#The Price of Fate arc | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

xx-vergil-xx · 20 days

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Can I ask what pushed you to end Hounds the way you did? It's a fantastic ending, but I'm curious. I expected the Fates to revive Dream, or allow him to inhabit a new form (such as one made by Daniel, so that Dream becomes a dreamthing), etc. But instead, his death is made to have never happened. Which makes it partly feels like Hob's whole road trip journey was for nothing since he lost all those memories and connections with Matthew, the Corinthian, Delirium, Despair, Desire, Death, etc. (thank god he kept the farmhouse). But it's almost like he traded all those memories and connections for Dream. Unless I missed something while reading (I was crying very hard).

Again, fantastic ending, and I'm also glad it's a happy ending. But I'm curious as to why you didn't go in the other direction

howdy! thanks very much for the ask — an excellent query, one which i’m happy to answer

(verg of the future: this answer ended up long! there’s a short form at the top here and at the end <3)

in brief: he did make that trade you described! but not strictly for dream — it was the price of swapping genres!

an explanation:

what i had in mind while planning and writing was less the idea of erasure of prior narrative action and more a subversion of the expected genre, in particular the genre tropes that follow dream in the original arc of the comics, where his story is very classically tragic (with the understood weaving of hob into that tragedy, this being a dream/hob telling and all)

for reference, i also drew a lot of inspiration for hob’s road trip odyssey from the aeneid, an epic that is, yes, about the founding of rome but also (at least to my reading) a fundamental tragedy — the cost of founding rome is aeneas’ home, many of his friends, much of his core family, and the very end of the story is not some victorious depiction of the glory of rome to be (which we do get earlier in the book, with the ekphrasis on his shield) but aeneas, overcome with fury and loss, killing a man who begs his mercy. i’ve always felt that the aeneid, while certainly stepped in the expected amount of roman nationalism, is centrally about a single man and his singular suffering as an instrument of higher destiny.

i wanted to model hob’s arc around the aeneid (minus, y’know, some of the chunks that are strictly battle sequences <3) both because intertextuality is a huge part of how i wanted to handle hounds (story about stories, made of other stories, etc), but also because hob and aeneas are fundamentally parallel characters — nomads with exceptional ordinances, permanently displaced by the passing whims of higher powers, men who are made to reckon with both extraordinary wonder and extraordinary tragedy regularly while still, at their core, just being human. that’s what makes aeneas so compelling — he’s just a man. and so is our beloved hob — that’s his whole thing, his whole narrative function and his whole central ideal, humanity

so then, approaching hounds with both the thought of the sandman’s original tragic contours (see: the whole lead-in to daniel. christ above is the way that goes devastating to read) and the man vs fate core of the aeneid, i was considering a lot of things about how to mess around with both notions without gutting them entirely. i tend to dislike tragedies that become un-tragic without some sort of Serious Payment For It (not to say i don’t like happy stories because i very much do! but i get ticked off when high stakes get deflated too quickly) and i didn’t want to undermine the very real fact that the Fates are typically not versed in notions of empathy and/or leniency, and that dream and hob and those around them did experience and endure devastation and loss, and that death is a fact typically immune to argument.

the world of sandman is not one with easy answers, and to my mind there’s no such thing as a bargain with the Fates where you break even. for hob to get what he wanted, something had to be given, something dear and vital and real. there’s more to what hob actually gives the Fates than he verbally stipulates, which i tried to address largely via the corinthian and his perception of the situation, especially those last conversations with dream in the “swamp”. i have a lot of options about the corinthian in his function as “dark mirror” having a blistering clarity of understanding much of the time, which is why i foisted the onus of those complexities onto his dialogue, rather than hob, who (and i say this with love) is a creature of bias and often blinded to greater repercussions of his actions insofar as they extend beyond his immediate objectives/enjoyments, or dream, who can see the bigger picture but i think often really keeps himself from doing so when it comes to anything at all that’s personal (king of stories has a blindspot for his own). what hob gives the Fates actually costs him almost nothing, in the long run, if we operate with the idea that he cannot remember, nor is there any lasting effect from, his 600-ish heavily-relived years. there’s narrative and symbolic weight, of course — he gives them love as an oath and as nostalgia (sidebar: his driving force is an almost pre-nostalgia, a continual love of the moment as the moment is passing, but anyway) (cuff links), he gives them in a captured moment the lovely discomfort and simultaneous brilliance of being alive (the hook, the finger prick the blood), and he gives them a rich and complicated experience of humanity (those 600 years). but practically, what is actually taken from him that he doesn’t just get back?

only those few months — and in them, a web of real and known connections, all of which matter, and all of which change his understanding of and relationship to things like grief, and loneliness, and fear, and forgiveness. those are important changes, real changes, that would affect how he operates in the world going forward. that development is gone. he returns instead to the (of course, fought-for and hard-won) stasis of what was, which becomes what will always be. in making the Fates and their judgement more complex, he has actually made his own life less complex. now, i’m not going to sit here and argue that “suffering has inherent value” or some shit like that because i think that’s bullshit! pain is just pain. but he does lose experiences which would have shaped him in new ways, and, i think, good ways. even important ways

and he may well be shaped towards similar courses with dream (especially re: learning that lesson about loneliness — i think hob suffers from the curse of always, ultimately, being alone (immortality etc there’s so much discourse about this), and the road trip was in part about him learning that though it is the simplest path it is neither the sole nor the best path), but he certainly doesn’t learn them the same way, with the same faces, with the same acuity and clarity and intensity.

the thing with the Fates (to me anyway) is that you don’t ever just win. maybe you can get what you want, but it’s not easy (it make take a thousand repetitions of your lifetime until friction and the touch of your hands wears the sisyphean boulder down to a pebble — like the parable of the bird scraping its beak on the mountain), and it’s sure not free.

so yes, those months are lost. that’s a big part of the price. and we don’t know, at the end, how much of that thing he really gave ultimately comes back — his new relationship depths with deanna or cori or the other endless, those things aren’t seen. the main arc is resolved — hob and dream — but there are still pieces missing. he loses a piece of his human experience, he gets tossed back around through the wringer of his life (which is often distinctly not pleasant), and he is, as he ever was, a character with a path whose impetus and dictation rest heavily on external forces. even in attempting to channel his life elsewhere, he still has to bargain, and is still subject to the choices of the fates, and in some ways the story remains irrevocably a tragedy, in that one way or another it has loss in a central place. in the latter half of hounds hob really became my attempted version of an aeneas type — a man with a quest and a fated directive, a deeply human and flawed individual, who can alter the path and even irrevocably change the genre of his own narrative, but only at cost.

of course let’s be clear! some of all the actual rendering of this ended up as it did partly because i am not always a clean writer, and for that i apologize! but i did genuinely want that sense of gaps — of faces and voices given over to the gravitational well of the principal narrative arc of hob/dream versus the Fates. i think those things are gone. the narrative is forcibly re-centered around hob and dream, and in doing this — in shifting the story genre — other ties and bonds are not just cut, but unwoven entirely. when you change the kind of story you’re telling, the change is done at the expense of something else. kind of like how there’s a fixed amount of matter in the universe? you can’t create or destroy matter — to make something new you have to take from another place. (sidebar: wow i’m realizing something about my fundamental storytelling beliefs right now! laws of physics! anon your ask has really got my cylinders firing, and most sincerely thank you <3)

still, they might come back. though i didn’t write it as fully as i could have (i will freely admit there was a great deal of burnout at play towards the end there), i had a lot of thoughts re: repetition and density, namely that if you stack a thousand repetitions of a lifetime against each other it’s the equivalent of writing a word over and over and over on a page. when you erase it, the channels remain. language flows most naturally in the direction once etched for it. maybe hob learns those same lessons and knows the same people in the same way — maybe he and the corinthian find that odd patch of common ground, maybe he takes a long drive with delirium through rural maryland. maybe there are echoes. maybe even if it is gone what was still shapes the topography. maybe a kindness or a word exchanged still ring out when you can’t see them or remember them. while the milestones of our lives rippled the most visibly, i think we’re shaped a thousandfold ways by accumulations of small things we can’t distinctly remember. only a feeling of a thing, or the negative space it leaves.

