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bardicbird · 3 months

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Working on my own Disco Elysium skills! Individual art pieces and descriptions (in the style of the game) below the cut :]

DIALECTICS

Examine verbal landscapes. Get to the truth of the matter.

Cool for: Logicians, Philosophers, Asshole Devil’s Advocates

Dialetics urges you to look beyond the basics of conversation. It encourages you to discuss theories, truths and falsehoods, until you exhaust everyone around you with your sheer affinity for taking the most convoluted routes to your deductions—but, hey, it works! Those people are only *really* annoyed because you very accurately psychoanalyzed them.

At high levels, Dialectics will help you reason with even the most convoluted of situations. You will be an unstoppable detective, who may occasionally suffer from some unintended side effects such as: your brain and mouth moving too fast, overcomplicating little things, becoming an insufferable jerk, and joining your local debate team. With low levels of Dialectics, you’re going to have a difficult time seeing through both worldly and interpersonal deceptions. You may find yourself being taken advantage of.

EVOCATION

Recall emotions and imagery. Paint complete pictures of the past.

Cool for: Visualizers, Chronic Observers, Witnesses Of Crimes

Evocation allows you to call forth memories that may otherwise be lost in the recesses of your mind. Previous instances of sound, touch, taste, feeling, sight—all of these are at your beck and call: able to be summoned within and around you in a great miasma of experience. You will be able to relive important events, even those that were only mere seconds, and examine them closer to reveal what you couldn’t comprehend in the moment.

At high levels, Evocation will help you reimagine scenes that may have happened years ago, lasted the length of a blink—or, perhaps, even allow you to picture memories that you were not present for. You will find yourself constantly transported to the past: a single whiff of a familiar perfume enough to completely derail your senses. With low levels of Evocation, you’re going to have a hard time remembering simple conversations and potentially important visual details. You will have to rely on others in such scenarios.

BODY OF LAWS

Know your rights. Remember fun courtroom trivia.

Cool for: Lawyers, Law-Evaders, Stick-In-The-Muds

Body Of Laws is responsible for your ability to follow the law at any given time—or don’t! Just because you know the rules doesn’t mean you have to play by them. Regardless, it certainly allows you to recall a, frankly, embarrassing amount of your government’s regulations, and may encourage you to ‘stay in your lane’, so to speak, regarding them. Governments aren’t the only entities that enact rules, though: you will also find yourself privy to understanding unspoken boundaries set by people, nature, and even your subconscious self.

At high levels, Body Of Laws will either make you an *extremely* insufferable goody-two-shoes, or a *wildly* effective cheat-of-the-system. You may end up feeling suffocated by all these restrictions you can so clearly see, causing you to become complicit with the movings of the machine—or potentially apathetic to why we need some of these restrictions in the first place. With low levels of Body Of Laws, you may find yourself accidentally violating boundaries you didn’t know existed—whether they be legal, personal, or cultural.

#WOW the quality is. Yikes. maybe i’ll fix that later idk i can’t be bothered #i have ideas for most of the rest of my skills which im very excited abt but i wanna finish up the logic set first #VERY excited for the one abt eloquent/charismatic speaking which is either going to be called loquacity or purple prose haven’t decided #leaning towards purple prose bc yknow. I’m a writer.#can you tell i love em dashes. can you tell.#EDIT: okay i played around w quality a little u might need to click for better bc its tumblr. also i still wanted to keep it a little #-crunchy. lmao #disco elysium art #disco elysium #disco elysium skills #my art #100+

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turtleblogatlast · 2 months

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I am once again reiterating that Leo could and should be a figure skater because what are ice skates if not twin blades? What is dual blade swordsmanship if not a dance-like performance? Using the skates as blades themselves could let Leo make portals be his ice rink no? I rest my case. ⛸️

#rottmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt leo #rottmnt headcanons #rise leo #would also like to add that he loves glam rock and unicorns! and what’s something glam rock unicorns and figure skating share #that’s right ✨glitter baby✨#(his glam rock look unironically fits right in with figure skater attire ngl)#I also mentioned his incredible ability to hold a pose before which helps him here #plus his fighting style in general can easilyyy incorporate figure skating elements #I am this 👌 close to animating a quick gif to show what I mean by those ice skate portals #and I do specify figure skating over hockey because 1) hockey is CASEY’S thing 😤 and 2) hockey just. doesn’t fit Leo? not enough ✨pizzazz✨#episode where the A-plot is Casey Sr showing her love for hockey and ending up playing a life or death game against yokai #she brings Raph in for help (since I like Casey & Raph friendship) and he gets the rest of the fam to help fill out the team #Casey Jr is especially excited but he’s never actually played hockey before #Leo tries to join and immediately accidentally makes a portal with his skates when he tries twirling to show off #the gang wins the match and the ep ends with Leo finally making it back completely beat up from accidental portals #the gang: wow we won! haha let’s go get hot chocolate it’s cold in here #leo: *desperately twirling over an active volcano* THIS IS THE OPPOSITE PLACE TO BE RIGHT NOW #actually to extrapolate on this more I really adore the idea of the boys’ abilities needing to be retrained as they grow #because their powers have the opportunity to grow #Mikey just randomly floating off and needing to be tethered down until he gets the hang of it lol #and stuff like that

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lilidawnonthemoon · 16 days

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kicktwine · 8 months

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here is another silly thing about alphinaud. is that he loves to Get information he’s like a little information magpie but as soon as he gets it he latches onto it for the next several days to weeks. he finds out that spending money is something you need to be careful about he’s going to bring it up and be extra frugal every time he buys something for a week. he learns how to collect firewood he’s going to volunteer for it as if he is already very good at it and knows a lot about it. alphinaud is the kind of person to learn a fun relevant fact about birds and tell you, as soon as it comes up, this fun fact about birds that he’s been dying to tell someone for hours. someone let him infodump about social policy

#play game #ffxiv #I think it’s partly he wants to never be the dumbest person in the room but also he’s just very excited about Learning #he has straight a student syndrome he needs to demonstrate that he learned to do something correctly #And hes also just so intensely interested in how things work he’ll read a 500 page manual. Which is canon #wow!!! did you know (obscure bird) looks exactly like (other obscure bird) but they’re unrelated they just went thru convergent evolution!!#this is important because one is peaceful and one breathes fire (ARI DODGES)

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flame-shadow · 10 months

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Collection of the backdrops I did for the Bug Fables NPC Collab

I wanted to put them all in one post, since I'm quite proud of what I did. :)

[IDs in alt]

#also wow it looks like a lot more lined up like this than it does in my folder haha #bug fables #bug fables spoilers #flameshadowart #bug fables npc collab #backgrounds #scenery #digital painting #there are definitely some which i like less or think could be improved more than others but that's alright #i tried things i learned things i'll keep working on things and get better #also! the NPC collab in its entirety is almost complete! we're very excited to reach the conclusion

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spacedlexi · 4 months

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going through the wiki transcripts and finding out clem and vi support each other even more than i already thought......... god.....

#the reassurances and support................... killing me........#thought the 'this is marlons fault' option was gonna be mean to marlon but its clem reassuring vi that what happened wasnt her fault??#and that vi couldnt have known marlon was lying to her??#vi being kind and understanding about clem holding up tenn and tries to soften the tension between them #RAAAAAAHHH #it speaks #twdg #violentine #had to start a new save to see some of these choices ive never picked In Action and its great so far thank you wiki #having a real [GLASS HIM] moment right now about some of these like wow i did Not think that was what that option meant #new [GLASS HIM] moment: telling vi 'sorry to disappoint' is SARCASTIC??? 'no disappointment here im glad you came back :)'#and clem smiles and 'hah's about it 😭 theyre so cute new fave option there #'what about the others?' 'ohhh well theyre less excited about it'#end of the ep said vi was annoyed by the sarcastic greeting which is very interesting since they were both smiling about it #see what i mean i thought it was gonna be mean sarcastic but it comes off as playful sarcastic but its apparently mean sarcastic

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carnivalcarriondiscarded · 1 year

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yknow something i really love about WH so far is that i really, truly, have no idea what the fuck is going on. like i can theorize and speculate on the Scrumptious little crumbs we have so far, but looking at it as a whole and the info/hints sprinkled everywhere. man i cannot guess where this is going to go lmao

#im so so so so excited #i have a feeling its all eventually gonna slot together like a tasty little trauma puzzle #but for now. wow. no clue!#every time i think i have a vague thought i remember a tidbit that blasts it into oblivion #which makes absolute sense since its barely started #but still it amuses me. trying to cobble together a coherent idea is like trying to think during a migraine aura #but fun and nonpainful!#it makes even me more interested in wh honestly #like a carrot dangled in front of a horse #is that the saying??? fuck if i know!#welcome home #also the fact that a big content warning for future wh stuff is gore...#the part of me that just wants the puppets to be safe and happy is terrified #the part of me that fuckin LOVES gore and traumatizing characters is going buck wild

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extantformoflife · 2 days

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OHHHHHH the repeating theatre motif in isat.... fascinates me....

