#I also can't help but wonder

[2-d-rogue]

At the end of the game, after James watches the tape, the monsters can no longer fight you. They become weak, fragile, and even terrified of James. They're likely dying off as James is realizing the truth, and thus, they are no longer necessary.

It's kinda sad to see, honestly.

[twilightichor]

Given the lore drop related to Dain, Lumine and Khaenri'ah (I'd dare to say that it's 「Bedtime story」 #2 as it's a continuation of what Dain revealed, as well as bits and pieces of what Chlothar said in 「Caribert」 in the Xbox wind glider, I'll write a breakdown of parts of interest under cut. Beware if you decide to proceed, as it contains the description of content to-be-released mixed a tiny bit with a leak I discussed a while ago:

◜The young knight was not of insignificant background, but that was worth little in the grand scheme of things. The royal golden-haired heir's fate was far nobler, but now having lost her world, she yearned for but a single realm.◞

This confirms that Dain either belonged to a relevant family within Khaenri'ah or it's through his own deeds as well as Vedrfolnir's (he was the Visionary, an oracle, after all) made them be important in the kingdom. Despite not including himself among the other five as being the best within their respective fields, he was among the six that carried the hopes of the people of Khaenri'ah (in Dain's case, most likely for a reason I'll mention briefly). If it's the family aspect that makes their background important besides what they did for the kingdom, I have to admit that it's a bit underwhelming that they lack a family/clan name like the Alberichs do.

◜Later, the young knight was promoted, and the title "Twilight Sword" bestowed upon him. As for the royal heir with the golden hair, she was led by the last Vinster King, down, down, down to the kingdom's deepest depths. The young knight, initially intending only to save his older brother, who had been imprisoned and blinded in both eyes for giving a prophecy, the young knight gathered the brilliant young ones of the age. Their righteous deed, that of saving the nation, was but a deed done in passing.◞

This part here was very sad to me, seeing the lengths Dain took for saving his brother (another important detail bound to come in a bit). It sounds like Vedrfolnir was forced to deliver a prophecy to king Irmin and either a) he didn't like it, so he blinded him as a result of it as if to wreck him for good for the thing he was known for: a Visionary or b) there was something in the content of that prophecy that made Vedrfolnir blind as a result of it, possibly related to the Abyss. A good example to take is the oracle Sybilla from Remuria, who was also an oracle and because of her exposure to the Abyss, eventually she got blind too. I think that this lines up fine as to how Vedrfolnir was able to tell Lumine's fate in 「Caribert」 too.

That aside, the premise that Dain likely saved Khaenri'ah from whatever "minor" incident (if compared to the Cataclysm) that threatened the kingdom as a secondary thing to him wanting to save Vedrfolnir? That genuinely impressed me and it may add some spark of sense as to why Lumine criticizes him for having failed to save Khaenri'ah if he already did once. The details on this are still very muddy and it's highly likely that the circumstances were different, but still, that's a grand thing to do and it reinforces the notion that he was an outstanding figure in combination with the other five.

◜But the golden-haired heir was used as a vessel by which unlimited Abyssal power could be absorbed, and she became the key to the world's near-annihilation. This was the moment that their paths intertwined— one a noble, tumbling from the light into the Abyss, the other a humble existence, climbing upward from the darkness. Regicide, righteousness, assassinations and betrayals, until all was rendered desolate.◞

Now, this here needs a special mention too. This may explain how Lumine has control over the abyssal power in the first place, if she was used as a vessel to absorb an unlimited amount of it most likely to be used as a weapon against the gods (as Chlothar did say that they believed that the Abyss could topple the gods), and also to plunge the world into darkness as per the statuettes that now, more than ever, are confirmed to be about king Irmin —the Vinster King—. It reminds me of that one leak that talked about Dain having considered to kill Lumine all the way back then because he saw her as a thread to Khaenri'ah/the world, but ultimately decided against it. Because if according to this, this act alone of absorbing the abyss turned her into the key to the world's near-annihilation (the Cataclysm?), then that makes her dangerous enough to consider that seriously.

It also makes me wonder if this is the disaster he said that could be prevented that is related to the Vinster King and that none of the Sinners did nothing about it, what's more— maybe Lumine didn't get to absorb as much abyssal power as it was intended, but the Sinners did when they shared among themselves that very same power. The leak I mentioned before also talks about how something the Sinners did caused the destruction of Khaenri'ah, or at least they initiated it and later on did nothing to defend it when things got a turn for the worse with the descent of the gods.

