimenews · 4 years

Text

Bookshelf Briefs 2/1/20

Anonymous Noise, Vol. 18 | By Ryoko Fukuyama | VIZ Media – It took a while for me to get into Anonymous Noise, and I still wouldn’t call it a favorite exactly, but it must be said that this final volume made me verklempt on a few occasions. I particularly liked that Nino and Momo getting back together is not the main focus, because that was so not what I was most invested in with this series. Instead, we get Nino telling Yuzu she wants to sing his songs forever, and him realizing that means even more than winning her heart. There are some awesome concert scenes—that full-page image of Yuzu singing!—and a sense of joyous confidence as they contemplate their musical future together. Too, I appreciated that the final appearance of Yuzu and Nino wordlessly confirmed that, yes, he did eventually grow taller than her. I think I might miss this series now that it’s over. – Michelle Smith

Giant Killing, Vol. 18 | By Masaya Tsunamoto and Tsujitomo | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – The second half of the season has begun! Tatsumi’s strategy going forward is to foster bettter communication and flexibility, so he’s been having the players swap positions, giving chances to non-regulars, etc. The best thing about this series is how Tatsumi has truly earned the players’ trust, and now the team feels more cohesive, each player secure in the knowledge that Tatsumi is looking out for them on an individual level and will help them to improve. Well, mostly everyone. Tsubaki is getting frustrated with his “terrible” playing and is pretty much useless after making a poor decision (while playing an unfamiliar defensive role) that leads to an ETU player’s injury. I really like that, even if they lose, they’re not a high school team trying to reach Nationals, so there’s still hope for the season. Have I mentioned lately how much I love Giant Killing? Verily, I do. – Michelle Smith

Haikyu!!, Vol. 36 | By Haruichi Furudate | Viz Media – I think I forgot to review the 35th volume of Haikyu!!. No doubt it was very good and also filled with volleyball. As is this 36th volume. It is a credit to the author that he has kept the games interesting, and I can easily distinguish between the major adversaries, which is more than I can say for some manga. There’s a few more flashbacks, some really killer moves… a lot of people jump high in the air… I may have to wait till the game finishes to review another volume, though, as I just can’t keep typing up “this was really cool volleyball” over and over again without stretching things out like I’m a contestant on Just a Minute. At least the series is ending in Japan in a week or two, so we’ll soon catch up. -Sean Gaffney

Jujutsu Kaisen, Vol. 1 | By Gege Akutami | Viz Media – I forget where I first heard of Jujutsu Kaisen, but the general impression I’ve garnered from others has largely been positive. Now having read the first volume myself, I can honestly say that I enjoyed the manga. However, it’s clear that the series still has some room to grow before it truly distinguishes itself. Jujutsu Kaisen is Akutami’s first long-form work which may partly explain why the series comes across as being so heavily influenced by other manga. But even while its ideas aren’t particularly new and the tropes that are used are well-worn, the specific and sometimes seemingly disparate combination of them in Jujutsu Kaisen has a sort of quirky charm—which is admittedly kind of a strange description for what is essentially a horror manga about demon hunting. There is darkness, seriousness, and drama in Jujutsu Kaisen, but many of the characters tend to be likeable goofballs. – Ash Brown

MabuSasa, Vol. 1 | By Nanase | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – With its cute cover and male lead who looks like a scary delinquent but who is actually kind, I thought MabuSasa was going to be a sweet love story akin to Honey So Sweet. I was very wrong. It’s not advertised as such anywhere that I could find, but this is actually a 4-koma manga. True, there aren’t titles for the strips, but the page layout fits, as does the sensibility. Mabuchi is indeed a sympathetic character, but he’s surrounded by one-note caricatures. Most infuriating is Akira Sasagawa (the Sasa of the title), our fujoshi heroine who absolutely refuses to listen when Mabuchi swears that he’s not in a relationship with his best friend, Sota Ando. She concocts BL scenarios at every opportunity, even when Mabuchi meets and plays with her little brother. All of this is meant to be funny, I’m assuming, but I didn’t smile once. – Michelle Smith

Yowamushi Pedal, Vol. 13 | By Wataru Watanabe | Yen Press – Sheesh, the Inter-High still isn’t over in this volume. It literally takes 300 pages to go 3.5 kilometers! In that time, there are a couple of big matchups. The first is Imaizumi versus Midousuji, where the former is bolstered by the power of friendship while the latter pulls off new and even more nightmarish contortions while scoffing at the notion that friends are anything more than useless. Imaizumi emerges victorious but a crack in his bike’s frame means that Sohoku’s hopes now rest with Onoda, who goes head to head with Manami. Probably my favorite parts were the reactions of the Sohoku third years to the announcement that Onoda is still in the running to take the whole thing. 500 meters remain at the end of the volume. Next time for sure, right? – Michelle Smith

By: Ash Brown

#Anime #News #Manga Bookshelf

1 note · View note

fuckyeahcharmcaster · 5 years

Text

Another post just to further clarify that me thinking “Which Watch” being the weakest Charmcaster episode in the reboot to date mean I think it’s a bad episode. On the contrary, it’s quite good. Beyond what I’ve already praised, I need to give credit for the episode avoiding a pitfall it so easily could’ve fallen into: unbalancing the portrayals of Kevin and Charmcaster through some sort of bias, most likely by depicting the latter character as the truly villainous one in order to make the former character look better and more redeemable.

The lack of balance between these two character who were meant to share the exact same narrative function for Ben and Gwen respectively has been an issue in all past incarnations of the franchise. In the OS, things were off in Kevin’s corner - being a darker villain than Charmcaster is one thing (he’s A-list and she’s B-list, after all), but he attempted to crash two subway trains, killing hundreds of people, without a shred of remorse in his debut! None of Charmy’s evil deeds come close to matching this level of heinousness, and it makes it difficult to swallow that Kevin could ever become an anti-hero. In UAF, the pendulum turned too hard in the opposite direction, with Charmcaster becoming the dark, murderous villain to the point of attempted genocide, while Kevin got absurdly whitewashed of every bad deed he ever did and given maximum rewards for minimal effort. In OV, they were only equal in how confusing their positions were. Kevin was still on the good guys’ side, but can he be considered a hero when he’s un-whitewashed to the point where his whole heroic persona was forced on him against his will back when he was a villainous child? Charmcaster was still in the rogues’ gallery, but can she be considered a villain when she’s only trying to obtain things that are rightfully her’s and being pushed into doing it the wrong way by literal voices in her head taking advantage of her mental illness? Their lack of appearances did not help matters.

But in “Which Watch”, the focus is placed on how they’re fundamentally the same. Charmcaster may be the main villain of the episode, but Kevin is not once treated as though he’s a good guy in comparison. As terrible as Charmcaster taking control of his mind and body is, it all started when she pulled him away from a fight he was picking with Ben, mistaking him for Ben. When she realized her mistake, she was actually going to just let him go along on his way, but his own ego sabotaged him when he insisted that he’d be of better use to her than Ben since he has 11 alien forms instead of 10...and then he’s totally shocked when Charmy decides “OK, then I’ll use you!” Throughout his time of being controlled, he expresses anger not that he’s being made to do bad things like try to kill Ben, but that he’s not getting to do those bad things of his own free well, which he would gladly do. And at the end of the episode, he is depicted as having been given a comeuppance by getting stricken with gravity sickness, which happens right after he violently denies the notion of an UAF-style Ben/Gwen/Kevin team being a thing that should exist. Kev is as much a villain as Charmy, and Charmy is as much a villain as Kev. They are two people cut from the same cloth.

In fact, their villainy is constantly being shown as identical throughout the episode:

- They both possess edgy, hot-headed delinquent type personalities.

- They are both blatantly motivated by massive egos that shield fragile self-esteems, even to the point of self-sabotage. They have a fixation on Ben and Gwen as enemies because they represent the invalidation of that ego: Kevin can’t stand that Ben, the boy he used to bully, got his watch first and might be better at using it than him, and Charmcaster can’t stand that Gwen, the ordinary, dorky magic-less girl (much like she used to be) is a stronger person than her and has advantages in her life that she doesn’t. They feel that taking their enemies down is the only way they can justify their egos and continue to feel good about themselves.

- Their antagonism toward Ben and Gwen causes them to do some really shitty, spiteful things. Before Charmcaster accidentally pulls him away at the start, Kevin, in alien form, was going to beat Ben, in human form, possibly to death. And while controlling Ben or Kevin to attack Gwen is just standard evil-doing as far as Charmcaster is concerned, threatening to destroy the space camp just because it’s something Gwen enjoys crosses the line from “I’m a villain” into “I’m a petty bitch” territory. And they both seem to thoroughly relish this villainy.

- They are deluded hypocrites who can project like mad. Kevin mocks Charmcaster’s feud with Gwen as “stupid drama” while taking his equally childish feud with Ben completely seriously, and deriding her as a wannabe trying to act tough as if he isn’t the exact same. Charmcaster in turn insults Kevin for thinking he’s the best when he not, saying that he’s useless without his watch, willfully ignoring her own invalid ego and how she relies entirely on a book to feel useful. And in the end, they’ll always default to blaming Ben or Gwen for their problems rather than take responsibility for themselves: yet another case of projection.