#sorry i just got to act three #and sif has started thinking of themselves as an actor in a play #which is um. maybe not the MOST healthy thing ever but whatever keep going you funky little traveler #but then!!!!#i was looking. at the steam achievements. for funsies.#and it struck me that this whole game uses SO MUCH theatre terminology #im very. excited to see where this is going #if anywhere #its a fun motif either way #anyways #extanttalks #extantgames #isat #in stars and time #wow i just made a whole post but i hid all of it in the tags #oh well

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deoidesign · 15 days

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I was scrolling and saw your art and it made me really happy because I realized you made time and time again!!!

It’s literally one of my favorite things I’ve ever read, so cool!!!

This is so sweet, thank you for sharing!

It's sort of "illusion breaking" so to speak, to think of my art being both out there in a way that someone could happen upon it, and then further that someone may happen upon it twice, and finally that on doing so they find it recognizable...

I always think of myself and my work as something that sort of sits behind the curtain. The idea that it might take up space in this way is unreal!

This is the kind of thing that means more than you could imagine.

So thank you!

#asks #anon #kind words #this really means so much to me!!!#I'm so glad you like my guys and I'm so glad you've found me here!#you'll get to see plenty of them hahaha #I hope to return with the series soon!#I mean I say soon vaguely...#I've only finished 3 episodes. I'm still working on writing.#I also STARTED TAKING WELLBUTRIN #and this shit slaps #I didnt realize how anxious I was ltierally all the time #it's helping so much #I'm getting so much more done #I'm excited to go to bed #because I'm excited to get up in the morning #and because I know that tomorrow will be able to be a good day...#before it was sorta like. well tomorrow might suck so I better milk this mediocre day for all it's worth.#and then getting up meant facing everything that scares me #but like. omg.#world of a difference...#wow #there might even be something better out there for me cause the executives arent really functioning at the moment #but as of now I'm going from like 20% to like 70% maybe #which is.#holy shit #I might talk about this more later cause wow

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tizzymcwizzy · 1 year

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watched the ml movie

that sure was smth that happened on my screen for real uhuh

#i feel like i'm in a catatonic state rn #more thoughts below‚ no spoilers tho! just thoughts on the movie as a whole #uh #it was not great SJHDHFJG but what where we really expecting huh #overall maybe like 4/10 pushing a 3.5 i'm def gonna have to watch it with better subs visual and audio quality later #excited for the eng dub LMAO #overall there were like 2 or 3 scenes i really liked but MAN that ending was not it #gonna be thinking about it for a while tho #NOT AS BAD AS THE SHANGHAI SPECIAL? CAN I SAY THAT? IDK... IM NOT AS. ENRAGED. MAYBE CAUSE IT'S AN AU #def things going on and happening that i just ???? who did this #extremely incoherent rn if you can't tell #insane . thing. yeah wow ie #tizzy talks #miraculous ladybug #miraculous ladybug awakening #ladybug and cat noir the movie #christ why did they rename this film like 200 times #ml awakening #mlb awakening #i don't even remember which fucking tag i use for it

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ivaspinoza · 3 months

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i just hate stuff like "break down your paragraphs cos readers are afraid of big paragraphs" like no, not my readers?? who is afraid of big paragraphs??? only if they are badly written!

#say this to the old russians #or any other serious writer cmon #in fact big paragraphs are such a TRIP i get excited everytime bc like wow they decided to not cut their line of thought #which means this is going to be awesome #writers problems

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boxwinebaddie · 29 days

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How/when does Jersey end up saying I love you?

oooooh! okay, so i was going to write it out ( i am jennifer slowpez so in nina fashion, i am spoiling it, what's new? ) but there is a part after this...if we remember this ask i am obsessed with where raven is diabolically patching jersey up via the tiny child sized hellokitty carebear bandids kyle bought for the kids he works w in the elementary school via that one anons delicious input...genius really.

