#Hemlock is Cunning | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

cjorgens2022 · 5 months

Text

Imperial Tech

I am anticipating the 7th chapter of Aelfwynn’s Imperial Tech’s Observations and Analysis in the Galactic Empire. That alongside with Wwheeljack’s In The Name of Science is my inspiration to create and design my own Imperial!Tech who is calm, collected, stoic, businesslike, logically harsh, dutiful, confident, reasonable to an unnerving degree, sharp, persuasive, cold, practical, firm, determined, calculated, stern and brutally honest

1 note · View note

littlefeatherr · 1 year

Text

TBB spoilers under the cut:

This season established that:

Tech can outpilot/outrace every other non Force sensitive humanoid we've seen in canon.

He's a deadly supersoldier, even with injuries that would cripple most humanoids.

Tech and Omega are physically very durable and capable of surviving falls, rogue waves, natural disasters, spelunking, technology run amok, the zillow beast, races, the Emperor, the Senate, Imperial fighters, stampede, and more.

Omega has learned his flying maneuvers, as well as to think as strategically as he does. She also knows a lot about Kaminoan technology.

Tech and Omega together are resourceful, cunning, brilliant, and unstoppable. What he doesn't think of, she will.

They're family, not just fellow members of a squad. And Tech feels very deeply about the family's situation, safety and future.

Neither wants to leave Crosshair behind and will do whatever it takes to rescue him.

Both have the medical and technical knowledge to understand just what the Empire is up to and Hemlock is doing to the clones.

Both have made friends among the smartest, most adventurous, well-connected and deadliest people in the galaxy.

Tech and Omega have tasted what their futures could be like. They both have a lot to live for.

Tl;dr: Tech is more than capable of surviving the fall. Now he and Omega are just where they need to be to free Crosshair and get the needed information about the clones to Rex, Bail, and Riyo.

#the bad batch spoilers #tbb spoilers #tbb s2 spoilers #the bad batch #tbb tech #tbb omega

567 notes · View notes

cross-my-heartt · 1 year

Text

Three antagonists, three distinct attitudes, all representative of what the Empire stands for as a whole

I wanted to take a moment to appreciate what a good job TBB has been doing with its antagonists so far, especially our three imperial officers here. A good antagonist is so important to a good story and I love how each of these characters has a distinct feel about them even though they’re all meant to represent the Empire’s worst qualities. (Yes, Hemlock isn’t included here. That guy's a whole new category of yikes.)

Tarkin: ruthless authoritarianism

Tarkin is the perfect representation of unfeeling single-minded power. He's willing to go however far it takes to accomplish the Empire's goals, eradicating all that stand in its way or dare to oppose it. He hated the jedi for their reluctance to go against their moral code and their unwillingness to bend to the Republic’s will and he hates the clones for much the same reason.

Tarkin believes that nothing should stand in the way of victory. He is the face of a regime that tolerates no opposition, no hesitation and no failure and shows no inhibitions when enforcing those rules.

Morals and human lives are meaningless when the interests of the Empire are at stake.

In a way that simplicity is what makes him so intimidating – his is a straightforward but absolute point of view. That’s scary as hell when it belongs to someone with so much power.

Rampart: calculating ambition

Unlike Tarkin, Rampart represents those that see power as an end rather than a means to one. He’s the rank climber. The smarmy bootlicker. The ambitious overachiever who’s willing to make concessions in the name of success.

We learn that the implementation of chain codes was his initiative. That he’s the one behind project War Mantle. We see how animated and obsequious he is when talking to Tarkin only for him to show his true (dismissive and arrogant) colors to those he considers his subordinates later.

He readily uses and manipulates those he can use for the sake of his own personal gain. This could be the renegade batch or Crosshair to whom he's open about his doubt in regards to his loyalty and that’s where he and Tarkin differ.

He’s dangerous because he is cunning and his cunning allows him to exploit the opportunities the Empire has to offer. He may or may not care for the system itself, but he certainly cares about what it can do for him, which is why he works to further its cause.

It's the kind of self interest that has little regard for morality. Rampart isn’t tolerant of anything that threatens his reputation and by extension his chances of success and he will dispose of anyone who isn’t convenient to him.

Which makes it all the more ironic that he himself was disposed of when he became inconvenient to the Empire.

Nolan: bigoted loyalty

If Rampart was the calculating opportunist, Nolan is his (even more) despicable counterpart. He’s the small insecure man who nonetheless profits from his political alignment, not because he’s competent but because he’s a good little imperial henchman and it gives him a sense of importance.

All in all, he’s the precursor to all the bumbling imperial officers we see in later star wars media, who stand not on merit but on selling themselves to a regime.

A man who cowers at a little turbulence

and has no experience under his belt and yet touts his rank and considers himself better than the clones.

He’s the typical bigot who tramples over others – resorting to derogatory labels (such as 'used equipment') and treating them as less than human – just because he can and because it gives him a power high.

If Rampart saw the clones as a resource that could be used to the very end, Nolan sees sparing medical supplies for one as a ‘waste of resources’. Which is bullshit of course. But prejudice is pretty bad at pretending it’s logical. And the show does a good job of showing us the various little pathetic excuses it tries to hide behind.

(I thought I couldn't hate this guy more and yet I somehow managed it after writing this lol.)

#tbb #the bad batch #tbb meta #admiral rampart #wilhuff tarkin #lieutenant nolan #tbb rampart #grand moff tarkin #tbb season 2 #my meta #honestly I wanna hear you guys' opinions too #I have a feeling we all hate nolan the most #tarkin and rampart are more on the scary side #nolan is just begging to be prevented from reproducing (good job Crosshair)

274 notes · View notes

rose-morose · 23 days

Text

okay, spoilers for bad batch series finale, here are all my jumbled thoughts in one place

shit was wild, and I absolutely loved it

a bit disappointed that we never saw Ventress again but I wasn't really expecting to it was just wishful thinking

Scorch was given a rather unceremonious end though he was just a simple cameo so that was no surprise

I spent most of the series thinking of Hemlock as an ok antagonist, maybe a bit generic, but his final displays of cunning and cruelty were particularly potent this go around, and it made him seem much more formidable to me

I appreciated that Hemlock's death could only occur when the three 99s worked together in perfect unison and each played their part in freeing Omega from Hemlock while terminating him in the process