Anyhow, this makes me think about the regicide. At first it was a joke when I starting talking about it, as it seemed that Dain did something about the Vinster King while the other five didn't, and this might be just it— killing him with his own hands. I'm not sure if the incident of saving his brother and subsequently saving Khaenri'ah and the regicide are part of the same episode, or maybe one led to another, but this is something crazy to think about. What's clear is that following king Irmin's "indisposition", the Marshal General Anfortas took the reins as a temporary regent (I'm unsure if he's an Alberich or an Alberich took after him later), so there must've been some time in between this incident that brought the need to save Khaenri'ah once and the actual Cataclysm later.

[benevolenterrancy]

Hi I have caught up to you on having feelings about Zhuzhi-Lang. He's a good boy! 🥺 Good snake boy! 🥺 I had the thought, after Zhuzhi let SQQ leave after SQQ yelled at him... what if they Stole Him. What if.

(Also have you read/been recommended anything by corduroyserpent yet? Big writer of Zhuzhi-Lang fics, including a very cute de-aged Zhuzhi-Lang and some zhushen)

Justifications of bride-stealing!

(AND HE'S THE BEST BOY 😭 I LOVE HIM SO MUCH, SO MUCH!! have some further au thoughts because this has contaminated my brain...)

What I think would actually happen if they stole SQQ? Absolutely nothing good for anyone, LBH would Lose His Fucking Mind xD as a more interesting answer though, I like the idea that Shen "Pedantic Nitpicky Asshole" Qingqiu's primary point of argument is that he is not a bride so he cannot be "bridenapped" regardless of demonic tradition or intention!

This eventually leads to them all completely avoiding the Maigu Ridge incident because TLJ realizes that, somehow, SQQ doesn't realize the depths of his son's feelings for him and decides to put all his efforts into being a wingman for his nephew instead because he finds the entire thing absolutely hilarious and rather satisfying after his own sad romance. Obviously someone like SQQ would do much better with his good, loyal nephew than the disappointing offspring of that disastrous relationship!

As for ZZL he just has to assume that LBH must not be treating SQQ anywhere near the way he should be (and like... he isn't wrong at this point, there is a non-zero amount of torture and terror going on here) if SQQ doesn't see himself as being tied to LBH in any way. And if he's not attached to LBH then there's absolutely no reason he shouldn't make his own efforts to seduce SQQ! After all, if LBH isn't valuing SQQ properly then obviously ZZL has to step up because someone as kind as SQQ deserves the best!!!

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Daughter of delta Yu, show them that you're no fool!

[First] Prev <–-> Next

[arrowheadedbitch]

Spoiler for Ithaca saga

"Used to say I'd make the storm clouds cry for you

Used to say I'd capture wind and sky for you

Have you in my arms prepared to die for you

Oh how time has flown"

Has me SCREAMING because he said that when he saw baby Telemachus and then HE ACTUALLY DID IT

Poseidon, the wind bag, the war and the whole journey, HE REALLY DID ALL THE THINGS HE SWORE HED BE WILLING TO DO FOR HIS SON RAAAA

[kirby-the-gorb]

[helenofblackthorns]

reading tftsa is always an emotional experience especially when you get the short stories focused around the Blackthorns because the absence of Mark just bleeds out. like when you read about Julian being Helen's suggenes and Simon being the witness to Julian's parabatai ceremony you are just burdened with the knowledge that that's not who they would have picked if the circumstances were different. in a different life it was Mark.

[cherrywhite]

I know Faulkner's ever increasing body count is a running joke as if it's something he's purposefully racking up but Rane's murder is such a stark contrast compared to every other one that's come before. And that difference marks such a monumental shift in Faulkner's character.

Like, he runs from the hotelier immediately after sainting him (I know his whole I'm going to make you a saint mirrors what he tells Rane this episode, but he still ultimately runs), he can't bring himself to use the Withermark at Marcel's Crossing, and Mason and Thurrocks' deaths were done in a fit of rage, the horror evident by the time he comes to his senses. Even Daggler's was caused by the Angel Faulkner summoned, not something Faulkner committed to up close. And I imagine however Charlie drowned, well. There's a lot of ambiguity in how it could have gone down, something we'll never really know the scope of, purely because Faulkner is such an unreliable narrator.

