#I also think there should be an option for nobles to like. make a history check to see if they’ve actually heard of Astarion as a magistrate

[quinn-of-aebradore]

I wish backgrounds gave you more dialogue options and such. Like Ari is a noble from Baldur’s Gate!!! She and Wyll probably met when they were younger, before he was exiled!!! They should recognize each other! But alas.

[sampirism]

talkn bout my opinions on rook and varric and roleplay and feeling disconnected (roleplay in a game sense not the freaky sense. sorry) - SPOILERS FOR ENTIRE GAME, BEWARE. this post is WAY too long. sorry about that too.

it's very evident that bioware/EA wanted an action/adventure game first and an RPG second, but let me type at you.

i hate to say that i didn't feel particularly sad about varric's fate, due to the structure of the game. it is, in hindsight, completely obvious that he was not alive! i just hadn't been thinking about varric much at all the entire game because you have limited opportunity to talk to him in the infirmary or when he plops around barefoot when everyone decides to sit at a table and talk about how fucked we are. i genuinely forgot he was there otherwise.

he barely feels like a guy himself. because there's no personalized worldstate, any specific mentions to events or characters might be jarring to the player who may have made a different choice along the way.

no one talks about how sorry they are about varric because they CAN'T or the twist is completely revealed. even with another DA2 character in the game (who my hawke romanced. who is now dead in the fade. glad to see you're LIVING IT UP ISABELA!!! (I'm jk. a little.))

there's no response rook can say to condolences outside of "oh, thanks" without the game fully revealing its Twist, because "I'll tell him you said hi" and "he'll be up and walking in no time!" are only reasonable responses from a Mourn Watcher, and even then, should still cause your companions to be a little alarmed. the closest we get to this is the inquisitor making reference to lost friends, and rook visually registers it, but its swept under the rug and moved on from immediately.

(i know we're all mentally unwell in this lighthouse repressing our feelings but jesus christ)

despite spending two games with him and enjoying him as a character, I struggle with feeling much for his loss AS my rook, because i found there to be no meaningful connection between him and rook. i was only told i was supposed to have one.

the game wanted so badly get the ball rolling with an immediate threat, its at the expense of roleplay. you could argue that da2 and inq also started with Immediate Threats but you are also very limited in the choosing of your backstory in those games.

rook was deliberately designed to be more open-ended, with more similarity to origins, but still gave you a prequel where you felt what your life was before The World Began To End.

there's this conversation you can walk in on with lucanis and davrin, where they're talking about their worst jobs. there are three dialogue for rook I think and i can only remember two but they were "I don't want to talk about it" or "man I have the dreadwolf in my head". (I... honestly think the third option was very similar to the second one but I have a very bad memory. sorry)

i played a mourn watcher mage. i had to have done some messed up spirit stuff. some bone shenanigans. not able to mention my Down With Nobles rebellion at all. i halfway expected it to be revealed that my rook was just like a shitty pawn (haha) and actually all her memories are fake and not real. but obviously you meet people from your shared backstory and they do know OF you but they don't really know you

in mass effect 1, there were some unique missions related to both the backstory and psychological profile you picked for shepard. they were short, and nothing happens like that in 2+3 that i remember, but they are unique to your character and are something at least.

no one really asks you much more about yourself! mourn watcher rook is literally Found In The Crypts as an Infant, an incredible mystery that you have to fill in the blanks yourself, which could be something someone wants-- but i personally like my characters a little more predefined in a game such as dragon age. vague history worked for me in games like skyrim and fallout new vegas, even baldurs gate! but makes me feel wholly disconnected from the story and group here.

there was a fair amount of dialogue choices for mourn watcher, especially with Emmrich-- talking with emmrich was one of the few times my rook felt like A Person-- but there were other times that my companions seemed to think emmrich was the only necromancer/watcher on the team. (i even specialized in death caller!)

by containing all the dialogue with companions to ! markers and outings, it's weird to be unable to have any conversations without being able to provide personal insight, whereas some NPCs in inquisition actively asked you about your past.

its particularly noticeable because of lucanis, whom my rook romanced. the dude has a lot to say about nevarran culture and the necropolis and such, and we can have zero conversations on the matter lol.

maybe this is like, really a mourn watcher thing? maybe it feels better as a crow or a warden. but if you offer me the choice to be a freak crawling around in a tomb. i am going to be.

TLDR: i really feel that a prequel mission, a recruitment by varric then a timeskip, a personal quest tied to the consequences of your backstory, something, anything, to make rook feel like an actual part of the world, was a necessity and sincerely a missed opportunity. if you actually read this far, thanks!

[theheirofthesharingan]

I feel like the only 'stupid' thing Itachi and Shisui did was listen to Danzo. Particularly in the novels he's so mustache-twirlingly evil they both should have assumed anything that came out of his mouth was a lie until proven otherwise. The whole problem with "but what if it snowballs into a war" -- Killing the Uchiha clan also puts the village in a very similar situation.

You've taken out one of four noble clans.

You've taken out the scariest dojutsu users in the world that nobody wants to meet on the battlefield.

You've taken out the police who keep the village stable internally.

You've shaken the people's faith in their leaders by making it clear that they're producing murderous shinobi that they cannot control.

You've shaken the people's trust in each other by choosing the nicest possible kid to do the job.

It is a miracle that this didn't spark the next conflict.

...But we're also talking about a 12 year old kid in a complete state of panic, likely perpetually stuck in a triggered state by the threat of a bigger conflict which he has devoted his entire life to stopping. A little kid who is visibly deteriorating, and whose thoughts are rapidly becoming distorted, based on what we know about his beliefs regarding Sasuke, and I have a sneaking suspicion that excessive praise of his thinking exists solely to justify what happened. We can say Itachi was a big fucking nerd and history buff all we like but there are only so many hours of the day that his mission count tells us he was not using to read books.

What I'm saying is yes, this was an awful choice that more than likely created more problems than it solved, but blaming him rather than the people who exploited his trauma is not just a dick move but morally bankrupt.

We don't know whether a war would truly have broken out or not. But going by the evidence in canon, it certainly would have.

One thing most people repeatedly keep forgetting is Obito's presence who Itachi thought was the Madara Uchiha. We know, and it's canon, that Obito attacked Konoha the night Naruto was born for absolutely no reason. He didn't have to do it other than because "he hated the Shinobi world" yet he did. He was strong enough that even Minato thought the man who fought him was Madara himself.

It wasn't hard for Itachi to assume he could be Madara as well and if he attacked Konoha under any circumstances, it would be impossible to stop the damage the war could cause. So, when Obito told Sasuke he was also plotting war, he wasn't exactly lying. It lies in synch with his previous actions too.

Itachi knew it very well. He knew Konoha, with all its army, wasn't ready to confront Madara Uchiha.

Having said that, neither Itachi nor Shisui were "stupid", because as outsiders, who have seen and known all the consequences, we can assess the circumstances more objectively than Itachi and Shisui did.

I've said it many, many times before — the possibilities of any form of conflict followed by the massacre (which could not be much because Konoha still stood strong and police weren't the only ones guarding the village and Uchiha clan was also on its decline, as Itachi stated) could be curbed because Konoha is insanely powerful.

An internal conflict, along with Obito fueling the fire, would be much worse than any of the possibilities you've stated. Why would Konoha Shinobi accept Uchiha, especially if they attacked and overthrew the government? Why would they not view Uchiha as a threat? Why would they ever accept if Uchiha ever won (by mistake) and one of them became a Hokage?

