I just saw a tiktok slideshow of a show-watcher predicting that Grover would be the traitor and let me tell you, this whole divide between show-watchers and book-readers is ENTERTAINING
the fact that i'm no longer the same age as the protagonists of novels and films i once connected to is so heartbreaking. there was a time when I looked forward to turning their age. i did. and i also outgrew them. i continue to age, but they don't; never will. the immortality of fiction is beautiful, but cruel.
"we're gonna get to see the underwater kiss" "we're gonna get to see silena and clarisse" "we're gonna get to see baby nico" you guys are all wrong. we're gonna get to see walker scobell as percy motherfucking jackson talking to fucking horses. will they poorly cgi the mouths to move? will they start talking in his head? will the voices be silly or perhaps recognizable celebrities? who knows. but i feel like we've all forgotten the talking horses and honestly it's a crime because THATS what im most excited to see on the big screen
okay but in the LWW movie when the fox is brought to The White Witch and he says âforgive me, your majestyâ and she says âdonât waste my time with flatteryâ and then he says ânot to seem rude, but I wasnât actually talking to youâ and looks at Edmund? literal chills every time a 10/10 artistic decision
my dad grew up reading the Batman comics. Today we were discussing Damian Wayne being introduced in the on-screen canon. He asked me how I knew so much about Batman lore.
I did not tell him that I spend most of my nights reading Batfam fanfics on this site
Warning(s) - slight language, minor violence described
A/N - this is my first attempt at writing a fight scene, so if it's bad - sorry! Hope you enjoy! <3 (Also, Peter is my son & that accidentally bled into my writing, but im not sorry!!)
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"Why are we just standing here⊠staring at each other? âŠWhat are you doing? Can you, like, attack me or something?"
It all started out as a typical Tuesday. Steve, Tony, Nat, and Thor were on a recon mission somewhere in Europe. Clint was cooking something delicious-smelling in the communal kitchen. Peter had just gotten off school and told Y/N about his day. Without looking, Y/N knew that Bucky was in his room, having finished training.Â
He trained a lot when Steve was gone.Â
Not that Y/N watched him or knew his routine. That would be creepy. She justâŠlikes to observe him. To understand what he's doing throughout the day. It's only because she's concerned, not creepy. Steve seems to be his only friend, the only one he wants to talk to. Not for lack of trying on her part, though. And, she tried.Â
As one of the team's newer members, Y/N thought it'd be nice to reach out to Bucky and try to befriend him. She always thought he looked so lonely when Steve brought him in. He was still dealing with mental after-shocks of remembering who he was before the Winter Soldier. According to Steve, Bucky was very outgoing and chivalrous, but that man is long gone, now only a shell of insecurity and doubt. It makes Y/N's heart ache for him. But Bucky apparently wants nothing to do with anyone who's not Steve. It's considered a miracle if he's even seen out of the gym or his room for longer than to get meals when Steve's away.Â
"Y/N? Are you listening?" Peter's voice cuts through her train of thought, effectively derailing it. She blinks and smiles guiltily at Peter.
"Yes, sorry, Pete. Just got a little lost in thought. Anyways, you were saying? What did M.J. say to him?" Peter isn't deterred by Y/N's lack of concentration and dives back into his story. Something about M.J. and Ned and a silly argument they had at lunch. Y/N smiles fondly at him, endeared by the passionate way the kid retells the story.Â
The comfortable quiet is suddenly cut short by J.A.R.V.I.S.'s voice crackling to life.Â
"Pardon the interruptionâŠ" The A.I.'s voice cuts out suddenly before coming back in, "I am being scrambled. Please take defensive positions. We have an intrud--"the voice cuts out completely. Y/N jumps to her feet, pulling Peter with her to the kitchen. Clint was there and armed with weapons he had stashed somewhere.Â
"Clint, what's going on?" Y/N took two steak knives from the silverware drawer, keeping one in her hands and tucking the other into her belt. Not the best weapons, but she doubted she'd have time to run to her room before anything happened. By her side, Peter was rolling up his sleeves, revealing his web shooters. âJ.A.R.V.I.S.?â She called up to the ceiling. "What's happening?" The A.I. did not respond. Clint looked like he was going to say something before the sound of footsteps cut him off.Â
Everyone turned to look at the sound in the hall. Y/N pushed Peter further behind her, gripping her knife more tightly. Bucky stepped out of the shadows, to everyone's relief. His hair was damp as if he had just gotten out of the shower. Y/N's shoulders relaxed at the sight of him. Clint stepped up.
