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welcometothejianghu · 7 months

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Welcome to another round of W2 Tells You What You Should See, where W2 (me) tries to sell you (you) on something you should be watching. Today's choice: 鬓边不是海棠红/Winter Begonia

Winter Begonia is the tale of the intertwined lives of a wealthy, westernized businessman and a bratty, dramatic Peking Opera performer as they navigate the historical landscape of 1930s China.

It is a slow historical ramble of a show, to the point where I couldn't really say it has a single plot. Events just happen in their lives, and the show follows them with a pleasant steadiness. Characters go away, and sometimes they come back. Interpersonal conflicts rise and then get resolved. Sometimes you just get to sit and watch part of an opera happen. The last third of the show develops a slightly more cohesive narrative, but even then, it's still mostly a loose constellation of events related to larger goings-on in the culture.

So if you're looking for tight plots and fast-paced action, you'll want to look somewhere else. But if you're the kind of person who likes to wrap up sometimes in a gentle warm blanket of a beautiful show, I have five reasons you should give this one a try.

1. Oh, they're in love

Perhaps the most notable thing about Cheng Fengtai and Shang Xirui is that they spend the entire show smiling at one another, staring longingly at one another, and/or making each other laugh.

A lot of danmei couples depend on having at least one partner who, if not outright tsundere, is at least stoically long-suffering -- which is romantic, sure, but also exhausting in real life. These two read about as married as any danmei pair I've ever seen because they make one another smile all the time. They're incredibly touchy and affectionate from basically the moment they meet. They're not just in love, they actually like one another.

Now, don't get me wrong: These two are both absolute exhausting gremlins who deserve one another so they don't have to be anyone else's problems. But they're good-natured enough about their respective gremlin natures that when one of them lets loose with his rascality, the other tends to think it's hilarious.

They don't even have the mandated danmei breakup! They're never mad at one another for more than the length of an episode. Most of the time they're just refreshingly normal about one another (or, you know, about as normal as two drama queens can be). And when they're being not normal about one another, it's because the circumstances they are currently enduring are not normal either.

They're so in love that by the time you get to the last episode, everyone in their lives is like, gee, those two sure are in love. For the main couple in a Chinese-censored BL adaptation? That's pretty darn in love.

2. The costumes!!!

Of course I have to gush over the costumes. Several major characters are professional opera performers, and their wardrobes are just stunning in complexity and detail -- and accuracy, apparently.

But they're not even where all of the wardrobe budget went! Everyone looks great, from the dapper upper class to the household servants to the street performers.

I also can't get over how everyone looks so cozy in their winter outfits. The show really wants to hammer home how cold Beijing is, and so most non-opera clothes are either heavily quilted or furry. Not a single outfit in this show is slimming (except maybe for some of the gorgeous gowns Cheng Meixin wears). It's all about conserving body heat, which means a lot of people walk around basically wearing mildly tailored quilts all the time. I love it. I envy it.

3. Oops! All bottoms!

This is a show of very soft men. It helps that very many of them have spent their whole lives playing female roles, but even those that haven't tend to be pretty darn soft.

(And I'm not even talking about the way people keep handing Cheng Fengtai babies and he loves it.)

Du Luocheng and Shang Xirui are absolutely what happens when you get two soft gay guys who are kinda into one another, but they're both too lazy to top, so they just become best friends instead.

Fan Lian stands as a testament to how you can be the only heterosexual in the show and still be soft as hell.

The old married gays. Softness level: off the charts.

Chen Renxiang's role is that of the opera frenemy, and he's incredibly soft about it. (This actor is also apparently in the Sha Po Lang live-action adaptation! Maybe someday it will be released...)

Opera underling La Yuehong hardens up later in the show, but even when he does, there's still a tragic softness to it.

Even the baddies are soft! Pretty much all the rival opera bitches fall into the "love to hate" category -- and nearly all of them win at least some sympathy from you before they leave the story for good.

There's one more soft boy whose presence surprised me, and that is Xue Zhicheng/Kujo Kazuma, a sympathetic Japanese character. Every other Japanese character in the show is sinister somehow -- not surprising, considering the drama is set during the brutal Japanese occupation of Beiping/Beijing.

But this little guy is a gentle, well-meaning opera fan who just wants to watch his favorite performers! When his actions cause trouble, it's only because he's so well-meaning that he couldn't see how anyone could disapprove of his attempts at cross-cultural undertanding. He even comes to the rescue a few times, at significant personal cost!

Moreover, the show uses him to make it clear that there's a difference between the Japanese occupying force and Japanese people and culture. In fact, the show is pretty critical of people who conflate the two and use interest in the latter as evidence of support of the former. That is not a level of nuance I've seen from other dramas set in this time period, and I was pleased to see it.

In conclusion, the critial war shortage in 1930s Beijing was not food or medicine or ammunition, but tops.

4. A whole lotta ladies

Again, not even counting the fact that one of the two main guys, many of his buddies, all of his heroes, and several of the antagonists professionally dress as women.

The most notable of them is Cheng Fengtai’s wife, Fan Xiang'er. They've been married for years by the time the show starts, and they have a son together. Theirs is an arranged marriage that they've managed to make work so well that they've actually wound up liking one another ... most of the time. Remember what I said earlier about his being exhausting? She knows that better than anyone.

(Sidebar: If you are uncomfortable with a love story where one of the participants is canonically married to someone else, this may be one you want to skip. That said, there are several male characters in this show who have multiple wives and/or mistresses, so the metric of what counts as infidelity in this setting is ... loose.)

Beyond her, though, there are many more female supporting characters in this show, from all different socioeconomic levels, in all different kinds of situations.

A caveat: Some of the women (one in particular) are at times frustrating as hell because they're too often written as jealous shrews who believe all the terrible gossip they hear and act on it without having actual adult conversations with anyone first. I dislike this trope, mostly because it relies on making some smart women artificially very stupid for the sake of forwarding the plot. I have little patience for situations that could have been solved five episodes ago if somebody had just been willing to ask clarifying questions.

That said, I can't be too mad about that, because there are many, many more women who are not written like that. Some of them are good and loyal! Some are sneaky and self-interested! Some are callous and manipulative! Some are meek and traumatized! Some make terrible decisions! Some make terrible decisions but, like, you get it! You know, just like in real life?

The answer to better representation is almost always more representation. When a character is the only one of whatever they are, everything they do is kind of an indictment of that category, especially when that category has a history of stereotypical negative representation. When there are several others, the characters stop being representatives of that category and start being just plain characters.

5. It just feels good to watch

Don't misunderstand: This is not a happy fun time show where everything in sunshine and roses all the way down. There are plenty of tense and emotional parts. Not everyone we like makes it out of the drama alive. Not all love stories get a happily ever after. People disappoint one another all the time. Awful things happen when soldiers occupy civilian populations. Poverty is a bitch.

But the show itself remains a nice viewing experience. It's absolutely a feast for the senses, what with all the music and costumes and sets and props and old-fashioned cars and everything.

The story is very straightforward. It's never trying to do any complex schemes or mislead you before some big reveal. I imagine this could be a good show to put on in the background while you're doing something else. You're never going to be too desperately confused about what's going on if you zone out for a minute -- and if you are, just hang on for a bit, because by next episode, it'll probably be onto whatever storyline comes next.

I have not read the novel, and I cannot judge anything against its standards. However, my friend who has read parts of the novel tells me that the adaptation is much preferable, because in the novel, you get to hear everyone's internal narration -- and everyone's internal narration makes it clear they're all bratty, insufferable assholes. That is not the case here! Or, rather, they are often bratty and/or insufferable, but from outside their heads, it's a lot more charming.

Finally, it's legitimately a very good love story. Shang Xirui is the only person in Cheng Fengtai's life who loves him for who he is, not what someone else needs him to be. Cheng Fengtai goes from being enraptured by this beautiful little weirdo to basically wanting to wife him. They spend a lot of time taking care of one another, sometimes in the only ways they know how. They're capable of operating independently -- there are several episodes where their storylines diverge completely -- but they'd prefer not to. They've just each found their soulmate, and that's all there is to it. (The red thumbprint in the palm is about the most romantic thing I've ever seen.)

I'm a little surprised by how little I hear English-speaking fandom talk about this one, especially since (see below) it's a widely available, high-budget show that even has a Shang Xirui figurine, and there's no question about how in gay love these two are. But if you hop over to AO3, there's only 257 works total in the Winter Begonia tag, a scant 57 of which are in English, and if you've tried looking into the Winter Begonia tag on Tumblr, you know it's pretty quiet 'round here.

I can't be sure, but I'd assume that's partly because this is both a) a relatively low-stakes drama, and b) so enmeshed with actual historical events and concepts that you'd have to do at least a baseline amount of research before making any fan media. I would imagine that for some folk, this is a barrier to entry.

And it is 49 slow, gentle episodes long. I saw Tumblr posts asking which episodes are important, because the posters don't want to or can't commit to watching the whole thing. But the answer is ... all of them? none of them? There's no plot you'd be getting or missing with specific episodes. There are very few things I can think of that would even qualify as spoilers. It's just a walk through a couple very eventful years in the main pair's lives. I understand if folk aren't up for that, but if you are, this is really a gem.

Have I convinced you to give it a try?

I would say that Winter Begonia is perhaps the most easily watchable of any c-drama I've come across. Here's where you can find it:

iQiyi

Viki

Amazon Prime

YouTube

We watched most of it on YouTube, where the subs were perfectly fine. However, there was one episode where we had to switch platforms because the English subs were all out of synch, so we went to Amazon and they were fine there too. Other than that, I don't really have a sense of which translation experience is the best. Try them all!

(PS: If you feel like putting on a tinfoil hat, I'm just going to say, they look at one another like that in real life, too.)

#winter begonia #i made this #鬓边不是海棠红 #rec post

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apomaro-mellow · 25 days

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King and Prince 18

Part 17

He’d heard stories from Dustin and the others about the tales Eddie made up for them. But hearsay was different from actually experiencing it. There was a quick review, a recap that Steve could tell was purely for him, someone who hadn’t been present for the previous tellings. And then they were off.

Eddie started off sitting but didn’t stay still for long. He moved like a man possessed as he weaved the next part of the story. His voice and his mannerisms changed depending on who he was speaking for. An old innkeeper had a withery tone and moved like a frail elder. But then he was a seamstress, with a soothing voice and an elegant way about her movements and gestures. The only time he stopped was when he paused to ask the others what their characters would do in the situation they found themselves in.

“Stop trying to tell Will what to do, he knows what he should do”, Lucas said.

“Obviously he doesn’t if he hasn’t made a move yet”, Mike said, not backing down.

“You guys aren’t considering every angle”, Will said. “If I go on the offensive, we can cut through, but at the risk of all our stamina. If I go on the defensive, we risk running out of time.”

“And we NEED to save Max and El”, Dustin reminded them.

Max scoffed. “Who said we need saving? El’s working on the lock right now and I can zoom us out.”

“Your confidence is admirable, but misguided”, Mike deadpanned, flinching when Max lunged forward for a fake out punch.

She snorted and gave him a five finger love tap anyway. Eddie watched them all with a devilish grin, probably the most mischievous Steve had ever seen him before they finally came to a decision. The story moved on and ended with a cliffhanger of the boys making it to the wizard’s tower just as the girls broke free of their cage.

“And that is where we shall leave things tonight”, Eddie said, his smile only widening at the groans and boos thrown his way.

“We’re literally crashing through his doors! You can’t end it there!”, Dustin exclaimed.

“You always do this”, Lucas agreed. “You get some sort of fun out of leaving us hanging off the edge.”

Eddie stood up and brushed some imaginary dust off his pants. “That’s my creed, always leave them wanting more. Now off to bed with you.”

With more groaning and moaning, the kids trudged off. Rubbing their eyes and biting back yawns despite denials of being sleepy. Steve stood as well, hanging back just a bit until they were alone.

“So this is a bedtime ritual?”, he asked. “Seems counterintuitive to get them so riled up before bed.”

“Started out that way”, Eddie said. “Grew into this. And what’s wrong with filling their heads with visions of adventure and feats of bravery before they go off to dream land?”

“Well, I must say you’re a master storyteller.”

Eddie moved from his chair and around the table. “We could make a character for you as well, little prince.”

Steve thought about how involved the children got with the story and how there seemed to be rules on who they could interact with and how. It all appeared very technical. He was rather certain they were performing equations in their head while doing it too.

“I think I’ll pass. I wouldn’t want to ruin the flow of your story.”

When Eddie came to stand near him, Steve started towards the door and they easily fell into step next to each other. Standing this close no longer struck fear in his heart. Steve was beginning to understand that regardless of all else, King Edward, Eddie… was just a man. A man who cared about his subjects, about those in his care. Who did things to make them happy. Things like ordering tailored outfits for them.

“You know, I’ve been wanting to learn more about you-your kingdom. And how it all works.”

“How what all works?”, Eddie asked.

“The beasts at your disposal. The conflict between our two lands is mostly because of them. But your people don’t seem to be afraid despite living closer to them.”

“I know just the perfect teacher for you”, Eddie said as they got to Steve’s door.

Steve imagined Eddie taking him out into the woods again, allowing him to see the beasts face to face and learn first hand what made them so unique. He imagined also getting to know Eddie better. Many parts of him were still a mystery.

So he was a little disappointed the next day when a knock came on his door and it was not Eddie.

“You’re not Eddie.”

“No, I’m Scott Clarke. His Majesty has tasked me with your education. You can call me Mr. Clarke, the rest of the kids do.”

Steve had heard that name here and there from the kids, one of the castle tutors, the one they liked the most. Even so, it felt a little juvenile to be sat down in the library and looked over books and diagrams of something he had already seen with his own eyes.