well. tl;dr — i didn’t want to let hob get away without actually giving anything up, nor without his choice to bargain affecting others besides himself in equally irrevocable ways (sidebar: at his core is a selfishness that is both charming and ignoble — he wants to do a good thing for dream but also he makes a call that changes a plenitude of lives other than his own, and i don’t think he really asks, he just does — grey areas are his whole gig to me), because nobody makes a deal with the Fates for free, and changing genre has a price tag. it was my effort to make the tone of the whole beast more authentically sandman-esque, since sandman does a lot of that sort of water-muddying, especially when using understood narrative models/archetypes/etc etc

i am. sorry this was as long as it is! jesus! but i’m sending it off all the same. anyways, anon, thanks very much not only for your lovely kind words and the high honor of your tears (no pulitzer could mean more to me than knowing a thing i wrote really moved someone, seriously thank you) but also for giving me a blank check to go buck wild and ramble about my own damn writing and Things I Just Think <3 i hope you have a lovely day/morning/noon/night, and thanks a bunch for dropping by <3 <3 <3

#the sandman #hob gadling #dream of the endless #dreamling #hounds #vergil says hello #vergil says way more than fuckin hello tbh #vergil writes a manifesto woukd be a better line for this #anon has given me the greatest gift: License To Monologue #fingers crossed any of that actually answered the question at hand #thanks for saying hi and asking things because i love both experiences immensely #<3 <3 <3 <3 <3

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raayllum · 6 months

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one of the things i love most about arc 2, i think, is the breaking down of "this action is always bad" from arc 1 into "this action is always circumstantial" in arc 2. not that arc 1 is devoid of morality complexity and ambiguity, but there's definitely more examinations of said things and said unforeseen consequences in arc 2.

in arc 1, Claudia doesn't break away from her father (isn't familial morality good?) and Rayla does (becoming the first real traitor in the series in a lot of ways). In arc 1, Nyx is our primary (bad) thief who steals for self-centred (monetary) reasons, but in S5 we see both Ezran and Rayla engage in thievery with good intentions, even if for Rayla it is also for 'monetary' reasons (ha!) and Callum spares/helps her much the way Rayla spared/helped Nyx, even after being 'tricked' and certainly lied to. Nyx's thievery has the least consequence with Ezran's having the most, but their intentions (to return a baby creature for money / to save baby creatures from a truly terrible fate and existence) is what divvies up the actions accordingly.

Soren and Terry are both crestfallen and wracked with guilt upon killing someone - for Soren, his father, which is extra complicated given that Viren clearly paid quite a steep price to keep his son alive; for Terry, a relative stranger - but both murders affect them in similar ways. For Terry, it was something he'd never been trained to do and wholly in defense of someone he loves; for Soren, it was fulfilling his purpose as a knight and a crownguard for someone he loves, but also reflective of the strength it took to stand up against his father for what was right.

When Callum breaks away from Aaravos in future seasons, he will be retreading Viren's path in 5x09. Claudia and Rayla continue to parallel each other quite strongly, particularly with 6x01 in mind. Callum, like Viren and Claudia, has used dark magic two times now for Good reasons, yet is clearly still worried by what path it may set him on, while Viren is forced to recognize his own agency (much like Callum did in S2).

IDK if this makes sense but I really like the way TDP takes intention, circumstance, and consequence into account, and doesn't let any character off the hook for their choices within those circumstances, but also doesn't demonize any of them for their choices either

#tdp #the dragon prince #the cycle #like what are we kantians #it is funny tho how the show routinely treats lying as like #the most minimal issue to have ever #which like tracks bc it's like. WE'RE WELL PAST THAT #next to stealing i guess. big bois only care about Murder and even then #mini meta #analysis series #the gang's all here

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melodyfsoul1 · 7 months

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You know what? Let me rant about Comic Loki & MCU Loki for a bit, because I have been thinking about this for weeks now...

Loki's Character/ Story is so freaking tragic, both Comic & MCU Loki.

In the Comics Loki almost always plays the role of an antagonist or villain (usually for the sake of the story, but that makes Loki's story so difficult, there are many ups and downs.

In the Comics & the MCU Loki was always the mischief maker who brought the Avengers together (on multiple occasions actually) but besides that his story was a mix of his own path, mythology influences and writers going "hey we need a villain for our comic and Loki's popular"

So considering Loki's long life, a deal that has to do with reincarnation, and lots of life experience in playing both the villain and the hero, Loki KNOWS how he is perceived, how others mistrust & even fear him, and for a while he was fine with that.

But after a while he wanted to be more than just the God of Lies ("Evil" as many people wrongly assume)

Loki wants to Change. He actively tries to change, to be good for literally SEVERAL arcs, (Kid Loki, Agent of Asgard Loki and Loki God of Stories)

BUT everytime he either:

- Fails to Change because old habits die hard so he stays a villain

- Changes and gets bored of his, now nice but limited life, because he could be more and ends up reverting back to his old ways

- Or ( the in my opinion saddest option), he manages to change through hard work, to truly be good, but either gets betrayed by his loved ones, or no one even gives him the chance to proof that he can change, saying its not in his nature, that he will always be a villain.

So then he goes the route of "you will always see me as nothing but the villain I once was, no matter how hard I try change.... so why should I even try? You want a villain, fine, let me play the role of the villan"

Hell, in the comics Loki makes a deal with two Entities to literally "rewrite his fate" to that of a hero, knowing he would have to pay the price of a "heroes death" for the story. He literally chose to "die soon/ young, possibly sacrificing himself, but be finally perceived as good", over "staying alive but always be seen as the villain"

And what makes this even sadder, is that this is EXACTLY the Fate the MCU Loki got.

The main timeline Loki got the chance to go from "misunderstood Villain", to Antihero to Hero, and what did he get?

A HEROES DEATH

No second chance at life for redeeming himself? No, he was brutally murdered by his biggest tormentor and greatest fear, sacrificing himself to safe his brother and their people's lives, and I hate it.... he deserves a happy end too...

A character's story/ redemption doesnt need to end in death to be concluded, let them live, let them have this 2nd chance, living and dealing with what they have dome & changing to be better is hard enough as it is

So I hope at least MCU Variant Loki gets to have a happier end, have friends & family.

As you can tell, I still have a very complex hate / acceptance relationship with how main timeline MCU Loki was treated... I could go on for this for hours, but Im gonna make myself sad.... so, thats my little rant for now, Thank You for reading :D

#loki #mcu loki #comic loki #marvel loki #loki agent of asgard #kid loki #loki god of stories #loki god of mischief #loki season one #loki season 2 #loki deserves better #loki needs a hug #and a friend #infinity war #Marvel Please I beg let Loki be happy for once

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izzysillyhandsy · 6 months

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My predictions for the S2 finale (also, 100% wish fulfillment)

I'm so intrigued by this quote from David Jenkins regarding the dream sequence in S2E1:

"Stede, Blackbeard, and Izzy are on an arc together. Whether they're in stories together or not, their ultimate arc is together. I think, by the end of this season, the last episode, that first scene will be gratifying. I won't say why, but their fates are tied together."

(Just to get this out of the way, because I have seen posts worrying about it (and for my own peace of mind): if the last episode mirrors the first one and that "scene will be gratifying", in no way can I see Izzy dying - gratifying would be a really weird way to describe Izzy's death, although some antis might see it that way ;).)

But let's look at the dream again.

Stede looking all piratey-tough, beard, earring and all. Izzy standing between Stede's and Ed's happiness, and Stede knifing and stabbing him without the slightest bit of remorse. Stede and Ed running towards each other on a sunset beach. Izzy dead, forgotten and out of sight.

