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#its easier to guard a prince when he cant walk
launchsteinward · 4 years
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This is for the MB challenge by @somebodyalreadytookthis2
Tuesday:
By Moonlight
Once upon a time...
There was a Hero. There he stood, infront of his greatest challenge yet. Bravery and determination burning in his eyes.
His companion stood by him, a flicker of mischief in his smirk.
"Let's go"
Ignoring the dark flowers in full bloom, the duo snuck upto the castle under the cover of darkness: guided by moonlight.
Quietly but surely, the duo snuck into the castle through the back door which had conveniently been left open.
-And so, their journey to save the prince and kill the Demon king began.
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He slowly opened his eyes, a headache pounding against his skull. "W-where am I?"
The prince growled in annoyance as he racked his throbbing (nonexistent) brain for awnsers. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness of what appeared to be a rather well kept cobble stone dungeon, he decided that it was time to leave.
With a small grunt, he pulled at the chains chaining him to the wall: the chains instantly snapping with a loud 'SNAP!'
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"AHHH- F#CK F#CK F#CK F#CK F#-"
"You sure you dont need help, Cross?"
Blue asked, eyebrow cocked and leaning against the castle wall. Cross ran, dodging attacks for the 13th time. Yes. He had actually died to this demon grunt 12 times and this was his 13th time fighting it.
"NO IM FIN- SH#T-"
'As amusing as this is, This has gone on long enough' mentally sighing for the XX time, he summoned his makeshift sword and ran forward. In one swift motion he stabbed the demon in its eye and cut a huge gash in its face. Soon enough, the demon dissolved into a pile of dust.
*you gained XXX exp.
*The rest of your party gained exp due to XP
share.
*you gained 37 gold
"...How-"
"That was a Swiggityswooty, Idiot. Their weak points are their eyes."
Blue stated
"..I knew that"
Cross grumbled before stalking off as though he was sulking.
"Alright" Blue smirked, amusement lacing his voice causing Cross to pout even more.
It was almost cute in a way.
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The Guards looked at each other. So the loud snap wasnt just their imagination. Nodding to each other: a silent message being exchanged, the pair if Demons held their spears and approached the cell carefully.
According to their lord this was one of their most dangerous prisoners yet, and they had to be very careful when approaching them. One motioned towards the steel door and the other turned the key, slowly and silently.
"STOP WHATEVER YOUR DOING AND PUT YOUR HANDS UP IN THE AIR"
They burst into the cell, spears pointed outwards as they stood back to back. They looked around the cell, only to find it empty.
The two demons eyes widened. One stood up from his crouched position and approached the broken chains while the other pulled out his walkie talkie.
A pair of golden eyes glistened in the corner above the door.
Before the guard could even turn on the device, he was knocked out, head smashing against the stone cold floor.
The other guard turned around as fast as he could at the sound of the thump. He saw a dark figure look at him. Gold eyes where the last thing he saw.
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Dream rubbed his hands on his pants, smearing a purple substance all over it. Did he care? No.
He was very slightly irritated that one of the guards had ripped the sleeve off his shit, making one of his arms completely visible. His blood lust gauge was a quarter way full and he hadn't lost any of his stamina. He was ready to kick some demon ass.
Quickly, he reached into a small secret pocket on the inside of his boots. From it- he pulled out a small black tube. After unscrewing it, he looked at his reflection in the (now unconscious) guard's armour. Carefully with a steady hand, he drew across his eye perfecting his eyeliner.
Now- He was ready to kick some demon ass.
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"WTF is that!"
Cross screeched clinging onto Blue and pointing at the demon they had just come aCross. Said demon was black with white spots- or was it the other way around? No matter. It had two golden horns and eminated a terrifying low howl: MOOOOOO-
Cross screamed once again, pulling himself closer to Blue. Blue tried to hold back his laughter as he looked upon the so called beast that struck such fear in the great hero.
A cow demon. One of the weakest types of demons there is. Even Blue knew that someone as 'bright' as Cross could take on this demon with ease.
Blue held Cross in a comforting manner as he contemplated killing the demon himself- or letting Cross kill the demon himself and get over this seemingly ridiculous fear of his.
As Blue was hung up between these choices, Cross pulled himself closer to Blue, fear prowling his mind and looking for some sort of protection from this foul monstrosity of a demon.
Neither seemed to notice the demon dissolving into a poof of smoke and a purple clad skeleton approaching them curiously.
"Umm.. hi?"
Both Blue and Cross jumped at the appearance of the new skeleton.
Cross quickly scampering out of Blue's hold: cheekbones red in embarrassment.
After collecting himself, Cross eyed the newcomer: taking in his royal purple clothes and golden crown. His eyes widened and he froze as he realized the stranger matched the princes description perfectly.
Cross was brought back to reality by Blue's voice.
"- yeah, strange you wouldn't know where you are. The Demon King's castle isn't really a forgettable place. I'm Blue by the way. The monochrome guy is Cross."
Blue shrugged pointing his thumb back at Cross.
"I- I'm Nightmare. It's a pleasure to meet you, Blue and Cross" The skeleton: now dubbed as Nightmare said giving a bow.
"What's with the formality? Theres no need for it here. We're all friends right?" Blue said giving Nightmare a pat on the shoulder.
'YOU CANT DO THAT TO A PRINCE BLUE!' Cross mentally gasped in horror, the tables turning for a brief moment in time.
"O-oh. I see.I-if you don't mind me asking, w-what are you two doing here?" Nightmare asked, tilting his head in a questionable manner.
"Actually we're here on a mission. You see, I'm a hero and we were sent to kill the demon king and rescue the kidnapped prince" Cross decided to speak up.
"A-actually I'm a prince." Nightmare whispered hesitantly.
"SWEET! That's one thing down. Guess we're going to have to find the Demon King next" Cross said excitedly taking off ina random direction.
'So we're not going to question how he got free in the first place?... seems legit' Blue thought.
Nightmare looked in the direction Cross went before looking at Blue quizzically. "...is he allways like this?"
"I'm afraid so. Just roll with it."
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Dream walked through yet another hall. He had no idea where he was and when he tried to threaten ask any demon he came across after beating them up, they would faint before they could even spit out a word. It was frustrating to say the least.
'Why isnt there an exit sign?' Dream mentally grumbled stopping as he heard something. Quietly but swiftly he made his way forward: making sure to stay unseen in the shadows. The sound of humming seemed to get louder as he saw a figure, cruising their way down the hall in the direction he was going. Not thinking much of it, Dream ran forward and pinned the figure below him, his elbow to the others throat.
It was only then that the prince got a good look at the person under him. Surprisingly, it wasnt a demon, but a skeleton monster. Clad in maroon clothes: an assortment of charms hanging off his neck as well as a pointy hat, Dream could only assume that he was a spell caster. That or a witch.
The stranger sneezed: sort like a kitten, eyelights changing shape and colour as he did so. 'Strange.' Dream thought to himself before noticing a rainbow hue on the strangers cheekbones.
"U-uh, hi? You gonna get off me or...? not that I mind" The stranger said, mumbling the last part so that Dream couldn't hear.
"Oh- yeah, sorry about that. Thought you were another demon scum." Dream said getting off and helping the stranger up.
"Its fine- I'm Ink if you wanted to know or- if not. You're Dream right?" Ink said eyes changing shape once again.
"Yeah, how did you know?" Dream said immediately on guard again.
"Oh, c'mon. Your a prince. Of course I know who you are. That and they won't stop yelling about it" Ink once gain mumbled he last part.
"What was that?" Dream asked, guard dropping a bit at the logical reasoning Ink had presented him.
"Nothing" Ink quickly shook his head before mumbling again, quieter than last time: "shut up guys, your getting really noisy"
Dream shrugged before realizing the whole purpose of this encounter. "By any chance, do you know where we are exactly?"
"In the west wing of the Demon Kings Castle, last I checked." Ink shrugged pulling out an odd looking staff from his inventory.
"I see. Where's the exit?" Dream questioned earning another shrug from the smaller. "In the north wing I suppose"
"And which way is the north wing?" Dream sounded exasperated. "That way." Ink said pointing his staff towards the hall Dream just came from. Dream groaned in annoyance before picking Ink up and putting him on his shoulder like a potato sack. The smaller was lighter than Dream expected, making it easier to hold him down with one hand as the other struggled to get free.