"Something's happening. Is everyone armed?" He did a once-over of everyone, satisfied. "Okay, listen. We need to-. "The lights cut out, Peter instantly latching onto Y/N. "Shit. Okay, everyone, stay close." Y/N could hear fumbling as Clint or Peter; she couldn't tell who; tried to find the generator's button in the electric panel. Eventually, they did, making the backup light flicker on, washing everyone in an orange glow.Â
J.A.R.V.I.S.'s speakers crackled back on, but it wasn't the A.I. who spoke. An unfamiliar voice spoke instead. Bucky stiffened instantly, seemingly recognizing the voice.Â
"Hello, second-string Avengers," an accented voice said.Â
"Hey! We're not second-string!" Peter whispered. Y/N shushed him. The voice continued.Â
"How fortunate for me that the day I have come to speak to you, the best of you are absent."Â
Okay, now it's getting hurtful, Y/N thought.Â
"I have come for one thing and one thing only." Said the voice. Bucky turned to the rest of the group.Â
"We need to leave. Now." He sounded urgent and nervous. His eyes were frantically darting around, looking like he was about to start grabbing people and dragging them towards the exit.Â
"I have come for you, Winter Soldier." He froze, face in a panic Y/N had never seen before.Â
"Bucky? What's going on? Who is that?" Bucky ignored her question.Â
"Surprised to hear me, Soldat?" The panic dropped from Bucky's face and was replaced with a cold mask.Â
"Everyone, leave now." He growled out. Then, he looked up suddenly into Y/N's face, searching her eyes imploringly. "Please. Leave." Y/N nodded and started to pull Peter away from the kitchen towards the elevator, Clint following. That's when the voice began speaking again.Â
"Longing." Y/N pushed the elevator buttons rapidly, but nothing happened.Â
"Rusted." The power had been cut, and the elevator would not be coming.
"Furnace." Bucky, still in the kitchen, yelled in rage.
"Daybreak."
"The stairs!" Peter cried, "Let's go." He took off running towards the stairs, the two adults behind him.Â
"Seventeen."Â Something shattered in the kitchen. Bucky was trying to resist the trigger words. It would be of no use.Â
"Go, go, go!â Y/N chanted, pushing Peter forward.Â
"Benign." Peter made it to the stairs' door first, slamming into it. Something had it jammed.
"Nine."Â
"Move!" Clint barked. He took his bow off his back and hit it against the door handle. It took a couple of tries, but the handle broke off, allowing him to ram his shoulder into the door, crashing it open.
"Homecoming." Y/N followed Pete and him down the stairs to ensure Peter was first. They had to put as much distance between them and Bucky as possible. They could still hear the intercom in the stairwell.Â
"One." It won't be enough. The Winter Soldier is unstoppable. They won't make it.
They won't make it.
"Freight car." Faintly, Y/N could hear everything go silent in the kitchen.Â
"Ready to comply," she heard Bucky - no, he's the Winter Soldier now - say. It broke her heart.Â
The man on the intercom laughed. It was a horrible, cruel laugh. Then he simply said, "Stop them."Â
Y/N's heart dropped to her stomach. The group running burst into one of the lower floors, still nowhere near the building's exit. Damn Stark and his need to live on the highest floor of the Tower. Panting, she looks at the others.
"WhatâŠwhat do we do? Can we really subdue Bucky when he's like this? What if he hurts someone? We can't fight him."Â
Peter looked nervous; Bucky was his teammate. He didn't want to have to fight him. Clint looked up.Â
"We're going to have to try. Nothing lethal, but we need to take down the Winter Soldier. I've already notified the team overseas, but they won't be here for a few hours. It's up to us." Y/N nodded.Â
Take him down. Take down Bucky. Oh boy, that's gonna be hard. Â
Coming up with a plan, the small team got into position. The floor they were on was one of the lower-level training gyms made for non-Avengers-level agents. Unfortunately, the mysterious intruder had done his due diligence, and the floor was deserted. Y/N had a sneaking suspicion that other floors were similarly populated. Steeling herself, she looked at Clint and Peter.Â
"Okay. Nonlethal takedown. Let's make it quick, with as little injury as possible. Pete, Clint, you guys start up high. I'll go low. We ambush him and take him down." Y/N paused, frowning, "He didn't have any access to guns before this, did he?" Clint shook his head.
