#a self aware man as him is dangerous. beware my ladies

[halfassaultedbrain]

this gorgeous lil bitch

[lesbiansforboromir]

once again you made me deeply emotional over boromir. i don't have the fellowship (much less the english edition) at hand, so i can't even re-read my fav parts with him. any particular boromir-related stuff you may share?

FUCK ok I’ve got a migraine and a passion and I do not know how to use either of them but I’m gonna use this ask to talk about something I’ve been thinking about for months, not kidding on that one. 

Galadriel... was the direct cause of Boromir trying to take the ring- HEAR ME OUT. 

There are some very important things to remember about Boromir when you’re considering his actions and motives.

- He explicitly came on the quest assuming it would lead them all to Minas Tirith, because that’s where he needed to get back too. It’s very clear, he and Aragorn are literally going because Minas Tirith is on the way to Mordor. And every detour and every delay of the Company amps up his frustration and worry. 

- He left Gondor with the certainty that his city would be besieged VERY soon and that they would not be able to break it. His trip to Rivendell is desperation based in it’s entirety, he’s looking for anything that might help. 

- He knows absolutely none of these people from adam and whilst he very much wants to trust them, they have yet to win his loyalty or faith in ANY capacity. I’m sorry! I know everyone wants the Fellowship to be that good good found family foundation but it simply isn’t that for Boromir and never has been.

Okay so when they finally leave Moria and Gandalf’s dead, everyone’s grieving and miserable. They are also worried, Gandalf was their guide and as much as Aragorn’s a tracker he doesn’t have Gandalf’s expertise. Then again, Moria had been entirely Gandalf’s decision in the first place, claiming there wouldn’t be many orcs in there at all in an argument he has with Boromir about how dangerous the mines would be in comparison to the Gap of Rohan. Indeed, if Bilbo hadn’t given Frodo the mithril shirt then Frodo would be straight up dead and it would have been Gandalf’s decisions that caused it. 

So at this point Boromir’s faith in Aragorn’s ability is pretty low. And no one else in the Fellowship has any interest in leading. Boromir deferred to Aragorn’s judgement because Aragorn’s more knowledgeable of Eriador and also just... a dude who needs to be in control, it’s easy to tell. But now Boromir’s not so sure Aragorn’s up to it, since he seemed to rely on Gandalf so much. 

And then Aragorn tells them all they’re going to go through the Golden Wood. Now Boromir knows from the Rohirrim and Gondorian legend that the Golden Wood is Strange And Scary And Dangerous And Men Who Walk in Never Walk Out Again. And he says this, politely. Aragorn tells him he’s foolish for fearing it and essentially that if people got hurt in the Golden Wood then they deserved it. Again, despite the general discourtesy of these comments, Boromir chooses to believe Aragorn’s judgement. 

The next thing that happens is they are accosted by Haldir, treated like possible enemies or spies (despite Haldir admitting that Elrond had already told them they were coming) and a day and a lot of dwarfphobia later Haldir is threatening Gimli with death. No I’m not joking, Haldir says there’s a law dwarves can’t come into Lothlorien without a blindfold. And when Gimli gets justifiably angry about this and wants to go back if he’s being treated this way, Haldir says he WILL be killed if he tries to leave. Weapons are drawn! The only reason this de-escalates is because Aragorn suggests they all go blindfold because ‘it is hard on the dwarf to be so singled out’. I cannot express to you how soon this happens after Aragorn assures everyone that Lothlorien is safe. I also cannot emphasise enough how Gimli does absolutely nothing to deserve this, he’s polite and kind as ever until Haldir instigates it. 

So again!! Another mark against Aragorn’s reliability! And then we come to the CRUX of the matter, the meeting with Galadriel and Celeborn. 

A lot happens here, some of it very funny in terms of Galadriel’s treatment of Celeborn, but the important part is at the end where Galadriel mind-interrogates all the fellowship but Aragorn and Legolas. Again, this isn’t subtext, in-text it says interrogate. And the fellowship discusses it afterwards. Gimli, Sam, Merry and Frodo all agree that ‘Galadriel offered them a choice, to go back home where they would be safe, or to continue on with the quest though there may be far greater perils ahead’. 

But that couldn’t have been the choice she gave Boromir. Because he can’t go home to be safe and sound away from the evil!! He lives there!! This has been Boromir’s fight his whole life, it has never BEEN a choice for him. And from this moment on Boromir’s manner changes dramatically. He questions Frodo about what Galadriel asked him, he expresses concern about Galadriel’s motives, he says he believes she was TEMPTING HIM (remember that for later), concerns which are, once again, sharply and cruelly dismissed by Aragorn. 

There is then a MONTH of a time skip, we get descriptions of the how the other fellowship spend their time in Lothlorien. Gimli and Legolas become friends. Everyone else grieves Gandalf and has a lovely time in Lothlorien... apparently. 

But Boromir has never had any real positive feelings toward Gandalf and did not show any real grief at his loss initially. And whereas the rest of the fellowship seems respectful and awed by Galadriel and Celeborn, Boromir replies to their questions at the end of the fellowship’s stay in Lothlorien with what I would call veiled anger. `As for me,' said Boromir, `my way home lies onward and not back.' Which is a callback to the interrogation, the stark difference between the motivations and priorities of the rest of the Fellowship in comparison to Boromir. Which became VERY obvious to him in that moment. So I would posit that! Boromir did not have a good time at all! Boromir was stuck somewhere he felt unsafe and unwelcome and every extra second they spent in Lothlorien was yet another moment he was away from his currently-at-war home!!! 

Anyway just before they leave the fellowship is privately discussing what road they should take when Boromir makes a slip of the tongue, where he’d always been articulate and clear before. 

‘But if you wish to destroy the armed might of the Dark Lord, then it is folly to go without force into his domain; and folly to throw away-’ He paused suddenly, as if he had become aware that he was speaking his thoughts aloud. `It would be folly to throw lives away, I mean.'

It is very obvious to Frodo what he actually meant here, and this is where essentially Frodo’s inner monologue lays it all out!