"Stop struggling. Your showing me the way out of this place. Then your free to do whatever you want." Dreams sturn voice cause Ink to freeze.
Dream was shocked as he felt a weight lifted off his shoulders. Looking to where Ink had just been he realized the other had vanished.
"Looking for someone?"
Dream instinctively turned around and punched whatever had just snuck up on him. He opened his eyes when he felt the hard yet smooth surface of polished wood against his knuckles. He immediately made eye contact with a pair of somewhat familiar mismatched eyes.
"Hi again."
Dream pulled back and sighed in annoyance. "Warn me next time you do that. I may actually end up taking off your head."
Ink giggled slightly before shrugging. "Whatev. Just, dont carry me again. I guess I'll tag along for now as this could be fun but don't be expecting too much from me"
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"Hey! I think I almost finished the puzzle!" Cross yelled triumphantly as he moved the last stone onto a platform.
Blue chuckled while Nightmare giggled at Cross's enthusiasm. It wasnt even a hard puzzle but they let Cross do it due to the shimmer in his eyes. So here they where, half an hour later with Cross finishing the puzzle.
As the door to the next room appeared, the trio made their way over to it. When Nightmare accidentally stepped on a hidden pressure plate activating a pitfall trap, causing Cross and his companions to fall down into the floor below them.
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"So your a wandering trader?" Dream asked curiosly as he beat another demon into a pulp.
"Yup! Mainly magic weapons and potions" Ink said, leaning against the wall and playing a flute.
"Huh, Cool. If you dont mind me asking, why did you become a wandering trader rather than just, you know- a regular trader?" Dream through the passed out demon to the floor: his bloodlust gauge reaching half.
Ink stopped playing the flute, his expression serious. "Let's just say I made a vow. A vow never to get attached to anything."
There was an ominous shadow hanging on Inks face, preventing Dream from seeing the smallers expression.
Ink felt a haunting warmth surround him.
*Dream used hug on Ink!
He couldn't stop the tears pricking at his eyelights. It had been so many years since he had felt warmth familiar to this.
Dream rubbed the smallers back in a comforting manner as Ink seemingly broke down.
"I-I tried so- so hard to s-stop it" Ink hiccups, burying his face in Dream's blood stained chest.
"B-b-but it s-still hap-pened an-nyways. Now t-their a-a-all go-ne a-and itss a-lll my fa-fault! I-if only I-I wa-warned t-them- they cou-uld have e-escaped." Ink chocked, his voice cracking as Dream pulled him closer.
"Shhhhhhh" Dream whispered as he started to gently sway them: in Hope's of calming the other down. He always did this whenever Nightmare had a breakdown.
Soon enough, the smaller had stopped sobbing: letting out little hiccups here and there."Ink..." Dream started, feeling the other stiffen against him.
"I dont know what happened to you in your past but I can tell you this. Dont let your past weigh you down. You may have lost some very important people to you in the past- but that doesn't mean you should make new ones. I'm sure that whoever you've lost would want you to be happy and make new relationships rather than avoid people and travel constantly." Dream said, an usual softness: only used on Nighty, in his voice.
After holding Ink for a few more minutes, Dream spotted another demon start to approach them from the corner of his eye. Carefully nudging the smaller off him, he motioned to the demon before heading off to kill it: not seeing the light blush and small smile playing on Inks lips.
___________________________________________
"- and then I told them 'that's not an emo, that's my brother!'" Dream exclaimed earning a giggle from Ink. "You can imagine their faces when they found out that was their prince" Dream ended with a chuckle.
Ink in the other hand looked like he was having an extreme giggle attack. He was clenching his stomach while giggling and letting out strangely adorable snorts in the process.
Dream couldn't help the slight heat burning on his face as Ink continued to giggle and snort.
"Wh-" was all Dream managed to get out of his mouth before the floor below him gave away and they both fell into a pit below them.
___________________________________________
Extra:
Dream groaned. 'Where am I now?'
His eyes once again had to get used to the familiar darkness of the dungeons. Exept: that wasn't where he was. He seemed to be in some sort of underground chamber with little to no lighting. He could just make out thousands of wide pillars holding the chamber up.
He groaned in annoyance. Now he needed to find a way out of here. If only he had a guid- Ink! Dream looked around frantically: looking for the trader's staff or even hat. After finding nothing in the darkness, he sighed. He could only hope that Ink was alright.
Thats when he heard it: a set of voices. One extremely familiar. Using his heightened sense of hearing, he headed in that direction. Creeping behind a pillar: he could barely make out a party of 3 silhouettes. One similar to his own.
"Nighty?"
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brinesystem · 4 years
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list, tw
I saw this on someone else’s blog (im not saying names cause idk if its okay to share that info? it was public but still) and it uh
It looked like a good way to kinda, like, have a bit less doubt? or a way to remind myself of whats happening and why i think i have this? idk
Might be triggering so like probs scroll past or something
‘the moods’ existed before i knew about did/osdd
I used to describe them as “it feels like half me, but also half somebody else”
I argue and talk with my own thoughts
Sometimes I talk/argue /aloud/ with my own thoughts
I have to actively fight to /convince/ Fae to talk to people, else he wont. and even when he does, its not how i want it to sound
I cant remember most of my childhood
The /bad/ middle school was when i was either 9 or 10
I knew too much about sex when i was much too young (7, 8)
I get ages wrong (i was 6 in cali, not 8. why do i think it was 8?)
I had a dream about getting raped when I was in elementary school. I didnt fight back. I didnt feel anything at all
I used to hide under desks
I hated my therapist. Its now fear. I dont remember what it was back then
I forget memories I recall, and if I force them back, everything hurts, even if theyre not traumatic
I often forget that I used to forget bad things that happened to me.
Other sex dreams from elementary school
The csa I /do/ remember (freshman). Why did i seek that out. Why did it seem like a good plan
I used to forget conversations daily
I drew myself (sebastian, older brother, nicer) before I knew i was trans. I dont have many memories from before I came out/knew i was trans. (am i an alter?)
Used to daydream for hours due to nerves. Disocciating?
The bathroom incident (middle school. 9 - 10)
How old are you? “16″ i reply this randomly when i am 23. when i was 21. Even when I know I am not
The HS trauma that happened right
I don’t have triggers for my trauma, except sometimes i /do/
Hypersexual, but only /sometimes/
I’m an adult! Except sometimes when my body is much too big and I am much too tall and I only want to curl up and be left /alone/. Except when i am small and fragile and want to have stuffed animals around me and play animal crossing. Except then.
Opinions keep changing, but to set differing ones. (Fashion sense, humor, hobbies, aesthetics)
Scared of dad! Not scared of dad. Pity dad. Could kill dad. Scared of dad! Not s-
Handwriting/Art/Writing style changes a lot (fluctuates between set stops)
Randomly gains accents and loses them. Only happens with two accents even though I know many
Stims change depending on Mood
Cant recognize myself in the mirror, but ideal keeps changing in set patterns (soft lumberjack, fae prince, cutesy, fashionable andro, suited devil)
Fave colors, songs, movies change in set patterns
Numb sensations to VERY INTENSE sensations. Cannot predict
Edible food changes depending on mood, even including safe foods (mac n cheese vs mussels vs ramen, etc)
What is this emotion? idk
Who am i? idk
I know I was bullied. Don’t remember why I know
Trying to think about my childhood makes me panic or get a headache
Super depressed after mental break ; Suddenly snapped out of it emotionally
That one time I slept for 3 days straight
Posture and walk cycle keeps changing
Gets songs stuck in my head that I’m not thinking about
Gets songs stuck in my head that i can’t even hear
Remembers things with no context given (the movie. “which movie” i dont know. “what was it about? who was in it? what was the title? what did it look like?” i dont know)
Bad sense of time, but like, days/hours can = months/years
“so mature for my age”
The Moods can be triggered into appearing, but not always by things I relate to them (ie; Kos and Fae)
Personality test results keep changing. All of them
False memories (the cliff, talking to the old woman about marriage, who knows what else)
Caught off guard by my own thoughts and even words I say (”sehb is gonna be mad at me for this, lol” “ACRRRRRYLICS”)
Most of my childhood memories are actually photos or stories ive heard
That dissociative test where I scored in the middle, but closer to DID than OSDD
Opinion on myself and my own looks varies
Opinion on my past varies
I dont recognize my own voice sometimes (is it changing? or is it my perception?)