I would have liked to see Rex's clones play a greater role in the clone insurrection, but I was ultimately satisfied with the prisoners leading their own assault

"I've got one more fight in me"

EMERIE REDEMPTION YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was disappointed in Rampart, but not surprised in the least, ultimately he did what Rampart does

the cx clones were so fucking cool and I went crazy trying to figure out who each cx was meant to be, though Tech could still have been a cx, the lack of a reveal was entirely expected

loved the armor and the weapons, it was really cool to see them like rise from their tombs, they seemed kind of like instead of Hemlock working on project necromancer he was just an actual necromancer

my head cannon is that they are definitely undead and Hemlock frankensteined them back to life, which fits with all the lighting you see when he's performing the "reconditioning"

grown up Omega and elderly hippie Hunter were fantastic

Crosshair lost his hand but that usually doesn't matter in the Star Wars universe he'll just get another

all the 99s recognizing Omega's handiwork since they trained her was just perfect

I don't think they ever caught the Zillo beast, at least not in the show so I like to think there is just a wild Zillo roaming the planet

after particularly difficult missions the bad batch always looks like they're on death's door, but this time is was somehow even worse, yet they survived

I was definitely expecting to see another 99 die

YES EMERIE! you fucking did it fuck yeah

all in all not disappointed in the slightest and I hope to see more Omega somewhere in the future

#tbb #star wars #tbb finale #the bad batch #the bad batch season 3 #tbb spoilers #rose rambles #a lot

20 notes · View notes

faewitchsdeities · 2 years

Text

𝕷𝖔𝖐𝖎

(𝙻𝚘𝚔𝚒) ʷʰʸ ᵈᵒᵉˢ ᵗʰᵉ ᵏ ʰᵃᵛᵉ ᵗᵒ ˡᵒᵒᵏ ˡⁱᵏᵉ ᵗʰᵃᵗ↑ ₒ ₋ ₒ

𝕺𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗 𝖓𝖆𝖒𝖊(𝖘): Lokee, Luki, Logi, Lukkanet, Locke sprindlar

𝕲𝖔𝖉 𝖔𝖋: Trickery, Mischief, Cunning, and Seduction

𝕾𝖕𝖊𝖈𝖎𝖆𝖑 𝖉𝖆𝖞(𝖘): April fools, July 23rd, Autumn equinox, Loki's Blot, Samhain, Yule, Thursday

𝕽𝖊𝖑𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖘: Son of Farbauti and Laufey, mother of Sleipnir, father of Hel, Jormungandr, and Fenrir, as well as Narfi. PACT BROTHER WITH ODIN. (Not Thor -.-) , Husband to Sigyn and lover to Angrboda

𝕰𝖓𝖊𝖒𝖎𝖊𝖘: Heimdall, (arguably the other Aesir)

𝕾𝖞𝖒𝖇𝖔𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖒-

𝕬𝖓𝖎𝖒𝖆𝖑(𝖘): snakes, foxes, wolves, coyote, ravens/crows, horses, goats, flies, spider, ant, seal, salmon

𝕺𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗: Double snake symbol (Urnes), knots, chaos star, hearts, figure 8s, Naglfar, Loki's mask, fishing nets, lightning, earthquakes, the numbers 0, 1, 3, &8, shackles

𝕮𝖔𝖑𝖔𝖗(𝖘): red, orange, purple, violet, indigo, black, green, gold

𝕰𝖑𝖊𝖒𝖊𝖓𝖙: Fire and Air

𝕻𝖑𝖆𝖓𝖊𝖙: Pluto, Saturn, Uranus, Dark moon/waning moon

𝖅𝖔𝖉𝖎𝖆𝖈𝖘: Aries

𝕾𝖎𝖒𝖎𝖑𝖆𝖗 𝕲𝖔𝖉𝖘: Hermes, Lugh

𝕺𝖋𝖋𝖊𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖘- Singing, dancing, helping minorities and children

𝕳𝖊𝖗𝖇𝖘/𝖕𝖑𝖆𝖓𝖙𝖘: aconite amber resin bentgrass birch burdock root cedar cinnamon clove clover dandelion dragon's blood ebony elder hemlock hemp/weed holly ivy juniper lavender mandrake root mistletoe moss myrrh patchouli rue tobacco

𝕱𝖔𝖔𝖉𝖘: Anything sweet- candies chocolates coffee fruits pastries soda/juice drinks sugar etc.. - as well as red foods- cherries cranberries peppers pomegranate strawberries tomatoes etc..

𝕾𝖙𝖔𝖓𝖊𝖘/𝖈𝖗𝖞𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖑𝖘/𝖒𝖊𝖙𝖆𝖑𝖘: acrylic amber bronze clear quartz coins and other cheap random metals diamond fire opal fools gold galena garnet glass gold gold stones grenade lead magnesium obsidian onyx plastic red jasper rutilated quartz silver

𝕺𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗: Incense, shiny things, plastic and stuffed toys, found/cheap things preferred, bunny, snake, fox, and raven imagery, art and poetry, knots, hearts, fishnets, lightning imagery,

𝕴𝖓𝖛𝖔𝖈𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖚𝖘𝖊 𝖎𝖓 𝖘𝖕𝖊𝖑𝖑 𝖜𝖔𝖗𝖐: Aids in spells with getting through tough, tight, and narrow situations, owning up to your shit, mischief, cunning plans, change, cleverness, creativity, youthfulness and beauty, seduction, androgyny, blessing and sharpening a blade or knife.

𝕬𝖕𝖕𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖆𝖓𝖈𝖊: Tall with a slim/cut muscular body type. Long pretty red hair, green/violet/gold eyes, a masculine yet feminine face and a sharp jaw, said to be one of the most beautiful Jotunn.

𝕷𝖔𝖗𝖊/𝖘𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖘: ~A cunning trickster who had the ability to change his shape and sex, the creator of lightning, hearth fire, the spirit of life. In the beginning he was a beloved friend and honorary member of the Aesir, but toward the end he became an enemy.. Was/is a companion of Odin and Thor, helping them with his clever plans but sometimes causing them embarrassment and difficulties, though also being any enemy of sorts. Though his father was a Jotunn (a giant), his mother was considered a goddess, thus Loki is included among the Aesir.