“You might notice, Your Highness, that tensions rise between our lands mostly in the fall and winter. That is no coincidence. Demobeasts go into hibernation once spring begins and the weather starts to warm up. That doesn’t mean you won’t see the odd one out, perhaps to get a little snack in between its long sleep, but for the most part…”

Steve tried his best to pay attention, he really did. But he wasn’t much for book learning. He got by long enough to learn the basics, but he learned better by doing. Hands on sort of experiences. He tried sitting in Clarke’s lessons for a few days before getting sick of it and finally seeking Eddie out himself.

“You know, when I asked to learn more about your kingdom, I expected to learn from the king”, Steve said when he caught Eddie in the hallway.

“Ah, a king’s work is never done. I thought to give you a man whose knowledge rivals my own. If you wanted some special attention from me, all you had to do is say so.”

They were at least three feet apart and yet Steve felt pinned down by that gaze. It had been a while since he and Eddie had been alone. What would a private tutoring session even look like? Would Steve be able to focus on the actual lesson or…

“I wanted to learn about you too”, he admitted quietly before clearing his throat and speaking more confidently. “So you won’t teach me yourself?”

“I think if you really want to learn, you need to open your ears”, Eddie said.

----------------------------

Steve took to asking others about Eddie instead. About his abilities, about his past, about everything. He spoke to Robin first, hoping to get the most straightforward answer.

“What’s there to say? He’s super old, he’s been ruling since forever, he can shapeshift and control beasts. You know the rest, total joker underneath it all.”

“How long have you known him?”, Steve asked.

“A few years. My mom was less than thrilled that I share affections with other women and I had to find a place to stay. Eddie let me in and the rest is history.”

When he asked Dustin it would’ve been easier to list the things Eddie wasn’t capable of. Changing into any creature imaginable, the power of flight, of sight beyond sight, whatever that meant. It got to the point where Steve was sure he was making things up.

“Next you’re going to tell me he’s an incredible dancer and can cook too.”

“Actually, he can’t do any of those things”, Dustin said. “He does this weird jig that makes his legs look broken and everything he makes comes out either under or overcooked.”

Well, that was a couple supposed flaws. But it didn’t really give him a better image of Eddie. He thought to question the other kids and got very similar answers. The boys practically worshiped the ground he walked on. El spoke reverently as well but didn’t really talk about how she and Eddie had met. Max was less impressed by the feats Eddie had accomplished but despite everything, she respected him.

It wasn’t lost on Steve that most of these children rarely mentioned their parents. Dustin’s mother worked in the kitchen and only after asking directly did Lucas reveal he had a family that lived in the town. But the others were still an enigma. Just as he thought to press deeper, Nancy shoved him against the wall.

“Hey what-”

“Why are you interrogating everyone?”

“Interrogating? Does it look like that?”

“You’re asking personal questions. A lot of them people might not want to answer”, Nancy said, glaring at him.

“I’m just trying to understand.”

“Understand what?”

“Everything? Everyone? People have always said I’m an idiot and for once I’m trying to fix that.”

Nancy glared and crossed her arms. “Sometimes people aren’t so open to sharing. I hope you understand that.”

“I do.”

Her expression softened just a little. “A lot of us have things we want to hide. That’s why we’re here-Eddie-he-he lets us live the way we want. Without fear. That’s the most important thing. At least in my opinion.”

Steve nodded. “I understand.”

And he did. He just wished to know, to really know, to be…well a part of it all. Sometimes it still felt like he was on the outside looking in. He was sitting by his window, gazing up at the stars, wondering what else was missing. Just about all his needs were being met. He was getting closer with everyone. And yet there was still this itch under his skin. He felt silly the next morning, but it took a hazy dream of hands and lips and then waking up to his own erection to realize what he had been hungry for.

Part 19

Tag Team

@thesuninyaface @only-evanescent @snakeorsquid @ignoremyworld @theclichefortunecookie

@goodolefashionedloverboi @just-a-tiny-void @0body0disphoria0 @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @samsoble

@jamieweasley13 @y4r3luv @xtkxkrzrizir @un-knownperson @greekgeek24

@justdrugsformethanks @potato-of-the-lord @notaqueenakhaleesi @swimmingbirdrunningrock @queenie-ofthe-void

@nebulainajar @lil-gremlin-things @nicememerino @robininblue @hornedqueenofhell

@anne-bennett-cosplayer @moomkin77 @here4thetrama @bookworm0690 @autumncrocusandladybug

@lil-gremlin-things @littlebluejane

#apo writes #stranger things #steddie #steve harrington #the party

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supernatural-dreamer · 1 year

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The Unnatural and Unexpected (Embry Call x Black! Reader)

A/N: Hey you guys! Guess who’s back..back again! I had a few ideas in my head and want to put it out there..I thought about turning this into a series and expanding it further. Leave a comment if I should … as always like, comment and follow… let me know what you think!

This is set during Eclipse around newborn battle. This is tailored for a African American/Black female reader specifically, however all are welcome to read..

~Lauren

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Part 2

Masterlist

—

Imagine being Embry’s imprint and tagging along with the wolves to their newborn training session. However, you’re always in for an unexpected surprise when you’re around Bella..

People had a lot of different opinions when it came to you. There was one trait, everyone seemed to agree that you possessed:

You were a skeptic.

Hell, you didn’t even really believe in the Easter bunny or Santa Claus when you were a kid. Magic? Please. Vampires and wolves, no such thing.

You should’ve known when your family moved to a sleepy ass town straight out of a mystery novel you would be wrong. Dead ass wrong. When the new girl, Bella, befriended you, normal flew out of the window the same time she did last year. ��

She dragged you to La Push after the Cullen’s had left the prior year. It was there you were introduced to Jacob, Quil and Embry. You instantly took a liking to La Push, the boys -and particularly Embry. Unexpectedly, they took a liking to you too.

From then on, you found yourself gravitating more towards the reservation; the tranquil beaches reminding you of your previous Floridan home. You just felt a connection there that you couldn’t quite put your finger on.

She also dragged you to Jacob’s house after HE stopped talking to her.

It was at this point you honestly had to question what this girl was doing to cause people to run away from her like the plague. I mean it wasn’t just a few, but groups of people seemed to just up and cut off ties with her, seemingly overnight

However, after quickly realizing her propensity for sticking her nose in places she probably shouldn’t, it started to make a little more sense. Though, you would be lying if you said that you weren't a tiny bit curious as to what exactly she stumbled upon.

A group of people that could secretly shift into giant wolves was not at all on that list of possibilities.

You being an imprint to one of those shifters? Never even dreamed about it.

Although, you weren't too upset at the unexpected revelation this time.

She dragged you to the Cullen’s when they returned a few months ago. Outside of Bella’s tales of her interactions with them, you didn’t really hang around or know much about them. You had a few of the members in your class and one of them as a science lab partner a few months back. They were slightly off and distant at first but after you got to a place of polite conversation, you chalked it up to just shyness. When you found out they were vampires, naturally, you didn’t believe her– until you found out about the wolves.

Suddenly, their isolation and behavior made sense. After that, you never really looked at them the same.

Knowing both vampires and shifters even existed in itself was a shock. Learning about their sheer abilities was slightly terrifying. You’d be lying if you said being around them didn’t make you feel a little more..vulnerable. Although Bella felt differently, you didn’t like that if things went left for whatever reason, you could be snapped into two with zero hesitation. The only way you could gain any control over this is by immersing yourself into the world of the supernatural at your pace.

It is why when Embry told you you were his imprint, as much as you liked him, you still kept a little distance. Him and the pack understood- never pushing you past your comfort level. Although Emily, and the other imprints at times, playing referee before things ever got out of control, have a major hand in that you suspect.

Since you lived in Forks, Embry and the pack were away during the day, unless you came to the reservation. You were the only outsider, aside from Bella, that knew both of their secrets. So when she fucked around and found out with Victoria and a newborn broke into your house–you found yourself spending more time at the Cullen's house. Or more accurately, dragged there.

The first few times, it was a little awkward. But after a few visits, they actually started warming up to you and vice versa. Alice gossiped with you from day one–asking you questions about your hair and even complimenting your appearance. You shot the breeze with Emmett about sports. Hell, even Rosalie had warmed up to you a little, much to yours and Bella’s shock. By your third visit, they cooked you dinner.

You had to admit a three hundred-something year old vampire making a pasta dinner from an old ass cookbook was a pretty amusing site. They were actually pretty damn good cooks too.

Embry and the pack were not happy about this, but he knew better than to try and tell you what to do. With all of the newborn activity, there was only so much he could do. He took some solace with the fact others were looking out for you when he was not around. It would be a cold day in hell before he let his pride keep you from being safe--even if it meant dealing with his sworn enemies. Besides, the more comfortable you had gotten around the Cullen's, the closer you got to him and the pack: A bonus in his eyes.

Regardless of your apprehensions, nothing could be solved if you buried your head in the sand and pretended none of this existed. Whether you liked it or not, yours and Bella’s fates were intertwined. At the very least, you figured you could keep an eye on her to make sure she didn’t get herself, others or you into deeper trouble --or worse.

When she asked you to go with her to the field and watch them train, you obliged. Hopping from the backseat of Edward’s volvo, you slammed the door shut behind you. Bella emerged from the passenger side shortly after and fell into step next to you. You parked yourself on the sidelines of the clearing, far enough away from the action, but close enough to see and hear what was going on.

Not too long after, the shifters, in all their glory, emerged from the trees. Two of them split off from the group and headed toward you and Bella. The slightly smaller, slender one sniffed and circled around you.

“I’m fine, Embry.” You affirmed, chuckling softly. He nuzzled his snout into your palm, and let you scratch behind his ears before running off to join the others, Jacob in tow behind him. All you could do was hold your breath and hope they could play nice for a few hours, as Carlisle stepped up and took his place in front of the pack, Edward slightly behind him.

To your amazement, it actually went way better than anticipated. You actually chuckled a few times when Emmett pummeled Edward several times and Alice had gotten the upper hand on Rosalie. Even Carlisle had a few tricks up his sleeve. For a centuries old vampire, he had some moves.

Everything was just about to wrap up, when you saw a few of the wolves perking their heads up in alert. When the Cullen’s stopped mid-stride, turning their heads into the clearing, you started to grow concerned. Embry was next to you in an instant, staring at the clearing, slightly growling.. You were about to ask what was going on when Edward finally spoke.

“The pack has heard something in the woods and Sam is asking if we could assist them. I let them know that we will and will be right behind them. In the meantime, we need to get Bella and YN out of here.” He translates, heading toward Bella. As if on cue, the pack disappears into the woods, Embry the last one behind. Edward looks at him.

“Esme, Jasper and myself will take Bella and YN back to the house. You are more than welcome to stop by there after the coast is clear. She will be safe.” You can hear him snarl slightly beside you, until you console him.

“I will be okay. I’ll see you after,” you assure him, patting his head for good measure. Somewhat satisfied at your response, he starts off toward the trees.. Embry turns around, takes one last look at you and the Cullen’s now beside you, then disappears into the clearing. It was as if he was saying, “Take care of her or, I’m coming after you next..”

You didn’t have to be Edward to know that.

Once the rest of the coven had taken off with Embry, Esme wasted no time directing her sons.

“We need to split them up in case someone decides to tail us. Edward and I are going to take Bella the long way back to the house. You take YN back as fast as you can. We will trail you until about halfway, then diverge into a different direction.” Before you could protest, Edward was already shutting the door to his passenger seat, Bella already inside.

“You’ll be back before you know it. We’ll be right behind you.” She squeezes your hand in reassurance.

Jasper then looks at you for a second, and your rising anxiety dampers for a bit. You chalked it up to his abilities, before he instructed you.

“It will be easier and faster if I can carry you. Keep your eyes closed, count backwards from 100, and hold onto me as tight as you can. Don’t worry about hurting me. Trust me on this one.” He gently touched your arm in comfort, goosebumps left behind in the wake of his touch.

Japer Whitlock was a man of few words, but when he spoke it was hard not to listen. For whatever reason, you actually believed him.

As soon as you were in his arms, Jasper was off. Esme, Bella and Edward were right on your tail before they approached a fork in the road, just as Esme said, and veered off into another direction.

Bella might have been oblivious to many things but this was not one of them. As soon as Edward got into the car, she questioned him. The green trees surrounding them turning into blurs as they whizzed passed them.

“What was that all about?” Her significant other remains silent as he speeds up slightly, trying to keep Esme’s pace.

“He looked at her, the way you did with me when we first met..” She trails off in realization.

“You don’t think..”

“As unorthodox as it sounds, yes. That’s exactly what it is. Alice didn’t even see this coming.” He sighs, stunning her into silence.

Edward knew exactly how you felt about the life of the supernatural. If he’s being honest, he wants the same type of normalcy for Bella, despite her desires otherwise. He has seen many things in his afterlife that he did not want her to have to go through, if he could help that. It was very rare that he did not know something due to his mind reading abilities or general knowledge.

Yet, the reasoning as to how a shifter’s imprint could also be a blood singer eluded him entirely.

For the second time these past few years, Edward was at a loss. He did not think it was possible. Even Carlisle has never seen something like this in his extensive afterlife.

He is even more at a loss as to how Jasper will break this to you. The one thing that is clear is the more he keeps it a secret, the more danger he’ll put you in. Although he loved his brother, you became his good friend. He hated too see anyone he cared about in unnecessary danger. So, he gave Jasper an ultimatum: he tells you or someone else will.

This was unexpected and unnatural even, but it was the truth nonetheless.

For a human that wanted little to do with the supernatural, you were now going to be at the center of it.

The bitter irony, he thought as he continued dashing through the trees in the seemingly endless forest.

—

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 8 months

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Ace, Lilia: Be Not Deceived

OH???? 👁️ One of the paintings in the background is the Ace of Hearts card soldiers… Does this mean we’ll get to see the actual character inspos for each boy, even the obscure ones like Jack and Sebek??? Will we finally solve a 3+ year long mystery??????? 🔍

… Also, not Ace casually wanting to go to karaoke with Scar 😭 (Funny, cuz he was denied hearing L*ona sing during Endless Halloween Night.) Figures that Ace would be the best at singing of the first years, the others are just no competition…

A Tale as Old as Time.

