#I think however it’s not meant to be ‘show up in major city with no food and just a credit card’

[self-made-cages]

Also need to acquire food, maybe I should plan things in the future 👀

[cxlamarisalxmi]

Being a variant and being on Miles’ side [GN]

[Platonic Headcanons]

c/w: major spoilers, gender neutral terms and pronouns (they/them), no gendered terms used to describe reader, canon inaccuracies? I’m not really sure I’d just gone off what I had perceived from the movie

—

[Unedited]

• Miguel and Jessica had been keeping a keen eye on the teenager spider variant (you) from Earth-2315126 since you’d been bitten at five years old

• Strange thing was your father; Peter Parker was also bit, which meant your dimension had two spider variants as opposed to one— not unheard of but not common either

• It was fortunate for you however because you had someone to teach you, show you the ropes, the fact that it was your father who had become your mentor was only the icing on the cake

• And you were brought up into a spectacular spider variant in his care; strong, compassionate, kind

• Though despite having a father the pair kept a watchful eye on you regardless, seeing promise in your future and believing in your potential

• When you were fourteen your father was killed by Lizard, and for an entire year following you gave up on your heroic persona— hanging up your suit in the wake of your father’s death that rocked your entire world

• Being Spider-Man/Woman is about sacrifice, your father taught that to you when you began and you should’ve expected that you could not have it all

• A loving and doting father and the most badass secondary identity ever, it was always bound to happen and you should’ve prepared yourself for it

• But nobody could prepare themself for the loss of a loved one, and the ache in your chest and the burn in your stomach was something you’d never felt before— nor do you ever wish to feel it again

• So you gave up on the suit and you gave up on being the hero, eventually your Aunt May had stepped in and she scolded you pretty heavily about your state

• You didn’t think she had room to talk and she laid into you pretty hard for that comment because she most certainly did, Peter was her brother after all

• After you got it pretty good you decided that she was right, sulking about and ruining yourself wouldn’t change a damn thing, not only that but you knew your father would hate to see you like that

• You knew he wouldn’t ever force the suit upon you and you accepted that you had the choice to avoid dawning it ever again, but you also knew what he would do in your position

• He would bear the responsibility of his beloved city no matter the circumstances and no matter the heartache, because Spider-Man always gets back up

• So you stood firm upon all the valiant determination you could muster and picked your life back up again

• You got better emotionally and grew stable once more, and in the acceptance of your father’s death you had grown stronger, confident, courageous

• With you back on the streets of NYC the people of Brooklyn often voiced just how much they had missed and needed you

• And you didn’t plan on letting them down again, so despite the lack of a piece of your heart you always showed up when people needed you and you’ve not yet let them down

• Now, back to Jess and Miguel— they had known Peter would die and they had known they could not interfere as this was your canon event, the moment that would make or break you.. turns out it did both

• And they watched as you suffered through the loss, gave up on everything and everyone (including yourself) for a little over a year, worked through your pain and powered forward to overcome your grief, then became one of the strongest variants they had ever seen just before your seventeenth birthday

• Yes, they’ve been watching you for twelve years and yes, you have no idea

• It was on your seventeenth birthday that you had encountered Lizard once again, and this time he had taken enhancement drugs to increase his growth rate to tremendously rapid levels

• To say you were a bit stunned to see Lizard the size of a fucking dinosaur would be the understatement of the entire damn year

• Now, you held malicious and vengeful feelings towards Lizard for a long time in the wake of your father’s murder but it was feelings you had never ever acted upon, not even after you decided to pick up the suit once more

• As mentioned before you knew very well that the angry and hateful feeling brewing inside you at the expense of Lizard killing him could ruin you if you let it

• And that’s not where your morals lie, your beliefs and virtues are straight from those of your fathers— to be strong and courageous, righteous and pure for being Spider-Man/Woman is about hope

• So you did intend to take him down but you’d never do it with sinister intent or threatening tactics— just bring him down is all you wanted to do

• And if you were to speak honestly, it wasn’t as hard as you thought it was gonna be, obviously it was still pretty tough because hello? He’s the size of a fucking house, might as well be fighting a damn dragon

• It was easier because you’d felt at peace with yourself, and when at peace with yourself you worked harder and cleaner, jobs and protecting the city was just.. easier

• The fact the fight was easier than you expected could’ve also been because of your bite, the abilities you had gotten from it were a bit different than your father’s

• See, you’d been bit by a radioactive spider yes but it was a specific species and in accordance with that species you’d gained significantly different skills and traits

• The spider that had bit you was a Northern Wolf Spider, the arachnid gaining that name from it’s behavior of chasing, hunting and stalking prey, and in an odd turn of events you’d gained qualities that were more akin to that of a North American Timber Wolf

• Heightened senses came with the bite for every variant, and your specific qualities included; advanced stamina and strength, increased sense of sight, tremendously keen sense of smell and auditory processing, you had thick and durable fangs meant for tearing and searing

• You also bulked up a whole more more since your father passed, and in gaining more weight in pure muscle you’ve had to make your webs more durable, which helped out a lot with your fight against Lizard

• Speaking of—

“They’ve probably got it handled Miguel, is there any reason to actually go to their dimension?”

“I protect the multiverse which makes anomalies my responsibility, regardless of if that variant can handle them or not. And I’m going to have them join us.”

Jessica didn’t say much after, and she followed Miguel dutifully as he walked into the glowing orange portal. The pair flew through the multiverse for all of two seconds before a portal opened ahead of them and they were dropped onto a roof in your dimension.

“Went a bit too heavy on the ‘roids didn’t ya Doc?” The voice of a young teenager caught their ears. Just off to the side and a couple blocks away. Now facing that way they could see the large head of Lizard standing tall over the lip of the building on the distance.

“Is.. is that?—”

“Dr. Curt Connors.”

You leapt off the metal grail of the fire escape just as Lizard destroyed it with a whip of his massive tail. Using the momentum from your jump you swung a reverse axe kick to Lizard’s chin— putting enough force into it to throw his head back as you flip-jumped from him and landed on the road down below.

“I’m going to rip you apart and feast on your innards!” Lizard snarled as he recovered and glowered down at you with a sinister bear of his teeth.

“Season them well first at least, I’d suggest a nice barbecue rub!” You responded before shooting a web to the corner of the building on your left and swinging yourself into the air. Lizard roared angrily before lunging forward and attempting to catch you between his teeth. They snapped close with a chilling clamp and throaty growl from the beast.

Reaching the corner of the building you had shot your web at you leapt up and backwards flying over Lizard’s head and connecting a web to the side of his muzzle.

“Almost got me there!” You yelled as you swung around and around Lizard’s large scaled snout. “Don’t you know that animals that bite are often fitted with muzzles!” You quipped, enunciating the last word with a firm tug thus tightening the webs you’d been wrapping around his jaws and effectively sealing his mouth shut.

You kept the momentum and attached another web to the end of the one you’d been swinging around his muzzle. Then, you angled your hip to swing towards Lizard’s legs and using the same tactic looped around them several times before you were doing the same thing for his arms. When you deemed him wrapped up enough you landed behind him then tugged hard on the web end in your hand and forced Lizard to the ground by pulling his feet out from underneath him.

Once you were sure he was on the asphalt you were swift to web him up tightly and bind him to the ground. Hopefully, Captain Stacey got your message about the antidote and would arrive soon with it.

Meanwhile, as you waited you playfully walked along the edge of the building. The lip acting as your balance beam as you walked on your toes along it, doing a flip every so often just cause. You’d long since forgone your mask in favor of eating the sandwich gifted to you by the bodega owner on the corner.

Your spider senses tingled before—

“That was pretty impressive.”

You only flinched slightly at the abrupt interruption of your own little world, and turned to see two people. One, a very tall and broad man with wide shoulders and a muscular physique. The other, a woman with dark skin and a styled afro.. and she was pregnant.

“Uhm… thanks?”

“Was that a question?”

“Sorry it’s just—” you shook your head before jumping down and only now standing on the same level as him did you realize how tall the man actually was. “Who exactly are you two?”

“I’d think the suits gave you plenty context.” The woman replied, a smirk tugging up one end of her lips.

“Okay.. and why are you here?” You answered, still on edge about the two variants standing in front of you.

“My name is Miguel O’hara, and I lead an elite strike force dedicated to helping maintain the multiverse.” The man responded and you quirked an eyebrow at him.

“That still doesn’t explain why you’re here?”

“There was an anomaly reading in your dimension and we’re here to retrieve whatever villain has jumped into your universe.” The woman explained, jumping in to answer before Miguel could.

“You mean Kingpin?” You replied pointing to the billboard behind them and they both spun around to find the suit wearing antagonist webbed to it. Thick, white webs covering his entire body save for his neck and head, finally a web over his mouth. And they all watched as he glitched and morphed in colorful and mixed patterns, the board he was attached to glitching out too before changing entirely.

“How did you?—”

“My AP Physics teacher won’t shut up about the multiverse and also he doesn’t look my Kingpin at all so.. I mean you know,” they shrugged.

Miguel turned his head slightly to look at the woman beside him before he jerked his head minutely then he was facing the teenager in front of him once more. You met his masked stare head on (something he was impressed by, not many people can meet his intimidating glare straight on) as the woman walked away from you two before slinging a web up to the billboard and pulling herself up to it.

“You know the whole sinister and dark ‘nobody touch me I’m emo’ vibe you got going on isn’t very heroic.”

Miguel didn’t say anything, didn’t move an inch as he just stared at you. “See that right there isn’t becoming of someone who’s supposed to make people feel safe.”

“I protect the multiverse.”

“Right. But there are ordinary people in the multiverse, in every dimension you’ll find people.”

“The multiverse is my priority.”

“Yikes, saying things like that are not very becoming of a Spider-Man either.”

Miguel turned his observant stare cold as he chose to glare at you instead for the disrespectful responses and jokes. And he figured you must’ve felt he’d changed to glaring heatedly because you awkwardly looked away with a hand rubbing the back of your neck.

Finally, the woman returned with the Kingpin variant at her feet. This one significantly smaller than yours and lankier too, he must rely heavily on his Tombstone and Prowler. You’d rather have this Kingpin as opposed to your Kingpin— who for some reason is built like a fucking overgrown Silverback Gorilla.

She fiddled with the watch on her wrist before a golden portal erupted into life beside her, and you watched as she threw the Kingpin variant in before stepping in herself. But not before saluting you a goodbye with a playful glint in her eye and cheeky smirk on her face.

The portal closed and then your attention was back on Miguel, and your spider senses tingling brought a hand up to catch the watch he threw at you.

“Join us?”

You looked from him to the device in your hand, then you looked behind you at the Lizard on the ground down below. Captain Stacey at his neck and injecting him with a vial of clear liquid. You turned back to Miguel with a smirk and eager look as you slid the watch onto your wrist. “Sounds like a damn good time.”

• You didn’t know if you actually wanted to be there at Miguel’s Spider Society or whatever he’s calling it but you were also a bit intrigued by it

• So you followed them when he offered you that watch, and you grinned as he gave walked you around the building, giving you a small tour of his headquarters

• When you met Peter B. Parker you had an emotional breakdown and refused to return to the society for days following your first interaction with the man

• When you finally went back he was concerned that he’d done something wrong to garner such a reaction but you were quick to jump in and let him know it was in no way his fault before you explained why you had reacted as you did

• He was more than understanding, offering to keep his distance if that was what you wanted and whilst you appreciated the gesture you told him you would be fine

• And spending time in his company had begun to fill that gaping hole in your heart, obviously he’d never replace your father and you didn’t expect that of him either but his fatherly presence made you feel better than you had in years since your father’s passing

• Mayday was just an added bonus to his presence

• Time passed and you were there for a couple months before you met Gwen Stacey, and the two of you clicked almost instantly, it was a bit odd for you since the Gwen from your universe was about three years old and hadn’t been bitten but you got used to it

• And in that time you’d also learned the pregnant woman’s name was Jessica and that she was Miguel’s right hand in his society that he created

• You’d also met Hobie Brown and Pavitr Prabhakar whom you’d come to adore more than you’d ever outwardly admit lest you wish to give them egos the size of fucking Mars (but those two alongside Gwen were definitely your favorites) (behind Miguel ofc)

• Speaking of, you’d also grown quite close to Miguel in your time as part of his society of spider people, which was a huge surprise to yourself, him, Jessica and pretty much everyone involved

• He couldn’t really explain what it was, just something about your energy and the way you carried yourself that had him intrigued and impressed

• Your attitude that alluded to you never giving up was something he admired about you too, and it was those qualities that drew him in, made him want to protect you

• The bonding with you was something he didn’t expect to happen but was shocked when he wasn’t against it, and he ignored the initial reluctance and fear that he felt when you two began to get closer and closer

• Maybe it was the little things, the way you’d check up on him after a particularly harrowing or difficult mission, or the way you’d do anything to see if you could get him to crack a smile, there was something about your mere presence too, something warm and comforting

• Something he hadn’t felt since his young daughter was still a part of his life, and he was afraid of the consequences that would follow if he ever got close to you and lost you

• The same heartache he felt for his daughter would return, and it was pain that he didn’t want to feel ever again, that’s why he kept himself so guarded, those broken and vulnerable pieces protected behind vaulted steel doors

• But you had somehow managed to slip through his barbed defenses and made yourself right at home in his heart, and again he was initially afraid of the possibility that he’d lose you too and he’d face that pain all over again

• He doesn’t remember when or how he got over it, but he does remember the feeling that washed over him when he finally accepted your friendship

• It felt akin to a bucket of cold water being dumped over that fiery and searing ache in his chest, relief and comfort that he felt weigh so heavily on his chest he almost cried

• After that your guys’ relationship developed to much deepen levels, and he’d never admit to your face but you had quickly become his favorite and he would do anything to protect you, protect your bond like his life depended on it

• And just like Peter, his mere presence seemed to make you finally feel whole again… complete

• And as time continued to pass you’d only grow closer with the two men, finding safety and comfort in their arms, safety and comfort you’d been craving since you were fourteen years old

• Then, Miles Morales came along and everything went to shit

• Despite being on his team for months Miguel failed to mention that there was a spider variant that was an anomaly

• And in failing to mention that you had to figure it out on your own when Miles’ scent hit your nose and he smelled drastically different from the other spider people

• He smelt odd, unnatural and unusual… strange

• It didn’t take you long to figure out that he was an anomaly but you still figured it out by the way his scent, and you thanked the stars for that particular gift you got from the species of spider that had bitten you

• After Miles, Hobie and Gwen returned from the rescue they accomplished in Pavitr’s dimension at the expense of Spot is when things went from bad to ultimately worse

• Miguel had hoped somewhere small in his chest that you would side with him but he knew in a significantly larger part of him that your morals would not allow you to stand for him preventing Miles from saving his father

• Miguel knew that if you had known your father would’ve been killed that horrible night those years ago that you would’ve interfered without hesitation

• So he was not confident that you’d agree with him and well over half of the rest of the spider variants that this is something that must occur

• And he feared the confrontation with you, he feared the hate he’d no doubt see in your eyes when you find out this is where he stood on his opinion about the situation

• He wasn’t wrong either, because when Miles had returned and they all had cornered him after Miles discovered that Spot would be the cause, you didn’t take it all that well—

You were conflicted, you cared about Miguel but you’re morals and beliefs were very important to you— defined who you were. They were instilled into you by your father and you truly believed that by following through with them to the end you were keeping his legacy alive.

And they were loud in your ears right now, deafening in their prominent voice as you watched Miles get more and more tightly wound.

The thing was.. you agreed with him. And your father would’ve agreed with him too. There is no way Miguel knows for absolute certainty that Miles’ universe would collapse if he saved his father. And there’s no way any of the other spider variants could possibly know either.

There were facts and evidence on Miguel’s side but again— your values were speaking much louder than him. Because your father would’ve been disgusted by the behavior these spider variants were displaying, and he would’ve straight up hated Miguel. That you were absolutely sure of.

“This is wrong Miguel,” you spoke up and the spider variant you were speaking of turned to look at you. “You’re just going to let someone die when you know you could change the outcome? How could you possibly think that’s okay?”

“[Y/Name]—”

“Spider-Man isn’t about the acceptance of loss and grief yet to come, Spider-Man is about hope, hope and promise of a greater tomorrow. Hope that there will always be someone there to help… someone there to protect those who can’t do so themselves.”

“The security of the multiverse is important!” Miguel argued, his tone aggressive and his expression frustrated as he ignored the ache on his chest. The ache that had erupted into existence at the expense of his theory proving correct— you would be against him.

“No! What’s important is not standing by and allowing someone to suffer or die! If that’s truly what you believe, then you don’t know the first damn thing about being Spider-Man!”