-Once cut off Thor's wife's hair and was forced to replace it. He tricked dwarves into a wager for his head if they could deliver wonderful gifts the the gods (including the hair). They made a hammer for Thor, A great spear and a drop-near gold bracelet for Odin, A boat and a huge golden boar for Freyr, and of course new hair made of gold for Sif -Thor's wife. Loki then told the dwarves that the wager said that they could only take his head and that they could not damage his neck. They were enraged but Odin told them that they should have paid more attention when making a wager with the god of trickery. Though Loki was still punished by having his mouth sowed shut so he couldn't deceive for a long time.

-One day someone stole Thor's hammer and left a ransom note, later demanding Freya's hand in return for the hammer that protected both Asgard and Midgard. Loki had an idea though, -much to Thor's dismay- he dressed the thunder god as a bride and took advantage of the giant thief's poor sight. (Also disguising himself as a woman) He tricked the giant, successfully making him think that Thor was Freya. As they ate Thor let out his apatite and the giant said something about his bride having a big stomach. To avoid being caught Loki said that the "goddess" was just eager to consummate their marriage. Thor was furious and embarrassed. The giant got excited and foolishly set the hammer on the table next to Thor. The thunder god took his hammer back and smashed the giant's head, all while still wearing his pretty dress. The gods always had fun talking about the time when Thor dressed up in drag.

-One day a builder came to Asgard offering to make them a wall that they needed. He said he could do it in record time, but that he wanted Freya's hand in return. The gods were enraged by his audacity and said no but Loki convinced them to set a wager- he could have the goddess as his wife if he was able to do the impossible task in an impossible amount of time. The idea was that he would try his hardest but not be able to finish in time, therefore giving the gods a free wall that they could just finish the end of. But the builder had a strong and mystical horse that could lift and carry all the large pieces for him. As the builder got closer and closer to finishing with time still left, the other gods we nervous and angry with Loki- who told them he had a plan. He turned himself into a beautiful mare and seduced the builder's horse, running off to the woods with him, and rendering the builder unable to finish the wall. Enraged, the builder revealed himself as a Giant and was killed, his head smashed in by Thor's hammer. Loki returned much later with an eight legged colt; his son Sleipnir which he gifted to Odin when he got older and stronger- in exchange for the horse's origin to be kept secret.

-It's said that he gave humans lightning to warn them of Thor's loud thunder before it happens, because he knew it was frightening. The swift walker of the skies is the lightning running ahead of Thor's great thundering cart.

-Tricked Baldr's blind brother Hodr into throwing the one thing that would kill the god; mistletoe- right at his chest. He indirectly killed Frigg's son; one of the most beloved god's in all the Aesir. As his punishment his one of his sons turned and killed the other and he was tied to a stone in a cave, by his dead son's entrails- a snake coiled on a stalactite above his face, dripping venom down onto him. Though Loki's wife Sigyn sat by his side and held a bowl over his face to protect him, she had to move every once in a while to empty the bowl, allowing the poison to drip onto his face as he convulsed, causing the first earthquakes in Midgard. It is said that he was to break from his chains and aid in Ragnarock. Baldr's story goes on to describe the burning of his body in a funeral pyre on his ship, Nanna accompanying him. BUT in another version, the goddess Frigg persuaded the other gods to restore Balder to life. She repaid their obliging wizardry with kisses. (THIS IS WHERE THIS IS MY THEORY) if the second ending is true and Baldr is alive, I think that Odin would eventually release Loki under the guise that he either not cause Ragnarok or aid the Aesir instead of what was prophesized. [I haven't really thought that a deity was speaking directly to me until I read this story, it's like I saw it and it came at me all at once like a vision. Just thought I'd include it.])

#witch #witchy #witchcraft #norse witch #norse #norse gods #norse paganism #norse mythology #deities #loki deity #loki laufeyson #loki worship #Loki

238 notes · View notes

auggieparkhurst · 7 months

Text

Fox Hollow

DRUSTVAR - THE CRIMSON FOREST Some Months Prior

The booming was furious and incessant.

His heart swelled into a mallet and swung against his ribcage, each percussive strike ringing hot and fast in anticipation. He thought she would hear it for sure.

The girl appeared to have been born from the thorn-laced thicket. She was small, pale, but a whipcord of muscle. Her face was hidden beneath a mask crafted from a bear’s skull, a single rune etched onto its brow. Only her eyes, a blue as piercing as the sunburnt sky, could he see. She crept low and on light feet, notching a raven-tipped arrow into her bow, as she wove through a land mine of gathered kindling and stones. His mouth dried when she passed, holding his breath. When her gaze grazed over the pool of shadows he hid inside, he palmed for the dagger at his belt. He lingered in the penumbra for what felt like near an eternity. Watching. Waiting. Hoping…

“There are no foxes here.” Her voice was strange beneath her mask, yet he heard the piping note in it. She was young. He reckoned no more than thirteen. She peered over her shoulder with a huff, the sound refracted by keratin. “Can we please go home, now?”

“Have care, Niamh.” A voice lifted from the trees, wine-dark and thick as blood. From the forest emerged a woman wearing a wool-lined cape and an antlered crown. Her skin glistened in the wane light, carrying neither age nor blemish. If the girl was born from thorns, then she was born of a much deeper and far older spirit. Perhaps from the rain. Or the trees. Though by the depths of her near blacks eyes, he suspected she was the daughter of something as ancient and dark as Gol Koval.

The woman appeared to float with her fluttering hem as she brushed past the girl named Niamh. Her lips, painted a deep maroon, curled in a knowing smile. She knelt down, the drape of her cloak like the framework of wings, and raked her fingers through the grass. “Foxes are cunning and sly,” she mused, lifting splayed fingers that were stained in a rich crimson. “They hide at the scent of danger.”

A chill raced down his spine as the woman licked the blood from her fingers. She paused. Quiet and contemplative. Then, her gaze snapped to a cropping of misshapen aspen and birch. The trees stood tall at one point, but now huddled together in a conspiratorial hunch. His heart sank as she rose, beckoning Niamh hither. Together, they drifted towards the shaded alcove.

“No!”