*raven vc* pero like, so you know, they pull away it's awkward fml. dawg, they are about to *dreamy fit asf rm tolkien posh british vc* have a cheeky little snog like that entire whumpshot...anyways!

( ALRIGHT THIS IS LONG, VERY UNHINGED AND ROUGH SORRY I HOPE YOU SMILE LAUGH AND CRY PENDEJOS <3 )

kyle notices that the vinyl record player is playing their sadie hawkins first dance song ( idk what song it is but its an abba song because thats gay rights baby! its probably my love, my life or andante andante...branch in my eyes ) and theres a bowl of skittles, but only the red ones are in it...because stan still eats around the red ones bc only kyle can have the red ones....brb crying!

yadda yadda yadda. and i think on the tv, the screen is paused over a brand new episode of say yes to the dress ( if we recall, before i deleted chapter six...which was a disaster but also a masterpiece rip, ravenstan was being so boyfail cute in it in his armani suit and was rizzing the hell out of kyle with his crunchy boy knowledge of plants...when stan came over for their #hate fashionably late, kyle was stress-watching say yes to the dress...which is his favorite show because he claims to be allergic to romance, but secretly thinks its really beautiful that people can fall and love and get married...AAA )

but anyways, when they start dating say yes to the dress ( shoutout to when ravenstan forgot what it was called bc adhd and called it Are You Down With The Gown ) became their show and kyle very quietly is like "were you going to watch it?" and stan getting nervous, trying to deflect because they always watch it together is like uhuhuhHhHh and kyle, sad laugh shaking his head is like "baby" *yersey swearing* "dude...baby dude...my guy...just guy, fuck, you know you can watch it without me. we're not...Together. *hurts worse than his ribs* you don't have to wait for me." and stan is like "i-i know. i was going to...i-i Wanted to! i just--i couldn't. i couldn't watch all the people in...."

Love :(

he doesn't say it. but jersey kyle can FEEL it.

he winces. hard.

he wants to fucking die...he wants to say something but he's so stupid and he ruined ravenstan's life, words fail him but STAN!!! grabs his hand and is like "-because! because i knew it would make me miss you. and fuck it. FUCK EVERYTHING KYLE I FUCKING MISS YOU!!!! i miss you and i LOVE you and i don't--i don't care if you can't say it back! i don't have to wait for you, but i WILL! i want to! i'll--i'll wait forever! YOURE MY FOREVER. people tell me they love me everyday, but with you--i can feel it. I. Just. Know. and that's enough! you're enough. YOURE ENOUGH, KYLE BROFLOVSKI. just the way you are. and i'm sorry...i'm sorry i pushed you and tried to change you. i was just, i was insecure about it i guess--and--and--"

cue kyle smiling like an idiot ( the rare kyle smile ) like "...stan?"

ft. stan still yapping smh like "oh my god, i miss you SO much! curb only got into the trash because you weren't here to remind me. and i had pasta from this five star restaurant the other day and oh my god, ky. it was TRASH! yours is so much better! and-and i think i broke the washing machine earlier, oh my god, it sounded like an explosion, i can't find anything, i--"

kyle...literally still trying to get stans attention smh going

"stan? hey? stan???? Stan???"

stans still yapping btw ( oh my god when he is passionate the man never shuts the hell up hes like rambling himself into a corner ) like "and theres this new exhibit in the aquarium and theres this huge red fish in it and i wanted to send it to you and be like 'this you' but were fighting and I HATE FIGHTING WITH YOU. can we stop fighting? :< i miss you. will you please come home? curb misses you, i miss you, i--"

*jersey vc* STANLEY MARSH!

*stan doing the wide flustered doe eye thing with the lip ring lip bite combo that makes kyle like actually criminally insane with love feels*

speaking of...

he leeeeeeeeeeeeeeans in...

gently grasps ravenstan's face

KISSES THEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE SHIT OUT OF HIM.

and says

and i quote...

