So apparently someone found the lost episode of KTMA, K03, Star Force. It was found at a garage sale around Minneapolis and has been fully digitized. :)
because I've got early access to WoW: Midnight n it's a very sindorei heavy lore intro n I got inspired n I miss having an RP partner so very much...
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The ancient Bronze dragon shifted his massive bulk with an appreciable groan, sensing the moment had arrived. He knew where he would find the pair and subsequently deliver his news, for better or for worse.
All things must serve to protect the sacred timeline. So says Lord Nozdormu.
And indeed they were beside the smaller waterfall fountain, splashing sun-flecked water and laughing in that carefree way all creatures should be able to.
He waited for them to notice him, not wishing to begin this conversation any sooner than he wanted to. But needed to. Even so, the dragon felt the sands of seconds slipping away ...and was perhaps a bit nettled at not being noticed immediately. Ego aside, he was well aware of his great size.
Finally he just cleared his considerable throat, a sound like rocks crumbling down a deep well. "Magister Mosengaw."
The male elf jumped and leapt to his feet, long maroon locks swaying as he hastily bowed. "Sir!" Behind him, the copper headed female elf peered up at the visitor.
The dragon's snout broke into a craggy smile. "Tellou." Then he burst into rumbles of delighted laughter as the other elf tackled him, her tanned arms pressed against his scaled chest. "Easy there, my little sundrop! You nearly toppled me over."
Tellou returned the smile, glowing eyes crinkling at his beloved Shika as she playfully stuck her tongue out at the ancient. "Anokrosdormu my friend. To what do we owe the pleasure?"
Ano took in a deep breath and let his form sift into sand before reforming as a wizened Tauren. He still towered over them but at a more reasonable size. "I bring news of your hometown," he said, resting a gnarled hand on Tellou's shoulder.
Tellou's brows furrowed and Ano could tell memories of the Lich King's attack surged back. The relentless onslaught of the Undead Scourge and the near decimation of both Silvermoon and its people, just to get at the Sunwell. Beside him, Shika gently took her elf's hand and squeezed. She knew Tellou still blamed himself for not saving more people, for surviving the horrors when others did not. That single day had propelled his chronostudies like nothing else ...with the end result of Tellou untethering from Time itself.
Tellou simply squeezed Shika's hand back, mind already working and formulating plans for whatever Ano said next.
"Silvermoon faces a new threat as writ by the timeline. And I would be remiss in my duties as a guardian if I did not inform all her children that she cries out for aid."
Tellou nodded, plans still running through his head. "Thank you, o great guardian. May I ask the nature of the threat?"
Ano half-smirked at the use of the fancy title. He is anxious but his humor still remains intact. Good. He'll need it for what's to come. "Of course, friend. Best not to go unprepared. The Void--"
Tellou inhaled sharply, all his thoughts suddenly scattered. He openly stared at Ano. "The... the Void?"
And despite the half furious, half fearful stare, Ano saw beneath it a flicker of interest.
All things must serve to protect the sacred timeline, Ano reminded himself even as his heart dismayed. He remembered another mage, swept away in an unrelenting thirst for dark knowledge. The same mage responsible for Silvermoon's near destruction, the beloved Sunwell corrupted to raise the mage into undeath as Azeroth's most dangerous archlich.
Kel'thuzad.
Ano did not want to believe Tellou capable of such heinous ambitions. But nor could he deny just how much the mortal had achieved on his own with chronomancy; a feat that should have been near impossible. Not that it hadn't come with consequences. Now Tellou couldn't remain overlong in any one time before being forced to "blip" to another time and place. A condition Shikanodormi was hoping to help contain.
Untethered though Tellou may be, his timethread (like all others) still crossed the sacred timeline at immutable nexus points. Time could not, would not be denied... a fascinating paradox in itself. Or perhaps that was the reworkings of future Bronze Guardians, keeping the sacred timeline intact. All to say that an important nexus point approached and it was not a matter of if, merely when.
"Ano?" Tellou asked carefully.
The ancient shook his head free of his many thoughts and pat the mage's shoulder companionably.
"My apologies, friend. My mind wanders among the threads," Ano replied.
Shika's eyes sparked interest and Tellou raised an eyebrow.
"Anything you can share?"
Ano merely looked at him, betraying nothing that could be mistaken for influence.
"....oh."
"Whatever you choose to do with what I have told you, I will also add that I would like to see you back again. This ancient creature enjoys hearing firsthand accounts of Time's events."