Frodo caught something new and strange in Boromir's glance, and he looked hard at him. Plainly Boromir's thought was different from his final words. It would be folly to throw away: what? The Ring of Power? He had said something like this at the Council, but then he had accepted the correction of Elrond.

The important points in this section are that 1: Boromir has started thinking about the Ring of Power as something usable. 2: He did not think this before now, he had accepted Elrond’s words. This is ‘new and strange’. Something changed here. 

And of course it did! Boromir doesn’t trust any of these clowns anymore. 

Boromir’s advice, priorities and concerns have been almost entirely ignored and derided throughout the fellowship, even from the very moment he arrived in Rivendell! And after nearly freezing on a mountain, being chased by wargs, dragged through a mine of Orcs, a Balrog, threatened by supposed allies and then mind invaded by some elf he’s told to be in awe of, whatever will he had to trust and stay faithful to Aragorn’s decisions is barely hanging on. 

And Galadriel didn’t just invade Boromir’s mind, she was tempting him! He says so himself! And considering the circumstances and how he speaks about it, the only logical conclusion is that she is tempting him with the ring, because Boromir’s shown no sign of conflict or interest in the ring before now. So Galadriel was the one who put that concept into his mind in the first place. It’s Galadriel who initiates Boromir thinking again on whether this was in Gondor’s best interests. And Boromir recognises she’s trying to manipulate him!! Which is fucking heartbreaking!! 

'To me it seemed exceedingly strange,' said Boromir. `Maybe it was only a test, and she thought to read our thoughts for her own good purpose; but almost I should have said that she was tempting us, and offering what she pretended to have the power to give.’ (--)  `Well, have a care! ' said Boromir. `I do not feel too sure of this Elvish Lady and her purposes.'  `Speak no evil of the Lady Galadriel! ' said Aragorn sternly. 'You know not what you say. There is in her and in this land no evil, unless a man bring it hither himself. Then let him beware!’

Do you see?? Do you all see?? Am I making any sense at all?? Well I make sense to ME so lets continue- Here, you see how Aragorn puts all the blame on Boromir again? The twisted knot Boromir is in at this point is unfathomable and EVEN STILL! Boromir resists! For a very long time! This is what I mean when I say any characterisations of Boromir being overemotional or somehow out of control get at me so much, NEVER has a man had so much self discipline in his wholeass life. Boromir’s entire civilisation could be being bulldozed by Minas Morgul at this very moment and yet he takes everything that’s thrown at him without malice and internally continues to desperately hold onto his integrity. 

But that’s what’s at stake! His integrity! Because now he’s grappling with what seems like a choice to either keep faith with the fellowship, stay with them and go where they go despite how much his country needs him, or potentially do something drastic in order to bring a the powerful weapon Gondor seems to have ALWAYS been looking for home to finally actually save his people. Because that’s what Galadriel offered him! And whilst he doesn’t trust her, it’s also in his head now as a logical thing to want! He doesn’t trust Elrond either at this point, so why should he believe what he said about the ring! It’s obvious everyone has boundless ulterior motives!!

Oh! Here’s a good place to try and explain my theory of how the ring’s temptation actually works. The Ring can control people one of two ways. The first we see with Frodo and with Boromir, it takes FULL control of their actions for a split second when they are vulnerable. For Frodo it made him put it on on Weathertop. For Boromir it made him attack Frodo. However this effect is exceedingly temporary and the person effected immediately comes back into themselves and recognises that what they did was outside of their control. 

The other way is often thought of as this like pervasive constant pull to the ring that effects you even just by being around it, wearing you down etc. But I don’t think that’s what happens. I think, in order for the ring to start exerting real dangerous persistant power over you, you have to know it’s power and logically want it. You have to come to that conception yourself, you have to think about it. 

And I have a lot of reasons for this but where it pertains here-!! Boromir is a fine, reliable and solid member of the fellowship RIGHT up until Galadriel’s mind meld. It’s not gradual, he goes from making jokes, carrying Hobbits and fighting Balrogs to BARELY being able to control his speech and biting his nails and staring at Frodo creepily. There is barely any easing into it and it starts with Galadriel!!

And you know what! There’s an even more sinister layer to this because like... WHY was Galadriel doing this mind stuff in the first place? An immediate obvious answer would be to test the fellowship, to make sure everyone was solid enough to carry on, to ensure the folk who continued were focused. But... If that’s the case... and Boromir’s test was the Ring... like... he obviously failed that test right? She was reading his mind! And she does it again before they leave! If we’re to assume that Galadriel’s mind powers are greater than Boromir’s ability to deflect them then... surely she would have known! That this turmoil was in him! And if she KNEW then why didn’t she say anything to anyone? To Aragorn?? But I don’t think yall are ready for that discussion yet tbh and I have to stop typing or I’ll go blind.

TL;DR Boromir didn’t want the Ring until Galadriel tempted him with it and made the idea of it saving Gondor a possibility to him. 

[petitecherry]

Manhwa recommendations like Who made me a princess?

Survive as the Hero’s Wife

Summary: Canaria is reincarnated as the villian of a popular cliche novel. Based on the novel, she is destined to be executed but can she prevent this from happening before it’s too late?

I love the plot of this story

The plot:

Beware of the Villainess

Summary: I became the villainess of a novel! Do I hate it? No! I find it rather nice. A duke’s daughter = a jobless rich person. How I can miss out on a chance like this?! This is the best chance to just enjoy life. I should throw out the main plot and just live life how I want to! Not long after waking up as the villainess, I witnessed my fiancé, the novel’s male lead, the crowned prince, cheating. I saw him embrace a lady other than I and he was smiling so bright. I was brought to tears… Just kidding, I didn’t cry! My tears are worth too much to be wasted on that garbage. Instead of tears, I yelled out, “Your highness, are you trash?” The main character with a personality of a refreshing soda!

I love this story and its humour. If you’re looking for a self aware manhwa this will be great for you. What makes this story so great?? MELISSA AND YONA! Highly recommend this to anyone!

When the Villainess Loves

Summary: I’ve transmigrated into the body of a princess, living on borrowed time. It’s okay, though, we can cure this illness! My goal is to lead a life where I can do whatever I want! First, I decided to rave over all of my favorite characters in the novel! But, because I am a villainess, people around me tend to be wary… “You will die soon, and yet… how can you laugh like that?” Well, it’s ‘cus I’m super hot.

