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bloodyshadow1 · 6 months ago

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there are a lot of ways you could describe the bad kids, chaotic, violent, but I think the best way to describe them is hard working. There's a saying, 'there will always be people who do things the easy way, that shouldn't stop you from doing things the right way,' or that gist. I've heard it a lot of places, but the last I can remember is from the teen titans episode the quest. And it fits the Bad Kids to a tee.

It's shown a lot throughout the series that there will be people who take short cuts and cheats to gain power and go through life. It's shown the best in Junior year since the bad kids have the rat grinders as foils, but it's always been the case. In Sophomore year Kalina had Riz pinned down and constantly offered the Bad Kids deals; for them to go away and give up on the quest and other stuff. but they refused because they know the quest meant more than their grades, as dangerous as it is, as scared as they are, they keep soldiering on. It's the Abernants taking the easy way into the Forest of the Nightmare King while the Bad Kids do things the right way. Yeah they had to face their fears, they had to endure their nightmares big and small, but they came out stronger and wiser.

The Rat Grinders, Jace, and Porter, they took the easy way out. They lie and cheat because they think what matters is the short term gains. The Rat Grinders are fine with the way Porter and Jace power leveled them because it meant that they had access to stuff more powerful adventurers had. But they don't have the hp or the ability to maintain their powerful magic or class features. They are not adventurers, they are powerful people, but they're not strong

But the Bad Kids never take the easy way out. If they did, this year would have been simpler for them. Fig could have just kept being a bard, she could pass the class in her sleep. Instead, she chose to take a path that was harder and became a paladin because she loves her friends and she wants to be a protector, not just an artist. Because of that she is stronger than ever, a real paladin and the reason they were able to find Ankarna and be on the road to redeeming her. Gorgug could have just stayed as a barbarian, he was naturally good at, but he didn't want that. He took on 4 times the class load despite the stress and pain it caused him and became the first Barbificer to exist in Spire. Adaine could have swallowed her pride and talked to Jawbone about money, she could have taken the diamonds from Oisin in the first week of school, but she didn't. She went to Fallinell, to the Court of Stars, the highest form of government in the land and demanded that they treat her like she deserved or leave her alone. Fabian could have been the big man on campus in so many ways, he could have doubled down in romancing Ivy because it would have been easier than forming a real bond. He is the most popular kid in school because he created a place where everyone is welcome and is on his way to a real romance with Mazey instead of just flirtation and lust as he has in the past. Riz could have so many opportunities, he could have been in the society of shadows or taken so many short cuts, but he didn't. He loves his friends, he wants to be with them so he worked hard, took stress tokens for them, and ran Kristen's campaign to keep them all together. Kristen could have pissed off and found any other god and been one of their most powerful clerics. She felt bad for how she treated Cassandra and wanted to be her prophet, not just a prophet or cleric. She stuck by her goddess and who knows if it's going to pay off in the long run, but she has her spells and abilities back even if Cassandra might not be alive

Because the easy way isn't the right way, getting what you want isn't the same thing as working for what you need.

#fantasy high #fantasy high spoilers #fantasy high junior year #fhjy #the bad kids #kristen applebees #fabian seacaster #figeroth faeth #fig faeth #gorgug thistlespring #riz gukgak #adaine abernant

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valkyriesryde · 4 years ago

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Release the Hounds {8/?}

Chapter 8:The Protector

Pairing: Persephone!Steve Rogers x Hades!Reader

Chapter Summary: In his solitude in the mortal world Steve has some questions for Bucky to help better his understanding of the rivalries that currently control his life.

Word Count: 3,200ish

A/N: *warning talk of parental abuse hinted at and war and death are heavy in this one* this is dialogue heavy and a bit of a filler but it also gives a look at Hades as a character and some of her past work with the Olympians. I hope you guys enjoy!

Series Masterlist ~ Masterlist

It had only been a week or so since Steve had taken residence in Bucky and Rebecca’s apartment and he was constantly anxious about was was happening in Olympus.

Was his mother still looking for him? He didn’t dare leave to find out.

Was Hades welcomed onto the council? Bucky hadn’t told him and he didn’t feel the need to push for an answer.

Was she okay? Had Demeter gone after her? He didn’t know.

Then his mind started drifting more. It’s amazing how much time one has to think and investigate the mysteries that walked beside them in their lives when they’ve got nothing better to do.

Why did Demeter and Hades despise each other?

Why did Demeter hide Steve from so much?

What was Bucky talking about when he said he worked with Hades?

Why was Hades so against associating herself with him, she made her judges do her work when Steve was involved, it seemed everyone knew her or had had some interaction with her, even Bucky and Natasha. But Steve found things out through those she talked to. She didn’t return any more of his letters, she made a point not to go near him after she spoke to the Olympians.

Did she not want him around? Did she think he was a pest, that he was annoying in his everlasting attempts to further get to know her and the Underworld? He was sure that wasn’t it, not after feeling her hand on his as he spoke for her. Not after she welcomed him, even though she immediately kicked him out afterwards she was somewhat nice about it.

Steve knew there was more about Hades than he was being told. The only person who could answer those questions for him was Bucky. He was too scared to use the black Dahlia, if Demeter was still looking for him surely she would being trying to nose her way into the Underworld, and Hades said to use it if he needed her help. Technically, he didn’t, he was just curious, he just-well-he just wanted to know she was near by. Knowing she was just a petal away helped those feelings.

When Bucky came to visit towards the end of the first week Steve was upfront about his question, he’d thought about how he would word it for two days now.

