bakerstreet | If love doesn't mean somebody pulling a sword out of me, Utena-style, then I don't want it.

If love doesn't mean somebody pulling a sword out of me, Utena-style, then I don't want it.

WARRIOR/GUARDIAN AU MEME

In a world rife with war against monstrous fiends, there are those praised for their natural strength and healing abilities. Marked with a symbol which represents either a sword or shield, these individuals are further powered when contracted with those bearing the opposite symbol. Because of this, contracts are deemed mandatory once an individual turns eighteen years of age.

While contracted, Warriors (sword) and Guardians (shield) become sensitive to one another's emotional and physical states. The stronger the bond between them, the more power and abilities can be unlocked. While it's possible to form and break contracts at any given time, the result is a numb and draining sensation which takes time to recover from, making it in everyone's best interest to keep a lifelong contract. After all, the most legendary pairs are the ones who've been together for many years. And with monstrous armies constantly on the attack, the world needs all the help it can get.

Due to Warriors and Guardians being so vital to the city's survival, they are simultaneously treated as royalty by society and kept under close watch by the government. Powered individuals are assigned large and lavish living spaces within a closed community while Commoners, those who lack powers, are situated in surrounding mediocre homes. A vast shield around the city is among the greatest protection against monsters of the outside world, second to the combined power of brave Warrior and Guardian citizens.

But everything couldn't possibly run as smoothly as they do now without the help of Commoners. Everyone has an important role to play in the world. Which one have you been born into?

HOW TO PLAY -

Post with your character and preferences.
Choose their role and feel free to include a brief summary of ideal partner personalities, job duties, etc.
Pick a prompt and tag around!

ROLES

Warrior: Those whose supernatural abilities lie in offensive attacks, physical strength, debuffing the enemy, etc.
Guardian: Those whose supernatural abilities lie in defensive attacks, support, healing, buffing allies, etc.
Commoner: Those who are born without any supernatural abilities. Commoners are viewed as second-class citizens, as their duties revolve around aiding Warriors and Guardians however they can. i.e. Maids, cooks, weaponsmiths, entertainers, etc.
Monster: Those who are the greatest threat to humankind. Because they also possesses supernatural abilities, it's been rumored that they share ancestral ties with Warriors and Guardians. Though Monsters are at war with humans, there are some who are indifferent to them altogether and choose a life of peace.

PROMPTS

The Contract - Could this be your very first or possibly even your thirtieth? Whatever the case, you've trusted them enough to give them a glimpse into your soul so long as you're together. Will you take advantage of that vulnerability? Or use it to build a healthy relationship? Unfortunately, not all contracts are as perfect as they may seem on the surface.

Training - Good teamwork is the difference between life and death so it's important to ensure you and your partner are focused and in sync, especially before a mission.

Bonding - Physical intimacy between Warriors and Guardians is an experience unlike any other, but emotional intimacy is where it all begins. Spend some time together outside of combat, share in each other's interests, get to know their likes and dislikes. It might not seem important at first but in the long run it will make you both stronger.

Mission Time - Is it a long and perilous journey outside the barrier to slay Monsters? A short and simple quest to gather special materials from a specific region? A reconnaissance mission to survey unexplored territory? Whatever you two were assigned, just remember what comes first: keeping each other alive.

Aftercare - The aftermath of a mission can be incredibly taxing, both on the mind and body. Injuries may need to be tended to, emotional states may need to be realigned - especially if you or your partner came close to facing death. But hopefully your partner is there to provide the comfort you'll likely need in this time of vulnerability.

Downtime - When you're busy training or working all the time, it's easy to forget just how lively the city can be. How do you choose to spend your free time in it? Partying the night away? Visiting friends and family? Or maybe you're the type who just likes to stay in for a quiet night.

Different Classes - Whether they're a maid, tailor, or even family, Commoners make up the majority of the city's population. But even if society might see them as lesser doesn't mean they should be treated that way. Over the years, some may despise or be fearful of the supernaturally powered, but there are also some who've developed or maintained close relationships in spite of it all.

Forbidden Love - It's illegal for Warriors and Guardians to develop romantic relations with Commoners, extremely taboo with those they aren't currently contracted to, and utterly unthinkable to even speak to Monsters. But love doesn't discriminate. If you have to sneak around to see your lover then so be it, but sooner or later your partner or the government is bound to find out, right?

