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intuitive-revelations · 1 year ago

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Retrospective notes and what to keep an eye on after The Legend of Ruby Sunday

I started writing this while watching through a second time. While my thoughts were still a bit random and out of order, I've edited them into something that makes a bit more sense to read through.

Susan:

A little bit weird at first that Ruby asks why the Doctor doesn't recognise his own granddaughter, given that she doesn't know about regeneration yet and Susan Twist is clearly not mixed race. After thinking for a second, I realised she probably just immediately reconciled this as an adoption scenario, especially with her own family and history.

I've posted seperately about my feelings on the retcon of Susan's origins, but I am still surprised we're going this direction. I also find the wording a little bit questionable, as the Doctor makes it sound like he hasn't had children before, when he 100% did.

A Susan misdirect being linked to the word TARDIS is excellent though, given that she claimed to have come up with the word. (People freak out about what this means for her origins, but I don't see why it can't just be that she's responsible for the English acronym translation convention, which then passed on to all of human history thanks to the Doctor's travels.)

We didn't get Susan this time round, but such a massive red herring implies that RTD is planning to build up to such a thing for real, right? I assume we'll also be talking more about her next episode / in Tales of the TARDIS.

I also mentioned this in my live notes, but I quite like the Doctor's justification for not going back to Susan. It makes sense on its own, but takes on a whole new meaning in light of what happens in Big Finish (even if you do need to slightly nudge the meaning to make sense, and admittedly it still clashes with her participation in the Time War).

The Time Window and Misdirections:

Slightly put off at 'time window' being used as terminology for UNIT's tech when that's been used for actual time portals in-universe before.

Liked all the mentions of chronons though. Need to combine that and "N-dimensional time" into an actual pseudoscientific theory of time physics in Doctor Who with artron energy etc.

The Time Window is also totally how we get the Memory TARDIS, right? I'm guessing that's why the Doctor sent Ruby there, so she can escape into it (though I don't know what that will look like given Tales of the TARDIS surely won't be essential viewing). I wonder if that means the Doctor we'll see in that won't be the real one?

Super sneaky making the time window the 'secret from the Third Doctor era' that is revealed that was teased. Not a lie, but really teases something different to what we got.

Actually, in general kinda mixed feelings about the sheer level of misdirection is this story. You've got the above, all the focus on Susan, maybe the 'Beast', literally playing the Saxon theme (The Master Vainglorious). Seemingly also the thing about where people were stood on Christmas Eve… though I am going to check to see if there's something about the TARDIS / Sutekh. That being said, I'm guessing we're coming back to this, as the pointing isn't really explained yet.

RTD also said the script opened "INT. COFFEE BAR, USA - DAY, 1947" but we clearly never got such a scene. :/

On the other hand, all the playing around and subversion with anagrams was a lot of fun. Very much riffing off of DW tropes. Very funny also that UNIT would immediately pick up on the S Triad thing, given their and the Doctor's history with the Master's own aliases.

Sutekh and the Pantheon

Super intrigued by everything regarding the Pantheon in this episode. So we've got members:

Sutekh: God of Death. The Oldest One / The One Who Waits, the Mother and Father and Other of them all. The Toymaker: God of Games. The Trickster: God of Traps. Maestro: God of Music Reprobate: God of Spite. The Mara: God of Beasts. The Three-Fold Deity of Malice, Mischief, and Misery. Gods of Skin, Shame, Secrets Incensor: Gold of Disaster Incensor's Children - Doubt and Dread. Harbinger(s)

I'm probably too EU-brained, but it feels crazy putting entities like the Toymaker and the Trickster below Sutekh? They're both Eternal/Guardian level, while Sutekh is just an Osiran, powerful but ultimately ephermal. How is he 'the oldest' and the 'mother/father/other' of them all? I guess age could be partially put down to Sutekh's fate in Pyramids of Mars, but actually originating before them doesn't really make sense. I guess he could be an incarnation of a much older being, a bit like the Doctor could be?

However, I also doubt Harbinger is entirely reliable. She's clearly hyping up Sutekh's dominion, so him being the 'god of gods' may not mean much in terms of their origin.

Speaking of which... a lot of allusions to the Devil here, as I mentioned above. Chidozie finds himself in 'hell' and Carla literally calls the shape in the Time Window "the Beast". The security camera is also 66m away (funnily enough, around 73 yards). Add in Gabriel Woolf also playing the Beast in series 2, and you really do have to wonder if there's a connection. If Sutekh and the other Gods really do see him as the same entity as the Beast, then maybe he really could be the oldest of them all.

Side note: "Mother, Father and Other of them all" is great. Connecting the word 'Other' to parentage is also interesting, given we've been talking about Susan...

Going back to the Pantheon - I am now 100% convinced, after theorising before, that we've been meeting members of the Pantheon of Discord.

While there are family connections between some of them, I doubt they really are all related. They're way too distinct for that. But as a loose coalition of malicious god-like beings across the multiverse, it works. Weirdly, it is also reminiscent of some plotlines from the Tenth Doctor Titan Comics. It also feels like the direct opposite of the 'Accord' from the Leftbridge-Stewart series, which was seemingly another coalition of more benevolent deities, including the Azure Guardian. I wonder if they oppose each other?

Some of the namedrops are super interesting too. As I mentioned in my live blog, the Three-Fold deity must be connected to the Six-Fold God, even if just an imitation. Some of the names (eg. Doubt and Dread), being directly named for concepts and emotions, also brings to mind the Menti Celesti.

I also strongly suspect we're going to meet the Trickster again. RTD even foreshadowed as much when he illustrated Now We Are Six Hundred.

Big question is... when did Sutekh become connected to the TARDIS? The latest it could have happened is Wild Blue Yonder, and that would be the simplest explanation... but dialogue implies he's been attached and waiting for longer.

Again, mentioned this in my live notes, but the connection of Sutekh hiding in the "Howling Void" and appearing on UNIT scanners with contradictory information like the Dalek Void ship is an excellent connection. Especially, again, with the possible Hell connection:

RAJESH: And what's the Void? DOCTOR: The space between dimensions. There's all sorts of realities around us, different dimensions, billions of parallel universes all stacked up against each other. The Void is the space in between, containing absolutely nothing. Imagine that. Nothing. No light, no dark, no up, no down, no life, no time. Without end. My people called it the Void. The Eternals call it the Howling. But some people call it Hell.

Does this imply he attached himself to the TARDIS while it traveled through the Void? If so... when was that? Again Wild Blue Yonder is a good candidate, as the TARDIS literally reaches the edge of the universe (at least in some sort of spacetime geometry), but this could technically harken back as far as Journey's End, when the TARDIS last visited Pete's World.

A bit of me is intrigued by the description of Sutekh "whispering, delighting and seducing" the TARDIS, but nothing else indicates the TARDIS was willingly carrying him. Again another sign that Harbinger's speech may not reliable.

Remaining Mysteries

No offence to the people who were all in on the theory, of course, but I'm pretty sure the 'TV' theory is nothing. Especially after this episode. I feel like people latched onto the promo shot for this episode which looked like a TV set and confirmation bias took on from there. That being said, I am ready to eat my words if it somehow comes back to that next week!

(TBF, the TV theory obviously does have some relevance to DW in general, what with the Weeping Angels, Doctor Who exisiting in-universe, fourth wall breaks etc. I just don't think it ever had anything to do with this story.)

So Mrs Flood is confirmed to be something alien or supernatural, after the ambiguity with the Christmas 4th wall break. Simplest answer is that she's also serving Sutekh / the Pantheon, but IDK... she seems different.

Still need to know what's up with Ruby's mum too. Annoyingly, the episode makes it kinda ambiguous if she was pointing at the past Doctor (as per the flashback earlier this series) or at the present one. If the prior, I assume she was actually pointing at the TARDIS / Sutekh?

That damn "worlds with orange skies" line. It's probably nothing, right? But why did we focus on it, complete with musical sting. RTD knows that's significant. Hell, it's specifically significant to Susan, with her talking about Gallifrey in The Sensorites, and Ten recalling it in Gridlock.

Also, unless the soundtrack was lying to us, which it doesn't usually (though I guess isn't unprecendented, with the Weeping Angel theme being used in Day of the Doctor when Osgood realises the statues are disguised Zygons), maybe a Master reveal coming up some point in the future? How though, I have no idea.

#Doctor Who #Fifteenth Doctor #The Legend of Ruby Sunday #DW Spoilers #Doctor Who Spoilers #DW Meta #DW Theory #long post

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bella-rose29 · 4 months ago

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arms length

locklyle

based on arms length by KiNG MALA (would recommend listening to it while you read, but you don't have to!)

this is not happy (again, I'm sorry)

ALSO SPOILERS FOR POST HOLLOW BOY

word count: 1,091 words

warnings: SPOILERS, not at all happy, I think that's it? also it's been a while since I read the books so possible inaccuracies

lockwood and co master list

Lockwood thinks that he might be about to die.

He can’t tell anyone, of course, because they’ll tell him to just get over himself and suck it up, but having to be cordial with Lucy sends a pain through his chest that hurts more than when he’d been shot. Nothing much has changed other than he has to be less familiar with her, more formal, but he hates it.

George had noticed the subtle shift in Lockwood’s behaviour towards Lucy after she had left the agency.

The first meeting in public after her departure had been horrible, pretending to be something other than whatever they had been before, especially since finding out that she’d left had ripped Lockwood’s carefully pieced together heart right open again. She’d been polite, nice even, but somehow that had made it worse. George had been nice back, if a little biting, and Holly had been… well, he wasn’t really sure. Lockwood had been too busy trying to make his smile not look fake to fully focus. It felt like he was the only one who could see that he was dying, a knife thrust into his side with every half-hearted kind word Lucy said and twisting when she walked away.

He wanted to reach out, call after her and ask where she was going like she was still a member of Lockwood and Co. He knew he couldn’t, but it didn’t stop his fingers twitching at his side ready to lift up and grip her jacket.

He wouldn’t let her go again if he caught her.

For now, while he was bleeding out from the metaphorical knife, he would have to stay here in Portland Row. He couldn’t chase after her, not when he was the reason she had left, but he wouldn’t back off. No, he would stay where she’d left him at arms length from her, just in case she ever wanted to come back. He was probably delusional in thinking she would given how abruptly she’d left, but Lockwood was nothing if not hopeful.