Not every work of art had a seriousness about it. In fact, Ace preferred to ogle the sillier pieces, finding solace in the nonsense and the chaos of them.

Hands shoved into the pockets of his finely tailored slacks, he found himself entranced by a bed of oysters. They were pried open, one half of their shells propped up to resemble bonnets. Their fleshy, round faces were still drowsy from sleep.

Little babies, the whole lot of them.

“My, you’ve taken quite an interest in that painting. I wouldn’t have expected it of you.” The remark came from Lilia, who curiously peered over at Ace from one side. “Have you an interest in oysters?”

“Nah, can’t stand’m. Especially raw,” he replied. “I was just thinkin’ of something I heard from back home."

“Oh?" Lilia’s large eyes glittered with a keen interest. “Now this I must hear.”

“It’s not really that interesting.” Ace shrugged. “A walrus dressed up in a suit to wine and dine a bunch of oysters—but the punchline is, instead of being taken out to dinner, the oysters are the walrus’s dinner! We have a Walrus-brand oyster sauce in the Queendom of Roses that gets its name from that story."

“Kufufu, I see! What a fascinating origin," Lilia mused. "It's a cautionary tale to not trust strangers. It brings to mind warnings to be wary of wolves in sheep’s clothing.”

"I guess so? The walrus looked nice at first glance, but he basically robbed a cradle. Seriously, who'd actually go and kidnap a baby like that? It’s just an exaggerated story to scare gullible kids into acting straight.”

Lilia's mouth adopted a mysterious, knowing smile.

"Oh, you'd be surprised!" he chuckled softly. "You never know when a big, bad monster might come in the night to steal you away from your family."

There was an eerie intenseness behind his every word, the magenta of his irises darkening to match. A shiver bolted down Ace’s spine. Lilia, too, was a creature of that very night that threatened to consume him.

"Y-Yeesh, you're freakin' me out, Lilia-senpai” Ace jokingly shoved his upperclassman. His fear had been fleeting, easily chased off with a laugh. “Don't say scary stuff like that. Halloween isn't for like another whole month!"

“Oopsie~ Perhaps I’m a little overeager.”

“I’ll say.” Ace rolled his eyes. “Sometimes I forget how weird you can be.”

“What, you don’t think someone as adorable as me could possibly be capable of committing a war crime or two?” Lilia grinned. “I’m not entirely innocent, you know.”

“You definitely wouldn’t be able to pull off any war crimes though!! You just act way different than your looks would suggest.” Ace rapped his knuckles on the wall beside the framed oysters. “Like the lying walrus.”

“Do you think I’m a lying walrus?” The question was teasing.

“Everyone is. There’s plenty of them in Heartslabyul too.” Ace counted off on his fingers.

“Loosey Deucy comes off like a straight-laced honors student, but he’s an ex-delinquent and dumb as a rock. Cater-senpai looks flashy and friendly, but he’ll trick you into doing his chores and leave you hanging. Trey-senpai’s got his weird teeth hobby… and then there’s Riddle-ryocho, who has a babyface but throws fits like an active volcano!!

“The Great Seven had parts of themselves that were surprising too. No one would think the King of Beasts would be the type of guy to be belt out a song, but he still did. That’s what moved the hyenas to join his cause. It just goes to show that you really can’t judge a book by its cover.”

"A good takeaway from the tale," Lilia agreed. "Taking the morals of a story to heart... you're very clever, Ace."

"The cleverest." He cheekily stuck out his tongue.

The knowing smile suddenly returned to Lilia's face. "I'm sure you have a wicked side to yourself as well. As you've said, we all have a bit of the lying walrus in us."

"No way, miss me with that. I’m the poor, helpless victim,” Ace grumbled, rubbing at his neck. It had stiffened considerably at the memory of his skin chaffing. “Haaah, if only I wasn't bullied so much by my dorm leader~"

"By Riddle?" Lilia smirked a little. "His temper is rather infamous. Silver and Sebek are his club mates. I've heard of Riddle's rage.”

"Dude, you don't know the half of it. He's always nagging me one way or another, and if I don't listen... BAM!

"'Off with Your Head'!!" Ace scrunched up his face in a show of pretend anger and pantomimed casting a spell by wiggling his fingers. The voice he adopted was elegant, yet arrogant—a replica of Riddle's. "Now you sit there and think about what you've done, Ace! The collar comes off when you've repented."

He fell back with a groan, Lilia's amused chuckle accompanying him in the otherwise quiet museum.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up while you still can."

From the corner of his eye, Ace spotted the oysters again. The entire bed, a colony of easily deceived infants. Unaware of the world and its eager, snapping jaws—the jaws of a well-dressed walrus.

“Guess a smile and a snazzy suit is all it takes to get people to waltz right into a trap, huh? With the right looks and attitude, even a villain can be made to pass as a hero.”

Ace tugged at the silver sash slung across his torso, drinking in the details of his luxurious platinum suit. A bow tie, a vest, a jacket with trailing coattails. Shining fabric, pure and unblemished.

He was all dressed up, with nowhere to go. Only lies to tell.

“You make for a good hero,” Lilia offered, “with that winsome charm and cheer of yours. Ah, but that’s not all. It never is. These old eyes can’t be deceived.”

“Whaaat? I can’t believe you’d side with Riddle over me. I’m being unfairly ganged up on here!! Aaah, my senpai are so mean to me…!”

His laments echoed off the cavernous rooms of the museum. Mere whining of a high school boy against the backdrop of great figures and illustrious history.

He was small, one little white lie against a sea of them.

“… Juuust kidding.”

Ace turned away, a wink thrown playfully at the painting of the oysters before their very doom.

As if anyone would believe that.

#Ace Trappola #Lilia Vanrouge #twisted wonderland #twst #twst imagines #twisted wonderland imagines #disney twisted wonderland #spoilers #something no one asked for #Ace birthday takeover #twst scenarios #twisted wonderland scenarios

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chaoticallywriting · 1 year

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A Merciful King ☼ Epilogue

Pairing: Aegon Targaryen x Reader

Warnings: talk of death, blood, torture, childbirth

Word Count: 5.6k

A/N: It has been exactly a month and fourteen days since I posted the first chapter to this series (on my old account). I had no clue it would go this far or that so many would love it, I'm so used to my writing not being received at all or only being received by very few. The response I've gotten for this story is overwhelming and honestly I love all of you guys for the support you've given me. Despite being ready for a new story I think I'll always have a soft spot for amk and I know I'll miss this series. On a story note, the second to last like 'scene' is both of their povs, mainly readers but I decided to mesh their thoughts in certain bits. I also took inspiration for the crown from jesus because despite not being religious I like the flare of it.

Synopsis: The war is over, the blacks have lost, and as Rhaenrya’s daughter it is your duty to marry a green to secure your younger brothers safety. If only Aemond paid attention to you like his brother does.

Taglist, if you asked to be tagged and you aren't on the list it's because it wouldn't let me add you so I just got rid of your name. It only lets me tag 50 people so I'm sorry!: @mirandastuckinthe80s @b1gb3anz @daenerysdracarys @wondergal2001 @flavorofsalt @daddysfavoritesexkitten @zillahvathek @itsametaphorbriansblog @elleclairez @stargaryenx @tired-ninfa @caramelcandescence @viscardiac @moonxhunt @tisthekatseason @bajadotcom @xxlilyxx90 @ohitsthemaster @justasmallbean @thefloatingpickle @lawlerek @miqaelababa @arcielee @watermel0nsugarhigh @lovecleastrange @lyannesworld @imakeangelscry @aloneatpeace @xinyourdreamsx @cl-0-vr @borikenlove @shion-ah @widemiffyhappy @aegonsgf @bwormie @bellameshipper @evienorville @mandiiblanche @hydrationqueensworld @shiranai-atsune @hiatuswhore @giulia2372 @venice-bish @malfoytargaryen @crudemoon @crispmarshmallow @trifoliumviridi @wooya1224

Previously

Aegon Targaryen dutifully stays by your side while you recover. He doesn’t move from the rather uncomfortable chair, nor does his hand leave yours. Unfortunately, none of the lords nor guards were able to locate his brother, only found two different trails of blood. One leading from a study to the ballroom and the other leading from the same study to where Aemonds bastard son, Jaerion, was sleeping.

He has already told his mother his decision, that when you wake up he will marry you. She only nods, face solemn, as she goes back to mourning her favorite son. He’s not dead, that much is obvious by Vhagar’s behavior, but he is gone. The preparations have already begun, he’s decided the ceremony will be in the Grand Sept and a celebration will be held in the gardens. He understands why you might have an aversion to the ballroom.

Aegon tells you all of this while you sleep, there are only a few times you wake up from your milk of the poppy induced slumber and all you speak is gibberish. You ask for your handmaid Lila, you keep mumbling her name, but unfortunately no one can find her.

Your marriage has been annulled, Aegon made sure of it during one of the most recent small council meetings (it's the only time he leaves your side). The small folk had shown so much outrage at learning that their favorite princess had been hurt by her own husband.

Many began to gossip that something seemed amiss that day during the festival, that he seemed too tense and neither of you seemed to even notice each other's presence. This fairy tale that they were spoon fed was a lie, and all of Flea Bottom knows that the reason children are no longer dying of starvation is thanks to you.

He tasks his mother and daughter to have your wedding dress made, the royal tailors already have your measurements so that should be easy. Giving them this task helps ease his daughter's anxiety, he even asks her to see if the boys would like to help. His only request is that the dress did not have any green on it, much to his mothers dismay. Aegon knows how much you’ve grown to hate the color, and he wants this to be a memorable and lovely day.

“I love you,” he whispers, you groan in response.

Upon fully waking up, Aegon is filled with something he has not felt since Jaehaerys’s murder. You tell him and Alicent everything, it’s hard to ignore the face she makes when you mention stabbing Aemond, but you simply remind them both of what Alys has done.

He wants to send out search parties all throughout the free cities, to put her head on a spike, and you keep quiet throughout his raging, not minding the idea. It is Alicent that shoots him down and reminds him of how that may make the leaders of said cities believe he is trying to attack them.

So instead, search parties are sent all throughout Westeros (once again) looking for your handmaiden. Upon waking up, one of the first things you did was ask for Lila, Aegon had foolishly believed that maybe the two of you harbored a friendship, so imagine his surprise to find out the truth.

He feels the same outrage you do, those handmaidens were picked by him and his mother, and yet one was the reason for all of this? A taster is hired, all your meals are tested before being brought to you, and all of your handmaidens have been swapped.

“What kind of flowers?” he asks you one day, leaning on his hand that’s propped up by his elbow. He’s laying at the end of your bed, watching you sip on the broth the maesters brought you. ‘It has healing properties’ they said, but the face you keep making leads him to believe it’s just a new form of torture for you. Nevertheless, you drink all of it, every day since waking up you've drank and everyday you comment on how rancid it is.

“Dragons breath, and black lotus’s. They’ll perfectly display our house colors,” you set the empty mug aside and reach out for him. Aegon eagerly moves from his position at the end of the bed to lay beside you, pulling you into his arms and kissing the top of your head.

He’s more at ease now that he doesn’t have to hide his love for you, some of that possessiveness and jealousy has waned away. Aegon is finally being granted his wish of calling you his, he just wishes so much tragedy hadn’t taken place to get here.

“I want them filling the Sept,” you say, arms wrapping around his waist. Your eyes seem elsewhere, perhaps dreaming of the upcoming day. He’s thought about it with great detail and finds himself wistfully imagining the rest of his life with you.

It makes Aegon feel like a silly child, like he needs to be scolded and reminded he cannot have such wonderful things. Yet you are in his arms, agreeing to marry him. When you woke up, and he told you the news, there was no fighting, no resentment or anger, only a sigh of relief.

“Would you want a valyrian ceremony?” He knows there will need to be one following the faith of the seven, the lords and ladies will not approve of their marriage if they don’t. But perhaps, if you want, there can be another one, a more intimate one.

It’s silent for a few beats, your expression contemplative and lips pursed. “No,” you run your fingers up and down his chest, your eyes almost glazed over as you look at Rhaenyra’s bassinet. “I do not want to shed any more blood for a long time.”

Part of Aegon feels relieved, if you had said yes he would do it, but the idea of seeing you bleed again (it’s only been a month) terrifies him. That night you laid limp in his arms as the Maesters got to work, they did the best they could while still in the ballroom. Maester Orwell had said they must act fast, that moving you to a private room would have to wait or else you would perish from blood loss.

Aegon’s hands had been stained red for days, Alicents too. He had held his hand on top of the wound with his mother, trying to help in any way. Some courtiers stayed to watch, while others ran in disgust when they saw how much blood was smeared all over you. Most of the men were gone by that point, having ran out to try to secure themselves a seat on the small council.

He didn’t realize just how much blood was on him until two guards slowly lifted you onto a wooden board and gently carried you to your chambers. He was knelt in a large puddle, as was his mother, and Aegon had held you for a long period of time. You were smeared all over him, staining his clothes, his hands, some had even gotten on his face.

The poor king was in shock, sat staring at the massive puddle, reflection gazing back at him as tears filled his eyes. You had almost died, the maesters even told them there was a chance you would die within the first few days of recovery. They talked about loss of blood, bed fever or even infection. Somehow you prevailed, and Aegon doesn’t know who or what to thank for such a miraculous thing.

“I love you,” you murmur, fingers stilling as your gaze shifts to look into his eyes. His face softens, mind being pulled away from the thoughts that plague his mind late into the night, and brings his lips down onto yours. The kiss is chaste, it’s nothing like how he normally kisses you, but perhaps a near-death experience softens a man.

“I love you too.”