- Despite being legitimately powerful and threatening foes, their immaturity and character flaws inevitably cause them to become the butt of comedy when fighting against their rivals.

- They are not devoid of better qualities. As twisted as it is, not wanting to kill Ben while under mind control in favor of wanting to kill him by himself is a moral standard for Kevin, as is his refusal to hurt Gwen since, beyond his crush on her, he considers her to not be a part of his and Ben’s feud. Charmcaster, meanwhile, limits her villainy to the Tennysons and does not want mass civilian casualties, immediately giving Ben a heads-up on how fighting Kevin’s fire as Stinkfly will create a chemical reaction and huge explosion, so that he can rush all civilians out of the space camp. She could have refrained from saying this and won, nor did she need to allow Ben to evacuate the building, but that’s just not how she rolls. Shes not THAT evil.

- Finally, the single most important similarity: neither of them are simply just “the villain”. This was true of them in the OS as well: when they were put in an episode, they weren’t just there as the main obstacle for the heroes to defeat, they weren’t like Dr. Animo or Hex or Zombozo. Since they were “meant to highlight more personal, peer-related conflicts” for Ben and Gwen, this meant they in turn had to have their own personal, peer-related conflicts, their own PoV and complicated emotions that they got to showcase, their own developments to make thanks to the heroes just as the heroes were developing thanks to them. They were treated as full-fledged characters on par with their heroic counterparts. In UAF and OV, this only consistently applied to Kevin since he was turned into a good guy, while Charmcaster was turned into “just a villain there to cause conflict for the heroes” for all her appearances up until her backstory episode in UA...and even after that, she wasn’t treated very well as a character, especially not compared to Kevin. But in the reboot, they are back on top form as vulnerable young characters with their own struggles who just so happen to be villains.

I just can’t say it enough: I’m so glad Man of Action is back in control of this franchise.

11 notes · View notes

fallintothegrey · 6 years

Text

Dusk Till Dawn - Chapter 24

Also on AO3.

Poe reluctantly peeled off his new flight suit as he walked out of the hangar. Glancing down at his chronometer, he cursed when he saw that he was running late. He rushed into his quarters, kicking his boots off and hopping from foot to foot as he removed the suit. Throwing it onto the bed, he ran back out into the hall, his stocking feet slapping on the cold floor.

Leia had asked him to take on training the new recruits. After their main ground troop commander was killed on Crait, the remaining senior officers had been tasked with teaching the rookies who continually wandered their way to the base. As the other officers ducked out of their shifts, Poe found himself answering Leia’s call to work with the rookies more and more. Sometimes he wanted to curse his loyalty to the woman.

Some of the recruits were almost laughably inept when it came to self-defense and they’d be useless on the offensive with the First Order. Leia wanted them to start with hand-to-hand combat before they moved to blasters, for the safety of everyone involved. Poe certainly wouldn’t say that he was good at hand-to-hand, but he had been trained in several defense styles while at the academy so he had a passing knowledge. Plus, Jess–the one person who was good at hand-to-hand combat–had left her one and only training session saying she’d rather be cuddled by a sarlacc than work with them again.

It wasn’t all terrible, though. It gave him time to work out all of the excess energy he seemed to have around Rey lately. There was the frustration he continually felt every time he saw her with Iolo–frustration that he was starting to accept was actually jealousy. Looking out the window of the command center to see the Keshian cupping her cheek had felt like a kick to the gut. And he still every so often had the urge to punch his friend’s face in, turn the skin around those large golden eyes a deep purple, after seeing them so cozy in the snow. So instead of pummeling his friend, he demonstrated different punches for the recruits. Not as satisfying, but it did get some of the tension out.

Then there was the tension that crackled between Rey and him like Force lightning since he clutched her to his chest on Takodana. Something had changed between them, something he couldn’t define, something that scared him. That was part of the reason he’d avoided her when they returned to Akuria. After nearly losing her, the need he felt–to be with her, to hold her, to love her–overwhelmed him. He didn’t trust himself to not do something stupid and scare her away, and he was truthfully pretty terrified himself, so he stayed away. Let the emotions settle, let his feelings temper.

When the emotions settled but the need didn’t, he’d gone to her, he’d told her what he needed to tell her, and he’d left what came next up to her. It was the most he could do.

It felt like coming home when she settled back against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her again when they were sledding. It made him want to take the leap, tell her how he felt, and pray that she wouldn’t run away.

When she straddled him, Force help him, it took every bit of his self control to not take Sura’s suggestion, drag her to his quarters, and take her to bed. He desperately wanted to see what else could make her pupils blow out and her breath catch like that.

Such desires didn’t make being so close to her easy. While he was happy they returned to their previous sleeping arrangement, her continued presence in his room was becoming harder and harder to bear. Her smell, her skin, her voice, her laugh—they filled his space, filled his head. When he woke gasping for air from dreams that had him aching for her, she would press closer to him in her sleep and that ache would grow. But he knew that if he wanted her to stay, there was nothing he could do about it.

So there he was, running to the training room, hoping to beat last night’s dream from his mind.

The recruits were already there when he arrived, chatting with each other as they stretched. They all jumped to their feet and stood at attention as he entered the room, facial expressions ranging from apathy to apprehension to flat out fear. He sighed, waving them all back down. If they were afraid of him, what the hell would they be like when they actually faced the First Order?

“Alright,” he said as he came to stand at the front of the room, “find a partner and get warmed up.”

Poe stretched at the front of the room as the recruits gathered strike pads and wrapped their hands. The room soon filled with the twacks of fists hitting pads and Poe walked from pair to pair, correcting stances and giving instruction as he went.

He was in the middle of telling Coriza, a young girl orphaned in the destruction of Hosnian system who arrived in Akuria with a fire in her eyes but no clue how to fight, that she would break her thumb if she continued to tuck it in her fist each time she threw a punch, when he heard the door slide open. He snapped his head up, ready to chew out the delinquent private, but the sight of Rey stopped the words in his throat. Her presence stopped the entirety of the class, too, most of the rookies not even bothering to hide their looks of wonder. She gave a stunted wave and scurried to the back of the room.

Watching her, Poe realized she was wearing a pair of his shorts and one of his undershirts. The wider arm holes revealed a glimpse of the breast band she wore. The thought of her rifling through his footlocker in her underwear, hair still damp from the shower, came unbidden to his mind and Poe felt his cheeks begin to burn. The thought of pulling his clothes off of her followed and his cheeks truly blazed.

Damn that woman.

He studied a few more of Coriza’s punches, praising her improvement, before stealing to the back of the room where Rey was sitting on the ground stretching. “What are you doing here?”

She looked up at him. “Training.”

“You already know how to fight. I’d hardly say you need to join this group.”

She got to her feet and languidly reached her arms down to the floor, arching her back as she did. Poe trained his eyes on the wall ahead of him, willing himself to not give her movements too much notice. “I know how to fight with a staff because I could teach myself how to do that.” She then pulled her arms up above her head, and Poe caught glimpse of the sliver of skin below the hem of her shirt that always made his mouth go dry. “I’ve never trained in hand-to-hand combat before.”

Poe swallowed heavily. “Couldn’t you just use the Force if you lost your weapon?” he asked.

Dropping her arms abruptly to the side, she gave him a pointed look. “I don’t want to rely on the Force, not while I’m still figuring out what it wants from me.”

Poe held up his hands. “Point taken.” He glanced around the room. “Unfortunately, everyone’s already paired up. Looks like I’ll have to be your partner.”

“Why do you think I was late?” she asked with a wink. His stomach flipped in response.

She really would be the death of him, he thought as he grabbed a sparring pad.

He held the pad up as she wrapped her hands and settled into a fighting stance. He braced his back leg and prepared for the incoming hits.

The punches were light, lighter than he’d expected, but he supposed she was just warming up. He let his attention wander from her, glancing around at the recruits.

“Coriza,” he called, “stop tucking your–”

A swift roundhouse kick to the pad cut him off mid-sentence, sending him staggering back. Unable to regain his balance in time, he fell to the mats with a graceless thud. Shocked, he looked up at Rey, who just looked down at him with a smirk on her face as she settled back into her starting position.

Poe jumped back to his feet and went to the front of the room. “Alright, that’s enough warm up,” he said quickly, trying to ignore the snickers from some of the younger rookies. “We’ve gone over the moves, but you still don’t know how to actually fight. That changes today.”

He looked around the room, glancing from person to person, noting the physical differences that would make or break them in a fight. There were the bigger men, whose raw strength would deliver them quickly if their slowness didn’t get them killed first. And the small scrappy women, whose speed would save them if they realized that their strength lie in their bony elbows and not in their fists. And there were the ones in between, who would have to take the strategies of both and find the ones that best suited them.

“How you engage in a fight depends entirely on your size and the size of the person you’re fighting.”