Then there's this.

I would argue that Rane's death is much more violent than the ones that came before purely for the fact that Faulkner seems to revel in their suffering as he does it. He needlessly pulls them back up to get a breath of air before plunging them back in the water. He strikes them with his staff so hard that it breaks. And he does this all while laughing and mocking at them. He's needlessly cruel to the point of terrifying. This part was so well done and it really shows just how far Faulkner has gone.

I'm so hesitant to say there's no way back from this simply because of how TSV writes its characters but my knee-jerk reaction as I was listening to this the first time is that there isn't. This was him, fully aware, crossing over the threshold.

[befuddled-calico-whump]

universal hand signal for help: tuck thumb in, trap it with your fingers, and repeat.

(graphic by the Women's Funding Network)

because I didn't know this was a thing until randomly seeing a poster in a bathroom, I'm sharing this graphic here so more people can know what to look out for (and what to use if you're ever in danger and can't draw attention to yourself)

[fisheito]

hey. I have a question. do y'all *ALSO* get startled by eiden titty every time you open up the intimacy screen???

because homecoming yaku shows up first whenever i enter

Guessin that the game default sorts by order of clan member joining, and yaku was 1st so... anyone who has homecoming yaku is greeted by eitit when entering the intimacy rooms??

[thebad-lydrawn-sanses]

*randomly spawned a sassy cat in their castle.*

Cross's shirt: bone hurting juice (image depicting text)

Cross: i can make it to the kitchen i can make it to the kitchen i can make it to the kitchen i can make it to the kitchen i can-

sassy cat: (poof)

Cross: .

Cross: pspspspspspsps

[carrinth]

Asha and Starboy. 💜⭐

People. I am simple trash gremlin. I see star-crossed love between human girl and literal star and I'm sold. Even if it never happened ^_^;;

[lilithmymind]

Imma obsessed with 'Oddyseus' and 'Hold them down' Imma not gonna lie. And don't get me started on 'I can't help but wonder' and 'would you fall in love with me again'. You're lucky I'm almost sick so I can't yap.

SO TELL ME WOULD YOU FALL IN LOOVE WITH ME AGAAIII—

[aethersflood]

-- "It's plain she cares for you very deeply." -- "And I her. Which is why I had to let her go."

[bumblingbabooshka]

I hate when Chakotay is watered down to be Janeway's yes man because their disagreements are actually very interesting. [A lot of rambling analysis of this debate in particular below]

Chakotay in Parallax is very interesting in that he has to navigate a lot of different dynamics. Balance a lot of plates while being watched keenly by everyone around him. Immediately preceding this scene we see him ask B'Elanna for her opinion on the bridge - both as a chance to show her knowledge in his bid to make her chief engineer (because she wouldn't get a chance to otherwise as Janeway has clearly indicated that at this point she views B'Elanna as a troublemaker who won't be considered for the position) and because he just thinks she's a better engineer than Carey and wants the best possible chance of them succeeding. Janeway sees this as unacceptable. Carey is the chief engineer and so he should be called and Chakotay NOT asking for his opinion is an insult to Carey, Janeway, and might make the crew doubt Chakotay (and by extension the Maquis') loyalty to the Starfleet crew.

