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dailyadventureprompts · 4 months

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Homebrew Mechanic: Battles of Attrition

I think we can all agree that there’s something a little wonky with how d&d’s combat system changes between the early and mid/late game. Heroes go from being rightfully cautious about danger to being outright banal about it, confident that their accumulated power will be enough to dispatch all but the most outstanding foes. The traditional solution is to put them up against stronger enemies but in my experience these mismatched encounters are a failing proposition: combat just gets more swingy and there’s only so many high level threats I can throw at them in a short period of time before it begins to strain credulity.

While a lot of folks (Especially the OSR crowd) have taken the stance that 5e is broken because of how much it empowers players, I think the real fault lays with the lack of systems that exist to provide challenge outside of anything related to the damage based tug-of-war that is combat. I think a lot of those systems were part of the non existent “exploration” pillar of the game before Hasbro realized they could make easy money selling the game in its unfinished state and gutted it along with the development team.

Thankfully, I and other homebrewers are around to do what the megacorporations cant, namely have some original thoughts and try and figure out a way to add challenge back to the game without resenting those playing it for having fun.

TLDR: Trying to make our games challenging by upping damage numbers in combat is a losing proposition, in no small part because that part of the game is DESIGNED around the heroes winning. Instead, we up the overall difficulty by making them temporarily weaker with systems like sickness, stress, exhaustion, & item degradation. All of which I have details and guidelines on below the cut.

First and foremost let me state some of my goals for these “attrition systems”, so we can all be on the same page. Whenever I make homebrew rules I try for something that’s going to require little to no paperwork on behalf of the players and can be seamlessly implemented into my DMing style. It’s not about realism, it’s not about punishing players, this is a way for me to add mechanical depth without bogging down the machine entirely.

Attrition should be largely non-permanent. The 5e audience invests a lot in their characters both emotionally and mechanically, so it won’t do to pile on debilitating debuff after debuff to the point of making a character useless.

There should be an inverse relationship between the severity of the affliction and how long it lasts. Think in term of encounters, days, or weeks, (with the understanding that an attrition that goes on for long enough becomes a questhook in itself)

The exception to this rule is if someone hits 0 hitpoints. I’m outspoken in my stance that characters should only die when it’s alternatively appropriate, but the dm is at liberty to inflict thematically devastating setbacks in the unlikely event that the party DOES suffer losses in the damage tug of war.

We want to be sparing with how much attrition we throw at the party at once, so as to not create a “death spiral” where failures compound upon one another and make getting through the adventure impossible.

In most cases suffering Attrition should be something the party is able to avoid by being fast/lucky/cautious/clever or whatever else the encounter requires. It’s there to add weight and consequence to their actions, and as a factor for DMs to build scenarios around.

Exhaustion: Unlike a lot of the other changes made in Oned&d, I actually quite like the overhaul of “each point of exhaustion is a cumulative -1 to all d20 rolls and spell dc, beyond 10 is death” as it allows us to play with exhaustion far more readily as an attrition.

Every night you don’t rest in a haven (a safe comfortable place) you need to make a con save or take a point of exhaustion, with the ruggedness of the environment determining the DC. Characters with the survival skill or natural explorer feat don’t have to make this roll. Only rest in a haven removes exhaustion at the rate of one point per night (though spaces like a luxury inn or a peaceful glade watched over by friendly fey may restore more)

Hitting 0 hp and then being healed gives you a point of exhaustion. Nothing’s going to tire you out like getting magically defibulated so now everyone can stop complaining about healing word spam.

Poison: For our purposes, the “poisoned” condition as written is too severe. Disadvantage on all attacks and ability checks is downright punishing for anything other than a single battle. Instead we’re going to make it work like charmed, where there’s a baseline effect for the purposes of resistance, but the status of each poison is dependant on the source.

Poison falls in the “ short term big effect” side of attrition, specifically undermining a player’s ability to do most things since most effects end on a successful save or at the end of an encounter. Long lasting poisons should have more minor effects than the default poisoned condition, only applying to a few types of rolls or having a bane-like effect that makes judging the odds just a little bit more difficult.

This makes poison great to use for dungeons and short-ranging exploration where the party is likely to face multiple encounters in one day.

Diseases: 4e aced the design of these maladies by treating them as a contained skill challenge with their own CR with various stages: stage 0: you were cured, stage 1: you suffered the initial effect, stage 2 or 3: you suffered a severe effect, with the final stage (3-4) being some effect that made the disease permanent. When you got a disease it was usually stage 1, and you (usually) saved for it at the start of each day. Beating the DC by 5 or more meant you went down a stage (closer to 0), where as simply succeeding meant it stayed as bad as it was. Failing meant you got sicker, meaning a character could bounce up and down in wellness as an adventure went on.

Diseases are best for longterm adventures, and often undermine one particular aspect of a character ( healing, actions assosiated with a particular stat). Counterpoint to poisons, diseases should start out fairly gentle and then get worse the longer they’re left alone, leading to eventually devastating effects.

Curses: While borrowing the mechanics of diseases, I’d have curses be specifically weirder in their effects. The sort of thing that can make up the central hook or b-plot of a whole adventure. This should also mean that curses are the hardest for the party to stumble into, but also the hardest to shake.

Item Degradation: Detailed in a previous post HERE, the long and short of it is that item degradation is a form of player driven attrition that gently curbs their overall power level. If they go too hard, use their best items recklessly, get involved in needless fights, then they’re going to be in worse shape by the time they reach the final challenge. This was supposed be the idea behind HP/limited class abilities per day, but attrition systems cover that better IMO.

Stress: The psychological counterpoint to exhaustion, I’ve already talked about Stress HERE. I tend to only use stress in horror themed adventures and campaigns, as it builds upon 5e’s optional “madness” system which fits the theme when gothic terrors and eldritch abominations but less so with the game’s usual heroic fare.

Hunger & Supply: I made a super lightweight system based off this idea of “depletion die” for potions and other consumables, check it out, it’s lightweight and fantastic. Using this kind of system gives us another avenue to challenge our party, lengthening or shortening their lifeline as they lose supplies and seek out new caches.

Thinking environmentally: Part of the fantasy of being an adventurer is travelling to dangerous places and living to tell the tale. We’re denying our party that fantasy if we don’t follow through on the threat the idea of these places imply. You should risk sickness if you go into a swamp, sewer, or jungle, thirst should be a factor in desert exploration, just like freezing is for mountain and winter expeditions. That’s to say nothing of magical hazards; cursed landscapes that drain your will to live dead marshes style, alchemical smog in a steampunk industrial zone, fading into nothingness as you approach the edge of existence.

Figure out the natural hazards, make your party aware of the danger, and then build your adventure around the fact that they’ll need to save against the hazard each time they take a long rest.. Do they take a detour if it means having a safe place to camp? Is there a resource they need to manage along the way? Could encounters expose them to further dangers or make their current exposure worse? Keeping these ideas in mind especially when you’re planning a wilderness exploration adventure should give you lots of ideas to fill up those encounter tables.

Adding insult to injury: Giving enemies the ability to inflict attrition in various forms makes otherwise trivial enemies a credible threat even to a seasoned adventuring party. As an example, A party might breeze through a fight with some monstrous spiders ( or even ONE regular sized spider, if you can imagine) , but that spider encounter doesn’t need to be the most dangerous thing ever if their next encounter is a navigation challenge fording a river and a few of the heroes are still groggy thanks to the slow acting poison in their systems.

In this way you can use attrition based battles to soften your party up for greater challenges, long after their HP totals and healing ability have outpaced the damage a single trap/encounter can do.

Artist

#homebrew mechanic #d&d mechanics #attrition #combat

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dark-night-hero · 1 year

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Oh gawd that "without you/me" imagine... Madame Ping better be regretting everything once MC's death is revealed. Imagine if Zhongli succumbed to erosion because of that, and now all of the adepti must put their own leader to rest—especially Xiao, whom was equally devastated by this turn of events. Venti implied there was someone interested in MC too so what if that was Xiao (gawd what if he also succumbs to karmic debt—)? Now Barbatos remains as the last of the Original 7, the supposed weakest

: Sorry for the late answer/reply. Had to go on a brainstorming for this one. And hehehe, I've made my convo with my cousin like a notepad because I kept dumping idea in it. Well I suppose this is the last part of the "without me/you" following the other imagine.

: without me | without you | part 3? imagine

"Oh Morax, I've heard you've retired. What business do I owe you to come into me like this?" Tightening his hold upon the guy.. a fellow being's neck, Zhongli- Morax hold his polearm an inch away from his face. "Where are they?" "Who? Ahhh wait pffff HAHAHAHA urgh-!" Without any tind of hesitation, Morax trusted the blade of his polearm on his stomach. "I asked you." "Where. Are. They." This time, his amber iris glowed much like of a dragon, sending fear down the mans spine and yet having no regrets upon realizing he had accomplished his goals already. "Haven't you heard the news Morax? They're dead. I killed them with my own hands while you were away-"

Imagine the way earthquake were once again frequent in the land of Liyue to the point were it reaches the Harbor. It wouldn't be that much of a big deal at first if it was just once in a while, but nowadays, it goes three times a day, sending fears in the heart of the citizens that lived in it.

Imagine at the same time, deep within the hidden caves in one of the oldest standing mountains of Liyue was their former Archon. Slowly, but surely little by little succumb to erosion as he suffered grieving for his beloved. Questioning every decisions he have made so far and regretting most of it. He should have been there for you, he shouldn't have leave you alone. He shouldn't have let you go, he shouldn't have made that deal that made the two of you further away from each other.

Imagine the pain of loosing you. You who he cherished the most now gone just like that, while he wasn't looking. Imagine the pain, the way a terror roars of a dragon who have lost his mate echos and crumbles the cave. The way the ground shake as he released the feeling of grieving, frustration, anger and self hatred. The way he started lossing himself and the only thing that manages to keep him calm was the flower field that was slowly turning into a wreck upon his own doing.