"Te amo." <3

AAAAAAAAAA AND THE CROWD GOES WIIIIIIILD :')

-uncle nina, gratuitous undivorcer of ravesey style

#i'll edit the tags in a second #but is everyone happy #theyre in love again #i promise #*impastor craig vc* by the power vested in me i now pronounce my beautiful gay sons that i tortured for half a year #Undivorced ;-; <3 #I CAAAAAAAAAANT BELIEVE IT #no one get used to it im still gonna have them do miserable break up things and create drama dont worry about THAT #BUT I CANT BELIEVE JERSEY KYLE SAID I LOVE YOU #I AM SO PROUD WOW THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL #now i can write the jersey kyle Can say i love u meme #( which is my favorite ask meme its so funny ily robot kyle )#he is like...i have so many feelings...i am excited? frightened? ex...frightened?#I CANT BELIEVE JERSEY KYLE SAID TEEEE AMO #SMILE PENDEJO NATION WE ARE SOOOOO BACK!#is anyone else crying or is it just me is it just jersey and raven and me and curb and the entire internet #UR WELCOME! YOU ARE ALL NO LONGER CHILDREN OF DIVORCE! TIME TO REJOOOOOOOOOOOICE YALL #*passes out The I Survived The 2024 Ravesey Divorce And All I Got Was This Stupid Teeshirt stupid teeshirts*#my sons in love my sons in AMOR bitch!!!!!!#that rizz was crazy also this was too happy so pls note they quite licherally almost smashed but kyles bones are broken #NOT THE ONE THAT MATTERS THO but he did still get stanbanned by sexy nurse raven lamE #*teri vc* at least he'd die doing what he loves...LITERALLY!!!#i admire his dedication like i too would risk it all to get risque and frisque with ravenstan but no they just #watched say yes to the dress and fell asleep on the couch #The End <3 #everybody chant NINA!!! NINA!!!! NINAAAAAAA!!!

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moonshine-nightlight · 2 years

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Nothing's Wrong with Dale: Part Eleven

It’s been a week, but you’re fairly certain your fiancé accidentally got himself replaced by an eldritch being from the Depths. Deciding that he’s certainly not worse than your original fiancé, you endeavor to keep the engagement and his new non-human state to yourself.

However, this might prove harder than you originally thought.

Fantasy, arranged marriage, malemonsterxfemalereader, M/F

AO3: Nothing's Wrong with Dale Chapter 11

[Part One] [Part Two] [Part Three] [Part Four] [Part Five] [Part Six] [Part Seven] [Part Seven.5] [Part Eight] [Part Nine] [Part Ten] Part Eleven [Part Twelve] [Part Thirteen] [Part Fourteen] [Part Fifteen] [Part Sixteen] [Part Seventeen] [Part Eighteen] [Part Nineteen] [Part Twenty] [Part Twenty-One] [Part Twenty-Two] [Part Twenty-Three] [Part Twenty-Four] [Part Twenty-Five] [Part Twenty-Six] [Part Twenty-Seven] [Part Twenty-Eight] [Part Twenty-Nine] [Part Thirty] [Part Thirty-One] [Part Thirty-Two] [Part Thirty-Three] [Part Thirty-Four]

You walk into the grand hall with your maid, who you wave off to go to the tables with the other servants while you head for the dais. With the tournament coming up in a couple days as the official start to the wedding festivities—the hunt being unofficial—more and more people are arriving in Northridge itself or the town nearby.

A majority of them were invited to at least one supper at the estate after their arrival. As one of the betrothed, and the only one present, that means you are seated next to Grandmother and introduced to any and all guests. Many of the ones who had arrived so far are neighbors or family of Northridge and so you try to fix them firmly in your mind as you’re likely to see them again.

It’s exhausting. Between so many new people and your worry over how Dale is faring on the hunt that you can’t seem to vanquish, you can’t wait for the hunt’s return.

Today you see yet another new face waiting for you. A dignified woman in a handsome black suit, seemingly alone you are glad to see, is listening to Grandmother speak with a smile that softens her stern figure. Grandmother starts beckoning you over as soon as she spots you. “Come, come, dear,” she says. “Let me introduce you to my daughter, Lady Breighton. Breighton, this is my new grandchild-to-be.”

“Pleased to meet you,” you say once close enough, curtsying, as your mind runs through what you remember of this aunt: unmarried and lives in Verlind. The one Dale remembered as disliking him before he went away.

Her eyes are sharp when you meet them and she gives you a polite bow in return. “You as well,” she replies, her voice low and confident, before her eyes return to her mother. “Speaking of, where is Father and the man of the hour?”

“Having a hunt, you know how those sorts are,” Grandmother waves her hand dismissively. “I hoped they would be back in time for supper tonight, but I suppose that was too much to expect.”

“I’ve certainly never understood the appeal of risking one’s life before getting married,” Lady Breighton says with some scorn, “except as a poorly done attempt to get out the wedding proper—if rather short-sighted to one’s other future prospects.”