“[Y/Name]…” Peter B. trailed as he got your attention, walking closer to you and putting a gentle hand on your shoulder. “We cannot interfere.”

You smacked his hand off your shoulder and stepped back and away from him several times to be standing beside Miles instead. “You too? Peter this is wrong, so unbelievably fucking wrong!”

“[Y/Name], I can’t let you get in the way. I’m sorry.” Miguel apologized before he was throwing something at yours and Miles’ feet. The device activated and put up a scarlet force field, Miles panicked and beat against the walls. As the variants outside the force field argued you looked to Miguel and Miguel only. And he looked right back. You just stared at him, eyes hard and brows taut and pulled together as he stared right back.

You ignored Miles as he continued to search for a way out, Miguel finally pulled his eyes off yours as Peter B. advanced on him. “Miguel! This is taking it too far!”

“He’ll only do more damage, we all know that!”

As they continued to argue outside the shield you turned your back on Miguel and flexing your fingers extended your thick and powerful claws. You could tear this force field apart if you truly tried, that’s what you were going to do. But before you could even put your hands up your senses tingled and you instinctively put your arms around your head to protect yourself as the shield was destroyed by a powerful electrical surge.

When Miles destroyed the force field he hesitated for but a single moment before he turned, grabbed your wrist and took off.

“[Y/NAME]!”

You distantly heard behind you before you were freeing yourself from Miles to run beside him instead, and you two sprinted through Miguel’s headquarters with you leading him seeing as you’ve already been there for close to a little more than six months.

Getting out wasn’t hard, at least not for you. The variants certainly tried but they weren’t any match for you. A well seasoned and thoroughly trained hero with twelve years of polishing your expertise and craft to a fine point.

Miles had a little trouble keeping up but you didn’t get too far ahead of him in which he couldn’t follow, you two only got separated once. And whilst you weren’t entirely sure where he’d gone off to, you had the absolute pleasure of facing off against Miguel (note the sarcasm).

Your senses tingled as you discreetly swung through the underbelly of Miguel’s HQ, and you pulled yourself up just in time to avoid Miguel’s web. And the two of you fought and danced around each other throughout headquarters. Miguel trying to capture you and yourself avoiding that outcome at all costs by expertly evading him. When you had finally reached outside you met up again with Miles on the train overhead cover that was speeding upon a vertical track at astronomical velocity.

It was hard to hang on, even more so with Miguel on your ass but you made due. Better you than Miles and you’d gladly fend off Miguel for him if it meant he could find his way home to save his dad in time. Maybe it was a selfish part of you that wished something for him that you wanted to have, or maybe you truly just wished only the best for the younger variant.

Either way, Miguel was kicking your ass instead of his and you could live with that.

The 2099 Spider-Man choke slammed you onto the cold, hard metal of the futuristic locomotive and pinned you there by a hand around your neck.

“Can’t you see?! He’s the original anomaly! He’s not meant to be here! He is not Spider-Man!” The man snarled in your face. The anger he was feeling making his fangs appear and he sneered down at you, bearing them ferociously.

“He’s more Spider-Man than you’ll ever be!” You retaliated, attempting any sharp words pointed enough to cut him deep and painful. And you watched as his face turned and grew solemn for only one second before he was darkening his expression and snarling at you again.

“I hate to do this to you, but I can’t lose you over this!” He yelled over the roaring grind of the moving train. And your heart fell to your toes when he beared his fangs again— this time with a wide open mouth. A second later he was lunging forward intent to inject your body with venom.

You thanked whatever god above was listening for your much quicker reflexes as you caught him by the lower jaw and redirected his lunge to the air beside you instead.

Then you were bringing your legs up and forcing him away from you, not wasting a second you shot a web to the top car of the locomotive. You pulled yourself all the way up to where Miles had perched himself, and just before you could get a word out Miguel erupted out of nowhere and tackled Miles down.

You moved to help but got a web wrapped around your wrist instead, whoever shot it pulled you off your feet and then you found yourself under Peter B. Parker and Mayday instead.

“[Y/Name], enough!”

“No!”

“You can’t change destiny!” He argued, just as Miguel had done before, pinning you to the ground— though Peter’s was less of an attempt to capture you and just in a way to get you to listen to him.

“We control our own destiny Peter.”

“This’ll put the multiverse in danger! If you’d known your father would’ve been killed that night would you have saved him even if it meant there was an off-chance of your dimension being destroyed?!” Peter was just trying to reason with you now, and you stared directly into his warm brown eyes as you answered him.

“Without question.”

Peter drew back a bit at your response, then you watched behind him as Miguel flew overhead. That was your cue, so you grabbed Peter’s shoulders and utilized the enhanced strength of your specialty skills to push him off you.

Not enough to hurt him or Mayday but enough to give you space to escape, which you did. Once given enough breathing room to leap you leapt, jumping from the locomotive to fly through the air instead. Miles followed you, and Miguel was right behind.

You didn’t get much of that end of the chase, swinging directly to the headquarters and sneaking in past Kess and standing on the platform the machine usually used to send variants back to their proper dimensions.

It was minutes later when the machine suddenly came to life and you watched as the numerous screens turned on, looking a little closer you saw that it was Miles and that he was using his invisibility power to get the machine up and going.

Seconds later you felt his presence land beside you, and as the mechanical spider above lowered down and began creating the web to send Miles home and consequently you to his universe— Miguel erupted through the glass doors like a bat out of Hell.

And you stood back and watched as he sprinted to the platform’s edge, leapt over the gap and began furiously clawing at the web’s exterior.

Just as he was pulling it apart, the sequence completed and you and Miles were lifted into the air as the portal was created before the machine was throwing the two of you through the multiverse and into Miles’ universe.

• After the exhausting and frustrating chase, and even more annoying escape you and Miles had made.. you decided to follow him to his dimension, if only just to see that he’d be okay

• But he took off the second he was back in his own universe (or so you thought) and you were quick to follow, calling out his name in an attempt to get him to slow down but he did not listen

• So you just followed as he swiftly made his way to his apartment, only upon arrival you decided it might be best if you stayed outside which is exactly what you did, and you listened as he told his mom the truth and she responded with a question of her own not knowing who he was referring to

• When your spider senses started tingling uncontrollably is when you though something might be wrong so you webbed yourself to the roof of the building directly across Miles’ apartment and just observed from there

• As you watched him interact with a man that you assumed was his uncle your senses tingled again only it was too late to react when a muscled arm wrapped around your waist and a gloved hand covered your mouth, and then you were pulled backwards and through the portal into another dimension

• Upon arrival at the new universe you were pinned to the ground on your stomach by a heavy weight much larger and much stronger atop you, holding your arms in the small of your back and forcing you tighter against the ground

• You knew it was Miguel and you knew that unlike back at headquarters this pinch would be tighter to get yourself out of— so you didn’t intend to fight against him, you’d already done more than enough for Miles and on the off chance he still needed you then and only then would you fight for him again

• Until then, you’d accepted the fact you’d been captured, so you slumped to the rain soaked concrete of the building’s roof, and as you lay there you could only hope Miles had reached his father on time

—

a/n: Feel like it got kinda lame at the end but I hope you enjoyed the first post of the blog regardless! I’m super excited to get this blog started! Spiderverse is my hyper-fixation right now so that’s what I’ll be focusing on for a moment! Again, hope you enjoyed! Ciao!

[skepticalcatfrog]