The dissenters of the Hokage would side with the Uchiha. The others would be against them. It's a perfect recipe for a disaster and Itachi knew it well enough.

Itachi was never given a choice to solve the problem. He was only given the options about which side he wanted to choose and sacrifice. It was never about whether he wanted to have things done his own way. It was always about Konoha making him a scapegoat because its leadership was too weak. Uchiha clan gets away with a lot of shit it put Itachi through, but while they were absolutely the victims, they were not innocent in how they treated Itachi. That also includes Fugaku and Mikoto.

You're absolutely right about the last part. The massacre created more problems, but the people who should be called out are Fugaku, Hiruzen, and Danzo. Itachi was only a pawn.

[faejilly]

Lisle Route Overview in Seven Kingdoms: The Princess Problem

Per a request on the discord, because my brain is only 7kpp now 😍

Character Creator/Personality Notes

You cannot be a Tomboy Countess

Personality MUST be noble as opposed to selfish.

(You can get away with starting out indifferent & immoral if you're manipulative enough to hide it.)

Generally speaking, choose eloquent options. Make jokes! He does have a good sense of humor, since that's pretty much the only break from duty that he allows himself.

Acknowledge and respect the responsibilities of rank.

Welcome Feast

First impression is likeability (beauty, charm, charisma, etiquette). I'm not sure if it's been re-balanced for Early Access, but for the demo the guide broke it down that you got +5 friendship at 60 likeability, +10 @ 100, and +15 @ 120, so as long as you don't tank all four stats, you should be fine.

+5 friendship for "friendly" greeting. (A polite greeting won't bring anything down if you want the etiquette boost.)

Insight check & +5 friendship choice is "compliment his sister"

The best 'tell him about yourself' option is "engaging" which requires 30 eloquence. (Possible with the "introduce yourself politely" option at the end of the CC, if you didn't take a full eloquence boost to get you to 50.) Either the charming or becoming (charisma) options will also get you friendship, but only +5 instead of +10.

You must also successfully greet and get along with Penelope!

Her first impression is also likeability.

Her ideal first dialogue choice is "make her laugh" which requires 30 charm; next is "reassure her" which requires the same 30 eloquence as Lisle's best answer. I think 'inspire' requires leadership.

The default "smile" for the greeting choice is still fine though, just not as many friendship points.

Be "glad she's there" for the insight check.

Rescuing her from Jarrod maybe helps? But I may be making that up because it feels like it should narratively but it's not in any of my guides.

Hosting

Lisle will attend all three of the potential hosted events for week one (tea / musicale / history) if you make a decent impression at the welcome feast. I think you can still unlock his route if you just invite Penelope however, and she will attend both the tea and the musicale but not the lecture. You do get a higher +Wellin Approval boost for the musicale as long as you invite either of them, so that's usually the one I do when I'm planning on playing Lisle's route.

For week 3, Lisle can't attend the ladies' night, while Penelope won't attend the Onvu Tournament, but you can get both of them to the midnight picnic. I think they both give better boosts for the picnic too, but I didn't write it down, so I'm not sure.

Week 1 Invite

Don't be insulted that you're kept waiting for the ride with Lisle.

Either greeting is fine once he gets there, (if you have enough etiquette to see the "polite" one), but he laughs if you rant about last night's sleep which is great.

"Adore" that he brought Penelope

As long as you don't complain about the horse your relationship won't go down, but animal knowledge or persuasive will get you a higher respect bonus than either defensive or quick thinking.

IF you have at least 20 politics, 50 insight, and are ethical, you can ask Lisle about his goals for the summit.

Otherwise, as long as you're not all greedy/overt and asking about getting to be queen, the other two options (holding up/something about yourself) are both fine.

Formal Introductions

Don't have your ambition be "my best future"

Between nations/best serve my nation won't *hurt* but only give bonuses to your BG nation's approval

"Katyia" gives approval & respect bonuses

Don't lie about your ambition unless you're at least at 300 persuasion/50 manip.

Weeks 2 & 3

Request Penelope join your team for the ship race. (She's ideal for the morale check so it's a good pick regardless.)

For Penelope's breakfast, I don't think it matters? (I mean, don't be mean to her, obviously, but I don't think it effects any Lisle stats there.)

The best gift for him is the Pirate book.

For the MM date, start with either "Penelope" or "spent some time"

"Of course" is the best answer to 'bother you?' but 'rather be here' will also work.

Pick trust or communication for the 'most important' question

"Far worse fates" is the best answer to his confession, but "thank you" will also work.

Talk to the matchmaker about him and make it clear you know what you're doing

BE TACKLE-HUGGED BY PENELOPE AT THE FEAST, 🎉

TL;DR Be a responsible adult, be nice to his sister, have a sense of humor, and you should be fine!

I don't have as much of a breakdown for how to *continue* his route (and also I don't remember where the demo cuts off vs the Early Access which isn't quite public yet) but basically you can get more respect & friendship by being eloquent and dutiful and encouraging Penelope when you get the chance.

[lemonhemlock]

the fact that as of right now, Alys’ role in the story is to be Daemon’s hype man 😭 I almost can’t get past it. The sanitization of Daemon as a character eats up both her and Helaena, because they have to function as beacons to prove Daemon is on the right path in supporting the right ruler. Which now means that like so many other characters, it is very unclear what Alys does next without him. How do you do her relationship with Aemond when she has spent a season fixing Daemon into a better person who understands the part he has to play (in ultimately killing Aemond???) You can repeat the visions and have them make him worse, but I almost don’t believe the show cares enough about Aemond to actually do that. It feels more likely she’s going to be blatantly playing him the entire time, which is the most boring option they could go with. A shame!

I really, really liked the Harrenhal sequences, because I thought its purpose was to be an interesting character study into what makes Daemon tick. But the ending felt so flat, ultimately pointless and very much disruptive to future plot points?

Daemon had a very fatalistic approach to his death in the books. The breakdown of his relationship with Rhaenyra was very much brought about by his own boredom / disillusionment with her, by his lack of conviction in her cause or even by disappointment or shock that she should overreact to Nettles in such a way. When he left to fight Aemond, he felt that there was not much else left for him. Which, again, betrays a very self-centered view, as he still had two daughters and a son left to raise, but that's Daemon for you. I think it's fair to say that he must have felt that taking Aemond and Vhagar out would prove advantageous to his remaining son, at the very least.

But, in any case, he was in a complicated state of mind that could have been interesting to explore on screen and one that was still true to the core of his character. Daemon is a trickster! He is never fully in or fully our of anything. He is unpredictable and considers himself the master of his own destiny. He is the last character to acquiesce to some notion of predestination. He is a schemer to the core and, while I do think he loved Rhaenyra in his own way, his marriage to her always retained a strategic element to it.

Having him unquestionably bend the knee to her is so bizarre. Why? That's his arc in S2? It also undoubtedly turns him heroic, because he has relinquished his egocentric pursuits (wanting the Iron Throne for himself) in favour of fulfilling a prophecy that basically gives indications on how to save the world in the future. So, now, fighting the greens is not a personal, petty vendetta, it's literally ordained by the gods, because otherwise the entire Westeros is doomed if his bloodline doesn't continue. For real? 😩

And, coming back to Alys and Helaena, of course that the women have to aid Daemon, because they know that the blacks are on the right side of history and they are ultimately peacemakers, one and all! 😭

I don't have a problem with Alys blatantly playing Aemond and leading him on, as I've always thought that it would make the most sense for her to be out for herself, but it's a ridiculous demonisation of the greens. And in service of Daemon, the least virtuous of all characters. This conflict is no longer petty squabble between nobles, it's literally occult shit at play now. And none of them even know about this stupid prophecy in the first place. Just anything and everything to make Alicent look bad, I guess.