“You once mentioned that you worked with Hades. How did that happen? I’ve been racking my brain around it but I just can’t come up with a scenario where you would work together or where she would have had any say on the council. During her speech, some of the twelve they-I just can’t stop thinking about it.”

Bucky took a deep breath, he had a feeling this was coming, he had tried not to think about it, he thinks most of the twelve tried to forget. But you can’t bury the past, not this past.

“I hadn’t really seen her, no one really had since - the time isn’t important, it was a very long time ago, back when the catholics were just starting out. Cassandra had gone to Hades with a warning. In turn she brought the warning to me to see if there was anything there. I shouldn’t have brushed her off as quickly as I did. I just, Cassandra gets under my skin, she and I, we don’t get along, I thought selfishly, I thought she was doing it do get back at me, I hadn’t seen anything. Then I realised, Cassandra had spent at least a thousand years in the Underworld at that point, it made sense that she was sensitive to prophecies concerning Hades herself.” He got lost in his tangent as he thought about the cold winters night that Hades came knocking on his door a millennia and some ago.

“Bucky, what are you talking about?”

Cassandra wasn’t important this time though, that wasn’t what his question was about. Bucky brushed Steve off easily and his mind moved to the last time the business of the Underworld was also the business of Olympus.

“It doesn’t matter, just memories. The point is, I hadn’t seen Hades since the early 1200’s. Nobody even really saw her during World War I, I know Thor and Loki did, they worked together to bring an end to it. But World War II was different, it was longer, Hephaestus-Tony- got involved. Ares was on a tirade and Natasha almost killed him because of it.”

“I remember, I wasn’t even allowed to leave the gardens Demeter feared for all of our lives.”

“Sam, Wanda and Pietro were given a pass to sit in on the council. The Underworld was being overrun with souls, they couldn’t keep up with the foot traffic. Peter and Thanatos worked around the clock to bring souls in from the battlegrounds, most waited weeks before they got to Charon. As the years went by only one of the judges could come to the meetings because they just couldn’t afford to be away from the gates for that long. It was mostly Sam, he would have points from Hades to bring up, he kept us up to date with the number of deaths, she made a point to break it down into categories; soldiers, civilians, innocents, children, suicides…we all hated it but we knew why she was doing it.”

“She blamed you all.”

“She was right to, it was our fault for letting it go for so long, but not even Thor could get Ares to come back to Olympus, he was loving it too much, whispering in the ears of both sides by 1943.” Bucky tried to contain his anger, thinking about such a grim time made him angry knowing he could have stopped it, but as the god of prophet he knew better than any that some futures had to take place. “Demeter and a few of the other gods, Aphrodite, Hestia, Dionysus. They hated having Sam there, they thought that the issues of the Underworld were not important compared to what was happening to the living…”

“How could they think that?” Steve’s voice rose, he was getting angry at the gods, particularly his mother, he thought she was better than this, he thought she valued the soul. “What was happening to the living was causing the problems?!”

“I know. You really want to know the last time she sat on the council? Steve telling you this, it’s one side, it’s one perspective. But from my understanding this is why Hades and Demeter despise each other. This is why Hades is hated and feared so much and for a long time I feared her too.”

“I want to know.”

“Steve-“

“I need to know Bucky. I feel so kept in the dark about everything. My mother is on a fucking tirade looking for me so she can skin me alive most likely and lock me in a tower just for talking about Hades. It isn’t fair for me not to know why I’m being punished.”

Bucky took another deep breath, if he was going to tell Steve about World War II he was going to tell him everything he knew and everything he felt. Steve was going to know what Bucky saw between Demeter and Hades.

“The death rate got so high, it got so bad that Pietro had to help gather the souls. And as the story goes, Hades was on the ground of the Underworld at the gates helping along with everyone else. Until…June 1944. Ares got angry at Loki for siding with Athena and the Allies. He was getting sloppy.”

“Why was Ares so angry to begin with?”

“He lost the first war, he was still sulking and when he saw the rise of discontent in Germany he saw an opportunity to get back at Natasha. He just kept going I guess.” Bucky took a deep breath and ran his hands over his face. He hated reliving this. “After D-Day we sat again to try and figure out how to get Ares out of the frontline, she walked in, fuming. Millions of people had been swept to her gates, most of them without any sort of burial, the rivers were overflowing with lost souls. She yelled and I swear she was almost crying when she talked about how many would be lost from their families forever because of the pressure the administration was put under. Demeter tried to tell her to leave, she told Hades we were trying, that she was emotional and emotions were what got us into this mess. Demeter dismissed everything Hades said. So Hades stopped talking.” Bucky’s voice got quieter as he went on and watched it play out in his head again.

“What did she do?”

“She…she flung Demeter into her throne, tied her there with mint that Demeter of all people couldn’t break. There was fire in her eyes and - I remember it so clearly,” he looked up from the floor to Steve, sorrow across his face, “what she told us before she walked out. ‘If I must, I will stop him.’ Then she walked out the door and it flew shut behind her, Demeter was let go and everythi-everthing was cold. After that we had our motivation to do whatever it was possible to stop the war.”

“And you stopped it. You put an end to the war, we all know the story of how the twelve Olympians went to the mortals and fought by their side until the war came to an end.” Steve had heard it so many times, it was the story the nymphs talked about the most, how the gods saved the day. It was one of the stories they taught the children at school. “They saved the humans, they’re heroes” they would whisper when they talked about it.

“It wasn’t us.” Bucky said and Steve had another lie to add to his list of things he’d been told by Demeter that weren’t true. Another crack in the foundation of his world.

“What?”