Kerch, Ghezenism, and the Van Eck Family

The title pretty much sums it up. This is a rather extensive analysis, and to be honest with you all it is 2,500+ words. So get into this absolute beast at your own risk!

~~~

From my experience in this fandom, I've seen it discussed very frequently how important religion is in the Grishaverse. Not only is it very deeply developed, to the point where many of the different countries have unique beliefs - which I'm not sure is seen very often in newer literature - but the various religious systems are also deeply important to many major characters, such as Matthias and Inej. However, one aspect of Grishaverse religions that seems to be overlooked somewhat often is the Kerch religion of Ghezenism. This may just be me, but I have a lot of thoughts on it. A big reason for that is that Wylan is, and always has been, my favorite character, and the culture surrounding Ghezen is actually a very important part of his character for many reasons. When you look into it in the way that I have, you discover that there are a lot of peculiar aspects of Ghezenism that make it stand out, as well as many ties that it has to major aspects of the story.

Right away, one thing that makes Kerch religion different from the others is how deeply connected to the economy it is. So much so that a lot of aspects of the two subjects are one and the same. Given that Ketterdam is a city largely fueled by commerce, it makes sense that Ghezenism would heavily tie into Kerch culture as well. Symbols of Ghezen can be found in many places throughout the city, even beyond the Church of Barter. A very good example of this is Vellgeluk, the island where the Crows meet Van Eck expecting to get their reward from the Ice Court heist: “Smugglers called it Vellgeluk, “good luck,” because of the paintings still visible around the base of what would have been the obelisk tower: golden circles meant to represent coins, symbols of favor from Ghezen, the god of industry and commerce,” (Six of Crows, Chapter 44). This just goes to show how many people in Ketterdam, and the wider country of Kerch as well, put their faith in Ghezen. Vellgeluk is a chosen place for smugglers to do business, specifically because favors of Ghezen are still present there. 

Another interesting part of that passage is the fact that Ghezen is referred to as the god of industry and commerce. Kerch may have other gods, but as far as I can remember - and I may be wrong, but I don't think I am - we never hear about any of them. A similar situation can be found in Fjerda, where Djel is specifically the god of life, implying the existence of other gods. In Fjerda, it is very clear that Djel is mainly what they base their culture and belief system around. This makes perfect sense for a god of life, but isn't Ketterdam’s situation a bit more unusual? The most frequently discussed god, Ghezen, represents industry. We can assume Ghezen is the primary god within the Kerch religious system. Not to mention that their largest church is called the Church of Barter, barter obviously being a term that has much to do with economics. Ketterdam, if not the entire country of Kerch, seems to have no real concept of the separation of church and state. They quite literally hold auctions inside of the church; the auctioning of Kuwei is not a singular event.

The impacts of religion can also be seen in the culture and behavior of the people of Kerch, as seen in a brief section of Crooked Kingdom. “Kerch women—even the wealthy ones—didn’t bother with anything as frivolous as embroidery or needlepoint. Ghezen was better served by tasks that benefited the household,” (Crooked Kingdom, Chapter 14). Obviously, things like this are much more typical of religion. But I would argue that even this holds traces of the same values expressed by the connection between Ghezenism and the economy. It is specifically mentioned here that Kerch women are encouraged to participate in tasks that will “benefit the household”. This displays one of the very prominent aspects of the Ghezenite religion, which is that one of the most important things a person can do is be productive, and create a prosperous life for themselves and their family.

In addition to direct ties between Ghezenism and the Kerch economy, occasionally the legal system is put into the mix as well. While considering what consequences his father might face after the events of the auction, Wylan reveals this piece of information: “Knowingly entering into a false contract for the purpose of subverting the market wasn’t just illegal, it was considered blasphemy, a blight on the works of Ghezen, and the penalties were harsh,” (Crooked Kingdom, Chapter 41). Essentially what he means by this is that not only is tampering with the economy against the law, but it is also heavily frowned upon in a religious sense, and anyone who does so will face punishment from both sides. This is extremely unique, even within the Grishaverse. This single sentence also reveals another very interesting thing about Kerch society. The market, as it exists in Ketterdam, is believed to be a creation of god - it is referred to here as being a part of the “works of Ghezen”. That, more than anything, is concrete proof of just how interconnected the economy of Kerch is with its primary religion. This also means that committing a crime such as Van Eck did isn't simply illegal (which we can assume he has no issues with), it is also an act that goes against his own religion. But stop to consider for a moment: does he really have a problem with that either?

There are numerous examples throughout both books of Van Eck blatantly abusing the values of his own religion. On its own, the teachings of Ghezenism aren't inherently bad. After all, things such as tampering with the market for your own gain are actively discouraged using the threat of blasphemy, which I'd say is generally beneficial. The issue, however, arises when Van Eck in particular attempts to twist some of these values in order to justify his own actions. If there is one single quote from the duology that exemplifies this, it would be this one: “Ghezen shows his favor to those who are deserving, to those who build cities, not the rats who eat away at their foundations. He has blessed me and my dealings. You will perish, and I will prosper. That is Ghezen’s will,” (Six of Crows, Chapter 45). Van Eck openly believes that, since he is a member of the upper class, he is somehow more deserving of a blessing. He is insistent that “Ghezen's will”, or what he interprets as what Ghezen wishes for him to do, is to trample others in order to further his own success. 

It doesn't matter to him who stands in his way, and it never will, because his goal is only to make himself more wealthy; he simply hides this behind a thin veil of piety. This motivation is especially clear when he is speaking to Inej while he is holding her captive. “When I leave this world, the greatest shipping empire ever known will remain, an engine of wealth, a tribute to Ghezen and a sign of his favor. Who will remember a girl like you, Miss Ghafa? What will you and Kaz Brekker leave behind but corpses to be burned on the Reaper’s Barge?” (Crooked Kingdom, Chapter 7). He frames people less fortunate than him - in this case Kaz and Inej - as forgettable and unimportant. The only thing he considers truly important is wealth, which he equates to power. He even references Ghezen here, claiming again that all of his actions, as well as his empire and legacy, are meant to show his dedication to his religion. He also claims that his ability to attain this level of success is a sign that Ghezen favors him. That in particular is a display of his extremely warped view of Ghezenism. The truth is that his success can only be attributed to his unethical actions, but the fact that he claims it is due to Ghezen's favor means that he will never be able to be convinced that he is wrong. He has what he believes to be an airtight justification.

His classism is also extremely evident, while indirectly, in an exchange between Kaz and Wylan earlier on in Crooked Kingdom. ““Your father much for charity?” “No. He tithes to Ghezen, but he says charity robs men of the chance at honest labor,”” (Crooked Kingdom, Chapter 2). This shows that Van Eck is very protective over his wealth. Which, quite frankly, is more likely than not the exact opposite of what Ghezenism is intended to promote. Based on what we are shown from an outside perspective, it seems as though one of the main aspects of Ghezenism is to create a prosperous economy for everyone. However, what Van Eck seems to believe is that he is intended to simply accumulate as much wealth as he possibly can, and keep it all for himself.

It is incredibly clear that Van Eck doesn't care about the well-being of anyone other than himself when it comes down to it. It could be argued that he cares for Alys, and will care for their child when it is born, but this simply cannot be proven. Just look at the exact mirror of this situation: Marya and Wylan. Wylan states about his parents, “I think he really loved her. They fought all the time, sometimes about me, but I remember them laughing a lot together too,” (Crooked Kingdom, Chapter 14). If we are to believe that this is true, and Van Eck truly did love Marya, that doesn't change the fact that he didn't hesitate to send her away as soon as he discovered that Wylan couldn't read or write. There is no evidence to say that he wouldn't do the same to Alys, under similar circumstances. 

And, of course, this all leads back to the matter of Wylan. When Van Eck decided that Wylan wouldn't be useful to him, he stopped caring about him very quickly. Near the end of Six of Crows, we hear more of the specifics on Van Eck's opinion of Wylan. “I have hired the best tutors from every corner of the world. I’ve tried specialists, tonics, beatings, hypnotism. But he refused to be taught. I finally had to accept that Ghezen saw fit to curse me with a moron for a child. Wylan is a boy who will never grow to be a man. He is a disgrace to my house,” (Six of Crows, Chapter 45). Van Eck believes that Wylan is a curse from Ghezen, purely because he thinks that Wylan will be incapable of producing profits for their business. This is perhaps one of the most egregious examples of his blatant abuse of his own religion, because he is entirely willing to abandon and even murder his own son in order to fulfill his goals, which he claims is all Ghezen's will.

There is no feasible way Wylan would be able to grow up being raised by Van Eck, and not be affected by his religious ideas in some way. In fact, there is evidence contained in the text that proves this rather thoroughly. There are even certain things that have already been cited within this analysis that can be circled back to, such as the quote just above. This quote exemplifies the sort of treatment Wylan was subjected to while growing up. This is mostly speculation, but it's safe to assume he was told at a very young age that his own father considered him a punishment from god. That is objectively terrible, and we know that by the age of eight his father was his only parent. The psychological impacts that that would have on a child that young are unimaginable. 

Additionally, we can return to this quote from Crooked Kingdom: “When I leave this world, the greatest shipping empire ever known will remain, an engine of wealth, a tribute to Ghezen and a sign of his favor. Who will remember a girl like you, Miss Ghafa? What will you and Kaz Brekker leave behind but corpses to be burned on the Reaper’s Barge?” (Crooked Kingdom, Chapter 7). While Van Eck is not talking to Wylan here, and Wylan isn't even present at the time, this passage still indirectly displays Van Eck's feelings about Wylan. Here he is expressing the fact that he maintains that if a person is not able to create wealth and prosperity for themselves, they are essentially useless. As we know from the previous example, he believes this of Wylan as well.

It is evident that Wylan was taught Ghezenite values from a young age. While examining the exterior of the Church of Barter, his thoughts include this: “He didn’t need to be able to read the words engraved over the arch. He’d heard his father repeat them countless times. Enjent, Voorhent, Almhent. Industry, Integrity, Prosperity,” (Crooked Kingdom, Chapter 31). This is confirmation that Van Eck frequently encouraged Wylan to think about these values, and it can be inferred that it likely wasn't in a particularly positive manner. Industry, integrity, and prosperity are clearly the three main ideals of this religion, and we can easily be led to the conclusion that Van Eck is certain his son is capable of none of them.

It is also suggested that Wylan may even associate his father's disapproval with religion subconsciously as well. A good example of this is in Crooked Kingdom, after Wylan is taken to the Church of Barter. “Van Eck shook his head. “Every time I think you cannot disappoint me further, you prove me wrong.” They were in a small chapel topped by a dome. The oil paintings on the wall featured battle scenes and piles of armaments,” (Crooked Kingdom, Chapter 31). While this is also simply meant to provide the reader with a description of the environment, the juxtaposition between the two halves of this passage cannot be an accident. What we can observe here is that after Van Eck once again expresses his ever-present disappointment with Wylan, emphasis is immediately put on the fact that they are in the church. This, along with the other passages listed, creates a clear link between Wylan's negative relationship with his father and the effects that their shared religion has had on it.

What I consider to be one of the most important quotes for this subject, despite also being the shortest one used, comes near the end of Six of Crows. After Wylan has played his role in foiling Van Eck's plan to trick the Crows, he says this: “Maybe you can pray to Ghezen for understanding, Father,” (Six of Crows, Chapter 45). This is sort of the first act of retribution that the reader sees from Wylan. He has just made his father look like a fool, and then he practically spits in his face by taking the thing that was used against him for so long - their religion - and using it against his father instead. Not only is this moment incredibly satisfying, it also marks the beginning of Wylan's growth as a character that eventually leads to him being able to stand up to his father in more ways.

Despite being arguably the least explored Grishaverse religion in online spaces, I find Ghezenism to be extremely interesting when it comes to the ways it ties into the themes of the story. It represents wider, more general themes found throughout the book, such as the idea that people often value their own success over the well-being of others, but it contains even more when examined under a closer lens. It opens the door to a completely new aspect of further analyzing the relationship between Wylan and his father, and introduces vital elements of in-depth characterization for both of them. The way Wylan and Van Eck each view the same religion is highly indicative of their individual values, and that is a very interesting thing to expand upon. It simply goes to show just how much thought went into creating both the culture of this world, and the characters who live within it.

[stephstars08]

Drunk Mishap

Ethan Landry x Reader

Warnings: Minor Adult Language, Trust Issues, Cheating Mentioned, Alcohol, Drunk!Reader, Ethan Helps Reader Change Into Different Clothes, Some Sexual References, Anxiety, Reader Has Panic Attack, Insecurities, And Possible Grammar Errors. (Sorry If I Forgot Any!)

Summary: Y/N has feelings for Ethan but she’s too scared to tell him how she feels due to her past relationships. However, one drunken night changes that.

Word Count: 1,717

Author’s Note: Sorry it took me so long to post this. I just hadn’t gotten the energy to type this up. Also something always comes up that just takes up all my energy or attention. Sorry this is a little chaotic, I was rushing with this one so trust me it’s not perfect but at least I got something posted!

Three months ago Y/N met a boy named Ethan Landry. Y/N goes to Blackmore University in New York City. Her major is film since she wants to be a director. That’s how Y/N met Ethan’s roommate sister named Mindy since they share many classes together. Y/N really connected with Mindy so that’s how she got into the friend group that of course featured Ethan but also featured Mindy’s twin brother Chad, Mindy’s girlfriend Anika, and Tara who has been best friends with Chad and Mindy ever since they were kids. Once in a while Tara and her older sister’s roommate named Quinn would hang out with the group, too.

Y/N fit in perfectly with the friend group but right when she laid eyes on Ethan something just struck her. When her eyes met his brown eyes she just felt something shoot through her body and the feeling was something she had never felt before. As time went on the more Y/N was around Ethan the more she felt those butterflies fly around in her stomach. Y/N knew that she was growing feelings for Ethan because all he had to do is look at her and her heart rate would speed up. Y/N feels like Ethan feels the same way about her since he flirts with her but due to Y/N’a insecurities and trust issues she’s too scared to tell Ethan how she feels.

Y/N’s last two relationships ended with her getting her heartbroken due to her former boyfriend’s cheating on her with someone else. Even though Y/N knows that Ethan is nothing like her two time cheating exes, that tiny bit of doubt just over powers her positive thoughts. Mindy, Tara, and Anika know about Y/N’s feelings for Ethan but she just denies it and brushes them off. They don’t know about Y/N’s trust issues since she doesn’t talk about her past relationships since they just bring up bad memories. When she thinks about the past it makes her feel all that heartbreak all over again.

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

It was a Friday night so of course that meant Y/N is at a college party with the friend group. Y/N was so happy to have a night out since she had been so stressed out due to her classes. Right when Y/N walked through the door of the frat house she immediately started taking shots. Y/N was already drunk after just being at the party for an hour. Ethan didn’t even know that Y/N was completely wasted till Tara came and got him and showed him her. Tara, Mindy, and Anika had been trying to convince Y/N to let them take her back to her dorm but she just brushed them off. That’s why Tara got Ethan since the girls are hoping that Y/N will listen to Ethan and let him take her back to her dorm. Ethan made his way over to Y/N.

“Y/N, I think it’s time for you to call it a night.” Ethan told her. “But I’m just getting started.” Y/N told him with annoyance in her voice. No one has seen Y/N get this drunk before. She’s gotten drunk before at parties like this but at least she was still aware of her surroundings. Y/N went to walk past Ethan but she tripped over her own foot. Ethan quickly grabbed her so she wouldn’t fall face first onto the hard wood floor. “Y/N, you can’t even walk.” Ethan told her. “I’m fine.” Y/N told him. “No, you’re not fucking fine!” Ethan told her in a stern tone putting his foot down. “You need to go lay down so please let me take you back to your dorm.” Ethan added. Y/N just stared at him since half of her wants to stay and the other half says she needs to go back to her dorm. “I don’t want something bad to happen to you.” Ethan told her with concern in his voice. Once Y/N noticed the worry look in Ethan’s brown eyes she knew he was right so she gave him a nod telling him he can walk her back to dorm.

Ethan let the girls know that he’s going to take Y/N back to her dorm and told them to let Chad know what he’s going to do just in case he comes looking for him. Ethan walked Y/N out of the noisy frat house. As they walked together to her single dorm room Ethan had one of his arms wrapped around her waist so that she doesn’t lose her balance or trip over her feet or something else. Even drunk Y/N is still feeling the butterflies in her stomach go crazy by Ethan’s arm around her waist.

They walked inside the building Y/N’s dorm is in and walked down the hallway to her door. Y/N has a dorm all to herself. Y/N pulled her keys out her pocket and tried to unlock her door. “Do you want my help?” Ethan asked which made her let out a groan of frustration. “Yes.” Y/N said handing him over the keys. Ethan let go of Y/N’s waist and unlocked the door. After he opened the door he let Y/N walk inside the dorm and then he followed her. Ethan put her keys down onto the dresser right next to the door and closed the door shut.

“Do you um need me to help you get changed into something more comfortable?” Ethan asked her with a hint of nervousness in his voice. “Oh, yeah could you. It probably be easier.” Y/N said with a sigh. She was already feeling sleepy. “Yeah, yeah um of course.” Ethan said trying to shake off all his nerves. He walked over to her dresser and pulled out a t-shirt and sweatpants. When Ethan walked over to her bed and set the clothes down onto it he could feel his heart racing so he took a deep and calming breath. He was hoping Y/N didn’t notice his nervousness. Ethan helped Y/N get out of the clothes she was wearing and into the t-shirt and sweatpants. Every time Y/N felt Ethan’s hands brush against her bare skin she would get goosebumps along her skin.

After Y/N was fully changed Ethan helped her get tucked into her bed. He could see the tiredness in her eyes. “There all comfy.” Ethan said after he draped her blanket on top of her body. “Thank you for taking care of me.” Y/N told him. “It’s no problem Y/N.” Ethan told her with a reassuring smile. “You’re so sweet. No wonder I have feelings for you.” Y/N just blurted out in a tired voice. When she said that Ethan’s whole body went into shock.

Did he hear her right? He was at war with his thoughts. Was what she just said true. He knows she’s completely wasted and tired. When Ethan finally came up with something to say Y/N was already asleep.

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

