#another bastard after another!!!!

[reluctantjoe]

i play a real bastard ~ mb about dr. thomas

[allyriadayne]

some thoughts about jace during the dace and his relationship to kingship and rhaenyra⁓

rhaenys dies in rook's rest and corlys is angry because it should've been rhaenyra. Jace must take the reins if they want to win. Rhaenyra must wake so he takes care of his siblings, her weakest points, so he sends them far and wide so she will not fear for their life. except..... it'll be jace next. he didn't think of himself.

and in the next part: "Prince Jacaerys soon brought the Lord of the Tides back into the fold by naming him the Hand of the Queen" Jace said, let's get this bitch on the road!! but it's soo indicative of what were jace's priorities and there being some kind of friction or at least disappointment in his dynamic with rhaenyra that she's not doing what he thinks she must.

jace's list: 1) bring corlys back as hand 2) plan the rest of the war 3) bring rhaenyra back 4) win war? 5) ?????? 6) ?????? 7) mourn luke after (or never).

"syrax" crrrazy because Jace is really counting on rhaenyra to be A Queen. he's fighting tooth and nail for her to get back to the realm of the living. he won't ever give up on her! it's really so sad.

like imagine the great strain jace is put in because he must compensate for rhaenyra's absence. appeasing corlys, comfort his siblings for being separated so soon after Luke's death, the war, being a good son and heir. and also, to be the most senior available dragonrider on the island, their only line of defense!! he was fifteen!! coming up with the dragonseeds plan must have been such a relief.

[foe-paw]

I CAN FIX ANYTHING!

[wonder-worker]

I've been thinking about the tragedy of Elizabeth Woodville living to see the end of her family name.

I don't mean her family with her husband, which lived on through her daughter and grandson. I mean her own.

Her sisters died, one by one, many of them after 1485. When Elizabeth died, only Katherine was left, and she would die before the turn of the century as well.

All her brothers died, too. Lewis died in childhood. John was executed. Anthony was murdered. Lionel died suddenly in the peak of Richard's reign, unable to see his niece become queen. Edward perished at war. Richard died in grieving peace. For all the violence and judgement the family endured, it was "an accident of biology" that ended their line: none of the brothers left heirs, and the Woodville name was extinguished. We know the family was aware of this. We know they mourned it, too:

“Buy a bell to be a tenor at Grafton to the bells now there, for a remembrance of the last of my blood.”

Elizabeth lived through the deposition and death of her young sons, and lived to see the end of her own family name. It must have been such a haunting loss, on both sides.

[tarisilmarwen]

"Thrawn only joined the Empire to help the Chiss!"

Okay sure but have any of you bothered to self-examine why Thrawn chose to join the Empire instead of, say, the Republic, when that was still around? Or why he didn't chose to throw in with the Rebellion, put his tactical mind to use helping them overthrow the Empire quicker?

Could it be... perhaps... that maybe he values the Empire's military strength... more than he cares about the authoritarian tyranny with which it oppresses its own people?

Is it possible that he thinks the Empire's main problem is that it isn't effective enough, too much politicking getting in the way of sound strategy, but if he's around (and in charge) he can guide things so that those annoying little wrinkles (AKA the pockets of discontent and rebellion and fully justified anger at their rights and freedoms being trampled on) are all smoothed out and the overall Imperial machine is better, more in control of its assets, a stronger more unified bulwark against the outergalactic threat of the Grysk or the Vong or whatever.

Is it perhaps just a bit self-centered of him to only care about the Empire's ability to service his own goals and desires and be apathetic (at best) to the way it makes people suffer daily under its inherent systems? The Twi'leks and Wookies being constantly kidnapped and sold into slavery? The careless industrialization of arboreal worlds? The socialization and absorption of all private industry, forcing everyone to work through and with the Empire if they want to work at all? The systematic persecution of anyone remotely Force Sensitive? Is it not the mark of some kind of soul rot to be aware of all of that and go, "Yeah, but I don't care, they have the bigger guns, which is what I need."?

Maybe... just maybe... Thrawn has some Machiavellian tendencies and opinions and maybe this just might... make him not entirely a good person?

And maybe y'all should think about that before you come back and whine about his portrayal as a villain, as if all he has to do is explain to people that he did everything for a good reason and he gets an automatic narrative pardon for all of the shit he did while Grand Admiral that still needs to be addressed and answered for.

[meimeimeirin]

why are men these days so............. weird.......