“The story is a little right but it leaves out a massive chunk of the truth. We did decide we needed to all be there, we went down, we fought in the frontlines, we stood by those in power and helped them as best we could but we weren’t fast enough for Hades. We thought we were dealing with the worst of the consequences, Demeter especially, the earth, it was so sad and nothing in the western world thrived during the war, her powers weren’t at their highest and she hated every second of it. But Hades had it much worse. Then the second atom bomb happened, and we all saw her again.”

“Hades was there?”

“We all were, we tried to stop it, I think even Ares didn’t want it. As it exploded, she stepped out of the smoke. Do you know how many people died from the bombing of Nagasaki?”

Steve didn’t know, he didn’t know any of the specifics of human history, just the fact that the gods took part in it more than the humans liked to admit. He shook his head, mumbled a ‘no’ and Bucky, he smiled slightly, he shook his head and said “of course you don’t, because it’s reason for Hades’ anger and Demeter wouldn’t want you thinking her anger was justified.”

“How many died Bucky?” Bucky was so angry, he felt like he did after the war, filled with anger, his body hot as he tightened his fists. He hated all of this more than anything. More than Troy, more than Carthage, more than the first war. World War II gave him the nightmares, seeing Hades in the midst of World War II gave him nightmares.

“Over seventy thousand, after one hundred and fifty thousand three days before at Hiroshima. And as she rose through the smoke so did they.”

“She used the souls? But how?”

“She’s god of the dead Steve, she’s their queen, and she collected them all,” Bucky continued to tell Steve what he had witnessed and Steve sat there and saw it before him as Bucky spoke.

Hades was furious as soon as she felt it. She thought it was over after August 6. She thought that Hiroshima was the final blow that would end it all. But when she felt the deaths of thousands upon thousands again run through her she stopped in the middle of Asphodel and before Wanda could turn around Hades was gone.

That day, in the midmorning sun, not visible to any eye through the unnatural clouds. Hades collected every soul in Nagasaki and to every one she told them the same thing.

“I will not let the gods fail you any longer.”

They pleaded for her to put an end to it, they pleaded for her to save their families, to save their people, for Japan, for the world. She listened to every single one and told them she would try her best. She was their protector now and she would protect them always.

Then she rose. She rose from the dust into the clouds and as she did they shouted for her, they begged her not to leave them as Hermes and Thanatos helped take those that wanted to go to the river Styx.

The ones that stayed, there must have been twenty odd thousand with her. They climbed her armour, they stood by her side and they said to her “we will protect you too.”

She set them free, and they dragged Ares down to Tartarus.

“She came face to face with Thor. Demeter and Hestia were crying and grieving for everything that had died in the explosion. We all tried to ignore the screaming for help from Ares as they pulled him down.” Bucky’s eyes were glazed over as he witnessed it again like he had many times before in his dreams.

“I warned you Thor. The humans have gone too far. You can have Ares back after he is punished for the damage he has done.”

Thor knew she was right, Ares had to be punished and through his anger and disappointment in his son he knew that the best punisher would be those that he hurt. “Sixty years should do it.”

“Thank you.” She didn’t smile, she didn’t bother looking at the destruction around her, she’d seen enough of the destruction in her own home and as the souls retreated into the Underworld her powers went with them. So she followed her people, and she gave them the task of showing the god of war what he had done.

“He looked so angry at himself for allowing any of this to happen. He’d never appeared so, so weak compared to Hades. She held all the power and none of us could believe it. Those lost souls, the ones that stayed with her to stand before Ares and Thor and the rest of us, they gave her their power and I’ll never understand why and I’ll never understand how she was able to gain their trust so quickly. But she did. There are rumours that she crept into the rooms of Japanese officials that night and made them listen to the pleading souls, some say she was the one that convinced them to surrender, that they needed to accept their defeat before they lost their nation. There are other rumours that she went to American politicians and told them there will be no winners if there is still war. All I know is that by September the war was over and it was thanks to Hades.”

Steve stayed still and quiet as Bucky finished. He took every word in and let it sit with him. The history books were wrong. That didn’t really surprise him when he thought about who fed him the history. It seemed Demeter had done nothing but lie to him to make herself appear as the hero.

“Demeter didn’t tell you any of this because if you asked the right people you would have found out that she practically begged Thor to let Ares return to Olympus so she could punish him herself, she argued that she spoke for Gaia and the earth and that he needed to pay for all of the destruction he caused and that included that of the earth. Thor told her no, he told her she’d never punish Ares because her punishment was selfish no matter what was she said it. Hades didn’t lay a hand on Ares, neither did most of the souls that stood before him. Most of them told him stories of the war and he had to live it again and again through them.”

“How do you know this? Ares doesn’t talk to anyone about it, he’s only just started coming to meetings or to the market place.”

“And he sat front and centre at the debate. He faced his punishment and nobody fears Hades as much as Ares, but nobody in Olympus, except perhaps Thor and Loki, respect her as much as Ares does either. Anyway, he told me what he went through, said I needed to know because of uh, yea, he thought I just needed to know.”

Because the god of war knew another war was coming and it would be much closer to home. He needed to know if Bucky, the god of prophecy had any inkling and when Bucky disclosed what he knew and which sides would be fighting Ares had a warning. “Hades will win this you know that right? She will refuse to fight, she will look as though she will lose but without raising a finger she’ll win. Pick your side now sun god and pick wisely.”

“Hades took away the one thing Demeter was angry at most. She still refuses to talk to him, Ares. She spent months, years even after the war taking it out on the nymphs and myself,” Steve leaned back into the seat.

