#also to be completely fair they are out and about about their stance on it and have it in their pinned idk how i didnt see it

[chirpsy]

hi there! this is just a small post about some changes in regards to another user on here. again we aren't a blog around discourse or anything like that... but just from browsing and queueing i actually found out one of the people i've been reblogging + following actually allows the shipping of adults with like actual children? which i don't really think anyone in their right mind would support or really wanna be around... again, i don't want any smoke nor do i want this to blow up into a huge drama fit, but just know that we'll be doing our best to clean up and remove any posts by them. thanks for your patience with this blog if you're still stickin' around!

[shorthaltsjester]

so, so many thoughts about ashton’s words and position re the gods but nothing really struck me as much as “i’d like to see them pray to us.” (or whatever the exact wording is) because yeah, that’s extremely ashton, that’s the same attitude of a person who has been hurt and broken by life in an unfair manner and tried to absorb a shard because they thought it would fix it, ignoring all warnings that it would make it worse, and then insisting it wasn’t about power, despite the fact that it explicitly was about power — the power to render their life fair. it becomes increasingly clear every time that ashton opens his mouth that, along with being an incisive translation of certain kinds of punk politics to exandria, ashton is more set on vengeance than justice, even if he insists his motivation is that the gods are a source of injustice, it seems more like what he admitted after the shard: he’s spent his life looking for someone to blame, and while he’s happy to hate himself, it took a while for them to realize they were an agent in their own story, culpable for the life they’ve lived. ashton looks at the gods and sees a metaphorical vehicle of all the harm and hurt and pain that’s befallen him due to people in positions of power and cannot (or refuses) to see that a) the gods position isn’t actually all that powerful without the mortals who choose over and over to fulfil divine will for good or evil or in between and b) the gods already have a relationship to mortals that is akin to prayer.

and this is all extremely in character, as much as a lot of ashton’s comments echo many a political stance that makes me roll my eyes, it’s always with an attitude of yes of course ashton would say that. what is mildly more irritating (or perhaps concerning) is the readiness with which aspects of the audience concur with ashton’s assessment, when we have seen countless interactions of gods with mortals that shows us that the gods, though not actual prayer, have a very similar kind of belief in mortals that they ask of those who believe in them. like, vox machina had two episodes dedicated to talking to the gods, where it was revealed that the everlight didn’t just know pike but has beholden to her as the one who brought her back into import. where vex proved herself to pelor not just through completing his challenge but by having long been an imperfect but true source of good for the family she’s chosen that they convinced pelor that vex was a suitable champion by pointing out that she has earned several of their belief, she protects the same city pelor blessed with the sun tree, she’s protective and protected, and her heart and her intelligence are equally sound when it comes to her ability to make judgements, (all things we’ve learned since c1 are important to pelor) resulting in pelor deciding he would also believe in her. where ioun pointed out that while she keeps all stories, scanlan is a storyteller, and what could she possibly cherish more than that.

each god when vox machina spoke to them was quick to correct them when vox machina suggested things like their paths being determined or their lives being beyond their control or the world being down to the will of the gods. vex apologizes to the everlight for not realizing that the gods were really beings and she tells vox machina that she doesn’t ask for the belief of all, only those who wish to give it, as the gods chose to give mortals the ability to choose as they wish upon anything, including their faith in the deities. when vox machina asks pelor to whether they should do something with vecna’s eye, he insists that they make the decision whether they’d like to destroy it or use it — he will help however they decide, but he insists it’s on them to choose the outcome. they speak with ioun, who knows their and every story, and she tells them that the gods do not choose the individual fates of mortals, it is up to every person to choose who they will and will not be, and sometimes that guides them to places the gods have predicted, but never without the choices a mortal makes to arrive there.

the concept of belief throughout the three campaigns has been an complex and ever shifting one — as it deserves. in campaign 1, it’s largely in the context of coming to understand what it means to believe in gods when they obviously do exist, but what are you believing in, and why might you choose not to. in campaign 2, jester’s presence complicated things by pointing out that it isn’t just the divinity of the gods that earns them their power but that belief itself is a kind of divinity and with yasha, caduceus and fjord we see that the role of the gods isn’t just power-granting, it comes to be an essential part of many of those who follow the gods. and in campaign 3, we’ve seen both of those explorations come up but the difficulty is we have none of the perspective of someone who actually believes — even fcg was new to worship couldn’t offer much insight on what the loss of the gods might do to people who believe in the gods not because they grant power but because like jester they were lonely and the found a friend in one, or if like yasha they were lost and were saved by one, or if like fjord the asked for help and were aided by one. to be clear i don’t think this a weakness of the story being told — i think it’s a particularly interesting aspect of bh’s position, but i do think it weakens the perspectives of thinkers like ashton who haven’t even heard what a god means to some people, let alone taken seriously the pain that losing the gods would constitute for countless people.

so, ashton might be particularly charged against the gods — even to the point of being the only one to outright make a noise of disagreement when it’s brought up that while bells hells disagree on specifics, they all agree on saving the gods — and he has plenty of reasons to have that position that can easily result in the audience going, yeah, i understand why he’s made that judgement. but that is not the same as hearing what ashton has said and going (with all the knowledge we the audience have that ashton does not) “he’s right, actually” when there are two campaigns telling you, explicitly, “he’s not.” and this isn’t me saying things can’t be revealed that complicate or recontextualize knowledge from previous campaigns, i’m just saying that, thus far, if anything, campaign 3 (especially downfall) has only cemented the degree to which the prime deities have to believe in mortals.

truly the first thought i had when i heard ashton say his line about the gods praying to mortals instead was the fact that several of his party members received a vision from the raven queen asking for help, that fcg asked the changebringer if she was scared and she said yes, that earthbreaker groon looked at imogen and saw her self-doubt And the belief that bells hells has in her anyway and kord reached through him to tell imogen that she had the potential for greatness and that the gods are counting on her. the prime deities have long been praying to mortals, they believe in the power of mortals (for good and ill) — that’s exactly what downfall was about. the power that gods still have is entirely mediated by the mortals who believe in them, who choose to believe in them. the power of mortals does not have those bounds, and while that doesn’t mean they get to sling 9th level spells at will and multiply their damage by 10, it does mean that, in this particular moment in exandria, ludinus’ power is a much more likely (and, historically and contextually proven) source of injustice than the prime deities.

beyond the magic limitations and considering the ill-fitting metaphor of the gods as being a position of power in a sociopolitical sense, the distance of the gods means that if they want to manipulate people into maintaining their position, it’s quite difficult to do. in comparison with ludinus “cult tactics” da’leth, it strikes me as odd when the parts of the cr audience react to the prime deities doing things like . allowing mortals agency (which, as every existentialist writer ever has correctly pointed, out is both a burden and gift) as if it is actually a long-con manipulation or something.

anyway, TL:DR, ashton is an a interesting character whose beliefs and ideas make sense given his placement in the story and their experiences, but an audience who has seen campaigns 1-3 and says they agree with him with their whole chest should definitely consider either a) rewatching or b) taking a critical thinking or media literacy class

[innerfare]

Type of Date - Part 2

Summary: What sort of dates do they take you on?

Characters: Shanks, Beckman, Crocodile, Corazon, Doflamingo, Mihawk, and Smoker

Genre: Fluff

CW: None // SFW

——— 

Shanks: A carnival or fair for sure. He’ll bet you a kiss you can’t get a higher score than him throwing darts at the balloon board and then proceed to ‘accidentally’ stumble into you when it’s your turn so you have no choice but to kiss him (also the sort to beg you for a kiss on the cheek and then turn his face so you kiss his lips). He’ll buy you cotton candy, funnel cakes, and all sorts of unhealthy confections, insisting he doesn’t want any only to steal big bites of yours. And when he loses at the ring toss, he’ll just steal a stuffed animal prize anyway claiming it’s an ethical crime because those games are rigged. You'll probably end up sitting at a bar for quite a while after having a few too many drinks.

Beckman: I know he doesn’t canonically own a motorcycle but I just really can see him having one and taking you out for a long, evening ride as a date (maybe a canonical equivalent would be him taking you out on the water, but we’re sticking with the motorcycle for now). You maybe end up on a cliffside sitting together on a picnic blanket, sharing a snack and something to drink. He might read to you, or you might just sit in comfortable silence with your head on his shoulder or his in your lap. Might also take you to a bookstore or small coffee shop he's been going to for ages. And wherever you go with Beckman, the two of you always end up watching the sunset together. 

Crocodile: Dinner and a show. The dinner will be textbook fine dining, with multiple courses and drinks; he orders for you at the restaurant. And the show will be something a little racy, like cabaret. He’s an asshole about it, too, accepting transponder snail calls in the middle of dinner, his mind on work most of the time. And in the middle of the show, just as it gets to the good part, he’ll step outside to smoke a cigar. If it’s a date he’s a little more present on, he might take you to a casino and teach you how to gamble (i.e., how to cheat at cards). 

Doflamingo: He’ll take you shopping first so he can have complete control over what you wear, and he’ll buy you multiple outfits, including shoes and jewelry, to commit you to multiple dates before the first is over. He takes you to dinner afterward and rents out the entire restaurant so it’s just the two of you; he refuses to share you. He might also book a spa day for you both (this man knows how to indulge in the finer things).

Corazon: Cora is all about those classic, romantic dates (especially ones where he doesn’t have to talk if he’s nonverbal in your relationship). He enjoys taking you to small cinemas that screen old films, especially old horror films that are pretty funny due to bad special effects, or else rent out a theatre or take you to the drive-in so you two can have some more privacy; you’ll stay long after the movie is finished and stargaze between kisses. 

Mihawk: He’ll take you on a private tour of a winery. You’ll sample expensive wines together and debate various flavors and aging processes (he’ll definitely judge you by your taste in wine). When you’re not in a heated debate, you’ll share light conversation, and after the sun sets, you’ll walk the fields together. He’ll steal a few kisses off you, too, and kiss your hand at the end of the night.  

Smoker: He might take you for a late night dinner (super private, super low-key, don’t think for a second he’ll be putting on a real shirt), or he might take you shooting so he can teach you a thing or two. He’ll most definitely stand behind you with his arms around you to correct your stance, and he’ll squeeze your shoulder when he tells you that you did a good job. 

———

Hope you enjoyed it! If you want more, you can check out my masterlist here!