Ano smiled warmly at both of them, trying not to mirror the faint anxiety Shika's gaze now radiated. The tricky aspect of this particular nexus point was that its potential influence wouldn't be obvious right away. Ano could see down the two threads of Time splitting away, the figure waiting at the end of either thread. One crowned with goggles, the other shrouded in nothingness. Both capable of entangling in Ano's other deep concern over his granddaughter's own split thread. He knew which he would prefer to emerge victorious. He also knew Time would move on, regardless of his preferences.
"Now then, journey forth and answer the call, Magister. Know that you travel not as observers but as active participants. Your city needs you and the help you bring." Ano pressed the elves' hands together, then rested his over theirs as if offering protection.
Tellou nodded firmly, thoughts of redemption lighting his face. Shika kissed his cheek, wordlessly promising him her full support.
"Al diel shala (safe travels)," Ano intoned as he now sketched a rune of sand in the air.
"Shorel'aran (farewell)," Tellou replied as a portal swirled open. He paused for only a moment--staring at Ano as if trying to ascertain some unspoken thoughts--before Shika tugged at his wrist. Then, with a "what can you do?" grin, Tellou followed his beloved through the portal to Silvermoon.
Ano remained a moment after the portal closed, watched as the spent sand blew away in the breeze.
May the sacred timeline be preserved.
And if deep down the forbidden thought of in the way I would like flitted past his mind, one could surely forgive the ancient.
once again thinking abt all might merch in universe. i know in my heart that there is SO much merch of iron might a few years down the road. but now im thinking abt. true form all might having a fashion doll or smth made of him. he's hesitant to sign off on it because really, who is gonna buy that?
...it sells out immediately and becomes a collector's item.
naturally the doll's wearing his god awful mustard suit.
Me: how much of All Might actually was a persona? Was Yagi actually a loud happy boisterous enthusiastic person? Was that bright happy person tempered and crushed by the injury he sustained? Is the Yagi we know now the “real” person or the result of the negative self image that came when he went through such a drastic physical change? Or was he always a quieter more reserved person and All Might was entirely a fabricated personality? Do we really know who this character is at all?
I think that the answer “a little bit of both” applies here. Although I realize how unsatisfactory from the reader’s standpoint it might be.
Human beings tend to be multi-faceted. It really is hard to find someone who hasn’t any contradictions written deep within their psyche.
I believe our beloved noodle of a man takes this trait to its logical extreme.
Mostly because of the highly PR-driven line of his work, but first and foremost because of this tendency to use his considerable acting ability as a coping mechanism.
I think that the young Toshi was every bit as wide-eyed and enthusiastic about becoming a hero as the public persona of All Might would suggest. Then his mentor died a dreadful death, and he decided to honour her memory by becoming the world’s greatest Stepford smiler. Not for his own sake though. For the sake of everyone else who needs to be protected.
This is such a Toshi thing to do - to put such an unthinkable, ruthless task upon oneself. And to uphold it beautifully.
I bet maintaining this glossy, larger-than-life, untainted image cost this man everything good in his life. He hasn’t had nor the time neither resources to find real love or any sort of personal fulfilment. But he effectively became a benign deity to all the people who looked up to him.
Then All for One crushed him, physically and mentally. He took away this perfect image that All Might gave everything else up in order to craft and maintain. I can understand very well why Toshi would be so pig-headed about keeping his hero persona alive, no matter how thin and stretched the illusion would become.
To him, that really was the only reason to keep on living.
Sir Nighteye made a good point when he asked his friend to step down and retire gracefully. He was coming from a place of genuine care and perfectly sound reasoning.
But Toshinori Yagi is not a reasonable person. Never was, never will be. I’d say that without this childish side to him, this stern refusal to accept the unacceptable, whatever it might be - he would never become the All Might we all know and love.
Being a pillar of peace is not a task any well-reasoning person would take upon themselves. You gotta be just a bit crazy to decide you’re strong enough to become other’ people’s god.
Those last five years before meeting Midoriya have been the darkest, I think. Toshi was in physical pain all the time and it really put a damper on his indomitable spirit. But he would play the part of the benevolent, golden-hearted giant all the same - mostly out of a sense of duty, but also because pretending made him forget. Just for three hours a day, he wasn’t this broken disillusioned cripple with an empty life anymore. He was a hero.
He probably cut corners where he could - and was self-aware enough to acknowledge his own shortcomings, too. Toshi himself told Midoryia that the essence of hero work eluded him lately. That it was the quirkless boy’s selfless act that made him remember with what it’s all about.
Toshi’s body would get weaker and weaker up to the point when he gave the remnants of his power away to take his nemesis down. But I think that upon meeting with his green-haired son, this man’s head became a much happier place once again.
Because no matter how broken Toshinori Yagi would become - his essential nature is one of light, of honesty and nobleness. The drive to perfect oneself has never really left this man.
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