[thevioletjones]

Listen, the DNC fucking nailed that convention so hard, I'm positive we're gonna win.

The party platform they laid out is immaculate. The stark contrast in messaging from that of the party of loveless, bigoted, weirdo, grifter, ghouls couldn't be more plain.

Somehow, in just 4 days, the Dems have officially become the party of family values, in addition to being the party of equality and inclusivity. It's actually surreal to those of us old enough to have slogged our way through many contentious election cycles and decades of hypocrytical myopic bullshit foisted upon us by old-fashioned post-Reagan conservatives.

The selection of Tim Walz as VP turned out to be masterful. Next to him, JD Vance looks even more pathetic and stupid than he already did. The men on the republican ticket are fundamentally incapable of acting like the informed, caring adults on the historic democratic ticket.

I'm disappointed in the youth on social media as usual. As an elder millennial progressive, I have always been further left than the tickets I've voted for and the administrations I've supported. Even my favorite politicians have done things I don't like or agree with. But that's the way it is. It's something we as voters and citizens do not have full control over and never will.

I believe in a free Palestine and I in no way condone the US involvement in supplying Israel with weapons in an unjust war. I also am not a fan of the barely disguised antisemitism that's permeating that cause, and I'm smart enough to know that the entirety of the conflict is much more complex than the last year's news cycle. You can seek out documentaries by credible news sources (like the excellent Vice News program previously aired on HBO and other cable channels) that detail bothe the history of Israel, the history of Palestinian struggles, and the history of the US relationship with Israel, and what that territory means to the different religious factions that want it for themselves (and how sects of Christianity have been indoctrinated into the cause of gaining it for themselves).

The thing is that this election isn't about that relationship or that conflict. It's not about anyone else's country. It's about ours.

I'm American, but I grew up in Venezuela. They just had a big election there that resulted in a steal from a dictator-like unpopular president. But unlike ee did with Trump the first time he lost, they can't actually get his ass out of the presidential palace. Chavez and Maduro have ruined that country with the same anti-democratic tactics that Trump would love to employ and pushed millions of citizens to emigrate from the country.

None of that is about the US either.

My point being, every country on this planet has it's own problems that for better or for worse, we have to largely leave in the hands of the citizens of those nations to resolve.

This is your opportunity to continue the slow correction of the path we've been on in America since Clinton and Obama. It's a slow march towards progress that keeps getting stymied and dragged back, then pushed a little bit forward again. These moderate liberals are the only vote we have that will ever possibly lead to a truly progressive hero and champion. You know, most likely someone in one of our generations.

Millenials and Gen Z have a lot in common, but as the older of the two, I'm telling you, only time and experience will prove to you that you can't have everything in one candidate or even an entire party, and wasting your ability to actually make a difference for noble ideals that won't make an actual difference to those lives you think you're trying to save is illogical.

Israel will not stop bombing Gaza because you sat out of a US election, or because you protested the DNC, or protest voted 3rd party.

Until the system is overhauled, there is no point in 3rd party voting. Of course we should have more than 2 options. We don't.

Anyway....... I am joyful this week.

I still can't believe Grandpa Joe actually got pushed out of the nomination. They are taking this swift shift to Kamala Harris and running Sha'Carri Richardson fast with it.

Get on board.

It's nice not to feel doomed all the time. I don't even care if it's partially an illusion. I know the alternative is a living nightmare that needs to end.

[stromuprisahat]

(I only read TGT once so if I get any details wrong here, feel free to correct me. Same for the historical reference I'm discussing here). I never understood why Nikolai was considered to be a better character than the Darkling when it came to helping the Grisha. I know Leigh Bardugo presents him as the "nicer" option but Nikolai always kind of reminded me of Tsar Nicholas II, who, from what I remember learning in school, was considered to be a nice man who clearly loved his children, but a rather incompetent ruler. He didn't always make good decisions which made relations with the government worse, and increased hardships for civilians and soldiers. He also was really detached and out of touch with the plight of the Russian people and I believe some of his policies ended up alienating people from ethnic minority groups. I brought him up, because Nikolai is also kind of like this, he's not an exact parallel obviously but like, it's kind of there. The only reason really that he's considered effective in the books is because Leigh can't really write politics that well. Like, even the way the nobility would behave is something she didn't really write well, as well as how the public would react to the things that happen in the story. Idk. Did this make any sense? What do you think?

Absolutely.

I can't speak about the historical Nikolai- I've read very little about him, and it's been years-, but while book!Nikolai's ideas aren't bad per se, he's been greatly helped by gross simplification of politics and LB's clear favour.

Nobles are either supportive, or stupid and gullible.

Inclusion of Grisha works 100%. Sure, the soldiers for Nikolai's elite inventors would he handpicked, but either there is no longer hatred for Grisha among the First Army, or the Tsar's too high to see it.

The only peasants we meet are enlightened enough to immediately understand and ADMIT they're faring better (Read the link. OP's no longer on tumblr, but her posts are based on actual Russian history and literature.), which is... well, have you ever MET any real people, Leigh? RoW was published during fucking covid of all possible times! Huge chunk of population will rather die, than accept the unknown!

Making Nikolai visibly think with his cock leads to no trouble. No one's calling him weak, no one suddenly remembers rumors about Grisha girls "being able to put a spell on a man", Zoya's desired and respected, instead of being viewed as seductress or outright Witch Whore.

And one more about Grisha- there have been pogroms barely a few years back. First Army was slaughtering Second only because they've figured they're to blame for the Fold moving (and don't forget the only survivors aside from Malina were the Darkling's people). Am I to believe a new Tsar ascending with THREE Grisha publicly backing him up won't cause decent upheaval?

Sure, Kolya's nice, but he's too nice. Somewhere on his way from Sturmhond to Tsar Nikolai, he forgot how to cut fingers even though it might make him sick. And the situation should look accordingly.

[istumpysk]

We always question that when Jon fell in love with Dany in show. I have another confusion since when Tyrion fell in love with Dany. And if he was so in love with Dany why he was suggesting to Sansa that they should remain married.

Beats me!

His relationship with Daenerys on the show never felt authentic to me, and like you said, it often contradicted the dynamics between him and Sansa.

This is the problem you create when you allocate parts of Sansa's storyline (the Jon romance, and the Tyrion love triangle) to Daenerys, while also needing to acknowledge the established history between Sansa and Tyrion.

That half-baked, last-minute insertion was complete nonsense. I'll eat rocks the day George turns his beloved Tyrion into an obedient lapdog, who is in love with his unhinged master. That would just make him another Jorah or Barristan, and what's the point of that? It would be redundant, and his perspective wouldn't bring anything new to the table.

Tyrion is the guy who mocked the idea of a savior.

Other slaves insisted that the guards were lying, that Daenerys Targaryen would never make peace with slavers. Mhysa, they called her. Someone told him that meant Mother. Soon the silver queen would come forth from her city, smash the Yunkai'i, and break their chains, they whispered to one another. And then she'll bake us all a lemon pie and kiss our widdle wounds and make them better, the dwarf thought. He had no faith in royal rescues. - Tyrion X, ADWD

Tyrion is the guy who became deeply concerned when he heard a red priest preaching her gospel.