His eyes landed on Rey. At first glance, she was one of the scrappy women who would outrun an opponent before she defeated them. But Poe knew the strength belied by her appearance. “Rey, would you come up here please?”

She narrowed her eyes at him, but did as he asked. When she came next to him, he murmured out of the side of his mouth, “Just play along, sunshine.”

He turned back to his pupils. “In a fight between us, what should my strategy be?”

Jevlan spoke up from the back of the room. “Pray she doesn’t use the Force on you.”

Poe raised a disapproving eyebrow at him, while Rey dropped her gaze to the floor.

“Use your strength to keep her from moving,” Coriza said.

“Good. And what should Rey’s strategy be?”

A large former moisture farmer named Abeldar answered, “Move fast, get you off balance, and target sensitive areas.”

Poe nodded. “Correct. You always want to exploit your opponent’s weaknesses.”

He quickly demonstrated a fighting stance to them, emphasizing bringing the hands up to protect the face. Then he set them loose with their partners, telling them to spread out and practice, taking turns as the aggressor and the defender. The room quickly filled with the sound of heavy breathing and the thwack of fists against skin, with the occasional grunt of pain.

After glancing over the room to make sure no one was making any grievous or dangerous errors, Poe turned his attention back to Rey. “You ready, Sunshine?”

She dropped into her starting stance in response and Poe mirrored her position. Before he could think too much, he lunged at her, reaching towards her side. She sidled away from him, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

“Good,” he muttered under his breath, before moving towards her again. Rey moved to kick out at him, push him away, but he grabbed her foot easily. Glaring at him, she hopped up and down on her one foot, desperate to maintain her balance.

“Don’t make yourself vulnerable by trying to do something flashy,” he reprimanded.

She grunted in response before spinning away from him and wresting her leg from his grasp. When she turned back to him, the fire in her eyes made his stomach clench.

She started to dance around him, moving so quickly that he struggled to counter her slicing jabs to his joints. He groaned at one particularly painful hit to the right shoulder, instantly regretting partnering with the incredibly fit woman.

Enough footwork, he thought as he centered himself again. Focusing his mind as he blew out a breath, he simply knew her left hand would strike towards his ribs next. His hand shot out and wrapped around her wrist.

She gasped. “You cheat,” she spat as he jerked her towards him.

“You think Ren wouldn’t do the same?” he asked as he wrapped his arm around her.

“He would,” she replied, “but he wouldn’t get distracted when he realized where his arm was.”

The blood started to roar in his ears when he looked down and saw that his arm was pressed across her breasts.

Just as she predicted, his mind went blank and he stood there as dumbfounded as a hormonal teenager.

She used his distraction to spin out of his grip, hooking her foot behind his knee as she did. With one swift pull, Poe found himself falling to the ground for the second time that day.

The air rushed out of him at the impact. The room went quiet, the trainees stilling as they observed the Jedi who felled the commander—again.

He tried to push himself up, but an invisible weight held him to the floor.

“You said you weren’t going to use the Force.”

“No,” she corrected, “I said I didn’t want to rely on it. I didn’t rely on it to put you down, but I will use it to keep you down.”

“No fair, sunshine.”

Rey grinned down at him. “You already know I play dirty.”

“I do too,” he replied with a wink.

He grabbed her ankle, pulling swiftly. She flailed her arms, trying to keep her feet, before collapsing in a heap next to him.

The class still watched them. “Keep training,” Poe commanded before dropping his head back down and looking over at Rey.

She was biting her lip to keep herself from giggling, and he practically ached to capture that lip between his teeth. “You’re kinda awful at teaching.”

“Hey,” he protested as he rolled over, hovering above her, “they’re learning something. Now, they might actually stand a chance in a fight.”

She quirked an eyebrow at him. “Sure, if the stormtrooper’s blind.”

“Do you want to teach them? I would be more than happy to let you.”

She smiled and raised her hand up to touch his cheek. “No, you can keep doing it.”

Preoccupied by her hand on his cheek, by the sight of her below him in his clothes, Poe didn’t notice what she was doing with her legs. Before he could think, she snaked her leg between his and drove her hip up into him, flipping him onto his back–for the third time that day.

“Kriff, sunshine,” he breathed, “what has gotten into you today?”

She raised herself up on her elbows, so now she looked down at him. “Maybe I just like seeing you on your back.”

He groaned low in the back of his throat without fully realizing what he was doing, like an instinctual reaction.

She tried to maintain the serious look on her face, but quickly dissolved into giggles. “I’m sorry–Sura said I should see what you’d do if I said that, but I can’t keep a straight face.”

“You’re teasing me, sunshine.”

She got to her feet and offered her hand to help him up. “I’m just doing what you told me to do.”

He took her offered hand and pulled himself up. “And what’s that?”

She jerked her arm back, forcing him to stumble forward. She chuckled as he struggled to right himself. “Exploiting my opponent’s weakness.”

He stared at her for a moment before remembering that they weren’t alone. Looking around at the gathered recruits, he cleared his throat. “Good work today. You’re dismissed.”

His students filed out until he and Rey were the only ones left in the room. Poe blew out a breath and rubbed a hand through his hair. “Well, that was awful.”

“I thought it went pretty well,” Rey responded as she unwrapped her hands.

“It did–for you.” He glared at her. “I looked like a nerf herder.”

“Not a nerf herder,” she objected. “More like a bantha herder.”

Poe rolled his eyes. “Very funny.”

Silence fell over them as she put her wraps away. When she turned back to him, her expression had turned serious. “I didn’t mean it when I said you weren’t a good teacher.” Her hazel eyes searched his face. “You’re teaching them valuable strategy and they’re getting better. You treat them like equals and you encourage them, but you’re honest about what they’ll face. They might just have a chance, thanks to you.”

He shrugged. “There’s no point in hiding what we’re up against. We’ve lost too many to do that–it would be an insult to their memory. Plus, most of them already know, have already seen it first-hand. We need to recognize what their strategy will be and prepare for that.”

“Like figuring out what weaknesses they’ll try to exploit in us,” she supplied.

“Right.” He met her searching gaze with his own. “What did you mean when you said you were exploiting my weakness?”

She dropped her eyes to the ground.

Poe stepped closer to her, gently placing his hand under her chin and lifting her head up so she would meet his gaze. “Do you think you’re my weakness?”

She smiled softly at him. “I know I am.” When he started to protest, she brought her finger up to his lips to silence him. “You’re my weakness, too.”

“How can you say that so nonchalantly?” he asked. “Doesn’t that terrify you? Because it terrifies me, the thought that some First Order bastard might try to use you, or my dad, or someone else I love to break me, that my feelings for you might put you in danger.”

“Absolutely,” she answered. “But it also reminds me that I have something to fight for, something Ben won’t have. Love might be a weakness, but it will be our greatest strength in the end. I know it.”

“I feel like we should toast or something,” Poe said with a grin. “To being each other’s weaknesses.”

Rey checked the chronometer she’d taken to wearing. “Well, the mess is open. It won’t have alcohol, but we could use the bantha milk that just came in on the last supply run.”

“I think I’ll pass.”

She smirked at him. “The bantha herder doesn’t want any bantha milk?”

He ushered her out of the training room. “That’s it, you are not allowed at any more of my training sessions. You wear my clothes, you tease me, you knock me on my ass three times in front of my students, and you distract me.”

Rey’s laughter filled the hall. “Careful, commander,” she quipped, her eyes twinkling, “your weakness is showing.”

#dusk till dawn #damerey fanfiction #damerey #poe x rey #jedipilot

37 notes · View notes

dailynewswebsite · 4 years

Text

Why friendships are falling apart over politics

One thing about our present second appears to have put a selected pressure on our private relationships. Alex Edelman/AFP by way of Getty Photos

Former Supreme Court docket Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia have been on reverse sides of the political spectrum. But regardless of their apparent authorized disagreements, the liberal Ginsburg as soon as described herself and the conservative Scalia as “greatest buddies.”

This connection throughout ideological strains could appear stunning at this time. A placing function of the present political second is the extent to which it has affected private relationships, with friendships fissuring over political points.

The truth is, a latest Pew examine confirmed simply how deep that divide has turn out to be. The survey discovered that roughly 40% of registered voters mentioned that they don’t have a single shut pal backing a special presidential candidate.

The outdated mantra to “by no means talk about faith or politics” was a recognition that political variations can create awkward social conditions. And analysis my colleagues and I performed discovered that the mere prospect of discussing divisive subjects could make you’re feeling anxious and threatened.

But one thing about our present second appears to have put a selected pressure on our private relationships.

As a social psychologist and communication researcher, I’ve observed two key options of at this time’s political setting which can be making friendships throughout the political divide difficult: the position of social media and the way in which wherein political affiliations have turn out to be linked to morality and identification.

Delinquent media

Whereas social media might have its advantages, it’s tougher to have an in-depth, respectful dialogue of points whereas on-line. Written posts may be misinterpreted. The character limits of a tweet or submit might stop customers from relaying the complete complexity of their views, whereas the relative impersonality of on-line communication might make it straightforward to neglect that there’s a actual individual behind the display.