His voice escaped him, scorching his throat. He cringed as it echoed through the brush. Such a wild sound, like an animal caught in a trap. A twang of regret sat heavy in his stomach. It lasted only a moment before fear seized his heart. Beneath his feet, the dirt churned and rippled. He sucked in a breath, light-headed by the sudden desire to run. But before he could even find his feet, thorns erupted from the earth and snaked around his legs. They coiled up his thighs, across his torso, and around his neck with a whip-like quickness. They crushed the air from his lungs and the will from his limbs. Bright spots danced across his vision as he felt needle-sharp barbs dig into his skin, coloring his flesh with brilliant pain.

“There you are,” came a gentle muse.

The thorns ceased their strangulation, though their grip did not slacken. His vision cleared to the sight of the woman and her companion. The latter had the string of her bow drawn, its arrow’s tip aimed straight for his skull. Only when the woman upheld a hand did the girl lower her weapon by a small degree. The woman laughed, though he saw nothing amusing. She drifted towards him and his thorn-cage, nails trailing along the root’s spiraling path. Up close he could smell the hemlocks and belladonnas woven in her dark hair. She smiled at him, feline in nature.

“Why are you here?” she hissed, “What have you come for?”

She held his gaze when she caught it, forcing him to peer into those pitch black eyes. In their fathomless depths, his own soul was reflected back and laid bare before him. It was gangly like a puppet without its strings, and its wide-eyes were dull as a candle snuffed of its flame.

“Please,” Augustine choked out, “Please…”

Layer by layer, he peeled the words from his heart. The woman was fed only the most bitter-sweet of truths.

“I just want to take my sister home.”

#the alchemists #| Fox Hollow |#Parkhurst stories #timeskip stories #Prior to their return to Stormwind

14 notes · View notes

libertyreads · 2 months

Text

April TBR 2024--

This next month is set to be full of rereads, hockey romances, and new to me books. It is also the month I'm starting a certification program so it will probably be a bit of a struggle to get through this month's TBR. I don't even remember the last time I've thought that about a month's TBR. I really hope I have as much fun with this TBR as I'm expecting to. I've really been in the mood for these rereads and these hockey romance so I'm excited to finally get to it.

Silver in the Bone by Alexandra Bracken-- This is just one of a few rereads this month. Book two in the series comes out next month. I originally read this one as an ARC so I definitely need a refresher first. Tamsin Lark is a mortal with no magical talent who was never meant to break into ancient crypts or compete with sorceresses and Cunning folk for the treasures inside. But treasure hunting is the only way she could keep herself and her brother Cabell alive following her thieving foster father's disappearance. Ten years later she's looking for a ring that is supposed to save her brother from a curse. It's based in Arthurian legend.

Teen Titans: Beast Boy by Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo-- Another reread before a new book in the series. I remember enjoying this one slightly less than Raven's book, but I still enjoyed meeting a new character and getting their origin story. I also felt like it addressed an issue that isn't brought up a lot: male body image issues. We see it addressed a lot in fiction for girls, but there are boys who also go through this growing up. Plus it's beast boy and lots of green animals.

The Score by Elle Kennedy-- A hockey romance! I've been so in the mood for hockey romances this year. I don't know if it's because I found a few new to me authors and bought some kindle books for Christmas or what. In this one we follow Allie Hayes who is in crisis mode. Graduation is looming and she's dealing with a broken heart thanks to the end to her longtime relationship. Wild rebound sex is definitely not the solution to her problems, but gorgeous hockey star Dean Di Laurentis is impossible to resist. Just one though because even if her future is uncertain it sure as heck doesn't include Dean. It seems like he's going to pursue her after she puts him in the friend zone following their one night stand. I love it when the guy falls first or the guy is pursuing the girl so I'm looking forward to this one.

Stars and Smoke by Marie Lu-- The last of the rereads for this month. I'm so excited for the next book too. In this one we follow an international pop sensation named Winter Young who is brought into the world of spies when a major crime boss gifts his daughter a private concert with Winter for her birthday. Sydney Cossette is a member of the elite covert ops group who is forced to work alongside Winter to infiltrate the crime organization's inner circle. This was such a fun and quick read for me last year and I can't wait to go back into this world of glitz, glam, and spies.

Bad Men by Julie Mae Cohen (NetGalley)-- This one just sounded so good when I saw it on NetGalley. It's unhinged women at its finest. Saffy Huntley-Oliver is an intelligent and glamorous socialite; she also happens to be a proficient serial killer. Over the course of fifteen years, she's dispatched bad men--rapist, murderers, domestic abusers. But leading a double life has left her lonely. Dating's rough when your boyfriend might turn out to be your next victim. Saffy thinks she's finally found a truly good man in Jonathan Desrosiers, a true crime podcaster. This is a feminist thriller that asks if even a serial killer can have a happily ever after. My hopes for this one? Rich people drama and some mad women.

The Hemlock Queen by Hannah F. Whitten (New Release)-- The second book in the series is finally coming out. This series starts with Lore, who has a dark power and a hidden past, as we follow her into the intrigue of the Sainted King's royal court. The king and his priest manipulate Lore and have her spy on the prince in order to determine just who is killing the villages at the edge of the kingdom. We follow on from the events of the first book in this new one.

My Lucky #13 by Piper Rayne (Kindle)-- A hockey player who is going through a scoring draught is worried he's going to get traded before the deadline if he doesn't turn it around. Following a New Year's Eve with a woman, he has a waterfall of goals and knows he has to see her again. She wants nothing to do with him and he feels his has to change her mind. A hero falls first sounding story that I'm so looking forward to. I will say that there's a very obvious hockey error in the synopsis of this one and we all know I'm a little picky about hockey details. But I'll try to keep an open mind on this one.

Just Do This One Thing For Me by Laura Zimmerman (Library)-- I'm going to pull the synopsis straight from GoodReads since it's a Mystery/Thriller and those are hard to explain at the best of times: "'Just do this one thing for me.' Drew's mother says it more often than good morning. Heidi Hill has been juggling shady side hustles for all of Drew's seventeen years, and Drew knows that 'one thing' really means all the necessary things her mother thinks are boring, including taking care of her fifteen-year-old sister and eight-year-old brother. In fact, Drew is the closest thing to a responsible adult they've ever known. When their mother disappears on the way to a New Year's Eve concert in Mexico and her schemes start unraveling, Drew is faced with a choice: Follow the rules, do the responsible thing, and walk away--alone--from her mother's mess. Or hope the weather stays cold, keep the cons going, and just maybe hold her family together."