Combined with this quote (referencing "A Star is born") from the same article:

"... to watch Stede — spoiler, but he becomes a real boy, and he becomes a notorious pirate. To see Ed try to process that, Ed's more like Jackson Maine, and then Stede's doing a Gaga, and he's blowing up."

and the scenes from the trailer and teaser where Stede and Ed are running/fighting towards each other on (I think) the same beach...

My prediction for the show's finale is:

While Ed's still on probation, Stede, with Izzy's help, gains respect in the pirate community. "The Gentleman Pirate" becomes a thing, and Ed finds this difficult to deal with. Yes, he wanted to give up pirating and run away with Stede to China, but being overshadowed by him in his own field of expertise? His life's work? By an amateur?? (and Stede not only has his crew, but he has his Izzy too now?)

Maybe there is another separation, maybe Ed goes away to chill somewhere, maybe there is a fight between Stede and Ed.

Then Price Ricky comes back, and he wants Stede (and piracy in general) dead. Izzy has some undercover part where he's talking to Ricky over a candlelight dinner and is seen wearing a Navy jacket later. At one point, he gets severely injured (as seen in BTS photos).

The showdown is happening on the beach. But instead of Stede killing Izzy and then running towards Ed, Ed is coming back to help Stede and his crew out when the battle seems lost and Izzy is hurt/dying.

It could be framed like the scene in episode one - Ed coming from one side, Stede seeing him and running towards him from the other, both fighting Navy guys left and right. With their combined effort, the battle is won.

But instead of Ed and Stede having only eyes for each other, this time around there's also Izzy, and they won't let him die (maybe with help from a certain bird? Or is this to out there).

I can even see a bit of jealousy going on with Ed regarding Izzy and Stede.

In reversal of the dream though, Izzy will be the one bringing Ed and Stede together (through giving Stede a sense of self-worth, through talking to Ed about his feelings of envy/fear about his unloveableness because Izzy knows him and I think Ed really cares about his opinion, etc.)

In the end, the conclusion could be that they're all in it together. Ed and Stede co-captain, and Iz is their shared first mate.

(and then the three of them ride off into the sunset)

#ofmd #ofmd season 2 spoilers #ofmd s2 spoilers #ofmd speculation #edward teach #stede bonnet #izzy hands #maybe a bit of wishful thinking on my part #but like the gist of it is I think supported by what we know already #maybe not the overly fanfiction-y parts #shared first mate yeah right ;)

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2n2n · 2 months

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Can you explain more or less what the mysteries of time did exactly in this chapter? I honestly got confused

That's fair! Happy to talk about my interpretation of anything. Be aware anyone you ask a question to has their own bias-- it might be helpful to reread the manga from start to finish, to better understand an arc, or look for things that foreshadowed it. I think Iro-sensei is actually remarkably good at regularly summarizing & connecting events!!!!

To start though, I'll try to go pretty chronologically in 'things we know'....

we already know the timeline we've been in isn't 'right'. It does not match up with Tsuchigomori's bookstacks, meaning, events have been tampered with in a way that betrays fate. The Clockkeepers are likely aware of this, too, given their power also deals with chronology.

The Clockkeepers have been-- likely this whole time-- waiting for the inevitable opportunity to understand what is going on. By their nature, they are patient.

Since the Broadcast Club is procedurally going through every Mystery & their Yorishiro, eventually the conflict would come to their door. All they needed to do was wait.

As Kako says, "I am never late". For all of the chaos caused in the school, he's rarely in a rush to fix it, and seems to often allow unpleasant things to commence, without concern for the impact on individuals in that little timeline.

(aside, I wonder what he was thinking when Amane said this, in a previous Trial to concern the chaos before the Severance? Another situation wherein Kako was patient, biding his time, & disinterested in rushing to fix the chaos. This is typical for Kako, it would seem. Akane calls him twisted for a reason...)

So, the time finally comes for the Broadcast Club to target the Clockkeepers. Kako holds a trial in order to study the likely culprits, & narrow it down to a sensible explanation. Between Mystery no. 7, his kannagi, and his yorishiro, and I guess Minamoto Teru, whose family legacy is tied to the God, something is 'amiss', and can explain all of this disarray.

Kako has a pragmatic mind. He is indifferent to how many people suffer, apparently including his own body! He is not angry, he does not lash out at Tsukasa for ripping him or Mirai apart. He's waiting patiently to understand.

In a way, this 'trial' is only a staged event, for Kako to wait for a meaningful piece of information to 'click' everything into place. As Amane and Tsukasa quarrel, he finally has the reasonable explanation for EVERYTHING in this timeline going off the rails...

What is that reasonable explanation?

The timeline has been tampered with by a God-- someone who can apparently act outside of the typical boundaries of human & kaii.

The God appears to be .... a body of water, perhaps? Whatever the case, it is connected to a body of water at the pit of a cavern. Sacrifices were thrown down a pit to this God in Sumire & Hakubo's time.

The Minamoto clan personally governed the raising & managing of these sacrifices in ancient times, so it makes sense Kako had suspected Teru of involvement, hence his inclusion in the trial.

Nene-chan met the withered souls of the past Kannagi beneath the Red House, the Yugi twin's family home.

The Well God beneath the Yugi family home is the same God Sumire & Hakubo's village relied on for safety & protection. If you tuned out of Sumire & Hakubo's story (many did, finding it irrelevant...), go back & reread it all!!!!

which Tsukasa had bonded with & given voice to,

and became merged with Tsukasa, somehow, during his stay in the Red House-- a space outside of time. Something about Tsukasa is different, from all of the other kannagi thrown to the cavernous pit... despite that he intended to sacrifice himself for Amane.

Tsukasa became entangled with it...

Humans historically prayed to this God & made offerings to it. This God granted wishes for a price, just like Amane & Tsukasa do. Aida-sensei recently depicted people praying to Tsukasa in the house, mirroring how people prayed to the God.

Sumire explains the Well God thoroughly in her arc:

Nene-chan also outlines how the Mysteries are some sort of new, alternate solution to relying upon sending sacrifices to the Well God in the Severance:

(the Mysteries themselves meanwhile, are described as being Pillars of God,

and seem to channel their powers from a central God... destruction of the Yorishiro is described by Sakura as "returning the power (to their) original form".

It's possible the Mysteries borrow THE Well God's power using the Yorishiro system, so as the Mysteries are peeled, Tsukasa's God-self sucks it in. This means destroying EVERY Yorishiro, returns 100% of the power to the God-- eventually even unspooling Tsukasa [for some reason, it will also kill Nene-chan, which might mean she also contains a portion of the God, keeping her alive?]. But that's getting into theorizing... so I won't dwell But I kinda say this so you are less confused later?).

Kako, having identified the God's presence within Tsukasa, is now going to go back in time to 'correct' the irregularities.

We see Kako go back in time to the year before the Yugi twin's murder-suicide or as it's often referred to as, shinjuu (lover's suicide). He goes to 1968-- the Yugi died together in 1969.

The Clockkeepers are going to create a new, 'fixed' timeline. They know Tsukasa is housing a God in his body, & has since he was young. They will stop Tsukasa, somehow, from being able to skew events.

We don't know what the new world will be like, and neither does Akane.

Meanwhile... Akane does not actually trust the Clockkeepers:

It would appear as if Akane has instructed Teru to perform some kind of ritual on Nene-chan, perhaps as a failsafe?

Akane has placed his trust in Nene-chan in the past, so maybe he wants to have assets to pull on, in the event the new timeline is in some way, bad for himself or Aoi.

Akane hopes the 'new present' is a good one. He is waiting to see for himself what the Clockkeepers are doing, and if it is actually good for any of them, or only good for themselves.

We know that, typically, when the Clockkeepers tamper with time, they take the memories of those involved in the affairs:

However, at the end of this recent chapter, we see Nene-chan register time has changed, confused & startled by the sudden reset.

which likely means that someone has ENSURED she will retain her memories of the previous timeline. Probably Akane & Teru! Aoi meanwhile, is likely ignorant.

