#after hunting for regis' name i went back and just read like a normal person

[hanzajesthanza]

Bez krwi nie ma wampira. Jest to substancja, która decyduje o jego istnieniu, podobnie jak o istnieniu człowieka. Without blood there is no vampire. It is this substance which determines his existence, just as it does the existence of a human.

Maria Janion. "6. Krew i ciało," in Wampir: Biografia symboliczna. ("6. Blood and body," in Vampire: A Symbolic Biography.)

[gayregis]

boppinrobin replied to your post: “Question. Part 1. Hi. I like your blog and your analytical analysis of books,”

aauuuughhh tysm for ur analysis as always

thank you for reading and liking it!!

arinasassymessi replied to your post: “Question. Part 1. Hi. I like your blog and your analytical analysis of books,”

Thank you again for your response! I wrote anonymously because I was a little embarrassed by my English, but to be honest, I've been reading your blog for a very long time, and I've always wanted to discuss some topics with you. Thank you, I feel more confident now. First of all, I apologize for the fact that I considered this scene pro-life.

The thing is, I've reread the witcher books countless times (mostly because of Regis, lol). And if in the first times I was so fascinated by the plot and characters that I did not notice any obvious sexist/homophobic moments, then after rereading the books more consciously, I caught very unpleasantly, conservative motives, which Sapkowski is not shy about.

I remember that the first time this scene, even though it caused a bit of misunderstanding, still touched me with its warmth and how Geralt emotionally supported Milva, helping her make a rather difficult decision. And the way Regis was pleased with his actions, smiling at him, awww.

But after studying the books in more detail and the messages that Sapkowski puts in them, it seems to me that I began to see a catch everywhere. At first, I was also delighted to learn about Ciri's relationship with Mistle, wow, progressive author, LGBTQ+ representation! But after seeing this relationship "live," I felt cheated, and since then, I have returned to this scene with Milva.

I thought, oh no, isn't everything here the same as I believed? Most of all, I was afraid of Regis because he is my comfort character, the voice of reason, and a progressive medic. Does Sapkowski put pro-life ideas in his mouth?.. After a couple of discussions with friends, this fear only took root.

However, after reading your in-depth analytical analysis, I agreed with it, looking at the facts in a new way, and was glad that my first guesses and feelings from this scene were close to the truth. Now I can rest in peace, lol.

About "medicament/medicine" and "agent." I have read books in Russian, and now I am rereading "Baptism of Fire" in English to practice. I think the difference between the words "medicament" and "agent" in English is somewhat unclear, and it is impossible to say precisely which of them has a negative connotation.

Both of them sound entirely neutral and normal to me, but again, I'm not a native speaker, correct me if I'm wrong. In Russian, instead of the word "agent," we have the word "snadobye" (the closest translation is 'potion,’ and in Polish, it is 'ziola’). And while "medicament" means only medicine, a remedy, the word "snadobye" can also mean medicine, but has more folk properties (?).

It is brewed from herbs and a synonym to a potion/drug — a poisonous, magical, and forbidden drink, usually attributed to witches and wizards. For me, Geralt's refusal to use the word "medicament" — neutral and scientific-medical — in favor of a word that has a more magical/negative connotation seemed rather strange. But again, this is just my guess.

I consider the Russian translation closer to the Polish one because it belongs to the same language group, but I don't have access to the original to check what words were used there. In any case, I think that since Geralt decided to use one instead of the other, they should differ in some way, but it is not known in favor of which word this works. I also like your version.

I also had a lot of questions about Milva and her actions. She's probably my second favorite character after Regis, and I didn't understand her actions until a certain point. She was not satisfied with a woman's position in her society, so instead of the usual role, she decided to participate in Geralt's journey?

I was also not very clear about their conversation and Geralt's conclusion: "someone else's child for your own, life for life." Why? After all, she could stay in Brokilon and give birth, but if she didn't want a child, she could have an abortion (for example, she rather cruelly compared her child to young wasps that eat caterpillar alive).