[lesbianbanana]

Hera's relationship with Apollo is something that should be studied, in this essay I-

[strigital]

just dudes being in love 💕

[blue-rose-soul]

Your last Devil’s Bastards post was so juicy! I’d never heard about heaven’s people having amnesia.

Now I can’t stop thinking about a pre-reveal scenario in which Nicaise somehow goes to visit the hotel and while she doesn’t recognize anyone, Alastor and Lucifer sure recognize her.

Hey, it could happen! I did set the stage for Nicaise to potentially become a fallen angel, no second death required.

Let's say it happens at some point after the thwarted extermination. Neither Lucifer nor Alastor know yet, but Alastor has some suspicions. When Nicaise is ejected from Heaven for revealing the exterminations to the public, encouraging people to go against Heaven's rules, and questioning the Seraphim, and then refusing to repent, she remembers Charlie Morningstar's hotel and heads there straight away.

Charlie's happy to see her again. Both Lucifer and Alastor are in shock, but since Alastor's perma-smile is still in place no one really notices his reaction. They're all a little wrapped up in the story Nicaise is telling them about how she ended up getting ejected from Heaven. Of course Charlie happily welcomes her into the hotel, and Vaggie's actually happy to have yet another fallen angel among them, to hear that Heaven may actually be reforming from within.

Then Lucifer steps forward and reintroduces himself. Everyone's more than a little surprised to learn that Lucifer and Nicaise have met before. Lucifer explains that whence upon a time he snuck out of Hell just for a little while to actually see Earth, and wound up lost in the middle of New Orleans during the Rex parade. Nicaise doesn't remember the event, so he tells her about how she saved him from being lost and basically acted as his guide throughout the celebration. They both got pretty wasted and he woke up the next morning passed out on top of somebody's rooftop, presumably from attempting to fly home while drunk. Everyone's laughing and having a good time as he recounts the story.

Alastor says nothing.

As Nicaise settles into the hotel crew and helps Charlie with her redemption project, Alastor initially tries to keep his distance, but over time everyone notices that Alastor is different with her. It's not too strange at first. He's always gotten along better with women than with men. But this is different. He almost has an air of respect with her, and he doesn't even respect the King of Hell! He's gentle, he never teases or intentionally scares her, though it turns out Nicaise has a bit of a prankster side of her own and thinks its funny when he spooks other hotel residents. He doesn't hide the fact that he's a serial murderer, or that he's a cannibal, but he does tone down the bloodthirstiness in her presence. His smile is more genuine around her.

Bit by bit, certain things come out about Alastor, more in the few short weeks Nicaise has been with them than anyone's learned in the 6+ months of living with Alastor. Things he and Nicaise share in common. They both grew up in New Orleans, they like to use venison in their jambalaya, play several of the same instruments, have the same taste in liquor, hate tea. They even died within a couple decades of one another. Nicaise wonders if they might have even met one another while alive. Alastor only says he supposes it's possible.

Lucifer, for his part, is delighted to reunite with an old friend. Alastor does not enjoy Lucifer enjoying her company. He compels Husk to interrupt the two of them if he ever sees them getting too 'close.' Encourages Niffty to get under Lucifer's feet. Has his shadows trip Lucifer up, or spill his drinks when he's talking with Nicaise. Lucifer knows it's all Alastor's doing and assumes Alastor's just being a shit again.

"What, you failed to steal my daughter, now you're trying to steal my vacation friend!?"

Husk is the first one to put two and two together. He doesn't figure out everything, but he knows Alastor well enough to know his interest in Nicaise isn't romantic, and to pick up on the familial similarities. He keeps his mouth shut though. The memory of what happened last time he dredged up one of Alastor's secrets still sets his fur on edge. Still, in private he lets himself chuckle over the fact that Alastor is a 'mamma's boy.'

Eventually though, other people start to pick up on Alastor's weird behavior. When Nicaise scolds him for 'picking on' Lucifer - and WOW is it weird to see Alastor letting himself be scolded - Alastor points out to her that Lucifer is a married man. That does put a bit of a damper on Lucifer's and Nicaise's interactions. They weren't intentionally flirting or anything, but Lucifer wonders if maybe he was getting a tad too comfortable. He and Lilith ARE separated (at least, according to Charlie) but he still hopes to one day reconcile with her. And now that Alastor's brought it to her attention, Charlie's starting to feel just a tad uncomfortable with Lucifer's and Nicaise's closeness as well. Just a tad though! She does want her dad to be happy, and he and Lilith are separated...