When Y/N woke up the next morning her head felt like it was hit by a baseball bat. She lazily got out of her bed and took some medicine to relieve the pain she felt in her head. Y/N has no memory of the night before. She just remembers showing up to the party and taking shots. After that it was all just a blur. She doesn’t even remember how she got back to her dorm. Y/N was about to call Mindy so she could recap the night there was a knock at the door. Y/N walked over to her door and opened it to see Ethan standing there. “Hey.” Ethan said in a soft tone with a small smile. “Hi, um what are you doing here?” Y/N said obviously surprised to see him. He usually calls or texts her before coming to her dorm. “I wanted to stop by and see how you are feeling.” Ethan told her. “Can I come in?” He asked her in a curious tone. “Oh, yeah sure.” Y/N said stepping to the side so he could walk in. Once Ethan was inside her dorm she shut the door.

“I’m guessing you were the one that took care of my stupid drunken ass.” Y/N said with a sight turning around to face him. Ethan gave her a nod. “Do you remember anything that happened last night?” Ethan asked her. “Last thing I remember is drinking my fifth shot of vodka.” Y/N answered him. “Ethan, did I do or say something last night?” Y/N asked sensing something going on. “After I got you into your bed you told me that you have feelings for me.” Ethan told her which made her heart drop to her stomach. “Oh my fucking gosh.” Y/N said with panic quickly taking over her body. She ran both of her hands through her hair. “Were you telling the truth or was it just the alcohol?” Ethan asked her. That question has been going through his head ever since last night. When he woke up this morning he knew he needed to know the answer to that question. “No, it wasn’t the alcohol.” Y/N answered knowing she can’t hide the truth no more.

“I know I should’ve told you but I let my stupid fucking trust issues get in the way of me telling you.” Y/N told him with frustration in her voice. Before Ethan could say anything she spoke again. “And I know you are not like my ex’s who are complete dicks but I just couldn’t get those fucking negative thoughts out my head.” Y/N told him. Ethan knew she was starting to have a panic attack so he walked closer to her and connected his lips with her lips. Y/N was surprised by the kiss but eventually returned the kiss. All of the panic she felt going through her body quickly melted away. They released from the long awaited kiss so they could catch their breaths.

“I have feelings for you, too.” Ethan confessed to her. “We can take it slow if you want to. I know it’s hard to get past infidelity.” Ethan told her as he put one of his hands onto her cheek which made her lean into his soft and comforting touch. She always feels comfort by his touch. “We can take it slow.” Y/N told him with a soft smile.

[yandere-fics]

Lady Selene

♡ "My dove, can't I be forgiven for a few indiscretions when I merely thought I was doomed to not have any companionship for a thousand years?" ♡

She's an aggressive and needy yandere, nothing is wrong as long as it's between mates and you should just forgive her because she's your mate. She is also secretly very worried you'll take off on her one day because of her horrible reputation. She thinks she was completely justified in having a few flings over the years, even if some of her exes were complete bitches, she just didn't want to be alone while waiting for a soulmate who might never show up knowing how much the other gods hate her. She'll do anything to keep her dalliances from reaching your ears though if she can help it and if not she was already planning on killing anyone she slept with in the past just to make sure you know she's changed her ways since meeting you.

♡ "Soulmates should call each other by their names should they not, it would greatly displease me if you were to call me by my title.... hmm though i would prefer you would call my name a bit sweeter than that, it will have to do for the moment." ♡

Her title is Lady Selene, goddess of the werewolves, she would be very upset if you didn't call her by her name though, would hold you in place and only release you once you call her by just her name, will melt if you call her a sweet nickname like Selly or something of that sort.

♡ "I'm almost 800 years old my dove, I became goddess shortly before the war began, I am the youngest of the gods." ♡

She killed a large majority of the minor gods during the war and was the instigator in the war to begin with since she couldn't control her temper. She was cursed to not find her soulmate for a thousand years as punishment for causing the whole war so she decided to sleep around for awhile cause she thought she would just clean up her act closer to when she was actually going to meet them but the other gods decided it would be an even worse punishment if she met her mate when she wasn't expecting it and didn't have time to clean up her reputation so they lifted it early without telling her.

♡ "My dove, I would never have eyes for anyone than you again, I swear my liaisons with those other women meant nothing." ♡

She's a lesbian and she slept around alot before she met you.

♡ "Job? I'm a goddess, I need no job, I simply do as a please, occasionally I train the pups who want to guard the temple. Simply put, my attention can all go to you." ♡

She does nothing useful as a god except once a year she visits the city for a month or two for diplomacy cause if she didn't she's terrified The Boss would wipe her out for attacking the city during the war but other than that she can focus the entirety of her time on you and she would like you to do the same and will be sad if you don't do the same since soulmates are the most important thing in her opinion even though she didn't really treat it that way before she actually met you.

♡ "I have a fondness for sparring on occasion, it never hurts to stay honed even if those around me can't keep up with me. I also have been known to enjoy alcoholic beverages from time to time. The thing I would say I enjoy most however is you." ♡

Before she met you she also enjoyed sleeping around and picking fights, but now that she actually has you she tries to avoid conflicts and running her mouth because she wouldn't want her fellow gods to make her look like a fool in front of her mate more than they already have. Yes she blames them for her looking like a fool even though it's her own actions that led to this.

♡ "I dislike fools who reject the mating bond and pursue people who are not their destiny. I also dislike when my dove denies me what is rightful mine, your affection." ♡

She doesn't realize how hypocritical that is, after all it's not like she enjoyed any of the people she slept with, it was merely to kill time waiting for her true mate and she thought you would never know because she could hide all the evidence closer to when she was actually going to meet them. Despite the other gods hating her guts, she doesn't hate them, she might not be fond of them especially since they did this but at the end of the day prior to the war when she went a bit crazy slaughtering thousands, they used to be close friends. She does hate The Boss.

♡ "I can do a myriad of things for you, dove. That's the beauty in being with your soulmate, someone who isn't your soulmate could never do what I can do for you." ♡

She's particularly adept at hand to hand combat. She's not as good at tracking because there was a lot of burning during the war and it really fucked up her nose, if she has an item of yours or is very intimately familiar with your scent though then it'll only take her slightly longer than the rest of them to come find her. She's still great at running, it only fucked up her sense of smell but her lungs themselves healed up.

♡ "You're not allowed to leave me, soulmates STAY together, forever. So get your pretty ass back over here and let me love on you." ♡

[psychologicalwarclaire]

10 for Rise. Gimme warcrimes duo >:]

Donnie didn't realize just how much Witchtown hated him until he wound up in front of the majority of the town at Hidden City court.

Witches of all kinds shouted over each other, listing crimes that Donnie most definitely had NOT committed.

"--trampled my mushrooms!"

"--released the kraken into our town fountain!"

"--totally demolished my self esteem!"

"--ATE MY CAT!!!"

"-- and destroyed the statue of our great founder!"

Okay that one he actually had done. In his defense, he hadn't meant to blast it with his tech bo. Defense, however, was something he was missing.

He glanced over at the judge. "I don't know how Hidden City trials work but isn't there supposed to be someone on my side? I mean, ahem, with my superb knowledge of everything I could absolutely provide my own defense but, uhm..." I don't really want to do this all on my own, he finished in his head.

All of Donnie's knowledge of courtroom proceedings came from a show he and Raph used to watch together. Raph loved watching the good guys solve crimes and fight bad guys. Donnie loved the mysteries and collection of evidence. Neither of them found the legal stuff super interesting, so they'd discussed the real life logistics of the crime (whether Donnie could commit it, whether Raph could catch him, and how they'd avoid getting caught) during those scenes. Donnie wished he'd payed more attention.

The doors flew open with a BANG.

"PURPLE TURTLE!" Casey Jones yelled. "I AM HERE TO PROVE YOUR INNOCENCE!"

Donnie blinked.

The jury all looked at each other like she'd made a brilliant point, muttering and nodding along.

The judge stroked his beard. "Good entrance. One point to the defense."

There were very few times that Donnie didn't have at least SOME idea of what was happening. Now was, unfortunately, one of those times.

Casey seemed to appear right next to him. "SO! Got yourself in trouble with Witchtown, eh?"

Flustered, Donnie could only think to say, "I didn't do it! Their accusations are entirely--"

"HEY! That's MY job!" She cleared her throat. "As I was saying, Witchtown is tough, but I'm tougher! You're lucky I took this case, otherwise you would already be rotting in Hidden City prison."

"I-- Casey why are you a lawyer in the Hidden City?" Things were spiraling entirely out of control.

Casey grinned her insane grin. "I love yelling, fighting, arguing, squabbling, debating, etc. Passing the exam was super easy, too! The laws here aren't any more complicated than the Foot Clan laws. You know, normally I'm on the offensive. But I am Hamato Clan now! I WILL NOT BETRAY MY CLAN!"

Donnie couldn't help but be impressed. "Huh. What a strangely fitting career choice for you."

"INDEED! And the lawyer to politician pipeline is extremely fast. I shall build my way up to becoming a mayor, senator, and eventually I shall be the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES! Junior has already signed on to be my vice president. Our slogan is either going to be: 'Jones and Jones: we'll feast on your bones' OR 'Vote Jones squared and your lives will be spared'. Catchy right?"

Donnie's mind was already buzzing with how his Genius Built brand could be expanded by personally knowing the president. "Casey," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder, "I will personally help fund your presidential campaign."

"Excellent! Now, we are in the middle of court so we can discuss that later."

"Oh yeah." Donnie had actually forgotten that he was literally on trial. Casey has the effect of being extremely distracting. "I need to tell you my alibi and--"

"Pffft, no need. What kind of court do you think this is?" Casey cracked her neck, and stretched her arms above her head.

The judge banged his gavel, which sent a shockwave across the room. The ground rumbled and the seats all slid back to open up a wide space in front of the stand. "We are now in session. Let prosecutor Gilby Gilbert of Witchtown and defendant Casey Jones of the Hamato Clan enter the ring."

The what?!

Gilby Gilbert, whom Donnie vaguely recognized from the Witchtown episode leapt into the ring. "That turtle is GUILTY!"

With a running leap, Casey Jones flipped into the ring and kicked him squarely in the chest. "Mr Hamato is more innocent than you and your corrupted, black market, embezzling town will ever be!"

The jury gasped.

"Flair, solid hit, AND a plot twist! Three more points to the defense!" the judge ruled.

Donnie was now very glad he had not been the one to plead (punch?) his own case.

"Turtle boy is against everything we stand for!" Gilby choked from inside a headlock.

"Since your treasury records show illegal trade with criminals AND many Witchtown officials who have been pocketing those funds, I'd say it's a good thing that Mr Hamato stands against you, you LOWLIFE!" Casey released the headlock, only to kick her opponent to the ground and curb stomp him.

Donnie was no longer worried.

In fact, as he watched Casey continue to kick Gilby (who had curled into a ball), he actually smiled. Perhaps the answer to science vs magic was brute force.

He had decided that when this trial was over and he and Casey had officially won, he was going to make her a fashionable Genius Built lawyer suit. He'd make it easily torn away to give her more points in style.

It was the least he could do.

[greetingfromthedead]

Wedding Bells (Vash x Bride!Reader)

Plot: You didn't really think too hard about your wedding day, planning to perhaps sign a paper and then go celebrate with drinks, but both you and Vash had made a promise to Lena and Granny to include them and once Meryl and Milly found out, the event took on a life of its own.

Series: [prequel - Wedding Bells], [Part 1 - Little Feet], [Part 2 - Pitter-Patter]

Pairing: Vash x Bride!Reader

Raiting: Everyone

Tags: post-Trimax (no major spoiler), fluff, happy ending, wedding, found family, love of your life

Word count: 3k

Author's Note: I went with a slightly "nontraditional" approach, mixing different wedding customs together as that's partially how I imagine things on No Man's Land to be (a blend of different Western (sorry) traditions), but I did lean more pagan and Celtic since I am self indulgent.

This has gotten a bit out of hand. You think to yourself as you look out the window at Kasted City. You can't believe how much the city has changed since you were last here. Repairs have been made, and everything looks as good as new. The last scars left by the bandit infestation have been wiped away completely. The city is thriving once again. You stand in the middle of the room on a chair, and the narrow window only reveals a small glimpse of the landscape. You lean forward, trying to see more, but immediately get pricked by a sharp needle.

"Ow!" you complain before settling back.

"I have told you time and time again to stand still! Stop fidgeting so much!" Granny scolds you as she makes the last alterations to your dress. "I'm almost done with the hem."

This was supposed to be just a little homecoming to fulfill your promise to Lena and Granny. Vash had sworn that when the time came for the two of you to finally tie the knot, they would be included. In your mind, it meant that you return to the toma farm, perhaps sign a piece of paper, and go to have a drink, but it turns out that word travels fast. Especially when it comes to the Humanoid Typhoon and his companion, who have touched many people's lives. Meryl made quite a fuss when she found out about your plan, and Milly was close to tears when she got the impression that they weren't welcome. So you assured them it would be nothing fancy, but if they wanted, they were more than welcome to join. You get the feeling that's where the cat got out of the bag.

When you got to the city this morning, you were greeted with a buzz of excitement and anticipation. You brushed it off as just something unrelated to your arrival, but as you made your way to Granny's ranch, it had been decorated with streamers and bows. Lena and Meryl were hanging up a giant sign adorned with both your and Vash's names, and you felt a shiver run down your spine. You knew this was going to be a day to remember. While a hint of tread creeped into your soul, you turned your head to see your beloved fiance's face light up at the sight before him. A smile crossed his face, and you knew that whatever happened next, you would face it together. That's when Granny appeared, and after a warm welcome, you were separated from your dearest.

Granny and Lena had been working on a dress for you. It's simple but elegant and made with love. There are no extravagant embellishments, but you could see the care and effort put into every stitch. They also showed you the tiny pocket on the inside of your dress at the back of your neck that had a 5 cent piece in it. They did not, however, elaborate further.

From Granny's care, you move on to Meryl's, who makes you sit by the window to do your makeup. She chatters about all the preparations for the wedding as she carefully applies your lipstick. The others come and go, busy with preparations yet desperate to catch a glimpse of you.

"Done!" Meryl proudly proclaims, but she tilts her head and looks at you thoughtfully. "Something's missing…"

Her piercing gaze makes you nervous as you try to figure out what she is talking about. Suddenly, her eyes light up, and she reaches to remove her earrings.

"Here! These will work well! But I want them back!" She grins as she hands you the long golden earrings. You take them hesitantly as you look at them.

"Thank you, Meryl!" You smile up at her as you turn to the mirror and put them on.

"I see you have something borrowed. How about something blue?" A new voice speaks up from the door behind you, and you whip around in your chair.

"Luida!" you exclaim in surprise. She smiles her signature calming smile at you.

"It's good to see you again," she says and comes closer. "My, you look gorgeous!"

A slight blush colors your cheeks as you thank her for the compliment. Your eyes trail downward slightly, and you see something in her hand. Before you can ask, she lifts it up and removes some paper from around a brilliant blue bouquet made from the flowers she grows on Home.

"I meddled a bit with them; they should be preserved in time as they are, and hopefully they will never wither," Luida says softly as she hands you the beautiful flowers and you take a whiff. The scent is sweet and fresh, filling you with a sense of calm and happiness.

"I too have something for you," Milly says, coming closer with a slightly nervous look. "Or rather, Livio sent it with his apologies since he couldn't make it today."

"Oh, that's okay. Someone had to stay with the kids and birds." You smile, but then look at the little box Milly puts in your hand. "What's this?"

"Something old. Livio wanted you to have this since you and Mr. Priest were so close. He said he had this since the orphanage; apparently, it's the only thing he had from his birth parents. After he passed, Livio held on to it but always intended to give it to you." You hear the tears threaten to roll down her cheeks in Milly's voice. She has always been the emotional kind. You open the box, and inside you find a small cross pendant with no chain.

"Thank you, Milly! And give my gratitude to your dear husband too!" You smile at her reddening face as she tries to keep it together. You pick up a safety pin from the vanity and carefully fasten the cross to the inside of your dress's neckline, close to your heart.

"So, we have something old, something blue, something borrowed, and a 5 cent piece! We're only missing something new!" Granny said with glee, and before you could start to protest against any more gifts, Lena appears with a giant box.

"Lucky, we received a parcel a few days ago, and it's addressed to you!" She announces happily as she holds the box towards you. You hesitate for a moment, your fingers hovering at the edge of the box, before you remove the lid. The inside still doesn't give you a clue as to what this could be, as the item is carefully wrapped in paper, on top of which lays a small card. You pick it up to read it.

My dear!

The wonderful news has reached us here at Misdon! We are all so happy to hear that our two biggest heroes are getting married! You saved our lives and our livelihood! The whole town will forever remain in your debt, even if you didn't save the rest of the world too! We wish we could attend, but times have been busy, so we send you this gift. I hope you like it. Everyone pitched in and did a little bit!

Your friend,

Adeliene

You are reminded of your adventures in the mining town of Misdon, where bandits tried to take over the crystal mine. You and Vash had your hands full driving them out, and you had to personally protect Adeliene, the daughter of the mine owner. You even took a bullet for her. You carefully remove the paper to be greeted by a blinding shimmer. The sunlight from the window hits the content of the box and sends dots of light dancing all throughout the room. Everyone gasps at the sight. You touch the delicate translucent fabric and let your fingers run over the hundreds, if not thousands, of small crystals sown onto it. They look like constellations.

"This is gorgeous!" you whisper in awe as you continue to admire the intricate design.

"Alright! I can't wait to see it on you!" Lena seemingly shakes with excitement. "But first, we need to fix your hair!"

The young girl puts aside the box before quickly moving on to grab the hairbrush.

"We should get back! Let's make sure everything is perfect for the big day." Meryl announces and drags Milly away by the elbow, Luida quietly following them. You remain in the room with Granny and Lena, who fill your head with hairpins and finally fasten the veil to your hair.

"You are the most beautiful bride I have ever seen in my long life. We are truly blessed to call you part of the family, my love!" Granny squeezes your shoulders as you sit in your chair and gives you a kiss on the cheek. Gratitude swells in your chest as you thank Granny for her kind words and embrace her tightly.

"The big goofball is wholly your responsibility now!" Lena chuckles, giving you a playful nudge with her elbow.

As you are left alone in the room, you stand up and take a long look in the mirror. You can't help but feel a rush of excitement for what the future holds. Your face is covered by the light fabric, and as you let your fingers run over the delicate lace, the room is filled with sparkling lights dancing on every surface. This is not how you imagined the day going—to be surrounded by your friends and family, turning this day into possibly the most magical one of your entire life.