Imagine the way upon having another harsh session of destroying everything in sight which was nothing but rocks and flowers. He would calm down and cry, asking himself why and why and why. A never ending why. Why does it has to be you. He was fine to admire you from afar, he was fine if you were happy with someone else, he was fine as long as you are happy and not suffering. As long as you're alive and well, he doesn't mind. He was able to bare it for hundreds of thousands of years upon the contract. But now that you were gone. What more does he have?

Imagine if it aren't for you, he wouldn't have change. He wouldn't have much interest to other being, he would still be that same old aggressive God ready to make chaos along the way. He was never interest in making friends, he was never interested in being nice, nor taking people and protecting them. It was all on you, it was you who taught him to be nice, not to take everything for granted. It may not be thay obvious, but looking back. You were the only reason why he decided to keep going. He who aren't that much interest in anything, manage to find every little things matter, all because of you.

Imagine the way Zhongli... the way Morax started loosing himself. The moment he heard.. he moment he felt that you're gone. He just lost it. The way he started looking for the one who did this to you, the one he sealed all those years ago. He was careless, he should have killed him long ago. It was all his fault. Why you were hurting, why you were gone. It was all on him.

"I'm sorry." Kneeling in front of the messed flower field, he grip on one of the flowers. "I'm sorry." He repeated. "My love. Forgive me." He cried and then snap out of the dazed form he was in. Wondering for a moment what he was doing before looking down on his hands only to find a crushed flower in hand, he then flinch. Gently laying down the dead crushed flower in hand, looking at the messed up field, his amber iris where shaken, then he let out a shaky sigh. "What a mess. Let's get it fixed up. They're going to get mad seeing this mess on their lair."

"We need to end things as soon as possible." It was Cloud Retainer that spoke up. "We.. We can't face him alone." "But we need to try. Rex Lapis condition is getting worst. The more time we let by, the more he wouldn't be able to rest in peace peacefully." "What are your thoughts about this, Conqueror of demons?" All eyes turned upon the said Adeptus who have been silently listening on the meeting. "I.. I won't do it." "Alatus." "I'm not participating." He firmly said. "But-" "None of this would have happened if you just let them be in the beginning." "You-" "You can do whatever you want, but I'm out of this." He look at the fellow Adeptus coldly.

Imagine the silence after that. Then one Adeptus spoke up. "I don't get it." It was Streetward Rambler. "It was you who lost your master, who can you cling close to the one who killed her?" "Were you the only one who lost someone?" Xiao asked back. "You lost my master, I lost my master. We all lost her who was very dear to us." "Then why.." Why do you keep defending them just like Rex Lapis? "Why? Because you aren't the only one who lost someone! Just like you, (First name) lost someone very dear to them. They were my master friends too! If only, if only you let them repent the proper way. No one wanted this to happen! Do you think my master would be all happy knowing what you did? No! She wouldn't be! You said you were doing this make them know what they felt when you lost my master?"

"The moment they lost my master within their own hands, the pain was greater and never the same with us! And what? What did you do after that? Force Rex Lapis to stay out of them? For what? For greater pain you might never experience? Because of what? Because you thought that that would make them repent on their actions? They never wanted this to happen! And now what? Rex Lapis has to see them only from afar! Rex Lapis only get to admire them from afar! Do you think my Master would be happy to see this? All happening because of her death? No. I don't think she would be happy, never. If she have known that her death would result like this, she must be disappointed."

Imagine the way Xiao left after that, leaving the rest of the Adeptus on nothing but silence. The Streetward Rambler left with nothing but bundles of regret, little by little realizing her mistakes. Although it wasn't wrong, none can say it was right too. After all, everyone has different way of grieving, in this case, in her case. Maybe she went too far. Hurting and affecting so many lives and love in the process.

"And who you may be? As far as I can remember, My Lover is yet to return, let alone does they have any friends at the moment." "Rex Lapis." "Rex Lapis?" "They're gone." Although they were aware that the being right in front of them were faking kindness right in front of them, just like the first time they've met. As soon as those words left on their side, those amber iris went half lidded with silent rage of a dragon that was ready to blast at them at any moment. "Apologies but I just happened to fixed everything in here. My lover wouldn't appreciate coming back home with their lair all messed up so I would like to ask you to le-" "They're gone, Morax."

Imagine the way those amber iris widen, the sudden ache on his head and the never ending pain on his chest return, at the same time. A glimpse of what happened not too long ago came into mind. They're dead said the laughing bastard, I killed them with my own hands. Have you seen the way they look Morax? Ahhh just thinking about it gives me shivers HAHAHA. Stop. You're not dead, you just went away for a moment like you always did in the past. You just said goodbye to him not to long ago for a short venture. You asked him to look after your lair after giving him a quick peck on the lips. They're dead Morax, I made it sure if I can't have them. Then no one else can. I gave them a choice long ago, but they kept rejecting me, and then you came and they seems to have forgotten about me. "No, they're not dead." "Morax-" "Utter a single word about my beloved and I swear you're goin to meet your demise!"

Imagine the more they try to reason it out, the painful his headache is. The more they kept telling him you're gone, that you're dead. The more he felt rage. Because why do they kept telling him you're dead? Aren't you by his side not to long ago? Who are these beings even? How do they get in here? Where are these memories coming from? Who was the voice inside his head? You'll do just fine without me, My love. Are you really dead? He couldn't believe it, he couldn't accept it. No, fuck. No.

Imagine, the more he thinks about it. The more he looses it, black embers starts to swirl around him, his horns and dragonic teeth showing, his amber iris glowing. Morax, did you ever love me? Just like that, something inside him snap and went out of control. They're dead. They're gone. In a blink of eye, the moment he took his eyes off them, they're gone. Suddenly everything went quiet, just like a calm before the storm. Except this was nothing like a storm, it was a disaster. As the ground starts to shake, the Adeptus were on their guard. But the moment Zhongli.. Morax turn around, the moment they saw those clouded amber iris, they could only think of something. They couldn't win. Because those, those were the eyes of someone who have lost everything, they held no fear, just vengeance. It was destructive, so destructive.

Imagine, despite the fact that even though he was no longer in his prime, despite the effects of erosion, he was still powerful and all mighty. Even with the adeptus trying to snap him out of it, they knew it was too late. And the only way to stop Morax, Rex Lapis was to kill him as fast as possible. That way they would be able to at least end his sufferings quickly as possible. And yet here they are barely hanging on in front of him, their friend. The same friend that they didn't notice was suffering in silence all this time, all because they took you away from him. Making them wonder what kind of friend they were in the first place as they remembered Xiao's word.

Imagine not to far away from the scene was Xiao, watching his Lord, Rex Lapis, someone he had admire for a very long time fall into pits of despair thus is now suffering from erosion and must be put to rest as soon as possible before he was corrupted. Thus imagine the pain for as soon as he steps in the field, those amber iris met his yellow ones. "Zhongli sama." "I don't know what you're talking about, Alatus." Replied Morax as soon as Xiao spoke.

"Zhongli sama, this is enough." "Stop calling me that- I have no memories of taking that persona." "(First nam-)" "Don't. Don't you dare utter the name of my beloved." "(First name) wouldn't want to see you like this, Zhongli sama." "I said stop calling me that name!" "It's okay to cry, Zhongli sama." There was silence after that, only the two of then staring at each other. While he, Morax have obvious wounds and bruises all over his body, Xiao who just came in the scene was all well.

Imagine the way Xiao look a step forward, he wasn't afraid at all. All because he knew deep down, the god, the Archon he respected and was loyal to was deep within the being right in front of him still. "Zhongli sama. It's okay to take a rest now." With every step he take, Morax just stayed still, those clouded amber iris were obviously shaken. "Zhongli sama..-" "Zhongli.. Is the name they've given me." "You remembered." Little by little, light returns to those amber iris. "Yes. Of course it's the game they've given me." Little by little, he started to be calm.

Imagine as Zhongli calms down, that didn't take away the headache he was having, although this time, everything was far clearer. But perhaps with the erosion effect, he left himself getting weaker as moments passed by. Still realizing his outburst and the beins he have end up hurting due to his unstable state. "I-" "It's alright, Rex Lapis." It was the Cloud Retainer. "Despite being blinded by rage, you were unconsciously holding back aren't you?" She chuckle, looking at the direction of the unconscious fellow adeptus. "I know it's too late, far too late but. She- we went too far, didn't we." "No yo-" "You've done enough for this world, don't you think, Zhongli. No, Morax?" There another uninvited yet familiar face came in the scene, Venti or should we say, Barbatos.

Imagine the silence once again, but this time, Morax was rather surprised but eventually let out a sigh before falling back on the ground if it wasn't for Xiao who manage to prevent him from galling back into the ground. He was feeling rather weak but then strange enough, it was welcoming. "What are you doing here?" "I came to say goodbye to an old friend." That made Morax chuckle, it was slow, but visible cracks were now appearing all over his body. "How did you know?" "Whispers in the wind." Venti then kneel right beside Morax who being supported by Xiao as he sat on the ground.

Imagine as moment passed by, Zhongli was rather calm as if he didn't went on a rampage for the last few months after your death. He was calm as if he waiting, maybe he was waiting. Morax. "Zhongli sama." In reply, Zhongli could only humm. "You've done enough, you can rest peacefully now." He didn't failed to notice the way the little hand that was supporting his back was trembling. Morax. "Have I?" He asked and Xiao nodded causing a genuine smile makes it way on Zhongli's lips.

"Yes, you can rest easily now." Xiao reply to the one he respthe most. "Don't make them wait any longer." He added causing Zhongli's eyes to go widen before letting out a heart felt laugh. "Alright." The cracks then starts to spread faster. "Though if you all don't mind." With every bit of strength left as he, Morax started to disintegrate. "Would you mind looking after this place? It's very dear to me, to us."

Imagine as for a moment, everything went black for Morax as he closes his eyes, only for him soon be to blinded by light, causing his brows to frown and hands went to shield his eyes away from the blinding light. And upon adjusting his vision, he soon realised where he was. In the same flower field, except it was endless, and compared to the cave ceiling on your lair, it was rather bright out the sun in here. Not that he minded tho, not when he could hear familiar foot steps approach. And as he did, he turn around. There you were eyes wide as if you did not expect him to sense you approaching him.