(HOWEVER, it's also possible Nene-chan's high spiritual power alone could enable her memory retention...? Kako mentions high spiritual power could effect such a thing in the first Clockkeeper's arc. Kou's spiritual power is weak, so he's likely to lose his memories, but we don't really have a grasp of Nene-chan's... other than, Teru himself is quite surprised by her ability to bless away the mass cursing in the 'Kegare' chapter)

So in summation:

Tsukasa is confirmed to contain the Well God. The Well God is confirmed to be the ancient God from Sumire & Hakubo's time. Tsukasa is seen by the Clockkeepers as responsible for the timeline we have spent this entire manga in. The entire circumstances of the timeline have NOW been altered by doing something to Tsukasa or Amane in 1968. We are possibly now inside the 'corrected' timeline. Akane is observing this new timeline for irregularities. Nene-chan is also now observing it.

Everything that just happened with the Big Clock, Mitsuba, the chaos in the school, has been undone.

What does that entail? It's my blog so now I can extrapolate for fun-- for FUN!!--

Tsukasa is the reason Mitsuba could even be a simple ghost, and meet Kou as one at all. Does he even exist in this timeline? Will Kou have his old memories? Or would Teru prefer him mindwiped? (Kou was more agreeable & loyal to him before meeting Hanako & Mitsuba, after all)...

If the shinjuu was stopped & Tsukasa alone was plucked somehow, is Amane even no. 7? Is he even dead?

Are we in the bookstacks-recorded timeline? Or is this another timeline? Will we see multiple different timelines as the Clockkeepers try different solutions, or just the one?

is it a good thing, to make it so the shinjuu never happened?

will we, the readers, LIKE IT? or will we be scared & upset, as everything we had observed up until this point is utterly erased?

will Nene-chan recognize this as BETTER? is it what she WANTS?

will we want our original timeline BACK?

Nene-chan once wanted this...

.... but can she confess to 'Hanako', or be with him at all, in this world? Hanako-kun was a mononoke from the 1960s. We don't even know what bizarre events transpired to turn a normal tragic boy into a mononoke, and a School Mystery at that. It's likely never been 'correct' that he be with Nene-chan. That they know each other as teens at all feels like not only a huge fluke, but perhaps an elaborate orchestration (perhaps by someone who wants them to be together, perhaps by someone who can see many timelines and wants Amane's happiness, yet doesn't believe they can personally be loved by Amane directly... perhaps someone who met Nene-chan long ago, 'before' all of this, & knew she could love him, in some sort of space outside of time... hmm... ).

Nene-chan and Hanako-kun bonded as Mystery & his Kannagi, tasked with correcting the rumors flung into chaos by the Broadcast Club. Those are the circumstances they fell in love under.

Isn't it so exciting? We're going to learn so many lessons!!!!!! It's time to be grateful for what we had, MAYBE!!!!

#avvy's JSHK

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a-student-out-of-time · 1 year

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Truth and Consequence

*Monday, February 4th, Hope’s Peak Academy, Morning*

???: THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS!

*A glass shatters as a large, hard fist slams on a wooden table. Several birds outside scatter at the sound*

________________________________________________

*In Conference Room 37, four influential men sit crowded together around a table covered in loose papers*

Ashikawa, calm down! You’re going to burst a blood vessel.

Tomita, I appreciate the concern, but do not tell me to calm down...

What I’d prefer you do is explain to me why, exactly, there have been well over two dozen phone calls related to this incident?

It’s the Nijiue case.

I’m not certain how, but it seems that the information related to-

Nijiue? You mean Sato Emina? That damn brat...

Indeed. Her classmates had such a low opinion of her during their time here, I’m honestly not surprised that it turned out like this. But, there’s no way they should’ve been able to link it back to us.

Surely we couldn’t have had a leak...

Well...ha-has there been any word on what exactly the information concerns?

The previous decision to dis-enroll Nanami Harumi and Nijiue Ayato in favor of Sato Emina and Koizumi Hitoshi. I’m not sure how it got in the hands of the journalistic vultures, but it’s been spreading quickly.

It’s not just a rumor, they managed to obtain copies of the original document, including the order that this be kept from the police and the mention of a “generous donation.”

That stupid brat. If she’d been more careful and secure with her documents, this never would’ve happened!

We can exercise damage control, say all of this was the work of-

I’m afraid not.

Gentlemen, just this morning, there were no less than four injunctions from the Metropolitan Police Department. Going against that will only bring more furor down on us.

Then are you suggesting we allow them to invade our facility? This is private property, as mandated by the Emperor and the Prime Minister!

Wataru, there must be more we can do.

Why not simply find a scapegoat, just like they’re searching for? Say, a whistleblower who was only in it for the money and fame, trying to challenge Hope’s Peak Academy?

*Wataru gets up from his char, whose legs squeak as they slide across the cold floor tiles*

And who would you offer? Yourself?

...

Ugetsu has a point, though. If we allow this, it threatens everything we’ve worked for like nothing else.

Well...su-surely we can get someone in the Diet to deny this-

The Diet? If we don’t resolve this, the Diet are the ones who’ll be on us. How many grants have we sunk into our projects with next to nothing to show for it? Even if they didn’t buy these rumors, we’re under threat of being cut off.

As much as I’d like to clear out any potential moles, we...simply can’t afford another mass firing. Not with Class 78 due to arrive so soon.

We’re running the risk of being understaffed, and our finances may be cut off if this continues.

???: Sounds like you all are having some troubles.

Huh?!

*The Committee all turn to face the doorway, where two figures are standing*

Oh, don’t let me interrupt you. Please, continue.

Esumi?! What are you doing here?!

Door was open, we heard there was a meeting in progress.

Got some things on your mind, boys? Maybe we can help.

#danganronpa #dr3 #danganronpa 3 #nwpm #neo world program monitor #Koichi Kizakura #Masa Esumi #tadachika tomita #Akihiko Ashikawa #Wataru Wakaba #Ugetsu Uragami #steering committee #a student out of time #DR #The Price of Fate arc

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blazingstar24 · 3 months

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Avalir vs Aeor: Remembrance and History

Do you ever think about how similar and yet so different the fates of Avalir and Aeor were? Well I sure do! (Went into this on my twitter but I have thoughts that a word limit/twt format cannot handle)

There is something so striking in the difference of Avalir’s final moments and Aeor’s. While we have yet to truly see Aeor’s, the small glimpses we have (Frida’s vision and the Cognouza arc) detail something far different from Avalir’s. Aeor’s death rattle was one of terror and bloodshed. There was in-fighting between factions, between people who had once trusted each other. Nine mages dipped out and chose to only “save” themselves and their ward.

Avalir’s final moment was one of unity at the end of all things. It was ships full of children not gold. It was Callum Seawright giving his life to connect the last piece of energy for Laerryn. It was Zerxus giving a rallying cry to his people to calm them. It was every member of the Ring of Brass giving everything to save the world. It was 5 friends who ensured that two children would have a chance to see their father again.

One city chose to band together at the end and another broke apart from the inside out.

And because of this, it is almost ironic in how history has remembered these two cities. Avalir had survivors. Aeor, as far as we know, did not. Save for 3 Aeormations, awoken long after their time. And depending on which theories one ascribes to, potentially Ludinus. And yet, Aeor is remembered. Aeor is the one that goes in history books. Aeor is the lesson taught. About the hubris of mortals, about the wrath of the gods. It is Aeor, with no one to speak of its history, whose story goes on. But Avalir’s story of hope at the end of the world? Is lost to time. Avalir who had people to tell its story, is forgotten.

Of course some of this is due to recency of events. Aeor fell during the latter half of the Calamity vs Avalir being the starting event. But even though Avalir’s history has not been remembered, one can believe that this was the price the Ring of Brass chose to pay to ensure that the people would live. In a way it is them choosing opposite of Vespin Chloras.

Vespin who stood to kill a god and yet could not make the sacrifice of being forgotten. He needed to be burned into the books of history. His story goes on, as not the truth, as again a lesson of hubris and wrath. But the Ring of Brass stood in the face of that very god and said okay we will let go of our dreams. And chose the future, chose: “It’s all on you smart girl” “Many more dreams to come”. History may forget Avalir, may never know what Avalir did for the world, but Avalir did survive that day. In those people they saved, in knowledge freely given to another.