#silver in the bone #Alexandra bracken #teen titans: beast boy #kami garcia #Gabriel picolo #the score #elle kennedy #stars and smoke #marie lu #bad men #Julie mae cohen #the hemlock queen #Hannah f. whitten #my lucky number 13 #piper rayne #just do this one thing for me #Laura zimmerman

2 notes · View notes

no-where-new-hero · 7 months

Text

Fire and Hemlock Readalong: Day 17 (Part 3, Ch. 5)

...in which Polly is beginning to understand.

To me this chapter really starts to signal a kind of sick sense of doom, of plunging headlong into Polly's fate as we are reminded that everything we are reading is, in fact, Polly's true memories. I remember the first time reading this being so lulled by the immersion of events that I forgot the framing narrative, and this was a bit of a jolt: oh yeah. We've only got a year left. Things are going bad, and they're going to go worse soon.

Right now, we get a little bit more background on Leslie, who has been absent from Polly's ordinary memories--very likely because he was more or less "invented" by her and Tom during hero business. I do think it's emblematic as well of the fact that Laurel has started getting her claws in him, seeing him during the Wilton College concert and preparing him as a new sacrifice. He's also protected by "the devil's own luck and cunning," which seems to keep him on the side of Nowhere. Even though it's never really stated (but then again DWJ never does), Polly seems to exhibit a certain attraction to him, and honestly, I find a bit of the original Tam Lin in the overt sexuality of Leslie's character. Polly also associated the young Tom with Leslie, which makes another link.

On the other hand, we have Seb, a sort of mini Morton Leroy, who tells Polly about Tom through vague insults, but even though his manner is condescending, Seb manages to give Polly a portrait of Tom as he was before she knew him: kind to Seb (avuncular even though they must not have had a huge age gap--maybe even Tom wanted to protect him) and determined to cling to any handhold possible in staying out of Laurel's grasp through music. Seb continues to remain enigmatic for me because on the one hand he's very much an agent of Hunsdon House--but on the other, he still drops clues to her about what's going on.

We also learn at last that the boy in the picture Polly took from the House is Tom Lynn as a boy. It always struck me as remarkable that Polly never recognized him, but I do think DWJ is saying something about sight here again: sometimes it's harder to truly see the people closest to you. But the picture makes her understand that the Leroys "got" Tom at this young age and she comes closer to realizing what the terms of the curse are.

She was left with a strong feeling about Mr Lynn that seemed to be foreboding. It was something she had known almost from the moment she had met him, but it seemed only now to have come up to the surface. Once it had, it would not go. It ran through everything, the way superstition ran through Granny.

The final bit where Polly tries on clothes is deeply significant: in the first place, Granny has to tell her what to wear and ends up being right. Jeans are "Hero's clothes" and have been since part 1, but Polly is getting too muddled up by pressures of femininity to realize this right away. She also rejects wearing the color green on "superstitious grounds," because it's bad luck, but green is also a color widely used in medieval texts to signify sexuality. It's even in the ballad (Janet wears green for her assignation with Tam Lin). Polly is twice rejecting sexually mature signifiers (feminine clothes and the color green) even though she considers them (she tries on earrings and weighs the possibility of wearing a green shirt before deciding against it).

#fh readalong #fire and hemlock #diana wynne jones #dwj

3 notes · View notes

doyouknowhowtowaltz · 1 year

Note

You know the fic you wrote where Enoch sent a little girl back into the forest as a gift to the beast, it had a reference to little red riding hood x I absolutely adored it! Does Enoch do that kind of thing often? Like if some monster hunters come into Pottsfeild and asked Enoch for advice to defeat the beast does enoch give super bad advice or does he just ramble on and kinda ignore their questions? (I’ve mentioned the epic musical before but I think Hermes song “wouldn’t you like” would be pretty fun to hear cat Enoch talking and warning people about the beast but he’s coincidentally hype manning and being lowkey a little down bad lmao

Sorry for the long ask x hope your having a good weekend (:

He does it often enough that it appears in both Hemlock Bowl and Serenade, and as you mentioned Where the Cat Directs. And if you're feeling like broadening your definition of the Beast, he also does it in Waste Not Want Not.

The song is lovely! I could absolutely see Enoch warning people by talking up the Beast, or even flat out lying and giving them bad advice.

"He is for all his cunning only one, he has only two eyes to your two hundred. Divide yourselves and move swiftly, know not where your companion treads, move as the flock, of one mind in separate bodies, and he will not be able to ensnare you, for he will not be able to follow you all."

Thank you so much for the question!

10 notes · View notes

cornerful · 2 years

Text

flora of Arda: Fireweed

Tall and jewel-like fireweed can often be seen following after its namesake. Where forests have burned or the earth is scorched and ruined, it is one of the first sights of life returning.

In Summer months, frothy spikes of brilliant pink flowers reach toward the sun. As days grow cooler, they fade.

By the time Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin cross out of the Shire in early Autumn, the blooming season is nearly over.

In the Old Forest on the Eastern border of Buckland lies a clearing where long ago hobbits cut down many trees and built a great fire and burned the earth. They named this place the Bonfire Glade. Afterward, to venture into the forest was to risk its creeping anger, and its cunning.

During an uneasy trek through the dark wood, the four travelers find a respite in the glade. Though wounded, the forest is, at least in one small way, healing. The earth is treeless but no longer bare. The fireweed has come, and its seeds fall like ash and wait for Spring.