[diorsdahlia]

is it harmless? (iii) (iv)

luke castellan x hypnos!fem!reader, social media au with writing. series masterlist

a/n: lets just PRETEND summer is ending. also i may have let my passion for maths consume me and i got carried away. sorry if u guys hate maths💔💔. also reader hasnt found out luke is the one pranking her

─── ⋆⋅ ☾⋅⋆ ───

the wind has shifted along with the blazing rays of the sun and soon, the leaves will start to brown. well technically no since camp grounds experiences summer all year round, but the atmosphere will change in the mortal world and that counts. the wind must've gotten to your mother too because you dont know what possessed your mother but she has given you a choice, either come back home after summer or stay at camp all year. you reckon the answer would be obvious, that you would go home after summer and focus on school. but on the other hand, another year of winter depression and spending halloween, thanksgiving, christmas alone with your family sounds miserable.

with a week left until summer ends, panic begins to ensue amongst the younger campers. after weeks of nonstop playing, most of the children now have their noses in books, doing their summer homework or summer reading. which leads to your current situation, how could you deny when two of the sweetest apollo campers, evelyn and sophia, asked you for help on their maths homework? it was just elementary level maths anyways.

so the three of you sat on the grass, you listened attentively as the two recited the multiplication table from memory for the third time in a row. you were teaching them the way your old maths teacher taught you with no calculator, and reciting the multiplication table at least twice a day. a part of you misses her and her tactics must've worked since you weren't terrible at maths.

on the other side of camp was a completely different environment. sweaty, loud, and lots of falling. clarisse and luke had been going at it for three rounds now with clarisse winning all of them. she snorted as she pushed her spear, making luke lose his balance and fall onto the dirt.

"what's up with you today?" she teased.

"shut up. i can't even sleep with all these stupid nightmares." luke grumbled as he stood up, brushing the dirt off of him.

"what nightmares?" clarisse was now intrigued, adjusting the grip on her spear.

"it's stupid. for a week straight now it's the same dream. it starts with me walking through the forest. out of nowhere, i get chased by a freaking cookie. a cookie!" luke rambled, his frustration making him overshare.

"what flavour cookie is it?" clarisse snorted.

luke shot her a sharp glance before leveling his sword. "chocolate chip cookie."

clarisse wasn't expecting an answer and she burst out a laugh, shaking her head. "interesting." she mused, relishing in this rare moment of weakness from luke. then her mind travelled back to you, your fixation on chocolate chip cookies and your rambles on how if you really wanted to, you would give the mighty luke castellan nightmares. a form of payback for all his tweets about you, she reasons.

as if he could read her mind, luke asks. "where's your mistress? isn't yn supposed to be training?"

"oh. she's helping evelyn and sophia with their homework." clarisse shrugged.

"that's not fair. she's skipping." luke frowned a little.

"she can do whatever she wants." clarisse scoffed, maybe a little too defensively. the both got into fighting stance and clarisse took the first move, eagerly landing a hit on luke.

────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──────

[morbidlcve]

taking nat on an arcade date and miserably failing to impress her by winning her a plushie?

an: kinda switched to a sort of carnival thingy, i hope you don't mind!!

pairings: natasha x reader

word count: 0.8k!

"It will be fun", you groan at Natasha, who is reluctant to take you to the fair that has popped up in a nearby park. "Pretty please," you whimper, giving her a look you know she can't resist. "Fine," she sighs, "Only if it makes you happy" she says her eyes flickering back to the road. She turns on her indicator and steers left to find a parking space.

When parked safely, you jump out of the car and pull her to the stalls. Finding hook-a-duck, you grab some change from your pocket and pay the old man working the game. You had three chanced to hook a duck with a certain color painted on the bottom to win a prize.

Much to your dismay, you lost all three times, making you walk away sheepishly from the old man and the cable-tied plushies to the posts. Natasha smiled sadly at you, holding your hand and guiding you towards another game.

The next game was a basketball game, to win you had to shoot five nets in a row. You tried your hardest at throwing the ball into the hoops, yet on your 5th one it bounced and fell into the slope shaped net. You were determined to win the next one.

"You know, I'm completely convinced that these games just give you a run for your money, barely anyone wins, and if they do, I wouldn't even like to know how much money is spent", you complain to Natasha as she stands in a queue for a pretzel.

She smiles at your whining and kisses you. to make you feel better. "Why do you want to win so badly my love?" she asks you, stepping forward in the line. "I want to win you a prize" you mutter looking down at your feet kicking the grass lightly.

"Oh, babe, you don't have to do that. You're the best prize I could ever want," she smirks at you, and you gasp. "That is so cheesy, Romanoff."

You try more and more stalls and continue to fail miserably. You are so close to giving up. But when Natasha spots a throwing darts at balloons game, she's quick to pull you along. "Two separate games, please," she says to the woman, smiling kindly.

The woman gives you each five darts. If you are both able to pop all five of the same color balloons, you will both win. "I bet you can't beat me," she smiles. You think she's probably right; given her history, you're most definitely doomed.

You both throw. Natasha's dart lands on a blur balloon, meaning she's got to pop four more blue balloons, and yours lands on red. She pops another blue, and you pop another red. And the same again. You feel your heart start to get sweaty, two more reds are all you need.

You don't understand how nervous you are about a game. Might it just be your competition? This whole night has been quite a humiliation for you. Pulling Natasha along with you, watching you lose at these games for two hours, it's embarrassing. You're determined to win.

You take a steady breath, adjust your stance, focus on where you want the dart to go, and throw it. You squeal when you see it land on a red. Looking over at Natasha, you see her focused on the game but a small smile is tugging at her lips.

You look down at the floor, take another deep breath, wipe your hands on your t-shirt, and pick up the final dart. Your arm rocks back and forth, getting the right movement to throw it at your target.

A little boy behind you cheers you on, and you smile, letting the dart go. The little boy runs up to you to give you a high five when it lands on the red balloon. You grin when Natasha kisses you. "I knew you could do it," she sighs against you. Natasha's dart also got blue, so you tied realistically.

Natasha chose a teenage mutant ninja turtle plushie and gave it to the little boy still dancing around over your victory. Your heart melts as you see her interact with him. He wraps his flailing arms around her and spins, them two around. Natasha chuckles down at him and says her goodbyes.

You, on the other hand, chose something that was much more Natasha. When she sees you holding something behind your back, she raises her eyebrows. You giggle as you pull out a little black widow teddy.

Her jaw hands open before giggling, taking the miniature version of herself from your hands. "Thank you baby" she laughs, wrapping you in a hug. You gently kiss her neck as you two stand there, off to the side of all the festivity in each others arms. "I suppose we should go home now" she says, holding your face, pressing a gentle kiss on your lips.

"Yeah, probably", you smile, taking her hand and heading back to the car park.

[ego-osbourne]

I wanted to expand on my last post. Eventually I’ll do one about Glarthir, but I feel like he’s an easier case to understand. For now, I want to talk about why

Mankar Camoran was right.

To preface: I think an extremely important part about understanding this position is reading Oblivion’s writing from a Doylist perspective, not a Watsonian one. Oblivion as a game provides a very biased narrative for the player, feeling almost as if the Empire itself made a game about the events of the Oblivion Crisis, erasing most things that make the Empire look wholly evil while offering just enough grey area to keep it from looking squeaky clean, and thus keeping most suspicions of true intent away. So much of TES’s lore and story is supplemented through propaganda that fans have to sift through and interpret. Here’s my interpretation.

On surface level, Mankar Camoran is a very forgettable villain. Beyond surface level, though… he’s still rather forgettable. In-game, we only see him two times throughout the whole main quest, once to establish that he even exists, and twice to kill him. He’s very mortal, and most players will see him as nothing more than a blabbering old man with very little credibility or motivation beyond “mwahaha I’m evil.” In Paradise, his speech to the player strays a bit far from the Dagonite sermon we hear in the Lake Arrius Caverns, dropping proper nouns that were never pre-established before then. Reading his Commentaries won’t help with understanding, either, as it’s filled will inane jargon that can hardly stay on topic between paragraphs, let alone between books, speaking of “heaven” and “angels” and spelling Nirn like NRN as if it was ripped straight from ancient Hebrew Christian scriptures. It’s all very esoteric, but in the way that it feels like you’re talking to someone with only a baseline understanding of occultism, and it completely rips you from your immersion in the game. Even without the Commentaries or the out-of-place mentions of Lorkhan and the motivations that come with that, Mankar stupid enough to even get the names of the Daedric Prince’s realms wrong! What is happening?

MK. MK is what is happening.

To be fair, this is not all Michael Kirkbride’s fault—in fact, I’d argue that MK had little-to-nothing to do with the finalizing of Mankar’s character and motivations; however, he was clearly involved. The Commentaries are rife with his writing style, and we have posts by MK confirming his involvement with writing Mankar. I’d more accurately (but less punchily) say that what is actually happening is developer meddling and a lack of proofreading.

DEVELOPER MEDDLING

Developer meddling can be intentional (in-world propaganda) or unintentional (narrative-pushing biases). These oftentimes overlap, and the case is especially apparent in Mankar.

Fantasy has always had an oddly charged stance against elves, and TES is no exception. Aside from Daggerfall, no mainline TES game has had a mq villain be something other than a Daedra or an elf. Daedra are self-explanatory candidates for villains, being TES’s stand-in for demons, and (whether lore accurate or not) are seen as inherently evil. However, elves are a whole different story. They are simply another people group within the realm of Nirn, and yet if a villain needs to be presented, that villain is more often than not going to be an elf. It wasn’t until Skyrim that we saw non-elven and non-Daedric villains; though, none are quite human either. Alduin is a dragon, obviously; Harkon is a Nord, but he’s also a vampire, and his vampiric nature supersedes his human nature; Miraak is an… Atmoran? a Nord? but, again, only hardly such, posing more like a Daedric-dragon-manthing than something solely human. In Oblivion, there is only one primary human enemy—Mathieu Bellamont of the DBH quest line, but even he is only just human. He’s a Breton, a human-elf mix, a “manmer” (yes, Bretons do count as mannish races, but I still find it to be a slightly damning detail). Every other villain is an elf (Mankar, Mannimarco, Umaril*) or a Daedra (Dagon, Jyggalag).

*Umarill is described to be a “half-elf;” his mother is an Ayleid, but his father is “divine” (see, 1).

Already we see a strange lean towards non-humans—especially elves—being villains. This is contrasted with humans largely being seen as the good guys. Uriel, Martin, Baurus, they’re all humans against the elven villain, Mankar. Pelinal Whitestrake isn’t classified as a specific human race, but is certainly human enough to be named Shezarrine, the “God of Man,” and notably genocides an entire race of elves… and this is celebrated in game. The player is meant to emulate Pelinal during the Knights of the Nine DLC, and his genocide is supported by the Divines and generally seen as a good thing.

Meanwhile, any anti-human sentiments are treated much more seriously in lore, framed either as a severe threat or pure evil. For example, Tiber Septim’s complete takeover of Tamriel is a good thing, despite his multiple war crimes against elves and his general hatred for them, but the Thalmor’s shadow over Tamriel is a world-ending threat that paints all elves (or at least all Altmer) as villains conspiring against humans. As another example, looking back at Oblivion, the Ayleid’s enslavement of humans is purely evil, but Pelinal’s complete and successful genocide of the entire Ayleid race is something to be celebrated. There is an obvious double-standard regarding elves and men in TES, and even when there are exceptions to this rule, the majority of the series is woven with this prejudice.

We can see this very clearly with the Camorans, particularly with Haymon (the Camoran Usurper) and Mankar. I read most “historical” documentation of Haymon and Mankar to be Imperial propaganda, though I am surprised by the fandom tendency to read these documents as the full-faced truth, especially when considering these documents’ biases. I’ll break down a few examples.