"I don't think so, but we can't be too careful." Y/N nodded.
"Alright, go team?" She grimaced at them. Their smiles back were forced, nervous. Peter was practically vibrating. Y/N found a vantage point near the back of the gym, tucking herself behind some mats but still allowing space to flee or fight. She watched Peter swing his way up to the rafters from her spot, crouching in the darkness. Clint climbed to the top of the climbing wall, nesting with his bow and arrows ready. Y/N saw that he only had out his non-lethal arrows. Taser ones, netting ones, grappling ones, things like that.Â
It was silent in the room; not even their breathing could be heard. The door slowly creaked open. Y/N clutched the steak knives she took from the kitchen. Terrible weapons; they would barely do anything against the Winter freakin' Soldier.Â
His footsteps were heavy, slow. He was hunting his prey. Y/N's heart thudded in her chest. Somehow, this was more terrifying than raiding an entire HYDRA compound.Â
Bucky's time as the Winter Soldier had molded him into the perfect weapon. Silent. Fierce. Deadly.
The Soldier's eyes swept across the room, looking for anything out of place. He had no visible weapons in his hands, thank God, but that did not give Y/N much pause. The Soldier himself was a weapon just as deadly.Â
Y/N remained as still as possible, not wanting to give up her position until the last possible second. She only hoped the boys would do the same. Keeping close to the edge of the wall, the Soldier crept around the room's circumference, ensuring his back was covered. Damn, that's smart. She saw movement in the rafters out of the corner of her eye. Peter was making his way across the ceiling, intending to drop down behind Bucky.
It's as if he could sense the shift in the air. Bucky whirled around, and his foot caught Peter in the stomach. The poor boy flew across the gym, his momentum slamming him into some pads leaning against the wall. Y/N smothered her gasp. Arrows rained down around Bucky, forming a net. Clint moved from his place on the climbing wall, the Soldier's eyes tracking him. He wound up his metal arm without a sound, tangling the mesh in it before snapping it completely. Well, there went that plan.Â
Sparing a glance at Peter, he was still moving - thank goodness, Y/N ran up behind Bucky. There was no way he couldn't have heard her coming, and yet, she was able to jump on his shoulders, wrapping her legs around his neck - something she learned from Nat. Trying to use their combined weights against him, she flung her body backward, intending to launch the both of them to the ground. He anticipated this, widening his stance to remain upright. All Y/N achieved was ending up upside down on his back. Not exactly what she intended, but it provided a nice distraction.Â
Three quick web shots hit the Soldier in the face, obscuring his vision. The Soldier grunted, trying to free himself from Y/N's grip and the webbing. A well-aimed whistling sound pierced the air as the Winter Soldier struggled to break free from Y/N's unexpected hold and the webbing covering his face. It was Hawkeye, back in action.
Clint had repositioned himself during the brief distraction Y/N had caused. He had a clear shot now and wasn't about to waste it. With perfect precision, he let loose an electrified arrow. The arrow sailed through the air and embedded itself in his metal shoulder.
Electricity surged through the webbing, sending sparks flying and involuntarily causing the Winter Soldier to convulse. The shock temporarily incapacitated him, forcing him to release Y/N. She rolled away from him just in time, regaining her footing.
The Winter Soldier, despite the overwhelming assault from Hawkeye and Y/N, was not one to stay down for long. His enhanced resilience and combat training began to shine through. Y/N almost admired him as he shook off the effects of the stun arrows, regaining his composure.