At this point it seems that to Janeway integration ["They're not your people"] means the path of least resistance, specifically tailored towards the Starfleet crew. She wants Chakotay by her side to keep the Maquis crew calm but also seems unwilling to consider them for important positions aboard the ship. Though she says that the Maquis are not Chakotay's people, not his crew, she certainly doesn't seem to consider them hers [Compare this to later instances where she stresses 'our' crew, here she simply says they aren't Chakotay's: Whose crew are they? Are they crew at all?]. This less leaves the impression of "We need to be a cohesive team" and more "You're not in charge here." She essentially accuses Chakotay of playing favorites. In her mind Chakotay's actions are not conducive to integrating the crews which would (again, in her mind) mean the Maquis being docile and accepting, obedient and content - not making trouble for the Starfleet crew. Chakotay counters Janeway's accusation with one of his own: That he IS trying to integrate them into the crew but her not allowing the Maquis any opportunity to prove themselves or succeed, not showing any trust in any of them (except, implicitly at this point, him) is making things difficult. At this point the Maquis crew are ready to mutiny on his word at any time. He knows this for a fact. Aside from that looming threat (the threat being that tensions are high and if nothing changes and they remain high there might be a mutiny even without his word) - Chakotay knows these people and trusts them. Though Starfleet and Janeway think of the Maquis as a violent bunch of criminal terrorists, Chakotay and a good number of the Maquis joined because they believed in the cause they were fighting for. These are people Chakotay knows WILL fight fiercely for what they believe in and conversely, AGAINST what they perceive as injustice. Even if they're not in the majority - they're used to picking fights which seem impossible to win. At this point Janeway admits that she ISN'T making it easy for Chakotay to integrate the Maquis - specifically talking about practical concerns; how she doesn't feel she can let Maquis crew have roles of importance on the ship because they lack the ability to hold them. "They don't have the discipline, they don't have the training," - asserting that they just aren't prepared for any such roles and it doesn't have to do with them being Maquis specifically. Ostensibly, she's treating them as she might treat anyone unqualified for the job.

Chakotay maintains that some of them, like B'Elanna, have the ability to be trained - challenging her point by saying that IF they're trained there's no reason for any Maquis member NOT to be given a more prominent role on the ship. He isn't suggesting they just unqualified people important jobs. If the problem is that they aren't trained, let's train them. These people have the ability to succeed if you give them the tools they need and a fair chance, he insists. Janeway then switches gears and her argument becomes not "The Maquis are untrained so they can't be given those jobs" but "The Maquis crew are unworthy of those jobs when compared to Starfleet personnel" saying that it'll cause insult and upset among the Starfleet crew if any member of the Maquis were to be promoted above them. Again, her idea of integration is based more on Maquis subservience to the Starfleet crew than it is the two crews working together. (Not that I believe she looks at it that way, it's just where her 'path of least resistance' leads) - though she accuses Chakotay of being too focused on "his" crew, she is admitting here that she believes her real crew are the Starfleet officers aboard, not the Maquis. She also admits here that the system she wishes to maintain (and is asking Chakotay to enforce) is one where there will ostensibly never be any chance of a Maquis crew member being promoted because no Maquis crew member will ever be more qualified, more worthy, than a member of Starfleet. We can see how it'd be difficult for Chakotay to convince his crew to remain calm under these circumstances. There's also Tuvok's behavior toward him at the beginning of the episode where the Vulcan nearly goes over Chakotay's head and when he doesn't do so (as Chakotay reminds him that HE'S the superior officer, the First Officer in fact,) Tuvok acts as if him backing down (partially) and conceding (partially) to Chakotay's authority is a favor to Chakotay.

Tuvok in this conversation is downright insubordinate to Chakotay. Despite Chakotay being the first officer, he doesn't take what he says seriously, argues that his own opinion on what should be done should be followed rather than Chakotay's, lectures the first officer about his conduct, and then almost seems to threaten him with a report. In Starfleet's rigidly hierarchical rules, acting like this to a superior officer (ESPECIALLY the first officer) wouldn't be tolerated and Tuvok knows this perfectly well. He isn't a rebellious character and clearly in other episodes adheres to these Starfleet hierarchies and codes of conduct very strictly. He values them highly. But Chakotay, a Maquis, shouldn't be First Officer. Why should he be given respect for a title he didn't earn? [Affirming Janeway's argument about how Starfleet officers won't be eager to follow a Maquis senior officer] Even though Chakotay tells Tuvok off for it ["I don't have to explain myself to you"] he doesn't threaten to put Tuvok on report or explicitly mention his insubordination. It's unclear if this is Chakotay's personality or if he just doesn't feel he CAN do that. Tuvok is one of the three most senior officers aboard and very close to Janeway. Chakotay has to think of the optics of any situation at all times - we see seconds after this conversation that rumors have already started swirling around B'Elanna being relegated to quarters that've fanned the flames of mutiny. Though we know Tuvok has personal reasons for behaving the way he does toward Chakotay (which he later admits), I really don't think it'd be out of the ordinary for this to be how most Starfleet personnel would treat the Maquis if they weren't outright hostile: Like they're only pretend crewmen. To a lesser extent we even see this with Janeway: In the following staff meeting, she clearly doesn't consider B'Elanna a viable option when Chakotay brings her up and almost ignores the suggestion entirely.