Privately, she still thinks it feels like a betrayal though.

And it's that feeling that allows Charlie to put things together, and she's a hell of a lot less subtle than Husk is.

There are people hanging out at the bar when she walks up to Alastor in the parlor and blurts out, "ALASTOR, IS NICAISE YOUR SISTER!?"

It came out a lot louder than she meant it.

Lucifer chokes on his drink.

In Charlie's defense, he and Nicaise appear to be close to the same physical age in their demon and angel forms. If anything, Nicaise might have been younger when she died than Alastor was when he died.

Alastor reassures Charlie that, no, Nicaise is not his sister.

Lucifer relaxes and starts to chug his drink to get that terrifying thought out of his head.

"She's my maman."

Lucifer chokes again.

Fortunately Nicaise isn't present for this conversation. Charlie asks why Alastor hadn't said anything before now and he explains he doesn't see any reason to. Once they get her back into Heaven, they'll never see one another again, so why burden her with the knowledge that her son grew to be a mass murderer in life and a cannibalistic Overlord in death? While he may not regret any of his actions, he knows she would be heartbroken by the revelation.

Angel Dust breaks up the sullen mood that's fallen over the room by cracking a joke that, 'the devil wants to do your mom.'

He immediately gets several sets of angry eyes on him, including beast mode Alastor, and shuts up very quickly.

[y-rhywbeth2]

While replaying BG2, I had sudden moment of inspiration regarding a headcanon on how my Durge could be elven while tying it back to the first games (could also apply to half-elven). Throwing ideas around: Back in BG2 Irenicus tried to join the Seldarine by draining/fusing himself with the Tree of Life, an avatar of Rillifane Rallathil, claiming his divinity for himself and becoming a god... The act of draining the tree also had the side effect of killing and draining the life out of every elf in the city of Suldanesselar, but hey.

The second time he did this he had the stolen soul of a Bhaalspawn, which means that for a time the essence of Bhaal, the essence of an elven god, and the divine essence of Corellon/Elven-ness were all intermingled in an act of mass murder. Titans can be created entirely by accident; it could be possible for some of the divine essence of the Seldarine/Rilifane to be carried back to Bhaal, or even for Durge to have been born as a consequence of Irenicus' attack on the Tree.

There were these things, parasites formed from dark magic that the elves didn't recognise that Irenicus used to drain the essence from the tree (they were also kind of cute, imo, but that's beside the point): if those were, in some roundabout fashion, the "flesh" of Bhaal, slain, then reanimated and shaped into elven form by the stolen divine essence of one of the Seldarine... it would put Durge's birth in 1369, probably sometime in Kythorn (June-ish).

... It also sort of makes Durge part tree and maybe gives them two or three parents (Bhaal and Rillifane, and maybe Irenicus if you want to be cruel).

Also might make Queen Ellesime their half-sister or something (I'm not entirely clear on how she's related to the Leaflord, just that she's descended from him).

The Seldarine probably wouldn't be terribly comfortable with such a child existing (Sehanine might make an attempt at kindness as she does with Eilistraee and Shevarash, but when things don't fit into their ideal, things get very uncomfortable in this family). The elves wouldn't be keen on them either once/if they worked out what the infant was, what with them being both a reminder of a horrific and traumatic crime against them, and also a Bhaalspawn. They don't like those: "None of the elven forest folk want to be near me." - Charname, after being ushered out of Suldanesselar and out into a world where Bhaalspawn are being subjected to witch hunts, shortly after saving said elves and their city. Even if they are an elf.

[jasontoddenthusiastt]

Does he suck at being part of a family or does his family just suck

[stop-breaking-my-heart-dragonage]

Okay I thought I was done but apparently I'm not. I need to talk more about this banter you can get during the Legacy DLC between Aveline and Warden Carver because it makes me want to scream.

Aveline: I'm glad you found a place with the Wardens. Carver: Well, it's not the city guard, but it'll do. Aveline: Carver... it wasn't the place for you. Carver: No, it's all right. It is. It cost a lot, but I get it. I really was a bit of a tit those days, wasn't I? Aveline: Well...

In my last post, I talked about how Aveline had no place telling the guard to refuse Carver's application, regardless of if he was "right" for the job or not. But I believe he would've made a great guard, and getting that job not only would've provided for him and his family during a desperate time, but would've prevented him from either fate of becoming a warden or a templar. He was unfairly robbed of a chance to prove himself because Aveline believed he wasn't right for the guard.