Recently, the Russian Witcher community posted a short theory that Milva was in love with Geralt and therefore went after him. Milva's thoughts in Brokilon speak in favor of this — she finds Geralt attractive (although she felt something similar for Cahir when they were waiting for Geralt and Buttercup to be released from prison at night).

*not Buttercup (have no idea what is it), JASKIER

Also, their conversation outside Regis' hut at night, when Milva bitterly remarked that Geralt needed another woman — a scholar, a wise one, a beloved one (Yennefer), desire to get emotional support exactly from Geralt and and insisting on his presence during the miscarriage, her further refusal to marry the baron, and perhaps Sapkowski's sometimes ANNOYING idea that any woman should go crazy in Geralt's company. But again, these are just guesses, and I would be interested to hear your opinion.

I also didn't know that tumblr has a word limit in comments, so my replays look pretty stupid now, lol.

yes!! i also read the books first just for the plot and then went back and later, when my mind was clearer, noticed a lot more of political views in the writing. it’s the fact that a lot of sapkowski’s other takes are shitty (re: feminity, lgbt individuals and relationships), or at least come off as shitty because they are not explicit enough to actually be a progressive opinion, compounded with the fact that the scene with milva is not very clear on exactly what regis is asking geralt, why he is polling them, why geralt is upset, or what they even intend to do. i think also, because the subject is so important and people have very intense opinions about it, it makes you nervous to see it come up in a fictional story, even if the author is promoting a good message - it’s the feeling you described of, “oh no, isn't everything here the same as i believed?” 

and yeah, you’re right, in english i’d say medicament and agent both have neutral connotations, “agent” to me sounds more scientific, somehow? like it would be used in an experiment? i think i have usually heard it more in descriptions of products, like “cleansing agent” in relation to something dealing with chemistry... but then again, i am not a scientist, doctor, beautician, etc...

and about milva - agree, i love her too :D!! these are my personal opinions and takes on her character motivations but:

i think her ‘not being satisfied with a [traditional] woman’s role in society’ extends beyond not being satisfied, it’s being disgusted with it - in tower of the swallow, she describes how she as a teenager experienced sexual assault at the hands of her stepfather, and her mother didn’t do anything (assumedly because of the societal roles involved, and you can (unfortunately) see this occur in real life as well, mothers don’t protect their daughters from the men they stay with). milva beats him to death and runs away, and never goes back to that life. additionally, in baptism of fire, she talks about her name - milva, and why she changed it, and she says that her original name, maria, along with a lot of other “feminine-sounding” names beginning with M (this is at least what i got out of it, they sound like sweet names given to peasant girls), get your ass pinched in taverns (this is my best recollection of the quote). 

it’s clear that she has not only experienced discomfort, but really just blatant violence at the hands of “traditional feminity/women’s societal roles,” and so she goes to rely on only herself at first, hunting in lower sodden, and then finally being ‘adopted’ (kind of) by brokilon and eithne, becoming affiliated with them and working for them and the scoia’tael. this makes sense to me, because of course brokilon is a matriarchy, and the elves are mentioned to raise (and thus, treat) male and female elves the same way.

i won’t rule out that sapkowski intended for milva to have romantic interest in geralt, but i think that even if he did, it wasn’t interesting and i disagree with that direction for her character. my takes continued are that:

re:  "someone else's child for your own, a life for life." in this conversation, she talks to geralt about the differences between “milva” and “maria,” her two identities that seem to be at ends with each other. she didn’t want to stay in brokilon to have the child, because by societal means, she is no longer a “woman” in the traditional sense - she’s milva, not maria - she kills, she laughs as she pulls out the arrowheads from corpses, etc., like her chosen name, ‘milva,’ she is a red kite, a bird of prey. 