It doesn't take long for the music to start sounding from the parlor, signaling for you to make your entrance. So you head out through the backdoor as instructed and walk around the building to the large saloon style doors at the front of the house. The music sounds more clearly now and you can hear the chatter of the guests inside. You're not sure if Granny saw you from where she sits behind the piano or if someone else spotted you and signaled her, but the music changes. The beautiful melody has a different rhythm, and everyone knows to quiet down.

You take a deep breath and clutch the bouquet of flowers tightly. Two men push the sides of the doors and keep the doorway open for your entrance. All eyes turn to you, and gasps of adoration fill the space. The people standing on either side of the aisle are all people you've left a mark on. You have saved them in one way or another, and today they are here to pay their respects and celebrate with you. If you looked at them, you would see people from Kasted City and the neighboring villages, people from far and wide, but your eyes are on the dark haired man waiting for you at the end of the red carpet.

Vash's eyes are wide, and you can see the moment his lips part for a gasp. His gaze is so filled with love and adoration that you feel tears prick at the corners of your eyes. You can't believe this is happening to you. You have found such a wonderful man, and you're about to vow your everlasting devotion to each other in front of all these witnesses. And as you look into his eyes, you know that this is just the beginning of a beautiful journey together, despite everything you've been through already.

He wears a dark burgundy suit jacket, and you are sure Granny had a hand in his attire. From the chest pocket, poke out a few crystal flowers and small silver stars, catching the light and sparkling at you, mixed together with the blooms of red geraniums. He looks magnificent and handsome, and you can't help but smile at the thought of Granny and the others conspiring to make him look his best for this special occasion. You see the tears well in his eyes as he looks at your approach, and he takes half a step forward as if wanting to run towards you and lose the distance as soon as possible. However, he holds back, his emotions overwhelming him, and he lets out a small sob before brushing the tears away.

The tall windows on either side of the parlor cast light on you, and the warmth stroking your skin makes everything else fall away. In your mind, there is only you and him. Together, as always. As you reach him, a smile is painted on your face, so wide it almost hurts. He reaches out his hand, and you gently take it, feeling the electricity between your fingertips.

"My beautiful Stardust! You make the night sky jealous!" he says as the two of you stand there, basking in each other's presence, knowing that you are each other's forever.

Meryl, who has taken in her position as officiant, lets out a small cough to wake the two of you from your trance. You take another step forward without letting go of the man you love, ready to start the next chapter of your lives together.

Meryl begins the ceremony, speaking with a warm and calming voice that fills you with joy and excitement. She thanks the guests and begins to share heartfelt words about the love and dedication you both have shown towards each other. But you can barely hear her as you steal glances of the man standing beside you. His handsome silhouette and glimmering eyes as they meet yours fill you with butterflies. You can feel your heart racing with anticipation as he gently squeezes your hand.

"My dear friends, the bride and groom, I ask you to look into each other's eyes," Meryl speaks, and you turn to face your soon-to-be husband. The love and adoration in his eyes overwhelms you, confirming that you are about to marry the person of your dreams. He still holds your hand, but lifts it up a bit as he faces you. "Will you honor and respect one another and seek to never break that honor?"

"We will," you both say devotedly.

"Will you share each other's pain and seek to ease it?"

"We will."

"Will you share the burdens with each other so that your spirits may grow in this union?"

"We will."

"Will you share each other's laughter and look for the brightness in life and the positive in each other?"

"We will."

"Dear bride and groom, as you bind your souls together here, in front of people who adore you, may your spirits be joined in a union of love and trust. Above you are the stars, and below you is the earth. Like the stars, your love should be a constant source of light, and like the earth, it should be a firm foundation from which to grow. Let your love guide you through the darkest of times, and may it always be a beacon of hope in the storm. Do you have vows of your own you would like to share?"

"Yes," Vash speaks as his eyes stay on yours. "My love, you are the one person with whom I can share all that I am. I promise to trust you and to be honest with you. I promise to listen to you, respect you, and support you. I promise to laugh and play with you and grow and bend with you. I promise to cherish every day we have together. I promise to do all of this through whatever life brings us—richness or poverty, health or illness, through good times and bad—until the end of my days. And beyond this, I will cherish and honor you through this life and the next."

Lena steps forward with a small pillow, and Vash takes a golden ring from it. He releases your right hand, and you take your flowers into it so he can gently slide the ring onto the ring finger of your left hand. He bows down and places a small kiss on the band. You have Lena take your bouquet so you can tightly hold onto both of Vash's hands, feeling overwhelmed with love and joy.

"My love, I choose you. We shall walk side by side, through sunshine and storms, health and sickness, good times and bad. We will meet whatever comes together. Under the starry night sky and in the scorching desert heat. I promise to love you forever and a day. My love, I choose you to be my partner in life and always. Our love endures, forever and a day." You make your promises while looking into his tear filled eyes, your own vision blurring from the emotions too. You pick up the golden ring and slide it on his prosthetic hand. You whisper, "I will never leave your side, no matter what challenges come our way."

"And with that, I pronounce you husband and wife!" Meryl's cheerful voice sounds over the room. "You may kiss the bride!"

Vash carefully takes the edge of the veil between his fingers before he lifts it up, revealing your face completely. He lets the veil fall over your head and gently takes your face into his hands, planting a soft kiss on your lips to seal your marriage. You feel overwhelmed with love and happiness as you realize that this is just the beginning of your life together. The whole room erupts into cheers and applause, celebrating your love and new journey as a married couple.

As he pulls away, you look into his tender face, and he mouths a silent I love you. Lena hands back your bouquet, and hand-in-hand, you walk through the room again, now with Vash by your side. Feeling like the luckiest person in the world, you head out of the parlor as the people gathered throw colorful confetti at you. Further away, from the city's chapel, you hear bells echoing over the desert.

Did you like this? Go check out my MASTERLIST and drop a follow for any and all future projects!

[rambyol]

You know what doesn't sit right with me? The fact that in E4C4 [<-spoilers:] when Bruce finds John in Harley's old room there's the option to Slap John (while he has a Bruise and Tears around his eyes) or Yell at him, but never an option to actually COMFORT (hug) the guy? What kind of conclusions are we meant to draw from that? (Are we meant to believe Bruce is just... more likely to be insensitive or cruel... towards John?... ;-;)

I completely agree with that sentiment. There really should have been an option to comfort John more, however I understand why there wasn’t and what we can dissect from that scene. So let’s jump in!

Now I like a healthy balance between canon, subtextual, and subjective interpretation. So I think it’s important to start with the context behind that scene. Here’s what we know; The Interrogation with John takes place Post-Bodhi Spa/Lab scene. The stakes are very high because Harley has the virus, Riddler’s body has been ruined and is no longer preserved meaning there’s no chance to get a cure, and Avesta and Bruce noticed makeshift bombs around the hideout.

So their main objective is to find Harley. And they were anticipating that the person inside Harley’s office would be Harley. They weren’t expecting John, since he’d disappeared after the agency raided the Lab.

John is the closest and only chance they have to find and stop Harley, so everything that Bruce did in that scene was done under stress and a sense of urgency. And if you play Bruce as a good person in that scene he exhibits a reasonable balance of empathy and compassion whilst also keeping grounded in their situation;

Joker: “There’s no point. It’s over. The Pact. The dream. Us.”

Bruce: “Not yet it’s not she’s still out there. With a deadly virus in a city full of innocent people.”

Without the luxury of time, Bruce comforts John in the only ways he could’ve. Remember, John is supposedly drunk, being erratic, and at times wielding a gun whilst stating he doesn’t care about the deadly situation they’re in. So it’s not extreme to suggest that Bruce, or anyone in such a situation would act cautiously. I mean Avesta is on guard that entire scene because of how erratically John acts.

The alternative to the slap option is the hand on the shoulder gesture that Bruce does, in a way it’s the closest physically intimate act he did which was a step or two removed from a hug. In my ‘The Stab’ post, I mention how physical contact between John and Bruce is gradually built up throughout the narrative, so I guess since John hugs Bruce in the Carnival Bro’s scene, we could interpret Bruce’s touch to John’s shoulder as a moment that anticipates a bigger act of physical intimacy.

There’s definitely something to be said about the lack of acknowledgment towards John’s black eye. He’s just told them that he was physically hit by Harley and there’s no attempt to console him or show concern. Now again, this could be due to the high stakes at play, but of course there’s a broader discussion to be had about male victims of abuse not being treated/taken seriously. (I’m saving my thoughts on this for a future post)

Lastly, I wanted to bring your attention to this moment.

(and I don’t want this to discredit the point about male victims of abuse but rather relate to John’s character and his dynamic with Bruce)

No matter what choice we pick for Bruce, John has the exact same response. I think that, John may have been ‘milking’ this time with Bruce.

He has Bruce’s complete attention (albeit not for the reason one would hope) and spends the majority of the scene venting about how Harley and Bruce let him down whilst also ignoring Bruce and Avesta’s pleas for help only to suddenly change his mind at the end. I think that moment serves as a reminder that John’s intentions and emotions are ambiguous.

And Bruce understands this which is why he doesn’t tolerate any of John’s ambiguity when you select the harsher/objective choices, which can come off as cruel.

I hope that gives you some new ideas or reaffirm ones you had! I’ve been meaning to analyse that scene more but I think all my ideas come under separate topics so we’ll see if I get around to that sometime!

[itsalwaysalmostchristmas]

Rework of Viconia Devir

So, I had been working on two different ideas: How to rework Viconia where her whole story arc from the previous games doesn't get shat on and how to make the Tadpole Troupe more diverse.

I don't know why the thought came to me but it did: Shadowheart should've (or I think it would've been fun) been Viconia's daughter.

Please hear me out!

If you don't know, Viconia has literally the worse luck in the world it seems, like read her wiki page history I'm sure that's just then tip of the iceberg.

When travelling with Gorion's Ward she is a cleric of Shar, and if not romanced, after their adventures she goes to Waterdeep to run an enclave there, which Viconia in BG3 does tell us:

[Viconia DeVir: I had an enclave in Waterdeep, you know. Much grander than this. Shar ordered me to raze it, kill all who followed me - claim they betrayed me, when in fact I slew those who showed nothing but loyalty.]

I really think Viconia remaining with Shar sucks major balls. Literally, she goes on to be a hero in her own right in her epilogue:

[No longer with Protagonist, Viconia went on to found a cult dedicated to Shar in the city of Waterdeep. One of her followers betrayed her, however, prompting the slaughter of the whole tainted lot. Shar admonished Viconia strongly for this, but she was unrepentant and again wandered the Realms. Viconia was still formidable, and went on to prevent an attempt by the Knights of the Shield to take over Calimport, even worked with Drizzt Do'Urden to save the elven city of Suldanessalar from a Zhentarim plot. For this last act, the elves accepted her, and Queen Ellesime bestowed the highest honors of the Seldarine, an accolade never before given to one of her dark kind. Viconia reportedly bowed without emotion, and then left. Her fate remains unknown.]

Does that sound like someone who would continue to follow Shar?? My gal work with Drizzt Do'Urden! Saved at least two cities! Bestowed the highest award that no drow had ever received!?

Seriously, to me Viconia DeVir and Mother Superior are two completely different characters.

So, how does this work out for her to be Shadowheart's mother? I've got two alternatives that I could see the story using both at the same time, which they do with Gorion's Ward and Abdel Adrian.

Option 1: Viconia had a relationship with a human Selûnite

It could've been in Viconia's wanderings she save a town/village and a human took a keen liking to her. Either a fling or a genuine relationship, Viconia ends up pregnant and out shoots Jenevelle. You could still have it that her dad was a werewolf, but because he's human the years of torture on that torture disk thing caused him to perish.

(whatever that thing is)

Option 2: Shadowheart is the daughter of Viconia and Gorion's Ward

So, in Viconia's romanced ending she has a son with Gorion's Ward and fucking dies.

[Protagonist and Viconia continued adventuring long after leaving Tethyr. He became an important political figure, and she was his trusted counsel. Eventually Viconia bore Protagonist's child, which first served to strain their relationship. The birth, however, changed her, and she dedicated herself to raising the boy, teaching both the ways of the drow and of Protagonist's people. She marvelled at the understanding in his eyes, but unfortunately, didn't live to see him grow. Viconia was poisoned by a servant of Lolth, her last words whispered to her loving mate in private. Protagonist raised his son in secret, and tales vary on the result. Some say they waged a crusade against the drow, but all agree that the former child of Bhaal never forgot the love of his dark maiden.]

Obviously this isn't canon anymore, I guess? But, we've seen in the game Larian picks and chooses bits n pieces from the source material. I also don't like how Gorion's Ward isn't mentioned too much, I did hear that apparently Tav was meant to be a child of Gorion's Ward before it got scrapped and I do like the idea of descentants being part of the party.

If they had chosen this route of Shadowheart being Gorion's Ward and Viconia's child they could twist it in a few ways:

Viconia and Gorion's Ward did have a son but he was killed by Lolth servants rather than Viconia, making Shadowheart their second child.

Viconia and Gorion's Ward did have a son and they had Shadowheart as well but Gorion's Ward was killed by Lolth servants rather than Viconia, making the son still alive.

They never had a son, Lolth servant still kills Gorion's Ward

They never had a son, no Lolth servant kills anyone but Gorion's Ward still dies before we see Viconia again because people would not like a retconned CHARNAME we hate you abdel adrian fuck you

I think option 3 or 4 would make more sense game wise because you could still be vague on whether or not Shadowheart's other parent was Gorion's Ward, that way the player can decide based on who they romanced in their playthroughs. I do like option 2, either the brother could've spent all these years looking for his mother and sister and trying to save them or on the torture disk with his mother.

Also I don't think Viconia would become a Selûnite herself, honestly. I feel like two goddess' fucking you over would put you off worshipping another. However, I could see her wanting the best for her children, it says so in her epilogue she is a dedicated mother and I could imagine her wanting to set her child on the right path, some insecurity of poisoning her child's chance of a good life by being their mother.

I've said this in a post before but I genuinely didn't realise that Shadowheart's dad was a werewolf until I read it in a wiki article. I thought it was a manipulated memory and her dad (who we could switch out for Viconia) was illusion or replaced by a wolf to instil a fear in Shadowheart and make it seem like Mother Superior had saved her.

And, could you imagine the scene! You've defeated Mother Superior and her enclave, you got to where Shadowheart's parents are, with Minisc and Jaheira in your party, and hanging limp on the torture disk thing is the familiar face of Viconia DeVir.

Also Viconia's child being a target of Shar feels more possible than some random Selûnite couple. Honestly, you could take the whole Selûnite bit out. Could you imagine how pissed a god, especially one like Shar, would be if someone who had just killed a whole enclave of followers just shrugged of being scorned by you? Wouldn't you want to make them suffer for years? Make them remember what kind of god you are?

Anyways, here's half-drow Shadowheart!

(please excuse spelling mistakes and grammar I'm dyslexic)

[judgeanon]

It Sure Has Been a Wild Couple of Days to be a Lady Shiva Fan

(Art by Skylar Partridge)

So after only showing up for a backup story in DETECTIVE COMICS a few months ago and for a few pages in the last issues of BATGIRLS back in January, turns out that Lady Shiva is gonna be a major part of not one, but two different series come November. Putting my thoughts under the jump 'cause they might be long:

First, there's an all-new BATGIRL ongoing written by Tate Brombal and drawn by Takeshi Miyazawa. I'm not really familiar with either of them, but I'm gonna try to check some of their work in the weekend. As for the plot:

When a deadly group of assassins shows up to kill Cassandra Cain, Lady Shiva must come to the rescue, and they’re forced to put their complicated past aside and work together as mother and daughter to ensure they make it out alive. Unfortunately, things are never as easy as they seem, and Batgirl must embark on a jaw-dropping, martial-arts filled adventure in her quest for truth and justice…and revenge?! This is a Batgirl unlike any other so don’t miss the opportunity to dive into the psyche of one of Gotham City’s deadliest fighters, while exploring her deep and complex relationship with her mother.

Here's the thing: while I am overjoyed that after Bryan Hill's OUTSIDERS we've pretty much exorcised the idea of Shiva as a zealous, card-carrying member of the League of Assassins, I've been a little bothered by how literally every single big Shiva appearance afterwards has revolved around Cass. Even in that weird short stint leading a new Birds of Prey team, her motivation was somehow gaining Cass' trust for... reasons. So I'm glad Shiva's no longer an LoA flunky, but I'm concerned with how she seems so tied at the hip with Cass -- especially since Cass does get to have stories that don't involve Shiva at all.

But at the same time, I do think there's a lot of meat on that bone, meat that, in my eye, nobody has really sank their teeth in yet. Hill tried but he was working within a team book, and Cloonan and Conrad just sorta teased it. This one, however, feels like a story about Shiva and Cass built from the ground up, with all the room necessary for some actual development from the two. This is them not as a subplot or as a tease for future stories, but as The Story. And while that may go in a bunch of different ways, I'm definitely interested to see what way this will go.

Annnd then there's Tom King and Ryan Sook's BLACK CANARY: BEST OF THE BEST, which I'm... a little less interested in.

Black Canary faces her toughest opponent yet, Lady Shiva, in a battle to determine who is the single greatest hand-to-hand fighter in the DC Universe. To make it to the final round, Black Canary will need all her fighting skill and ability, plus additional training from some of DC’s most accomplished fighters, including Batman, Wildcat, and even her mother, the original Black Canary!

Yeaaaaah, I just... I'm not feeling this one. There's not any real mention of a plot here, not a lot to really grab on to other than vibes, and the vibes are just weird. It's weird how Dinah is fighting to determine who's the best fighter, something that to me isn't really a huge part of her character. It's weird that, from the preview pages, they're fighting in like a Vegas casino, in a ring, with an audience. It's weird that there's three trainers mentioned and none of them are Cass, who not only has beaten Shiva before but has trained with Dinah at least twice in canon. And this being tumblr, let me say it's also weird that this is a story about a white woman training with three white people to beat up an Asian woman in martial arts.

It's a six issue mini and the short solicit and weirdness is clearly meant to pique curiosity. But I'm dreading how much this all sounds like it's using Shiva to put Dinah in a pedestal, to show how strong and resilient and stubborn she can be. Even if it goes for a ROCKY ending of "Lost the fight but won at life", unless Shiva is written very thoughtfully, it feels like she's just gonna be there for the sake of Dinah's character. And I dunno if I trust King to write Shiva with any real thought.