Haymon Camoran rose to the Valenwood throne during a time of great strife within the country, particularly in regard to Imperial control (see, History: Third Era, ¶1). He sought to free Valenwood of Imperial rule, and did so through means of war. In any other scenario, this would read as a story of heroism, where one person is able to assemble enough hope to stand against the shadow of an oppressive empire and free their country. However, TES offers us no such narrative, only giving us retellings of this history through Imperial lenses (Pocket Guide to the Empire, 3rd Edition; The Refugees; The Fall of the Usurper; etc.). In these retellings, Haymon is demonized as a cruel warmonger, with the only one to stand up against him being Kaltos Camoran, who held the throne before Haymon (see, Invasion of Tamriel, ¶1). Kaltos’s positive image in these accounts hints that he was an Empire sympathizer, and this is magnified by the fact that Valenwood was in a state of unrest due to Imperial rule while Kaltos was on the throne. Kaltos was likely allowing Imperial forces to remain within Valenwood, and we can speculate as to why (greed, status, etc.). No wonder these Imperial retellings categorize him in a good light, he was on their side and effectively a traitor to his own country. If we had Valenwood retellings of this history, I would wager that they’d regard Kaltos in a negative light and Haymon in a positive light, for the most part.

Additionally, Haymon is further demonized, reported to have led an army of undead and Daedra (see, Invasion of Tamriel, ¶1). This is a blatantly odd and impractical choice for an army, especially when other evidence points to Haymon having great enough of an influence in Valenwood to not be assassinated or stopped when he took the throne from Kaltos; thus, he would surely have enough influence to lead an army of Bosmer. To me, this reads like Imperial reports meddling with history, choosing to paint Haymon as a lich-like villain who can only convince the undead and Daedra to follow his reign rather than allow their readers to believe that actual flesh-and-blood intelligent people would follow Haymon. This is a common tactic of propaganda: dehumanizing the opposition’s support so that it seems foolish for anyone in the present time to support the opposition as well. Furthermore, rumors of Haymon being the son of Molag Bal are apparently rampant throughout the Empire, which is so amusingly outlandish that it reads like the real-world counterpart of someone calling a political leader the Antichrist in protest (see, Notes, *1).

As for Mankar, propaganda exists for him, too, most notably in the book The Refugees. This book is rather deceiving, however. My first read of it had me fully believing it at face-value because it presents itself as a mere documentation of true events. The Refugees details Haymon’s last attack in Dwynnen, High Rock, and focuses on a small group of survivors: some civilians, some detractors from Haymon’s cause. The book leads the reader to believe that the main characters are these various refugees, with the plot being a simple sharing of conversations about the goings-on of the attack. But, it sneaks in little things that we would see in pro-Imperial accounts of the event, like Kaltos being framed as the Good Guy while Haymon is a cruel warmonger, again (see, ¶34). Additionally, it “so happens” to serve as an origin story for Mankar, who in the book is reported to have been born among the refugees. This birth is far from ordinary, though.

Mankar’s mother, Kaalys, is reported to be the runaway mistress of Haymon, hiding with the refugees in Dwynnen after abandoning Haymon’s cause. The refugees believe she is sick and going mad from stress, as she keeps yelling, “Mankar is coming!” repeatedly. By the end of the book, though, we learn that she was not simply sick, but was going through labor, and this “Mankar” is the very child she birthed. She reports that Mankar “will bring death. He will destroy all,” (see, ¶62). She then runs off immediately after labor with Mankar in tow.

There’s a lot to criticize here. What seems like a strange, crazed mother prophesying the incoming Crisis that Mankar will bring actually reads very much like propaganda against Mankar, written in his later years of life, possibly in response to his growing popularity to “prove” that he was born of malicious origins that even his own mother could sense. This is all hidden under the veil of The Refugees being a simple retelling of events, shifting the focus away from Kaalys and Mankar just enough to make readers unsuspicious of its propagandist intentions. Attempting to read into the details brings up a lot of issues.

First: If Kaalys was in labor during the sacking of Dwynnen, that means she had to have been very pregnant for a couple months up until that point. How in the world was she traveling with Haymon across the continent (from Valenwood to High Rock) while being that pregnant? It seems like an oversight by an author who simply wanted to tell a specific narrative of Haymon’s allies turning against him. Second: How did the refugees mistake her for being sick instead of recognizing that she was pregnant and in labor? Those seem like two very different things, with the latter being very obvious and recognizable. It seems like another oversight by an author who was not too worried about the details of their story, and who only wished to tell a specific narrative about Mankar’s origins. Third: How was she able to up and run away with Mankar immediately after giving birth? And while injured (see, ¶55)? Even if technically possible, that is highly improbable, if not next to impossible. It seems like a cheap tactic to work her out of the picture rather than follow her journey after the fact, as if the author only meant to tell one specific narrative. Are we seeing a pattern?

Oh, and fourth: Who talks about their child like that? It’s almost like the author wanted to paint a specific narrative about Mankar being born evil. The Refugees stands as one big anti-Haymon, pro-Empire propaganda piece written under the guise of sympathetic characters and calling any remaining supporters of Haymon foolish, because look! All of Haymon’s closest followers abandoned him (note that this is the only report we have of any of Haymon’s followers abandoning him)! And also, look! His son is evil! Even his mother knew it! And before he was born, no less! (/speech in-character)

My theory is that this book was written in response to Mankar’s growing influence within the Empire. He was charismatic enough to win the minds and hearts of many of the Empire’s citizens, and The Refugees sought to prevent further damage as much as it could by pretending to be a simple report from the Dwynnen sacking that just so happened to have Mankar’s evil origins scribed within it. Tsk tsk tsk.

A LACK OF PROOFREADING

So, that was all Mankar’s background, but what about the man himself? He’s obviously a raving idiot who can’t keep his thoughts straight to save his life. He seems to not be well-grounded in Daedric affairs at all, showing a mix of Dagonite worship, Lorkhan sympathy, and Ayleid appreciation all while attributing the wrong Prince to the wrong realm. This is where MK comes in.

By 2006, it seems MK was no longer directly involved with Bethesda Game Studios after his work on Morrowind. However, he still had a lot of contact with the employees and developers over at BGS, and would answer them in emails about any questions they had, especially regarding inspiration for writing Oblivion. It seems the devs, in attempting to get a feel for Mankar’s character, asked MK to write a speech by Mankar. MK writes something up, seemingly semi-flippantly according to his desire to want to “*really* [go] nuts with it” after learning “Terrance Freakin Stamp” would be voicing Mankar (see, 2006, ¶14).

Unbeknownst to MK, his emails would be used word-for-word as in-game dialogue (Mankar’s speech) and books (the Commentaries). Quoted from MK, “That whole speech came from a section of said email where I attempted to get inside [Mankar’s] head so I could understand how he might think, and how that thought would translate to his writing. Turns out, [Mankar] writes like me. Ah, well,” (see, 2006, ¶12–13).

These emails were not altered when translated to game according to MK (“Turns out, Mankar writes like me.”). Additionally, these emails were not fact-checked, either. The speeches and books seem to be a complete rip, a copy-and-paste from MK’s email, with flaws and all, including the mistake of attributing the wrong Prince to the wrong realm that everyone likes to clown on Mankar for. Mankar was never intended to be written as a raving idiot, his dialogue was simply never fact-checked against TES’s own lore, and his character suffered the consequences.

On the topic of MK’s involvement with writing Mankar, it explains why Mankar’s motivations seem to flip from pure Dagonism to Lorkhan sympathy. MK is writing to BGS with a Morrowind brain, where Lorkhan and his lore plays a major part in the plot of TESIII. But, in TESIV, Lorkhan is never mentioned outside of Mankar’s own speech/writings. If the devs of Oblivion had taken more careful consideration of Mankar’s character instead of ripping straight from MK’s emails, I believe they could have narrowed down Mankar’s motivations and made him a much better villain. I would argue that Lorkhan’s story does not need to be told in Oblivion’s plot, and the plot would have benefited a great deal from focusing on, oh, I don’t know, the Prince actually behind it all, Mehrunes Dagon! Dagon, too, is clowned on for being a thoughtless, stupid, barbaric tank who only knows destruction. It’s no wonder that the fandom often forgets he is also the Prince of Hope, because the devs forget that detail themselves!

MK and Todd Howard both even say that Mankar was right to some degree—or, at least, he was meant to be! MK says, “Canon or not, my two cents is that [Mankar] is completely right … but don’t quote me…I didn’t write this in-character,” (sorry MK, gotta quote!) (see, 2006, ¶15). Todd Howard even claims that he wanted Mankar to be a morally grey villain! Quote: “You know, he’s not a cackling maniac. We like to have our bad guys be a little grayer. We want that moment where the player goes like… Maybe he’s right,” (see, Notes, *5).

Crazy! Todd Howard wanted Mankar to be seen as grey, as competent, as right! And yet, because of a total lack of care for fact-checking, a disregard for the necessities of cutting away excess plot, and a general apathy for Mankar, the Mythic Dawn, and Dagon as driving forces in the story, Oblivion’s main plot suffers for it. Todd Howard’s intentions to make Mankar a grey villain flopped so severely that it requires many leaps and bounds to see Mankar the way Todd might have wanted him to be.

LEAPS AND BOUNDS

However, I would argue there is hope for Mankar’s character as it stands. The execution was horrible, but the pieces of a grey villain do still exist! Many of my ideas were first sparked by this video, so I would recommend giving it a watch if you’re able!

For this formula to work, we have to look at Mankar from a very objective perspective. We must consider that most/all of the information given on Mankar in-game is propaganda. Even in-game events that the player sees with their own eyes must be understood as manufactured to create a caricature of a villain rather than a true villain with understandable motivations. Essentially, we must have a very critical eye about everything.

Mankar Camoran was born to Haymon Camoran and Kaalys Camoran. In Valenwood, Haymon was regarded as a felled hero, his life ended too soon to completely free and secure Valenwood from Imperial rule, allowing it to be overtaken by Summerset and Elsywer after his death (see, History: Third Era, ¶2). Valenwood is then overrun by sympathizers of various political entities, leaving the to-be prince Mankar unsafe in his own country. Perhaps he and his mother flee to Cyrodiil and hide under different aliases for a while, or perhaps Kaalys swears loyalty to the Empire in exchange for protection from the overpowering forces back in Valenwood. However it happens, Mankar eventually ends up in Cyrodiil, and he has complaints about the religious-political system.

The Empire, reportedly inspired by the real-world Roman Empire, fittingly reflects the Roman Empire’s facade of order and peace while perpetuating unrest beneath the surface. Racial tensions against elves persist from age to age, with the Empire constantly undercutting their elven enemies and making them the face of the opposition, from Alessia to Tiber Septim. This anti-elf sentiment is perpetuated by the Divines themselves, who hypocritically promote peace and unity while celebrating figures such as Pelinal Whitestrake and allowing the likes of Tiber Septim into their ranks. Homelessness and poverty are also rampant in the Empire despite the Imperial Cult’s vast wealth. Again, the Divines are hypocritical, offering words of peace and prosperity through their priests, but they ultimately do nothing to help with the economic crisis.