Honestly this one has amanzing art and great plot but it’s beginning to feel very harem like. Although I think it’s hilarious how everyone’s worried sick about her but she just acts like coughing up blood is like sneezing.

Daughter of the Emperor

Summary: Ariadna Lereg Ilestri Pre Agrigent. And so my life begins with this ridiculously long name, born to royalty and the center of attention – all because of one dangerous man; the veritably insane tyrant king, ruthless conqueror of ten empires, nightmare of all continents- and my father?! Will I be able to survive this maniac?

This manhwa had really bad art in the beginning but the father-daughter duo makes it worth it!

[douxreviews]

The Shining versus The Shining

[This review discusses Stephen King's novel The Shining and the film adaptation by Stanley Kubrick.]

"This inhuman place makes human monsters."

The first time I saw the 1980 film The Shining, I felt cheated. A brilliant, world famous director took one of my favorite books, cast one of my favorite actors in the lead, and then... he completely screwed it up. For years, I felt that Stanley Kubrick had ruined one of my favorite books. I was incensed. How could he?

My opinion has recently changed. Now I think Kubrick's The Shining may be a cinematic masterpiece. But it is not really a horror movie, and it's not really an adaptation of King's novel. It is its own self. If you see it as a separate entity, it's kind of fascinating.

The book

The Shining may very well be Stephen King's best novel, and that's saying a lot for a man who is probably the most famous writer in the world. In it, an alcoholic writer named Jack Torrance takes a last chance job as winter caretaker at a luxury hotel deep in the Colorado Rockies. As he, his wife Wendy, and their psychic five-year-old son Danny are cut off from the world by the weather, Jack slowly loses his mind and becomes a danger to his family. Were the malevolent ghosts of the people who died in the Overlook Hotel manipulating Jack, or was it all in Jack's head? Or was everything that happened caused by Danny's psychic gift?

The book succeeds on pretty much every level. The story is tightly written and almost impossible to put down. The Overlook itself captures the imagination -- its beauty and isolation, its gory history, the ghosts of past tragedies. I cared a lot about Jack, Wendy and Danny, and I so wanted everything to turn out for them, even while I was aware that it almost certainly would not. (Never get too attached to the characters in King's books.) I was especially into Danny. Psychic characters are not easy to make real and believable, especially kids, but Danny is captivating. I also loved Dick Hallorann, who shines, pun intended, in the opening chapters. The first time I read The Shining, I was blown away. I was young and impressionable, and I never forgot how this book affected me.

There are arguments to be made that King's works are too internal to translate well to the screen, but I don't think that's true. What about Stand By Me, The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile? (And possibly more?) I wonder if some producers tend to see the scary in King's works, and just don't look beneath the surface for what makes it work?

I initially intended to just review the movie, but I just couldn't help talking about the book first. So… on to

The movie

After my initial serious disappointment, I had never intended to watch the movie again. And then I saw a documentary called Room 237 about some of its more devoted fans. It made me want to give the movie another shot. I'm glad I did.

While the book centers on what the characters are thinking and feeling, the movie is almost completely external. The Overlook itself is the main character, and what a character it is. Nearly every shot inside the Overlook is framed in a way that reminded me of how lines are drawn to create perspective in art, with the focal point way off in the distance. We keep seeing the ceiling and light fixtures (mostly chandeliers) above, and the very strange carpets on the floor. Showing the ceilings and floors is not something filmmakers tend to do. It has the effect of making the characters look small and strange, as if they don't belong. Or as if the Hotel is swallowing them.

As fans of the movie explain in Room 237, the hotel is oddly shaped and its geography makes no sense. The long, confusing hallways are echoed by the maze, which is so immense that it seems impossible that anyone could have created it. The kitchen is also maze-like, and everything is too big; the size of the industrial cans and bottles makes Wendy look smaller. There are sets of French doors all over the small caretaker's apartment, and every book in every bookcase is tilted at an angle. There are empty chairs in nearly every shot. Jack's typewriter changes color, from white to dark gray to blue. In one scene, the pattern in the carpet actually changes. Although these are things the casual viewer might not consciously notice (and I might not have if I hadn't been primed by the documentary), we're aware of it subconsciously, and it gets our lizard brain buzzing.

One of my favorite things in this movie is Danny riding his Big Wheel through the long, strange hallways of the Overlook. It's just what a kid would probably do, but it increases the feeling that they're in this immense, bizarre place that is outside of reality.

My biggest problem with the movie is that the characters have all of the humanity and complexity of chess pieces. I suppose it was intentional. But what an unholy waste of Jack Nicholson, who is arguably one of the best actors in the world, although I'm more of a fan of his early work (Chinatown, Five Easy Pieces, The Last Detail) before he started playing a caricature of himself. He did a good job with what he was given, but there is really no opportunity to get to know Jack Torrance, or what motivates him. Why he does what he does is almost inexplicable.

And Jack and Wendy never feel like a couple. Was Shelley Duvall miscast? Did the actors just have zero chemistry? Or was this dissonance between them what Kubrick intended, a way of showing the unresolvable tension in their marriage? Danny Lloyd as Danny made me think of Jake Lloyd as Anakin in Episode 3. Interesting coincidence with the surnames. I don't like criticizing child actors, so I'll stop there.

Dick Hallorann is a favorite character of mine in the book, and even though Scatman Crothers did a good job, I hated how Dick was treated in the movie. But I did love the strange female nudes with the huge afros that decorated his bedroom in Florida.

A few more random comments about the movie that contributed to the mood it creates:

-- In one scene, Wendy and Danny are watching television, and there is no electrical cord visible. In another, Jack, seated, is reflected in a mirror and it looks as if he has two sets of legs. (Because, of course, Jack is becoming another person.)

-- In yet another, Jack is sleeping at his desk, but he is balanced on the edge of his chair in such a way that if he had actually been sleeping, he would have fallen off.

-- We never actually see Jack do any caretaking. There is one scene with Wendy in the boiler room. The boiler room is a big deal in the book, almost nonexistent in the movie. Sigh.