Imagine, all across the field, with a good distance between the two of you, your eyes met. And as soon as it does. You let out a laugh and open your arms, and that's all it took him to run after you. Forgetting everything, he ran after you. And as soon as you were within his reach, he pull you into a tight embrace. Burying his face on your neck, breathing your scent, feeling your pulse, your warmth. And you pat him in the back as you embrace him back, closely listening to his rapid heartbeat. "Don't ever asume I could and would bare to live without you ever again." By his words, you laugh continuously patting him at the back. "I'm never living a life without you, keep that in mind." He added.

"Was it that hard without me?" The way he nuzzled close to you was enough to figure out as an answer. "Alright, that was my bad." You smile. "(First name)." "What it is?" Gently withdrawing himself away from you, "I love you." He spoke while looking at you directly in the eyes. "If you ask me again if I ever loved you. The answer is I did, I never stopped, I don't think I could never stop loving you." Brushing away the tears that roll down his cheeks, you kissed him gently. "I love you too. Thank you for making it back to me, my love, my Morax."

Imagine, back in the land of Teyvat where the Adeptus and an old friend was left alone. As Xiao stare at the spot, his arms were Rex Lapis just disappeared from. He felt a hand on his shoulder. "They'll be fine." It was Barbatos, Venti. "What you did was the right thing to do." Although he did say that, there was a bitter smile on Venti's face before he shake his head and only then was a genuine smile on his face. "I guess this makes be the last man standing, Morax." He whispered to himself before turning his attention back to Xiao who was staring at him. "If you don't mind, would you like to listen to my melody tonight?"

A life without you is no life at all.

[ⓒdark-night-hero] 2023°

: man! that was long, I was not expecting it go be this long, what the. well then, I guess this is the end. also, I think I did stray away from what was asked but I think it's pretty close? well then its 0:55 in the morning and still got classes around 8 am. so yeah, gnight.

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reasonsforhope · 1 year

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"Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva legally recognized nearly 800 square miles of Indigenous lands on Friday [April 28, 2023] in an effort to stop illegal logging, mining and land grabbing, reversing policies enacted by his predecessor Jair Bolsonaro, a far-right leader who encouraged development in the Amazon. Those policies spurred a frenzy of activity, including illegal gold mining and clandestine farming in Indigenous territories, devastating the environment and fueling violence.

“We are going to legalize Indigenous lands,” Lula said in a speech. “I don’t want any Indigenous territory to be left without demarcation during my government.”

Under Lula’s new designation, mining activities are now prohibited, and commercial farming and logging require specific authorization by the Brazilian government. Non-Indigenous people are forbidden from engaging in any economic activity on Indigenous lands. Under Bolsonaro, the Amazon saw a 56 percent increase in deforestation, the destruction of nearly 13,000 square miles of rainforest, and the loss of nearly 965 square miles of Indigenous territories.

The Amazon rainforest, which is twice the size of India, holds large amounts of carbon which are crucial to fighting climate change. Studies show that protected Indigenous land holds 50 percent more carbon per hectare than unprotected areas in the Brazilian Amazon, and that protecting Indigenous territories in the region could prevent more than 15 million respiratory and cardiovascular-related illnesses. There are more than 3,000 protected areas in Brazil, and 490 recognized Indigenous areas. Those Indigenous areas cover more than 264-million acres – almost 13% of Brazil’s territory.

“Indigenous areas are crucial to preserving the Amazon, the world’s central bank for biological diversity,” said Toerris Jaeger, Director of Rainforest Foundation Norway, in a press release. “Today’s announcement is also an important recognition that indigenous people are the ones best able to guard this wealth.”

Lula’s announcement provides recognition to six territories that are home to nearly 4,000 Indigenous peoples. The largest area is the Nadöb people’s Uneiuxi Territory located in the Amazonas state. With recognition, the area has been expanded by 37 percent to 2,100 square miles of primary rainforest.

But for some Indigenous communities, the announcement fell short. In January, Lula’s government pledged to create 14 new territories, while another 733 territories await distinction and boundary acknowledgment by the federal government. The lands of the Pataxó people in south western Bahia state is just one of the territories left out of Lula’s announcement. Renato Atxuab, a Pataxó leader, told the AP that Silva’s government must distinguish their land as soon as possible to prevent further invasions by outsiders. Over the past year, Axtuab said, there have been violent conflicts involving agribusiness, land-grabbers and drug traffickers.

“There are still, currently, hundreds of Indigenous Lands in the country with their recognition processes pending,” said Danicley de Aguiar, a spokesperson for Greenpeace Brazil. “Several territories, despite already being officially recognized, suffer from invasions by illegal gold miners, subjecting the people living on those lands to extreme violence.”

She added that going forward, real protection of Indigenous lands will require monitoring by the Brazilian government."

-via Grist, 5/3/23

#brazil #lula da silva #indigenous #indigenous sovereignty #indigenous peoples #bolsonaro #amazon #amazon rainforest #biodiversity #conservation news #land back #south america #logging #good news #hope

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kukuandkookie · 1 month

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People keep claiming Chinese BL manhua really only have stories featuring toxic male leads, so I offered to give recommendations with green flags... Someone finally said yes, so here's what I typed up in response!:

I Ship My Rival x Me:

One of my personal favourites!

Based on the hilarious novel, commonly known as I Ship My Adversary x Me and also has an audio drama adaptation on MaoEr FM. Basically a story about two actors who are seen as complete rivals by everyone except the actors themselves, which annoys the main character (Wei Yanzi) enough that when he discovers there are actual fans who ship them instead of pit them against one another, he’s so excited he sort of starts shipping them too (in like, an abstract, theoretical manner lmao). This of course causes shenanigans as he actually gets to know the person who people ship him with/pit him against, Gu Yiliang.

Gu Yiliang is a true sweetheart and the greenest of green flags. He’s a complete puppy and I love him. And this means, naturally, the only misunderstandings in this story are of the hilarious kind (you’ll know what I mean if you read it lol). 😂

This one actually used to be available officially in English on the Bilibili manhua’s international app before it got shut down, but it recently got picked up by Seven Seas, the company behind a lot of official English translations of danmei (Chinese BL)!

Touch Your World:

A literally colour-blind boy (as in, he cannot see colour at all and only sees things in black and white) discovers someone who he can see colour on. This person is a designer who has suffered past betrayal and trauma that has caused him to shut himself up and grow much more on edge, but this chance meeting draws both parties out of their shells.

Pixiu’s Eatery, No Way Out:

Not a green flag top in the traditional sense, but here we meet the mythical Pixiu: an ancient Chinese mythical creature who now runs a restaurant. While he’s a penny-pincher with a temper and he doesn’t get along with his love interest at first (a ghost named Wen Xi who he finds suspicious due to Wen Xi’s ties to a past rival of his named Taotie), Pixiu and Wen Xi eventually grow, quite naturally—and hilariously!—into a found family.

The Wife Is First:

Based on a novel of pretty much the same name (and is written by the same author as the popular manhua and donghua, No Doubt in Us (a heterosexual body-swap romance, which also has a subtle gay side ship)). Here we meet Jing Shao just as he’s about to lose everything: once a royal and a powerful general, he has been betrayed by all those around him…except the husband he has never treated well.

As such, when we first meet him, we actually witness his—and his husband’s—deaths. But then he awakens and finds himself back in time to the night right after he was forced to wed this husband of his, and Jing Shao vows to treat him well from now on because he stuck with him through thick and thin despite everything.

Don’t Say You Love Me:

A high school romance with a supernatural twist: Lin Yutong was confessed to by his best friend, Qin Weiyun, at their graduation party. When he drunkenly freaked out and ran away, Qin Weiyun was hit by a car during the chase…

Devastated by his loss, Lin Yutong quickly wakes up to find himself back at the start of his high school journey, right before he meets Qin Weiyun… And this time, he wants to keep Qin Weiyun safe.

But his overly familiar attitude at first gets the wary Qin Weiyun a tad suspicious, because he’s actually quite an aloof person.

The author and artist of this one is also behind another popular manhua titled Your Dream Is Delicious, which is about a demon named Yi Kui who discovers he enjoys eating the nightmares of Lin You. This eventually leads to them—you guessed it—falling in love.

It’s Not That I Want to Wear Women’s Clothing:

Our main character is hired to crossdress to help this CEO get over his gynophobia (fear of touching women) without him knowing. Naturally, this leads to an awkward romantic journey of both identities of our main character getting close to this CEO…who at first glance seems like the typical cold and aloof CEO type, except he’s actually quite a sweetheart.

Salt Friend:

A slice-of-life high school story about the “school bully” named Tong Yang who’s actually a crybaby and the aloof person named Xiao Zhen who discovers him crying. While the two don’t seem like they’d get along at first glance, this quickly becomes a friends-to-lovers story that navigates family drama alongside the romance.

How’d I Get a Heroine’s Script?:

A transmigration story with a twist. Chao Yi is wheelchair-bound but finds himself eventually as a young lord in what is basically a palace drama (court politics, intrigue, family drama, all that good stuff). His System, Qin Que, tasks him with wooing the difficult 7th prince, Gu Yunheng, who smiles on the surface but is quite cold in actuality.

Despite the two getting off on the wrong foot—mostly because Gu Yunheng is really hard to get close to—they soon end up as unlikely allies…especially since there’s a lot of secrets, such as regarding the death of the body Chao Yi’s occupying, the scheming princes, and even Gu Yunheng himself.

See You My King:

Zhang Li, a student interested in what is basically ancient Egypt, goes on an expedition to the ruined civilization and nearly loses his life. Except at the same time, he discovers an ancient tomb with a statue that actually comes to life and saves him…

And this statue even follows him home. This statue is sweet and loving despite its inability to speak, and Zhang Li grows attached to it (or him)… But then the statue falls apart and Zhang Li is devastated.

In wishing for a miracle to bring them back together, the statue’s stone heart sends Zhang Li back in time…to when this ancient civilization is still present. And that’s how he discovers his stone statue is the “tyrant king” of this region, and as cruel as he seems at first glance, both this king and Zhang Li eventually grow close and unfold the different sides to one another that makes them inseparable in the face of all kinds of threats.