You can’t tell if she’s joking for all Grandmother laughs. “Oh, hush. Sit down, sit down. It’s making my neck hurt, staring up at the two of you.”

You take your seat to her left, while her daughter sits on her right. You take additional care arranging your skirts to give yourself a few extra seconds before you must engage in conversation. The back of your neck prickles with the sensation someone is watching you as you do so. You look up to see Lady Breighton looking back at you, weighing you.

Grandmother gives no notice to this and simply continues, “It is lovely to be planning a wedding again, although each time I do forget how much is involved. We have not hosted since your brother’s nearly fifteen years ago.”

“I’m sure you have it well in hand, Mother,” Breighton says with a certain wry twist to her mouth. “As long as Dale isn’t making it a trial.”

Grandmother laughs. “Nonsense. You have always been too harsh on him,” she wags her finger at her daughter, but there’s no heat behind it, only amusement. “He is a growing lad and is as invested in his own wedding as he should be. The vigor of youth is to be encouraged, not stifled.” When Breighton looks as though she might object, Grandmother continues, “Do not think it has been so many years that I cannot recall how you were when younger.”

Breighton closes her mouth reluctantly.

“Besides, his fiance is a wonderful influence on him,” Grandmother continues, turning to you with a smile you don’t expect. “I always knew that all Dale needed was a few years abroad to work through some of that youthful fickleness and a competent partner to become the man he could always become.”

You blush at both her words and the renewed focus Breighton bestows upon you. As before, you feel she can see every inch of you. She appears skeptical, but not enough to speak any of her thoughts aloud at this time.

You feel an odd kinship with Breighton, after all if Dale hadn’t had his accident, you’d agree with her skepticism because she would have been right. Grandmother is too indulgent of Dale, has such a strong belief in his better nature, and you can’t help but find yourself on Breighton’s side of things. Besides, perhaps with the right experiences, he would have become a better man.

But he didn’t.

“You’re too kind, Grandmother,” you reply, trying to focus on her instead.

“I am nothing of the sort. I will have you know they used to say such things about me in the House of Law,” she says with a wicked smile that reminds you of Dale these days more than anyone else. “Never to my face though. Why one time, this particular Duke opposed one of my measures and—”

Her story is interrupted by a commotion at the other end of the hall, the doors opening rather dramatically to admit what you realize is the returning hunting party. Relief that they are back sweeps through you, a smile growing unbidden on your face because you’ve missed Dale, more than you thought you would.

Then you take in the general countenance of the people arriving. They don’t look frightened or somber or grieving, but they look worried, talking in quiet murmurs and glancing at the dais and then back to those who are still coming.

It’s a sobering sight and you frantically look for the source of tension. No one’s grim enough for a death, but someone must have been injured, someone—.

The group parts to reveal a bedraggled looking figure held up by another. Grandfather walks beside them, looking rather like he’s been rung out and left to dry wrinkled. He has some darker mud stains on his clothing for all he appears to walk uninjured. With nothing immediately distressing in his person, your eyes narrow on the injured, far muddier looking figure. They widen even as your nerves paradoxically steady.

Because the danger you’ve been anticipating has finally been realized.

You gasp as you take Dale in. He’s not just muddy, but covered in blood. The left side of his overcoat is stiff with it and he’s favoring his right side in general. No cane to be seen, just a heavy lean on Mr. Murray, who’s seemingly half carrying him.

“Greetings!” Dale calls out and his voice is strong, but with a strange wobble to it. “We have returned victorious!”

Grandmother gasps as Grandfather and Dale come closer and she can see something of their appearance. A man breaks off from the group to hurry up to the dais and reassure her while Grandfather keeps pace with Dale and his valet. You are able to understand over the muted roar in your ears that it’s one of her sons, who’s trying to explain that they’re fine, just a little worse for wear.

Carefully working your way up his body, you catalog a large gash on his left leg, multiple tears on his trousers—dark stains you honestly aren’t sure the origin of: mud or blood. His overcoat is missing an arm and his actual arm is hard to look at. Honestly, you can’t even distinguish what’s wrong with it, just that it's a bloody mess. At least no visible bones appear to be sticking out nor does it appear to be at an odd angle. You’re certain he must be bruised but there’s certainly no way to tell from here.