-- We never see much out of the windows except for glare, which makes it seem even more that the outside world doesn't exist.

-- There is no music during many scenes. When there is sound, it is disconcerting whines and screeching, or eerie wavering vocals like the score of Kubrick's 2001, A Space Odyssey. In fact, a lot of this movie makes me think of 2001. Which I believe is a better movie. (I should probably get around to reviewing it someday, but it's intimidating, I'll admit it.)

-- In the opening interview scene, Ullman (Barry Nelson) does some very strange things with his hands. It's like they don't belong on his body.

-- In the car, the Torrances talk about the Donner Party. Jack seems to think cannibalism is acceptable in order to survive.

-- The Torrances bring more luggage than would actually fit in the trunk of their tiny VW bug.

-- The walls of the maze are thirteen feet high. Who would do that?

-- The word "overlook" has a double meaning, of course.

-- The hotel decorations have a Native American motif, leading fans of the movie to think that Kubrick was commenting on the genocide of the American Indian.

-- In many rooms, especially the notorious Room 237 which may have been the ugliest hotel room I've ever seen in my life, colors and patterns clash. (Although maybe that was just the seventies.)

-- In the final scenes, Wendy is wearing what may be the ugliest outfit I have ever seen on a leading lady in a mainstream movie.

To conclude, I can look at the movie now and appreciate its brilliance, but it doesn't generate emotion, and I don't find it the least bit scary. For me, it's like looking at a beautiful object at a distance. The book is more of an intimate experience. But then again, books usually are.

Opinions? Comments? I've tried to avoid spoilers in this review, but feel free to talk about anything -- spoilers are permitted in the comments. (And if you haven't seen the movie or read the book, beware!)

Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.

[rarestereocats]

All of us,  except for Beldroth,  reconvene at the local church come morning.  While we spend some time shooting the shit and getting ready for the day,  Beldroth figures we're all out and about looking for the sewer's entrance;  so he takes the map Sanctity had provided us and goes to find it himself.  Upon finding it,  he decides to mark it off on the map even though it was already marked and patiently waits for us all to arrive.  So without a map or a helpful elven guide,  the rest of us are left to wander the streets for hours until we finally spot him just waiting around by the riverside.  Once again,  doors prove to the bane of any adventuring party's existence as for minutes;  nobody can figure out where the door is into the sewers.  All we see is a barred off entry point and we're s t u m p e d.

But eventually after some prime investigating on my part which simply involved manhandling this entry way,  I find the latch that keeps the gate locked and pop it open for our us.  The sewers are just as disgusting as expecting.  Waste of all kind floating throughout this chamber and no way around it...except for Sam,  who flies over it.  Beldroth,  unwilling to get dookie water on himself,  tries to parkour around it despite there being nothing to parkour onto.  So he splashes back down and manages to coat us all before we finally find some proper paths to step on that aren't caked in shit.  One path leads to danger in the form of man-eating spiders while the other path leads to a safehouse so Beldroth approaches and knocks on the door.  A nervous woman answers and instead of being normal for once in our lives,  Torik tries to ask her about her ancestors,  which earns him a door slammed in his face.  Things immediately take a turn for the worse as Sam kicks the door so hard that he knocks it right off its hinges and sends it falling right into the fireplace.

The people inside are understandably panicked as these are the poor and homeless of Phoenix Down,  most of them unable to fend for themselves as they start screaming.  Torik tries to calm the room down,  but in his frustration,  ends up yelling at them which has me popping off as I charge into the room with my greataxe out as I yell at them that I'm a city guard so they need to get on the ground.  Two brave souls race inside with shoddily made weapons and demand to know what's going on and finally,  the situation is defused to a degree so we can start interrogating them all about Bluebird.  They don't have anything of use on the tiefling as they haven't seen them in days.  So with that,  we make our leave and find the corpse of a human man slumped over by a ladder.  Torik tries to find anything that could identify him or be given back to possible family,  only finding a coin on a necklace and a vial of questionable contents;  but we don't have time to stop and look it over.

We head down the ladder and he casts an augury to see if the path that looks promising is a good idea to head down.  No response,  which means it's neither good nor bad.  So rather than a pick a more promising path,  we head down this one,  the door opening up to reveal a startled goblin who starts questioning us all.  Girk,  as he introduces himself as,  asks us why we're even here.  Torik fibs,  stating we need to see Bluebird as we have something to sell.  That something being my axe and I panic,  not catching onto the lie and proceeding to ruin it.  But Girk doesn't care,  instead inviting us inside and introducing us to a few of his friends as we all sit down to discuss this matter over dinner.  Tonight's special is broiled rats with tree roots and Sam is offended as the rest of us actually eat this and pretend to enjoy it.  He tosses his aside when no one's looking,  sulking and growing self-conscious of his own cooking the entire time;  even after Torik reassures him that he's the better cook than Scrumpus.

Girk and the goblins saw Bluebird come into the sewers last night and they seemed to be in a hurry.  There's no telling where they could be at down here now though,  so Sam bribes him with a gold coin and says he can have it so long as he guides us through the sewers and right to them.  Girk is more than happy about this arrangement,  calling over his friend Plinter to help us out and in no time;  we're led right to Bluebird's little hideout.  They knock a pattern onto the wall and a brick pulls away,  revealing a pair of golden eyes staring back at us as they say that we don't look like the people they're meeting.  Torik tells us all to keep our mouths shut so he can handle the talking,  which is fine by me as I can't lie for shit.  He says we're totally the right people,  but we had to come in disguise to avoid suspicion,  which Bluebird surprisingly buys.  They invite us into their office,  but before we all step inside,  Sam hands a gold coin to Girk as promised.  The goblin's excited as fuck for a single coin and as he shows it off to Plinter,  I feel bad that the little dude didn't get something himself,  so I hand a coin to him as well.