Numb regarding pain, but then hypersensitive to it later
Numb regarding loss, skips straight to acceptance
Cant shiver normally, but sometimes can even when its not cold
Cant feel hunger normally, but sometimes can?
Favorite season and holidays change (summer, beach! autumn, cool air! halloween! no, valentines day!)
I dont feel connected to my family except my mum and maybe my youngest sister. These were /choices/ I made
Empathy? Dont know her. Except when I randomly start crying when others are sad, which always comes at different times but similar Moods
Cares about appearance one day, couldnt care less the next
Fave jacket: Green denim! Nope, today fave jacket: Grey hoodie! Nope, today f-
Headaches. So many headaches
More headaches when dealing with trauma
I doubt myself and worry I’m lying. Liars wouldnt do that, right?
Known to dissociate
Forget things mid sentence
Used ‘we’ when talking about myself at random before considering OSDD
Cant dream, except when I can and they dont feel like /mine/
Used to speak aloud with myself practicing words. Was I alone? idk
Loves animals. One of the Moods doesnt care at all about animals, even Wander
Loves video games. One of the moods detests video games
Loves horror games. Randomly feels intense fear from horror games
I know i was bullied, i know dad didnt come home on xmas, i know i moved a lot, i know i was in dc during 9/11, the ocean incident, the doctor incidents, I vaguely recall M(on base friend with older brother) and how she treated me (broke my glasses), i know i had a horrible time during that one year of middle school even though I only remember Two Moments (bathrooms, trailer) but I don’t necessarily have the memories of all of the things I know I dealt with
Memories are like snapshots or still moments, and dont continue
Memories I know effected me emotionally, I feel detached from now, except when i’m randomly Not (the koi, the caterpillar, not punching dad, etc)
Didn’t have friends until second year of middle school, those friends were bad, so were the hs friends
Ignored most things that happened but would randomly become enraged at smaller things that happened to me
The time on base I thought all adults driving by were pedophiles (i was 7. 8. why did i think that. why did i want to goad them? what was wrong with me??)
Keep forgetting memories like 81, but when I remember them theyre hard to get out of my head
“you acted so differently as a kid, what happened”
The Tics in response to stress
Was good at the doctors and then suddenly wasnt at all. Now am afraid
Was fine with bugs and then suddenly wasnt. Now am afraid
The fact that I dont remember typing ‘at all’ on 85
Lost old friend. Didnt mourn, still get a queasy feeling when I think about her/am reminded of her, but not upset or sad usually
Can connect most of the Moods to triggers, traumas, or coping methods, including myself
Reaction to trauma changed literally overnight
Used to love being tickled, now makes me panic (fight/flight)
Can feel when the Moods take something they see into themselves (was told this is normal. i am not faking this, at the very least)
I dont like lying. Fae doesnt/cant lie. Luci /enjoys/ lying.
Used to think solely in images. Now think solely in words.
Can sometimes hear thoughts before i think them, but only my own
Randomly gets worse coordination in turns with moods, and then gains it back after
Too trusting, but then gets in a mood and doubts even my closest friends
People keep telling me what im describing sounds like osdd, even friends who have met some of the Moods
I have an easier time remembering some things when I’m in different Moods
Used to have more amnesia before I started recognizing the Moods (was that me switching out?)
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sunnyvaiprion · 5 years
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Hi! I have a question (two actually) So how do you use Mr Dark Prince in battle? And is there a 4th mysterious member along your Julius/Reinhardt/Child!Azura team? (I love these interactions of them you draw btw~)
Oh, thanks!! 
About the team: yes! Since it’s a primarily AR team, there are two more! One of them is basically defaulted to Eir, but more often than not she stays as far away as she possibly can from any action (she has a nice heal though. Also she can throw Julius into enemies if he cant walk there fast himself). And second is a wildcard that varies from team to team (it was supposed to be a bonus unit, but it seems like Eir will stay for quite a long time), but my “main” now uses Bride Ninian for… no apparent reson besides being a dancer and me liking her. I will most likely change her for someone else/heavily alter her build because it’s actually pretty wacky with this team, but for now she stays (because she can fulfill her main purpose which is assisting trap removal in tight spaces). 
And now, About Julius: Ranged units can be a major pain. Sometimes (more like nearly always) you cant initiate on one and run without the rest of them scattering like dust particles if you blow on them all across the map with their dancers (especially now with Lazura), and to bait them you need someone who can take entire triangle and probably physical damage too, all at once. Use a dragon? Yes… a dragon.
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Due to it being a somewhat lenghty text, I am putting it under the cut. 
If someone else thought about using him but was afraid that he isnt “a good unit” or “not favoured by meta” - I’d recommend you read into this too!
I have my Julius with Loptous, Reposition, Iceberg, Distant Defence, Guard, Attack Ploy, and another Distant Defence. which is - a wall. I place him in a space where he can be targeted by units I want (nearly any ranged, tbh. IF there’s a melee frontiline unit - Reinhardt has a message for them.) so he can kill them or hold them in place, and make sure my team can give him maximum amount of drives without putting anyone in danger. (oftenmost it’s just Azura and that’s it but still). 
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Pros:
It’s VERY hard to kill him during EP. Even blue mages and bows/daggers with high attack struggle to deal non-zero damage to him, especially pre-dance. TA blue mage dancers included, as they usually dont break 50 attack mark by much.
No specials. Unless a special is pre-charged on turn 1 (or 2CD with Heavy/Flashing blade after dance), no luck trying to damage him with one either while guard is up and have fun offing it. Glimmer still deals a 0. Moonbow most likely a single digit.
He has high attack but without QR he will unlikely kill a unit coming at him on their first initiation (unless its low res green OR Reinhardt)…. which will waste a dancer’s turn to dance them instead of dancing some out-of-range thing you DONT want to attack, like a melee fast sword in that far-off corner.
On second initiation (if danced, alternatively someone else if the first unit died or didnt get a dance) that unit is guaranteed dead, though, because Iceberg hits like a truck especially with his already nice attack and STUPIDLY HIGH RES especially on EP. If they somehow survive this (Aversa with res wave on comes to mind) - its not a crazy PP unit so their damage is definitely a hard 0, so no biggie. Also works with a fast dazzle staff or if first enemy fails to double, since CD is 3.
With his res he can atk ploy virtually any unit of his choice, making the most dangerous unit to him (usually a physical or Ophelia) less dangerous at least pre-dance (when they have a chance to land more attacks).
His speed is actually not THAT bad. He usually doesnt mind getting doubled, but still. If you throw some speed buffs on him he can deny even some fast units their doubles. This might come in handy when fighting aforementioned units.
He is a lot easier to actually obtain and merge than similar units (Micaiah, Deirdre, Kliff maybe?) due to not being a 5-star locked or even limited unit. Unless you are a whale, and I dont judge, but for me it’s a big plus right there. Skills I have on him are also all widely available (I got DD off Garon).
Ranged anti-dragon weapons are all green (= normal blue for Julius, multiplier-wise). After Nagas got refines I actually started seeing them on defence maps. Guess what, still 0 damage. Daggers are trickier but a lot rarer and still manageable. They added an inheritable one just now but… why would anyone actually use it on heroes except it’s native user (who is also green) ?? Either way you wont see much of that.
See that Surtr? Julius will take care of him for you, too, with his high attack. In a single hit, if you pre-charge his Iceberg on something else. I know that almost any red mage can do it, but I heared some people still struggle. He can take a DC-hit from him too, if he runs one.
He can tank Ophelia, but be careful. For her he needs res buffs, especially the visible one, because of her initial AoE. Atk ploy her. If she can get an attack buff, It’d be great for you to have panic ploy too (right now there’s a lot of options, including Panic Manor). On a positive note, there should be plenty of mages on the same team as her, probably red and green, which wont really bother him afterwards.  