That didn’t reflect in his actions, he supposed. While he’d been acting as though Lucy was twisting a knife between his ribs, he actually was bleeding out. George had tried to warn him during their case earlier that night about the Visitor creeping up behind him but he hadn’t listened, or cared. It frightened him a little how nonchalant he was about his life now that Lucy wasn’t around, but from the way George was treating his wound in silence Lockwood realised it was probably frightening his friend too. Holly had hovered at the door to the bathroom, jittery enough to look like a ghost herself before George had told her to go to bed. He hadn’t said a word since other than directing Lockwood, and the quiet scares Lockwood.

He wishes he could get closer to her, find out why she’d gone, get closure or something, but he knows he can’t. He knows that all he and Lucy can be now is two agents out of each other’s orbits.

Lockwood convinces himself that she’s gone now, that she isn’t around to make his heart skip a beat or his smile grow a little wider when she enters a room, but it’s difficult to think that when all that’s on his mind is Lucy. He gave his heart to her the moment she first entered the living room for her interview, and he knew he would be hers from then on.

He would wait here for her until she needed him.

~~~

Not for the first time, Lockwood turns over in his head the possible reasons that could’ve made Lucy leave.

It’s a terrible time to be thinking of these things, given he has an early morning start and it’s already 3 a.m., but he can’t help it. He wonders if someone had beaten him to it, had asked her out before he’d gained the courage to stop simply smiling softly at her and cutting the crusts off of her toast the way he knew she liked. He thinks about the day he’d seen Kipps talking to her on the corner, asking her out for a coffee, and knows he can’t get mad about it. Sure, they were rivals, but Lucy was a human being and her own person. She could go for coffee with someone.

He thinks of his own behaviour, how he’d been risking his life since she’d left and barely caring for himself, and wonders if that had been the final straw. If it had been too much for her to watch. He knows they’d never talked about it, but he’d been sure that they’d both seen their relationship as walking a tightrope between friends and something more. Maybe that line had been too much too.

Lockwood turns over in bed and wonders if he had been the only one to think that.

~~~

He doesn’t blame her, of course. How can he? He’s still thinking about it four months later as he climbs the stairs to her flat, and hesitates outside the door. He’d practically begged whatever powers existed for a reason to see her again, properly, but now he’s here he’s not sure he has the courage.