"No tree grew there, only rough grass and many tall plants: stalky and faded hemlocks and wood-parsley, fireweed seeding into fluffy ashes, and rampant nettles and thistles. A dreary place: but it seemed a charming and cheerful garden..." -JRR Tolkien, FoTR

Fireweed in Tolkien's time:

"This tendency [to grow on scorched earth] also gave rise to the name Bombweed in the UK. London has indelible memories of the drifts of this flower in the bomb sites of the second world war. As a pioneer plant it was one of the first to colonise the scarred earth, and its vivid spires were synonymous with London's revival. "

src. img.1 img.2

#i was having feelings about weed succession ok #finally resolved to make a post about it #lotr newsletter #lotr #flora of arda #maybe I'll make this a series too #i Love with a capital L arda flora #someone'll be like 'elanor' and I'll be like cool lemme lie down for 2-5 business days #sayin things #alt text added #alright gays who else learned abt this plant and thought of eowyn and faramir #also i love the weeds in the bonfire glade thematically???#the forest is hostile but it has good reason to be #and though the hobbits are the descendants of the ppl who attacked the forest #and the place that eases their mind is the site of their former attempts to control the forest #(insert ppl's previous commentary about hobbits finding security in neatly maintained nature)#even though they are hobbits the place that brings them ease is the same place that the fireweed grows #the place where the forest is healing #if you dont know abt weed succession pls look it up it's amazing #ALSO jirt specifically uses the word glade which is interesting #bc a glade is an opening that was naturally there not formed by people #so the hobbits built the fire there but they didnt cut down trees in that spot sprcifically #that spot was already a natural open area #idk idk just thinks abt that

18 notes · View notes

transmasc-wizard · 2 years

Text

due to surprisingly popular command: the Gilded/Rotten antagonists!!

tagging the europeans that unfortunately have to be asleep rn <//3 @idkjustgowithitok @thejostenator

this gets a bit long, just bc i have picrews of them, so i'll put this under the cut! also like. cult tw. two of these people are very much in a cult

picrew i used: https://picrew.me/image_maker/582810

[ID: a picrew of a woman with black hair and pale skin. She is dressed in yellow and black with laurels on her head and an inquisitive expression. her eyes are brown. The background is yellow with sparkles. end ID.]

FIRST!!!!!! HER!!!!!!!!! this is Maia, and she is not technically a Big Bad, but boy does she antagonize <3

Maia is first introduced on the second heist. she's a pretty high up member of a cult, and also the primordial gods' special little darling bestest girl. (those are not actually related.) she's got all sorts of fucked up blessings that mean when she's killed she does not,,,, die. just changes a bit. gets all body horror monstery and whatnot. its funky

she has prophecy powers, and sells her prophecies to the main gang to help with their heists. but her prices are, uh. shitty and highway robbery basically. she gets on many people's nerves. but i love her so who cares <3

[ID: a picrew of a man with light brown skin and braided brown hair. He is smirking and has brown eyes. He's wearing golden laurels on his head and has white and black clothing. the background is gold. end ID.]

bastard man.............. BASTARD MAN. he is very much a "love to hate" type character imo. terrible person but charismatic and fun in a morbid way. he also, uh.... does not yet? have a name? whoops. in my head he's goldguy. bc. gold.

he's like... supremely terrible from a moral perspective. tortures people, head of the cult, etc etc. he's really cunning and basically only trusts Maia (as much as someone can "trust" Maia). he CANNOT fight. he is an absolute twig of a man. his smarts very much make up for it though.

he's the guy Hemlock is stealing from! specifically, Hemlock is trying to steal his entire vault full of gold and jewels.

[ID: a picrew of a man with pale skin and red hair. He looks angry. His eyes are green and he has two light scars on his face. He is wearing formal green and black clothes. The background is green and black. end ID.]

eugh. bastard man. not in the fun way. i just hate him

anyway hello all!!! look at Brother!!! placeholder name. obviously. this is Victory's brother, and he is an asshole bastard who let his and Victory's youngest sibling die entirely for greedy money reasons, and i HATE HIM

Victory's heist involves stealing a very very expensive and very very prized painting from him. they got arrested in the first place for burning his whole house down, this is literally the only remaining original possession he has, and they are just that fucking spiteful lmao. and it is deserved <3

~

there are! technically more! however i dont have a good idea of their appearances and they don't have names so for now. this is all. i hope it was enjoyed :3

#wip gilded/rotten #nicola.txt

13 notes · View notes

cjorgens2022 · 2 months

Text

Star Wars: Imperial Shadow

in light of the third season of the Bad Batch, this is how I will think how Tech potentially operates as the shadow clone assassin known as CX-2, I must remind you there will be angst in this.

After his fall to his near death on Eriadu following his noble enactment of Plan 99, Clone Commando CT-9902 “Tech”, the brains of the Bad Batch and second in command to Hunter is rescued by Dr. Royce Hemlock of the Empire’s Advanced Science Division

however, Tech will have to feign compliance to Hemlock’s wishes!

He is taken to Tantiss on Weyland where he will undergo some reconditioning, however due to Tech’s brilliant exceptional mind it doesn’t work the way Royce expects. Scorch knows this, as he and Delta Squad had history with Clone Force 99 during the clone wars

instead, the reconditioning just made Tech more cunning and smart.

like Tech, Scorch has no choice in what he does and it’s something Scorch really regrets, he doesn’t want to hunt down his rogue brethren but he has no choice.

normally, Tech would leave the handling of knives to Hunter and Wrecker, but with his rigid training to be a Shadow X assassin operative, Tech will find this in handy so that he can know and understand how Hemlock’s Clone X program works and operates

And so, Tech and Scorch will navigate their roles all while masking their true intentions from Dr. Hemlock, Emperor Palpatine and the rest of the Empire!

7 notes · View notes

13thsinnr · 2 years

Text

alright here's my masterpost on mayhem so you guys can at least somewhat understand what the hell i'm talking about when im vagueposting about it (without me having to write the fic)

to do a little worldbuilding: this au takes place in a futuristic post-apocalyptic dystopian type world, where much of society has collapsed and crime has become much more prevalent

in the au (or the fic at least, there's a lot of stuff in the world i haven’t expanded on quite yet that just doesn't appear in my fanfic) there’s three main sides: the “bad” guys, the “good” guys, and the “neutral” side (i say these in quotes cause that's not at all how it works but if you were to view it entirely black and white then it’d be close enough)

the bad guys

to start off, the “bad” side is the perspective the fic is written from, and consists solely of twizzly’s gang, which makes it easy for me since they’re already established characters (i’ve expanded on their characters a bit but i can’t quite think of anything too important at the moment and most people already know who they are)

the good guys

this side focuses on an organization that strives to restore the world to stability (no i haven’t named it yet shh). informally the people from this organization are called “scrapers." the characters involved with this organization include:

roque - roguefort alternate [name subject to change]

roque is a higher-up in the organization, they handle a lot of large projects and occasionally deal with some of the other people in the organization. they are logical and methodical in nature, coming off as emotionless or cruel, though in reality they are just a highly motivated person who will stop at nothing until they reach their goal.