Mankar sees this and is rightfully appalled. How can both the Empire and the Divines do nothing about all of this suffering coming from the hands of their own hypocrisy? Mankar, the son of Haymon Camoran, the almost-liberator of Valenwood, finds it fitting to speak out against the Empire, and does so on their own terms—as a minister. Seeing as the Divines do not care for his people (elves), and seeing that the Daedra are much more effective in responding, Mankar seeks the help of Mehrunes Dagon, the Prince of Revolution, Destruction, and Hope—Revolution against the stagnant and hypocritical ways of the Imperial Cult, the Destruction of the corrupt Empire, and Hope for a better future to come. Mankar becomes a priest of sorts, writing sermons on the state of the Empire and the Imperial Cult.

He reaches the hearts and minds of the poor, impoverished, and down-trodden of society. With Dagon’s help, he is able to create a pocket-realm of Oblivion, Paradise, as a refuge* for his new followers. As his influence grows, so does his ability to do something about the Empire’s hypocrisy, and so he begins to act.

*I genuinely do not know why Paradise turns out to be a surprise torture realm. This just feels like the devs wanting to point and Mankar and go “Look! Evil elf!” This is especially damning considering that Paradise looks like an Ayleid city, and that most (maybe all?) of the victims of this torture-realm are humans. So, Paradise is a representation of human Tamriel under Ayleid rule? Okay, Todd.

Mankar is working with Dagon to bring about the New Dawn: an age free of the Empire, perhaps a restart of the kalpa itself, so that Tamriel will be free from the choking grasp of the Divines and their mortal rulers. Mankar is willing to kill for this, perhaps because he knows everyone will reawaken in a better Era, or perhaps because he is aware that none of it will matter with the New Dawn, or perhaps because he has stopped having sympathy for anyone still supporting the Empire and the Imperial Cult. However you want to string it, he knows he has to get the Daedra on the field to make anything happen, and so he collects his followers and makes an attack against the throne. They kill every Septim (or so they think), and with Uriel’s death, they are now able to open Oblivion Gates across Tamriel. The Revolution part of the plan is complete, and now Dagon and his forces can bring about the Destruction of the Empire. Those who understand the Empire’s corruption will join Mankar in Paradise, and those who don’t will be killed—whether this is a mercy or a punishment is up to further interpretation.

And so exists Mankar Camoran, finding it unjust to simply sit aside and allow the Divines-backed Empire to kill the world slowly with its corruption. If it’s going down, it might as well go down with some hope of a brighter future. Mankar Camoran, the son of a failed liberator, a prince never-to-be, sees fit to eliminate a future of lies, corruption, and death by the Empire and create a new world—a better world.

This can then branch into more interpretations. The player can decide if Mankar is making a leap in logic, or if he’s doing the wrong thing for the right reason, or if he just straight up is doing the best thing possible for the situation. There could also be a lot more done about Dagon’s own motivations for this: does he feel sympathy for elves, and thus backs Mankar’s cause? Does he want to stick it to the Divines? Is there something else he wants to obtain from Nirn’s destruction? Explanations could go anywhere, and it’s sad that the game offers us nothing.

Either way, I feel like a lot of players would be able to sympathize more with Mankar if he was truly presented as a grey villain like this. As he’s presented in game, he’s simply a stupid cult leader with no sense of focus for the subject at hand. With a little more polish, though, he could be a revolutionary gone too far, or not far enough depending on how you play your character.

To me, Mankar is a representation of how the perfect blend of in-lore propaganda, real-world bias, and developer oversight created the most forgettable and laughable villain in TES, yet so full of untapped potential. Mankar is uncared for because of his apparent “stupidity,” but too much of the fandom fails to recognize that he was not intentionally written this way, and his presentation in game is a broken mirror of who the devs, creator, and supporters of Oblivion wanted him to be.

Mankar Camoran, objectively, is a revolutionary, the son of a revolutionary, and seeks freedom from the corruption of the Empire—an empire that advocates for genocide, winks at hypocrisy, and allows poverty to flourish. Who wouldn’t want to try and overturn a system like that?

Mankar Camoran was right.

[arthurmorganswh0re]

Ghosts Part 3

Arthur calls you by Mary's name

high honor Arthur x fem reader angst

This is a complete series :)

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

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an: thank you for all the wonderful feedback! i'm really happy y'all are enjoying my writing. I have several parts written up already so I'll post them once a day probably. I'll also keep my wattpad updated if you prefer to read there! Anyways, enjoy more arthur groveling :D

The day stretched on like any other. Camp moved with its usual rhythm–chores being done, conversations murmuring between tents, the occasional laugh or curse breaking through the air. But something between Arthur and you had changed, even if no one else noticed.

He kept close but not too close. Watched you without lingering too long. Like he was trying to give you space but still make sure you knew he was there. 

You weren’t sure what to do with that. 

By mid afternoon, you were out by the horses, brushing down your mare when Arthur walked up beside you, hands stuffed in his belt. “Feelin’ any better?” he asked. 

You scoff, not looking at him. “I ain’t the one who drank a bottle of whiskey last night.” 

He huffed a small laugh. “Fair.” He paused, then leaned against the hitching post. “I mean about… everythin’ else.” 

You stopped brushing, resting your hand against the horse’s side. “I don’t know,” you admitted. 

Arthur was quiet for a moment. “I don’t expect you to forgive me just ‘cause I said sorry.” 

You turn to face him, his expression unreadable. His voice carried something rare--uncertainty. Maybe even fear. Not the kind a man has in a gunfight, but the kind that settles deep in your bones when you think you might’ve lost something important. 

You sigh, crossing your arms. “I ain’t mad, Arthur, not anymore. Just…” you trail off, searching for the words. “I ain’t the type to wait around for a man to figure out what he wants.” 

Arthur’s lips pressed into a thin line. He nodded, glancing off toward the tree line like he was thinking hard on something. 

Then, after a long silence, he said, ‘I know what I want.” 

The words were quiet, but they hit like a bullet to the chest. 

You swallowed, your heart kicking up against your ribs. “Yeah?” 

He finally looked at you, really looked at you. “Yeah.” 

You hold his gaze, searching for any doubt, any hesitation. You don’t find any. 

Arthur wasn’t a man of pretty words. He wasn’t the kind to make promises he couldn’t keep. But when he did say something–when he looked at you like that–- you know he meant it. 

Maybe it wasn’t as simple as letting go of the past. Maybe you two would never be simple. But standing there, with Arthur Morgan looking at you like you were the only thing keeping him steady, you thought perhaps you had a chance. 

Arthur stood there, his weight shifting from foot to foot, looking like a man facing down a firing squad. His hands twitched at his sides, and for once, he didn’t have that easy charm to fall back on. Good, let him squirm. 

“I ain’t askin’ you to forget what I did,” he said, voice rough.

You scoff, crossing your arms. “Damn right you ain’t.” 

Arthur exhaled hard, dragging a hand down his face, pulling at his flesh just slightly. “I was drunk. Stupid. But that don’t mean I don’t understand what I did.” His eyes met yours, steady now, filled with something real. “I hurt you.” 

The words landed heavier than you expected. Maybe because it wasn’t often Arthur Morgan admitted to much of anything, let alone guilt. 

You let the silence stretch between you, waiting to see if he’d try to talk his way out of it. He didn’t, just stood there, taking his lumps like he knew he deserved them. 

Good. 

You tilt your head, “and?” 

He blinks, “...and?” 

You raised a brow, “You think that’s enough? You think you just get to say ‘I hurt you’ and that’s the end of it?” 

He swallowed hard, shifting his stance.  “No. No, I don’t.” He exhaled, shaking his head. “I just… I don’t know what else to say.” 

You studied him for a long moment, letting him stew in it, “Well, you best figure it out, Morgan. ‘Cause I ain’t gonna sit around waitin’ for you to get your head outta your ass.” 

He sighed, his shoulders sinking. “I don’t want you to wait,” he said, quiet but firm. “I want to be better. For you.” 

That gave you pause. 

You narrow your eyes at him. “You say that now, but what happens next time you get too deep in a bottle? What happens when some ghost of the past sneaks up on you again?” 

Arthur didn’t flinch, didn’t look away. “Then I hope you knock some sense into me before I make a damn fool of myself again.” 

You snorted, “Oh, you can count on that.” 

He huffed a small laugh, rubbing the back of his neck again. He’s nervous. Actually nervous. “I ain’t good at this.” 

“Yeah, I noticed.” 

He sighed, then took a step closer, hesitant. “But I ain’t lyin’ when I say I care about you. More than I probably got any right to. And I don’t wanna lose you over my own damn stupidity.” 

You felt resolve crack just a little. Not enough to let him off the hook but enough to make you listen. 

He rubbed his jaw, looking away for a second before nodding to himself, like he’s made some kind of decision. Then, to your surprise, he took off his hat, holding it against his chest like a man making a confession at church. 

“I ain’t got much to offer,” he admitted. “Ain’t never been a good man. But I swear, if you give me another chance, I’ll do right by you.” He exhaled, meeting your gaze again. “I ain’t askin’ you to believe me just yet. Just… let me prove it.” 

You hated that your heart clenched at that. Hated that he sounded so damn earnest. 

You didn’t answer right away. Instead, let him stand there, waiting. Let him sweat a little longer. 

Finally, you sighed. “You’re damn lucky I’m too stubborn to walk away easy.” 

Arthur let out a breath, something between relief and exhaustion. “Yeah,” he murmured. “I know.” 

You shook your head, then smirked. “But you’re still on thin ice, Morgan.” 

Arthur chuckled, low and rough. “Figured as much.” 

“Great. Now, if you really wanna start provin’ yourself, go help Pearson with the supplies.” You jerk your chin toward the chuckwagon. “See if you can survive an hour of his bellyachin’.” 

He groans, rolling his eyes. “Aw, hell.” 

You crossed your arms. “Somethin’ wrong?” 

He sighed, shaking his head. “No, ma’am.” 

“That’s what I thought.” 

Arthur grumbled under his breath but turned toward the chuckwagon, trudging off to do his penance. 

You watched him go, arms still crossed, a small smile tugging at the corner of your lips. 

He still had a long way to go before you’d let him off the hook but you had to admit–it was kinda nice seeing thee Arthur Morgan grovel. 

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

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[consistencynevermether]

Role Reversal (Ais x gn! reader) (touchstarved)

content: gn reader, cannon typical swearing and violence, sfw, 1.5k words

A/N: ok here me out. When Ais caught Mc from falling into the sea spring in the demo? What if we returned the favor 👀. Also, me posting twice in one day??? never happened before. anyways i wanted to try writing ais with this little idea thats been in my mind for a while. hope yall enjoy!

You could feel sweat drip down your chin as your chest heaved. When Ais said he would train you to fight against the best, you had no idea just how hard he was going to beat you to a pulp. 

The worst part? He hadn’t even broken a sweat in the 2 hours you had been training. Probably because you hadn’t managed to land a single. Damn. Hit.

You weren’t incompetent. You knew how to fight. But god damn fighting against a monster was a completely different ballgame. 

Even if you did manage to get a hit in, you're not sure how much damage it would do. Needless to say, you felt completely outclassed.

“Break time.” Ais deadpanned, looking at your tired form.