she doesn’t fit the societal expectations of a woman, and was never trained in being a mother (she ran away from home as a teenager, she hasn’t done ‘traditional woman things’ like keep house and cook, raise and deal with children, weave (?) and work in a house since she was 16, and she is older than that now (i’d say she’s at least past her early 20s, because she is described as a “young woman” compared to angouleme’s “very young woman” in lady of the lake, and angouleme is approx. 18-19). but since she doesn’t fit these expectations, how can she expect herself to raise this child? thus, she likely wanted to drop the baby, but since she was raised in a conservative rural society in which women are expected to bear children and not have abortions, she may have felt guilt and shame for wanting to do so. thus, she wanted to follow geralt - although she would have intentionally lost her child, she would have intentionally saved another, absolving her of her guilt. it’s like as regis described to geralt in the middle of the book, about penance and running up debts, this is a large theme of the book - a baptism of fire, fire which not only purifies, but burns (a challenge which absolves one of guilt, but it is painful). 

these are just my takes, i think sapkowski’s intentions were more along the theory that milva had a crush on geralt, but as i said i think that’s just boring and the “easy way out.” he also did that with cahir and ciri, making heterosexual love the motivation for a noble deed, and it’s just like... these characters have so much other depth and serious individual issues, and you want to reduce their motivations to just simply “they were in love”? okay... so yeah i don’t think sapkowski really may have intended any of the above, or if he did, it was to a lesser degree, but this is my interpretation of it.

[echoes-of-the-clockwork]

Book One: Death (Noctis x Reader) Chapter One

I’m literally just copying this from my Wattpad :) I’ll try to include all the photos and gifs for this series, too, on here.

A/n: Welcome, my lovelies! In this x reader series, you only get to choose your name and eye color. Hair color will already be determined as to what role of the Four Horsemen the book follows. 

FYI-NOCTIS AND LUNA ARE NOT ENGAGED IN THIS STORY!!!

I hope you all enjoy this short series! Love you all!!! •••••••••••••••••••

"So..." Prompto muttered, glancing around at their surroundings. "Why're we walking through an abandoned tomb again?"

Noctis sighed at knowing he would have to explain the circumstances again to his best friend. "I don't know, Prom. All my dad said was to head to the Duscae tomb that lied below the wetlands. He didn't say what we would find, but he said we needed to come here."

"His Majesty wouldn't send us on a wild goose-chase through some abandoned tomb for no reason. There must be something we can find down here," Gladio stated, coming to defend his King.

"Though void of daemons, do exceed caution. There possibly may be other foes afoot," Ignis exclaimed as he followed behind the prince through a narrow tunnel. Their flashlights pierced the darkness as the tunnel seemed to be leading them in a certain direction. No branching paths presented themselves as the air around them chilled the boys to the bone.

Prompto's teeth chattered as he rubbed his arms in desperation for warmth. "I-It's freezing down here. What could we possibly find down here?"

"Don't know, but we're gonna find out," the bodyguard said. "You scared?"

"N-No!" The blonde boy denied with a shaky voice.

Gladio snickered and grinned at the younger boy. "You think the dead are gonna wake and attack us?"

"What if they do?!" The sharpshooter wails.

Noctis rolled his eyes at his shield's words. "You seriously think that's gonna happen? That's not even possible."

The brute knew he couldn't scare the prince, but he did make a good point. "You never know. We left the city only a few days ago. Who the hell knows what forces are really at work around us."

The tactician behind the raven-haired boy agreed with the bodyguard. "Indeed. Compared to those in the Duscae, Leide, and Cleigne regions, a sheltered life is what we've experienced."

"Seriously, Specs? You're falling for-" Noctis fell silent when he heard the sound of heavy footsteps echoing behind them. The four boys froze, turning to see if their flashlights could find someone in the darkness. When the sound grew in intensity, they realized it was more than one person by how loud the footfalls were. "Shit..." Noctis murmured.

Unbeknownst to the prince, a figure was standing behind him. Before he could react, the boy was grabbed and dragged into the darkness with a scream. "Noct!" His three friends shouted, searching the narrow tunnel for the prince. With no luck, they ran down the tunnel and away from the approaching footsteps of those behind them.

As they ran, the remaining three boys were picked off one by one by the same figure that had dragged Noctis away only a few minutes earlier.