Eventually something makes him knock, and he hopes he looks just as he did when Lucy had still been part of his agency when she appears: put together and not on death’s door.

~~~

The conversation had been so different and yet so painfully like it always had been, and on his way out Lockwood can’t help but think how it’s a shame that they’ve strayed from each other. People change, he knows, but he’s not sure he likes the way he and Lucy have gone from being like a roaring fire to the embers left over when there’s nothing left.

He’ll be here for her all the same, and in the case they have coming up he’ll make sure he doesn’t leave her stranded the way he feels he must have done before. He’ll keep his distance, of course. He doesn’t want to scare her off already, not when he just got her close enough again. Arms length sounds good, if unbearable. It’s where Lucy left him, and it’s where he’ll stay until she reaches out.

Anthony Lockwood had signed his heart and soul off to Lucy Carlyle the moment he met her, and he knows that whatever happens, she’ll keep them both.

Arms length would hurt, but he would wait here for her until she needed him.

#lockwood and co #lockwood & co #anthony lockwood #lucy carlyle #locklyle

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fatoomie2801 · 1 month ago

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For the character ask, Kyoya for 14. and 21. please 🦁🌪️?

MORE KYOYA QUESTIONS YESSS 😈

thank you 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

14. Assign a fashion aesthetic to this character

idk my fashion aesthetics OOP so i could be like way off about this one but maybe like a dark grunge sort of aesthetic? dark earthy tones, big black platform boots, chains everywhere. that's the kind of vibe i'm thinking i hope grunge is the right word for it :P

21. If you're a fic writer and have written for this character, what's your favorite thing to do when you're writing for this character? What's something you don't like?

HAHA I HAVEN'T WRITTEN HIM IN 4 YEARS HELP

UMMMMM i think one of my favourite things to do was write out his thoughts and feelings. i wrote my fic in 3rd person so i did this for every character but i liked exploring a more emotional (?) side to his character, or one that was softer and kinder than usual anime yoyo

or at least one that acted like he cared more LMAO

i mean it was kinda necessary for an oc x canon fic

i was able to explore his inner thoughts and emotions (because you don't really get much of that when you watch a show) and i wrote in 3rd person to give me the opportunity to write those out without jumping from pov to pov (i remember someone once telling me they really liked that i did that, the whole writing out the inner dialogue of all the characters, and yes i enjoy it, being able to give a little insight into everyone's thoughts and not just the main character's)

and as dialogue heavy as beyblade can be, the most memorable parts of my fic are the paragraphs of just straight up description

also LOVEDDDD writing those scenes where it was just kyoya and kiara on their own, especially in the masters arc. they have a few moments where they just sit together on the balcony at night and just talk, or where he'll make breakfast for the both of them before they go off to join the qualifier tournament for team africa, or even this one point (after wild fang vs gan gan galaxy) when they're in the middle of this argument sort of period where she's mad at him and doesn’t want to talk to him but he cleans her wounds and then afterwards just tells her to pour her heart out cause he wants to fix things (wow i know right 😭)

i also gave him the adrien agreste "she's just a friend" phase for the second half of the masters arc LMAO

but yeah it was mainly the descriptive paragraphs scattered throughout the masters arc that i really enjoyed writing because i used to love making them metaphorical or whatever and i always thought i ate with those lines LMAO

and it was always about kiara's place in kyoya's life or how deep the bond they were slowly forming was developing over time or just simply how he felt about her idk i used to get super descriptive with that to the point where i felt like i was a poet and it was so fun

also silly moments, especially the ones where he bickers with the characters (mainly kiara and gingka) or even one scene where chao xin was getting awfully comfortable with kiara and kyoya's jealous (?) side comes out for a bit (and gingka has a field day with it because this is like 5 minutes after he's realised kyoya likes her even though kyoya denies it)

omg and protective yoyo i loved writing him. he only lasted the second half of the masters arc but it was so nice

(omg i need to stop myself from writing the entirety of the events in this fic because I WILL DO IT if i don't stop myself and then this post will turn into the fic itself 😭 and i keep talking about the second half of the masters arc as if i've published it. I HAVE NOT. i will be getting around to that soon)

ANYWAYS i do have my moments that i absolutely cringe at when i look back on but i want to preserve whatever 18 year old me was on so i don't plan on changing whatever is already published or drafted and written

but sometimes i read it back and think "oh that's so out of character kyoya would never" but that's what fics are for right? 😃

also the more i find out about how big a softie manga yoyo is, the better i feel about those gentle moments i wrote in my fic where he did things that i don't think anime yoyo would do 😭

like please tell me why i wrote a scene where kiara goes on a walk outside with him for fresh air and while they're out it starts raining so he literally runs back inside and buys an umbrella from the shop in the hospital (context: she was hospitalised after a battle with damian because like who isn't 😭) and when he comes back out she's just dancing in the rain and he realises he didn't need to do all that (and then his expression softens as he watches her ssksjsksksk but that's not the point here)

like yeah it's cute he's concerned cause she's unwell but kyoya tategami running inside to buy someone an umbrella is wild 😭😭😭 like not even fusion kyoya would do that and he was the nicest version of himself in the entire series

but then again he did go all the way to koma village for gingka maybe i'm overthinking this LMAO

and he's also filthy rich. an umbrella wouldn't break his bank i'm definitely overthinking this 18 year old me doesn't deserve all this hate i'm giving her sorry 18 year old toomie 😔

#this is so long im so sorry #ask me about my fic and i will ramble on like theres no tomorrow despite cringing at half its contents #what is cringe if not fun :D #kyoya tategami #beyblade #mfb #beyblade metal fight #metal fight beyblade #beyblade metal saga #fatoomiewrites #new tag unlocked LMAO #but i was posting this fic on here before anything else oop #fanfiction #fanfic #fic

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kindaasrikal · 2 months ago

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Cant reference the original post because Tumblr is being an absolute shitass BUT its regarding Your fact that Cole and Morro gave hints regarding the Merge.

If this unbearable chaos would turn out to be story-unstoppable, i think it would be an amazing moral about the unpredictability and chaos of life and how some things just have to happen. since i started rewatching the whole series i realized that most of the problems that ninjas face actually come from mistakes of master Wu's past but even so, from my earliest years his teachings were very close to me (unsocialised autistic kid speaking lol) and now I realise that, as Ras said, its easy to be a Hero for one and an enemy for the other. Its also an amazing metaphor for the good and bad, teaching that nothing is black-and-white, really. It's kind of relieving and reassuring, especially for me as i struggle with the concept of finding things in middle/or not particularly good-bad.

It took me whole DAY to form this reply because I got offline in middle of writing it and had to figure out how to save it and allsndkxoso please approciate all the efforts.

You’re so real for all of this it’s definitely appreciated

The whole concept of good and bad, black and white, is incredibly muddled even in real life and i would still even say that Ras could still be somewhat wrong with what he was saying.

It’s a struggle for a lot of people, especially ones who go through some form of a traumatic event, to understand that the situation was not their fault or no one’s fault to begin with. Take for example someone almost dying, and they’re with a friend who also almost died. They both believe it’s the other’s fault because of their actions. Character A didn’t bring some supplies that could’ve helped them, and Character B ended up getting distracted in the adventure/journey their on. In the end, the event/accident was neither’s fault as A didn’t think the random tools and supplies would be necessary for something so normal, and B thought that things were going well so there was no need to be tense or worried. Yet, they still blame each other because A’s tools could’ve saved them well before the event and B staying on guard and not being careless could’ve prevented them from facing the event at all.

Whats the most important factor to what Ras said and all of this was the intention and how it affects the actions.

Because whilst, let’s say Ras, was considered a hero, he could also be considered a villain by some. In the end, which is the more accurate title?

That all depends on his intentions on whether he is a good person or not. Was his intention to hurt people? Is he doing this to benefit himself regardless of what it does to others? What is he willing to sacrifice for what he wants? Or, is he perhaps doing this for others?

Its why its so interesting they use Morro in this scene, because Arin then also clearly states “sometimes, it’s the only word that fits” and he’s referring to the word hero in regards to Morro, who is known as a villain. But is he a villain anymore? Is that title accurate? Is it fair?

That whole scene in terms of morals and how one can be perceived due to their actions, to then how they can be perceived due to their intentions is so important to me. Because its something that people, neurodivergent or not, struggle with so strongly on a daily. It so easy to paint someone as evil and wrong when you don’t have the right context.

(Of course, the whole ‘intention’ thing doesn’t apply to some situations, it’s why it’s so complicated for people to understand. Because let’s say someone broke something very important with malicious intent, but another person killed hundreds but it was with good intention. Thats when it gets complicated, because now you also need to consider the effects and the weight of their actions more rather than their intentions.)

Im so sorry this became a whole philosophical rant ive had all of a sudden bro 😭😭 take this ALLL lighthearted by the way. I feel like i derailed a lot from the original point my God

Anyways, with Ninjago i’m so excited seeing how they’re gonna handle the whole idea with the merge with all the hints they’re dropping that it was inevitable. Because like you said a lot of the things the ninja faced was due to Wu’s mistakes, but was it HIS fault? Personally i don’t think it was when you consider the fact that either he was, young, manipulated, it had to do with someone he loved, he thought that person was long gone, or he literally had no choice in the matter.

And SAMEEE I’ve held a lot of Wu’s teachings to heart, especially his ones on patience.

But yeah it would be an amazing moral of the story to sometimes understand that not everything is under your control, because you live in a world with its own rules and on a planet with people who make their own choices too. And i love how they’re diving into a morally grey ground with THREE characters now, with that being Ras, Arin, and Morro and all in different ways. Augdbdbxh

This show makes me sick I’m so sorry for this long rant it’s probably not what you were expecting and I’m probably either wrong or speculating/theorising/thinking too much a lot😭😭

#lego ninjago #asrikals dumb rambles #dragons rising

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estelofrivendell · 2 years ago

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You’ve Got A Friend In Me (Aragorn x Female Reader)

a/n: clara actually posting a one shot??? shocker, right? anyway, i started this months ago and only finished it now. it’s not really x reader, but oh well. also, there may or may not be inspiration taken from to kill a mockingbird. i won’t elaborate and you will see it when you see it. i don’t really see this as a part three of “a change of heart” but you can if you want to. also, don’t question the toy storyesque title.

summary: you’re convicted of a crime you actually didn’t do and all the odds are against you because of your reputation. aragorn is the only one to believe you are innocent and does what he can to help you get cleared of all charges.

word count: 2,1k

warnings: none really other than mentions of murder

During your first meeting, Aragorn prayed to whatever God was up there to have you locked up for your crimes sooner or later. He never thought it would actually happen considering how lousy the whole system was. Yet the wishes he no longer held were answered, which he thought was only done to spite him. When news of the lords declaring you a fugitive, he prayed you would be guided into safety and away from the authorities before asking why they wanted you.

“Do you need to ask?” A considerably young ranger laughed. “That woman is a menace. It was about time those poor souls were brought to justice, and this is long overdue.”

Aragorn growled. “That does not answer my question.”

The young ranger laughed once more, holding up his arms. “Calm down. They say she murdered one of those great lords in cold blood. Witnesses saw her near the castle when all the mess was going on. Can you believe it?”

No, I do not. She would never do that, not anymore.

Finding you wasn’t so difficult anymore. You were a slippery little snake that it took Aragorn a while to master the task of locating you. Today felt strangely easier than it was and he wondered if that was deliberate and you had been hoping he would find you.

You sure did not expect his visit as you aimed your knife at him, the tip close enough to his chin that it made a small cut, but you lowered it the moment you realised who it really was.