Again versus Aeor and the mages who wanted to use the weapon as the Gods were literally on their doorstep. All those people in the bubbles, all the people who tried to stop the weapon? Their stories, their lives were not chosen over the mages’ desire to make a mark in history. Aeor couldn’t let go, Aeor is the Ring of Gold’s choices come true. Preserve the city not the people. Knowledge hoarded not given as seen by Cognouza.

Vespin said to pray they are forgotten and it is funny how those who willing struck their names, their stories from history are the ones who survived.

#critical role meta #cr spoilers #critical role #yeah I’m referring to the raven queen in my last sentence #aeor brainrot go brrrrr

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writingquestionsanswered · 3 months

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Epic Novel with Historical Context

Anonymous asked: I'm working on a novel with one of its major themes being historical and transgenerational trauma. I have three main characters in the present day, who are suddenly faced with war. Their fates, natures, and reactions parallel those of their ancestors who lived under WWII, whilst the experiences of their WWII ancestors often mirror the personal, smaller scale backstories and traumas of my main characters. Now, my issue is, I could write this tale in two drastically differing manners. I could cut out the backstories and prolific details of the ancestors, but keep the parallels as the stories of unnamed/unrelated historical figures, making it a shorter, more symbolical tale. Or, I could go the "Victor Hugo direction" and keep everything, including the elaborate family tree of brilliant, vibrant characters that feel too real, and the arcs that go with it. The bigger issue is I don't want to make this into a series or spin-off. I could technically write a whole new book about them, but it would cut them off from their contexts. And I'm afraid if I just mention the characters and give them one or two characteristic scenes, the readers would wonder about the significance of these characters to the main story, which is close to none. Is there a compromise?

[Ask edited for length]

First, thanks for putting the highlights in bold. It did help me comprehend everything. ♥

As for which route you take, it really depends on your situation and intentions with this story. If you're just writing it for yourself and maybe to share with friends, I think you can definitely go the Victor Hugo route and have fun exploring the whole epic story.

If you plan to pursue traditional publishing, you'll have a difficult time finding an agent and/or publisher who are interested in an epic from a debut author. Bigger books are a bigger financial investment, which makes them a bigger risk, and readers are trending toward shorter books anyway. That said, the longer your book, the harder it will be to find a publisher. Right now, the sweet spot for debut authors is around 90k words. Yes, you can certainly go higher than that--and many do--but again, every 10k above that you go, the more you decrease your odds of finding a publisher. No matter what, you would want to try to stay under 150k words or so. Fantasy novels have been known to debut at 200k, but it's really rare and always a case where every single word is absolutely needed.

If you plan to self-publish, you have a little more leeway, but the higher your word count, the higher your base price will need to be. There are also limits on length through various POD publishers. E-books have size limits, but you'd be unlikely to come up against those even with a super epic length book. So... ultimately, if you're okay with self-publishing this book as an e-book only, the sky is the limit in terms of length. That doesn't mean people will buy it, though.

Ultimately, I do think finding a compromise is your best bet, and one way you could do that is by zeroing in on one or a few of the ancestors for the parallel rather than a whole family tree worth of people. If your three characters are closely related--a mom and two children; a grandmother, mother, and child; or three siblings--you could easily focus on just one ancestor belonging to all three of them. If the characters are less closely related or not related at all, you could probably do one ancestor for each of them. And if you want to delve more into the ancestor's stories to explore more of those family trees, you can do a companion novel which isn't a brand new book or a sequel/series, but something in the middle... almost like a spin-off TV show where it takes side characters from one show and gives them their own show.

Happy writing!

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st-highwind · 1 month

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Wyrmtongue

Approx. 3400 words.

Body horror, graphic descriptions of violence, character-warping in the form of a nightmare, oc involvement. Inspired by @estinininininen’s work with dragon!kain.

Exhausted after fending Golbez off and losing another crystal, Cecil and his allies spend the night in the dwarves' inn to recover their strength before setting out for the Tower of Babil. In the night, however, remnants of dark magic creep into Thrush's dreams and taunt them.

The dwarves were kind enough to offer their castle walls as solace after Golbez was staved off. The innkeeper administered an unkind glare to the party when her steep nightly fare was overruled by King Giott himself, but it didn't stop the exhausted group from embracing each (uncomfortably firm) bed with potent exhaustion. Torchlight illuminated the stone walls and cast the party in a warm, pleasantly comfortable glow. The presence of such a warmth was off-putting.

"We set out for the Tower of Babil at first light," Cecil declares, his voice resonant with a long-suffering hope that he, bathed in all the light and grace of a paladin, refuses to let die. "Or... whatever can be first light for a land with no sky."

"Our bodies know when to rise," says Yang, tactfully placing his claws onto the small stand beside his bed. "But we must rest them. We need to restore our strength."

"Cheers to that," sighs Thrush, deciding that their scythe was best placed on the floor with the blade arcing under the bed. Each of them are recovering from burns, regaining feeling in their noses after the bite of ice. Rosa and Rydia's mana needs time to recover. All of them have plenty of aches and pains they pray sleep gets rid of.

Kain sits at the foot of his bed, lance discarded in the corner for the night, mindlessly unbuckling the straps of his gauntlets. The fins of his helmet, a piece of armor Thrush knows he won't shed until the others are asleep, cast jagged, twisting shadows on the wall. When he moves, even the slight tilt of his head as he redirects his focus from his right hand to his left, creates the apparition of a snakepit writhing against the torchlit stone. The indigo of his armor is almost the same violet of Troian dusks in the warm firelight.

Thrush's heart skips, their face heats up. They take it as a sign to lay down, stuff their head under their pillow, and call it a night. Frustration begins to bubble under their skin, fighting with their exhaustion.

"Does anyone need Sleep cast on them?" Asks Rydia, a beautiful soul, a saint, and before Thrush can take her up on the offer, Rosa assures her that 'we're all tired enough on our own', that she should just worry about recovering her mana. Thrush knows Rosa's right, so they make peace with what they know will be unsatisfactory rest. It's a small price to pay for everyone else's strength.

"When we wake, then," Cecil agrees. "Goodnight, everyone."

As good of a night it can be with each of them ruminating the loss of yet another crystal, while Thrush tussles with their own heedless heart in the midst of war.

They knew sound sleep would be fleeting since they've lost the dwarves' crystal. While Rydia's return is welcomed and appreciated, Thrush still can't help but to fall victim to the incessant, gnawing thoughts of inadequacy. They've lost every crystal they've set out to defend-- Thrush can't help but to feel as if they've sharpened their scythe for a losing battle. They trust Cecil, Rosa, Yang, every ally they've fought beside thus far, but can't help but wonder why fate has led them from one bad ending to another. The thought plagues them as they hold their eyes shut, pleading for the quiet of unconsciousness. Not only does it feel like they fight all for naught, they have to expend all their mental strength quashing the untimely affections developing for their ally.

And even in the throes of a fitful sleep, Thrush fights the losing battles.

Wind howls at the monolithic summit of Mount Ordeals, haloed by the mystical aura of the moon. The remains of the fallen litter the barely-there path, each bone whispering to Thrush a promise that they'll join the ranks of the slaughtered. They have no potions, no ethers, their strength is nearly depleted, and they know they can't harvest life from the undead. Had they any sense, they would've turned tail at the third station, let alone crawl to the seventh. Well, had they any sense at all, they wouldn't have even thought to scale Ordeals unprepared-- if at all.

Souls, spirits, skeletons reanimated by malice and dark magic clatter and burn behind them. A menacing plume of Fira erupts from the ground the second Thrush moves away, palms ripping against unforgiving stone as they just try to reach the bridge. They can see the grave, the monument at the peak-- that's all they have to reach. That's the goal, that's why everyone climbs Mt. Ordeals. Reach the monument and prove yourself or join the ranks of Scarmiglione's dead. Thrush was not keen on becoming the monsters trailing close behind them.