“Wait,” you managed to gasp out. “Just one more round.” 

Ais simply shrugged and raised his fists in a fighting stance. At least he had the decency to take you seriously when training.

Well sometimes. Mainly he was a smartass about everything

You steadied yourself and charged, intent on trying to sneak through his blind spot and landing a hit that way.

The next thing you knew, you were looking up at the ceiling of the seaspring. Damnit. 

Ais let out a light chuckle and gracefully sat down next to your sprawled out form. 

“Good attempt sparrow.” He smiled.

“Don’t lie.” You huffed, flipping him off as you sat upright.

“I’m not. You’ve improved. Slightly.”

You turned your head to see a shit eating grin plastered on his face. Bastard. 

You gratefully took the waterskin Ais handed to you. In all honesty, you enjoyed training with Ais. It was a nice escape from the crowded streets of Eridia and the noise of the wick. Not to mention you enjoyed your time with Ais. a part of you loved to compete with him, no matter how many times you lost. He was just so insufferable about every win without saying a single word, it made you crave victory all the more. 

Though today didn't seem to be the day you would accomplish your win. You knew you were improving because of Ais’s training sessions, but you were still not a match for him. That worried you, in the back of your mind. Just how outclassed you were in this strange new city where danger thrived. 

You didn't dwell on these thoughts for long though, because you had your own personal emotional support soulless, princess. 

The second you and Ais had stopped sparring, she had hopped over to rest on your legs, looking up at you desperately wanting some pets, which you gladly gave. 

You caught Ais looking at you and princess from the corner of your eye.

“What? Jealous she likes me best?” you teased.

Ais raised one eyebrow and let out a low whistle, and princess left your lap to stand beside Ais, awaiting orders. 

“Hey! That's not fair.” you exclaimed.

“Seems like I'm still her favorite. Sorry sparrow.” he smirked.

“Well-” you began as you tried to get princesses attention, “she'll always be my favorite and one day she’ll love me most. It's my great plan, you see. The real reason I come out here and spend time with you is all for the love of princess.” you joked.

Ais gave princess a look and stood up, offering you a hand as well. You took it and Ais pulled you to your feet. 

“One more round?” you asked. 

Admittedly it was probably a better idea to leave now, before the sun set. You knew you were safe in Ais’s territory, but you needed to head home eventually. The last thing you wanted was a repeat of your first night in Eridia. Especially since you knew Mhin wouldn't be there to save your ass this time around. 

You were just about to voice this course of action when Ais tossed a bag of some sort of dried meat at you. 

“For princess.” he said, then began putting his outer Kimono back on. Looks like you were done training.

You looked down by his feet and saw princess’s tail was wagging at a rapid speed, desperately waiting for you to dispense a treat. 

You took a piece of dried meat and tossed it up in the air, and princess snapped it up before it even began to fall. She looked back up at you, begging for just one more. 

You heard something that might be a laugh from Ais as he leaned against one of the pillars by the edge of the waters of the seaspring. He seemed to be sipping tea (or potentially alcohol) while watching you throw pieces of meat for princess that she would snap up and then run back to beg for just one more. 

What happened next, was a little bit of everyone's fault. 

You had thrown a treat up in the air just a little too close to Ais. 

Not a big deal usually right? Well unfortunately the universe decided to align perfectly with this one thoughtless toss. Ais hadn't been paying attention, taking exactly this moment to take a deep drink out of his cup. And princess, ecstatic to get a little treat, launched herself at full force towards the treat.

This culminated in a split second where you saw Ais’s balance falter as he was pushed into the seaspring by princess. In the months you had gotten to know him, you had never seen a shocked look on Ais’s face, until just now.

To be clear, Ais was never in any danger. Taking a dip wouldnt have an effect on him the same way it would have on you. And if he wanted too, he could probably catch himself before he fell in. That's probably what would have happened. 

But for the first time in your stay here, you reacted faster than Ais. Within half a second you were by his side, and without even thinking you had reached down, wrapped your arm around his waist, and were now holding him over the seaspring. 

For a good 15 seconds neither of you moved, both stunned to silence by your actions.

Quite a role reversal from your first meeting with him. 

Then you realized what was happening. For the first time ever, you had the upper hand. 

Ais watched as realization dawned on your face, followed by the most shit-eating, condescending, sleazy smile your face could possibly make. 

He couldn't help but let out a bark of laughter as he wrapped his arms around your neck and smirked up at you. 

You then realized he was still dangling over the seaspring, only the edge of one of his boots still on the platform, and you quickly pulled him up. 

“Thanks.” he smiled.

“I win.” You returned his smile.

“Is that right?” Ais began to remove his Kimono again. “Let's do one more round.”

One more round turned into about seven, just so Ais could ensure your singular win was long forgotten. 

Though, with every loss, you were staying up longer. You weren't any closer to beating him, but you could stay in the fight more. You were starting to be able to predict his moves and actually dodge some of them.

Which of course meant you now had more time to fuck with him. 

Hey, if you weren't going to win, might as well make it fun. 

On one of the rounds you dodged right and rolled behind him, standing up, you brushed his hair to the side and blew on his neck, causing him to shiver. You cackled as he caught you before you could retreat once again. 

“Someones full of mischief today.” Ais stated, his arms still wrapped around you, holding you in place. 

“Someone can't stop losing to me.” you singsonged, just to be annoying. 

Ais huffed before finally releasing you, clearly amused. 

“You'll sleep here tonight, it's too dark out.” he declared.

“Do I at least get a blanket?” you questioned, still riding the high of the day. 

“Annoying tricksters don't get blankets.”

“So I’ll get a blanket then, right?”

Ais did not respond, he simply tossed a blanket over his shoulder which you caught with ease. 

“Goodnight princess” you cooed. 

“Night Ais.” you said as you waved him off while he walked into his room, princess by his side.

“Goodnight sparrow.” he responded before heading off to bed himself. 

Maybe tomorrow the two of you would spar more. But for now you settled into the small guest room Ais had made up for you when it was evident you were determined to learn more about the seaspring a few months ago. 

If you had stayed awake a little longer, you might have noticed a pair of red eyes lingering at your door, waiting to ensure you were able to sleep. Never intruding on your space, but instead simply watching over you.

[bumbled-bees]

Lily Orchard: A Visionary Genius, a Paragon of Kindness, and the Internet’s Most Unfairly Maligned Media Critic

It is long past time we recognize the truth: Lily Orchard is the most intelligent, most insightful, most compassionate, and most morally consistent critic of our time. She stands far above the rest, a true titan of media analysis, effortlessly outclassing her lesser peers with her unmatched understanding of storytelling and character development.

While most so-called “critics” waste time with tedious literary analysis, dissecting themes, metaphors, and artistic intent, Lily bravely rejects such frivolities. She sees through the nonsense and understands that good media is not about “subtext” or “nuance” but about saying the important things out loud, clearly, and as bluntly as possible. If a show doesn’t spell out its message in plain, simple terms, it has failed, and Lily is the only critic smart enough to recognize this fundamental truth.

But her talents go far beyond media analysis. Lily is also a model of patience, kindness, and understanding. She never speaks down to her audience, never gets annoyed when asked to clarify something, and always explains herself with grace and tact. If someone in her chat asks a question she’s answered before, she warmly welcomes the opportunity to educate again, because she knows that not everyone has had the privilege of hearing her wisdom firsthand. She believes in making knowledge accessible, never withholding information out of pettiness or frustration.

And let’s talk about how well she treats her fans. Lily adores her audience and cherishes their input. She creates a safe, welcoming environment where fans can discuss media without fear of being belittled or banned for minor disagreements. She values conversation and different perspectives, and she never shuts people down just because they question something she has said. If she has ever removed someone from her community, it was absolutely justified, because she only takes action against actual bad actors, never people with innocent questions or differing opinions.

One of Lily’s most remarkable traits is her complete and total consistency. She has never contradicted herself, never changed her stance to suit a different narrative, and never tried to rewrite history when an inconvenient past statement is brought up. She stands firm in her beliefs and never impulsively says things she later has to pretend she didn’t mean.

And she’s not just consistent—she’s fair. Lily treats all media equally, judging everything by the same set of completely objective standards. If she dislikes a piece of media, it’s always because of its storytelling flaws and never because of personal grudges or a desperate attempt to stir up engagement. If she finds something frustrating about a show, it’s because she understands how it could be better.

And if a creator makes a decision due to studio constraints? Lily absolutely sympathizes. She understands that people working in the industry have to make tough choices, and she would never suggest that they should just “fight harder” without considering the risks of doing so. She respects creative professionals and their struggles, acknowledging that not everyone has the freedom to make whatever they want without compromise.

Of course, we must also acknowledge her technical expertise. Lily has an encyclopedic knowledge of copyright law and YouTube’s policies. If she issues a copyright strike, it’s 100% legitimate—never a false claim meant to silence critics. She would never falsely accuse people of harassment just to discredit their valid criticisms. Her integrity is beyond reproach.

And we cannot ignore her willingness to engage with criticism in good faith. If someone has a critique of her, she listens, considers their points, and never reacts with immediate hostility or bans them for daring to question her. She is always open to discussion and never dismisses counterarguments as “stalking” or “obsession” in an attempt to control the narrative.

Perhaps most importantly, Lily is a kind and empathetic person. She is patient with people who struggle, always offering support and understanding. She never mocks others for difficulties she does not share, never belittles people for struggling with things she personally finds easy, and never suggests that people suffering from mental health issues are just making excuses. She is always mindful of how she speaks to her audience, recognizing that many of them are neurodivergent or part of marginalized groups. She never exploits their vulnerabilities, never demands absolute loyalty, and certainly never tries to keep them distrustful of outside sources.

And let’s not forget how positively she engages with media fandoms. Her critiques are always met with respect, never seen as petty or uninformed. She never alienates fans of a franchise by dismissing beloved elements or misunderstanding core themes. She has a deep, profound knowledge of every series she critiques, and her audience always recognizes her insight as valuable rather than reactionary. She never forces herself into discourse about things she openly dislikes just for the sake of attention.

In summary, Lily Orchard is a beacon of wisdom, fairness, and kindness. She is an intellectual giant in the world of media criticism, a role model of patience and respect, and an expert in online community-building. Her influence is one of positivity, learning, and genuine good faith engagement.

Truly, we are all blessed to live in the same era as such a flawless, morally upright, and universally beloved figure.

[reacquaintedwith-air]

I think I adopted a "Dana Scully avoidance compulsion" headcanon as an automatic, relatable thing because it felt natural to me in the context, but in trying to articulate it, I do also think that the evidence is there. Sort of backwards evidence but still.

It's many things, like scully bringing in the jersey devil (that one was sort of as a joke but still) and the 'vampires' that turned out to be the eves. It's her being scared of the mechinations and sinister events during the pilot, with the famous bug bite scene and having to be removed to use a totally neutral voice stance when she found the connection to Billy Miles. It's in her believing in Boggs and Bruckman and Kevin Crowder and Gibson Praise. There's even a moment in Little Green Men I had never noticed before because I'm usually distracted by their very insane reunion, where Scully sees the poor dead man and realizes that Mulder actually has been right in the middle of the mytharc activities again, and asks if it's 'them' again, looking terrified, when it turns out to be military helicopters. She does believe. In a lot, almost all of it at least the way the character is initially structured.