“Aragorn? What brings you here?”

“I believe you know what brought me here. Did you do it?”

“Kill the lord? No, though I would love that honour. I cannot tell you I am entirely innocent in this matter.”

You didn’t change entirely, you see. You still took payments (especially when the money came from a high bidder) and you were more than happy to carry out the execution of the worst of men, and the lord was no kind man. He was someone no one wanted to be around and Aragorn didn’t need to be told that you would love to kill him, yet he felt it in him that if you were going to be arrested for any crime, this was not it.

“Well, it doesn’t matter anymore,” you said, turning away from him. “You need to get out of here. I don’t want you seen with me and I most certainly don’t want you to be involved in my problems, so do yourself a favour and save your sorry self from a conviction.”

Aragorn raised a brow. “You involve yourself in my affairs, why can I not do the same?”

You shot him a glare. “That is different, I was helping you. And if-”

“You don’t think I’m helping you? I’m telling you I believe you’re innocent, and no matter what you say to make yourself look bad, I’ll find a way to make sure you’re not tried for anything.”

“Then run away with me.” You offered your hand. “A life in the forests away from the city sounds nice. It’s what I always dreamed of as a young girl.”

If he wasn’t destined for something so big, he would not hesitate to take up your offer. Even then, he imagined a life with you and he believed it to be so cozy and perfect. He was no stranger to waking up beside you and he longed for your company that getting to do it every morning sounded like a utopia.

“I… cannot.”

“Why not? You have nothing going for you. Just the same old rangering, nearly getting yourself killed while the people you protect don’t thank you for your service. Would you prefer a life with me, where we have all the freedom we can get? We can explore the world together, unbounded by expectations and obligations.”

“I may not like what I do, but it is still my duty to protect the men of Bree.”

Hurt, you turned away from him and left. “Well, you made your choice and I have made mine. I am sorry they are incompatible, but there is no use to convince you. I wish you all the luck if there is any left.”

Each day, Aragorn misses you, but does not regret not following you. He would kill for you, but he would not pick you over the crown. It was the heaviest price he ever paid in his life and he is sure nothing else can compare.

Over time, his life is the same as it was before he met you. Hunt orcs, occasionally meet Gandalf, return to Rivendell, eat and sleep. Rinse and repeat.

It had been three months, shy of Midsummer when he heard about your whereabouts. Expecting neutral at worst news, he ensured to look like he was not paying attention and almost lost his train of thought when they started to go into more detail.

“Word has it that the woman thought to murder the lord had been found by authorities just last week. She put up a good fight, killing the guards and escaped the first time, but they caught her this time, not without issue though. She’s been brought back here for a trial.”

“Here? Why?” A young man asked, stupidly.

“Because this is where the murder happened,” said the man calmly. “I’m more surprised she’s getting a trial in the first place. Murderers like her deserve a lifetime sentence, plus 150 years, without the possibility of bail. In fact, the guillotine will do.”

A young woman around the same age as you spoke up. “There’s no way she’s getting a sentence lower than that. I mean, she steals a lot, and that’s not worth a death sentence in my book, and all those conspiracy murders everyone spoke of had no evidence, but this one did.”

“So, when is the trial?” The young woman asked.

“In two months time, assuming no delays.”

After a lot of difficult convincing on his end, side eyes he received, and suspicion that he was someone to not be trusted, Aragorn received the location of the maximum security prison and the specific cell you were held at. The guards asked him a lot of questions before letting him see you, let alone giving you privacy.

When you saw him, you shot up and clenched your hands around the bars. A friendly face was long overdue. “It’s over, Strider. No point in making me feel better. I lost the moment they found me and there’s no turning back.”

“Don’t say that. Have some faith in yourself. I know you didn’t do it-“

“And do you have proof for that? God, I’m grateful to have you, and I’m grateful that you believe I didn’t do it, but you’re a delusional man. Go home. Find a woman to fuck, marry and have babies with. Forget about me. You’re smarter than this.”

“I know many people that can help you. I’ve been looking around and speaking to them, and they agreed to look into it. Some of them have been given permission to investigate.”

“Strider.” Only until now did you start crying, and Aragorn never saw you cry. He thought you crying was something he never thought he would see. “Stop that. You don’t have to do that.”

“What friend would I be?”

“You’re risking your own life for me.” You sobbed. “I don’t want you to jeopardise your own life to save mine. Please, stop this, go home. You have nothing to do with this.”

Suddenly, the door opened and two guards roughly grabbed Aragorn and pulled him away. “Time’s up,” one of them gruffly said to him as you mouthed “don’t resist.” He reluctantly listened. He was a lot stronger than everyone here combined and could knock them out in one hit, but if he wanted to finish his plan of ensuring you were proven innocent, beating up the guards was not the way to do it.

Once he was thrown out of the prison, he looked at the architecture and noted how miserable it was. He could tell you were losing your mind each passing minute and only hoped that you would recover as soon as you were released.

One of the people he paid to investigate the lord’s death had summoned him to a private place at night.

“I think you need to hear this. Last night, we went over the body and we discovered enormous hand marks on the victim’s neck and marks on his right eye. The hand prints are too big to belong to a woman and the injuries on his eye could mean a left-handed man did it.”

Aragorn has met women with quite large hands, but the news only confirmed that you didn’t kill him, as he was aware you had small hands. You were also indeed right handed.

“With this proof in mind, it’s hard for me to believe she did it. I don’t know who did it, but I don’t believe it’s her.”

Aragorn snuck his way in your trial and watched from above, making sure to keep discreet. After the introduction and overview of your charges, and people fighting it out with you remaining silent, you were suddenly asked a question that piqued his interest.

“Can you read and write?”

“Yes, I can.”

Everyone present stared at each other, muttering amongst each other, shocked that a woman who was most certainly not noble and was uneducated knew how to read and write.

You were asked to write out what the judge said, word by word with both hands. The most eloquent speech with advanced words yet you had no struggle writing them down, with your right hand, confusing everyone.

The man that asked you to write remained calm the entire time, as if he was unsurprised, startling you a bit.

“You see, the woman here wrote with her right hand, with perfect handwriting, while her writing with her left hand is nearly illegible. This could only mean she is right handed. The lord was discovered with bruises on the right side of his face, which if we assume she is the murderer, would be probable if she is left-handed. But she is not.”

“Secondly, there were big handprints around the lord’s neck. The woman here has quite small hands. A woman’s strength could only do so much to try and choke a man let alone with small hands.”

The trial went on and on, but came to an end, a good one, since you were cleared of your charges. Due to the everyone’s shock and confusion, and how the evidence countered their expectations, no one cheered nor jeered at the decision. It was dead silent and everyone left without uttering a single word.

Aragorn only smiled to himself, but his smile fell when you ignored him.

And life in Bree went on.

Everyone spent a week talking about how they had wrong thoughts of you, while others were still convinced you didn’t do it. A couple others just didn’t care and were annoyed to even hear about you. But after a week, the chatter all died down and everyone minded their own business, unless it was something about their married neighbor beginning an affair with another woman.

Aragorn found you at your place, cleaning your home with a lot of things packed.

“Going somewhere?”

“Finishing what I did not get to,” you said, not looking at him. “Why are you here?”

“I wanted to see if you are well.”

“I am… well, I suppose. I’m not in a shitty cell with a similar embodiment to hell anymore.”

“I don’t expect a thanks or-”

“Thank you,” you suddenly said, finally facing him. “I’m sorry for doubting you. I really did think it was over for me.”

“I don’t blame you for doubting me, but I am your friend. You helped me before and it’s about time I returned the favour.”

“I am still going away for a while. I do not think I want to come back to Bree after a short time with everything that has happened. I understand you do not want to come with me, but I will come back, I promise.”

“About that. I think I decided that I do want to travel with you. It’s that this time, we’re not running away from something terrible.”

You ran towards him to give him a hug, perhaps the biggest hug he ever had in his life, and he heard you start to cry again. This time, you were not crying out of desperation.

No, you were crying of happiness. Happiness because you get to travel around the world with your favourite person, and the only person in your life left that mattered.

#lord of the rings imagine #lotr imagine #aragorn x reader #aragorn imagine

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orange-sora · 10 months ago

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Thoughts on TGCF Vol 3

Vol 1 | Vol 2| Vol 3| Vol 4| Vol 5| Vol 6| Vol 7| Vol 8

*Spoilers*

Arc 2: Heart as gentle as a flower

I didn't talk much about the second arc in the last post because most of everything happened in the third volume and I wanted to keep it all together.

To me, this arc was the hardest to read up till now. I was wishing for it all to end which was a sentiment that took over Xie Lian as well as his confidence in what it means to do the right thing waned with the progression of Xianle-Yongan conflict. While in the beginning, he believed wholeheartedly that saving someone, doing something was still better than nothing at all, by the end of it, it was clear that much of his suffering had been futile.

It truly was a hopeless conflict, I reflected a lot on what could be done, what really is the right thing to do and in the end there were no answers. In the face of destiny, there's not much anyone can do and as the state preceptor said: when humans ascend, they're still humans. Gods are still humans, they don't know better and they can't save anyone. Only people believed that Xie Lian should be invincible. He wasn't and could never be.

I applaud MXTX for her depiction of the events as something genuinely unstoppable with so many factors that it becomes paralysing to take any decisions. Having kindness and compassion for all means that making 'necessary' sacrifices is unacceptable as there's nothing, no act in this world that's wholly beneficial, it'll harm someone or something. There's no pure goodness.

Xie Lian did his best though, all his decisions were deliberate, rooted in his virtue, kindness and his desire to save people. He walked the walk, it just didn't make any difference. He was too young to have faced it all and by the end of it, the exhaustion and the inadequacy of his powers caught up to him.

Death isn't something that is deserved/undeserved, it's not punishment that the innocents must be protected from. It simply is and that I think is the most important lesson here.

Qi Rong and the Human Face Disease

Qi Rong was a nuisance from the start. He really brings out the worst in Xie Lian (sibling effect). Out of everyone, he believed too much in Xie Lian's indestructibility and it's not shocking that he ended up hating him so, commissioning those disrespectful statues, inciting the populace to blame him for it all, burning his mother's corpse and possessing Guzi's father. Hua Cheng's hate for him makes complete sense. Xie Lian feeding him his deathly congee was hilarious though.

I didn't realise the severity of Human Face Disease when it was first mentioned in Vol 1. But arc 2 really presented it as one of the creepiest fictional diseases I've ever read. It's the most horrific manifestation of unjust death and I'm just glad it's not a real life thing.

Mu Qing, Feng Xin and The Three Tumors

Seeing the relationship the Xianle trio shared with each other, I finally understood the awkwardness in their interactions during the first volume. While Feng Xin is fairly easy to understand (loyal, faithful, straightforward), I think Mu Qing is one of the most interesting characters. He's insecure but decisive, he respects Xie Lian but also envies him. To him, the end justifies the means which is in complete contradiction to Xie Lian who wants justice at all levels. There are so many complicated emotions between them and the way they go about it is entertaining to read. I hope they can clear out the misunderstanding as we progress further in the story.

The interactions between the Heavenly Officials, especially the Three Tumors, were unexpectedly funny. Every official is multi-dimensional and has a unique personality. It really offered the much needed light-heartedness after the misery of the second arc. I also really like the Wind Master. He's friendly, even when he messes up in shielding Xie Lian from others (poor guy has bad timings). I am looking forward to how they'll deal with the Reverend.

Side note- Ming Yi focused only on the feast is so me lol.

Hua Cheng's unwavering devotion, first kiss, Ruoye vs eming

I didn't expect them to have met so many times. They really were connected throughout their lives. Out of everyone, I think he was the only one who reciprocated Xie Lian's kindness and consideration.

In my heart, you are god! You are the only god, the one true god! Do you hear me?!”