Now we've properly ensured that these goblins will die for us and you know what?  I'd die for them too,  okay?  Negotiations with Bluebird fall apart the minute they ask for 5000 gold for the All-Seeing Eye.  In case you're not aware,  none of us are carrying that much wealth around and unfortunately,  the coin necklace isn't enough to convince them that we're indeed rich;  so the entire lie collapses in on itself until Heilyn's mentioned.  This has them stopping in their tracks and reconsidering everything as they need help breaking him out of prison before he's transferred to Kilan.  We agree to this caravan heist a little too quickly and once Bluebird marks a meeting place off on Beldroth's stunning map of the main road,  they leave and we quickly need a way to get out of the city to pull this off.  Luckily,  the lord's steward provides us with permission slips when we lie to his face and say we have to chase the thief down out of town and he tells us we better be back in two days time or he'll send a posse after us.

We try and decide whether we should sneak out of town as the slips become active once we leave,  so if no one ever sees us leave,  we could be gone for as long as we like without having to worry about becoming fugitives.  But we have until morning to meet Bluebird,  so time is of the essence.  The guards mark our slips and off we go,  meeting them a mile off the main road to go figure out a plan of action.  Sam suggests that I should approach the guards and convince them to hand the prisoner over and I'm a little too confident that'll work.  Bluebird and Beldroth will form an ambush point in case that doesn't work out,  but once they mention that we'll have to kill the guards in that case,  I'm not so thrilled about this.  Torik gives me a much needed pep talk and come morning,  the other two get in position while me,  Torik,  and Sam get our crests affixed to our armor and head out on our horses to stop the incoming prison wagon.

When these guards ask what we're up to,  we flash our badges and spin our lie.  I state that the boss lady sent us out to personally escort the prisoner back to Fragifell as she got reports of a possible raid.  Wannabe gangsters wanting to get at Heilyn as well as Bluebird,  who the guards have heard of.  I tell them the boss wants them to be a decoy,  distracting the enemies while we slip off with the prisoner without any of them noticing and the guards surprisingly believe me.  They warn us to be careful as Heilyn's dangerous before pulling him out of the wagon,  cuffed and still with a bag over his head;  and hand him over without further questions.  Sam gets him up on one of the horses as we depart,  telling them we'll take a shortcut through the forest to throw our pretend raiders off.  Once the guards are out of sight,  we bring Heilyn over,  trade him off for the All-Seeing Eye,  and once the lovebirds depart;  Beldroth goes ahead to inspect the artifact.  We get to see his eyes roll into the back of his head,  which is never a good sign when you touch ancient artifacts,  and he collapses;  Sam racing forward to catch him before he hits the ground.

Meanwhile,  Beldroth enters the dream world which takes him back to the forests he grew up in.  He presses on through them until he reaches a raised stand with five shrouded figures sitting on it and watching his every move.  They're the elven council that he's told us about briefly.  The same council he wants to be a part of and the sole reason he sought out the artifact in the first place.  Problem for him is they want him to do a hell of a lot more before he can join them,  saying that he needs seek out the Hammer of Radiance and conquer the Sands of Time.  He has no idea what the latter one means,  but they offer no explanation.  They say the information he needs is in Fragifell and then impart one last piece of wisdom onto him before he wakes up.  "Trust in your friends and beware of your allies.".

He wakes up and understandably,  Torik confiscated the Eye on the off-chance it fucked him up hardcore.  We hit with a bunch of inane questions to make sure it's still him,  but we're a little worried he got a concussion when he starts talking about his vision.  But Torik's excited about hearing of the Hammer of Radiance again and the others decide that it's best not to return to Phoenix Down and return the All-Seeing Eye to the royal archives.  I'm not happy about this because this will officially make us fugitives to their law and I'm now at risk of losing my job,  but Torik pulls me aside for another pep talk,  telling me I'm more than just a guard now.  This doesn't compute for me,  but I don't question it any further and with that,  we hit the road for Fragifell once more.  Upon arriving and stepping into Lord Crows office,  we think the smile on his face means everything's okay,  but it's clear everything's not okay at all when he goes off on us for being stupid and tarnishing his already shaky reputation in Phoenix Down.

He's also pissed about Heilyn "escaping" and while I can lie to some guards I don't know that well,  I can't lie to the literal boss of my boss (who also looks disappointed with us all),  but all I say is that we know where he and Bluebird are.  I give him the name of the small town they told us they hide out in frequently and after some more talking,  Lord Bros says he'll try to smooth things over and keep the law of Phoenix Down off of our backs,  provided we spend a week in prison.  Beldroth has a quick conversation about the All-Seeing Eye with him as we hand over our possessions,  and gives the lord a nice handful of pocket sand as he mentions the Sands of Time.  It's at this point,  probably,  that Lord Crows realizes that every single one of us is a complete dumbass,  but rather than dwell on it right now;  he has us escorted to our prison cells.

[shannaraisles]

Eclipsed - Chapter 2

Beware the company of wolves, my dear … beware the spawn of the dark. Where one rises, so does the other, and black blood runs in the streets. An old fable, perhaps, but one that is playing out on the streets of Denerim right under the noses of those not born to take notice. What happens when a mortal woman learns about the secret lives lived by the friends she thought she could trust? - A Modern Urban Fantasy Paranormal Romance AU

[Read on AO3]

"There you are! ... it is you under all that, isn't it?"

Katrina narrowed her eyes playfully at Isabela, laughing as the dark woman reached out to help her untangle herself from her layers of wool. As her mouth was uncovered, she stuck her tongue out at Isabela, though her eyes were busily looking around the bar. It was comfortably dark, with pools of yellow light illuminating tables and chairs set across the wide space in front of the bar. At the far end of the taproom lay a small stage, already set up for a soloist performance. The bar itself was just the right kind of busy - not too full and nowhere near empty, the level of chatter a warm buzz that wasn't too intimidating for Kat's first time out since moving to Denerim. In fact, the only group that might have seemed intimidating was a collection of men and women who had grouped too many chairs around one small table off to one side, and seemed to be playing a lively game of Go Fish.

"I'll have you know my arse is freezing," she informed Isabela cheerfully, grateful for the help in removing her coat and accoutrements.

Isabela snorted with laughter, looking her over in approval.

"Thigh high socks? Darling, in Ferelden, that's practically risque."

Kat looked down at her chosen outfit - pan-collared sweater dress, thigh high socks, warm winter boots - and back up at Isabela, worry touching her expression.