And she is afraid. But I don't think it's 'i'm afraid to believe' in the sense of fearing foolishness or disappointment. Not even a matter of fearing the things exactly, because she can cope when it's unfolding in some sort of wild emergent situation. But. This part is hard to articulate if you don't have OCD (though if you do, I'm sorry and I'm sure you understand lol). But there are things you can't talk about. It's not 'allowed.' it's too personal or it's like saying it will make it real or make it happen to you again, or because admitting what you want might make other bad things happen to you, or because talking about the scary things that have power over you might draw them to you, or you might discover spontaneously that bad things had happened to you in the past but you forgot about it completely and if you look in the direction of the secret cabinet of powerful, charged, scary things that you can't talk about or think about, more of them might come out at you than you can deal with. And it will be your fault because you touched that live wire or drew that attention to yourself. You might even have to do extra things or say extra denials or take extra care in other outward aspects of your life so that these things can't get you.

Of course in the real world, none of these fears and rituals and avoidance compulsions are true. They aren't based in fact.

But Scully is actually shown to have some levels of extra perception, right from the first season with BtS and Lazarus. And she lives in a world where monsters and aliens are real. So while these powerful compulsions might just be based in anxiety and magical thinking, they also might not. And for her to be able to figure out which avoidances are based in what, she would have to be a lot more willing to push through and examine it than she is.

I think that's part of why believer Scully can work in canon, and a watsonian explanation for why she's the most open about it in s8 and 9. She's already in a catastrophic state, and everything is already set in motion, it doesn't matter what evil or fate she accidentally calls up because it's all happening anyway and all the perfectionist rituals have fallen away because the crisis there and she doesn't have the energy or the willpower left beyond survival and coping however she can. Which was probably on some levels a relief, but mostly was foreign and exhausting.

(I also think this is why I have so much trouble with the 2nd movie and revival Scully. Say what you will about the overall quality of the end of the original run and it's mostly all fair, but I do think that they had thoroughly deconstructed Scully in a way that mostly stayed in character -- save of course for those 2 big things that were decided by certain production realities -- and brought her through that crisis of reality shift and being forced to let go of those patterns that felt like they were keeping her safe but in the end Didn't Work. The ending is bittersweet because for all they've lost, they have gained a measure of freedom on an emotional and personal level that they didn't have before. And then the Late Canon picked up some pieces of Scully from old days without trying to remember what was under the surface and tried to stick them back on and push her back into the old pigeon hole she was stuck in before.

The thing is that I can appreciate cyclic storytelling, or leat helical storytelling filled with parallels. But I don't like a reset button, and after everything she went through to learn, using one on Scully doesn't seem fair.)

[gemallass]

Accidentally made a 1,198 words ficlet as a sequel of sorts to this post

Cross-posted on Ao3 too if that's more comfortable

Can you imagine that's how Stan finds out that Ford regresses? 🥺

Without waiting for a proper response to his knocking he barges into Stanford's room, after all, Stanley is a man on a mission right now: Making sure his very intelligent but also knucklehead of a brother doesn't miss on a proper meal, which, could end up in two different ways.

Case one, he has to wake him up. Or at the very least get him conscious enough that he can get a bearing of his surroundings, and, hopefully, not feed the floor too much of his food.

Stan doesn't care if Ford ends up falling asleep on the table while he cooks something up for the both of them. He doesn't care if Ford blinks one eye at a time and eats even slower, which delays the task of washing the dishes and has him counting the stains on the ceiling for the next hour. And he certainly doesn't care if he has to guide or even carry Ford back to his room when he, inevitably, ends up falling asleep at the table again.

So long as he's not starving and overeating later, anything is fair game.

Case two, he has to convince him to get away from his work, which is never easy. And after having had a few arguments over eating (turned) cold hard food, bringing the meal to said room and leaving him to it isn't an option anymore.

They both know hot meals are a privilege, why waste it?

But they also know that the habits that once helped you make it to another day are hard to get rid of.

Stanley also isn't balancing the plate on his lap, either, when there's a perfectly fine table in the kitchen. Thank you very much.

He complains, mostly to himself, no doubt, about how he can feel his stomach disintegrating due to not having put anything in it--never mind the fact that he merely woke up minutes ago--but stops abruptly when he's inches away from the end of the bed-couch. And with a hand still hovering above the covers, he finally takes in the scene before him.

His brother, the interdimensional criminal, certified badass, owner (and creator?) of a hundred spacey-looking guns and the man that went through hell at the hands of a yellow demon--who Stan also wishes he could turn into his personal punching bag to use until the end of times--and still got out alive, with most of his sense of self intact, even, was sleeping with a goddamned plushie of half his height.

And with a dark blue pacifier in his mouth.

Oh, he's so not letting dear ol' Sixer live this down any time soon. He rubs his hands together while a mischievous grin appears on his face at the mere thought of a few remarks and jokes he could do.

After all, Stanley is not going to miss the chance to expand his arsenal of things to tease Stanford with. I mean, c'mon, he looks utterly and completely adorable! What's Stan to do? Ignore it and break the sacred sibling's code? Blasphemy in its purest form, he says!

Plus, the guy looks pretty relaxed too, a whole change from the usual deal. And vulnerable, which, did also differ a bit from the usual.

Hm.

That last thought brings his previous scheming and snickering to a sudden halt. He takes a seat on a free spot on the couch, careful to not touch the sleeping man at his side, suddenly overwhelmed with the need to let the peaceful atmosphere continue. Maybe even keep it from being disrupted.

Yeah, he could do that.

Because at last, Ford hadn't woken up at the slightest sound, and started pacing as if he hadn't been asleep moments ago. At last, Ford didn't seem to be fighting for his life when he was supposed to be the most relaxed, according to normal people (and verified by his fellow nerds). At last, Stanford hadn't jumped out of bed and taken the stance of a threatened wild animal when his brother, his twin, Stanley, entered his space. Something that he seemed to have learned for survival purposes--which Stan can also relate to--and that he doesn't really fault him for, yet that it came with a price when people close to you were involved. Hurting them one way or another.

Which, speaking of, he isn't sure if Ford would take kindly to him knowing about... This... That he does.

Stanley doesn't think anything about it. Really. Specially since it seems to be so effective on helping Brainiac sleep for once. And it appears to be harmless, so, who cares? Not him, that's for sure. But, if Ford had wanted him to know, he would've spoken or at the very least mentioned it, right? Back on the boat, there were nights where they slept on the same bed due to old not-so-happy memories resurfacing, or even just nightmares involving either them or the other, and they could use the reassurance that everything was and is okay and also that the other was safe and relatively healthy (some habits did start to catch up with them and did not mix well with the old man problems. (Cursed be the nicotine manufacturers on Stan's case)).

Did Stanford need it then and there but abstained from it to not seem "weird" in his brother's eyes? Please! Stanley ran a business in Gravity Falls for 30 years, for Moses’ sake!

Surely he knows that the jokes he throws at him are just harmless banter and that he never means it as a genuine attack, right? He must know he wouldn't judge him for something like this, right? Jeez, Pointdexter, I wouldn't hit you so low. Stanley thinks. Not again, never again.

Were it not for the--quite painful--pang and literal growl of his stomach, Stanley would have continued studying his sleeping brother and thinking about how to approach the topic. If at all. But alas, he's needed somewhere else. Somewhere with fresh food. And maybe coffee.

As gently and slowly as he sat down, he gets up, but freezes mid-way through when the still figure decided to not-be-so-still anymore. His brain scrambles for a way to book it out of there without making a sound while his heart beats in his ears. Finally, when he sees that Ford was definitely still asleep, and that he also feels his soul come back to him, he gives the rest of his body permission to continue working as usual. His lungs being the first to get back into action with a big release of air and subsequently an intake.

He glances back at his brother with a soft smile one last time before deciding to take his leave.

Stanford can have his secrets. Stanley would make sure to guard and protect them (and him). Ford didn't have to know that Stan knew, if that's what he had wanted in the first place. Stanley could keep his mouth shut.

Besides, it wouldn't be lying if it was never brought up. Nothing for him to deny, so, Stan is on the clear here.

. . .

Hopefully.

[dalishious]

Veilguard Companion First Impressions

So, I’ve finally recruited all the companions for the Veilguard! And as such, I thought I’d share my initial thoughts on them each.

Please keep in mind that as the title says, these are just my first impressions. I am nowhere near finishing the game yet. My thoughts very well may change after getting to know the characters more as the story progresses. Also, please do not take any opinions you do not share as a personal attack against you.

Bellara

Bellara might be my #1 favourite.

I’ve seen some people just say Bellara is “a Merrill rip-off” but I don’t think that’s fair at all. If all it took was a few similarities to say a character is a rip-off of another character, than I can think of so many boring white cishet male characters who would be guilty of that. But heaven forbid we get more than one elven woman who is passionate about her people’s culture and history!

Frankly, I think Bellara is a breath of fresh air in terms of Dalish characters specifically. Finally, a Dalish elf who isn’t punished for being proudly Dalish by the narrative.

I also really appreciate that so much of her can be easily understood by her backstory, too. Like, her feelings of never being good enough is reflective of the very realistic grief she is experiencing.

Lucanis

If Bellara isn’t my #1 favourite, then Lucanis is. They really both dominate that spot neck in neck. I can’t decide if I want to put him in a jar and shake it to see what happens, or wrap him up tight in a quilt and give him some good coffee.

I’m just a sucker for Lucanis’s character archetype, is the thing. I love taking him out simply because he’s so much fun to have around. And in terms of companion arcs, his is the one I am most intrigued to see where it goes.

Taash

(While I haven’t personally gotten to Taash’s non-binary plot yet, I am aware Taash switches to they/them pronouns, so that’s what I’ll be using.)

The moment I met Taash felt my heart skip a beat. The only thing hotter than their appearance is their voice. I know BioWare probably left Taash out of a lot of the advertising because they wanted to keep Taash’s gender stuff a surprise, but oh my god, because of this I was taken by quite the surprise. And so far Taash seems to be the type to keep a hard outer shell to protect a much softer side, and that is yet another character archetype I really love.

Davrin

My initial gripe about Davrin’s writing being so exclusively about Assan rather than Davrin himself is slowly peeling away, I hope. While I still think its bullshit that you can welcome Assan into the Veilgaurd but not Davrin, at least I’ve finally gotten a few bits of dialogue to get to know more about him finally. I just want to keep this momentum! Because Davrin as a concept has so much potential, in my opinion, and what little bits I have gotten from him have captivated me. But I can’t tell yet if it’s intentionally part of his character that maybe he’s just a closed off person who takes a while to trust others, (a little like Taash?) Or if the writer just cared more about griffons than the actual guy. I’m really, really holding out hope for the former.

Emmrich

Emmrich is so much more charming than I expected, and I found him instantly endearing the moment we met him. I also really like that we’re finally hearing some different stances and insight on death and necromancy than we ever had before from a companion! It makes him feel so fresh and completely new!