He fulfilled his promise of building the most extravagant temple for Xie Lian and celebrating him with plays and three thousand lanterns. (XL is the light of his life after all). They're so cute and they finally kissed!! Underwater too!! It was still weird though. Just as weird as Xie Lian's heat from the Land of the Tenders. I don't know what I think about it all except for it reminded me of the awkwardness of Mo Dao Zu Shi.

Another cute thing was Ruoye showing off in front of Eming as he cut vegetables for Xie Lian's poisonous soup (?). Them competing against each other and puffing out when Xie Lian praised them was the highlight for me.

#tgcf #tian guan ci fu #heaven official's blessing #hualian #xie lian #hua cheng #feng xin #mu qing #shi qingxuan #mxtx #mxtx tgcf #orange pops #heaven official's curse on me #ruoye #eming #e ming

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sciderman · 1 year ago

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I also tried to find that Peter neurodivergent post recently and yup, vanished. But anyway, I just read your post and tags responding to that other person's ask saying they can't find it. I really really don't think you sound stupid (not that I'm a professional either).

That post hit deep for me because as someone very new to getting therapy, it reminded me of my first session (in which I said, do I have audhd or what?). My therapist told me first thing "there's a lot of overlap between these traits you're listing and trauma". I kinda sat back like 🧍she said what's more important is making sure I'm functioning, coping... That not everything needs a label unless I really want one. I went home and asked my housemate (who's currently doing their psychology masters) and she said, "yeah, both often get misdiagnosed for the other".

That kinda changed my whole perspective on everything and so reading your post brought me back to that. Hoo, emotional and stuff,,

Enough rambling though, my points are:

• Thank you for saying that, it meant a lot (I'm kinda crying haha)

• You're right about it all to my knowledge!

• I hope everything's okay with you and you're happy with what stuff will mean for you ❤️ good luck and all that!

(sorry for the essay)

bless you anon!! i'm really proud of you for taking the steps into therapy, and i really hope that it's a helpful experience in getting to understand yourself better! wishing you so, so much luck on your journey, anon!

i definitely think labels aren't for everyone - and sometimes, sometimes they can be a stifling thing. it's a fantastic thing when you need to simplify something to explain to someone else - especially fantastic when you need someone else to make considerations for you. i find i only really use labels when i need someone else to understand something about me in a simple sort of a way. so i say "bisexual" when i need to explain myself quickly, but it's a shorthand, and there's probably a much more complicated label that might fit me better - pan, maybe, but who has time or courage to explain pan to a 50-something-white-guy - certainly not i, so - for ease of understanding, i'll put myself in that box.

i think labels are fantastic when they make your life simpler - but sometimes they can do the adverse when you realise they don't fit as well as you'd thought. when you need a label to fit, and you feel that pressure to fit into it when - actually, actually, you are more complicated than that. then - then, you might realise, the label isn't for you, and you can either hunt down another or - be easy with the fact that you're a unique beast, and not everything will fit all the time. there's overlap, and every brain case is so so unerringly unique to the person.

it's like lgbt+ labels, lord knows, the kids are inventing a new one every week because there's no way to encompass everyone's unique approach to attraction. we can say "this is me, and you might feel similar" and that helps - but truly, no human is 1:1. no experience is 1:1. one of you watched cats (2019) and it irreparably altered your viewpoint on the world once you saw fuzzy idris elba dance on the screen. one of you (mercifully) didn't, and didn't sustain that trauma. you're different.

i hope any explanations you get help you move forwards, anon! but i hope you're also comfortable in the knowledge that there ain't no thing like you, 'cept you! (and i love you)

#sci speaks

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kiawren · 10 months ago

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Okay I wanted to study math but I got so distracted by important kiawren thoughts..

You know how some time ago I posted this about the fire-crested wren's story making me think about kiawren (I realised there was a typo, I didn't type out the 'wren' after 'fire-crested' woops.)

Today I realised I didn't dwell on the other part of the chapter I read this at. One of the hawaiian stories of Maui finding fire relates to him learning from birds who could make fire. (you can read the full thing here, it's cool I found it online after reading this in person but my new phone doesn't have the pics of the pages)

And like..... ... I was thinking how it is birds that first alight fire in this folklore. And Kiawe... Maybe his fire burns passionately becuz of Wren. Yes he's always had the drive in him, but a new sort of fire was kindled after he met Wren. It's a new sort of love and passion. Especially becuz he talks about feeling down and unsure about the future until but he says talking to (the player) helps.

Similar to this Pokemon Masters storyline:

He can and does feel burnt out (haha) sometimes and it really helps to know the people and pokemon around him care for him and want to achieve their goals together. So, I think with Wren around he'd have a new sort of motivation and looking forward to show them his progress. (Becuz he does all this for pokemon and people in the first place, to learn about the connections between the natural world and people through this cultural art.)

Wow ok I'm going off tangent. Uhm basically he needs a bird to keep his fire alive. (The bird meaning me)

Something else,

I find it comforting that he'd also know Banyan trees becuz they also have stories where I'm from: (there are more apart from these)

I think Kiawe would like that the former myth relates to music (the kompang drum) since he's a traditional dancer that also appreciates traditional music.

This is the same sccreenshot as the second picture on this post but I was quite glad to read they were baking bananas. Becuz I love goreng pisang that you can find in my region🤤🤤🤤 (fried banana)

Like! We could tell each other these stories and remark about their similarities (also, the snake in the Banyan was killed and Maui broke a neck and burned the head of the birds in the earlier story, but I didn't screenshot that part. Interestingly they have the animals on the losing end lol) and find parts of it that relates to us, even though these stories were shaped in different places.

The main thing I wanted to say is that Kiawren is so special to me for relating our love to the stories and symbols of the world, so that it goes past just "haha us" to wow I'm learning a lot of things because of you, and it's a larger than life feeling.

Also I remembered this silly drawing I did last time. If you asked Kiawe about loving Wren he'd probably remark that he loves them simply, becuz he cares for them and likes learning with and spending time with them. And if you ask me about loving him, I'd tell you about the fire-crested wren, the birds that made fire on trees that led Maui to bring fire to people, the way the Pacific Ring of Fire and the way tectonic plates subduct to form volcanoes reminds me of him and us. The Dragon and Phoenix in Chinese myth are celestial beings and when paired together represent marriage and prosperity. (He reminds me of reptilians, hardy and seemingly fierce but can be gentle. The dragon is formidable. He also has dragon, charizard, that used to be his grandfather's, the ex island kahuna and yes I'm following the pokeani story here cuz i like incorporating it with his game character. So yes I associate him with the dragon. And I'm the phoenix becuz bird. And also he loves fire. The dragon and the fire-bird. ) Chalk it up to age-old mythologies and natural phenomena that is a symbol of us before we even met, and even if we part.

#LOLL I typed all this instead of studying I'm so cooked for math.#Sorry mathematics statistics I don't think you count as an emotion. Kiawrenning is an important step in a person's life #Kiawren #About kiawren #He's so perfect for me can you tell #When he started out at an f/o I would never have thought since simply being a comfort character to me he'd become like. Literally a part of #my brain #Wren chirping #Loving you is loving the world

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commander-rahrah · 2 years ago

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I'm so glad that you have my ask & that you're going to slowly explodre in your Astarion x Reader fanfic! I love how Astarion realises that Reader is seeing through his facade!

1. How it makes him nervous & questions their intentions. Then he would wonder how they think about what they see 🥺

2. He would ask them as a way to tease them but desperately wants to know why they're doing this. When they explained it, he told them how puzzling they are

3. Just how much Reader insists that his consent matters & how he can change his mind even if he suggested it is something I definitely want for him!

4. He would mask it well but it does something for him every time they thank him 🥹

5. Reader would apologise even though they only did it to save him while Astarion is reassuring them that it's fine 😭

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts because I love it so much :)

Here's my idea that I would love to hear your opinion! Just to let you know this is quite self-indulgent XD How would Astarion react to GN!Reader explaining to him the reason they always try to help others is because not only do they know how it felt to be helpless, they also know how much it meant to them when they got help when they need it the most?

What do you think of it? I'm curious :3

Fuck, this is gonna be long and rambley and I apologize but god do I love the concept of this, and its something I have been putting little bits into my Astarion series (especially chapter 2 and 4). So first, I feel like I need to talk about Astarion not liking it when you help people when you first start out.

I love all of the posts and art that is made of Astarion admitting that he asked all the gods for help and none of them did, and about how he hates heroes since none ever came for him (including the post about the quote from The Last Unicorn - god it kills me).

And I feel like this makes for such an interesting dynamic when Tav/Reader is a bit of a do-gooder, since it exasperates and bewilders him so much. Maybe even angers him a bit -- especially in the case of a God worshipping, or blessed (like in the case for my series) Tav/Reader. At first his thoughts and opinions are entirely selfish, no one ever came for him, no God or Hero answered, where were you 200 years ago when he was crying and begging? No where. But here now, you were pouring your heart out and risking your neck for vulnerable idiots but he is right there - help him, focus on his tasks like the damn tadpole in your brains and the master vampire that could be lurking around any corner!

But as he falls more and more in love, I like to think that Astarion starts to realize how kismet it is that he met you when he did. That if you were alive 200 years ago and offered him a sliver of kindness he would have seen it as a weakness and seized the opportunity to drop you off back at the castle as another sacrificial lamb. He realizes that if your God never answered your prayer, or blessed you, etc. you may not even have ever been here. And what would his life be like if he hadn't met you? For a time I think he would worry about others taking advantage of your kindness and desire to always help (especially since he did that himself) and would definitely voice it to you. You would just shrug and agree, stating that people have and they probably would continue too. But that wouldn't ever stop you from doing the right thing.

Eventually, I like to believe that for a Tav/Reader of this nature and a non-ascended Astarion, your own kindness and desire to help is one of the things he loves most about you. So much so, that it starts to seep into him, re-igniting the long extinguished flame for such acts in his heart and soul. It definitely wouldn't make him completely change and flip his personality, he wouldn't start just giving things out and running a charity or something -- but I think he would start seeing the world a little brighter and he would want to be a slightly better participant in it as your partner.

In regards to Tav/Reader explaining why they help people the way they do, I feel like specific reasoning would have to lay in the hands of the reader or player - especially because everyone comes up with such creative, wonderful ideas for their characters. Like my Selune blessed Tav from the Talking to the Moon series (aka my tiefling bard Olympia) is this weird combination of just genuinely wanting to be seen as helpful and good for once, recognizing their privilege as a noble and wanting to use it for good, wanting to rebel from the expectations placed on them a bit and also they have this innate purpose that drives them, which is a big part of their blessing from Selune. But I feel like for a good general theme for this ask would be that saying of "The gentleness that comes, not from the absence of violence, but despite the abundance of it." That even if Reader/Tav had experienced a world that was not kind to you, that you found something good and kind and gentle and clung to it, something or someone else or maybe just yourself. And what an example you would be for Astarion.

Thank you for the ask anon!! As you can tell I still love talking about Astarion x Tav ahaha, even months later. Sorry about the delay in answering it, lots happening in my personal life that has taken time away from my writing! If anyone reading this is looking for updates on Talking to the Moon, please know I am working on it and doing my best to get it out for January! xxx

#long post #bg3 astarion #astarion x tav #astarion x reader #astarion analysis #commander-rahrah answers

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saikolikes · 2 years ago

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“Si vis pacem, te ipsum vince”: the meaning behind Erina’s banner