“I know Steve, I’m sorry-“

“No it’s okay, I took the brunt force of it, I wouldn’t let her hurt the nymphs. We all thought she was just stressed because there was still so much work. Its nice to have a proper reason now.”

A reason. A justification for the rivalry between Hades and Demeter. Selfless vs selfish. A leader vs a tyrant. Belief vs belief. Demeter hated Hades for taking the victory, she hated her for doing what they couldn’t, she hated that she made them look weak. Most of all, Hades, in Demeter’s eyes was the reason for it all. Death started WWII, death ended it, death refused to let her punish Ares herself and Thor sided with Hades over his own.

Hades couldn’t stand Demeter’s selfishness, she couldn’t stand her ‘us vs them’ mentality. She didn’t agree with Demeter’s way of leading and in the back of her mind she knew that when spring was taken Demeter would come after Hades with an anger that no one could match. No one disregarded Hades as much as Demeter and to a woman who valued respect so much that was the last straw.

Chapter Nine: Wait for Summertime

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#release the hounds #steve rogers x reader #persephone!steve rogers x hades!reader #steve rogers fanfic #steve rogers fluff #steve rogers angst #marvel au

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herald-divine-hell · 6 years ago

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Wondering the Drifting Road: Amayian I

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[Read on Fanfiction.net]

Rated: Mature

Summary: During the beginning of Inquisition, Leliana is reunited with an old friend from the Fifth Blight, the Chosen of Andraste, Amayian Trevelyan.

Timeline Note:

So, this starts during the beginning of Inquisition; however, Leliana and Amayian had already an established relationship with one another during the Fifth Blight, due to Amayian's escape from the Ostwick Circle of Magi a few months prior of the start of Origins and him subsequently joing the Warden on his quest to defeat the Blight. Amayian is around twenty-seven during the beginning of Inquisition, and sixteen to seventeen in Origins. I imagine Leliana is around thirty-six to thirty-nine during the beginning of Inquisition, making her about twenty-six to twenty-nine in Origins. The main divergence is that Amayian was a former companion of the Hero of Ferelden, along side Leliana, Morrigan, and the others.

TW: Mentions/Flashbacks of child abuse, survivor guilt, PTSD, and suicide

Amayian I

Somewhere off over the mountains, a wolf howled a song of mourning. Rolling through Haven like a summer rain storm.

Amayian Trevelyan ignored it; though he did admit that a wolf's hollow reminded well too much of the Blight and the darkspawn, but he knew that it was just his imagination taking a toll. Most of the darkspawn had been driven off back into the Deep Roads, and they wouldn't come again unless they find the next archdemon. He hoped he would not be alive for that one. The Fifth was terrible enough, and that had only stroked one nation and had lasted well over a year. He could not dare imagine what the First Blight might have been like, lasting through centuries. He had a sudden appreciation and respect to those poor souls who long since been forgotten in the pages of history.

He sealed his journal with a small gesture of his hand, and placed his pen to the side of it. It wouldn't be long now, he thought. I'll be going to the Hinterlands shortly, and maybe Lavellan, Adaar, and Cadash could be here by the time I return. He had sent letters to them, and he hoped that the ravens were able to arrive to them. If not, I suppose I must survive this with strangers.

He rose from his chair, legs stiff and sore. He stretched his arms over his head, hearing a few cracks and pops as they returned back into life, and reached over the wooden table and snatched his staff in his right hand. His left hand burned, flaring a green light for a moment or two, reminding of him of the sudden new burden that he cared. There is enough burdens in this world for everyone to share, Maker. It would be quite nice if you had the decency of relieving me of some. He hand ran a finger over the leather-bound cover of his journal, worn and torn from his many years of travel. Amayian Trevelyan had long forgotten what it was like to stay in a single place. It must be eleven years since I escaped. Maybe only ten, he thought as he fastened his black fur cloak over his right shoulder with a golden horse-shaped button.

Outside, Amayian was greeted by a slash of brittle wind that passed through the Frostbacks, and he began to make his way through Haven. A small speck that was overshadowed by the grey mountains of the Frostbacks, it had came to a surprise when the Hero and himself found the village densely populated by zealous followers, claiming to worship an reincarnated Andraste in dragon form. That was a decade ago, back when he fought through the Blight with the elven man who ended the Blight with the cost of his life. Same had said that he died from a wound, others claim that he was killed when Urthemiel had swallowed him whole, and it was King Alistair that slayed the beast that killed their friend. Amayian himself did not know the truth for he had already abandoned Finderial's party a little before arriving at Denerim. Either way, his friend had died there, up in the tower of Fort Drakon. If I was there, could I have saved him? It was a questioned that plagued his mind after he had received the news in a tavern. I could have saved him. Forgive me, old friend.

The village that once was filled with zealous followers that worshiped a dragon in the form of Andraste was now filled with zealous followers that worshiped the Chantry version of Andraste. A significant change, Amayian thought dryly. He believed in the Maker, and he believed in Andraste, but that does not mean had to believe in the Chantry.

Amayian walked off with long strides, stabbing the ground with the butt of his staff with every stepped. There was a sense warmth in the air, despite the frosty conditions. He watched as children walked by, some playing with swords, others giggling behind their small hands and others playing Kill the Archdemon. A strange little game that required one sorry child, likely the largest one in the group, to be Urthemiel, and two other children to be King Alistair and Finderial. Most wanted to be Alistair, but Amayian disliked that obsession with the bastard of King Maric. If it had not been for Finderial, we would not be here. He knew it was an unfair characterization of his friend, but Alistair could never had won over Morrigan, Sten, and Zevran, even with his boyish charms. Finderial was one of the rare breeds: charming and handsome, with a good heart and graced with the wits of an Orlesian bard. No small wonder why she fell for him. He walked passed the children and up a few stairs that led nearer to the chantry. It was modest in appearance, yet wholesome with a touch of Ferelden's beauty in it. It was nothing extravagant like some chantrys in Val Royeaux and Ostwick, but it served its purpose, perhaps even better than their grandiose brethren. The stone bricked were stacked over one another, some weathered by the wind. The door was made of bronze, opening with a great screech when pressed upon, but it was strong, and it had survived through many years, going unnoticed by the rest of the world.