You looked radiant, the dress was made of the finest white silks, it was form fitting and had gauzy sleeves and a cape that trailed behind you. There’s little silver dragons on your sleeves and cape, along with a metal belt that looks like a dragon taking flight around your waist. You looked like the perfect Targaryen bride.

It’s three days after your wedding when the news reaches the both of you about Lila. She was found hiding in a pleasure house in Flea Bottom, apparently trying to make enough money to find safe passage to Pentos. The guards drag her into the throne room while Aegon sits upon the iron throne with his crown nestled perfectly upon his head.

You stand beside the throne in a dress made of black and red fabrics with gold detailing and a valyrian steel circlet that matches Aegon the Conqueror's crown. He had ordered it to be made three days before your wedding and placed it upon your head himself after the two of you had kissed.

The guards shove her onto the floor at the bottom of the steps, hands on their swords as they watch her every move. Aegon wants to order her death immediately, his chest rises and falls as he takes in the traitorous woman who helped kill his son, who tried to kill you.

Surprisingly, she does not beg, nor does she weep or even look a little scared. Her eyes stay set on you, a hardened expression on her features as she never wavers. Gone is the girl you described her as, and in her stead sits a woman who looks ready to try to finish the job.

“Why?” Is all you say, voice shaking with barely contained rage. Your hands are clasped together, tightly clenching your fingers as you take her in. All Aegon sees is blood that needs to be shed. He finds himself itching to grab his sword and do it himself, to slice her to bits that he will later feed to Sunfyre.

“Your stepfather killed my father and little brothers in the war, there wasn’t even anything to bury once he was done with them. My mother followed soon after by her own hand.” Lila grits teeth, chest raising and falling. Her hands have been chained, as have her ankles, but still she yanks on the chains as if she believes herself strong enough to break them. “Alys offered revenge, I was happy to accept.”

He leans forward, practically seething now. No one else is in the room besides the sworn guards, who happen to be Ser Criston and Ser Arryk. His mother stands on the opposite side of the throne, with Otto beside her. His words will never leave this room, he’s sure of it. “So you killed my son?!”

Alicent jumps at the volume of his voice, hand clutching her chest, and Otto sighs. His wrinkled hand rubs his forehead, probably disappointed in him yet again. You on the other hand, stay with your back straightened, your hands reddened from irritation as you glare at this woman. You told him how you thought she was a friend, he cannot imagine how you must feel.

“I believe it was Daemon Targaryen himself who once believed it was okay to seek revenge for the killing of a child, my youngest brother was only four and ten, just like yours was.” Lila briefly looks at him, that same barely contained rage in her eyes, before looking back at you. “A son for a son, Alys called it. I think my mother would have appreciated me seeking what little vengea-”

You storm over to her, snatching her by her chin and roughly pulling her face up to look into your eyes. Aegon stood, ready to defend you, as he just barely heard your words.

“Death would be too kind a sentence,” you spit out, “I shall have you tortured in the dungeons for as many years as we can keep you alive, perhaps I might stop by to watch occasionally.”

You shove her to the floor, body shaking as you clench your fists. Aegon comes down to stand beside you, a hand on your shoulder to say ‘I’m here, I understand.’

Ser Criston looks to him for confirmation, he seems astonished by the sentence, but all Aegon does is nod. Why would he go against your command when it is you she wrought the most pain against. Aegon grieves his son, misses him too, but Lila betrayed you the most. He won’t take choices from you ever again.

Criston and Arryk pick her up, beginning to drag her away when she calls out, “you are a wicked beast! I wish I had managed to kill you!”

He’s astonished by your response, he wants to grab your cheeks and pull you into a kiss when you confidently reply “you’re right, I am a dragon after all, and it will take more than your puny poison to kill me.”

Gods, he loves you.

He had danced with you all night, not a drop of wine was needed after the ceremony, his lips had hardly left yours. All your favorite foods were served, songs you both loved strummed out by the bards. You even picked up Jaehaera and brought her into dance with you two at one point. He had waved Aegon and Viserys over, so they could join too. Aegon never thought he’d have such a joyous wedding, let alone a little family that loved him like this.

Aelar is named heir while you are still a sweaty mess in your birthing bed. His older sisters Jaehaera, Rhaenyra and Saera all crawl onto the bed to get a peek at their little brother, excited giggles filling the room. He lets Otto announce to the kingdom that Aelar is born, he can’t bear to be away from you right now. Not when you're glowing like this, not with his son in your arms. A healthy baby boy who is alive.

Aegon III and Viserys visit later, both boys having been training in the yard when the news broke out. The labor had been quick, so had Saera’s thank goodness. They ask to pick the egg out themselves and the two older girls all but demand to come with, Aegon watches as you smile at their childish bickering, little Aelar still in your arms.

“Would you like to hold him?” You ask, voice low enough that the kids don’t notice. Honestly, Aegon is scared too. He had practically snatched Saera out of your arms when she was born, so excited for another child to spoil, but Aelar is smaller and the past still haunts the both of you.

He nods, heart pounding as you slowly shift him into his arms, the second yours are free Saera climbs into them. She’s only just turned one, her brain probably has no clue what’s going on. The both of you had decided to wait for another child after Rhaenyra, the trauma left behind was too fresh. Both of you were scared that another birth would take you, or that you would perhaps deal with another stillborn.

By now, Rhaenyra is five and an absolute spitfire, she constantly talks and always wants snuggles from her father before bedtime. It was due to her that Saera was born, she had begged for a little sibling despite Jaehaera telling her ‘they can be annoying sometimes’. Rhaenyra had thrown a pillow at her in response and stomped her little foot, lips pouting as she stared up at him.

That night he had talked with you, and you agreed to stop drinking moon tea. Both of you were scared, but the pressure for an heir was ever present, and enough time had passed. The wound was still there, just like the scar on your stomach, but it had faded with time. Both of you hardly thought about Lucerys II anymore.

Aelar squirms in his arms, tiny feet slowly kicking in the air, he’s all squishy and red like newborns are, but Aegon thinks he’s perfect. You lean your head against his shoulder, arms wrapped around Saera who gently tugs at your hair and stares at your son. This, him, he’s perfect. Suddenly Aegon forgets about the stress, the pressure, the desire to throw his crown into a crowd and walk away.

Perhaps now life will be a little easier, perhaps the work of a king will be worth it when he thinks of how one day Aelar will inherit it.

“I love him,” he whispers. By now, all four of the kids have run off with guards trailing after them, most likely to pick out an egg together. His gaze shifts to yours, eyes meeting in a loving stare. “Just like I love you.”

“I lo-” Saera shrieks, hands roughly grabbing your cheeks as she surges forward. The both of you laugh at her silly antics.

The morning of his wedding, Otto had tried to discuss matters regarding the realm, he had all but tried to shoo him away. Unfortunately, his grandfather is a stubborn man. “There is also the matter of your… Assassins.”

Aegon stills, telling all the servants shuffling about his chambers to leave as he finally faces his grandfather. Of course, nothing gets past this man. “Can I not have one happy day? One without business or whatever dreadful thing you're about to tell me.”

“I have not told your mother about the horde of mercenaries you have hired to kill your brother, but I do want to remind you to restrain yourself. Even if another man kills him, since you were the one that paid for it, you would still be a Kin slayer.”

Aegon shrugs, hands running through his cropped hair as he eyes the decanter left on his dresser. “I do not care, besides the last update I received is them being run out of Pentos. None of them have found where the roaches are now hiding.”

Just one glass, he thinks while pouring himself a chalice full. You would need this too if you were stuck talking to Otto. “Seems the lords there were fond of Daemon Targaryen, they have not taken lightly to the news of his stepdaughter being harmed. Dorne also kicked them out for killing a child, I believe they didn’t fare well in Essos either.” Aegon takes a swig, leaning against the dresser as he glares at his grandfather, “either my mercenaries kill them or starvation will finally hit. They must have run out of money by now.”

“Saera claimed Vhagar,” you say one evening, you're pregnant with your fifth child by now. Aegon stills, hands full of important documents that he’s drowning in. The words circle through his mind, trying to think of what to say as realization sets in. “The dragon keepers were surprised, seeing as she is only four and….”

You're wringing your hands out, feet propped up by a stool, while you sit in your armchair. He wonders if you’ve told his mother, does she know? Should he go check on her? She’s been so focused on Helaena’s recovery, a new-found confidence in her daughter surging within her ever since Helaena has finally started leaving her room. Should he be the one to ruin that happiness for her? He’s ruined everything else, so it wouldn’t be anything new.

“Oh,” is all he says, his throat is suddenly so dry. Aegon thinks to pour himself another glass of wine but for some reason he can’t unclench his hands, the papers within them crinkle, some rip. The stress did not leave upon Aelar’s birth, the weight on his shoulders has only grown. Now he wants to leave a perfect kingdom for him, and no matter what it seems he can’t.

You slowly pull yourself from your chair, letting out a low groan as you waddle over to him. You’ve complained recently of your feet aching, it’s late into your pregnancy and any day you may go into labor. He wonders if it’ll be another boy like Rhaegar or if they’ll have another girl. He doesn’t know which he wants more.

You stand in front of his desk, gentle hands on top of his as you slowly peel his fingers back. He gulps, staring at your hands, once stained red with your own blood. There are scars on both of them, Rhaenyra asked you about them recently.

Aegon had stilled at the dinner table, a dark look coming over his face as he recalls that horrid night. But you, ever the smart woman that he loves, just smiled and said, “sometimes a mother must make sacrifices.”

It had been vague enough to confuse her and keep her from pressing for more information. Jaehaera though had stopped eating as well, eyes on your hands as she too recalled that night. Her name day has never been the same, every year she thinks of you in that puddle.

“It was most likely peaceful” you say, pulling him out of his thoughts. Aegon knows you still despise him and while he too hates his brother for what he did At this moment he realizes what this means. His brother is dead. The boy he used to tease as a child, the one who covered for him when he would run off to Flea Bottom. The little kid he used to steal food from. He’s dead, and Aegon doesn’t even know how. Some time passes before you kiss his forehead and head to bed. Aegon finds himself slowly standing up, deciding to join you when his hand slips, papers sprawling across the floor.

He lets out an annoyed huff before bending down to pick them up, his hand sifts through the pile, bunching them in one hand while the other grabs the rest. His hands grasp onto something unfamiliar, brows furrowing when he finds a letter amongst the stack.

Aegon shoves the unimportant (but actually very important) papers onto the desk before ripping open the letter, the letter is short, it’s signed ‘Nightshade’. His heart drops.

“It’s done, proof is enclosed.

~ Nightshade”

Aegon digs inside the envelope, producing two strands of silver hair and one black.

“You would still be a Kin slayer.”

Aegon cannot bear to speak after that, he can’t even respond when you sleepily say you love him. The stunned man only nods in response.

The cake served was a honey cake, he thinks, no he knows because that is your favorite cake. It was honey and your hair was pinned back, silver dragon pins found throughout your hair. You looked stunning that day.

Everyone has caught on, the king is different, he’s quick to temper, erratic, stressed. He’s constantly seeking you out, so he can calm down, hands shaking and crown askew. Aemma lays in her cradle as you hold him. Aegon won’t say why, he can’t seem to fathom telling you what he’s done.

“It’s too much” he sobs one day, hands clenching your dress as you hug him. “It’s too heavy!”

You frown, pulling away and cupping his red cheeks, you look concerned, scared. Aegon can’t blame you, he’d be scared if this was you. “My love, talk to me, please. What is too heavy?”

He chokes on his sobs, head resting on your chest. You take off his crown, throw it onto the bed and rub his back. “This feeling, I did it! I did it and I can’t take it back!”

“You must tell me what this feeling is, so I can help you, maybe it won’t feel so heavy if you tell me.”

Aegon pulls you closer until your body is flush against his, “I forgot she was still employed by me, everything was going so good, and she hadn’t found him in years s-so-” he sniffles, body shaking, “I forgot.”

You nod along, one hand playing with his hair in a way that you know soothes him. “My last assassin killed Aemond, she killed his whole family.”

He whispers the words, scared somehow the walls will hear and scream it to the whole realm. ‘Aegon killed his brother!’ They would screech, ‘he’s a kinslayer!’

Your ministrations stop, body suddenly so still as you take in his words. He’s scared you’ll scold him, reject him, show him the disgust he knows he feels for himself. Instead, you pull his face away from your chest, despite his protests, and look into his eyes. He doesn’t find any of those things, only sorrow and concern.

“You forgot?”

He nods.

“Then you did not mean it, and therefore it was not you.”

It's shitty reasoning, but he’ll take whatever you give him. He launches himself back into your arms. By now, the front of your dress is soaked, but neither of you comment on it.

“I love you, I love you, I love you,” he repeats like a mantra.

“And I, you” you murmur, kissing the top of his head.

He can’t remember what kind of flowers were draped throughout the Sept, nor can he seem to remember the necklace you wore, despite it being a gift from him. Aegon can’t remember if you sat on his left or right, and he knows he used to remember that.

“I want to talk to you,” you start. Aegon is laying in bed, boots kicked off and only in his small clothes. Lately there have been bags under his eyes, he’s lost weight and despite your talk a few weeks ago he still seems on edge. You’ve sat in on many of the small council meetings and noticed how detached Aegon has become. Many of the members scoff when they must repeat themselves. You're scared.

Aegon pats the spot beside him, you crawl onto it but stay on your knees, a hand resting on his thigh as you gaze at him with concern. “What of?”

Even his tone sounds tired. Your hands reach up to cup his cheeks, “I have an idea, but you must hear it out before you make any comments.”

“If this is about that new thing you heard the ladies gossip about, I will not let it anywhere near my as-”

You chuckle, shaking your head. “I want you to abdicate.”

It’s silent, he looks confused, the only sound in the room is the crackling fire. You had moved Aemma to the nursery when you noticed how tired he seemed, best let him get as much rest as possible. “The stress is destroying you and-” you scoot forward, forehead pressing against his, “I can’t keep watching as you fall apart. I just want to see you happy again.”