I’m sure most people have noticed it, as it was shown firstly in the trailer and then in the opening: “Si vis pacem, te ipsum vince” seems to be the official motto of Persona 5 Tactica, and is indeed present on Erina’s banner when she uses Flag of Freedom.

The slogan is in latin, it roughly translates as “If you want peace, you must conquer yourself,” and it’s an alteration tailored to the game from the most commonly known “Si vis pacem, para bellum” (If you want peace, prepare for war).

What most don’t know (myself included before digging deeper to make this post), is that even the “original” phrase wasn’t exactly born as such and is itself an adaptation of a wider paragraph from a military treaty — Vegetius’ De Re Militari or “Epitome of military science” (the following quote comes from the beginning of Book 3):

Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum; qui uictoriam cupit, milites inbuat diligenter; qui secundos optat euentus, dimicet arte, non casu.

From what I read, the author does a sort of introduction by citing war masters from the past, including Athens and Sparta, and declares his task in compiling all their teachings in one place. Then, he concludes by saying “Therefore, the one who desires peace shall be ready for war; the one who longs for victory shall diligently instruct his soldiers; the one who’s after success shall fight following the art of war, not chance.”

The concept here is clear: you can’t search for and uphold peace without being skilled in battle and ready to fight for that peace if need be… which is a pretty interesting message in the wider scheme of Tactica.

(Warning for story spoilers from here onwards)

I didn’t reflect on it much as I was playing, especially because the game never gives you any “official” translation of what’s written on Erina’s banner. But as I went back to thinking about it, I realised just how fitting this alteration is. The whole deal with Salmael is peace should be the ultimate goal for mankind, a state of existence where no conflict is necessary—on the contrary, conflict is viewed as a bad thing, because it causes hurt and is ultimately harmful. So it makes perfect sense that “Si vis pacem, para bellum” is something that goes against Salmael’s philosophy.

What bothers me, instead, is that it perfectly fits what Erina represents, as is and without any alteration: she battles Marie like rebels do tyrants because the peace in the Kingdom has been disrupted and she wants it back. Putting metaphors aside, Toshiro is the one that realises that only by opposing his father and his fiancé he can right the wrongs that his family committed, and eventually find peace within himself. “Si vis pacem, para bellum” is actually already tailored on what the game is about, so thinking back about the alteration they made, I can’t quite explain it.

It has to be said, though, that “Si vis pacem, te ipsum vince” is also fitting. Reconciling with one’s Shadow self, tame it and embrace it is what awakening a Persona is all about and what Toshiro does later on in the story, so to have “If you want peace, you must conquer yourself” written on Erina’s banner is also a really nice touch!

I guess my main point here is that both phrases go well with the story’s themes and plot, but I do have to say, removing “para bellum” kind of ends up reinforcing Salmael’s point, which is that war (=conflict) isn’t necessary. It ultimately serves P5’s whole narrative that puts individuals at the center of societal changes without questioning too much what role society at large plays: it is acknowledged society needs reform, but reforming passes through righteous people and removing bad apples rather than dismantling and rebuilding anew a system that is designed to be exploitative. More so that “te ipsum” is a bit like saying “you yourself” so I’d argue that a really great emphasis is put on the person/individual. Also worth noting that “te ipsum” is specifically male-gendered as “ipsum” is accusative cause (direct object) for both male (“ipse) and neutral (“ipsum”) pronouns, but “te” is accusative case for the pronoun “tu” which can only be used referring to a person; this means that if the phrase was to be female-gendered it would be “te ipsam vince”. So it really seems to be tailored to Toshiro.

I think what they did with Tactica’s motto is cool (if anything because it let me put my high school diploma at use again after 7 years lol) and definitely a nice addition that shows this game was made with a decent level of care for being a spinoff… at the same time, I can’t help but find a subtle contradiction in the alteration they made.

#persona 5 #persona 5 tactica #p5t #tactica spoilers #persona 5 tactica spoilers #p5 meta #meta #p5t meta #persona 5 once again brainrottimg me to the point i go fish back for my latin

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mrhaitch · 1 year ago

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Hello Mr. Haitch, how are you ? I reckon that since you're an author married to an another wonderful author, you may be familiar with the self-doubt and overall bleh feeling that comes with writing and not really finding pleasure or purpose in it anymore. My question is : how do you deal with that ? I don't see myself as a writer but I still try to nurture this hobby, it's just been hard when everything I write ends up feeling flat at best, unreadable at worst. I don't really have writer pals or readers who give me feedback and I was a bit sad to realise that even when sharing my writing on online spaces where there are no stakes, it still feels like a race to notes and interactions. How can I keep pushing past this ? How do I improve when no one gives me feedback ?

I'm doing well, thank you anon.

Yes this is all familiar to me, and it's something I'm presently overcoming myself (I think it's been over two years since I managed to complete something).

I think there's a few different things here to address so I'll take them each in turn.

Motivation - Loss of motivation is inevitable. All love affairs have peaks and troughs, creative ones doubly so. Accepting that what you're feeling now will pass in time can help, but it's not a cure. When I feel like a failure I try to remember something Neil Gaiman talked about a few years back: writing is a lot like trying to get to the top of a mountain, with every word being a single step closer or another foot surmounted. If you find there's a time you can't write, you're not going backwards, you're just standing in place. Sometimes you have to in order to catch your breath. Forgive yourself for taking a breather - and try to figure out why you need it.

Writing in isolation - This has been my own experience, to tell the truth. I hold a Masters degree in Creative Writing and sat through many hours of workshops, but even then it still felt like I was writing alone - that somehow the conversations that took place in those groups were competitive and unconstructive; everyone eyeing each other, asking 'do you like me? do you like my work? is this okay?'. Writing can be lonely, especially with that first draft where you're writing with the door closed, just figuring out the story one line at a time. You can experience several lifetimes in the space of an hour and occasionally emerge from your writing place, puffy faced and wild-eyed, feeling like you have to tell someone what you just witnessed, but find people give you a quizzical look and fail to understand. Working with others, sharing with others, especially people who do understand can be a wonderful balm for such extended (and sometimes necessary) solitude - but it can have it's own problems. Sometimes you internalise the expectations and tastes of others in such a way that proves more of a hindrance then a help. Which brings me to-

Writing for a social media profile - I've done this myself some times and fell into the same trap you describe: second guessing my work for the sake of a theoretical audience, interpreting a lack of engagement as a sign of my own failures or short-comings as a writer. Even when I published for the first time, and then again for a second, I have only met one person who read my work and it was only because they were published in the same anthology. The relationship between artist and audience is difficult, fraught might be a better word, and one that deserves its own post. Sometimes the audience feels they're owed something by the artist, sometimes the artist senses that expectation and subjects their work to censure to adapt it to what they think the audience wants from them. In the end you've got a work that satisfies no one. Social media can help you find an audience - but it's also a medium built around habit, dependency, and engagement. It's not a true reflection of your worth, but rather how closely what you produce as an artist best fits that platforms algorithms and business models. And, here I'm flirting with arrogance a bit, you should never really concern yourself with what everyone might think.

As for advice, here's the best I've got: find whatever it is that brings you to the page and keeps you there. If trying to satisfy the expectations of others isn't helping, then focus on what you want. How would you tell this story, if you were the only person to ever read it? How would you excite yourself, challenge yourself, enlighten yourself?

Beyond that I'd suggest reading a lot and reading widely. Feed the creative compost heap that dwells in the darker, mustier corners of your mind, and see what weird and wonderful things take root.

And if you want something to prime the engine, watch this short interview with Ray Bradbury towards the end of his life. It always cheers me up:

youtube

#mr.haitch #pseudowho #mr haitch #mrhaitch #mrhaitch answers you too #pseudowho answers you

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innerchorus · 1 year ago

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Arslan Senki Chapter 126 (Part 1)

SPOILERS for this chapter, obviously. The cliffhanger ending on this one is quite something and obviously a big departure from the novels.

We're straight into the Andragoras vs. Hilmes duel at the start of the chapter, and at this point I was sure that this would be the most stressful part? And it was pretty stressful, especially seeing Hilmes appear on the defensive and then watching as Andragoras kneed him in the chest/stomach... but then Hilmes managing to kick Andragoras's elbow from his position on the floor lifted my spirits somewhat!

Good move, Denka!

They're... really trying to kill each other here though, and that fills me with fear.

However, as they part with a hand to their respective injuries (nothing major for either, but Andragoras's arm must be throbbing/numb and Hilmes is winded and bruised) who should appear but the (Un)Holy Master?

He's becoming a bit of a guilty pleasure for me, especially in this scene, I think this time I'm not ashamed to admit that I quite enjoyed him. And at least his appearance had the added bonus of interrupting the duel.

The way he is just like... lounging nonchalantly against the throne.

The 'vwap' sound effect makes it seem very much like he just materialised there. We also get to see him teleport to (partially) evade Andragoras's attack later in this chapter.

Anyway, even Andragoras is shocked, because he recognises him, and yet... this sorcerer should much older than he appears!

Why do I like this panel.

The clawed hand sliding on the arm of the throne 👌

Interesting that he describes himself this way (same as in the novels if I remember correctly). I do think he originally started off as a regular human, but the effects of using this kind of sorcery warp the body over time into something unnatural in more ways than just an extended lifespan. I see some of the changes as deliberate and some as just a consequence of their magic use, though that's only a headcanon.

SNAKE PUPILS 🐍

Anyway after the stress of watching Hilmes and Andragoras try to take each other out it's quite fun to see the Master enjoying himself in the knowledge that the other people in the room know far less then him.

Oh, Hilmes... They were never on your side...

'Sides don't matter', hmm? Is that because we've entered the endgame? Because Zahhak is already free from Mount Demavant? Because this close to triumph, Team Zahhak don't need to pretend to be supporting anyone or anything in particular? Because they were always, always working towards their own aims? Either way, it definitely highlights exactly how poor Hilmes's grasp of the truth is here.

And at this point we divert back to Arslan!

He tells his followers the truth her learned about his origins, and states his aim to head to Mount Demavant and retrieve Rukhnabad. Last chapter, I thought Arakawa might be avoiding this and was planning to have him acquire Rukhnabad incidentally, by bumping into Don Ricardo which is funny because... it kind of does happen like that rather than outright aiming for it, and so when I realised where this chapter was going I was hesitant, but actually I liked it more than I expected to.

The dialogue in this scene is all so good! And it makes this decision more understandable. I would share it but I'd just be posting whole pages at this point, but one thing I will mention is that I was glad to see some discussion of what happened when Hilmes went after the sword and mentions of how Zandeh's actions stopped the earthquake. It feels like Arslan is making a more informed choice with an awareness of the consequences, and an acceptance of the concept that he might be found unworthy, which Hilmes totally lacked.

(For reference, in the novels this declaration of Arslan's intent to retrive Rukhnabad is a brief scene with like three lines of dialogue. Arslan basically says he'll go to Mount Demavant to retrieve the sword, prove he is qualified to rule, and then become Shah, and Gieve immediately agrees to be his guide. Arakawa did a much better job. I know Tanaka is the original creator but honestly... elements of that part felt out of character to me, and I think Arakawa manages to acknowledge precisely what was bothering me, so I'm now more on board with Arslan's decision.)

Now back to the throne room, where I will try to prevent myself from sharing yet more screencaps of the bastard himself.

No more snake pics in this post challenge: failed. Will you believe me if I say I wanted to post this image because of Hilmes?

Anyway, the big secret is out and Andragoras is NOT happy. The first half of the chapter ends with him taking a huge swipe at the Master with his sword that not only appears to cut him in half but also slashes straight through the ACTUAL THRONE behind him.