Moreover, media firms have monetary incentives to maintain folks engaged and enraged. Messages which can be extra emotional are extra broadly shared, thus individuals are extra more likely to see posts that gasoline outrage towards the opposite aspect. Divisive content material might also originate with trolls or disinformation campaigns deliberately designed to extend social division.

Friendships like that of former Supreme Court docket Justices Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg have gotten much less frequent. Alex Wong/Getty Photos

Id and morality

Second, it appears as if political points have gotten extra intertwined with people’ identities and sense of morality.

When being a supporter of a selected politician or occasion is a powerful a part of one’s sense of identification, it could be simpler to view the opposite aspect in a unfavourable approach.

People have a have to belong and to be a part of teams, and this “us versus them” mentality can come up even when folks don’t have sturdy positions on political points. Listening to so much about politics because the election approaches retains folks targeted on these identities.

Politicians or media shops can reinforce this sense of battle. Politicians usually try to attract contrasts between themselves and their opponents, typically by disparaging the supporters on the opposite aspect, whether or not it’s Hillary Clinton’s “basket of deplorables” remark in the course of the 2016 election or Trump’s common barrage of Twitter insults, which have included retweeting a video wherein somebody says, “The one good Democrat is a useless Democrat.”

Then there are the problems which can be highlighted. It’s one factor to disagree about tax coverage. It’s fairly one other to disagree about whether or not sure teams deserve elementary rights, or whether or not the opposite aspect helps “killing infants” or “locking youngsters in cages.”

When one individual believes the insurance policies and politicians supported by one other individual are inherently evil or immoral, it’s tough to keep up a friendship.

[The Conversation’s science, health and technology editors pick their favorite stories. Weekly on Wednesdays.]

Don’t neglect the opposite 60%

On the hopeful aspect, the Pew survey means that six in 10 registered voters do have shut associates on the opposite aspect of the political divide.

Simply as so-called “purple states” and “blue states” are all truly “purple states” – and comprise folks throughout the political spectrum – many People’ friendships stay intact, regardless of a demanding election cycle.

These reminders of shared affection and values might assist deliver the nation collectively irrespective of the result of November’s contentious election.

Melanie Inexperienced doesn’t work for, seek the advice of, personal shares in or obtain funding from any firm or group that may profit from this text, and has disclosed no related affiliations past their educational appointment.

from Growth News https://growthnews.in/why-friendships-are-falling-apart-over-politics/ via https://growthnews.in

#Growth News

0 notes

fandammit · 7 years

Text

Kabby/The 100 Fic Masterpost (Updated and reorganized 5.27.17)

Kabby AU

Tabula Rasa: On Ao3 || Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3 || Part 4 || Part 5 || Part 6 ||Part 7 || Part 8 || Part 9 || Part 10 ||Part 11 || Part 12 || Part 13 [WIP and it’s been a minute since I’ve updated] Modern (kind of post break-up) AU. Abby and Marcus come back into each others lives after years apart.

Wonderwall: on Ao3 || Chapter 1 || Chapter 2 || Chapter 3 || Chapter 4 [WIP] Modern AU. Marcus Kane and Abby Griffin: former high school rivals, potential hottest hookup of the 20 year reunion.

An Alchemy of Stardust: on AO3 || Chapter 1 || Chapter 2 || Chapter 3 || Chapter 4 || Chapter 5 Witch!AU. Abby Griffin is a witch and Marcus Kane is no fool. Season 1 retold as a witch AU.

Kabby Post S2 Hiatus

My soul is useless without you Written for the Kabby week prompt: Moment you first shipped them/sold your soul. In the moments after he and Abby are freed from their chains in Mt. Weather, Marcus thinks of the ways they’ve been saved. Hearts without Chains Marcus and Abby, immediately after Mt. Weather.

Uneven Odds Abby learns that Clarke is gone. Sequel of a sort to Hearts without Chains.

Sleep Patterns (Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3 || Part 4 || Part 5) Marcus makes sure that Abby gets enough rest. Set during post S2 hiatus. Inspired by this gifset and the accompanying tags.

First Snow Written for the @kabby-holiday-fun day 1 prompt - baby, it’s cold outside. Abby and Marcus huddle for warmth as they witness their first snow together.

Shiver Sharing a bed for body warmth, obviously.

Seeing Red Defensive!Marcus fic.

This version of you Marcus thinks about shaving his beard. Abby convinces him otherwise.

Drive Marcus decides to try and teach Abby to drive.

Lips Marcus catches himself staring at Abby’s lips

Flu Season (Part 1 || Part 2) Marcus gets sick. Abby takes care of him.

Parenthood Marcus and Abby realize they’ve adopted 46 delinquent children.

Season 3: Canon compliant

Moments with you Kabby missing moments set during Season 3A

Burn Abby tends to Marcus’s arm after he’s been branded.

Always Marcus comforts Abby the night after Clarke leaves in 3x05.

Already; Almost Four times people thought Kane and Abby were already kissing and one time they actually almost did.

5 Ways to Stay Alive Marcus tries to distract himself from the pain in his hands during the torture scene. Written based solely on the preview.

Season 3: Canon divergent

Our love came unannounced Marcus and Abby share a bed and a few other things, too.

I won’t let this happen to you One shot about the extended promo scene from 3x09.

Simple in the Moonlight (Part 1 || Part 2) Abby and Marcus, the night before his failed coup.

Hair Two times Marcus hesitatingly ran his fingers through Abby’s hair and two times Abby deliberately tangled her fingers in Marcus’s hair

Post S3 Speculation & Season 4

Truth is like blood underneath your fingernails Kane and Abby slowly grow back together again. Post Season 3 speculation, written prior to the end of the season. In the same universe as “Simple in the Moonlight.”

8 Ways to Say I Love You All the different ways that Marcus tells Abby he loves her. Post S3 speculation

We’ll collect the moments one by one A few small moments between Marcus and Abby during their 9 day stay in Polis. Set during season 4.

Kabby fics unconnected to a specific timeline OR set in some post series timeline

Before and After “Abby,” he says. And her name is a line of poetry he can’t quite remember.

I’ll start a riot Abby is taken captive and Marcus will stop at nothing to get her back.

How I said “I love you” prompt fics 10 different one-shots featuring the many ways that Marcus and Abby say “I love you” to one another.

Things I said instead of “I love you” prompt fics Go back to sleep || There’s enough room || Can I hold your hand? || I picked these for you || I brought you an umbrella

Other characters/genfic with background Kabby

15 Ways to Build a Life Community building during the post S2 hiatus. Slightly AU.

Hairstyles Octavia and Abby bond over grounder hairstyles. Marcus reacts to them.

Your love for her Indra is more perceptive than you think.

Winter Skies Adventures of Dad!Kane and Octavia.

Gallows Humor Reflections and revelations around a campfire. Mostly Dad!Kane and delinquents, with background Kabby.

All of your Pieces Clarke watches her mother fall in love. Set during and immediately after Season 3.

Trade your broken wings for mine (discontinued) Arkadia rebuilds. A series of semi-connected ficlets post-City of Light. General fic with a healthy dose of Kabby, both as main characters and background characters.

With a little help (discontinued) The delinquents talk to one another and to Kane and Abby about why they aren't married.

With you by my side Set during season 4′s DNR. Mackson with background Kabby.

The 100 general fic

I built a home (until it disappeared) Short fic inspired by this gifset from @shefollowedfires. Octavia, Bellamy, and Marcus watch Arkadia burn down. Set during S4.

The light you stole [WIP] Dark!Abby AU. Abby becomes a vengeful queen after the death of Marcus and Clarke. Inspired by this beautiful, moody, fantastic dark!Abby AU mix + headcanon of the same name by @shefollowedfires.

Safe to say Dad!Sinclair and Raven. S1, the night before Raven heads to the ground.

Red Marcus holding Vera as she dies.

In the future, there is a me who is happy Eric Jackson loses his mother and decides to recede forever into the background of the world. Abby Griffin has other plans for him.

Rome is built on ruins Eric Jackson thinks he might be broken. But he also thinks that Clarke and Abby and Jake still manage to love him, anyway. Jackson and Griffin family feels prior to the show.

#kabby #kabby fic #the100fic #marcus kane #abby griffin #my fic #kabby fic masterpost #clarke griffin #octavia blake #eric jackson #raven reyes #john murphy #bellamy blake #nathan miller

50 notes · View notes

skylights422 · 7 years

Text

The Curse, Chapter 1

OKAY, here’s an Utra First Draft-y version of the first chapter following Euphranor’s story, set in the Original!Verse. I have no idea what I’m doing with the title, it will definitely change eventually but I gotta call it something in the meantime. It’s… ridiculously long so I’ll put it under the cut. But let me know what you think! :)

Euphranor Lakatos had two firm beliefs about the world: everyone in it was crazy, and grudges of the dead were not to be taken lightly. The former he had known since he was very young, and his time spent living on the street had done nothing to change that perspective; the latter was based less on personal experience and more on his deep seated fear of things related in any shape or form to death or dead things: ghosts, zombies, graveyards, ghost stories, and coffins, to name a few. He even hated anything that looked haunted, whether it be a spooky house or an abandoned toy.