vino - vampire alternate

vino is a more reclusive member of the organization who is used for their “dirty work” typically when they need someone killed or interrogated. he is closed off and typically avoids most people in the organization if he can avoid it, especially roque. he is prone to anger and sometimes uses threats of violence to get his way. unlike some of the others in the organization, he had no choice but to join and thus despite any poor treatment he experiences he essentially can’t leave due to being a social reject. he is also someone who believes the ends justify the means, and though he has no choice but to use violence to get his way, he also believes in a brighter future.

mocha - espresso alternate

mocha is a member who focuses more on social work both within and outside of the organization. he often serves as a therapist type to others and is very friendly, and even nurturing. mocha genuinely strives for a future that benefits all people, and serves as the moral compass. his kind nature leads people to assume he is stupid or ignorant, but really he just wants the best for everyone.

the neutral side

these characters do not align with either side, instead working for their own gain, though they may assist either side, even both.

snakebite - sparkling alternate (yeah yeah the star of the show)

snakebite is a descendant of a wealthy family, and is not affected by much of the turmoil in the world. much like twizzly (who he’s old friends with), his only goal is to cause more chaos. he is an inventor, and much of his life has been devoted to these projects, often working for days on end without rest. his biggest creation was the timeline jumper that twizzly and her gang used to travel to the kingdom timeline. as a character he is highly selfish, prone to mood swings, and very cunning. he is highly social despite being oftentimes judgemental towards others. he has violent tendencies but is physically weak (which is why he often turns to poison when he needs to get rid of someone in his way). he assists anyone who can offer him something in return, but has a soft spot for twizzly because of previously working alongside her.

hemlock - herb alternate [name subject to change]

i have no good drawings of him :( YET but sorry

hemlock is an assistant to snakebite, helping keep him in check during projects or emotional outbursts. he is medically trained and thus valuable for anything of that sort. he owes his life to snakebite (and vice versa) so they are indebted to one another. he’s quite cynical and is one of the few voices of reason snakebite will actually listen to. overall, he doesn’t really care what happens, so he just goes along with whatever snakebite does. (their relationship is similar to twizzly and toothpaste’s if that’s any point of reference)

to clarify: these characters are NOT intended to be “swaps” of canon characters and instead more like “what if” concepts, they’re entirely separate from canon so please don’t take any of these personally if you assumed that they’re supposed to be complete inverses

#cookie run au #mayhem au #cookie run oc #you can tell who my favorites are by how much ive written for them HAHA #also these aren't perfect i just wanted to like.... establish who these characters are so u guys know wtf im talking about #and if u see any plotholes tell me.. i need to fix a lot #also a lot of stuff is purposefully left vague and not revealed bc it shows up in the fic #i might edit this and add more info if i feel like it though #idk if y'all would want me to add a relationship chart but i could #might help #uuh uhhmm ill tag my characters ig just so people can find it if they want #these characters are not actually cookies in the au they are humans so.. idk why i tag them as cookies but i will.. even though it doesnt #+ make sense #snakebite cookie #roque cookie #vino cookie #mocha cookie #hemlock cookie

12 notes · View notes

returnofaion · 2 years

Text

[Post] || @reservedhealer

From the Vulnerable Sentence Starters meme | accepting

Having handled the most serious case of the day, Isane was tired. Consequently, she decided she needed some rest and announced that her sister was in charge of the rest of the cases, which were little more than the usual scrapes and injuries on officers who had been in unfortunate personal accidents or on patrol, missions and reconnaissance.

Perhaps she would finally get some peace to work on the month's allocated budget given to each Division as part of the reconstruction effort. She had just entered her quarters with plans for the expansion of the hospital wing when she was accosted by a voice declaring that something wasn’t as bad as it looked and requesting assistance.

Instinctively, she sucked in a sharp breath of surprise, tightened the hold over the handle of her medical chest and retreated backwards until she felt her back against the display cupboards with her floral arrangement. There were foxgloves rather than hemlock flowers in the display, and she decided she would have to make do with them if push came to shove and she needed to buy time before drawing her blade. For the moment, she wondered if she had forgotten to lock the sliding doors to her engawa. That was unlikely when she had locked the doors to her quarters.

She scrutinised the young man and felt no malevolent intent. His reiatsu was unusual. It appeared to be a combination of certain beings she had come across, yet different at the same time. She had recalled reading about such anomalous reiatsu in past reports when she and her late captain had to patch up certain parties, but getting a sense of it for herself in the flesh was different. She would theorise on the hows and whys of that later. If he was lurking about in Soul Society, chances were he was one of the dead ones. She hummed and pursed her lips in disapproval at whoever it was that wouldn’t leave the young fellow alone. Surely, even souls needed peace. If a live and let live principle could be adopted with some of the arrancars, why can’t it be applied to souls as long as they minded their own business? She sighed at the thought and critically assessed his physical condition.

The more pressing matter was what she ought to do with his wounds. If he was still standing, even with his hunched posture, that could mean he was most likely not bleeding from any large veins or arteries. If he was sufficiently lucid to ask for help, it meant there was no altered mental status. That was a very good sign in a patient but could possibly be a very bad sign for her. Yet, if he had meant her harm, he would have done so from the outset as he had caught her off guard, she told herself. Still remaining where she was, she considered her options. It had not escaped her notice that he had known where to go for medical aid. Here was someone au fait with the Gotei, which was unsurprising for someone who had had dealings with Shinigami. But possession of knowledge on the exact duties of each Division and the whereabouts of her quarters within the Fourth was something else altogether. He was either very well-informed, cunning or perceptive.

Outrage at this invasion of her private space would have been a natural reaction, though it was not her nature to scream and faint like the annoying secondary character in the novel she was presently reading in her downtime at night. Any such feeling was shelved at his profuse bleeding and the clear plea for help. Isane did not like to see unnecessary suffering as a rule and since the young man was losing more blood than was good for anyone, she would have to do something. A dead body had its uses, of course, but she did not want to explain why there was a carcase in her quarters if it came down to it. She liked mysteries to unfold in novels, not in her life. That settled things, she sighed to herself, shuffling sideways with her medical chest until she was at the low table in the centre of the living room. She would have to treat him and hopefully direct him home - wherever that was.