Andragoras, exactly how strong are you? What is your blade made of that it can cut right through the throne like that?

And at this point I'm realising how long this post is, so like the Kmanga chapter releases I'm going to split it into two parts. Stay tuned for Part 2 coming soon, in the meantime I'll leave you with Hilmes's utter shock at what is actually quite an epic moment from Andragoras (and just about the only one where we can cheer for him unreservedly).

#arslan senki #the heroic legend of arslan #arslan senki spoilers #andragoras #hilmes #the master #team zahhak #arslan

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jazlynriddle-legacy · 9 months ago

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Welcome to your life - Pt 1:

Everybody Wants To Rule THEIR World Ch 13:

Summary:

"You need only close your eyes to it and be happy and safe with us."

The Keeper (player) has already secured the repository and Sebastian's loyalty, emboldening his descent into darkness. Now, they just need to win over Ominis, cure Anne, and create a domain to call their own.

And not necessarily in that order.

The Keeper's tale, a post-game story of a morally-grey, pragmatic, Chaotic Neutral, non-binary, muggleborn, orphan player character, so burned by 1800s orphanages, that they became a power hoarder who demands more payment for quests, burns paintings but doesn't want to rule the world, just their own territory and the two boys who'd caught their eye.

Warnings: Sebastian x MC x Ominis! Spoilers! Dark content! Slow-burn canon-compilant corruption! Fucked up 1800s orphanages! MC has no love for Anne or Solomon! Dubious happy ending (it's happy for MC, Seb and Ominis at least).

You can also read on AO3! (chapter specific warnings below)

Notes:

Warnings: Canon-typical violence, descriptions of blood and injuries, all that fun stuff.

So, I'm about to be a Game/Dungeon Master for a homebrew DnD campaign for the first time tomorrow, and I'm absolutely terrified- wish me luck and I hope ya'll like the chapter! TvT

Ominis hummed absently as he tended to the small garden outside the Feldcroft house. The Keeper had brought back some Plantain seeds with them from their last trip to Dìon Castle for him to plant in their garden.

It never hurt to have some on hand, in case they needed a healing salve for internal injuries that wiggenweld couldn't heal.

Hearing the sound of the front door opening and footsteps approaching, Ominis lifted his head curiously. From the light and carefully measured footsteps, it was likely to be the Keeper, since Sebastian’s stride was more quick and confident.

"Heading to Dìon?" Ominis asked with a small smile.

He’d come to realise over the school break, that the Keeper was always doing something. The only time they were still, was when they were thinking and planning, or sleeping.

He really wished they did the last one more often, Ominis simply couldn’t understand how they could function with so little sleep. Somehow, they’d even managed to find the time to complete their holiday homework while juggling their management of the castle.

The Keeper's voice reached his ears. "Yes, I'll be checking on the elves and I found a cave down by the lake I wanted to search for limestone."

"Alone?" Ominis' concern was plain in his voice, exploring was dangerous, especially without magic.

The Keeper chuckled fondly. "No, I will be exploring with Sebastian and Tynx, if and when Sebastian finally gets off the bed."

"I'll kick Sebastian awake if he doesn't get up soon then." Ominis shook his head with a wry smile.

"Tell him to get his arse to Dìon or I'll go without him." The Keeper's voice drifted away with a playful lilt, followed by a gust of wind.

Ominis brushed a hand over his hair, checking for any stray strands that might have been tossed by the Keeper’s broom. How did they even get such a fast one-

"Was that the fifth year mudblood?" A scathing masculine voice grated on Ominis' ears from somewhere off to the right. It sounded vaguely familiar.

"Looks like, what the fuck is that thing doing in a wizarding village like Feldcroft?" That voice was easier to recognise, a boy from the Macnair family, which helped Ominis place the other voice as Selwyn.

What in Merlin's name were those sixth-year bullies doing here?

"Oh, Sallow's guest? Well, they've been living with him since the break began." A feminine voice replied, one of the Ndiaye twins, Ominis easily figured.

"Sallow? I guess he has been hanging with it recently, can't believe he'd let that thing live with him, doesn't it stink the place up?" Selwyn sniggered nastily and Ominis struggled to quell the anger that swelled in his chest.

"We should teach it that it doesn't belong in a village like this, let alone our noble House." Macnair spat. Ominis tensed in alarm.

"Babe, come on, let's not waste time talking about other people." Another voice joined the conversation Ominis was eavesdropping on, that was definitely the other Ndiaye twin sister.

"Yeah, it's not every day we have the house to ourselves." The first sister's flirty voice reasserted itself.

"...fine." Macnair's voice was reluctant but quickly switched back to a cocky drawl. "Did I mention that we're able to use magic outside of school now?"

"Wow, really?" The second Ndiaye twin tittered in exaggerated amazement.

"Of course…"

Ominis relaxed as the giggles of the girls and the boys' voices faded into the distance. It looked like the Ndiaye twins were dating a pair of sixth year Slytherin bullies. Great taste. Or maybe it was their money the twins liked.

He'd heard of Macnair and Selwyn bullying half-bloods and muggleborns relatively often. Sadly, with Professor Black as the headmaster, ruffians like them were getting away with it far more than they should.

Hopefully they wouldn't try anything, the next term was their seventh year after all. Surely, they wouldn't compromise their own graduation by doing something stupid only a week before the new school year.

"What's down that alleyway?" The Keeper asked curiously as they shoved the last textbook they'd purchased into their pouch.

Sebastian glanced in the direction they were pointing. "Oh, that's Knockturn Alley."

"Doesn't seem as popular as Diagon." The Keeper mused, noting the way the crowd flowed past the entryway, as though trying not to acknowledge its existence.

"For good reason, Knockturn plays host to many dangerous and unpleasant people." Ominis muttered darkly.

"You've been down that street before, then?" The Keeper asked, their interest growing at that statement.

"Unfortunately." Ominis grimaced. "My family often has dealings with unpleasant people. So, I've been forced to accompany my parents now and then. Trust me, you don't want to go there."

"Well, at least while we can't use magic." Sebastian whispered into the Keeper’s ear with a grin.

"I heard that." Ominis glared in Sebastian's direction. "Trust me, having magic wouldn't make it any less dangerous, particularly for you, Sebastian."

The Keeper shook their head. "I agree. Your emotional self-control is still not ideal for a dangerous encounter that can't end in murder."

Sebastian grumbled but, to his credit, didn't argue. Ominis looked mildly unsettled by the Keeper's wording but also relieved to have had them on his side on the subject.

"Let's get going then, we still need to buy potion materials and I want to check out the rest of Diagon Alley." The Keeper nudged the boys along as they continued past and away from the fork leading into Knockturn Alley.

If Ominis thought the Keeper wasn't eventually going to explore Knockturn Alley on their own, they weren’t going to correct him.

Sebastian'd had a point, traipsing into a dangerous place without magic would be foolish. As such, the Keeper would simply wait till they got an opportunity to investigate during the school year. For now, they would focus on acquiring the materials and textbooks needed for the new term.

Hopefully they’d still have time to see everything Diagon Alley had to offer. They'd already burned a decent amount of the day in a meeting with Fixtlick Flitwick. He'd given them their shiny new vault key, made of goblin silver, and they'd then spent the rest of the meeting discussing the wards they wished to place on the Dìon Castle grounds.

The Keeper had requested some basic wards; the unplottable ward that removes a location from all maps, the anti-apparition ward that prevents apparition within its borders like in Gringotts, a distraction ward like the one on the Leaky Cauldron entrance to Diagon Alley, and an illusion ward that made the plot appear to still be a hill with some ruins rather than a proper castle.

They also got a rather expensive blood binding ward that gave them full control of any magical aspects they add to their territory. Such as detection charms that would go off if anyone approached their land and allowed the Keeper to track intruders. As well as grant or deny the ability to apparate freely and permit access to management of the wards.

These protections would have to do, till they could figure out how to cast the Fidelius Charm. Which would render a majority of the basic wards moot, but the Keeper wasn't going to risk their sanctuary just to save some galleons.

The Keeper paused, noticing Sebastian staring into the window of a gaudy looking shop. They couldn’t imagine what could possibly be attracting his attention in there.

"How much money do we have left?"

"No."

"Come on, Ominis, I haven't even said what I wanted to buy!"

"You don't need to, Sebastian, we don't need it."

"Ominis!"

The Keeper's eyes were narrowed in concentration as they measured and calculated the quantity of limestone that they had been collecting for the last three days from the caves they'd explored with Sebastian. Scribbling notes on the journal that they were using to keep track of the work they'd been putting into the plot over the past five weeks.

It had been slow going, but it wouldn't be very long before they were ready to lay the foundations. Though that would have to wait till after school began in four days. Deciding to keep as many rare plants as they could had turned out to be even more complicated than the Keeper had anticipated.

The sheer amount of rare and valuable plants growing in random spots across the castle grounds had necessitated a tedious amount of planning in order to avoid losing them during clean up. Forcing Ominis and the Keeper to spend hours selecting various locations to temporarily move the potted plants to, where they wouldn't, well, die immediately.

The house elf magic of Tibsy and Tynx had been instrumental in the actual uprooting, potting and relocation of the plants and, over the course of working together, it seemed that the elves were becoming more comfortable around the Keeper.

"Master, we've finished tending the plants, perhaps Master should consider retiring for the night?"

Well, the elves still insisted on calling the Keeper 'Master' despite having been given free rein to call the Keeper literally anything.

The Keeper shot Tynx a lazy smirk. "Giving me orders? You've been spending too much time with Ominis."

"Not at all, Master, merely a suggestion." Tynx lowered his head respectfully, adjusting his coat as he did. "Tibsy has already returned from preparing dinner at the Feldcroft house."

"Is that so?" The Keeper sighed, tucking away their journal. "Very well, Ominis would be upset if I skipped dinner."

"I'll speak with Sebastian about the ratio of clay to limestone needed and give you and Tibsy the verdict tomorrow morning." The Keeper summoned their broom, grasping the handle loosely. "For now, you guys can move the limestone Sebastian and I found to the Keep ruins."

"Yes, Master, have a safe flight." Tynx nodded as the Keeper mounted their broom, waving as they shot off into the night.

The Keeper smiled to themselves, honestly, the development of the castle was going much faster than they’d expected. In the muggle world, such an undertaking would be beyond ludicrous for three sixteen-year-old kids with two slaves.

In the wizarding world, it only took them a little over a month to get reasonably close to being ready to start mixing and compressing the materials to create the foundations. The collection of materials that they needed to build their castle fortress was going surprisingly smooth, thanks to Sebastian's tireless research.

The caves in the area were good sources of limestone and one could easily harvest clay from soil. Fortunately, the dry and cracked earth by the northern mountainside seemed to be particularly rich in said clay. Making cement from them shouldn't be too difficult as long as they got the ratios correct.

Same went for the Cement-stabilised Rammed Earth that they were going to use to craft the castle walls, roofs, and foundations. They'd selected this material for its ease of crafting, incredible durability, unshakeable stability, weatherproof properties, insulating capabilities and excellent shock absorption.

Cement and clay were already checked off the list, sand was easy to gather from the coast, and soil was literally everywhere.

The elves had spent the last three weeks sifting soil for clay, mixing the loose soil with water, and waiting for an hour before pouring away the debris and collecting the wet clay that sank to the bottom with bags made of fine thread. It took about a day for a bag of clay to dry enough to be used, so the Keeper and the boys had kept busy gathering everything else while the elves prepared the clay and tended the plants.

They would soon have somewhere safe to hide the repository and the Keeper could then start experimenting with their power. They could barely wait.

With these thoughts in their head, the Keeper's mood was pleasant as they arrived in Feldcroft, hopping off their broom, tucking it away, and casually strolling down the dirt path to Sebastian's house.

Which was probably the reason that they were caught off guard by a depulso slamming into their side, throwing them into one of the stone fences around the Feldcroft house.

Searing pain erupted across the Keeper’s side as they crumpled to the floor, a few stones coming loose and falling with them. Ignoring the agony, they scrambled to their feet, tucking, and rolling out of the way as a diffindo slashed uselessly against the rock behind them.

Every breath made their side scream in protest, but each throb of pain only pumped more adrenaline through their veins, sharpening their mind and senses. The instinct to fight drowning out their body’s distress.