Amayian walked near it, but was taken by a familiar voice that had all but haunted his dreams so long ago. "Blessed are the peacekeepers, the champions of the just." He turned his head, before his feet followed the sound of the soft prayer without his consent. "Blessed are the righteous, the lights in their blood the Maker's will is written." Amayianed leaned on the wooden pole that held open the tent's flaps. He watched the familiar figure, dressed in heavy chainmail armor, and a face that was cloaked and concealed with a purple hood that seemed thick to the touch. Her leather, elbow-length gloves flared widely at her elbows. It was far from the woman that he recalled back during the Blight. She wore leather armor instead of chainmail. She allowed her face to be freely seen, while now she hid behind a hood far thicker than was necessary. "Is that what You want from us? Blood? To die so that Your will is done? Is death Your only blessing?" Her head rose from her knelt position, and her hands fell to her sides. She turned and faced him, and he had to stop his breath from catching. She was still as beautiful as he recalled. The same flaming red hair that was cut short to her jaw. The same blue-grey eyes that seemed almost more blue-green in certain lights, and the same lightly freckled pale skin that was blessed with a light blush. Even her slightly long nose only seemed to enhanced her beauty than deprived her of it. There only a slight few changes. There were small wrinkles at her eyes and her mouth, and she looked more tired, less joyful and hopeful. She must have missed him greatly, he thought. Did she miss me, I wonder? "You speak for Andraste, no? What does the Maker's prophet have to say about all of this, Amayian? What's His game?"

Her eyes were softer than back in the dungeons. He recalled the flash of rage in her eyes when she first saw him, and he knew he deserved it when she did not intervene to save him from a strike from Cassandra. Still, even the softness was veiled with a harden, dark look in her eyes. He pondered if this was Leliana at all. She seemed more similar to a ghost. A shadow of the woman that once was. "You know well by now that the Maker has a strange, twisted humor, Sister." His voice was cool, far from the softness and tenderness that he used back during the Blight. We have both change, Leliana, he thought. For the better or for the worse, we have both changed. "For His supposed 'game,' I know not. I can not grant you any solace." I have tried once, and you pushed me away for him. Do not expect the same affection that I once held for you to still remain.

"Then I supposed we must guess on what He wants." She rose from her kneeling position, anger flashing in her eyes. "You know well what the Chantry has taught us. The Maker demands repentance for our sins. He demands it all. Our lives, our deaths. Justinia had given Him everything she had and everything that He could have wanted, and he rewarded her with death." She had moved to stand beside him, and Amayian stepped a little away from her.

Amayian stared at her for a few moments, the slashing of the wind made his face go numb. "I do not know what you want me to tell you, Sister." Her eyes flashed once more. "However, I know how greatly you cared for her. You may have my condolences, if that means anything to you, but nothing more."

Her voice softened and her eyes fell to the ground, sad and broken. He had once hated seeing her like that, and he often played for her to return her to spirits, but he had not picked up a harp or lyre in quite a long time. He did not know how he felt seeing her like this. A feeling, warm and sympathetic rose to comfort her, to reach for her, but he smashed it back into submission. "She was our heart…" Her voice seemed for a moment to tremble. "She was the Chantry. Everything wonderful about it, she embodied, Amayian. She was the follower and the guider and the leader." Leliana turned to stare up at the Chantry that they once had both walked into a decade ago with cruel contempt. "If the Maker does not intervene to save the best of His servants, what good is he? I thought I was fulfilling His purpose for me. Working with the Divine, helping people. But know she is gone. It was all for nothing. Serving the Maker meant nothing."

Amayian raised an eyebrow. He did not know how to approach this. If he offer solace it meant that he became soft toward her, and such she would most like believe that he might be walked over, again. By offering little care, he might lose a valuable asset to any future endeavors that he desired, and Leliana was valuable. A brilliant spymaster, perhaps, but he knew her, and that might prove just as fatal. Trust no one but yourself, and nothing may hurt you, but you will be left wandering the drifting road alone. Trust only a few and they would come and cling and pull you down with them. Trust everyone, and you are the fool. Those were one of his tutor's words, back when he was just a child. He had not listened to him till after he abandoned the Hero of Ferelden and his company during the Blight. He was a foolish child back than. He decided on the latter course of action. "You might have a new purpose, most people often do," he said. "It is up to you to decide if you will follow it."

Leliana stared at him for a few moments, searching. "I must return to my work. And you must ready yourself for your journey to the Hinterlands," she said, turning on her heel to walk to her desk before leaning over it. "I will speak to you later, Amayian."

Amayian nodded. We have both changed. The thought did not sit well with him. He watched her for a few moments, staring at the way her shoulders tensed and her jaw was clenched. For better or for worse, old friend. We have both changed.

He turned on his heel, gazing up at the chantry. He tugged at his cloak with one hand before making his way to the bronze doors, cursing the Maker for the brittle wind and this uncouth Ferelden cold.