Combined, these beliefs caused young Euphranor to become extremely pessimistic and, according to some, paranoid. He preferred to be left alone, as much as one can be when living homeless in the city, at any rate. He avoided crowds and speaking to people when able. And he generally sought out a life of solitude and peace.

Unfortunately, such a life was impossible for a criminal celebrity.

“GIVE ME BACK THOSE GRANOLA BARS, THIEF!” an angry shop owner yelled, chasing in vain after the scrawny juvenile delinquent. The other citizens in the street all turned to see what was happening. “CALL THE POLICE!!! IT’S THE WRATHFUL ROGUE AGAIN!!!” the shop owner screeched when he realized he wouldn’t be able to catch the boy on foot. But rather than seeming alarmed, the crowd became very excited.

“The Wrathful Rogue? Where!? I want to get a picture of him!”

“Forget the police, call a journalist! We might finally get to interview him!”

“I WANT TO SEE HIM!!! MY HERO!!! AAAHHHHHH~!!!!!” such were some of the shouts discernable from the general noise coming from the crowd. Euphranor, on the other hand, was doing his best to get out of the public eye.

“LEAVE ME ALONE! THEY’RE JUST GRANOLA BARS!” he screamed angrily, pushing through the crowds as quickly as he could. Then he heard the sirens; evidently, someone in that crowd had decided to follow his or her civic duty, much to Euphranor’s dismay. In a desperate attempt to escape the public, he turned down an alley way and slipped between two buildings, hoping to make a quick dash up the street to the more run down part of the city that leads into a stretch of country-side. But as luck would have it, the police then caught up to him.

“STOP! This is the police! Put your hands in the air!” an officer called. Euphranor instead leaped up to a nearby emergency ladder and started climbing up to the roof of the building. Ignoring the shouts of the police, he ran across the rooftops of the buildings, now aiming towards the northeastern part of the city where an acquaintance of his lived.

Seeing the police catching up to him, Euphranor dived off of the building he was on into a large dumpster. Scrambling out, he hurried to a nearby sewer entry and jumped into the underground tunnels. There, he collapsed for a moment, exhausted. He could still hear the police outside and knew he would have to start running again soon. For now he just walked along the familiar tunnels, eating his stolen granola bar and wondering why such a little thing could apparently send the whole city into an uproar.

It was a short while later when he reached his destination, the tunnel that led more or less to his acquaintance’s workplace. Climbing out of the tunnel, his blue eyes shuddered at the sudden increase of light. He was now in the run down, northeastern part of the city and several miles away from where the police had spotted him. The area was full of dingy outdoor shops, all run by various types of suspicious strangers. The people walking the streets were all looked like they’d pick a fight with anyone who bothered them, and Euphranor knew from experience he was only a few blocks away from the black market center.

Looking about, he saw the man he was looking for: a small, suspiciously well-dressed spice shop owner with fly-away black hair and hazel eyes that had a permanent glint of madness in them.

“Hey, Dill! Come over here, I need to bargain with you.” Euphranor yelled grumpily. He neither liked nor trusted the shady shop owner, but the man would sometimes help him hide from the police, even if it was usually for a price.

“Why, if it isn’t young Euphranor! How can I help you today?” Dill said as Euphranor approached the shop counter.

“What do you think? I need a place to stay, why else would I bother talking to you!? So hurry up and name your price.” Euphranor replied curtly. He hated small talk and formalities, having always found them both meaningless and unnecessarily challenging.

“You never change, do you, you little rascal?” Dill laughed. “But alright, I’ll find you a place if you run me a simple errand, ‘kay? There’s a man I owe some debt to, and I need you to take this envelope on over to him; I can’t get it to him myself today and he’s not the least bit pleasant when unhappy, which he will be if I don’t pay him back in time. His name is Cadoc Ellison, and you can sometimes find him at the café on Glass Street. Get this package to him today, and I’ll find you a place to stay tonight. What do you say?” Dill explained. Euphranor had been glaring at him the entire time; Dill was never the most reasonable of sorts, but now he was asking him to talk to someone!

“Isn’t there some other errand I could run for you? I don’t even know what this person looks like!” Euphranor argued, though he could tell by the malicious look in Dill’s eyes that it was probably a useless attempt.

“He’s got brown hair, is kind of tall, and always wears a green scarf. You can’t miss him. And that’s is the only bargain you’ll be getting from me, my young ruffian.” He said, ruffling Euphranor’s hair; an act that never failed to piss him off.

“GAH!!! Alright, alright, I’ll hunt down your stupid Ellison! Just leave me alone! Stupid spice salesman!” Euphranor shouted, grabbing the envelope from him and storming off.

A few hours later, Euphranor found himself wandering the city with a large window curtain wrapped around him like a cloak to hide his identity. He knew it also made him look extremely suspicious, but for the most part people left suspicious strangers alone unless they were looking for trouble. Still fuming about the fact he would have to approach a total stranger to fulfill his end of the bargain, Euphranor was making his way to the Glass street café. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do once he got there, seeing as there was no way to guarantee that this Cadoc Ellison was going to be there the same time he was, but he figured the first step was simply arriving there without having a freak out. Which was easier said than done since there was people everywhere on the streets, and it was becoming only more crowded as he came nearer to his desired location.

Finally, just when he thought he could stand it no longer, he saw it: the café. First step accomplished!!! he thought to himself, feeling extremely victorious and almost shouting out with glee. But then he realized: he still had to complete the next step. And with that he almost threw the envelope to the ground and stormed away; it wasn’t like he really cared what happened to Dill and his stupid debt problem, anyway. The only reason he didn’t was because he was now so pissed off at Dill and at the crowds of people around him that he wanted to tell off this Ellison person just to let off some steam.

Barging into the café, Euphranor looked around wildly for a tall man with a green scarf. Not seeing one, he went over to a chair, kicked it, and then sat down on the chair across from the kicked one, determined to complete this ridiculous errand so that he wouldn’t have to think about it anymore.

A while he waited, his anger slowly evaporating and being replaced by a feeling of dread and anxiety. He constantly glanced back and forth, fidgeting with the envelope he held, and hoping no one approached him before he caught sight of Mr. Ellison. He tried to look at every customer that came in, though he was finding simply sitting still to be a challenge.

It was after an hour of simmering in his own anxiety and misery when he finally spotted a man coming in who fit Dill’s (admittedly vague) description of Ellison: tall, brown hair, green scarf. He also had a very intimidating face, wore nearly all black, and had a huge book with him. He ordered a cup of tea, which further convinced Euphranor the man he was supposed to approach was a danger to society; anyone who went about doing things as obviously inconspicuous as reading a book and drinking tea could not be trusted.

Standing, Euphranor managed to take one step towards the man before freezing. What should he say? How could he come across as anything but a highly suspicious stranger with too much information? What if the man suddenly revealed himself to be a shapeshifting python and strangled him to death? Euphranor stood trembling at the thought. No, he told himself, you have to do this. He can’t get away with making you endure crowds and people scotch free, right? Just imagine how smug he would he would be if that happened! It’s unacceptable! Now angry enough to move again, he marched over to the table where the man was sitting and stopped about four feet away from him.

“E-excuse me? …Hello!? OY, I’M TRYING TO TALK TO YOU OVER HERE!” Euphranor yelled when he wasn’t immediately noticed. The man put down his tea and gave Euphranor a cold look. Then a brief flash of surprise came across his face before fading back into icy irritation.

“No need to shout. What do you want, kid?” the man said.

“Are you Cadoc Ellison?” Euphranor asked angrily.

“Who’s asking?” the man replied.

“JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION! I’m supposed give Mr. Ellison this envelope from stupid, self-righteous Dill, and went through a lot of effort to find this retched place so don’t you go giving me sass mister!” Euphranor ranted. The man just gave him an exasperated look.

“I thought I said not to go shouting, you’ll draw attention to yourself. Anyway, if Dill sent you, than I guess I can say I’m Cadoc. Surprised he remembered his debt at all; even more surprise to hear he found himself an assistant. What did you say your name was?” Mr. Ellison asked. Euphranor, enraged at being called anybody’s assistant (and at life in general), threw the envelope in front of Ellison’s face, screamed pointedly at him, and stormed out of the café, leaving Cadoc and many others staring after him.

Dill was true to his word. After much hysterical laughter and mockery, he did rent Euphranor a hotel under a false name. A really cheap and dingy hotel, but a hotel none the less. On the third floor, in a room full of grime and chipped walls, Euphranor finally found a moment of rest after a very tiring day. There were no people. There wasn’t any noise. There wasn’t anything other than a bed and a small table.

Yet Euphranor found no joy in the place. A certain level of peace, perhaps, but not contentment. As usual when he found a brief reprieve from the usual fury and paranoia that coursed through him, that acted as a motivator to keep going each day, he found himself feeling completely empty, without a hope in the world. He spent his days seeking solitude, but whenever he actually found it, a strange feeling of loneliness he could not begin to understand would settle in. It’s not like I actually enjoy others company, so why should I ever feel as if I desire it? he wondered irritably to himself as he lay on the flattened bed, gazing out the grimy window.