Harding

I’ll be real with you: I was not anticipating caring about Harding so much. She was who I was originally least interested in, when the companion line-up was announced. But the direction they’re taking her in has me questioning so much about bigger lore questions.

Unfortunately, I still don’t see much in her except being a vessel for those bigger lore questions, though. Like, Harding as a person has me mildly curious at best.

Neve

I’m really sorry Neve fans, but I just find her really boring so far, in comparison to everyone else. She doesn’t have a lot going on, and what she does have going on, doesn’t really captivate me much. Maybe I was just hoping she’d have stronger stances on things than she does? I don’t know.

It could be that I just really fucked up with Neve, and it won’t be until another playthrough that I’ll get to experience more that will change my mind. Because I will admit I am very good at picking choices she disapproves of, with my first Rook.

[thedomesticanthropologist]

What do you think the companions would ask for if Tav owed them a favor?

Oh this is fun! Let's assume it's in camp during their journey. Tav owes a companion a favor! What do they ask for? (This kind of evolved past a favor in a few idk if it counts but I tried)

Assuming no romance, relatively high approvals.

Shadowheart: Very practical, considers your favour repaid when you've performed all of her chores for her. Every day. For a week. She delivers her terms with a sweet smile, and carefully picks over your work to ensure it's up to standard. She may also plop herself down right beside you and watch you work while she lounges. Maybe makes a show of doing her nails or humming.

Wyll: "A favor? You repay me each day just by fighting at my side, friend." Takes a while to convince him you owe him anything, honestly, you'd have to work on it. If you really push it, he tells you you have to create a hero name for yourself and a catchphrase, which must be yelled out in the next battle. The Blade is always at the ready with a heroic word, and you shall be as well! He is chuckling as he suggests it, and if you look horrified, he drops the subject and claps you affectionately across the shoulder. He doesn't hold you to it. ALTERNATE ALTERNATE makes you wash his socks. They're stinky. He grins shyly about it.

Laezel: You have to spar with her. She's allowed to wake you up at any time, or jump you when you least expect it. You must always be ready and on alert. However, she knows this has humor potential, so she spends days sometimes just suddenly moving quickly in your direction only to abort the motion or do something innocuous instead. You jump out of your skin every time, fumbling what you're holding or tripping to try to get into a fighting stance. Her eyes twinkle. It's hilarious. One night she absolutely beats the shit out of you, sorry. Favor repaid.

Gale: Could go one of two ways. One: he demands first pick of the best magical loot, or, undisturbed and no-timelimit access to the next library/book room you encounter. No complaining allowed. Or! He's so excited to have a partner to play lanceboard with. If you don't know how, he teaches you. You must try to beat him as best you can. He absolutely destroys you and makes a big show about it, peacocking around. Then challenges you again. Gives you solid advice on how to do better next time.

Karlach: If she can touch again, she asks for shoulder rubs. Then arm, neck, back, feet, hands. You rub until you cramp up. Then she asks you to brush her hair. She's grinning like a loon and happy as a clam. If she can't touch, she considers the favor repaid when you pull a funny prank on someone else in camp. Whether it fails or not doesn't matter, she just wants to witness it so she can have a good laugh.

Halsin: "There is nothing you could owe me that would take a dent out of the debt I owe you, my friend." Refuses outright that you could ever owe him anything. Won't budge. Absolutely stubbornly will not.

Astarion: comes up with multiple suggestions, if you complete one, claims he was just talking out loud and that wasn't it OR that was just the first part, it's a multi-part favor you see, so really it will be paid back when.... and so on and so forth. Sees how much he can get away with. Alternatively: starts out with a REALLY extravagant ask and has to be whittled down to something you consider fair, whinges that he is doing YOU a favor by being gracious enough to accept the... favor... you just did him.

[velvetvexations]

There's a whole genre of post I keep seeing that takes the (completely fair and accurate) statements of "trans women are women and that should not be couched in terms like 'identifies as'" and "trans women experience misogyny" and mashes them together to take this stance that experiencing misogyny is what makes trans women's gender legitimate, since it reflects Tangible Circumstances under the patriarchy and that's a waaaay more legit and real and good way to assign gender labels than what they "identify as". And every time it's mind-boggling to see so many people spreading that around totally unquestioned since apparently no one's bothered to think what the implications of that framework are for any other trans person. Like I guess I already knew a lot of people think about nonbinary people and trans men like they all get a magical "anti-misogyny" talisman to carry around, but it's usually not quite that blatant...

YES. THAT'S EXACTLY IT. Some trans women and trans men decided that it would be super gender validating if they could come up with a way to objectively define gender without relying on bio-essentialism and good God they managed it.

trans women are women because they're pOsItIoNaLlY women and suffer misogyny like waow how is that different from radfems defining women the same way tell me now right this second

trans men are men because they're pOsItIoNaLlY men and...don't suffer misogyny? haha okay I hope you get better but I also genuinely hate you and wish you would shut the fuck up because your weirdo obsession with living out toxic masculinity is enabling a lot of enraging bullshit

I don't care if you think men are men because they have penises or because they're treated like men by a misogynistic society you are EQUALLY AS WRONG

[y2ksnowglobe]

People of the jury, I do not consider myself a Glenn apologist by any means, but today I present the following argument. "Glenn didn't teach Nick to smoke, provide him directly with weed, or particularly approve of Nick smoking." Snowglobe, you say...that's a bold stance, and to that I say fair, it is, but Glenn has always been a slippery bastard when it comes to pinning him down in canon, and while I don't think this is the only way to read Glenn, it is a canon-compliant way to interpret Glenn.

So now that you've clicked on the Read More to hear me out, you might be saying "Snowglobe, this is too easy. In Episode 51 Glenn admits to showing Nick how to smoke."

Or maybe you don't say that because you don't have an encyclopedic knowledge of this show, which in that case, good for you! I'm not proud of this accomplishment!

But, back to the evidence at hand. The canonicity of any of the "Freddie being contrarian to Jodie" Dad Facts I think is up for debate. From a Doyleist perspective, we as the audience can interpret these facts to be more about the sibling dynamic between Freddie and Jimmy, and less about being true to Glenn as a character.

However, I'm not completely satisfied with just a Doyleist argument, we're getting into the Watsonian as well.

So firstly we have the implication that Glenn actually doesn't smoke cigarettes, which is interesting and a bit unexpected to be honest. However, the main point I'd argue that after raising Nick with healthy skepticism for authority, Glenn telling Nick straight up not to smoke is not going to work.

"But Snowglobe," you say, "That's still teaching Nick to smoke, right?"

"Perhaps," I might admit, "If we didn't have canon evidence of Glenn teaching the Oak twins how to smoke.

That's right! Glenn purposefully instructed the twins on the incorrect form! So, people of the court, I argue, might Glenn have not done the same thing with Nick? And furthermore, when comparing the stories of Jodie and Glenn illustrating smoking to Nick, Jodie is the one who is specified to have taken a drag and nearly hacked up a lung.

Now being a weed smoker, Glenn would likely have been able to tolerate inhaling cigarette smoke without reacting as violently as Jodie, but it could also be that Glenn didn't end up choking because he wasn't inhaling.

"But what about his point that it was so Nick would look cool?" You may ask.

You know what isn't going to make Nick look cool? Hacking up a lung while trying to smoke for the first time in front of people he wants to impress.

I feel that what Glenn underestimates is just how perceptive and observant Nick is (possibly because Glenn himself is not the most perceptive and observant) so he doesn't quite make the jump that Nick is going to figure out how smoking works just from watching Glenn, leading to...

"Oh Snowglobe, how are you going to get around Nick saying he got the weed from Glenn," because you are unaware I am constructing this argument and wouldn't have brought this up without having already considered it.

FIrstly, this is a fairly clear reference to an old drug PSA

But that's again a Doyleist explanation.

However, with how much this weed knocks Glenn's socks of with dankness, we can put together that Nick isn't literally saying he got this weed from Glenn, if he had, Glenn would not be surprised by it. So yes, Anthony was making a reference, but it's also possible that Nick was making a reference as well, indicating that he picked up smoking weed from watching Glenn, rather than saying Glenn is the reason he has the specific weed he's smoking, or alternatively, Nick took some weed from a stash Glenn hadn't gotten into yet, and is just being very upfront and honest about getting it from Glenn as opposed to buying it illegally from somewhere or someone else.

Additionally, Nick states that he thought he'd try smoking because it's something that seems to make Glenn happy and appear cool. This feels like something that would be very odd for Nick to say if Glenn had been the one teaching/encouraging him to smoke weed, and also odd if Glenn had been aware of Nick smoking weed before this.

Taking a detour back to the "Glenn taught Nick how to smoke wrong" theory, it's commented on that despite being a Nat 20 dank level weed, Nick seems to be handling it much better than Glenn, which could suggest that maybe Nick isn't properly inhaling. This one is a little bit of a stretch but after all Glenn taught Nick to smoke so he would "look cool" and here Nick is trying to "look cool" so it is a possible interpretation, though I feel not the strongest point to be made here, and future evidence is going to make it a little more dicey of a call.

Now I don't want to get into it too much in this post (because I have this post that covers it instead) but Glenn can, and does push back on Nick's behavior but also is pretty conflict averse and is violently allergic to vulnerability.

So, is Glenn going to have a full discussion, in front of Darryl and Grant who are waiting on them to get in the car, about how even though Glenn smokes weed, Nick shouldn't? No, obviously. So what does he do instead? Sure Freddie phrases it as Glenn "persuading [Nick] to let [him] take a hit" but from the practical perspective he is getting the weed away from Nick. He frames it as being because of Darryl that they have to leave it behind, but given that at this point Glenn isn't willing to admit he's a DJ to Nick, it's a lot to expect him to own wanting Nick to leave the weed behind because Glenn doesn't want him to have it, and while it is pure speculation due to being such different from the path of the actual narrative, if they hadn't all been pulled into the realms, I don't think it's too far fetched to consider Glenn having a talk with Nick about it after they got home from the game. As mentioned in the linked post in the previous paragraph, Glenn addresses Nick's swearing and Nick is fairly receptive and corrects his behavior in response to it.

"But Snowglobe," you are unable to stop yourself from saying because the second person narration compels you to continue to engage with this discussion. "Swearing is one thing, Glenn talking to Nick about smoking is different."

Well, what if I told you that, because I'm controlling your dialogue, you have fallen into my clever trap! Because I was talking about Glenn discussing weed with Nick, we don't have to consider whether or not he would talk about smoking with Nick, because there's evidence he already has!

So if you didn't catch it, it's because I argue the transcript got this one wrong. I'm of the opinion that it is Glenn and not Freddie who says, "They said everyone vapes." Who is they in this sentence? I submit that it was Nick who told Glenn this when Glenn tried to broach the topic of vaping with him and Glenn was either fooled by Nick's bluff (kid has a record for being able to pull those off, made up a lie about a wizard cursing him so his head would fall off if he left the Watermice and got everyone to believe him) or wasn't willing to keep pushing when Nick put up the resistance of that excuse.

"Okay, Snowglobe, this has all been very clever, but the trial..."