Just as Spider-Man swung back into the fray, his spider-sense tingling, he faced a renewed and focused Winter Soldier. Bucky's metal arm whirred to life as he delivered a powerful blow, knocking Spider-Man off balance.Â
Peter managed to dodge subsequent strikes using his speed and agility, but the Winter Soldier relentlessly pursued him. Bucky's combat experience allowed him to predict Spider-Man's movements, and the two engaged in a high-speed, acrobatic duel throughout the gym. Y/N was left to hover near them, unable to find an opening but staying near just in case.Â
âShit, shit, shit, shitâŠâ
She could hear Peterâs constant cursing under his breath, a stark contrast to his usual quips and puns he made when fighting. The poor kid was terrified.Â
Peter fired web projectiles, attempting to ensnare the Winter Soldier, but Bucky deftly evaded them or shattered the webbing with his metal arm. Clearly, the Soldier had regained his footing, and Pete was having difficulty keeping up with the relentless assault.
With a sudden burst of speed, the Soldier closed the distance between them, delivering a punishing punch that sent Spider-Man crashing through a wall and into the next room. The impact left Spider-Man disoriented and weakened.
"Peter!" Y/N couldn't help herself. That looked like it really hurt. A pained groan answered her, and she could make out the faint outline of Pete's thumbs-up. In any other situation, Y/N would have laughed. But now was obviously not the time.Â
With Spider-Man temporarily out of the picture, the Winter Soldier shifted his focus to the next threat at hand, Hawkeye. Clint had taken cover behind a stack of gym mats, his bow ready. But the Winter Soldier was relentless and determined to eliminate them one by one.
Bucky moved stealthily through the gym, his enhanced senses and combat skills allowing him to easily track Clint's movements. He spotted Clint's hiding place and swiftly closed the distance, using cover whenever possible to avoid Clint's arrows.
Clint was in a precarious situation. He had already used many of his specialized arrows in the earlier assault on the Winter Soldier, leaving him limited options. He had to rely on his agility and marksmanship to evade Bucky's pursuit. As Bucky closed in, Clint made a split-second decision. He sprang from behind the gym mats and fired a grappling arrow into the rafters. With a swift, fluid motion, he swung up, suspending himself high above the Winter Soldier's reach.
Bucky's metal arm lashed out, attempting to grab Clint, but Clint's acrobatic skills kept him just out of reach. From his elevated vantage point, Clint quickly assessed the situation. He needed a distraction to gain the upper hand. With impeccable aim, Clint launched a specialized arrow toward a nearby support beam. The arrow detonated upon impact, causing the gym's ceiling to rain debris. Bucky shielded himself with his metal arm, momentarily blinded by the dust and debris.
Seizing this opportunity, Clint descended from the rafters, drawing his collapsible staff. He struck at Bucky's exposed flank, his blows swift and precise. The Winter Soldier grunted in pain as Clint landed a series of well-placed hits.
Y/N took this brief moment to check on Peter. She pulled him from the rubble of the wall he went through.Â
"You alright?" She asked, dusting him off. He nodded. "Listen to me, kid. Me and Clint will keep him distracted. I need you to get the word out to anyone left in the building. Don't get caught, okay?"Â
"ButâŠbut I can still fight," he coughed.Â
"I know, I know. This is you helping." She paused. "If you happen to come across the bastard who started this, take him out." Peter smiled and nodded. He then shot a web up to an air vent, climbed through and disappeared. Y/N turned back to the fight and made her way back to them, observing.Â
But Bucky's resilience was astounding. Despite the assault, he regained his footing, using his metal arm to block the staff and disarm Clint. With a powerful kick, Bucky sent Clint sprawling backward.
Clint landed hard, his body aching from the impact. He tried to regain his composure, but the Winter Soldier closed in, relentless. Clint was slumped against the wall, incapacitated for now.Â
A sudden voice cut through the tension as Bucky prepared for his next attack.Â
"Hey!" She yelled, probably not the best choice, but she ran out of options. "Come and fight me, Soldier." Bucky's eyes darkened, and he stalked over to Y/N. She prepared to fight, ready to try to exhaust the Soldier until Clint recovered or backup came.Â
He slowly approached Y/N, stopping a few feet from her. His stance did not indicate that he would hit her or anything.Â
 The hesitation was unusual. Straight-up weird. His icy blue eyes seemed locked onto hers, and their tension was palpable. She decided to break the silence with a mixture of exasperation and curiosity.