"Is it really?" she asked in concern. "Only ... well, I couldn't find my leggings, and all my tights had holes in -"

"Precious, you look wonderful," Isabela promised her, gently chucking her chin. "And far too easy to tease."

Kat rolled her eyes, her smile just a little shy. It had been a long time since she'd ventured out for an evening that didn't involve entertaining her little sister or talking to Tatum's tutors; she was nervous enough as it was without Isabela teasing her mercilessly all night, too. But her sultry companion could clearly sense that. Isabela simply wrapped an arm through hers, drawing her over to the bar.

"A drink should warm you right up, kitty," she predicted with confidence, catching the eye of the elven bartender as she parked Kat against the smooth ironbark counter.

"And who have you brought me, pretty Isabela?" the elf said, his accent Antivan, his voice smooth enough to send a ripple of pure lust down Kat's spine. His eyes were warm, gentle in their appreciation as he looked her over with a charming smile. "How much to taste her?"

As Kat's eyes widened in shock, Isabela smacked the bartender's hand soundly and laughed.

"Zevran, what have I told you about trying to buy my friends?"

The bartender chuckled, drawing his hand back with another of those charming smiles. His teeth seemed to glint in the reflection of light behind the bar as he smiled, turning his head to show off two supple lines of dark ink on his cheek.

"You cannot blame a man for trying when the lady you present is so delicious," he defended himself.

The comment should have been offensive, but there was a decided playfulness about Zevran, a self-deprecating awareness that his flirtations were just flirtations and nothing more. Despite her initial shock, Kat found herself relaxing, smiling at him even as she shook her head.

"I thought the point of a bar was for the customers to buy drinks, not for the bar staff to buy the customers," she pointed out.

From the over-crowded table behind her, a strong Starkhaven voice called out.

"Zev, are you propositioning my customers again?"

Kat turned curiously to find the owner of that voice, forcing herself to let her eyes scan over the group crowded around their chosen table. They were quite the collection, she had to admit, every one of them compelling in their own way. Three men, three women, most not even glancing up from their lively game of cards - the women were beautiful, in a warm kind of way; not a beauty that declared itself as aloof, but one that invited you to come closer to enjoy the people behind the smiles. One of the dark-haired women was sitting in the lap of one of the lighter-haired men with an easiness that screamed out their relationship status, yet didn't look out of place among the group. The only one of the men sporting dark hair was the one who had spoken, setting his cards face down on the table as he rose to his feet to make his way over to the bar. Kat bit down on a snicker as the other dark-haired woman, who had been sitting next to him, took the opportunity to look at his cards and switch some with her own.

"When you say it like that, it sounds so dirty, my friend," Zevran was saying as the Starkhaven man approached. "I was merely being friendly."

"Why don't you be a friend and get me a rum then, darling?" Isabela suggested to him, laughing as he rolled his eyes with playful reluctance and turned to do just that. "Kitty-Kat, let me introduce you to the owner of this fine establishment and one of the sexiest backsides known to Andraste - Rylen McKenna."

Kat tilted her head back to meet the gray-blue eyes looking down at her, ignoring the little voice in the back of her mind that had decided to wake up and exclaim about the gorgeousness of the male specimen standing right there. She took Rylen's hand with a smile, shaking it more confidently than she felt.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Rylen," she said politely. "I'm Katrina."

"Likewise, a pleasure for me," he answered, bending a little to loom over her for a moment before drawing back. Was he ... sniffing my hair?

"Isabela, my dulcet delight, here is your foul liquor."

Zevran's voice drew Kat's mind away from that odd moment, a little relieved when Rylen released her hand. She discreetly caught a hank of her loose hair, drawing it past her nose. No, she didn't smell of anything but her shampoo. Isabela claimed her glass with a grin, tapping the bar in front of her friend.

"I'm paying, kitty, order something sinful."

Distracted, Kat snorted with laughter, letting her hair fall back over her shoulder as she considered what was on offer. She wasn't a fan of beer or ale, and she definitely didn't want to get completely plastered tonight. Beside her, Rylen leaned his forearms on the bar.

"Mind if I make a suggestion?" he asked, drawing her attention to him once again.

"What makes you think you can suggest something I would like?"

Kat tilted her head as she surveyed him, realizing that what she had taken for shadows on his face were, in fact, inked lines that looked almost dwarven in origin. And despite the fact that she was fairly sure he had sniffed her, he didn't seem dangerous or all that strange. He radiated an aura of warm assurance that she found herself drawn to, her vague nerves at meeting new people eased by the confidence of his friendliness. Rylen grinned at her once again.

"Judging by that accent, you're a Marcher like me," he pointed out. "Markham, maybe, or ... no, you've got the Fereldan tang. Ostwick, aye?"

Impressed, Kat nodded. "Very good. Why not Kirkwall?"

Rylen snorted with laughter. "You're not shady enough for Kirkwall."

Despite herself, she laughed, her shoulders rising as her head dropped forward for a moment in a mirthful giggle that just didn't want to stay quiet. Mortifyingly, she then snorted as she breathed in, turning bright red under the sudden amusement of the three people standing with her.

"Now that is adorable," Isabela stated, patting the top of her head with a friendly hand.

Chuckling, Rylen nodded to Zevran. "Firemead for our new wee friend, Zev."

Kat raised her head, feeling her cheeks still burning brightly. She hated when her laugh produced that little piggy snort; it was excruciatingly embarrassing, and yet everyone around her seemed to think it was the epitome of sweetness and hilarity. With fingers pressed to her cheeks, she couldn't even meet Isabela's eyes, much less Rylen or Zevran's.

"So what brings you to the Broken Templar, Katrina?" Rylen asked, straightening up as Zevran slid a small glass of golden mead across the bar and into her hand. "Pretty lady like you shouldn't go unescorted after dark - no lover to hold your hand?"

"She doesn't need a lover, she's got me," Isabela declared, throwing her arm around Kat from behind.

"That does sort of suggest that you render the physical act of intimacy completely moot just by existing, 'Bela," Kat pointed out, one corner of her mouth twitching upward as Isabela planted a loud kiss on her cheek.

"That is unacceptable," the sultry sea-goer replied affectionately. "The best part of any relationship is the orgasm."