#dragon age inquisition #dragon age fanfiction #dragon age leliana #leliana x inquisitor #The Inquisitor x Leliana #inquisitor x leliana #Leliana #the herald of andraste x the left hand of the divine #the inquisitor #the left hand of the divine x the herald of andraste #the left hand of the divine #the herald of andraste #Amayian x Leliana #Amayian Trevelyan #Amayian/Leliana #My writing #first chapter #angst

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sleepymarmot · 8 years ago

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DS9 season 5 liveblog

[Season index: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 PS]

Apocalypse Rising

This is the worst device prototype... :D

Sisko makes a very handsome Klingon!

"But don't forget, this is still your fault." I knew they'd have to make a joke about this... :D

The Klingon practive! :D

Dukat does a Renegade interrupt... :D "It was either that or trust in Mister Worf's ability to lie. And frankly, I have more faith in my weapons"

How does nobody recognize Worf?!

Okay, so when Odo "got sick" he was actually poisoned by the Founders to bring him to them for judgement except it was to implant him with false information so that they would assassinate Gowron for them, except if they managed to kill Gowron it would have been obvious he was a Klingon, and if they caught Martok in the field his identity would have been exposed, so maybe they just intended them to be caught and be a reason for escalation, but none of this is addressed...

What was the official reason for invading Cardassia anyway, I don't remember after marathoning so fast?

The Ship

I like O'Brien and Muniz

of course a female Vorta wears a bright colored dress with giant cleavage, heavy makeup, and earrings

oh god, did the boy actually die? :O

I freaking knew it was a changeling aboard

god, so many people died because of miscommunication?!

(This trope is pretty much my worst nightmare aaa)

this is one of the most upsetting stories so far :( I don't think even Hard Time made me cry for so long...

Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places

Julian...

Worf has good taste!

"What house is she from" Boy you have a surprise waiting for you! :D

grow up, Julian, seriously... :D

poor Worf, what an embarrasment

what a happy poly family!

someone's jealous, Odo!

aw everyone, stop making their lovely arrangement awkward

oh Worf, when will you see it :D

aww just accept that the three of you are married now

that's what you get for being nosy at the beginning of the episode, Julian :D

congrats on the sex, everyone! :D I didn't expect Quark to actually get lucky with Grilka... And I'm so happy that Worf finally got laid properly -- it was so sad to watch his human-like advances on Deanna and that one half-Romulan in TNG.

this episode watered my crops, cleared my skin etc. it's been an hour and I'm still in a great mood

...Nor the Battle to the Strong

Bashir's unstoppable monologue claims another victim

I really like this dynamic -- young Jake who didn't know what he was getting into and feels very out of place, and the mature and experienced Bashir seen from his perspective

oh god, Bashir is so happy and relieved to see Jake and even apologies while Jake is about to be crushed by his guilt, I'm going to cry :(

Bashir is such a kind person :(

The Assignment

Yikes, you two really messed up! "I have to be in surgery, operating." "On who?" "I'll find someone."

Wow, Rom's really a genius

I hope this was *the* O'Brien suffering episode of the season and he'll be free for the rest of it! It was pretty tame, especially compared to last year...

Trials and Tribble-ations

I've been looking forward to this episode for years! And I just rewatched The Trouble with Tribbles for preparation.

What did Bashir do to his hair?!

"I'm a doctor, not an historian"

omg Odo in the same frame as Uhura and Chekov!

damn, they're really good at pasting new characters into the archive footage :D

Dax repeating Spock's line :D

going back to the greyness of the DS9 ops after all these bright colors...

This is really a perfect example of an anniversary/tribute/crossover episode! All of those disappointing cameos in TNG look even weaker now. And the visuals are incredible. I expected them to just but back and forth between old and new footage, not to actually edit TOS scenes -- and so cleanly!

Let He Who is Without Sin...

Poor introverted Worf...

I still don't want to see Julian/Leeta but at least they came here to break up

Worf I'm pretty sure this is illegal not to mention tremendously stupid

welp this was bad

Things Past

yikes Garak, no the Bajorans don't appreciate you playing devil's advocate

poor Dax "ran out of speculation" trying to justify standard filming conventions :D

y i k e s @Dukat

Garak: "I never knew we were such messy conquerors. I remember the occupation being a little more tidy than this." Sisko: "Everything's tidy when someone else is doing the cleaning." Garak: "The Bajorans were much more suited for this sort of thing than we were. Servile work is in their nature." also yikes

Dax is hyper-competent this time. like we’ve seen in “Past Tense”, she has a talent for impersonating someone from the past

"When your people resort to terrorism and violence, they're fighting against order, against stability, against the rule of law, and this must be stopped" this is all about trying to convince Odo that the Founders are right, isn't it

A reversal of "Necessary Evil" -- this time it's Odo who didn't magically spend years enforcing order for the occupants and still remain innocent. Odo as a "former Cardassian oppressor" is a story that was waiting to be told (even if this episode is weaker than Necessary Evil). The further I go, the more I become convinced that Odo is the best character and the heart and thematical center of the entire story.

I... don't really understand Garak's part in this episode. Dax is better than him as a secret agent, Odo is better both at being a Cardassian oppressor and at reflecting on it. It's not like I expected Garak to go "omg I learned my lesson" at the end, but I was waiting for something. He comes off kind of naive and incompetent about the whole thing. And Odo of all people saying "Interesting that a simple tailor should just happen to have a high-level security code" is out of season or out of character and either way has no place here. Which kind of makes me lose faith that the rest of Garak’s behavior -- why is he so eager to parrot anti-Bajoran propaganda? -- is a part of some long pre-planned arc. By now I kinda have a feeling that the writers just throw out random lines and hope the actor’s skill will save them.