In the blink of an eye, all four boys were reunited inside a chamber that was well-lit with torches. Prompto was still frightened as he spotted a skeletal warrior looming above him.

The boy screamed, his legs shaking as he collapsed to the floor. Noctis ran to his friend's side and helped him up. "Calm down, Prompto. It's not gonna hurt you."

"Yes, it is!" The shutterbug whined, gripping onto Noctis tightly. "Just look at its weapons!"

Gladio and Ignis were ready to summon their weapons, but the prince stopped them. "Like I said, it isn't gonna hurt anyone! Just listen, dammit!" Prompto sealed his lips, but the fear remained in his being as the warrior watched him and his friends with glowing eyes.

"Shall I help explain the matter at hand?" A feminine voice asked. Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis turned to see a girl with long sable locks, (e/c) eyes, and cladded in a strange outfit.

Noctis sighed, accepting the girl's help. "Please, do."

"Brauhn, step down," she ordered the skeletal warrior. It nodded in response and walked over to her side, acting as her bodyguard. "You four are the ones King Regis told me of. I never expected to see you this soon, though."

The prince had already learned of who the girl was when she had dragged him out of the tunnel. "This is why we're down here. This is Death."

Prompto swallowed nervously. "Is that really your name?"

"Well, no. You could say it's more of a title than a name. My true name is (Y/n). A pleasure to finally meet you all." (Y/n) bowed politely and Brauhn followed her action. The sable-haired girl glanced at Ignis and saw the bespectacled advisor had pieced together the puzzle with such little information. "I see you catch on quick. Quite impressive, I must say."

Noctis, Prompto, and Gladio were now the ones who were confused. The brute glanced at Ignis in curiosity. "What’s going on, Iggy?"

The tactician adjusted his glasses before clearing his throat. "We stand before the embodiment of Death, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse."

"Hey, I've read that story!" Prompto shouted. "But, it doesn't mention four women."

(Y/n) laughed lightly. "The stories you read are false tales. I, along with my three sisters, make up the Horsemen. If you wish to know the true tale, I will gladly share it whenever."

"Another time, perhaps," Ignis stated.

(Y/n) nodded and soon was called out by Gladio. "Why did you drag us here?"

"You are being followed," she simply responds.

"By whom?" The strategist inquired.

"The ones you call "Imperials." They've been following your moves for quite a while now. But, they cannot reach this chamber unless granted access by me," the Horseman responds.

"That explains the footsteps we heard earlier," the prince murmured, releasing his hold on Prompto. The blonde's fear remained as he refused to move from the spot he fell. He couldn't help but stare at Brauhn, fearing the undead warrior would strike him down if (Y/n) were to leave.

The black-haired girl saw the fear in the sharpshooter and promptly placed a hand on the skeleton beside her. "You've done your job well, Brauhn. Now, dispose of our unwanted guests." In a mere second, the warrior was gone. When a few seconds passed, they heard the screams of the Imperials from the tunnel. Ignoring the screams, (Y/n) faced the blonde with a warm smile. "Do you feel better after I've sent Brauhn away?"

In response, Prompto nods and moves his legs. He stands between Gladio and Ignis as Noctis chats away with (Y/n). Suddenly, the young prince reaches out and pokes the Horseman on the cheek. The girl's (e/c) eyes blink owlishly as she was confused as to why Noctis was poking her. Seeing her confusion, the raven-haired boy snorts with laughter. "Just checking."

"Just checking what?" She questioned.

"Some stories say that if you touch Death, you become one of the dead and join his army of skeletal warriors. Others say you turn to ash."

(Y/n) sighs and playfully swats the prince's hand away. "As I said earlier, those tales are lies. Although, I do have the touch of death." She walks over and picks a small flower that was growing through a crack in the chamber's stone floor. With her other hand, (Y/n) touches a single petal and the flower slowly begins to wilt. Eventually, the flora crumbles away into a pile of ash. "It's a power that I can easily control. Death is just a touch away."