"Why are we just standing here⊠staring at each other?" Y/N questioned, her voice filled with a mix of frustration and curiosity. "What are you doing? Can you, like, attack me or something?"
Her words snapped the Soldier out of his internal conflict, at least temporarily. He blinked as if awakening from a trance, and his tense posture relaxed slightly. With a conflicted expression, the Winter Soldier lowered his metal arm, his reluctance to fight evident. Y/N's brows furrowed, completely confused. What is happening? Why isnât he fighting? I wonderâŠ
Recalling what Steve once told her he did to break Bucky from his mind-control, Y/N took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.
âBucky," she said firmly, her voice filled with resolve. "I know you're in there. You can fight it."
Her words struck a chord with him, sparking a flicker of recognition in his eyes. He grappled with the mental conditioning that had controlled him for so long, struggling to regain control. Y/N took a step closer, her hand reaching out to touch his metal arm firmly. He flinched slightly. Y/N took in a breath before continuing, trying to channel what she remembered Steve doing to calm him down. "Remember who you are," she urged. "You're James Buchanan Barnes."
He hesitated, the internal battle intensifying. He clenched his metal fist, the struggle evident on his face.
"Bucky," Y/N said, her voice steady, trying another tactic. "Remember those midnight snack runs we used to go on?" His brows furrowed slightly, a hint of recognition flickering in his eyes.
"We'd sneak into the kitchen when everyone else was asleep," Y/N continued, her tone filled with warmth. "You'd grab a bag of chips, and I'd raid the cookie jar. We'd sit at the kitchen counter, I would talk and youâd pretend not to listen.â She paused, a small smile touching her lips as she recalled those stolen moments late at night.
The Soldier's gaze seemed to focus on a distant memory, and his clenched fist started to relax.Â
âIâd talk about everything and nothing," Y/N continued. âMy dreams, fears, and all the adventures I wanted us to go on once everything settled down." She reached out and gently touched his normal arm, entirely at his mercy if he decided to attack her. "I know you're still in there, Bucky," she whispered, "You can come back to me. Just come back."
The Winter Soldier hesitated, the internal battle between his conditioning and buried memories raging within him. But Y/N's words had ignited a spark of recognition, and he began taking tentative steps toward his normal self.
Finally, with a surge of inner strength, Bucky broke free from the grip of his conditioning. His arms trembled, and he fell to his knees, his face contorted in pain.
Y/N knelt beside him, offering her support and a reassuring nod. Tears welled in her eyes as she saw the pain he was going through. But more than that, questions surfaced. How was she able to break the Winter Soldier's conditioning? Why didn't he fight her? What does this mean for them?
The speaker system crackled on.Â
"Hey, guys. I, uh, I got the dude!" Peter's voice came through. "I'm gonna give J.A.R.V.I.S. back control." The system beeped, and the A.I.'s voice came through the speakers.
"I apologize for my absence; congratulations on subduing the threat. Mr. Stark and company are en route to the Tower, touchdown in approximately two hours. Please commence the Winter Soldier Recovery Protocol." Y/N knew what that meant. Bucky needed to be locked up until he could be examined and it could be determined that he was not under the Soldier's influence.Â
Clint walked over, looking beaten but not too worse for wear. Mostly, he had the wind knocked out of him. He handed Y/N a set of handcuffs, specially made to resist the strength of the many enhanced residents of the Tower. Y/N put them on Bucky before kneeling in front of him again and looking him in the eyes.Â
"I'm sorry, you know I have to do this." She gave him a sad smile.Â
"YeahâŠI know." He rasped out. He allowed her to get him to his feet and take him to the holding cell.Â
Tony dubbed it the "Winter Soldier time-out Room."Â
Y/N preferred not to call it that.Â
~
It was 14 hours before Bucky was allowed out of the holding cell. First, they had to wait for the rest of the team to return from the recon mission. Then, they had to deal with the intruder Peter took down. Apparently, some low-level HYDRA agent got involved with the Winter Soldier project. He had a grand idea that if he could control the Winter Soldier, he could bring HYDRA back from the ground.Â
Yeah, he's in prison now.Â
After evaluation, it was determined that Y/N completely got Bucky out of his Soldier state. How, she had no idea. Nothing like that had ever happened to Bucky before. Not even Steve had answers. Whenever he tried to bring Bucky back, there were always some residual effects of the mind control. But Bucky was acting just as he was a week ago.Â
Or at least, he should be.Â
If Y/N thought he was evasive before, that was nothing compared to now. Now, Bucky was straight-up avoiding her. Whenever she'd enter a room he was in, he'd suddenly get up and leave - not even offering an excuse. She hadn't expected how much that would actually hurt her. She missed him and their time spent together, what little of it there used to be.Â
One evening, late after everyone had gone to bed except for him, Y/N decided she couldn't bear the distance any longer. She had to confront Bucky and get answers. She found him in the dimly lit living room, alone by the window, lost in his thoughts.