The bridge is old and Thrush is unsure if it will be bloodbones that kill them or a fatal drop after one wrong step. The entire trek would be a waste if they were to die now-- quick, light steps, and they've made it. Cross the bridge and I'll have proved myself, goes their mental chant. Prove myself, prove myself, prove myself.

Light steps, one foot quickly in front of the other. No thoughts on what is behind, only on what they're trying to reach. Creaking, cracking, the scratching sound of a fraying rope, and then nothing. No wind, no bridge, no gurgles or wails from the undead, no spirit's sizzle of Fira. They're enveloped in silence, stillness, as if the summit of Mount Ordeals were a realm of its own.

The monument glows under the gentle light of the moon. The constellations wink at Thrush as if to say 'I'm proud of you'. Thrush closes their eyes and breathes in the air, clean and void of the stench of rot and scorched earth. The hollow feeling in their bones fades, inviting unpleasant pain of exertion, but that doesn't matter now. Thrush reached the top, the monument-- they could reach out and touch the engraved stone. Perhaps that was a good idea, to feel the Mysidian legend against their fingertips.

A swift whoosh shatters the silence encapsulating the monument, refilling Thrush's weary body with a second wind of adrenaline. They whirl around to identify the source of the sound, but what would they do after discovering the source? Thrush hardly has the energy to flee, let alone lift their scythe and battle. Would diving off the peak be mercy?

"Show yourself!" Thrush shouts, but their voice doesn't echo. The air muffles all sound-- did they even make a sound? The stars seem to spin, shrinking and expanding, but then Thrush sees it. A dark silhouette against the stars, and then it moves. A shadow envelopes them, and when they look to the moon, blocked in part by the peak of the monument, they're met with the blade of a lance.

Thrush freezes. Their whole body locks up, vibrating with energy to move but solidified with the earth, petrified with a white-knuckled grip on their scythe-- damn, what good is a scythe their body can't swing? --but the sky has ceased its twirling. The shadow before them, encased in spikes and crowned with forked horns, is hauntingly still and perched atop the highest point of the monument. The only movement comes from protrusions from its back, which contort and extend into a pair of leathery, dragonian wings.

Thrush drops their scythe. In their mind, they know they've essentially forfeited their life with the action, but dropped it anyways. They cautiously take a step backwards, unblinking eyes adjusting to the moon's light on the figure, which reveals the patterning of scales rippling down a humanoid body. The figure slowly moves with them, keeping the blade of the lance against them, but each step back only bathes the figure in more light.

Scales mimicking the shape of gauntlets, clawed hands, black-tipped spines on the shoulders, the forearms. A golden underbelly, frills around the ears, muscled thighs and inhuman balance and accuracy. Emerald green eyes, beaming through Thrush, piercing their very soul.

The figure stretches its wings and descends. Thrush notices tattered fabric draped over the limbs, almost woven into the leathery skin.

"Leave." The voice is baritone and hoarse, as if it had not been used in some while.

"No," Thrush says, lifting their palms as a peace offering. "I am no longer here to fight or defend. I came to prove myself."

"Leave," He repeats. "This is not a place of honor. Not anymore."

Thrush balks. "But this is the bearing of the Mysidian legend," they try, "This is where Cecil--"

They're interrupted by a anguished bellow and the impact of the lance, swiped to the side and throwing them to the ground. Their head cracks against the dry dirt of the summit, and pain blooms along their spine and behind their eyes. The figure is blindingly quick, and before they can comprehend their own pain, a foot is firmly planted against their chest and the tip of the lance positioned at their neck.

"Who are you?" Thrush spits, throat scratching against the point of the blade. They don't dare swallow. What are you?

"I am known by many names," the figure offers. The resonance of such a low voice rattles in Thrush's chest-- it's disturbingly familiar, familiarly alluring, but the ache of their eyes prevents them from coming to any conclusions.

"The Lance of Bahamut," The silhouette against the moon, the width of his shoulders...

"The Monster of Mount Ordeals..." The stance he had on the monument, the balance. Thrush has only ever seen such skills exhibited in. . . dragoon knights.

"But there is one title I'm rather fond of," The figure says, and while his face is hidden, Thrush can hear the amused smirk that pulls at his lips. Thrush knows that voice! It's been so long since they've heard it, ever since he left--

"...I am the Dragon of Baron."

Oh.

It's Kain.

A concurrent tide of sweltering heat and chilling cold wash over Thrush's body. They can feel every drop of red blood their racing heart pumps out, every pinprick of pain twinkling along their aching body, every drop of sweat clinging to their dirt-crusted skin. The moon must've started glowing brighter by the way Kain's entire body illuminates, revealing his full draconic physique.

Even in a dream --in a nightmare with his forked lance a breadth from bleeding all the life out of them-- Thrush is overwhelmed by Kain's beauty. His jaded eyes, full lashes, tall nose, the crown of his seemingly permanently-knit brows, even speckled with scales and spines, Thrush is enraptured. The moon's gentle light starkly highlights the lift of his thin cheeks, the sharp cut of his jaw. The smirk has morphed into a sneer that lifts his pointed lips, and Thrush notices the fangs, unfamiliar in his mouth, that have scratched his lips and tongue.

"It's you," Thrush says, voice pathetically meek.

A muscle in Kain's jaw flexes before he speaks. "You knew it was."

A charged silence blankets them again, soon after broken by Kain suddenly and firmly declaring "You will not reach the monument."

Thrush blinks. The heavy prick of Kain's lance is removed from their throat and the foot on their chest eased, but not before Kain deftly swings his lance along the ground and sends Thrush's scythe tumbling down the cliffside.

Thrush opens their mouth to ask questions-- is this where you've been all this time? Is this why you left? What happened to you? What happened to the Kain I knew? --but no words come out.

"Your heart races," Kain says, and his tone has shifted to something condescending, taunting. When Thrush meets his eyes, they find are no longer green, but instead a sickly snake-venom yellow and dashed with feverish slit pupils. The color lasts only a moment before Kain's characteristic pine-green hue returns.

"You have no weapon, no skills to use," Kain, if Thrush can truly call him by that sacred name, croons. "And your heart betrays you."

Some sort of clarity begins to trickle into Thrush's psyche. Before them isn't the Kain they knew and fervently yearned for, this is something else. They don't know if this is some trick of dark magic or a twisted vision -- they just pray it isn't a prophecy.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Thrush replies, slowly regaining their cool in some sort of adrenaline-fueled stupor. Kain, whether dragoon or dragon, is a fierce and formidable fighter and Thrush is unarmed and weakened.

"Your heart has always carved the path before you," the dragon before them blinks slowly, and the two begin to circle one another like wildcats apt to pounce, orbiting one another, growing closer like stars doomed to collide. "It led you to Baron, did it not?"

Thrush does not satisfy him with an answer. The dragon is displeased.

"You listened to me while we traveled together," he taunts, tries a different method. "Listened to me pray in the language of the dragons, a tongue thought long-dead."

I did, Thrush thinks, I did and I wished you'd use wyrm-tongue to speak my name. But Thrush firmly reigns in their thoughts, knowing this cruel nightmare was turning their heart traitorous.

But Kain smiles, sharp-toothed and bewitching, and Thrush pales at learning not even their thoughts were secure in this illusion. This mirage, so tangible and torturous, morphing the sole object of their desires into the very axe that will execute them. Perhaps teetering off the edge of the cliffside was mercy.

Kain furrows his brow and clicks his forked tongue. "Don't deny me my pleasure by denying yours," Amusement laces his words-- he's presenting a challenge. "Are you so defeated that you refuse to fight for what you want?"

"Will I wake up once you kill me?" Thrush retaliates, anxiety beginning to thrum in their limbs.

"Find out, Thrush," He snarls, tongue curling around the wyvern-tongue drawl of the harvester's name. "Humor me."

Thrush huffs, furiously fighting the faintness that diminishes the strength in their knees. How masochistic-- Thrush's psyche creating an unconscious landscape they must be skewered to escape. Skewered, no less, by the lance of an avaricious wyrm wearing the face of the one their heart beats for.