So that's kinda where I'm at. Neither of these are a full Shiva solo, and one of them fills me with dread, but it's been a real rush to have two major Shiva-related projects like these be revealed one after the other. And with 2025 being the 50th anniversary of her debut, hey, who knows? Maybe this is just paving the road for something special. Hope springs eternal, no?

[white-cat-of-doom]

One Idea Is To Be Useful

A lifetime of decisions made for survival, but living is not always impactful if you have nothing to show for it in the end and no one to remember you. Thus, an idea.

My piece for the @namingofcatszine, here formatted to have the italics (to primarily represent an internal thought process) that unfortunately never made it into the printed copy restored, as well as some more breathing room between paragraphs that was not an option with the page limit restrictions.

Thank you to everyone who contributed, to the fellow Moderator team, and to Peach for organizing this and being the lead Moderator, but especially to the six other writers that I had the honour of overseeing as the Writing Moderator for the project. We took up more pages individually than anyone else! ;)

Bravado was a funny thing in hindsight. Everyone wants to be the hero in the end after all, do they not? Jumping in to save the day, perhaps even to rescue someone, with no thought of self-preservation or consequence. Once you had everything under control, the shower of praise and glory cascading down on you in celebration of your achievement would seem like a welcome reward.

All that sounded great in his head at that pivotal moment for Alonzo. It was his chance to prove himself as a valuable protector instead of one of the many henchcats of the Mouser’s Palace he was once a part of. An opportunity to cut himself further free of the threads of the past and to push back against the oppressor that so many had been crushed under, some of which never made it out alive.

How many Cats indeed had he seen erased from this world at the cruel hands of Macavity, or one of the ruthless minions of the Mystery Cat? A good majority of those Cats were subjected to the lottery of suffering, strictly because that they had nowhere else to turn. Life on the streets meant that the fear of being attacked was a real possibility if you stepped foot in certain parts of the city, with the twisted stories of the Mystery Cat permeating throughout the underground circles of the disenfranchised. Macavity’s name carried with it such a weight that you were almost afraid to speak it aloud lest someone be closely listening to what words followed. He had eyes and ears everywhere, if that were to be believed, and few wanted to find out how much truth was held in that understanding. With the rumours, The Mouser's Palace, in theory, brought supposed comradery with an avenue of protection over the uncertainty and anxiety of solitary survival. In reality, that was not quite the case. One not only had to fight to ensure that they were worthy in line with the other rogues employed, but also to keep daily business of the empire going.

A fight for life at all times in the end, as Alonzo would find out. He was a smart Cat, always one to calculate and consider his next move in the chess game he found himself, at first indirectly, involved in life. He had faced the scorn directed towards him for prolonged indecision time and time again, even after joining and working his way up through the ranks of henchcats. Thinking things through was not commonplace in those groups, with the majority taking a more hands-on approach to accomplishing their goals. It was an effective, time-proven method in some cases, after all.

He never felt that anyone trusted his judgement, and realistically why should they? He was no one and had always been. His choices used to only be a cog to turn the machine; one that was redundant and replaceable in the grand scheme of things.

Alonzo never thought that he, too, would have to take the same physical approach that henchcats resorted to at some point. This time, however, it was different. Perhaps that is why he jumped into the middle of that unknown so freely. He simultaneously had nothing and everything to lose, and - at the very least - he had done one thing right in his life if things did go wrong. All he knew was that she was in his grasp, and that Munkustrap could not hold Macavity completely back from accomplishing what he arrived to do. That was enough for him – maybe he did do a bit of thinking then.

The aftermath of his impromptu pas de deux was a fair amount of pain and a familiar red colour once more on his mainly golden fur – a mixture of his and that actual red bastard. Truly a pity; he had looked his best for The Jellicle Ball, trying to smooth down his rougher edges and appearance – almost a new Cat, Bombalurina had teased, with a level of sincerity that Alonzo had not yet determined – and it did not last that long.

Nothing in life is permanent in the end. Everything eventually fades away.

Another part of the aftermath was a trip to The Healer’s Den to get patched up and sent on his way – he might even get a nice treat if he was a good Tom.

And there he sat, staring at the walls lined with vials filled with aromatic plants and liquids that reeked in too many off-putting ways if not well acquainted with them. The pungent odour was all a bit much for Alonzo, and he purposely avoided this den for that reason, but he did not have much of a choice at the moment.

Or did he.

With all the commotion of both the uninvited guest during the Ball and the Jellicle Choice afterwards, he might be able to sneak off. He was not important enough anyway to worry about, he thought to himself. Other Cats needed medical attention as well, and there were plenty of past times he had been hurt; left to grin and bear it without someone to care and ensure he did not make an injury worse.

As quiet as he could muster in spite of the pain, he rose from the bundle of blankets he was told to wait on and made his way towards one of the exits of the den. Everyone else there seemed preoccupied; he could see Coricopat and Tantomile preparing medicines through a slit in one of the curtains, Jennyanydots was in another one of the rooms looking after Munkustrap – he had bore the brunt of the fight with the Mystery Cat and likely needed an overnight stay - and Alonzo could overhear the younger Toms trying to compare injuries while simultaneously also touting how it was lucky for Macavity that they were not the ones to spar with one another – despite Carbucketty being thrown around like he was no more than a mouse. Only a few more turns and he would be free in the early dawn to find another place to rest, away from everyone else.

The touch of a paw on his back stopped him, and he knew exactly who it was without needing to turn around. He was caught by the one Queen he knew that he could not say no to, and she would be all business tonight.

“If it were not for you being injured, I would have scooped you up here and carried you back like a fussy Kitten!” said the familiar voice of Jellylorum.

Was there a hint of nervous fun in that declaration?

“You should be so lucky to have someone to look after you, let alone the four of us, and this is your thank you? Sneaking off without a word?” A biting tone creeped up as she continued.

Ouch, definitely not her cheery self then.

Turning to face his fate, Alonzo could not help but feel guilty as he saw Jellylorum's eyes.

How did she know I would try to leave? Was I for once not quiet enough?

He received the answer soon enough, as if she was already probing his flawed thought process as it happened inside his head, all without his need to speak.

“You should know by now that no one gets past me, Alonzo. I deal with the young ones everyday, and they are very quiet on their feet. I can hear everything when I am the one in charge of looking after them. I cannot afford to lose anyone around here,” she quipped. “And lest you think I am joking about carrying you around, remember who lifted Admetus on their back just last week!”

That was no exaggeration either. Despite her relatively smaller outward appearance, Jellylorum was as strong as a pack of Pollicles. She was also a stubborn one who never danced around a subject too long, a no-nonsense approach that Alonzo appreciated and admired. He knew exactly who Jellylorum took after, after having met Gus for the first time. A couple of firebrands that family is. He also knew that he was not going to be able to charm his way out. Not tonight at least; Jellylorum was busy enough. He was best to return to the blanket pile and not cause any more undue fuss.

Without a word of argument, Alonzo marched back to where he started, feeling the eyes of Jellylorum burn through his body as she escorted him.

She must think that I am so ungrateful.

Having a seat once more on the soft bedding, he again met the eyes of the Queen that he secretly regarded as a mother figure; he was never sure if she had caught on to the affinity he held for her, but was too proud to admit to. Instead of the expected anger he anticipated, Jellylorum looked saddened – a rarity for the stoic Cat that dealt with issues in a practical manner – which only added to his guilt. Still, he had nothing to say that would make the situation better, instead waiting for the verbal scolding that he rightfully deserved for being selfish at an inopportune time.

“Life is hard enough, Alonzo. You understand that possibly better than anyone here in the Tribe, and yet you are always the first to forego anyone helping you,” she started softly. “I appreciate your point of view that you can fend for yourself, but eventually you will need to come to the realization that some of us care for you – I care about you! And I do not think that I need to inform you that Demeter especially cares about you, as I am sure you do her! The poor thing will not stop asking how everyone is doing because she feels that this is all her fault.”

I know, I just feel bad about being a liability. You either are someone who finishes the job or someone who is finished off. There was no room for weakness in any form, in the past.

“You will not be doing anyone a favour if those wounds get infected and you lose a limb! I do not think that you want to force me to be a Protector at my age!”.

With the slightest of grins, she stopped momentarily to show off her physique in dramatic fashion, her cheery disposition shining through to dispel the rare unease between them.

“Although it did feel good to get a few swipes in on Macavity. I bet he did not anticipate me and Jenny giving him that departing gift. I do not need to show you that same treatment to keep you here, do I?”

With that playful threat, Alonzo finally spoke.

“Just let me say thank you before you do, alright?” he sheepishly began, “It is only fair after everything you have done for me. It is hard to admit that I need help. Not exactly what I am used to, being the one that is vulnerable or the one that needs to rely on another. I am lucky to have you. You should know that it truly means the world, even if I never say it."

"I will stay, if only for you.”

[belmottetower]

ur post about jamie’s loan has me thinking soooo many thoughts but the main thing im confused about is this: how was jamie able to get on the starting line-up so quickly after returning from his loan to richmond? city obviously hadn’t originally intended to recall jamie for a while as of 106 — jamie’s loan being pulled and him actually being sent back is presented like a surprising piece of information for everyone in the team, and i just can’t interpret that as “his contract was expiring soon, he just went back a week earlier than normal”. it felt like ted (at the very least) was setting up jamie to stay for a while after that, both strategically and socially. so, if he had spent much less time in richmond than intended (and thus probably developed a lot less than intended), how did he manage to start in richmond’s relegation match? it could have been city trying to give him more minutes against a lower ranked team, but then why would they start him AND let him play the whole game even after it was tied 1-1 if he’s not a consistent part of the starting line up? im a silly little american who knows nothing about european football, but it just doesn’t make sense how jamie could go from “we’re going to give you so few minutes that we basically have to loan u out or else you’re just wasting time” to “you’re going to be on the starting line up/close to it” so quickly once returning to city? was it just him learning to be a team player or is the show just getting fuzzy w the details? (also that was so long im sorry this is just a Very Specific Question and im trying to get it across properly)

This is referring to things from my earlier loan ask, so linking that here.

First of all, I am sure that Jamie's loan was meant to go until the end of the season. However, a loan can be terminated at any point during the season if both parties agree to it. So in this case, City saw he wasn't playing every possible minute with Richmond and they said to Richmond, "if you aren't going to play him, we want him back. We'd rather be the ones training and not using him if YOU'RE not going to use him." They were the ones that instigated the recall of Jamie, Rebecca just simply had to agree to it on behalf of Richmond and Jamie goes home. (Let's not worry about the fact that his agent would have been involved in this process because 2 seconds of digging in that direction makes the plot fall apart.)

But Jamie had been playing for Richmond for almost a full season at this point, from the summer of 2019 to what has to be around the February of 2020. He was there for over nine months of the season, and he went back to City when they only had a couple of months left.

In 1.08, when he visits Keeley, it's late March and he tells her that City were in town playing West Ham. He says "I had ten touches, I had two completed dribbles, and in the 89th minute they let me take a free kick." This implies to me that he was being brought on as a substitute at that point. Because ten touches, for a forward, is not very many during a full 90 minutes. And then the "They let me" in terms of taking a free kick sounds to me like he's still very much not a major power player, more like he's been given a chance, like "give the kid a turn, see how he handles it."

But it still feels to me like City valued Jamie as a player, and when they got him back after around nine months of a loan, they decided to give him a few more chances and see what he could do. And if he's succeeding for them in games as a sub, it's more likely that he will start the next match.

And the thing about the Richmond relegation match is that it's implied City had already secured the Premier League title, weeks before. They are not awarded the trophy at the end of the match. They're not celebrating having won the League. There's no commentary from Arlo and Chris about how City need this to secure the title, unlike they way they explain it in 3.11 and 3.12. So Ted's dressing room speech about giving the champs 90 minutes of hell implies to me that City were ALREADY the league champions, that they'd won it a little earlier in the season. Hopefully it's clear to everyone by now that with a league table, this is pretty common, if someone gets enough points that it is mathematically impossible for other teams to catch up. 

In real life, this year City won the league with three matches left to play. And in this circumstance, once the thing is already won, Pep will shake up the starting line ups quite dramatically and give different players the chance to play. For example, Cole Palmer, who I mentioned in the other post? He started for City in their matches against Chelsea and Brentford at the end of the season, AFTER City had already secured the title, when there were no consequences to City winning or losing. They won against Chelsea and Palmer got an assist on the winning goal, and they actually lost to Brentford in the final match of the season but it didn't matter. Pep uses a high rotation anyway - City does not have a fixed starting eleven, it changes all the time, Palmer has started a handful of other matches in various competitions - but this is very likely what happened to Jamie in terms of the Richmond match. It's the only match we know for an absolute fact that he started in for City, and it's probably because it was a game where the line-up could be changed around and experimented with to give different players opportunities, because they weren't "playing for anything."

Basically, in summary - Jamie played for Richmond for 9-10 months (depending on how early he came in preseason.) By the end of that stay he had played a lot more minutes by then than he ever had before even if he didn't get to stay the whole length of the season. City knew he'd improved and recalled him, deciding that if Richmond weren't going to utilise him, they'd prefer he be with them in Manchester to use when they want. They start using him as a sub in the last couple of months of the season, and he proves himself to be a valuable player for them. So he gets to play more minutes, maybe gets subbed on earlier each game, and eventually he gets to start a few matches, especially ones after City has already won the title and Jamie gets to play the match just for the experience.

In terms of being a team player, I fairly strongly believe that at City, this would have been a given for Jamie no matter what. Jamie got full of himself playing as a 1-up-front striker at Richmond, maybe in a 4-2-3-1 formation, but that's not how he would have ever played at City. Pep's favourite formation during that era of City is 4-3-3 and that's what Jamie was playing in for the Richmond match, he was part of a line of three (the formations are on the Arlo White cheat sheet) against Richmond's 4-4-2. City in this shape favours high possession and passing, so Jamie would have to have been succeeding within the style Pep wanted, i.e., being a team player and passing a lot and not acting as an individual star taking control of the match.

Jamie at Richmond was a selfish player largely because he didn't see the other players as good enough. He saw himself as a cut above them and their only value was to facilitate him in taking control of the match. He's not actually wrong about the skill level objectively, and even Roy admits it in 1.04 - that he knows he should be passing to Jamie but he can't stand Jamie's attitude about it. Because shaping the team to facilitate a star striker like that is not inherently bad football, not if the player isn't a cunt about it - it's a bit like what we saw with Zava, which looked ridiculous to us as viewers but was not actually a situation that anyone other than Jamie resented because Zava made the others feel valued, even if it felt fake to us. But look. Footballers do understand that some players are just better than others, and if your star striker is a nice person who makes everyone feel valued and treats people as proper teammates, there's nothing wrong with the tactic being "get the ball to that person and let them take charge." 

Richmond was Jamie's first taste of being that heroic superstar, where he was the one with all the glory, and because he didn't see the rest of them as on his level, he became a bad "team player" due to not recognising the part the rest of the team played in his success, or helping them improve (playing with people better than you should make you better, generally!) or believing that any of the others could achieve anything. He felt he was doing it all by himself. And George Cartrick clearly also had no interest in training the team in any other way. Very much "just get the ball to Tartt, he's the only one who's any good, and try not to fuck up in the process" as opposed to using Jamie's prowess to elevate EVERYONE. 

At City, where Jamie probably wasn't the best player on the team, where the standards were more equally at his level or better, this factor is not an issue. That's not how Pep trains them, it's not how Pep thinks. Jamie knows that he's not the solo star there. He knows that all the other great players will be contributing to making things happen, that everyone is smart and talented and aren't going to fuck up. Whether he liked it or not, he would have had trust in the way that playing style works, knowing that it's what's being asked of him from Pep and what the situation calls for. But Jamie didn't trust the Richmond players to be good enough to contribute. We see this Sam a lot - his attacks on Sam are often because Sam has failed to put a pass where Jamie wanted it, or missed a shot in training, or whatever. This is not an excuse for his behaviour but it is clear evidence that Jamie is frustrated because the rest of the team isn't at his level. And unlike season 3, he has no interest in working with them on improving, or showing them how best to play with him. Being a good team player isn't always about sharing the ball equally or whatever, it's about working as a team to feed each other's strengths - that's how season 3 Jamie can be both a team player and a total star player at the same time.

Honestly, to me, Jamie making that extra pass in 1.10 wasn't anything to do with Ted, aside from narratively for us as viewers. That's just how City plays football. That's Pep's influence, not Ted's. Ted sees it happen and thinks he's done something to change Jamie's attitude but in my opinion, Jamie is just playing the way Pep wants him to, because he actually values Pep's opinion about tactics in a way he didn't value Ted's. 

There is no way in hell Jamie went from age 13, or whenever he was scouted, to age 23, being a consistently selfish ball hog style player at Man City. Lots of players want to be stars, but I believe that the level we see in season 1 is just how he thought he needed to play at Richmond, because he felt like he was the only one who knew what he was doing and making anything happen on the pitch, and then of course he liked how it felt to have all that attention on him. But the way Jamie was playing at Richmond is simply not how City play football, and season 3 makes that canon to the Ted version of City too, not just an unfounded real life football comparison. City in the show are coached by Real Pep and play Pep's version of total football. That's what Jamie was doing when he made the extra pass,  and it's his experience with Pep's total football that allows Jamie to help Richmond so much in season 3.

[itsclydebitches]