“Aelar is too young,” Aegon concludes, brows still furrowed.

You chew on your lip before pulling away from him, hands dropping into your lap. You wring them out as you look down at them, the words that leave you shock him. “I know, but you have me, I could do it for you until Aelar is old enough.”

“That’s unheard of,” he leans against the pillows, watching you nervously fiddle with your hands. You sigh, shoulders slumping as you look up at him through your lashes.

“Yes, but not impossible. If I take over, you could relax, be with the kids more, take a deep breath. At this rate, if you keep going you’ll die from the stress alone.” You lean forward, leaning against your hands that are now flat against the bed. “I do not wish to lose you, and the kids are worried about you.”

He gulps, even after so long such words still seem foreign to him. Every time his children tackle him or excitedly shriek at his presence he looks around for what is so interesting, it’s always him though. He doesn’t know how, but they love him, so do you, so do you his nephews. Even Alicent is gentle with him now. He’s taking on so much to keep you from it and yet you're sitting here asking for the stress, the burden, to help him.

The small council would not like that, nor would Otto, and probably not his mom. The kingdom might be confused by it, but they do love you. Having you on the throne does not change the succession either, it would still fall to Aelar, so there would be nothing to worry about in that regard.

“Let me be queen, so you may be the father you wish to be,” you say it so sincerely, so earnestly. How can Aegon say no to that? He hardly ever says no to you, he can’t start now.

“You love me?” He asks, it’s the first time he’s had to ask in years, but this decision involves all the trust in the world. He needs reassurance.

You nod, a smile on your beautiful lips as you sit back down, “I do, so much.”

You try not to remember your first wedding, the day was somber and against your will. None of it had been planned by you, and you had to keep from crying at the altar. But your wedding to Aegon? He made sure you helped plan it and when the day arrived everything fell together so perfectly. For a moment you forgot all your pain, all your heartache. That wedding you remember vividly, even as the years pass by.

The dress they fit you in has valyrian steel shoulder pads and a belt. It’s all black with red satin cuffs at your wrists. The style of it reminds you of the dress you wore the day you almost died, except this one has silver dragons embroidered on the skirt. Your hair is twisted into intricate and regal braids and a silver ruby necklace is draped across your neck with matching earrings.

The coronation will be in the throne room, and after you will give a speech to the small folk in front of the Red Keep. Many were shocked by the news that Aegon was stepping down, none more surprised than your good mother. Her lips had been pursed while she picked at her fingernails until they bled.

You later found that she felt all her hard work and sacrifice over the years had been for not. Despite rejecting Aegon’s pleas as a child and making him marry Helaena, here you stood happily married to her eldest son. Despite starting a war to put him on the throne, here you stood, about to be crowned queen of the seven kingdoms.

You think against telling her that none of this would have happened if she had just let the two of you marry, it would only upset her further. Upon hearing about Vhagar she had been beside herself. Helaena had stood awkwardly, not quite sure what to do, as she herself was not fully present yet. Her mind was still elsewhere most days.

“Are you ready?” Aegon asks, he had requested to be the one to give you the crown and walk you to the throne. It felt right to have him be the one to hand it over to you, to tell the world he approves of this decision, that he sees you as the true ruler of the seven kingdoms. You take his hand, letting out a shaky sigh before nodding.

“Yes.”

You catch one last glimpse of yourself in the mirror before walking away. The sight shocks you, the woman staring back looks eerily similar to your mother. You wonder what she would make of the life you’ve lived since she passed. You still think of her often, thoughts consumed on if she’d be disappointed or not.

The coronation is a blur. Aegon walks you to the iron throne after a guard announces your arrival. Everyone turns and watches you walk up the steps. You do not sit immediately, Aegon says his speech which you hardly hear, the ringing in your ears taking precedence over his words. In the crowd you see your children, up at the front and grinning from ear to ear.

Jaehaera holds Aemma and Rhaenyra holds Rhaegar. Saera and Aelar are standing in front of them, fidgeting as their little bodies try their best to stay still. Your brothers stand behind your girls, shoulders back and faces proud. Neither remember what your mother looks like, you wonder if they see her in you as Alicent does. Part of you hopes they do.

Aegon grabs the crown from the velvet cushion it was sat upon. He had a new one made for you, it’s the valyrian circlet he had made for your wedding, except he has added thorns to it, the way they are shaped almost looks like a dragons nest with rubies embedded to look like the eggs. They seem sharp enough to harm, maim even, as the thorns curl around one another.

You wonder what went through his brain when coming up with the concept, he gently places it upon your braided hair and whispers, so only you hear, “for my mighty dragon.”

Gods, you want to cry.

“All hail the queen!” He shouts, turning to the crowd in front of him. They chant along with him as you finally ascend to the throne, your body fits perfectly against the seat as you stare out at the people, no, subjects in front of you.

And while your new subjects stare up at you with unadulterated rage and shock, a shiver of happiness worms its way into your heart. This might not have been the way your mother wished for the war to truly end. She would still disapprove of your marriage to Aegon, but you know that at this moment as you sit on the iron throne, the crown of y/n the mighty laid upon your dark curls, that she would finally be proud of you.

And in the end, that’s all you ever wanted.

#aegon targaryen x you #aegon targaryen x reader #aegon targaryen #aegon ii targaryen #aegon #aegon x reader #hotd aegon #aeg #king aegon #hotd x reader #hotd fanfic #hotd x you #aegon x you #aegon ii x you

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legobiwan · 3 days

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TotJ Rewatch: Ramblings (1 of 3)

After a long abstention from consuming anything Star Wars-related, I plopped down on my couch yesterday and decided it was time to dip my toes back into this arena, mostly for the purposes of writing.

And what better way to delve back into this universe than by starting with the Dooku episodes of Tales of the Jedi?

Boi, oh boi, had I forgotten how much I love this character.

And so without a thesis or much a point whatsoever, I'd like to ramble about a few dozen thoughts I had while yelling incoherently through this rewatch.

Episode 2, "Justice"

One of the overarching themes of Dooku's episodes is this unsettling notion of darkness. Even at the start of this episode, gone are the usual triumphant Star Wars themes are so familiar with - the militant and boisterous brass, the rising strings and woodwinds. Instead, this episode opens with somewhat dissonant string passages interspersed with with a subtle, almost glistening electronic tones that meld in and out of the sustained string notes.

There is no optimism whatsoever as Dooku and Qui-gon set down on what looks to be the charred husk of village.

The remainder of these episodes rarely lighten in tone. And I don't think the thrust here is that Dooku is the only Jedi to have encountered these unfortunate situations - suffering and devastation due to corrupt politicians in a Republic the Jedi is supposedly tasked with protecting. What I do think is that this is all meant to be seen through the lens of Dooku's increasing disillusion. That these scenes are bleak because that's what Dooku is focusing on, more and more, to the point where...well, we know what happens.

But anyway, to get back to the episode.

You have give props to the animation team here. The continuity with Qui-gon's older self having a tendency to show cleavage apparently stems from his youth, where it was even more exacerbated. (Aren't you cold, Qui-gon?) The best part of this is the contrast with Dooku and he (of course) very well put-together outfit.

Maybe teen!Qui-gon just went through too many growth spurts and the Jedi tailor threw up their hands in frustration. I do find it infinitely amusing that Dooku - Mr. Propriety himself - had two students (Rael and Qui-gon) who might as well have been wearing burlap sacks half the time. Never let it be said that Dooku didn't allow his charges to express themselves, even though I'm certain it vexed the hell out him.

What's fascinating about this episode is the absolute economy of dialogue. There's not much of it, letting the visuals of the ravaged village and Dooku's own tight-lipped anger carry much of the weight of the narrative. It's almost as if we're at a point with Dooku where he knows he's angry, he knows his base instincts are trending in a bad direction, but he's still trying so, so hard to be a Jedi and toe the line, to believe in the Order he brought up in, which I think is partially why Dooku is so reserved in this particular episode, minus the part where he tries to Force-choke a guy.

I love that Qui-gon is doing the majority of the talking here. There's no disapproval written on Dooku's face, no motion made for him to hold his tongue or know his place. It truly shows the level of trust Dooku has in his student (and the level of trust in himself as a teacher) and also the level of respect he has for Qui-gon (despite his sartorial missteps). I've said it before and I'll say it again. Dooku is a teacher, through and through. He trains Qui-gon and is devastated at his death. He trains Ventress and is unwillingly forced to abandon her. He trains Savage as if he were a dark Padawan. He's constantly making remarks to Obi-wan as to how he could improve. The man can't help himself. But Qui-gon was special to him, as we'll see in another few episodes.

One of the most fascinating layers of Dooku's character is his political idealism. I'll point it out in more detailed fashion when I recap the next episode, but young Dooku and Padmé Amidala have so much in common. And it's wild for Dooku, as someone who (both canonically and in the EU) was born into a noble family, was aware of his heritage, and by all accounts, maintained a level of haughty distance from most people exacerbated by a taste for the finer things in life.

And yet...and yet. This is a man who is unbelievably angry at the actions of a corrupt Senate. That a village could be treated and forgotten this way. Padmé is little different, as we see in TPM and throughout TCW. (You have to wonder what a political powerhouse those could have been if they had stood on the same side of the aisle at the same time).

When we think of Dooku, we think of a relentless man who would go to any length to see the Jedi destroyed. And later, he goes on to commit some true atrocities. But like many roads paved to hell, it begins with good intentions, even if they may be self-serving.

Is it noblesse oblige? Maybe there's a hint of that. Does Dooku really care about the little person? In a way, but I don't think that's his major motivating factor.

Dooku grew up with the Jedi. He loves the Jedi, or at least loved the Jedi. He was talented and became one of their best. And then he started to see the cracks in the foundation and began to question everything about the Jedi, everything about himself. So much of this, in my mind, stems from a sense of betrayal by an organization and ideal which he held so dear to his heart (not to mention his main teacher was the head of the whole shebang).

What do you do when the thing you identify with the most - the thing that is you identity - your passion, in a way, your first love - curdles into something unrecognizable? If Dooku loved the Jedi any less, he would have left. (And that touches on a whole other cultural aspect of the Jedi Order and a type of institutional pressure that I won't get into here). Well, in Dooku's case, you start by trying to reform it from the inside. By bucking authority and replacing cracked edifice with your own hewn stone. Until you can't anymore, until the weight is too much to bear and your grievances begin to spill and metastasize into something else altogether.

The funny thing is, I feel like the start of this confrontation would have gone the same with almost any other Jedi. I can't see, say, Mace Windu (and I choose him as he gets underserved flak for being rule-abiding to the point of inhumanity) just up and saying, "Oh yeah, dude, you're totally right. Let's fuck over these peasants."

But where it gets interesting is when Dooku allows it to become a firefight. There's a long series of shots showing the fear of the villagers, the way Qui-gon looks around and is uncertain as to whether or not this is the right path.

Yes, Dooku, you do.

But. You're also willing (if not thrilled) for these people to become momentary collateral damage in an idealogical battle, as we see during the firefight exchange.

And the thing is...there's no easy answer here. It's not Republic vs. the Confederacy. It's not good versus evil. It's a lot more complicated than that, and Dooku isn't wrong in allowing the confrontation to happen. The Senator is corrupt. The Senator is willing to burn the village to the ground. The Jedi do (or should) serve the people of the Republic, first and foremost.

You can see why Dooku Force-choked the guy, in a way. He's still at a point where this collateral damage goes against everything he believes in, where he sees that the only option of restoring justice is through darkness, and he's willing to go there. For justice. For peace. (For himself).

The real hero here is Qui-gon, who is quick enough to realize number one, that his Master is going over the edge again (and given Qui-gon's response, I have zero reason to believe this was the first incident), and number two, that the Senator's son would be far more effective in persuading his father to abandon his terrible, awful plan of obliteration (although would his father have listened had Dooku not choked out of him first?)

As we know, Dooku is an aloof man. Touch is probably not one of his most-used emotional languages. I realize that in raising a child, even if they are ten to twelve years old when they come into your care, you probably have to have some comfort or at least tolerance of physical touch. But the fact that Qui-gon has no fear of Dooku and his possible reaction, that he instinctually takes him by the shoulder. I feel that with Dooku, so little can say so much, and to me, this is obvious proof of the solidity and trust in that relationship.

Part of the issue here is - Dooku's gambit works. Now, yes, he is absolutely correct in the exchange below that Qui-gon truly saved the day, but as I noted, it's not guaranteed the Senator would have listened to his son prior to having the life choked out of him. And what does Dooku received in response? Positive reinforcement. The village is being rebuilt. The Senator (for now) is reconsidering his actions. Brute force, in a way, worked, even if Dooku at the time was not fully in control of his own actions. And there's this weird negative/positive feedback loop where Dooku is rewarded for his actions, even if he knows his methods were less than savory, even his guilt eats at him, leading to the discussion below.

It's so interesting that Dooku is teetering on the edge during these years, but is always somehow brought back. It's really when he stops having a Padawan - that's one of the tipping points, where he has no counter-balance, has no one else to invest himself in, to learn from and, in some ways, live for. You almost have to wonder if some of Dooku's issues could have been solved by forcing another student on him after Qui-gon was knighted.

Next post on the docket: "Choices"

#hello there #star wars meta #count dooku #qui gon jinn #tales of the jedi #sorry guys i needed to get this out of my system apparently #tldr; i love dooku he's complicated #I'm not even sure what the point of this post was except to splatter my energies everywhere #i have NEEDED this #it's so good to be back #there's a rather personal narrative of mine that intertwines with dooku's relationship with the jedi #a lot of parallels tbh which maybe one day i'll get into here #we'll see maybe not #anyway enjoy this wall of text #i'm going running LATER TUMBLR

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crazylittlejester · 22 days

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I started typing and it got out of control...