Trapping the Foxy Doctor:

A doctor and a psychiatrist meet…except it doesn’t seem like a perfect love story at first glance. Not because the doctor is traditionally foxy (seductive and/or cunning), but because he’s so silly and on-the-nose that he initially kind of rubs the psychiatrist the wrong way. Except, of course, with the kind of sunny sincerity displayed by our doctor Zhi Banyi, you can’t resist him for long…

And the psychiatrist, Lin Li, is himself quite a polite soul despite his complex upbringing. As such, the two end up together through a series of cases where they have to collaborate and help clients, with a lot of shenanigans sprinkled in between (including the fact Lin Li has a side-job live-streaming as a woman—and “she” just so happens to be Zhi Banyi’s favourite streamer lol).

Pirouette Into My Heart aka Salad Days:

You know the “he was a skater boy and she did ballet” kind of set-up? Well here we have a boxer and a ballet dancer…and hey, “can I make it any more obvious”?

This one is basically a feel-good story of the century. It’s childhood friends to lovers, and it’s soft and cuddly and encouraging, as we follow the main character, Jiang Shen, in achieving his ballet dreams. And on every step of the way, he’s accompanied by the boxer Bai Jinyi, who’s also chasing his own dreams.

The draw of this one is that while there’s obviously conflict to drive the plot along, it’s ultimately a comforting story, so you get all warm and squishy inside reading it. Bai Jinyi and Jiang Shen are very supportive of one another, as is everyone around them.

There’s even extras at the very end that swap the classes of the two main characters, which makes for a similarly compelling AU. 🤭

Beryl and Sapphire:

Not always BL but often is. What do I mean by that? Well it’s a story that can switch to any universe even as the characters stay the same, and some worlds are just one-off gags while some are whole story arcs. The original manhua features stick figures, so if you really want to experience this one, I’d recommend the donghua. The first season also cleverly shows the main characters as actors in the OP, which explains all the world-switching pretty easily haha.

Don’t Pick Up Boyfriends from the Trash Bin:

Unfortunately I’m not sure the manhua for this one is still ongoing, but the original novel (all about transmigration and hopping multiple worlds) 100% features a green flag top.

The Guy Inside Me:

I know the title sounds sexual lol but it’s actually a joke about how it’s a body-swap story. 😆

The original Chinese title is “This Question Is Too Difficult”) and of course, the author also wrote Fake Slackers, which has two very smart students act like terrible ones due to not wanting trouble.

Falling to Where I Belong:

The thing about this one is that the top is 100% a total green flag... It's the main character that's more of a red flag, in the sense he at first only asks the top out to humiliate him due to a misunderstanding.

But it's still a heartfelt story filled with regret and growth, and I did really like the portrayal of Cheng Feichi. Personally I think the manhua humanizes him a bit more than the novel since we didn't really get his POV in the novel that often, but I did hope for even more emotion in the ending... Still, it was a satisfying read, and while I would like to comfort the main character, Zhen Yeming, over his regrets, I really want to just give all the good things to Cheng Feichi, who definitely deserves it after everything he went through.

More Than Brothers:

For the "non-freaks" out there, they're not actual brothers, don’t worry; not adopted brothers either. Just a guy who saw his younger friend as his bro…until this friend disappeared from his life and apparently got into a bad crowd… Except in reality he is being harassed and is struggling to leave his abusive family.

The Protagonist Just Wants to Fall in Love:

Kind of a classic in the transmigration genre, except now we get multiple worlds in multiple arcs. Our protagonists are Systems on their final mission, aiming to become human by the end of it, and their task is to guide their protagonists away from the path of "darkening" (essentially corruption).

And each and every one of these systems do so by getting their protagonist to fall in love with them lol.

Unsurprisingly, my favourite arc so far—in the manhua at least!—is the historical one between the advisor and the emperor, but the third—and currently ongoing as the time of me writing this—world between two university students who started getting close during military training and by playing games is also quite cute.

And okay, man I could really keep going, especially with the manhua that are based on novels, but this post is already really long asjakfl. It was, in fact, so fucking long YouTube wouldn't even let me post it at first until I cut it down AMFKGSJDFGS.

But I still want to at least give a shout out to some of the manhua with pretty healthy, green flag tops/gongs!:

Like Han Yuan, despite the characters not getting along at first and Yu Han being rather aloof to the spoiled Luo Linyuan, is still quite sweet at its core. Lovely Allergen is as well, even with their "brotherly" relationship being the forefront of the conflict between Song Yu and Yue Zishi.

Another kind I wanted to bring up is the ones where their worlds or stories are dark, but the characters aren't necessarily. Like The Film Emperor, He Insisted on Being My Patron has a very green flag gong (he's such a puppy!), but he and the main character are up against the reddest of red flags of a villain LMDFKGSJFD.

It's also not a manhua I think people who want green flag leads would necessarily enjoy, given that beyond being "darker," it also goes into the territory of fan service-y and "problematic" nsfw content, but again, the male lead is really quite sweet to the main character despite the shitty situation they're in.

And I thought of Bu Chonghua from Tunhai aka Swallowing the Seas (another one based on a novel), since the main character there, Wu Yu, comes to see Bu Chonghua as so good and just that he pushes him away because he feels like he can't dirty such a man with his own darkness, both in his past and personality. It's a trope I really enjoy.

I'll briefly mention some ⚠️ spoilers ⚠️but the reason I wanted to highlight it is because: the latest chapter of the manhua has Bu Chonghua overhear Wu Yu saying he likes Bu Chonghua, and this is after Wu Yu disappeared and Bu Chonghua is worried he skipped town for good. He follows Wu Yu, all while wondering if the like Wu Yu holds for him is the same as his liking of Wu Yu, and when Wu Yu is about to be gravely injured in an underground fighting ring, Bu Chonghua steps in to save him... The chapter ends with Wu Yu holding him back pleading with him to stop because it's not worth dirtying his hands with such a man as his opponent, and that's such a delicious flavour of angst because like...Wu Yu thinks it's fine for he himself to fight against such a person, but he doesn't want Bu Chonghua to. ;-;

Oops. I didn't mean for this to become a deeper ramble of Tunhai KMSGFKGHSJ. It's just interesting to me since Tunhai and its prequel, Poyun aka Breaking Through the Clouds, may not have what the people who prefer green flag tops want in terms of content, but its tops are technically not that much of a red flag either.

Which also get us to the kind of stories where plot can also sort of outweigh whether a top/gong is a green flag or not. Like No Arguing With Mr. Mo has two characters who struggle greatly in their relationship, with the question of "are they in love?" being an overarching issue for them, meaning it's not exactly healthy, and prevents them from being fully either green or red flags.

I also didn't bring up a lot of historical/xianxia manhua, which I'm sure some people may disagree with... Like the leads in Tianbao Fuyao Lu are arguably quite good, and while I haven't read Dinghai Fusheng Lu yet, I assume it's in a similar boat as something set in the same world.

And then there's the ones that develop into green flags... Like Mo Ran starts off awful, yes, but he does become much better later on!! But I don't think that's what those people after green flags want to hear lol. Plus I'd argue Erha is best experienced in novel (or audio drama) form over the manhua anyway—the manhua feels more like something made for established fans in my opinion.

Regardless, I hope this shows that with so many listed above, many manhua actually feature male leads who really do care for their love interests in a healthy, respectful way, whether they're 100% green flags or they develop into green flags or they're not even complete green flags. ^^

Edit: Oh I forgot to link my full list of danmei/baihe manhua recs HMSKFJSKS. I currently don’t have any summaries, tags, or content warnings in this list though, but there’s quite the range of stories!:

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communistchilchuck · 12 days

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Ahmad reached out to me to help share his family's fundraiser. Ahmad is a 22 year old dentistry student currently residing in Gaza. He and his family are now living in tents in Rafah after the IOF destroyed his home. His brother Mohammad, currently living in Sweden, has raised kr16,833 SEK out of his kr250,000 goal to evacuate his family to Egypt! Please donate and share, and if you can't donate, please still share!

Ahmad's Twitter/X account: @ahmadposts1

From Mohammad's GFM:

My name is Mohammad Jamal Shamia, and I reside in Sweden. I am raising funds to help my family and my sisters and brother leave Gaza for Egypt or any other country to secure their safety, as there is no longer a safe place in Gaza.

Here is their story:

My family consists of eight people: my father, my mother, four daughters, and two sons.

My father, Jamal Shamia, is currently in Gaza, and his home was destroyed at the beginning of the war. We have lost security and peace. We have witnessed how a single rocket can destroy your entire life, both your past and your future. Our dreams have been shattered. Now the future is unknown and dark. There is no home, no basic life essentials, no job. We are now seeking to leave this country for a life abroad and to obtain security. We estimate our loss to be at least $50,000 to rebuild a home and start our lives anew.

My mother left Gaza before the war for surgery in Egypt and is now stranded on the Egyptian side without any means of support.

The daughters (Rasha, Maram, Rana, Reem):

- Rasha Jamal Shamia and her husband Khalil Abu Samaan have two children, Mira Abu Samaan and Omar Abu Samaan. They are now in Gaza and have left their home and all their belongings in Gaza City to move to Rafah, but they cannot return to their home due to the occupation forces' siege of the northern areas. They are now in tents and have lost their children's future in terms of education and the opportunity for a decent life.

- Rana Jamal Shamia and her husband Mohammed Salama have two children, Amir Salama and Taim Salama. They are also in Gaza and lost their home after the occupation forces bombed their house, and they suffered direct injuries. They also lost their children's future and are now internally displaced persons in Rafah City after their house was demolished. They still suffer from the damage they and their children witnessed.

- Reem Jamal Shamia is residing outside Gaza and has not seen her family for some time.

- Maram Jamal Shamia and her husband Mareed Al-Suwirki are now outside Gaza. They were evacuated along with their children and husband from Gaza. Maram's family has suffered greatly during their time in Gaza, and their home was destroyed. They lost many of their belongings. Her husband is a dentist and also lost his job.