The Ascent

Odo is Cassandra Pentaghast :D

How did they survive in these conditions without food and water? Sometimes I don't know if I'm too weak & spoiled or the writers are exaggerating the hardships their characters go through...

Jake-Nog subplot got solved too fast

Rapture

What, they just change uniforms overnight in the middle of the season?!

"Those of you who were in the Resistance, you're all the same. You think you're the only ones who fought the Cardassians, that you saved Bajor singlehandedly. Perhaps you forget, Major, the Cardassians arrested any Bajoran they found teaching the word of the Prophets. I was in a Cardassian prison camp for five years and I can remember each and every beating I suffered. And while you had your weapons to protect you, all I had was my faith and my courage."

Look, I can understand why Sisko is choosing his visions over everything, and maybe I would have done the same, but this still squicks me and I don't want to watch it

Let me guess, all this religious propaganda will be justified because Sisko's vision will reveal something super important about the Dominion's moves

can we not go back to Bajoran spirituality any time soon please

(Why did the visions start, anyway? He was zapped by the holosuite computer, so what?)

Btw, if, judging from the uniforms, First Contact happened between the previous episode and this one, I'd like a reference to it? Worf, you were there! Sisko, that was the Borg! Hello?

The Darkness and the Light

ouch D:

if he was just a servant, how does he have the skills and knowledge for precize and difficult attacks like these?

"He wanted to protect the innocent and separate the darkness from the light. But he didn't realise the light only shines in the dark and sometimes innocence is just an excuse for the guilty" why is Kira talking like this... what kind of OOC bullshit...

maybe it's just because I caught Bryan Fuller's name in the credits, but this just felt like an episode of Hannibal... A string of brutal and overcomplicated murders, a grotesque villain with poetic speech, focus on misogynistic violence... I sure hope Discovery is nothing like this! I'm so angry Kira's friends died for this nonsense

the only good part was Kira’s unrepentant speech

The Begotten

Baby changeling! Odo gets "The Offspring" of his own! Let's hope this one has a happier ending...

is it just me or is Bashir prettier than usual in this episode?

Odo don't put the baby in a cup!!! what if someone drinks it?! D:

oh god, he's making Odo do these things himself D:

what a magical moment!!! aaaa

oh no Odo was so happy I just knew they'd kill his baby

he's holding it in his hands :((

I had a feeling they'd be able to link!! Even the conclusion is like "The Offspring" -- the father absorbs his child. I expected the story to end with Odo having to give it to the Founders because only they can save its life/raise it for some reason

Odo and Kira bonding over losing their babies :(

finally, a great episode again!

For the Uniform

Loving the manual departure scene! But how exactly is Nog relaying communications to the engine room?

I continue to understand nothing about the Maquis situation. What's a "Maquis colony"? I thought only the terrorists themselves used that name, not the civilians they protected?

Eddington's use of chemical weapons against civilians is presented as moral event horizon, but Sisko's retaliation in kind is postfactum approved by Starfleet? I thought he was bluffing, and I assume his crew thought he knew what he was doing which is why they didn't object, but Eddington expected him to act like a villain and he literally did?? He used weapons of mass destruction against an entire planet populated by humans who may or may not be Federation citizens (or, alternatively, Cardassian citizens, which might be even worse politically). But that's fine, because the entire population of that planet managed to evacuate before the poison killed them. I don't know how to go on watching the show after this.

In Purgatory's Shadow / By Inferno’s Light

Bashir is great :D

Aw, Bashir isn't going with him? :(

hate to agree with Dukat, but yeah, this is inappropriate

"The man is a heartless, cold-blooded killer" "Like I said, he's a Cardassian"

w h a t

damn, just as I thought Julian was being unusually cool at the beginning of the episode, he turned out to be a changeling

okay, I knew about Dukat and the Dominion and had been waiting for it. but I'm stuck on Changeling Bashir. How long? Since before the uniform change? I feel betrayed. I want to believe it was the real Bashir in The Begotten! Not only because I love that episode -- the presence of a Founder would have changed the plot completely!

I thought I could spend one episode without gushing about how Dukat is written, but apparently not, so here it goes. This plot twist makes perfect sense on so many levels! Sisko has commented before on how quick Dukat was to join the winning side after the fall of the Obsidian Order. Dukat himself made a big speech about missing the good old times when Cardassia was feared (and as a viewer, I kind of miss that too...). Cardassia is the main antagonist of the show's past and the Dominion -- of present/future, and their autoritarian nature is pretty similar. As far as I remember, Dukat hasn't met the Founders before and is probably unaware of their deep hatred of solids, plus his usual overconfidence makes him underestimate the Dominion’s power, so I can see how he would treat this like any other alliance. I hope this means we'll see more Cardassians again, not just Jem'Hadar exploiting their territory and resources.

I wish Ziyal were a bit more conflicted over the entire thing -- she spent her entire life idealizing her father and trying to justify his actions, and taking off the rose-tinted glasses should be more difficult and traumatic than "Oh I guess all of you were right and my dad is a bad guy after all".

Doctor Bashir, I Presume

Leeta, just ask him out yourself!

lol, Bashir should have told them about the hologram...

I knew the big spoiler, but assumed the genetic enhancement was prenatal, so the actual story about parental ableism still came as a surprise. I hope this will be discussed again in the following episodes!

The story about a son who has good reasons to resent the father but forgives him in the end is a bit to similar to The Begotten, but I don't mind that much.

Miles is such a good friend :')

All of the A-plot was great, but the B-plot slightly spoiled the impression.