I don't know if you've watched Ever After High or not, but I've been re-watching the entire show on account of not having much to do and I've come to the conclusion that an LU crossover with EAH would be absolutely awesome. The general idea is that characters from fairytales grow up and have kids that re-enact their parents' stories and this happens over and over again to the point that their entire society is built around this. Since they have a magic book that kind of seals your fate if you sign it, this is where the conflict of the show comes from.

Obviously there are a few different ways a person could go about setting this up but I'm just going to pick out fairy tale parents and backstories for them because I think that's the most fun.

Warriors: I'm thinking that he'd be best as Helen of Troy. Greek mythology is canon in EAH because of Cupid, so it works. The same themes of lust and infatuation are present. Also war.

Wild: He fits Sleeping Beauty's story the most, but that's already taken so the next best thing is Rip Van Winkle. It's only 20 years compared to 100, but I think it's the closest I'm getting for now, and the point is that he wakes up as an old man.

Sky: I think he should be the guy from the jabberwocky poem that uses the vorpal sword to defeat it. The jabberwocky is supposed to be the most powerful monster in EAH last I checked, so it would be the closest equivalent to Demise other than the Evil Queen.

Legend: Given that wizards are supposed to live a long time, Merlin would be a good fit for Legend because he'd have a few centuries to finish growing up into a mature wizard. He could still be a veteran of adventures this way without sacrificing his magical abilities.

Twilight: Unfortunately there aren't really any stories about wolves that aren't villains so he's tragically stuck being a non-descript farmer. I'm so sorry. Under other circumstances he'd get to be one the guy from "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" except that guy is a bear and not a wolf.

Wind: I'm torn between picking an infamous pirate or a story from mythology. Either one would probably work, to be honest, but it would probably work better if Tetra was a pirate's daughter and he's related to a deity in charge of ocean storms.

Hyrule: Ended up picking Jack the Giant Killer for him because that story's about surviving because you're clever, and Hyrule's games are supposed to be ridiculously hard. Also there's a magic sword involved.

Four: With the Minish he could totally fit into the story about the little elves that help the tailor/cobbler. But there's a story called "The Four Skillful Brothers" and I can't say no because it literally ends with them rescuing the princess via teamwork and splitting the reward.

Time: I feel like he'd fit in best as some kind of forest spirit or changeling, but as the Hero's Shade he could also be Godfather Death. I've been thinking about it and I really can't come up with a good placement for him.

Spirit Tracks Link gets an honorary mention because he is canon in my heart. Since New Hyrule is in the middle of the industrial revolution he's probably more of an urban legend. Either the ghost of a train conductor's kid or a guy cursed to see ghosts like his Zelda.

I know nothing about ever after high but im obsessed with what you’ve just said to me oh my god

first of all anytime someone draws the connection between Wars and Helen of Troy I loose my mind a bit, one day when I have the proper brain capacity and time I’m going to write a whole ass analysis paper on the comparison between the two of them because its so important to me

ALSO JABBERWOCKY MENTION??? I’M OBSESSED. AND JACK THE GIANT KILLER FOR HYRULE?? dude I can see you spent sooo much time thinking about this and oh my god I am so obsessed this is really cool, you ate

#jes talks #jes ask #linked universe #lu warriors #lu time #lu twilight #lu sky #lu four #lu wild #lu wind #lu legend #lu hyrule

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viridiave · 10 months

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Spoiler-heavy thoughts about Crick and how the Game Mechanics treat Temenos’s story

So. yeah if you press ‘Keep Reading’ I should probably let you guys know that these thoughts are just a tiny bit unhinged. And again - spoiler alert! You’ve been warned!!

GAME MECHANICS AND UI

- Gonna preface THIS section by asserting that yes, not EVERY mechanic needs to be taken apart under a microscope and re-contextualized into the greater lore of the game. Not EVERYTHING has to mean something to everybody. Some of my classes in game design disagree though and honestly for the genre that Octopath Traveler is, that being a story-heavy role-playing game where the narrative is half the game, I'd say that integrating lore into the mechanics and vice-versa wouldn't hurt - in fact it ENHANCES the experience. The second game does this pretty handily through the EX Skills (the first of the skills being Divine Blessings, and the second being earned at the end of the story.) and the Latent Powers.

Okay the Latent Powers? Honestly that part's mostly for Hikari. Shadow's Hold/Light's Radiance is STILL one of the best examples of Gameplay and Story Integration that this game has

No I swear I don't have a bias for 'other selves'/'deep parts of yourself made manifest' what are you talking about -

I swear I can write an entire separate post JUST about the EX Skills. Mostly for Osvald, Castti, and mOTHERFUCKING TEMENOS AGAIN

aND THIS IS WHY I GO FUCKING BONKERS WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE DEMO VERSION OF THE GAME LIKE WHAT THE FU-

- Literally the fucking emblem for Temenos's story is a staff and a sword over the Sacred Flame like - they REALLY want you to know how important Crick is to this tale

- tHE FACT THAT CRICK IS THE ONE WHO HAS COVER. NOT EVEN HIKARI OR THE WARRIOR CLASS. IT'S CRICK - DOES THIS COUNT AS FORESHADOWING???

I'll like - write here what I should have written in the bath - and that's me being like 'oh it's because he's recklessly protective. OH SHIT IT'S BECAUSE HE'S RECKLESSLY PROTECTIVE'

I fully acknowledge that it doesn't have to be that deep. MAYBE I'm pulling stuff out of my ass. But allow me to go bonkers over Crick and his for-some-reason-worryingly-appropriate moveset

Man I wonder how bonkers I'd go over Malaya if she was allowed to throw hands. I want her to complement Castti's moveset so bad

- Also the fact that both of their kits complement each other. Crick's bulkier build was made specifically with supporting Temenos in mind.

My guy's Sacred Sword reduces the enemy's elemental defense. Wonder if that implies that the Sanctum Knights normally work with magic and/or magicians

aGAIN HE HAS FUCKING COVER which is PERFECT because early-game Temenos can and will faint if a monster blinks at him too hard

Then there's his OTHER skill Godsblade's Shield which RAISES his physical defense to SO HE CAN COVER FOR TEMENOS BETTER LIKE. AT SOME POINT I SHOULD JUST ASK WHY THEY TRIED SO HARD FOR HIM SPECIFICALLY

And I mean. It makes SENSE but I don't think any of the other helper characters really had this level of chemistry in their mechanics as these two do

Emerald and Gus both have healing moves for better survivability considering how squishy Osvald and Agnea are

And it makes sense, Temenos already has access to a healing move because he's a cleric

The thing that separates Crick from them is that neither Emerald nor Gus really have moves to further support their leads on the level that Crick does. Emerald is fast and he breaks well and Gus is clearly meant to be the DPS of Agnea's Chapter 1, but again - Crick has moves tailor-made for Temenos to go off and do his thing

You lose Pirro and Scaracci/ Rai Mei and Ritsu after the intro and none of them really complement the Throné and Hikari and vice versa as much as Crick and Temenos do with each other

The difference with them too is that they have established relationships with their lead characters prior to the story, sometimes even encountered as antagonistic forces

Pirro, Rai Mei, and Ritsu are all bosses that were once considered close comrades of Throné and Hikari

Scaracci displays mutinous traits throughout Throne's Chapter 1

Emerald subverts this by acting mutinous - which, his conflict with Osvald amounted more to a sacrifice of goodwill

He knows Osvald and how he acts even prior to the beginning of Chapter 1, so he's in this category of having an established relationship

Gus averts this completely by just being a genuinely supportive part of Agnea's life

Mechanically, you never have anything to do with these characters again past Chapter 1 - save for Rai Mei and Ritsu being bosses. Hikari's companions also play an integral narrative role in his final chapter, with Ritsu being encountered as a boss again for the final time

Crick is a subversion of all of them in that he doesn't have any direct relationship with Temenos prior to Chapter 1, and though we never use him as a helper character ever again he consistently shows up as an integral part of Temenos's story up until his death in Chapter 3: Stormhail

Weirdly Crick is also the only one out of all of them where the use of Path Actions is required more than once - Osvald has to Scrutinize Emerald at one point

AND GODDAMNIT OF COURSE THE FIRST AND LAST TANGIBLE INTERACTION WE HAVE WITH CRICK IS TO FUCKING GUIDE HIM I'M SO MAD ABOUT THIS BOOKEND IT'S SO MEAN AKSJKAS

And this in itself makes complete sense given that he has larger roles to play outside of Chapter 1 - just not in the same vein as Ritsu or Rai Mei, but the fact is that Temenos's story is VERY good at establishing and building up chemistry between its characters

bUT FOR MECHANICS WE NEVER HAVE TO USE AGAIN AFTER CHAPTER 1?? THEY WENT SO HARD AND I WANT TO KNOW WHY

- It's not as big of a deal as it looks but I also find it funny just how much fun the devs seemed to have with Crick's introduction and entry into the party - using the Path Action to fucking TROLL with him.

- ON THAT NOTE, LET ME FREAK OUT OVER GUIDE AS A PATH ACTION A LITTLE MORE

I saw a post on Reddit earlier about the 'summoning townspeople' Path Actions and it kind of shook my world a little, so I'll just put my response to it here

For a guy who makes it a point to tell people not to follow anything blindly it's INCREDIBLY hilarious to me that Temenos's Path Action is getting people to follow him blindly.

MECHANICALLY, it's because he's the designated cleric. Temenos has Guide, because Ophilia has Guide. But thematically it's interesting to think about just how antithetical it is to his central creed of doubting, and how this specifically applies to Crick.

I did go back and check and yeah - Crick's one of three individual people I was able to find over the course of the stories that has a required Path Action used on them more than once.

Malaya is one other example with Inquire, and she even one-ups him with one use of Soothe. And I'll get to HER when I get to Castti's essay - I mean infodump - because it's like. Somehow even MORE heartbreaking than this instance of Guide

While I'm here I'll also mention Roque, who also has two instances of a Path Action used on him, namely Purchase and Hire in Partitio's Chapter 5

But back to the dramatic aspect of it it's like. I really want to shake the devs because it's so mean of them to have Temenos's relationship with him begin by guiding him towards not only the cathedral but to a healthier way of thinking, and to end with Crick's fucking GHOST leading Temenos to the crucial truth that he's lost so many people to find, including Crick himself

- I won't scrutinize everything about the cleric class itself but I WILL talk about the EX Skills, because to me it's ironic just how mean they are. I'm glad that the irony isn't lost on the fanfic writers like I see you guys use these as fanfic titles - bless you all

First - Prayer for Plenty, the sequel's answer to how absolutely fucking broken Saving Grace was as a passive in the first game. Limiting it to JUST Temenos's natural moveset feels like it should be sending a message honestly - it's a way to prolong the lives of his comrades and he couldn't do that for the ones he held dear in his own story. Can't help but feel like the fact that this is the one he gets from AELFRIC'S SHRINE rubs salt in the wound - no pun intended -

Secondly is Heavenly Shine and it's like. It's a holy nuke filled with divine power that drains Temenos's magic reserves completely. He invokes Aelfric's name when he uses it to and to this day I think the reason it feels cathartic to use is because it feels like a manifestation of Temenos's wrath

Unlike Osvald's own magic kamehamehadouken nuke where he learned it out of a need to protect Elena, Temenos learns this AFTER his story - and maybe it's just my concern speaking but man I really want this to represent his sheer need to go absolutely fucking apeshit like my man is NOT in a good place after his story is done

- This is the part where I go into the tinier, 'definitely stretching this past the realm of MATTERING' details that actually have something to do with the game mechanics

Some of Temenos's class lines are reminiscent of Crick's own. We've drawn the comparison with Temenos's Sweeping Cleave line already and it's adorable

Temenos Sweeping Cleave [insert handshake emoji] Crick Sacred Slash: I'll cleave you in twain!

Reaching even further here. His lines for Lux Congerere and Sacred Effulgence also somewhat invoke Crick's declaration of 'cleaving the shadows from this world', but it's not exact and I'm just indulging

Lux Congerere: Banish the shadows from this world!

Sacred Effulgence: Aelfric, banish the shadows from this world!