As he lay there, feeling miserable but having no intention of analyzing that misery, a strange thing occurred: there was a flash of lightning; only, it couldn’t be, because since when did lightning flash horizontally? Seconds after that, a horrible whispering sound could be heard coming from every direction.

Sitting up, his heart racing, Euphranor was suddenly terrified; he didn’t need to be told he was the only one hearing these voices. It had been so long since he last heard them, those malicious, screaming whispers. No, he thought, bolting from the door as fast as he could, not again, not again, I have to get out of here. No, no, no, no, not again.

He had no idea where he was going. He only knew he had to get out, to get away from anywhere there’s people. Running blindly, the whispering grew louder, and he saw another flash of light. He turned quickly down a narrow ally way, finally collapsing at the dead end he reached.

“Go away, go away, leave me alone, leave me alone, they’re not real, not real, not real,” he muttered to himself, closing his eyes and holding his head in his arms. Another flash of light, and suddenly Euphranor had no idea where he was. The whispering had stopped. He could see clearly, even though his eyes had been hurting earlier from the bursts of light. But he was no longer in the city. He stood in a huge, sweeping field of grass, the only sign of human civilization being the large, seemingly empty temple in front of him. Euphranor just stared in shock. Now he knew he was insane. Hearing voices in his head was one thing, but now he was full on hallucinating.

Not sure how to wake himself from this vision, he decided to walk towards the temple, since there wasn’t anything else he could do. There was a wide staircase leading up to the main building, which was comprised of complicated arches, columns, and domes.

As he approached the staircase, he saw a sort of pedestal with a large stone slab on it, like a sign. It looked weather beaten and the words inscribed were hard to read. With a trembling hand, he reached out to remove some of the dust from the pedestal. Finally, at least one word could be made out.

“As-trum…?” Euphranor said aloud, not recognizing the term. But before he could calm himself down, there was another flash of light, almost in response to the word being spoken, and suddenly he found himself lying on his back in the ally way he had started in. Only it was night now and he was being heavily rained on.

Sitting upright, Euphranor looked about, trying to find his bearings. It was freezing out now, though that wasn’t why he was trembling so. Even though he wasn’t hearing any more voices, he had clearly passed out or had some sort of seizure, and he didn’t want to think about the fact that this wasn’t the first time such a thing had happened, and therefore might not be the last.

Feeling both greatly shaken and greatly exhausted, he ultimately decided now would be a very good time to go back to his motel and sleep the rest of the night. And probably most of the next morning. Euphranor was still quivering when he returned to his room, collapsing onto the bed without a second thought. Lying there, he listened to the quiet of night, trying not to remember the last time his waking nightmares had altered his ability to perceive reality accurately, until he finally fell into an uneasy sleep.

**********

In a wide room of stone walls, a fire burned bright in the fireplace. Candles scattered the ash-covered floor, the walls were covered with shelves upon shelves of books and scrolls, there were mirrors of varying shapes and sizes, and burnt and torn dolls lay about the corners of the room. There was a bed in one corner messily made. A lone figure sat near it, writing fervently into a leather bound journal. There was a knock at the door, to which the figure turned his head.

“Who is it?” the figure said, blue eyes glinting feverishly in the firelight.

“It’s Enif! Castor sent me!” the other voice, a young girl, said. The figure laughed, smiling brightly.

“Of course, please come in! I take it Kuma and Matar are with you?” he said. Enif opened the door, and sure enough, beside her stood two others, a tall woman with glasses and a very sleepy looking young man.

“Lord Kadri, Castor has requested your presence and – Enif, you mustn’t tackle the Young Lord!” Kuma, the woman, said, for Enif had indeed tackled the figure, Kadri, by ways of a greeting.

“Hey, Kadri, why’s Castor always demanding stuff from you, if you’re our lord? You should tell him to leave you alone so we can play more! I wanna finally beat you in checkers!” Enif said excitedly, hugging Kadri as she spoke.

“Castor is our leader and my mentor until I come of age. Then you may be beat me at Checkers as often as you want, dear Enif. Oh, and since I am your lord, should you not bow before glomping me?” Kadri said, laughing happily.

“Oh right, bowing. It’s hard to remember formalities when you’re too stressed to sleep.” Matar said, slumping onto one knee in a bow. Enif and Kuma bowed as well. Kadri laughed again.

“Worry not, Matar, I know you work harder than anyone. I would of course permit you to sleep more regardless of what duties you have or haven’t done should you choose to request it.” He said, smiling brightly at Matar.

“That would be nice, Lord Kadri, very nice indeed. But I cannot request it yet; there are still some duties that must be done that are more important than sleep, and I have seen no sign indicating change for me yet. Shall I escort you to Castor, or do you wish to travel alone?” Matar asked, suppressing a yawn.

“I’ll go myself, so stress not. I know the way by now.” Kadri replied, walking out into the hall. The corridor was long and chilly, and though candles burned all along the walls, it was still not very bright, as there were no windows to let in the sun. Living in an underground temple had both advantages and disadvantages, and the greatest disadvantage to Kadri was the lack of heat and sun rays.

Heading up a fleet of stairs, Kadri finally rose above ground level into a brightly lit hallway connecting to the office building that was the front for the underground temple. Climbing ever higher, Kadri wondered vaguely what Castor could want from him, and if it would include him using his magic. Once he arrived at Castor’s office door, Kadri gave a loud quadruple knock to announce his presence, and to let Castor know the one knocking was Of the Company.

“Come in.” said the deep voice from behind the door. Kadri entered, bowed on one knee with great flair, whipping back his ornate cloak, and looked up at his mentor. Castor was a middle aged man, though his dark eyes still glimmered with the fervent energy usually associated with youth. His auburn hair, pulled back into a ponytail, and silver rimmed glasses further hid his true age.

“Hello, Master. What is it you want?” Kadri asked.

“Ah, Kadri. It is good that you came, my Lord, for my matters are urgent. As you are already fully aware, it is the Ministry of Truth’s business to rid the world of evil, find the path to Utopia, by following the mystic signs and getting rid of those who go against them, yes?” he started, and Kadri was struck with the sudden urge to start giggling; something about Castor saying aloud their goals made him laugh, he couldn’t really explain it. There was just something funny about Utopia, the idea itself, he’s always thought so, that was hilariously vague and ambiguous. His Utopia was a world of fire, though he wasn’t sure that’s what Castor had in mind. But then, it wasn’t really his place to ask, and it’s not like it really mattered in the long run anyway.

“Of course, Master. What of it?” he asked.

“Well, I think it is time you get some real world experience in leadership and the destruction of evil. There have been some…concerning signs showing up as of late. A great evil is growing, and only you are properly equipped to handle it; that, and it is an important step in your education. You can study theory for your whole life, but it won’t amount to anything if you don’t go out and test those theories. You will head out tomorrow at sunrise. Any questions?” Castor said. Kadri was surprised he was being told to leave the temple; he hadn’t been in the outside world for roughly ten years, so he was curious as to what it would be like now.

“None at all.” Kadri said. He then bowed again, and went back to his room to consider what to pack. As he stared into the crackling fire, he reached for a red, ornate fan. So he was going to finally see the outside world. Sparks came from the fan as he caressed it, and he grinned at the thought of standing under the sun again. Surely, this feeling was eagerness, not anxiety; for what was there to be anxious about? Ten years before, he had been completely accustomed to being in the outside world, it couldn’t take too long for him to readjust. To clear his mind of such thoughts, he spent the next few hours burning and shredding dolls and pieces of parchment.

********** Euphranor woke with a splitting headache. He’d almost forgot how disorienting it felt to come back to reality after spending even a short time in the realm of hallucination. He still felt shaken from last night’s events, and his already extreme levels of paranoia had reached a new height. He quickly stole some breakfast and then snuck out into the city, looking for some place quiet and far away from people. With his hallucinations returning, it was unsafe for him to be around anyone.

While on the street, just as he was about to eat his breakfast, he noticed a young girl staring at him. She looked as poor and homeless as he was, and just miserable, despite being at least seven years younger than him. Her stare was unwavering, making Euphranor feel decidedly self-conscious and uncomfortable.

“Leave me alone! I worked to get this food, you go work to get your own!” he yelled, holding his bagel defensively. The girl continued to stare intensely at him. “I mean it! Leave me alone!” he tried again, voice wavering. It was dangerous for anyone to be around him right now, but he couldn’t just give up his meal. Hunger never mixed well with hallucinations. So the girl would just have to go somewhere else for food. Even if she was younger than him. And all alone. And looking up at him with big, sad, adorable eyes.

“Gaahh!!! Fine! Take it, you wretched thief!!! Take it and savor its warm, bready deliciousness, you tyrant!” Euphranor finally screamed, thrusting the bagel into the little girl’s hands and running away. Internally cursing his own sense of morality, Euphranor grumpily looked around for something else to eat, wondering idly if the little girl was actually a hallucination attempting to deprive him from his nutrients.