Popping open the chest and kneeling at zabuton of one of the seats, she gestured for him to sit on the table. "You don't have to tell me the who, how and where that resulted in your... condition. No one has to know you’re here," she began not unkindly as she made her cursory diagnosis. There was evidence of more than one traumatic wound - a clear sign he had been involved in a skirmish and had elected to make a tactical retreat. It was likely an unpleasant encounter. No unilateral weakness that she could see and no indication that he was feeling nauseous, which ruled out intracranial injuries. So far so good, she decided, giving her patient an encouraging smile as she performed diagnostic Kaido to determine how badly he had been knocked about. "Where exactly are you hurt? Depending on the wounds and their extent, I may have to use a combination of treatments that may sting a little. I'll do all I can to make sure you're all right as I think any follow-up is out of the question, given your penchant for slipping in and out unnoticed."

Waiting on the healer and trying to ignore his injuries gives Tsukishima plenty of time to ruminate on how he ended up hiding and injured among enemies. The knowledge he had gleaned from Byakuya’s memories - full of extensive studies and training - guides him into and through the Seireitei towards potential aid. The reconstruction and massive damage leaves many holes in the security, but it also leaves many frustrating and unpredictable changes to work around while injured.

It’s a painstaking journey, requiring stealth and focus, and it takes all the energy he has to avoid detection. But the Rukongai has very few accomplished healers, and they would no doubt have them monitored. If memory serves, it’s no guarantee that the SRDI isn’t also monitoring the 4th Division, but the odds of his pursuers meeting resistance are higher among shinigami. And in the heat of escape, Tsukishima places his bet for survival with Isane Kotestu.

Breaking in is almost trivial once he actually arrives, Book of the End cuts cleanly through the lock. But that last bit of Fullbring drains his final reserves of stamina. Once inside, he slumps against the wall, breath heavier than he cares for. Unsteady fingers press over the deepest laceration in his sword arm; it is that damage that had driven him to flee. In his list of priorities, surviving to be free to help Kugo lists far above pride. Breathing and suppressing his reiatsu steal his attention for the long minutes while he waits.

When the source of potential aid arrives, he does his best not to cause alarm, but Tsukishima acknowledges to himself that it’s a lost cause. So as he waits for Captain Isane to complete her risk assessment, he is patient, observing her in turn for any signs of hostility. He’s exhausted, and he hopes it won’t come to more running. But every sigh and sign of displeasure winds the tension tighter. He tries not to show the rush of relief he feels at her eventual acceptance.

Instead, he focuses on forcing his heavy body to move slowly over to the table as directed. The pain is manageable; it’s the exhaustion of over-extending himself with Fullbring that has him sagging without grace onto the surface. He musters up the energy to return the smile. “I appreciate your willingness to help discreetly, Captain Isane” he sighs, finally loosening his grip on his shoulder. “However, I believe it would be in both our best interests if you’re forewarned.”

“Do what you must. You’ll find I’m a tolerant patient,” he consents easily, “Most of the injuries are to my back and right shoulder.” Kugo had been a horrible nurse, and the diagnostic Kaido is already a pleasant improvement from past treatments. He hesitates a moment, eyeing the Captain warily. He’s already here, and there’s not much he can do if she decides to turn him over at this point. Taking a deep breath, he lets his eyes close and continues tiredly. “You may want to check for poisons or… well, I should say that Mayuri Kurotsuchi was involved. I haven’t noticed any unusual symptoms, but I’m aware of his reputation.”

#◜◷◞ [PUBLISHED PASTS]: threads #tsp activity check #reservedhealer #[[I moved it over for length #And I figured Mayuri as the antagonist had some fun implications

3 notes · View notes

reyesmarconi · 10 months

Text

Charles + the cat (Rogue)

It was during a summer when Cael was eight that Charles found a seemingly orphaned cat litter of four on the alleyway next to his apartment building. He waited some time to see if the mother would come back to take care of them, and when he concluded she wouldn’t, he very gently put them inside a shoebox with blankets and took them home. Instead of taking them to an animal shelter, he cared for them with Cael’s assistance for duration of that summer (that is, until the kittens were well over eight weeks old), until the kittens were healthy and strong enough to give away. Three kittens were adopted, some by strangers and other by friends, Charles and Cael decided to keep one, and they decided to name her Rogue, for not much reason other than her spunky personality and tendency to stray from her siblings and explore on her own.

She wears a brown leather collar with a plaque, her name and Charles’ house phone number engraved in it. Her coat’s mostly dark gray or black in the form of stripes (which are best viewed in her tail) melding with the rest of her fur, but there’s tinges of lighter shades throughout. Her eyes are light green, almost going for hazel but not quite getting there. Her breed or mix of breeds is unknown; Charles never really minded to learn about it.

She stays true to her name in being pretty independent, but at the same time, her upbringing made her extremely social and unafraid of things, other animals and people. She likes to investigate newcomers, first at a distance and then getting closer. Unless she’s in a particularly reserved mood, she won’t shy away from approaching strangers. With the Deranes she’s very prone to affection and following them around the apartment, being noisy — it happens especially when Charles arrives from work and Cael from school. She’s not aggressive unless warranted, and given Charles’ thorough training and tight relationship with her, Charles can trust her to behave excellently in new places, if not a little nosey. She enjoys playing and has likely wandered and gotten to meet most people in Charles’ apartment building. Her cunning is also remarkable; she’s likely managed also earned their love and with it, their treats.

She stays strong and healthy over the years and sits at a comfortable seventeen year old with no signs of discomfort by the time Charles is in his early fifties. She’s sleepier, but that’s a given with her age. She loves to spend her time dozing but will seldom refuse her daily walk with Charles and Hemlock (the dog, a topic for a different post).

#derane charles.

0 notes

demosthenes70 · 1 year

Text

She is a clever one for certain

Cunning and coy and deceptive

She must be patient, too, for it’s been a score plus ten

And now only now that she has me thrice disabled does she take flight

Sometimes she simply recedes to her lair- where she has no inhibitions and does her best stripteases for others

I had asked her to slip me some hemlock but she is a sadist too and it tickles her immensely to torture me

#teacher #dark places #chaotic academia #inspiration #wisdom #life quotes #books & libraries #decision #happiness #books #moving on #dark acadamia quotes #love quotes #librarians #emptiness #love in the air #abbot elementary #dark acamedia #dark poetry

1 note · View note