The thing about that Winter thing, just to remind, from her POV she killed James. The last she saw of him was was her making him explode. From her perspective she is the one who killed that guy. And she is not very Brocken up about it.

Its amusing because they give Adam more sympathy then this. Blake literally broke down sobbing after killing him and even the triumphant song they released had a note about how sad Adam's story was and how this boy lost his way being consumed by hate and spite.

It was not alot, but like...its more then they give Jimmy LOL.

Pretty sure I got this ask when we all thought Winter was writing on Ironwood's grave, but regardless...

Yeeeah.

Something I've been thinking about lately is how Ironwood is the one villain who is still irrevocably against Salem and how that should have made such a difference, but didn't. Even Adam, whose story-line became 99% about his abusive relationship with Blake, was working with Cinder earlier on who, in turn, was working for Salem. Every major villain in the show (that I can think of off the top of my head, anyway) did something to forward Salem's agenda: Cinder, Watts, Tyrian, Hazel, Emerald, Raven, Adam, Roman. That consistency means that although I might often side-eye the heroes' inability to forgive (or hypocritically forgive on a dime) it at least makes sense that they would look at someone like Lionheart, someone who was helping Salem end the world, and dismiss any goodness within them.

Ironwood, in contrast, was working against Salem up until the moment he died.

Did the writers give him a senseless, fucked-up means of moving against Salem via a 'just bomb civilians' plan? Yes and I'll forever side-eye that too. However, I think if the heroes should have forgiveness/sympathy/mixed feelings/an emotional reaction to any villain, it should be the one whose villains acts were all in the name of stopping their shared enemy. In debating the ethical and practical merits of Ironwood's plans, I think many fans have lost sight of the larger picture. He's trying to get the Relics away from Salem, keep their last army of huntsmen in reserve to fight Salem later, get at least one city of people safely away from Salem. No matter how messed up, no matter how misguided and OOC there wasn't a single thing Ironwood did that wasn't guided by his attempts to keep Salem from ending the world. In a better written show, that would have meant something. Even if we still had to get cartoon villain Ironwood, the characters would at least acknowledge that he (from the show's POV) did all the wrong things for the right reasons. Winter in particular was set up to be that nuanced insight, given his mentor-esque status and her unfailing faith in 99% of the choices Ironwood made. That the show would have her (from her POV) kill him and then just sneer at how she waited too long to do it is insane. Please write these characters humanely! Even if you come to hate someone for what they've done, years worth of love for them doesn't just up and disappear!! That's the one (1) snow scene moment RWBY got completely right: of course Ozpin is still going to care for Lionheart despite his betrayal.

For me, intent will always matter. It might not excuse everything (or anything at all), but it opens the door for forgiveness in a way that few other things will. Which is why the intent of other characters, in contrast, makes Ironwood's writing so much worse. You have Qrow teaming up with Tyrian because he refuses to go see Ironwood in handcuffs and Emerald who is "redeemed" because she was literally just standing beside Oscar post-realization that Cinder doesn't love her. The show says, "You're forgiven for being so stubborn you'll deliberately help kill your friend" and the characters say "You're forgiven for trying to end the world/destroying a school and then stopping out of selfish self-interest." But there's no "You're forgiven for taking extreme measures in a no-win scenario in an effort to salvage some hope against an immortal enemy." That's messed up to me! Especially given that Ironwood is (presumably) dead. If there's ever a time to let characters extend compassion in a way they may not be able to with the person still there and potentially still enacting wrong, it's when they've died for those heroic beliefs. Ironwood is the one villain who, methods aside, was 100% fighting the right battle and he's simultaneously the one villain that characters and story alike refuse to give even a smidge of sympathy for. Wild.

[a-feller]

When reading a book, watching a show or a movie, or even experiencing real life, I often find, when a major character or important person dies, I mourn, not so much the person but more their loved ones, the great bond lost and the incredible damage done to them. Over time, almost subconciously I have grown to value a great bond of love, lust, friendship, romance, great platonic love, or that weird sixth thing two inseperable stray cats have, almost as much as human knowledge, something I greatly revere. This is most prominent in fantasy worlds, where for certain there is some haven beyond the barrier of death, where a person and their knowledge can go to live in harmony after whatever happened to them. Yet leaving their loved ones behind for years to come, perhaps forever. Maybe it is more amplified in the real world, or universes like the star wars one and my belief of real life, where there is no life after death. Just nothing. All bonds severed by death's scythe in one fell swoop.

I will list an example for every book/tv show/movie I can. Spoilers ahead for: The Bad Batch, The Scythe series by Neal Shusterman, Harry Potter, Trials Of Apollo, The Six of Crows duology, The Lord of The Rings

The death of Tech, a clone from the bad batch. His close, paternal bond with Omega, shattered as he sacrificed himself before her eyes, the unrequited mutual love with the pirate lady whom he promised he would come back safely and of course the rest of the bad batch, now a gaping hole within their group.

The death of Tiger, the Best friend of Rowan in the scythe series, slain by people he was played by and his body contorted into a new one for Rowan's greatest enemy. Their friendship gone and spited by the monstosity created from his headless corpse.

The death of Sirius Black and the huge damage it did to Harry and Remus Lupin. Harry losing his first ever loving paternal figure he can remember and Lupin losing a dear best friend (or more considering what half of you post about)

The death of Jason Grace. Killed slowing down an unkillable enemy to save his friends and close-ex-lover Piper McLean, leaving behind at least a dozen dear friends who fought, battle after battle together, almost dying time and time again, only for him to fall far away, after it was meant to be over. And specifically Nico Di Angelo who as anyone who read the book will know had a priceless, unique friendship with him that simply could not be created with another.

The death of Matthias Hevlar, just beggining to fit in with the people around them and his romantic relationship just springing up with Nina, those bonds once again shattered, and the last thing he asked for was a kiss (hold up just gonna go cry for a second).

Edit: The edit is here for the smoothness of the post. I cannot believe I forgot. The very ones who inspired me to make this post in the first place. David and Genya from the Grishaverse and the King Of Scars duology. Another romantic one I'm aware however they had just had a wonderful ceremony, a proper marriage at last. And then David left to go do something and the city was attacked by bomber planes. He wasn't seen throughout the following fight until Genya noticed his absence at the end. They later pulled his body out of the rubble. Some ink Genya was fussing over still there. Queue the funeral, Genya, in private afterwards reads from his notebooks containing all the little things he picked up on that make her happy (hair, skin etc). I am genuinely tearing up just thinking about it. David was also a leader and a role model to the other Grisha, especially other fabrikators. Close friends with Nikolai and Zoya. All of these bonds gone.

The leaving of Frodo Baggins. This one is a little different as he isn't dead but to all of his friends but Gandalf and Bilbo, he is. Never able to be seen or contacted again, no way to hear or feel them either. Sam, who carried him up a mountain. Refused to leave his side ever. Pippin, Merry, Legolas, Gimli, Aragorn, All his shire friends, All the people they met along the way. Those bonds were shattered as if he was dead.

This last one is very different. It takes place in the real world. This death is obviously a thousand times more important then any of the others. A real human with thoughts, feelings and of course friends. This person is Technoblade. Funny, kind, skillful, he was friends with pretty much everyone he played with, best friends with those like Philza and of course the people around him in real life. The innumerable amount of people he either just made laugh, or helped get through some really dark times. Like me. 10 million people. Bonds reasonably one way but still there. 10 million people. Bonds snapped like rubber bands. All his friends. Online and off. Those he helped, those he inspired. All grieving with that bond suddenly a gaping hole, all lost. o7 Techno. Fly high.

Edit: I cannot believe I forgot. The very ones who inspired me to make this post in the first place,

[yamayuandadu]

hello and thanks for all the information on your blog! i'm hoping you can provide some insight on this. were there any similarities left between the early cult of inanna from the "hymns to inanna", and the cult of ishtar in the neo-babylonian empire? people say the cult of ishtar came from the cult of inanna, but after many centuries, has the cult retained any of its previous characteristics?

With all due respect: please ask more precise questions about Inanna. I already requested that a few times before. There’s no viable way to give you a comprehensive response when the question is basically about critical evaluation of 4000 years worth of incredibly abundant material. My advice for anyone with similar questions would be to read Goddesses in Context as it addresses many similar matters. The short answer is that there is no real doubt about the continuity of cult of the city goddess of Uruk, whether referred to as Inanna, Ishtar, Nin-Eanna, Belet-Eanna or any variant name, from the fourth millennium BCE (the dawn of recorded history) down to the Parthian period (the end of cuneiform). See Paul-Alain Beaulieu's The Pantheon of Uruk During the Neo-Babylonian Period for some discussion.

More detailed response almost entirely relying on these two easily accessible sources under the cut.

I will admit I am puzzled by a part of the ask. There’s no singular work known as "hymns to inanna". I don't quite understand what you mean here. I can’t think of a single early corpus of hymns that might be meant here. The zami hymns are hardly Inanna-centric, the most recent edition argues they are ultimately centered on Lisin (article update tbd). They also do not say much about cult beyond listing cult centers. The Temple Hymns? Same caveat applies. The earliest form of Inanna’s cult is not documented in any hymns and in fact predates any literary texts whatsoever. These do not appear until well into the Early Dynastic period. The earliest evidence for the cult of Inanna boils down to references in administrative texts from the Uruk period. They confirm she was one of the oldest deities linked to specific cities - not the only one, since for example Nanshe and NINA (reading uncertain; Tell Zurghul) or Nisaba and Eresh (unlocated) show similarly strong links, but still. There isn’t much to say about the details. The typical early Inanna source is a list of commodities issued by a small or middle sized city, something like NI.RU (Jemdet Nasr) or Urum (Tell Uqair) for Inanna of Uruk. Virtually all settlements attested in the Uruk period corpus evidently included Inanna in their local pantheons, which reflects her role as the deity of the preeminent city-state, ie. Uruk. Zabalam needs to be singled out here since it seems Inanna in this case didn’t just enter the local pantheon, but also absorbed a deity worshiped there, possibly still sparsely attested as a separate figure in the Early Dynastic period. Inanna of Zabalam in later periods maintained some unique traits, like the connection to Shara, a god of exclusively local importance, but this cannot be discussed here in detail. I already covered the topic extensively elsewhere. Since the Uruk period texts are incredibly lax economic and administrative documents - writing was only just invented, after all - they do not provide much information about theology. However, they do confirm Inanna was already an astral deity at the dawn of history, since separate offerings had to be provided for “morning” and “evening” aspects of her. There are also more enigmatic epithets attested, including Inanna-NUN (maybe “princely Inanna”) and Inanna-KUR (“Inanna, the mountain”? I’d have to look into this more, but I’ve always assumed it’s like Enlil’s and Dagan’s mountain-related epithets highlighting their status). So to sum up, three out of the five main elements attested in later periods, all the way up to the death of cuneiform - astral character, major deity status and connection to Uruk - already appeared at the dawn of recorded history. Not bad for a deity whose early history we can only really analyze through texts looking like this:

The political importance of Inanna’s cult documented in earliest sources from Uruk was retained through the following centuries, even as the center of power in Mesopotamia shifted towards other cities, like Umma and Lagash. Theologically, she retained the role of one of the preeminent deities. The earliest known god list firmly places her as the #1 goddess, right behind An (whose prominence was entirely nominal) and Enlil (functionally the head of the pantheon). Most important, the importance of Inanna evidently continued in the Sargonic period. That’s when a big change in status quo occurred: complete fusion of Inanna of Uruk and the royal goddess of the Sargonic dynasty, hailing from Akkad up in the north. This was most likely motivated in no small part by politics - Uruk was one of the best established cities in the world known to the Mesopotamians, Akkad was an upstart peripheral town, deities were the key to royal legitimacy. Sometimes arguments are made that the warlike side of Inanna was absorbed from the goddess of Akkad, but really it seems the conflation was based on preexisting similarities. Certainly it would be unexpected for a deity of a militarily active city to have no warlike traits. It needs to be stressed here that the merge between the goddesses of Uruk and Akkad was actually pretty unique. To fully illustrate the point: there are thirty seven goddesses in the zame hymns; of these, only Inanna really underwent a similar process. Medimsha served as the counterpart of Shala later on but this is a different matter. At the same time, it was not the first case of conflation, as evidenced by the fact the names Nanna and Sin are already interchangeable in the early sources (and while nominally Akkadian, Sin was actually the preferred one ex. in Lagash, where Sumerian was by far the most commonly spoken language). There was a single mixed pantheon with deities with names originating in both languages (and some whose names instead came from substrates, Hurrian, etc) and with a lot of regional variety, there were no two similar but distinct “Sumerian” and “Akkadian” pantheons and conflation occurred on a case by case basis, not necessarily between a "Sumerian" and "Akkadian" deity. In the Temple Hymns, which might have been originally composed in the Sargonic period, there are three separate cult centers of Inanna as a result of the merge: Uruk, Zabalam and Ulmash, to be understood as the city of Akkad (it’s the name of a temple located there to be more precise). A further impact of the merge was the fact that the logogram representing Inanna’s name could also be read as Ishtar. The situation did not change much through the Ur III and Isin-Larsa periods when it came to the worship of Inanna in Uruk, but in the Old Babylonian period a crisis led to abandonment of many southern cities (in most cases temporarily, not permanently). The circumstances would take too much space to discuss, but both political and environmental factors are typically considered in scholarship. Uruk was among the locations impacted. The clergy evacuated to Kish, and brought Inanna(/Ishtar) with them. Kish had its own Ishtar already (she also had the distinct name Kišītum, “she of Kish”, according to texts from Mari and some theophoric names), but she was seemingly not affected by Inanna of Uruk “moving in”, and continued to be worshiped separately. She was actually more impacted by the introduction of Bau from another abandoned southern city, Lagash, but that’s also another matter which cannot be covered here (I already wrote about it in the past). The period between the end of the Old Babylonian period and the Neo-Babylonian period is somewhat poorly documented when it comes to Uruk, but we do know that the “cult in exile” came back home from Kish and that rulers from the Kassite dynasty rebuilt the Eanna temple for Inanna, with new snazzy decorated walls:

The Eanna dates back at least to the Early Dynastic period, and remained the center of Inanna's cult all the way up to the late first millennium BCE. While there is a hole in records from Uruk, documentation resumes in the Neo-Babylonian period, in no small part thanks to the discovery of the Eanna archive. It doesn’t seem like the model changed: kings fund cults in individual cities, clergy manages the day to day affairs of the temples, rituals like dressing up statues and lamentations occur regularly (though doubtlessly the “cultic calendar” shifted many times). The fall of the Neo-Babylonian Empire did bring huge changes, both from Uruk and for Mesopotamian religion as a whole, but that's another story.

[mumms-the-word]

A Macabre Masquerade - Ch. 6

Ch. 6 - For My Next Trick...

Characters: Tavs (multiple), Gale, Astarion, Karlach, Wyll, Lae'zel, Shadowheart, Halsin, Minthara + other OCs Plot: One year after defeating the Netherbrain and saving the city, Dani and Gale receive a mysterious invitation to a masquerade ball. The invitation specifically invites them to participate as the Heroes of Baldur's Gate. However, when they get there, they soon realize they aren't the only Heroes of Baldur's Gate that got invited. A/N: This chapter gave me FITS and I think it could be better but we're gonna keep this ball rolling right on along anyway. We've got more weird mirrors, and now we've got a suspicious magic show. What could possibly go wrong?

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Something was off about the mirrors in this manor, but Dani was almost too scared to find out what.

“Gale,” she said suddenly. “What do you see in the mirror?”

He stared at her a moment before turning to face the mirror. He must have sensed this was serious for her, because instead of a silly quip or a cute flirtatious line, he glanced between their reflections and said, “I see the two of us.”

“What do we look like?”

A pause. “Well...we’re both wearing blue, and you have a feather wrap and I have a purple sash. I’m in an owl mask and you’re wearing a songbird mask. The whole of the painting gallery is reflected behind us.”

“You don’t see…there isn’t an elven woman or…” She trailed off, realizing how mad she must sound. None of the guests currently in the room looked remotely like the green-clad, blonde half-elf she had seen just seconds ago.

Gale looked at her—not her reflection, but her, at his side—with an obvious look of concern. “Are you sure you’re all right, my love? Are you feeling any ill effects at all, magical or otherwise? From the mask, the room…anything?”

She wanted to brush him off and say she was fine, but it was too late to hide how rattled she was. Besides, aside from maybe Karlach, Gale had always had the best listening ear among her companions and was usually the first with well-meant, often practical advice. She could tell him anything. Even something as crazy as this.

She glanced back at the mirror and then took his arm, leading him away from it to a corner where she couldn’t see her reflection in either glass that stood in that room. “It’s these mirrors. I keep seeing people in them that aren’t in the room itself.”

Gale frowned, and she knew that behind his mask his eyebrows were surely knit together as he put his mind to work. “You mean…phantoms? Illusions? Some kind of major image spell?”

It was something of a relief to hear him taking her seriously right out of the gate. She took his hand, mostly just to hold it while she spoke, but shook her head. “I don’t know. Just now, when I went to look in that big mirror, I saw someone other than me. It should have been my own reflection, but it was someone else entirely. Someone I’ve never seen before. But it only lasted a few seconds before the reflection went back to normal again.”

“Most strange,” he murmured.

“And in the trophy room, I swore I could hear and see Halsin.”

“Halsin? But he told us he wouldn’t be attending.”

“Exactly. It doesn’t make sense.”

“Hmm…” Gale brought his free hand up, resting his chin on his knuckles, deep in thought. Then he shook his head slightly. “It could be anything. Illusion magic cast on the mirrors, for one. Perhaps it’s part of some strange game our host is trying to play. A gimmick to trick and beguile the guests. Or perhaps, on a more sinister note…perhaps there are guests trapped in the mirrors themselves?”

“Is that possible?”

“My love, with magic, a great many things are possible,” he said wryly. 

She supposed she couldn’t argue. Between the two of them, he had always and ever been the student of the Weave and its boundless possibilities. Even while married to her and following her around Baldur’s Gate, trying to rebuild and restore buildings and businesses, or poke and prod the authorities at large to do good instead of ill, he always returned home to study some arcane thing or another. Whereas she was content to play her music, or write letters, or songs, or pages for some book she wanted to publish one day, following one silly venture that kept her entertained after another, he remained a scholar.