The darkness was a disadvantage since they couldn't use magic to cast a revelio, but it seemed like their attackers didn't have enough intelligence to shut up or hide.

"Just- hic- die mudblood!" A young male voice spat, slurring through half his sentence as he threw a reducto at them.

"Nowhere to- urk- run! Expulso!" A second target shouted, sounding equally as intoxicated as the first.

The Keeper rolled again, dodging the second spell while the first shot went wide, stopping their body’s momentum behind the temporary safety of a crate.

Taking the momentary respite, the Keeper knocked back a shot of wiggenweld, tossing the bottle aside and rolling again as a bombarda hit the crate.

Seeing the boys staring stupidly at the crate, the Keeper took the opportunity to map the area, their targets were standing just a few feet from each other. Good, it'll be easier to take them both out quickly if they clustered.

Unfortunately, there were many more feet between the Keeper and their targets. The Keeper ducked a glacius, feeling their ribs creak in their chest, the wet cloth covering their side sticking heavily to the ripped skin that was still knitting itself closed along their side.

The Keeper knew they wouldn't be able to fight for very long, so they would need to focus on disarming the targets and prevent them from using their magic.

Pushing themselves, the Keeper sprinted towards the closest boy, dropping to the floor, and swiping their leg out to knock the first target onto his arse.

With a curse the boy went down, and the Keeper wasted no time, punching him square in the face. They felt a satisfying crunch against their knuckles and the boy fell backwards with a muffled wail.

"Galen!" The boy still standing shouted, stupidly throwing a diffindo that barely missed his friend's thrashing form.

Dodging his spell, the Keeper shot towards the second boy. Ducking under his outstretched wand arm, the Keeper threw themselves into his waist, tackling him to the floor.

Twisting their limbs around the boy, the Keeper kicked his wand out of his grip, stomping on his hand and hearing his fingers crunch under their boot. The boy's mouth opened to release screeches of pain, but before they could escape, the Keeper grabbed a fistful of his black hair and shoved his face into the dirt.

"Now, who the fuck are you and why are you trying to kill me?" The Keeper growled into the pinned boy's ear.

Hearing a sound to their left, the Keeper grabbed a rock off the floor and flung it at the other boy as he tried to crawl away. The rock landed square in the cowardly boy's back, knocking him back to the floor as he choked on the blood streaming from his nose.

The Keeper tightened their grip on the pinned boy's hair, about to lift his head so he could answer their questions, when they heard Ominis' worried voice.

"That way Sebastian!"

The Keeper paused, the red haze of battle clearing slightly from their mind. They probably wouldn’t be able to torture their would-be assassins with Ominis nearby. A part of them hissed at being deprived of satisfaction, but a larger part of them couldn't bear to worry him longer than necessary.

With a reluctant sigh, the Keeper raised their voice, feeling a bite in their chest as they did so. "Over here guys."

"What happened!?" Sebastian called out, as he and Ominis rushed over, alarm sharp in his voice when he caught sight of the red patch of torn cloth along the Keeper's side. "You're hurt!"

The Keeper was mildly amused when Sebastian stepped on the other boy’s back, pushing his face back into the blood covered floor uncaringly as he hastened to their side.

"How bad is it!?" Ominis exclaimed, worriedly hovering behind Sebastian.

"I'm fine, I already took some wiggenweld." The Keeper reassured them, standing gingerly. "These two drunk bastards decided to try and kill me out of nowhere."

"You fought off two wand wielding attackers without magic?" Sebastian asked, sounding impressed.

The Keeper shrugged. "I've known my way around a fight long before I took up a wand, and these morons relied too heavily on theirs, didn't even know how to dodge. I don't suppose either of you know who they might be."

The boy they'd been pinning struggled to his knees, trying to crawl away. It was a truly pathetic display.

"I recognise this one from our house, a year above us I think." Sebastian turned to glare at the boy who he'd stepped on before. "That one I'm not sure."

"Selwyn and Macnair, I believe they're dating the Ndiaye twins." Ominis grimaced, feeling guilty for not having mentioned what he'd overheard a few days ago.

"Ah yes, I believe I saw them bullying a half-blood that one time in the Defence Tower." The Keeper mused.

As they spoke, the two injured boys dragged themselves to their feet, standing together as though that would make them look more intimidating.

"Fucking mudblood, I'll tell my father and you'll be sorry for this." Selwyn spat, the words coming out nasally thanks to his broken nose.

To the Keeper's surprise, Ominis scoffed imperiously, his voice cold and biting. "Just try, if we report you to the ministry, the only damaging spells they'd find here are yours."

His sightless eyes narrowed dangerously. "I wonder how humiliating it would be for everyone to know that a wandless muggleborn laid you both out without any effort."

Macnair snarled at the offence, but backed down when the Keeper cracked their knuckles threateningly.

"You'll regret this!" Macnair growled instead, cradling his broken hand as the two bullies limped away.

The moment the two boys were out of sight, the Keeper doubled over with a groan, placing a hand over their ribs. The bleeding had stopped thanks to the wiggenweld but it felt like their ribs were still fractured.

At their movement, Sebastian quickly reached for them, supporting their weight, and letting them lean against him. "Merlin, I thought you said you were fine!"

"I am." The Keeper huffed with a pained grimace. "Relax, it's probably just a fracture, the wiggenweld closed the gashes and started the mending, but it's not as fast as a healer's treatment. I just need some rest before the bones heal fully."

Sebastian shook his head with a sigh. "Come on, let's get you back to the house."

Ominis placed a hand on Sebastian’s arm. "I'll go on ahead to start mixing a plantain salve. It should accelerate the healing process."

"Good idea." Sebastian nodded and Ominis hurried back towards the house at a brisk pace, while Sebastian refocused on the Keeper. "Alright, let's take it nice and easy."

The Keeper chuckled, wincing at the burn it caused. "My hero."

"Here to rescue your victory lap from the tragic fate of ending on your face." Sebastian grinned as he helped them stumble towards the house.

The walk felt far longer than the Keeper thought it should have, but after much effort, they were finally hobbling through the doorway and limping towards the sofa.

Pausing, the Keeper braced themselves against the backrest while Sebastian carefully cut their clothing off their body. Removing their garments, Sebastian placed the bloody cloth on the table and returned to the Keeper's side.

"Easy now…" Sebastian murmured as he helped them settle on the couch carefully.

"We need to clean off the blood." Ominis dragged the tub they used for bathing out from under the kitchen table till it was beside the sofa. "The elves would probably be helpful to give us some water for that."

The Keeper grimaced, they must be more out of it than they'd believed, to not have thought of that sooner. "Tibsy."

With a pop the small elf appeared, immediately she gasped in shock at the drying blood covering their left side. "Master! Are you alright!?"

"I'm fine Tibsy, could you summon some water in the tub?" The Keeper reassured her.

"Of course!" Tibsy snapped her fingers, conjuring water in the tub immediately.

"Thanks." Sebastian nodded, grabbing the cloth that the Keeper normally used to wash with and dipping it in the water.

Wringing out the excess water, Sebastian began to gently clean the blood off the Keeper's torso. "Does it hurt?"

The Keeper shook their head. "Don't worry about that, I'm more eager to be clean so I can lie down."

Ominis sighed as the Keeper evaded the question, shaking his head as he mixed the salve together, grounding up the Plantain with chamomile and adding the powder to a bowl with the wet ingredients.

"There, that should do it…" Sebastian nodded, dropping the cloth back into the, now red, water. Wincing at the sight of the dark bruise forming on the Keeper's skin.

He should have been there. Fighting by their side.

Sebastian felt his stomach twist.

"Hey. Don't do that." The Keeper chided, glaring at Sebastian. "I'm used to magic-less combat, you aren't. You would have been a liability."

Sebastian blinked. "...I don't know if I should feel comforted or offended."

The Keeper shrugged. "Take it however you will, it's simply a fact. Without a wand your presence would not necessarily have prevented my injury. It might have even been worse. So, stop beating yourself up for this."

"They're right Sebastian, we would have been useless in that fight, now move please." Ominis chimed in, holding up an armful of bandages and the bowl of mixed salve.

"Fine fine, I'm just in the way, I get it." Sebastian rolled his eyes as he moved to sit on the other side of the Keeper. While Tibsy snapped her fingers, vanishing the bloody water from the tub.

Ominis placed the bowl and bandages in his lap, searching out the Keeper's left arm and placing it on his shoulder. Running his fingers over the swelling bump, he carefully scooped a handful of the salve to apply over their skin.

"Thank you, Ominis." The Keeper sighed as the cool goo was gently massaged into their side. Ominis would definitely be a great healer, his careful handling of their side was delicate and steady.

After a few moments, Ominis wiped his hand on a cloth and began to bandage the Keeper's torso, Sebastian helping him hold the bandage from the other side intermittently.

The Keeper closed their eyes, they and Sebastian had tended each other's wounds often during their adventures but using magic and wiggenweld was much less personal than doing so the muggle way.

The way that they were used to.

Except that they'd always had to tend their own injuries, no one else had ever given a damn what they were feeling at any given point. So, the Keeper found themselves savouring the feeling of being so gently and lovingly cared for.

"Take a deep breath, how does that feel? It's not too tight, is it?" Ominis asked worriedly as the Keeper took a careful breath, testing the bandage to be certain that they could breathe without issue.

The Keeper shook their head, opening their eyes and gently caressing the back of his neck with the fingers hanging over his shoulder. "No, it feels just right."

Ominis smiled with relief, carefully tying off the end of the bandage and tucking the ends neatly into the folds. After that, he carefully felt the Keeper's left arm and fastened a sling around their neck for their arm to rest in.

Satisfied with his work, Ominis nodded. "There we go, try not to move your left arm too much. Now, all you need to do is rest."

The Keeper gazed at him fondly, Ominis was so sweet. They leaned forward slightly to press a kiss to his forehead. "Yes, Healer Gaunt."

Sebastian covered his laugh with a cough and Ominis rolled his eyes. Leaning back, the Keeper sighed and glanced over at the anxious house elf hovering by the sofa, wringing her soft blue dress in her hands.

Softening their voice, the Keeper gave her a tired smile. "Relax Tibsy, I'll be good as new by tomorrow evening. Could you clean up a little here before returning to Dìon? Let Tynx know that I was injured by some stupid kids and that I won't be dropping by tomorrow."

"O-of course, Master!" Tibsy beamed, quickly snapping her fingers, vanishing the remains of the salve ingredients from the table, sending the bowl to wash itself in the sink and setting the table with dinner. "Please eat, Master, Tibsy will be going now!"

The Keeper snorted in amusement as the house elf popped away and Ominis lightly bopped them on the head in response. "See? Even the elf thinks you should eat more consistently!"

"Both of them apparently." The Keeper chuckled as Sebastian stood.

"Come on then, better follow Healer Gaunt's orders." Sebastian grinned as he helped the Keeper to their feet, supporting them as they made their way to the table.

Ominis sighed in resignation as he followed behind, it looked like the nickname was going to stick. Well, it wasn’t like he really minded that much, especially if it got his reckless lovers to actually take his concerns seriously.

Sitting beside the Keeper, Ominis carefully moved his hand along the table till he found the Keeper's plate and slid it closer to himself. After using his knife and fork to examine the steak's position and size, Ominis carefully began cutting the meat into bite size pieces.

"You could just ask me to do that." Sebastian protested as he poured a glass of water for the Keeper.

Ominis shrugged. "Surely I'm allowed to help too."

"Of course, you are. Thank you, Ominis." The Keeper shot Sebastian a glare as they accepted the glass of water.

Sebastian winced. "I- yes, sorry Ominis, I didn't mean to imply…"

Ominis gave him a wry smile. "It's alright, I understand, and I appreciate the concern."

"You're spoiling him." The Keeper shook their head.

Ominis smirked as he slid the plate back over to the Keeper. "As if you don't."

"Do you have to talk about me like I'm a child?"

"You are."

"I believe you are."

"Oh, come on!"

Notes:

Ominis be like "it's dangerous to go alone, take this." *Picks up Sebastian by the back of his shirt and drops him in front of Keeper.*

Am I the only one who thinks Ominis' hair is incredibly neat? Like, wow, man must spend ages combing and gel-ing every morning.

And I mean, the last fight that Sebastian got hot headed during resulted in a death sooooooo, self-control man, gotta work on that. Also Ominis totally can't even see that the shop Sebastian was looking in was gaudy-

If you're interested in the type of bricks I'm using in this story, do check out some of the coolest bricks I've ever seen! Literally too heh heh xP https://youtu.be/9SCyGAaXvJE

#hogwarts legacy #ominis gaunt #sebastian sallow #gender neutral mc #mc x sebastian sallow #mc x ominis gaunt #sebastian x ominis #sebastian x ominis x mc #hogwarts legacy fandom #hogwarts legacy fanfic #hogwarts legacy fanfiction #fanfic #jazlr welcome to your life #jazlr #lgbtqia #nonbinary

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