Shouts erupted from the crowd. Women were weeping and men were shaking their fists. I have a bad feeling about this. […] Haldon Halfmaester had spoken of using the red priest to Young Griff's advantage, Tyrion recalled. Now that he had seen and heard the man himself, that struck him as a very bad idea. He hoped that Griff had better sense. Some allies are more dangerous than enemies. - Tyrion VII, ADWD

Tyrion is the guy who can recognize the psychology, fear, conditioning, and absence of alternative options that lead to a slave wanting to remain in bondage.

"Ghazdor's collar," the old man boasted. "Known him since we was born. I'm almost like a brother to him. Slaves like you, sweepings out of Astapor and Yunkai, you whine about being free, but I wouldn't give the dragon queen my collar if she offered to suck my cock for it. Man has the right master, that's better." Tyrion did not dispute him. The most insidious thing about bondage was how easy it was to grow accustomed to it. - Tyrion XI, ADWD

Tyrion is the guy with firsthand experience of slave owners infantilizing their slaves, to reinforce paternalistic authority and reliance.

"Bold Yollo. Bright Penny. You are the property of the noble and valorous Yezzan zo Qaggaz, scholar and warrior, revered amongst the Wise Masters of Yunkai. Count yourselves fortunate, for Yezzan is a kindly and benevolent master. Think of him as you would your father." […] "Your father loves his special treasures best of all, and he will cherish you," the overseer was saying. "And me, think of me as you would the nurse who cared for you when you were small. Nurse is what all my children call me." - Tyrion X, ADWD

x

"Let them come. In me they shall find a sterner foe than Cleon. I would sooner perish fighting than return my children to bondage." - Daenerys IV, ADWD

Despite my low opinion of him, I don't believe he's capable of being swept up by Daenerys.

Daenerys isn't his type, Sansa is. Tysha is. Shae is. Sex workers are. Penny would be, if he was sexually attracted to her. He seeks relationships where he can exert control, foster dependency, and provide protection and care.

Daenerys is too much like his sister.

[misc-obeyme]

Okay and once again the last Lesson 14 spoilers are about Solomon because I’m obsessed with him…

I can’t stop thinking about the way he couldn’t finish the story of his past.

What happened?? Who hurt him?? My poor boy…

Once again though we are given a choice. Solomon and humanity or Lucifer and his brothers. Only saying that you’ll be by Solomon’s side no matter what takes you to the option to kiss him. He gushes about how much he loves you too. It’s really sweet actually.

However I’m a little confused. As usual.

This game I swear…

Is this just a Solomon theme? Or is this something that’s actually going to happen at some point in the story? I don’t like having to choose. But saying that you’ll find another way just makes Solomon say something sad about not having a choice (like he did he says… so I think the reason he keeps bringing this up is because of whatever happened to him in the past).

He also talks a lot about humanity being equal to demons and angels. That’s his motivation for having as many pacts as possible. And if that’s true then I think that’s pretty noble right?

I mean yeah I agree with this statement.

But again… none of that really makes sense in the context of our current timeline. I never got the impression that humanity was seen as lesser by either side? Or that they were heavily involved in human life? Certainly not to the point that a sorcerer should feel he needs to dedicate his life to protecting humanity from them.

So the question is once again how much of this indicates deceit from Solomon and how much of it is just… devs retconning stuff?

In the end, that’s the question it almost always comes back to for me. I’m usually pretty good at figuring out where a story is going. But because I can’t tell if they’re just retconning stuff or not, it’s really making it hard for me.

Also there’s no doubt that this game has a history of throwing out random lore that we then never hear about again. So everything anyone says might be super important, but it might also be completely unimportant.

Either way, I love Solomon and I want to know why he couldn’t finish his story because that to me is important. I feel like that’s the key to understanding him and all of this.

And even though I have questioned him in the past, I love him so much and I want him to be happy.

Though I will say that I kinda love the idea of an MC who chooses him and the human world over demons and the Devildom. Like in the end, they both go back to the human world to be the most powerful sorcerers of all time who protect humanity together… now I wanna write a fic about it tee hee.

Siigh this man has my whole heart.

[inastarlesssky]

Okay, folks. Another essay. (Not a character analysis, folks.)

How I feel about Ron. Under the cut bc it might not be very Ron-friendly (but no Ron-bashing here (okay maybe a little) , just my honest thoughts)

Just gonna start off by saying what follows is my opinion. I haven't read the books, and I don't really plan to. Anything I write, my fics, my meta, you name it, is taken from the movies. That being said, it's just that. Sure, it might not be completely informed bc I haven't read the books. And I'd also like to clarify (my fault for not mentioning this before) this is not a character analysis of Ron Weasley, this is my opinion concerning him from what I've seen in the movies. My opinion is most certainly not law and it's definitely not fully informed bc I haven't read the books, but it's just me putting my thoughts out there.

Alright, so maybe I misunderstand things sometimes. Maybe it's been a few years since I've seen the movies. But the thing is, I don't quite like Ron as a character. Why?

In the first few movies, it's endearing how scared silly he can be, and it's sweet to see he's such good friends with Harry and Hermione. But what really got me was in Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire. Yes, there was the tension between Ron and Harry, but what called my attention was Ron's behaviour towards Hermione. Specifically "You're a girl. Come to the ball with me?" As if she was his last option--she who over the span of a few movies was a good friend and you'd think he might care a little bit more. But then again, they're teenagers, he's probably not thinking as well as he should. It just seemed very un-gentlemanly like to me the way that he asked her about it. If I were here, I wouldn't have appreciated that.

Then, at the actual Ball itself, he was jealous. That's understandable, happens to the best of us. But she was happy and practically beaming that evening. When he accused her of 'fraternizing with the enemy', that was kind of a last straw it seemed to me. Like 1) as she points out, the other schools aren't to be thought of as enemies. It's a competition, but the idea of the Ball was to have everyone together 2) I really don't think he's in a position to speak down to her when he asked her in a less-than-noble way to be his date for the ball.

Thus far my thoughts on Ron. Now bringing up Draco. Now being a Dramione shipper, myself, I will say that of course, I prefer her with Draco rather than with Ron. Why is that? Well, I can't speak for others--but for my part, the Draco that I like and that I ship with Hermione, is one that sees the error of his ways, that apologizes to her and determines (and actually makes efforts to) to be a better man. Basically this is solely in fanfics bc of course, in canon, the closest thing to redemption that we see for Draco is 1) the Manor scene when he refuses to identify Harry and 2) the deleted scene where he throws Harry his wand.

It's true that Draco also was an asshole when he called her mudblood and spoke down to her. He also mistreated her to a certain degree. But the difference I'm making is that in the fanfics I've read, I've seen a progression from 12-year old arrogant Slytherin to a man who will set fire to the world around him but never let them touch Hermione, a man who would move heaven and earth for her. A man who knows he's flawed and knows that he's hurt the woman he loves but he makes every effort to amend that and be better.

If there are Ron/Hermione fics that show him turning around from that moment at the Ball and being a better man, please feel free to hit me up with those, and I'd love to take a look. But it just seems funny to me that that's kind of swept under the rug. Like yes, Hermione forgives. But--if both Draco and Ron insulted Hermione in one way or another--why should there be more work for Draco to redeem himself in Hermione's eyes than Ron? You'd think (so I think) it would have hurt her more to be so treated by Ron, her friend, bc of their history.