Two of the sons (Mohammad, Ahmad):

-Ahmad Jamal Shamia resides in Gaza and is a third-year student in dental school. He lost his education due to the devastating war in Gaza. He was studying at Al-Azhar University in Gaza, and his home was destroyed in the war. He is currently suffering from moving from one temporary shelter to another. Ahmad was a diligent, ambitious, and creative student who ranked first in his class. He didn't limit himself to what he learned in university. He attended courses and workshops online with Egyptian doctors to learn more and excel in his field. He always sought excellence and worked hard for it, and he loved helping all students.

He now needs money to continue his education, which will cost him a lot of money since he will complete his studies in Egypt.

-I, Mohammad Jamal Shamia, currently residing in Sweden, am orchestrating a fundraising effort aimed at providing assistance to my immediate family and siblings. The funds collected will be allocated towards facilitating their departure from Gaza, with coordination managed through Hala Travel Agency, and remittance to Egypt via established channels. The required contribution stands at $5000 per adult, with a reduced amount of $2500 designated for children.

My family is living in extreme danger due to the brutal bombing of their city. There are daily explosions and attacks. The city is no longer safe for them. My family has been unable to work for five months due to the war, and they are living on minimal food and water while constantly suffering from fear and shock from the attacks around them. Many in the family have medical needs, and their lives are at risk every moment. Prices have risen in Gaza, and they struggle daily to meet their basic needs.

The family is requesting help to cross the border into Egypt so they can begin rebuilding their lives. Time is of the essence! Help us transport them across the border to Egypt so we know they are safe from the increasing and indiscriminate attacks.

There will be a high financial cost, as mentioned earlier, for one person it is $5,000 and $2,500 for children, to enter Egyptian territory. I hope we can work together to help my family leave Gaza. Their escape from the difficulties will only be possible through this fundraising campaign. They are counting on us! Thank you for your support. Thank you for coming together

"Mohammed Jamal shamia, currently residing in Sweden, is initiating fundraising efforts to assist his family, sister, father, and mother. The funds collected will be allocated to facilitate their departure from Gaza and to provide a promising life for them. The collected funds will be transferred through money transfer companies such as Western Union and MoneyGram. The required contribution is 250,000 Swedish Krona."

#palestine #free palestine #gaza #mutual aid #given the photos and videos provided on ahmad's page backed up in the fundrauser i fully trust this fundraiser

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balkanradfem · 4 months

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I feel that any bad-faith argument about abortion needs to be turned into argument about quality and value of all life on earth. Because we are an intelligent species, and are capable of looking ahead and seeing the consequences of out actions.

For instance, we are living in a world with current ongoing wars, where certain people are given the orders to end thousands of lives, without any consequences or retributions. And yet this is not where pro-life is focusing their intent; apparently once babies grow up it's perfectly fine to gruesomely end those same lives in a genocide, or be starved to death during wars, that kind of thing just 'can't be helped'. But women can be pressured and guilted into birthing more babies, so apparently that's the way to go, sure way to increase the amount of suffering in the world.

But, you'll say, not all born babies will be killed off in wars (weird thing to say honestly), what about children who will live their lives safely and happily on this planet?

Well, tell me how?

Any child being born is going to experience the devastating effect of the climate change, they'll watch whole ecosystems collapse, animals going into extinction, and thousands of humans losing their homes and survival resources. They're being born into a misogynistic world, and if the child is female, she'll experience oppression that she won't even be able to prove is real to the male part of the population.

This child will grow up in the world where empathy is scarce, they'll be bombarded with news about human suffering almost every day, they're likely to come down with mental illness or at least feel that the future is bleak and brings more pain. They're also likely to fall victim to pedophiles, predators, and brainwashed boys who learned to sexually assault other kids due to the exposure of p*rn. Is pro-life trying to protect them from any of it? No. They're fighting to stop teaching them about puberty and what sex is, so once these traumatic things happen to them, they're unable to recognize them or speak about it.

But let's look into even more immediate effects of having a child born against their mother's consent. Once a baby is born, they're alive, but we all know that if they're not tended to, they'll die, experiencing nothing but pain. We always assume women will do this labour unprompted, but how can we assume this?

The forced mother, who is already traumatized from having to go trough forced birth, is likely both unwilling and without proper resources to care for a baby. The baby will feel this, they will know they're unloved. They'll know they're unwanted before they even grow up. As a solution to this, you suggest we blame and shame all mothers for not being good enough, for struggling with post-birth trauma or post-partum depression, for being unwilling to be a parent? You can't control what an unwilling mother does with her baby. You forced her to give birth but you can't do anything beyond that point.

Why did you do it? Why did you make sure a baby exists in a world where there is nobody who wants them, is willing to take care of them or give them a good life? What is it worth to you if there's another unwanted, unloved, suffering child out there? Does it make your life better if there's more human suffering? Do you fight for support of new mothers, for better healthcare, for better resources to take care of abandoned babies, for better institutions to take care of unwanted children? No. You feel entitled to women's unlimited labour and endless caretaking of children they don't want. You don't want to acknowledge it's undertaking of a huge scale, that requires endless resources, finances, complete exhaustion, loss of health, sleep, protection, sometimes education and career. It's nothing to you. Loss of quality of life, for everyone involved, means nothing to you.

As long as there is more human suffering. As long as mother didn't get any say over whether she'll become a mother or not, and how many times, and when. As long as her life was put at risk without her consent. As long as she was punished for something you consider she should be punished for.

And now I'm going to circle back to where I started, the war. Because mothers have to watch their children both go to war, risk their lives in war, and be killed in wars. After putting that endless amount of energy and resources to grow and raise a single child, they'll have to watch them go to slaughter. And what happens if a child dies, as a solider in a war? Mother gets payment for it. That's right. For having that child murdered by someone else, the mother will get paid. Murder of that child is not only okay, legal, approved by government and somehow necessary, but is also rewardable to the mother, who, had she refused to birth that same child, causing zero suffering to ensue, would have been punished. Nobody except the mother can get punished.

If the child was killed in a war, and not a soldier, nothing. Apparently loss of life with extreme amount of human suffering, is worth absolutely nothing. But refusing to put that life out there, is a punishable crime. Because it only matters if it's unborn or a newborn. Once that same baby grows up, it's slaughter time. Humans apparently lose value after they grow up, they're only worth as 'endless human potential' in unwilling hands, but after they've reached the age of 'not a baby anymore', worthless.

We have observed the world for long enough to see the consequences of the actions we make. Women are the only ones who can and should decide whether they are willing and able to bring another life into the world, that is worth living, that will provide a life which is livable, enjoyable, worth being alive for. Life is extremely precious and bringing it into the world where it will be subjected to neglect, torture, and possibly a painful death, is unacceptable.

Caring for mother's rights is the first thing that will improve any child's quality of life. Caring about the environment is the second. Ending wars and debilitating male's ability to even start a war, is a fight for life. Not fighting for them to take control of female bodies, which they'll use to make themselves endless supply of soldiers, endless war resources. Taking control from women always means putting it in hands of m*n, who don't find any problem with human suffering, who celebrate wars, find themselves at home doing massive murdering, torturing and raping of women and children.

Women in charge of life means making life compatible with joy, love, care and warmth. We are the only ones who give children have safety, community, care and protection only a willing mother can give. You're wrangling it away from us further away from control the women are. We are fighting for a world where every mother is willing, and every child wanted. Why aren't you?

#pro-abortion #anti natalism #anti natalist #radical feminism #anti war #anti male #anti patriarchy

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wonderbias · 10 months

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Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) - Chapter One

Pairing: Aemond Targaryen x OC (Visenya Targaryen)

Warnings: MDNI, +18, language, violence, manipulation, sexism (style a la medieval), blood, angst, kinda dark?, kinslayer Aemond.

AN: The dividers are from @itbmojojoejo. Their work is awesome, and they make one of the prettiest dividers I've seen. Any questions/asks/any kind of message, feel free to contact me. Enjoy!

Dearest daughter, I've accepted the terms. You are right, as always, and this war will only lead to more losses. I cannot say that your father is of the same opinion, but I managed to convince him. We've lost too much…and I am a selfish woman, I cannot bear to lose another one of my children. I'll be seeing you in two weeks and I only pray for the time to go by faster. All my love for you, my sweet girl. Mother.

Visenya, All is fucked, sister. Mother and Daemon are devastated, she took the only thing that kept him away from his grief: the war, and he's fucking pissed. Joffrey pulled a joke on him…didn't work. Baela cut her hair short…nobody bat an eye. Rhaena, I'm so worried for her, before he was her betrothed Luc was her friend…the tear marks seem like they are permanent on her face. This war has taken their strength to live and, honestly, I don't give a shit about the Throne (like, Aegon can get impaled on a sword and I wouldn't care) when my family is suffering. I wish things were like before. All of us playing on the beach, Luke alive and you not married to the Kinslayer. I've tried…like you asked me, but he took our brother Vis…and, as much as I wish for him to be dead, I know it wouldn't be possible without hurting you in the process. So I'll be visiting the Red Keep for one last time…and you're welcome to visit me and Baela (she misses you too) in Driftmark. I need you. I need my sister. I miss you. But don't ever ask me again to make a truce with Aemond. Jace.

The Red Keep had never been livelier.

The walls had been covered with more heraldry of the Seven but also the old Targaryen and Valyrian decorations had been placed back. Servants ran quickly through the halls, carrying food or clothes; the King's Guards armor had been polished until it shined like silver under the sun.

The new Targaryen heraldry hung proudly at the entrance of the Great Hall, and inside it was filled with more. It was truly a lavish and expensive Targaryen party, a banquet and hunting celebration for the newfound peace in the Realm.

But Aemond paid attention to the details…

Like the green drapes, or the green tablecloths. The maids and servants were also in green, and the whole family had expensive clothes made in green for the occasion.

It was a Targaryen party, yes, but the Hightowers were the ones celebrating the rendition of Rhaenyra.

When he walked into the Great Council, everyone turned to look at him. An already drunk Aegon smiled -the same disgusting smile he had given Aemond before making fun of him-.

"There he is, Mother. Ask him and don't bother me," Aegon said as he raised his cup to be filled.

Her mother's tense gaze found his eye, "Is it true?"

His tongue poked his cheek while he sat down, his grandfather calculated eye didn't leave him, "Is what true?"

"That Alys Rivers has come as the Lady of House Strong," there was a plea in Alicient's eyes.