As he was walking, he thought he saw another flash of light. He froze. This couldn’t be happening. Not after all these years. First last night, now today, what caused these hallucinations anyways!?

The whispering returned. Holding his hands over his ears, Euphranor quickly turned into an alley way before dropping to his knees and trying to just ignore it. If he didn’t move, and kept his eyes closed, maybe they wouldn’t get as bad. Maybe no one would get hurt. The whispers turned into screams, and suddenly Euphranor sensed movement near him. He was being watched! Don’t come near me, don’t come near me, please, just leave me alone, Euphranor thought desperately, even as he felt the shadows coming closer, ever closer.

Just as the whispered screams were becoming too much, the rustling told him they were upon him. He didn’t dare open his eyes. I’m going to die, I am going to die, Euphranor couldn’t say why but he felt this was inevitably, irrevocably true. A piercing knife was in him, twisted and cold, and finally, Euphranor screamed.

A long while he lay there after that. The whispers receded. Trembling all over, Euphranor finally opened his eyes. He was still in the alley way, curled up on the ground, but there was no real knife in him. However, there was a note lying in front of him he knew for a fact hadn’t been there before. He stared at it for a few moments before hesitantly reaching out with a shaking hand to unfold it.

It’s been too long, Euphranor. Enjoying the quiet?

Euphranor stared. That’s all that it said. It in itself wasn’t an offense message, but something about it made him feel disturbed, and unsafe. Who was writing to him? How did they know him? And why did that last question sound so cryptic? The writer couldn’t have known what he was hearing, could they? Fear pulsed through Euphranor; the feeling of being watched wasn’t just his imagination! He wasn’t sure whether he should, as his instincts were strongly suggesting, completely panic, or feel relieved to know that he still must have some sanity left for his instincts to actually be right for once.

Tearing up the letter, for the mere feeling of it in his hands was enough to make him shudder, he stood and took a deep breath. A small voice in his head said he should probably push down the swelling panic within him, but really, what other reaction could you have to being stalked? He couldn’t go to the police, he was a wanted criminal! Besides, a prison, where lots of people were stuck together in halls of cells and work areas and cafeterias, was the absolute worst place to be right now. He supposed he could probably be in a mental institution, except he could still end up hurting the psychiatrists there, so that wasn’t an option either (besides, Euphranor didn’t really want to be locked in a room all day every day).

So, he simply screamed in frustration, and kicked a nearby trash can. No, he thought, I’m going to have to figure this one out on my own. If that meant running as far as possible and never looking back, well then, that’s what he would do. First, he just needed to get out of this alley way. Then he might be able to think a little clearer. He doubted it would actually help, as he could now feel eyes watching him from every direction, and everything seemed like it might trigger another hallucination. Every shadow and tree looked like a person, idly staring after him. But it was the only plan he had. Taking one more deep breath, Euphranor ordered his trembling legs to move, and ran forth, no clear direction in mind.

********** Cadoc Ellison returned from work feeling exhausted. It had been a hard, long day, and he was glad to finally be home with his daughter, Ena. Collapsing on the couch, Cadoc gazed at the various ornaments decorating the living room wall; paintings, his sword collection, picture of his family, and a few other odds and ends. “Ena, I’m home!” he called. His daughter came down the stairs from her bedroom carrying her pet snake, Elliwood. Even though she smiled at him, Cadoc couldn’t help but think the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“How was your day? I bought some soup and crackers, if you want some.” Ena said, leaning against the wall and petting Elliwood. She didn’t sound overly interested, but Cadoc appreciated the effort anyways.

“Oh, the usual; hundreds of customers, all of them rude and in a hurry. But it wasn’t too bad, my co-workers helped with the load. I’ll take some crackers, thank you very much, Ena. How was your day at school?” Cadoc asked, getting up to get the crackers from the kitchen. Sometimes he had to remember to keep things positive; his daughter was already depressed for her own legitimate reasons, she didn’t need to be worrying about his too. He knew she probably got her pessimism and biting wit from him, but he liked to think that a little bit of optimism would be enough to cheer her up.

“It was okay. Lunch was good, and I have homework. Also, Elliwood is going to need more food, could you get some for me next time you’re out?” she asked.

“Of course, don’t worry about it. Oh, I wanted to tell you, Ena, the Wrathful Rogue was spotted again, it’s in the newspaper. Actually, I think I might have met him; the pictures the press get are never too clear, but I met a boy who looked awfully similar, and was loud enough to fit the role too.” Cadoc said. Ena’s face actually did light up at that.

“Really!? What did he do this time? What did the boy you meet look like?” she asked eagerly. Cadoc was torn between feeling happy that his daughter was so excited, and sad that his daughter’s only idol was a criminal.

“Apparently he got in a fight with a grocery store owner and stole some granola bars; the police were unable to catch him as always.” He explained. Ena laughed.

“Seriously? Granola bars? This guy has some interesting priorities, that’s for certain. I wonder why an orphanage or other homeless shelter has never tried to take him in. Of course, the real question is how he has never been caught once during the four years he’s been at large, but that may always be a mystery.” She said.

“Perhaps. The boy I met was working for Dill, one of my shadier acquaintances. He looked around your age, had light brown hair cut fairly short, and blue eyes. And he was loud. Very, very loud, to the point where it was indecent. I still don’t fully understand why you like him so much, he may be impressive but he’s still breaking the law.” Cadoc said, careful not to sound too accusatory.

“I like him for two reasons, as I’m sure I’ve explained before; his stories are exciting to read about and actually manage to make me laugh, and because he’s inspiring; he hasn’t anything, yet he keeps going, keeps surviving. That’s all the reason I need to like him. And the boy you describe certainly does sound like he could be him, do you think you might be able to talk to Dill about it?” Ena responded.

“I can try, of course, but don’t get your hopes up too much; Dill only gives out information when it serves him, and the boy may not be your Rogue at all. But I will investigate it when I have time.” Cadoc said.

“Alright then. Thanks.” She said, and then went back to her room with Elliwood. Cadoc stared after her. He wished he knew how to help her with what she was dealing with, but he had barely figured out his own problems, and knew there was no way he could fully understand hers seeing as they barely spoke beyond formalities and the occasional news anymore, and he wasn’t home often enough to pursue the issue like he wanted to.

Ever since his wife, and Ena’s mother, had died two years ago, Cadoc had had an increasingly hard time understanding his daughter; yet while this made him unhappy, he also feared what would happen if he tried to help fix the wrong problem; miscommunication was the cause of many battles, after all. A small voice in his head said lack of communication was too, but he ignored it for there was nothing that could be done about it; both of his options were bad ones.

Deciding he needed to get his mind off of this and onto something more productive, he decided he really would pay Dill a visit, see if he knew anything. He briefly let Ena know he was going out, to which he only got an indifferent sounding ‘okay’ as a response, and then left to hunt down his associate.

He found Dill where he always found him, running his questionable shop in the most questionable part of town.

“Hello, Dill. I received the envelope your assistant sent me.” He stated, simply to let the distracted man know he was there. Dill jumped in surprise, and then looked annoyed to see who it was. Cadoc couldn’t help but grin internally at the sour look on his face.

“Yeah? So what do you still want from me, then? I came through on our deal, didn’t I?” he asked.

“Yes, you did. Right now, I’m simply looking for information. I’ll pay you what I can if I must.” Cadoc said, bitter at having to deal with such low life criminals, but willing to do so for Ena’s sake.

“Information, huh? That’s the sort of thing that will cost you an awful lot or barely a penny depending on what kind of info it is that you’re looking for.” Dill said, idly organizing some spices on the shelves.

“I want to know about the assistant you sent to deliver your debt. And anything you know about the Wrathful Rogue.” Cadoc said. Dill raised an eyebrow at him.

“I know about as much about the Wrathful Rogue as anyone else does; he’s a kid, he’s a ridiculously clever thief, the police haven’t been able to catch him once in four years, and he’s brought more money to this city through journalism and tourists than we’ve had in a long time. As for my ‘assistant’, he’s just one of my many business partners, nothing more.” He said, and Cadoc could tell he was lying.

“The boy I saw could only have been fifteen or sixteen; not old enough to be ‘business partners’ with anyone. How do you know him?” Cadoc questioned.

“It’s really quite simple, Mr. Ellison. He runs errands for me, I give him something in return. Now, that’s all I’m going to say without a price, so you can either hand over some dough or leave me alone. I have other customers I need to attend to, after all.” Dill said, and Cadoc found himself growing increasingly irritated; these were the type of people who annoyed him most. People who broke the law yet were wholly arrogant without a shred of decency or remorse.

“Look here, Dill. You are going to meet me in four hours at the port, okay? There, we will discuss payment, and you will tell me everything you know, or I’ll turn you in to the police for selling and purchasing illegal items. Got it?” Cadoc said menacingly. Dill looked both alarmed and annoyed.

“Alright, I’ll be there. Just don’t you turn me in, or I swear you won’t hear a thing from me.” Dill said. Cadoc nodded and walked away.