This is one of the banters I brought up but didn't go too in depth about. At this point, it's been between 3-6 years since Act 1, depending on if you decided to do Legacy in Act 2 or Act 3, and every line here is important.

Carver's response to Aveline saying she's glad he "found a place" with the wardens is so telling. Not being accepted by the guard is still on his mind after all this time. He wouldn't bring it up if it didn't still bother him, and implies that he still would've preferred the guard over the wardens.

Which... yeah. Listen, I'm a dedicated "Carver joins the Grey Warden" player. I don't like leaving him behind to become a templar, and I certainly don't like him dying. For me, the Grey Wardens are the best outcome he has. It’s where he seems the happiest and finds the most fulfilment, and it fits well with how I play my Hawke. But it obviously has some tragic issues.

Like the fact that becoming a Grey Warden only delayed his inevitable death within the Deep Roads. Eventually his Calling will come, and Carver will go back down there and fight until the darkspawn eventually kill him. I'm sure that's not traumatic to think about given he was a soldier at Ostagar and then watched Bethany die at the hands of an ogre. Oh, and there's the whole nightmares and voices thing.

Carver didn't choose this life for himself. It was either this or death, but a "what if?" still lingers in his mind about the city guard.

Something Aveline ruined for him.

And continues to ruin.

Aveline: Carver... it wasn't the place for you.

You hear that? In the distance? That's me screaming.

I must reiterate; what makes Aveline believe it's her place to tell Carver whether or not the city guard was right for him? Why did she think she should get a say in whether or not the guard takes him? What's made it HER call?

And still, after all this time has passed, she believes it wasn't right for him and she's unwilling to consider otherwise. Maker forbid she do some reflection and question if she was in the right for interfering at all, too!

Carver is standing right there before her, proving everything she said about him wrong, and she just doubles down. There's no reason to say this to him unless she's trying to remind him of his place; he's a Grey Warden, and she's Guard-Captain of Kirkwall's city guard. But c'mon, Aveline, he's hardly a threat to your precious guard anymore given the whole dedication to killing darkspawn thing he has now.

Maybe if you paid more attention to the threats within your guard, Kirkwall would be a safer place with less murder going around? Just saying!

But isn't that how it's always been? Aveline putting him in his place, making sure Carver remembers she's always outranked him?

Carver: Did you approve my application? Aveline: I can't make you a guard, Carver. Carver: We were both soldiers. Why won't they take me? Aveline: I was an officer. And I follow orders. Carver: [laughs] No you don't. Aveline: I also think of others before myself. You seem tired of that, and that's dangerous. Carver: Just when it's not my choice. You told them not to take me, didn't you? Aveline: Yes.

That he should remember who he's talking to?

Carver: I'm surprised you still travel with us, Aveline. Aveline: Carver, don't. Carver: You're ever so busy with the guardsmen. It must be a burden to slum with the refugees. Aveline: It's oddly comforting that you insult me like I'm family. Carver: That wasn't... no, I didn't mean that. Aveline: I know. But you should be glad that's how I took it.

That she's in charge?

Aveline: Your form's sloppy, Carver. Stiffen up or the darkspawn will take your blade. Carver: Right. I'll keep that in mind. Aveline: And you're angry, why? Carver: You didn't fare any better than I did the last time we faced darkspawn. Aveline: If they take your blade, people die. That's not happening again. Stiffen up. Carver: Yes ma'am.

Oh, and she used to spy on him [and Hawke].

Aveline: I don't like some of the people you've been associating with, Carver. Carver: Talk to my brother/sister. He/She's the one in charge. Aveline:  Maybe, but I know you get around. This city's full of people who are dead set on ending badly. I don't want to see you end up the same way. Carver: Would asking you to stop spying on me help in the least? Aveline: No.

That's their banter.

But sure, she's glad he found a place in the wardens. I don't think she's being ingenuine when she says that, but I think it's a little more complicated than a mere "congrats on doing well, I knew you could do it."

But Carver's response? Oh Maker's ass. It actually hurts me.

Carver: No, it's all right. It is. It cost a lot, but I get it. I really was a bit of a tit those days, wasn't I? Aveline: Well...

I... what can I even say?