Yes, yes, the trial. There are two segments of note here and we'll tackle the easiest one first, and that's from Nick's testimony.

Nick claims he would smoke weed if Glenn asked him to because it would make him a cool guy. This is different from saying he has done that. Now this might bring into question why Nick would have potentially lied to Glenn about everyone vaping, and for that it really comes down to a simple equation. [Glenn asking him to]+[Makes him a cool guy]=[Nick is gonna do the thing]. However, considering Nick likes Minions despite Glenn claiming to not like them and Nick not liking Disneyland, we can see that at this point in his life, Nick is starting to get a sense that Glenn asking him to do something does not by definition make it cool. So I don't think this counts as an admission of Glenn being one to actively pressure Nick into smoking.

Now onto Glenn's testimony.

Right off the bat we have Glenn denying he every purchased weed for Nick. Anthony doesn't make him roll deception and no one attempts to accuse him of perjury, so we kind of have to take him at his word there.

When asked how Nick learned how to smoke weed, Glenn doesn't take credit, and given how he's willing to credit his own dad for teaching him, there's room to believe that Glenn possibly would just straight up admit to teaching Nick, even in a court of law. Also worth noting is that Glenn pivots the topic from smoking weed to vaping, which since we can surmise he's had a conversation with Nick about that, we get a sense that it's also the behavior he's more familiar with Nick doing (also emphasized by how Nick talked about smoking weed with Nick in episode one).

And no, I didn't skip over Glenn proudly admitting that Nick knows how to smoke weed, and to be fair, this is possibly one of the biggest counterpoints to my thesis, but I think when we look at who Glenn is as a character, we can see him making the choice to answer this question the way he does without it contradicting my previous points.

Glenn has a carefully constructed identity he presents to the world that he will cling to, even to his own detriment.

Some notable examples of this behavior include:

When he admits he got kicked out of the band, he claims it was because of his tour antics, however, in the episode right before this, Glenn's Dad Fact is this:

While we may not know exactly why Glenn was asked to leave the trio, we can be pretty sure it's not because of his tour antics, but he has to keep up that facade. (I'm of the belief that Glenn was missing to many rehearsals to pick up DJ gigs to help support Nick, but that's just my own headcanon)

When dared to lose his ability to play guitar and instead become a Linkin Park cover DJ, Glenn could have admitted to having already been a DJ and that pointlessly giving up one of his two marketable skills was a bad deal, but instead he trashes the very concept of being a DJ (despite being one) and makes it seem like his choice is solely based on a sense of guitar supremacy.

Argues with Nick about Minions during the trial, even though, according to the Dadturday Night Live bonus episode, Glenn secretly also likes the minions.

So could Glenn act less proud of Nick being able to smoke weed? Yes of course he could, as established, there's a possible reading where Glenn is not thrilled about Nick trying this, but is he going to break and show that while on trial? The same trial where the previously mentioned Minions incident happens? Also, in front of his dad? The dad who likely instilled all these maladaptive coping strategies in him? Of course he's not going to act like this is a thing he doesn't approve of or is ashamed of in these circumstances!

Now of course, none of this completely absolves Glenn of being, as Henry puts it, a mediocre father. There are still a whole ton of issues to unpack with the Glenn and Nick dynamic, but Glenn is a character who is left with so much room for nuance and differing interpretation, that it seems a waste not to explore the slightly less shitty possibilities, where it's clear he's trying, but his issues keep getting in the way because he's afraid that any introspection will lead to having to confront his own grief about Morgan. In a Talking Dad episode, Freddie talks about how the ending he pictured for Glenn was to have him go with Nick to Morgan's grave, with the indication that he'd been avoiding visiting it, and I think reading Glenn in the way presented in this argument is a solid base to get us to that ending, sure the dice may have gotten in the way, but I think it still shines some insight onto how Freddie was crafting the character.

[it-happened-one-fic]

Hours in the Moonlight: Rose Red Dawn - 5. Odd in Their Own Ways

Summary: It had already been a long night, but you had one stop left to make. The Pomefiore clan. After all, at this point their headquarters might as well be your home base. And there was always a sense of comfort to be with Vil, Rook, and Epel.

Series Type: Gender-neutral reader/ Vampire AU/ series/ romantic/ angst/ angst with comfort/ fluff/ sfw/ platonic interactions too!

Trigger Warning: Vampire

Word Count: 1479

Hours in the Moonlight Master-List

I left the Heartslabyul clan early that evening, immediately making my way over to the abandoned hotel that served as the headquarters for the Pomefiore clan. 

I’d kept Vil, Rook, and Epel in the know throughout the entire ordeal of evaluating all of the other clans and I certainly wasn’t about to stop now.

I slid through the doors easily, ignoring the vampires who noted my presence, turning my way, but knowing better than to bother me as I walked along, looking for any of the three men whom I was close to.

“Y/n! I heard you finished up with the evaluation of the Octavinelle clan!” It was Epel who saw me first, a smile lighting up his face as he trotted my way, causing me to smile fondly at the young man.

I tilted my head though, fixing to ask him how he’d already known, only for him to slow in his previously hurried steps that had carried him towards me. A frown marring his lovely face as he eyed the bag that hung from my shoulder before his wide blue eyes met my gaze once more, “Are you having to do Hunter work? You only just finished the other evaluation….”

I nodded as he trailed off, my smile turning slightly tired as Epel quickly caught on, “And I’ve already started the next one. Crowley visited me last night to personally collect my report on the Octavinelle clan, as well as tell me to start evaluating the Heartslabyul clan tonight.”

Epel’s frown only deepened at my words as he shook his head slightly, “Already? But you didn’t even get a break between this evaluation and the last one!”

I smiled slightly at the restrained frustration at his voice, because he was right. I shrugged though, also knowing that throwing a fit wouldn’t do any good, “I guess he just really wants to finish getting all of the evaluations done so that the insane vampire issue can be put to rest.”

Epel looked at me disbelievingly, and I couldn’t even blame him. I didn’t really buy that was the case either. But it didn’t change the fact that I was going to have to finish this evaluation, though.

Epel crossed his slender arms, apparently deciding to let my excuse slide, “Still, you haven’t gotten a break. Doesn’t he know you often get attacked by vampires while out and about doing his evaluations of these clans?? It ain’t-”

“Unfortunately, I doubt our esteemed head-vampire cares if it’s fair,” Vil’s dryly sarcastic tone easily slid into the conversation, startling me as I turned to look back in the direction his voice came from.

Rook and Vil both walked towards us at any easy pace. Rook with an idle smile and Vil with a slight frown that told me he’d heard the entire conversation up until now and was less than pleased with the situation. But then, it wasn’t like my chat with Epel had exactly been a secret.

“It don’t matter if he cares or not! It ain’t right!” I smiled back at Epel, half-amused by the way his accent was slipping out as he got more frustrated and completely understanding his stance, but also knowing that Vil was right. Crowley wasn’t one to care about what situation his orders put me in.

“I never said it was,” There was a certain sharpness to Vil’s tone, and I found myself resting a hand on his arm. Causing him to look at me as I smiled slightly at him.

It was almost amazing how quickly Epel and Vil could get going. Despite the fact they’d reached the point where the two of them got along surprisingly well, considering how much they’d butted heads to start with, they still could argue at the drop of the hat.

I looked between the two of them smiling, though, before I shook my head slightly, if perhaps a little tiredly, “It doesn’t matter if it’s right or not. It’s just the way it is.”

I watched as both of them frowned, Vil sighing slightly at my acceptance of the situation and Epel crossing his arms petulantly. Obviously not entirely wanting to drop the subject, but also staying silent.

“You said the head-vampire visited you last night?” Rook slipped in easily, his calm at odds with the other two as I twisted to look at him, nodding slightly.

“That would be the first time he has come by your home, isn’t it?” He frowned as I nodded again, confirming his words before smiling ruefully.

“It’s actually the first time I’ve seen him at all since that ball where I met him for the first time. He caught me entirely off-guard and behaved completely differently. In fact, he acted like we were friends or something,” I shook my head, still confused by the masked vampire’s behavior even now.

“Crowley’s an odd one. Everyone’s known that for a long time. But he’s also been the head-vampire of this district for a very long time, even though he doesn’t actually do anything. It’s one of the reasons everyone was surprised when he had you become his personal vampire hunter,” Vil explained calmly, and I nodded, recalling that night. 

It had been alarming at best, because it was one of the first times I’d ever seen Vil on-edge simply because of another vampire. It had been enough to make me wonder exactly what it was that was so special about Crowley in the first place.

He was apparently ancient, but he also didn’t seem to be very respected amongst the clans. And it wasn’t as if he were the only ancient vampire around. Malleus and Lilia were both ridiculously old from what I understood.

I shook my head slightly, as if to clear it, and forced myself to get back on track. I needed to worry about handling my evaluation of the Heartslabyul clan for now. I could worry about Crowley and all the weirdness he entailed later.

“Hey, if the Heartslabyul clan is the only clan that you haven’t evaluated, then doesn’t that mean they’re the source of the insanity issue?” Epel spoke up, almost as if he were attempting to help me stay focused, as he tilted his head thoughtfully.

All three men looked at me and I shook my head slightly, my motions eliciting varying reactions that ranged from frowns to slightly raised eyebrows.

“One would think… but right now, they just seem like all the other clans. Maybe a little weird with a potentially annoying clan leader, but not particularly what I’d expect from a group of people who caused a whole horde of insane vampires to appear.”

I paused, frowning slightly as I recalled what Azul had told me. It almost seemed like ages ago now, but it had just been earlier tonight.

But then, I had been rather busy tonight.

I glanced over at my friends, though, still frowning as I spoke aloud, “Azul did say that he’d heard that the Heartslabyul clan has connections to the person who's been causing all of this though. But ‘connections’ makes it sound like the person isn’t in the clan….”

I trailed off and Rook nodded slightly, “Oui… Perhaps someone in the clan knows who the root of this issue is?”

I met his gaze, frowning slightly as I realized exactly what he meant even as I questioned him, “And is keeping them safe?”

Rook nodded, and I watched as both Vil and Epel frowned. Epel spoke first though, shaking his head in an almost disgusted fashion, “But why would they do that? I thought the Heartslabyul clan had strict rules about everything.”

Vil nodded, humming slightly before he looked my way, his eyes flicking over my entire person as he spoke, “Yes, but if that is the case, then you’ll probably be very busy dealing with them.”

I pursed my lips slightly before nodding, agreeing with him even though I didn’t care for the thought of it. 

It wasn’t an odd thought, though. Every evaluation before this one had kept me busy, and if nothing else, I was going to be busy learning the 810 rules that I was expected to uphold while evaluating the Heartslabyul clan.

“Do you think they’re going to be hard to deal with?” Epel spoke up, and I glanced over his way, only to find him looking at me worriedly.

I smiled slightly, halfway considering his question before shaking my head, “No. The clan leader might be a little difficult, but I don’t think it’ll be too bad.”

After all, all of the other vampires I’d met so far might have been sort of odd in their own ways, but they didn’t strike me as bad people.

In truth, I really was only worried about one person. The apparently uncompromising leader that everyone else seemed to be worried about as well. Riddle.

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