That’s Julius. We love our possessed lord.
Cons:    
While he takes little to no damage from any ranged source, Poison Strike-esque damage will get him good. Pain+ healers arent particulary dangerous because they cant deal any more damage to him no matter what, but units like firesweep bow double poison lyn are not very nice for him to face head-on (yes, I hate her in particular with burning passion), especially if she gets danced, receive a buff and attacks again, while there are other non-zero damage units in the back. But unlike a melee unit in the front line, it’s not always an option to snipe her (or any other unit like her) prior to Julius getting in range. This is, honestly, your worst nightmare. Be very careful with things like that and calculate damage dealt to make sure he wont die. … even though I think it’s not just his problem. But he doesnt easily solve it.  
He is reliant on team support to fight ranged physicals. Not going to lie about it. Def Tactic (or a wave if you’re into them) and 1-2 drive defs (ideally distant guard) should do, which is by no means too much investment, but it should be done.
His player phase leaves a lot to be desired. But like… what’s new? He’s enemy phase per advertisement. He still can Iceberg someone to the ground should he have it ready, or finish off someone previously mangled in EP, though.
He’s likely to deal more than 50% HP in one hit to PP heroes, especially ones that dump res or run LnD, which will activate wings of mercy, and a WoM melee unit can warp to his face and smack him. BUT usually dancers run WoM, and those have lower-end stats, so he should be okay at the very least. The only lancer dancer in the game is OG Azura, but …when was the last time I’ve seen her…  anyway, be careful with WoM.
He’s going to get Chill Res’d. He will get Chill Res’d every time every day of the week cause you wont find any ally with more res than him to “bait” chill res. It’s not like he will die from it though.
He’s infantry, so unfortunately, no easy fortify/wards for him. But if he was any other movtype - it’d bring it’s own problems, so… maybe it’s for the best. Also distant guard is a thing now.
He wants to stay above 80% hp and it’s very easy until he starts taking 5+ damage per hit. If it’s the case - you need to start paying attention to enemy specials again, especially longer CD ones.
Alternatives: While I am happy with how he does his job for now, I am planning make one adjustment, which is - give him Steady Stance 4. (once I get the fodder Surtr, which is not so soon). It will allow him to use his entire HP pool more effectively, and will give him extra survivability against physical threats, even if by a little bit. Additionally, it will protect him againt melee units too (like a WoM dancer teleporting to him) for safety measures and it will open up B slot! Losing 6 res (and 3 Iceberg damage) is not a big deal compared to all those benifits, ESPECIALLY since staying above 80% would be no longer needed.    
I .. dont really have a plan what to put in B slot then, because I intentionally want to avoid QR for a reason I explained above. But hey, I’ll figure something out when the time comes. However QR is also a viable option if you want him to kill everything in one go.
Iceberg is also, in theory, could be replaced by Glacies, if you want more damage. But I personally decided against it, because Iceberg’s cooldown is easier to manage and it’s damage is already enough in most cases. Also Iceberg is a lot better with QR should you want to use him for insta-kills.
And for the love of Loptyr himself, dont try to build him player phase or give him Fury. There are heroes with a lot better stat spreads for PP (yes, I’ve seen a PP Julius), and Fury is a fastest way to turn off Guard/QR and ruin his excellent ability to take zeros from most things. I tried it while I didnt have DD to fodder, and I didnt get much out of it. 
Now, he fits on virtually any map, but here are some examples of AR maps which he absolutely murdered.
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I rely on my dragon! I’m very glad I decided to pick him up, even if he’s not that popular of a unit. 
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bangtanficrecs · 5 years
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Lost & Found Batch #18
The newest batch was long overdue ^^;; As always, if you happen to know the fic the ask is looking for, reply to this post or send us an ask with the request number and title/author. If you happen to know any fics from Past Batches, those are more than welcome as well. Thank you!! ~ Admin P
1) Hi! I think my ask got lost TT I was wondering if you guys know of a vmin fic on ao3 where they’re roommates and jimin likes tae and decided to seduce him by asking him to take nude pics of him, and tae ended up not reacting and then they admitted that they both liked each other? Or something along those lines. PLEASE HELP IT WAS SO AWESOME AND I LOVED IT :( thank you!!!
you're only brave in the moonlight by ameliabedelias
2) Hi!! so a while back i was reading a yoonseok fic on ao3, it was smut, and i wanted to read it again but i cant find it, i was wondering if you could help??? it was yoonseok and yoongi was a "beta" but soon found out he was an omega he called himself a "late bloomer"?? and hoseok walks in, they have sex, and i specifically remember yoongi feeling hoseoks dick in his stomach and "rubbing" it. i know its wierd but can you please help me find it???
A Test in What, Exactly, Is "Too Much" by Yooniefucks
3) Hello, I'm trying to find a fic that has taekook in it. I don't actually remember what the fic is about, but I remember that jungkook is a guard/knight and somewhere along the story, the Prince (?) finds out that jungkook is a werewolf since he was bitten as a child and he imprinted on taehyung, who's human if I'm not mistaken. The king took him in, and he used to be chained to a cage/cave (?) during full moon. It will be great if you can help me :) thank you! 💜
4) Hi, I'm trying to find this yoonjin fic were yoongi is walking home from an underground gig and it's late at night. He smells fresh baked goods and it leads him to a building he passes by all the time but never noticed before. He goes inside and jin fixes him a drink and gives him a muffin/cupcake. At the end jin reveals that he's magic and he cast a spell to find love. Thank you for your help!!
5) I'm looking for a yoongi/jimin fic where jimin is abused by his boyfriend (I think the author used a random idol) and yoongi catches on and tries to help but jimin is really damaged. The rest of the group lowkey knows jimin abused but don't know how to help. Sorry I can't remember lots of details but it was really angsty and good
6) hello, im looking for some kind of royalty fan fic where jimin was visiting yoongi’s palace/home? I can’t remember why but they weren’t close in the beginning. All I can remember was a scene where a bunch of boys were in a room smoking and playing poker (half naked?) and a young servant/slave who was able to play any piano piece after just listening to it once and in the end he left with a Russian man who made music.... thank youu
7) Ugh I seriously need help! I’ve been looking for this fic I lost for 3 days now, I really want to read it again! I’m going to be upset if it was deleted :( anyway, it was a fic where the boys were on their way to something and they got in a car crash but it was only Jin, Hoseok, Yoongi, Tae and Kook. Then Jin and Hoseok were kidnapped by a guy named Sung I think, and the fic focused on Yoongi and Tae and Kook traveling through the woods they crashed in looking for Jin and Hobi and then (pt.1) Jimin and Joon were at a hotel with their manager and they were convinced something was wrong and they wanted to go look for them. In the end they got rescued and they killed the Sung guy and Yoongi was shot and I just really want to find it again cause there was an unfinished sequel. I’m so upset. I hope this was enough to help you help me lookfor it!
8) YOOO what's poppin sis'. Can yall help me. I've been looking for this fic where the rap line is an underground rap line and like they perform cypher pt 3? Idfr the name but the main pairings were namjin and yoonmin. Thanks 🤪🤪🧡
9) Hi there! I was hoping you guys could help me find this fic - it's on AO3. It was multi-chaptered, completed, and was a collection of namjoon centric oneshots/drabbles. one of the chapters was inspired by the "princess princess" anime and featured joon wearing panties, bent over jin's lap, before yoongi came to rescue him from a bunch of onlookers. please help!!
10) Hi! I’m looking for a Yoongi/Jungkook fic. I’ve been searching nonstop for a few weeks and I think the author may have deleted it. The plot line is basically this: Jungkook is a medical student who falls in love with Yoongi and eventually loses his drive in the field. I know it has sexual content so it’s either M rated or E. One of the tags was ‘slow burn’ and ‘Jungkook cries a lot’. Thanks in advance!