Thrush and their losing battles -- just as their knees buckle, the dragon lunges.

Something snaps in Thrush's arm as they try to brace their fall, ripping a cry of pain from their throat that's promptly cut off by their back colliding with the ground once again. Heat surrounds their whole body, saturating them in a feverish cold-sweat, and the scales and spines of Kain's draconic body prick Thrush like vining thorns through their tunic.

Kain frowns and its terribly mocking. The sight twists Thrush's stomach into knots, and as if the blood drawn from the dragon's scales were truly draining them of their energy, the fight leaves them.

"This won't do," Kain sighs. He leans down, lance dissipating into the air in a vapor of magic, and crouches over their body. "You know an illusion when you see one; your spirit is keen and strong."

He lifts a taloned hand to Thrush's face, palms blazing hot. "You deny me all my fun," Claws cinch around their jaw and cheek. "But it doesn't stop me from knowing your weakest points."

Thrush's heart jackrabbits. "You aren't Kain Highwind."

The dragon on top of them quirks a brow. The hand on Thrush's face slowly drags one single claw down to their chest, perched above the torturous thump, thump, thump that skips every time Thrush looks at the distortion before them. "This tells me otherwise."

Defiance has replaced every drop of confusion and fear swirling in Thrush's head. They know this isn't real, they know the Kain they face now isn't the Kain they trust when awake, that this is fake.

"But you know truth when you hear it," Kain says, reminding Thrush that their thoughts aren't safe from him. "Why don't I humor you for a moment, then, out of the kindness of my heart.

"You yearn and you pine, you think you mask your wanton desires so cleverly. And you do, you do well. That pernicious thing in you that you think is a strong sense of responsibility has made you an excellent liar to yourself and others. Much akin to how I've made 'the Dragon of Baron'."

And with that stark revelation, a name flashes in Thrush's head, gone as quick as it came... Zemus? The memory fades quickly, quickly interrupted by the static touch of "Kain's" lips brushing against theirs.

"And the truth is as so: that boy doesn't truly know his own heart's desires. His mind is a maelstrom of confusion, curiosity, emotions he'd rather cut out his own tongue than reveal. And you..."

Kain crushes Thrush's lips with his own and oh, it's like kissing a brushfire. Their head, for not a sliver of a moment, thrashes with guilt and horror but like a man possessed, they succumb to the desires of the flesh. The dragon's smoky fangs graze against Thrush's lips as he bites against their mouth-- he kisses as if he were to consume them whole. Thrush's body floods with the honey-thick heat of desire, of a feeling Thrush has always felt filthy for wanting more of. They feel a grin against their mouth, slick saliva that burns like poison, and their pounding heart falters under the weight of 'Kain's' razor-taloned fingertip.

"Your fatal flaw," Kain growls and Thrush knows the skin of their chest is torn and rivers of warm, red life are drooling down their skin and saturating the earth below. Piercing pain settles in as Kain's talons sink further into their chest-- this demon is going to rip out their heart while licking into their mouth like a man who's never been loved.

The indulgence of touch is ripped away, fangs tearing blood from Thrush's lips with the movement. The snakevenom eyes return-- proud, avaricious, ravenous. Thrush's vision blurs, darkens around the edges. The heady beat of their heart slows, each pulse punctuated with sharp pain.

"This," he sneers. The shape of a hand sinks into Thrush's chest with a disgusting squelch of rendered flesh, the pressure making them howl with pain.

When Thrush's vision returns, Kain is there. Real Kain, with real Kain's eyes and real Kain's skin and real Kain's long blonde hair. His stare is almost tender, adoring, a portrait of everything Thrush wants from them. He offers such a kind smile, but the fangs are still there. The claws are still wrapped around Thrush's weakly beating heart. The grip tightens.

The apparition wrenches Thrush's heart from their chest, and just before they're released into the waking world, a voice that is not Kain's taunts them:

"This will be your damnation."

Thrush's body is drenched in sweat and the thin sheets of the dwarves' inn sticks to their body like sap. They jolt upright, palpable pain still resonating in the cavity of their chest. Each breath sucked into their lungs feels like fire and their vision smears with motion. Their body is hot with lingering want, aching for the touch they crave to come back, and instantly they're nauseous with guilt. They're overwhelmed with disgust and denied the luxury of working through their whirlwind of a nightmare. The others are stirring.

Yang is already upright and fastening his claws back onto his hands. If he noticed Thrush's startling, he was kind enough to pretend he hadn't. Rydia yawns and stretches, Cecil presses a kiss to Rosa's forehead before she crowns herself with her headpiece. Thrush looks over at Kain's bed, only to find it empty, remade, with his lance propped up in the corner.

"Good morning."

Thrush flinches so hard they nearly fall out of bed. Kain was simply nearby, out of sight. Thrush hopes that such a jolt would be passed off as a surprise, but the set of Kain's jaw and the unnaturally sick pallor of his skin say otherwise. Thrush idly wonders if he too was visited by ghosts in the night.

"Good morning," Thrush offers sheepishly. Kain nods and continues walking towards his bed, likely to retrieve his lance and leave again. Thrush doesn't think they'll indulge in looking at him today.

#ARGH I WROTE IT #I WROTE SO MUCH HOLY FUCK #P L E A S E TELL ME YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS #ffiv #ff4 #final fantasy iv #final fantasy 4 #final fantasy #kain highwind #thrush yarrow #writing #st-highwind

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veliseraptor · 3 months

Note

for the wip meme, I’ll pull the devil down with me, one way or another, please! I've been obsessed with it since I first saw it on your wip list.

the premise for this one is basically "loki makes the decision to betray asgard and sell out to thanos for the sake of a long game ending in thanos's defeat, and this involves a lot of atrocities that are ultimately undone but 100% still happened as far as loki is concerned, up to and including thor's murder." honestly it's drawing thematically on the fear itself arc of journey into mystery but nastier.

I think my trouble with this one is that I've been lingering too long on the aftermath and it's drawing it out unnecessarily, but I'm having a hard time figuring out how to end it otherwise. and, I mean, there's a whole bunch of stuff that needs to get filled in in the middle, but I feel like the stalling point might be figuring out how to end the damn thing (as is often the case, for me).

excerpt!!!

“My lord,” he said, not bothering to mask the tremor in his voice. Thanos would expect fear. “I return.” “So you do,” Thanos said after a long silence. Loki kept his eyes down, not daring to look up. “You return, Loki of Asgard, a failure. You failed to overcome one puny planet. You failed to bring me the Tesseract, as was promised. In all that I sent you to do, you failed.” Loki swallowed hard. There was no need to feign his terror; Thanos’s voice alone sent it vibrating deep into his bones. “I know,” he said. “And I am - I am sorry.” “I do not want your apologies, whelp,” Thanos said. “Take him. Do what you like with him. But do not kill him. I would not offer Death such a pathetic gift.” “Please,” Loki said quickly. “All is - all is not lost, my lord. It is true that - Midgard still stands. But I do not come before you empty handed, and I have not been idle.” Lie. Lie as well as you have ever lied, Loki Silvertongue, for the fate of the Nine and beyond rests on your ability to trick a mad god. “I was captured, true, but I gained the trust of the Odinson when the Aether was found again.” Silence, but the emissary did not seize him yet. “I feigned my death-” Choking on blood, jerking back to life in spasms of agony - “and gained the throne of Asgard. And now I come to you bearing not only the price agreed-” He laid the Tesseract down, “-but another artifact of great power, that I will either give to you or use in your service. I know, too, the location of the Aether. It is with the Collector on Knowhere. If you wish, I would fetch it for you-” “I am sure that you would,” Thanos interrupted. Loki fell silent. He could hear his own breathing, loud and strained; at least that would not play against him.

#conversating #anonymous #fic excerpt #lise memes #confessions of a frustrated writer #loki's a goddamn mess #another fic i have like 30 pages of #that i actually like #and yet sits unfinished #someday!!!