On the Run - For whatever reason, you and someone else have decided to start a new life far away from the city and its strict rules. It wasn't easy slipping away from under the government's watchful eye and it won't get any easier with monsters around every corner, but maybe you can find a way to make it work and live happily ever after. Just know that the government always finds a way to get what they want in the end.

Wildcard - Mix and match or choose your own adventure!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Definitely a Warrior, open to all prompts.]

[Guardian with very strong ancestral ties to Monsters, I think. Good with all the prompts!]

[ I'm canonblind here, but if you're okay with me winging it a bit, I can offer a very idealistic warrior. I'm good with anything between 1-6 if you're interested. ]

[Indifferent reality-warping drunken monster poet who just wants to write purple prose in her house, tbh]

[Warrior.]

[Either role works, though I feel like he got marked later in life than most people. Also A-OK with either/or turned Monster due to circumstances or accident.]

[Oh, this man is 100000% a Monster.]

[Guardian, and one that's had a contract broken before, not by choice, or, rather, not by his choice.]

[Commoner, a medic, but the thing is: she'll treat Monsters the same as she treats anyone else, just as long as they aren't an open threat to her or any of her other patients.]

[A Warrior who's lost two Guardians now (first his brother when they were kids and then a lover more recently) and is maybe just a little bit Monster because of it.]

[Warrior from a group of mixed Warriors & Guardians who were more or less raised together. But the program was disbanded when they were in their late teens/early twenties, so she's living as a commoner now.]

[Are you kidding me? He's got Guardian written all over him.]

[She's a member of a group of scavengers living outside the Cities, marks don't matter to them, nor does being nearly a Monster as long as you aren't a danger to yourself or others. What matters to them is who you choose to be.]

[This girl all but screams tank, so I'll be going with Guardian for Rika.]

[Retired Warrior living as a commoner, but he's also an archivist, so he's got all the information you could possibly need about whatever type of monster (or other Creature From Outside The Dome you might be dealing with.]

[So this is just frighteningly close to canon for him, isn't it? Guardian who gets taken in by a Monster but who still thinks he's doing good for ages until things start to not add up and etc.

I'm just saying I'll run with it, even with alters.]

[I'm pretty sure he's a Guardian who may or may not have become a monster, he's got a little settlement of his own, taking in monsters and various other outcasts alike, they keep to themselves when they can.
I'm not against him being a Warrior who's done the same, and may or may not be monsterized, that's always a possibility.]

[Monster-adjacent Warrior, from a small clan/tribe/unit of the same. Whether this is sanctioned by the City or just under the table by a singular City Official is up for debate]

[Guardian, but like, also a fighter.]

[Warrior who was raised outside the City, which probably makes her some kind of fugitive.]

[Guardian, but with gene-splice/selective magical overload Monster parts (wings, in his case). He's also blind, but can feel colors, yes, with his fingers.]

[Her parents were expecting she'd crop up a Guardian, like the rest of the women in the family, so being marked as a Warrior was a surprise.
Getting taken by a Monster during a routine training exercise was a tragedy.
Coming back from that, months later, was... another surprise, something that her parents don't trust, though the City has assessed that she's still in fighting shape and has been trying to assign her a new Guardian since her return & recovery.]

[A Guardian who has been at the mercy of a Monster for some time now. It's entirely possible that he was never formally trained, but he was pulled out of The Mother's lair along with a few others and sent to the nearest city for evaluation & pairing off.]

[Probably a Warrior, but maybe just an offensive-line Guardian. I feel like the lab kids were all cross-trained regardless of mark (or were all double-marked somehow?) I also love the idea that the Monsters might not just share an evolutionary ancestor, but might be a Warrior or Guardian whose magic went wrong. (Lookin' at you Vecna)]

[A Monster, but a reasonably beneficial one, acts as a Guardian when it suits him to.]

[Guardian, originally to his two older brothers, both Warriors. But the project they were all part of was disbanded and he's freelance now.]

[Sure, he's a Monster now, but he used to be a Guardian. He's built a nice little enclave for himself outside of the Cities, rescues the ones he thinks need it and lets them live there where they can be themselves.]