11) Hello! In the lost chuchu batch 16, #13 is "I Can't Even" by handintheshot in Ao3. But I can't find a link of it. Also, I'd like to ask whether you know about the fic where jimin suddenly has a vagenay and then proceeds to have a hot threesome with jk and tae? If possible, can you please recommend me more like those? Thank you so much 💜
12) Hello! Do u guys know of a vmin pwp oneshot where taehyung has ADHD? They sit in a chair for most of it, and the premise has a slight focus on how Jimin makes it easier for Tae to sit still. It was really sweet, and I can't find it :c
13) I am looking for a 6+1 fic where Namjoon is homeless and in each iteration a different member takes him into their home and life. A recurring element is a cake decorating book that Namjoon borrows from the library - a page falls out detailing how to make a flower with icing, and he keeps it in his pocket. I have used my search-fu but I cannot find it. It was on AO3. I hope you can help, even if it's just with a possible name I can run via the Wayback machine! Thanks!
14) Hello! I would like to ask your help into searching for a story that I can't, for the life of me, find. It's a Yoonmin story but what I remember the most is that Jungkook works as a janitor in an office and he quits because his boss is horrible. However, Taehyung, whom his boss is interested in working with, will only sign the proposal if they rehire Jungkook, so the boss sends Jimin to do it, since Jimin is friends with the both of them. In the end, they all end up working at the same place. TY
15) Hello. I'm looking for a fic where the group had six members but Suga time travels/dimension travels and becomes part of the group as a secret member. I remember that Jin is doing a vlive and is squirted with a water gun but everyone thinks it's Jimin. And when it's reveled to be Suga he's in his dorm room and pulls a big super soaker from under his blankets. I hope that's enough. It's super specific but I can't seem to find it. I hope you can help me :)
16) hey i was looking for this soul reaper or angel?? au where jungkook dies and is taken to the shinigami/reaper realm by the reaper (i think it was yoongi) and i cant find it anywhere :(( i think he dies bc of his new friends and the fic opens with a scene where the reaper sends one of his murderers souls to hell? The reader finds out later i guess. Id really appreciate it if u could find that :(( thank you!
An anon believes it’s Naught Readings For Naughty Readers by supermans_crib, however that has been on AO3
17) Hi! I had recently lost one of the greatest ffs ever, it was a jikook au where they were in the military (?) and jimin had went into a stage sort of like heat and jungkook had to fuck him, he got hekka scared afterwords but they ended up liking eachother
as if it's your last by fatal (cumrich)
18) Hi! I'm trying to find a NamJin fic. I searched the fics here and my bookmarks on AO3 (since I swear I bookmarked it) but I can't seem to find it. It starts out where Yoongi is accusing Namjoon of not moving on. We find out that Namjoon and Seokjin are friends and Namjoon confessed to Seokjin and was rejected. Things get complicated when Seokjin keeps coming around and even interfering with someone Namjoon starts dating. Memorable scene, Seokjin chasing Namjoon in the dark screeching his name.
everything moves on by fruitily
19) Hello. I am looking for a namgi fic where yoongi works in an old bookshop and likes wearing feminine clothing , and namjoon works at a cafe but visits the bookshop often. Namjoon likes art and philosophy but is scared of his parent's reactions so yoongi tells him to fuck society and to "wake up from your sad life and figure out who you are", they eventually kiss as well. I read it on AO3. Your help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
20) Hi! I was wondering if y’all could help out with a fic I remember reading? jimin pining for yoongi and for some weird reason I remember a specific scene where jimin (whose brought food for yoongi) waits for yoongi outside of (a studio?) falls asleep waiting and wakes up when yoongi and someone else walk out. Jimin had wanted to eat with him I think but yoongi either says that he’s already ate or is headed to eat with the person. It’s unrequited feelings for a bit of the story.
21) There was a fix where yoongi was a prince and he went out and on the way met all the members who were disney princesses, it was a parody kind of, min yoonji was sleeping beauty and she went back to sleep again and from her castle members got a cat and kittens, can you please find it
22) Hello! I read this fiction a loonnggggg time ago where vminkook were in high school detention I think and kook could read minds and read tae's mind once and hes thinking about potatoes so he calls him potato boy but then the next time tae's thinking about fucking jimin and like yeah LOL I think they all end up in a threesome at the end but yeah I dont remember the title or author ))):
23) what’s that fanfic when it’s an au one of them is overweight and they join their school gym or something? and fall in love with the person who trains them. and there’s this beach scene and a car wash scene near the end. been looking for it for a while, hope you can help!
24) hi! i’m looking for a fic i read a while back, i think it was vmin and one of them had been hurt so the other got them off and they ended up in a relationship i think? pretty sure it was cannon compliant too! thanks!
25) so tae is a student and jk is a professor. jk is engaged to this woman (mina?). basically they are both straight but end up falling for each other so before jk gets married he plans to break up with the girl but she blackmails him with pics of him and his student and turns crazy. i don’t rlly remember what happens after that but later they eventually end up together. i think it’s ab 10 chapters. i’m pretty sure i read it on ao3!
26) Hello! I was reading this taekook fic on ao3 but I forgot what it was called ☹️ basically jungkook travels back in time and kidnaps his last self to tell him how in the future Tae kills himself, so jungkook tries to get his past self to be nicer to Tae and stop him. Past jungkook thinks that Tae cheated on him but he was actually forced to have sex with his “boss” but jungkook doesn’t give him a chance to explain and starts cheating on Tae and is being really nasty to him. Ah help plz if you can
27) I’m searching for a fic and i really can’t find it ... i remember it’s jikook (but not really) and it’s about jungkook (who thinks he’s straight) who downloads a porn (by mistake i think) of minjoon and like he ends up liking it, it’s so vague i’m sorry kfhskcj
care to stay for the ride? by voseok
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themalhambird · 6 years
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Richard/Aumerle for the "send me a ship" meme :D
Who s physically stronger?Aumerle. Richard is faster though.
Who is more likely to break a bone?Between the “fight me” reaction to everything and a certain amount of natural clumsiness, Aumerle.
Who knows best what to say to upset the other?Aumerle, actually. If Richard says something horrible to Aumerle he’s more likely to be lashing out because he’s upset with someone else, so it wont have been specifically calculated to hurt. Wheras Aumerle knows all of Richard’s weaknesses and insecurities and could shatter him with a single sentence. He wont though.
Who is more likely to hurt the other?Richard- see aforementioned lashing out. One one level Aumerle accepts Richard isnt mad at him and doesnt mean it, but that doesnt always mean he can shrug off what’s said.
Who is emotionally stronger.?Richard breaks down more quickly, but finds it easier to pull himself together and mask his distress even if he doesnt move past it. Aumerle can cope with more but once he snaps it takes a while to pick up the peices.
Who is more likely to apologize first after an argument?Richard. Mainly because Richard is more likely to have started it and Aumerle is very firm about not apologizing when it’s Richard who’s in the wrong. He’s perfected the art of giving the king of England the cold shoulder without breaching ettiquette- vanishing behind a wall of formality is will normally win him an apology within 48 hours.
Who treats who’s wounds more often?That’s what the royal physician is for. Richard hovers more though- Aumerle will stay out of the way while the doctor’s working unless asked to do otherwise.
Who is in constant need of comfort?Richard. He tries not to dump it all on Aumerle, but there’s only so many people he feels he can be open and honest and vulnerable with and….Aumerle is pretty much all of them. He might find Isabelle if he’s just generally sad or tired and hope for a distraction, and he has Carlisle for more spiritual matters, but apart from that it’s only Edward- which can be pretty draining on Aumerle at times.
Who gets more jealous?Richard, actually. Aumerle is prety much resigned to the face that loving Richard means sharing him; Richard, oth, makes it very clear that Aumerle is HIS and York’s suggestion that maybe its really time for Edward to marry is not welcome through the power of the Plantagenet Glare. (Though if Edward did happen to fall in love with someone else, Richard would support him fully)
Who’s more likely to walk out on the other?Etttiquette prevents Aumerle leaving without permission, and Richard will never relinquish his right to be in whichever room of his palace he pleases to be in so he wouldnt leave because of an argument. He might order Aumerle out, whether Ned obeys or tells him to call the guards to drag him out depends on whetger he thinks Richard is more likely to calm down or get worse if left tk his own devices.