To clarify, I am not trying to make a point here that one ship is better than the other. No. Ship and let ship, that's my theme. I just wanted to get my thoughts out bc I was considering and thought I might share it.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

[robo-dino-puppy]

10 Fandoms, 10 Characters, 10 Tags

thank you for the tag @bluntblade! (i'm embarrassed this took me so long. also i've never been good at ranking things so uh don't consider this list in order of most favorite or anything)

Donna Noble (Doctor Who)

Character I think about if I'm having a bad day <3 This scene between the windows in Partners in Crime never fails to cheer me up. Also: "You're not mating with me, sunshine!" Theeeeee best platonic relationship with the Doctor IMO.

Varl (Horizon)

Aloy did not appreciate this good dude nearly enough. I want Varl to be my BFF. T_T But HFW happened and... I won't say too much about that or we'd be here all day. He's alive in my head and that's all that matters.

Cimorene (The Enchanted Forest Chronicles)

Cimorene! She's no-nonsense and clever. She wasn't a fan of being treated like a princess so she went and "got captured by" a dragon so people would stop bothering her, and helps her cook and organize her library. I mean, goals.

Loki (MCU)

I wasn't into the MCU when it started getting big, and in fact I didn't see any of the movies until I read someone on Tumblr (c. 2012) going on about (paraphrased) how awful it was that people liked Loki because he was the absolute worst and if you liked him you were a gross immoral person and you should feel bad. So I went and watched this Avengers movie everyone was talking about. And guess what haters? He is terrible and I love him.

Parker (Leverage)

Although I am not brave enough to throw myself off buildings, sometimes I amuse myself by thinking "what would Parker do?" and since a canonical option involves stabbing someone who's bothering her with a fork and jumping out a window, the thought cheers me up even if I can't do that.

Aziraphale (Good Omens)

He just wants people (aside from Crowley) to leave him alone in his bookshop. He never fits in with his "side" but tries to do what they want anyway, because that's the good thing to do, and he wants to be good. I can relate so hard, buddy.

Milo Thatch (Atlantis: The Lost Empire)

Ok so... I totally had a crush on Michael J. Fox and I was already interested in linguistics back when this movie came out, and then here's a main character voiced by him who was a linguist! Milo had to be my favorite :D

Elena Fisher (Uncharted)

I will fully admit that some of my initial love of Elena came from her AI covering my panic-flailing self early on in the first Uncharted game (I'm THE WORST at games with guns, even on easy, it's actually embarrassing) - but she impressed me right away when she was not overly impressed by Nate. And her snark game is on point.

Zeb (Star Wars Rebels)

I feel like Zeb needs more love. Comic relief character who actually has an unbelievably tragic backstory! And his story has so much untapped potential! We never really get to explore what happened with Lasan, and then then dump Kallus in there with his defection to the Rebellion and his whole *handwaves* history with the Lasats and eventual apparent (b)romance with Zeb - and the show had so little to say about it! Huge angsty storytelling miss right there. (Dave why.)

Brian Finch (Limitless [2015])

This dude! Lovable but he would be SO exasperating to deal with IRL. His arts-and-craftiness just resonated with me. He was always making stuff out of toothpicks and yarn and papier mâché and clay and and and- I'm still mad this show only got one season.

zero-pressure tags: @mari-mary, @ayaitch, @hannahmationstudios, @inomakani, @fogsblue, @nerd-artist, @singingkestrel, @prototypelq, @tjerra14, @artekai or just consider yourself tagged if you want to do it!

[aebi12]

"Resentment" - Chapter 25 [AemondxRhaena]

Summary

He is the cause of her sufferings. He took her dragon, her betrothed, and her father. Now, he will also take away her future by having to marry him.

With so much history and bad blood between Rhaena and Aemond, their forced union has everything to fail, except that the proximity will make them discover that perhaps they have more in common than it seems.

AU - the Greens win the war.

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10 - Chapter 11 - Chapter 12 - Chapter 13 - Chapter 14 - Chapter 15 - Chapter 16 - Chapter 17 - Chapter 18 - Chapter 19 - Chapter 20 - Chapter 21 - Chapter 22 - Chapter 23 - Chapter 24

Masterlist of my other works.

Read on AO3

Tags: enemies to lovers, slow burn, romance, angst, drama, eventual smut, hurt/comfort

Please remember that english is not my first language, so I'm sorry for the mistakes...

Disclaimer: these are not my characters, they belong to George R.R. Martin, HBO, etc. Only the plot of this fanfiction belongs to me.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

King's Landing is not exactly a beautiful city.

Although, during his childhood away from the capital, Daeron had often romanticized it mainly due to the nostalgia he felt towards his mother and siblings, he had encountered a disappointing reality upon returning to the city after the war.

King's Landing was dirty, messy and smelly.

The complete opposite of Oldtown.

Oldtown and its eternal charm, its mix of tradition and modernity. It had been a good place to grow up. A place that, since a few days ago when his older brothers had told him that he should formalize his betrothal as soon as possible, he has been thinking about more and more frequently.

Although, if he is honest, it is not exactly his maternal family's ancestral city that he misses, but rather his uncle. Ser Gwayne had been a father to him since his arrival at the Hightower. He had taught him to fight, to hunt, to write... and it was precisely his advice that he wants now more than ever.

As if you didn't know what he was going to tell you.

His uncle, an honorable knight, would surely tell him that a betrothal with Lady Westerling is an excellent choice for a third son like him. That, in addition to being beautiful, the young woman is kind, educated and of noble birth. That her dowry will be more than enough to increase his personal reserves, which would never be as large as those of his older brothers. That, by joining one of the oldest houses in the West, he will have more influence in the kingdom. Not that he needs it, he doesn't mind not exercising political power, he is more than happy taking care of practical matters than dealing with tedious issues like Aemond.

Daeron is aware that marrying Marianne Westerling is the best option. Still…

His gaze shifts to the young woman who silently walks beside him through the gardens.

“I am sorry, Lady Marianne, I probably should have suggested we talk in one of the drawing rooms,” he says after watching her shiver for the third time.

“It is fine, my prince, I do not mind the cold,” he assures her, though her red nose and cracked voice say otherwise.

Daeron simply nods, and they resume their walk in silence. It is not an awkward silence, and though he knows what he’s expected to say, he can’t do it. At least not yet.

“I did not get a chance to tell you,” Marianne’s voice cuts through his thoughts, “But I did enjoy watching you compete in the tournament, my prince”

“Thank you,” he replies with a smirk, “I would have preferred to win, though.”

“You were the winner in my heart.”

Marianne seems to register her words a second later, because her cheeks flush and she looks down, clearly embarrassed.

Daeron finds the gesture adorable.

“I appreciate the sentiment,” he replies.

It takes Marianne a few long seconds to face him again, and when she does, the prince is once again struck by how pretty she is.

And by how little effect that beauty has on him.

You are a fool, he thinks as his mind conjures up the face of someone else. Someone he can never have.

“There is a matter I would like to discuss with you,” he finally dares to say, “It is my wish that we can unite our houses through a betrothal. The Crown agrees with my idea and the king, my brother, has agreed to our marriage. However, I would like to know what you think about the matter.”

His words sound formal. Too formal and rehearsed. And yet, the smile that appears on the young woman’s face is so wide that it increases the feeling of ingratitude he feels.

“I would like nothing more than to be your wife, my prince.”

Daeron struggles to offer her a smile, “It is decided then. The council will arrange the details with your lord father, so we can proceed.”

“I am honored, my prince,” she replies, bowing.

 “My brother will surely announce the betrothal soon, but I ask for discretion for now. It's wiser this way.”

“Of course,” Marianne nods immediately.

“And we should probably wait until winter is over before we get married,” he says more to himself, “Yes, I think waiting a while would be wise.”