You follow in Grandmother’s wake in a mild daze as she stands up and makes her way around the table, asking, “What are you thinking! Dragging my injured boy hither and yon.”

Dale went limp after he called out for the rest of the journey across the floor, as if his initial outburst had used up his remaining energy. Now that he’s only a few feet away, he picks his head up, looking around blearily as if the sound of their voices is drawing him back into the moment. His gaze lands on you first and his whole face, bruised as it is, lights up. Your heart lurches in response: both at his clear delight in seeing you and at how it pulls on the bruises and cuts on his face in a manner that must be painful.

“We took down a majestic stag, hart of eleven in the least,” he crows, seemingly not concerned with the state he’s wound up in. “Uncle has it, I think.” He turns to blink at his uncle, sees his empty hands, and frowns. “No, he hasn’t got it. Mayhap the Marquess or Alexanderer.”

“Yes, my congratulations,” you find yourself saying automatically, no idea how he’s not mentioning his injury. You try to keep your voice cheerful to match his own, even though inside you’re caught in turmoil. Now that you’re closer, you find yourself having to fist your hands in your skirts not to touch him, check him over for yourself.

Nothing about his appearance screams ‘demon’ and he can’t have revealed himself because they would have chained him up or set him on fire, not dragged him back here. But he seems sloppier when ill and you’re not sure if longer time spent injured might affect his ability to conceal himself soon. It feels like you’re on a clock and you need to know how much time is left. “Is that how you ended up like this?”

“What? Pftt,” Dale shakes his head and then raises his banged up arm to brace it. “Shouldn’t have done that. No, no I—this happened after. There was a boar, a biiiiig boar.”

“And what? You wrestled it?” Grandmother’s sharp voice cuts into your conversation and you both turn to her. You don’t expect her to look so brittle as she stares at her grandson, nearly having lost his life for the second time in as many weeks after being away from home for years. Of course, she doesn’t know he already has lost his life.

You resolve never to tell her because seeing her face right now is enough.

“Grandmother…” any easy delight is gone from Dale’s face. “I’m alright, I give you my word. Looks far worse than it is. I need a bath and some bandaging, that’s all.”

“Oh, Dale.” Grandmother wraps him in a hug as well as she can with him still leaning on his valet and her being quite a bit shorter than him. Dale accepts the affection with start and before it goes on too long, she straightens up. “You need a doctor. Why did you bring him back here instead of fetching a physician to you? Should he even be standing up?”

“Sending someone, or even a bird, back here to fetch a doctor and then waiting for them to join us would have taken far longer simply coming home,” Grandfather says sternly, obviously defensive regarding both his decision and from the fact that Dale was harmed on the hunt he was hosting. There’s something else about him though, a shock factor that no one else seems to have, that makes you nervous.

“I’m fine,” Dale insists once more, reaching out as if to pat Grandmother’s shoulder, but she’s already moved out of reach to find the nearest physician.

You catch his hand before he hurts himself or Mr Murray. He stares at you in surprise, as if having forgotten you were there, before grinning. “Wait until you see the stag and the boar. A very impressive hunt, if I do say so. Such an invigorating time. Why, I feel alive in a manner I haven’t for years.”

“What have you given him?” you ask without thinking and rather more sharply than you intend to because Dale does not talk like this.

You don’t take it back.

“Whiskey,” Grandfather replies gruffly. “No harm in that.”

You would beg to disagree, but hold your tongue for now. “No wonder his balance is off,” you can’t help but murmur under your breath as you shift to accommodate the weight he’s already leaning on you while he continues to look around, perhaps for his hunted game.

“His balance was not the concern at the time,” Grandfather says with a scowl, accepting a wet cloth from a servant and reaching over to try to wipe at Dale’s face. This close you can see some attempt has already been made, but the scratch on his forehead must have reopened in transit. “He was in pain.”

To his credit, Dale barely seems to notice anything’s wrong at all at the moment. You haven’t seen this Dale truly drunk, he’s avoided anything besides wine at dinner since his illness, but you wonder exactly what effect it’s having on him considering what he is.

“How did you even manage to get him back here?” Grandmother asks sharply, back from whatever she was arranging and clearly still not ready to let go of her displeasure that they brought Dale back to the estate instead of sending a message for someone to come to the lodge. “Did you strap him to his horse?”

The silence that follows her question answers it.