I'd also be extremely remiss to NOT mention the recruitment of Ort in postgame and it physically hurts me to summon him because of the way he says 'I will avenge you, Crick!' like DUDE. Oh well at least he's grieving healthily

Sacred Slash brothers let's gooo

There's like. No way that I'll be able to fit all of this in my other thoughts about Crick that are dedicated mostly to his and Temenos's arcs so. It's like not even in a ship sense anymore even if I do think they're fruity as hell

Honestly I'm just glad to get this all out of my system EXCEPT THERE'S MORE, because Temenos's story loves to torture my brain and its themes resonate with me a bit TOO much

#octopath #octopath traveler 2 #temenos mistral #crick wellsley #vir rambles about octopath yet again #this time - FOR WAY LONGER THAN IS NECESSARY #these aren't even like half the overall thoughts i have about crick #let alone TEMENOS #i honestly don't know why it matters to me this much #it's kind of scary lmao #this is why i should talk to people more #shoutout to jae for some of the lines here because there really was no better way of putting it #temenos why are you such a STICK #ot2 spoilers

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neonthewrite · 4 months

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Two Thieves

Finally, some progress on GTJuly (2023)! This next prompt was "Weapon" and I really flip flopped on what to write for this one. Until I remembered Eral and his extremely effective weapons that really level the playing field for a teeny little pixie.

~~~

Two thieves watched and waited, putting in their best effort to avoid looking like thieves. Leaning against a wall and keeping an eye on the many coming and going in the market could easily start to look like loitering if they weren’t careful, but they’d been at this long enough to mind their demeanor. Sturdy, plain canvas clothes, a little too worn to mark them as students at the college taking up a good portion of the eastern district of the city but not worn enough for anyone to accuse them of being hard workers, helped them blend in. Just another pair of humans in a city largely populated by humans. They could be travelers, or locals on a break from tending one of the nearby shops, or youths sneaking off from their errands.

But no. They were thieves.

The taller and bulkier of the two, who usually went by Arden, scanned the crowd without noticing most of the faces. The city wasn’t huge, but it wasn’t small, either, and a lot of people from all walks of life wandered through. Arden looked for signs of an easy mark anywhere but the faces he wouldn’t remember anyway.

His companion, Willow, an aptly-named little thing who used his extra-youthful looks to great advantage most of the time, watched the crowd with much more boredom, until suddenly his face lit up. “Arden. By the tailor shop. Red topped foreigner.”

Arden lazily scanned towards the tailor shop. No need to be obvious about his gaze. Indeed, near the shop, he found said foreigner happily chatting up the owner of a fruit and wine cart on the broad sidewalk. The guy wore travel clothes that might have been fine once, but had since worn out. His pack hung heavy on his shoulders. His armor was light and spry and he held himself like one who knew how to draw attention. By his brown skin and deep red hair, he probably got his fair share of sidelong glances in this area. Something seemed familiar about the tattoos on his forearms, bared by his rolled up sleeves as he gestured along with whatever tale he told the cart owner.

“Meraevrian?” Arden guessed, his mouth barely moving. “What’s he doing all the way up here?”

Willow shrugged, but he’d clearly made up his mind about something. “He’s probably got some good trinkets from far away. What say I find out where he’s—is that a pixie with him?”

Arden hadn’t noticed right away, either. From several shops away, the two thieves could hardly be blamed for not noticing the tiny figure standing right atop the cart, also involved in the conversation. Leaf wings and verdant armor made them look like a little decoration for the wares on offer. The pixie couldn’t be more than six inches tall.

And suddenly Arden thought he knew who that pair was. “Foreign redhead with a leafy pixie … we’re gonna forget we ever saw them, you hear me, Will?”

Willow turned a frown his way. “Seriously? A wandering chatterbox and a tiny little fairy? They’d be a cinch. We might even be able to get some pixie dust, if not a whole pixie—”

“We don’t muddy our hands with stealing people, you idiot,” Arden snapped at him, again barely moving his mouth lest someone somehow read his side of the conversation. “Besides. I heard about those two. If it was just one or the other I’d have missed the signs. But there’s been rumors about the Meraevrian and his pixie friend.”

Willow slumped against the wall again, but seemed to accept the warning. “What, is the guy a tough mage or something?”

Arden huffed in lieu of shaking his head. “What I hear, he’s just a bard. Not much going on there that we need to worry about. It’s the pixie we need to be careful not to piss off. And not for any of those ‘beware the fae’ reasons.”

Willow’s expression flattened. “Horse. Shit. The little fae are still little. You could cart that guy off in a pint if you wanted to.”

Arden turned a sharp gaze on his confident friend. “That pixie has weapons, Willow. Weapons no pixie ought to have their tiny little hands on, and yet they’re made for him. Take a good look at him, yeah?”

Willow did so, and Arden watched warily, too. The pixie, seen from a distance, really didn’t look formidable at all. If not for his wings being open and occasionally twitching with whatever he said to his companion, they might not be recognizable. He looked just like any of the small fae, entirely too easy to mess with if they decided it. Willow was probably coming to the same conclusion all over again, so Arden nudged his shoulder with an elbow. “That little guy has a crossbow that shoots through anything. See it on his belt? And the rapier on the other side deals more pain than any needle that size ever should.”

Willow scoffed. “I dunno. Anything better than rumors about them?”

Arden scoffed back, managing to sound much less like a petulant child as he did so. “Take it from Sal at the bar, who heard from a friend of an acquaintance of an associate that a man two towns over got both hands lopped off by one shot from that pixie. So he’s got good aim, too. And maybe they are just rumors. But I like having both hands. So I’m going to leave the damn pixie and his bard alone, and you can sing that to the gods.”

Willow glared up at Arden, still unconvinced. Arden stared back, unbothered by Willow’s disbelief. He’d never apologize for being cautious, especially when there were far less risks involved in targeting almost anyone else visiting the market that day. Neither of them could afford those rumors being true.

As usual, eventually Arden’s steady conviction won out against Willow’s impatience. Willow sighed and returned to scanning the crowd, though they both glanced towards the cart when the bard and pixie took their leave. Those leaf wings became a green blur for the short flight from the cart to the man’s shoulder, and the sun winked off the rapier at the little guy’s hip even from that distance.

Two thieves watched and waited and pretended they never saw either of those newcomers to town.

#gtjuly #gtjuly2023 #mywriting #g/t #gt #giant tiny #muunfel project #elias dawn #eral the arbor pixie #as seen from afar

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rpgsandbox · 8 months

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kickstarter

Vault 5e: A Life Well Lived

Bring 5e characters to life outside the dungeon. Delve into their past and future with Cubicle 7

From the award-winning team that brought you award winning 5e Adventures in Middle-earth, Broken Weave, Uncharted Journeys and Doctors and Daleks, comes A Life Well Lived! Bring your characters to life like never before with this game changing 5th edition supplement that explores what your adventurers get up to before, after, and in between dungeon crawling!

Every adventurer has a backstory, dreams for the future, and a life between adventures. All those amazing triumphs and disasters, and tender or tumultuous relationships are what makes our heroes feel like real people. A Life Well Lived brings your characters to life like never before.

Take a deep dive into your character’s life before their adventuring days began. A richly detailed backstory complete with benefits and complications will forge the passions and connections that will bond your hero with the rest of the party. Allies and enemies spring from your story and enmesh you in the campaign world giving you an overwhelming purpose to see your quests through to the very end.

Don’t hang around waiting for the old guy to stagger into the inn and die with a map in his hand! There’s a whole world of fun to be had between adventures. From pressing the flesh at high society parties, to weaving tall tales for villagers, or planning a meticulous heist — and as this is your side-quest, you don’t have to split the loot five ways!

We created A Life Well Lived to bring our characters to life outside the dungeon. As players we get extremely attached to our characters, and want to explore a new side of them. Characters are more than just stats and numbers on a page, and A Life Well Lived allows us to delve deeper into the story behind our heroes in a way that seamlessly blends into the traditional gameplay of 5e and rewards the storytelling each player has within them.

A Life Well Lived is a companion to Cubicle 7’s Uncharted Journeys, and forthcoming C7D20 titles. These lovingly crafted volumes combine to enrich all pillars of 5e gameplay, and give you the tools and advice you need to tailor your game to the specific tabletop experience your heart desires.

Our previous 5e games Doctors and Daleks, Adventures in Middle-earth, and Uncharted Journeys demonstrate how much we love designing richly thematic extensions to the 5e ruleset, and we are very proud of the many awards we’ve won for our work.

What's in the Book?

A Life Well Lived accompanies an adventurer throughout their life, from their humble origins through their heroic quest, and ultimately, if they’re lucky, their retirement from the dangerous path of adventure.

Create fully realised characters whose life experiences influence the skills they learn before the adventure begins. Give them a family to fight for, important experiences to treasure, a home worth defending, and more with Cubicle 7’s new Lifepath system.

Return home and use our Downtime Activities to explore what your hero gets up to between adventures. Do you spend time preparing for the challenges ahead or grasp fleeting moments with friends and family? Do you have a business to run, or do you seek out work to earn a little extra coin? Maybe you have a masterwork weapon you’re working on or an old score you mean to settle?

Campcraft Activities let you enjoy the quiet moments around the campfire, as you share stories of the past, prepare for what is to come, and bond with your companions.

Your Patron is a powerful ally who is the driving force behind your adventures. They may be a spymaster with access to dangerous secrets, or a stalwart champion of the divine who can heal wounds and return fallen friends to life. But beware, your Patron has enemies who may come at you to get to them.

Hang up your sword and leave the adventuring life behind as you Retire, and see what life has in store for you after the swords and sorcery has in store for you… at least until trouble comes knocking once more, dragging you out of retirement and back into the action for one last adventure!

Kickstarter campaign ends: Tue, October 24 2023 1:00 PM BST

Website: [Cubicle 7] [facebook] [twitter] [instagram]

#RPG #kickstarter #Dungeons and Dragons #Cubicle 7

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dailycharacteroption · 4 months

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Pop Culture Builds 13: Adora (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power)

Few things are more gut-wrenching than realizing that you’re the bad guy, that your entire life is a propaganda-drowned lie that has brought great suffering to others.

Imagine how that inner turmoil only grows when you also learn that you’re the destined hero meant to stop the forces you once worked for… which includes everyone you once called friends, many of which are just as ignorant as you once were.

Such is the role and life thrust upon Adora, former solider of the (Evil) Horde, who was captured and made to realize the horrors she was culpable in, and then discovered a magic sword which imbued her with the divine power she needed to become the Princess of Power: She-Ra! (Now if only things were as simple as the original 80’s show…)

We actually did another character from this show a while back, Shadow Weaver, who had a personal hand in the raising and training of both Adora and her friend, Catra, which is a whole can of worms in it’s own right. Suffice to say it’s a traumatic and emotional tale.

But how do we build Adora in Pathfinder? Well, let’s take a look, shall we?

Without going into too much detail, Adora is a First One, part of an ancient civilization that spanned the stars. Functionally, however, she is human, but that doesn’t have to be the case for your build.

The real trick was figuring out what class to make her. I went through a lot of ideas, but I settled on the following. While her powers are not truly divine in nature (and in fact probably best are defined as druid-like primal magic due to it’s source), I finally decided that Adora should be a paladin with both the warrior of holy light archetype and the legate archetype. The former gets rid of spellcasting in favor of being able to channel raw magical energy into a versatile light with multiple effects. Meanwhile, the legate archetype is defined by it’s ability to conjure magical armor that can be tailor-enchanted to suit the situation, which is a good stand-in for her transformation into She-Ra. Naturally, she also chooses the weapon bond.

Adora is a warrior first, so most of her feats should probably be classic options that improve her prowess, such as Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Power Attack, and of course feats which require those as prerequisites.

The signature equipment of She-Ra is of course the Sword of Protection, which is much more than it appears, and while eventually she does not need it, a reflection of it (or more accurately, the true sword) remains part of her arsenal. As such, I’d probably build it as a unique longsword with the transformative enchantment as well as a multitude of spell-like and supernatural abilities, such as elemental manipulation, transforming animals into divine beings, and so on. Beyond that, Adora doesn’t carry much, but she uses whatever she needs for the current situation.

Like I said earlier, though, there are other paths you might take. For example, you might drop the warrior of holy light archetype to gain access to the buffing spells and offensive spells of the paladin. Or you might make her a magus with lots of buffing spells. I also considered both the magical child and zealot vigilante archetypes as well, but decided that both of them rely too much on their spellcasting to really reflect Adora’s abilities, but you’re welcome to try them out.

A divine warrior that channels raw divinity and summons her armor wherever they need it. That’s certainly appealing enough to try even if you’re not making Adora herself.

That does it for today though, check back tomorrow for more!

#pathfinder #pop culture #pop culture characters #pop culture builds #adora #she ra and the princesses of power

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darkestprompts · 10 months

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DD2 Shrine Rewrites Part 3: The Tragic Tale of Lady Audrey

I live! But Audrey’s husband doesn’t. It’s grave robbing time!

From here on out we start to deal with the meat of DD2’s issues. I decided Audrey was a good place to start, because the problems with her story are less about radical deviation from previous canon or poor characterization and more so about a bunch of things that don’t make sense when put together and add up in the most infuriating manner. I will argue that placing that backstory in the context of DD2’s redemption narrative in this particular way does Audrey a huge disservice when there were plenty of other solutions at hand.

Audrey as we knew her

The Grave Robber is presented to us as the most archetypical of the game’s rogues. She’s sneaky, agile, precise and deadly, although somewhat frail (and I will die on the hill that someone graverobbing should not be). Compared to the fully offensive Highwayman or the sturdier Bounty Hunter and Shieldbreaker, she’s the quintessential thief in the dark. Her work is dirty, yet her design and manners are elegant. Her tactics are underhanded most of the time: poison (Poison Dart), ambushes (Shadow Fade), mobility and range; but she’s perfectly capable of direct violence (Pick to the Face). She has fallen from high places to the lowest depths.

Her comic shows her past as a lady, alone in a dark mansion with the news that she’s about to be evicted. The camera focuses on a portrait of a couple. It suggests that the man, most likely the husband, is responsible for her present predicament. He looks unpleasant and smug. The woman, who is none other than Audrey, looks aloof, maybe a little despondent. The real Audrey is struck by an idea as she stares at the image. She lets down her hair and turns to the mausoleum inside her property, a wicked grin on her face.

The Grave Robber’s CC set isn’t very enlightening, except for the hint that she may have a drinking problem, probably caused by either the man on the portrait, her destitution, or both.

The contrast between class and brutality is at the core of Audrey’s character. When push came to shove, she showed she wasn’t just a pretty thing. She will desecrate the dead if she has no other means of making money. She may prefer to keep her hands clean, but she will not hesitate to dirty herself when it comes to her survival.