Y/N walked in, her footsteps echoing softly in the room, and the weight of her emotions resting heavily on her shoulders. She took a deep breath and said, "Bucky, we need to talk."
Bucky turned to look at her, his expression a mixture of longing and torment.Â
"Y/N," he began, his voice tinged with a hint of sadness, "I need you to understand something. You stopped the Winter Soldier that day, but it doesn't mean everything's okay."
Y/N's brows furrowed as she approached him, her heart pounding. "I know, Bucky, but you've been avoiding me ever since. Why?"
Bucky turned away, his jaw clenched as if struggling to find the words.Â
"Why was it you?" Y/N continued, her voice trembling with emotion. "Why could I reach you when no one else could? Why didnât you attack even as the Soldier?â
Bucky sighed, a deep, heavy sigh full of emotion. He ran a hand through his hair, avoiding eye contact.
"Because..." he began, his voice barely above a whisper, âBecause I love you, Y/N."
Y/N's heart skipped a beat, her eyes widening with surprise. She had never suspected it; hearing those words from Bucky's lips left her breathless.
Bucky finally met her gaze, his eyes filled with longing and uncertainty. "I love you," he repeated, his voice gaining strength. "And that's why I've been avoiding you. I was scared that the Winter Soldier might return and hurt you if I got close to you. I can't bear the thought of that."
Tears welled up in Y/N's eyes as she reached out to cup Bucky's face, her touch gentle and tender. "Bucky," she said, her voice quivering, "you don't have to be afraid anymore. We'll face whatever comes together. I love you too.â
Entire deal is he sits in a puddle of mud splashing about and throws mud at the party if they get a riddle wrong
Chester
(Again can appear anywhere without explanation)
A mimic that talks! He takes the form of a chest, you throw 10 gold into his mouth and he spits out a random, maybe useful potion. He does not know what any of the potions do
Sofa
Chester's best friend. Essentially a dog. Licks everything, but mimics are adhesive so he gets stuck to things a lot.
The Meat Traders
(Found on the road)
Curse by the meat witch to trade meat for meat. They can ONLY accept meat in payment and only have meat to trade.
Frat Boy Doomsday Cult
Having a massive rager to celebrate the end of the world. The world doesn't end. They fight with lacrosse sticks
Billy McGee
Local old man that does tours of the catacombs. All of his ancestors are in the your, having died of riding animals such as "2 dragons". When asked how they were riding multiple animals at once, his answer is "badly"
Thray
(Owns Thray's Curiousities)
Gay vampire that runs an Antiques Store. Refuses to uncurse the cursed items cause they're more fun the way they are. Beefs with all other arcane practitioners, currently banned from the wizards uni.
Dumb NPC ideas to use when your players decide to explore that town you didn't prepare anything for
A scholar that is clearly lost, however you're not sure how he is someone important at all. It even looks like he's glad that he didn't manage to arrive at the event on time.
An old lady (of a race that has a long lifespan), that knows a little way to much about the party's adventure... She doesn't spends much time talking about it though, do you want to buy her pots?
A kid. Just a kid. Make them annoying.
A knight that is very proud about their job and duty, but they just want their shift to end so they can go home to their wife.
A merchant that has a cart in the middle of the fair, however everytime the party goes to another shop or stand he pops up from behind the counter. Turns out the town doesn't receive many merchants so he has to supply all of their needs. He's stressed.
A teen dragon that discovered how to transform into a human, problem is they definitely look 30 but they still are just a teenager, and a moody one.