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autodiscipline · 1 year

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Les Soirée 夜の舞踏会/洗礼の章~生誕篇初回限定 -Birth Arc, Lt. First Edition-, 1999

On the eve of Bastille Day ominous thunder rumbles

In the near-freezing rain the knighted Crie Niere VII laments, "A Love, cursed by fate, is the price of my blood," "I kneel before thy corpse & offer a covenant of blood"

Is it raindrops or rather tears of tragedy running down those cheeks?

The moon just shudders narrowly & answers not

The pair, bound by blood, forbidden to each other, slowly go mad.

Underneath the blessing of fluttering poisonous feathers,

Echoing in the church's cathedral is a beautifully sinful song, is it an eternally undesired love?

　　　　"Thou shalt have thy son, my son, surely born as a noble angel or a god."

　　　　"Surely born as a monster or a demon."

The morning of Bastille Day, hymns are sung, feeble gazes towards the child

A bewitching banquet for those who praise, and disobey God

Beneath the window adorned with rusted candlesticks, time flowed silently through muddy waters

Out of love cursed by immorality, a child was born

In the sky, quivering in despair, a flock of crows gathers & the black hounds howl as though possessed

In time with the noontime bells, in the square of town, the execution of a criminal took place

& the people were ominously blessed with the birth of a child

The gods lament, the demons rejoice, the midwife, the priest & the nobles, conceal their faces in horror,

The child cried out for the first time, like a shriek

　　　　...Go mad ...　

#aliene ma'riage #my scans #translation #(a snippet from SUICIDE～洗礼の章)#long post for aliene ma'riage fans^^#love the forbidden and tragic incestuous lore

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sarcastic-sketches · 11 months

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TCW Snapshots: Kitsune Ed. Zygerria

Back on my Kitsune AU bullshit and I have considered various scenes that take place during the Clone Wars - and have written tons of dialogue for - but I have some favourites. I’ve already covered Umbara and the Zillo Beast but this one covers the Zygerria Arc because oh boy would that play very differently.

Anakin cannot play the part of the slaver, not with those very visible ears and tails that mark him for what he is - supposedly the last Kitsune in the Galaxy - his price tag with be practically unnamable. Sure, he could play the slaver but there’s no way the Queen would listen to him as one, she would just see his rarity and value. Anakin would know this. He would have to be the bait. He has to face that long buried trauma again and play the role of the slave. It’s fine, he says to himself, it’s just a role. He can handle it.

There’s nothing they could use to trap him that would keep him for long.

Nobody is happy about this and everyone knows that’s gonna have consequences of the mental kind but they can’t just leave the Togruta to their fate. Plus, the only other likely alternative is the Togruta child in their midst. A Jedi’s duty is to others before themselves...

But this leaves the part of the slaver open. Ahsoka can’t do it, for the aforementioned reasons. Rex is briefly considered but ultimately decided to also not be an option because he’s not trained as a negotiator, he can’t bluff his way through this. Privately, he also doesn’t think at this point in the timeline that he would be able to just hand over his General like he were an item to barter with. The mission always comes first and all that but the guy has realised he’s in love with Skywalker for over a year now, there would be tells he could not control. But you know who can? Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan who is Anakin’s teacher, his best friend, who is called ‘Master’ by Anakin for an entirely different reason. He realises just how much trust Anakin is placing in him to take on this role, but Anakin tells him that he refuses to call Obi-Wan ‘Master’ for the entire charade - refuses to tarnish the word he has come to accept as a term of respect - and Obi-Wan is grateful for that. It would fuck them both up once this was all over if he did.

Rex and Ahsoka are now on infiltration duty and they are the ones who get caught later to be showcased in the slave auction arena.

So you’ve got Rex and Ahsoka about to be made examples of, with Obi-Wan forced to whip them. Except, he clearly hesitates; he knows he has to do this for the ruse but this was NOT discussed as a possibility beforehand. Rex can take it, they both know this and he signals as such, but Ahsoka is a child, their padawan. Anakin consented to be put in the position he’s in for the plan, but not Ahsoka.

Obi-Wan doesn’t get to make the choice in the end.

Anakin has had enough. It’s not pretty. Ankin is flying into a Full Kitsune mode fuelled rage right in the middle of the arena, snapping Ahsoka’s and Rex’s chains free before taking out the guards. Obi-Wan tries to reach out to him, to calm him down but the guards are closing in and now Rex is getting tasered. The lack of control, being enslaved again (just the mindset he’s put himself back into alone), and seeing the people he cares about most having to hurt each other have eaten through Anakin’s remaining calm and patience over the situation. The electro whips are doing bugger all to a Kitsune the size of an Acklay.

But then he stops. Stops in horror because the Queen has got a guard with a knife to Ahsoka’s throat in all the chaos.

Queen: If the legends are true, Kitsune were meant to be very protective of their own Queen: You clearly care for this one. I wonder, what would you be willing to do to keep her safe? Queen: If you’re good, she won’t be harmed.

In the ensuing stand-off, Obi-Wan manages to grab Rex and high tail it out of there. There’s nothing he can do for Ahsoka or Anakin at that moment and they have a mission to finish. The risk to Anakin physically right now is very low, given he’s shown what he’s capable of, but the risk to his sanity is very high. Especially using Ahsoka as a bargaining chip. Initially, the Queen tries to put her in the cage, like she does in canon, but this causes Anakin to be less than 100% compliant given his stress (and therefore constant form changes) so the Queen gets crafty.

Queen: I am aware there’s very little I can do to you to get you to behave. I know better than to try and force your compliance like the others but that girl? You react as if she’s your cub. Queen: As a token of my good will, I will give her to you unharmed and in return you will do exactly as I say. Break this simple rule and I will kill her and should she be found to misbehave… Queen: Then the consequences will be on you.

She’s effectively got them both trapped. As long as Anakin does what she wants, Ahsoka can stay in the palace unharmed. As long as Ahsoka behaves, Anakin won’t be hurt in her stead.

It seems like a kinder gesture than the Queen is known for, but it’s only surface level. If he tries to kill the Queen or hurt her in any way, the guards will activate Ahsoka’s shock collar and kill her without hesitation. He can’t kill them all at once.

They get an additional reason to play by the rules, when Obi-Wan manages to pay them a visit in secret. He’s not best friends with a Shadow for nothing. If they can get info about where the other Togruta are being kept from the other slaves then Obi-Wan and Rex can deal with that before coming back to rescue them.

Cue Anakin being torn between obeying to the letter out of worry that Ahsoka will be hurt or taken away from him if he acts out AND wanting to rebel against authority and choose the path of Malicious Compliance just to show how unhappy he is about this entire situation. All while trying to get the info Obi-Wan needs to complete the mission - that was why he was here to begin with after all.

The Queen can’t really pick a single thing she wants Anakin to do. Either act as her bodyguard or have him shapeshift into Smol Fox so she can have him on her lap like some exotic pet. He has to fight to not sink his claws into her legs.

Dooku eventually turns up and fucks up the Queen’s set up, thereby allowing Anakin and Ahsoka to get the co-ords to Kadavo in the ensuing chaos, which in turns allows Obi-Wan to send out a message to the Council about where the Togruta are. Master Plo goes to Kadavo and Obi-Wan and Rex blow their cover to get Anakin and Ahsoka out. With Dooku here there’s no need for subterfuge anymore. Anakin is very close to making the decision to level the entire palace on his way out but Rex manages to calm him down, pointing out that it isn’t just slavers in there. Not to mention what it would do to his psyche on top of everything else.

Anakin is just too powerful at this point, with five tails his anger could rip apart the very ground he’s stood on. He can’t afford to give in because the destruction would be too broad, there’s no control to that. But Rex? His anger is just enough to shoot someone's head clean off at over 500 yards. After all, he’s not a Jedi.

#kitsune!anakin #Anakin Skywalker #Ahsoka Tano #obi wan kenobi #captain rex #rexwalker #star wars #the clone wars #sw #sw au #star wars writing

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