It was just another thing she loved about him, even if she felt she herself would never understand half of what he grasped in an instant. It was always worth it to see the way his eyes lit up when he felt he had made some kind of breakthrough in understanding another small facet of complex magical theory.

But they didn’t have his books or notes here at Dormire’s manor.

“What do we do about it?” she asked, thinking back to the mirrors. “Nothing?”

Before he could answer, another brilliant flash of light and a great bang! exploded from the doorway of the next room, causing Dani to jump despite herself. 

“What the hells—”

“Oh, that must be the finale,” Gale said, unfazed. She shot him a disbelieving look and he shrugged. “It seems Lord Dormire has hired a few…shall we say…meager magical minstrels for the evening.”

“A magic show?” She couldn’t help but laugh, despite her lingering concerns about the mirrors. “You can’t be serious. Is it any good?”

“Oh I’ve no doubt you can do much, much better, darling,” he said, wrapping an arm around her waist and giving her an affectionate squeeze. “With your musical talent, a few handy spells you’ve picked up from me, and your fine taste in entertainment in general? You merely need to wave your hand and they would pale in comparison to you.” He gestured toward the open doorway. “Shall we? We can watch the show while we ponder these strange mirrors.”

She’d rather forget the mirrors entirely if she were being honest, but she nodded. “Sounds good to me. After you, love.”

The next room was as large as the dining room, but devoid of furniture save for a newly constructed platform along one wall—a wall that was nearly covered in floor-to-ceiling mirrors spanning the width of the stage. Of all the rooms on the first floor, this was the most popular, the crowd of guests here standing nearly shoulder to shoulder in front of the makeshift stage. With both them and the stage filling the room, there was barely enough space to maneuver around the edges, much less try to make it to the doorway that led back into the foyer.

From her vantage point in the doorway between the gallery and this room, Dani craned her neck to try and look over the crowd. After a moment, she spotted Shadowheart’s pure white hair and silvery mask on the other side of the crowd. Somehow she had secured a glass of wine and was sipping from it as she watched the performers on stage. Beside her, Lae’zel stood with her arms crossed, her lips in a frown, her eyes glued on the performers with her usual intense stare. Neither looked on edge and a glance at the mirrors behind the performers showed no signs of strange figures or differences at the moment, so...perhaps everything was relatively normal in this room.

Or maybe she was the only one crazy enough to see anything in the mirrors.

She and Gale took up a position along the back wall, furthest from the stage, to watch the show. Like every other guest and servant here, the two performers were also in masks, wearing full white faces with painted smiles and arching eyebrows. Their clothing was more akin to bard attire than wizard robes, though Dani noted that she didn’t see any musical instruments or boxes of theatre props. She didn’t catch what they were saying to their rapt audience as she and Gale were walking in, but they settled in just in time to see the next trick.

The two performers lifted their hands, summoning a colorful light show of glimmering orbs that danced and wove through the air. When one of them snapped their fingers, the orbs cracked open to release several vibrant, ephemeral finches that swooped and flew over the audience, their little cries and birdsong cheerful and bright. The finches split into two groups, trailing after each other in fluid lines, eventually overlapping and combining to form two larger, even more exotic cranes.

The cranes flew low over the audience, causing a couple of guests to duck and shriek with delight. As the cranes reached the stage once more, they combined into a glowing, fiery phoenix that blasted a ray of fire over the heads of the audience.

Illusory fire, Dani noticed. She felt none of the heat that would have come with an actual fire.

She thought she saw Lae’zel faintly roll her eyes.

Though their tricks were all flash and no substance, they were at least marginally more entertaining than the trio that often set up shop just outside of Sorcerous Sundries—Salamander and the two Astoundos or whoever. Dani had cast silence over them more than once just to give the plaza a minute of calm and quiet because they were so godsdamned loud with their magic tricks. They always threatened to call the Flaming Fist on her when they stepped out of the silence bubble, but every Flaming Fist stationed in the plaza was more than happy to ignore the trio’s outrage. Rolan, the great wizard of Ramazith Tower and new owner of Sorcerous Sundries, was also content to turn a blind eye whenever it happened. 

The perks of being one of Rolan's best friends, of course.

As the phoenix balled itself up into one large orb that exploded into glittering fireworks, Dani giggled and leaned closer to Gale to quietly say, “It reminds me of Rolan’s magic show back at that party we held in camp. After saving the Emerald Grove? He was doing those silly prestidigitation light tricks for Cal and Lia, remember?”

“Mm, my memory of that night is a little hazy on details such as those,” Gale admitted, turning to give her a gentle smile. “I spent most of the evening watching you and wishing I had a touch more courage to tell you how much I admired you.”

She could feel her face warming under his unexpectedly sincere words, but she smiled and lightly tapped the beak of his mask. “You did. I distinctly remember you comparing me to Tara.”

“It was a compliment—high praise, in fact!” 

She just laughed, looping her arm with his again. He shook his head at her, torn between amusement and sincerity.

“Trust me,” he said. “There was so much more I wanted to say back then. So much more I wanted to do. But with all that was going on…and the orb so unstable at the time…” He trailed off. But he didn’t need to finish. She understood.

“It all worked out in the end,” she said, brushing the backs of her fingers along his bearded jaw. She tilted her head to accommodate their masks and kissed him sweetly as the fireworks over the audience showered down glittering sparks. She felt him smile against her lips as he followed one kiss with another, and then another. 

There was love in every movement of his lips and she tried to convey as much love back. To let him know that no matter what he might think, there was nothing to regret about the choices they made, the choices that led to them being there, in that moment, sharing a kiss beneath a shower of sparkling fireworks.

But of course it couldn’t last.

“Goodness me, a year together hasn’t damped the fires of passion, I see. I’m almost nauseous.”

Dani pulled away from Gale to roll her eyes affectionally at Astarion, who had conveniently reappeared, smirking, at her side. “If you want me to kiss you, you can just ask, Astarion.”

She knew he wouldn’t, or that if he did it would just turn into banter that would make Gale’s ears blush. It was one of her favorite ways to tease her husband, by poking at his secret jealous side.

Sure enough, Gale coughed slightly, trying to turn it into a clearing of his throat. “Dani—“

“Or did you want a kiss from my husband? All you have to do is ask him. He’s right there.”

“Dani. Gods above…”

Astarion chuckled and adjusted his gloves. “As tempting as both offers sound, I will have to decline. Only the most deserving get a kiss from these lips, you know.”

While Dani feigned an offended scoff, he flicked his crimson gaze over the crowd before leaning in and lowering his voice. “I don’t suppose you’ve discovered anything interesting?”

She sobered quickly. “Just some creepy mirrors. You?”

“Not a single hidden room or juicy secret on this first floor, and I find that highly suspicious. These people wouldn’t know scandalous gossip if it was twirling its frilly underclothes beneath their noses. Everything they talk about is so...mundane.” He paused. “What’s wrong with the mirrors? I haven’t seen anything out of the ordinary.”

Dani briefly explained some of the figures she had seen, but when the three of them looked at the mirrors in this room, none of them saw anything strange. She could just barely see her and Gale’s masked faces behind the crowd, and Astarion, of course, didn’t reflect at all. 

With her attention directed back toward the stage and the mirrors behind it, she couldn’t help but focus briefly on the performers as they cleared the air of magical light shows and accepted the crowd’s smattering applause with gracious bows. She glanced between them and their reflections to try and catch any differences, but there were none. She pursed her lips and focused on the performers instead, tuning in a little late to the words they were saying.

“—our final act,” said one of the performers, “a daring, dangerous, diabolical little trick for only the bravest of souls. Who will volunteer? Who will risk it all to become the star of the masquerade? We assure you, a great reward is in store for the brave soul who steals the show with this last trick!”

The star? A great reward? Dani couldn’t deny she was more than a little tempted, despite knowing she shouldn’t trust anything that was happening in this upside-down masquerade ball. She turned to Astarion instead, giving him her best eyebrows-raised, expectant, you will won’t you darling? expression that her mask could let her have, hoping he would get the hint. He blinked back at her, nonplussed, before understanding lit up his eyes.

“No. No. No.” He held up a finger. “I won’t fall for that again. I refuse to repeat the Dribbles debacle.”

She sputtered a half-indignant laugh. “I volunteered for Dribbles. Under threat of death. From you,” she lightly poked a finger in Astarion’s chest, “not Dribbles.”

“And you got a thigh full of Buddy’s sharp teeth for all your, ah, heroic efforts, as I recall,” Gale murmured, looking amused.

“Exactly, and I still have the scars to prove it. So it’s Astarion’s turn.” She batted her eyelashes playfully at him. “Please?”

Astarion groaned. “Must I? Didn’t you say it was Shadowheart and Lae’zel’s job to investigate this room? Why not convince one of them to risk their necks?”

“As if either one of them can be bullied into taking part in a corny magic show.”

Astarion pointed to himself with both hands, looking incredulous. “And I can?”

“Come on, how bad can it be?” Dani asked, grinning and gesturing toward the stage.

As if on cue, the main performer beckoned to the audience. “Come, come, there must be someone brave enough to try? All we ask is for one courageous volunteer to dedicate one minute of their time. One single moment.”

“There, a minute,” Astarion said, flinging out his hand toward the stage and only barely missing an audience member. “Seems right up your alley, Dani, entertainer that you are.”

“Ooh, scared you won’t last a minute, Astarion?” Dani teased, grinning and elbowing him in the side. “Worried you won’t be able to perform?”

Gale stifled a laugh behind another cough while Astarion gave an exaggerated gasp and pressed his splayed fingers to his black-and-red-clad chest, saying, “Excuse you, darling, but these days I only perform for those I deem worthy of my time and attention. I wouldn’t give those two the time of day, much less anything more.”

“I know, I know,” Dani said, giggling. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t resist.”

Astarion clicked his tongue in faux disappointment as he turned to face the performers again, only for his expression to shift. “Oh gods,” he murmured. He suddenly looked a little ill. 

Dani followed his gaze back to the stage, her smile faltering. Sometime during their banter, the performers had removed the cloth over the object on stage to reveal a tall, skinny wardrobe, exactly the height and width to fit an average person. When the performer opened the wardrobe door, the darkened interior beckoned like an empty coffin.

Dani bit her lip. All desire to tease and cajole Astarion into volunteering vanished in an instant, faced with the cramped interior of the wardrobe on stage. Even she wasn’t blunt or cruel enough to suggest he be the one to step inside such a small space, given all he had been through in the last 200 years. She wasn’t even willing to step in there herself, and she couldn't profess to have been locked in a coffin-sized space before.

He could.

“On second thought, someone else should volunteer,” she said. She lightly took his arm, loose enough that he could pull away if he wanted to, but trying to silently comfort and apologize at the same time. But he barely seemed to notice, his gaze warily fixed on the performers and their conjured wardrobe.

After a second or two, someone raised a gloved hand over the heads of the audience and the crowd of onlookers broke into a brief applause. The main performer bowed low and beckoned the volunteer on stage. 

“At last! You, my friend, are surely the bravest man in the room. Come up and prepare yourself.” 

Whoever he was, the volunteer was a man of average height and build, his features hidden entirely by a full-faced mask that was mostly square, save for the sharp point of the chin. Once on stage, he bent his head to listen to the second performer whispering instructions to him while the first addressed the audience.

“Watch and be amazed, honored guests, as this courageous man steps inside the wardrobe to await his fate” the performer said. “Ah, but which fate? A miraculous escape or a wretched demise?”

As the crowd cheered and hissed their approval or disapproval of either option, the atmosphere of the room seemed to shift. No longer did Dani feel like she was in a room of bland, boring attendees. She was a little alarmed when many of them seemed in favor of the man’s wretched demise. Who were these people?

“This is but a simple piece of furniture, my friends,” the performer continued, knocking on the side of the wardrobe, their knuckles rapping sharply against the wood. “It’s made of sturdy mahogany, with no tricks, no magical reinforcements, no false backs, no hidden panels, no secret teleportation runes, and more importantly, no way out once we’ve locked it up tight with a little arcane lock. Just watch the mirrors if you think we’re trying to fool you! If our brave man emerges unscathed, a great prize from Lord Dormire is his for the taking. The question is…will he survive long enough to claim the reward?”

The crowd murmured and shifted with interest, but Dani’s stomach was in knots. She tightened her hold on Astarion’s arm and reached for Gale’s hand, weaving her fingers with his and holding on tightly. 

If this were any other magic show, any basic street performance, any other party, she could convince herself that this trick wouldn’t go horribly wrong. She’d seen more than her fair share of street magic and illusion shows. But Dormire’s servants had already magically fastened masks to their faces and locked them inside the manor to await his appearance. There were strange things going on with mirrors, and probably other mysterious things she hadn’t even noticed yet. All of it screamed danger to her, and she wasn’t sure whether to prepare for a horrible accident or to ready an offensive attack.

Gale’s hand tightened on hers and Astarion shifted his stance, not pulling away from her touch but placing himself at the ready. Both men on either side were tense, their eyes glued to the wardrobe, just the same as her. For now, all they could do was watch.

The man climbed inside the wardrobe, facing the audience. There was no way to guess what he was thinking behind his blank mask as the performers closed the door over him and cast arcane lock, the glyphs illuminating the surface of the wardrobe. She could only hope the second performer had given him good instructions and reassured him he would be somehow safe.

She wasn’t sure how much the audience was aware of the various properties of specific spells, but she had spent too much time around Gale not to know a thing or two. The arcane lock would reinforce the wardrobe, she knew, so it would take twice as much strength or power to damage the wardrobe now—from the outside or the inside. If the man hoped to brute force his way out, he would be practically helpless. But it also meant that whatever the performers did to the wardrobe would be less effective…in theory. 

The main performer gave a flourish with one hand, conjuring a small hourglass in their palm, and then held up one finger with their other hand. “One minute. Our brave volunteer need only survive one teensy little minute. Let us see what he can endure in so brief a time.”

Dani clenched her teeth together. One minute had been a joke to her before, but she knew how long a minute actually could be. One minute in battle could sometimes feel like an hour. There were moments when time seemed to slow down as she fought to cast spells and dodge attacks. But at the same time, a minute was so blessedly quick she was almost hopeful this wouldn’t actually end badly.

She held her breath as the main performer turned over the hourglass, stepping back to give the audience a full view of the wardrobe. The second performer flung out their hands with dramatic flare, casting a version of magic missile that somehow, impossibly, created dozens of missiles in various colors that swirled around the wardrobe before striking the wood with colorful bursts and loud bangs. Though the doors rattled and the wardrobe shook, it didn’t splinter or move.

Gale gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “Just an illusion, my love. A more creative variation of their earlier light shows.”

She nodded, but dared not look away just yet. Despite his words, she could feel the tension in Gale’s arm. He wasn’t letting his guard down yet, either. 

The audience clapped as the lights and bangs from the missiles faded, revealing an unscathed wardrobe, only for many of them to gasp as the second performer snapped their fingers and the wardrobe burst into flame. It was only a small comfort to realize that despite the convincing sound of crackling flames, she couldn’t feel the heat of the fire. Just like with the phoenix flame, it was just another semi-convincing illusion. She flicked her gaze between the wardrobe and the hourglass, watching the sand stream down into the lower bulb of the glass. About thirty seconds left, she guessed.

A glance at Shadowheart and Lae’zel showed the two of them watching with intense looks, as well. No more blithe or feigned interest. Both looked ready to attack if need be.

She focused back on the wardrobe as the audience clapped again, the flames whirling around the wardrobe and disappearing with a wash of smoke that hovered around the stage. The second performer took a second to bow before turning to face the wardrobe once more. The sand in the hourglass was running low. With only seconds left, what could they possibly—

She gasped involuntarily as the performer made one last gesture and a swirling tornado of spectral daggers surrounded the wardrobe. Alarm bells rang off in her head. Cloud of Daggers? That spell ignored armor to cut deeply into whoever stood or walked into the vortex of spinning blades—it would surely pass through the wardrobe to cut through the person inside.

If it were not an illusion. The problem was, it was much harder to tell this time around.

She tightened her hold on Gale’s hand and Astarion’s arm, gripping almost painfully as she watched the daggers spin and whirl around and through the wardrobe. There were no cries of pain, no screams of anguish, so maybe…?

“It’s just an illusion,” she whispered to herself. “Just an illusion, just an illusion…”

The audience was rapt with attention, all eyes on the wardrobe and the cloud of daggers as the seconds ticked by, until at last the first performer holding the hourglass held up a hand.

“Enough!” 

The second volunteer snapped their fingers, banishing away the cloud of daggers. Dani dare not look away now. If that volunteer had so much as a single scratch…

“One minute, as promised,” said the first performer, reaching for the latch of the left-side door. “Shall we see how our bold volunteer has fared?”

Dani held her breath as the second performer reached for the other latch. Together, they swung open the doors revealing—

A perfectly unharmed man in a mask. Not a scratch to be seen.

The audience burst into applause and Dani finally relaxed, loosening her hold on both Gale’s hand and Astarion’s arm. So the daggers had been an illusion after all. She half-smiled, ready to admit that she’d been fooled, as the performers dismissed the wardrobe into thin air.

Only to stifle a scream as she saw, reflected in the mirror, a different man than the one that had volunteered, one who was covered head to toe in deep, lacerated wounds, his blood flowing freely onto the stage below. A white-scaled dragonborn clad in black, he collapsed to his knees with such force that his blood flecked onto the glass. 

She heard Gale swear and Astarion stiffen with shock, but she couldn’t look away, even as some part of her was relieved to know they saw what she was seeing too. They watched, horrified, as the dragonborn reared back his head with a silent roar and turned to swipe in his clawed hand at one of the performers. The audience in their room was clapping and whistling as the masked volunteer took a bow and accepted something from the performers, the sound out of touch with the horror playing out in the mirrors' reflection. How did no one else see?

In sharp contrast, the audience in the mirror became a tangle of jeering onlookers and frightened guests pushing and pulling at each other while the performers tried to dodge the frenetic attacks of the white-scaled dragonborn. All at once he pulled a dagger from somewhere inside his black coat, the movements spattering more blood on the glass.

One masked man pushed his way to the front of the crowd, leaping onto the stage and taking hold of the second performer. Dani gasped as the new masked figure pulled the performer’s head back by their hair, baring their neck, her mind at once too shocked to make sense of the sight and yet recognizing exactly who he was, right as he sank his fangs into the performer’s neck.

Astarion.

Her vampire best friend was visible in the mirror's image.