It also, again, leaves Chakotay in an impossible position. If he doesn't protect and fight for the Maquis crew, they won't ever be considered a true part of the crew and dissatisfaction will likely spread among them. Dissatisfaction which the Starfleet crew will then use to further label the Maquis as insubordinate, uncontrollable, unfit. Not to mention that if he doesn't advocate for them, he might lose their trust. However, if he DOES try to help the Maquis crew advance the Starfleet crew will view this as 'favoritism' and will further distrust him, won't respect the people he puts forth as worthy. Janeway seems to be intent on not advocating for any of the Maquis crew and also seems unwilling to ask that the Starfleet crew grant leniency. She implies that the Maquis crew need to learn to get in line and keep quiet and it seems almost like [we must remember the optics] she has Chakotay as the only Maquis in a position of power to facilitate that. Chakotay recognizes and pushes against that, saying that he won't just be her token Maquis - there only so she can point to him and say "See? We don't discriminate against the Maquis here." effectively a tool used to shut down any arguments of unfair treatment and a tool to quell the Maquis if any talk of mutiny DOES arise. In this model, Janeway can just tell Chakotay to calm them down and they'll listen because they trust him. She also doesn't have to really listen to anything he says: A token First Officer has no authority; his words don't hold weight. [Chakotay isn't Maquis anymore, they aren't his crew anymore - ok. What is he then? What are they? Nothing, without respect.] This plan seems untenable, as much as Janeway frames it as sensible: "I can't make it easy, Commander. Surely you can understand that," and alternatives as impossible "How am I supposed to ask them to accept a Maquis as their superior officer just because circumstances have forced us together?" - in the long run, how would this be sustainable? In any power structure, you cannot expect a group of people you're unwilling to grant trust or agency to obediently follow you forever. This proposed form of 'integration' in which the Maquis are kept on the bottom rung and told intermittently to stay there quietly by the only one of them granted permission to stand at the top would never be sustainable - especially with a group like the Maquis who again, were founded on the belief that its members should fight against inequity and are already on the verge of mutiny.

I specifically find the statement "How am I supposed to ask them to accept a Maquis as their superior officer just because circumstances have forced us together?" to be interesting because personally I'd say that being forced together for the rest of almost everyone's natural life is a pretty good reason to ask people to adapt and Janeway does understand this but only applies it to the Maquis - the Maquis are the ones who have to adapt, not Starfleet. The only thing the Starfleet crew have to do is tolerate their presence on board.

At this point Janeway again claims that if Chakotay can show her a 'qualified' Maquis candidate she'll consider them. I believe this is true but we already know that Janeway's standards for qualification will likely not fit the vast majority of the Maquis and Chakotay ignores the claim in favor of putting forth B'Elanna again, firmly. Janeway predictably dismisses her as unqualified and Chakotay disagrees, arguing that he knows her. He's worked with her. He KNOWS that B'Elanna can excel at the job even if she doesn't meet Starfleet/Janeway's qualifications. He doesn't value those qualifications over what he's observed about her - just as he didn't value Carey's title over what he knew about the gap between his and B'Elanna's abilities. Then, Chakotay switches gears. He admits that Janeway's right - he does view the Maquis as his crew but that's because Janeway (almost self admittingly) doesn't and if he doesn't, who will they have? [What kind of captain, kind of man, would he be?] "You're going to have to give them more authority if you want their loyalty." "Theirs or yours, Commander?" Janeway frames Chakotay's words pointing out the flaws in this plan which I outlined earlier, as almost a threat (if she doesn't have Chakotay's loyalty it'll most definitely mean mutiny). Chakotay asserts that it wasn't a threat, he's only trying to help by telling her how the Maquis crew will react to what she's telling him. "I'm sorry you can't see that" - not an apology for what he said but that she isn't willing to budge, not willing to listen to him and acknowledge that she might be as biased towards her crew as he is towards his. Chakotay is trying his best to acclimate his crew but if Janeway isn't willing to do the same, to talk to her people as he's talking to his, then this will not end well and that isn't a threat. It's just the reality of the situation. He then asks permission to leave, showing he is willing to observe Starfleet protocol (just as when he asked permission to speak freely), and Janeway lets him go, exhaling at the intensity of their debate when alone in her ready room.

[mc-critical]

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