As he was walking, Cadoc sighed. He knew he was chasing a slim opportunity at best; the boy he met may very well just be another pickpocket with no relation to the Wrathful Rogue. He didn’t really want anything to do with him, actually, or any of the other low-lives he had the burden of being acquainted with. But if it made Ena happy, if it made her loss and pain any less even for just a little while, then Cadoc was willing to go anywhere, and do anything to make that happen.

He idly wondered what this Wrathful Rogue was really like; he hadn’t actually planned on what to do if he ever located him. Would he be able to be reasoned with? Or would he have to turn him over to the police? No, he wouldn’t turn in him if he could help it; that would only depress Ena more. But if he couldn’t be reasoned with? Cadoc didn’t want him being a negative influence on his daughter. Frustrated with the lack of solutions appearing in his mind, Cadoc kicked a nearby pebble. He would just have to figure it out when the time came. Deciding the best way to kill time was to go to the fencing arena, Cadoc wandered off through the city, his thoughts heavy with burdens.

#original story #euphranor lakatos #kadri espenson #cadoc ellison #ena ellison #fantasy #fiction #literature

2 notes · View notes

erinhime83 · 3 years

Photo

To go along with the fifteenth anniversary of Mirror Image, I figured I’d go ahead and post up some designs I’ve basically been sitting on for a few years, because I’m trash like that. Keep in mind that these designs are basically for a version of the story that’s not a collab, so they’re kinda how I would design them now. Well, obviously, since I was the one who designed them. ^^;

This version of MI goes back to the roots of the story, where they’re all in England for various reasons when they get summoned, and just sort of flail around for a bit, not having a clue wtf is going on.

Jennifer Hannisen/Shizuka and Ryu: Considering this is my character, not much has changed about her. Every time, I keep trying to give her more traditional clothes, just to go back to something like this. I was going to give her those weird thigh highs she originally had, but…the skirt is a little too long for that, and the capris make a little more sense.

Jennifer is about to start her senior year in high school, and her parents decided to take her on a trip overseas to celebrate. She’s a bit of a dreamer, and wishes something exciting would happen just once in her life. She embraces the summoning just a bit more than everyone else before she realizes that this isn’t the sort of adventure she was looking for.

Ryu is her Guide, and he’s a Dragon Tamer, but just barely. His dragon is the tiniest to ever be tamed, and the rest of the Tamers don’t think too highly of him. Except they have to respect him because he’s the Sumikian Guide. He’s sort of out to prove himself, because he’s been looked down upon his entire life, even after it was discovered he is the Guide. He and Jennifer get along really well, because they have similar personalities.

Lance MacFarlane/Sethos and Kiya: Lance’s background a changed a lot, but I think it’ll make sense once I explain it. Lance is from Scotland, but moved to the US when he was about fourteen due to his father’s job. He attended the same high school as Jennifer, and actually befriended her to a degree. She’s about the only girl he was interested in dating there, but because he absolutely hated the entire move and knew he was going to be going back home the moment he could, he didn’t want to really attach himself to the place. She’s the only person he friended on social media, and he sort of regrets not pursuing her.

He’s a bit of a delinquent, although he’s basically the straight man in his group of friends. He doesn’t have any real aspirations at the moment, since he’s basically catching back up on his old life for the time being. The reason he was in Stonehenge was for the lawl of it, honestly. Also, I didn’t really change his design too much, because I really like it a lot.

Kiya is his Guide, and she’s an instructor for the royal family of Azibo. Most people don’t take the fact that she teaches the princes swordfighting because she’s a woman, but she ignores most of the criticism about it. She’s the motherly one out of all of them, taking it upon herself to take care of these ‘children’ from another world who are just really confused about everything.

Elena Guerrero/Evangelia and Antigonus: Elena is Argentine/Canadian, and out of all of the Chosen, she’s the most popular. But, she is actually just as introverted at the other Chosen; she just happens to benefit from the introversion that allows her to enjoy social gatherings for a short period before she has to recharge again. She’s the most freaked out about what’s going on, refusing to believe any of it at first and only wanting to go home. She’s in England because of her grandmother who recently moved in with them who has an obsession with Eva Perón.

Her design isn’t anything like any of her other designs, but rather something I tend to do with my Greek/Roman inspired characters. But I really like it! But then again, I guess that would make sense, wouldn’t it? I did keep her hair from one of the old designs, so I guess that’s something, right? I don’t have a real handle on her character other than the fact that Evangelia and Shizuka end up getting rather close despite the differences in personalities.

Antigonus is a bit of a rebel as far as the Guide as concerned, although he himself isn’t a rebel. Guides are always the around the same age as their Chosen, but the current Guide died before the Chose crossed over. Antigonus was a former Guide before the new generation took over, and he took the position temporarily while they hunted for the new Guide. Except Evangelia showed up before they found him. So Antigonus, despite being old enough to be their grandfather, is forced onto this adventure. He was the former Emperor of Caelestis, having given up the position to his son so he could enjoy his later years. Melohdia is a peaceful country, so most rulers just give up their thrones in their old age.

Desiree Dahlquist/Freyja and Nannin: Desiree is the one I have the least handle on, but that seems to always be the case. All I know is that she’s a photographer, she’s from New Zealand, and that she’s the oldest of the Chosen at twenty-three. Oh, and that she’s most definitely bi, although I’m not sure who she ends up with, honestly.

I do really like her civilian design, but I also really like the edgy undercut look, so there’s that. I love the idea of her having dyed her hair teal at one point, but it’s growing out now. And the only reason I changed her sleeves like I did was just because her old sleeves, while looked cool, was a pain to actually ink. >.< (And yes, she does still have the feathers on her circlet and her boots, I was just too lazy to put them in.)

Nannin…okay, Nannin is the true rebel of the Guides. See, one of the rules of the Guides is that they’re always the opposite gender of their Chosen. However, Baldurnan in the time since the last Chosen came to Melohdia, became excessively matriarchal, and they refused to accept a male in such a prestigious position. Nannin, for her part, didn’t really want to take over for the guy, but she was sort of forced to. The others really don’t have any idea – the other Guides are sort of confused at her presence among them, but don’t really say anything – until they come to Baldurnan and accidentally meet the guy.

Freyja is given a choice at that point, and she ends up deciding to keep Nannin as her Guide, since they’ve been through a lot at that point, and formed a bond. It also turns out that the original Guide isn’t exactly the best sort of person, and they’re left wondering if maybe this was supposed to happen. But that’s one reason why Nannin has colored hair while the others don’t – she wasn’t born a Guide. She’s actually got the most gentle personality of the Valkyrie, which is the governing body in Baldurnan, but she’s a perfectly capable warrior.

Dimitri Kaminski/Drustan and Raelin: Dimitri is the only truly foreign one of the Chosen, being Russian whose studying in England. He’s a wanna-be novelist, and his divining powers sort of leaked into our world s he’s been constantly writing about Melohdia. Most of his stories are about Chosen from the past, so he has the most knowledge about what’s going on. At first, he thinks he’s accidentally taken himself into the world of his novel before he realizes what’s going on.

As Drustan, he’s the soothsayer of the group, although his powers are sporadic at best, and only really through dreams. His combat skills are about on par with Frejya’s, though, so it’s not like he’s completely useless. He’s biggest boon, though, is just knowing shit that the others don’t, and more or less helping them understand what’s going on.

Raelin is a princess of sorts, being the daughter of the chief of the biggest tribe in Frelic. She’s definitely rough around the edges, and tends to clash with the other Guides because she wants to rush off into battle all the time without thinking. She’s pretty much spent her whole life trying to prove herself, since she’s one of many children her father had and is forced to compete with them to succession. She might not want to be the next chief, but she hates people looking down on her because their perceive her to be weak.

I suppose I should explain the whole colored hair thing. See, I had this random idea to give Shizuka pink hair, just for the fun of it, and got to thinking how it would be neat to make their hair our favorite color (with Drustan having red hair because his color is red). And once I started doing it, I liked it. I wanted to make all of them have colored hair, but I couldn’t think of what color hair the Guides should have, save Nannin, so just stuck them with natural hair and colored eyes. Basically, the people of Melohdia aren’t really restricted like regular humans are, so they tend to have anime features.

The difference in skin tone comes from the idea that they actually have different bodies in Melohdia. I played around with making this a straight isekai, but considering there are parts where they go back, I couldn’t quite do it that way that they’re different people. It’s a bit more complicate then their souls being transferred, because their bodies don’t exist on Earth when they’re in Melohdia, but I figure I can think about that later. ;P

It’s always fun to think about this story, and sometimes I do wonder if I should just…go ahead and tackle it someday, because it is rather interesting, even if we never go anywhere with it. But I think I’m hesitant to do so because I feel it’s not really my story to do that to. But still, its fun to go back every now and then, and I am shocked it’s been fifteen years now! Feels like not that long ago and ages ago at the same time. :D

#my art #designs #MI #shizuka #ryu #sethos #kiya #evangelia #antigonus #freyja #nannin #drustan #raelin

6 notes · View notes