Time. It's just what he needs. Time to get used to his future.

And time to banish ideas – and feelings – that are better left uninhabited.

***

His sheets no longer smell like her.

The scent of roses that always surrounds Rhaena has almost completely disappeared from his room, and as Aemond shifts in bed trying to find a comfortable position to rest, he can't help but grab the pillow at his side and inhale deeply, wanting to find a trace of his wife in it.

But he finds no comfort in the action.

Like the previous nights, he can't sleep either. His room is now a place that torments him. All he can think about every time he enters it is Rhaena's body lying between his sheets, her platinum hair spread across his pillows, the softness of her skin, her kisses...

Aemond growls, exasperated with himself because, no matter how hard he tries, he can't get her out of his mind.

Although he finds refuge in his daily work, forcing himself to focus on the affairs of the kingdom, on accounts, reports and inspections, the nights are torture. Every time he returns to the Tower he walks silently so as not to hear her, so as not to succumb to his desire to require her presence, to see her or to hold her in his arms. Only that his private rooms are living proof of what he tries to deprive himself of. And, although he knows that he could very well request new accommodations, that masochistic part of him does not wish to do so. No, that little part delights in sleeping in the bed he shared with her, where he felt her warmth…

The prince curses once more as his mind conjures the sensation of sinking inside of her, of her moans and the way Rhaena says his name when she explodes with pleasure. His body betrays him too, and he feels his cock getting excited, growing between his legs and screaming for his attention.

“Seven hells!”

Would it be so bad to summon her? To share her bed again? At some point he would have to, because after all, their union must produce an heir. So why not just give in to his desire? Why keep keeping her away? Wasn’t it easier to just…?

No.

He had done it once before. He had given in to his passions and it had brought him close to death. He had allowed someone else to control him and have influence over him. And he wasn’t going to do it again. He couldn’t show himself weak again. He had agreed to this marriage only to fulfill his duty to the realm, to please his mother and help in the survival of his house. Nothing more was required of him.

Aemond moves between the sheets again, but when the pressure on his cock becomes unbearable, he can’t help but slide his hand and stroke the length of it, moving up and down and imagining it’s Rhaena’s hand stroking him. Or her mouth. How would it feel to have her lips and tongue wrapped around his cock? The mere thought makes him explode, spilling his seed all over his stomach.

Defeated, though somewhat relieved, he cleans himself up and manages to sleep for a few hours. As the sun breaks dawn, he slips out from between the sheets and walks to the training yard, where he grabs a sword and begins to stab the straw man.

“Bad night?”

The question comes from Ser Criston, who joins him, also taking up a sword.

“I didn’t get much sleep.”

“Once again?” the knight faces him, tacitly challenging him to a duel, “What is troubling you, my prince?”

He does not answer immediately. Though he trusts Cole, he doesn’t dare discuss his situation with him. Or anyone, really.

“I think we should send Daeron and Tessarion to the Stormlands.”

“Is this because of the thefts to the nobles?”

“It is happening more and more often.”

“Your brother wouldn’t be much help, not on the back of his dragon,” Ser Criston replies, “The thieves probably set up camp deep in the woods, from the sky Daeron would not be able to see them. You know that as well as I do.”

“Mmm,” Aemond lunges at the knight, who deflects his attack with ease.

“Send me if you are so worried about the situation.”

“No, I need you here.”

The prince repeats his action and lets out a frustrated grunt when he fails to even touch his master.

“You are distracted,” Cole comments as they put down their swords and catch their breath, “What is it really bothering you?” When he gets no response, he insists, “The realm is at peace, the council follows your instructions and there is no sign of disloyalty on their part.”

Aemond takes his sword again and Cole his morning star, wielding it skillfully and making the young man concentrate to the maximum so as not to be hit by the weapon.

“Is it Lady Rhaena?” When the prince glares at him, a sideways smile appears on Cole’s face. “I imagine that living together is not proving to be an easy task.”

“Why do you assume that?”

“You have always been an independent young man,” Ser Criston dodges again, “Accustomed to your ways and routines. And now you have a wife to include in all of this. It must be… complicated.”

“I barely see her.”

“Why is that?”

Aemond shrugs, “I have no need to,” he lies, “She is just…”

“Your wife,” the knight cuts him off, “Who in the eyes of the gods you covered with your cloak and swore to protect.”

“She does not need my protection, she is safe here in the Keep.”

“That is not what I mean,” Ser Criston replies, shaking his head, “Lady Rhaena requires your attention and dedication as well.”

Aemond lets out a cynical chuckle, though internally, he feels a tug of guilt and bitterness at the knight’s words, “She receives enough attention from the Court. I do not think she desires mine.”

His words must convey something of what he feels, because Ser Criston stops his attacks and watches him with those shrewd eyes that detected his lies as a child, and made him confess his escapes from the castle to try to sneak into the Dragon Pit, “You can be gentle with her. There would be nothing wrong with getting along with your wife. I know you didn’t wish to marry her, but that doesn’t stop your feelings towards that union from changing over time.”

“We married to produce a royal heir,” Aemond retorts, “For the future of the dynasty. You told me that, remember?”

“I remember,” he nods and lets out a heavy sigh, “I just think there is nothing wrong with you feeling affection for your wife, my prince”

Aemond grimaces and looks away for a moment.

“It has nothing to do with that,” he finally murmurs, and when he faces Criston, it is with a harsh and cold look in his eye, “Let’s keep training.”

And although his words echo in his mind, he focuses only on the comforting sound of steel against steel, trying to forget his doubts and everything else.

***

“We are honored by your visit, Princess Rhaena.”

The orphanage is considerably larger than the one she visited last time. And it is filled with small children running around in torn shoes and scantily clad despite the cold. Seeing their little red noses and almost purple lips, Rhaena is suddenly embarrassed by the fur coat she is wearing.

The septa, an elderly woman, offers her a rickety chair by the fire.

“Thank you,” she replies with a smile, “I hope the provisions I brought are enough to ease your burden.”

“Praise the Mother,” the woman replies, “Our burden is great, as you can see, my lady. But we try to house all the children who are in need.”

Rhaena looks back at the many children of varying ages who are excitedly running around the carts filled with vegetables and wheat she has brought. This orphanage, one of the ones on the queen dowager’s list, is her first stop in Flea Bottom.

“The Crown appreciates your service, septa,” Rhaena clears her throat, “What else do they need?”

“There is never enough food, my lady, but we also require clothing and blankets. Last winter took more than half of the children in our care.”

Her heart sinks at the woman’s words, “I am very sorry to hear that.”

“It was a shame, really, but the Gods are probably taking better care of them than we could,” the woman sighs, “There are few who will grow up to be good men and women.”

Rhaena looks back at the children, and a lump form in her heart, “How long will they be under your care if they cannot find families to take them in?”

“A few years, until they can take care of themselves. We try to teach them practical things, but it’s hard to make a living in this city.”

The sound of a crying baby cuts off the conversation, and a young septa enters with a small child in her arms.

“One more?”

“I’m afraid so,” the young woman sighs and, seeing Rhaena, bows before leaving the small room.

“The arrival of winter makes the women simply abandon them.”

“Isn’t there some way to find their mothers? To help them so they can raise their children?”

“Babies are not welcome where they come from,” the septa explains, “Most of these children are the children of prostitutes on the Street of Silk. There is no place for these creatures in these establishments. And those that are kept are for a much worse fate.”

Rhaena pales and the septa apologizes for bringing up an inappropriate subject for her.