He accepts it, but you can tell it hurts to do so. It DID cost a lot. More than Aveline will ever understand. And it doesn't matter now! He can't become a guard now anyway, so what would be the point in him disagreeing with her? Carver acts as the bigger person here because he does get it, even if Aveline doesn't.

But it's that last part... that last damn part... Don't be alarmed, that screaming you hear is still me.

Here's the deal; Carver acknowledges that he could be an ass back in Act 1. Hell, he acknowledges it IN Act 1. For example, when you talk to him after finding your grandfather's will, he's an ass to you about Bethany no matter what you say.

But y'know what? You can be the biggest piece of shit to him and have Hawke literally call him a "lazy brat with a chip on his shoulder," and Carver will still be the one to be apologetic for what he said and attempt to explain his feelings.

"Brother/Sister... I feel... I don't know. It's like Mother taking things out on us. She was just scared. I don't have a place in the life she's trying to bring back…"

Carver can be an ass, but he's aware of that and actively tries to change his behavior. If you bring him and Fenris with you on the Mark of the Assassin DLC, there's a moment where Carver says, "You still don't like me? I've tried to change." And if you bring Varric, he once again acknowledges that he used to be an ass.

BUT... that being said. If you don't remember, "I really was a bit of a tit those days, wasn't I?" is referencing back to this conversation in the barracks of Act 1:

Hawke: This must be a very different pace from serving King Cailan. Aveline: It's just one more change, though. The real end for me was Ostagar. What about you Carver? You were there. Do you feel something similar? Carver: No. Aveline: All right, then. Bit of a tit, your brother.

Now, I've already expressed my beef with Aveline over insulting Carver in the middle of the barracks just because he doesn't agree with her view point on Ostagar... but consider the fact that Carver says nothing. He just lets her insult him without a complaint! Carver Hawke, who tends to complain! And he says nothing!

Not only that, but he actually internalized that insult enough that years later he's able to repeat it back to Aveline word for word, and all she has to say is, "Well..."

This isn't the same thing as him reflecting on his past behavior and acknowledging his flaws. This is Carver accepting a snide jab Aveline made that hurt him because apparently he was wrong for not wanting to discuss any trauma Ostagar left him with as openly as she does.

Oh, and don't forget that any other companion you brought along dogpiles on, too!

Carver: No, it's all right. It is. It cost a lot, but I get it. I really was a bit of a tit those days, wasn't I? Aveline: Well... Varric: No shit. Fenris: Insufferable. Isabela: Legendary. Anders: Maker, yes. Sebastian: I've heard as much. [If Hawke has a humorous/charming personality] Hawke: Spoiled, annoying, thick-headed, brattish little nitwit of a... oh, have we stopped?

Y'all ever wonder why he's so on edge or hostile with the other companions?

Also, I have to point out that Merrill is the only companion who doesn't say anything in agreement if she's there. In fact, across all their banter, Merrill's never been rude or insulting toward him. All she does is ask him if he's talking dirty to her and compliments him on what a great sworder he is. It's pretty obvious why Carver develops a crush on her, c'mon.

But to wrap this up-

This banter strikes a nerve due to how telling it is about both characters involved.

Carver has grown and done what he can to improve himself, but there's regret that lingers, a longing for a better life he could've had if given a chance. Maybe he would've failed, maybe he would've succeeded. But there's nothing he can do now, so he looks forward, just as he's always wanted to do. He's a damn good Grey Warden who wants to do right.

Aveline remains stagnant. She hasn't changed, nor has she improved, and maybe she would if she could figure out how to dislodge her head from her own ass. She still believes she was in the right to tell the guard not to accept Carver's application despite knowing the Hawke's were desperate and that Fereldan refugees couldn't find work. She knew Carver's a skilled soldier who fought at Ostagar just as she did. The guard wasn't the place for him so she's in the right to deny him any chance. Aveline knows best.

And y'know what, I think all I have left to say is...

Fine, Aveline. You're right. It wasn't the place for him.

Carver was too good for your city guard.

[vigilskeep]

the weird thing is that alistair saying “her name is goldanna and i think she remarried but still lives just outside the alienage” DOES sound like he thinks she’s got elven blood too

[spaceandfiction]

I waited all season for the women to let the leash off their murderous impulses and instead they had a tender conversation about letting go and giving the other person what she wants...where is my toxic yuri

[irregularbillcipher]

“doomed by the narrative” this, “doomed by the narrative” that, literally none of your blorbos are him

[kalza]

Ember, you can't keep hooking up with every bastard cowboy you see....