[ OOC: What an OC, askfjks. SO. I am curious how I can arrange this so that it is a) interesting to you and b) works with the meme because there are so many possibilities. But essentially, Copia is a monster with the sentimental and furiously empathetic heart of a guardian. If you’re even vaguely intrigued I will gladly say more and discuss possible ideas. ]

[Sure, throw me something, I'll roll with a great many things, especially with this AU]

[Guardian housing a Monster inside of her would be a suitable one I think, though she's typically the one in control.]

[Currently unbonded Warrior who is being used by a terrorist organization without any heed for how working alone is affecting him.]

[Monster. Former Knights Templar who still holds onto those beliefs. Old habits die hard and all that.]

Edited 2024-01-05 02:14 (UTC)

[Guardian who severed his contract with his best friend after becoming disillusioned with the system, and is on the verge of going rogue.]

[Open to all roles! He could be the most unlikely Warrior (unless you know about his past), a Guardian who is firmly a support player and who's that used to just teaming up with whoever's free that day during team missions that he doesn't even think about finding a steady partner anymore, or a Monster who once grabbed the dying body of either a warrior or guardian and who has just been living their lives ever since (but the seams are fraying. . . ) ]

( a half monster warrior would likely fit the bill for her or really a monster in general that hides it rather well as she's always done )

[ ooc: i can roll with any role but i'm fond of the idea of him being a Commoner fighting against and raising awareness of the corruption in such an overbearing regime. ]

[ ooc / either warrior or guardian, with some monster lineage rattling around. ]

( warrior or guardian, any prompt! )

[ Well this is hard to pick. Monster with a guardian’s heart who seeks to help the majority of humanity by waging an “unholy” war against mortals and otherwise who do the collective whole harm. This includes individuals and toxic institutions.

Any prompt. ]

( any role, any prompt. he's very malleable across canon points. )

(A very eager-for-bloodshed, can't-turn-fight-brain-off Warrior is my first thought. Or maybe a little bit of a missing link style Monster should those rumours prove true? Masquerading as a Warrior with that, or falling neatly into the role on accident after some extended association with a Guardian for some extra drama?)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

If love doesn't mean somebody pulling a sword out of me, Utena-style, then I don't want it.

Tessa | Tales of Legendia OC | OTA

Libra Sforza (MBCC Chief) | Path to Nowhere | M/F, OTA gen/platonic

no subject

Ling | Arknights | OTA

Antarcticite | Houseki no Kuni | OTA

Eddie + Stranger Things + OTA

Kibitsuji Muzan | Kimetsu no Yaiba

Gabreel King + OC + OTA

Claire Temple | MCU | OTA

Klaus + Umbrella Academy + OTA

Ruby + Alternate Fairy Tale OC + OTA

Steve | Stranger Things | OTA

Shiny \ Fabulous Killjoys OC \ OTA

Rika | Pokemon Scarlet | OTA

Bobby Singer | Supernatural et al | OTA

Steven &/or Marc | Moon Knight | OTA

Boba Fett | Star Wars | OTA

Shay + The Uglies series + OTA

Eliot Spencer | Leverage | OTA

Hanna + Movie of the same name + OTA

Iggy | Maximum Ride (Canon divergence & AU) | OTA

Chrissy Cunningham + Stranger Things + OTA

Techie | Dredd | OTA

El | Weird Stuff Happens: The Series | OTA

Cheshire Cat + American McGee's Alice (and others) + OTA

Maison + Alternate Fairy Tale OC + OTA

Zepar + OC + OTA

ok so

no subject

Stelle | Honkai Star Rail | OTA, F/M preferred for ships

Sigma | Overwatch | OTA

Malachi Blackwood | Vampire | Original character

Geto Suguru | Jujutsu Kaisen

Romani Archaman | Fate/ Grand Order | ota

Arlecchino 🩸 Genshin Impact

Hobie Brown/Spider-Punk | Spider-Verse | OTA

carmy berzatto / the bear

sirius black | hp

Copia | Ghost | OTA

james buchanan barnes | mcu

Veltar [Dark Urge] | Baldur's Gate 3 | OTA