His face was devoid of any expression, "Aegon legitimized her and she's an ally. I don't see any problem." His fingers moved to touch the pad of his thumb. Once. Twice. Thrice.

Alicient's face fell, her heartbeat pounding in her ears and desperation creeping up her muscles. Her face turned to her father, but he didn't return her look, Aegon seemed preoccupied by the fact that the wine didn't last too much. Was she the only sane person here?

"Aemond, if they find out-"

"I'm taking her as a second wife. The official version will be that Visenya is barren…and that she wasn't able to give me an heir," his tone was flat and devoid of any kind of emotion.

His mother looked like the Stranger had appeared in front of her eyes.

Then Aegon laughed, a loud and unfunny sound, one that the maids knew well when he forced himself upon them, "You fucker! You're really humiliating our sister! Oh, Aemond, I never knew you were this funny!"

His mother grabbed her necklace, the points of the Star digging in her skin, "This isn't right. Rhaenyra will think that this is an insult…all of this will be for nothing…"

"If I may speak, my Queen," Lord Larys whispering voice was finally heard, "It is not a bad idea. It would weaken Princess Rhaenyra's claim even more."

"Rhaenyra and her family are coming to sign a peace treaty. We are walking on thin ice with them, and it is only by your wife's intervention that we have come to this point. If she comes to sign and finds her only daughter, unhappy and surrounded by rumors of infertility, with her husband taking a second wife…I'm afraid she'll have enough reason to put our heads on pikes," Alicient remarked, her voice trembling at the thought of everything going wrong.

There was a silence in the room, only interrupted by Aegon sipping sounds. For a King he has the manners of a drunken peasant.

"Prince Aemond will wed Alys Rivers a fortnight after the signing of the treaty. You must not be seen in public with the woman," the Hand finally spoke, calculating eyes fixed on Aemond.

Alicient's mouth went agape, "Father you surely-"

"This is for the sake of the Realm, my Queen. Besides, the Princess has no lands to her name…while Lady Alys does. Your son will be the next Lord of Harrenhall…you must think with perspective," the tone of his voice made Alicient blush and sit back on the chair.

From the corner of his eye Aemond noticed Aegon's smile…he took great joy at seeing his mother reprimanded like some little girl. Maybe that explained why he let their grandfather rule in his name.

Aemond stood, "If that's all, I shall retire. My King."

He didn't wait for Aegon's dismissal to leave.

As soon as the door opened, Aemond was greeted with the sun peeking through the curtains and the room filled with his wife's perfume.

They had been moved to bigger chambers after their marriage, ones that his mother had cautiously decorated in black and red, to try to make Visenya feel at home. The last rays of sunlight made it look more spacious and the view to the Blackwater Bay gave the sensation of being on the edge of the world…where nothing could stop you and nothing could reach you.

He walked into the room, his footsteps resounding in the emptiness of the chamber, and stopped at one of the chairs in front of the window.

"Wife," was all he said.

The woman in the chair turned, "Husband."

Visenya Targaryen was everything a woman of their house was supposed to be. Her beauty could only resemble that of the Goddesses of Old Valyria, with high cheekbones, plump lips and a soft straight nose. Her hair was the same shade of her mother's, but longer and always styled with intricate braids, while her eyes were a bright purple.

Sometimes Aemond wondered if her beauty was what made her so hard to love.

She was ethereal, a true beauty with impeccable manners, a proud daughter of Old Valyria.

He had been ecstatic when their engagement had been announced. Aemond Targaryen, the scarred prince, was to wed the most beautiful maiden House Targaryen had seen in years? A pure Valyrian bride just for him?

It was as if the Gods were compensating him for his losses, for his place in birth, for the lack of love he had.

So he had married her. Bedded her. Made her scream his name in pleasure, over and over again.

He had found a partner, the friend he had always needed, and a lover…all in the same person.

They were happy.

But shit happens.

After his father had died, his mother had ordered for her to be locked in their rooms. Visenya had asked him, day after day, to set her free, to let her write to her mother, to use her as a messenger and a bridge for peace.

Otto had dismissed her and so had Alicient, when she had asked for reason, to let her intervene. Aemond had talked with his wife, over and over again, trying to convince her to stay quiet and to obey.

But she was too much like…them.

And then, Storm's End had happened.

Water dripped from his thick coat and from his hair while he walked through the hallways to their chambers.

He knew he had a report to make, but right now he needed…he needed peace.

When the doors closed behind him, he started to undress, his clothes leaving a puddle of water on the floor.

He needed them out. It…it felt like the water was pulling him down like…

Like the tides over Luke's body…

Gods…he hadn't meant to. No, no, he didn't kill him, Vhagar attacked Arrax…yes, Vhagar had defended herself and her rider…she was old, surely everyone would understand…and she was a war dragon…she had tried to protect him…Arrax should…should have flown faster…but…maybe it was Luke's fault…who takes a dragon like that in the heavy rain? Yes, it…it was Luke's fault…

"Aemond…?" her voice sounded from the spot on their bed. "Aemond what…? What happened? You're dripping wet!"

Her footsteps resounded in their chamber and, suddenly, she was in front of him, her hair shining gold from the light of the candles. Her hands helped him take off his clothes quickly and covered him in dry clothes, her mouth moved but he couldn't understand her words.

He shook his head, trying to focus on her soft voice while her hands worked on him.

"...and you're gone. What's happening? Please, Aemond, tell me…I'm going mad and my husband leaves without telling me to Gods only know where and-"

"Storm's End," was his shaky answer. Gods, he was freezing.

Visenya furrowed her brows and moved him closer to the fire, her hands rubbing his chest to warm him, "What were you doing there?"

It was obvious she was deceiving herself, she knew what had happened the past days…there could only be one reason for his presence in Storm's End.

Still, his mouth and his mind weren't in the same rhythm, he had never been this cold, "Allies…Luke."

Her brows furrowed even more as she understood the meaning: he had been sent by his brother to seek an alliance with House Baratheon, her mother had apparently had the same idea so she sent Luke there too.

"Oh…" what more could she say? Every word she spoke about this matter left her in a more dangerous position. "I'll give you some wine to warm you up."

She moved off him and went to the little table where the pitcher and two cups were, after filling one she returned by his side and helped him drink, "Well…maybe this…this will bring a peaceful solution. I'm sure Luke will-"

"He had an accident," the wine had helped him get warmer…and to make his tongue loose.

At that, he felt her body stiffening and she moved to look him straight in the eye, "Luke…what? Is he alright?"

"He fell off his dragon…to the sea," was his only answer.

A gasp left her lips, her hands already shaking, "What? H-How?!"

When he didn't answer, her hands went to the collar of his shirt. The tears were already coating her beautiful face…she looked like the statue of The Maiden crying for losing her virtue, "What happened Aemond?! Tell me?!"

His hands gripped her wrists, his voice coming now a little more stable, "Calm down, woman. It…it just…happened."

Her cries were heartbreaking, "Why?! He…He was just a child! How…how did it happen?"

He moved to wrap his arms around her, her tears wetting his neck, "He fell off his saddle…Arrax was already dead."

They stayed like that for a few moments, hugging each other tightly. It had been a horrible accident…but Luke had should known better than to fly with-

"What do you mean that Arrax was already dead, Aemond?" her voice was only a whisper, her hands slowly falling from his shoulders while her head moved away from his neck. When her eyes found his she pulled away, eyes wide open and her lips curved into a sinister sneer, as if she couldn't control her face and emotions.

"I-I…" his mouth opened and closed, not knowing how to answer his wife. What could he tell her? "He…Arrax came too close to Vhagar…and his fire hurt Vhagar so…she chased him…"

Her nostrils flared and her eyes still shined with tears, "You fucker…tell me the truth."

Suddenly, their doors opened and Alicient came running , followed by Aegon and the Hand, the older woman's face contorted in pain and…anger.

"What did you do?! You cursed us all!" his mother's hands grabbed his face painfully.

"Mother I-" she didn't gave him time before a slap hit his scarred side.

Aegon was already laughing, delighted in the pain of others, "Oh, niece. My condolences. If you miss your younger brother search in Vhagar's mouth…some people say that his Velaryon cape is between her teeth. Keep it as a memory, your King allows it."

A toe curling scream was her only answer, her hands going to her chest…as if wanting to rip her heart out.

After that he had given her space while he distracted himself with his brother's duties. After a few weeks she had allowed him to touch her, some weeks later she had finally allowed him to bed her again. But there was something missing…

After that, fucking her had become something distant, her presence a memory of his new gained title and, slowly but surely, every little thing about her that he held dear in his heart just…turned into things he despised.

That's why when he had met Alys it had been easy to let her into his bed, and not only her some other women too. He found himself enjoying their touch upon his skin, his confidence coming back. After all…what better thing than to carry a Targaryen bastard?

Alys had been so different to Visenya, always answering his demands and searching for his company.

Alys knew the hardships of the world, knew how unfair it was and how hard one had to fight to be heard. Her drive and ambition was what had pulled him to her, the fact that she was everything that his mother would hate in a woman made it even more exciting, a witch that wasn't afraid to play with magic to get what she wanted.

Visenya wasn't like that.

She had been handed everything in a silver platter. Name it, she had it. Love, richness, luxurious clothes and people kneeling at her feet.

A mother that loved her, a grandfather who had loved her even more than he had loved his own daughter, three father figures that protected her and loved her fiercely.

A dragon. Because of course that Visenya had to claim Silverwing at seven namedays.

(His father had thrown a feast for a week after that. Everyone already calling her "the Good Princess")

Even his own mother loved Visenya, her hate always directed to the bastards, one could see it in the way Alicient's eyes shined with nostalgia and love every time the Queen looked at her.

He took a deep breath and sat beside her, "Visenya, I need you to listen-"

She held up a hand, she didn't like to be interrupted when writing.

He closed his mouth and pressed his lips tightly, for a few seconds the only sound that was heard was that of her quill against parchment. His fingers tapped rhythmically the arm of the chair, impatiens growing on him.

The door opened and two servants walked with their hands full of clothes, but they knew better than to be seen or heard. Their light footsteps were added to the sounds in the room.