Who will propose?In canon-era they cant marry so the question’s mute, though Richard probably slios a ring on Aumerle’s finger one night while they’re lying in bed together in a sort of symbolic gesture
In a modern au where Richard and Anne never met, Edward proposes, quite possibly at a completely random moment where he was watching Richard do something adorable like Swear Vengence Upon The Heads Of His Enemies, think “I’m going to marry that idiot” and say “marry me” almost at once. If Richard had lost Anne, though, Ned would be a lot more cautious about proposing so it would probably be left to Richard accidentally introducing Edward as his husband because that’s how he’s come to see him, having a complete freak out when he realises what he’s done including a guilt trip about being disloyal to Anne’s memory and probably ends with Edward holding Richard while they come to an agreement that they will get married, but they’ll hold off on even thinking about planning any arrangements until Richard is ready and proposes properly.
Who has the most difficult parents?That’s another
one which depends on au- in canon Richard's parents are dead and even if they weren't, Edmund Duke of Execute My Son For Treason He's Probably A Bastard Anyway wpuld have them beat. In everyone lives and Richard keeps adopting random kids au oth, I can see Edward being more difficult because he loves his son, is painfully aware Gaunt and Gloucester would happily trample on him to get to power ( Richard's relationship with his older brother the prince of wales is a little strained) and can remember all to well what happened to his grandfather. So he'd probabky attempt to split them up, at least until Joan swats him over the head and tells him to leave them alone, they're sweet together, and York points out that Sending Aumerle away will be seen as confirmation of the affair which could make matters worse.Who initiates hand holding in public?The King of England does not hold hands, and Aumerle needs his free in case he needs to tear a glove off and fling it in someone's face. Aumerle will sometimes give Richard's arm a light touch meaning calm the fuck down you moron.Who comes up for the other all the time?They both move heaven and earth for each other, as far as they're able. Richard is aware he's not the easiest lover and tries to make up for it by granting any request Edward might make of him.Who gets more sad? Richard, especially on dates conjected with Anne-her death, of course, but also her funeral, her birthday, and their anniversary. Other times depression just kicks in for no obvious reason. Aumerle is very firm on those days- Richard had to get out of bed, break his fast, and go for a walk I the gardens if the weather's good, or o the battlements if its not. If he doesnt feel up to anything more than that, they can go back to bed, but generally Richard carries on with the day once he's been made to start it.Who' better at cheering the other up?Aumerle. Richard panics when Aumerle's upset and fumbles around trying to work out what to do, not realising that all Aumerle wants is to be held by him and have a sympathetic ear. He's learning, though- once Aumerle tells him thats the best thing he can do he does it, and he prioritizes it over everything else.Who's the one who playfully slaps the other for silly jokes.Neither. Richard used to roll his eyes and threaten Aumerle with banishment for assulting his ears, but stopped when he exiled Bolingbroke for real.Who is more streetwise/wise Neither, they're both useless. Next?Who's the shyest?Aumerle. It isnt too obvious, but he gets very nervous at social events and he replays every interaction in his head a million times, over analysing it and convincing himself he messed up. Richard takes care to murmer some variation of "youre doing really well im so proud of you" to him at some point during the evening, and has a standing arrangement with Bolingbroke that Henry will keep an eye on Ned and go rescue him if he needs to- its been in place ever since Ned first came to court and Henry actually sticks to it even more rigidly now its become clear that his cousins' bedsharing is no longer platonic. the way henry sees it The only person allowed to be mean to his baby cousin is him.Who boasts about the other more?...they dont actually tend to boast about each other? Defend each other to the death if the occasion arises, sure, but Richard would rather they be an open secret than open knowledge, it seems...safer, after how badly things went wrong with Robert, who Richard would enthuse about to anybody who would listen.Who sits in who's lap.Richard sits on Aumerle's. Its not the easiest of manouvers because Richard's ridiculously long limbs get in the way, but if he's feeling particularly tired he'll climb on to Aumerle's lap and nestle his head beneath Aumerle's chin in the hopes of getting his hair stroked.Ll
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kappasigmalife · 6 years
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Desolate Caladium: Chp 2
Desolate Caladium : chapter 2
Falls on me
The dead of night came quickly for us, I was able to use some of my savings to get us out of port on a cargo ship going to neighboring islands. The kingdom is in an uproar and caladium is terrified. While on the hold we were finally able to rest and I watched as he tossed and turned the entire night. Of course I wanted to tell him everything was fine but in truth how could it, losing your father, cast from your kingdom like a leper, and your only company is a guy you saved 5 years ago, and is wanted for the murder of the king. When he woke up I found him eating a basket of fruit some of the sailors gave him, tossing me a banana, he told me to eat it plenty of it considering scurvy is a thing in the high seas. Eating the fruit I notice that caladium is taking out a long dagger and looking at it.
“an azoth dagger, meant for mages who completed their training as novices and attain the rank of casters, only given when one slays a beast, never thought I’d ever unwrap the cloth to use it.” “it’s a beautiful blade prince, but why take it out now” As I ask I notice hime cut it into his long locks of hair and sees it change color, from dark brown, to a light tan.
“as of now, my name is callum, and drop the prince, I don’t have use for it no more.” When we got to port he asked me to get him clothes that were civilian instead of royal and as we walked I saw him eyeing the guards around us, looking for me.
“don’t worry if anyone notices you, ill keep them away alright.” “being a mage must really be cool.”
“well it’s the hard work that pays off.”
His hair almost looks better shorter, but of course the hair that fell off just burned away, no doubt to just simply keep from being tracked later on. He grabbed my by the arm and brings me to the marketplace where he places some cents on a man’s table asking for a place for the night. The man tells him money is no good for him as the merchants guild has been struck down by the fallen kingdom and requires assistance more than anything. He gave us the room in exchange we bring his caravan to the next city 5 miles away. Gladly accepting, callum looks at me and smiles knowing that were safe another day. That night he slept more soundly and I kept watch outside once again. I began notice the sound of a horse galloping fast around the market and place it as nothing more than rounds being done by the police force. My real concern was watching callum just sleep as the night drags on. He woke around 4 am telling me he will take over and for me to rest before we must leave again. I can tell his very focused as he doesn’t even blink as he gazes outside, his auburn eyes under the moon glistened as I looked at him before drifting off. Although my time with him has been short we have been through more than enough to know the confines of needing one another to survive in this world. He promised me that we would be okay and in retrospect we are, together we stand against the illegal acts of the coup de ta    while also running from our fate at the hands of the gallows. Forbidding himself from magic, he relies only on his brawn to keep us safe.
While the night persisting into the early morning we were able to rest enough to be ready to head out with the caravan. He took the reins and whisked us away from the market all the way to the next town in only a matter of hours, with one horse and supplies. As we arrived he received a large sum of cash that he stashed into his satchel to get us another room. Instead of a nice room in an inn, we chose to stay in the stables free of charge in order to recuperate and regroup our route away from the kingdom. His idea is to become a merchant only to provide protection as well as favors for cash in return for living quarters and start a new life. While I would like the idea of having a new life with him, it is not fair he is the one doing all the work. I requested to be sent to the local apothecary to work as a medical official and help townspeople with licensing from the city. The issue is that I need an alias as well, but callum assured me that desmond is so common it wouldn’t be an issue and effortlessly got me an emblem signifying my alliance to a med corp. as tears ran down my face I saw that he was smiling and wiped the tears from me.
“your eyes, I didn’t notice they were green, the color of life, a perfect fit for a medic.” “I never really noticed callum, thank you.” “we should celebrate, lets splurge a bit at the bar.” we drank til the hour grew late and we laughed at the expense of our new life, although much of it was running thin on the confines of time as we needed callum to still earn a living with the merchants guild. As a mage he could easily be a noble or even king, but his life was gone and he looks like hes okay with it.
“why are you so happy callum?” “huh, that’s no issue des, I just love being happy.” “but you have lost everything you had in a matter of days and you see the brighter side so quickly.” “of course I do, its because deep down the more I see the pain and anguish the easier it is for me to learn from it and become a better person throughout my life”
“why help everyone but yourself, you act like that’s your purpose.” “as a mage that is how I am born to be, to use magic as a way of helping instead of destroying as my master would say, but now I cant without being outed by the guards.” As I think back at all the things hes had to endure its more prevelant now that I merely only know one minute of his life aside from the entirety. He went on to tell me of his childhood, when his mother died when he was born due to the inheritance of her magic, his father showering him with affection even though he was king, spending time with other kids his age accidently hurting them only to have one friend who understood him.