"Um, (Y/n)?" Prompto spoke up.

"Yes?"

"Are there any parts of the stories that are true?"

"Hmm..." The Horseman falls into deep thought before answering. "I do wield a scythe and have a loyal steed. Besides that, everything else is a fabrication of someone's imagination."

Prompto gasped. "I-Is it undead, too?"

"Yes, Thanatos is dead. He's relatively a normal horse besides the vacant eyes. Since we have time until Brauhn deals with the Imperials, I'll tell you the true story of the Four Horsemen right now."

"Yes. It would be in our best interest to pass the time," Ignis stated. Even though he was against the storytelling earlier, the advisor knew they wouldn't be able to leave until the Niflheim soldiers were dealt with.

The four boys gathered around (Y/n) as she sat on a crumbling stone chair and listened to the true tale of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

***

Four souls were pulled from the four corners of Hell, gifted with abilities no human, god, nor daemon could comprehend. Each soul was given one of four aliases that accompanied their powers-War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death. Now dubbed the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse by the Daemon King, Aeshema, they were sent to a world between the living and the dead known as the Inner Sanctum-a domain where the Four Horsemen would reside and keep order of the monsters who relish to break the seal preventing them from entering the world of the living and quenching their bloodlust.

With the seal preventing the monsters from escaping to the land of the living shattered, the Horsemen were tasked with traveling to the bustling world to hunt down the monsters that escaped and kill them before humans fell victim to their bloodlust. Once each Horseman slew their share of the monsters, they would be granted passage back to the Inner Sanctum.

Once the Four Horsemen reached the gateway and entered the portal, they arrived in the land of the living. Famine, Death, Pestilence, and War went their separate ways and disguised themselves as humans in order to walk among the living and hunt down the monsters incognito without startling the lives around them.

***

The four boys were silent for a few minutes before Gladio questioned (Y/n). "Is that it?"

The girl glanced towards the brute. "Well, yes. The story doesn't have an ending because you're currently living it without knowing it. In truth, the story is no tale you tell. In fact, you are reciting true events that have unfolded and continue to unfold."

"Does that mean your sisters are on Eos, too?" Prompto wondered.

(Y/n) shook her head with a frown. "No. They've already returned to the Inner Sanctum. Famine, War, and Pestilence have already done their duties. I, on the other hand, haven't."

"A complication of sorts?" Ignis asked.

"Yes. There's a group of monsters known as "Wendigos" that I have failed to find on Eos. There location is unknown and I've no clue of where they reside."

"Then, why're you down here?" The blonde shutterbug inquired.

"It's quiet and away from prying eyes. No human would ever wander in here voluntarily... except for you four," (Y/n) said.

A few minutes of silence passed before Brauhn appeared at Death's side. Blood covered the skeletal warrior's armor as he sheathed his axes. (Y/n) smiled and clapped her hands together. "Excellent work, Brauhn. Now, let's discuss what brings you four here. I'm aware of your relations to His Majesty, but he did not mention why he was sending you all my way."

"Oh, uh..." Noctis mumbled, realizing he and the others failed to mention as to why they were looking for her. "Dad said you could help us. Well, he didn't really specify what we would find, only that it would help."

"Help you with what?"

"With our journey," the prince responded.

"An alliance with you would provide us a connection to the royal tombs and to an ally we can trust," Ignis said.

Gladio smirked slightly. "It'd be nice to have an ally with your powers."

(Y/n) hooked her thumb and index finger around her chin, wondering what she should do. Pacing back and forth for a few seconds, she smiled as she made up her mind. "Alright. I'll join you. It'll give me a chance to search for the Wendigo, as well."

Beside Noctis, Prompto was pointing to Brauhn with a shaky finger. "Is he comin' along, too?"

The sable-haired girl snickered. "No. Brauhn will stay here." At her words, the undead warrior's body crumbled into a pile of bones. Before his head fell, (Y/n) caught it and placed it on top of a stone. She adjusted the helmet before facing the boys. "Let's get going."