Finally, her quill stopped moving, "Sorry, Aemond. I didn't mean to interrupt you, please, tell me."

His jaw clenched a few times, "Tomorrow your mother arrives and, I'm sure, she will hear of our troubles-"

"Troubles that all couples have," her lilac eyes were soft. This is weird.

"Yes. But, as I was saying, if she's displeased, the Peace Treaty is in danger and we can't afford that, can we?" his tone was condescending, as if speaking with a child.

Because you are a child, always sticking your nose where it isn't called.

To his surprise her hands moved to grasp his softly, "Aemond…I'm sorry."

"F-For what?" just what was she saying?

"I haven't been the best wife for you. I placed a blame on you because I was angry and torn with grief, and that was wrong and uncalled for. Day by day, I ask myself 'what could have been if…?' but recently I have started to ask myself 'What can I do now?'

But now I know: we have to work for our future. And my future is with you, giving you babies and loving them. And loving you…I have never stopped loving you. So, I'm asking you for another chance, to give our marriage a second chance for love."

His mouth was closed but his eye was wide open, confusion and surprise mixed in the lilac of his eye, "I…"

Be calm. Be calm. Be calm.

A sigh left her lips and her hands gave him a soft squeeze, "Think about it, please. We…can take one step at a time…so that we can remember why we fell in love with each other."

She stood up and grabbed her letter, then leaned down to kiss his forehead, her sweet and fruity perfume invading his nose.

When the door had closed behind her and the maids, he went in search of the pitcher and took a great swig of wine.

What the fuck was that?

Rhaenyra arrived the next day.

On dragon back, obviously.

He saw his mother swallow and close her eyes in a quick prayer at the roaring of the dragons, Helaena beside her with her usual disperse demeanor and Aegon sitting on the chair at the head of the table looking…well, absolutely miserable. The only one who looked truly happy was Otto: he could swore he had never seen his grandfather's smile. The rest of the Councilmen were present, the Lords barely holding their excitement at the perspective of "Maegor with teats" kneeling.

The Great Hall was covered on Aegon's and Rhaenyra's heraldry, a symbol of the union and peace between the two factions of House Targaryen, and a huge banner of the red dragon in a black background was displayed behind Aegon. Just for this occasion, they all were wearing black and red.

"You should have brought your wife, Aemond. That would make Rhaenyra feel…at ease," whispered Alicient, her hand against her chest.

He bit his tongue before answering, "She didn't want to be here, mother."

Visenya and him had spoken the night before about this and she had expressed her desire to not be present at the moment of signing the treaty, a frown and sadness in her face as she said it.

Just then, the doors opened and then his half-sister appeared, followed by his uncle and their offspring. It was evident that no one except Rhaenyra wanted this: Daemon had a expression of disgust and his hand was at the pommel of Dark Sister, ready for a fight; Jacaerys seemed like he would rather swallow shattered glass than being here, and his betrothed had the same expression, and Lord Corlys looked absolutely furious…another chance lost for the Velaryons for their "blood" to sit on the Throne.

The expression on Rhaenyra's face was…shocking, to say the least. She looked like the shell of the woman he had met and heard of, her lilac eyes seemed…lifeless.

He was surprised to see the twin of Ser Erryk move forward, "Queen Rhaenyra, first of her name, Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men. Lady of the Seven Kingdoms. Protector of the Realm."

They all watched as she walked forward, followed by two members of her Queensguard and Daemon, until she was face to face with Aegon.

"Brother."

"Sister."

In an extremely surprising act of manners, Aegon had offered his sister his arm. If Rhaenyra was shocked by it she hid it very well, the only sign of her surprise was a slight twitch on her mouth corner, and her hand placed on top of his arm, accepting his offer.

When they finally reached the table, where two parchments and two quills waited for them, Otto couldn't hold back and finally spoke, "It is a wise decision Princess. You are preventing unnecessary bloodshed."

Daemon looked ready to go over the man and make mincemeat out of him.

"Then my baby and my son were blood that needed to be spilled?" her voice was filled with anger despite it's tone.

She turned around to look at Aemond, pure hate in her eyes. It was obvious that Otto had fucked up and the treaty hung on a thin thread.

Alicient moved forwards as a last attempt to stop violence before it began, her hands clasped on the front of her gown and already bloody, "No one is implying that, Princess. We mourn the deaths of Princess Visenya and…Prince Lucerys, we are family after all."

Daemon scoffed and muttered "fucking cunt".

Taking advantage of the distraction, Aegon's Master of Laws moved forward, "If I may interrupt, your highnesses, we should proceed with the signing."

He handed Rhaenyra her copy of the treaty and motioned to a chair. After her eyes scanned those of Aemond and Alicient, she moved and sat down on the offered chair. Her eyes moved along the parchment, her face still devoid of any emotion as she analyzed the contents. After what felt like hours she reached for the quill.

That was it. That was the moment they were all waiting…the moment where she would finally renounce any claim for her and for her line.

"Is there any reason why my daughter is not here?" she asked no one in particular.

Alicient's eyes opened wide and her mouth opened and closed a few times.

"My wife didn't want to be present," Aemond stepped forward.

Daemon raised an eyebrow, "And why is that?"

Rhaenyra placed a hand on the parchment and looked at the Dowager Queen, "I will sign…but I would like to see my daughter. Surely you can understand…"

The soft and broken lilac eyes melted Alicient and she found herself incapable of denying a mother that simple plea -after all, Rhaenyra had lost two children and her only daughter was the one that tried to mend things between the two factions-.

The Dowager Queen searched Aemond's face but it was Aegon who gave the order, "Brother, go and fetch your wife. Now."

Aemond took a deep breath and nodded, before turning on his heels and walking out of the Great Hall, the path to the chambers on Maegor's Holdfast took him some time.

The door was unguarded -he had ordered all the white cloaks and yellow cloaks to be on guard earlier that day- so he twisted the knob for himself.

The chamber was dark, someone had pulled the curtains blocking the sunlight, "Visenya? Your mother requests your presence…"

Silence.

He walked in and tried to navigate, as best as he could, in the darkness of their room.

"Visenya?" He repeats again.

Nothing.

By the corner of his eye he noticed a thin strip of light, so he walked to it and extended a hand, making contact with the thick cloth of the curtains.

With a movement of his arm, he pulls the curtains away, light invading the room and hitting every corner. Things are just like he left them this morning: a linen shirt on the back of a chair, the teapot and two cups on the table against the window, and one of his daggers on the nightstand.

But there's one thing that has changed.

His wife is nowhere in sight.

The sixth day of the seventh month - 127 AC I proposed. I have never heard of a woman who propositions a man -not a decent one, at last. But I did. I proposed to my uncle. And he said yes. His beautiful purple eye opened wide in shock when I asked him…as if he couldn’t believe it and then he grabbed me by my neck and asked if I was playing a game, that he would take one of my eyes if I kept on teasing him. I was not. I confessed my feelings. How I had always loved him -first as a sweet boy, now as a woman can love a man-, how I mourned for him when my brother took his eye, and how I wished for him to be my King Consort when my mother died. I told him I loved him. He kissed me, and was not soft, his mouth on mine was demanding, but his hands on my hips were gentle, as if I was made of the finest porcelain. He is the only one I desire. The only one I will love for the rest of my days. Even if he does not know it, my heart already belongs to him.

Taglist: @snh96

#aemond targaryen #aemond targaryen fanfic #hotd fanfic #aemond targaryen x you #aemond targaryen x original character #aemond targaryen x oc #aemond targaryen x reader #aemond targaryen x ofc #mine

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for-the-sake-of-color · 2 months

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AAYYEE the 218th's Urban Crisis Response's very own Crisis Company as a revamped Draw the Squad!

after a year and a half worth of drawing practice, I like to think I've come a long ways, though my squad themselves have changed very little

Though if you're new here, perhaps some introductions are in order? Below the Cut

Captain Jet - Leader of the 218th's Crisis Company and Heartbeat of the Family

Captain Jet, formerly known as Corporal Jettison before he lost nearly the entirety of his Company during the first battle of Geonosis, only gained his rank due to the combination of a field promotion and a paper pusher rushing to get the 218th put back together with what forces they could get their hands on after their devastating first deployment, without vetting his Shiny New Promotion through the proper channels. Nevertheless, Captain Jet is dedicated to his soldiers, and to being the Kindest man he can be, not wanting any to suffer the burden of loss and shame he felt as everyone he ever grew up with died in the first week of the war.

Lieutenant Margo - Second in Command of Crisis Company and one of the Finest Technician's money can Make

The first Addition to the newly reformed Crisis Company, Margo left behind her own squad command to be the second to her Captain, Jet. Trusting in his judgement, Margo would follow him to hell and back, though for the first half of the war she largely follows him to a glorified guard posting for the republics embassy and shipping warehouses on Brentaal. She's a fine Leader and an even better Tech, though her specialties lay much closer to Mechanics than to Code-breaking. The only thing that tops her technical skills is her love of having a Fun Time. Body and Mind of a Super Soldier, personality of 'if a frat-boy was a girl'

Specialist Nihlus Brek - Ancient Sith Archivist and a loving Guardian of his squad with a Sadistic streak

After being shown selfless kindness by the Captains personal squad after the loss of his clan and his rough awakening from a forced stasis, with the 'permission' of the Jedi Council, Sith Lord Nihlus Brek now serves in the GAR under the command of Captain Jet, the only man who's orders he follows without hesitation or question, killing or healing as needed for the man he now calls 'Alor and Brother. Though it is true he holds love for his squad, the real secret of his unwavering loyalty is the Blood Oath he swore to Captain Jet, his orders now bound by sith alchemy, Nihlus has given his leader unwavering control over both their destinies.

Sergeant Cynic - Heavy Weapons Expert and Artist with an Attitude

Though an Urban Crisis Response unit doesn't particularly need a soldier who's second greatest passion in life is blowing things up with his rocket launcher, Cynic earn his place on the squad through the power of nepotism. That is, Margo's one condition for leaving her previous squad behind with little complaint, was that she got to bring her favorite brother with. Although his name may suggest otherwise, this pessimist (though he considers himself a 'realist') has a love for all things pretty and colorful, and quite the talent for copying it down in his small sketchbook, always making room for his small assortment of watercolors in his combat kit.