“I fear that he may come soon, he is the most powerful knight of my fathers council and his bloodline is laced in carnage and bodies.” “how come, isn’t he your friend.” “because its his duty to protect the kingdom, as of now were seen as fugitives and at the same time as victims of conspiracy, but that doesn’t matter to them, they wish to seek control and end the kings familial bloodline one way or another.” “you really are a brave man, I don’t get how you could ever…..” he cut me off placing his hand on my mouth and gesturing me to leave with him. Sneaking out the back he pulled me into a back aisle in the road where he snuck behind the crates. A large hulking figure was looming around stopping in the aisle before moving on. I knew something was different, he was reeking of blood and seemed like the type to end a many for simply arguing with him.
“already found us, and not even three days passed, well done black knight, may we settle our debate tonight or shall I continue to elude you.” As I blinked the man came between us narrowly slicing me with a odd weapon, a sword and staff combined. He looked at both of us and kicked me into the crates as he went to take on callum, whose leaped in the air to the rooftops grabbing his azoth dagger. The man followed suit and I could only watch as they continually fought clashing blades and running after one another.
“for a man who is the kings lapdog, it’s a surprise you didn’t decide to kill him.” “true I didn’t, but given the price I can easily take his sons hide as my own trophy.” “always the morbid talker, taking any price for the job, taken any price for a rescue.” Callum had blasted him off right at my feet landing on his head. As soon as I thought he was dead, he rose back up cracking his neck into place and laughing.
“losing your touch caladium, you really surprise me without your true magic showing.”
“its callum, and what did I expect from the son of the impaler, or as I call you guys, the failed kinship.” “ouch most damage you ever gave me” Callum was getting more and more serious in this fight and all I could do was watch as the two moved more quickly than ever at each other. The metal of the blades going back and forth like a wavering dance of who would lead next, until chris began incantations.
“caelum hoc urere flammis bestia”
“oh goodie breaking out the dead language that gonna be fun.”
A burst of flames erupt from callums blade and strikes the man into the wall allowing him to grab me and run. The man gets up and gives chase merely cornering us and getting to grab my by the collar as I tried to run. Putting his blade to my neck he asked for me to drop mine and come with him. Doing so callum gives into the demands and leaves. I pick up his azoth dagger and glows in the direction he left with the man. Following the signal I come to see the man with piercing red eyes and golden hair curled with a massive beard. The two are drinking together near the shore and I sneak to see what is going on.
“its been years bro, how have you been?” “tough, but you know what its like in the kingdom.” “yeah true I don’t get it either but they pay well, and again im sorry to hear about your dad.” “he was old and things happen, but thank you for the sentiment.” “pleasure now that I know your good on your own, im gonna tell them your dead, and so is that nurse fellow.” “thank you for this, Trev” “least I could do after busting your ass to get me the knights gig, a vampiric knight of the council god everone flipped.” “those were the good old days.” I watched as callum got up and hands over a emerald pendant as the black knight rises and takes it from his grasp.
“payment for this favor, you know the drill.” “ill find two loathsome vermin in town your size and axe them off, then you disguise them yourself, that will act as proof of your death.” “not the first time we did this, go to the east district that where most of the mongrels live.” “good to know, and by the way, why hang around that kid.” “I see something in him innocent, that’s been masked for a long time, also his smile is adorable.”
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thesffcorner · 5 years
Text
February Wrap Up
Despite being the shortest month of the year, I read 7 books and 10 graphic novels, or 17 things in total. It was also another month where I read a lot of diverse genres: I read 10 contemporaries, 4 of which were thriller/mysteries, and 6 of which were romance; 4 sci-fi, 1 speculative historical romance, 1 fantasy romance and 1 historical fantasy. Instead of doing highest to lowest, since I have so many graphic novels and some are part of the same series, I decided to group them by the date read, so without further ado, let’s get into it.
Fence vol. 1-3 by C S Pacat and Joanna the Mad (3, 4, 3 stars)
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I wanted to read this series for a while, and I finally binged it this February. Fence follows Nicholas, a young fencer with a complicated past and poor background who comes to Kings Row, a school with the fourth best fencing programs in the country. There, to his shock he finds Senji, a junior champion with Olympic aspirations; and the two can’t stand each-other.
This series is just a whole lot of fun. It’s written like a Western style sports anime/manga, and Joanna the Mad’s artstyle is very reminiscent of manga, with lots of action line, pretty boys and expressive, large eyes. The first volume is a fine set up of Nicholas’ first confrontation with Senj, and arriving at the school, while the second and third volume deal with the qualifications at the school for who will make the fencing team. As Nick is on an athletic scholarship, he has to qualify or he gets kicked out, but like many of these series go, he has some stiff competition, and develops friendships with said competition.
I really enjoyed the dynamic between all the characters, especially Senji and Nicholas, and if you’re a fan of sports anime, cute queer comics, or painfully slow-burn enemies to lovers stories, check this out.
Check, Please! Year 3 by Ngozi Ukazu (4 stars)
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The first thing I read in February was the third volume of Check, Please! This was as cute as the previous 2 volumes, as it follows Bittie’s third year in college. What struck out to me upon rereading this specific year, is that it actually has way more angst and conflict than I remember it having; there’s a lot here about Bittie and Jack coming to terms with not just their long distance relationship, but also coming out and finding acceptance within the confines of a major sports league like the NHL. It also deals a lot with Bittie coming to terms with the hockey team changing as Ransom, Holster and Lardo graduate. Overall, a good continuation of the story.
Deadly Class vol 1-2 by Rick Remender and Wes Craig (3, 2, 2 stars)
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Deadly Class is a series that if I had started reading when I was in late high school, early college, I know I would have loved. However now, as an adult, I find it grating, pretentious, and far too extreme for no real reason. The story aspects that I liked the most, I’ve also already seen or read in far better works; it doesn’t help that up to volume 3, there are only 2 characters left that I remotely care about, and one of them just got introduced in that volume.
The series follows a group of kids who go to an elite training school for assassins. We mostly follow Marcus, the son of a Nicaraguan expats, who ends up at the school after he meets Saya and a few of the other students during a stick up. Though the first volume started out promising, volumes 2 and 3 kept getting less and less good, and unless something drastically changes in my life, I can’t see myself continuing on with this series.
Contagion by Erin Bowman (3 stars)
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This is a sci-fi book set in the near-distant future, and it follows the crew of Odyssey, a research vessel that is sent to Black Quarry to investigate a distress signal. Once there, the crew realizes that something bad has happened, as they find bodies and a potentially deadly thing haunting them; and the mysterious ‘young boy’ the engineer of Black Quarry warns them about is not making matters any easier.
This was a rather mediocre sci-fi, but I still enjoyed it. As it’s part of a duology I will definitely be finishing the story out, but as is it doesn’t do too much with this well-tread premise. Bowman does have a good grasp on action and suspense, but a lot of the character decisions in the novel were akin to ones characters in Blumhouse horrors make, and considering most of them are some form of scientists, that wasn’t an ideal route to take. Still if you enjoy stories about aliens, sentient viruses, isolated space incidents and horror, it’s worth checking out.
Prince Charming by Rachel Hawkins (4 stars)
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This is the first book in a series of contemporary romances, all centering around the fiction crown family of Scotland. In this first novel we follow Daisy, the younger sister of Eli, who gets engaged to Andrew, the Crown Prince of Scotland. After an incident in a parking lot with her ex, Daisy gets blackmailed into spending the summer in Scotland with her sister and fiance, and get acquainted with the royal family; cue shenanigans, romance and lots of sisterly yelling.
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book; it was very funny and entertaining, and I haven’t related to a characters quite like I did to Daisy, since Princess Mia Thermopolis. While there are some tropes these stories tend to have, Hawkins manages to avoid a lot of the cliches, and she actually has some really good commentary on the economy of the royal family, the outdated and outright sexist traditions, the close-mindedness, and the prejudice that both sides are steeped in at the start. I found the romance very cute, the shenanigans were funny and entertaining, and I will definitely be reading the sequel.