A shop owner that fucking hates commerce. She's in it because of her family, so she tries to sell the goodies pratically for free and she really wants you to take all of her items. The catch? It's a feather shop. Not magic feathers, not pens, just normal feathers. Probably from a bird that died that morning.
A janitor from a library or big shop that is just too aware of everything. Like, they point out the players class or race without barely batting an eye. They comment on how they "had never seen a chaotic good one in real life". And indirectly disses the players choices they made 2 sessions ago? (Basically a character for the dm to rant a little while not completely breaking the 4th wall)
A woman in her mid-40s (or the equivalent) that is just really excited to meet the party? Her dream was to be an adventurer when she was little so she is definitely asking some weird questions.
A blacksmith that makes weapons purely for the aesthetic. He really doesn't care if it's functional or not, he's just doing cause it looks cool.
A bard that got kicked out of their band or caravan. At first you don't know why but after their 3rd performance of a one-person musical you get it. He wants to stick with the party though. Good luck.
A doggie!! It's cute!! And fluffy!! And it talks!! And it talks? A DOG THAT TALKS!!!!
The most ripped person the party has ever met, they have tons of skulls of big animals on their shoulder. They polish them. They hang them on a wall and start to take notes. They are an archeologist.
A magician that is really not magic at all, he's just so good at card tricks that the town thinks he's a sorcerer. He's freaking out.
A girl that is immune to all kinds of poison, however that is making a little bit hard for her to pursue her cooking career. Apparently poison ivy is not a good seasoning for most people.
An artist that is just really calm and friendly but everyone's afraid of them. The party has no idea why.
Right now, you have to be a team player. You cannot complain about AI being used to fuck over your industry and then turn around and use it on somebody elseâs industry.
No AI book covers. No making funny little videos using deepfakes to make an actor say stuff they never did. No AI translation of your book. No AI audiobooks. No AI generated moodboards or fancasts or any of that shit. No feeding someone elseâs unfinished work into Chat GPT âbecause you just want to know how it ends*â (what the fuck is wrong with you?). No playing around with AI generated 3D assets you canât ascertain the origin of. None of it. And stop using AI filters on your selfies or ESPECIALLY using AI on somebody elseâs photo or artwork.
We are at a crossroad and at a time of historically shitty conditions for working artists across ALL creative fields, and we gotta stick together. And you know what? Not only is standing up for other artists against exploitation and theft the morally correct thing to do, itâs also the professionally smartest thing to do, too. Because the corporations will fuck you over too, and then they do itâs your peers that will hold you up. And we have a long memory.
Donât make the mistake of thinking âyour peersâ are only the people in your own industry. Writers canât succeed without artists, editors, translators, etc making their books a reality. Illustrators depend on writers and editors for work. Video creators co-exist with voice actors and animators and people who do 3D rendering etc. If you piss off everyone else but the ones who do the exact same job you do, congratulations! Youâve just sunk your career.
Always remember: the artists who succeed in this career path, the ones who get hired or are sought after for commissions or collaboration, they arenât the super talented âfuck you I got mineâ types. Theyâre the one who show up to do the work and are easy to get along with.
And they especially are not scabs.
*thatâs not even how it ends thatâs a statistically likely and creatively boring way for it to end. Why would you even want to read that.
today I was talking to my mom and sister about how Iâm running music for my cousinâs wedding this month and my mom goes âI just love how sometimes you get hyper fixated on something and you get really good at it. Itâs like your superpowerâ and the my sister says âyeah your âtism really pops off sometimesâ
this is a thought I had in my head based off of my recent play through of Hogwarts Legacy where I made a character that looked like Harry Potter:
Harry Potter has a special talent. No, not just speaking Parseltongue or having an affinity for catching golden snitches. Harry Potter can see ancient magic. Now, he has to figure out how to harness it. Unfortunately, thereâs no one in this century who can help him. However, the ever-brilliant Hermione has come up with a solution. Harry needs to travel back in time, to about 100 years ago, when the last expert of ancient magic, a transfiguration professor, tragically died. If Harry can go back in time, learn about this new type of magic, and maybe save the professor in the mean time, there may be a shot at winning the war against Voldemort.Â