Corporal Lake - Spotter of the Squads Sharpshooter duo and self proclaimed Ethics Committee

Lake is likely the only one of the Captains squad that, once you get to know them, could be described as the republics ideal of a Good Soldier. That is, Lake is one of the few who spares even a second or third thought for the success of the mission and collateral casualties over the lives of his fellow squad mates. He is probably the only one who could say he would not give a thousand lives just to spare those he cares for. Nevertheless, although he has his own personal misgivings over the result of some of their missions, Lake is grateful for his life, for his family, and for the many chances he is given to fight another day. And, as always, his Captains word is Law.

Corporal Torch - Deadeye of the Squads Sharpshooter Duo and resident Troublemaker

"We're here for a fun time, not a long time!" Are common words for Torch to say before getting his ass beat for replacing Cynics fancy face lotion with space Nair or being put on 'Fresher duty for his ballsey yet comedic insubordination. Captain Jet often says the only thing that stops Torch from being demoted to maintenance duty altogether is his skill with a rifle, hitting targets your typical human would have needed the force to even perceive. Though in truth, Jet would not trade Torch's levity and loyalty for the galaxy itself. Torch and Lake are mirrors of one another, by choice, as it brings them great joy to be mistaken for one another by not only natural born humans, but also unfamiliar clones. As some of the last living soldiers from their original bloc of trained sharpshooting specialists, they refuse to be parted from one another, unable to bear the thought of losing the last of their batch.

Field Medic Heron - Resident Healer with a Big Secret

Heron tired of front line Medicine fairly quickly, as his zest for death did not hold up to losing his brothers one by one, upon joining the Urban Crisis Response Specialists of the 218th, his steadfast work and easy bedside manner landed him his place in the Captains squad rather easily, and he took rather well to glorified guard duty. That is, until the fateful day where an assassin droid hidden among their cargo took his leg, though in a feat of the butterfly effect, directly led to the squad meeting their Sith. His secret? On shore leave, Heron likes to kill people. In order to stay in line with both his own ideas of morality and his Captains idea's of ethics, not that Jet hears of his activities from the medic directly, he dresses in plainclothes and limps around, waiting for some unfortunate mugger to make their move. Heron craves the feeling of holding someone on the brink of life, having power over their fate, and then denying them the salvation they seek. And maybe sometimes he takes a bite or two, but that's his business.

Specialist Sprig - Explosive Ordinance Disposal Technician and Company Spymaster

Specialist Sprig, formerly of the 398th Ordinance Corps, got his name as a result of a growth tube malfunction in his infancy, leaving him 2 inches shorter than your average trooper. Despite this 'defect' as the Kaminoans would refer to it, Sprig would rank among the top of his batch with his skills in bomb diffusal, having a deft touch and a keen eye for detail. In a cruel and ironic twist of fate, Sprig's greatest fear is dying in an explosion, vaporization, desintigration, you name it. Reassignment to the 218th and his posting of glorified guard duty was a dream come true. Proton bombs vs backyard terrorists? Sprig knows exactly which he would take in an average day. With his keen eyes, sharp ears, and strong memory, Sprig also excels at information collection. His shorter stature and friendly demeanor is often very encouraging for those who have a burden they'd like to share, though one has to keep in mind, he has the ear of the Captain one short comm call away.

#star wars #star wars the clone wars #star wars ocs #clone trooper ocs #clone trooper #sith oc #crisis company tag #draw the squad #jet tag #margo tag #nihlus tag #nihlus brek #lake tag #torch tag #cynic tag #heron tag #sprig tag #my art

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itstimetotheorize · 4 months

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They don't like what they see...

Near the end of chp. 6 of the sounds of nightmares, as Noone gazes upon the giant red eye entity/all seeing eye and its many eyes, Noone takes note of them staring into her...and knows they like what they see....but what exactly does this mean? We have always theorized the eye entity and its many eyes had always maintained a constant watch over the children,

and with Residents like the Ferryman pushing children like Noone to realize the cruel and hopeless reality of their lives, to persuade them into believing the sanctuary they so desperately desire is in the Nowhere, we finally know now more than ever of one of the most crucial details about the eye entity...its preference.

Back when Little Nightmare 2 released, we theorized structures like the Tower and Maw always had a consciousness of their own and were some of many extensions of the eye entity, they were some of the many eyes theorized to have existed and remained linked to the eye entity itself.

When we thought of the Tower, we realized it had been observing Mono and Six through the t.v.'s, throughout their entire journey...and it didn't like it one bit. It disliked seeing Mono and Six together, their teamwork and above all...it disliked knowing they could overcome anything if they stayed together, and had they stayed together, well...the Tower wouldn't be able to keep Mono anymore.

In chp. 3 of the sounds of nightmares, when Noone met the Mall, another living structure like the Tower and the Maw, it tried to offer her everything she could ever desire, only to be left in a state of devastation and frustration as Noone told it she did not want anything from it and never intended to stay. Now, what does all this mean exactly? It means the eye entity has always presented itself as a being who could fulfill the desires of its visitors and Residents...though to a twisted degree...but it could never claim them so long as they did not fully grasp and fall into despair over the true devastating reality of their situation and the world around them, all so they could succumb to its hypnotic light and accept it as their only means of escaping a life filled with nothing, only suffering.

We have always theorized the eye entity detested those who did not crumble at the reality of their tormented lives, who denied the comfort it could provide them, but if what we have theorized over the years is true then, it didn't just hate it...it feared it. We have seen what happens when a child learns to accept their reality for what it is and reject the eye entity's comforting light. Not only do they become capable of resisting the eye entity's influence, they become capable of becoming far greater monsters than the Residents who tormented them, but above all... they could even become far more powerful than the eye entity who continued to watch over them. Much like with Mono and Six, we theorized other children could take the power of other Residents for themselves and harness it to cause devastation onto the eye entity and everything it has built.

We have seen Mono use his power to drag the Tower towards himself and we have seen Six lay waste to every Guest who dared cross her path as she made the decision to leave the Maw, making I and many other theorists realize something...children such as Mono and Six, have always had the capability to destroy the very structures which were desperate to keep them...they were always capable of destroying the world around them...they needed only to realize and accept the opportunities and the truth which stood before them.

We have always theorized structures like the Maw and the Tower feared the loss of their host, because without a host like Mono and Six, and the power they inherited, the Maw and the Tower could not survive, they would be doomed to die...just like the Mall from chp. 3 of the sounds of nightmares (more here), leaving the eye entity to suffer at the the loss of the most powerful structures it was linked to. Although Mono and Six's story remain unfinished for now, this does beg the question...what's going to happen to Low and Alone, our newest protagonists for Little Nightmares 3 ?

Despite spending years in the spiral, Low has never lost hope in finding a way back home, and despite the horrors we know he has faced during those years, Low appears to have managed to persevere through it all thanks to two things, 1. a single piece of paper which we have theorized details the "mythical place" he is obsessed with finding, a place he believes holds a gateway home and will finally allow him to escape the nightmarish world he has been trapped in, and 2. his friend Alone, the incurable tinkerer who can't help but uncover the secrets of the spiral, down to its very source. From what little we have seen in the trailer and limited gameplay, Low and Alone's teamwork has allowed them to surpass obstacles neither would be able to overcome on their own, an all too familiar partnership and an all too familiar scenario we have seen in Mono and Six as they journeyed together through the Pale City to make sense of the Tower/Transmission. Such friendships between characters have always been a comfort to see in the world of Little Nightmares, it has always been a comfort to the characters as well. However, it is this very sense of friendship which has made I and many other theorists realize a cruel and unforgiving reality time and time again...such bonds...are detested by the eye entity who continues to watch over the children.

The eye entity and all extensions of itself, have always been theorized to maintain its survival and control over everything and everyone through the use of its hypnotic light and its many corrupted Residents.

But it is precisely this level of control which has allowed the eye entity to break the will of others and leave them vulnerable to its influence, allowing it to continue to survive and thrive.

It separates anyone from those they held dear and forces them to accept the only hope they have in escaping their cruel reality is by giving themselves to it. Those who fail to realize its existence and the control it has had over everyone and everything, are doomed to fall prey to it and its world…so then....what would happen to Low and Alone if their hopes were crushed??

As mentioned before, Low wants to find a way back home and escape the spiral, while Alone wants to follow the secrets of the spiral to its source. The two of them have thus far been shown to be loyal to one another, determined to accomplish their goals together...and yet...perhaps it is this very hope and drive which has displeased the eye entity.

What am I trying to say? Well, if the eye entity truly has a preference for those who have lost all hope in their lives, if it truly wants children like Noone to surrender themselves to it, to its world, and if the Residents are truly devoted to helping the eye entity accomplish it all, then...what would happen if everything Low and Alone believed in was put on the line?.... what would happen if whatever it is they found at the end of their journey... was not at all what they hoped it would be? Would they fall into despair, turn against each other and relinquish themselves to the Nowhere, to the eye entity itself? ... just as Noone did near the end of chp. 6...just like Mono did to the Tower near the end of Little Nightmares 2?(more here).....or.... would they discover the same truth Six did about the all seeing eye(more here )? Discover what it planned for them, what it did to them, and if they did...would Low and Alone make the decision to accept their cruel reality for what it is.... and fight against the very creatures, the very world, which has and will continue to torment them?....honestly who's to say.

At the end of the 18 minute gameplay which was released to the public back in 2023, we see Low and Alone together as a dark mist slowly surrounds them, the same dark mist Noone saw in the Halfway place(the space between the human world and the Nowhere), the very place the eye entity has always been hiding in.

As Low and Alone stay close together, fearful of whatever is behind the mist, they take comfort in each other's safety as they hold each other's hand. As the two hold hands, all we hear is the sound of whispers beyond the dark mist, whispers we know all too well as the whispers of the eye entity and its many eyes...the eyes are watching Low and Alone, two children who continue to surpass the spiral together...and they do not like what they see…and if they do not like what they see, then....what will they do to Low and Alone?...I guess we will have to wait and see... For now, it's just a theory...a Little Nightmares 3 theory.

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