"Maker's breath. Can you stop?"

Kat raised her glass to her lips, swallowing a mouthful of the potent mead in one gulp in the hope that somehow the exquisite burning would make Isabela magically not be a walking talking how-to of practical sensuality for the modern woman. The dark-skinned woman simply grinned at her, glancing up at the stage as the redheaded woman who had been sitting with Rylen and his companions stepped up onto the stage.

"Ah." Isabela's smile warmed. "Showtime."

She nudged Katrina up onto one of the bar stools, looping a friendly arm about her shoulders to lean against her from behind. Rylen, in turn, slipped behind the bar to dim the lights, a warm spotlight illuminating the redheaded woman as she took up her guitar and settled onto a stool behind the microphone. She didn't waste time with introductions or coy attempts at humor; she simply began to play, and Kat felt herself instantly relax.

It had been so long since she had been able to see any music performed live, the sensation of witnessing something wholly unique for one night pouring through her like crème Orlais, lifting her expression into an enthralled smile. Leliana played with a delicate confidence that Kat couldn't help but envy, thinking guiltily of her own guitar still packed away after all these months. The redhead's voice was clear, her tone pure, drawing an innocence from the simplicity of the melody. Her repertoire was a familiar challenge; created from old songs of Thedas given a twist of her own design, a twist that breathed life into cultures that, in some cases, were almost entirely gone. Almost without realizing it, Kat found herself singing along quietly, testing out harmonies that came naturally, unaware that her vocal enjoyment added a new layer to the performance for anyone who could hear her. The other sounds of the bar faded for Kat, so absorbed in the music that she didn't even notice when Zevran refilled her glass, or when Isabela tried speaking to her. Only when the last note faded and Leliana took her applause, announcing an intermission before her second set, did Kat return to her full senses, glancing around a little self-consciously.

"Oh, back with us, are you, precious?" Isabela asked laughingly. "You are too adorable for words. I am going to have to take you out for musical evenings a lot more often."

Blushing, Kat dipped her head, turning back toward the bar in embarrassment.

"I can't help it," she muttered, the defensive note in her voice fading to an almost forgotten excitement for the music she had just allowed herself to enjoy. "Her voice, her playing, it's enchanting. The songs are so familiar to me, but they sound like her, not like the old men I learned them from. And her use of the language, the phrasing, the complexity of chords set against the simplicity of the melody, and -"

She trailed off in the face of Isabela's raised brows. The sea-going woman looked startled by the sheer passion in her friend's voice, the enthusiasm in her gestures and eagerness to make her opinion easy to understand. Given that Kat generally spent most days as a quiet shadow with a ready smile and not much to say, it must have been something of a shock to find a subject she could get so easily fired up about.

"Oh, then you must tell her yourself!" a new voice behind her said delightedly.

She turned her head, confronted by the dark-haired woman who had, until recently, been sitting on the lap of one of the handsome men at that rowdy table. The voice declared her to be Antivan, the cut of her clothing declared her to be of a significantly higher income bracket than most people in the bar, and her smile just sparkled in the low light. She was, in a word, gorgeous.

"O-oh, I ... I don't know her," Kat began, her protest cut off by a wave of the woman's hand.

"Nonsense, you won't know anyone until you take the first step," she said cheerfully, taking hold of Kat's hand in a gentle grip. "Isabela, are you coming?"

Isabela was grinning widely at the warm bulldozer that was clearly another close acquaintance of hers taking Kat in hand and refusing to let her be shy and retiring. She caught Kat's eye, and for just a moment, her expression turned from teasing to reassuring. This was a person that could be trusted.

"Of course I'm coming," she informed the Antivan woman. "But introducing yourself to my friend before you drag her off to sit on your boyfriend's lap might be advisable, princess."

"Hmm?"

The tall Antivan blinked, looking down at Kat, who managed a nervous smile back at her. This produced a wider, brighter smile from the dark-haired beauty.

"Of course," she agreed. "My name is Felicita, though everyone you are about to meet calls me Fabs. And you are?"

"Terrified of you," Isabela murmured, snorting with laughter when Kat shot her a swift frown.

"Katrina," she introduced herself, drawing her gaze back to Fabs.

"Well then, Katrina, we have now been introduced," Fabs declared. "Come, come!"

She turned, still holding Kat's hand, and pulled her toward the table where Leliana was sitting with the rest of their party, Isabela trailing along behind them. Rylen was swiftly shooed out of his seat to make room for Kat, but unfortunately for the other unknown man, Isabela was already dropping onto his lap before he could stand up, tugging her fingers through his curls as he grimaced at her.

"Yes, hello, 'Bela," he muttered from behind his glass, jerking his hair out of her grasp as she laughed.

"Oh, Cullen, still so grumpy," she teased. "And here I thought you might be able to summon that devastating smile of yours for my friend here."

"I am not in the habit of smiling on command," he complained, his gaze skimming over Kat briefly before returning to his glass.

She frowned, feeling very out of place, unconsciously wishing to make herself smaller. From the corner of her eye, she saw Isabela flick the man's - Cullen's - ear hard enough to make him wince, but Fabs was already pulling her attention away.

"Katrina, amiga, meet more people," she declared brightly, nestling back into her seat on the lap of the friendlier-looking man. "This is Alistair - Josephine - and, of course, Leliana, whom you were so eager to meet in the first place."

It appeared as though the rest of the group were far friendlier than the man Isabela had decided to torment, judging by the bright smiles that were turned onto Kat by the introduced trio. Alistair winked at her over Fabs' shoulder, already raising his glass to his lips as she made herself comfortable on his lap.

"So you're Isabela's new squeeze, hmm?"

Kat spluttered around her own drink as Isabela let out a sultry laugh.

"Unfortunately for me, Alistair, I lack the appropriate parts to entice her," the dark-skinned woman informed him through her grin, seemingly quite content to make Kat's blush deep enough to resemble a plum tomato.

"And here I thought you were always prepared," a warm voice teased from across the table, drawing Kat's eyes to the woman who had been performing - Leliana.