One piece at a time

At first glance, Audrey’s shrines operate a lot like Baldwin’s, adding context to the comics ambiguities without making anything up wholecloth. Her personality stayed largely unchanged, the main events line up. So why is it such a mess?

We start off on a good note. Audrey is a rich party girl, as expected. However, we get to see her independent streak and her active nature. She wears beautifully tailored but still sensible riding clothes. I really appreciate the hint of physicality here. No dainty lady could become a grave robber overnight without some grit to her.

Our lovely Audrey gets hitched for money, cause that’s that’s what you do in aristocratic families, you either marry for fortune or prestige. As suggested by her comic, her husband turns out to be a supermassive turbocunt. He’s a drunkard, he’s abusive, maybe even physically so, considering he goes to grab her in inebriated rage. Audrey has had it with this bitch. She will kill him and inherit all their joint fortune.

I won’t lie, I greatly enjoy the husband battle sequence despite the horrible situation it depicts. I find the selection of skills for Audrey very clever and real to what one would do in this situation. More importantly, there’s great satisfaction in the fact that I’m about to kill this motherfucker. It’s the last time Audrey will have to deal with him and, girl, I’m here for it.

Now, note the difference between the backstory portrait and the one in DD2. The guy in the comic looks arrogant, but in DD2 he grasps Audrey’s shoulder like she’s property. His original design looks like a regency jackass, the new one is straight-up Henry VIII. You know, the guy known for killing, harassing and generally making women’s lives hell. Here I want to take a moment to draw attention to a line she says before a shrine: “He meant to leave me a pauper or a corpse eventually. I’m certain”. This is important, regardless if it’s true, because it tells us that present Audrey believes that not only her financial ruin was inevitable once she married, had she done nothing, her husband would have killed her, deliberately or not. Whether you read physical violence into her husband’s demeanor or not (I certainly do), Audrey sees her act as one of self-defense. We will go back to that in a bit.

You know what is coming. Upon his death, Audrey discovers her husband left piles of debt. Our noble lady turns to the most inviting occupation available: graverobbing! I kind, of course, and I do think that she was so easily drawn to that path because she wanted to metaphorically piss on her husband’s grave. Maybe literally too. I wouldn’t judge.

Things get weird in this section. One gets the impression that this family mausoleum is a vast, byzantine labyrinth, since she can’t find the right grave even though she buried the guy what, last week? Why are there guards and booby traps? I could see a rich landowning family keeping some servants active during the night for security reasons, maybe a few dogs and a lookout that is ultimately a housekeeper, but holy shit. These are armored soldiers! And why would they all be stuck inside the mausoleum and not, you know, beating the grounds around the walls and fences where someone actually might come in? And boy, if Dismas, a convicted murderer, beating an army of those guys bothered you, get ready to watch young lady Audrey slaughter them without a hitch as well. I know I emphasized Audrey’s latent ability to be ruthless and her physical aptitude but she went from killing her husband in a sneaky, indirect manner, to hitting innocent bystanders in the face with a pickaxe. If she’s that unfazed by the sprays of gray matter in her neat little coat, I expect the narrator to comment on it! Again, holy shit.

The end sequence is… confusing. Did Audrey lose her marbles after her bloody rampage? Did she turn into the Shrieker and start a nest of loot? If her motivation was greed, like the narrator insists it is, why did she leave valuables behind? This reads like my undergrad papers before I learned to write conclusions, weird and devoid of content.

Rest in pieces

Up to the midway point, the Grave Robber shrines match the old comic, although it makes some bold decisions. We could always infer that the man on the portrait was a husband, that he was kind of an asshole and that she wasn’t happy in marriage. But I want to highlight this: asshole does not mean abuser. He could easily have been the traditional husband that gets a trophy wife with a huge dowry, doesn’t think much of her and her activities, but largely leaves her alone as he goes out to drink and gamble. I don’t think it’s necessarily bad that Audrey has an abusive relationship in her past, but this was DD2’s deliberate decision and it needs to be dealt with properly.

The game’s tagline is “face your failures”, the past is invoked in the boss fight so the heroes confront those it. So tell me, what was Audrey’s failure? Getting married for money? That’s ignoring that, even if her family cared about her feelings, society would still constrain her to make a good economic match. There was no deception involved; they both knew it as a match of convenience. Not marrying for love isn’t a moral failure, especially since the concept of marriage for romantic purposes only is something very modern. Was it murdering her husband, then? You mean the Henry VIII cosplayer that abused her, who she believes would have led to her death? Let’s not go there. Killing your abusers may not be the glorious solution to every evil in the world, but for fuck’s sake, there ain’t no protective services in this setting. Before divorce was a viable option for women, voluntary widowhood was the alternative. Was it the grave robbing? Could be, but it’s a hard sell when you show her bankrupt and breaking into her first tomb to retrieve the rings of the aforementioned shitfuck who left her destitute. And again, he’s dead. Deservedly so. He got no use for those rings. Is it killing the strangely placed and conveniently clueless guards? That’s a background event at best.

The narrator speaks of greed, but that’s only Audrey’s primary motivation when it comes to her marriage, before any crimes are committed. Afterwards, her actions are dictated first and foremost by self-preservation. Noble upbringing or not, losing your house isn’t a joke. She’s selfish, no doubt, greedy, perhaps, but to frame this as her failure gives off the impression that her desire to marry for wealth is responsible for the disaster that follow and not, you know, the fact that a chucklefuck spent all of her money while yelling at her and throwing up on the carpet. It’s an even tougher pill to swallow since there isn’t a single indication that Audrey feels regret about her actions that isn’t shoehorned by the metanarrative.

Rise from your grave

I can see two main ways to fix the Grave Robber story. First, abandon the whole “heroes have one great failure in their past to atone for, except for Baldwin, who would happily stab his advisors all over again” thing. You don’t even need to rework the Face your Failure theme, just make it about DD1. Isn’t that the game about inevitable failure? Wouldn’t it make sense for the destruction of the Heart of Darkness to break reality? Couldn’t this dying world be the exit point of the DD1 timeloop? But I digress, we’ll get to DD2 as a whole in due time. This is about Audrey. So we can keep Mr. Turbocunt as he is, as long as he isn’t linked to Audrey’s journey towards redemption. The alternative is to make his murder morally questionable. As I said above, make him a neglectful but mostly harmless guy with a gambling problem or poor financial management. Maybe someone got the better of him because he’s stupid and inept. That’s not something that warrants death, especially if Audrey too was happy to spend without worrying about finances. Let’s be real, we would still cheer for her. The DD fandom enjoys fucked up characters.

That’s the biggest problem taken care of, with two neat alternatives to pick from. But I’m still unsatisfied with the grave robbing bit. Compared to the murder or Barristan’s desperate charge, it’s almost goofy. We can do better. How about this: the combat section is pure stealth. No guards spawning from the ground. Audrey is simply trying to avoid a few servants on the way to the mausoleum. When successfully sneaking by them, the servant de-spawns and the next one shows up, for a fixed number. Why would she want to leave a trail of blood, anyway? Better to get away without suspicion of a much greater crime hanging over her head.

Or, all right, we decide we must really enforce the drama and have some drastic event happen. Let’s say she gets caught just as she’s leaving the mausoleum. The day is about to break, it’s much harder to hide, she’s carrying noisy jewelry. She gets seen by a gardener or and, in a split second decision, kills him so he can’t rat her out. Only then it sinks in what she’s just done. On the back of her first murder, she commits her first robbery, then goes on to her first violent crime. It’s a bit similar to Dismas’s story, I’ll admit, but I think the theme of one crime leading to another one, plus the fact that she would have killed deliberately to cover her own ass, give it some novelty exclusive to her narrative. You can even have her as an unrepentant asshole in this version. Make her regret that the murder put a bounty on her head, while she could probably have gotten away with simple robbery if she changed her name and laid low for a bit. It would make her into an Anti-Dismas, in a sense.

Ultimately, the variants I present here depend on how much of a victim or a jerk you want Audrey to be. I think they are all fine options. DD2 could have gone with abuse survivor Audrey, but it made a blunder when it tried to show perfectly good reasons for her actions and still require her to be redeemed of them.

The woobification tendency will continue to rear its ugly head again as we proceed with the rewrites. I still haven’t decided who will be next, but it will probably another one of our girls. We’ll see.

#darkest dungeon #dd2 shrine rewrites #dd audrey #dd grave robber #darkest dungeon 2 spoilers

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mightbesmall · 10 months

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Why Is It Doing A Jig?

You were working late into the night. Your landlord Mr Crowley dropped off a box of old, damaged toys. So you were currently fixing them up, you couldn't bare to see such unique work discarded and unloved.

There was five of them in total, they were rather beautiful porcelain dolls. There was the first two that looked like a pair of the set. The first one had flaming orange-red hair, two red gem eyes and a red heart painted onto its eye. The paint job was perfect, whomever the creator was did a fantastic job.

The other one had dark, navy blue hair with bright blue gem eyes. It had a black spade painted just under its eye, yet another wonderful job. It is such a shame they got thrown out.

They both had matching clothing with the other two, a red or black vest, white blazer with one sleeve printed in a black and white checkered pattern, white tailored trousers and black or red dress shoes. There were playing card accessories hanging from a white with red paint dripping off it, rose broach. It had a sense of controlled chaos that was breathtaking.

These two didn't have that much damage, just few scratches and grime. With your skilled fingers they were looking brand new in no time.

You set them down gently before shifting your focus on the biggest two of the set.

One had vibrant orange hair, dazzling green gem eyes and a red diamond painted on it's cheek. It had the same outfit as the first one but a bit bigger.

The other one had mossy green hair, soft yellow gem eyes and a black clover on it's cheek. It had the same outfit as the second one but bigger. It was the largest one out of the five.

The clover had some chips on its fingers that you efficiently filled in but was otherwise fine, you set it down carefully. The diamond one had a small crack running through from the top of its arm to its wrist. You gently wrapped its arm up in a soft cloth, like a cast before setting it down with its friends.

The last one was the smallest but the most damaged and looked very polite. It had red hair that was a bit matted, beautiful grey-blue gem eyes that didn't seem to lose their shine and rosey cheeks. It was the only one that had the rosey cheeks that you'd usually see on porcelain dolls but it was done so in such a way that is captivating. It gave life to the scratched and battered face.

Its clothing was much different from the rest. A crimson red dress that trailed of in a black ombre effect at the end and was littered with rose thorns and was torn at the edges, black heeled boots that went to below the knee, black gloves and a golden crown atop its head.

It was a unique doll indeed.

There was cracks all over its body, scratches and tears throughout glass and fabric alike. There seemed to be ink pouring from the cracks on its body and eyes. It made you wonder what happened to it.

You were slow and careful, filling in chips of paint, sewing together small tears of the dress and wrapping a soft cloth around its face and left arm. It was almost midnight now so you gently set it down with the others, you'll start working on a new outfit when you were more awake.

You grabbed your coat and got up, walked towards the door and was about to turn off the lights when you heard a soft thump. You quickly turned around only to see a curious sight. The small one with the heart was standing up, albit wobbly, pulling the one with the spade to its feet as well. You would've been alarmed were it not for your old teachers tales of his son.

Instead you were rather intrigued, what curious little things.

You walked over to them, they froze. It was a rather comical sight to watch the spade and heart slowly turn their heads to you whilst the diamond and clover paused midway sitting up.

You crouched down by the table, watching the little guys scramble to get up. The diamond wobbled on its feet before falling over, you quickly cushioned its fall with your hand. The four of them blinked, you didn’t know they could do that, before the heart tried to fight you. It would’ve poked you in the eyes had you not picked it up by the back of its collar. Its little arms and legs were failing midair letting out what sounded like squeaks.

“What an angry doll.” You said rather monotonously but there was an undertone of amusement, the heart started kicking its legs and flapped its arms harder, letting out louder squeaks. You set it down with the others, watching as the clover stood protectively in front of the other three.

It seems that they don’t trust you one bit, you raised your arms up in a surrender.

“I’m not here to hurt you, just do my job and go home.” You mentioned. Honestly you just wanted to go home no matter how fascinating these dolls are.

The spade gave you a heated glare while the heart gave you the stink eye. The diamond however seemed to contemplate your words, it wiggled it’s wrapped arm lightly before cracking a little smile, very much guarded but willing to coexist. The clover just kept staring at you.

There was a small, sad and broken squeak that came out like a wheeze. You all turned to the source, that rose was awake it seemed. The clover and diamond rushed to its side, helping it stand even though it tried to wave them away. When it got to its feet, it turned and glared at you. You felt like scum on the bottom of the sea bed whilst also not feeling anything at all. If anything it was rather cute trying to intimidate you like that, you wanted to pinch it’s cheeks though you refrained, fearing they would crack under your fingers.

The rose seemed to clear its throat, a few small squeaks escaping it before what sounded like words were stuttered out. “Th-than-k yo-you f-for-R-“ it couldn’t even finish its sentence before coughing out what looked like ink. The clover was rubbing its back, face reflecting its worry. You assumed its voice box also got damaged, if it even had one. Magic worked in mysterious ways.

“Ahem. F-forrrr ffffix-x-xing us-s uuuup-P.” It finished its sentence. Poor thing can’t say one word without stuttering, you wondered if it’ll let you have a look and fix the problem.

“It’s uh, no problem.” You stated rather dumbly, “would you like me to have a look at your voice box?” You asked. Consent is important especially they are now alive, you don’t know if they can feel when you were fixing and cleaning them but from its words, they could.

It glanced at the others, who were shaking their heads, apart from the diamond that one was just sitting prettily on your table. It released what sounded to be a sigh before turning back to you, “P-pleeea-sse.” And so you began your work.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With its voice box now cleaned from ink, you learned their names. Ace the heart, Deuce the spade, Cater the diamond, Trey the clover and Riddle the rose. They were pretty names for pretty dolls. You told Riddle that you will fix its, no his dress later, right now you need to sleep for five hours lest you not do any work at all. He nodded in understanding.

“Do you guys want to hang out here orrr?” You asked, you would put them in your coats pockets and take them home if they wanted.

Cater got up and waddled over to you, tugging at your sleeve and showing puppy eyes. You raised a brow. Trey came over to try and remove him but he hung on pretty tight, impressive for one arm being out of commission. Ace huffed before stomping his way over to you with his arms crossed, he still doesn’t like you which is fair. Deuce strolled over shyly, the sweet little guy politely gestured to your pocket, eyes sparkling.

You gripped your heart.

Riddle just sighed. “Would you mind if you took us home with you?” He asked like the polite guy he is. You nodded before scooping him up and put him in your seemingly endless pocket, repeating the same for the others but Cater. He hung on your shoulder.

What a little lad.

#twisted wonderland #toy maker au #heartslabyul #ace trappola #deuce spade #cater diamond #trey clover #riddle rosehearts #reader insert #brrr’s writing

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