For the rest of the visit, as she oversees that the orphanage receives all that she has brought to offer, Rhaena wanders through the gloomy, cold rooms, promising to return with more help.

“I will return soon,” she assures the septa, “And I will bring more useful things.”

The children cling to her skirts, bidding her farewell, and Rhaena tries to contain her sudden urge to cry as she leaves the place.

“Shall we return to the palace, princess?” the royal guard asks.

“Not yet,” she sighs, “I want to walk around the city a bit.”

The man follows her silently and the girl tries to ease her heart as she thinks about the harsh reality she has just witnessed. She knew the city had many shortages, but she was not prepared to see them so directly. King's Landing had looked lovely on the occasions she had visited, although that was probably because they had embellished part of the city for the wedding. Now that she had ventured deeper into the heart of the town, she could see the reality.

“This place is not appropriate for you, my lady,” the guard warns her

“Why not?”

“Well it is… it is the Street of Silk, my lady.”

“Oh,” Rhaena stops abruptly and looks curiously at the establishments that, in the light of day, seem quite ordinary.

The famous Street of Silk. Women wearing the most revealing dresses she has ever seen emerge from one of the houses, laughing and holding glasses while hugging a clearly drunk man. The man touches them shamelessly and they do not protest, rather they respond to his caresses while they continue laughing and then enter another of the houses.

“We should go back to the palace, princess”

Rhaena nods and they return to the carriage. During the ride, her mind can't help but return to the scene on Silk Street. And the many establishments she had seen. Were they all brothels? Were they all packed at night, offering forbidden pleasures to men? Had Aemond frequented any of these places? Did he still frequent them even now?

Doubt grows inside her like poison ivy. The prince had assured her that distractions were things of the past, but was he keeping his word? Or was that why he no longer called her to his chambers? Perhaps he preferred the more experienced touch of his lover. Rhaena feels her heart race as she considers the possibility that she had been a disappointment to Aemond in the marriage bed. Was that why he avoided her? Had the novelty of possessing her been so dull after a couple of times that he needed something more? Had she failed?

“We are already at the Fortress, Madam”

Rhaena gets out of the carriage and advances through the castle without even looking where she is going.

“There you are!” Marianne’s arms suddenly encircle her and her friend’s squeal of excitement stops the thoughts that are gnawing at her insides. “I was looking for you,” her lady continues, “Oh Rhaena! The prince Daeron asked me to be his wife.”

“What?” she gasps, surprised, “How… how did it happen?”

Rhaena tries to act surprised even though she expected it to happen because, after all, Aemond had assured her that she didn’t have to worry about it anymore.

Just as he assured you that there would be no one else but you, she thinks.

And, if he had kept his promise to Daeron and Marianne, why wouldn’t he also keep his promise to never visit his former lover again?

Yes, her doubts were unfounded. They had to be, she thinks as she watches her friend’s smile, pleased by the betrothal, and making plans about the wedding, the dress and the decoration of the sept. “Prince Aemond will announce our betrothal soon,” Marianne beams, “But you mustn’t tell anyone until then.”

“Yes, yes, of course,” Rhaena beams back, “I am so happy for you. And that we can still be together.”

“It is amazing, is it not?” Her lady’s honey-colored eyes fill with unshed tears, “And we will be family! Our children will be cousins ​​and grow up together.”

Rhaena giggles and tries to push her doubts aside, letting herself be carried away by the idyllic picture her lady paints for her.

@user05152535456 @pugetprincess @draftswriting @hopefulnovelwritingland @maymunahar @niocel @goldenjoyboyy @gracelessbeach @jenmakeusin10 @dagma18 @atargcvnt @iidontgiveafuckuniverse @ammo23 @qyburnsghost @ithoughtulikedme @avidreader73 @feyresqueen @zeroinetoheroine @dragontwinsfireandblood

Let me know if you want to be tagged

[aeoki]

Swing Night - Life is Short: Chapter 2

Characters: Adonis, Kouga, Kaoru & Rei

Kaoru: Oh, so Adonis-kun has a fiance, huh…

I wonder why I feel so complicated. It feels like I’ve lost as a man – like how a kid has all grown up without the adult realising…

Adonis: ? I’m sorry, I don’t think you’re my parent, Hakaze-senpai.

Kaoru: Uhh, it’s my own problem, so don’t worry about it.

I do think it’s a very Adonis thing to do, though. Why are you always so serious – you’re a little like a stick in the mud?

Adonis: Stick in the mud…? I don’t know that word.

Kaoru: Well, I probably shouldn’t say that after what you’ve just been through. You’re a prince, Adonis-kun, so it might not be strange for you to have one or two fiances, huh.

I always tend to forget when I’m with you.

Adonis: I’m a prince…?

Kaoru: Huh? You’re not? Your family are basically billionaires, right? One that me or Rei-kun can’t even compare to, no?

I always thought your family was like an oil magnate. And seeing as you’re the son, then that would make you a prince, right?

Rei: Rather than a prince, more like a man of wealth in that region.

We can’t compare these things on the same worldly scale in the first place.

I don’t know how much I can say, so I phrased it in a rather ambiguous way, though. Adonis-kun’s family is one of the top five noble families with a long and honourable history in his country.

Naturally, his house is the most impressive one in that region.

I’ve visited several times and it’s so luxurious, I feel as though I’d stepped foot into a movie.

Adonis: Sakuma-senpai, it may not be to the same scale, but your home is rather grand in its own sense as well.

Kaoru: Really? So this… Urania-chan? Is she someone from your country? She sounds like a foreigner.

Adonis: Yeah. She’s from my country.

Rei: Hmm. I knew you had a fiance, but I presume the engagement took place after you came to Japan?

Or was it recent?

Adonis: No. It was established before I came to Japan. I was still young back then.

Kouga: It was when you were a kid? So you guys were like childhood friends, then?

Adonis: I’m not sure. I don’t think we would be what people call childhood friends.

Childhood friends refer to two individuals who have spent a certain amount of time together, right?

Urania and I may be from the same country, but we live in different regions.

So I couldn’t see her often. We’ve only met a handful of times.

Kouga: Huh? So you’ve only seen her a few times? Some fiance she is.

Rei: Now, now. You cannot say that, Kouga.

Kouga: …Tch. I know. My bad.

Rei: My apologies, Adonis-kun. It appears something unacceptable in Kouga’s eyes has occurred, so he’s on edge.

Adonis: It’s fine. It doesn’t bother me.

I understand that my engagement with Urania is different from the norm.

Rei: Perspectives also change when you see them from different angles.

It would be rarer for people from a family like yours to be engaged in a general manner.

Kouga: So why didn’t you just tell the reporters what’s going on when they were askin’ for answerS?

The rumour about Adonis havin’ a girlfriend was fake, so couldn’t you have said the same thing ‘bout your fiance?

Even if you told the reporters that you have a fiance, she’s from a faraway country, so it’s possible she might feign ignorance, right?

Kaoru: Well, I guess that’s true. I think I might’ve lied if I was in Adonis-kun’s shoes.

But he’s not a good liar. There is the saying that a little lie can go a long way. I think it should be fine to lie if it’s not going to hurt anybody~

Adonis: No. I couldn’t lie in that situation.

If I did, I’m sure I’d be met with a flood of harsh criticism over the next few days.

I told them the truth because that was the best option I had.

Kouga: Wha? They ain’t gonna fly all the way to your country and investigate.

Rei: Indeed. Usually, removing evidence is the final option, but that still would’ve been an option open to you. It does create a lot more trouble, so I don’t recommend it, though.