The resolution of the problem is what should have happened in the first place. Julian is in no way responsible for what was done to him as a child!

So if we didn't take this perfect opportunity to talk about changeling!Bashir now, I guess that won't be discussed ever?

A Simple Investigation

"I've done things in my life I'm not proud of, too. You worked for Draim, I worked for the Cardassians. I never had the courage to walk away. You did. I admire that"

Bashir and O'Brien's larping :D

I thought Odo wasn't capable of enjoying this kind of thing?

"Once, on my homeworld, I had an experience that you might consider sexual" uh... did I miss something?

remember season 1 when Odo was adamantly aroace? good times...

wait what did he do with her hand?

the plot was so boring I had to force my self to focus on screen. and why make Odo fall in love (again) and have sex? that's stupid, leave him alone

Business as Usual

How come Quark is shunned by absolutely everyone? And the general disapproval is represented by Kira (who herself admits that weapon trade saved Bajor), Sisko (who used WMD only a few episodes ago) and Dax (a big fan of a certain culture built around violence).

Ties of Blood and Water

Just as I was thinking that this season has a lot stories with daddy issues, and that Kira doesn't have a father -- this guy shows up! Aww, Kira is so happy to see him"! I hope this doesn't mean he'll be dead by the end of the episode...

"I'm dying" of fucking course........

SHE JUST THREW A CUP RIGHT AT HIS FACE this is incredible

(Kira is literally too tired to deal with his shit. And it's beautiful. I don't think I've ever seen anything like her body language, expressions and voice in this scene. She doesn't even dignify his "sick little games" with a single shifting of pose before that one sharp movement to throw the cup.)

(at first I thought the cup broke as it hit his face, which was a completely delightful image, but sadly not what happened)

Kira, he was a member of the Central Command, what did you expect?

Weyoun is great :D

Kira, have you finished questioning him or not? If not, you shoud continue, regardless of your personal relationship.

I really enjoyed this episode, though there are some things that don't let me be truly impressed by it. It was pretty predictable; Kira's anger seemed naive and immature, and the revelation at the end did not completely disperse that impression.

From reactions of Odo and Bashir, who say nothing like "It's your duty to continue asking him questions" it seems like their interviews were over, but the montage and Dukat's poisoning attempt suggest the opposite. All of that is a shame, because this episode is my favourite kind of DS9 episode.

Ferengi Love Songs

Why is the Nagus of all people completely fine with her wearing clothes?

It's disappointing to go back to status quo. I thought the new life without a Ferengi business license would mean character development, but apparently not. And Ishka is weaker here than in Family Business.

Soldiers of the Empire

Always love a good Klingon episode! Honor! Fighting spirit! Jadzia and Worf being awesome!

Also I'm greatly amused that Julian was assigned to be an intelligence officer of all things.

Children of Time

O'Brien is the only one who reacts normally to this creepy situation...

The premise of the entire story doesn't work for me because apparently we're supposed to think that being stuck on an isolated planet with little technology is idyllic instead of horrifying??? I'd do a lot of things just to prevent that. Imagine all the inbreeding that must happen with only 48 ancestors, eww.

Oh boo fucking hoo, you won't have descendants on the planet, well you'll have about as many in the real world in 200 years, plus your absense at DS9 won't deal a strategic blow to the security of the Alpha Quadrant -- why isn't anyone talking about that?

And as usual with time loop stories, it's hard to take the entire thing seriously because -- what happened the first time? Did Jadzia fail to check the logs? Did they not meet their future descendants at all, sat for two days on the empty planet repairing the ship and just happened to stumble upon the anomaly on their way out? By interacting with the crew, the colonists are already changing the timeline, so there's no reason to believe that going back in time will preserve their history instead of making a new version of it.

Blaze of Glory

Eddington is like people who complain about products that have too many 'chemicals'

The writers didn't know what to do with the Maquis so they wiped them out offscreen and tried to wrap up the story with another team-up of rivals, but Eddington is no Dukat and the story itself is not strong enough. RIP Maquis storyline, you were a mess.

Empok Nor

Ouch, Garak, don't so casually bring up O'Brien's greatest traumas!

I have a bad feeling about all of these young nameless officers...

That doesn't look like a great environment for someone with claustrophobia

Cardassian faces always look so great in chiaroscuro! Since season 2 I've wanted to see Garak in this lighting, and the show finally delivers.

"You're right. I'm an engineer" :D

Very cheesy episode, but I enjoyed it more than any of the Mirror ones...

In the Cards

The scene with the crazy doctor and bargaining with Bashir are really hilarious...

"It is enough to know that you and I have found so many common interests. I feel that we are very much alike. :))))" "*grabs his ear* No. We are nothing alike. Nothing at all. :))))))"

What a wonderful episode!!! (But where was Dax?)

Call to Arms

"We're losing the peace, which means a war could be our only hope"

THIS IS SO EPIC!!! And finally, Sisko's prophecy in "Rapture" comes true.

General impressions:

Dax was reinvigorated! -- by the romance or not, but she seemed more vibrant than ever this season. Bashir got more character development! O'Brien suffered a little less than in the previous years! Dukat got to be openly antagonistic!

As usual, my favorite part is the main epic plot. There were three great comedy episodes this time: Par'Mach, Tribbles and Cards. Other favorites: Nor the Battle to the Strong; Things Past; The Begotten; Doctor Bashir, I Presume; Ties of Blood and Water.

Once again, Klingons are allies, Cardassians are enemies, and Quark is not an outcast. Must we cling so hard to the status quo?

#star trek #ds9 #blah blah blah #i ran out of steam #so the liveblog is pretty lazy this time

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