Grandmother huffs with displeasure before she starts herding Dale and his valet over to a chair that’s been brought down from the dais. Mr. Murray helps Dale detach himself from his own person and into the chair. Since you haven’t let go of Dale’s arm, you help guide him and keep his focus on you, when he seems able to focus at all. Accepting the bowl of water and towel offered to him, his valet begins to try to clean Dale off.

You don’t look away from Dale, too on edge to let him out of your sight, but you overhear Grandfather and Uncle Wellington explaining to Grandmother and a doctor what happened. Evidently when he went to finish off a boar they’d hunted down, it’d gotten free of the hold some of the hounds had on it. Dale had ended up on top of the boar and the others hadn’t been able to do much besides keep it corralled, too worried about striking Dale instead of the boar. Dale had managed to finish it off with his dagger in the end, but not before getting rather banged up.

You can sense movement from the corner of your eye and you look over from where you’re kneeling next to the chair to find a middle-aged man leaning over Dale—likely the doctor. He doesn’t spare you a glance, running his eyes over Dale’s form, lips moving as he mutters to himself. Without saying a word of warning, he reaches out and pulls Dale’s injured arm from your grip.

Any lethargy Dale has been feeling must be burn away at the sudden touch, because he yanks his arm out of the other man’s grasp before you can blink. He pushes the doctor away with his left arm, a strong flat palmed blow to the man’s chest. “Do not touch me,” Dale hisses, looking balefully at the stunned man. His voice is dark and full of anger, “I have not given you permission to touch my person. Who are you?”

The man sputters, gone pale and drawn at Dale’s sudden fierce attitude. “I’m a doctor, let me look—”

Dale’s glare intense. “Another physician who doesn’t know anything. Presumptuous, foolish, self-important. I don’t need any of your help.” He practically spits that last word and you wish now more than ever you knew exactly what had happened between him and the previous doctor he scared the wits out of. Mostly you’re worried he’s going to do something to expose himself. In a way you’ve forgotten about since seeing Dale’s injuries for the first time, you’re suddenly all too aware of all the people around you, that you’re in the middle of the largest hall with practically everyone in Northridge here for supper.

The doctor takes a step back, frightened or pride-stung, and no one reproaches Dale regarding his venom. Grandmother doesn’t even twitch towards him, continuing to give orders instead, “Ms Adir, please set to making bandages if someone else is not already doing so. I believe we have not replenished our supply since the cat incident nor am I aware of where we are with our preparation for the tournament.”

You have–to mollify yourself when you thought of the tournament ahead while feeling impotent about the hunt. “I’ve special bandages ready,” you volunteer.

“What sort of bandages? Special how?” Grandmother asks, frown evident in her voice.

“Woven with silver and lightly treated with blessed honey,” you reply. When you had trouble sleeping the last few nights, you’d sewn quite a lot of yardage to occupy your hands until more ready for sleep, despite the waste of candles to see by. More than enough for Dale’s injuries now.

With the guest physician still looking cowed, Grandfather turns to Breighton. She nods. “I’m no doctor, but I’ve friends who are and they say those are the best.”

It’s enough of a confirmation for Grandmother and you send your maid off with instructions for where to find your supplies. Behind you, you can hear the doctor recover from some of his fright and begin to request his own supplies. You don’t comment until you hear him mention willowbark. “No willowbark,” you correct. “Lord Dale is allergic.”

“No, he’s not,” Grandfather says, confused enough you look up at him.

“Yes, he is,” you say, knowing that ‘allergy’ might have to do with his new nature and hoping that isn’t a well-known sign of possession. You try to forget that might be the case so your delivery of the information is as natural as possible. “He told me so himself only a short while ago.”

“He never was before,” Grandfather says and you don’t understand the accusation in his voice. The way he almost glares at you, rather than Dale. Surely if he suspected something was wrong with Dale, if he’d seen something of what Dale now is on this hunt, that would be where his suspicion would lie. Right?

“It’s possible he developed an allergy recently,” the doctor says, inadvertently coming to your rescue. “It’s no hardship, there are other treatments.”

“Right,” Grandfather says gruffly, before deflating. He rubs his face with his hand. “My apologies, it's been a long few hours.”

“Thank you, sana,” Dale says, patting your arm with his injured one. “I knew I could count on you.”

You’d rather he not have gotten hurt at all, but you can’t deny the warmth, the pride that fills you at his words. You stroke his hand in reply. “Of course.”

[Part Twelve]

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