Adonis: That would have been difficult.

I received a message from Urania saying that she wanted to see me perform in one of  “UNDEAD’s” concerts, so she’ll be visiting Japan in the next few days.

Kouga: HUUUH!?

Kaoru: Ehhh!? Your fiance is coming to Japan, Adonis-kun!?

Adonis: Yeah. There’s bound to be information spread about her sooner or later when she arrives.

Rei: I see. I thought you had made a rather rash decision.

But once your fiance is involved, this is a matter beyond the idol you. So this is what you meant when you said there’d be no point in removing information in the entertainment industry.

Adonis: Exactly.

Kouga: W–W–What do you mean? Are you seriously gonna get married like this, Adonis!?

Adonis: Don’t worry. I don’t intend on getting married.

After all, the engagement talks only happened because…

…………

Rei: Hmm. It seems there’s more than meets the eye.

How about it, Adonis-kun? We can’t leave this place anytime soon.

We have plenty of time, so could you tell us about your story with Urania?

Adonis: ���Alright. It’ll be quite long and not entertaining in the least. But I hope you’ll listen to our story.

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[measureformeasure]

shakespeare's entire canon max% speedrun

im giving myself 50 days, starting may 3rd, to read the whole fucking canon. because i want to get tattoos for every play but i haven't read all of them so i need to trawl for imagery. also i should probably read all these plays. in addition i'm adding Gallathea by John Lyly to this list for Optional Bonus Points (because I want to read it).

i'm putting more details under the cut but if you don't wanna see me post about this then block the tag #shakespeare's canon speedrun

current progress: 13/38

next up: the Henry IV’s

the rules:

i will read every shakespeare play by june 21st

i am not obliged to read them in any order, but i will try and read the histories in story order for my own sanity and the rest in roughly chronological order

i have to have read at least 50% of the histories before june otherwise i will want to die

if i read gallathea also i get mental bonus points :)

i'm putting my list below, colour-coded - green if i've previously read it, blue if i've seen it, pink if both.

when i finish reading them for this speedrun, i'll make the name purple.

King John

Richard II

Henry IV, part 1

Henry IV, part 2

Henry V

Henry VI, part I

Henry VI, part II

Henry VI, part III

Richard III

Henry VIII

Comedy of Errors

Titus Andronicus

Taming of the Shrew (i think i've read this but i don't fully remember)

Two Gentlemen of Verona

Love’s Labour’s Lost

Romeo and Juliet

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Merchant of Venice

Much Ado About Nothing

Julius Caesar

As You Like It

Twelfth Night

Hamlet

Merry Wives of Windsor

Troilus and Cressida

All’s Well That Ends Well

Measure for Measure

Othello

King Lear

Macbeth

Antony and Cleopatra

Coriolanus

Timon of Athens

Pericles

Cymbeline

Winter’s Tale

Tempest

Two Noble Kinsmen

BONUS: Gallathea

[archer3-13]

i think most people can generally agree that some sort of questline or raid or dungeon or what have you involving gelmorra the precursor city state to gridania would in fact. be rad as hell. but i have been sitting and thinkin on 'what exactly i would like to see from a gelmorra' thing beyond just a story tackling the duskwight thing and *vaguely waves hand*

and i think i've pared it down to a few elements.

it should take place in the ruins of gelmorra in some capacity. i wanna see what this underground and decaying lost city looks like with all the vague cosmic horrors that are often implied about the place.

gelmorra should in fact, be haunted AF. gridania as a whole is pretty haunted in general with all manner of ghostly apparitions spirits and what have you. the haunted mansion dungeon you tackle for the mq is stationed in gridania, and a lot of its later dungeons are haunted with all manner of voidsent. and well gelmorra shouldn't be the cause of all of that activity, i do think it would be striking to have gelmorra be heavily concentrated with those kinds of apparitions and otherworldly madness.

i would like one of the plots main focuses to be on who specifically ended up trying to stick around in gelmorra and became the ancestors to the modern duskwight. namely, it was elezen nobility that were the ones trying to keep the whole enterprise going, and it was from that nobility that the modern duskwights emerged when it proved untenable to maintain gelmorra after everyone else left. and thats fascinating when contrasted against their modern reputation as deceitful thieves living at societies outskirts and generally distrusted across all of eorzea. so in a hypothetical story about gelmorra and duskwights, a good way of interrogating that history and modern relation would be in a group of antagonistic duskwights seeking to reclaim that past glory, a way to complicate the affair with poor disenfranchised duskwights looking to rebuild a fantastical utopic vision of a past grandeur to improve their lives being exploited by duskwights seeking to achieve their own supremacy and noble privileges once more. hell the resolution could even be centered on leverging a wedge between the noble idealism and cynical exploitation parts of the antagonists leading to allying with half of the duskwights to stop the mad ambitions of the other half.

the plot should involve an astos expy in some form. for those not in the know, astos is a dark elf king who appears in multiple final fantasies but primarily the older ones. now, given astos is a dark elf and the duskwight are ffxiv's expy for dark elves in final fantasy context [see also, astos being blue and blue being a primary skin colour option for duskwight], i think it would make sense for any story focused on the duskwight in some form to involve astos in some form. the last king of gelmorra perhaps whos own past machinations are effecting the present day, or maybe even just that the duskwight antagonist group is led by astos whos leveraging his followers good will and idealism to serve his own ambitions of tyranny.

[fvriva]

9, 13, 18, 23, 30 for whoever you wanna talk about!!

gonna answer for ellie and francois because they're the most developed of my guys lol

9: Is your Tav from Baldur's Gate? Why are they traveling there?

I haven't gotten to that part of the game yet so specifics currently elude me. However, Francois is living in Baldur's Gate with their noble mother and is generally pretty sheltered. Kind of bitchy as a defense mechanism. They study necromancy there as an excuse to keep to themself.

In contrast, Ellie was just passing through, though they were visiting their birth dad for a bit.

13: What are their thoughts on killing? Is it a necessary evil or do they enjoy it?

Ellie says that killing is bad and that they avoid it but they definitely get a little kick out of it. Especially if it's funny. And they deserve it. But also sometimes even when they're not trying to be lethal it just kind of happens.

Francois on the other hand doesn't have that level of tact. They think death is cool. They like the feeling of dying and the adrenaline of being brought from the brink. Plus a lot of people suck. So.

18: What would your Tav be doing if they weren't on the Nautiloid?

Ellie probably would've still gotten roped into something because of their wandering bardic nature. They'd still be with their siblings too. They're not entirely sure that they made it, but they didn't see any indication of their siblings being taken or dead, so they're pressing on.

Francois would be neck deep in various books on infernal law and reanimation and necromantic history, trying to figure out how to make flesh golems and things.

23: What do they do after the absolute crisis?

Hard to say in any event, I'm still deep in Act 2, so I'm not so sure of my options. Both Ellie and Francois are drawn to power and adventure like moths to flame.

30: What's your favorite thing about your Tav?

Ellie I care very much. Even though in BG3 they're aged up some (and more angular looking then they should be), it's giving me the opportunity to really flesh them out in a different way than I could in the campaign. Also the sheer power they wield in both a combat and a roleplay sense is immeasurable.

Francois on the other hand is fun because while I made them with the intent of putting them in something else, I'm really getting a kick out of the emergent stuff I'm experiencing in this playthrough! I like the degree to which they're empathetic towards the tieflings and especially the thief kids, and yet so callous and even a little flippant about so many other things.

ask me questions about my tav(s)!