The redhead's eyes were sparkling in the low light as Isabela laughed again, glancing toward Kat herself with curious interest as Rylen reappeared at the table with an extra chair. He wedged it in between Kat and Josephine and thumped down with a grin, and a moment later, Isabela had launched herself across Kat's lap to crawl into his, stroking the bar owner's jaw affectionately.

"Abandoning your golden-haired boy, 'Bela?" he asked, the Starkhaven brogue giving his cheerful comment a homely feel for the Marcher in their midst.

"Somehow I don't think he's that interested in being felt up tonight," Isabela answered just as cheerfully. "Oh, Leliana ... this is Kat. She sings like an angel."

Kat's jaw dropped.

"You've never heard me sing!" she protested, that blush returning in embarrassment as the group around the table all seemed to turn to her with curious eyes.

"Oh yes, I have," Isabela insisted. "Just now. You were singing along with our sweet Nightingale for most of that set and it was gorgeous. Like honey on the ears."

"Maker's breath ..."

Aware that her ears were now burning as hot as her cheeks, Kat closed her eyes, dropping her face into her hands in a futile attempt to get some kind of control over her embarrassment. She'd had no idea Isabela could hear her singing to herself, vowing never sing along to anything ever again unless she was locked in a soundproofed bathroom.

"Isabela, you have no tact," she heard Leliana say, that sweet Orlesian accent easy to place. "It is a rich compliment for any musician to have inspired an audience to join in."

Reassured a little that the performer wasn't upset by this revelation, Kat hesitantly raised her face from her hands to find Leliana and the woman beside her - Josephine, wasn't it? - smiling with encouraging warmth in her direction. A tentative smile lit up her own face when no more teasing was forthcoming.

"Indeed, the music I play is meant to be shared in such a way," Leliana went on, still warm in the face of Kat's grateful smile. "And these melodies can be enhanced beautifully with a second voice."

"I learned a few of them years ago," Kat admitted, glad to be able to engage in conversation. "The harmonies come easily even now."

Josephine's face lit up with excitement, one hand falling to Leliana's arm.

"Haven't you been saying you wished for a partner for your music?" she declared, revealing herself to be just as Antivan as Fabs. Kat couldn't help wondering if they were related in some way as Josephine continued. "I do not suppose you play an instrument as well, Katrina?"

"Ah ... well, I play guitar, but I haven't picked it up for almost a year," Kat answered a little awkwardly.

"Would you like to?" Leliana asked, something that was almost hope lighting up her eyes.

Startled, Kat stared at her. "Excuse me?"

Leliana flashed her a wide grin as she rose to her feet.

"Stay and talk to me when I am done with the second set," she said, her words more an order than a request. "If Isabela says your voice is like honey, then it is a treat I must hear clearly at least once."

"O-oh, I -"

But the redhead was already making her way back up to the stage, leaving Kat to glance worriedly at the rest of the table. Josephine smiled proudly at her.

"Do not worry, we will protect you from her enthusiasm," she promised, the mischief in her expression drawing an unexpected laugh from Kat's throat.

"Yes," Isabela agreed. "If all else fails, let's arrange a safe-word. You say it, and Rylen here will whisk you away and give you the finest rogering of your life. Won't you, darling?"

As Kat's eyes widened in shock, she was relieved to see that Rylen looked just as shocked, if only for a moment. The handsome Starkhavener looked completely cornered for a brief moment, his gaze snapping from Kat to the man next to her and back before forcibly relaxing under her eyes. He drummed his fingers on the table.

"Oh, but 'Bela, you know I've eyes only for you," he declared, grinning as Isabela kissed the tip of his nose for the compliment. "Katrina, I'm no help when it comes to, uh, rogering, but have you met Cullen?"

He jerked his head to indicate the man sitting on Kat's other side, and before the words registered in her mind, she turned to look at him ... and found herself gazing into the most gorgeous pair of eyes she had ever seen. Amber-bright with whisky notes and earthy warmth, they truly belonged in the stunningly handsome face that was staring at her in turn. How had she not noticed him before? Cullen was broad-shouldered and incredibly easy on the eyes, a perfect manly package wrapped up in an aura of watchful wariness. In short, he looked and felt like a predator, dangerous and beautiful and impossible to resist.

Then Rylen's intention sank into her mind, and Kat didn't think she had ever blushed so uncomfortably in her life. As Isabela chuckled, she glanced down at her lap, hearing Cullen clear his throat uncomfortably. She was vaguely aware of him looking over her head at Rylen for a moment, then he rose abruptly to his feet and left the table, abandoning her to the reaction from his friends. Wow, I must be even more repulsive to men than I thought.

"Ah, bollocks," Rylen muttered. He patted Isabela's leg, moving to rise himself. "Up you get, pet."

To Kat's surprise, as Isabela was rearranged in Rylen's wake, Fabs slid down from her perch on Alistair's lap to pat her hand affectionately.

"It was not personal," the friendly woman assured her. "Cullen is terrible with women."

"And worse with women he likes," Josephine added from across the table. She, too, was offering up a reassuring look. "That is a very good sign. I have not seen him too embarrassed to even talk to a woman before."

"How is that a good sign?" Kat asked, trying not to feel hurt and humiliated by the odd little encounter. He was gorgeous, but apparently had no manners at all.

Alistair snorted with laughter. "Well, if he hadn't liked you, he probably would have done the same thing, only with more speed," he offered up in amusement. "Took him a while to stop staring into your eyes."

"Yes," Fabs agreed, squeezing Kat's hand. "There was clearly a lot to see."

"If he plays his cards right, he'll get to see a lot more," Isabela predicted with lazy confidence

"Maker's breath, I do not need to be rogered, 'Bela!" Kat burst out, rubbing an awkward hand through her hair. "I'm not ... on the market."

Relief gripped her as Leliana began to play once again, dragging her attention back to the stage and away from the excruciating conversation. She was so focused that she didn't see the significant looks on the faces of her table-mates as they exchanged knowing glances; didn't notice Cullen's astonishing eyes on her from the bar, soft with something not even he could put a name to, not yet. There was just the music and, once the embarrassment faded, the calm camaraderie of enjoying the show in the company of people who might, one day, become friends.

Six new friends in one night. Perhaps Tatum had been right, after all.