Heart of Gold Part 1 by Eli and Viv (4 stars)
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This is an webcomic that I stumbled onto by complete accident, but it blew me away. It follows Ionel, a concert pianist who is slowly losing his sight, and Kasper a priest with the power to heal people. Ionel moves to the small town and starts attending mass, in hopes that Kasper will heal him, but every time it gets close to, or his turn, Kasper refuses to help him. Through his attendance, the two become close, with Kasper seeming to have a crisis of faith, all while people from the town start dying; and they might be connected to Kasper.
This comic drew me in almost immediately. The art is absolutely beautiful, and it’s hard to believe that this is a free web comic. The story too is very mature and interesting; it deals a lot with religion, faith, and sacrifice, and the slow build of Isonel and Kaspar’s relationship feels very natural. I can’t wait for Act 2, and I’m really hoping the answers to what is happening in the town deliver on the build up we’ve gotten so far.
Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson (3 stars)
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I heard about this book a lot when it came out, and I decided to check it out, since it’s a mystery following a girl who wants to become an FBI agent, coming to Ellingham Academy, a Montessori type private school, to solve an old cold case; that of the founder, Albert Ellingham’s daughter’s kidnapping.
I won’t lie; this book did not live up to the hype for me, though it was entertaining. I have a much longer and more detailed review of why, but it mostly boiled down to a few things. First, I didn’t like that it ends of a cliffhanger, and we get no answers; this is a bit odd for a mystery, especially a series which has more than two books. Second, I thought the way the past and present mystery connected wasn’t very well done, and I kept losing interest in the past, because of the way the book was written. And finally, I found some of the writing dry and lacking in proper atmosphere.
However, I still enjoyed the story, and the main character of Steve, and I will probably read the sequel, since I still want to know what happens.
S.T.A.G.S. by M A Bennet (3 stars)
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S.T.A.G.S. is a British thriller, set in Saint Aidan the Great’s School or STAGS, a private boarding school with a long tradition. When new student Greer gets invited to a weekend of huntin, shootin, fishin at the estate of the leader of the most popular clique in the school, Henry, she accepts, not knowing what waits for her; and what does is a nightmare that might turn deadly, where the hunting, shooting, and fishing, might be a little too real and dangerous.  
I really enjoyed this thriller; I thought it was entertaining, fast paced and had a plot that kept me invested to the end. I also weirdly enjoyed the subtle romance between two of the characters, which isn’t often the case.
However, this book isn’t without it’s problems. The ending is a bit predictable, and having seen the Riot Club, I knew what I was getting into, in terms of what the weekend actually entailed. I also found that the book lacked a lot of tension, because we found out early on who lives through it. However, it was still enjoyable, and if you like these types of thrillers set in boarding schools or private estates, I think you will enjoy this one.
Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson (4 stars)
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Like Prince Charming before, I was genuinely surprised at how much I ended up enjoying this book, because when I started it, I was really caught off guard by the humor. However, once I got used to it, this became one of the funniest things I read this month.
Undead Girl Gang is a horror/comedy that follows Mila, a Mexican-American teenager who practices Wicca. After her best friend Riley supposedly commits suicide, just a week after a double suicide of two of her other classmates, Mila decides to perform a spell and bring Riley back; but instead she brings all three of the girls back. The problem? They can’t stand each-other, and if they don’t want to be walking zombies, they need to stay within a 100 steps of Mila.
This book was hilarious and very dark. I really enjoyed all the relationships between the girls, and I found the look at grief very well done and moving. The ending was climactic, and the conclusions Mila comes to worked well for me; if you enjoyed the Craft, Mean Girls or Heathers, check this out, you will probably like it.
Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi (5 stars)
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This was by far my favorite thing I read this month. I struggled writing a review for it, because I just didn’t know how to talk about it without just relegating to spoilers and gushing about the characters and the puzzles. It’s a book that follows a group of thieves, who steal magical artifacts, each with their own motivations and goals. When they steal a magical Chinese compass, the discover that it leads them to a Horus Eye; an artifact so powerful it can show them the way to the fabled Fragment of Babel.
It’s the Mummy, mixed with National Treasure, mixed with Ocean’s 11. It’s fun heist story, set during the Exposition Universelle, and if you are like me at all and like any of these things, you will love this book.
Sleepless vol. 1 by Sarah Vaughan (4 stars)
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This was probably my favorite of the graphic novels I read; it’s a fantasy that follows Poppy, the illegitimate daughter of a King, and a famous star reader. When her father the King dies, Poppy is forced to navigate court life, as his brother takes the throne, but things become increasingly hard as several assassination attempts are made, and her Sleepless protector Cyrenic starts drifting.
There’s just something about this series that ticks all my boxes. The art is absolutely gorgeous, the story is interesting and a bit different from the usual fantasy I read, and the Sleepless vow is a very unique type of magic. To top it off, I really like the two leads, Poppy and Cyrenic and I’m curious to see what turn the story will take after the ending we get in issue 6.
Motor Crush vol. 1 by Brenden Fletcher (3 stars)
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I’ve been meaning to start this series for a while, and I finally did in February, and man was it a great time to do this, fresh after seeing Battle Angel Alita.
This follows Domino, a bike racer, who is trying to make it big and qualify for the world circuit. However, to survive she needs Crash, an illegal substance that is used to fuel the bikes in this universe, but she needs to inhale it. Through the first volume we find out a bit about her mysterious past, her ex-girlfriend Lola, and a man who seems to either want to help her or kill her; all while she races to win the qualifications and the Crash.
This series was a fun, fast paced ride, but it’s not without its problems. The art is beautiful, but the story needs some more polishing; there’s too many plot threads and not enough time to develop them. I can’t imagine how things will resolve in the next volume after that climax, but I will definitely be continuing it; the world was gripping enough to have me enjoy it, and Domino was a character I definitely rooted for.
Umbrella Academy vol. 1 by Gerard Way (3 stars)
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Since the show is all anyone talks about, I decided to finally start this series and boy is it cooky. We follow the Umbrella Academy, a group of 7, who were adopted by a crazy millionaire savant Reginald Hargreeves, after being born in a spontaneous event all over the world where 48 mothers gave birth. Hargreeves trains the kids to stop the apocalypse, and now 10 years after his death brings 6 of the 7 back to his house, unaware that the apocalypse is here; and it’s a direct consequence of their reunification.
There is a lot of good and a lot of weird in this series. The characters have glimpses of interesting personalities and the idea of 7 kids being raised from birth to be superheroes by a man who is a British version of Ra’s al Ghul is interesting. But unfortunately the series doesn’t fully explore this, and the ending is really abrupt. The humor is quirky, and sometimes it works, but more often it makes the tone weirdly uneven, as we swing from graphic, albeit cartoon violence to slapstick. I think the show does a much better job with the tone, and while this first volume gets a lot right, it’s by no means perfect.
Sadie by Courtney Summers (4 stars) 
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This was by far the hardest book I’ve read in a long time. It’s a mystery that follows Sadie, a girl who disappears after her younger sister is brutally assaulted and murdered; and West McCray, a podcast host who is retracing her steps, trying to find her. It’s a book about grief, assault, pedophilia, violence and the lies we tell ourselves so we don’t have to think about what happens to girls in this world, and it’s dower, dreary and oh so real. It made me feel things I don’t normally do when I read, and if you can stomach the content, I recommend it. If you can, get the audiobook; it’s a full cast and the podcast bits are done like a real podcast, which makes the story feel that much more immersive.   
The Disasters by M K England (5 stars)
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I needed something light and fun after the last two things I read in February, and this was the perfect way to end my month. This was my favorite book I read so far, maybe even more than the Gilded Wolves. It’s a sci-fi that follows a group of 4 rejects from Space Academy who have to work together to survive a terrorist attack, and prevent another one from happening. It’s fast paced, incredibly entertaining, and I fell in love with all the characters.
I absolutely cannot wait for whatever else M K England publishes, and I loved this to pieces.  
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